Monday, May 14, 2012

Happy Mother's Day

I hope all the mothers out there had a great celebration yesterday. Mother's Day is the day when all those hours of laboring, all the unwanted weight gain, all the sleepless nights, having to always eat the dry meat on the chicken, the ends of a loaf of bread, and the crumbs of a dessert plate seems worth it. 

I have many great women to look up to when it comes to being a good mother, but two of them stick out in my mind. My mom and my grandma...


They've taught me many things about motherhood; they've taught me how to raise my children up in the fear and love of God, how to discipline them, how to be devoted to my family, how to keep a clean house, how to cook amazing food, how to keep my sanity amidst the presence of chaos, how to be a self sacrificing mother (in which I've practiced many times, especially when it comes to the last cookie or brownie and instead of devouring it I succumb to the begging and sad faces of my children), how to celebrate my children's successes and how to lift them up and encourage them in times of trials and failures.

I wouldn't be the mom that I am today if it weren't for my mother and my grandma. Through the examples they lead and their mothering, I know that the sacrifices we moms make yield so many rewards; physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Thank you Ma and Lola for being such Godly women and wonderful mothers. Happy Mother's Day!

And here's just one of the rewards that I had the pleasure of indulging in for Mother's Day...


My family took me to a luxurious seafood buffet, and needless to say, I did some damage. After all it has been about 2 years since I last ate at a buffet. Here's what consisted of the 3 or 4 thousand calories I ate at that one sitting. 

Plate #1: Steamed Tilapia drenched in brown gravy, Spaghetti, Roast Chicken, Beef Curry with potatoes and carrots, Prawns with eggplants, and Sauteed Vegetables


Plate #2: Dim Sum, Steamed Bun with pork, Fried Bun, Fried Rice, Broccoli and Pork Meatball, Spicy Fried Salmon, Ginger Scallops, Sauteed Mussels, and Baked Oyster with White Sauce
 

Plate #3: The Sushi Line Up, from California Roll to Spicy Tuna and everything in between, lead by Captain Squid Roll. 


Plate #4: My last call for all my favorites. More Prawns with eggplants and Baked Oyster with White Sauce.
 

Now on to the desserts!

Round #1: Started off with a Blueberry Cheesecake and Strawberry Cheesecake in a cup.


Round #2: From Top Left Corner, Mango Tart, Cream Puff, White Chocolate Truffle with Rice Krispies, Raspberry Chocolate Truffle with Marshmallows, Brownie, Chocolate Chip Cookie, and a Pineapple Cookie.


Round #3: Cheesecake. 


Round #4: Mango Medley with Mango Pudding, Mango Pannacotta and another Mango Tart.


Round #5: Leche Flan, Pineapple Pannacotta, and Chocolate Mousse Cake.


Round #6: Vanilla Ice cream with Chocolate Sprinkles and Rice Krispies, 3 Layer Chocolate Cake, and yet again, another Mango Tart. I'm sure by now you can guess what was my favorite.


Round #7: One more Mango Tart to make a total of 4!


The Finale: And to top it all off, a bowl of candy. M&Ms, Sour Gummies and Hard Fruity Candy.  


So after that, I unbuttoned my top shorts button, let down my hair, put on my glasses and washed it all down with a nice cold glass of water.



*Tips for tearing it up at an All-You-Can-Eat Restaurant:

1)Don't eat any other meal prior to going to the buffet.
2)Only drink water, don't waste precious belly space on sugary liquids and sodas.
3)Smaller portions of each item allows you to eat more.
4)Pace yourself, rest about 1-2 minutes between each plate.
5)Don't fill up on food you don't really care for, rather leave plenty of room for indulging on your favorites. 
6)Try everything, but don't eat everything.
7)Leave room for dessert...a lot of it.
8)Wear stretchy pants.
9)Pray for your food before you eat; rebuke the calories, cholesterol and fat.
10)Never eat alone. You may need someone to carry you out to the car when you're done!

Monday, May 7, 2012

After the Storm

After every storm, there comes a rainbow. And it's no different in life. No matter what trial or tribulation you come through, there's always a light at the end of the tunnel, sort of speak. Weeping may endure through the night, but joy comes in the morning...

For those of you who may not know, one of the biggest storms in our life happened a few weeks ago. It was a very sad and emotional day filled with tears, anger, and regret. You can read about it at A Father's Fear

But it was only a few short days after that, when healing, forgiveness and the love of God just overwhelmed my husband and I. You may be wondering what became of "Ronnie" and well, basically we forgave him. But before you start to judge, criticize and wonder how in the world can we forgive someone like that who did such horrible things to my son, let me paint you a picture. 

Imagine a boy who grew up in poverty with a neural development disorder that many know as Autism. This boy stopped receiving formal education at a very young age and only progresses socially and intellectually based on the limited education and experiences his parents can provide him with. Take that same boy and put him in an environment where he's exposed to perversion and sexually oriented scenarios frequently. Now fast forward 20 years and that boy is now a man who has a very skewed perception of what is right and wrong.

Unfortunately Ronnie's actions and behavior is the product of the environment that he grew up in. And it was at that hearing that we saw a scared and very confused young man. We've had our heated words with him, but now it was time to show compassion and understanding. In front of three mediators and his parents he confessed to what he did and then looked us in our eyes and told us he was very sorry. 

Looking back on the situation, we learned a lot. Now we keep a closer eye on our children and limit their contact to family and very close friends, we also continually encourage an open and honest communication with our children letting them know that they can talk to us about anything, and lastly this circumstance just reminds me of how much God really loves us. 

Can you imagine, Jesus died for people who's committed crimes like Ronnie and worse. Murderers, rapist, child abusers and the like, before they even committed those crimes Jesus already forgave them and loves them all the same. He hates the sin, but loves the sinner. And I can't help but to think of my own imperfections, my own shortcomings...yet God still forgave me and loves me so much. When you've been given so much mercy,grace, and forgiveness in life it only makes sense to extend that to others...

We've forgiven Ronnie and I think that day, when any other parent would've like to see their child's abuser pay the ultimate price, the love of God shone brighter in us than any feelings of anger, hate or revenge.

The following week we decided to take the children on a mini vacation to recuperate and rejuvenate from all that's happened. After a visit to Enchanted Kingdom and the Southwinds Resort I think we can all look forward to a better and brighter tomorrow. This was our rainbow after the storm...

  

Monday, April 23, 2012

A Father’s Fear: Child Sexual Abuse and Child Molestation

Today we have a guest poster, My Husband. Though sadly, I'm not at all excited about this post and you'll soon discover why. I present to you A Father's Fear...


It was a warm Saturday evening, my wife and I decided to walk to the nearby mall with our daughter to pick up a few things. We like to take one of our kids out by themselves at least once a week so we can give them the individual attention that all kids need. So after picking up a few things and having a late lunch, we walked home. Upon our return, our nanny helped us with the bags and said to my wife, “Ma’am, there’s something I need to tell you.”

As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children. We do what we can to make sure that no danger ever comes near them; to mold them into productive, law abiding citizens. When my wife and I were expecting our first child, the discussions of how we were going to raise our children constantly came up. What type of school will we enroll them into, how do we implement biblical teachings into their daily lives, how do we teach them to defend themselves, and to protect their younger siblings.

One of the biggest decisions we made shortly after my first son was born was to homeschool him. There are many reasons why, but the biggest was to have control over what was being taught to my kid(s).  We knew that we could do a better job preparing them for the crazy world we live in. Homeschooling would allow us to give each child the individual attention that they need and want. It will allow us to teach them and tell them about our own experiences, and most of all, to protect them from any potential harm. We’re not overly protective, but we’ll do anything we can to make sure that our children grow up in a safe and loving environment. So when they’re ready to face the unknowing dangers of the world; the rude, the mean, the inconsiderate, the predators, they’ll know exactly what to do. The thing we’re trying to prevent from happening is having them in that type of situation before they’re ready.

“Ma’am, there’s something I need to tell you.” I over hear this as I’m already sitting down in the living room. The nanny’s demeanor was pretty solemn. I didn’t want to interrupt, so I tried to listen in intently. She proceeded to talk to my wife in a low tone and the next thing I know, my wife is storming out the door. I immediately follow her to find out what exactly was going on.

The following events that took place is something a parent never wants to (and never should) experience. She saw my son’s friend just outside our house and asked him some questions. The last question I heard was “Are you sure?” before I finally stepped in to ask my wife what happened. She tells me that Ronnie (not his real name), a neighborhood kid, had molested my son.

Enraged, we started looking for Ronnie and wouldn’t you know it; he was just outside our gate hanging out with a bunch of kids. We sternly called out his name and asked him to come near. We came right out and asked him if he’s ever touched our son and of course, he denies it. Which is what most predators will do, and this one was no exception.

How could this have happened? We’ve done all we can to protect our son but his innocence and safety had still been jeopardized. It was basically a matter of a 7 year old’s trust being taken advantage of; a young, unknowing, trusting and innocent 7 year old child.

We knew that Ronnie was older than my son, by how many years we weren’t sure exactly. He was the “big kid” that liked playing with the children in our neighborhood. When we finally found out the grave details of the matter and that Ronnie was in fact no kid but a 20 year old adult, we were beyond infuriated. My mind began to think up the most unpleasant scenarios that could have taken place, including what I wanted to do to that “big kid”.

Following the confrontation, my wife and I immediately went to the police station to report the matter. There we came face to face once again with the predator, and he was accompanied by the police and his parents. It was intense, uncontrollable screams and inconsolable cries filled the station. After minutes had gone by, we finally calmed down. The entire time we were there listening to the testimony of my son about the events that took place, our heart shattered into a million pieces. I could only imagine what was going through my son’s mind during those times. Thinking about it hurts me the most; he with my son in that dark little room and though only for a few minutes, might’ve felt like an eternity for my son. 

Someone my son trusted and looked up to violated his very being. It saddens me as a parent that this type of thing happens all over the world. No child is exempted from the potential dangers of sexual abuse. Whether you’re rich or poor, whether you live in a developing country or in one of the most luxurious places on earth; this type of evil happens everywhere.

No one’s perfect, myself included. I’ve made many mistakes in the past, but the one thing that held me together and gave me hope was God’s loving kindness, forgiveness and grace. It’s an awesome feeling, a comforting feeling knowing that he sent His Son to die for me; an imperfect individual. I knew that despite my imperfections and my past mistakes, God still loves me. He doesn’t hate the individual, He only hates the sin. I knew I had to apply that same concept into our situation; I can’t hate this person who violated my son, I can only hate the evil that he did. The love, the mercy, the forgiveness, and the grace that was given to me I in turn should extend to him. No matter how “undeserving” I think he is, no matter how hard, no matter how much resistance I give it; it’s ultimately the only thing we can do for and give the people who hurt us.

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

But this doesn’t mean that there will be no repercussions or legal consequences for that person. We’ve gone through all the proper measures to make sure that Ronnie is given a just and fair hearing, and we can only hope and pray that he’ll never be able to do this again, to anyone.
 
Sexual abuse and any form of child molestation is an evil evil thing. It’s also a very shameful thing and because of that, not too many victims come forward. My son didn’t come to us when this happened and only came forward with the details when we asked him about it. Why? What was he thinking? Was he ashamed? Did he think it was normal? Did he think he would get in trouble? Or did he not know what to think? We can’t really say for now. But as parents, we must instill in our children that they can talk to us about anything, good or bad. If it’s a good thing, we’ll give them praise; and if it’s a bad thing, we’ll still be there for them to show them love and support. 

Encourage your children to be open and honest with you about every aspect of their life. And if your child ever comes forward with a situation similar to this, listen to them, comfort them and believe them. Your child is confiding in you and be thankful that they’re not keeping any “secrets”.

One person we have to be thankful for is our nanny for shining light upon this situation. She too was a victim of sexual abuse and child molestation. At the tender age of 8 years old she was raped by an elderly man who was their neighbor. After the first time it happened, she immediately told her grandma about it. Unfortunately the grandma didn’t believe her and thought she was making it up. It wasn’t until the man repeated the violent act another two times, that they finally believed her. Sadly, this happens all over the world and it’s our duty as parents to be our children’s advocates. With something so serious as sexual abuse, how can parents or elders not believe an innocent child? Parents, we must believe our children when they tell us things like this. We must instinctively take their side and give them our full support until we know the facts.

Sexual abuse, child molestation; don’t take those issues lightly. Children in your neighborhood and all across the world are potential victims. Educate your children about these things, how no one should ever touch them inappropriately or make them feel uncomfortable in any way. Educate, educate, educate. When it comes down to it, it’s our jobs as parents to teach our children what’s right and wrong and to protect them to the best of our abilities.

Please keep our family and most of all, our son in your prayers....


Saturday, April 14, 2012

A Dessert Date

Monica, Zoe and Me photographed by John (Monica's husband)

Sometimes it's great to just be able to connect with other people, beyond the borders of the internet. Yesterday I was fortunate enough to meet up with a fellow blogger pal of mine, Monica from F.L.A.G. Many of you know her as the charitable, hard working Canadian/Filipina mom who devotes her time and resources to helping underprivileged girls in the Philippines obtain an education for a brighter future. You may or may not know that this wonderful lady is also very funny and down to earth...

This is the first time I've ever had the opportunity to meet another blogger face to face and we had such an awesome afternoon. Her and her husband met with me and my daughter for some mid afternoon desserts and delightful conversations. Well most of it was delightful, the other parts I had to cover my daughter's ears....kidding (kinda).

Add on deliciously sweet desserts on top of it, then you've got perfection. Here are the items that graced our plates yesterday at our Dessert Date.

Ube (Purple Yam) Cheesecake Brulee

Banana-Langka (Jack Fruit) Crepe Samurai

Chef's Quarter Surprise (Creme Brulee)

Chocolate Gooey Fudge
 
When you've got a table full of sweet treats and are accompanied by such a sweet couple...it doesn't get any sweeter than that! I had such a great time with them and looking forward to our next date while they're still in town. Although our next one would be sans les enfants et notre maris according to Monica. A spa day perhaps? ;)

 

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Palawan Paradise


Last week was Holy Week here in the Philippines, which includes Holy Thursday, Good Friday, Black Saturday, and Easter Sunday. But for the first three days of the week I had a Foodtopia Monday, Beach Hoppin' Tuesday, and Exploration Wednesday on our impromptu trip to Palawan. And by impromptu I mean we literally planned this trip less than 24 hours prior to departing. Fortunately my aunt was able to watch the children (and the nanny) while we were gone.

If you're not too familiar with Palawan, it's an island west of Manila and it's comparable to well known tourist destinations such as Cebu and Boracay. But it's a lot less congested. Here are a couple of pictures from out trip.

On Monday:

We arrived at the Palawan airport, checked into our hotel, rested for 2 hours and headed out for dinner. We ate at this seafood restaurant called KaLui. It was one of the best seafood places I've ever eaten in and I highly recommend it. Here are a few low lights of the meal...

 
From left corner clockwise; avocado shake, tropical fruits with muscovado, and fresh seaweed. I've never had seaweed before and these were surprisingly delightful. They have the texture of orange pulps and they taste like salty okra. The highlights of the meal were the tuna steak, shrimp with ceviche, another type of fish in black bean sauce, stuffed squid, vegetable medley with scallops and sauteed Chinese spinach. Unfortunately due to dirty fingers and a gluttonous appetite I wasn't able to take a picture of those. Just imagine the goodness.

After dinner we walked around the city center and then headed back to our hotel, but not without dessert of course. I give you BFB's (Big Flat Bread) Chocolate Chip Cookie A La Mode!


For a restaurant that specializes in pizza, they're desserts were pretty awesome. That's why we went back every day (sometimes twice a day) until we had to leave. It's funny how the waiters already knew what we wanted every time we went in. I didn't realize how fast you can establish a "regulars" status at a restaurant. We also tried their Warm Brownie Bowl and Cheesecake; both were very good but I still think the Chocolate Chip Cookie A La Mode was the best. 



On Tuesday:

We woke up and had an early breakfast since we were scheduled to go island hopping at Honda Bay at 7 am. We had breakfast at Lobster Monster which was located in the hotel. My husband and I had the Belgian waffle. What a way to start off the day...


Afterwards, we headed on out to Honda Bay and took a bangka (outrigger canoe) to two other islands for some swimming, snorkeling and chowing down on good ole' Filipino cuisine. Below is a picture of us on the bangka on the way to Starfish Island where we swam, took some photo ops and ate lunch.


Then we headed on out to Snake Island for more swimming and snorkeling (minus the snorkels). Here are a few underwater pics of me and the corral reefs on this beautiful island. 

It was really fun. I just wish we had more time to bum on the beaches, but our tour was on a schedule...

On Wednesday:

We went to visit the Underground River which has been officially deemed as one of the new 7 Wonders of the World. This place is so popular that you have to book weeks in advance and the city of Palawan only allots 700 visitors a day. Since this was an impromptu trip and we weren't aware of that fact until we arrived Monday afternoon, we almost missed out on the opportunity to see this. But fortunately some people cancelled at the last minute and we were able to take their spots. How cool was that?!?

The Underground river is a subterranean river inside a mountain and you enter it through a mouth of a cave. It's about 200 feet tall at it's highest point and the river spans almost 5 miles (8.2 km to be exact) long. Here are a few photos from the escapade.


We had to wear special head gears for safety reasons as well as sanitary reasons since the cave is filled with bats (who constantly have the runs according to our guide). If it wasn't for the spot light that each canoe was equipped with, it would've been pitch dark inside. My camera couldn't take clear pictures of all the amazing limestone and minerals inside. But here's one of me and my husband appearing fascinated with all the rocky wonders. There was even one rock formation that look liked Jesus' head, which was quite convenient considering it was Holy Week.

 
Here's a picture of us with our tour group, taken by one of the park's photographers as we emerged from the cave. Don't mind the leg on the far right, it's just our guide falling off the boat. 

 
Afterwards we ate a hefty lunch buffet, did more sightseeing and then headed to crocodile farm where we saw the bones of Rio. Rio was one of the biggest crocodiles discovered on the island measuring more than 20 feet long. Authorities had to take him into captivity when he "accidentally" ate a fisherman. "Accidentally" I'm sure...


While at the farm, I was also able to meet other interesting creatures. Like this bear cat for example, whom I had the pleasure of holding. Check out this clip of me and my new furry friend. 

video


Despite what those last minute shivers may have suggested, I really do like animals. This was our last stop before heading back on a plane to reality, a.k.a. children and Manila traffic. It's great to get away sometime and since we finally have a stable nanny, we were able to make this adventure happen.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Because I Can...Give Me a Break!

This morning I made my children a hearty and healthy breakfast. I do what I can to promote healthy eating around the house which in turn will help them establish healthy eating habits as they're growing up. That's why I cook all their meals; breakfast,lunch, dinner and snacks. Nothing they eat comes from a bag or a box, unless I authorize it. Here's what they had today for breakfast.


Freshly baked pandesal (Spanish bread), banana bread with walnuts, a broccoli and chicken frittata with red and green peppers, and a warm cup of Milo (chocolate malt). I'd be lying if I said they didn't gripe about the overwhelming presence of "green things" in the frittata, but nonetheless I made them eat every single bite. 

I on the other hand had an alternative breakfast which I had to consume covertly for obvious reasons. While my children were inside eating yummy home cooked goodness, I was outside eating this...



You may be wondering why I'm eating a Kit Kat bar at 7 o'clock in the morning instead of my well balanced and healthy home cooked breakfast. Well here are my reasons:

1)I just came back from a two mile run an hour earlier and I have the habit of undoing what I've done.
2)I eat nothing but fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, home cooked meals and home baked goods during the week. 
3)My father-in-law came back from Texas the night before and brought these abominations into our home.

and my main and final reason for eating a candy bar for breakfast is:

4)Because I can! I'm a grown woman for goodness sakes. Give me a break...  
 

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Wordless Wednesday: Beignets Anyone?

For the past few days my 7 year old has been hassling me to make him a dessert he saw on TV. Last week when The Princess and the Frog appeared on TV the first thing he asked me within the first 5 minutes of the movie was, "Mommy, what's those bread thingys that she put that white stuff on that the man ate?" I didn't even have to look at the screen to know exactly what he was talking about. There's only one thing those "bread thingys" with "white stuff" on them can be, especially in a movie set in New Orleans. None other than the classic Beignets.

Before I even told them what they were he asked me if I could make some. Even in 2D animated picture, beignets still look as delicious and irresistible as ever so of course I agreed to make them. 

After scrounging around the internet for the perfect recipe, I finally found one. Tried it out the next day. And executed perfection. They were deeeeeeeeeelicious!


I powdered some oats in the blender and used that instead of regular flour. It's much healthier and that would probably explain the more rustic aesthetic of my beignets. Used some heart and star cookie cutters for the different shapes in addition to regular square cuts and went to town on them with the powdered sugar =)

They're so easy to make, check out my recipe below:

Beignets 

Ingredients:
3/4 cup luke warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar (I used raw sugar instead of white)
1 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast
1 egg slightly beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup evaporated milk 
1/4 cup shortening or margarine
3 1/2 cups flour (or powdered oats, which was what I used)
1-2 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:
1) Mix water, sugar and yeast in a bowl and set aside for 10 minutes.
2) In a separate bowl mix the egg, salt and milk. Then add it to the yeast mixture.
3) Pour in half of the flour and shortening/margarine and mix together. Then add in the rest of the flour until the dough is thoroughly mixed and smooth. 
4) Grease the bottom of another bowl and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm dry place. Let it rise for 2 hours.
5) Heat up some frying oil in a fryer or a pot until it reaches 350 degrees F.
6) Lightly flour a surface and place the dough onto it. Roll it out until it's 1/4 inch thick then cut it into squares or whatever shape you like.
7) Drop the dough in the hot oil and cook until both sides are golden brown, flipping constantly. It should only take about a minute on each side, especially if you're using oats.
8) Place the cooked beignets on a paper towel for a couple of seconds to absorb some of the oil before powdering them with confectioner's sugar. 

Voila...you've got yourself some beignets. And they say nothing ever good comes from watching TV. Who ever said that must've not watched The Princess and the Frog.