Mr Clean Magic Eraser

My choice of cleaning supplies always starts with,  what will solve my cleaning problem? Most often than not, it is really not a problem, but what will work.   Next would be how much the product costs.  But performance trumps cost.

If there is one product that I will praise to high heavens, it is Mr  Clean Eraser.   So convenient to use, no more need for other cleaning solutions.  Just wet, squeeze excess water and start wiping.  Great with water stains.  Keeps my show doors, see through sparklingly clean!  I also use this to clean my granite floors and no other products comes close to the final outcome it gives short of muriatic acid!  The grout comes out white with out scraping it off! I use this everywhere!

This is not available in the Philippine market but I have seen in True Value in Shangri-La.  I was able to buy in S&R one time.  It is expensive!  Comes out to P100.00 per pad so I buy in the US and have it shipped here together with my other purchases via balikbayan box. 

I also use Mr. Clean Antibacterial Multi Purpose Cleaner as an all-purpose spray cleaner.

For details or more information on the products see them in My Pick on the  right portion of this page,  or check here

Bathroom Cleaning Boot Camp

The new housekeeper has been with me for a few weeks already.    At the end of the day I check the quality of her work, critique it, tell her which ones she did great and which ones she needs to improve on.  She has actually gotten the hang of how I  want my house cleaned except for the bathroom. It has been the third time I noticed that how she cleans the bathroom is not up to my standards.  This third time I actually had to clean it again myself.  She clearly needs to go through Bathroom Cleaning Boot Camp again!  And I don't mean a refresher course.

The National Viand - Adobo

I think every Filipino is expected to know how to cook adobo.  After all,  it is the national viand.  I have tasted a variety. With liver, dry, with sauce, fried, flaked, with no soy sauce, sweet, too sour.  The whole gamut.

I didn't know how to cook it.  I just ate it.  I use to work in a restaurant  with a cook who made the best of the best adobo I have ever tasted.   Too bad I have lost touch with him.  I would have wanted to learn how to do it his way.

The adobo I cook for my family I learned from this site which I regularly read.  http://www.marketmanila.com/archives/the-best-pork-adobo-a-la-marketman.  Yes it is good.  Unless I find the cook who made the best adobo imprint in my mind  this will be my default adobo for my family.

Here is the edited recipe

3 kilos pork,
15 cloves garlic,
bay leaves, peppercorns
1/3 cup rock salt
1/2 to 3/4 cup of water

Put everything in a casserole, cover  and place  over  fire.

About 10 minutes after it starts to boil, carefully toss the contents to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of the pan.  Add about 

1.5 cups of coconut vinegar 

Keep it uncovered until some of the vinegar evaporates, about 15 minutes. Cover and maintain a low fire so the meat just simmers slightly… for 2 hours or so. What appears to be a bland pale stew slowly morphs into a light brown adobo with a sort of emulsified sauce that is rich and flavorful.  Add some additional water if it looks like it is drying out.

Three kilos is a lot.   I just fry enough for what will be consumed.  The rest I keep for when we would like to have it again.  This is a good recipe for the flaked adobo kind.

Pancit Molo - Ravioli Na May Sabaw

The first time I cooked this, I got not just thumbs  up but arms up in Hallelujah from my family!  Getting a compliment like that surely meant I hit  a gold mine!  To reinforce it, they asked that I cook it again a few days later.   I am just ecstatically happy that I was able to make this right!  To celebrate, I did my dance of joy! A fast pas de bouree with turn!!!

 

Piping hot and flavorful!  Definitely classified as comfort food!  Pero ano nga ba ang Pancit Molo,  It does not remotely look like pancit.  It can be classified as pasta though due to the wrapper which is made of flour.  Then there is the filling.  Am I not correct in saying that it is Ravioli na may sabaw?

FILLING
1/4 kilo ground pork
1/4 kilo  shrimps - shelled and minced
1/3 cup finely chopped singkamas/turnips
1/3 cup finely chopped carrots
1/2 medium onion - finely chopped
1 egg
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
Siomai wrapper

SOUP
10 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
3 Tbsp minced garlic
1/2 medium onion - chopped
100 gm shrimps - shelled and finely minced [about 1/3 cup]
100 gm ground  pork or shredded cooked or ground  chicken [about 1/2 cup]
1 1/2 Tbsp patis (or to taste)
freshly ground pepper
Garnish:
chopped green onion
fried garlic


FILLING
1.    Combine all the ingredients in a bowl.
2.    Lay one wrapper on a flat working surface. Put about a  teaspoonful of the filling in the middle. Fold  wrapper to opposite end to make a triangle.  Seal edges together
3.    Repeat until all fillings are used up.
4.   Extra  wrappers can can go straight to the soup stock if desired.

SOUP:
1.    Heat the oil in a medium sized stock pot.
2.    Saute the garlic in medium-low heat. Do not burn.
3.    Once garlic is golden crispy brown, scoop out 2/3 of it and set aside.
4.    Add in the onion and saute for about 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
5.    Bring up heat to medium-high and stir in the ground pork and shrimps. Cook for 1 minute.
6.    Mix in the patis, stir. Cover pot and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7.    Add in the stock and bring to boil.
8.    Gently drop the filling in the boiling stock. Put in just 20-30 of the wrapped fillings the rest can be fried and served with sweet n sour sauce or frozen and used the next time you cook this
9.    Simmer under cover for about 30 minutes.
10.    Add in the extra  wrappers, cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
11.    Remove from heat. Put in bowl garnish with  chopped green onion and fried garlic.

Pamaraan ng Pag Plancha

Saw this in my files.  This is part of the Household Manual which is in english.  This is from 10 years ago.  Our maid at that time requested that it be translated in tagalog so she will understand.

This procedure assumes that the maid knows how to iron.  There is a different file on  how to iron  pieces of clothing. 

Caveat:  Article may predispose to nose bleed!

Para hindi  mahirapan at para sa mas mabilis at maayos  na pag plancha

Bago mag umpisa sa pagplancha, paghiwalayin ang mga nilabahan:

• pantalon
• mga t-shirt
• panlabas
• pambahay
• mga t-shirt na may kuwelyo
• mga damit na kailangang i-hanger
• mga damit ng mga bata
• panlabas
• pambahay
• mga twalya
• mga bed sheets at punda ng unan
• mga medyas
• mga panty at bra
• mga pantulog
• etc.

1. Itupi ang mga hindi kailangan planchahin, mga bed sheets, twalya, medyas, bra,  etc.  Itabi.
2. Unang ilagay ang mga bed sheets at twalya sa lalagyan para ito ang nasa ilalim.
3. Unang planchahin ang mga pantalon. Ihanger lahat
4. Isunod ang mga damit na kailangang i-hanger. Isunod ang mgs polo, blouse.  Kung maselan ang tela, ihuli. I-adjust ang init ng plancha.
5. Isunod ang mga T-shirts, tapos and mga damit ng mga bata.
6. Ipangalawa mong ilagay sa lalagyan ang mga pambahay na damit pagkatapos ng mga kumot at twalya.  Tapos ay mga shirt na may kwelyo, tapos mga damit ng mga bata, kay Tudy muna tapos kay Sabrina.
7. Ihuling ilagay ang mga malilit, medyas, etc.
8. Siguraduhing maayos ang pagkakatupi ng mga damit.
9. Huwag isiksik ang mga pinamalancha para hindi malukot.
10. Ilagay sa puting hanger ang mga damit namin.
11. Pag tinutupi ang mga damit, pagsamasamahin ang kung kay kanino.
12. Pagnakakita ng hindi maganda ang pagkalaba, huwag nang planchahin.  Labahan muli.
13. Kung ikaw ay may hindi maintindihan o kaya ay may katanungan.  Magtanong sa akin.

Sana ay hindi  na mahirapan at mapadali na ang  pamamalancha.

A Sponge Cake Of A Mattress

After putting it off for some time, we finally bought a new mattress!  A 72" X 84" California King, 13" high!

 

Buying a mattress is an investment because a good one is not cheap!  And a  cheap  one should not be bought because one should not sacrifice comfort when he sleeps!  A factor to be considered in choosing  mattresses is how one sleeps.  It is a good thing my husband and I  does the same,  on our side.

People who sleep on their side need a very conforming mattress  that will evenly distribute their weight along the entire length of their body. Too firm of a mattress for a side sleeper will create pressure points in the hip and shoulder which will make one toss and turn during his sleep.

I found out about Tempur-pedic which claims to be the most highly recommended  in the US.  As with all branded products, these mattresses which are suppose to give one his  best night's sleep  are uncomfortably expensive!  Tempur-pedic mattresses are made of memory foam.  Googled  for a  local supplier and found out that if it is foam, it just has to be - Uratex. We went directly to the factory.  They had different kinds from the cheap to the relatively vulgar (in price)!!!  We chose an "almost  vulgar!"   Premium Touch Viscoluxe Euro Top - "Innovative micro-quilt box with a generous layer of memory foam for exceptional comfort and an opulent look." Although there was one  which  is purely made of memory foam exactly like the tempur-pedic kind (which was cheaper), we settled for one with springs.  I wanted some  bounce.  We tried  the different mattresses and this was the most comfortable one for us.  Sooo soft.  It is like lying down on sponge cake that does not sag and with the right amount of support!   Super SARAP!!!  What I also like about it is when the person beside you moves, you will not feel the movement!  Ultimately the deciding factor is the results of the computerized sensor imaging program which measured the pressure points on our bodies.  A mat was laid on the different mattresses we tried.  The  red areas you see on the computer monitor, are the pressure points. This particular mattress gave both  my husband and I the least  reds compared to the others.  

Because we requested to have ourselves measured, we were given a 30% discount!  So the almost relatively vulgar price was vulgar no more! This is actually a secret.  You have to ask to be measured or no discount will be given.  And they are not promoting it.

Uratex

32 Miller St.
San Fransisco Del Monte, Quezon City
Tel. No: (632) 371-0569 to 79

www.uratex.com.ph

Look for and set an appointment with Love, she does the sensor imaging.  

Premium Touch Viscoluxe

BRILLIANTLY DESIGNED FOR YOUR ULTIMATE COMFORT

-Advanced pocket spring system and body-molding memory foam combine for a mattress of soothing indulgence.

- Boasts of an exclusive firm feel that balances the softness of memory foam for optimum support and comfort.

- Sensitive to body heat and weight, the memory foam gently conforms to body contours to relieve pressure points and create a comfortable cocoon.

- The pressure-free sensation allows the joints and spine to be in natural alignment.

- High-density foam helps ensure a steady mattress that needs no flipping or turning over.

- Beneath the memory foam, the pocket springs move with the body to support its every inch.

- Quilted mattress cover made from soft knitted fabric.

- Side-stitched mattress border for a classic look and an extra-supportive edge.

- Overall, the mattress brings about an all-over feeling of relaxation and a comfortable sleep with less tossing and turning.

Ang Kwento ni Bagyong Basyang

If there is something positive about the typhoon, then it will have to be the cool (as in temperature)  wind that it brought about.  Thankfully we are OK.  No untoward incident of any sort.  We only had 6 hours of brownout compared to more than 24 that some parts of the neighborhood had, including the house of the in-laws  which is literally just a few steps away.  Our part belongs to a different grid.  We are lucky.  The only down side was we had no internet connection  for more than 24 hours.  When this happens, I always have withdrawal symptoms!

Our Home

It has been five years since we've had our own house.  For 15 years  prior, we stayed with the  in-laws. Caloy being the youngest of three children,  really wanted to stay with his parents because  he has decided that we will be the ones to take care of them in their twilight years. Also, his parents rely on him for a lot of things both on the home front and in the family businesses.  It was a very convenient arrangement.  We had no major expense so everything that we made, we were able to save.

When the adjacent lot with a shell of a new house was put up for sale, father-in-law bought it. He gave it to us and Caloys' sister.   It was meant to be just one house "pero para hanting magkapatid" and  because the design accommodated  it, a wall was put up right smack in the middle and  was converted  into a duplex. There was only one thing non negotiable, the decision on who will get what side. We on the left, the sister on the right.  Caloy's has to be on the left because it is  nearer to the main house.  This was the in-law's decree.  The house sits on a 441 sq.m. lot.  The total floor area for the  two story building, on  each side is about 160.  It has become  part of the whole 1,323 sq.m compound.

Because only the shell was done, major work still had to be accomplished.  We had a very good team who worked with us.  Architecture  was done by Winston Yao, Interior Design by Gretchen Picache and Feng Shui by Merlina Merton. The 15 years with the in-laws prepared us for the expense in finishing and furnishing our home.  We are thankful that we were able to finish our house according to how we like and envisioned it to be without any stress, anxiety or even drama(as other people would  have had) of sourcing funds!

Our house is relatively small compared to the houses in the neighborhood.  When I was little, living in a very big house, (which is also on the same street as our house now) I realized that cleaning and maintaining one is overwhelming,  I decided that when I will have my own house, it will only be small but it has to be beautiful. Well. this proves that we really have to be mindful of  what we wish for.  It definitely comes true!

My Secret Ingredient

I am not proud of it but the whole range of Knorr Cubes is my secret ingredient!  I use them instead of  made from scratch stocks.  I like the convenience they offers.  They are  readily available, already pre-portioned, and are relatively cheap compared to how much total ingredients will be, time and effort as well as gas expense for the number of hours it requires to reduce made from scratch stocks. All one has to do is add the cubes  to the correct amount of water.  Usually 1  for every 2 cups.  I know how stocks are made.    With the gas consumption it entails, in order to  make up for  the economics of it, a lot should be made and should be frozen until needed.  As it is now, I even have to use one of my mother- in -laws freezers in the next house to freeze my meats.  I really have no space to stock the stock.

When I am ready and have decided to give up on the convenience these little cubes bring, it is when I have graduated from my little steps on to a very graceful pas de bourree.  Hopefully freezer space will no longer be a problem.

Fried Chicken Ala Max

I may be challenged in the kitchen but I have a few dishes that I can do well.  I make fried chicken which is "sarap to the bones!"  And this is not a straight to the fry pan kind of cooking.  Here is my Fried Chicken Ala Max!

2 kilos chicken, cut up to serving portions ( although I prefer mine quartered)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vinegar
1 cup water
1 whole small onion. peeled
2 stalks celery
1 star anise
1 1/3 tbsp. rock salt
ground pepper

Put everything in a casserole.  Bring to a boil  and cook until done.  Remove chicken from the pan, set aside and let them rest  until the chicken looks dry.

Prepare pan and heat with enough oil to deep fry the chicken.  Fry chicken until golden brown.  Since the chicken are already cooked,  this will take only a few minutes.

This is best served with banana catsup.   Either Mafran or Jufran, although my kids  like Del Monte better

I usually make this in a big batch, 4 kilos.  I freeze half, ready to be fried the next time we feel like having it again.

Me, The Cook

My professional career took me to the kitchens of hotels and restaurants.  Most would expect that I  excel in the realm of the culinary arts.  But on the contrary... I suck!

I have always equated cooking to dancing.  Everybody can dance.  But to be able to dance gracefully is another matter. This is me.  I know how dishes are cooked, the ingredients, the procedures, even the methods.  But if I were the one to cook a dish all by myself, it will not have the character of refined   execution!

Give me a little credit,  I can cook.  But my cooking does not meet even my own standards! I am not confident about seasoning!   Unless I have a standard recipe which states exactly how much salt, pepper, sugar or spices to add;  I will not be able to  get the flavor right.  I dread the taste of  too much salt so I  most often hold back on it to the point of blandness.  I just cannot calculate the mathematics  of getting the right mix of flavors.  I know  it takes practice of adding little by little until one gets it right.  I WILL GET THERE!  But in the process it has taken a number of lunches and dinners with tastes that are not quite delectably right.  Small steps before a pas de bourree!

I won! I won!

For the first time ever,  I won something!  I was pleasantly surprised when I received this email:

Dear Mr./Ms 

Congratulations!

We are pleased to inform you that you are one of the lucky winners of a Smart Bro Prepaid Plug-It in the Electronic Statement of Account (eSOA) Raffle Promo.  With the eSOA facility, you now get to enjoy easy access to your BDO Credit Card Statement of Account just by logging-in to www.bdo.com.ph. 

I enjoy the convenience of internet banking.  BDO had this promo of opting to see your statement of accounts online rather than receiving a physical statement.   I subscribed hoping to win a Mac book.  I have forgotten about it until I received this.  Mac book or not,  this is definitely still a pleasant surprise

New Housekeeper

So happy to find a part time housekeeper that is to my satisfaction! She has been with me for a week now  and I have been training her on my standards and procedures. How I wish I had finished my household manual for her(and for future ones) reference. I really should finish it.

Taught her how to do the beds. She found it weird that my sheets are folded in reverse. When I showed her why, she was thrilled that she learned something new that is very practical.

Mind the Nose

All four of us are coughing in the house.  We figure it is because of the weather.  Allergies in short.  When the kids were younger, when they had a cough, it was automatic, give cough meds.  But since we had consulted an otolaringologist a few years back, he said that not all coughs should be treated with cough meds but with colds and allergies meds.  In our case he said that our cough was due to post nasal drip.  When we drink cough medicine, it forces us to cough more when there is nothing to expel.  Our throat is just irritated.  His advice to us is always mind our noses.

New Beginning

I happen to see the files of my old website in my hard drive. Reading,  reminiscing,  smiling …I should write again. Read on…

Sunday, June 1, 2003

 

I think all kids, at least girls, go through a stage wherein they would like to be hairdressers for themselves. Sabrina cut parts of her hair today. When I asked her why she did it she said “di ba you want me to have a haircut?” Buti nalang it did not look bad kaya lang I have been wanting her hair to grow out so that when we eventually have it cut it will be blunt straight. Well now it has some layers. Tudy did the same thing when she was small. She hid at the back of the sofa and cut her bangs really short! Like what I said every little girl must have had this kind of an adventure!

Wednesday, May 21, 2003

After 7 years I finally got to swin in the pool again. I previously bought two new bathing suits. Two Piece! Dinaan ko nalang sa lakas ng loob! They are so nice and colorful, I just had to buy them. I psyched my self bahala na! It feels so refreshing to swim nowadays. The heat is just too much. I made Caloy an offer he could not refuse in exchange for cleaning the pool. The trainer said swimming is a good cardio excercise. Sige na nga! Bumalik na ang maid so I won’t be cleaning bathrooms for some time.

Sunday, May 18, 2003

Another day to be happy about. I have finally uploaded our site to the server and it took me 10 hours to do it. How I wish I have DSL! Then I would have been able to do it for maybe just an hour! Anyway, I am just ecstatic that this is finally up. Hope everybody will enjoy viewing as much as I took pleasure in doing this!

Wednesday, May 14, 2003

I am so happy today! Activation for my new web hosting finally became official . Was ever so ready to upload to the new server but somehow there were a few glitches. Talk about serendipity. It was actually a good thing that I was not able to upload right away because some links in my site got overwritten. I got to fix them before finally uploading. This is a fine example that things are meant to happen at the right time with the right circumstances.

Sunday, May 11, 2003

It’s Mother’s Day today! The kids got out of bed early and they left the room to go down right away. I thought it strange because they usually spend about an hour so or more watching TV before going down. After sometime, both of the kids knocked on the door and when I opened it there they were, Tudy with 2 white roses and the card that she made and Sabrina with a toy that she makes believe is a camera to record the moment. She even said “mommy, smile!” I knew about the card but I was surprised with the flowers. I asked why only two, she said she gave one to lola Bina. Such a great way to start Mother’s Day!
 
We celebrated it at Dreamscape. I rode the balloon with the kids. I got dizzy. The rest of the time they kept on playing on the machines for tickets. At the end of it all they accumulated about 600.

It was truly a happy mother’s day. Why? Because the kids had a happy day!

Saturday, May 10, 2003

Finally the gym got a new instructress to do Pilates. I was elated at the same time a little disappointed. The girl let us do yoga for 40 minutes and only about 20 was devoted to Pilates. I was elated because I really had a WORKOUT! But disappointed because I do Pilates and not Yoga. She was even letting us do the Yoga position wherein you support your whole body just by the palm of your hands. What was she thinking? Bragging to us that she can do it? Of course non of us Pilates practitioners got to do it!

Was able to talk to her in the locker room after the session. We discussed the exercises that we did and she said that she does not do a pure Pilates workout because she develops cramps and her students might have them too. I informed her that it has never happened in the past. I have got to talk to the gym supervisor regarding this.

Monday, May 5, 2003

Audrey’s first baby molar came off. She said she hopes the Tooth Fairy increases her reward for having good teeth. The Tooth Fairy heard her request. She saw P50.00 under her pillow when she woke up. Is this more or less how much the going rate is for the Tooth Fairy? Or has inflation set in to the economy of the land of Tinkerbelle?

Sunday, May 4, 2003

I was awaken by a noise of little movements at about 4 am. I saw Sabrina go out the door of the room. I silently followed her to see where she was going. Along the dark corridor I decided to call her and she immediately went to me. I asked her where she was going and she said she was going downstairs to get new clothes. She wet her bed. Two days ago she wet her bed and I told her that if she does it again I will get mad and let her sleep in the other room. Caloy said rather than me getting mad at her again and having to sleep by herself she chose to brave the dark and planned not to let me know that she wet her bed! I felt so proud of her and I told her so. She gave me a tight hug and went to the CR to finish her wee wee. I got her new clothes and she told me she will not wet her bed again! These little moments are what makes having children worth everything!

Wednesday, April 30, 2003

For defending my rights, my family, especially my children, a person has been calling me a b!it@h behind my back. I feel so sorry for her, can’t and won’t say it to my face because deep inside her she knows that she is no match for me. She can call me all the names that she can think of but it will never change the way things are, that I am blessed and she lives a life of pretension, deceit. deprivation, sadness and yes, I know for a fact, even fear. Every time she calls me such, I am ever so thankful for what I have. She makes me realize that I love, care and provide the best for my children so that they will grow up with happiness and contentment in their hearts. I am indeed blessed!

Monday, April 28, 2003

We spent Sunday and Monday at Fontana. I couldn’t believe that I actually psyched myself to go into the water. I made sure though that the sun was already down. I was first scared to try the slide but I ended up enjoying it.

Sabrina is trying to learn how to swim by herself. She went underwater and paddled. Of course I got scared every time she did this but Daddy said it’s ok tutal water level is only below 3 feet! My kids will be good swimmers. Buti nalang. At least they can save me!

Thursday, April 24, 2003

We still do not have a new maid so I had a good cardio work out cleaning the playroom yesterday. I started before 2:00 am and got to finish at about 5:30 am.  Of all the rooms to clean, this is the hardest. I had to segregate all the toys of Sabrina into their proper containers. I do this regularly to make sure that toys that go together, go together so that they do not get lost and are still complete. So far this has paid off because majority of the toys used to be Tudy’s. At the end of each cleaning session I always wish that the kids would be able to maintain it. But then again I know that it will be just that…a wish!

Sabrina got excited about her new dresses. Hand me downs from Tudy. She always appreciates new things given her.

I have been bugging Caloy to schedule a trip to the zoo. Tudy has never been to one and she has been asking us to go. Sana next week.

Went to the gym to work out. It has been more than a month since the Pilates instructor last showed up for a session. My body misses the stretching.

Friday, April 18, 2003

We went to Visita Iglesia being Good Friday. Of course after the 7 churches there had to be an eight. And this year it was Burger King. The whole clan was present. The Bolding Hizons is getting big. Super sikip na kami sa van!

One of our maids left last week to go home to the province so everybody has to pitch in and do extra work. I designated myself to clean the bathroom. And so after everybody had gone to sleep, at 2:00 am I started to get down on my knees and scrubbed the water stains away. Cleaning bathrooms is one task that I do very well. After I am done, you will not have second thoughts about bringing food inside the bathroom. That is how I want my bathroom done. Clean and disinfected!

After I was done with the brush and the sponge, it was time for the broom. I swept the sala and papa’s office. Caloy got mad at me. I shouldn’t have brought the dirt outside because it is night time, especially the dirt from papa’s office, the seat of power! Malas daw! But I did it already. So to remedy the situation, I swept everything back including the dirt I got from everywhere else. E di nadagdagan pa ang swerte!