…in retrospect, one of the best summers of my life was when i met her.  although she’s way younger than me, i never saw her as that. she was always an equal, someone i’d consult and share my hidden fears with, knowing i will not be judged. she’s one of the few people i have never made lait EVER. we may not see each other often given our  priorities, but when we do find time, we solve the world’s problems, scoff at other people’s absurdities and make lait those who go to starbucks in gimmick attires. girl, you know i’ve got your back.

A million years after this testimonial was written, I still feel the same way about her — even the lait part. LOL. I guess there is really one person you can always act like a 14-year-old with. =)

giant margarita

Here is to making 30′s look so fun and awesome!

P.S.

Thank you for not “acting your age” 15 years ago. Heehee

photo credit: The Lunch Tray

To be honest, we were unprepared. We would have not remembered our anniversary if it were not for the greetings from our readers, Twitter followers and Facebook friends!!!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, sistahs!!!!!

And brothers!

Yes, yes. I am weeks late for my Little HRH’s birthday post. I have started several drafts, but none seem good enough for progression. The thing is, I am finding it rather hard to come up with a decent one. It is inexplicably far harder to write hers than Captain Awesome’s. Perhaps, it is because there is a huge part of me that is in denial of her growing up. She turned six this month, for crying out loud! How has my baby girl grown up so fast?!

As everyone who has seen me with my children may have observed (with some passing judgment), I am more gentle with her than with Captain Awesome when it comes to discipline. As I have read so many times since I first learned that I was about to have her, and learned through my own personal relationship with my own mother, a mother’s relationship to her daughter is very, very delicate. As a matter of fact, many parenting and psychology materials say that it is an inevitable stage of growing up for daughters to feel embarrassed by their moms. Particularly moms. So, I am very, very careful of what to say for and about my Little HRH.

Unlike the congenial, Captain Awesome, Little HRH is very shy and quiet when around new people. This, however, does not mean she goes unnoticed. Wherever we go, people – children and adults alike – are magnetized to her natural beauty and charm. Her unintentional hard-to-get demeanor makes everyone scramble for her attention where some resort to little bribes in the form of chocolates, candies, toys and other things. Sadly (for them, but proudly for me), her time and attention cannot be bought. Her little eyes (and unadulterated perspective) have got to see something special in someone for her to be willing to build a relationship.

Nobody breaks her shell. She opens it up for those she feels comfortable with. Once open, people will see how much of a funny girl she is. She is our own version of Tina Fey, with her sharp-witted jokes and remarks that send us laughing as if it were the funniest thing on earth.

She is the sweetest thing in the world, giving unexpected hugs and kisses to those she holds dear in her heart. As if those are not enough, she randomly writes letters and/or craft something artistic for her mommy, daddy, big brother and grandparents (the ones living close to her now and the ones she used to live with in the Philippines).

She is very imaginative and is madly in love with creativity, preferring an opportunity to create a piece of art over television. She tells stories like a Greek poet in public, which sometimes borders to lying when Um and I are “investigating” on a mischief behavior. LOL.

She loves music – singing, humming and dancing to every song from Disney and Nickelodeon, and of her favorite music artists. What little girl does not? However, she also explores her own musical talents by coming up with three- or four-line songs with original tunes. My favorite is the one she made for me on the spot while playing with the voice recorder on my iPhone.

Little HRH hours old with Faja

Her creativity expands to the kitchen where she bakes muffins and cookies, decorating them with frostingsand sprinkles – the primary step of becoming what she dreams of: a chef.

She is a delight to her teachers, a BFF to her aunts (and ates back in the Philippines)and the apple of my dad’s eyes.She is the family’s little princess.

She calls me her best friend. And last night, she initiated a pinky-swear that we will be best friends until we die. Though, of course, I am aware of the seemingly inherent mother-daughter conflict when girls reach their teens. And I am dreading the day she comes around and knows better: that her mommy is not Wonder Woman.

For now, though, I am taking full advantage of the countless hugs and kisses she gives me everyday, and her letters that say the words “I Love You, Mommy” over and over. I am trying my best to live up to her notion of me as a superhero and that my embrace is the safest place in the world. And I am oh so delicately protecting her trust in me.

She is my darling baby girl. My capricious indulgence. My light to every room. My breath of fresh air.

Strangebyday and I go way back. Not as far back as she and Hazehung go, though. We were college blockmates and we instantly became members of the same barkada. We have seen each other through exams, crossing Taft Avenue, heartaches *barf*, rollercoaster and/or mediocre relationships and not-so-real “friends”.

Somehow, it was inevitable for us to become too busy after graduating from college. There are those we ate lunch with everyday when we were still in school that we have not seen after graduation – or maybe seen just once or twice. But Strangebyday and I, we have a special bond. One that will, I hope, forever keep us connected. We may not be each other’s best friend, but we are, well, as real friends as real friends should be.

As grownups (if there is indeed such a thing), we’ve gone through our on-the-job training together, some job hunting, The Ring, wee-hours-of-the-night shoulder-to-cry-on, snail mail (seriously!) and a lot more. We have seen each other grow from pre-adults trying to build individual identities to the present-day whatever-and-whoever-the-hell-we are.

She stood godmother to my firstborn, and if you knew me, that is saying something. Truth be told, she was not in the original list of godparents that Um and I selected. It was pretty much last minute when I asked her, and I have not regretted that decision. She has been doing a great job as Ninang, not only to Captain Awesome, but also as an honorary godparent to my Little HRH.

She is one of the reasons why life here is so much tougher, because she has been the friend I always depended on. I just wish that I am at least half as great a friend to her as she is to me.

On your birthday, I want to let you know how amazing you are! As I have tweeted, I wish you had fun. Though it was a very short-lived tradition, I terribly miss Christmas shopping (including going over the items we have to split the cost for, err, not-so-special people) and trying out new restaurants with you!

Here is to the last 12 years we have known each other! I look forward to sharing more memories with you – even with the Pacific Ocean between us! Cheers, Chongki! Buzz-buzz lang anytime!

Happy, happy birthday, Mommy!!! Love from all of us!

Speak softly love
And hold me warm against your heart.
I feel your words
The tender
Trembling moments start.
We’re a world our very own

Sharing a love that only few have ever known.
Wine colored days warmed by the sun
Deep velvet nights when we are one

Speak softly love
So no one hears us but the sky.
The vows of love we make will live until we die.
My life is yours and all because
You came into my world with love so softly
Love.

Once again, thanks to Epicurious for being my one-stop resource for this occasion since I absolutely had no idea what to prepare other than a gigantic turkey.

The Bird: Salt-Roasted Turkey with Lemon and Oregano

For the turkey, I actually used more than the salt rub in this recipe for the brining process. I still prepared the rub only to rub on the turkey before roasting. For my brining, I actually bought a brining kit from Bed Bath and Beyond (obviously in the Beyond section) and really, that was what made the bird nice and moist in the inside. The brining kit included a bag of herbs, mostly thyme and oregano (so I was certain that the flavors would not clash), peppers, salt, and a bunch of other stuff that I don’t even know. I dissolved 1 cup of sugar in 3 quarts of water. Once that was cooled, I placed the turkey (rinsed, of course, with all the stuff inside the cavity removed) in the brining bag, added the mixture, added 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar, and 5 quarts of ice water. Needless to say, the 18-lb turkey doubled in weight when I had to place it in the fridge to brine for 18 hours (1 hour per pound).

Thanksgiving morning, I prepared everything else, and here’s what I used:

Rub:
1/3 cup coarse kosher salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano (you can use 2 tablespoons of fresh oregano instead)
2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon ground black pepper

1 14- to 16-pound turkey
3 coarsely chopped lemons
2 chopped celery stalks
1 chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, divided
3 1/2 to 4 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth, divided

Mix all ingredients of the salt rub in small bowl.

To roast turkey, set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 350°F. Remove the turkey from the brining bag. As you are doing this, try to save the herbs. Chef helped me with this one and he just opened the bag a bit and used a strainer to collect the herbs. Place the turkey on your rack on your roasting pan, with wings tucked under. Rub 4 tablespoons of your salt rub inside the main cavity. Sprinkle remaining salt rub all over the bird. Also sprinkle your collected herbs.

Combine lemons, celery stalks, onions, fresh oregano, fresh thyme, black pepper, kosher salt, 1/4 cup of olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of lemon juice in a large bowl. Mix well and spoon into main cavity (this stuffing was really such a hit!). Whisk the remaining oil and lemon juice. Brush this lemon oil all over the turkey.

Pour 2 cups of stock into the roasting pan and roast for about an hour. Keep roasting and keep adding stock into the pan, making sure that the pan won’t dry and turning the pan around. We roasted for about 3 1/2 hours, until the thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registered 165°F. Actually, my turkey went up to about 200°F inside and I feared it was going to be dry. Thankfully it wasn’t. Transfer the turkey to your platter and cover it loosely with foil for about 45 minutes to let the poor bird rest. Done!

While all this was going on, we prepared the sidedish and the stuffing that wasn’t stuffed into the turkey.

The Stuffing: Sourdough Stuffing with Sausage, Apples and Golden Raisins

When I was looking for a stuffing recipe, I wanted something that had sweet elements in it, to combat and/or compliment the saltiness of the turkey. So, with apples and raisins, this was exactly what I was looking for!

1 1 1/2-pound artisan sourdough bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 13 cups) (The Epicurious recipe called for loaf sourdough bread, with the crusts removed. I prefer the artisan bread anytime and I kept the crusts because I wanted that crunch.)
2 pounds bulk pork Italian sausage
2 large onions, chopped
3 stalks chopped celery (about 5 stalks)
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
6 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled Granny Smith apples (about 28 ounces) – I didn’t peel my apples and I have no idea what kind I used. I just know I used half red apples and half green ones
3/4 cup golden raisins
2 1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth
3 large eggs

Get your oven going at 350°F with the rack in the center. Spread the bread cubes in a single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. The recipe doesn’t call for it but I put some olive oil on the bread cubes and baked them for about 15 – 20 minutes. Transfer the bread cubes to a very large mixing bowl.

Sauté the sausage in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through for about 8 to 10 minutes. Then, transfer the sausages in to the bowl with the bread cubes. Cook the onions and celery using the sausage drippings in the same skillet (my sausages were so healthy it did not have much drippings at all so I added olive oil). After cooking onions and celery until they’re golden brown, add these to the bread and sausage mixture as well. In the same skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and cook apples in it until the apples are tender (about 10 minutes). Add the apples to the bread bowl and toss in the raisins. Season this mixture with salt and pepper. (Apparently this can be prepared even a day ahead.)

Butter a glass baking dish. Whisk broth and eggs in a medium bowl and add this to the stuffing and mix very well. Transfer this to the baking dish and bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until the top is golden. Then that’s it. Cool a bit and serve. I love the crunch of the crusts of the bread cubes that were on top. This dish is awesome with the different textures.

The Sidedish: Potato Gratin with Mushrooms and Gruyère

This perhaps may be my favorite. Maybe because even if this were a potato dish, it was actually light. Additionally, who doesn’t love Gruyère?!

1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/2 pounds 1/2-inch cubes assorted mushrooms (I used white and crimini.)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices (Use your mandolin peeps!!)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon (or more) salt
1/2 teaspoon (or more) freshly ground black pepper
1 cup coarsely grated Gruyère cheese

Heat 1/4 cup oil in large skillet over medium-high heat and add mushrooms. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and keep cooking until the mushrooms are soft and when the liquid evaporates. Add the garlic and sauté a bit more. Season with more salt and pepper as necessary. Set this aside to stand at room temperature (apparently, this can also be made up to 4 hours in advance).

Get your oven pre-heated at 375°F. Pat potato slices dry with kitchen towel. In a large pot, combine cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Add potatoes and bring to boil. Turn the head down and let it simmer. Cover it but mix it occassionaly. Simmer until cream is reduced by about half and potatoes are partially cooked, stirring often and watching closely to prevent mixture from burning. Season with salt and pepper.

Brush 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass or ceramic baking dish with oil. Transfer half of potato mixture to dish, spreading out in even layer. I would say, as even as you can get. It’s not that easy because the potatoes kind of stacked on each other while boiling. Spoon mushroom mixture over in even layer and spoon remaining potato mixture over, spreading in even layer. Sprinkle cheese all over and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes and uncover it to bake a bit more until the top is brown – 20 to 25 minutes longer. Take it out, let it rest for a bit, serve, and enjoy your light potato sidedish!

Well, that was our Thanksgiving feast everybody! It was an enjoyable and memorable one. I can’t wait to do this again next year for me to be able to call this a tradition!

The last quarter of 2010, however, began with grief for the loss of our patriarch. It has been over a month, but we remain mournful. The holidays just doesn’t feel right without him. But, c’est la vie…and I’m sure he’ll be celebrating with us.

If I were to speak for my family alone, it’s been tough. The long distance relationship we endured that I openly shared was just a tiny bit of the whole picture. However, no matter the challenges, there are more than enough blessings to be thankful for. In fact, the mere fact that we’re able to conquer these obstacles everyday is already a blessing. We’re getting so good at rolling with the punches, maybe soon we’ll learn how do dodge bullets a la Matrix.

For two years before Multiply’s reign was overpowered by Facebook, I blogged things that I was thankful for, for the year. I’d like to revive the short-lived tradition today.

1. My Parents – Our individual differences make it difficult to deal with them sometimes, especially since they have live away from me for years. But, no matter how much our idiosyncrasies get into each others’ nerves, I am forever grateful to their unconditional love and their unending support.

2. Um’s Approved Visa – I haven’t blogged about it, but the much awaited reunion has happened. Um and Lil HRH are finally here, just in time for the holidays! It has been chaos, noise, chaos, noise in the house, and I barely have room to step on, but it’s the kind of mess that I don’t complain about!

3. Kiddos’ Accomplishments – Recent achievements are Captain Awesome’s acceleration to the third grade and Lil HRH’s excellent mark in her assessment. Yes, yes…I share their milestones waaaay too much online, but I just can’t help it. I do remind them, though, that they are given these skills and talents not for personal gain, but to someday be able to use them to help other. Seriously!

4. Edward Bloom – The curtain has closed on the magnificent life that he lived. He has touched so many lives, I wonder if he was aware of that. I am thankful to God for giving him to me as a grandfather, or me to him as a granddaughter, whichever was God’s intention.

And the little things. They are never overlooked…for they are the ones that get us up and going everyday. They count more than we ever acknowledge.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

 I don’t think there is really such a thing as cheap holidays. Don’t get me wrong, there’s a plethora of good deals out there, including a trip to Italy I have just purchased for Chef and me, God-willing. Apparently, this year, most establishments even started giving out sales weeks before Black Friday. Yes, yes, I have taken advantage of those sales . My problem is, I have taken advantage of too many sales and too many good deals. I’m not complaining though.

This time of the year brings us to our “Today is My Birthday” complex. During the Christmas season, we all are willing to just spend a little more – okay, a lot more, simply because it is a special time of the year. We want to feel special, but actually, everyone has a more generous spirit so in essence, we want to make others feel special. We enjoy the gift of the birth of our Lord, and with that, we enjoy the gift of family. So, we celebrate to our hearts’ content.

I got three more days to prepare for a dinner for 11 people. That is big considering the most I have prepared for is a dinner for 6. Most of our purchases were for the kitchen. Got turkey and ham. I won’t deny I’m beyond terrified of cooking my first turkey but I have been reading and re-reading my recipes, and I’ve bought all the kitchen gadgets required to tackle such a feat. I’m delighted that we’ve also got the booze. Costco had a good deal on Belvedere’s, and my darlings, before I was drinking wine, I was drinking vodka. This truly shows how much I want to celebrate.

photo by: Ms B

post-processing: Photoshop Express and Instagram

With all the preps for festivities, my defense is that my purchases will last a while (except the food), so really, I would say that the future celebrations won’t be as expensive, because I think we’ve got everything we need. Please wish me luck on my turkey though! It’s haunting me like an 18-lb monster!

As visitors for the past couple of years, all we’ve really been able to do is bring a dish and enjoy the festivities the way it’s given. Chef is a great host even during non-holiday occasions. He sets the mood with music. He’s a great conversationalist, and most of all, he prepares great food. I’m not sure what I really bring LOL but I think I serve the people and play with the kids. Oh, and I wash the dishes Heheh.

Well, this year, I picked the menu, I’m most likely going to be part of the execution of this menu as well. I’m going to tackle my first turkey. Got a lot of kitchen toys from Bed Bath & Beyond. There’s more shopping this weekend for decorations. Everything to set the tone for the holidays.

But most importantly, who are we setting the tone for? For family. Despite one big tragic moment for the family this year, there is still plenty to be thankful for and plenty to praise the Lord for. Ms C’s blessing is the biggest for us with Um and Lil HRH finally here. And basically, what I want this season is to surround ourselves with family, share the love and the laughter, be together to celebrate the people we have around us, and to celebrate our Creator and all His glory.

Woohoo! Happy holidays everybody! Let the celebrations begin!

Our grandfather touched so many lives, from the people who served him to the government agency whom he served. There were so many prayer services last week at his house in Ilocos. In the necrological service given by one religious group and the DILG, I said a little something, along with my brother, cousins, aunts, and mother. I would like to share the speech I delivered to honor my grandfather.

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming. In his many speeches, the late “Edward Bloom” (in place of my grandfather’s name) recognized the guests of honor in attendance. So, I would like to recognize you all as we celebrate the life of a great man.

Dad, as he was so fondly known to us, was every bit that word. I knew of his professional life as a teacher and a provincial head of a government agency, garnering much respect for his position and for all the work he did. But I knew him more as a doting grandfather, an amazing storyteller, and a magnificent conversationalist. Unlike how it was with my sister and my cousins, Dad, along with Mom, pretty much took care of me when I was already an adult. The sound of his endearing “Ms B” resonates in my heart as he said it so proudly when I said something witty, when I acted as a handyman at my father’s house, when I was able to get a job, and when I moved out of the house to start my own life.

From his political opinions, recipes and instructions, literary quotations, and Spanish lyrics, Dad knew his words well. His words full of courage and conviction were his weapons. And to his grandchildren, these words in stories and song were our security blankets. In January, how lucky I was that Dad was still strong enough to deliver a speech in my wedding to my husband. This was the first time I’ve ever heard what he thought of me. In his speech, Dad reminded us of an advice he had given all his grandchildren. He told us to study hard and learn, that way, we would lose nothing but our ignorance. He continued saying that we must work and earn, for us to lose nothing but our poverty. I take comfort in knowing that I did him proud, because according to him, I followed his advice to the letter. It is my regret, however, to have not had a child who had met dad, whom he could’ve cradled and sung lullabies to, who he had made sure had 10 fingers and 10 toes. My brother, sister, and cousin are so lucky for that. But, if God permits, I will surely take these words to my children one day.

In her grief, my sister sent me a message that I would like to share with you. She said, “I did not sleep at all last night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dad: Dad as the doting grandfather, carrying his first granddaughter in my baby pictures; Dad as the 61-year-old tucking me to bed with the classics or stories of his own adventures, and English and Ilocano folk songs; Dad with his Aklan straw cap telling me how pristine this little island was and how much he enjoyed the simple life by the beach, surviving the nights with gas lamps. This island he was talking about would later be known to the whole world as the Boracay; Dad as a proud grandfather taking me around town on foot, introducing me to everyone we encounter. This would earn me my Santa slogan: Apo ni Erning. Dad (along with Mom) as the jetsetter frequently traveling to the US and the Philippines, visiting loved ones and friends, and making sure to spend time with their grandchildren, carving memories in their hearts in the process; Dad’s little moments with Captain Awesome, his amazing times with Little HRH, and then just flashes of his great memories that I was fortunate to be a part of; Dad collapsing on September of 2005. We all know that marked the beginning of the end. His health deteriorated rapidly from then on. I see Dad in the hospital. It hurts me to imagine, but I just have to make out a picture of everyone’s description of his last 5 days, how blessed I feel to have his last words to me as “I love you, too, Ms C” and then his final breath. Our cousin told Um that she felt like he wanted to go when nobody was around. Given that he was never going to be left alone in the room, the next “best” time to go was when it was only our cousin and his maid around. He adored our cousin so dearly, we all know that. And she was probably the companion he had chosen for his final moment. He left this world a few months short of his 85^th birthday. He always said he would want to live only until he’s 85, surpassing his mother’s age when she died (84), but younger than his father, who was 89.” That was from my sister.

Dad taught us so many things directly and through how he lived his own life. There is one I find most valuable. Dad wasn’t the luckiest man, but he knew how to roll with the punches. In fact, he even punched back. He was able to provide for his kids, and he was ever-present to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. This world lost a great man. This family lost its patriarch, and I lost a grandfather. It is hard to imagine life without dad. But now, we all have to roll with it. Roll with it and thank the Lord for the time we had with him, and take comfort in knowing that we live under the shadow of his wings as one of our angels, watching over us as he always did.

Dad was a literary man, and I will end this by reading excerpts from “The Psalm of Life” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, one of his favorite poets:

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow

Is our destined end or way.

But to act that each tomorrow

Find us further than today.

Trust no future however pleasant.

Let the dead past bury its dead.

Act – act in the living present.

Heart within, and God overhead.

Lives of great men all remind us

We can make our lives sublime

And, departing, leave behind us

Footprints on the sand of time.

Let us then be up and going

With a heart for any fate.

Still achieving, still pursuing,

Learn to labor and to wait.

As Dad used to say, damas y caballeros, muchas gracias.