5 Foods to Eat Before I Die

Angie tagged me...so here's my "death-food-wish-list":

1. Lots and lots of Rebosadong female talangka (b i g, big ones) oozing with red orange fat aligue with burong mangga on the side, or patis with kalamansi.

2. Ginataang Azuhos  - a  Philippine medium-sized fish cooked in thick coconut milk  and , paired with succulent adobong kangkong.

3. Vigan Longganisa - the real ones from Vigan, Ilocos Norte--dipped in vinegar with lots of garlic and chili peppers, and paired with garlic fried rice.

4. Paksiw na Talilong - again a kind of  Philippine fish whose scales are big, but super delicious when cooked with lots of ginger and vinegar with pepper, eggplant and bitter melon.- paired and partnered with my super good  home-made binagoongan.

5. And lastly, for dessert, our home-made  real honest-to-goodness suman sa lihiya with our own sweetened coconut milk sauce cooked over slow open fire---the kind that we made then that my family was never without every New Year back in the Philippines.

So there, Angie--this list made me hungry....but I enjoyed making it...and .thanks to you!

 

 

 

 

 

The 30 Life Principles ----by Charles Stanley

As a registered member of Intouch.org...I earnestly searched for Charles Stanley's 30 Life Principles which my twin sister said is a great life bible.  In this best selling bible-book, Life Principle Bible, the 30 principles take a reader and believer to live according to the following:

1. Our intimacy with God--His highest priority for our lives--determines the impact of our lives.

2. Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.

3. God's word is an immovable anchor in times of storm.

4. The awareness of God's presence energizes us for our work.

5. God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable.

6. You reap what you sow, more than you sow, and later than you sow.

7. The dark moments of our life will last only so long as is necessary for God to accomplish

    His purpose in us.

8. Fight all your battles on your knees and you win every time.

9. Trusting God means looking beyond what we can see to what God sees.

10. If necessary, God will move heaven and earth to show us His will.

11. God assumes full responsibility for our needs when we obey Him.

12. Peace with God is the fruit of oneness with God.

13. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.

14. Listening to God is essential to walking with God.

15.  Brokeness is God's requirement for maximum usefulness.

16. Whatever you acquire outside of God's will, eventually turns to ashes.

17. We stand tallest and strongest on our knees.

18. As children of a sovereign God, we are never victims of our circumstances.

19. Anything you hold too tightly, you will lose.

20. Disappointments are inevitable, discouragement is a choice.

21. Obedience always brings blessings.

22. To walk in the Spirit is to obey the initial promptings of the Spirit.

23. You can never out give God.

24. To live the Christian life is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us.

25. God blesses us so that we might bless others.

26. Adversity is a bridge to a deeper relationship with God.

27. Prayer is life's greatest time saver.

28. No Christian has ever been called to "go it alone" in his or her walk with faith.

29. We learn more in our valley experiences than on our mountaintops.

30. An eager anticipation of the Lord's return keeps us living productively.

 In summary, these principles exhort us to let God be the final authority of our life, and not let our negative emotions, disappointments or triumphs take control over us.  

 

Broiled Pineapple with Butter-Rum Sauce

Description:
A unique way to serve pineapple, this dessert will get your family and guests' attention. Not all pineapples are naturally sweet, so this will be a good alternative to turn a not-so-sweet pineapple into a delectable dessert!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 c dark rum (any kind)
pinch of allspice, cinnamon and nutmet
8 on-inch thick slices of ripe pineapple.

Directions:
-Combine the butter, sugar, rum, allspice, cinnamon and nutmet in a medium saucepan over medium heat stirring until the butter is melted and
the sugar is dissolved.
-Simmer 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce beocmes slightly syrupy and coats the back of a spoon.
-Preheat the broiler and place the pineapple slices ont he rak of a broiling pan.
-Broil the pineapple until they caramelize about 8 to 10 minutes each side.
-Transfer into the plate and serve immediately with the warm sauce!

Curried Mussels (Tahong) in Coconut Milk and Lemon Grass

Description:
For seafood lovers, try this delicious and easy-to-do mussel recipe.
The lemon grass (tanglad) is optional but it makes the dish smell good!

Ingredients:
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/4 tsp finely minced garlic
1 tbsp curry powder
1 stalk lemongrass trimmed and cut into 4 pieces...each smashed using
a big kitchen knife
3 pounds or approximately 1-1/2 kilos of mussels, scrubbed and cleaned,
washed and rinsed.
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup dry white wine of any brand (you may skip this if you wish)
1/4 tsp ground pepper (freshly ground is best)
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
1 lime, cut into wedges


Directions:
-Melt butter in a 5- to 6 qt pot over medium heat.
-Add the shallot and cook for 1 minute until softened
-Stir in the curry powder, coconut milk and lemongrass
-Cook for 3 minutes
-Add the mussels and stir well.
-Turn up the heat to high and bring the broth to a boil
-Reduce the heat slightly, cover and cook for 4 to 6 minutes more or
until the mussels open. (Discard mussels that do not open)
-Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels as they open into a bowl.
-Season with salt and pepper.
-Sprinkle with jalapeno and serve with lime wedges on the side.

Veggie Delicious Casserole

Description:
This is good for vegetarians, although the cheesy dish is rich!!!
But, try serving this to non-vegetable eaters (kids especially) and they won't complain!!! Total time to prepare is around 25 mins, while baking time is 15 minutes.....definitely, the result is a sure knock-out!

Ingredients:
8 small new potatoes
1 small cauliflower, cut into florets
8 baby carrots
4 stalks asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small can of canned or fresh corn kernels
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
Salt
Black pepper
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Chopped fresh parsley


Directions:
1. Bring a 2-quart saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes; cover and return to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat the cooking process with the cauliflower, carrots and asparagus, cooking just until crisp-tender.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 2-quart casserole with butter or spray with nonstick cooking spray.

3. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour until smooth. Gradually stir in the milk. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add the cheese, stirring until melted.

4. Arrange the vegetables in the buttered casserole. Pour the sauce over the vegetables and sprinkle with the parsley. Bake until heated through, about 15 minutes.

Good Old Days -For those born in the 40's, 50's and 60's

Someone in my office posted this on our bulletin board and I thought it was such a good honest piece that perhaps, people like me, will like to reminisce and relate with the good, old days! I did relate with some of these myself, and perhaps you too!.  So, here goes-----

First, we survived being born to mothers who, perhaps, smoked and/ or drank a glass or two while they carried us.

Our mothers took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a tin, and did not get tested for diabetes

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to mention the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.

Riding in the back of a van - loose- was always great fun.

We drank water from the garden hose pipe and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends,from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cakes, white bread and real butter and drank pop with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......

        We were always outside playing!!!!

On weekend, we would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day, and we were OK

We would spend hours building go-carts out of scraps and then ride down the hill only to find out we forgot the brakes.  After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to resolve the problem.

We did not have playstations, nintendos, x-boxes, no video games at all, no 120 channels, no cable TV, no video tape movies, no surround sound, no cd players and no headsets to listen to personal cd players, no cellphones, no text messaging, no personal computers, no internet or internet chat rooms...we only  had our  friends to play with!

We fell out of trees, suffered  cuts, broke bones and teeth, and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We played with sguiggly  worms and other insects,or mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever!

We made up games with sticks  and stones, and tennis balls and although we were told it would happen, we rarely poked out any eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door, rang the bell, or just yelled for them!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.  They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced one of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas!"

                                                ******

I am happy to say I belong to that era...

 

April 7 - Special Day

Today is a special day for Rick and me....it is our 6th wedding anniversary! 
We exchanged simple anniversary cards and he gifted me with my favorite red Bromellad plant.  Our union, he said, can be likened to this plant ----which grew over the years, and will continue to grow as we water and nurtured this relationship with love, understanding, laughter,  humor, patience and care which we have done all these years and will continue to do.
We only have each other here at home but Rick has embraced my daughters, Anne and Jade and their husbands, Yani and Duane, into his life and, most of all, my 2 lovely grandkids: Migs and Gina.  Conversely, I communicate with his sisters and dad who are all based in West Virginia. 
To celebrate this day, dinner will be at a favorite restaurant then watch a movie.  This is our simple celebration...yet nothing is simple when we consider each other as the best that has happened to both of us!