Saturday, May 12, 2012

Celebrating Motherhood

I miss my mama.

It doesn't matter how old I am, having my mom beside me (or just thinking about her when I seem like a million miles away) never fails to bring warmth and joy to me... her embrace is like a solace, a haven for me to always feel safe and for me to return to when I seek comfort.

Happy Mother's Day to my Mama... whose love transcends time and distance.  She has taught me lessons of love and faith, keeping me grounded, serving as a guiding voice throughout my journey of motherhood. Her daily trips to the market to get the best and the freshest food nourished me.  Memories of going with her to the market I sort through my mind like love letters from home, touching my heart. Even as I call her today from half a world away, I try to convey my love for her and my wish to be closer to her.


To Mama Bernie, my fabulous mother-in-law, her penchant for life and beauty inspires me.  Her meticulous and organized approach to family's parties and events have served as templates when I host my own. Her elaborate spread during family get togethers is something we all look forward to.  It is from her where  I learned how to celebrate life's happy occasions.   Every time I do my plating and styling, I hear her in my head saying: "this is half the battle in wining the hearts of people to love the food you serve".

  

Thank you to Mommy Dory, who played an enormous influence in our marriage, and who continues to serve as a source of wisdom and inspiration.  She was my Wikipedia of  cooking traditional Filipino recipes.  Her memory lives on in every dish that comes from my kitchen and the joy we partake in sharing God's blessings.


Thank you to my wonderful kids who have made me a proud mom.  Their achievements are highly commendable.  Although I can't take credit for it, it makes me cherish the sweet fruits of the sacrifices planted throughout these years.  Preparing home cooked meals is a passion for me because of their constant appreciation... the hugs and kisses they freely gave with every meal is uplifting and truly fulfilling.  I admit that I miss them so much, especially today, as I miss how they pamper me and do all the work in the kitchen (albeit in their own chaotic manner).... I cherish those moments and it never fails to touch my heart.




To all the moms... please stand up, as I gently place my hand behind you... as you deserve a pat on the back... For the home cook- moms, may  you continue to find the inspiration and the joys of cooking at home.  Now if you don't cook,  I hope you find the encouragement to do so and allow yourself to make mistakes in the kitchen but hopefully along the way you will enjoy the fruits of your labor at home. 

A VERY HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY.... Cheers!

For mother's day, I am sharing with you a beef stew that is one of my family's "special" dish.  I hope your family will enjoy too.  


BEEF KALDARETA (BEEF STEW)
2-3 lbs beef (cubed)
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 small can of tomato paste
2 tbsps liver pate
green olives
pineapple chunks
green bell pepper
Olive oil or butter
Bay leaf
black pepper
2 pcs. potatoes (wedged)
2 pcs carrots, sliced
2 cups beef stock
1 large lemon
3 tbsp soy sauce

Procedure:
Marinate the beef overnight with soy sauce, lemon and pepper.  (You could also shorten this part... marinate it for 30 minutes instead and it should be fine.).  

In a pan, brown the potatoes and carrots.  Set aside.   You could use the same saucepan to saute the beef with garlic, onions.  Add black pepper and bay leaf.  Cook beef to almost dry.  Add tomato sauce and tomato paste and soup stock Cook it on low fire until tender.  Add soup stock or water if the meat is not tender yet.

Add green olives, pineapple and green bell peppers.  Thicken the sauce using liver pate.  Add about 2 tbsp of olive oil to enhance the taste.  You could also use butter if you prefer so. 


This will surely give your family a reason to squeeze you tight... and I'm pretty sure, nothing beats that feeling in the world.. Enjoy!



27 comments:

  1. Thank you for sharing the people who made an impact on you being a mother. Thank them for me because if not for them you are not the person you are.
    From one mother to another kudos. And thank you for the tap on the bacl. :)

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    Replies
    1. hello and thank you for the greeting. and yah that is a well deserved tap on the back for you... stand tall you're a mom!

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  2. I am sending you my heartfelt appreciation for all the things that you do. You are a wonderful blogger and I'm so grateful to have known you Ms.Malou.
    Happy mother's day.

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    Replies
    1. hello sandy, i am so grateful for your "love" and appreciation. i hope you continue to join me in my journey. take care!
      malou

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  3. Happy motherms day. Cheers

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  4. Happy Mother's Day, Malou! I love this day - a day I can honor my mom by giving to others what she gave to me. What a delicious, fresh-looking welcoming stew!

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    Replies
    1. Claudia,
      Happy mother's day to you too... and yes that's the best way to preserve their memory.
      Have fun
      xo,
      Malou

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  5. Malou, this is a beautiful post and what better recipe for comfort food and mother love is stew?

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  6. What a lovely post. You are blessed to have a beautiful relationship with your mom and also to your mother in law. I think that's rare to have a beautiful relatioship with your mother in law, but I think it's because both of you look very happy and classy (especially with her bag haha)
    Thanks for all that you do. Happy Mother's day to you

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    Replies
    1. Oh yes indeed. She's classy and glamorous! and she's our fashion police too haha!
      thanks again.
      malou

      Delete
  7. What a beautiful post! You are surrounded by such wonderful and amazing women but what a shame your mum is half-way around the world! I hope she reads your post because you've said some wonderful things about her that I know she would treasure. Great looking stew too. I haven't cooked a stew with pate in it before - lovely idea! xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, she is and I miss her terribly especially on special occasions like today. BUt I'm glad that with technology, it's a lot easier to communicate nowadays.
      thanks for stopping by,
      malou

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  8. Replies
    1. Hi Ray,
      Maraming salamat!!! Great to see you again!
      malou

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  9. Really nice post! So warm and personal. It must be hard to have your mother on the other side of the world. But you have her presence in the food you cook, like this terrific beef stew. It looks amazing, and isn't it interesting what sorts of memories food can bring us? Great post - thanks.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much. I enjoyed the feature about you too. I hope to see you around!
      xo,
      Malou

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  10. Belated mother's day greetings to you! And such a comforting dish...kaldereta! :)

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    Replies
    1. Happy MOther's Day (well belated rin) Im sure you are enjoying motherhood as a new mom. Take care!
      malou

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  11. Yum on the kaldereta, it's one of my favorites. Aww and how nice of a post your wrote, so touching :) I hate the fact my mom lives 30 minutes away from me! It would be even harder if she were living in the Philippines!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I am so jealous that she lives like 30 minutes away from you. I would be the happiest if I was on your shoes... But Im glad tho that skyping, facebook and suck narrows the distance.
      Thanks again,
      Malou

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  12. Hi Malou,

    What a great post. Happy Mothers Day to you. The beef stew looks divine. My question is do i use 2 small cans of tomato sauce or 2 big cans. Also, the marinade used to marinate the beef, do i include that when i pan fry the beef? i want to make this recipe this weekend. It will be a welcome treat in my house for sure.

    thanks
    leah

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  13. Hi Leana,
    It's great to see you... and now the answer to your question is yes, you include the marinade of the beef. Now, make sure to taste it first before you season it with salt, since the soy sauce is already salty. Also, use two small cans of tomato sauce. Thank you for asking these questions. I am so excited that you are going to try my recipe this weekend. I would love to know how it goes... feel free to share it with us at Skip to malou Facebook page. Enjoy cooking!

    Thanks mucho,
    Malou

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  14. Malou-such a beautiful post, honoring your mom, mother-in-law, your children, and all the moms!
    Your delicious beef stew is fabulous!
    I'm sure you had a wonderful Mother's Day, judging from the photos with your beautiful children:DDD

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  15. I'm gonna try this next weekend per hubby's request. Wish me luck ! lol !

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Thank you for stopping by and oh I would be thrilled even more if you could leave a comment... :) Cheers!

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