Hello 2010

New Year's Eve included the traditional midnight meal, or Media Noche, and Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve Party on TV for me and my family. As the girls and I were preparing our Media Noche, I asked my son to tape some grapes on top of the doors. He gave me a weird look and asked, "Is this some kind of prank, Mom?" I laughed and assured him that it wasn't; it's something meant to bring us luck in the New Year. "This is one of the weirdest things I've ever had to do for you, Mommy." He said. But he did it anyway.

I got the tradition from my mother-in-law, and where she got it from, I don't even know. But I do know that hanging grapes by the door is supposed to bring in financial luck for the rest of the year. I know it's awfully supersitious of me. I have been remiss with these traditions through the years, but this year, I figured there wouldn't be any harm in trying them out. So, I carried a few classic traditions out, like making sure I wore somethiing with polka-dots at the stroke of midnight, serving circular dishes (like pork loin - which is cylindrical, I know, but that's close enough... right?), and a fruit salad with 13 fruits (again symbolizing good luck). And on the first of January, I made sure we did not spend.  No purchase made the whole day. Even when my daughter needed passport photos on that day, I somehow convinced her to get them done on the second instead. Haha, that's not too terrible of me, right?

Right before Media Noche, my family said our traditional prayers. We went around the table and had each of us offer prayers of gratitude for the year past, and prayers of hopes for 2010.

So hello 2010! Let's begin another year!

The Red Raincoat

Twas a rainy Wednesday morning and I loved it! So there I was in the mini-van waiting for the kids to take them to school, as I was enjoying the blaring sound of the car stereo: the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hit single Snow. Perfect music to go with the weather. Ok fine, it was not snowing, it was just raining but I love it anyways, and I love the music, so it was all good… for me it was still perfect music for the moment.

I get excited when it rains here in San Diego because it seldom happens. My husband says that if that’s the case, we should move to Seattle. I guess he wants to see me in a happy mood for most times of the year. But San Diego‘s weather is almost perfect and it can’t get any better… but with the rains right now I'm just loving the change in the weather.

So after I took the kids to school, I grabbed my red raincoat and I stepped outside not afraid to get wet. And like a little girl, I just wanted to splash in the puddle with my boots…and I walked and sang in the rain!


I walked to the Del Mar Highlands Town Center, our neighborhood shopping arcade. I love the area, it kinda gives you a feeling of Gilmore Girls' Stars Hollow, only with a modern twist… and it’s just a 15 minute walk from where I live. We have a tall Christmas tree (it’s not like the tree at the Rockefeller Center in NYC) but it’s still tall enough to say that Christmas is here. Climb the stairs and you have a good selection of places to eat with an al fresco dining setting… it’s just simply lovely! Our favorite place to eat for breakfast is Champagne Bakery and Bistro… I love their crepes! Then I went to a store called Papyrus: I love to take inspirations from there. I don’t buy their cards, oh no, I make my own. Of course there’s Barnes and Noble, where I love to skim the pages of cookbooks and my favorite magazines… Hahaha yes I do sound like I’m el cheapo, right? Next stop is Bath and Body Works, where I love to smell and try every scent of their hand soaps and lotions… there are boutiques and jewelry shops, very tony! And oh our Mcdonalds is not your usual Mcdonalds, with its modern/eccelectic interiors, along with serving Panini, soups and several gourmet selections. I just felt like suddenly, I began to appreciate all the things around me that I usually take for granted. It’s one hallmark moment, that I wish I could permanently capture. That’s how much I loved the moment.

I spent most of my time people watching, and this time of the year is the best time to do that. I see people rushing frantically down the wet pavement. I see ladies all made up and clad in designer outfits. I felt amused because they don’t seem to impress me anymore, I was just there feeling content, as I sipped my hot cocoa…wearing my red raincoat.

In the few stores I stepped foot in, I saw people scavenging for gifts, trying to cross them off their lists. I saw kids bored in their strollers trying to get mom’s attention, but their moms were oblivious as they were busy scouting for anything with red tags. But what caught my attention was an old man trying to reach for a musical stuffed toy on a shelf. I reached for it and gave it to him, and with his fragile old frame, he asked me what I thought about the toy. I said it’s beautiful, and he said, ”it’s for my great grandson… not grandson, it’s MY great grandson… he emphatically pointed out, “I’m a lucky old man ain’t I? That I lived long enough to see my great grandchildren and it gives me profound joy!” I wanted to hug him, or wished he was related to me… and I wanted to take him home because I was afraid that with the rain, he might slip, or afraid that with the rain and knowing how people drive crazily, he might get into an accident. Cut it out Malou! Probably, he’s just like me, who wants to be out there in the rain… I greeted him "Merry Christmas"...I smiled and left him.

It was such a lovely morning walk… and when I went home, all wet, chilly and cold, I craved for a creamy rich soup. Oh what a morning.. a lovely morning indeed. I wanted to sing: "listen to the rhythm of the pouring rain"… ok enough… here’s the recipe for the creamy potato shrimp soup!

Creamy Potato-Garlic-Shrimp-Soup

Ingredients




1 medium onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 pcs. Potatoes with peel, diced
4 cups broth (chicken or shrimp bouillon dispersed in water)
1 cup milk or cream
butter -garlic croutons
1 stick butter
1 medium egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
pre-cooked shrimp


Microwave the potatoes for about 4 minutes. Then mash together with butter and the cracked egg. Don't mash it too well, you may want to leave some lumps so as to give the soup some texture. Set aside.

In a stock pot over medium heat, saute onions and garlic in butter. Add mashed potatoes and broth and bring to a boil. Add a handful of croutons. Turn heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until potatoes get mushy and croutons are soft.


Remove from heat and add milk or cream. Season with salt and pepper. You may now add the cooked shrimp. Leave it for a few minutes to warm up. Garnish with croutons and toasted garlic. You may also add cheddar cheese if you choose to.

We Give Thee Thanks

The idea of roasting our very first turkey this Thanksgiving thrilled me. This is our tenth Thanksgiving celebration since we moved here in the US and I thought it was about time I try my hand at it. But when I was at the grocery store with my daughter going over my list (which I downloaded online), I was intimidated by the rock hard frozen turkey. I then called my mother-in-law, Mama Bernie ( I always call my in-laws whenever I'm in doubt-- they are my walking Wikipedia). When she heard a sick voice on the other end of the line, she suggested that I should just take a look at the grocery store's pre-order turkey dinner.

Curious but hesitant, I went to the deli section where low and behold I saw the turkey dinner with all the sides. The delicious sight and smell, along with the freedom from cooking while sick, convinced me to pre-order our turkey dinner.

So here I am curled up in bed, clutching tissues in my bedroom while my husband and daughter are all dressed up in their holiday get-up. They've already gone to church and to the grocery to pick up our turkey dinner order. My two other kids are coming home soon from volunteering for a 10k fun run. As the TV blares in the living room with the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade and my husband fusses over what time we'll heat up the turkey, I can feel the holiday spirit here in our household.

My time in bed resting allows me to contemplate what I am thankful for, and boy the list is long! I want to thank Him for the wonderful gifts of family, friends, and the gifts of peace and happiness... just as the text message I got this morning from a dear friend says, Thanksgiving is not about the spread on the table nor the material things you possess. It is about what’s in your heart.

So whether we're having turkey from the store or from the oven, it does not matter; what matters is the heartfelt appreciation and gratitude I have inside... Happy Thanksgiving one and all!

Missing Home (and Three Ways of Finding Your Way Back)

A table showcasing the ingredients for a roasted turkey at the grocery store made me realize that the Holidays are here again. You see, I have mixed emotions about the holidays. One is that it's the most "merry" of times, while it also reminds me of holidays past--- and yes it makes me miss home a lot!

Home for me is the Philippines where I grew up, where my parents and all my siblings still reside in (except for my sister in Orlando) and where my roots are. Although, Thanksgiving is an American Holiday, it's still a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. It's been 10 years since I spent Christmas in the Philippines. The only way I could bring myself closer to home is thru ... TRADITIONAL FOOD! Indeed eating traditional home cooked food is like getting a hug from home, it is PRICELESS.

Holidays in my home country are typically marked by having a lechon (roast pig) to feast on. And being surrounded by the holiday festivities at the grocery store, I started craving for ... LECHON! Whenever I crave for lechon, I make my own version, a "somewhat close to" lechon. And it is also comforting that to re-create my own "lechon" doesn't take a fortune to do so. For one, pork butt or pork shoulder is only $0.99/lb. With a currently tight budget, that's like a gift from heaven for me. And I tell you to create this dinner, all it took me was less than $10.00.

So last night, I made my version of lechon (minus the whole pig) by baking 4 lbs of pork shoulder. And funny how I was telling my hubby how I used the lechon as a metaphor about life. You see my family approaches our lechon meal differently. My kids rarely eat rice these days, and they don't eat the skin/fat either. So I made them the Soft Taco Lechon Wrap. For me, I go for a low-carb diet, so I made myself the Lechon Lettuce Wrap. My husband, who can't survive without rice, had his the traditional way, with lots of crispy skin, meat and fat covered with lechon sauce (a liver-based sauce much like gravy). Again going back to the metaphor, eating lechon can be as varied as how each one of us approaches life! LOL! That could be a different blog altogether but for now, let me share with you how we enjoyed our lechon--- 3 ways: Lechon with rice, Lechon Lettuce Wrap and Soft Taco Lechon Wrap.





Lechon ala Impromptu Diva





Ingredients




4 lbs Pork butt or pork shoulder
salt and pepper
4 cloves garlic
2 stalks of lemongrass

Directions:

Pound the lemongrass, rub it on to the pork. Mince the garlic and mix it together with salt and pepper. Rub it on to the pork. Let it stand for about 2 hours (but it's better if you leave it overnight). Bake it at 375F for about 3 hours or when the skin gets golden brown and very crispy. Voila it's done. (I even went walking while my lechon was cooking).


We shared the same lechon, however enjoyed it in 3 different ways...oh yes it did bring us HOME!


3 ways to enjoy it:
1. Slice the lechon as is and with lechon sauce and rice... and my hubby gave me the oh so delish thumbs up.
2. Lechon Lettuce Wrap:
I chopped the lechon, with the crispy skin and tender juicy meat and scooped a spoonful of my homemade atchara (yes folks I make my own atchara and I go to the post office daily to mail since i started doing it last week).



3. Soft Taco Lechon Wrap:
I sliced the lechon meat (took out the visible fat) into strips and put it on a soft taco shell with hoisin sauce and strips of cucumber and green onions/onion leeks.

here's a link to see more pics about this blog.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44316126@N07/