For random strangers that God puts in our way, I am grateful.

Today, in an effort to harness my skill at changing lanes during driving (yes, I am working towards a driver’s license, eons of years in the making!), we hit the road and drove as long as we can get one way.  As we were nearing the far north west side of town, Hubby remembered that the R/C flying field was in that general area.  We planned our afternoon outing with a tricopter flying anyway so I steered the car north.  The road turned into a two-lane narrow, twisty-curvy, tree-lined, hilly way.  As I inched my way through this new territory, we saw dozens of grazing acreage with many cows and horses feeding on the land.  There were fewer and fewer homes as we got closer to the field.  The sight was as idyllic as I imagine rural America being, punctuated by the beauty of the Fall colors all around.  As Hubby suspected, the airfield was closed.  But, he knew there was a park just down the road from the field and he could not wait to show it to me.  In his words, “You’ll say, ‘how did you not tell me there is a place like this in town?'”  Must be some park!!

Wouldn’t you know it!  It was as beautiful as Hubby gushed to me about.  Part of the Tennessee River snaked by the park and a little area was designated as the swimming area.  There were a bunch of cars in the parking lot.  About a dozen kids jovially ran about in the play area with some grown-ups.  There looked to be a party going on, what with the food all aligned on a table under the pavilion.  The mood was certainly festive.  I said out loud, “It’s been hours since I last ate…it’d be nice if I can have me some of their food for even just a snack!”

We got out of the car and the little boy was delirious to see water.  He called it “ocean.”  He was thrilled to see a boat going by.  We held hands and walked out just a bit onto the dock and back.  A dead end road snaked around the bottom of the park and we followed that awhile before walking up the hill to the play area.  As we got nearer, a sweet lady came up to us, almost as if to welcome us, and cheerily introduced herself.  Turns out, their son’s birthday was the day before but they’ve put together this party as a fundraiser for “Operation Christmas Child.”  They just moved to town from Texas and thought, ‘what better way to meet other families than to get together and hang out?’  She insisted we join them for food as they’re about to eat.  We were shy, of course, and declined politely, even though I could really use a little food at that point.  The play area emptied as the kids ran for some grub and our little one quite enjoyed himself on the swing…a lot!

We were leaving to fly the tricopter on the prairie-looking side of the park when the sweet lady earlier started walking towards us.  Hubby and our little guy were far ahead of me at this point so I decided to hang a bit more and talk as she seemed unhurried to get back to the pavilion.  Talk we did and what wonders to know how small our world really is!  Suffice it to say that we both know of one other person in town.  And of course, as I was leaving, she insisted again that I grab some food to take with us.  My desperate hunger succumbed.  She was quite happy to see me with a plate of food.  I gave that sweet lady a hug goodbye…a rare thing to do at first encounters but I do so believe she was an angel today.

I walked to catch up with my two boys with such a light and warm hearted feeling.  Wow!  What were the chances that a sweet lady was at a park I’ve never been to before, knows someone I know, offers us her food and shares it with us, and just was genuinely pleased to have met us that day?  I know, it happens all the time, right?  I just cannot shake the feeling that God was saying, “Look Honey, I care for you and if this one other child of mine brings a smile to your heart, I will send her directly in your path!”  Thank you, God!

And thank you, Dawn!  (The chances that you’ll actually ever see this post is slim to none but I wrote this to remember your very thoughtful gesture of blessing us with your food and the time you took to stop and chat with us in the midst of the swirling party around you.)

*I would have shown pictures of today but I was without a camera.  This was meant to be written in memory.*

A few days ago, my little boy was painting on a Lightning McQueen coloring sheet and conversing with me about some random things.  Out of nowhere he said, “Where’s Daddy?”

“He’s at work,” I replied.

“Oh, no.  I need to hurry and finish before Daddy comes home.”

“Take your time. Daddy won’t be home for a little while,” I said.

He insisted, “But he’ll be home any minute now.”

“No, honey. He has a lot of time to work and so do you.”

Then he said, “He’s working and working because everybody needs my Daddy’s help.”

“You’re right, Honey!”  was about all I could reply.  My heart swell.  The smile on my face didn’t leave me for at least ten minutes.  I could not believe my ears!  Out of my baby’s mouth came a matter-of-fact statement that meant the world to me.  Even he, a not so three-years-old boy yet, noticed how hard his Daddy works and he made it known that he knew this to be true.

I am thankful for my hubby who works hard…who is passionate about what he does and doesn’t compromise ease for excellence.  I am thankful for his love for lifelong learning, of which I have become a very happy beneficiary.  Thankful that He has provided him a job, one that he loves doing.

Later that night, Hubby mentioned that he saw my post on facebook about my conversation with my little one that morning.  “Ya?”  I said, to which he responded, “It brought tears to my eyes!”

Love ya, Babe, and thank you for working so hard to provide for us!

Moving to a totally new country after having lived in another one for all of your life could be a terrifying prospect.  Knowing that you’ll be living with the love of your life in that new country, however, makes that prospect a lot less scary and a lot more exciting.  But…what makes the whole deal even more lovely is knowing that there are already a few people anticipating your arrival to welcome you into their community of faith.

To our friends and adoptive family who have embraced us, loved us, cared for us, and prayed with and for us during our early years of marriage and beyond, we are thankful.

Lola Herminia between 16 and 18 years of age

Grandma.  Lola.  Ikit.

A beautiful woman of strong stock.  When she was 30, she lost her husband of only a few years.  She was left with six young children and she single-handedly raised them, loved on them, and provided for them as best she could.  Not too long afterwards, I was born and was counted as one of the children.  The 7th.  Really, I was the first grandchild.

Many many years later, I, too, bore a child to become her first great grandchild.  Oh, how she loved seeing her grandson.  Over skype just the other night, her grandson read her four of his books.  It was a precious moment.  Not every day does she get to see my little one but when we do connect over skype, there’s an undeniable sweetness and pride in her voice and that irresistible desire to hold her great grandson tight in a hug and love on him.

Oceans separate us.  But nothing can separate us from the love we have of each other.  Thankful that my Grandma, our son’s Great Grandma, though a million miles away, never fails to remind us that she loves us and she’s praying for us.  Love you too, Lola Herminia, and thankful for you!

Lola Herminia holding one of her younger grandkids in 2006

Summer 2011.  I was sick with the colds, nose plugged up, and about to sing on the weekend.  Not a big fan of good old chicken noodle soup but desperate for something warm and brothy, I called up an Asian restaurant in town and ordered Pho.  They’re near the Asian store we frequent and they have this giant sign out front that says, “Pho bowl – 6.99″.  Good deal.  On the pocket and on the sinuses.  Cleared me up good.  When I downed the last drop of broth, my soul was warmed.

Colder days are here.  Who doesn’t want a steaming tasty bowl of broth with all kinds of good deliciousness in it?  Better yet, how about a tasty meal assembled in the crock pot (slow-cooker) in the morning and waiting to warm you up when you get home from work?  Or, as has become our weekly tradition, put it in the crock pot on Saturday evening and have a bowl of fantastic soup lunch after church.  Yeah, it’s that good and simple – that bowl of Vietnamese Pho.

Crock pot.  I love mine.  It was a wedding gift from two of my Hubby’s former colleague during his his engineering days.  That was nine years ago.  My wonderfully reliable crock pot really lives up to its other moniker – slow cooker.  If a meat recipe called for 9 hours on low, guaranteed my slow cooker will cook it in 12 hours.  As for cooking the broth for my pho, I discovered that letting it cook for an extra 3 hours (15 hours total) actually develops a deeper, richer flavor.  Patience is a virtue, so they say.

No, I’ve never been to Vietnam, nor do I have a Vietnamese friend who made authentic pho for my tasting.  My only reference to the flavor I’ve developed in my recipe is that of the Asian restaurant’s take-out pho.  Nonetheless, I quite like my homemade pho bowl and hope you will too.

When I said ‘my recipe,’ I really mean a fusion type, inspired by two rockin’ blogs’ recipes: Wandering Chopsticks and Steamy Kitchen.  Aren’t those blog names intriguing?  Not to mention their sizzling array of recipes with mouth-watering photos – don’t say I didn’t warn you if you find yourself at the Asian store within an hour of browsing through their site.

Here is my version of this delectable bowl o’ soup:

Crock Pot Pho
Serves 4-6

• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 cardamom pods
• 5 star anise pods
• 12 cloves
• 2 tsps whole coriander seeds
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Where to find these? Your regular grocery stores should carry them.

Topping/Filling/Garnishes:

fresh beef bones from the Asian store

See that floaty stuff? Bone scum. You don't want that in your broth.

Toasting your spices and charring the aromatics adds another layer of flavor to your broth.

Clove-studded onion - it's pho-sion forward. Get it? The star-shaped spice, bottom left, is star anise and the green pod next to it is cardamom. Both should be available at any Asian store.

So happy together!

Rufina is a Philippine brand but any brand fish sauce will do just fine.

 A few notes:

1. Broth.  Oxtail and beef marrow are expensive.  No point making homemade food in an effort to save money if you end up spending $15 on your broth alone.  My local Asian store carried beef bones for $1.08 a pound.  That’s a steal of a deal, compared to $4.30 per pound of oxtail or beef marrow.  Usually, a whole bone weighs anywhere between 3-5 pounds and they cut it for me too, a very good convenience I’m grateful for.  Imagine me whacking at a whole cow’s bone in my kitchen without a good whacking tool or a sturdy butcher’s block!  Ha!
2. Spices.  There are some exotic spices called for in the recipe that I’m convinced cannot be replaced by ground versions or substitutes.  If you live in a metropolitan area, finding the spices for pho bowl is not a problem even at your local grocery store, but it could add up to a hefty sum.  Better to buy the spices in bulk at an Asian store, perhaps even places like Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s.  If you live in a not so metropolitan area, hunt for small Asian/Indian/Mediterranean shops, often tucked in the most inconspicuous places.  They should carry most, if not all of the spices used in this recipe.  The initial cost of spices could be pricey but once you’re stocked, you won’t have to buy anymore for at least a couple months.
3. Crock pot.  You should know how your slow cooker works.  A new one should cook the broth to a tasty finish in the amount of time recommended by the recipe.  Mine cooks the broth to a better flavor between 12 and 15 hours.  As for size, consider using one no smaller than 6.5 quarts.
4. To Toast Or Not To Toast.  If you have time and prefer a deeper layer of flavor this step adds to your broth, do toast the spices and char the ginger and onions.  But if you’re short on time and just want to put things together fast, you may skip the toasting and charring.  Your broth will still come out quite flavorful.
5. Topping (or Filling or Garnishes).  You can be as creative as you want to be on this one.  My usual go-to’s include thin sweet onion slices, thai basil, cilantro, lime wedges, jalapeno slices, very thinly sliced steak meat, pho noodles, sriracha (hot chili paste), and hoisin sauce.  Some other options to consider are sliced beef meat balls, scallions, and bean sprouts.  A friend mentioned adding whatever meat she has on hand to the broth.  You may also skip the meat and go with an all-veggie bowl.  For crunch, add some steamed baby bok choy or simply boil it in the broth for a minute before adding all the other garnishes.  Be creative!
6. Meat.  Special mention on this because of our experience.  My Hubby is a huge steak fan so that is our preferred meat for our pho bowls.  Both recipes mention to add the meat to the piping hot broth, which should sufficiently cook the thinly sliced steak meat.  However, both my Husband and our friend-guest for lunch one day were concerned that the meat may not be cooked to doneness.  So to eliminate that concern the next time I made pho, I ladled some of the broth into a saucepan and brought that to a boil, added the meat slices, and let it cook for a minute.  The meat was perfectly cooked, not overdone, and for some reason (which I’m sure somewhere lies an explanation) the one-minute cooking brought out the beef flavor of the steak more.  Not only was my Hubby able to enjoy his pho bowl worry-free, he also liked the more beefy flavor of the steak.  It’s a win-win for us.
   

   The keys to achieving thinly sliced meat is to have a really sharp knife, a stable cutting board, and a slightly frozen meat.

7. Pho Noodles.  Steamy Kitchen and Wandering Chopsticks both provide sufficient information on what to look for.  I personally prefer the fresh noodles because it’s less fuss and time to prepare.
8. Heat.  Be careful adding sriracha sauce or jalapeno slices to your bowl if you’re not so keen on super-spicy foods.  If you want a mild spice level, skip the jalapeno altogether and add just a drop of sriracha and go from there.  If you LOVE spicy hot pho bowl, drop 2-3 jalapeno slices, ribs and seeds included, and add a couple drops of sriracha sauce.  Be sure to have plenty of kleenex or napkins nearby.

Have a phontastic crock pot cooking and eating!

From my kitchen to yours! (Never mind the mess I've created in the background. Ha!)

 

 

…when my little boy wakes up and whispers near his still asleep Mommy, “Good morning Mommy!  It’s a beautiful day.”

just woke up...

…when clutching a freshly brewed cup of coffee and sipping it in an unhurried pace.

…when sharing stories and conversations with my almost three-year-old baby and seeing a glimpse of the way his beautiful brain works.

…when a meal is successfully set on the table, beating the fight to eat out.

…when I hear giggles from my two boys clowning around.

P: I see a cow in your ear, Daddy!

…when my husband squeezes me tight after coming home from work.

…when I hear my little boy say “Wow!” at unexpected times.

…when snuggly storytime comes around at the end of the day.

Reading before sleep time

…when I’m about to drift off to sleep for the night and I hear the door open, a little boy climbs up the bed beside me and dozes off instantly, and I hear a duet of soft and loud snore putting me to back to sleep like a lullaby.

My heart is full.

Dearest Dad,

Remembering you today.  Thankful for your life, short though it was.  Thankful for the life you invested in me.  Thankful for your strong Bontok blood pumping in me and now makes up a quarter of your beautiful grandson, whom you will never know.  He’s a charmer – much like you.  A fiercely loving and thoughtful little man,  big-hearted and compassionate, all of about 39 inches tall and two months shy of three years.  Strikes me crazy…but I do see a lot of you in your grandson.  We do have the same blood.  My heart breaks knowing he will not ever see you, not on this side of heaven anyway, but his Momma will sure make certain he will get to know you.

I remember…I picture you with your guitar and I can hear your voice.  Grateful to have heard your music.  I’m still groovin’ to them.  It brings wonderful memories of you – your sound and your look when you’re singing and playing the guitar.  A man with an audience of none, simply enjoying his music.  More than once we picked a tune and carried it through but there is one afternoon I especially treasure.  You, the guitar, and a music sheet.  Me and my voice.  Us and Michael W. Smith’s 90’s hit “Friends.”  Got that moment frozen in time and I go back to it from time to time.

Thankful you’ve lived out a kind of stubborn loyalty, not martyrdom, but a stick-with-it attitude to those dearest in your heart, regardless of life’s tempestuous waves and crashes.  Your jolly predilection and hearty loud laughs (drunk or sober) – who could resist?  You’d show your teeth and people notice those little dimples (cute show-offs!) on each side of your lips.  Laughter and smiles – they sure helped you ride those waves…and I’ve learned.

I love you Dad!  And I miss you ever so much.

Layad,
Your Daughter M

In the Philippines, Christmas mood starts to percolate as soon as September hits.  By October and November, most homes are fully decked with Christmas lights, including the very unique Filipino parol, a Christmas star lantern traditionally made with bamboo sticks and Japanese rice paper illuminated either by bulbs or Christmas lights.  When December rolls in, the Christmas celebratory feel is in full swing as the air is significantly cooler (especially in the northern mountain region of the country), the airwaves  are maxed out with almost four months of Christmas music (some on repeat – oh, the agony!), and gift-giving becomes a daily ritual for some (what with the many Christmas parties on every corner, not elaborate ones but a simple bash that acknowledge the season as tradition or as what it really is).

Since I live on the other side of the world and don’t get to experience the ‘feel of Christmas’ as early and as long as it is back home, I have made a few guidelines to accommodate the two cultures in which I find myself living in:

1. Christmas music any time of any year is okay.
2. Setting out and decorating Christmas tree at the end of Thanksgiving day is perfectly acceptable.
3. There is no hurry to take down Christmas decorations as soon as December 25 is over – leaving them out well into the 1st of February is normal.

So, to celebrate October’s coming, here’s a throwback to 2002, my first ever Christmas here in the United States.  Indulge me a bit as you watch this video of fun Christmas music medley with performances that opens with a beautiful string duet, a melody of hand bells to the classic “Silver Bells” carol, a medley of voices, and a wonderful dance piece to “The Christmas Waltz.”

Adios September!  Welcome October!

Here’s a sweet story from our recent trip to Duck Duck Goose over the weekend.

Our whole family was in line to pay for our loot long before the 30minute marker and my little boy was doing fairly well standing in line.  We were still within sight of all the unsold toddler toys.  Pretty soon he was out and about playing with them while we advanced.  As soon as we passed the 30minute marker, we summoned him to stay in line with us since we can’t see him well from that point.  He did okay for about five minutes and then restlessness set in.  Too many, “let’s not do that” and “stay where Mommy and Daddy can see you” calls.  Right across my vantage point was a makeshift “kid lounge” where Cars 1 was projected on a giant screen of white sheets against the wall.  Because the indoor light from the fluorescent bulbs were starkly bright, the image on the screen was barely visible but I figured heading that direction was a better option than an escalating frustration among us three.  My dear hubby stood in line and we left.  The little guy and I were getting settled when a light-brown-haired boy aged around five or six approached us and immediately shot me a question.  The only thing I made out of his query were the words “Operation Christmas Child.”  I asked him to repeat the question and heard nothing different.  So I said “okay.”

“Is that a yes or a no?”

“I’m sorry?  Oh…well, can you repeat the question to me slowly please?”

“Djo…………..box for “Operation Christmas Child?”

“Oh, did we pack a box for Operation Christmas Child?  Yes, we did last Chrismas.”

“Okay.”

His name is Leighton and his Mommy is working the booth of Operation Christmas Child at DDG.

“Would you like a cookie, a candy, a sticker, or water?”

“I think we’re okay, Leighton.  Thanks for asking though.”

“Okay, ’cause we have more than enough for us.”

He left and minutes later came back with his right hand stretched out, revealing one Operation Christmas Child sticker, 2 candy canes, and one cookie on a napkin.  I said thank you and he went back to watching.  So did my little guy, who was sitting on a bean bag, munching on the cookie.  15 minutes went by and I can see my hubby getting closer to the end of the line.  My little guy stood up and seemed to have had enough of the watching.  Leighton approached again and said, “would you like some water?”  We ran out of water and I knew my little one will be asking for water soon but Leighton’s done so much already, going out of his way to share with us his bounty that I felt awkward saying yes…but I did anyway.  He disappeared again.  I spotted him making his way past all the folks in line, holding a small cup of water very carefully.  I grabbed my little on and met him halfway, requesting that he pour the cup of water into my son’s sippy cup.  He obliged and dashed back to his Mommy’s station.  I had to meet his Mom.  We were making our way to the Operation Christmas Child station when Leighton came back with a half filled cup of water.  He handed it to my little one and ran back to the kid’s lounge area.  Then I heard my son say, “That boy a sweet guy!”  My heart swell!

Leighton’s Mom was busy speaking with a lady interested about Operation Christmas Child and it was taking longer for my little one to just be still and not get his hands on the box filler samples displayed at their booth.  He was getting tired too.  Finally, we had a chance to chat.  She was delighted to hear about Leighton’s acts of kindness towards us that morning and very much grateful to hear of it.  My son and I were blessed to be a part of two random strangers’ extension of their compassion and generosity in an unlikely place.  Wasn’t that just so cool?  Leighton’s kindness and gesture really meant a lot to me and I suspect to him, it was just a simple thing to do, nothing overly planned, though it’s very likely a life pattern taught and modeled to him by his parents.  What blessings!

So…as you think about gifting this Christmas, won’t you consider packing a box or two for Operation Christmas Child?  If you have children, there are many ways you can involve them in the process.  They could pick out some items with you at the store that they want to pack in the box.  Or, they could create a greeting card to include in the card.  Simple gestures from your own children that can bring a smile to another child in a different part of the world.  Your act of kindness will sure to bless a child’s life in return.

The words “Operation Christmas Child” in this post is linked directly to the page with all the information you need for packing a box.  If you want more information about Samaritan’s Purse International Relief, which operates the Operation Christmas Child program, please visit www.samaritanspurse.org.  Here is an article close to my heart written by Samaritan’s Purse on the plight of children in Manila, Philippines.

A few weeks ago, a friend invited us over to her house for after-church lunch and she served up homemade sushi and tempura.  It was a very delicious and filling lunch.  So I gathered some tidbits from her, scoured the internet for more sushi making information, stocked up on necessities from Sunrise Supermarket and went to work.

Our family’s favorite roll has the avocado, cucumber, and carrot filling in it – soft and creamy texture from the avocado complimented by the crunchy bite from the cucumber and carrot slices.  I also added a little sweet-spicy chili sauce and mayonnaise mix for added creaminess.

Our choice of fish cuts are on the pricier side (tuna or salmon, anyone?) so we settled for imitation crab.  However, I had a few pieces of shrimp in the freezer so I coated those with tempura batter and fried it up, added it to the filling and rolled away.  Extra crunchy!  Loved it!  The second time I made sushi, I wanted another seafood filling and found some pollock fillet in the freezer.  Those were thawed, sliced into strips, froze again, dipped in tempura batter, and fried.  It was the perfect crunch…and it didn’t taste very fishy at all.

You’re really only limited by your imagination when adding fillings to your sushi.  My dear hubby has this obsession with an avocado, cucumber, and sweetened tofu roll.  I have yet to find a way to make that.

Tempura and sushi feels like they belong together.  Green beans tempura is my favorite ever but again, use your imagination and always start with what you like.  Our veggie tempura almost always has a combo of green beans, sweet potatoes, and eggplant.  I tried broccoli tempura at a friend’s house and it has this roasted nutty flavor…soo good.  Shrimp tempura tops my list but I seldom make it because my dear hubby’s not such a big fan.  For batter, I usually whip up a mix of a cup of flour and just enough beer to moisten.  Or you can certainly use those sold at the Asian stores.  I used a mix out of the box when I made the sushi this weekend and they came out perfect in flavor and crunch.

One of the best things I love about making sushi at home is the freshness of the rolls.  The dressed rice is still warm and all the other ingredients were freshly prepared…I think some sushi places in town just lost our business!

For inspiration, I went to  The Pioneerwoman‘s blog who wrote a series of posts on the matter.  Here’s how to cook your sushi rice.  Here’s how to make your sushi rolls.  To a novice like me, these posts were very helpful, especially having a visual reference to the process.

And now where to find some eel for my next sushi?!