Courage Knows No Bounds

I am amazed at how many strong women I know. Women of strength, substance, and courage. And, while one automatically thinks of the likes of Christianne Amanpour, these women look and act like your everyday person. They don't go to high risk places or interview famous people. They aren't on TV or magazine covers. But they live their lives expecting "nothing less than what they are worth" regardless of situation of consequence. While a lot of people would shake their heads and say, "of course! What else should you expect?", I am sure these same people will recognize that this isn't always the case and very often one gets less than what they are worth despite always striving for better or the best. These women moved out of their comfort zones, faced the unknown with relatively no help, armed just with hope and strength and an unwavering belief in themselves. Amazing.

So, in hard times, I try to remind myself to just be brave. I hope I can be even just half as courageous as these women I know.

"Courage, it would seem, is nothing less than the power to overcome danger, misfortune, fear, injustice, while continuing to affirm inwardly that life with all its sorrows is good; that everything is meaningful even if in a sense beyond our understanding; and that there is always tomorrow." (Dorothy Thompson)

"Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live."(Dorothy Thompson)

Working From Home

As a working mom of 2 very young kids (one is 2.11 and the other is 8 months), I always think about how my work life affects my family. I am perennially feeling like I am 'stuck between a rock and a hard place' especially when it comes to the important events of both my husband and kids. I work what can be considered odd hours (even if it is a M-F job) so sometimes I can't help but miss an event. So I suppose it's not surprising that I've considered working from home. I always thought that this wasn't a viable idea for people with families but I have lately found that there is a lot to be said about working at and from home. This should be the tag to catch the attention of interested people like me, Make Money Online . I found that, while reading through the posts on hangelbel's work from home, there are a lot of lucrative and interesting things one can do!! And these are varied ideas as well, complete with definitions and opinions. It's a really informative read for those thinking seriously about working from home. Luckily, Livi brought up the possibility of making our department home-based. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is given serious thought and hopefully works out.

A Lover of All Things Food

I love food. I really always have. And I love it more now that I have more confidence in my cooking and baking skills. My husband and friends encourage me whenever they give me positive feedback about a dish or a pastry I've tried out. And I love the fact that, so far, my son likes 95% of the things I whip up for him.

Most of all, I looooooooooove pasta. They are filling, varied, delicious, and easy to make. You can create almost any kind of tasty pasta dish with just a few basic ingredients . Often, when I have some down time at home and I am hungry, I turn to pasta to fill me up. My current favorite Pasta dish has a taste of the local with a splash of Italy. I was inspired by a dish I say my friend Ren and her boyfriend Joff eating one working day while I was roaming the mall on my lunch break.

I call it Black Olives and Tuyo (not very fancy huh?)

Ingredients:
Tuyo
Olive Oil
Black Olives, sliced
Pasta (Spaghetti or Fetuccine would do fine. I've only tried this with the ribbon pastas.)

In a non-stick pan, fry your tuyo in regular oil. When it is almost cooked, add Black olives and some Olive Oil. Turn off the heat and remove fish from the pan. Only use the meat of the fish but do not flake this too much as it is yummier with some chunks. Return to the pan with the oil and fish residue, no heat.
At the same time, boil some water in a pot. When boiling, add salt. Add pasta and cook al dente. Remove pasta and place in the pan with the fish meat and olives. Add a little more Olive Oil and heat through.

Serving size depends on how much you want to eat and proportions of the ingredients are according to personal taste. This is really yummy and easy to make.

Now, in the spirit of all things yummy, let me post 2 recipes that look really really good and, my favorite adjective when it comes to cooking- EASY as well.

I got this from Cooking with Amy, a really informative and interesting food blog.

Spaghetti with Walnuts and Anchovies (adapted from Adventures of an Italian Food Lover)
Serves 2 as a main course, or 4 as a first course

2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
3-4 filets of oil packed anchovies
2 Tablespoon chopped walnuts
pinch of chili flakes
3 Tablespoons minced parsley
8 ounces spaghetti

Heat the olive oil over low heat and cook the garlic until it softens and barely begins to color. Add the anchovies and mash until they dissolve into the oil. Add the walnuts, chili and parsley, stir and remove from the heat. Cook the pasta in boiling water until it is 3/4 of the way done.

Drain the pasta and reserve some cooking water. Toss the pasta with the sauce and cook over high heat, adding about 1/3 cup cooking water. Cook, adding more cooking liquid as needed, until the pasta is al dente.

Brie & Bacon Fettucine
serves 2 - 3 as a main dish or 4 as a starter

1/2 lb fettucine
1/2 large onion, thinly sliced
2 strips of bacon, chopped
1/4 cup brie, rind removed
1/4 cup of pasta water (water the pasta has cooked in)
black pepper
parmesan cheese

In a large skillet saute the bacon and onion slowly over medium heat until bacon begins to crisp and onion is light brown. Meanwhile cook the pasta in salted water until al dente.

Take the pasta out of the water with tongs and place in the skillet with the onion and bacon. Add the brie. Toss with the pasta water. When the brie melts, add a good grind of black pepper and serve with a scant sprinkling of parmesan cheese on each serving.


I can't wait to try them out!!

As a bonus, I've included the recipe to my cocktail of the moment, the Mojito. I was inspired by Martini Moms. This drink doesn't really go with the Pasta recipes but it's a fabulous drink you can prepare anytime you need warmth and a buzz in a moment. Enjoy!

3 fresh mint sprigs
2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 1/2 oz light white rum
club soda
ice

In a tall thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off with *chilled* club soda (or seltzer). Add a lime slice and the remaining mint, and serve.

Kid Friendly Dish

I only discovered the joys of cooking and baking after I got married. I guess it really does make a difference when you have to cook. Anyway, since then I've been experimenting with different recipes for meals and desserts. My son's in the picky eater stage so finding recipes for kids that are easy to cook or bake is something that excites me no end. I saw this recipe on the Oprah website.

Brownies (with Carrot and Spinach)

Created by Jessica Seinfeld

From the book Deceptively DeliciousSM
Makes 12 brownies

These brownies fool everyone! You won't believe how scrumptious they are (or how good they are for you) until you make them yourself. Just don't serve them warm—it's not until they're completely cool that the spinach flavor totally disappears.

INGREDIENTS

• Nonstick cooking spray
• 3 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup carrot puree
• 1/2 cup spinach puree
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tbsp. trans-fat-free soft tub margarine spread
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup oat flour or all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 350°. Coat an 8" x 8" baking pan with cooking spray.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or over a very low flame.

In a large bowl, combine the melted chocolate, vegetable purees, sugar, cocoa powder, margarine and vanilla and whisk until smooth and creamy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Whisk in egg whites. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.

Pour the batter into the pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into 12 bars.

It looks good and easy to make. I think I will try it. I am hoping my son will like it.

Studying Abroad

To this day I still say that one of the most memorable experiences of my life was my stint as a student in the UK. I will probably bring this up many more times in the future as I feel it really changed me. Next year it will have been 10 years since I left that country behind and yet it often feels like it was only a couple of years ago that I was waving goodbye to my Malaysian classmates in Heathrow. I've already mentioned three things about the UK that stand out to me, in another post. But what those years mean to me is in more than what was extraordinary, but also what was commonplace. The quaint Covent Garden in London, the little shop where I got a medieval wax seal, the old lady who gave me a token of a boot which was supposed to be for good luck, the artist who etched the very first pencil drawing of my dog (who has passed away now), the numerous, confusing stops in the Underground, the quiet scenery while walking to Buckingham Palace, the bus trips to the country, the small grocery stores and the dime a dozen Body Shops. I can go on and on. I always tell myself that I would love to have my kids experience that kind of a stay in another country. And I feel a certain kind of kinship for other people who do or have done the same thing. This exchange student had these experiences abroad as well. It's interesting to read about his situations and feel the similarities and differences to mine. Truly, studying abroad is a must.

This is Fun!

Lists like this is one of the reasons I am enjoying blogging so much.

From Livi.

Here’s the game: you have to answer the question with ONE WORD only and then you have to tag 4 people.

1. Where is your cell phone? WAITING
2. Your significant other? WORKING
3. Your hair? TIED
4. Your mother? SERVING
5. Your father? PROUD
6. Your favorite thing? LAPTOP
7. Your dream last night? NONE
8. Your favorite drink? MOJITO
9. Your dream/goal? RICH
10. The room you’re in? OFFICE
11. Your hobby? BAKING
12. Your fear? POVERTY
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? STABLE
14. What you’re not? EXTROVERTED
15. Muffins? NOPE
16. One of your wish list items? SLIMNESS
17. Where you grew up? ORTIGAS
18. The last thing you did? ATE
19. What are you wearing? COMFORT
20. Favorite gadget? LAPTOP
21. Your pets? CUFFLINKS
22. Your computer? DELL
23. Your mood? UNSURE
24. Missing someone? KIDS
25. Your car? NONE
26. Something you’re not wearing? GLASSES
27. Favorite store? M&S
28. Like someone? NO
29. Your favorite color? AMBER
30. When is the last time you laughed? TODAY
31. Last time you cried? SUNDAY

TAGGING: Ren, Affie, Jerry, Ruy

Footie

Whenever I think back to my years in England, I think of 3 main things: the Weather, the Lifestyle, and the Football. Let's go through these topics one at a time shall we?
The Weather: Living in a tropical country is fantastic for some people, but for me, it's often boring. Funnily, I happen to like the cold. When I went to the UK I was overjoyed to find the temperatures I had always wanted. I remember marveling at the colors of Autumn and the sunny-yet-coolness of Spring. I miss these 2 seasons to be honest. They made things so much more interesting for me.
The Lifestyle: This was also quite different. I was a student when I lived in England so that is the perspective I will be using as my point of comparison. Student life in the UK is definitely much more to my taste than student life here in the Philippines. While the scene is interesting enough in my home base, the mix of cultures, the access to more Premiere activities, and the vast choices one finds in a school in the UK, I found, were much more exciting. Aside from that, the many different extra-curricular activities made my head spin. It helped that, as a student, you are given a lot of discounts and freebies therefore making it easy for me to enjoy the student life in and outside the campus without straining my wallet too much.
The Football: Finally, the thing that amazed me the most was the love of everything Football going on all over the UK. I am not a sporty person. Never have been and yet I found myself drawn to the infectious fever that was the English Premiere League and the World Cup. In the Philippines, the sport of choice is usually basketball so it really was new to me to see all these people so obsessed with Football. I ended up quite enjoying the sport and still follow it as often as I can today. I am sure that people who have always loved Football or those who have grown to greatly appreciate it (as I do)would find this site EPL-English Premier League very informative, helpful, and interesting.
As an aside, I always love bumping into blogs that give me a little taste of what I lovingly consider my second home- the UK.