Beef wraps, shawarma style

 

I’m supposed to prepare beef shawarma for dinner but I ended up with this equally delicious recipe.  I didn’t get the chance to go to the nearest supermarket to buy all the spices required in the recipe so I used whatever I had in my pantry and still make it taste like shawarma.  With the many modifications I made (can’t help it!), however, I’m no longer calling it ’shawarma’. Simply calling it ‘beef wraps’ would be fair enough.

Twist your brain with these paper roses!

 

For two nights in a row, we’ve been hooked (again) on origami.  We sat down in front of the computer and openned our huge collection of patterns.  The following, I got seriously hooked that I spent almost the whole day folding different patterns. 

My daughter busied her little hands making creases on the papers I gave her and would come up with either a ball (the crumpled one, that is) or just a twisted paper.  But she would call them with more decent names though.  We were having fun, laughing and making comments on the creases we made each time.

I started doing the Kawasaki Rose pattern using a paper I tore from a supermarket catalog.  I thought it would be challenging to do it as it requires lots of folding and unfolding and twisting.  It was my first time to do it so I thought it would save me a lot of origami paper if I practice on that paper.  It had lots of different colors that it was so difficult for me to see the numerous creases I made. 

Sunday brunch with banana nut cake

We’re supposed to make banana nut muffins but we ended up with a cake instead.  It was perfect for our Sunday brunch!

I was browsing for recipes the other day with my daughter sitting on my lap and found this delicious muffin recipe.  The picture was so inviting that my daughter insisted that we make one that same day. But I told her to wait until tomorrow so we can buy a muffin pan. 

Since we moved to Brazil, I haven’t bought a muffin pan yet and so I figured I might as well buy one.  We rushed to the store Saturday night but too bad it was just beginning to close.  Other stores were already closed. 

We bought all the ingredients, anyway and we agreed to make a cake out of this recipe instead.  The original recipe asks for butter but I used margarine.  Also, I added 1/4 c espresso instead of 1 teaspoon as suggested. 

It’s easy to make and you don’t have to use a mixer for this recipe.

Here’s how to make it….

Sweet & spicy gambas

 

I came up with this recipe using a leftover salad dressing.  The other night, I prepared a green salad but opted to put the dressing on a separate bowl so it can also be used as dipping sauce for our oven-roasted shrimp. 

The following day, we wanted to eat more shrimp so I decided to come up with another recipe for it and thought of adding the leftover dressing.  I sauteed lots of chopped garlic in olive oil.  Then I added the shrimp and when it turned red, I added the dressing, which gave it a thick tasty sauce.  Since my husband likes spicy food, I added some chili.  It was an instant treat for all of us!

I didn’t measure the ingredients of the dressing because I was just experimenting on it.  It’s a simple mixture of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, honey, and olive oil.  Try equal portions of these ingredients then adjust according to your preference.  Finish off the dish with a little of butter or margarine for a richer flavor!

My flaws, my blessings

Of the many flaws that I have, some I’d rather not change while some I’d rather just have to accept and live with.  I realized that somehow, they have become my blessings or led me to discover more about myself.  Here’s my short list:

My allergies.  I’m allergic to any alcoholic beverage, even those with the tiniest trace of alcohol.  My body simply can’t tolerate it.  I realized this when I was in college trying to experience how it is to get drunk.  My friend tried to stop me but I insisted.  Then later my surroundings began to spin and I could hardly walk because I was too dizzy.  I was breathing hard and my face turned red.  I checked all over my body and it was full of red spots. 

Then I started to vomit, yeah, right there in my friend’s room.  Her mother started to worry and even if I was dizzy, I could hear hear scolding my friend for allowing me to drink.  I was scared and so was my friend’s family.  I almost got myself hospitalized.

Years later, I tried to sip some beer and punch again because I thought my body probably just needs to get used to alcohol.  But my body would always give a screaming ‘NO!’ in response.

Rainy day feasts with my family

Rainy days are here in this southern part of Brazil.  They keep me craving for ginisang munggo (sauteed green beans) with dahon ng ampalaya (bitter gourd)  or sili (hot native pepper), which I have always enjoyed in the Philippines. 

I have grown to associate munggo with cold and rainy weathers.  But I think this is true only to my family because I have observed that other Filipinos eat munggo any time during the year. 

My father, now a retired teacher, says that munggo makes the body warm and so it’s not good to eat it on a hot summer day.  I remember when I was a child, he would always store different kinds of beans in the house and munggo is one of them. He saves it for the rainy days, for the the family to feast on.

No room for mediocrity

When I was a child, I thought I had what it takes to be the best in school.  Yes, I had my share of academic awards and was truly proud of myself just as my parents were.  Growing up, I had that pride in myself and was pretty confident that in every competition, I will always have an edge. 

This confidence took me too far, though, during an election for a youth leader in our small town.  I proudly nominated myself (because I thought I was better than the other candidates) after hopelessly waiting for someone to do it for me.  I eventually lost because nobody voted for me! Looking back, I think it is one of the most embarassing and humbling moments in my life.

Do you know the fabric care symbols on your shirt?

We always see these symbols in clothes, blankets, sweaters, and everything in the house that’s made of fabric.  I was folding our clothes the other day and I thought it would be nice to get some ‘education’ on this aspect.  So, I searched the Internet and I found an interesting site on this.  Once you’ve read the information, managing your laundry will never be the same again! Click here for the detailed information and here for a quick look.

Lessons on the streets

One lazy afternoon, my 3-yr-old daughter Enna and I agreed to walk to the centro and buy a couple of ingredients for  dinner.  It was very cold outside but from our window, we could see lots of people, young and old, walking by the streets.  The kids looking puffed in those thick jackets and brightly colored bonnets were just so lovely to look at.  And that sweet smell of freshly baked bread coming from a nearby padaria (bakery) was so soothing we almost tasted the breads.  Everything outside was just so inviting.

So we grabbed our jackets, put on some lip balm and off we went.  We we’re not in a rush and so we tried to enjoy the cold breeze kissing our already pink cheeks.  When we reached the main street, the red light in pedestrian traffic post was on.

We watched as cars rushed to every corner of the downtown.  I realized it wasn’t the best time to go for a walk as it was almost rush hour.  We waited for the green light and it took so much longer than I thought.

I told myself, this time, let me do it right, for the sake of my child.  In the past couple of months whenever we passed that busy street, we rarely used the pedestrian traffic light as a cue in crossing.  Most of the time, the volume of vehicles would thin out much sooner than the time the green light comes in.  As such, we have observed that most people just wait until there are no vehicles approaching so they can cross the street even when the red light is still on.  Some others would push the button at the posts located on both sides of the street as a signal to the dynamic controller that there are people waiting to cross.