Pinoy Food Race

Itong mga nakaraang araw, hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit takam na takam ako sa lutong pinoy.  Hindi ko nga kailangang mag-isip ng malalim para malaman ano ang lulutuin ko.  Alam na alam ko agad na eto ang mga gusto ko, peksman!

Tinapa, Miswa at Sarsiado:
Kahit hindi eksaktong eksakto ang mga panahog, nagawan pa din ng paraang maging kasing lasa ang pinakatatakam kong miswa, tinapa at sarsiado.

And sinubstitute ko sa tinapa ay yung "smoked mackarel/gerookte makreel." Pra shang boneless na tinapang bangus.  Pati amoy parehong pareho. Yummy!

Sa miswa naman ang sinubstiture ko sa patola ay yung "zuchini/courgette".  Small version sha ng patola.  Super sarap!  Khit si Niels, Nina at Nico naubos yung bowl nila.  Una si Niels ayaw kumain, tapos nung natikman, isang higupan lang ubos na nya agad yung portion nya.

At sarsiado?  Sino kaya ang may alam nito?  Si nanay super sarap mag-luto ng sarsiado eh.  Naaalala ko pa nung tinanong ko kay Nanay dati paanong magluto nun.  Hanggang ngayon yun pa din ang scene na tinatandaan ko tuwing magluluto ako ng sarsiado...Nanay's way :-)

Chinese Mami with Asado flavor:
Yup, meron akong stock lagi sa bahay ng chinese egg noodles in case gusto kong magluto ng Tatay's famous Chinese Mami and Asado (as seen on TV Wok with Yan).  At meron din kaming tanim na pechay so easy to make ang Chinese mami whenever I want...and I want it now! Mmm...naka-tatlong tasa ata ako eh, si Niels, Nico and Nina eh kain din ng kain :-)

Tinolang manok at Munggo:
Nung sabado naman, bumisita kami kila Ninang Chell.  At shempre, alam nyo naman, every visit kila Chell eh for sure may Pinoy food na nakaserve. And this time, Tinolang manok at Munggo ang handa nya.  Buntis pa naman si Chell, so ayun, naglilihi sa Pinoy food...nakikisaling pusa ako...SARAP eh!

Sinigang na ribs...adobong ribs:
Ay!  Nakakita ako ng magaganda, malalaman at matatabang ribs sa supermarket...naisip ko agad SINIGANG!  Pag uwi na pag uwi ko sa bahay hinagilap ko agad kung nasaan yung Mama Sita Pangsigang ko...oh noh!  Wala!  So yung sinigang na ribs ko eh adobong ribs ang hinantungan! Masarap din naman, tuyong adobo ang ginawa ko...tinatandaan ko yung favorite ni Tatay na tuyong adobo so talagang malasang malasha sha dahil naka-on ang stove until maubos yung sauce ng adobo, naprito sha ng konti kaya crispy ang labas and chewy on the inside.  Super sarap din naman ang kinalabasan..of course Datu Puti ang gamit kong suka  and hindi ko binuksan ang takip habang pinapakuluan para hindi mahilaw ang suka ;-) Oh diba Nanay and Tatay, natuto din ako!  And hindi sha maalat, nilagyan ko din ng konting brown sugar kung hindi magrereklamo si Nico na maalat yung adobo hahaha.

Pinakbet:
Ang original plan ko eh magluto ng chicken curry...kso nung nasa supermarket ako namimili ng ingredients pra sa chicken curry...eh mukhang ang mga ingredients na napupunta sa basket ko (unconsiously) eh pang pinakbet (Talong, sitaw, kamatis).  Nung nasa kahera na ako, napaisip ako tuloy...Hmmmm..Yeah! Mag pipinakbet ako! At buti nalang meron pa ako sa freezer na kalabasa (sariling tanim to mga mare at pare ko!)

Ayun, pati si Niels nagustuhan yung pinakbet...and of course may bagoong shang kahalo.  Buti nalang meron pa akong isang bote ng bagoong na nakastock.  Ayan, bukas alam ko na ano ang baon ko sa trabaho (hehehe)...pinakbet!

And by the way, habang naglalagay ako ng mga bago kong stock sa racks, accidentally nakita ko na may isang pack pa ako ng Mama Sita Sinigang sa bayabas! Waaaah!  BAKIT GANYAN ANG BUHAY???

Mami:
Kaninang umaga naman, kasabay ko si Niels mag almusal...MAMI! hahaha

So far, wala pang bagong recipe na pumapasok sa utak ko...but you never know, baka may mapanaginipan akong masarap na ulam! 

Sha matutulong na ako para makapagsimula ng managinip ;-)

Neri-takaw

That time of the year again...

It's that time of the year again, everywhere you go, any channel you go to on television, in any magazine....TOYS TOYS TOYS...toys everywhere!

And my kiddos will not be left behind...Niels is already busy choosing which toy/ssss he wants from Sinterklaas...and of course Nina has joined the crowd!

Niels & Nina busy scrolling through the toy magazines

And since Nina could not use the pen yet, Niels is helping her encircle toys from the book...and he is choosing good for Nina!..and all of them in PINK!


Sinterklaas and Zwarte Piet, make sure you have place enough in your sack!


Mama Neri

Tooth Nr. 5!

I was tickling Nina while changing her pamper...and then she laughed with her mouth wide open!

Hey hey hey!  I thought I saw something.  First I thought it was a piece of bread, but when I looked closer...YEAH!  Nina has her 5th tooth growing!!! Yuppeeee!  After 6 months of waiting the next tooth finally showed up!

Haven't taken a picture of it yet but will try my best this weekend!

I will definitely keep you all posted :-)

Mama Neri

Nina & the media, an early start!

Hi to you all,

Nina at a very young age, appreciates deeply what media can offer.  She knows she can learn a lot from it!

A.  Printed Media: Books

Nina went to their bookshelf and grabbed her books, sat down and read it!

B.  Visual Media: Television starring "Bumba"

C. Radio: Kids' songs

Neri

Niels’ tennis lessons

Since 09 October, Niels has been attending some winter tennis lessons every saturday morning.

Watching him is so entertaining.  While we watch and wait by the canteen with Nina & Papa, Niels looks and waves at us once in a while.

When they got to get the racket...he was so proud!

Here is a glimpse of his first training day:

But first they have to run around...

And then they have to rehydrate!

And they listen to the juf...

Choose their own racket!

And then finally, practice with the ball!

And here are some video treat!

From the first week's training:

From last week's training:

Enjoy!

Flight of the Butterfly...by Lolo Ben

Lolo Ben wrote on October 12, 2011 11:06 AM

Twelve months have passed and looking back snaps us to smile in satisfied admiration. The butterfly burst her cocoon.

She begun by opening her eyes, eliciting gasps all around. Then she learned to smile, bringing warmth to everybody. As time goes by she grunts, giggles, shouts, cries, laughs and talks her own language. She enjoyed her milk, then veggies, fruit paps, popsicles, ice cream, thumb, toys and toes. All digested making her sufficiently strong. Then she learns to play the piano, be a chef in her kitchenette, drive a tractor and travel with her trusty nijntje. But before that she perfected her own special way of moving around that no other child in this world has done, the Nina Dance. She hops around like a galloping kangaroo. There must be an Australian among her ancestors.

Her development today will not be possible without mentioning her knight in shining armor, Spiderman Niels: bodyguard, comforter, storyteller, pirate, entertainer, nurse, teacher and above all a loving kuya.

Now she can play with cousins, swim with friends, exchange pleasantries with Oma, Opa and even Moemoe, give comments on any topic of conversation or just look and enjoy the beauty of nature.

Go young butterfly, see the world and learn. Visit many flowers, collect nectar and build your future. Then later on flap your wings harder to a quarter of a globe away in a beautiful and friendly land. There you'll also find blooms of different scents and colors. Then meet a waiting young butterfly too, Makayla.

From your fans here in the Philippines, happy birthday.

Nina with K&G: 2 x Spuitjes!

Smiling, laughing, chatting in her own language...Nina entered the K&G room.  The assistants were able to get her weight (9 kg 370 gr) and length (74 cm) with no problem at all. 

She was so jolly until...

We entered the doctor's room...she has to lay down on the cushion...and then the examination of the doctor starts...and Nina also started....."WAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Even the measuring of her crown was too much....and again "WAAAAAHHHHH!"

As long as the doctor is touching her...she...."WAAAAAHHHHH!"

And then the injections were prepared.  She has to sit again on the cushion, Mama has to hold her arms tight...and then...."WAAAAAHHHHH!"  She was soooo angry at the doctor when the injections were done.

But as soon as I had her on my lap, she laughed at the doctor....like saying..."Im with my Mama now. Now you cannot touch me, na-na-na-na-na!"

And she laughingly, talkatively left the room...as if nothing happened. 

I dressed her back up and she walked around the room as if she owns the place...checking everything, nothing can stop her from walking around, saying hi to all the children and telling the assistants to go out of her way cause she want to go everywhere.  When we heard the next baby cry in the room of the doctor she said, "Baby!" and she wants to go back in the room...when the doctor opened, she stopped, looked at the doctor and turned back hahahaha.

But anyway, everything is A-OK with our little Nina, she remains to be in the 50% curve nothing more, nothing less.  With her 4 teeth, she makes the cutest smile ever!

Mama Neri

Nina’s 1st Bday party: 08.10.2011

Not her first party but definitely her 1st ever birthday party! 

Mama, Papa and Niels' most awaited feast (Niels kept on singing..."Waar is het feestje? Hier is het feestje!")...here in our very own house has arrived.

I promised myself I will give Nina a real children's party.  With the number of kids coming...5 is not many but 5 is also not a small number.  Cause I dont think I could keep them sitting down by the table eating a 5-course-meal...so I said to myself...*&"# off that loooong boring dinner and let's have real FUN!

So here is the result:

Her 1st Birthday Party Invitation



Pin the Donkey: Before

Pin the Donkey: After

Nina with her Bday hat

Our Smiling birthday girl

Opening the gifts, of course Kuya Niels may help

Hehe, Im ready for winter!

And ready for vacation to Philippines!

Bed for my dol Mieleke

And my new Huppel book!

And this is just the beginning...Let the games begin!

Ik schmink je...jij schmink mij

Our 1st duo: Papa & Niels

Our 2nd duo: Karolien & Ermina

Our 3rd looked-forced-duo: Celeste & Nonkel Danny

The Longest Domino race: Family Meerten

Ermina, Karolien & Dieter

Niels & Vincent

Balloon Decorating Contest: Niles & his balloon

Vincent & his balloon

Celeste & her balloon

Ermina & her balloon

And now time to show the birthday girl again...

My Peter Ronald & Ninang Chell helping me blow my candle

Yummy!  Smudging it everywhere is the fun part  and nobody is stopping me!

One of my 2 cakes, the other one was already cut...too late

Nina definitely had sooo much fun.  Seeing all the children running around, she wants to run around with them too.  She ate her cake like no one in this world can stop her...we definitely didnt stop her.  Its her day, its her cake, she could do whatever she wants with it.  She ate most of her slice, thats already a good thing cause in the beginning I thought she will not stop playing with it (hihi).

She loved the attention but only a little bit of the chaos and the noise.  But I think she knows its a party so she just let it all happen :-)

At the end of the party, Nina was sooo tired, she watched an episode of Bumba before sleeping, then drank her milk...and went upstairs.  She was sooo relieved when she got in her room...SILENCE.  And she slept soundly!

Happy birthday again our little princess and we all love you so!

Mama, Papa & Niels

Nina is 1! ...& its Opa's bday too!

"As if she grew a lot last night" I told myself this morning. 

As always, she welcomes me with a biiiig smile on her face when I entered her room this morning...and lately, she points to her book while saying "boosh" meaning she wants to read her book for a moment in her bed before she goes downstairs with me...so the book-before-sleeping-ritual is not enough for her...she wants to have it when she wakes up too :-)

Her favorite...The 3 Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf", was also Niels' favorite when he was her age.  In some things like this I could really see that they are brothers and sisters...totally alike in some aspects but also totally the opposite of each other in another.

When we got to Nic, her daycare Mama, she als said the same thing... "Wow Nina, you look bigger today!"

But of course she did for today she turned 1!

Everything is going so fast...I have to sit and take a deep breath to be able to catch on to everything happening around us and the kids...my little family.

Nina oh Nina...she is definitely not a baby anymore. Sometimes,  she already wants to take over her spoon and feed herself, she just wants to walk and walk and walk, and she likes playing outside with Niels' tractor and have a race with Kuya Niels' bike.

I cant imagine how it all went through from having given birth to her to today that she blew her first candle.  I cant.  It went too quickly that I only had time to remember and store the good moments in my head.  Good that we, in the modern world, already have digital cams and blogs, facebook, etc where I could sometimes just browse and see how it was a year ago, to look back to what happened during the months that passed, and view the hundreds of photos again and again...and not getting tired of it.

Nina, my little baby girl...you will stay as Mama's baby girl forever :-)  Just keep on giving Mama those sweet kisses, those cute hugs, and that big smile on your face and I am the happiest Mama in the whole wide world :-)  And on those times that you can't, Mama will :-)

I love you baby girl, Nina, we all love you.


Mama, Papa and Niels


PS: Look how she celebrated her bday today:

Nina's first bday cake

Hipperdepip! HOERA!

AND TO OPA...

GELUKKIGE VERJAARDAG ONZE LIEFSTE OPA!

van je schatjes,

Nina & Niels

Dominic’s Baptism

We were not able to get to the church on time but the party we will never pass!  We drove to Brussels to welcome Dominic into the Catholic world.