Then God answered my prayers...

Well, He always does. Sometimes it is "no". Sometimes it is "wait". Sometimes it is Yes. Well this time, it is "Yes!" and I am so happy I float in the air in ecstasy!

Then I wonder why it is that some of our desires are granted and some are not.The answer still eludes me but I have learned to rely on His Holy Will,  Thy will be done, it is said in the Lord's Prayer. He alone knows what is best for us.

This is one of the flower photos my son took some time ago. I put it  here as symbol of my thankfulness to the Lord.

Tomorrow is Lord"s day, but it is cooking day for me too. I plan to make tacos for snacks and potato salad following this recipe  I got from http://www.bettycrocker.com/. I have modified it though.

1/2 kilo potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes (about 6 pieces medium sized)t

I carrot, peeled and cut into cubes

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 small can pineapple tidbits

1 small box raisins

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon peppera

2 medium stalks celery chopped

1 medium onion chopped

4 hardboiled eggs chopped

Directions

• 1Place potatoes in 3-quart saucepan; add enough water to cover potatoes. Cover and heat to boiling; reduce heat to low. Cook covered 25 to 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender; drain. Let stand until cool enough to handle. Cut potatoes into cubes.

3. Blanch the carrots then drain

• 2Mix mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper in large glass or plastic bowl.
• 3Add potatoes, carrots, pine apple, and raisins, celery and onion; toss. Stir in eggs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours to blend flavors and chill. Store covered in refrigerator

as to the tacos, well I can post it tomorrow. Meanwhile here is a video from my facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10201643638292278

Psalm 46:10

I love this psalm. Especially when something  bothers me. I listen to the silent throbbing of my heart and then I think of how baseless are my fears. 

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I miss those days when I would cook for my children. Today I have been cooking and I couldn't help thinking of them and those days when they would wait with excitement for whatever I would whip up in the kitchen for them.

A friend sold to me three trays of organic eggs which he himself raised in a small poultry. It was far too many to be consumed in a week but hubby put it in th e pantry telling me they wont spoil in a couple of weeks. When I tasted the kwek kwek delicacy the other night I was reminded of those eggs in the pantry and thought I could put them to good use by making kwek kwek.  As to how, I tried looking it up in You tube! Can you imagine our lowly kwek kwek sharing the ranks of fabulous dishes in You tube?

Then later I cooked fish paksiw and caldereta for lunch. I told Mavic  it was caldereta with a twist as I added fresh milk to make the sauce thicker. Well, the milk did the trick. It did add a little creamy flavor to the sauce.

A while ago I have to stop writing for this blog to help hubby with fish in sweet and sour sauce which he would serve for dinner where I used fresh pineapple instead of canned ones for the sauce. It's much cheaper and spares us of consuming the preservatives in its canned counterpart.

I miss my children for sure as they consume what ever I would serve, whether palpak or astounding success. Today only my youngest son is here with my niece and  Mavic, my sister in law to savor my culinary inexpertise. Cuisine is something I gave up a long time after my children left home to find their place in the world, so to speak.

My Kwik Kwik Experience

I had a hard time looking for files in my tablet. I made a mess with my first blog and then I lost it when my laptop hung. There's plenty that I need to learn regarding the lay out here.

Yesterday was a very rainy day; the water in our river almost rose to its bank. I was in school with a fever even if classes were suspended. It was difficult to take a ride home as most tricycle drivers did not take to the streets due to the bad weather. I had a bad cold and cough and was feverish.

This morning I finally had consultation with my doctor and she gave me some medicines and an advise to rest for five days. I took the afternoon off and tried to get some sleep when I got home. Naturally it is impossible to sleep with many things going on in your mind so I decided to treat myself to some restful activities like a manicure and pedicure at my favorite beauty salon. Then I dropped in at my sister in law's spa for a very soothing and relaxing session at her nuga bed.

My not so healthy condition compelled me to decline an invitation to join an accreditation team for universities in Guimaras-a place I have been for a longing to revisit.Well, my nephew says I should look after my health first before all other matters and I am convinced he is right. 

Anyway, hubby joined me later at the spa and on our way out we  passed by a row of stalls on the square fronting the building where the spa is and he suggested something which to me sounded a little bit adventurous. "Let's try some 'Kwik-kwik', he said. So for the first time I savored a delicacy popular among the younger set at the tables most of them frequent. kwik-kwit I discovered is boiled egg coated with batter and fried, then served with sea weeds and cucumber.

So how does it taste? delectable! Because when you are hungry you can eat anything. Too bad I wasn't that hungry.

So that was how my day went, Now I have to take my medicines so I will have a sound sleep tonight.

Blues

Blues

I got a stupid runny nose that kept me from preparing for my Masters' class this morning. The weather has not been very cooperative but since I had to meet my students I went to school after all. To my dismay only two turned up. My throat was sore (it still  is) so I kept the lecture to only an hour, The rest of the time was spent on tete a tete with my students. The activity gave us opportunity to know each other better. Then I dismissed them promising to give them a module to work on, 

I walked to the church sharing an umbrella with one of the students. The lady whose husband crafted a few of the furniture pieces in my house called me up to show me another piece of furniture (a day bed) thinking I might like to buy it. My husband who caught up with me at church liked the piece but he said there was nowhere we could place it in our house. I pitied the couple, they were expecting to make a sale but I agreed with my husband, we already have a day bed.

We had time to pick up some grocery at Robinson's. Then when hubby volunteered to bring them home I decided to go to the drugstore to purchase medicines for my runny nose and for hypertension.

shawls to keep me warm

But (achoooo) I got lost. That was very stupid of me, I know I am poor when it comes to directions and geography, but it was the height of stupidity that I forgot which way to take to reach the nearest drugstore. So I headed back to church. During the mass I sneezed and blowed my nose all too often that I got so self conscious that I might be spreading germs there. So I came out earlier than my hubby and waited outside for him. For the first time I thanked my second son for gifting me with twin shawls on my birthday, "to keep me warm" he said.

I know I need to sleep early tonight to get over this bad cold. Hope tomorrow will be a better day.

That is me and my daughter and on my nth birthday. Ten months after Yolanda I find the energy and the enthusiasm to blog again. I just feel it is a nice way of celebrating a new episode in my life and to try to rekindle and old flame: writing.

My daughter has a three year old son now and she came home with him for my birthday. As since she needed to leave early on my "big day" we anticipated the celebration with family and relatives coming to lunch on Sunday, Sept. 7.On the following day, I had some celebration of sorts with my fellow instructors and staff.

My mother in law came and I was so happy to see her again after a long while. Work had kept me from  paying her a visit. I miss her garden and the beautiful plants that she had tended all these times. She gave me a hand cream and I gave her a dark blue blouse which she liked.

My sisters and sister in law (sitting, left) joked at how our girths have expanded and rationalized that it was a sign of progress. Undeniably, we have grown in years this showed in our common topics on food, ailments, children and grandchildren.

I was feeling blessed with all the greetings and well wishes that I received---from my own family, relatives, friends and students. I have a lot to be thankful for that despite the storms I have gone through, I know God loves me.