pregnant pause

Upon her doctor's advice, Twinx spent a week back home so that she  could get some bedrest for her growing baby! For lunch, Ma and Twinx made molo soup. It's a chore to make but so satisfying. Good thing sis was here to help make it!

The dumplings before going into the soup. A neighbor suggested we place them in front of the fan for a few moments before going into the soup to help keep the wrapper from slipping off. I don't know the reason behind this but it worked!

With nothing to do but eat, sleep or watch TV, Twinx would often get sleepy or hungry, which she says is part of being pregnant, but I'm not so sure... that would mean she's been pregnant for years! Kidding!

Anyway, the dumplings have been plopped into the steaming hot soup and Ma added the spring onion and toasted garlic.

Here's the finished product. It had just been on the table for a few minutes and it was already half-empty by the time I took a picture.

Just like old times. Twinx with the family. Hope you enjoyed your stay!

For dessert, some yellow watermelon. It tastes the same, but it sure looks peculiar.

Lunch at Cabalen

We had a couple of gift certificates from Cabalen that were about to expire so we decided to use them before going to the supermarket.

3 ways to cook lapu-lapu

Papa has a suki (favored vendor) who sells him lapu-lapu at a very affordable price. That's why we sometimes have dinners like this. The easiest, of course, is deep fried lapu-lapu which tastes absolutely delicious just plainly seasoned with salt and pepper. Another favorite is pesang lapu-lapu, which is simply making a soup out of the fish head with cabbage, pechay, ginger and onion. Perfect for rainy nights and even better when paired with sauteed garlic, onions and tomatoes and patis. And to keep my Papa's cholesterol in check, I also learned to cook steamed lapu-lapu.

Here's how:
Make 2 small slits at both  sides of the fish and season with salt and pepper and about 3 tablespoons of soy sauce. Stuff the slits with chopped ginger and green onion or leeks.(Use ordinary onions as substitute if you run out, like we did. Boo! ) Steam for 30 minutes. Longer for bigger fish. You may also pour some hot oil on it but that would defeat the purpose of a healthy meal. Serve at once! You can also pair it with my Coron sauce.

Filipinos love dipping sauces so here's the perfect sauce for this, inspired by our trip to Coron:

Saute garlic, onion and ginger in a pan. Add half a cup of soy sauce, 1/3 cup of water, 2 teaspoons of sugar   and 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce. Bring to boil and then add some chili flakes or fresh  sliced sili  for an added kick.

My backpack design entry

Shopwise had a backpack design competition around the theme Pinoy pride so this is what I made...I didn't win but I did get some Shopwise groceries for my effort. I decided to add some more touches as I was inspired by jeepney art and our penchant for horror vacuii (fear of empty spaces) It's just so Pinoy to decorate everything with abubut(trinkets)

side view of the bag. featuring lucban's pahiyas fiesta and bohol's chocolate hills

Sentro 1771, fabulous filipino food, finally!

After some mildly disappointing meals at Fely J and Mesa, my faith in upscale Filipino food has been restored with Sentro 1771.  We've always wanted to go there but were afraid that since it was part of the Chateau 1771 group, it would be insanely expensive. Fortunately, it's just around average for Greenblet resto prices but infinitely more satisfying.

Father's Day celebration at Mesa

Ok, confession, we actually celebrated Father's Day a week early because we thought it was on the 2nd Sunday of June. No wonder we were able to get reservations for Mesa easily. hehehe! But it was all for the best as we avoided the crowds and we were all together, which is the most important thing.

What to buy in Puerto Princesa

Aside from the usual tshirts, you can also buy stuff unique to Palawan, like a rain stick my mom got(P150)  or buy a wooden crocodile toy for P65 that wiggles depending on how you hold it.

Where to eat in El Nido

One of the most affordable restaurants in El Nido is the Skyline Grill. Lonely Planet calls it a slightly more upscale version of the turo-turo or carinderia.  You can choose from the different dishes behind the glass counter which range from P30 up, or you can order something from the menu, which are around P100 and above.  You can also buy something from the market and have them cook it for you for a reasonable fee.

Where to stay in El Nido

I chose Marina Garden Resort not only because it came highlt recommended by a friend, but also because it had a very informative website and most of all, it was the only one I could find that had  satellite TV! I tried not having a TV last year in Coron and only brought my portable DVD player but we got bored! Plus, it was an election year and we just couldn't stand not knowing what was going on in the rest of the country.

Where to eat in Puerto Princesa

There are lots of cafes and restaurants  for every kind of budget in Puerto Princesa. While they do have kiosks at the  NCCC mall, I recommend you try something you won't find in Manila. Here are my recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner and merienda,too!