Food Trip 18 - Tamarind

During my childhood days, we would climb a particular tamarind tree near the river because it bears sweet fruit.  The owners of the tree did not mind at all because they had no liking at the fruit much to our delight.  Those were the times when we still got to enjoy some fresh free picks.

One time, someone gave me a pack of processed tamarind fruits.  I forgot to ask about its place of origin but I got curious because it got chili.  I don't know how spicy it could get until I tasted that one.  And whew!  It was like burning hot.

Eventually, I was able to finish the entire pack but I had to take only a couple of pieces because I found it hard to withstand its being spicy.

Quote 52 - Great Things

Poem 18 - Beautiful Girl

Quote 51 - You

Something Wonderful 17 - Smile

It is wonderful to know that in spite of the trials of life that we are facing, we still have the courage to smile.

They say that the Lord will never give us trial that we cannot handle.  It is during the face of such trials that we come to know ourselves more.  When are at our lowest, what we do and who do we become afterwards define who we really are.

When we are facing what we thought to be the scariest and life-threatening situations, we might be suffering the God-knows all sorts of pain and mental torture.  Waking up each new day and going to bed at night may seem like hell if answers to our trials are elusive and may deem some far fetch reality.  We might even come to a point that it is already useless to go on living.

But through it all, our life is valuable and sacred.  The moment we think that each new day is a gift to live, then, the more we should strive to face life more courageously.  May be, just may be, when all those tears are already drained and we no longer know to cry, a smile can make a big difference.  We might not be smiling our biggest smile or we smile because we are at our happiest.  But we simply smile because despite of our trials, we still remain standing and holding on.  And that wonderful moment when we learn how to smile again always makes a big difference.

Quote 50 - Beautiful

Food Trip 17 - Camote

In the province, one of our wonderful afternoons are spent by enjoying a hot and sweet tasting camotecue.  Though some might argue that it should only be called camotecue once there is stick holding together a serving of deep fried sweet potatoes with sugar, the name 'camotecue' has been adopted even without the bamboo stick.

I actually experienced planting the stalks of the sweet potato and even harvesting that one.  And I tell you that the fun part is always the harvest time.  In our place where the soil is a bit sandy after the top layer of the soil, the sweet potato grows on bigger terms.  It is because the sandy soil is a bit loose giving more spaces for the root crop to grow bigger.  And after harvesting those we can consume for a day or two, we would enjoy an afternoon with boiled sweet potatoes, camotecues, or grilled sweet potatoes.

When we prepare camotecues, we usually go for muscovado.  Muscovado is an organic sugar and is a prized sugar for health conscious individuals. But in our place, muscovado is cheaper compared with all those processed sugar.  Aside from the oil and muscovado, a teaspoon of vanilla extract would always make the food enticing to eat.  The smell of vanilla alone would always attract even our neighbors.  Hehe.

Quote 49 - Daydreaming

Poem 17 - Once In A Lifetime

Quote 48 - Simple Joys

Something Wonderful 16 - Childhood Days

When you are young and life is less complicated, everything seems to be wonderful.

I guess, people who happened to enjoy their childhood days can say that life is indeed wonderful.  Life is wonderful way back then because plenty of wonderful moments happened when we were still young.  Imagine waking up each day and spending almost all day playing with your friends.  Imagine the fun, laughters, experiences, and friendship that you were able to experience and build.

As we grow older, sometimes we look back to those wonderful years of our life and we can’t help but to remember how much fun we’ve experienced.  The joy of being a child is one of the most wonderful moments that we could ever experience.  We consider ourself lucky if we happen to enjoy our childhood days.

Quote 47 - Prove

Food Trip 16 - Ampalaya

I am not a vegie lover.  Though I happened to eat some vegetables like beans, langka, malunggay, and squash, I am not into for the rest of the vegetables.  Though folks at home are fond of eating vegetables, my liking is not really like theirs.

Perhaps, ampalaya is one of those vegies that I don’t like to eat.  Its bitter taste is the one thing I really don’t appreciate.  Though people say that it is a good source for healthier blood and some vitamins, my past taste test always deter me from eating that one again.

One time, my sister-in-law convinced me that she could prepare ampalaya without its bitter taste.  I watched how she prepared it.  She blanched first the thinly sliced ampalaya and rubbed enough salt to it afterwards.  When cooked with egg, I did gave it a try.  And for the first time, I appreciate eating ampalaya without its bitter taste.

Quote 46 - Only One

Poem 16 - Black Angel

Quote 45 - Harmony

Something Wonderful 15 - New Day

There is always this wonderful promise of a new day.

If we believe in new beginnings, then, the breaking of a new day could be that new beginning we longed for.  Ordinary it may seem to wake up each day but then there are no days that are alike.  Each day is entirely unique from the previous ones.  And we don’t need some extraordinary day to unfold before us for us to consider that one as wonderful.  The fact that we make it through another day is already enough to fulfill what we ought to do.

Sometimes, we need signs to tell ourselves that the day has finally come for that sought after new beginning.  A new beginning to turn our life the other way around and make a difference.  A new beginning to start anew and never to commit the same mistakes all over again.  

But each new day is a new beginning.  Lest we wake up on the same dark room and too afraid to step into the light of a new day.  Until then, the wonderful promise of a new day and our new beginning will simply remain a dream.

Quote 44 - Tears

Food Trip 15 - Tapsilog

With the numerous silog meals around, the first one that I always order is tapsilog.  Since I like beef a lot especially if the meat is tender, I would always ask this one before I will try other silog meals.  So far, with all those silog offering eateries, I always have a good dining experience with their tapsilog.

Quote 43 - Only One

Poem 15 - End Of Summer

Quote 42 - Dream Come True

Something Wonderful 14 - Simple Joys

It is the simple joys of life that makes some wonderful moment.

When I am home in the province and during the season of mangoes, it is always with much delight that a good climb at the mango tree and eating the ripe fruit while comfortably sitting on its branches makes a wonderful afternoon.  I always enjoy this moment and I don’t miss the opportunity of handpicking the fruit and eat to my heart’s content.  

It is always with much pride and delight when you happened to pick the fruit on your own and enjoy that one with much gusto.  It does not matter how many fruits you are going to eat as long as you are not going to harvest the entire tree, you can simply feast on that one as long as you like.  In my aunt’s place, we just ask permission and we can conquer the mango tree until we can eat no more.

Yes.  Some simple joys of life make a wonderful moment.  At times, the free and the unexpensive ones are much more favored and well remembered.

Quote 41 - Best Moment

Food Trip 14 - Chicken

One of the best tasting dish that is hard to resist is ‘tinola.’  And this is best prepared when a native chicken is used.

‘Tinola’ is often referred to as ‘tinolang manok.’  But in the Visayas, ‘tinola’ refers to any dish with soup or broth.  The dish could be meat, fish, or vegetable.

Because of the natural feeds, the taste of the native chicken is way much better than the commercially grown chicken.  If possible, we always prefer a native chicken for tinola especially if there is a special occasion.  And days before, the chicken needs to be kept first in a cage for several days in order to soften its meat and to minimize the unwanted smell of its meat.

For the native chicken, it is a common experience to find those eggs that are starting to form within its body.  Tinola becomes tastier if the eggs are included.

Quote 40 - Gift