In May-June 2007 issue of MomsToday (a parenting magazine in the Philippines), they featured the "10 tips to raise young readers". This article caught my attention because we certainly are raising a "book lover". According to Michelle Gan, "reading is the first skill required to understand and apply concepts, both at work and in life". We are glad that we did not have any difficulty instilling this skill with our son even at a very young age. He’s still a tot but he's someone who would rather trade toys for books. I’ve already proven this a number of times. We don’t have to drag him to go to a bookstore instead of a toyshop. Hence, it was such a treat for him when we went to the newly opened Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street. As expected, he did not go out of the store empty handed. Some friends are asking me how we honed him as such. I think primarily because we started as early as possible. From the moment I felt him growing inside my tummy, we are already journeying together through books. I read something to him as often as I can and it’s not limited to story books and rhymes alone. Even books that I’m reading for work, I communicate my learnings with him. There’s this mother's instinct that told me he would understand in some way. Probably, this is why sometimes we heard people saying nobody is too young to understand. For me what mattered more is that we’re already communicating, establishing our connections even before I helped him see the real world.

Apart from that, leading a good example greatly helps. Apparently, book is one of the many things that connected me and my husband together. We share the same passion for it. Also, we make sure that we visit a bookstore whenever we go to the mall. It’s but an indispensable part of our weekend itinerary. Likewise, books topped the list of our rewards to our kids. It’s a gift waiting at the end of a good behaviour or any milestone. There are actually many ways of molding a lifelong book lover. What's fundamental is to find that, which will rightly fit the parents' objectives as well as the kid's needs and interests. It's but essential to tailor fit.

Umenoya, a japanese term for a flower is a popular Japanese Restaurant in Paseo de Sta. Rosa. It offers great selection of real tasty japanese cuisine. The best time to dine here is during lunch. Because it is only at lunch time that they offer the bento sets at affordable prices (starts at P200++). On other meal occasions you have to order a la carte style and you may find that some food are a bit over priced. We keep on coming back here and undoubtedly, the taste is consistently good. Unfortunately, we noticed that the service is deteriorating in quality. My colleagues and I recently dined here and we were so dismayed with the poor service rendered to us. We’ve been standing inside the resto for quite awhile waiting for a waiter to approach us and give us some seats. But all that we saw were crews running here and there at the top of their voices. For seconds, we thought we were given a market feel instead of a decent to say the least ambiance! When we were finally seated after making so much attempts to get the waiters' attention, we felt that the table is just not comfortable for a group of five. Therefore, we requested to be transferred to a new one, preferrably the "tatami room" since it's the only table available at that time. However, one of their crews told us that there's a minimum charge of P1500 for the room. Imagine, they have to compute for our bill first so they can decide if they will transfer us or not. It’s quite annoying really! We went there with our hungry stomachs and the least that we would expect (or any customer for that matter) is poor service. We feel that the 10% additional service charge is definitely not worth it. To think that the service charge is added on top of the tax, huh! Anyway, this is the first time that we experience this kind of treatment at Umenoya. Unless they do something to improve on their service, and had it not been for their food, surely I will never go back.

It happened once again, I almost didn't make it to this Presto Pasta Night by Ruth Daniels of Once Upon A Feast. Why am I always beating the deadline huh? I think I really need to make some improvements on my blog hopping activity. Lucky me this time! I still had a day to prepare for my initial entry. This is another fun and exciting activities of food bloggers around. Each week, all pasta lovers are encouraged to submit a pasta dish of their own and share it with the rest of the blogging community. Ruth makes a wrap up on fridays so everyone can have something to relish on weekends. Being a big fan of Pasta, I simply can't pass on this one. By the way, Pasta here means all types of NOODLES. After checking what ingredients I've got in our pantry, I've decided to make this simple, popular Filipino-Chinese noodle dish called "Stir-fried Chow Mein Noodles". It is more commonly known in the Philippines as Pancit Canton.

**read Ruth Daniels' wrap up here, we're included

Preparation time: 5 mins

Cooking time: 30 mins

Serves 4-5

Ingredients:

200 g pack Pancit Canton (Chow Mein Noodles)

250 g chicken breast, cut into strips

1 cup cabbage, chopped

1 small carrots, julienne

100 g green beans, cut in diagonals

1 cup chinese cabbage, chopped

1 small onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1/8 cup soy sauce

1 1/4 cups chicken broth or 1 chicken bouillon dissolved in 1 1/4 cups of water

3 hard boiled eggs, quartered

1 beaten egg
3 tbsps canola oil

salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Add canola oil in a heated wok. Saute onion, garlic and chicken.

2. Add all vegetables and saute for a few minutes. Set aside.

3. Bring water or chicken broth to a boil. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Add the noodles, stir-fry and cook.

5. Mix previously sauted vegetables and chicken.

6. Add beaten egg and continue stir-frying for 2 mins.

7. Transfer to a serving dish and top with hard boiled eggs.

It's Weekend Herb Blogging once again by Kalyn's Kitchen. The host for this week is Zorra of Kochtopf. Last week I blogged about Moringa, one of the nutritious leaves we have in the planet. This week, I am featuring its nutritious kin Ampalaya, scientifically known as Momordica Charantia and Bitter Melon in English. Ampalaya is a widely cultivated plant in the Philippines. It's getting more and more popular nowadays due to its invaluable health benefits. In actual fact, a number of researches have proven Ampalaya’s ability to increase the production of “beta cells” by the pancreas. This leads to the body’s improved production of insulin. In this way, Ampalaya became most notable for its effectiveness to combat diabetes. We are proud that the Philippine variety is considered as the most potent. Thus, the Department of Health of the Philippines (DOH) endorsed it as one of the best herbal medicines for liver problems and diabetes.

In the Philippines, taste preference is very extreme. Looking at the types of foods available either home cooked, restaurant or commercially made, Filipinos generally want something salty, sour and sweet. Undoubtedly, the latter is considered the most well liked taste driver for many Filipino foods. As a consequence, it’s not surprising that there are about 3 million Filipinos now estimated by DOH as diabetic. To a greater extent people are looking for remedies against this disease and ampalaya surely topped the list.

However, due to the vegetable’s inherent “bitter” taste its consumption is very selective. In truth, this was one of my unwanted vegetables when I was a kid until I went to school and learned about the food pyramid in greater details. Now that I am a mom and a home maker, I am aware of my responsibility for my family’s health and wellness. I have to ensure our menu plan will not only satisfy our taste buds but more importantly it shall meet the family’s nutritional requirements. Thus far, even still at their toddler years I am starting to encourage my kids to eat vegetables. Ampalaya, apart from being known for the treatment of diabetes is also a good source of other essential nutrients such as vitamins A, B and C, iron, calcium and phosphorus. It is for these nutrional rewards that this simple dish usually frequents our dining table.

Warm from the oven PIZZA, rich CHOCOLATEY treat, frosty ICE CREAM, delightful DOUGHNUTS, creamy PARFAITS, savoury CHIPS, oh so yummy CAKES, mouth-watering STEAKS, even that lip-smacking, crispy Lechon (fire-roasted pork) ...the list can go on and on. These are the foods we often get to indulge. We normally heart them because they deliver pleasure and satisfaction in many different notes. The word indulgent is defined here as tolerant, lenient, favourably inclined, yielding to the wishes or appetites, mostly to excessive consumption – put it simply, to give in. All yummy attributes just seemed so fitting to indulgent foods. In fact, we often end it with “insanely delicious!” remarks. On the contrary, they are also referred to as “sinful”. Enticing and delectable as they can be, indulgent foods can also take their toll on our health. These are the foods that usually contain substances which when taken in excessive amounts can lead to unhealthy results. Indulgent foods are typically rich, fatty, sweet and high in calories. Yet, we still opt to have them because we’re willing to splurge for the experience.

Some said the pleasure of eating is only in the mouth. Once the food followed the digestive pathway, all olfactory and gustatory stimuli will be gone. Admittedly though, we cannot resign to the pleasures of the sensory experience. It’s but an indispensable part of the eating process. Nonetheless, there are those who have already given it up for some dietary concerns and for the more important preservation of good health. For the others who hardly can resist, why not go for a better alternative? Decide on low fat, no sugar, bite size servings against hefty ones; better yet indulge on a regular exercise to strike a balance and make up for bingeing in rich foods.

Food for Thought is one of Our Taste of Life’s categories where I find great joy in writing. The topics that I’ve blogged and still wish to share in the future are those close to my heart and profession. Thus, you may have noticed that posts on “better for you foods” is becoming a trend in this blog. I feel blessed to encounter all these stuff and delighted that I can share them with you. Being a Food Technologist, in some way a part of me says that Food Professionals owe the consuming public a big chunk of information. We all ought to know what’s in the food we’re patronizing. Identify what good we will get from consuming it and discern if it will match the value of our hard earned money. Besides, food is the most important element for us to keep going and continue our living. Likewise, it can also be the determining factor of our "shelf life" here on earth. Hence, smart eating, healthy living is becoming a mantra now.

So, what's in store for the consumers? What's in the Market today? In so far as processed foods are concerned, many of us might have noted the increasing trends on health, convenience and enjoyment. A lot of products are born each day. In Japan alone, hundreds of product launches are made per month. Generally, the market is now flocked with products that are developed for specific benefits and functionalites. There are those positioned for weight management, naturally healthy and organic, digestive health (e.g. high fiber claims, probiotic, prebiotic), kids nutrition (DHA, ARA etc.), beauty from within, healthy snacking and convenience. Some vital and interesting taglines to look for and worthy of our purchase considerations are the following:

Apart from healthy products, there are also those that are merely positioned to deliver pleasure to the end users. Some things to look for under this category are those that will provide fun and entertainment, new experiences and excitement. And because we all live a busy life in today's era, convenience is also a major category player. Products here normally offer instant satisfaction and minimal preparation to optimize leisure time. What's essential to note though is that not all instant products are considered unhealthy and bad. They are made as such to fit our fast paced lifestyle.

In a nutshell, we're everyday presented with these food trends. Depending on our own needs and wants, we make our purchase of what we think is best for us. Nevertheless, in making our choices we have to bear in mind our ultimate purpose to achieve a healthy, balanced life.

For Discount Hunters out there, this might be an interesting place for you. A growing community of Paseo de Sta. Rosa offers a wide array of choices on sports apparel and other sporting goods, swim wear and branded clothing all for discounted prices. Brands with depots here are North Face, Dunlop, Levi's, Dockers, Adidas, Nike, Speedo, Gas, United Colors of Benetton, AND 1 and Mizuno. Discount rates range from 20% - 50%. If you get lucky, sometimes you can also chance upon a 70% discount. Most of the stores replenish their stocks on wednesdays or fridays. Thus, you may drop by a day after any of these two days. Normally, buyers flock on weekends so if you'll visit on saturday or sunday make sure you'll be there early. Stores open at 10:00 am and close at 9:00 pm.

How to get there:

From Manila - drive down SLEX (south luzon expressway) and take Sta. Rosa Exit. Turn right from the Coca Cola Plant and drive through the Sta. Rosa - Tagaytay Road. Paseo de Sta. Rosa is located at the left side of the road in front of Caltex Gasoline Station (2nd traffic light from the Sta. Rosa toll gate). Turn left when you see the towering Ad Post, the depots are just a walk away.

From South - drive down SLEX and take Sta. Rosa - Enchanted Kingdom Exit. Turn left from the toll gate and drive through the Sta. Rosa - Tagaytay Road. Continue as above.

Sports Outlet - badminton and tennis rackets, dunlop watches, slazenger sandals, kontrol shades, sports apparel and shoes, golf items, bags etc.

North Face - Reva shoes, sandals and slippers, apparel, sports bags etc.

Adidas - shoes, bags, apparel, soccer ball, basketball, volleyball, socks, caps and other accessories

Levi's & Dockers - Clothing

Nike - apparel, shoes, watch, bags, caps, socks and other accessories

This is Our Taste of Life's first entry to Kalyn's Kitchen's Weekend Herb Blogging. Melissa of Cooking Diva is hosting for this week. Since it's my first official weekend herb blogging, I want to blog one of the best plants in the world and that, which the Philippines grow abundantly. What I see more fitting is no other than Moringa Oleifera, locally known as "malunggay" and popularly known as "drumstick tree" in english. I have read from one pinoy blog that this is the most underrated vegetable or plant. True enough, many are still alienated by the immense benefits it can offer. Think of increasing a mom's supply of breastmilk, this is the cheapest, most readily available answer! Think of conquering iron deficiency, it's the most organic source you can have! Still can't get enough of that? According to Trees for Life, it's 2x the protein of yogurt and its quality rivals that of milk and eggs, 7x the vitamin C of oranges, 3x the potassium of bananas, 4x the vitamin A of carrots and 4x the calcium of milk. It's incredibly packed with nutrients! Who would not want to add it into their food and grow some in their backyards? As others have coined it, it's something synonymous to growing multivitamins at your doorsteps! The irony of it all though is that many are still unaware of Moringa being a powerhouse of nutritional value. In the Philippines we were so blessed to have this plant available. It can be grown practically anytime, anywhere. In fact, it's quite common to see this plant towering in the backyard of a Filipino household. However, I wonder how many people are actually using it in their home cooking? We feel that there's more to optimizing the leaves nutrients. A lot of scientific reports have demonstrated its ability to combat malnutrition and its promise as a food source in the tropics. Yet, all these indispensable information have not reached the people who need it most. I guess it's about time that its use be heightened more. Let our bowls and pots be floating with this leaves! Here are two Filipino favorite dishes where moringa is commonly used:

Preparation time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 45 mins

Serves 8

1 kg chicken

1 small size green papaya, cut in diagonals

1 med size onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small size ginger, julienne

1 cube chicken bouillon

2 tbsps fish sauce

1 cup moringa leaves

2 tbsps canola oil

5 cups of water (adjust if necessary)

Procedure:
1. Add canola oil in a heated pot. Sauté onion, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Add chicken and sauté for 5 minutes or until no more blood is visible.
3. Add fish sauce and water. Allow to boil.
4. Add the bouillon and papaya. Season with pepper and cook until the meat becomes tender.
5. Add moringa leaves and simmer for 2 more minutes.

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 1 hr

Serves 8

Ingredients:

corn kernels from 10 pcs japanese white corn cobs

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 med size onion, chopped

1/4 kg ground lean pork

1 cup moringa leaves

1 cube pork bouillon

2 tbsps canola oil

5 cups of water (adjust accordingly)

We've been hearing about the latest rave on "Frozen Brazo de Mercedes". After the gasoline cakes, this seemed to be the most talked about dessert in town. We haven't tried any of the popular ones - the Camaro's neither the Ange's nor Ana Marcos' which was featured in Food Magazine's August issue. So instead of buying from any of these, we've just decided to make our own version. (why not?!) By the way, thanks to ourawesomeplanet site for providing a good description of the product, we were able to deduce our own recipe. We just hope ours is parity if not better with what's in the market. You might want to try the recipe to find out and let us know your experience. Happy Baking!

Base:
2 200g packs Honey Graham Crackers, crushed (MY San)
2 tbsps granulated sugar

1/3 cup melted butter (Anchor, unsalted)
1 gal Vanilla Ice Cream (Magnolia)

Filling:
1 can condensed milk (Milkmaid)
1 tsp vanilla
8 egg yolks
2 tbsps butter (Anchor, unsalted)

Meringue:
8 egg whites
1 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Procedure:
1. Prepare the graham base by mixing the crushed graham crackers, sugar and melted butter in aluminum pan or any baking dish. Add ice cream on top of the base and put in the freezeer for a while.

It's exciting how Food Blogs continue to grow in the Blagosphere. I wonder what's the birth rate per minute! Anyhow, it only proves that in Man's hierarchy of needs and interests, Food definitely topped the list. Jenn of Left Over Queen made a clever move in creating an amazing Foodie Blogroll. It's a huge list of Food Links making an impact in the lives of the food enthusiasts. Sounds interesting? Check the side bar of this blog and learn how to join!

FAM PICS! I've read about this fun photo-sharing activity of PMN 30 minutes before the deadline for the first theme. So unlucky me! Similar to Photo Hunters, a participant or a member of Pinoy Moms Network submits a photo that is home or family related, original and owned by the member posting it based on a monthly theme. This will be one of the regular activities (other than Weekend Herb Blogging and Royal Foodie Joust) Our Taste Of Life will be joining in. It was just unfortunate the 30 minutes was not enough to come up with an initial entry. I have something in mind that will fit the "Glossy" category. However, I don't want my post to appear something like hurried so I decided not to submit my supposed to be first entry. Now, I'm posting it here in our site. I'll make sure the next themes will be included in my calendar of activities. Cheers! to the Pinoy Moms and may the creative juices flow abundantly!

These are pictures taken from my daughter's 1st birthday party. Our excitement in celebrating Sofie's birthday is as "glossy" as her birthday cake and balloons. Although we celebrated it simply and exclusive to family members only, we still had the typical party snippets. Me and my husband got busy coming out with a theme, preparing our menu plan, thinking of party games to play, basically everything for an all DIY concept.

Sofie is the first grand daughter for both clans. Thus, all are excited to celebrate her birthday. We know she's too young to fully comprehend what's happening on that day, yet somehow, in

some way, part of the event brought a glow in her life. And it will forever be remembered maybe not by her but by all the people who love her and those who've shared with her special day. We sure have our own many "firsts" in our lives. And more often than not, we want to celebrate it all out! As others would say, because it shall pass only once we better make the most out of it! It doesn't matter how simple or extravagant it may be, what's important is we have it shared with our loved ones.

Raising Tots is probably one of the most challenging phases of parenting. Countless times I’ve heard on the remarks about the “killer two” stage. But apart from the taxing role on coping up with the “high spirits mode” this is also the point where kids are highly susceptible to common ailments. Thus, it’s a must that we keep our weapons within arms reach anytime Mr. Virus or Mrs. Bacteria including any mishap makes an unwanted visit to our home. Through the help of our Pediatrician, we've come up with this essential list and always make sure our medicine box is complete with these “must have medicines at home". They’ve been so helpful and made my worries away. Somehow, parental paranoia is taken in control.

PARACETAMOL

– for the relief of simple headaches, minor aches and pains and reduction of fever

– antihistamine / anti-allergy; very effective for immediate relief of itch and irritation

ADVIL SYRUP

– antipyretic / analgesic; for temporary relief of fever, minor aches and pains due to colds, flu, sore throat, headaches and toothaches

DISUDRIN

– for the relief of nasal congestion and post nasal drip associated with the common cold, rhinitis or sinusitis

VIRLIX

– antihistamine, good for the “makulit” or recurring colds which might be caused by some allergies; some signs I look for in administering this medicine are reddening, wet eyes and runny nose

PHYSIOMER /STERIMAR (Physiological Sea Water Microspray)

– for daily nasal hygiene; it’s a natural product that allows gentle cleansing of nasal fossae and clears the nose from mucosities safely

FLAMMAZINE (antibacterial)

– good for minor burns

SYNALAR 10

– (anti-inflammatory & antipruritic) good for insect bites

VANDOL OINTMENT (vitamins A + D)

– soothes pain and helps healing of minor wounds and burns, protects skin from diaper rash

VANDOL CREAM

– restores softness and relieves dryness of the skin, normalizes and restores skin suffering from over exposure to the sun and other elements

VASELINE 100% Pure Petroleum Jelly

– for gentle removal of “dry crust” on the scalp

PHYSIOGEL LOTION

– for dry skin and for faster restoration of scars from minor wounds

SALINASE & DRIXIN

– for the symptomatic relief of nasal and nasopharyngeal congestion due to common cold, sinusitis, hay fever or other respiratory allergies

DUAVENT or VENTOLIN NEBULES

– if your kids have asthma like mine, it would be very helpful to keep some packs for first aid purposes

As an old adage will say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Accordingly, it’s better to stock up than feel sorry the immediate remedy is not made available. You’ll never know when the clock will make its ill strike.

Detoxifying.., calming.., relaxing.., cleansing.., refreshing.., anti-aging or sometimes simply put as a healthy indulgence! We heard and see these enormous taglines on the benefits of Tea. There is now an undoubtedly growing trend on this “amazing” plant product. Some known benefits of tea include: preventing cancer, controlling high blood pressure, restricting increase of blood cholesterol, lowering blood sugar levels, slowing the aging process and deterring dental cavities. All of these we were informed through massive marketing campaigns. But do we know where it came from and how it was produced before it finally reached our teapots or teacups?

Tea comes in many forms. Generally, it is classified based on the process used in producing it. It can either be Non-fermented, Fermented (which is further segmented into semi or fully) or Infused. The types of teas available per category are the following:

Non-Fermented: Green Tea
Semi Fermented: White Tea, Yellow Tea and Oolong Tea
Fully fermented: Black Tea and Pu-erh Tea
Infused: Herbal Teas and Fruit Tisanes i.e. dried flowers, leaves, seeds and roots (e.g. camomile, chrysanthemum, jasmine, pitopito, ampalaya etc.)

From which category does your favorite tea fall? Green Tea, the most popular among all teas is a non-fermented type. It is made from the sweetest, newest buds and tips of the plant. That’s where it owes its fresh taste with light vegetable note. The plant source of Green Tea is the same as that of Black Tea. Only, the fermentation process is prevented by heat treatment to keep the plant enzymes from turning the leaf’s color into black. In contrast, the White Tea comes from the smallest, youngest buds that are delicately handpicked. This explains why it is the most expensive tea. It has a very subtle taste and gentle aroma. Oolong is classified as semi-fermented because it is only the leaf’s outer edge that is fermented while the greater part is left unfermented. The Herbal Teas on the other hand, are produced via infusion.They are normally made by pouring boiling water over the plant parts such as dried flowers, leaves, seeds or roots and allowing them to steep for a few minutes. These are commonly taken as medicines or refreshments.

Beyond pleasing our senses and palate, what are the essential substances in tea that makes us patronize it even more? Tea contains a variety of nutritional elements like vitamins, minerals, polyphenols and caffeine. It is perhaps the “polyphenols” that will be of significant interest. Polyphenols contain flavonoids that are known to have some antioxidant properties. The teas that have higher concentrations of antioxidants (specifically in the form of catechins /EGCG - Epigallocatechin gallate) are Green Tea and White Tea. The reason being is that these two types of tea underwent very minimal process of fermentation or none at all. On the Herbal Infusions, specific benefits can likewise be derived. For instance, the effectiveness of Ampalaya (Momordica Charantia) in the treatment of diabetes, Ginseng’s ability to reduce stress and its efficacy as an anti-aging supplement or Camomile’s power to boost the immune system and help relieve a wide range of health ailments including colds are worth noting as well.

So which one frequents your cup? Is it the TEA that warm you when you are cold? Is it the TEA that cools you when you are heated? Is it the TEA that calms you when you are depressed? Is it the TEA that rejuvinates you when you are stressed? or Is it simply the TEA that will do all the works? Whichever one it is, what's important is you also enjoy what's inside your cup.