My New Year's Traditions

The New Year is upon us. I would like to share some of my traditions with you. Being from the Philippines, there are certain traditions that I have followed for my whole life. One of the most important traditions for me is to have thirteen different types of fruit in the house when the New Year begins. This will ensure that we will have a fruitful year in 2008. I was already out earlier today obtaining thirteen different fruits and here is the fruit of my labor (no pun intended).

Another tradition is to wear clothes that have polka dots on them. This also brings good luck to the person for the new year. At the stroke of midnight, we all make as much noise as possible (this is an American tradition as well). We put all our coins into metal pots and shake them vigorously so that they make plenty of noise. This tradition in the Philippines is to drive out the old spirits from the house so that new spirits can come in for the new year. We also have plenty of food and drink and we all have a good time in hopes of good times in the new year.

Paella - Philippine Style

Ingredients:

1 2-pound fryer chicken, cut into pieces
1 2-pound pork tenderloin
1 pound large shrimps
salt and pepper to taste
3 large crabs
20 fresh littleneck clams
6 cups water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 chorizos de Bilbao or pepperonis, sliced thin
3 cups raw rice (glutinous or sticky rice if available)
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1 small bay leaf
1 green bell pepper, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1/4 teaspoon saffron mixed with 1 teaspoon water (optional)
1 cup frozen peas
2 pieces pimento cut into 1-inch squares
2 hard-boiled eggs

Preparation:

Cut chicken and pork into 1-1/2 inch pieces. Shell shrimps leaving tails; slit and remove black veins; dredge with salt and pepper.
Boil crabs and quarter. Crack shells of crab claws and set aside.

Boil clams in 6 cups water until they open. Remove empty top shells and set aside. Reserve 6 cups clam broth.
Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat olive oil in a large pan and add chicken, pork, paprika, garlic, onion and chorizo or pepperoni. Toss for a few minutes and add rice. stir until rice is slightly brown. Add tomato sauce, clam broth, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir for a few minutes. Add shrimps and bell peppers and saffron if used. Bring to a boil.

Transfer to a serving casserole and bake covered at 350 F for 30 minutes. Uncover the casserole and arrange clams, crabs, peas and pimento on top. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Decorate top with slices of hard-boiled eggs before serving.

Chinese-Style Pork

Ingredients:

2 pounds pork loin

Marinade:
1 cup water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons white wine
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic

Preparation:

Marinate the whole pork loin for 30 minutes or more in a large pot. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until meat is tender (about 30 minutes). Serve hot with the marinade.

Baked Fish

Ingredients:


6 to 8 fillets of lapu-lapu (red snapper or grouper may be substituted)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1/3 cup olive oil
1 whole onion, finely minced
1-1/2 cups fresh chopped tomatoes, with skin and seeds
1/2 cup pimento cut into strips
1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
1 tablespoon bread crumbs



Preparation:


Preheat oven to 350 F. Season the fillets with lemon juice, salt and pepper and place in a shallow glass pan. Set aside. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil. Saute onions, tomatoes and pimento until a saucelike consistency is obtained. Pour the sauce on the fish. Sprinkle the fish with parsley and bread crumbs. Bake at 350 F. for 25 minutes. Serve hot.

Filipino Quick Steaks

Ingredients



2 1/4 lb Sirloin, sliced 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick

1 1/2 T Salt

2 T Brown sugar

1 tsp Garlic -- finely chopped

1/2 tsp Cracked black pepper


Preparation


Combine salt, sugar, garlic, and black pepper. Spread by rubbing evenly on both sides of meat and store covered in the refrigerator overnight. Grill or smoke to medium or medium well.


Serving Suggestions



Serve with a salsa of chopped fresh tomatoes, chopped onions, grated radish, chopped fresh cilantro, oriental fish sauce (patis) to taste, crushed hot chilies, and a little vinegar or lemon juice.

My Most Amazing Vacation: Day 4

Unfortunately, our last day of the cruise was upon us. I had been having so much fun that I was a little sad that there was only one day left. It was Christmas Day, and it was 80 degrees out. I wasn't going to get a white Christmas, but I was also not going to have a freezing Christmas. The ship would make no port of call that day, so we were free to do as we pleased. We ate a huge breakfast, as usual, then headed out to tour the ship. We went to all the different levels of the ship, and we took pictures at various spots that caught my eye as being unique or attractive. We went to some of the places on the ship that we had not had time to visit earlier because of our busy schedule. One of these was a bar set way up on the 15 floor of the ship. From here we could see the whole deck of the ship and all the people just relaxing by the pool. They had a belly flop competition while we were at the bar, so we could watch. It was quite amusing. We also ordered a few drinks, and found out you could keep the glasses. These were very nice glasses with the ship line insignia on them, different styles for different drinks. These would make excellent souvenirs!

We were filled with holiday spirit by the time we had dinner. By then we had packed up almost all of our luggage and had given out all of the gratuities for the crew (we were happy to do this as we had no complaints about any of our service). We went to the dueling pianos one last time, then we slept for the last time. The next day would be disembarking time early, so we wouldn't get much sleep, but we didn't care, we wanted to enjoy every possible minute of this, my most amazing vacation!

My Most Amazing Vacation: Day 3

Well, if I thought I was going to have trouble sleeping the second night, I would have been completely wrong. This time, we slept in until after 9:00 am. By the time we got up to our breakfast, the ship had already docked in our other port of call. As we ate our breakfast, we could see parasailers floating by the ship. The early risers had already disembarked for the shore and were engaged in the various activities offered. This time, we did not dock at a pier, but had to be shuttled to and from the ship in smaller boats that seated about fifty or more people at a time. These boats were open to the air, so we could enjoy the warm, ocean air as we traveled to shore. Once on shore, there were many activities for the passengers to partake in. There was parasailing, jet skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling, boat tours, water parks, or just lounging on the beach absorbing the sun (quite a treat for someone who is used to snow and cold in December!).

We decided not to go for any of the activities because they mostly required swimming. Although I am from an island nation, I have never learned to swim. We walked along the beaches, looking at all the sights to see along the shore. Our ship looked like a castle on the sea, our home when we grew weary of all the fun. It felt good to see it out there, anchored only a few miles off shore. We also went to all the shops that were set up on the beach, where we purchased more souvenirs and a few nice pieces of clothing. They served a nice barbecue lunch. We enjoyed ourselves in a couple hammocks watching the crowds walk by and the sea as it gently lapped the shore. All in all, it was a very delightful day.

That night was yet another enjoyable evening. We had a very tasty meal, and we strolled on the deck and watched the ship set off to sea again. That night was Christmas Eve, so there was caroling in the central area of the ship. Many people showed up and we did the Christmas holiday proud. They served eggnog (leaded and unleaded). I had a couple of the leaded variety, it warmed me up inside. Later we attended the dueling pianos. This was two guys who played pianos facing each other and performed requests for the audience. They did this in a delightfully flippant way that was very funny and entertaining. We stayed until the show finished for the night. The only place open with food that late was a pizza parlor. We got a few slices before struggling into bed well after midnight. Tomorrow was Christmas Day, and I looked forward to it with great anticipation.

My Most Amazing Vacation: Day 2

Usually, I cannot sleep later than 5:00 or 6:00 in the morning. With the unfamiliarity of the room and the ships movement, I thought I would be up all night unable to sleep. It wasn’t until 8:00 AM that I awoke. I guess the rocking motion of the ship and all the previous day’s activities allowed me to sleep most soundly. We went up to the buffet dining area and were once again amazed by all the varieties of food for our breakfast. They had customized omelets made as we watched and foods from many cultures including typical “American” fare, as well as various Asian and European cuisines. We ate so much we did not think we would be able to eat again that day (but of course, this proved to be wrong). As we were eating our food, we could see many smaller islands drifting past. These were the first signs of land we had seen since Florida, as it was dark out soon after our departure. But as we finished our breakfast, we began to enter the Port of Nassau.

We proceeded to the outer deck area so we could watch as the ship docked. It was a most beautiful sight. There were already many ships in the port from our cruise line, as well as others. We were the fifth ship to dock that morning. Our ship was not the smallest, but there were a couple ships there that dwarfed us. These were palaces of the sea, and we already planned that someday we would be on one of these or their sister ships. As soon as the ship was docked (there had been a slight delay in getting into our berth, so we were a bit behind schedule) everyone queued up to debark for shore. We enjoyed a tour of the city that included seeing two old British forts. We were able to see all the buildings, hospitals, government buildings, and they were all so colorful! It was definitely a treat when compared to many of the brown and grey buildings that dominate the American skylines. The tour ended on Paradise Island where we were able to explore the Atlantis hotel. This was the most luxurious hotel I had ever seen. There was one suite that they said was $100,000 per night. Boy, to be able to stay there! We then went through all the lovely shops that are situated just off the dock. There we saw many trinkets and other items made in the Bahamas. We of course bought a few items here and there, as souvenirs of this voyage.
We returned to the ship as night was falling. This night was our formal night, so we dressed up in our finest for dinner. After dinner, we had pictures taken while we were still dressed up; these were very beautiful with moonlight backgrounds. Actually, there were photos taken during the cruise at numerous occasions (dinners, embarkation, and debarkation). We got all of these pictures to preserve our memories of this vacation. With all the food we had this day you would think we were done eating, but there was one surprise left. Late in the evening they served us a chocolate buffet. They had more sweets than I had ever seen at one time. We had one more feast before retiring. Two more days to come, this was the most magical of times.

My favorite recipe

It is one of my favorite recipes because it is very healthy, and easy to cook.

Rice with Chicken
Ingredients:

2 lb chicken (boneless skinless chicken thigh)
2 tablespoons oil
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, finely sliced
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger
2 ½ cups rice
4 cups water
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (optional to add nice color)
3 tablespoons fish sauce
4 springs onions, finely sliced

Procedure:

Heat oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic until golden brown. Remove and reserve. Add onion and ginger to pan and fry until soft, and then add chicken and fry, turning, until chicken is golden and half cooked. Add rice and stir fry for a few minutes, then return half the fried garlic to pan, add water and fish sauce. Bring to the boil, then turn heat low, cover tightly and cook 20 minutes without lifting lid. Serve garnished with reserved fried garlic and spring onions.

This is the finished recipe

My Most Amazing Vacation: Day 1

It was early morning, December of 2006. It was almost Christmas. The kids were already at their Grandmother's house for a week's stay. It was raining cats and dogs, and we could barely see the road. We got to the airport early and were lucky enough to get through check in without too much hassle. The flight south was full of turbulence but we made it safely to Orlando, Florida. The cruise line had a representative meet us there, then it was on a bus for 50 miles to Port Canaveral, where our ship was waiting. It was not the biggest ship of the cruise line, nor the newest, but it was the first cruise ship I had ever seen this closely, and to me it was glorious.

There was a bit of a wait while we all registered to get on board (we had forgotten to bring our computer printout for the information so we had to fill out some forms there) but we got on board a few hours before the ship set off. Once on board we had our first meal. It was just supposed to be a snack, but there was so much food. It was like being in a huge buffet, with all the food tasting so good. Later there was a set-off party up on the deck where a Caribbean band played music while we all danced and enjoyed watched the shore slip away. That night we had dinner in one of the main dining rooms. This was also exquisitely tasteful. One of the things that I enjoyed most was how warm it was. Where we live, it is cold during the Winter, but here it was in the 80's with everyone in shorts and t-shirts, it was so enjoyable. We just toured the ship and went dancing in the clubs for the rest of the night. I enjoyed watching the other people, seeing how happy they were, just observing this wide variety of people all having fun like us.

The whole time we were out and about our day on the ship, there were people everywhere that were just waiting to serve our needs. In the room all the bedding and towels were replaced like magic, with little towel animals being left on the bed. In the food service areas, everyone was so helpful. I barely had to do anything for my self, I felt like royalty. This was my first day on the cruise and already it had exceeded all my expectations. The best, though, was yet to come!

Hot Asian Mom: An Introduction

Hi,

I'm a 42 year old hot Asian mother of two (my son is almost almost 15 and my daughter is 21). I have been happily married for 15 years. I'm reasonably happy, fabulous and I have a positive attitude. I am also extremely beautiful. To me beauty is more than just physical appearance, though that is part of it. Beauty to me encompasses all of the aspects of a person's being, physical, mental and spiritual. I am comfortable with my body. I am just an ordinary mom who loves to do many nice and creative things in my life. I love to cook Asian food, garden, decorate my home, organize and, of course, shop. I also like to meditate and exercise to help keep the stresses in my life balanced. When I garden, it is like a form of meditation for me. I try to keep mind, body and soul in balance in my life.

For me, being a hot Asian is all about making the best of whatever life throws at you. I try my best to provide a happier, healthier life for my family. I live a simple life, I don't require a lot of material things. I try to steer my two children in the right direction for their lives. I feel it is very important for parents to be hands-on when dealing with their children. We need to be a part of their lives to ensure that they have the best possible start. We don't need to stifle them, but we should be an active part of their life. I am often complimented on how well behaved and correctly focused my children are.

Blogging is a new adventure for me (this is my first post ever if that isn't obvious). I want to be able to share my knowledge, feelings and experience with as many people as possible. Hopefully I will get many people to come share my blog. The topics I will cover are primarily cooking, decorating, parenting, gardening, shopping and fashion. I hope everyone will enjoy reading my posts and my blog will grow and change as I learn more about this wonderful new experience.