SKIP TO MALOU

hmm the oscars or kpbs?

2010-03-11T08:26:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday, I kept switching channels (and hooray for DVR!) between The Oscars and the local public television station, KPBS. Why the PBS station on the night of the Oscars, you might wonder? Oh well it's because my son was on TV! Ok, it wasn't really a TV appearance or performance like American Idol, but my son volunteered to answer phone calls on KPBS. His face, together with the other

... and the winners are

2010-03-09T07:08:00.000-08:00

Thank you everyone for entering my Calamansi Giveaway. If only I had more, I would like to share it to everyone.. But since I have a limited supply, I decided to give it to 2 readers... and with random.org the winners are ... tantararan (cymbals clash) : Tangled Noodle and Rachel of Coconut and Lime. Yay! Congratulations!!! TN and Rachel, I hope you will enjoy the calamansi as much as

CALAMANSI (Filipino Lime) GIVEAWAY

2010-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

I got an A-HA moment when I read Tangled Noodle 's latest post Eu Sau Brasilipino. She mentioned that she can't find calamansi in Minneapolis and here I was having a grand time having a bilao (a woven tray) of this uniquely Southeast Asian citrus fruit. For all of you who are wondering what calamansi is, here's a picture I 'm sure you could find a lot of information about this fruit online.

a hug across the sea

2010-02-27T20:08:00.000-08:00

Francis is home my mom said.. Would you like to talk to him? From my mom's tone of voice I could hear a sense of relief, in someways saying "praise God he's recovered". A voice filled with joy and happiness, and the ripple of comfort hit deep inside me, I was relieved to hear that my youngest brother is alive and surprisingly doing well. The good news is that he is expected to fully recover

a nugget of sweetness in my mailbox

2010-02-19T22:20:00.000-08:00

A nugget of sweetness came in my mailbox today. I was busy sifting through the stack of envelopes and trying to separate the junk mail from the bills when I saw a tiny white envelope that bore my name. Handwritten in a kid’s penmanship, the envelope revealed it was from my eight year old nephew Peter. I opened the envelope and saw a short piece of paper with scribbled words that said: Dear

blame it on the rain

2010-02-13T16:49:00.000-08:00

The past weekend in San Diego was a wet weekend… a very wet one indeed. It poured. And it poured And it poured. I usually love the rain. Usually. That’s the key word. This weekend was just unusual. Yes I was in a not-so-loving the rain mood, or should I say I had my first LQ (lover’s quarrel) with it (the rainy days). It all started when my son and I were on our way to the hair salon.

on the wings of love

2010-02-09T23:49:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl! I look forward to the Super Bowl for a variety of reasons. Although I'm not a big football fan, I just love the idea of my husband doing the cooking in my kitchen on Super Bowl Sunday. Ok, so it is just for appetizers, but it is still a treat. Let me tell you, there are only three occasions when my husband flexes his culinary muscles:1. my birthday, 2. mother's day 3. and for the

Go IZZY!

2010-02-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

"OH- MY- Gosh, OH My Gosh" was the scream I heard from the living room. It was almost midnight and I just tucked myself in bed and about to enjoy the warm comfy sheets, when I suddenly heard my daughter scream. Instinctively, I ran out to check what was going on. I saw my daughter gasping for breath. "I got an A in Calculus II mom!" she excitedly informed me. "I was trembling as I was typing

ADOBO NATION

2010-01-28T22:45:00.000-08:00

I just love the way the word adobo rolls out from your tongue. ADOBO! It sounds like it's a command. Or a salute. For a Filipino the word adobo sounds like a nickname. When you introduce yourself as Filiipino, instantly what comes to mind when it comes to food is... yes ADOBO! A few years ago in Florida someone asked me if I'm from Hawaii... "your name Malou sounds Hawaiian" she said. "No

Laura's Note

2010-01-18T16:00:00.000-08:00

I was surprised one rainy day a couple of weeks ago when I saw a package at my doorstep. The package was drenched in the rain, the sender's name was unreadable. I tore open the package, and lo and behold I saw a cookbook called Momofuku.... with it came a note that said: Lou, I thought about you when I saw this cookbook. The author not only shares his recipe but also his life story. I hope

SUNDAY Pho-nDAY

2010-01-18T11:31:00.000-08:00

Attending Mass last Sunday, my family-- all five of us --we were all seated in one pew when suddenly, a guy (looking debonair in his blue suit) sat at the very end of the pew. My daughter, who was just beside him, tried to scoot over and signaled us to move... but the stranger kept on moving closer to her and my daughter was all red and looked puzzled as to why is this guy trying to move so close

Prayer for Haiti

2010-01-15T22:43:00.000-08:00

"Good Morning, Mom!" This was the cheerful greeting that I got from my youngest daughter this morning. I was surprised since it came from her, as she is not a morning person at all... so I asked her, "What's good with the morning, Izzy?" She quickly answered, "Because we are alive, Mom!" This was definitely one of those mornings when you want to go back to sleep and not do your morning chores,

Dancing With My Daughter Again, Part II: Glimpses of Tomorrow

2010-01-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

Today is Monday; it is the first day back to school and the first day back to work after the holidays. It is not just any ordinary Monday though, as it is the the FIRST Monday of the year... the FIRST MONDAY OF 2010 --- the first Monday of a new decade! Everyone's back to the old grind... everyone, that is, except for my eldest daughter. She is on her winter break from college. I love when she

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook

2010-01-05T19:56:00.000-08:00

I'm thrilled to let you know that I have entered two entries: Meatloaf With An Asian Twist and Adobo Nation Salad Sensation to the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook contest. Winners for this contest will have a chance to have their recipes published in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook! I am so so excited! But I will need all your help. Please, cast your vote now! Thanks Mucho!

Hello 2010

2010-01-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

New Year's Eve included the traditional midnight meal, or Media Noche, and Dick Clark's Rocking New Year's Eve Party on TV for me and my family. As the girls and I were preparing our Media Noche, I asked my son to tape some grapes on top of the doors. He gave me a weird look and asked, "Is this some kind of prank, Mom?" I laughed and assured him that it wasn't; it's something meant to bring us

'Twas Merry and Bright

2009-12-30T17:20:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like spending Christmas with family. This year we spent it with my husband's family in Las Vegas. Although we see them regularly, I felt something magical about this trip... I like to think it's the Christmas magic. Going to my in-laws' house is like going to your favorite all you can eat buffet. Believe me, they always prepare tons of food. And for Christmas, it's doubly

Christmas Snapshots

2009-12-22T11:26:00.000-08:00

I just stepped out from church and my phone signals me that I have 6 missed calls. Who would call me six times on a Sunday morning, I thought as I was checking the call log. It was my friend Teyene, who announced that she was on her way to visit me and she is travelling by train. "By train? Who takes the train in SoCal?" I asked. "Well I want to try riding the train, especially now that it's

The Red Raincoat

2009-12-19T23:40:00.000-08:00

Twas a rainy Wednesday morning and I loved it! So there I was in the mini-van waiting for the kids to take them to school, as I was enjoying the blaring sound of the car stereo: the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ hit single Snow. Perfect music to go with the weather. Ok fine, it was not snowing, it was just raining but I love it anyways, and I love the music, so it was all good… for me it was still

Top Chef Finale Spin

2009-12-18T23:04:00.000-08:00

I guess Christmas is always the busiest time of the year! My to-do list is longer than usual, and in fact writing it takes longer than usual too. It's been almost a week since my last blog entry and oh the number of my shows recorded on the DVR is increasing... oh no! hmmm it's definitely a sign of busy-ness! I have to watch two shows today, my kids forewarned me, as it will be erased soon to

Weekend Express

2009-12-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

I always have a perfect description on how to spend my weekends: purely having fun and relaxing. It makes you feel like time is on your side, no deadlines and pressure from work and home. Well you know how it goes during the weekdays: when the alarm starts to buzz, you crawl out of bed, find your way to the kitchen, make coffee, then breakfast, (and well for me it includes preparing 3 brown bags

Lessons My Papa Taught Me

2009-12-08T09:38:00.000-08:00

I had a great conversation with my father over the phone today and I realized that I haven’t had that kind of talk with him in a long time. Due to the time difference (16 hours to be exact) I rarely could get him on the phone. He’s always at work, yes even at 77 he refuses to slow down, and you would always find him in his law office always working on a case… and if you're lucky you would catch

Orange You Glad It's Chicken

2009-12-03T22:34:00.000-08:00

“Who's going to drink all the soda dad?" I overheard my son, Joey, asking my hubby about the sodas he just bought. We usually don’t drink soda at our house, so my son was puzzled as to why my husband bought a few 2-liter bottles. I thought that he just got it because it was on sale, but then I heard him say, "No, mom is sick and soda will help her feel better." I don't know if there is any

A Warm Hug Is What it Takes

2009-12-02T11:33:00.000-08:00

Mother knows best, so the proverbial saying goes but oh well, don’t look at me because often I don't! I feel like I have too many misadventures as a mom. In fact, I’m sure my kids could write an entire book entitled MOMMY’S (MIS)ADVENTURES and it will be as thick as a Webster dictionary. Just this morning, I got a text from my daughter Izzy. She said I have to check her out from school because

Dancing In The Kitchen With My Daughter

2009-11-30T06:46:00.001-08:00

My eldest daughter visited us for four days, but is now, as I type this, packing to return back to Berkeley. You would think that after three years of her being away from home, we would be used to saying our goodbyes. But it is still so hard to say goodbye. It seems that planning her visit for Thanksgiving took months to iron out but her four-day stay was ever-so-brief; it makes me wish that time

We Give Thee Thanks

2009-11-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

The idea of roasting our very first turkey this Thanksgiving thrilled me. This is our tenth Thanksgiving celebration since we moved here in the US and I thought it was about time I try my hand at it. But when I was at the grocery store with my daughter going over my list (which I downloaded online), I was intimidated by the rock hard frozen turkey. I then called my mother-in-law, Mama Bernie ( I