An Apple a Day

Made Porchetta Wrap from Leftovers

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 18 Sep 2026 13:06:11 +0000

My birthday celebration left us with some leftover porchetta, so I researched to see how best we could eat it at home with just a few pieces left. I thought about making some paksiw, but the boys are not fond of eating paksiw. It can also be made into a sandwich, pasta, taco, ramen topping or fried rice.

I decided to use it for a wrap. I first made a small jar of pickled red onion and got the other ingredients. We decided to buy wraps instead of taco shells, sour cream, salsa, lettuce and cheese. Here's how I prepared it:

It's been weeks since we had it and I'm now craving to have some again.

Full recipe: https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2026/09/recipes-for-my-son-porchetta-wrap-from.html

Happy Friday!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Mount Isarog View

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 16:05:00 +0000

When I was a young child, when we'd visit the ancestral house in Naga City (where my Dad grew up), he would bring me to the room which had access to the roof. That would usually be early in the morning when you can see Mt. Isarog and sometimes the Mayon Volcano (on clear days).

I remember my Dad would also sing the Ateneo marching song (Regnum Dei). Mount Isarog is part of the song and I guess it was my Dad's way to teach me about Naga City. It was effective since I still remember it to this day.

I brought this up because my "cousin" (he's actually technically my nephew but we're almost the same age), recently posted a photo of the area. It apparently eventually became his room. I remembered it and also scanned the photo again a few weeks ago. (My brain likes connecting pieces of information).

Miss you Dad!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Some Gardening Exercise, Finally!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:59:40 +0000

We've been waiting for a clear day to do some much needed gardening. At 2pm, the sky started becoming noisy. Surprisingly by 4 in the afternoon it didn't rain yet. We headed out then and went through the plants that badly needed trimming.

It's been raining like crazy the past two months and that gave the plants a lot of extra vitamins. They all grew and badly needed trimming. We filled up an extra large trash bag with stems, leaves, and dead plants.

Grogu and Meredith provided motivation. Meredith looked satisfied with the clean up, while Grogu asked for a lot of chin and belly rubs. We had to be careful walking around to avoid accidentally stepping on him. If not for Grogu, I don't think I would have lasted long working in the garden. He made sure we took breaks by rubbing our legs and asking for belly rubs.

I had a good workout and Sweetie helped a lot. The garden is back to being more spacious. Miggy said he had a hard time watering plants because the garden was starting to look like a jungle. We're not done yet since we still need to trim the maki plants and Eugenia.

Day spent well :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

My Favorite Rubber Stamps

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 16:05:00 +0000

Sweetie and I have a collection of rubber stamps. Actually, Sweetie owns the majority of it and I only bought the Papemelroti Christmas rubber stamp set and a Frixion stamp set.

I love the Frixion stamp set. I got it in Tokyo before the pandemic and I used it sparingly. It was only when it started raining last July that I started using it everyday. I started tracking the weather when the habagat started going crazy. It helped me realize we had rain everyday for 3 straight weeks.

I got the set in a shop in Ginza. It's actually just about 2 inches each with a small icon. You also don't need stamp ink since it's self-inking. I had about ten and I added a few more, so I can stamp more "occasions" and activities.

The Frixion stamp set works perfectly well with the small Starbucks planner I got last Christmas. The planner is the smallest I've ever had and TBH you can barely read what I write everyday. Think size 8 font to list what I ate and did everyday, haha. The stamps help give it a bit more color.

I'm hoping to find one stamp to represent gardening. I think that's the only thing I lack from the set :)

#BeKind #StaySafe

An Almost Empty Shell

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 14 Sep 2026 13:07:55 +0000

If you passed by in front of our house, you won't think it was being demolished. The front area stayed intact for a long time. The roof was left untouched also to provide shade for the team.

It was possible to do that because we chose to make the house a bit smaller and have at least 2 meters of easement. This allowed the team to dig a new foundation without removing the old one. It helped keep minimal work disruptions.

It was still surreal to see the house in shambles. There was no longer a trace of what it was and what every corner contributed to my core memories. I lived in it for over 30 years and I could easily imagine what each nook and corner looked like.

It took a while for me to grasp that my childhood home is almost gone. At least the demolition wasn't too drastic. It gave me time to process losing the physical house. Anyway, the memories will always be in my mind and heart.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Community

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 13 Sep 2026 13:45:33 +0000

My parents were very active in our parish when I was growing up. Most of the visitors at home were our neighbors. They'd have meetings and parties often. It was the community I grew up in and that's where I learned that you can do a lot of good when you volunteer.

The biggest project my parents were involved in was helping build our parish church. A lot of the meetings happened at home and I remember the huge fundraising activity they organized. I was always in tow since I think I was one of the youngest children in the group.

I posted the photo above on my page and Tito Henry commented on it. He said that my Dad made them proud to be part of the community. Yes, my parents always welcomed people to help in any way they can. I saw my Mom's multitude of lists for ticket selling, donations, and lists of groups.

As much as I'm an introvert, I also joined some groups in our parish and they are still my friends until today. As introverted as I am, I actually built communities as part of my job. The communities were volunteer groups to help others learn and most are still around even though I retired. The secret was growing up within a tight community.

I tried doing some volunteer work a few months ago, but alas, my body is just too messed up and I'm unable to commit. Stress always brings me down, so I apologized and pulled out. I tend to do things whole-heartedly, but I need to focus on my health. Maybe someday I can be more productive and helpful.

Have a blessed Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Wow! Sili!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 12 Sep 2026 12:40:20 +0000

Surprisingly, our peppers have been producing a lot of fruit! Sweetie has been harvesting bell peppers weekly and a lot more sili!

I gave the plants a generous amount of urea and chicken manure mid-August and then left Miggy to water them as needed. I guess the rain gave it additional nutrients because it produced a lot of peppers.

I also like to thank Mr. Bee and friend. They've been actively helping the plants pollinate. I'm due to add nutrients to the plants this weekend and I hope I can give my oulmo therapist a bag of sili again next month!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Unwell, Again

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 11 Sep 2026 00:30:00 +0000

I was unstable today and it was probably triggered by interrupted sleep. I just rested all day and didn't get to visit our cats, huhu.

Here's the horiatiki Sweetie prepared yesterday --

Here's how you can make it:

https://youtu.be/nwKXimtQURc?si=RG3R0XA4cihhTSU3

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback Thursday: Beach Time with Dad

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 10 Sep 2026 14:30:34 +0000

My Mom told me they started to being me to out of town trips when I was still a baby. No wonder I'm so used to traveling. For many years, we'd head to Pasacao and Naga City especially during summer.

I was scanning photos again today and found a photo of me and Dad at the beach. I took his slippers and he was running after me. I actually kind of remember that day. It's one of my core happy memories.

Going to the beach always calms me down. I have many happy childhood memories there. I haven't gone for awhile now, so hopefully next year maybe?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Not Feeling Well

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 09 Sep 2026 11:59:50 +0000

My body is fighting something, probably germs since my temperature is a bit elevated.

Resting for now.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Hand Quilting the Baby Yoda Project

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 07 Sep 2026 16:06:13 +0000

I ironed the Baby Yoda project with fusible interfacing and then I sandwiched it in batting and backing fabric. I want to see if the interfacing will make a difference in the end quality.

The hard part has begun. I've decided to hand quilt it like the Pikachu project I did 2 years ago. I'll just stitch on the ditch for now, but will play with some of the colors since my Guttermann thread colors is limited.

It will be hard, but quilting is my favorite part. I get impatient cutting and piecing fabric and absolutely dislike sandwiching, but quilting has always been the fun part for me.

What are you working on now?

#BeKind #StaySafe

Groundbreaking and House Blessing

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 16:05:00 +0000

Our foreman advised it was best to do the ground-breaking and house blessing ceremony once they've dug the foundation. We waited a few weeks and finally Manong Val messaged us to go ahead and plan for the ground-breaking and house blessing. We also got advice from him on what usually goes on and we did some research too.

We first secured a priest who would be available and then worked on the other stuff as the date drew near. Here's a list of what we worked on:

Candles
Food
Tarpaulin printing of the perspective made by architect
Time capsule which included the perspective, drawings, religious items, and coins. I had Miggy paint the container gold. I checked my photos, of course, I forgot to take a photo of what I placed inside the time capsule. Whoever eventually demolishes the house in the future would find out, haha.
Shovel (also painted gold) and hard hats

We went a bit early on the day of the ground-breaking and house blessing. I had met an accident and was still hopping around, so the boys had to assist me in going to the basement where the blessing was going to happen. It was surreal to see a huge part of the house gone. In my mind everything is still the same. I think it will only change when we've finally moved in.

Fr. Marvin arrived and we had a simple blessing and celebration with the construction team. It was a happy occasion and it felt right. I was really sad when they started demolishing the house, but that day I felt light. The blessing brought in a new energy to our future home and I felt everyone who lived in it and passed were happy for us.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Seasons

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 06 Sep 2026 10:40:48 +0000

It's a new month again and I'm amazed how time seems to fly faster. It feels strange because I'm just mostly home and only go out once or twice a week. I guess the three of us are home bodies and we always rush back home after being out for a few hours.

After my birthday, I realized life is seasonal. The seasons differ as your circumstance changes. The past few years I kept aiming to go back to what I could do before. The harder I strive, the more backward my health goes. It was stressful because I kept comparing my productivity to what I was able to do.

I finally stopped fighting it recently and accepted the fact that my body won't go back to what it was before. My doctors have time and again explained my issues are mostly mechanical. I was born with this equipment and I just have to make the best out of it.

I've always had a hard time sleeping and I started to do breathing exercises which supposedly help your heart heal. There's nothing to lose since it's just breathing exercises. Just before sleeping and after your evening prayers, lie down, hold your heart, breathe in 4 counts, hold for 2 and then exhale for 6 counts.

It felt awkward the first time I did it, but I eventually got the hang of it and I usually fall asleep while doing it. I'll check in a week or two if my heart rate has gone down. I noticed it's gone up the past two months and I had an AFib attack two weeks ago after pulmo rehab. My heart rate was steady during my pulmo rehab a few days ago. I'd like to think it's working since I've also been praying for healing while I do the breathing exercises.

Have a happy Sunday everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

A Different Paprikash Version

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 05 Sep 2026 14:47:59 +0000

I only watered some of my plants today and I haven't done any gardening for a long time now. I hibernated all week because of the haze and only managed to go out today since the air quality is much better because it's been raining like crazy again.

Anyway, the intense rain woke me up and I couldn't go back to sleep. We had to cancel our appointments since I was groggy from lack of sleep and my head hurt. I managed to sleep more and told myself I should have a productive day.

I ironed some clothes, sandwiched my Baby Yoda project in batting, watered a few plants and I cooked chicken Paprikash. I only had half a kilo of chicken, so checked if I could just add mushrooms. Ahh, apparently there's a version of chicken Paprikash with mushrooms. I didn't bother to take videos since I also lined up the cat food ingredients for cooking.

Anyway, I added the mushrooms after I made the onion/garlic/paprika/flour paste and the followed the rest of the recipe. I was a bit anxious, but it turned out really tasty even though I only had half a cup of sour cream available. Ahh, next time I'll do this combination again.

Here's how I made chicken Paprikash, if you want to try the mushroom combination, just add the mushrooms after you make the paste.

Ahhh, I'm so full, I hope I have enough energy left to put the boiled cat food in the food processor. I want to make our cats happy too!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Scallops in Pink Pasta! Yummeeh!

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 04 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

I finally got around to editing this "Recipes for My Son" video on how to cook scallops in pink pasta. I started making this while looking for pink pasta recipes I can cook at home. Miggy doesn't like red pasta, so it's mainly a compromise since I like eating pasta.

Here's how to make it:

If you want it spicy, just add cayenne pepper. Alternatively, a friend suggested you can replace the black pepper with furikake. I'll probably try it next time I make this dish. Oh, Sweetie and I like adding Tajin to the dish while we're eating. It brings it to another level when we do that. I just don't add it while cooking because Miggy might not like it. It's a great condiment for a lot of stuff (including pizza!).

Try it this weekend? Let me know what you think.

Full recipe here.

https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2026/09/recipes-for-my-son-scallops-in-pink.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback: August 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 03 Sep 2026 14:23:43 +0000

I started tracking the weather on my planner when I noticed that it was raining more often last July. It rained everyday from July 27 to August 20 in our area. It's the only time in my life I have experienced so much rain.

We canceled half of our appointments because it was raining so hard and flooded around our area. We didn't want to take the risk of getting stuck somewhere. We ventured out sparingly and only when it was really needed.

Staying in gave me time to scan old photos and I managed to do some cooking. My garden though is a huge mess. All my plants have grown like crazy and badly need trimming. I haven't been able to do any gardening because of the trans-boundary haze from Indonesia.

The highlight of the month was my birthday! I skipped celebrating last year because of the accident. This time I got to celebrate with family and then had another one with some friends. I originally thought of doing a bigger celebration, but with the bad weather and disasters it's not appropriate. I'll just send a donation to Angat Buhay.

Here's my August one second a day video!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Dealing with Haze

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 02 Sep 2026 12:15:18 +0000

The bad air quality has been present for awhile now. I regularly check since it triggers me to have an asthma attack. I noticed it last August despite the rain. It would make itself felt when the rain stops. The air becomes heavy. My eyes start feeling heavy and itchy when the air quality is bad.

Last week, reports were made about unusual haze in Pasay and Manila. Some also mentioned it reached Makati. No clear cause was identified for it. The air quality got worse the past few days and I knew I had to arm myself to prevent an asthma attack.

Here's what I usually do:

Monitor air quality indicators. I use the IQ Air app since that's what DENR also uses.
Take my asthma medication. Increase puffs and spray as needed.
Wear N95 mask when outdoors.
Use air purifiers at home.
Keep facial absorbent paper handy in case my eyes get oily.
Keep essential oils handy (eucalyptus radiata and RC)
Use portable air purifier in the car when I need to go out.
Stay indoors.

The particulate matter brought by bad air quality is hazardous. I lived in Singapore for 10 years and I didn't have asthma growing up. Bad air quality helped deteriorate my lungs and that's why I now have asthma. It is my kryptonite and that's why I warn about bad air quality whenever it happenes.

Take care of your lungs!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Completed Part 2 of Baby Yoda (Pixel Art Project)

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 01 Sep 2026 00:30:00 +0000

As expected, dividing the grid into 3 made piecing the Baby Yoda project easier. I also didn't do it as a grid (1" x 1" pieces). I cut the fabric based on the length of the same colors.

At the speed I'm going I can probably finish this project in a few weeks. It took me almost a quarter last time when I made the Pikachu project using 1" x 1" pieces. Piecing together small cuts* is painful. It also means you'll have more corners to sewing together. It's really hard that's why it took me two years to work on a "pixel art" project. I took the chance to work on it this way to see if it works. :)

*They call 1" x 1" quilts postage stamp quilting. It's usually made with scrap fabric.

#BeKind #StaySafe

First Month of Demolition

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Mon, 31 Aug 2026 12:36:50 +0000

It was surreal for me to see my childhood home be "unwrapped". That's how it felt during the first month of construction/demolition work. My siblings said they got to see the house built from the ground up. I'm witnessing the opposite -- the unraveling.

Here's what happened in the first month:

Week 1: Removed all the "add-ons" including cabinets and big furniture we were planning to keep. They moved the big items to a hut in the garden. Bedroom walls and the bathroom were also removed. All inner doors were also removed. They worked fast!

Week 2: Started removing the flooring.

Week 3: Removed all the windows. It was during this week that the CCTV and server was relocated to a booth outside.

Week 4: After 4 weeks, the whole house felt decidedly empty. The "second floor" was almost gone. Everything left in the house was either in the hut or moved to our place. Our architect checked the development in-person weekly and kept in touch with the foreman everyday.

If you noticed, we didn't have the site blessed at this point yet. The foreman suggested doing the blessing after they started to work on the new foundation. From the outside, it didn't look like something was being done to the house.

Mom's trees and plants effectively covered the house and nothing was done yet on the front area. That came months later.

Next week: site blessing!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Rain, Rain Go Away

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sun, 30 Aug 2026 00:57:00 +0000

I think there was only one day this month when it didn't rain. I don't remember experiencing this much rain. Needless to say, I've lost a lot of sleep especially when the rain is intense.

I just hope and pray everyone is safe and coping well. Let's all pray for each other 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Best Birthday Bouquet

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Sat, 29 Aug 2026 11:04:45 +0000

It's another very rainy day today and all my plants are soaked. I gave a bit of water to some plants that don't get wet from the rain. I wanted to putter around the garden today, but everything's so wet, so I just checked on all the cats. I need to keep an eye on Meredith since she was coughing. I hope it's just a hairball.

Anyway, I celebrated my birthday yesterday. It was just a family affair -- just me and the boys and Kuya and Ate Joy. The food I ordered was just enough for all of us and we're eating leftovers today. My friends surprised me with a parcel. I thought it was a bouquet of flowers...

It was better than flowers! It was a huge pot of succulents! I super love it and immediately thanked them for choosing a very unique gift! It's another chance for me to prove I could take care of succulents. I also pinged my friend in Cebu to ask for advise. He said I should put it outdoors where it would get a lot of sun, but not get rained on.

I moved it today beside a window. The intense rainfall we've been getting will ruin the succulents, so I just placed it for now beside a window where it could get sunlight all day. I hope it will adjust well in its new spot. I'll move it outside when it's not raining anymore.

Stay dry and safe everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe

A New Era

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Fri, 28 Aug 2026 09:49:55 +0000

It's my birthday today and I honestly feel like a new chapter of my life has opened. It feels comparably different from when I became a golden girl last year. I didn't celebrate last year because of the accident* and I focused my time on physiotherapy.

First Birthday

Anyway, we had a brief respite from the southwest monsoon (Habagat) for a few days, but it's back and we received an orange rainfall alert this afternoon. I checked and so far, no flooding in our city and the metro. It's nonetheless still very hard to get around when it's raining. Good thing we just ordered some food and it arrived before things can start going crazy.

As a child, I never really liked parties. I remember I'd even hide when guests started arriving. I'm an introvert, so the attention was overwhelming. I still feel the same and I just celebrate with smaller groups. I didn't plan any since I wasn't sure about the weather.

After 5 years, I think I've finally accepted the fact that I'm retired. I had been so anxious about it, but the Nile is not just a river in Egypt. Acceptance is key and now I'm enjoying my time. There are days when I'm unstable and that's just how things are nowadays for me. I just follow my doctor's orders to be stable and be healthy (as healthy as I can be).

So, what's next for me? I don't have any "grand plans" and I'm just taking things one day at a time. All my "projects" are "home"-based:

Currently working on a Baby Yoda quilt
I have gardening goals which isn't moving much right now because of the weather
Still blogging everyday and need to do that long overdue mitral valve replacement
Biggest project to complete in the next six months, move to our forever home. Then, sell our current home (we hope someone buys it sooner than later!)
And most important for me is to make more happy memories with my boys

All my "projects" depend on God's Will and grace for me. I have accepted my reality that my world will be smaller compared to what it used to be. It's fine, I've had my fun the past three decades. Perhaps it's also time to write the book I started during the pandemic? Hmm... we'll see.

Happy birthday to me!

#BeKind #StaySafe

*Fell down a step and had a knee contusion

Throwback Thursday: GTD Days

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:24:54 +0000

Before I became part of the yellow pages, I handled the local version of Wand.com's trade directory. It was called Global Trade Directory where we encouraged exporters to sign up to find customers abroad.

The work tied up nicely to my previous job of exporting stone craft products (my Mom's company). I learned a lot about marketing a local products through the world wide web which was still a fairly new way to market.

I enjoyed joining trade fairs and getting exporters to sign up for our directory. We did well and even got a visit from Wand.com. That directory is still up and I still get regular updates from them. Ah, that was my first stint collaborating with an international team.

I was in my mid-20s back then and a fresh MBA grad and I definitely learned a lot from that stint. I didn't know back then, but looking back, God put me on the path for bigger things.

Just believe 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Saw a Menopause Specialist

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Wed, 26 Aug 2026 07:31:46 +0000

The genX generation are on the same perimenopause/menopause boat. My high school friends and I have been moaning about it on our group chat the past two years. We've all entered a dreadful era where our bodies are changing.

I think I was 43 when my cardiologist noted in his report that I was perimenopausal. At that time I didn't really feel any different and brushed it aside. He must have seen it from my tests. I was probably having minor symptoms, but it was last year when I started experiencing the awful ones.

It started with hot flashes, then itchy ears, itching all over, and joint issues. The itchy ears went away and was replaced by tinnitus and now that includes pain behind my right ear at night. I've done a lot of adjustments. Changed to lye soap and have been slathering on lotion all over twice a day. I've also seen an ENT and neurologist on top of my regular cardio and pulmo appointments.

I met a menopause specialist on Threads and thought I'd consult with her. The symptoms are not as bad as it was last year, but I feel I still need help. She spent more than an hour with me to figure out what I could do to ease symptoms. I'm taking various medications and I can't do hormone therapy because of my medical conditions.

I'll start with some lifestyle changes. I'm now adjusting my sleep hours and will go on a Meditteranean diet, plus eat fermented food everyday. Sounds easy, but adjusting has to take into consideration the medications I drink. She wanted me to try intermittent fasting, but since I can't do it because I have time bound medications that require a full stomach.

I hope the symptoms will be kinder as I adjust my lifestyle and maybe it will also help bring down my weight.

#BeKind #StaySafe

Baby Yoda Project Update

noreply@blogger.com (Aileen Apolo-de Jesus) — Tue, 25 Aug 2026 11:45:13 +0000

I decided to break the piecing part of the project into 3. Working with small pieces is hard and you're bound to make mistakes! When I made the Pikachu project two years ago, I followed the grid and pieced together 1" x 1" squares. It was HARD and I remember making mistakes since most of the pieces had the same color.

This time, I thought I'd try cutting the fabric based on the length. It won't take me a gazillion years to piece everything together. I cut a third of the needed fabric and it was less overwhelming to piece together. Whew! Doing it this way might motivate me to make the other characters I want to do.

I hope it turns out cute!

#BeKind #StaySafe