Cheryl's Blog

Family quality time is most important, merry Christmas to all!

2016-12-24T08:55:00.003-08:00

Cheryl's Blog: Little Mermaid

2016-12-24T08:53:00.001-08:00

Cheryl's Blog: Little Mermaid: little

2012-06-27T11:35:00.001-07:00

Humba (Braised Pork Belly)

2011-04-06T20:09:00.001-07:00

IMG_9517, a photo by cherylyw on Flickr.

Humba Recipe (Braised Pork Belly) is one of the traditional Filipino dishes in the Philippines, it is otherwise known as adobo for some part the country. This term "humba" is popular filipino food especially among cebuanos. Most of its own fat is cooked in the meat and its essence is what makes the whole dish delectable. That is the good thing about "humba" there has to be some fat and even skin in order to enjoy your meal. Very distinctive in its own style and taste. People cook it differently, depending on the spices they wanna put in and for how long they want it simmered until the sauce thickens. I prefer to simmer it longer since the longer it goes, the thicker the sauce gets and the better the sauce taste!
I have been trying the humba few times until i finally made it perfect for everyone including my hubby!
Ingredients :
* 1 lb. pork (pork belly/pork hocks/pork stew), cut into serving pieces
* 1 cup water
* 3 cloves garlic, crushed
* 1/3 cup vinegar
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1 bay leaf
* 1/4 tsp. pepper or 1 tsp. peppercorns
* 1 tsp. oil
* salt to taste
* hard-boiled eggs (optional)
Cooking Procedures :
1. Combine all ingredients in a big pot and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for about one a half hour to two hours or until you noticed the fat separates from its sauce or suspends .

You can adjust taste by simply adding salt if you want. And of course occasionally stir to blend the sauce with the meat.
3. You may prepare the boiled egg in a separate pan, set aside. You wanna put the peeled boiled egg in 15 minutes before the "humba" is done and mix eggs with the dish in order for the sauce to seep into it.
3. Remove bay leaf and peppercorns (if used) just before serving. Serve hot with a rice! Enjoy your meal!

Tip: You can add some options like the banana blossoms (50 g), 1 can tausi.
But be very careful in adding additional vinegar, sugar and soy sauce. Some people tend to adjust by adding the above ingredients and end up frustrated with the outcome. The only thing that you need to actually add is the salt to taste --that's the secret since that's only according to your taste! Enjoy!!!

Little Mermaid

2010-08-13T18:35:00.000-07:00

little

2010-08-04T08:18:00.000-07:00

Happy and Contented Mom

2010-04-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

I play with my daughter during the day, give her time for herself to be able to explore her own world, i embrace her and make her feel i love her. She learns and understand new things everyday which really make me a fulfilled mother to my daughter. I can't get enough of her, even kissing her all the time isn't enough that when I take her in my arms, I'll slightly pinch her chubby legs and bite her soft gelatinous cheek! Yummy!

Before I go to bed, I cautiously sneak in her room and stare at her as she peacefully retires. Hearing her cute tiny snoring makes me want to crawl next to her and simply listen to the sound of each breath she takes. I can't patiently wait to see her the next morning again when she wakes up with her huge eyes glowing . It is true, that you need sometime for yourself alone. There may be times that you just want her to sleep in and do the things you wanted to do. But that doesn't pay compared to having her in your sight most of the time.

Her heavenly smile reflects my motherhood. How well you nurture your children and how much you help them gain more trust each day by showing her the "life" means the world to them. In fact, she showed me the authentic meaning of life the moment she was born. There are times when the act of simply staring at her could make me catch a huge lump in my throat, asking how I could ever live life without her. Thinking how beautiful she is and will be, sends my sensitive self to a very emotional state. I close my eyes, take the deepest breath, and hold back my tear-streaked eyes. I can't wait for her to say " I wuv you !", then maybe my eyes will give up and tears drip down out of happiness...

Spotting the difference (Part I)

2010-03-27T11:24:00.000-07:00

Ever since I got here these are some of the things I have observed that make two countries differ to one another. I am not saying I do not like it, but it's just different it is not something I grow up with and got used to it. Sometimes i find it funny and laugh at myself for being too naive over this:

Philippines------------------vs----------------U.S.A.

Never say Large for Sodas, they give you JUMBO! as in double extra large!
I like MC Donald's French fries, and usually order large French Fries back home but large here is regular for them,or else they give you EXTRA LLLARGEEE! You finish it up the next day! (lol, exaggerating aside). So now, I learn to order regular stuff which includes soda, pop corns, and oh my never order a footlong sandwich coz it's bigger than your foot! Let me give you a tip, say " six-inch sandwich" that might be about the size of your foot! . I'm glad I always have my husband and my sis-in-law to guide me, then I feel a whole lot safer! haha! We have brooms with short handles right? Here the handles are long, all you need is a witch hat, a black suit and you can already fly! Broom Hilda!!! Well, I can explain that, majority of us Filipino have an average height of Men=5'5", Women 4'11", so that puts me to above average being 5'2"! I feel blessed being told sometimes like "oh, you're tall! I am so jealous!" haha! I should tell them that in the U.S. I am like a midget:( They are GIANTS! Lady Goliath is in town! Well, I have to say at least in LA where I am, I don't feel strange, there's many of us everywhere! I need to jump to reach out for something at the grocery stores, or use stools to grab a thing in my cabinets. So let's go back, just imagine if you are let's say between 5'6"-6' and you are holding a broom with a short handle, it's not only a pain in the ass, but a pain in the back! When I am in a mall/grocery store/market, crew here are very friendly and courteous, they say "hi, how are you doin?" the first time i heard that, I didn't get it right away, he was mumbling and smiling I thought he was hitting on me! And so I never made any response. But it gets very common that a male crew even ask my husband the same question! I don't think he is flirting with my husband, is he??? So, here, just politely say "good, thank you" or "good, how are you?" or however you want to say it. But mind you, they can not extend their service as far as following you wherever you go and answering all of your questions! You do it by yourself till you get to the counter. No pampering here! Learn to be more independent. We are not lazy, it's just the way our system runs. And if you are not flexible enough, U.S.A is not the right place for you! Go home and live life like a princess even if you are not! Because here, you are the Master of your own Slavery, or shall I say you should master slavery because you are a slave of your own. This might be an overrated or an old-fashioned terminology, but I believe it is a fact for us Filipinos. We have helpers, nannies, cooks, manicurist, pedicurist, hairstylist, name it! We have them all! But to be honest, I can only retain a hairstylist for myself, the rest is a history haha! Someday, I will enjoy it here too, I know I will, but I am just saying, it's never the same! Here you gain more independence and i like it, but that makes me miss home too. But I am a normal human being, I can adapt and like a chameleon, I change colors too.

Remove Gallstones the Natural Way

2010-03-18T09:47:00.000-07:00

Do you happen to have one of those people diagnosed with gallstones otherwise medically termed as Cholelithiasis, a gallbladder stone? I would like to share to you my first-hand experience. I was skeptical about it before when my friend shared me what his friend's experience was. I simply ignored it. Now that it's giving me more and more discomfort, I have to try the natural way else i will have to undergo surgery to remove it, it is called cholecystectomy- the removal of your gallbladder.

Well you can still live your life to the fullest without your gallbladder. After the gallbladder is removed, your body will still be producing bile, however since there's no more storage, you may want to limit the total amount of fat you consume in your diet. In other words, you minimize ingesting foods that are considered unhealthy. I don't wanna be a know-it-all person since I am not a doctor, but to know more about it, you can follow this link below:

http://www.mamashealth.com/organs/gallbladder.asp

Well, this is my understanding, and let me explain to you in a term easier for everyone to understand. When you ingest too much fats, your liver produce excess cholesterols that bile fail to absorb and breakdown in your body. The more you ingest fatty foods, the more secretion of biles are compromised. Normally, bile contains dissolved cholesterol. This excess cholesterol crystallizes and move around in the gallbladder, gradually joining together to form gallstones. You're lucky to pass it, if not, it grows more and bigger. That's how problems set in.

If you have this problem, or if you know someone who has this, try it yourself or share this to them. Here's the step on how to remove it naturally:

Step I: On the first five consecutive days, take 3 to 4 glasses of apple juice, you may want to split them during meals.

Step II: Make sure on the sixth day, you do not have any appointment or activities scheduled and stay home by 6:00 pm. At 6:00 pm, you take NO DINNER (if you have problems with hyperacidity or need to eat something, do so before 6:00pm. Mix 1 teaspon of Magnesium Sulfate or Epsom Salt to 1 warm glass of water. At 8:00pm, repeat the same. At 10:00pm, take half cup of fresh lemon juice and half cup of olive oil or sesame oil, mix it well together and drink it. Just lie down after drinking. The next day, you may want to count the stones, they are colored green and usually float.

I would be glad to know I have helped someone live comfortably and worry-free.

http://zamboangajournal.blogspot.com/2010/02/popular-radio-man-signs-off.html

2010-03-17T18:36:00.001-07:00

Parenting

2010-03-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

Today, rogue woman and I took my baby out to the park. It's nice and huge and I like it. My angel's eyes got surprise to see a squirrel for the first time ( actually, that includes me too!). It's a shame we didn't have plenty of time to go around, the sun was glaring and it's obvious my daughter wasn't used to it. She wanted to go down and play so we took her to the playground! She really had fun. I just let her do her thing. My daughter is just one year and 6 months, and in this stage, they tend to explore things around them and find out what it is. She quite belong to the stage of the Terrible Two's now. Although she's young for her age but I, as a mother noticed it myself and it's part of growing. I'd like to share the theory of the Ego-Psychologist, who actually influenced me in my parenting as a new mother. Aside from learning it in school, I have a first-hand experience which make me realize how this theory aid me in my daily living with my daughter.

I know it's hard when you wanna do things for yourself yet you are being reminded of your limits as a mother. You put your child as your priority over anything else in this world no matter what happens. In as much as you don't want them to get physically hurt by playing around, you also want them to develop their own personality with the environment around them. They stumble, they get up on their own. They get hurt, they cry, and they're fine. Of course, you don't wanna be overly insensitive and just leave them crying, that's why when they get hurt, you can do this sometimes, but not all the time, you simply let them know you care about them and give them a hug, a kiss, and make them aware that it's gonna be alright!.. This way, they know they are being loved, and it's how they develop trust and feel safe.

Although "No" is a good word to use in disciplining your child, I wanna make sure I don't tend to use them too often, in a way i don't sound monotonous to my child. They have short-term memory. They understand the word no, and they listen to you, but they are too young to really understand why they should not do it. In the long run, you end up saying "no" more than ten times over the same issue, and it becomes a fun game for them. Seriously, they think it's fun, you wanna try it? You put one thing you don't want them to hold, you say the word "NO", they stop, after a second, they come back, you say "NO" again, and so on and so fort, they end up playing around, thinking that saying "NO" is okay after all. Here's a tip, you get rid of that certain "thing" as much as possible and just distract your child! Remember, they have short-term memories, they easily forget. If they cry, let them cry, I am telling you it's fine, let them experience their own small world with their own small personal issues. Let them experience pain in their own little way.

I put limitations in her. If she throws out temper tantrum, I ignore her. When she stops, that's when i come near her and hug her. Believe me, i love my daughter so much. Sometimes, I can't stand her crying, so I give myself enough time, till I finally take her with me and console her. Most often than not, she end up stop crying, thinking, her crying doesn't manipulate me at all. That's their only expressions of frustration, they can't speak, they can only show so much emotions by crying. And if they do, never attempt to stop them, because if you do, when they grow up, they fail to exercise Autonomy and end up feeling guilty ( thinking that whatever they do is wrong) just ignore them. DO NOT SPOIL YOUR CHILD!

I also want to let her be so long as she is safe. She can eat foods that are acceptable in her taste buds, otherwise she will spit it out. I give her a little bit of everything. I want her to enjoy and be happy. I don't wanna put so much rules wherein that rules only satisfy me. It's unfair to my child. So here's a rule for both of us: she can do things while I watch her do it so long as it's safe, she can eat whatever she wants so long as she does not take someone else's food and be selfish and not eat too much of it to the point of being unhealthy. One thing i learned for the past one year and 6 months of being a new mother is feeding your baby a little bit of everything, that way, when you feed her something new and different, she readily accepts it without complaining. Why? because she's used to it. It's like living life, when you are used to life's struggle, you are ready for any challenge, and in the long run, it gives you strength.

I am not a perfect mother, but I wanna nurture my child and give her the chance to live her own small world. I want her to develop a good personality and that can only be achieved by good and right parenting.

Here's a guide to my favorite ego-psychologist:

http://www.learningplaceonline.com/stages/organize/Erikson.htm

My True Bestfriend is my Ownself

2010-03-15T11:31:00.000-07:00

Sometimes to give yourself freedom is doing the right thing to do, but you must not forget that while doing it, you do not put yourself behind. The only bestfriend you have in this world is YOU, who taught you to be strong and live each day at a time. By doing so, it makes you bigger as a person emotionally and spiritually, but one day, it tires out itself, shrink into small pieces, and give up. What it needs is love and everything follows along the way. YOU have got the bestfriend in YOU. Love yourself like you have never loved anyone else before. Learn how to balance life. However, even if you are not happy, if the thought of selfless act content you, treasure it and be thankful, for this is one of those moments that give you more strength which makes "You" an even better person in the future.

Spending Birthday in Hollywood

2010-03-11T11:12:00.001-08:00

I have been wanting to see Hollywood my whole life, and finally, Rogue Woman, my sister-in-law (whom i treat as my real sister) was very nice to take me to hollywood! It was one of the awesome trips i ever have. The Hollywood engraved stones in the mountain i often see on either TV or movie has appeared real right before my eyes! The place was awesome and I was hoping to see at least one famous movie star, but they were probably in disguise lol. Well, I saw Spiderman in his spidey costume! Oh well, he wasn't the Toby Mcguire for real, but he dress up like him! First tip if you want to take a shot with these people is - you tip them at least a dollar! That's what Rogue Woman taught me so. And i agree it is rude to just leave without a tip, considering that's their means of living. So Rogue w hand me $3 and i found $2 in my wallet! More shots with them, yeyyy, i feel like a kid again, seriously, my personal satisfaction is all I care for now! I pamper myself today!

I got even more excited to get to see the stars on the road with the famous name on it, like my favorite Charlize Theron, Tom Hanks, Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Shirley Temple, and a whole lot more! I got so overwhelmed that i almost wanna kiss the floor! Thanks to Rogue W. for taking amazing shots, you are the best!

Next stop was in the Wax Museum, just before the entrance, I get to see Ramboo impersonator, again grabbing the chance of taking photo shots, he tied the red turban around my head and let me hold the weapon ! lol! It's cool! As we find our path inside the museum, there i saw Spiderman again, so Kirsten Dunst has to step aside for me! And there was fave star Angelina Jolie, the casts of the Charlie's Angels and decided to join them! Along the way, i came to meet the American Idol" judges Paula Abdul, Simon, and Randy Jackson and decided to have an instand audition! Guess what?? I am in! hahaha.. Dreaming ofor a second doesn't hurt does it? lol.. Anyways , it was such a work of art they really look real!

Of course, my baby angel, was in awe watching those fancy costumes and colors all around her. In fact one of the impersonators called her "Little Princess"! I am simply happy to see her that way. I would like to take this oppurtunity of telling Rogue woman, who became a huge part of my Birthday Success, to thank her for making my day more meaningful. She knows birthdays a big thing in our Filipino Culture and makes me feel at home in her own way. Thanks for the treat and the shopping spree! Thanks for being my sister and a friend!

My First Birthday in the U.S.

2010-03-10T08:10:00.000-08:00

I woke up early today,and in the right side of the bed, I heard my baby crying so i reached out for her and took her in my arms.. I made my way to the kitchen and found my hubby cooking breakfast for me, and I said " hi hon, as he looked over his shoulders and said " happy birthday hon!". I was standing there watching him cook, a wall covered portion of the dining table but he said look, i set the table for you!" i said "i see that, thank you!".... and im standing still... finally he said " and i put the roses up too!"...My husband isn't good at surprising people so he probably couldn't wait till i sit and find it out myself, haha..i realized he has been waiting for my reaction but i barely noticed the dozen of fresh red roses in a transparent vase filled of water. And so said to him" oh! thats so pretty, thank you hon, youre so sweet, it's my first roses i ever got since i got here ...this is lovely" then i found his card. It was meaningful breakfast , a pancake, sunny side up egg, and my favorite Pam! Of course we won't start the breakfast with our little Amber in her high chair constantly pointing out her choice "hot cake". Today means a lot to me, I may not be spending my birthday with my big family, but i am going to spend it in a most private manner, a quiet, delectable dinner with my husband tonight. I say it's quiet because we hire someone to babysit our baby, and private because were alone for each other. He has told me in his card how much he loves me and can't express enough. Today, i am just so happy that God has given me another chance to live, and that i am spending it with my own small family. And this alone, makes the greatest gift of all.

My First Impression of the U.S.

2010-03-09T17:57:00.000-08:00

Everything is big here in the U.S. while it's all small back in the Philippines

My Little Angel

2010-03-09T17:41:00.000-08:00

She is the center of our lives. Bless those who have kids and will have kids soon, for they are God’s gift not everyone has, so embrace the moment they are born, tame them like a gift from heaven , with unfathomable love, a parent could ever offer for while you are busy teaching your child all about life, your child is teaching you what life is all about….

Forever Real

2010-03-09T17:03:00.000-08:00

This song is based on real past event, this composition is entirely dedicate to my husband whos got a totally different culture , a culture i take as a challenge, but the most important thing of all, is his family value remained in his heart, and apart from being good over-all, that’s what makes him my wonderful husband ..

Forever Real

It was one of my gloomy days

Alone in my room staring at an empty space

I feel my tear drops running down my cheeks

I feel the burden inside hidden

I wanna stop seeking, it only frustrates my being

It only makes me small, even pushes me against the wall..

I pray day and night, that someday God will lead me the way

I never stop dreaming, never cease hoping

I laugh yesterday and cry today

Yet the love I want is not here to stay

It gets sweeter like a wine

But when it leaves, it never can be mine...

When I saw you, your eyes have so much to tell

Your gentle voice provides me home to dwell

Your gentle touch gives me comfort day to day

You soothe me in your own little way

I don’t wanna look back my past

It’s what I wanna do last

I may have stumbled and fall

But now you picked me up and give me your all..

The greatest gift you gave to me

The love I not only feel but see

Our love we deal is forever real...

Loving Someone with a Different Culture

2010-03-09T16:42:00.000-08:00

I married a man from the other end of the world. Someone with a totally different culture, whose outlook in life is the opposite of mine. When I was in College, I’ve always dreamed of meeting a guy who is totally different .. something new and someone interesting.. funny but this guy i am referring to describes the kind of person my husband is right now.. Well I should say that he didn’t of course got all the aspects i wanted my man to become otherwise it would be too perfect.. but I should say, that I am very happy to have him in come in to my world.. Don’t be ashamed to go out of your shell and find someone you want in your life.. if you stumble and fall, get up! and make another life! It’s not the end of everything. This man speaks entirely different dialect. I mean, yes, we do speak their language, but really, he says words that meant different to me, and vice versa! He tells me things that i take it literally and i speak to him of things i say literally, that unfortunately bring both of us into trouble..when i get upset at him, I actually didn’t know that saying ” I hate you” is a taboo, because saying that word would mean like you despise the person who doesn't deserve it.. from then on, I watch my word, and say ” im pissed!”, “im mad at ya!”, “im down on you!”, things like that, and it wouldn’t hurt so bad. I learn some new words which transform into even better grammars. I can recall when our baby puts her foot into her mouth and we’d say ” sige! eat your foot! eat your foot!”, and then i showed it to my husband and he said ” oh! he’s sucking his toe!” lol… Just imagine how literal we become sometimes and it’s so funny but the good thing is, we learn about each other everyday, and no matter how many years it will take us, we’re both willing to go on with this long process, because this is the kind of life i chose, and therefore I have to face it and take it as a challenge.

The good news about all Filipinas marrying Filipinos out there with the same culture is, IBA PA RIN ANG PINOY, and yes, I didn’t actually see that until i met my husband. It is hard when you are in a situation wherein, you have no idea what it is. You have married a man, whose cultures and beliefs are the exact opposite of yours. He’s a Catholic, I made him one before we got married, but he was raised a prysbeterian ( religion by the way plays an important role, but so long as you both believe in the same God and do good things to others, and follow His words, you’re good) . But you know what? Take the case of a mother who just delivered a baby, it is a matter taking in(you are too concern about yourself), taking hold (ready to learn), and letting go(ready to become a mother and face challenge)! You have to face the fact, deal with it everyday, learn from it. We are humans, humans have the ability to adapt, adjust, we all have coping mechanisms, we are flexible, NEVER let negative thoughts get in the way of your good disposition. I am telling you, it is not easy, especially for me who is a strongly opinionated person, I always wanted to lead, but once you open up your mind, allow new things introduced to you, you will see that we all are just the same. Remember this, learn how to listen. It took me a while to at least allow myself to listen, because i always am righteous and thought my ideas, beliefs, cultures, traditions,etc, are better than his.. but I am beginning to accept that sometimes, it is not all true.. have you thought about their concern too instead of yours all the time? Have you considered their feelings that you're not the only person who is adjusting too and that he also to you? Yes, you live in his world, but is he not living in yours too?Learn to admit that you are not all the time Right!.. I have a very lovable husband, responsible, very sweet in every little way, but the only problem we have is the communication! You know he can be frank most of us are not used to, and I get hurt when he does speak his mind! But the thing is, they don’t really mean to be meana, they just blurt it out, and if they do, that’s honesty than being fake! you never learn from people who pretends.. i keep telling myself “stop being overly sensitive, you’re only killing yourself!”.. Having a positive attitude would give you a happy spirit, leading to a good life, do you agree? There were rare times during our arguments that i recklelssly criticize matters that are sensitive and I didn’t realize how offensive I was and selfish i became of saying those lines that hurt his ego. Everyone of us is unique in our own little way, and sometimes you only say undesirable things that are held against them when clashes of cultures set in and that’s the main problem here. But as long as you learn how to listen , you will find resolution. Acceptance takes a huge role in this kind of World and I’m telling you, you can’t do it overnight. Filipinos are known to be so patient and humble, when asked if they’re hungry they’d say ” okay lang, thank you, im still full”,when in fact, tummy is already rumbling inside and you still hold it. In this world where in to, they are honest! they tell you what they feel right into your face and hurt you. .My point is, you have to be open to each other, express what you feel inside, talk it out in a calm manner.. relax. For me, it is hard to learn other people’s lives and adapt it especially when it’s completely odd for you, but when you love somebody, you are ready to learn and compromise and still be happy, right?You are not alone in this world, you are committed! The reason why you got married is that you need someone to walk you through life’s challenges and find each other getting along after all! And you know what’s the most essential role from of your partner? You find him loving your own world you grow up with and that gives you more reason to smile!

I wanted to write and share this to you because you might happen to be someone who’s married to a foreigner, somebody who loves someone from the other part of the world, and you hear comments from friends who get negative about the situation. Don’t let it bother you, that’s their own opinion, sometimes, those who make such discouraging comments are the ones who are insecure with their lives, because they don’t actually experience the kind of fulfillment you are experiencing right now, and for those who tell you ” im so happy for you”, be grateful because they mean it and they are your true friends… so be glad and proud on how you shape up your life and take one day at a time to prove to them that it’s worth living!
Please feel free to leave comments, i would love to read your side. thanks for reading!!!

My Wedding Song

2010-03-08T16:10:00.000-08:00

I just love the sound of this song, but wanting to translate it to english, i closed my eyes and speak my mind. I asked my wedding vocalist to sing this for me while walking down the aisle..

You/Ikaw
(My own English version originally done by Sharon Cuneta)

You, are a gift from God above
An answer to my prayer
I pray that God will lead me the way
Every moment that I have
I love you till the end of time
You are the reason I survive
In this world where it’s hard to thrive
I’ve never felt so in love before
Everyday it grows more
You’re so beautiful I adore

Chorus:
All my dreams, my hopes and my prayers
It was all because of you
Whatever, future leads me
I have hopes, because there is you
Forever will never be enough
I want to start new life with you
This love I give only to you
I live becoz I love you