Marinated Milkfish's (Bangus) TOP Secret

My husband and I love Vinegar Marinated Milkfish. We order it from fastfood’s breakfast meal menu,I have tried cooking it at home but shy to admit, I failed. It took me three more years to find out why the Milkfish I am cooking does not taste that good despite of choosing the freshest Milkfish, putting iodized salt, pepper and the tastiest Pinoy garlic variety. I put a lot of salt and vinegar submerging the fish) but still it taste saltless and the vinegar, seemed nowhere. I thought it was MSG, I am missing but still the taste is bland, I was not able to decipher the secret behind the tasty Bangus Fry not until I met this Aling Anna, a Milkfish vendor in Silang Market in the year 2007. She is selling very fresh Bangus from Panggasinan  (the well-known source of Dagupan Bangus – the meat is a bit tangy and tasteful not like the once I have tasted before that is tasteless, you will get what I mean when you taste it) as well as deboning and marinating some of it for selling too. Many times I bought the marinated ones. But when I started to learn deboning Milkfish ( I want my family to enjoy eating without the frightening fish bones), my desire to know the secret  behind her tasty Bangus, I end-up asking Aling Anna one market day. She is hesitant to share it, maybe because of the other vendors around, since we somehow became friends, me being her frequent buyer – I told her too that I am not going to sell and be her competition, it is just for home use; she gave in. And you know what?!  I did not miss any ingredient.  It is just the TECHNIQUE that made the big difference on taste. Here are the tips she shared and I hope it will be of BIG help to you too.

The Secrets Revealed:

1. After deboning and washing the Milkfish, salt it back and front.  Let the salt be ABSORBED for around 30 minutes or more.  Usual Ingredients:

Milkfish (Bangus)

salt

ground black pepper

MSG

vinegar

Amazing Vase: Water Bonsai Update

Here are the latest photos of our water bonsai collection...

Peaceful Assembly of the Church of Christ (Iglesia ni Cristo) Members in EDSA

I am one with the Church Administration, I am a part of the body.  Arriving meters away from the venue in the dawn of  Monday Aug. 31, 2015. My teary-eyed feeling of happiness that I am there along with the other brethrens who felt dismay of the DOJ Secretary’s flagrant support to the case filed by former INC minister and church member Isaias Samson.

We, as members of the Church are taught to respect the laws of the government, workplace etc. We are admonished NOT to join LABOR UNIONS that is why church members’ in Hacienda Luisita known to be maltreated by other co-workers who called for revolt against its administrators –they were not accepted for a ride, they were not sold food and other merchandise they need (Years ago,  the Church Administration has decided to buy a land to relocate them in Laur, Nueva Ecija –the Baranggay Maligaya). That is just one example of how we are being obedient and peaceful citizens of this homeland.

INC members have been good society players too – we are encouraged to live peacefully and avoid vices like drugs and alcohol so we would not become delinquent members of the community. The
 Church members’ have been very supportive of all government projects and advocacies; reminders on voters’ registration (are even read on our Worship Services), keeping the country clean and green (thru various clean-up drives made throughout the country’s scenic spots and shores/tree planting on mountains and in areas that needed such) we also work hand-in-hand with the government’s DOH call in blood donation drives (we even sponsored some), we are also helping the government aid in disasters (bec, we are catering to ALL those in need not just members of the church alone) like in Yolanda (Typhoon Haiyan) victims in fact the FYM Foundation was among the earliest help that arrived in Leyte that time and among the benefactors of continuous food supply for almost a month.

We are not among those who had given the government a headache. I was really wondering what could possibly be the OTHER reason for this partiality?! This time, we had to speak-out, that we are not blindfolded of what DOJ (headed by Sec. de Lima) wants us to SEE. For that, we could not hold our silence anymore and we are fighting for our RIGHT as ONE man in the eyes of God. Members went to EDSA  with hearts beating as ONE, that is why when the issue is over (when the government gave time and look on the issue impartially) we also LEFT the area like a single person.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) SEEMED to be unfair and biased on favoring Samson’s case filed against the Church’s council? And the matter that is supposed-to-be an internal affair of the church became a National Issue – is Sec. de Lima running out of problems to solve and gave focus on meddling with the church’s affairs? How about the SAF 44? Is there justice yet for the victims that were heartlessly massacred? How about the “Pork Barrel Scam”? Is justice well-served for the stolen national coffers? Half-done maybe…the issue on our National Park –the photo bomber? The ZTE Deal that may have stolen free internet access from the Filipino people? The Privatization of Fort Bonifacio, the immense corruption within government agencies, the latest issue on the “Balikbayan Boxes” in the Bureau of Customs? The MRT maintenance contract, is it well-executed by the other party? If YES, why are there frequent problems on its operations? Did she look-up on the provisions of the Contract? All I noticed is just REPAIRS correct me if I am wrong, have they really done some maintenance work on it?  Those are just the ones known to me. Maybe our fellow-countrymen know more a lot more.

Maruya (Banana Pancake) Recipe, My Style

My place is abundant of banana plantain (saging na saba). I do not buy them, friends just share some of their harvest to my family. I have eaten the conventional Maruya and it is really a comfort food paired with a hot chocolate, coffee or even cold drink.  I tried putting a twist to this famous Pinoy merienda (snack). Easy to cook with easy to find ingredients.

Crispier Fried Rice Tip

Friends,  wondering how you can give your fried rice a CRISPIER texture?  Here are the steps.

1.  Transfer left-over rice in a plastic container.

Tip to Keep Steamed Rice Longer

Hello friends, I have discovered a trick that some way, somehow may have a scientific basis on keeping your steamed rice unspoiled for longer. After cooking, I use to leave it warm in the cold till rice cooker with the lid on top.  There is something in the aluminum and steel alloy cover that makes it more prone to hold a greater amount of water vapor that later on makes the rice moist - because this water vapor drops down to the rice then soon will spoil it.

What About a Hammock for the Baby?

Here's my Angel Reign's hammock years ago ...

Hammocks are the favorite child's bed here in my country.  I think it is this magic that when you start swinging it gently, it resembles a pendulum that makes the baby relaxed enough to fall asleep. Even me I would still enjoy swinging and wanted to have a sturdy adult hammock for a nap.

Hammocks come in different sizes and materials. There are these ones made ​​from abaca, Clothlike braided rope.   I prefer the braided rope for my first child, Angel Reign because it is deeper and with rattan ring on top and on the bed part. 

The CHOICE that Means LIFE

I am the eldest of three children in our family. When my father and mother went abroad, I was left in the custody of my paternal aunts in Pandacan, Manila. My three aunts were all spinsters. It explains their profound consecration with my former religion -Catholicism. I really admired them for being so religious and conservative, honestly. They have always spent most of their free time in the chapel; all they brought me along with them. They taught me all the prayers of the rosary -I even memorized them, thinking that God might be happy hearing those words. Every six in the evening it became our habit to recite the holy rosary when my grandparents are still alive.

As devout Catholics, we go to church every Sunday. I am receiving "holy" communions and also doing my confessions with the priests. I also knelt down in front of "graven images" then what we call "Mother Mary" and the different saints. We are even among the people who tried so hard to complete the Untitled for the belief that our wishes will come true. Another thing that I grew up with the fallacy that Jesus Christ is our Almighty God. The Black Nazarene, I can still remember me and my aunts forcing ourselves in the mob just to get near it; to touch the image and wipe that same hand on any aching body part to heal but there really seemed no effect at all ... I just go with the flow being just a young girl at the age of nine. I even looked at the statue closely trying to assess how true it has healing power, the mere fact that it is just a "piece of art" no difference with the other figurines that are hand-crafted by man - I have all that in my young mind. But really, I do not have the guts to ask, I just follow-through ... I am only puzzled when I think why I am doing such things. I just leave that way everything NOT in any way hoping that somehow, someday I will get to know the answers ...

My mother came back after a year abroad and retrieved me from my aunts and we lived in Marikina then four years later, in 1990 we transferred in Nueva Ecija Cabanatuan cAMP. Another religion is introduced to me, the Baptist . My neighbor, my former teacher always invited me to attend their Bible studies , so I joined them for some time. During the study, we sing, dance and clap hands. It's really enjoyable being in their company although I did not pursue officially joining them. 

Ang Pagpaplano ng Pamilya

Ang pagplaplano ng pamilya ay hindi lamang makabubuti sa mismong ina na nagluluwal ng sanggol kundi higit sa lahat sa kapakanan ng mga anak at ng buong pamilya.  Isa po ako sa naging representative ng USAID(United States Agency for International Dev't.) sa isang Medical Detailing Project on Family Planning way back some years ago. Dinadalaw po namin ang mga midwives, General Practitioners (GP) at Family Meds(FM). Sadyang hindi kasama ang mga OB-gyne sa aming binibisita sapagkat maaaring hindi lahat sila ay kumbinsido na dapat magplano ng pamilya – mababawasan ang pasyente nila. Ipinapaliwanag namin sa kanila ang mga myths on artificial methods ng FP at pati ang bawat method mismo. Nagkaloob din ng mga standees, posters at aklat ukol sa FP mula sa JOHNS HOPKINS’ University.

Butil ng Kaalaman:

*GP – o General Practitioners, family doctor din sila ngunit may advantage ang mga FM (Family Med) kung rigid training ang pag-uusapan. Naitanong ko ito sa isa sa mga kino-cover kong FM, nakaka-curious kasi kung bakit magkaiba pa ang tawag, pareho namang doktor ng bata at matanda.

Ang madami sa Artificial FP Methods ay REVERSIBLE, pwede nitong maibalik nang muli ang kakayahang makapag-anak pero mayroon ding mga permanenteng pamamaraan. Malayang makapamimili ang mag-asawa. Ngunit sa pagkakaalala ko ang mga edad 35 pababa ay hindi pinahihintulutan ng mga doktor ng permanenteng method sapagkat lubhang napakabata pa, maaari pa raw itong pagsisihan, may ilang kaso lang siguro na pinapayagan lalo at kung sobrang dami na ng mga anak. May posibilidad daw kasi ng child mortality kapag bata pa ang mga anak at gayundin sa asawa. May mga kaso daw kasi na maagang nabiyuda nang muling magka-asawa paglipas ng panahon ay hindi na makapag-anak muli.

Menudo Recipe, My Style

Here is how I am cooking Menudo, my style. I found a way to make the meat tastier thru my friend Cielita Cruzada-B. and some other tips I learned as years go by...

I Did Not Just Pay for the Shirt

I joined the “Worldwide Walk for Yolanda Victims” February last year. I remember getting a shirt stamped for the “cause”. I still have it in my drawer. But my two hundred fifty pesos (as I remember paying) did not only left me a shirt to remember but it had helped BIG to those who were really unfortunate that mournful moment of their lives.

The Walk spearheaded by Iglesia ni Cristo did not only gave new and sturdy homes to the victims of the terrible typhoon but has brought new life and REAL NEW beginning to the beneficiaries NOT limited to church members alone. 

The homes are livable – there is water, electricity, safe walls and above all there is something inside the community that gives them long-term relief not just for days, weeks or months but probably for a lifetime – farming tools with the necessary techniques (through seminars just as what has been provided in Agusan resettlement –even invited foreign experts to teach latest technology on farming) and equipment; dried fish factory; garment factory— sewing training with pay and employment later on, I was told by a friend who is employed in the same Nueva Ecija resettlement Unlad Garment Factory too.  Those will surely give new life and hope to the unfortunate victims of the catastrophe.

Why My Family Loves Del Monte Ketchup

Hi my dear readers! How are you today? I hope you are enjoying every meal time with your family J I want to share with you why me and my family love this ketchup.

These are my valuable reasons why:

1. Made from real tomatoes, it has lycopene that fights cancer.

2. Unless you did not know yet, your child’s favorite Philippine Fastfood Chain also have it as condiment for their French fries. Check the back of the mini ketchup packets you will find Del Monte brand printed therein.

Reaction Paper: Aquino Administration SONA 2015

Pinakikinggan, binabasa at pinanonood ko ang iba’t-ibang reaksiyon ng mga dalubhasa, ordinaryong mamamayan at mga kapwa taong-gobyerno ng Pangulo ukol sa nagdaang SONA. Marami ang samo’t-saring reksiyon sa naging SONA ng Pangulong Benigno Aquino ukol sa kasalukuyang kalalagayan ng ating bansa bagamat ang SONA ay masasabing  puspos ng stadistika na masasabi nating siyentipikong basehan. May natuwa, may nakulangan, may nag-reklamo at may ilang bumabatikos at kalian lamang may grupo at personalidad na nagsigawa ng sarili nilang bersiyon ng SONA mismo. Mayroon din namang ang may kababawang  pinuna ang ang haba ng durasyon ng talumpati na inabot ng dalawang oras bagamat hindi naman talaga nakapagtataka kumbakit – ito na kasi ang huling SONA (State of the Nation Address) ng ating kasalukuyang Pangulo sa kanyang anim na taong panunungkulan.

Writing Basics

Importance of Writing

Writing gives way to deeper emotions to be expressed. There are things that we could not put across verbally that we can easily and clearly bring up in “black and white”. Writing enlivens the power of minds and ideas of every individual who is striving to be heard – opinion, complaints, important ideas or any message one wanted to get across.

I honestly believe that “The pen is mightier than a sword…” , writing can solve society dilemmas through bringing the needed changes; it can also make everything understandable although it can also damage instantly .

Who can be a writer?

Do you love to share stories? Are you a keen observant of everything that happens around you? That is a good indication that you can be a writer. It is considered a skill.

Amazing Vase: Water Bonsai

Try making this beautiful and really amazing “living” plant on a vase. Yes, making is the right term. You have got to choose a plant from your backyard, whatever pleases you to see. I could not guarantee that it will live on “water” BUT at least you TRY – I think the possibility that any brown-stemmed plant can grow on water is endless. It is also draws conversation to your visitors the moment they notice its magnificence. Here is the procedure I cannot wait to share with you:

Steps:

1. Choose the “thicker” branch of the plant. That means the older or mature part.

2. Cut a part of it diagonally or just cut any way you want then just re-cut it after, this time diagonally/slanting. It has been proven that roots appear faster in this kind of cut.