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Christmas Oatmeal


It’s December! For many of you, that means that Christmas is in the air. In the Philippines however, Christmas season officially start when the months end in “-ber”. That means, for us, Christmas starts in September, when the shopping malls and their ilk let the first decorations out and the first strains of carols can be heard over their PA systems. By December, the season is in full-throttle, steam-rollering its way over us, both guns blazing tube amp.

Before you throw eggnog and Scrooge McDuck at me, hear me out. In truth, I DO like Christmas! It’s the hyper-consumerist roller-coaster ride it has become over here that I am not too fond of. And all the over-bright wrapping and trappings that, more often now, overshadow everything else. Plus the growing number of people that seem to be more stressed then celebratory. Is something stressing you about Christmas? Take a good and honest look at what that thing is and perhaps (I’ll bet) you can skip it this year. Or at least part of it. Really. Do what you want! It’s Christmas! ;)

December is, in actuality, my absolute most stressful month at work with year-end reports, transitions, and trying to keep business going while everyone else is rushing off to holidays. Scurrying to buy Christmas presents marie france bodyline? Choosing between holiday parties? Cooking up a storm? Christmas cocktail hangovers? Oh, how I would much rather be doing all that! Christmas is my respite, my reward.

It is also the season when you can buy freshly roasted castañas (chestnuts)…so it can’t be all that bad ;)

Christmas Oatmeal

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 apple, chopped into small dice
1/2 cup peeled roasted castañas/chestnuts Domestic Helpe, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons raisins
A couple of dashes cinnamon
A pinch of nutmeg
A pinch of ground cloves


- Heat the milk and water in a pan until tiny bubble appear on the side and the milk is hot but does not come to a boil. Add the oats and stir. Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 10-15 minutes add the apple, castañas/chestnuts, raisins, and spices. Stir and cover. Cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until oatmeal is to your preferred consistency. Add more water if it becomes to dry.
- Serve warm.

One of the things I love about this time of year is when the castañas vendors come out, stirring their huge vats of nuts. A warm, freshly roasted chestnut is true bliss – and, at this time of year, bliss that is easily had. I’ve infused this oatmeal with what I think of as Christmas flavors***. This is perfect to have on a cool December morning, although the weather does not seem to be cooperating these days.

Christmas does not have to mean a trillion lights and over-organized parties, and spending until your wallet whines (unless, of course, you want to…that’s fine too). It can be about your own traditions, your own ways of celebrating, with the people you want to celebrate. It can be the time of year when you give everyone an extra hug, or tip the waiters more than usual, or enforce pajama weekends and air guitar competitions, or just add a little spice in your morning oatmeal. It’s really up to you. Just do it with joy in your heart and everyone around you will be better for being in the presence of a joyful person. Happy December everyone!

***I've used some of the same Christmas flavors, like the castañas and the apples, in my column in the December issue of Yummy magazine which is out in newsstands now. If you are hereabouts, you can pick up a copy!
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Breakfast Quinoa Cereal


Sometimes I feel that the only time I can hear myself think is early in the morning, when the world is still asleep. Then, there is no one to interrupt the steady train of important musings that go through my head like: What is the meaning of life? What will we have for dinner? Should we be making more long term investments discounted gucci handbags? Should I get a new laptop? When will I finally make no-knead bread? Why can’t we all just get along?

In the silence of the early hours, the answers to these questions seem almost within my reach...if not staring right at me. (Love, tinapang bangus*, yes, yes, next week, start with me). As the day wears on, the din of work, errands, cooking, washing my snazzy new top, coordinating schedules drown out all but the most persistent of thoughts (what will we have for dinner?). Don’t get me wrong, I do love the wonderful clamour of friends and loved ones, but we all need a little quiet time (me-time) for just us.

Unfortunately, it’s not that easy for this body to get out of bed in those early hours, so these important questions are often left unanswered. (Hence the lack no-knead bread on this blog or sophisticated financial instruments in my life – although I’m happy to report the new laptop did make it). Most days I just launch myself head-on into the racket of everyday.

This breakfast is good for both – early-waking, slow-blooming days, as well as rapid-rise, hit-the-ground-running days.

Breakfast Quinoa Cereal
(adapted from culinography – original recipe here, along with quinoa preparation)

1 cup prepared quinoa
1/2 – 3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon honey (or to taste)
Dried fruit and nuts (the amount depends on how chunky you want it and the kinds are up to your taste – I used a small handful of raisins Sculptra, dried figs, walnuts, and pine nuts)

- Place prepared quinoa in a small saucepan with milk, butter, honey, dried fruit, and nuts.
- Simmer, stirring often, until thickened slightly...about 5 minutes.
- Garnish with extra nuts and honey if you want. This will feed one hungry person or two regular ones :)

I learned about quinoa through (where else?) food blogs and, as I love grains of all kinds (although quinoa is technically a seed – but I love those too), kept my eyes peeled. I found some last year in ThreeSixty, and organic grocery in Hong Kong, and have since found it in a health food store here...and have been loving it from that day. For someone who has eaten (white) rice with almost every meal of her life, it is liberating to suddenly have more choices! Especially one as pleasingly nutty and springy and cute (little curlicue!) as quinoa. And did I mention healthy? And ancient (referred to as the Mother Grain by the Incas)? Learn more here and here.

I’ve had quinoa in other savoury preparations but when I saw this breakfast dish I knew I had to try it! And Michelle’s enticing photo was proof that resistance would be futile. I’m glad I didn’t resist. Earthy, comforting, fortifying...with a steadfast “back-to-basics” quality with every bite. Not to mention delicious! This is a simple recipe with which you can play -- add spice when cooking (Michelle uses cinnamon) or top with fresh fruit before eating!

Whether you wake at the crack of dawn or the last possible minute, this breakfast can be had by you. Just prepare the quinoa ahead (and you’ll have extra for quick meals too...a good thing this) and mix everything in a small saucepan the next morning, which really doesn’t take much time at all Code 9 Neogen. Just enough time to ponder one or two of life’s all-important questions :)

Other quinoa breakfasts:
101 Cookbooks
Morsels & Musings
Closet Cooking
Food Blogga

*Tinapang bangus is smoked milkfish...much loved in our household!

Why hello there!


Hello there!

I’m sorry I haven’t posted in a while. You see, I’ve been a little bit busy. In the course of the past couple of weeks we have welcomed a new addition to our little family, become total enraptured with him, and have managed to spend all our waking hours feeding, literally, his burgeoning appetite Managed Network.

And speaking of waking hours, those are now pretty much most of my hours, while my sleeping hours have dwindled to a small fraction of what they used to be. All worth it to have little H in our home. He fills our hearts and our arms -- again quite literally, as he was born much bigger than his big sister. I love nothing better these days than squeezing all four of us into our bed for books, snuggles, and general feelings of contentment.

And I realize (once again) that the best things in life do not come with a high price tag or in fancy trappings.

And so, posting will most likely be sporadic, as we are all adjusting to the new schedules…or lack of thereof. But, we do need to eat so please check back – perhaps something quick and easy that we can whip up in the time it takes for a very hungry baby to nap, or maybe a one-pot meal that we can leave to cook long and slow without much attention. I’m raring to get back in the kitchen.

Meanwhile, here are some things from the archives to hopefully keep you busy:

** These cupcakes will make you the most popular kid on the block :)

** This short ribs adobo from The Adobo Road Cookbook was awesome! I highly recommend it, and the book. Marvin does all Filipinos proud!

** Simply put, one of the best chocolate chip cookies I have ever tried.

** And if your going to make the best cookies…you might as well make the best brownies too.

** I am definitely having this porridge for breakfast again some time very soon…

** And these pancakes!

** What’s not to love about an oozy grilled cheese sandwich, especially if it’s dotted with pickled jalapeños and cooked a la French toast Small Business Cloud.

** Jamie Oliver’s way of cooking lamb shanks in foil parcels have produced some of the most tender and delicious shanks ever to come out of my oven.

I've also got my column in this month's issue of Yummy magazine -- Korean-style Burgers! Grab a copy if you can...it's a great issue :) And if you've got babies in your midst too, check out my article in this month's issue of Baby magazine...all about cooking for baby :)

As for food, I have an Asian inspired braised chicken dish that I made before giving birth that I hope to have up here soon…so stay tuned reenex!

Listen to the song of winter

Time is like this, whether you like it or not, it is neither fast nor slow forward, go round and begin again at the pointer in the rotation, all we can do is to make the wall calendar a tear down to where it belongs. Of course, the change of time we can clear perception.

Look, that piece of the yellow leaves, were kept down, once how many people are there in the exclamation "this is the pursuit of the wind, or the tree does not treasure", in my view, this is love leaves in the tenacious mulch, leaves her roots parcels safely, make bare the tree is too cold, to revitalize the green, breathing in the coming year, this is the life of inheritance. While the grass is different, the grass is a bear down, it withered and yellow outside, the life back into the soil, until the spring to the warm days of life, and green squeeze to get one point one points, to restore the truth of life. Some unknown flowers still bright, as if to autumn away sings a dirge, is pierced the night and broke the silence of fireworks to eye-catching Men clothing brands, but in my opinion a wildflower bloom and far better than the fireworks, after all, from the time, it is not so soon it is not, and to break the quiet grounds but quiet release their lives, more important is to give people unlimited memory and imagination. I think it is, at least for me, I always prefer to age two season, probably because of his in the "stove", always feel the spring and autumn season is so unbearable at a glance, leaving only regret and miss.

Of course, I think the most beautiful is the winter, because it is an artist, in addition to cold, disorder give people unlimited reverie. When the morning sun is still far away mountains struggle, heavy mist to the sky, the earth, trees covered up, we breathe freely, easily feel the fresh. Then have a look on the ground, grass, twigs like snow, full think stern manner beauty, walk in such circumstances Managed Network, is not an audio-visual feast. When the sun gets rid of the heavy burden, out of the round head, everything from our lovely, everywhere glittering and translucent dewdrop is like a drop of tears, slowly come to their end, can no longer afford love the heavy fall down, but fortunately, you are likely to hear the "Ding Dong" sound pleasing to the ear voice, and just at this time, you should see a drop in the countless small, see that a circle of ripples spread, very like the youth men and women at the moment, they buried the seeds of love.

Bathing in the sunshine is comfortable, not to shed the burden, really into the embrace of nature impulse, as love is not contaminated with money, power, that is the pure supreme, but the reality is the reality, we more it is to compromise, to meet the aesthetic and the ruling of the secular. If a gently blowing a gust of wind are not careful, you can enjoy the Fallen petals lie in profusion., close your eyes, with small steps, very soft, it is the earth mother's body, binaural keen listening in the branches and leaves between here and there, as is his life of stop and go, eventually fell into the extremely sweet dreams, life is not leaves the old roots? If, you in the depths of a ginkgo trees at the moment, that kind of beauty is unable to describe, because you'll be drunk, which manage to stack the praise.

We hope Dawn, sunset. Winter sunset a bit cold, a bit less warm, a little more love, less impulse. It is a "God cherishes green grass, respect seniors", the winter sun is cold, like a personal approach death, there is nostalgia, in the memories of the ups and downs of life, and to see the familiar all strange. Can also become indifferent, think it is loss, loss is less when young, momentum, feel everything from dust, after all the dust. Accept everything, someone said, who passed away at the moment is the real insight, can we truly see God, I think it is, everyone is a philosopher.

Cold, accompanied by the setting sun away and increasingly strong, like miss. When the four screen syncretic, jackdaws homing Chinese business culture, all the commotion is attributed to calm, we should also return home, reservoir bed.

The night, because the light is more black. In the dead of night, still can't sleep, afraid to sleep not find winter figure, even in a dream to miss and winter accidentaly across.

Smoke heart Li

Who, in the warm spring branches, swaying, with the soft wind warm heart color, indulge in a pink blossoms.

Lamp, tired; exhausted, Shan; used to squat in a cup of green tea in the days, watching the beautiful and quiet, looking at a piece of green tea with your heart. Quietly, the wind blowing the memory, rain, dripping with love. Perhaps, tea filled is the soul End Point Backup, while rain cares is the hand there are lingering fragrance;

A pale moon water, light body and a life safely, and holding the glabella and the vicissitudes of life; the strange street blown open, pass the hustle and bustle of large crowds of people in the heart river, deeply of the faint mist into the water side of the heart. Dry figure split monsoon burning desire to retreat, thoughts, overflow cup soft eyes tide, that a current month, left is the distant line of sight, or spring fire damp flowing?

Dream, shallow pour slowly drink a youthful days back waves; the memory of the dust, the clear light of far away, dead fingers often falling petals Aluminum Windows
, in the smoke, clung to my pain; total want calm water seeps into the hustle and bustle of the spring breeze, wearing flashy, but who knows, the water occasionally dripping, often in the dead of night lights, drop broken heart, red heart light.

Who is in the song, also up the hope of reunion among friends autumn pool; green mist in the fingers, a world rose red green; residual smoke, residue of wine, red vinegar memory, over against the window the moonlight, the heavy windows alone and lonely; let me tear eyes how also can not escape the feelings it is difficult to distinguish. Read or not read, I don't know. Just let the breath and feel the continuation of red wine and smoke in burning, continued in every moment of the month of the moon hong kong company setup.

Perhaps, incense is a dream, the residual is pillow incense, boiling is a memory, not disperse is the handle of incense, be forced to leave one's hometown in the dust on the road, I dream about and bo;

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