Cuatro Cantos

Aking ida-daldal ang aking naging bakasyon nang nagdaang Pasko at Bagong Taon sa inyong lahat. Awa ng Diyos ay masaya naman at mahaba-haba rin. Kaso nga laang ay bitin pa rin. Gusto ko’y bakasyon lagi.

Ang una naming pinuntahan ay isang malaking bahay na paupahan sa may Amadeo sa Cavite. Ang Microtel Inn tsaka yung Eagle Ridge. Kami ay nagpakasaya ng maigi doon. Marami kaming mga ginawa na noon laang din namin naranasan gaya ng maligo sa swimming pool na kami laang ang tao. Kahit magpatilarok ng ihi ay ayos laang. Nagpagalingan kami ng pagpapagulong ng bola at pagpapatama sa mga nakatayong bote ng Pepsi, ako ang nanalo. Iwas kanal lagi eh. Ang dalwa namang anak ay tuwang-tuwang naglaro sa palaruan. Anaki ay noon laang nakapaglaro sa gay-un eh. Ay meron din naman sa Jollibee. Noon ay nangawil din kami sa hinukay na ilog na may tilapyang maliit pa sa dulong. Ay anaki ay kasya sa aking ilong eh, sa liit. Ang pinakamasaya ay kami ay nakatulog na naman sa de-erkon na kwarto.

Kami ay sa amin na nagdiwang ng bisperas ng Pasko. Nagbukas kami ng maraming regalo na talagang nagpasaya sa aming mga mahal na anak. Ay hindi mapantayan ang mga umis eh. Akala mo’y Toy Kingdom ang aming bahay sa dami ng laruan.
Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 1%

My yearly Christmas vacation started this Christmas week and will end sometime after New Year. Which means, back to normal days. And when I say “normal”, I really mean “normal” – days I enjoy and hate at the same time. Days I effin have to live with.

Anyways, I shouldn’t talk about normal days for this sake. It’s Christmas and I have a beautiful day to talk about.

Late last week, my wife, which is the owner of this blog, planned about going out somewhere with the girls. Somewhere where we can spend time together, live like a Royal family with servants everywhere we go, and at the same time pay for everything we look at and step on to. Does it sounds like a hotel to you?

Yes it is! And we had a great time.

I’d like to deliver a review of the Microtel Inn – Cavite, but since nobody gets here looking for reviews, I’d rather talk about the experience – with minimal side reviews. But let me add, there’s no FREE WIFI on the place. You have to buy a pass for 500 pesos, good for 5 hours.

Good things also come to those who can’t wait. Let me say how grateful I was that we didn’t have to take a plane for this one. Otherwise, we’re screwed. It should be a wrong day, an we were so thankful that the hotel made it the right day for us. That’s a positive feedback. Story is, we thought it’s the day we booked online, but apparently it’s for the next day. It’s on the confirmation notice. Just look how excited we were for that day. Don’t ask about the kids because they were much more excited since the other day.

Everything was settled, and we checked in. It was a bit rainy, you know the type that raindrops are actually not dropping but floating like snow flakes in the air. That thing irritates me kasi lumalagkit balat ko pag medyo nabasa. We took a nap in the room, while we wait for the sun. It was up in the afternoon and so were we.

We drove out to the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club where excitement comes true. We only planned to check the place so we have idea for the activities reserved for us the next day, but as I said, we cannot wait. We have to take advantage of time. Picture taking shouldn’t be out on the list. With my newly acquired Kodak Zoom, I was able to take better pictures and I’m actually enjoying doing it. Not what you’re thinking, stupid. I also got a little tripod so I was able to join on some pictures.

We where the only ones in the pool area, and I literally say it was ours for that moment. The pool was huge. It starts from the sandy shore with water so shallow. It runs deeper as you go further and ends at a 6 feet deep Olympic-style part. Around the pool were artificial landscapes, foot bridges, and natural sceneries. One thing that excited the two kids is the playground by the pool.

Bowling match

It was dusk, and before we got back to the hotel, we checked for a place to dine. We ended up at the bowling and billiard restaurant and ironically, another indoor playground for the kids. We ordered food, and did the most necessary thing to do. Played bowling and billiards. We got two rounds of bowling, and I’m gonna let this picture tell you how it ended. We also played rounds of billiards, which looked more like master-apprentice match. We stayed at the place until it closed.

The next morning, we woke up early. We had the complimentary free breakfast and head straight to the car. We drove back to Eagle Ridge to avail the activities we reserved. Swimming all the way and an hour of fishing.

We were there by 7AM, the pool opens at 8AM, but again, we cannot wait. They allowed us to own the whole place again. We were the only ones using the pool, so I was able to do my most favorite thing on the pool – nope, it’s not practicing the butterfly stroke. Urinating.

The water was very cold and it’s windy at the same time. So after a couple of hours in the pool, we went fishing. The place is somewhere above the small hill. Yes, it’s crazy. We went there and we thought we should play bowling instead. The place looks lonely. The fishing rods look crazy too. And the hooks are rusty, one is so small and the other too big. That’s what she said. We were given chopped squid tentacles as bait, and just a few minutes and my wife caught one. It was a small one, but exciting. That’s what she said. After that one, there’s no more. It was all because of the bait, it’s so hard. That’s what she said. A guy came over with some live worms. We replaced the squids with worms and after every couple of minutes, we caught one. It gets exciting and exciting after each one, but the worm idea was too late that we have to leave already. All in all we caught nine, but instead of taking them home, we decided to put them back to the pond for them to grow bigger.

That ends the day, leaving us all with big smiles on our faces and our hearts.

Popularity: 1%

Here is another breakfast dish that will surely brighten up anyone’s day.
Aldrin and I both love dried pusit, we can finish off one 500-gram pack in just one sitting. With sukang may bawang at sili na sawsawan, you just can’t go wrong. I specially love Pinakurat or the hot and spicy Datu Puti Suka.

Fried Dried Pusit

I used dried pusit to jazz up our ordinary sinangag. It’s as easy as 1-2-3, and one of those that you can call 10-minute kitchen wonders, like one of my favorite local cooking shows, QuickFire in CH.11.

Read the recipe after this break…

Popularity: 1%

It’s been a week since my last post. I have been very busy with house de-cluttering and wrapping gifts for the holidays. We also went to Batangas for the debut of Aldrin’s sister.

Yesterday, we went to the grocery to buy food and other home supplies. While I was there, I decided to cook something special for the night.(yeah, compulsive impulses) I envisioned a plate of cheesy mashed potato, beef steak with warm gravy and for side dish, penne with garlic and bacon bits. And so, that was the menu for last night.

Beef steak with mashed potato and Penne with Garlic and bacon

More of the details after this break…

Popularity: 1%

As a way of ‘honoring’ or shall I say cheering on our Pambansang Kamao in his upcoming fight with Cotto, I am blogging about Manny Pacquiao’s favorite dish of all time, Tinolang Manok. Tinolang Manok is one of the easiest soupy yet ‘malinamnam‘ chicken dishes that we Filipinos have. This dish has actually been a favorite of Pinoys even way way back. This was even mentioned in our National Hero, Jose Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tangere.

This is also a favorite of mine, I like the taste of Sili leaves, the ginger and of course the delicious soup and the fall-of-the-bone chicken! So here it is, (wag na natin patagalin) my recipe for Tinolang manok.

This bowl of Tinolang Manok is for my hubby Aldrin

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of Chicken cut-ups (Tinola cut is also available, the pieces are usually the bony parts, but I like chicken wings, legs and thighs for my tinola)
• 1 medium sized onion, sliced
  
• 5 cloves of garlic, crushed (I’m a garlic person sometimes, I use 1 bulb)
  
• 1 medium sized ginger, sliced, crushed
• 1 medium sized green papaya, seeds removed and sliced lengthwise
  
• Sili leaves
• 1 Siling haba
• patis
• a dash of salt and pepper to taste
• 6 cups of water or reserved chicken stock. (you can also use Knorr chicken cubes, I like this product and been using this to enhance the flavor of my chicken tinola)
  

Ingredients for Tinolang Manok

1. In a pot, saute the onion, garlic and ginger until the onions are transparent.
2. Add in the chicken, and until the chicken has changed color.
3. Add in the water or reserved chicken stock. Or add the water then the Knorr chicken cubes,  I think 2 cubes will work.
4. Add in the sliced  papaya.
5. Let the soup simmer for about 15 – 20 minutes until the chicken and papaya is thoroughly cooked.
6. Season with patis, salt and pepper according to your taste. Throw in the Siling Haba.
7. Lastly, just before you turn off the fire, add in the sili leaves, give it one more stir to soak the leaves in the soup. And voila, you have your Tinolang Manok!

Almost done!

So, easy! You can also try this with native chicken, at my in-laws, in Mabini, Batangas, they include the liver, gizzard and even the chicken blood in the tinola. The soup is more flavorful, yummier, it’s even greater when it’s native chicken.

You can also try Tinolang Tahong (Mussels). Almost same ingredients, you just replace the chicken with tahong. Just don’t overcook the tahong. Will cook this again and post pictures as well. So, what are you waiting for, go to your nearest grocery or market, buy the ingredients, and cook your own steaming Tinolang Manok.

Popularity: 1%