Coffee and Apple Pie

Coffee and apple pie after dinner last night... love it! Apple pie is courtesy of my niece. She ordered it from one of her favorite fast food together with some goodies for herself. We have same day off this time Saturday and Sunday, but different work schedule.  Happy tummy again!

Why do I like coffee a lot? I have migraine way back in my early teens. I found out caffeine in coffee is the cheapest and easiest way to combat migraine attack. If you suffer from migraine and you feel migraine headache is underway. Try taking a cup of black coffee. I take it without sugar. Caffeine constricts blood vessels and alleviates migraine headache. 

At the first sign of asthma attack coffee also helps. It is advisable to take strong coffee without sugar.  Caffeine is bronchodilator. It helps relax and clear the airways, for asthma sufferer to breathe easier. 

Dinner

 I gave my favorite veggie bitter gourd, ampalaya in our local lingo, a twist in cooking. For dinner last night, I prepared stir fried bitter gourd with hot dog instead of bitter gourd with egg. 

 I have bad attack of allergy, not sure if it was due to Omega 3 vitamins I am taking or change of weather. It is summer time here in Manila, Philippines. Really warm, bet 33 to 35 Celsius.

 I refrain from eating chicken and eggs for the time being until such time the rashes in my arms are fully healed.

Busy here folks, well as always. I need more concentration to write. At any rate I will be posting once in a while to keep my blog up and running. Have a great day everyone! :)

Lunch is Ready

This is just a recipe for busy me.  I was thinking of buying tilapia fillet at the supermarket after work for a change. But, no more stock, I ended up buying the fresh fish. I bought two for my lunch and dinner. I had them cleaned at the supermarket.

As soon as I got home I stuffed the fish with onions and tomatoes. Put them neatly in my electric griller. On my electric stove, a pot of rice, took out a frozen piece of pork chop for my niece. I waited for few minutes, fish and rice were done.

It is the pork chop turn on the electric stove inside my Happy Call cookware. I peeled and sliced cucumber for my veggies, then set the table for two. I was hungry! Yup, my work shift ends at 12 noon. My niece wakes up 3pm. Before she gets ready for work at 7pm, she eats. By the time she wakes up. I’m sound asleep. That is how it is for two call center ladies, folks. :)

Pata Sinigang

Finally, I got a well cooked vegetables for my pata sinigang, Filipino pork leg stew.  Last Saturday I cooked pata sinigang. It is my niece day off, I got work. I normally prepare lunch or dinner with vegetables on my niece day off as I want her to eat vegetables of her choice.  Preparing vegetables takes time. I cleaned them all up without cutting Friday night, and stored in the ref.

I bought two big slices of pork pata from a meat shop close to my home after work, Saturday. I pressure cooked the sliced pata for about ten minutes soon as I got home.  

 I put the soup and vegetables in this double sided pan, salt and pepper corn, bring to boil. After five minutes, added pata slices and a sachet of sinigang mix for flavoring. I put the leafy veggies on top, closed the lid. Presto! Great tasting sinigang! Thank you to the gift giver of this pan, my cooking is made easy. 

My Kitchen Allies

Here are some of the Christmas gifts I received from my family members. My activities in the kitchen now, made easy. 

I love this two sided pan. For good health, no more oil needed. I can easily cook meat, fish and veggies with this pan. I just put pork chop or chicken inside, cover it up and in less time, it is cooked. I can also put some veggies together with the meat, like carrots, cauliflower, lady fingers and others. No hassle in washing, too. Yes, I can use this on my butane and electric stove. 

Who does not want to have a waffle and coffee for breakfast? I love pancake but instead of flipping pancakes. I have this waffle maker. 

Well, busy people should not spend too much time in the kitchen, folks. I am really happy I received these precious gifts. I just have to edit the first photo. I am not selling the product. I am sharing some ideas here. And.. to tell the givers, how much I appreciate these kitchen allies.  :)

Chicken Pie

My niece, my home buddy is on work training for two days. The training will run for two days morning shift, Monday and Tuesday this week. We both work at night. Monday and Tuesday are my day off, too. Soon as I got home yesterday morning, I started tossing clothes in my washing machine while cooking lunch for myself and dinner for my niece.  At three in the afternoon, I cannot resist the invite of my bed. I was sound asleep when my niece came home.

I woke up at seven in the evening I checked on her inside her bedroom.  She was sound asleep. On our dining table is a small box with label, chicken pie and the dinner I prepared. I thought, she probably had dinner after the training. I went back to my bedroom. I woke up at nine in the evening for my dinner. My niece was awake, working as usual on her laptop. The dinner I prepared for her was gone, the chicken pie was spared? It was for me! I thanked her with a wide grin on my face.  They had free lunch at the training. She brought home the chicken pie for me. 

I ate rice and the lady finger veggie I prepared for my dinner. At around four in the morning, I prepared a cup of black coffee. I peeled off the wrapper of the chicken pie put it inside the oven toaster. The yummy chicken pie was gone in few bites. Black coffee and chicken pie, equals great breakfast! With the fork still in my hand I came to her room and teasingly, I said - “ I want some more! “ 

A Day with Glenda

Nice name, yet Filipinos dreaded this name last 15^th of July, Tuesday. This was the local name given to typhoon Rammasun.  

My sister lives in the Bicol area. We had been exchanging text messages about the situation in Bicol. Manila was also part of  signal number two then later number three.  I was telling her Monday evening the weather inside our unit was still warm. It was my day off.  I kept vigil at the news on television. I am at the inner unit and I cannot hear rains or wind from the outside. At around two in the morning I heard some neighbors talking to our lobby guard. While some were busy on their cell phones.  I went down to the lobby.  My unit is at the second floor. There it was the rain and wind.  

Flashing Lights

Last Friday night, the 17^th I woke up late, I did not have time to eat dinner before I left home.  I was at work fifteen minutes before my log in time. I chose a night shift at work for some reasons. One, less traffic jam, second it is cooler, third, less time-consuming to get ready to work. I made sure to drop by at our pantry for a cup of black coffee before entering the work area.  I was at my station five minutes before my log in time.

It did not surprise me to get a call right away soon as I log in.  It was an irate lady customer who was visiting her old dad. She was watching the satellite television, pressed some buttons, now the television screen became blue. I knew it was an input issue. She was sort of giving me a hard time not following what I am telling her to do. Then all of a sudden, there came flashing light. I felt as the light continuously flashed I had a hard time focusing on my computer screen. 

Lifestyle

I came home at around eight in the morning Tuesday after work. We have new work schedule every week. You get lucky if you get the most convenient work schedule for you.  I have the earliest work schedule this week same with my team mates. There are advantages and disadvantages with the earlier work shift. The advantages, I do not have to bring my umbrella or my sun block lotion to protect me from scorching sunlight. It is cooler when I come home. To name few disadvantages- having to fight traffic jams on my way to work. It is rush hour for those who wanted to be home from their work. Shopping malls are still closed. I just got lucky the place  I lived at has nearby Mini Stop and Seven Eleven.  These stores are open twenty four hours. There is also  a grocery store that opens as early as eight in the morning. In case I need something. They are the most convenient places to go.

This rose  is for my sister. Today is her birthday!

Housing in Manila is another big expense that you may not be happy setting aside your monthly pay. If you want to stay close to your place of work you have no choice but to pay for higher rent. I live in a big house run by Catholic nuns that suits me just fine. I get to see them all the time because we have same work area like living room and kitchen. My land ladies are of different nationalities, but most of them are Spanish. Oh, they were so happy winning the World Cup. There are at least seven of them assigned in Manila and most are assigned in Mindanao for their mission. Most of them are on vacations since early this year and went back to their respective countries. There are three of them in Manila right now. Normally when I get home, Miss India, as I teased her, would be busy preparing lunch. She goes to school in the afternoon. She has to take her lunch ahead of her colleagues.

For several months our house had been silent unlike when the other four ladies were here. At dinner time after their prayers I would normally hear them, telling stories and laughing by themselves. They never ran out of stories to tell. They are just happy and contented with their lifestyle. They are provided with housing and all they needed by their congregation but they do not have monies of their own. Miss India told me she has a sister who is also a nun, assigned in Rome studying. Later her sister will be assigned in Africa for missionary work. Such a simple life, yet they are happy and contented for what they got. No readers, I have no plan of being one of them. I have a different vocation. I just want to share a simple contented lifestyle. On the other side of the coin, I wonder why there are some people who fight for monies and fame. However at the end, they are still losers.