Monday, May 31, 2021

A happy 9th birthday


Well, someone had a really good month! 


Iñigo turned 9 and we had so much fun celebrating the funniest little boy in the world! We had balloons and toys, cake and ice cream, and hugs and kisses. Just the kind of birthday party that we always have. 


I can't say much about Iñigo anymore. I'm not allowed haha He wants me to respect his privacy, but he did say he wanted Mama's friends to see how happy his birthday was. So here are a few photos of such a happy day!


It's his second birthday in quarantine. Second of a few more since vaccinations for kids start at 12 years old. He has 3 years to go. Till then, he stays home and stays safe. Lord, please let that be Your birthday gift to my not-so-little boy. Let him and his brothers be healthy and untouched by Covid forever. 


Bless him. Keep him safe. Nourish his dreams. Show him Your will for his life. Let him be this joyful and funny all the days of his life, which I pray to be full of love. Take care of my boy, dear God, on his birthday and many more birthdays to come. Amen. 

*If you do want to know what Iñigo's like, check out what I wrote about him on his 5th birthday. He's still exactly the same.

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Monday, May 24, 2021

What's so good about my 2021! Plus, tell me yours for a chance to get a prize!

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

Hi everyone! I'm so thrilled to be doing a special giveaway this month. As you might know, it's my blog's 15th anniversary today. Yes, TODAY! Exciting! So Welch's wanted to celebrate by sponsoring a giveaway for my Loyal Readers! 

Thanks so much, Welch’s! 


I know it's only May and the world is still in the grip of the pandemic. But we're not going to let 2021 happen to us, ladies. We're going to make things happen instead!

Already, half the year is almost done and there's still much to be grateful for even in this, the strangest year in my living memory. I'm making today a chance to celebrate what I can be grateful for and because Welch's tag line is #ShareWhatsGood, I'm going to tell you three of the many reasons I thank the heavens.

Let me share with you what's so good about my life lately: 

1. My Not Invisible book 

My first book came out on Amazon in January, was on the bestseller list on its first two weeks, then came out as a paperback here in the Philippines and I've had hundreds of orders. I'm all sold out now! My author's heart is so happy. Thank you!

What's really good: 

I've been so grateful for is all the support, the encouragement, and the orders! People who bought my book shared their thoughts on Facebook and Instagram, some even did a review on their blogs. I've gotten lots of messages about how my book made them cry, made them feel they're understood and not alone. That means so much because when I was a new mom, I also thought I was so alone in all my feelings. So thank you for reading my book, telling everyone about it, and for telling me how you feel about Not Invisible.

2. Lean In Network Manila

Mommy Ginger and I started the local arm of Lean In organization, the global support network for women who want to succeed in life. We celebrate our anniversary this May, too! In the last year, I've met women who are so admirable and inspiring, so raw and honest, funny and encouraging. The miracle is every woman was like that even though all of us were struggling with the difficulties brought about by the pandemic. 

What's really good: 

I look forward to our monthly meetings because not only have I learned so many things and shared so many stories, I also found new friends at a time of isolation. So if you want to be part of Lean In Manila and meet new women who are all about encouragement and empowerment, please join us!

3. My blog!

I guess it's the pandemic. Maybe people are home a lot and they have more time now to read blogs? I don't know what it is but my page views have gone up again this past year. With the advent of social media, my blog's stats went down over the years but now readership is up again. I dunno what happened. I didn't do anything different. But I'm grateful!

What's really good: 

Well, it's the 15th birthday of Topaz Horizon. That means 15 years of happiness as a writer! My blog also made it possible for me to have a new career when my magazine one died, allowed me to stay home and be with my babies because of the brand sponsorships I got (thanks, brands!), brought me to many fun and beautiful places with my family, and made me able to experience new products and food I'd never have imagined or only dreamed about. Thank you! 

Most of all, I met so many friends online who became my friends IRL. You, my dear Loyal Readers, made my dream life possible. Thank you so much!

There are many other wonderful things about this year. Our pet hamsters have given us so much joy. My neighbors have formed a close-knit community we didn't have before quarantine. I've reconnected with old friends I've previously been too busy to talk to. I've probably chatted with my Amper family more than I ever have in years. And of course, my husband and my little boys - they've been so great! 
   
Now it's your turn!

Tell everyone what's so good about 2021. Just one thing! And you will get a chance to win these:


The prize includes:

1. 1 big bottle of Welch's 100% Grape Juice - for your heart health! 
2. 2 small bottles of Welch's 100% Grape Juice - to boost your immune system! 
3. 2 bottles of Welch's Cranberry Juice Cocktail - for your daily dose of antioxidants!  
4. 1 bottle of Welch’s Sparkling Grape Juice - to celebrate your win! 
5. 1 copy of my book, Not Invisible: A Memoir - for a sneak peek at my life as a wife and mom for the last 10 years! 

I will also slip in a surprise beauty product!!! 

How to join:

If you have Instagram, do these:

1. Share a photo either as a post on your IG feed or even in your IG Stories (please set to public so Welch's and I can see!). That photo represents your answer to my question: 

"What's so good about 2021?"

2. Tell everyone about what you're grateful for this year. It can be a person, a pet, a thing, a place, an event - anything! As long as it's a good thing and worth celebrating. Your post can be short or long but make sure you...

3. Don't forget to use the hashtags: #Grateful #ShareWhatsGood. Very important!

4. Follow @welchs_ph and @francesampersales. Tag us on your post so we can see!

If you have Facebook, do Steps 1-3 above but kindly follow and tag the pages of Welch's PH and Topaz Horizon Blog instead.

I'll choose 3 winners* on May 31, 2021. One from Instagram, one from Facebook, and one from my Facebook Live tonight at 9 pm! Yes, just head on over to https://www.facebook.com/TopazHorizonBlog for my 15 Questions Answered live streaming! 

That's it! Thanks in advance for sharing your story of hope and gratitude! Can't wait to see you #ShareWhatsGood about your year, too!


UPDATE: Announcement of winners!

CONGRATULATIONS!
Yvette Carla Soriano         Mafeth Madrigal-Molina          Iza Therese


*Winners must have a Philippine address.

*This post is brought to you by Welch's. Welch's 100% Grape Juice, Juice Cocktails, Sparkling Juices, and Fruit Snacks are available in all leading supermarkets, drugstores, and convenience stores. You can have your favorite health drink delivered right to your doorstep! Visit the Ace Food Service website, or place your order in the following online groceries: Metro Mart, Lazmart, and Waltermart.

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Sunday, May 16, 2021

Keds is on sale and I so want to buy!

First, this isn't a sponsored post. I wish it was haha! Anyway, Keds. If you've been following my blog for a while now, you'd know I love Skechers. It's really the most comfortable shoes and busy-mommy me needs comfort! But around 3 years ago, busy-mommy became I-want-to-be-stylish-again mommy and so I got Keds. (I still have Skechers for working out and for days I need to run around all day.) 

Well, my husband bought me the plainest white sneaker of Keds. He wanted to get me something more special but I was thinking about how I can wear that plain white Keds with absolutely anything - jeans, slacks, dresses, even a satin-and-lace outfit that I didn't get a photo of! So its basic simplicity allows me to be stylish and comfortable so it's really the best Keds shoe anyone should own.

Anyway, I'm subscribed to their online shop. I wish I wasn't because every week I torture myself with looking at their shoes. I love ALL their shoes, especially when they had collabs with Taylor Swift and Kate Spade. So gorgeous! Okay. Maybe not all. Not a fan of their boots because I'm not a boots person. But everything else I wish was in my shoe closet.

This week, my inbox declared that Keds was on sale. And so I clicked on the email. And then I clicked and clicked and clicked! 

So many fabulous shoes on sale! Sadly, most of my choices were already sold out on my size. I especially want these:

And this was the last click:

Hala! Should I buy all three? Or all nine haha? Parang dapat one only kasi I don't go out of the house naman. Three pairs are too much for quarantine huhu. Tell me which one to get! Thanks!


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Friday, May 14, 2021

Mama of littles, you can blink, you can breathe

Possibly one of the best pieces of advice given to me when I was a new mommy more than a decade ago was, "Don't blink." 

It was also one of the worst. 


The advice was meant well. Don't blink. All this is fleeting. You won't want to miss anything. Your kids will never be this small again. Stay present. Don't blink.

And I really really tried hard not to blink. Even when I had yayas, I couldn't let my guard down. I didn't want to miss anything. I didn't sleep for 8 years! So when despite all that, when the boys' first words and first steps were witnessed by their Papa or their yayas, instead of me celebrating the milestone, I anguished over the guilt of not being the one to see it first. Because I was their mother. I'm supposed to be the one to see it all happen. I'm the front and center. I'm the hands-on, must-be-there mama. To miss anything means I was a bad mom.

Well, fuck that. All that pressure was the one making me a bad mom!


I finally realized I'm not just their mother. I am more than their mother. And even if motherhood is probably the most important thing I'll ever do in my life, I'm not going to be a good mother if I don't sleep and if I don't let other people help me.

So I blinked. In fact, I slept. I trusted my husband to be a parent, too. I trusted my kids to be on their own and to do things on their own. And I found that I could finally breathe, free from the pressure to be forever present, to never blink.

Listen, young mama. It's true. All this is fleeting. Tomorrow, your not-talking baby will suddenly say, "Dada." Tomorrow, your crawling baby will stand up on wobbly chubby legs and walk. Tomorrow, your child won't need you to spoon-feed him, or wash his butt, or dress him. He'll want to talk to his friends instead of you. He'll close his bedroom door. He'll forget to kiss you goodnight. 

And that's okay. I love Facebook Memories because I get to be reminded of how adorable my kids were. What those pictures fail to show is how desperately exhausted I was from keeping my eyes wide open all the time. I know now it's not healthy to obsess about missing any of it. I had to look away from them and look at me, look at my husband, look at the rest of my life, and also take care of those aspects of myself. And when the other parts of me were flourishing, my kids looked at me, too, and saw more than just a mama. That's important, too.

People told me all the time back when I was going insane with the sleepless nights and the "don't blink!" guilt-inducing comments, "You will miss all this! Just you wait!" Well, almost 11 years later, I am happy to say I don't miss it at all. I'm relieved. I'm glad it's over. I'm happy I'm no longer stressed out with the constant vigilance. I'm healthier because I sleep now. I did it. I succeeded. I survived. And while I will always love my boys' baby and toddler years, I am so happy that part of my life is done. 


Next: pre-teens, then the teenage years. I'm going into this next chapter blind but also determined that we, all of us, will survive it, too. I'll just tell myself that while all this is fleeting, I need to take a step back once in a while, relax more, trust more. Breathe.

That said, this song remains one of my favorites. It's about making the memories last but also letting go. It's okay. Let go. That's what parenting is all about anyway.



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Friday, May 07, 2021

7 reasons why I'm happy to be an old mom

I'm 44 and mommy to little boys. If I had gotten pregnant at 22, I'd have a kid in college now! Since more and more women are delaying marriage and motherhood, I'm in pretty good company. In Europe, the average age of first-time mothers is 29.9 years old (source). In Japan, it's 30.7, in South Korea, it's 31.4 (source). But the older generation, specifically my father, had insisted I should've had my kids early, like when I was 22. When I turned 27 and was still unmarried and child-free, my Papa told me to get pregnant already to force Vince to marry me. That was sad because I think he started telling me to guard my virginity since I was 7 (parents, please stop tying your daughter's value to her virginity!) and then 20 years later, that integrity was thrown out the window all because Filipinos believe only motherhood is the point of women's lives.

Considering that I absolutely love motherhood (most days haha), I ought to agree, right? Nope. I am oh so glad I delayed having babies for as long as I could. But to answer the question, well, if I had known it would be this ridiculously amazing, well... I still wouldn't have done it. I know who I am and the mid-20s Frances would never have appreciated motherhood the way mid-40s Frances is being blown away by it every day. 

(I'm also being battered by it. Maybe if I had been a young mom, I'd have had more energy?)
 

Here are my 7 reasons why I am so relieved and happy I'm an old mom:

1. I became a somebody before I became a wife and a mom.

I don't mean I became famous. I just mean I became my own person - not someone's daughter, not someone's wife, not someone's mother. I became me. I learned who I was and what I wanted in life and was able to achieve all that on my own and without the guilt of choosing between career and my family.

I'm a mommy now and you know what? I will always choose family over career. But sometimes I wonder if I have this conviction only because I had the privilege of having enjoyed a career without having to think of anyone else. I can say easily now that between an important meeting and picking up my kids from school I'd pick my kids. But that's because I've earned the position - I can dictate meetings now, say no, and my career will be fine. If you're 23 with a crying baby and a demanding boss... that sounds horrible. 

2. I'm wiser and vastly more patient.

Less selfish, too. Less drama. More love. More kindness. Not saying that women in their 20s can't be wise, patient, selfless, and kind. I'm talking about ME. The Frances in her 20s wasn't really a nice person. She was all about herself and I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I was a kid, I had fun, I had a whole decade just catering to me, me, me. And that was glorious!

But those years also taught me a lot about the world, relationships, family, money, and the fleeting brevity of life. So I was able to make mistakes and learn from them and the only one who was affected was me. I became softer, more humble, kinder, more forgiving, more understanding, and compassionate. So when the babies finally came, they had a mommy whose heart had become tender from all the blows of life.  

3. I'm old enough to know that I'm not missing out.

I met Vince when I was 22 and he was 25 and we had a blast growing up together. We pursued our passions separately, and there were times we didn't see each other for days, even weeks, since we were so busy with our own lives and dreams and careers. And you know what? All that shit was fun but I don't miss any of it. So when I became a mom and was at home for days and days on end, the partying photos of other moms didn't make me feel bad. Been there, done that. 

4. I love my body now.

It's ironic that when my body looked its best (late 20s to early 30s), I didn't like it. I kept comparing it to other bodies. It was always sick. I was too busy to appreciate it. But aging and maturity made me appreciate how my body makes me do the most amazing things. I got pregnant, gave birth, recovered at lightning speed, breastfed three babies continuously, carried heavy babies for hours and hours, ran after little boys, and kept house and home for them all on an average of 4 hours of sleep a night for the last 11 years. How I'm still alive, I do not know! My body keeps going and going. It's my favorite miracle. 

5. I had so much sex!

The thing with having children - though we love them so very much and we will literally die for them if needed - is they're the result of lovemaking and now they prevent us from making love. Cue the sad violin music.

My husband and I miss those days and nights when just one look and we become undone. Now, we just look at each other longingly and nothing happens hahaha Thank goodness we had those pre-parent YEARS when we could make love all day long and all night long!

6. I actually like kids now.

Loyal Readers who have read this blog since 2016 know I never wanted to be a mother. I had many reasons, chief of which I don't really like kids. I don't hate them. I enjoyed my brief career as a preschool teacher, for example. But the best thing about being a teacher/babysitter/auntie is you can enjoy the cuties for a while then return them to their parents. But now, in my old age and because my kids made me fall in love with them and anything that vaguely resembles them in size and shape, I love kids!

7. I met new young friends.

I mentioned that in other countries, women are having kids at a later age. Here in the Philippines, it's still a young 22.8 (source) so many of my mommy friends are younger than me. And while I'm glad I'm an old mommy, I can see that motherhood isn't just for oldies like me. Young moms have so much energy and devotion and creativity! I don't know why! Youth??? 


Sure, being an old mom has its downsides. I don't have the energy I had in my 20s. I'll still be paying for college tuition in my 60s. But those I can brush off. What I'm sad and desperate about is I really really want my kids to marry young so I can dote on my grandkids!!! What the what! Yep. That's the only thing that bothers me about having kids late. If my boys take after us and also get married in their 30s, then I'd be in my 60s before I see my grandkids!

Now, am I saying women should have kids in their 30s? No. I think you should do whatever makes you happy and be a mommy whenever you're ready. That can be 22, that can be 33, that can be 45. In my case, I was 33. To be honest, I didn't think I was ready (is anyone ever ready hahahaha). But I guess I was because I had already lived my selfish, carefree life, have the requisite loving and committed relationship, have the home, and had the money in the bank. So what was I waiting for? Thank goodness I missed a few pills and got pregnant!



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Thursday, May 06, 2021

Pre-order your Not Invisible Experience Kit!

This month, Topaz Horizon is 15 years old. FIFTEEN YEARS OLD! Imagine that!

Last year, when we all thought the quarantine would only be for 30 days, I had planned to celebrate by holding a little party with 15 of my most Loyal Readers. But more than one year later, we're still prevented by the pandemic to see each other. It is what it is and we have to celebrate every day we're alive and healthy... and turning one year older!

Happy birthday, Topaz Horizon! 

So, for this blog's 15th birthday, instead of a party, I just chose to commemorate it by publishing my first ever book, Not Invisible, a collection of the best posts from this blog and from my now-hidden mommy blog Topaz Mommy. Thank you so much to the hundreds of people who enthusiastically supported my debut book! 


I shared on my social the special gift box I created for the media. As a PR professional, I figured it would be a good idea to enlist bloggers and press to amplify my book and blog. Instead of a press kit, I called it an Experience Kit because reading my blog and my book is an experience! Everything in my kit enhances that experience. I was so happy when the mommy bloggers unboxed their kits and loved it!

So many of you asked if the Experience Kit was for sale. Some suggested that it can be my blog anniversary celebratory event. And you know what? I think you guys have the best ideas! So let's make the Topaz Horizon x Not Invisible Experience Kit available to you, my Loyal Readers!

#unboxing


The Experience Kit is just P750! Each box includes one book, one Topaz Horizon scented candle, a nap dress, and a golden bookmark. 


There's a little guide on how to make the contents of the kit enhance your reading pleasure.


I really thought over the contents of this kit super carefully. At first, I wanted to ask my blog sponsors to stock it but then I realized that I wanted everything in it to be just about you, me, and reading. 


The candle smells soooo good! Even unlit, the sweet and feminine scent wafts everywhere. I tried many scents but my husband and kids said that this particular fragrance reminds them of me best. 


The daster, a.k.a. nap dress para sosyal haha, is super soft and comfy. Perfect for settling down in your bed or favorite chair to read my book or my blog! The dress design in each box will be random but they will all have shades of orange.

The Topaz Horizon x Not Invisible Experience Kit is so simple but I lovingly created it for you! So I hope you order a kit! Just fill out this form. 

Please don't forget to check the box and indicate how many kits you want to preorder! 

I'm accepting orders from now till Sunday, May 9, 2021. So I know how many books to reserve and dresses to order! The Experience Kits will ship out on my blog's 15th anniversary, May 24.

And on that anniversary week, I'll also be inviting everyone who bought my book and the Experience Kit to a virtual book launch where we can talk about the experience of invisibility and how we can deal with it in a constructive manner. I'll email the link to you a few days before the launch.

I'll also have a little Facebook Live on May 24, 9 pm, just to say hello and thank you to all of you in my squeaky voice, and do a giveaway, too! 

Happy 15th birthday to Topaz Horizon - to me and to you! We made all this happen but it's really you who kept me going. Thank you for loving my stories and my family all these years. God bless you! 


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Tuesday, May 04, 2021

Get a free Acer One 8 T2 tablet with an Acer Swift or Spin laptop!

If you need to buy new gadgets for work or for your kids' school, Acer has a great new promo: #AcerOnePlusJuan promo - get a free Acer One 8 T2 tablet with an Acer Swift or Spin laptop! I'm sharing it here because our new quarantined life means we all need gadgets now.


For example, in my family, we're almost done with homeschooling. Just 5 more weeks to go! We relied a lot on computers this past school year. Three boys with their own gadgets - yes, we're privileged but in a slightly different manner because those gadgets were katas ng blogging. The iPad was a gift from the #StreamTeam campaign for Netflix in 2018, the Acer notebook was a gift from Microsoft when I did their #ModernMomOnTheGo campaign in 2015-2016, while my MacBook was the result of all my projects with Nuffnang back in 2012. 

Blogging has really been kind to me because I wouldn't have known what to do if I didn't have all these gifted gadgets when the pandemic struck and we all suddenly had to rely on Zoom and online distance classes. Remember when parents scrambled to get second-hand laptops and smartphones last year? I was so grateful I had my gifted gadgets to see us through this school year. Last year, I lost all my lucrative PR clients (they were all tourism-related) so I didn't have any money at all. I couldn't have been able to buy a gadget each for my boys. So thank you so much, Nuffnang, Microsoft, and Netflix, for your generosity! 

If you need to buy new gadgets, do check out the #AcerOnePlusJuan promo.  


* * * * * * *

PRESS RELEASE - Hit two birds with one stone with #AcerOnePlusJuan promo. You surely wouldn’t want to miss the chance to get a free Acer One 8 T2 tablet when you buy an Acer Swift of Spin laptop from April 8 to May 9, 2021. 

UPDATE: Promo is extended until June 15, 2021!

Working and learning from home will be a breeze with the Acer Swift or Spin laptop. Staying at the highest level of your work or school productivity is made easy with its powerful specs and overall performance. And as an added bonus, you’ll get a free One 8 T2 Tablet worth Php 5,990 when you purchase one.


Acer Philippines General Manager Sue Ong-Lim says, “With everything going digital from school to work, we came up with the idea of sharing an exclusive promo which can help individuals who work from home or study online. For every purchase of participating Acer Swift and Spin laptops, shoppers can get a free tablet. With this, learning or working from home can be much more flexible and convenient.”

Participating Acer Swift and Spin models are:
Swift 3 SF13-53-50TE, Swift SF314-59-51GR, Swift SF314-59-5934, Swift SF314-59-77ZC, Swift 3x SF314-510G-58EW, Swift SF314-510G-75FV, Swift SF314-510G-77HY, Swift 5 SF514-55TA-54J7, and Swift SF514-55TA-71C1
Spin 5 SP513-54N-53X8 and Spin SP513-54N-73ZX

Got your eyes set on this exciting bundle? Avail it at leading Acer stores, authorized retailers, and through Acer online store: https://store.acer.com/en-ph/.

To know more about this promo, you may visit Acer’s Official online platforms: Facebook – @AcerPH, Instagram – @acerph, Twitter – @acerphils, www.acer.com.

 

*To be featured on Press Release Tuesdays, send it to frances@topazhorizon.com. 

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Monday, May 03, 2021

3 Filipino heritage dishes: warek warek, calandracas, and minukmok (with recipes!)

Cooking is one of the essential skills we parents can impart to our children. In fact, I would rest easy once my sons know how to cook because I know they won't ever go hungry if they know their way in the kitchen. Right now, they know how to bake brownies, cook pancakes, and make pizza. My second son is the only one who knows how to cook ulam. Adobo, bistek Tagalog, menudo. 

It's on my To-Do list that all my boys know how to cook Pinoy food. That's why when Lamudi, the leading real estate platform in the Philippines, asked me to share these distinctive Filipino heritage dishes with you from three unique provinces, I said yes! Let's try out these recipes this summer!

* * * * * * *

GUEST POST - The Philippines is known for its rich cultural heritage. One of the things that contribute to the essence of being a Filipino is our food. However, some traditional foods that our ancestors have grown up with are now on the verge of extinction. To make sure that my kids and grandchildren will taste these culinary delights in the future, I selected three Filipino heritage foods to learn with my family.

Warek Warek

Photo screengrabbed from YouTube/Eats My Putahe

This dish from Abra is similar to sisig and dinakdakan in ingredients, preparation, and taste. The difference is that this dish uses the offal of a black pig. Black pigs are often raised in Abra by couples planning to marry. A few days before the marriage ceremony, the black pigs are butchered, and the people check their entrails to determine what their gods have to say regarding the decisions made by the couple that will influence their future.

The preparation:

To cook this traditional dish, combine pork neck and ears in a pot with garlic, ground black pepper, bay leaf, and salt. Add water and bring it to a boil. Let it simmer for 45 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Drain the pork pieces, season it with salt, pepper, and baste it with ¼ cup of calamansi or lemon juice. Broil or torch each side for five minutes or until crispy.

Slice them into small strips and place them in a mixing bowl. Add ginger, onion, pepper, calamansi juice, salt, and mayonnaise or pork brain. Place on a platter, then serve.


Calandracas

Photo via Ang Sarap.net

Now that we have a meat dish, it is best to prepare a vegetable dish to make sure my family has a well-balanced diet. Calandracas is a traditional vegetable dish that originated in Tanza, Cavite, and is still enjoyed by residents of Phirst Park Homes Tanza and other Caviteños.

In the olden times, this soup dish was made out of the livestock, vegetables, and spices offered as tribute to the departed during burials. These ingredients are chopped and cooked together in a simmering kawa with a chicken soup stock. Ingredients often included in this traditional dish are string beans, eggplant, banana bell (or banana blossom), sweet potato, and sotanghon (a transparent bean noodle). This satisfying dish is served to the family and other guests who are present at the burial.

The process:

Saute onions, then add chicken and shrimp stock.
Add sotanghon.
Add all the vegetables.
Toss in toasted garlic and fish sauce.
Let it simmer until all vegetables are half cooked and then serve.


Minukmok

Photo via Facebook/Food Holidays

It is always ideal to end a good meal with a dessert. Minukmok is a traditional delicacy from Majayjay, Quezon Province. It is sometimes made out of boiled sweet potato but is often made with boiled saba. Other ingredients include sugar and butter or margarine. You can also add grated coconut, peanut butter, and condensed milk.

This delicacy is often prepared by potential lovers giving them enough time to spend time together while their parents watch them. The end product is also believed to determine the state of their feelings for each other. Males would be the ones to pound the boiled saba, and the females would mix the banana to make sure all are mushy. Once this is done, she adds in the other ingredients, and he will pound it repeatedly until all is well blended.

The process:

In a big mortar, add in boiled bananas and brown sugar. Make sure that the banana is mushy and everything is mixed well together.

Add in other ingredients and pound it again until all is mixed together.

Coat a small bowl with butter or margarine. Place the minukmok mixture. Turn it upside down on a plate. Add grated coconut and a sprinkle of brown sugar. Serve.

The ingredients to all these dishes are easy to find, and these are all easy to prepare. Learning how to make these Filipino heritage dishes allows us to teach our kids the skill of cooking. This is also an opportunity to preserve traditional dishes and make sure the future generations still enjoy them.

Interested in buying property like houses in Abra, townhouses in Tanza, and farmland in Majayjay? Go to Lamudi to check out the thousands of real estate for sale all over the Philippines.


*This is a guest post, with my edits. To place a guest post, email frances@topazhorizon.com for my rates. Food photos courtesy of Lamudi.


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Sunday, May 02, 2021

Mother's Day gift suggestions: 10 tokens of love from Pinoy-owned brands

One week from now and it's OUR day, mamas! Happy Mother's Day to all of us. I have no plans yet. We're still in quarantine and I haven't decided if I'll order in or cook for the kids. I also haven't decided what I want as a gift. The boys usually make me colorful cards but I teased them that since they have money, they might want to buy something for their old lady haha And I have a list of Mother's Day gifts from Pinoy-owned brands for them!

Here are my suggestions for a Mother's Day gift. It's more special because these are all my friends' businesses, most of them mommies, too. I hope you can pick a favorite from this list! 

1. Beachborn 3 Kings shampoo bars

This local brand offers 7 shampoo bars in their roster of hair care products. Shampoo bars are just as effective as liquid shampoo, but because they're solid, their paper packaging is more environment-friendly. Choose from the 7 variants according to your mom's specific hair needs and get them in a bundle.    


2. Mirth & Yift Belinda rose quartz drop earrings

Meticulously handcrafted, these pretty drop earrings are so feminine and flattering. Grab a pair for yourself and gift another for your mommy. 




Since we're all at home, why not give your mommy friends these cute shirt-and-shorts sets in pastels? Comfy enough for lounging at home but spiffy enough for a sudden Zoom/Facetime call!


4. Meadow scented wax tablets

Made from luxurious wax to capture perfume, these pretty wax tablets with dried flowers can be displayed on a tray on your desk so you can catch the fragrant whiffs as you work. You can also place it in a pouch made of muslin or lace and slip it into your closet for OOTDs tinged with perfume. 


5. Gentle Hour scented candles 

So in love with the attitude of these empowering candles! The luxe scents, the unapologetically feminine, and sassy candle names are definitely going to uplift and inspire you and all the moms in your life!


6. Prana Movement Studio virtual signature sessions

You don't have to go to the gym to stay fit. Gift yourself and your mom a Pilates workout! You can tone, stretch and strengthen your bodies together but virtually. If you're a group, the classes get more affordable! So gift these virtual fitness classes to your mommy barkada!


7. In the Beloved Love Notes from God 

I love these little cards of love. It's a small box with 25 illustrated Bible verses and sometimes I pick one out and that's my meditation for the day. I also slip some cards into gifts for family and friends. It's a really nice gift to inspire and bless mommies.


8. Solenn Manila Mother's Day bundle 

Oh, this is so yummy! The special Bibingka MNL bibingka bites are topped with queso de bola and glazed ham. The soft and moist pastry together with the chewy ham and cheese, the mix of sweet and salty - so good! The Nanay Luisa's Truffle Queso de Bola spread is soooo good, they really ought to sell that in a huge jar because we finished ours quickly!

9. Quirks So Many Books bookends  

For the book lover mommies who also love a quirky shelfie, you have got to give them these bookends! It will make her bookshelf look clever - just like her!


10. Not Invisible: A Memoir 

Of course, this list won't be complete without my book on marriage and motherhood! Hundreds of copies have been bought and many mommies have written to me saying they loved it. I just know you'll love it, too. Dearest Loyal Readers, please support my debut book and gift it to all the moms in your life! Thank you! 

I hope you like my list of Mother's Day gifts from Pinoy-owned brands. Please buy local and show your mommy (or yourself) some love!



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