TOPAZ HORIZON

When I was growing up, I used to go with my grandmother to the wet market and watch her haggle away for the freshest meat, fish, veggies and fruits. Up until I moved out of my parents' house in 2001, I bought our family's food from the palengke. Every morning, Mama gave me P100 and I had to buy enough food to feed Papa, Mama, myself, my younger brother and sister, my older brother, his girlfriend (eventually wife) and their then two kids.

Count that. A hundred pesos for nine people. And that's for lunch and dinner! So while there are millions of people spending millions on diet pills because they eat too much, I had to make do with very little to feed a lot! Of course this was when a kilo of chicken cost P35 (yes, I am that old).

Believe me, I made that hundred pesos feed a large family easily. Here are a few tips:

• Cook vegetable soups. If you must have meat, veggies with just 1/4 kilo of pork or beef (although pork is cheaper) can go a long way!
• Ask for the pork fat. The butchers usually trim these and throw them away so you can get them for free. Put the fat in the skillet and - tada! - instant cooking oil and chicharon!
• Tofu is an excellent meat extender. 
• Make everything extra spicy or salty. I know, I know - so unhealthy. But when food is heavily seasoned, you eat more rice and less ulam! Don't follow this salty tip, ha. It's a solution poor people resort to kasi. Kaya siguro Pinoys have kidney problems kasi mahilig tayo sa asin dahil maraming Pinoy ang mahirap.
• If all else fails, make lugaw. Just throw rice in a large cauldron of water, together with garlic, onions, and ginger. Season with salt and pepper and you have a satisfying meal.

Yesterday, I brought Vito to the palengke for the first time. He was very... quiet. I guess all the colors and smells and noise overwhelmed the little guy. But I want him to get used to the wet market because I want him to know how to cook food. When you know how to cook, you'll never go hungry.

This guy sells fish so fresh, he made salmon sashimi. Yum!

That's yellowfin tuna.

The chicken is so fresh. Yes, freshly killed. See guy at right.

I watch those documentaries of poor people lamenting over the fact that they earn just P100 a day then they buy instant noodles, which costs about P20 and can feed just 3-5 people. I get really upset. I yell at the TV, "Buy kangkong! A bundle costs just P7! Buy 3 bundles, cook it adobo style and you have ulam for the whole day. Healthy pa!"

A kilo is just P50. Throw into a pot with garlic, onions, tomatoes, and ginger. A few minutes later, a delicious and nutritious mussel dish!

I don't believe that poverty equals poor food and nutrition. My grandmother lived through the terrible war and she taught me a lot of tricks on how to eat well even if you have just three ingredients. So I may have grown up poor but I was never hungry. And I ate so well!

I think I may have found a new advocacy. Wouldn't it be great if we can teach families in poor neighborhoods really inexpensive but healthy and delicious recipes? If you know any group that does this, please tell me. I would love to help!

Power Plant is giving away a Benz. And I want it!

Yeah. But can it fly?

All you need to do is exchange your receipts for a raffle coupon. If you spent P2,000 in any shop in Power Plant, that's one coupon, P3,000 at the supermarket is also one coupon. Because Power Plant is our favorite mall, we got not a few coupons. Yey!

As you can see, there's enough receipts up there to burn out receipt printers! Now, I gather all receipts--yes, even P40 parking fees--so I can also join BIR's promo:

The prizes are phone loads (which we don't need) and cash that range from P25,000 to a million pesos!!! Now, cash I definitely want! If you have receipts lying about, here's encouraging news:


I will digress a bit. Vince doesn't like it that I'm always saying I want money. It doesn't sound nice, he says. It reflects badly on me (as a woman) and on him (as a provider). To clarify, I am not money-hungry and Vince provides more than enough for our family.

It's just that late last year, someone who has always been most selfish took a lot from Vince and me. Financially, emotionally, you name it. I never talked about it in this blog (although I dropped hints here and there) because I was so devastated by this event. My closest friends know the story and they feel very badly for me and my new family. There is impotent fury all around, but it's not something I can share publicly. That's how bad it was.

Vince and I have recovered somewhat from the catastrophe. Evidence: the shopping we enjoyed! We were resolute in the decision that we will not let this person ruin Vito's first Christmas. But, sad to say, Christmas wasn't a very happy time because of the terrible emotional strain.

But it's a New Year! While we can't turn our backs on this person, we've decided to just work super hard so that no matter what happens, Vito's future is secure. But a million pesos and a nice new car will definitely make us feel better!

Well, I am a tired woman right now. Spent all of yesterday listening to my kid's yaya talk about her daughter's disappearance (she took her three sons with her so Ate Marita's worried sick about the grandkids, too). To cheer her up, I told her to go to the mall and shop. She came back excited about--you'll never guess--LCD TVs! Samsung and a Chinese-sounding brand being her top choices. I was, like, "Ate M, an LCD TV is expensive!" Mebbe she wants a raise (again?!), you think?

So I sent her home early because she wanted to hunt down her daughter and grandsons. That left me alone with Vito, which was okay, until Vince came home feeling very much under the weather. Uh oh. We were expecting company, too. Well, everything went well last night but today, Vince felt really awful. Plus, Vito was extra fussy. I tell ya, it ain't easy to take care of a baby and a sick hubby all by my lonesome. But they're finally both asleep and I am nursing a mug of coffee. (Decaf. Sad, I know.)

I haven't had a shower. My hair is all mussed up. My body is aching all over. There are dishes to be washed, fresh laundry to be folded and put away, clutter to sort... I am exhausted. It's hard to be a homemaker!