Friday, March 20, 2020

A simple vegetable dish from my childhood

It's Day 6 of our community quarantine. How have you been, mamas? My kids haven't left the house since classes were canceled on March 9 so they've been cooped up for 12 days today. We're not allowed to go to our condo playground so we're just going to do some indoor exercises and sun ourselves by the window.

We've not been doing anything special. It's summer and my belief is summer is supposed to be when the kids do absolutely nothing. Well, the kids have their chores. We're very proud of the boys because they prepare their own breakfast, make up their beds (kinda), and finish their chores all before 10am. I could learn a thing or two from my kids!


One thing I've always been keen to teach my sons is cooking their own food. I really want them to be independent men who won't need a wife to cook and clean for them. This week, I decided to cook something I haven't cooked for more than 20 years. I don't like cooking it because my Papa always said it's pang-mahirap. Konting karne lang, konting gulay, maraming sabaw, maraming asin so that it's malasa, and - tada! - may masarap at masustansiyang ulam na kami.


Kita niyo naman dito na dalawang patatas, isang carrot, at isang bundle ng pechay, when sliced like this ay dumadami agad. My Papa said this is the perfect ulam becasue its cheap and healthy. Konti lang kailangan na sangkap, masabaw pa, so mapapadami kang kain ng rice. Busog agad! So kapag wala kang budget, this is the vegetable dish you cook.

Actually, marami rin kaming ibang similar ulam na linuto na cheap but good. Upo na may miswa. Adobong kangkong. Corned beef and cabbage soup. Talbos ng kamote salad. But when my Papa cooks (or asks me to cook) this ulam that I'm blogging about here, alam kong walang-wala kami, lalo na kung gulay lang at walang karne yung soup.

So when I left home, I just never wanted to cook this ulam again. Bad memories ba. I was determined to improve my life and I was never going to eat masabaw na gulay ever again.


Then this week, something changed. I don't know what happened really. Maybe it's the quarantine and the warning to not go out to the grocery that made me think of food that will last for a while. Maybe it's the fact that such a vegetable-rich dish is healthy and we need to get super healthy these days that made me want to cook it. Maybe it was me going through my 2019 planner and I saw that this time last year, my sister told me Papa wasn't eating anymore and a few turns of the page later, my planner said he died.

I don't really know what it was but I decided I was going to cook this ulam and teach my boys how to cook food that's good in times of crisis.


So the two younger boys helped me wash and peel the veggies. I did the chopping. They did the cooking. Madali lang naman kasi gisa-gisa lang siya. I didn't put a lot of water so it wasn't soupy like how Papa cooked it. It also had 1/2 kilo of ground beef instead of the usual 1/4 or minsan 1/8 pa nga na karne na gamit ni Papa. I should've added more pechay, though. Parang kulang kasi nung luto na siya.

It was fun teaching the boys how to cook this and they enjoyed my stories of my childhood while we were cooking away. I also remembered na nung college na ako and I had boy problems, Papa would tell me to cook this and ilabas ko raw galit ko sa gulay when I'm slicing them. And I would tell him, "Papa, sabi ni Lola 'wag raw galit kapag nagluluto kasi papait yung ulam!" But my heartache would go away anyway and by the time we sat down to eat, okay na ako.


So eto siya. It's not the prettiest thing in the world. It's not gourmet. Pang-mahirap nga, diba. Pero masarap siya. I sat down at the dinner table, asked Vito to call their Papa, and I said to the younger kids, "I'll make tikim lang, ha!"

I put the first spoonful in my mouth after more than 20 years, and the smell and the taste overwhelmed me not with bad memories. Instead, such good and happy memories of me and Papa at the palengke and in the kitchen all came rushing back in one bite and I put my spoon down and cried and cried and cried.

My sons crowded around and hugged me. After my sobbing died down, IƱigo said, "I miss Lolo Jules, too."

Hay, ang puso ko.

Tuesday, March 17, 2020

The truth about Vitamin C and what we should do to keep our immune system healthy

With COVID-19 sweeping throughout the globe, we're all worried about how we can improve our chances of not getting this scary virus. I'm a mommy and I'm worried especially because while the virus seems to spare kids and teens (thank You, God!), it's not so kind to people with weak lungs like me. I don't want my kids to be orphaned so I'm definitely making sure I won't get this COVID-19.

There's a lot of scary advice on the internet (stuff like drinking bleach and liquid silver!) that BBC has debunked. So, since I'm not a medical professional, it's very important that we turn to reliable and credible sources when it comes to our health. Welch's 100% Grape Juice asked me if I could share what I found out about how you can boost your immunity

Apparently, there's no single answer because according to Harvard Health, "The immune system is precisely that — a system, not a single entity. To function well, it requires balance and harmony." What they mean is you have to take care of your entire body for your body to be strong. You can eat a plant-based diet and exercise 3 hours a day but if you're not getting enough sleep and your work is super stressful, your body will not be happy.

"Following general good-health guidelines is the single best step you can take toward naturally keeping your immune system strong and healthy," Harvard Health said. They advised no smoking, eating a plant-based diet, regular exercise, to not be fat or too skinny, sleeping long and well, and to avoid stress. They also advised frequent washing of hands and eating thoroughly cooked meat to avoid infection.

Cooking more veggie dishes now!

Again, a healthy lifestyle won't guarantee you won't get COVID-19 but it improves your chances of recovery. I'm not living unhealthily but I get maybe 4 hours of sleep at night and I don't exercise. I also should eat more fruits and veggies! So one good thing that came out of this pandemic is my kids are now eating vegetables without protesting. Yey for small mercies!

I'm working on those aspects. I'll start exercising this week. I'll try to sleep more! And I'm taking vitamin supplements with my daily Welch's 100% Grape Juice. Harvard Health says, "If you suspect your diet is not providing you with all your micronutrient needs... taking a daily multivitamin and mineral supplement may bring other health benefits, beyond any possibly beneficial effects on the immune system." 

Now here's something new I learned: Vitamin supplements can't prevent COVID-19 or any other sickness. But what about all those things we hear about vitamin C???


Vitamin C is still important to our health. We need it! According to Livescience, here are some of the important things it does:

1. It is an antioxidant that "neutralizes free radicals generated by the body's normal metabolism and by exposure to environmental stressors, including ultraviolet radiation and air pollution."

2. It synthesizes hormones that help our cardiovascular system respond to severe infections. COVID-19 is a viral infection so a strong and responsive cardiovascular is good news!
3. It builds collagen that keeps our skin and connective tissues healthy—good for those recovering from wounds.
4. "Vitamin C may also bolster the fatty membranes in skin and connective tissue, thus protecting organs like the lungs from pathogens." COVID-19 attacks the lungs so again loading up on Vitamin C is good!

5. "When bugs do infiltrate the body, vitamin C helps direct immune cells called neutrophils to the site of infection and defends these cells against free radicals." So while Vitamin C will not prevent an infection like COVID-19, a plentiful supply of it in our body is necessary for an effective immune response!

Welch's 100% Grape Juice is packed full of Vitamin C. So if you're looking to add more Vitamin C to your diet, chug a glass of Welch's 100% Grape Juice! I do!

Welch's is available at your favorite supermarket.

*This post is brought to you by Welch's 100% Grape Juice. For more information and healthy tips, visit www.welchs.com, like Welch's PH on Facbook, and follow @welchs_ph on Instagram.

Monday, March 09, 2020

Harry and Meghan: A modern fairy tale and yet very real marriage


Sigh. Such a gorgeous photo of the most-talked-about married couple in the world!

I don't really have anything "expert" to say about Harry and Meghan. Almost everyone remotely interested in royalty has given their expert opinion on the Duke and Duchess' resignation from royal duties (As a former royalty magazine editor, I did here: Royal Rift! All your questions on Harry and Meghan's resignation, answered!). Many are sad, many are supportive, and many are mad. I don't know why they'd be mad. It's not like Harry's leaving them haha.

But anyway, I've been meaning to write a blog post about this particular Brexit since January but everything's been moving so fast that it's hard to comment. I finally decided that ultimately I'm very happy for them and that they're a great example for all married couples everywhere.

Every married couple should leave their families. Yes, Harry isn't part of just any normal family. As a prince, he sure isn't just like us. But he's also not THE prince. He's just the spare. And while that must rankle to be known as the spare to the heir since birth, it finally worked out for him—he can actually break free. He's not the first royal in history to choose to step away from duty. Here's a short list:

1. (UK) King Edward VIII to marry Wallis Simpson.
2. (Netherlands) Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau to marry Mabel Wisse Smit
3. (Japan) Sayako, Princess Nori, to marry Yoshiki Kuroda
4. (Japan) Princess Ayako of Takamado to marry Kei Moriya
5. (Thailand) Princess Ubolratana Rajakanya to marry Peter Ladd Jensen

Harry and Meghan didn't lose their titles but they did give up their allowance, their HRH styling, and pretty much the respect of a lot of people. Ya. For choosing love and family over prestige.

I like their decision. I know people are saying Meghan bullied Harry into doing this but if you've watched Harry at all throughout his very public life, he's not the sort of man anyone can bully. And while there's that rumor that "what Meghan wants, Meghan gets," I don't see how that's a bad thing if what Meghan wants is a peaceful life. Sure she signed up for a very public life but I don't think she signed up for such racism and hate. 


I read this book recently and I came away from it just loving and admiring these two people who loved to make a difference in people's lives. They have charities, they use their platform for good causes, they are enthusiastic about helping others. And they met each other! He was a prince. She was a strong and confident woman—not a shy virgin teenager like Diana, not a quiet and obedient Kate. She was not, what is the word, moldable. I love that she was already all woman when they met and fell in love. And I can't understand how that wholeness makes people see her as a threat to men and marriage.


Marriage should be between two people complete in themselves. Marriage shouldn't be the answer to people broken and incomplete, looking for a fix in the other. You should come into the marriage as a whole person, ready to give your all. Traditionally, women are seen as these fragile creatures that needed tending. That should make us precious. Instead, men have used this required fragility against us—abusing women and their children throughout centuries just because we needed men to survive.

Well, not anymore. Ladies, don't get married because you need a man for his money or position or his strength. Earn your own money, make your own name, be strong on your own. The man you attract won't be controlling and abusive. He'll be an amazing guy. Just like how Harry was drawn to Meghan's strength, drive, and mission. And together? Wow, they're going to make a lot of difference in the world. They're already doing it. 

That's what marriage should be about—two strong people coming together and creating an even stronger alliance. This used to happen before—an alliance of kingdoms. But we should use that as a metaphor, an inspiration, for how we should see our own marriages, too. We are a team. We are one. No one is lesser, no one is greater. We are equal.


Anyway, I finally blogged about Harry and Meghan today because it's their last day as senior royals. After today, they will disappear from public life. They have plans to still be seen out and about, working for their livelihood (just like us!), but now they'll be private citizens. They're determined to be seen as a team, as a single entity—as married couples should be.

Good luck on your new adventure, Harry and Meghan! It's not going to be easy but no marriage is unless you remember to stick it out together. If you do that, you're going to be just fine.

P.S. I just love how their outfits on their final royal appearances are all matching. Clearly telling the world they are one!