The Mommy Book

     Reading Erma Bombeck's At Wit's End is actually very good reading material for unemployed 53 year olds like me.      This version has illustrations. It is a reminder that each generation has their own grasp of what-to-dos and what-not-to-dos.      It reminds me of their own precious memories. Erma Bombeck was America's funniest woman in the '80's.      Here are a few pages from Meimi's copy.  

     It was only a few more weeks left 'till Christmas and I wondered how my grandmother would have felt after reading my history papers.          I suppose she was my first nanny second only to my Mom.            I remember her crinkled smiling face, her tobacco-chewing mouth. She cured my wounds with guava leaves. She boiled them before applying and she cooked and maybe helped with laundry.            Maybe my sister Jo Ann remembers my Lola better. What I remember more is my Auntie's Mom.            Maybe my parents were forced to get a divorce. Our neighbors thought we were too noisy.            But Daddy showed by example. Mama became a Martha, trying her hardest to fit in.            Maybe I was a younger Mary, silently watching.            This Christmas, hopefully after the mayhem of COVID and past wars, let us try to be kind.            Grandmothers might be hard of hearing, might be depressed and sinking in their thoughts.            So if granny refuses to eat,

Designing Donuts   Not donuts but cookies!  Spur of the moment - hehe                Attempting to finish a History Journal takes a lot of time and effort.  Whilst this pandemic is still swirling here in Cebu, I figured I might as well make some practical stitching projects.                A friend of mine once gave me a book, “How to Have a Smarter Baby” by Dr. Susan Ludington-Hoe with Susan K. Golant.  At that time I was starting my dot.com Phideo.  My boys were still young at that time – approaching high school.  Time was tight.                Hoping this Covid-19 would come to a close, I decided to get back to my other dot.com Mommy Book.  You see, being a “golden girl” (in Visayan lingo – “gurang”) has both positive and negative consequences.                As they say, “It’s lonely at the top.”                  Designing Donuts are fabric donuts.  And as Susan’s book details, it “stimulates or enhances your baby’s natural development.”                Here is what

The Chocolate Chamber has an on-going promo of the Alfajores.  From an original price of PhP525 it is now only PhP450.00 till Nov. 30, 2020. 2 - 3 mins read Cebu City, Philippines          If you've been following my blog, you know I am a huge fan of The Chocolate Chamber and all the products associated with it.  Not the least of them is the Alfajores.          At first glance, these round shaped delights remind me of a childhood favorite - chocolate mallows.  But please, there is no comparison.  These Alfajores by Raquel T. Choa are chewy vanilla cookies filled with creamy caramel and coated with rich chocolate made from tablea.           Tablea, the Philippine version of cacao milk is chocolate in its purest form.  Cacao beans are roasted, shelled, winnowed, ground and molded with no additives to create this pure "food of the gods".          Raquel narrated she was inspired by the classic alfajor, given by her Argentinian friend, Norma.  The alfajor is a traditional Sou

I'm extremely proud of making this Japanese Cheesecake!               I associate Japan with discipline, harmony and completion.  Though I may be criticized for feeling proud of my first Japanese Cheesecake, I feel honored.  The process was smooth.  The cake had a rhythm.  Its elements fell into place as balance was achieved.              This recipe I discovered on Google.  And I simply loved Trang's site.  Her instructions were clear and calmly explained with specificity.                 I didn't follow her recipe to the letter though.  Several modifications had to be made.  I used a 9 x 2 inch round pan.  I used full cream milk.  And the way I lined to pans were not exactly to the letter.  But that's the beauty of baking.  You can adapt!               As a typical Filipina Mom, I have a sweet tooth.  And the final cake tasted a little bit bland.  But I know it is much healthier for most of us.  The adult members of our family loved it as is. Peanut Butter, Guava Jel

Credit goes to the owner of this amazing photo.  More photos can be viewed in Florentino's Facebook Page. 2 - 3 minute read Cebu City, Philippines Written By: April May Ramos This pandemic is an irony of sorts.   It is terrible yes!  And yet wonderful things are sprouting up from it. I for one have discovered my inner plantita , let out the closet baker in me and was blessed by a new and amazing online business with an awesome community of mentors. This family behind the famed Florentino's Eco Park lifted God-given gifts to higher heights. The Leader of the Pack So who's Florentino?  Nope, he's not talking Italian.  He's a true blue Filipino, and a renowned fine art painter at that. I met Jun Impas years ago when I wrote about art in Cebu.  Little did I know then his wife is Nina Wenceslao, my batchmate in UP High.  It just amazes me where fate can lead us. I remember going with a large group of Cebu artists to Luzon, led by artist  exceptionnel  Celso Pepito.  W