To Do More Is What Is Asked For

As we crumple down the heavy burdens that we carry and state the unease of the love we have - we then realize that what is necessary is to do more. To tap into the depth of our spirit and get the strength to rise again is difficult but that is what life is, not throwing in the towel.

We perish every day

Dying to ourselves means sacrifice. That embrace the pain thing I can't figure out. I do know the meaning of sacrifice as I do give up things that I hold dear for someone else's life. Like in a song, "Whatever doesn't kill you make you stronger." this holds true and it is tough to believe the battering a heart can to take and not break before reality steps in.

Holding on to a drunken love was not right.

It was passion and beauty, the unfaithfulness did not hurt as it should have as it was a dream. Then, the love found me, waiting there, seated constantly, saying yes to my every whim, more than half a lifetime ago. It was Casablanca and within the white trellis walls, champagne bubbled with delight of the moments together. We ran across the streets hand in hand, collapsed to the floor, laughed until the dawn, refusing to leave each other.

Caught in between, giving up, as his gentleness enfolded me, the tears fell on his shoulder. Hold me, I had asked, and he did like he would never let me go. "Never say never as it is a long time.' and my answer was "Always." as I made the decision to no longer stay though he was always seated, waiting for me to come back. Over the years, he had asked, "Again? You left another man again?" and I would say his name, not saying another word, and he once said, "What am I to do now?". The cycle is complete, there must be no other lifetime, as I stood my ground, and it came to a point that I no longer hear him call my name.

To know the pain of too much tenderness.

In the book, "The Prophet" by Kahlil Gibran, he speaks on love and as extolled as it is, it can be horrible, akin to suffering. The emotions are as such and I am not worthy of such. It is brilliant, wonderful, all things in its essence but.we are but human, we are just weak, we seek pleasure and have desires, and it is not the soul that speaks.

To transcend and embrace the offer.

As souls must be, it happens, once again arises, this love that lasts for eternity that must be fulfilled in this lifetime. To struggle and drown in tears is preferable as pain, tears, hurt, longing, these words are not in my vocabulary. It's like an evil trend in my life to see once again the same soul that has lived in waiting. No, don't wait as I cling on to safety, turning around everywhere as that engulfs me. No, I cry and run away holding on to my ground. No. I so hate that word.

Trust is a condom that you can buy at the drugstore.

I live today, holding on to what I see, and in knowing. What is trust, indeed, as knowing that love can hurt you, there is no heart on a plate, and with a measure of hate. I can see it wait and I must wait, and can't wait, as I do not transcend these matters even if I hear his soul calling my name, once again, loud and clear.

All an illusion, my mind says.

As I keep on thinking, nothing works. Sulking doesn't working, working doesn't work, running doesn't work, drinking doesn't work. In my mind I see what is to come and it isn't easy as it should be. An illusion. That unbreakable bond that holds me is strong but all in my mind. My mind hurts as I refuse to fall, even with knowing, as I must be wrong as that is what logic tells me. It's a decision and I am not making it as there is no reason to make it. My head hurts, my heart stops, my soul knows, and I feel so weak that I refuse do more even when asked.

I take the blame. Dying inside is easier by not seeing. Stopping things is easier just by hurting. It's a crazy world we live in and though perfect, we are but human and have our flaws. To embrace love, life, and seize the day isn't easy and one must do what they have to, yet, I do believe that life is not measure by out days but those special moments that take our breath away.

I have had that moment. Is that the only way? No. 

Budget Recipe: Burgers

Today I walked to the grocery as I usually do, to see what was on sale. I love buying ingredients that are on sale and since it is a Monday, the store I frequent restocks after lunch and has new promos going on for the week. I wasn't disappointed. Lots of items on sale to include the ground beef and the onions which are in season and cheap.

Budget cooking means that one must get good quality ingredients and plan the menu. I got less than a kilo of ground beef, half a kilo each of white and red onions, butter-flavored margarine, 200 grams of macaroni, beef cubes and bread. These ingredients are to be used to make two meals.

I have stocked up on the ingredients I use often such as salt, pepper, and condiments. I hardly ever buy cooking oil, opting to use butter-flavored margarine to cook as it is more flavorful and I do use that for baking unless the recipe requires oil. I make oil from the fat that I have removed from pork, beef, ham, and even chicken skin and fat by adding enough water to these and boiling it down, so that the oil is extracted and I use this to cook fried rice and other dishes such as pork steak.

I typically grill food using the stove top grill pan that I won a year ago when I joined the video recipe contest of Ajinomoto Aji-ginisa with an original and easy recipe for lemon-pineapple chicken.   

Now on to the budget recipe for burgers and onions. This burger recipe can be used to for shallow pan frying also and the burger may also be cooked in an oven or microwave. As you will see, while the burgers are grilling, the natural oils of the meat come out, making it have a more distinct flavor, reducing the fat content of the burger itself and resulting in a juicier, tastier burger. 

To make these grilled burgers, you'll need:

600 grams ground beef
1 piece of bread, torn into minute pieces to make into bread crumbs
1 beef cube (optional)
1 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon of a sauce of your choice (A1, Worcestershire, liquid seasoning)
water or milk
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

How to make budget burgers

To the bread crumbs, add enough water or milk to make it soak then add the beef cube and smash it, mixing it well so the flavoring cube disintegrates. The addition of bread crumbs to the burgers works as an extender, binder, and makes it softer. 

Add in all ingredients, making sure to sprinkle on and distribute evenly on top of the other ingredients the salt and pepper so you don't get some parts that has more. Mix very well and form into patties or use a large shallow scoop to measure it and flatten the mix before sliding onto the grill. 

Heat the grill pan over medium heat. Test the grill pan to check if it is hot enough by placing your hand with palm facing down around four to five inches above the grill pan and if you feel the heat, it is ready. Place the burgers in the pan and let one side cook, to flip it when it no longer sticks to the pan and cook the other side. Burgers should only be flipped once and if you want grill marks, make it cook longer on one side before flipping it. Place the cooked burgers on plate or buns after these are done. To make grilled onions, slice these and grill with the addition of butter. Onions are done when slightly transparent and lightly browned. Pile the cooked grilled onions on top of the burgers. 

The addition of the mustard to these burger give it a slight tangy taste and placing in the sauce of your choice greatly aids in adding a dimension of flavor that bursts in your mouth. This budget recipe for burgers yield 7 medium sized patties that are about a fourth of an inch thick. It may be made to larger patties yet smaller and thinner ones saves on fuel as the cooking time is reduced. To make this budget recipe of burgers, it cost me 120 pesos. Delicious, first-class, and cheap and we ate this for dinner and still have leftover to reheat. Try this budget recipe and enjoy!

From my kitchen to your kithen with love,
Cindy

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Storms always end. When the waters are calm, it is time to prepare for the next storm. As the captain of a ship, when other ships travel in the same direction as yours does or are those that cross your path, you must not change direction, keep on following the map, to get to where you are going or you'll end up in unknown shores. 

A Lazy Sunday Afternoon

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon. He lied down beside her in bed. She complained of a headache. He said, "Take your meds." She stood up and walked to get them, slipped and hit the temple of her head at the corner of the table. Stunned, he carried her in his arms and rushed her to the hospital and waited outside the emergency room. Up to this day, the memory of the doctor opening the door and shaking his forefinger to the left and right to say more loudly than words that she is gone forever is the image that has stuck to his head.

He poured over the photographs of the times they had to together, and saw that she had wrote at the back of many of these. He read one that said, "You're so corny!" and another one that said, "You're so handsome." He couldn't believe what happened, such a shocking accident and the thought that is repeating in his head must be, "Should I have stood up?" as they lie in the same bed.

Decades has past and the altar has been made for the love that has been lost forever, and until his dying day the memory of how he did not stand up might still remain until he forgives himself for not noticing how badly she was feeling, she, who adored the ground that he walked on, gave him a family, and lied by his side until the day she died. Did he fail her? In his mind, yes, and holds a candle up for her as he sits out the rest of his life.

Another Lazy Sunday Afternoon

It was remission time for her, her beauty had been lost. She felt like a burden, lost because she had left her husband for him, lost because she had left her children for him, lost as she knew she was losing her life as the pain was returning. He lied down on the bed to take his usual nap and she stood up at the side of the bed, asking if he loved her.

He answered curtly, "Of course, I take care of you and have been with you for years through all of this. Even with all your problems, I have stuck by your side." He stared at her aghast at her question and wondered why she wondered if he loved her. When he woke up from his nap, she was nearly gone as she had tried killed herself. He brought her to the hospital and then the doctor said, she could live would be a vegetable, and the decision was made to unplug, as she had been ill for years and that was not life, it was just to be be breathing. He constantly brings flowers to her grave and has erased all the memories, hidden all the photographs, to start anew. The hurt remain, he takes the blame for not having answered with a simple, "I love you." and wonders why she had tried to take her life. He has moved on.

One More Lazy Sunday Afternoon

"I'm done with all my obligations to my family. This is my time, I have spent most of my life with them, and I want to be happy." I stared at him and listened, as he poured his determination out, as he said statement after statement. "This is for me. I want it for me. They don't need me, they don't want me, I feel strangled and it's just an obligation and I am changing my life." And, I answered him, "But they are your family!"

And so he did what he wanted to do as I watched him, strong, angry, determined to build his freedom to be with the one who he loves and surround himself with his friends that allow him not to live a life that is a lie. He introduces her to me, and we get drink and laugh as he moves mountains for her to set up a place for him to make her his 'slave'.

"I can't sleep alone at nights!" he laughingly says, "As I want to have sex every night!" and we get drunk again and again as his 'slave' has run away. So he goes and find others to fill the empty space on his bed as she calls him and he refuses to answer. "Did she call you?" he asked me, "I told you not answer her!" but I did and told him so that she needs someone to talk to and reminded him that he is my friend even if I didn't listen to him.

He got her back and locked her up in his place so he won't lose her. We don't get drunk that anymore as he has to go, for he refuses to have dinner until she cooks for him and can't ever sleep alone. He is roaring, hanging on to the people he wants in his caveman way, and slamming everyone else to protect them, as he smiles at me, both of us knowing that he has a life.

My Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Taking life in stride, I awake at dawn, unusual for me but it's been happening for a while. Seizing the day, I rush the mediocre chores, doing all that I had to so I have time to do what I must and what I want to. Jaded, I watch a man throw a fight as the money was to be used for power as it was needed to help people who need funding for education, hospitalization, and a better life, to stop chasing the glory and getting the priorities right, Robin Hoods, hoodlums, covered with their heart in the right place.

As I leisure away my Sunday afternoon with a few friends, wondering what am I to do next - I listen to stories of regret and one of hate and hurt the point that is is deemed necessary to pray for another person to die for her to take revenge and I look at a lonely woman who thinks only of her needs instead of what she wants in this life and what others may want, and my mind drifts, wanting to stay but not needing to as my other friends who were waiting always can wait as we are never in a hurry. 

Food has been tasteless for days as I forced myself to eat, thinking of my Mom who is pining away as Dad left her and his dying was not a good enough reason to do so. Acceptance is difficult. I have a life, mine to make, mine to own and to seize the day, and yet as I look around me, I see things not meant to be...

Life is not a game that one must throw in nor hold on to if it isn't worth living and loving daily, to embrace life and the beauty that is there, giving it all to seize the day. This moment, right now, is my life. My youngest daughter had asked me last week, "What are your plans, Mom?" and I said, "I plan to be always happy." and that's all I have, just today, to live my life without regret. 

Mojito Night at Cafe Cubana

Drinking Mojitos reminds me of sailing, the sea, and the various boat events that I went to. Sipping bottomless Mojitos was a breeze as the crisp clean air whipped my hair to look out to the sea and watch the different activities. From the hobby cat, to the kayak, to the sail boat and the yacht, the passionate roll of the waves made me feel grounded. At that time, to lie at a shaded part of the shore while being served Mojitos by a dashing, suave, tall, blue-eyed sailor who had eyes that could stare far into the sea had made my heart feel the endless tide. Those uncountable Mojito days and nights are a bottled memory, and as captivating as the sea was when looking at it with a sailor's eyes, as often as we sailed during the day, the endless walks by the sea, the stormy, lightning-filled nights, I refused to tie the knot of the rope for us to sail away and have let the bottled memory float out to sea as the ebb tide made the tracks disappear forever. 

For such a long time, I have refused to drink Mojitos but I did have a couple of these when I went to Cafe Cubana, located at BF Homes, Paranaque. It was a hot summer night and as always, I would have preferred to have a cold beer but there was a promo, and at the first sip, the crispy minty refreshing taste of the ice-cooled Mojito made me change my mind. I had one, then another. I had forgotten the bottled memory and revealed in the taste of the beverage as I no longer felt the sand of those shores. It was the experience of the night and respect for the company I was with and so I enjoyed the Mojitos for that night as Cafe Cubana makes good ones. 

Mojito

Inside Cafe Cubana 

Outside Cafe Cubana

It was fun and though I don't ever get drunk like with the 5 shots of brandy that I had last night and the endless buckets of beer with my friends in Tagaytay, it was the billiard game that was the highlight of that Mojito night. 

Billiard Table

The game I played proved that I was out of practice. Oh, how I love to play billiards, it's my sport of choice. I can play for hours every night as I did before. Then the food arrived, and we ate, and it was time to go home. 

The menu is a photo menu, and the food was quite good though I never did get to try the mini Angus burgers. The servings are large, the wait was not long. I will go back to Cafe Cubana to play billiards and try the other items on the menu and order beer yet as the lure of the Mojito promo ends too early for me and wonder if it could be extended.

My Birthday: Metrowalking and Chilling

April 12, 2015. Sweltering hot. It's going to be a long day, I thought, and it was my birthday.

The day started with a meeting in the morning then went home to cook sinigang due to insistent family demand. There was to be a lunch out but after we had the plural of rice which is extra rice, the stuffed stomach made us lethargic, too lazy to move. Yet, we had to go to Metrowalk as there was another meeting. Yikes, the one pm heat was overwhelming. We had to go and got ready fast, zipped out of BF Homes Paranaque and off to Ortigas. Meeting was over in less than an hour and it was time to go Metrowalking to relax.  Metrowalk is a mall in the Ortigas area. It is alive at night, teeming with people. There's typically a live band playing at the center of the mall. It's a place to hang out with friends and meet new ones. Restaurants abound such as i-Bagnet that I love as it serves authentic Vigan cuisine such as bagnet and empanada and my other hangout like Fluids bar owned by Peter Mendoza who is so much fun to chill with as we drink unlimited cocktails and talk the night away. But that afternoon, Metrowalk was quiet and my daughter, Maxi, insisted that I have a halo halo when all that I wanted a below-zero beer from iBagnet! So we went to Icebergs and ordered. 

Halo Halo 

Salad

It was a cooling, delicious, superb halo halo, choked full of ingredient.  Maxi and I divided it with her getting the ube ice cream while I had the strawberry. Maxi devoured the salad and I had a few bites - the harmonious blend with the cheese made it enticingly delicious. And, Maxi told the staff that it was my birthday and Icebergs Metrowalk surprised me with this plate with sliced bananas. chocolate drizzle, and ice cream! 

Since I had to meet with family and a couple of friends at 6 pm to celebrate my birthday, we rushed back to Sucat, hanged out at SM BF, and then walked to our favorite Chinese restaurant. It was still early so we went to this parlor and it had a karaoke and we were being serenaded by one of the staff! Maxi had a hair spa, I had my nails done, and my youngest arrived to have her nails done too. Then, off to dinner at Toho. Dinner was fine, all the favorites were on the table and I do enjoy simple celebrations, as for me a birthday is just like going from one grade to another. My kids went their way and during the ride home, I felt sleepy yet had to go online to answer some of the Facebook birthday messages and with over 200, I am not done yet as Facebook might block me because I repeat the comment, "Thank you" too often. 

Upon reflection of that day, the gifts I got meant a lot. The time spent with me to make my day special shows that it is important to them even though birthdays are not important to me. The messages that came from old and new friends, it felt good to be remembered. It was a perfect start to the third quarter of my life of which the game would be set. 

The Shi Lin Experience

Shi Lin is a Chinese restaurant with a number of branches to include the ones at the Fort and Alabang Town Center that I have dined at. The service is very good, the chairs are comfortable, and the ambiance is rather hushed unlike many Chinese restaurants where you hear the clanking of the utensils from the service area, which personally, I don't mind as the ambiance serves to heighten the various dining experiences. The food at Shi Lin is not greasy. It has a distinct and unique taste, unlike the main stream Chinese food that we are familiar with. The photo menu is a great aid for ordering and what I like about this restaurant is what is served looks exactly the same as the photo. The price is affordable and the food is filling. The Oolong tea is delightful, and even if I am not a tea drinker, I had a few cups. 

I have dined in this Chinese restaurant twice with my daughter, Maxi, and since my phone got reformatted, I lost the video of the cooks making dumplings at their Fort branch and the picture of the food items, such as the spicy spare ribs and buns served with sweet, thickened milk. I got to keep this one from our Alabang Town Center branch visit. Any of the rice dishes is a must try and we enjoyed the less fatty white chicken served with my must-have more ginger sauce. 

And, while we were waiting for the food at ATC, Maxi and I indulged in the all-time Filipino must-do which is taking selfies. 

Ready!

Selfie!

Crazy!

The Shi Lin Experience

The last time I ate at Shi Lin was with my Chinese friend which was great as the orders were different from what I would typically choose. I did request for spicy jellyfish and again I have no photo as I forgot to take one as all I wanted to do was eat. It was a blisteringly hot day and that took the edge off my appetite for lunch but what perked it up was the different kinds of dumplings that was chosen.

Wonton Soup 

Mushroom and Vegetable Dumpling 

Siao Long Pao 

Each and every one of these soimais were perfect - from appearance to taste. Now here comes my Shi Lin experience. Apparently, as informed by my Chinese friend, to eat the Siao Long Pao doesn't mean that you'll just pick it up with chopsticks, dip it in your sauce like soy sauce, calamansi, or chili, and stuff it in your mouth - thought that is not how it was said.

A quick demo from my friend revealed how a dumpling has to be placed a spoon with the addition of pinch or two of finely shredded ginger and a little Chinese vinegar, specifically the red kind, which Shi Lin didn't have so we used the black vinegar instead, and then to swoop it up into your mouth to indulge in that one perfect bite. For me, I wouldn't know the difference of the vinegars but the experience was quite a moment as this dumpling contains soup and it pops in your mouth, and the soup will envelope it with warmth and flavor as it gushes down your throat! This Shi Lin experience is one that I surely will repeat, again and again. If you haven't tried Siao Long Pao, I highly recommend that you do. 

Life is Not Measured by Days But by Special Moments that Take Our Breath Away

Tagaytay has always been the city that I plan to stay at when I retire. The cool, fresh air, the awesome vegetables, the quiet, ahh - especially during the hot summer months, I yearn, as I always want to enjoy this getaway place and one day, soon, hope to live a life of a vacation that will never end because life should be a vacation. 

A couple of years ago I had the pleasure to discover what I firmly believe is the most romantic spot in the entire area. Casa de Carlo is an event venue, perfect for weddings, debuts, and other special events such as wedding anniversaries. When I first visited the place, I fell in love with it immediately as the garden and the different areas are utterly beautiful, and I felt what the arrow in the photo below shows which is "Love Everywhere".

Jacuzzi

Event Area

Outdoor Lounging Area 

And much more to discover when you visit Casa de Carlo 

Life is Not Measured by Days 

But by Special Moments that Take Our Breath Away

 Carlo Callejo, Owner, Casa de Carlo 

I often go to Casa de Carlo to relax but there was one time that I just needed to go. This was last year, after my father passed away, I had to getaway to have time to think, to be able to rest, as it was a sad time. I packed up my bag and brought my dog to Tagaytay. Carlo, the owner, his loving wife, and his adorable daughter made my stay in their place a very pleasant one indeed.

Casa de Carlo is a bed and breakfast hotel. I always have a great time here and around this time last year, the few nights that I was there eased the pain of losing my father and I got to rest, to enjoy the food and beverages of the only place in Tagaytay that serves authentic Spanish cuisine which I will feature soon.

Hotel Room

Breakfast 

Lunch

Coffee 

Right now, as I am writing this, I feel the need to getaway again. It's more than the hot summer weather, more than the daily stressors that I have to deal with, more than the monotony of mundane tasks, as I need time to think at Casa de Carlo as it is beautiful, serene, cool, and wonderful. 

Losing Weight with Water

Ever wonder why even if you keep on drinking just water, the weight loss isn't enough?  There is a way to lose weight with beverages and that is by going on a liquid diet.

This liquid diet is not like that in a hospital, it is a daily healthy choice to make what you drink work for weight loss.

Among all the detox drinks, diet supplements, and other weight loss beverages, there is the essential, vital water that most people ignore as a weight loss drink.

Yes, water can help you lose weight.. and you'll learn how to drink water and lose weight in my new ebook,

ReFresh: The Liquid Diet Guide

Available at

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ReFresh-The-Liquid-Diet-Guide-ebook/dp/B00VGLVAVK
Kindle, Google Play, Apple Store, and all other online bookstores.

Extra Income: Nuffnang Ads on My Blog

Blogging for personal reasons has benefits but there is not a lot of income to be made. As a food blogger and product reviewer, I do get food, events to attend, and other things such as samples, but the income from blogging isn't there. Google ads are like a drizzle in the desert and so I was convinced by a friend, Mary Jane Dionela of FrugalYetFab blog, to be part of Nuffnang.

To be part of Nuffnang, I signed up and entered my blog, go approved, and placed in the ads into my blog.

I haven't been blogging lately because I have been concentrating on writing an ebook but today I visited my blog and saw that the Nuffnang ads were live. I don't want to waste the chance to make extra income from my blog, so I am going to post more often.

When looking for extra income online, blogging can make money, as my friend Mary Jane is already earning from it, and so can I, and for that matter, so can you.

Amazing #-21lbsIn30Days Naturally

When we try to lose weight, it can be frustrating but this new diet pill is fantastic. Easy weight loss is achieved fast with this weight loss pill that contains Garcinia Cambogia and other ingredients such as African Mango.

Garcinia Cambogia is a fruit. According to WebMD,"Some research has found that garcinia cambogia can also improve cholesterol levels, lowering triglycerides and LDL (the "bad" cholesterol) and raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol). 

African Mango, the other ingredient in this weight loss pill, melts away the belly fat. To quote WebMD,  "A few studies have shown that supplements containing IG extract can aid in weight loss and lower bloodcholesterol levels."

This powerful yet natural weight loss supplement provides fast weight loss. The combination of extracts brings about the burning of the stored fat to turn it into energy, faster metabolism, and detoxification. The cleanse gets rid of the toxins that make a person feel lethargic. 

Lose 21 pounds in 30 days! Click here http://bst.is/RCLNW8

Unlike other weight loss pills, this one brings about healthy and fast weight loss the natural way. If you have been searching for the easy way to lose weight, then you will discover that this is the one that works for you to get rid of those unwanted pound fast.  #-21lbsIn30Days

A Smiling Dog Contest at Instagram

Smiling dogs are so cute, don't you agree? I found an international dog contest on Instagram and made an entry. 

This is Bailey, our silver toy poodle, being mischievous and tearing up paper. She was kind of smiling as she must have been worried that I would scold her. Caught in the act! "Not guilty, your Honor."

Then after posting this picture, I saw that the user who was giving the contest liked a photo of mine and so I decided to make another entry. 

This is Fluffy, a Wheater terrier, with his jump shot dog selfie. 

Since I have 3 dogs, the puppy is not to be left out of the race! And, it's good to add another entry as with contests, the more entries one has, the more chances of winning. 

To see our Jack Russell smiling puppy entry and find out more about the dog contest, you may want to check out my Instagram account @lpd111 

Learning from Rejection

People have the right to say "no" and sometimes it does hurt - yet when the person who 'rejected' what I had written helped me turn this rejection around and make it an opportunity to learn by telling me why and what was wrong with the book I submitted.

Why I was rejected

In this learning process after the "No", I realized why and was told so. I have been writing online for many years and freewheeling my way around the net, ranking, getting content found, becoming popular, gaining a voice, having followers, establishing credibility and a good reputation... it all is for naught when it comes down to writing "exam-grade" work.

I have become slack. The online world has spoiled me, pampered me, made me succeed. The target audience is easy to reach with tweets and Facebook status updates. The quality of content that I wrote wasn't suffering, it actually became more fluid and got results - and it became second nature to me to write with keywords. To add more content, I place 'fluff' and these additional words do help in getting ranked - but that's all squat when it comes to book writing.

Rejected not just once but twice

You should have heard the comments I got from my family and felt what I did when I got rejected the first and second time. For a few moments, I fancied myself to be like the author of Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling who got 12 publishing rejections before it was approved. I felt like I was in good company. And the pride inside me raised its ugly head saying, I have a voice, I have a following, I get hits!" And then, I took a deep breath and I had to place both feet on the ground and think of what that guy who rejected my book said...

"You're a good writer. I like that you're determined. Did you have any form of formal training?"

My answer was "no". I have trained myself to write online, got other kinds of training like how to write using keywords and use backlinks, all these things - but to learn how to write? Aside from what I learned in school which was so long ago, I never did seek to learn how to write. I write with a passion and with the dedication that I learned from my grandfather, Jose Villa Panganiban, and what he taught me always comes to mind and then I think about how no one would have ever rejected my grandfather's work. "

After that second rejection, being the determined character that I am, the challenge came to mind:

I will not allow myself to be rejected one more time by that guy. 

The time he had spend talking to me and tutoring me was valuable time. He believes in me and am making me a better person. Improvement always has space in my life and I would be a fool to think that I am the best. I saw my flaws and am learning from rejection.

What I am doing now

I don't like being rejected and for that matter, who does? So right now I am studying, taking formal training on how to write. I must be humble, not bank on what I have accomplished online but strive towards the next "chapter" of my writing career.

Failure is like a toddler falling down while learning how to walk. If the child doesn't stand up again and try, that kid will never learn how to walk. I feel like a toddler and I am grateful for the one who rejected me that offered his "hand" to help me up. 

Diet Tip: Eat When Hungry

What's for dinner? I am making a very simple but delicious dish with a twist. It's called pork steak but instead of frying it with onions, I am boiling the meat to extract the oil that naturally comes out from the fat and then will add soy sauce and calamansi which is the Philippine lemon and then sliced onions and a touch of butter as the finishing with some salt at cracked black pepper. I can smell it cooking and that makes me hungry! I have made this dish with beef too and that also tastes delicious. The food is nearly cooked and I am hungry!

Eating When Hungry 

 As I go by the rule to eat when hungry and lately, I have been eating really late like at 4 pm. It worked for me. If I am not hungry, I usually won't eat as there is no time clock controlling my stomach. I don't eat a lot as a general rule but when I do wait until I am totally starving, I end up having a complete meal with dessert which is, in fact, a normal meal.

Where I Learned this Diet Tip

I have a grand-uncle who lived until the age of 94 and only during the last few month of his life was he no longer moving about. This man was strong with a sharp memory. My granduncle Ambrose smoked like a chimney, swore like a whore, and drove his car like a maniac, often screeching to a stop when he parks his car when he visits us.

To see him so stong, agile, talkative, and full of life was fascintating and yes, he was quite a character. What made me wonder is why he was so slim yet full of energy unlike most people his age and even if he was a smoker, it didn't seem to make him unwell.

During one of his visits as we had coffee, I asked him, "What's the secret to your long life?" and he answered, "I eat when I am hungry and stop eating when I am full."

Quick Cooking at Home

In a notable stint of forgetfulness, I was hungry and in a hurry to cook rice as the meal was ready. The food that my daughter took home was chicken curry and of course, it is best with hot steaming rice. So I went and washed the rice and plugged in the rice cooker. Ah, and I forgot to add water as that should be done up to a level of around an inch above the rice. So, after the time passed I decide to check if the rice is cooked and now it is Crunchy rice! Oops! I am still hungry and can't eat yet as now I have added water to the crunchy Rice and am waiting for it to be cooked and I did hope that it would work - but it didn't! I had to cook a whole new batch of fice.

One of my fave things to cook is corned beef with long green chilis to add some kick to the dish and make me burn calories with the spice. These long green mild chilis make a distinct difference to the taste of food and when I feel like a little spice, the heat level of these green chilis is just right and may be made milder by removing the white parts and seeds. A very simple dish to cook, I just open the corned beef, add a whole chopped onion, and a couple of deseeded and julienned fresh chilis. I place in a little water like around half a cup and allowed the mixture to boil. I add water so I won't cook with oil as corned beef has oil already. When the water evaporated, the dish is cooked!

When I am bored with the food at home like corned beef and would rather not take a lot of effort to cook, and also when I want something salty to go with a heaping of rice for that high-carb meal, I eat dried fish. Dried fish is a popular Filipino preserved product made from various kinds of fish that has been dried in the sun. It can be fried in oil or grilled lightly to cook. This dried fish has an overpowering smell, obnoxious to some who do not like to eat it but mouth-watering to the ones who like it. The ideal way to eat dried fish is by using the hands and dipping it in vinegar that may have chopped garlic added to it. The typical side dish of dried fish is chopped tomatoes. I love it but only eat it once in a while because it is very salty and I end up eating a lot of rice!

Since there are only 2 to 3 of us eating in the house right now, it is much easier and it provides the variety of food to buy lunch. Over here in the Philippines, we have small food stores called "carinderia". The food is in various pots and if the cover is not see-thru, you'll lift the cover to see what's inside. Then, upon making your choice, they will scoop out the measure and pack it. Rice is measure out per cup. I frequent this Muslim carinderia near the house as I like the food and have seen the kitchen which is very clean. What I like is that there is no pork and that gives me the variety I desire as I make a lot of pork dishes at home. Buying food from carinderias a practical choice to make.

This diet rule of mine is easy to adhere to when at home as when out, it's so difficult to diet!

Though I am basically a rice eater, I love potatoes and have to eat these at least once a week. I like all kinds of potato food preparations like chips, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes but most of all I love French fries. In search for the best on among the fast food chains here in the Philippines, I tried McDonalds, Jollibee, and Tropical Hut - among them all, I love the KFC French fries. These are thicker that most and have a special kind of crunch to them as I think they are lightly coated with flour and seasonings before being cooked. I can eat a small mini bucket on my own. McDonald's French fries ranks next for me and once, when it was a Sunday so we went there to have Sundae and the chocolate syrup was drizzled over it and the soft serve vanilla ice cream and French fries to that I had satisfy my cravings.

As, I confess, there's sometimes a food craving that I have and it can't be curbed! Chocolates are good for you once in a while especially the dark kind. But then my food craving hits me the feeling goes no longer considers my having to think if it is good for me or not - I want chocolate and I feel like I am a brat. I want to eat KitKat chocolates and Cadbury Fruits n Nuts, I want to eat ice cream that has chocolate flavor with whatever else that goes into it except for cherries. I am dreaming of chocolate and when it is the middle of the night and unless I order a chocolate fudge sundae from McDonald's... I won't get to eat chocolate until I go to the store. I want chocolate and it such an urge that I can extoll the virtues of chocolate all over the world! It has thiamine that makes one happy and it is a trigger food that brings back the taste sensation pleasant memory. I want chocolate and the other day I saw a post about chocolate chip cookies and that made my mouth water. I want chocolate and even if I keep on writing it, I won't be able to give in to my craving tonight - so I think I will drink the Hersey's chocolate syrup? Bad, bad, bad - but it'll be so good to stream that chocolate topping into my mouth!

What I Drink 

At night, I like to drink milk, just the good white creamy kind. I do like chocolate milk and have tried other flavored milk but it is still plain milk that's best for me especially during those nights that I can't sleep as it is so quiet and it's a good time to write. Milk makes me feel full and relaxed.

I tried making my own sun iced tea before by leaving a tea bag in the pitcher and placing it in the sunlight but that takes long and if I boil the tea bag with water and let it steep, the process takes fast and then I let it cool and add citrus fruit like lemons. Yet, I don't really have the time nor the patience anymore to make my own iced tea so what I do is buy the powdered ones that come in sachet packs that are good for making a liter. This eliminates the need of having to measure out the right amount of scoops. It also is sweetened so I don't have to add sugar. The powdered iced tea I choose must have high vitamin C content and it goes through a taste test and I check to see if the powder mixes easily and after left standing for a while has no particles on the bottom. The foam is also important so when I place the iced tea in the pitcher and add the water, there is a lovely foam top. I like iced tea because if is refreshing and note that I water down the 1 liter mix to make 1 and a half liters as it still taste okay anyway.

Coconut water is so refreshing and so good for our health, especially when it is fresh. Over here in the Philippines, sometimes a coconut is cut in half for the white fleshy meat but when one wants to drink the slightly sweet cloudy white coconut water, it is best to chop one side and make a hole to pour out the wonderful natural beverage that needs no ice nor sugar, thought you may add those ingredients plus some of the scrapped meat to make it more awesome!

Eat When You're Hungry

No use in starving ourselves to lose weight. Eat when you're hungry and eat the right kind of food. When you step out, enjoy the delicious meals, then when you are back home, stay on your diet. Don't let the clock control your stomach, let the natural urge and the hunger the time to eat.

We all eat too much once in a while and there are food temptaions all around us. Prevent this at home buy not buying food and beverages that are fatting such as ice cream and chips. Enjoy these when you eat out, as a treat, and you'll see that you'll lose weight.

If you are working and don't stay at home that often, brown bag your lunch or opt to buy healthy and filling complete meals, avoiding the process kind and chosing home-cooked dishes that you can buy from small stores. When working, there is a set time for your meals, and make the most of that eating time by having the correct nutritional intake.

Drink healthy beverages throught the day. These will keep you full and satisfied. If you have food cravings, do indulge yourself once in a while so you won't feel deprived.

Just remember - eat when you are hungry and stop eating when you are full.

How My Uncle Dealt with Prostrate Cancer

An amazing story of how my uncle never gave up the fight. 

My uncle, Binggoy Dominguez was a

cheerful guy, kind and accommodating. He always greeted us with a smile and would tell us funny stories.

When my Dad, Alonso, broke his hip and was lying down in bed at home after surgery, my Tito Bings, as we called fondly called him, arrived from the US to visit Dad.

"Look at me, Al.", he said. "You had a broken hip but you're not sick like me. The doctors they told me that I have stage 4 prostate cancer and I have had this for years. I became depressed, not wanting to eat, and then I realized - I have no pain!"

I stared at my uncle in rapt fascination as he waved his hands around to punctuate his story. "I heard you rode a bike to work, Tito."

"Yes," he said, with that familiar twinkle in his eye, "I did because I feel no pain. I am doing all that the doctors told me to do as they told me I am sick but I no longer act like I am sick."

And, he stood up and moved to dance. "I just keep cha-chaing." After saying that, he did a couple of cha-cha steps to emphasize his point, then my uncle insisted that my Dad sit up and Dad tried as my uncle held him. They were both smiling their half smiles, as I watched, knowing that my Dad was a stroke victim and had survived two heart attacks and after surgery, felt weak.

When Dad was sitting up in bed, propped with pillows, my uncle went on his next wave.

"You eat, Alon!" said Tito Bings as he was handing over canned ham. "Do you like this?" Dad nodded yes and so my uncle decided to get 2 more cans from the car and placed these on the side table.

"You eat plenty so you don't look sick. Look at me, I eat and eat. And you have to stand up and move."

Dad smiled. We all knew that Dad couldn't. Still, my uncle pushed him. "Raise up your hands to exercise." As Dad raised his hands, my two aunts, my Mom and I were all smiling, knowing that Dad was weak and trying so hard to please his brother who was so encouraging.

When my uncle left, Dad asked us to open the ham and he ate a lot. "Binggoy looks okay." Dad said.

That visit from a man who had the kind of cancer that most men fear - shows that the attitude overcomes any illness and disease - and makes each day one that is lived.

* Since my uncle found out he had prostate cancer in the late stages over 5 years ago, he had followed the doctor's orders to the letter. Last year, since the experimental treatments would no longer work and he was informed that there was nothing anymore they can do for him, he came back home to the Philippines. I asked why he came home and he said,  "I have to fix a few things."

All those years since he got cancer, he lived normally and spent quality time with his family like going to Disneyland. He went to work and rode a bike as he had no pain. He told us hilarious stories of his hospital treatments like how he felt like a guinea pig but won't be paid to be experimented on, and how he saw the med tech did a slingshot move when extracting his blood then missed the vein.

This past month my uncle has been in and out of the hospital and he passed away today. He lived a life that was full and turned his situation around, making it one to encourage others...and after years of battling cancer, he has won the battles in a big way as he had the quality of life.

If life gives you overwhelming situations and you want to overcome, you can do what my Tito Binggoy did.

Just keep cha-chaing.

Clash of Kings Review

There's a war going on! Are you part it? It's a worldwide thing with this new Peer vs. Peer multiplayer game that you can play from your device. 

Free to download and free to play, the Clash of Kings is the war game that requires you to build your castle and defend it. 

With the ease of use of SimCity to build your castle to make it an empire, there are battles to be fought and resources to be gathered from the various areas like farms and forest with auto-collect.

Strategy is required as the other people who you will be battling with have their own strategy, too, of course. It's time to put to use the strategies from the Art of War book and expect the battle to be epic every time. 

Clash of Kings is free to download and free to play. 
You can play the game without buying any additional game items. 

Click this to get your FREE download Clash of Kings 

BoostInsider Review: Make Money Online

Earn with Boostinsider Instead of Bubblews

When Bubblews, the ad revenue sharing site, failed to pay me for 3 months of 2014 and then I was shocked to see that my last redemption which was on Nov. 10 was in the cutoff for their announcement of non-payment before Nov. 11, I got dizzy and decided to make a few complaints and let go of that website. In fairness, when the tide was high at Bubblews, I did make a lot of money - but then as websites go, that one came to an end for me.

I searched online and I don't remember exactly how I did find the site and I signed up for free. Then I didn't know what to do exactly so I waited as advised for them to email me if I was active already. I did get an email and then started promoting my referral link.

Then ad campaigns were assigned to me. These were interesting things to promote such as a remote control that works like a universal remote for many of the devices in a home like to close the blinds and it can be controlled wherever you are in the world.

What I liked about sharing the links on my social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook is that people do respond because of the product. It's not old rehashed items but things that are innovative and sometimes ever free.

When I shared my link, a few of my friends signed up and one asked me why she wasn't earning. I explained that the reason why is that what counts when the link gets shared are the clicks that come from the US. I told her to share these links on Twitter and since she doesn't have a big following to use hashtags such as #Free so that her tweets will be found. That was effective and she started earning.

To boost up earnings on BoostInsider one can use a variety of methods such as writing about in in a blog, sharing the link often, and maybe even create a video. This make money online website has complete tutorials on what to do to earn and the team replies in a timely manner to respond to any of your questions.

If you want to make money online with a low payout of 20 dollars, you can sign up for free for Boostinsider. Start today to earn extra money online in an easy way by sharing ads.

Won a Free Dog Costume for Dino Dog!

 Bailey, the Dino Dog

Bailey, a toy poodle, is a sun worshipper. She would step out daily and go tanning for an hour or so. When it is cold, I make my toy poodle wear dog clothes as these will keep her warm and cosy. 

I do join a lot of contests and love to join dog contest, and when I won at the PriceAngels website the amount of 10 dollars, it took a long time for me to decide what to buy with this coupon as there are hundreds of unique items in their store that has nearly everything under the sun such as cellphones, home decor, and those As Seen On TV products.

PriceAngels had a choice of dog clothes and though the bunny outfit was so cute, after much deliberation, my daughter and I decided to chose this dinosaur outfit made out of plush material. The great thing about this retail website is that it offers free shipping worldwide so I didn't have to pay anything extra for this purchase that cost around 9 dollars using the coupon that I won!

So we waited in anticipation of the new dog costume for our beloved pet. After nearly a month, which seems like forever when I am excited, I got a postal notice that there was a package ready to be picked up. I rushed to the postal office and yes, it was the dinosaur dog costume.

Bailey has worn this to turn into a dino dog quite frequently like when we went to Tagaytay to keep her warm during those cool nights and during a dog costume contest for Halloween last year at Alabang Town Center were we ended up getting a lot of freebies though we didn't win, it was such a fun event!

If you want dog clothes that make a difference, search online for such websites and for sure, you'll be able to buy something unique.

A Treasured Recipe Collection

More than cookbooks, I have inherited from my grandaunt, Adelaida Lopez Locsin Ledesma, her recipe collection. It was handed down to me when she got ill by my grandmother who took care of her as I was constantly with them through the years and my Lola Adeliada had no children.

Her recipes are written in our Assumption handwriting. There are other recipe cards include and cut out from magazines. These are stored in two index boxes, one of which was for desserts and the other for dishes like our award-winning Lumpiang Shanghai that won in Cook's Magazine before.

This recipe collection she had placed at her side table. It was like opening a treasure box, then and now, as the recipes that are part of this collection are tried and tested, and even has notes to reflect any changes and about the substitute ingredients and changes in procedure. If she would copy a recipe from a cookbook, it would indicate at the upper left hand corner the name of the cookbook, the author, and the page.

These recipes are top secret and I am only allowed to share these with my children, as per what my grandmother had told me to do, though I did make an exception with two recipes as my relative, Mike, yearned for his grandmother's, Encarnita Murphy (who was their sister), one of which is Arroz a la Valenciana that is presented as a roasted chicken stuffed with flavored rice and served on a bed of rice and the other one of chicken corn soup with sili leaves.

There is one recipe though that she never wrote down which I mastered by being always in her kitchen. The leche flan that can be made to be as big as a Selecta ice cream can is the most awesome one you will ever find. My girls and I know it by heart. 

As I go back to the food industry after concentrating for many years online to be more 'offline', I cherish and add to this treasured recipe collection of my grandaunt.

Be Cavity FREE with Colgate Free Dental Kits!

Colgate is the Filipino generic name for toothpaste. If one goes to a sari-sari store and asks for Colgate, the sales person would ask what brand. That is how popular Colgate is in the Philippines and even though there are a lot of other brands, Colgate is trusted.

Free Dental Kits

February is Oral Health Month according to the Colgate Facebook Page and they are encouraging everyone to take a pledge towards having Zero Cavities. This concern is especially targeted for children for the parents to teach them how to brush their teeth regularly. With this ongoing freebie, one has to pledge to brush and do other things for good oral health care. Do you want a free dental kit?

Click here to get a FREE COLGATE DENTAL KIT

Please share and tweet this post! 

In Search of the Perfect Gooey Chewy Brownie

There are two kinds of brownies which are cakey or fudgy which is also know as chewy.

Then, there is the gooey kind that oozes with goodness. As I go forth and search for the perfect gooey brownie, there have been a few batches made that are fails. Edible but not lovable, the first one that I made was a hit as what I did was adjust the baking time by lessening it.

This first method of reducing the baking time works. The way to do this with any ordinary brownie recipe is to bake it and check for doneness with a toothpick. Insert the toothpick at the edge and that can come out clean or with a few crumbs - and the middle part should still be rather wet so the toothpick won't come out clean.

The next method I read about was to add an extra egg. A brownie recipe typically has two eggs so you must make it 3. This was done is a Martha Stewart brownie recipe and she also used a recipe with less flour which is another method that I read about. I love Martha but I haven't tried this recipe yet as what I am looking for is a brownie that is oozing with goodness from the middle, with that decadent chocolate spilling out when sliced.

I did find a recipe that had condensed milk in the brownie and that looked absolutely wonderful yet it was topped with a whole load of chocolate chips that seems overwhelmingly sweet and that is not what I yearned for nor what is a must for me to sell as I don't want to make ordinary brownies as I desire awesome ones. yet for now, the first method which is to reduce the baking time does yield chewy, delicious brownies that are adored by everyone.