The Tooth Fairy and A Gloomy Holloween

"Is the tooth fairy leaving me a coin under my pillow?"; "Am I growing?"; "Is there a big tooth coming out already?" -- just some of the many questions from a curious soon-to-be-six-year-old boy.

My boy has reached a major milestone in his young life -- losing his first front tooth. It was a much anticipated "event" for the family since it has already been shaking for months now. The big fall happened yesterday after having a big bite of pizza for lunch!  Shocked, teary-eyed and panic-stricken, we rushed to give him some cold salt-water dilution to gargle on. He soon calmed down as we cheered him on while clapping.

 
Busy watching dad play his Nintendo DS while flashing his corn-kernel-sized tooth from his palm as I take a picture


Ever since his visit to the dentist three months back, when he was told to move the tooth everyday to make it easier to fall off, his imagination ran wild about his falling tooth. We knew that fear had set in. To prepare him for "The Day the Big Front Tooth Falls", my hubby and I knew we had to psyche him up and plant happy thoughts in that creative mind of his. You can say that we have built-up so much hype for THE Day that he was actually bragging about his shaky tooth to the grannies and cousin, saying he can't wait to turn six and become a 'big boy' as soon as it falls, that his big teeth are pushing the baby teeth down, and that he'll be waiting for the "Tooth Fairy" to come and bring him a surprise.  Even our girl can't wait for her tooth to fall off!

Now, he sounds funny with a charming lisp as he speaks, and wonders why his 'S' sounds differently. And he did get his Transformer toy surprise from the Tooth Fairy in case you were wondering :-)  This "event" was as much of a big thing for him as it was for us, and it's such a joy to see your kids go through those special growing-up moments and share the experience with them.

And yet another event -- tomorrow is Holloween!
Well, a rainy Holloween to be precise.  The weather forecast showed another typhoon is coming to the metro tonight. It is raining as I type. I don't think the city can take another hit especially after the wrath of Ondoy. Brace yourselves and pray people!

Think happy thoughts...think happy thoughts...
So here are the kids' 2008 Holloween Trick or Treat at the Podium Mall, as we ended up in a studio for a cute pictorial in their chinois costume.

Let me close this post with these cool and crafty Holloween cards from Color To Paper created by my friend Lilian. Check out more awsome creations in her site.

We're hoping they'd still get to 'Trick or Treat' in their new costumes this weekend!  We'll see how the weather plays out.  Happy Holloween!

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Mom-Friday's Raisin Bread French Toast Breakfast for 1

As the saying goes, 'Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a queen, and dinner like a pauper'.  I've mentioned this in my nutrition series some weeks back and I think I need to follow my own advice.  I am not a big breakfast eater and I usually find myself rushing through the morning with all sorts of mom-duties that I miss enjoying a good, hearty breakfast.  Well, I only have myself to blame since it's a challenge for me to wake up earlier than 8, hehehe!

French Toast is one of my favorite food for breakfast, and it's also a wonderful afternoon snack. Growing up, my mom often serves this simple pudding-like treat of stale bread soaked in a mixture of milk and egg, sugar optional, and fried in butter for breakfast.  I savored it each and every time. I've been making french toast in many different ways ever since I can cook them -- with sliced bread or pandesal halves, drizzled with maple syrup or sprinkled with white sugar, and sometimes with sliced bananas and a tad more butter! Yum!

But it's been quite a while since the last time I had some, and several mornings ago, there was a light-bulb moment when I glanced upon an opened pack of whole wheat raisin bread.  Within minutes, I found myself enjoying this energy-packed, nutritious and delicious breakfast for one. What a great way to start my day.

Mom-Friday's Whole Wheat Raisin Bread French Toast

2 slices, whole wheat raisin bread (a few days old)
1 egg, beaten
3 oz. filled milk (approximate), or use any milk you prefer
2 Tbs. butter
Honey
Cinnamon powder (optional)

In a shallow bowl, beat egg and milk together. Option to add sugar in the mix.  Heat butter in a non-stick pan.  Soak the bread slices in the milk and egg mixture.  Then fry bread on both sides until golden brown. Serve with a drizzle of honey and a dash of powdered cinnamon. Good for 1.

This is a healthy, and yummy, combination of carbohydrates, protein and fiber from the whole wheat bread, raisins, egg, milk, butter and honey.  You can't go wrong with this.  So I promised myself to make some for the whole family next time, and for sure, the kids will enjoy this as much as they enjoyed their pancakes the other day.

I have always used maple syrup or sugar since I don't buy honey before.  And a sprinkle of cinnamon always give it that extra kick of flavor.  Topping this with fruits like bananas will make this even more filling and nutritious.  Maybe next time, I'll try Rachel Ray's version with peanut butter and jelly! Mmm, I can almost taste it ...

What's your power breakfast made of?

Update:
Here's my version of Rachel Ray's PB&J french toast:
Peanut Butter-Banana French Toast

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Lazy Mom's Crazy Rice

You can say I'm a big fan of 30-minute meals (or less), quickfire dishes, simple and easy-to-prepare food for myself and for the family. Even with my "passion" and enthusiasm for food, at this point in my life, I just don't have the motivation and a great deal of time to prepare a well-planned meal.

So here I am, occasionally craving for some unique and tasty food I was served when I was younger, at the same time frustrated that I am not inspired and patient enough to whip up some new and exciting dishes to feed my own family -- hubby, two active growing kids, and in-laws.

This fried rice I decided to call Lazy Mom's Crazy Rice (or better, Busy Mom's Crazy Rice?) was borne out of the need for express cooking when our helper had an emergency days-off last weekend, and I had to serve dinner pronto! And this is what I came up with, given the items and produce I found in the refrigerator and stock in the pantry:

4 cups Left over rice, from lunch (approximate)
Lots of Minced garlic
   (as a staple in most dishes, I always try to have them minced and stocked in a small plastic container so it's always available and ready)
Chopped shallots / red onions
2 Tbs. Chopped carrots
2 Tbs. Green beans / Baguio beans
   (The sliced carrots and beans are already excess from the an earlier dish, which I then chopped to smaller bits for this fried rice)
2 Tbs. Corn Kernels, in can (excess from a previous dish as well)
Chopped green spring onions / leeks
Salt & Pepper to taste
2 Tbs. Star Margarine
Vegetable oil

As with any fried rice, you just need to sautee the aromatics like garlic and onions in oil, and for this Crazy Rice add margarine, in a pre-heated large pan or wok, just enough to coat all the rice.
Toss in carrots and green beans until cooked, but not soggy.
Mix in the rice and add a few tablespoons of water to avoid drying out the rice.
Lasty, put in corn and spring onions, then season with salt and pepper.
Mix well. Serve immediately.

Again, since I did not have enough time to thaw out some minced meat, this would have been a more savory rice meal with some lean ground pork, chicken or beef.  But overall, I am proud to say this was an instant hit, especially with the kids since they loved to pick out the corn from the rice! And in case you're wondering, the rest of our dinner were left-overs and instant soup, heehee!

In the next few posts, you can expect more quick-and-easy dishes I had prepared during my past weeks' random moments of sweet and savory cravings.

Have a great weekend of gastronomic delights everyone!

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Roasted Bone Marrow Snack Anyone?

Believe me, it tastes so much better than it sounds...and looks!  I am really a sucker for bulalo, literally! I guess it's an acquired taste. Whether it's beef bulalo (beef shank) soup or bulalo steak, I always get first dig on the marrow. Eaten with steamed rice, I savor it in all it's fatty glory, mwahaha...

I have been meaning to try this rich, delectable, artery-clogging spread of roasted beef bone marrow on toast bread ever since Market Manila featured it in his site.  This unique appetizer got my full attention when I first read about it. So at the grocery last weekend, I got me some really good cuts of beef shank and had the three bones in a separate pack.

1st step: 

I scraped off the extra meat and tendons from the bones and rinsed them.

2nd step:

As detailed in Marketman's blog, "one has to or should soak the cleaned bones/marrow in cold salted water in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours, changing the brine solution 3-4 times over a 24-hour period. This step is to remove much of the blood and draw out other impurities..." 

Now "clean" after overnight in the brine

I soaked this batch overnight, but totally forgot to change the brine in the morning!  Oh well, at least the bones still look nice and the marrow firm to the touch, see the 'before and after' brining above.  

So, on with the "project".  I ended up making this my 'heart-stopping' afternoon snack for one!

Sizzling in its own fat, hot off the oven

3rd step:

Pre-heat the oven at 200'C (400-450'F). I placed the bones on a non-stick baking sheet and roast.

I roasted for 20 minutes BUT I should have timed it at 15 minutes instead based on the sizes of the marrow I had --  look, the two (darker ones below) shrunk to half its original size.

4th step:
Garlic-rubbed toast bread.
Didn't have baguette slices, nor fresh parsley to add flavor and garnish.  My version had toasted wheat bread, rubbed lightly with garlic, and pinch of sea salt to taste.

Scoop, spread, sprinkle with flakes of salt, savor!

Chowed it all down in 5 minutes, my cholesterol level is now off the charts for sure. Then I guzzled a glass of ice-cold rootbeer to cap this unique snacking experience. Ahh...burrpp...!  :-)

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My {Vintage} Sanrio and Me

Hello Kitty. Patty and Jimmy. Little Twin Stars. My Melody. These are the original, adorable, cute, and oh-so-addicting Japanese characters from Sanrio that I was obsessed about since more than three decades ago. 

And as far as I can remember, it was my first Patty and Jimmy compact mirror and comb set that started it all. I think I was six then. My humble collection stirs up wonderful childhood memories, and just looking at them certainly brings out the kid in me.

I loved anything and everything about Sanrio. So, you may be wondering why I am writing this blast-from-the-past show-and-tell post today. Well, about a month ago, as I ordered the usual (McDonald's) Happy Meal for my boy, these big, colorful, plastic apples caught my eye (photo above) and it instantly triggered and awakened the Sanrio bug in me that laid dormant for decades. Hello Kitty is now 35! And each Happy Meal comes with a commemorative Kitty -- choose from 1974 to present. I got giddy and too excited that my stupidity reigned and only got myself one, as in ONE item, for that one meal I ordered! I should have ordered more and got all the remaining years! They were sold out when I went back a few days later.

1976.  That's my Hello Kitty apple up there. As soon as I came home, I rushed to look for all that was left of my collection, mostly bought by my mom as a surprise gift or reward. Bringing out each item as I take a picture brought back that magical feeling that you just can't explain. Die-hard Sanrio fans know what I'm talking about! And I guess it was no coincidence that 1976 is the copyright year on most of the toys and trinkets.

And now, it is my pleasure to share with you some of my treasured Sanrio collectibles, some still unused and unopened to this day.

Bright red and striped Hello Kitty mini umbrella -- my girl knows it's now hers to keep

I still have all of my Sanrio toys displayed at my mom's house, mostly Lala dolls. Kiki and Lala are the Twin Stars by the way. Unbelievably, they are still in perfect condition. Sorry I was not able to take photos of the toys. My mom calls them my "pamana" (inheritance) for my kids since they will now get to enjoy them and hopefully give them the same endless pleasure and happiness they have brought me.

A very useful kilogram weighing scale from my aunt-godmother, with the protective plastic film still on!

Now, after more than 30 years, the Sanrio gang's magic is still very much alive, led by the forever popular and lovable Hello Kitty. I will surely visit the recently opened Sanrio Luxe store at Greenbelt 5 one of these days to reward myself of something new, and just relive that girlish thrill once again.

A mini plastic nautical-themed coin purse that can hardly fit 10 quarters (coins)

Barely used, this is my precious Hello Kitty train pencil sharpener -- I'm just praying she won't break it

Another gift from my aunt-godmother who knows I love Sanrio back then

 

Pencil set, stapler, sharpener (still in plastic) and some unique assorted erasers I dare not use

My favorite erasers -- 2D Kitty in her house case, and a 3D inch-high Lala

Little Twin Stars tissue holder, unopened and still with the tag on

A favorite pasttime of mine was drawing and coloring and this was a perfect, handy carry-all kit

 
My Melody Bling!

 Tuxedo Sam wall or desk clock, also a gift I was thrilled to receive! It was used for some time until my little bother got conscious and complained it's not "unisex" (just so you know, we shared a room)

Another pink Tuxedo Sam mechanical pencil and lead refill which I still use. Check out the movable wings that lift up his cap!

And then some other unused stuff mixed in the Sanrio box...

My Sanrio fan club member I.D.  There's no better proof than this.

I only hope these "treasures" will fetch some value in the near future.

P.S.  
Almost forgot about my Little Twin Stars hair barrettes!  I still get paranoid when my nanny or little girl misplaces one of the clips!!!

Now, don't you think I should get an award for this?  :-)

P.P.S.
This is THE bag that my friend Lilibeth (see comment) mentioned below.  My first was in navy, which got worn out, then replaced with this one in camel. I finally unearthed it from my old hutch/cabinet (Thanks mama for keeping it all this time!)

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Breastfeeding and The Medela House

“Breastmilk is best for babies up to two years” – I truly believe in this advocacy.  Just ‘Google’ this topic and you will find a long list of the benefits of breastmilk and breastfeeding to the mother and child.  

It amazes me that even with modern science and technology in producing what I call “fully loaded” formula milk and food supplements for babies, more and more parents are now going back to basics -- back to the natural way of nursing and feeding their newborns.  And most baby companies are advocating this as well.


One company that actively supports breastfeeding is Medela, the industry leader in breastpumps and number one choice among hospitals and mothers. Founded in Switzerland in 1961, Medela is the only company to develop their products based on research by the world’s leading lactation experts.

Just recently, I was able to visit the Medela House when I got a few breastpump accessories for my friend who is a first-time mom. I got curious about the "Medela House" when she told me about it, and when I got there, it is actually a big house located in New Manila, Quezon City that was remodeled to feature a lecture hall, an office and a showroom. I was not able to ask about the other facilities but the place is spacious, with a garden and ample parking space, and is currently being improved.  The House was opened by MedelaMoms, Inc., the exclusive authorized distributor of Medela products in the country. I was able to meet one of the partners during my brief visit, the very accommodating Ms. Maricel Cua, who showed me some of their latest products and other mother and baby care accessories they carry.

Aside from showcasing various products, the House will act as a support center and venue for breastfeeding classes and other topics that aims to educate and guide expectant and new parents. And part of that support is their complete line of breast pumps and accessories to make breastfeeding and expressing milk more convenient for mothers. Learn more about them and their upcoming schedule of activities from their site. They are also the authorized service center where customers can bring their Medela breastpump units for cleaning and repairs.

With more than a dozen of my friends currently nursing, I was feeling sort of “in the zone” with them as I fondly recall my own so-called adventures and misadventures in breastfeeding some years back.

“Were you able to breastfeed?”
“How long did you breastfeed?”
“How much milk did you produce?”
“Did you pump (express) milk? What pump did you use?”
“What formula (milk) did you buy?”

These are just some of the questions I often get from my somewhat confused and worried friends, especially from the first-time moms, and even dads!  I can definitely sympathize since taking care of a newborn is just so overwhelming and exhausting. And for each of those questions, I try to share what I have learned from my two very different experiences with my babies. Now that's another story.

After giving birth the first time, I neither had any support nor references except for the books I’ve read, the internet, and my OB-Gyne. I didn’t attend any birthing and baby care class whatsoever. Good thing a friend shared with me her notes from a breastfeeding class that she attended, which I have posted here. It was only until I was heavy with my second child that I was able to attend an enriching seminar at Gymboree, which talked about lactation, breastfeeding, infant care and massage.

With a heightened awareness on the importance of breastfeeding, more advocates and support groups are providing classes, all well-equipped to give a helping hand to guide new moms on this challenging yet fulfilling nursing experience. Now I wished the Medela House had opened sooner as I would definitely have attended a class or two. Coincidentally, one of their resource speakers, certified lactation expert Ms. Abbie Yabot, was also the one who conducted the talk I attended at Gymboree. She was very encouraging and truly an inspiration.

I am also a satisfied ‘Medelamom’ since I used the very compact, lightweight and easy-to-use Swing breastpump -- also ideal for moms on-the-go. This was my dependable partner while I successfully breastfed my baby girl for 18 months.

To all you expectant parents and nursing moms, whether you are breastfeeding or expressing milk, take advantage of the generous support and expertise that the Medela House can provide aside from the wide array of specialized products and accessories to support breastfeeding. They will definitely help you become more secure and confident in feeding and caring for your precious bundles of joy.

Displayed here are other non-Medela products available at the House.

MedelaMoms, Inc. – Ms. Maricel Cua and Ms. Beng Feliciano
Medela House:  29 1st Street, New Manila, Quezon City (near corner of Gilmore Ave.)
Tel. Nos.: (632) 725-3723; (632) 738-6272
Mobile No.:  +63917-5614366
Email: medelamoms@yahoo.com or medelamoms@gmail.com
www.medelamoms.multiply.com

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Mom-Finds For Girls: Anne Juleth

Everybody deserves a good break or any sort of distraction after this very difficult week. It really took a big effort on my part to pull up this post after updating my recent 'help list'. But I made a commitment with this regular feature, and I guess it's always nice to have practical options especially during these times of crises.  Since it's pay-day weekend once again, allow me to share a few fashion finds for my little girl.

Girl's Jeans and Dresses 

P350 : Ralph Lauren (export overrun) light washed bootleg girl's denim, from Anne Juleth.

My daughter and I love the soft feel of the denim, and I really like the bootleg fit on her, even with the large fold at the hem, at least for now ;)

My girl personally chose her whole outfit for that day, and she's not even 3 yet! I guess it's never too young to have your own personal style. Well, except for that flashlight, she looked really well-coordinated don't you think so?

And here she is, channeling her inner model.

There are other shades you can choose from.  Shorts and khakis are also available under various brands.

P250 : Aqua blue seersucker sundress in checks and dots.  I particularly like the patchwork on the ruched bodice and dainty floral embroidery.  So girly-girl!

If I can only decide for her every time, I would love to have her wear dresses like these more often. But this early, my spunky young lady would insist on her choice, "I want for boys!" (meaning boy's clothes) or anything similar to what big brother is wearing.

P350 : Brown stretch cotton sundress with white floral prints.  One of many Gap Kids overruns, also from Anne Juleth.  This was "love at first sight" when I saw it on the window display.

This is one of my favorite stores because of the quality and variety of their wares for boys, girls, and toddlers. Ever since my son was born almost six years ago, I never fail to visit their shops every time I'm in Greenhills, and always leaving the store with a bag of export-quality clothes. Proof of that are all the Carter's pajama sets and Gap jeans and khakis that my boy had out-grown or worn out, from sizes 6 months to 5T! Now, my girl is in 3Ts already...

From pajamas to underwear, tops and bottoms, onesies to dresses, swimwear, and even baptismal gowns, there's always something you can find for the growing tykes from Anne Juleth, with most items costing below P500! Love it!

Anne Juleth
Shops in Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan:  
2/F Virra Mall
Level C, Shoppesville
The Bridgeway Shops, Tel. No. (632) 725-7737

Other Shops:
Market, Market!
Kindertown, Alabang Town Center
Festival Supermall
Robinsons Place Pioneer-EDSA

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