#RLFunnies | Dear God...

Because he was absent from Christian Living class when his teacher explained the Four Kinds Of Prayers, I took it upon myself to teach and explain the lesson to RL the day before he went back to school. Checking their online assignment app, I learned they were having a test on his first day back. So we studied all night.

The next day, I decided it was wise to review the lesson.

K: "I will say a prayer, then let me know what kind of prayer it is, okay?"
RL: "Okay."
K: "God is great. God is good..."
RL: "Adoration!"
K: "Okay, how about... 'Thank you, God, for the food'."
RL: "Thanksgiving!"
K: "How about... 'Bless us, Oh Lord, and these Thy gifts which we are about to receive from Thy bounty, through Christ, our Lord, Amen'?"
RL: "RECESS!"

Yep, I have a silly boy. LOL!

#RLfunnies | COME AGAIN?

In bed, while waiting to doze off...

RL: "Mom, what does 'come again' mean?"
K: "Come again? You mean to welcome the person back someday?"
RL: "Hmmm... So why does my teacher say it all the time? Even if we're not going anywhere?"
K: "What do you mean?"
RL: "Sir J always goes 'Come again? Come again?' when someone is talking to him..."

Sus. Generation gap. #sigiripit

First Day. First Grade.

The little boy is now a first grader. I cannot believe it. I no longer have a baby. It is official. Yep, yesterday was one of those days - you know, the day you try to hold off as long as you can, but can no longer deny because it has finally come?

Prepping for first grade. I did so at the last minute (a day before!). In denial much?

First grade books! Imagine he has to lug these to school every single day?
Thank goodness they switch to tablets in third grade!

Because I didn't want to waste my money on another box trolley he will not get to use after two years,
we chose a High Sierra wheeled bag instead. At least, he can bring this on trips!

First grade.

I had put a down payment/ deposit on another school (our first choice, as it is also my alma mater, and it is closer to home), but alas, God had other plans. RL had passed both schools. But at the very last minute, we decided it was best for him to go to this one. Long story. But one day, I will share why.

Besides, it wouldn't make sense to put a Green Blooded model in another school's colors. Yep, my little Archer is right where he belongs.

My little Archer. :)

Here are some photos from yesterday.

Excited for his first day in first grade!

Loving the fact that he has the whole service all to himself.

Smiling here, but he actually dislikes the fact that he sits right in front.
He doesn't want to get noticed daw. LOL!

Comfy in school. No tears. Good thing we had him take advanced classes there this summer!

First day bento!
See more of my bento work on http://instagram.com/momma_makes_imbento

Anyway, first grade. Sigh.

I still cannot believe it. 

Affordable Quality Education

My biggest fear with single parenting is not being able to provide my kids with quality education. When A started studying, R got her into his company education plan, and received subsidy for her. Today, both A and RL study in big schools, and it is a pain to make payments, I tell you. But I am blessed with a God who provides, and I can only pray they take this privilege and use it as best they can.

Photo from the APEC Facebook page.

Because really, education is a privilege. Although a basic right, we all know that not everyone in this country gets access to education. My cousin A, who runs a program in Capiz for children of farmers, knows this all too well. When she first introduced her program, she found that parents would opt for their children to work the fields vs going to school. Because although schooling is free in public schools, they cannot afford to feed their kids and send them to school.

And what about quality education? 

A few weeks ago, while discussing enrollment plans with our temp helper, she mentioned that although her son goes to a semi-private school, she can only hope that he gets to find a good paying job after high school. Her eldest is pretty smart. He dreams of going to college, but right off, our helper says they cannot afford it. So when my friend Jen Tan shared about APEC schools on her Facebook page, I knew this was the answer! The country needs this.

APEC Schools is a partnership between Ayala and Pearson to transform Filipino lives through affordable, high quality education.

APEC or Affordable Private Education Center is a chain of private schools that offer quality private education based on international standards at an incredible, affordable price! Imagine sending your child to a school that offers World-class education - all for less than P24,000! That's for the whole year! And because they understand the needs of the working class Filipino who find it difficult to provide for their children, APEC's goal is to prepare their students for the real world right after they graduate from high school.

All APEC schools are accepting incoming 7th Grade students for this school year, and enrollment is still on-going. They currently have 12 branches. Classes start on July 14.

Checking out the APEC flyer at a Better Me session.

And with Ayala and Pearson at the helm, how can you go wrong? To know more about APEC schools, visit their Facebook page here or call them at (02) 956.7621.

FIVE!

My little boy turned five last month. I can't believe it. He will soon be out of his toddler years, and that makes me sad. To me, he is still my baby, but I know he can't stay small forever.

We weren't really planning a party for his 5th, but the kids at his school make it a point to celebrate their birthdays there, so RL was kinda expecting the same. That, plus the BentoMommas were sorta pushing for a bento party so I can practice my bento catering skills. LOL! So, this BentoMomma gathered all her energy to prep for a 30-minute bento party (yes, 30 minutes, maybe even less, because that's all the time you get for recess at the little boy's school).

We were going for Spidey, but thought it would be best to reserve Spidey for another occasion. Besides, Lightning McQueen would be easier for this Momma. So after researching and some serious net surfing, Momma came up with this:

Disney Cars Bento Party!

I made Lightning McQueen out of Spiced Ham (the taste suited the spaghetti, plus I liked its reddish hue), bread, cheese and nori. It sits on a bed of my special tri-noodle spaghetti. I served this with a cheese cake imprinted with Disney Cars characters, 3 pieces of chicken nuggets, a piece of gala apple sliced to resemble a checkered flag, and some gummy race cars. Yep, this Momma made 25 of these! 25! Can't say it was easy, but the results were very rewarding.

A closer look at Lightning McQueen...

I found some red reusable containers at the supermarket, and used that to hold the bento meals. Printed out a party tag and voila, this BentoMomma is now ready to do a little bit of bento catering (I hope I don't regret saying that, LOL). The thing with RL's preschool is - everything had to be reusable, so I was really careful with how I packaged everything.

I decorated the wooden utensils with red star washi tapes from Paper Chic Studio.

I ordered a Lightning McQueen cake from the neighborhood bakery (our favorite Orange Chiffon with their signature marshmallow icing!). It was a hit with the kids, although they didn't quite get to taste it, because after RL blew out the candles, it was time to head back to class.

They were thoughtful enough to incorporate the number 5 on McQueen's body. 

For giveaways, I used our leftover cups from the Family Day Bazaar and filled them with goodies - gelatin cups, M&Ms, Pocky, Chupa Chups, rainbow mentos, Chocolait drink, etc.

I found this cool Lightning McQueen candle, and RL actually had a total of 6 candles (5 small ones plus this one)
which I thought was a wrong move on my part, because he kept asking me "why 6". LOL!

It was a simple party, if you discount the prep time for the bento meals. I loved how the kids reacted to their meals (although it wasn't much of a surprise because these kids were used to seeing my little boy's bento lunch). I love how they appreciated what I prepared, so this was a very fulfilling experience.

This little girl was really digging into my tri-noodle spaghetti, and she kept saying it was "so good".
I can make you spaghetti forever, S!

The not-so-little boy posing with his birthday cake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, RL! 

To see more of my imBento work, follow me on Instagram at @momma_makes_imbento.
Looking for Bento tools? Check out the BentoMommas Facebook page here. 

Hacking Filipino.

My daughter A has been having a mighty hard time in her Filipino subjects - mostly AP (Filipino History and Social Studies), so when I went to get her card yesterday, it wasn't a surprise to see a low final second quarter grade for this subject. Sigh. I promised myself I wouldn't be teaching any of my kids past the 5th grade (I started studying by myself when I got to 6th grade), so it is with a lot of frustration that I've decided to tutor A once again. At least for these two subjects and maybe, a little bit of Science and Math.

I don't know. I don't like the idea of having her think being "ok lang" is okay. I saw her write this beside her exam grades. I mean, it doesn't sit well with me to have my kids think mediocre is fine. Not to put a lot of pressure on them when it comes to schooling, but what parent settles for anything less than the best? Don't get me wrong, I am not pushing for perfect scores and excellent marks. I just want her to aim for better results. I know she can get Os and As, she was an academic awardee and even got an O in AP in the past. It's just that... she works so hard in school (extra-curricular work plus she takes her class officer role too seriously) that by the time she gets home, she hits the sack right away.

Is there an easy way to understand AP? I mean, take math for example, there are easy hacks to problems and these shortcuts help her understand math principles.

I saw this on my timeline today, and this is exactly how I taught A fractions.

But for Filipino and AP?!

Just yesterday, while talking to her dad about RL's birthday...

A: "When are you coming home?"
R: (Mentions day)
A: "What? Hindi mo aabut birthday ni RL!" 

Everything else to her is prefixed with a "mag-" ie. magkakain, magliligo, etc. Can you just imagine how her Filipino exam looks like?

So tell me, other than teaching Philippine History, Social Studies and Current Events in English, is there any other way I can help A understand Filipino and understand its context? Tagalog comics, maybe? Batibot? Jollibee Town Videos? LOL!

Help! I need a life hack for Filipino!

Teaching Compassion.

My daughter A has been talking about this new girl in the school bus, E, who is some sort of a bully. "The other kids call her Donya since she's such a boss, but she's the newbie, so it's irritating."

That was a couple of months ago. And during that conversation, I wondered if I was lacking as a parent, and if I failed to teach my kids compassion. I discussed each situation that A claimed to be "annoying" and proceeded to lecture her about doing "what Jesus would have done." I cited many possibilities resulting in the kid's attitude toward her new bus mates, including the fact A supplied - "she lives alone with her lola."

And I thought she understood what it meant to see past faults after that conversation.

This morning, while in bed, RL comes up to discuss school bus stories (he rides the bus home with his sister).

RL: "Mom, Ate A doesn't like me talking to Ate E (same new girl in the bus)."

K: "Why? Does she (E) bully you? Does she fight with you?"

RL: "No."

K: "No one talks to her? Doesn't she have any friends?"

R (answering with conviction): "She does! One friend!"

K: "Who?"

RL: "ME!!!"

While I am sad that I need to have another talk with my daughter, my heart is rejoicing over RL and his heart. 

"Train children to live the right way, and when they are old, they will not stray from it." (Proverbs 22:6 NCV)

School Boy!

This is it, I guess. The start of a new season in my life. I can't believe my little baby has started school. Okay, okay, four isn't exactly baby age, but sigh... time flew.

I guess it's true - time flies when you're having fun. But where did those four years go? Didn't I just give birth yesterday? When you think about it, we actually went through a lot since RL was born. And yet, aside from the fact that I probably have more gray hair than I would want to grow, life wasn't so difficult. And yes, the kids and I had fun - more than when R was still with us.

My tiny little newborn.

What are you looking at?

Momma, si ate o!

First birthday!

Bible bearer for his Ninang's wedding.

L.O.V.E.

Playing navigator in Singapore...

Modeling for GetBlued!

RL started school last week! We had to prep him for this. He is so attached to me, and we were afraid he wouldn't adjust well to school. So to get him ready for the school year, we had him attend Art and Science classes at Gymboree; join Children's Theatre at Trumpets, and take swim classes at the village pool.

RL played Robin Red Breast for his Trumpets showcase.

First day of school was Thursday. KY and I took him to class, and he just walked away from us. Yes, just like that. He didn't even look back. So we didn't even get to take photos of him in school, save for that photo of him holding the teacher's hand and walking away from us. Sob! Momma has the case of separation anxiety!

My little school boy! SOB! 

And he didn't even cry! I remember crying 'til I was in 3rd Grade! Yes, I am a certified crybaby! LOL!

I can't believe we're here! My little boy is now a school boy! 

Break!

I am taking a break from the blog. I'm not quite sure if I can blog this week, given that it's that time of the year again and my daughter, A, has quarterly exams. But I will try!

Thanks! And I appreciate and covet your prayers for wisdom, patience and perseverance. For both A and me.

See other strips from Baby Blues at www.babyblues.com

RL Funnies: Practice!

My mom wants RL to start preschool this year. She's bringing him to A's school next week - for assessment to see if he can try preschool for the second semester.

Because of this, I've had to practice drilling him with Qs. Last night, while giving him a bath, I drilled him some more...

K: "What's your name?"

RL: (Shrugs) 

He's been having a hard time pronouncing the Rs and Ls. So he stops himself from saying his own name because we used to laugh a lot at his pronunciation. Oops! 

After a few times of helping him out, he finally gets it right. So we move to parents' names.

K: "What's your dad's name?"

RL: (Shrugs) "I don't know."

Ok, that may be an acceptable answer, don't you think? (Guffaw!)

K: "What about mom's name? What's my name?"

RL: (Confidently) "Kaye!"

K: "Can you spell my name?"

RL: "It's on your ID! You go check!"

Hahaha! My little boy is NOT ready for school. Nyar.

Bento's Back!

Sorry, no real post today. Nothing on the Birthday Blowout either, although I did draw the Clara Ole Gift Pack winners already. But yeah, will announce tomorrow.

I stayed home today. Had a really, really bad migraine, my left eye kept tearing up, and I wanted to chop my head off. I finally found a comfy position after two hours of trying to rest, but alas, it didn't work as it was flat-face down. Ha! So I stayed in bed all afternoon trying to calm my throbbing head. Sigh.

This was the culprit (plus staying up worrying if they'd suspend school right when my A was already on her way to school). Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, the culprit. T'was because I got up to make A bento lunch. Nothing fancy but I wanted her to get a little excited with what she had - what, after that episode last week where she tries to bring her savings to buy food for recess. This, after buying all the snacks she could find at Shopwise.

Upper Box: Fresh Mango Slices (P49/kg at Shopwise), Mint 3 Musketeers (S&R),  Bibingka Hearts (Ferinos, VMall)
Lower Box: Bistek Tagalog, Rice, Pickled Radish and Carrot slices and Wansoy/ Coriander Leaves 

In fairness, she ate up everything, except for a few slices of the pickles. She ate the wansoy. Haha, we love wansoy.

And yes, after making this, I went back to bed. AND woke up with a headache.

So there. I think my body clock is telling me to just drink coffee and not go back to bed after waking up so early. So that's what I'm doing tomorrow.

Goodnight!

STOP!

This morning, my good friend L sent me a verse via text. Was too busy to stop and read. I had a rough, rough day. Tuition day tomorrow and I am short. R won't help, and I don't want to fight about money anymore. I cried and asked God so many questions.

Just now, I had to text L for something and stopped to read the verse she sent over 12 hours ago:

"Lord, You are the answer to our questions and the solution to our problems. Only You have the wisdom to work through the storms. In You we find help, and hope, and healing, Amen. Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: 'I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears'." Isaiah 38:5

AND...

"They cried out to the Lord in their trouble, He saved them out oftheir distresses" Psalm 107:19

And to think I liked her status on FB this morning (which had these verses too)!

When God wants to get His message across, it is useless if we do not stop and listen. Life may go too fast, that we do not even bother listening back after we throw a prayer His way. WE HAVE TO STOP AND LISTEN! Look! He had His promise ready for me even before I asked!

I am expectant, Lord! RAIN DOWN!

Congratulations, Babe!

My not-so-little girl transferred to her big, all-girls school last year. And although it was a huge change for her (having studied in a small school from the age of 4), she managed very well. I really have no problems with A when it comes to going to school. She LOVES school. She hates holidays and summer vacay, and gets pretty bored at home. She loves everything about her new school - the fact that she now has new friends, over a dozen new teachers, busmates, a school library, clubs, activities, a huge cafeteria, etc.

Remember when I blogged about final exams and how I felt I was pushing A too hard? Well our hard work has paid off! When I went to her school Friday morning, her homeroom teacher told me how A has blossomed in class, so much so that they don't even remember she's a new student. And yay, because A made it to her school's Honor Assembly! With a cool O average, too! That's O for 'Outstanding' and not O for 'Ows?!!', Dugong! LOL!

Can't tell you just how proud I am of my daughter. She's mighty proud of her achievement, too! So maybe I did push her just right.

Congratulations, Babe! Congratulations to us! Yay!

I Have a 3rd Grader, Right?

That was one hell-of-a-week! Can't say I didn't get stressed. Thank goodness we had a reprieve Thursday (not that we reviewed extra hours, more like we took in more snooze). Who's happy that school is finally out?

Not A. Nope. She's bummed with the idea that she's "gonna get really, really bored at home with the babies (babies meaning RL and our neighbors, cousins A2 and C)." So Friday, after her last test, I took her with me to the office - which wasn't really cool with A, given that I made her skip her busmates' "Summer is Here!" (that's what she wrote on the poster she made for this event) party. I wasn't at all surprised to learn that my A was half the brains to this whole shindig at her friend P's house. She's really into planning this and that; why, she's probably planned more "parties", garage sales, you-get-the-picture events than I have. I caught her writing her "Things to bring" list Monday evening, when she was supposed to be deep in books for Tuesday's Science and Language exams. 

I have a 3rd Grader, right?

A, getting a haircut at One on One.
D, who's been cutting my hair since I was 12, is amused
with A's unwillingness to chop her hair off.

So why is this 3rd Grader planning parties with her friends? When I took her for a haircut Saturday afternoon, she was insisting we keep her hair the way it is, saying she waited so long for her hair to grow (we had it cut really short before the school year had started). And she had her way with our stylist, who cut off barely an inch from her locks (not worth the money I paid, I tell ya). Am I losing my grip on my daughter? She's hardly 10, but already too strong-willed and acts like a teen.

My mom says that kids will usually have us pay for the problems we gave our own parents. And let me tell you, I am dreading the day my daughter becomes an adolescent. In my eyes, she is still a child. Which she is, but you get my point.

And I thought I'd explain it well to her how "mommy only wants what's best" but she always says "why is YOUR best not the same as what MY best is?" I am merely trying to protect her. And I know I can't prevent her from making mistakes in the future, nor can I keep her on a leash. I can only pray that I guide her well enough to keep her head on right into adulthood. Lord, I need your grace to do this the right way, to break the curse of my sins and have her love you more than anything else.

In the meantime, I only have a few more years to hold on to my child and make sure she grows up to be a godly, God-loving, God-fearing adult. And if in the process, she gets "hurt", and if I have to face more "drama", I shall endure it knowing that one day, she will eventually choose to do what she sees fit, and no longer what "mom says".

Thank goodness, I only have a 3rd Grader.

Ok, A says she'll be a 4th Grader this school year, so yea, no longer a 3rd Grader. I stand corrected. 

Exams!

It's finals week for my A, and I can already tell how stressful this week is going to be. But we're trying not to sweat it. Yesterday, we went on with our usual routine. One thing I've learned through the years is that you can't sweat the small stuff. Of course, education isn't small stuff, but I'd rather have a peaceful week than one riddled with the hee-haws.

There was a time when I'd really get stressed trying to get my daughter to breeze through reviews. I mean, I remember how stressed my mom used to get when it came to me and my brothers. But that's just it, I no longer want to sacrifice joy for anger and stress. I must admit that there were times in the past when I'd get furious because A doesn't seem interested in getting high grades. I mean, I always went for the gold growing up. I was an over-achiever. *facepalm*

But I realized that A loves school anyway, and she's really smart - although a tad lazy. She gets bored easily and would rather read and write. Come to think of it, she's so like me! Haha! Maybe I've been pushing her too hard...

So this week, we're taking it easy. Lord, extra grace, please? 

I couldn't find a strip with Wanda. But you get the picture. Credit: www.babyblues.com

Original Strip here.

Hearts From the Field

A Valentine message from our friends at ARK - Advancement for Rural Kids.

Love, students of Dumarao 

PS. ...Last July, 3rd graders from Sibariwan Elementary School, to the surprise of their teacher, made adorable paper hearts. During the afternoon break, each of the kids gave one (or 2) to each of the four newly-arrived and jetlagged ARK visitors who were leading a full day of student workshops. We hope their art lifts your heart as they did ours. Thank you for your love and support! The ARK Team 

PPS. ...Look out for ARK's off-the-hook summer internship and fellowship opportunities which shall be available very very soon. Interested? Like us on Facebook and check out www.ruralkids.org.

ARK, or Advancement for Rural Kids, raises funds to: support school-based feeding programs, create after school initiatives and scholarships; purchase school supplies; and provide critical infrastructure improvements. ARK collects books, computers and other educational aids for school libraries for the use by the entire community. Their programs enable kids to stay in school, have better health, improve academically, and have a better future.

Want to help? Write to ARK at info@ruralkids.org

Advancement for Rural Kids 
10 East 85th Street 
New York, NY 10028

The Devil's Out to Get You!

I came home late last night (not late-late, but later than usual) and found A on the couch eating dinner. I took a second look and saw her crying. So I asked her what was wrong, and she started crying out loud.

Scary, freaking loud.

After a few more tries at asking her what was wrong, she wailed, "The demons are chasing after me!" (more wailing)

"What do you mean? Do you see them coming for you?" (I know, I know, stupid question, but I had images of old men chasing down my daughter, and not the spirit-type-of-demon)

After much prodding, she wails back, "I can't see them, but I feel them!"

The house echoes her cries. I fear that even the nuns across the street think we have Linda Blair happening over at our place. Nyar.

So I march A up to the bedroom, and try again. (Did I mention I was freaking out already, and nearing a major heart attack?)

I called my mom and asked for help. She tells me to pray with A. I was freaking out (Lord, I know I should've reacted in prayer at first option, and I am sorry I gave in to my demons by getting all worked up on what I thought was happening). Sigh.

So we prayed.

And I asked her again. This time, careful with my choice of words. "What was happening? Did someone hurt her? Did something happen in school? Etc? Etc?"

"I feel it because of all the bad stuff happening to me."

Okayyyyy... like what? (For a while there, I expected the daddy-answer and I was ready with my speech on how demons existed, excuse the pun, kekeke)

"Like the things RL does to me." (What? Like how?)

"Like he gets my toys and writes on my notebooks, and he gets a new toy today, and I have to study."

Right.

Credit: http://www.oneupmagazine.co.uk

Anyone here have the demon of sibling rivalry in their home? Turns out, she just woke up from a nap (one I told the nanny she shouldn't take unless she is done with homework and studying for her 4 quizzes for today - note: thank goodness, classes were suspended!) and was scared she was gonna get punished for not studying. And we did stay up 'til past midnight studying because of that nap, and that episode! Read: more huffing and puffing.

Demons. She probably was right. The demons were out to get her. I was livid. And I know I was wrong. She's just nine and is probably as stressed out with school. Sigh.


Pray for us!

Psalm 91

New International Version (NIV)

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,

nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,

ten thousand at your right hand,

but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes

and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”

and you make the Most High your dwelling,

no harm will overtake you,

no disaster will come near your tent.

For he will command his angels concerning you

to guard you in all your ways;

they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.

You will tread on the lion and the cobra;

you will trample the great lion and the serpent.

“Because he loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;

I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.

He will call on me, and I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble,

I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him

and show him my salvation.”

"How Was Lunch?

...I had asked A when I got home from work tonight. "Was the Beef Stroganoff still good?"

She looks at me funny and says, "Beef Stroganoff pala yun."

"Why, what did you think it was?"

"I told my friends it was called Beef Demonol."

And at that point, I started laughing and couldn't stop. LOL!

Kanino nagmana 'to? In fairness, she laughed at herself. We laughed all throughout dinner until we were crying from laughing too hard. Don't ask me, I don't know where she got that name.

Beef Demonol, anyone?

Back to School!

It's that time of the year again! A is back to school, this time at her new big school! I can't tell you exactly how excited she was to be taking the school bus for the first time in her life. I know I wasn't excited to wake up at 430am (the bus swings by our place at 530am). Gaaaah! Yes, so early! Was it this early when we were kids? I don't know, really, I never took the bus service to school. But nowadays, with traffic et al, and given my situation, I have no choice but to let A take the bus (to her obvious delight).

Back to school means back to making imBento lunch! Yes, I wasn't too eager to get up so early, but surprisingly found myself creating something for my girl. My nanny found it quite amusing that I was rearranging my daughter's baon. Hey, I can't help it if I felt like making imBento so early in the morning.

This was what I made for A today. 

Homemade Pork Siomai with Rice; Oreo for dessert!

We made homemade Pork Siomai last night. And since A and I could both eat Siomai everyday, that's what she requested for lunch. A lot of my friends have been bugging me for the recipe. I don't really have a recipe-recipe, since I throw everything together and mix in the soysauce, etc. But my husband, kids, brother, helpers (you get the idea) all swear it is good. So here's the recipe for you, NappyKaye-style. Feel free to add stuff to your liking. It's a simple recipe I learned from a friend's cook. You can add a dash of sesame oil to the mixture if you want it smelling more asian. 

Enjoy! Can I just say it again, I CAN EAT SIOMAI EVERYDAY. Nomnomnomnom!