Sharing Sweet Memories

one of the my favorite dessert or dessert is ginataang bilo-bilo. It is made out of sweet rice balls, different kinds of tubers or root crop and jackfruit that is cooked with coconut cream and/or coconut milk. You can also cook it with tapioca pearls and banana plantains which I opted out because of my preference.

 my grandmother who already passed away makes the best "palidosdos" (what we are used to call the dish). The creamy coconut and the chewiness of the rice balls along with the rest of the ingredients is like heaven in your mouth and is the best comfort food you could ever ask for. I remember helping her make those sticky rice balls when i was a little girl, which i enjoyed doing believe it or not. So since I have been craving for this dish since last night and since I have the ingredients, well not the purple yam, tapioca and bananas, I decided to give it a try and make my own.

Here is what I used:

3 cans about 14 oz. coconut milk
1 can coconut cream
6 cups of cubed and mixed sweet potato, yellow yam (i thought i got a purple yam, which is a bummer  because that was my favorite, but, oh well)
1 can of langka in syrup, drained and cut into strips 5 cups of water
4 cups of sugar
a little dash of salt to enhance the flavor
1 18 oz. sweet rice flour

 I started on preparing my tubers, since this is my least favorite to do. Haha.

After that, I got my rice balls rolling =). I mixed it with around 2 and a half cups of water. Don't forget to dust your plate with some flour so your rice balls won't stick to it. I also find it easier to roll the sweet rice on my palm if i put flour on my palm. Trust me, it is gonna be real sticky. Totally reminds me of my childhood, when i would volunteer to help my grandma or mom on rolling these babies.

So next, I put the water in the pan. Let it boil, then put coconut milk. After it reboils, I put the tubers in. I actually overcooked them, since I was hoping for a little tartness in my bite. Make sure you watch them not to get soft as you are still gonna put the rice balls. I think 5 minutes is enough, then you can put the sweet rice balls in along with the coconut cream, langka, sugar and some salt. 

Once the balls are starting to come up in the surface. it means it is cooked. I let mine in for a little bit more to thicken the sauce. Please do not forget to stir continuously, you do not want to burn the bottom part of your pan!

This is my first time to do this, I could definitely make a better one so go easy on me if I did not have the complete ingredients, like I said, this dessert reminds me of my grandmother. It does not even compares to her cooking but this is as close as having that comfort that I and the rest of my family is missing since her passing. So I made this one for her. 

I know heaven is sweeter with her now, but I still miss her and thinks about her all the time.

Just sharing some sweet memories to you,

~beverly~

Life with my little toddler

As for you who don't know i have a little 18 month old girl, who drives me crazily insanely happy (if that description does even make sense). She has a TON of energy for which i wonder where she gets it from so i can have some for myself as well. She fills my life with such happiness and cutesiness the world could never offer.

She is quite a character and makes tons of mess in our little humble abode. Our apartment has scribbles anywhere you look. I would tell myself to not give her any more of those colorful crayons but she is so cute whenever she draws tiny little circles to which she points out as balls or balloons! (Baws in her own baby words). We can't really stop little cutie kids from being artistic, could we? Perhaps, we could always clean up like all good moms would do like every single day and night , not that i am complaining here! =)

Here is a picture of her with her crazy morning bed head and wearing her little pink hearts monkey suit as we call it! Oh and that pink Dora chair is one of her Dad's gift last Christmas, she loves it coz she got her own little couch chair and it converts as little day bed.

A few days ago i was checking the newspaper for some good deals but i got up to do something which i forgot what it was and when i turned around my little Belle is there up in the chair scribbling and probably doing some budget crunching grocery list for the week! =)

So tell me how can your day be bad when she would give you a smile after all the toys-on-the-floor mess and scribbles-on-the-fridge-door?

At this very moment while i am typing this post she is still in her morning nap and definitely getting much more energy to run around and play for the rest of the day. And i am about to get some Me time.

Hope your day will be as busy but cutesy as mine!

♥Tiny circle scribbles from Belle

~beverly~

2011 Summer Fun

Did you remember what you did last summer???

I sure do. Oh, and i remember so well how summer feels, the heat that wraps around your skin like a thermal blanket. The sweat and the undeniably hunger for ice cream. Well, the ice cream part, uhm it is year round! =)

It is already winter here and this post is about some summer fun stuff we did with the kids. We also went camping which i did not took pictures of, bummer! To me this is something to look forward to again next year. I can not wait.=)

Our little family likes going to the beach and have a little picnic. We sometimes plan stuff but most often we would just go out and enjoy the sun, grab a blanket and some yummies and off we go! The kids love playing with the sand and building sandcastles. And of course, getting each other drenched.

And how about going to the zoo! Sure kids love going there too. Animals are quite amazing and our kids have hundreds of questions about them. It is nice to see them observe and report what they saw.

For the little sister, she enjoyed this little play-tent-set-up full of activity and educational toys, I think she could stay there the whole day but we gotta get going.

And of course if there is a face painting spot, big sister will not be going without!

These animals sure know how to camouflage!

And how about these cutesy monkeys that we get to take home! I'm just kidding, they are our little love angels!

Until next summer,
~beverly~

Thanksgiving 2011 - Washington Trip

So this Thanksgiving week, the family drove all the way to Washington and spend the rest of the holiday week there with the whole family. This was my daughter and son's first snow experience.

Raphael enjoyed it the most! He did not care how freezing the weather was. Even Belle was trying to catch some snow flakes.

Here was a family pic!

Are you ready for a snow fight?

Here is my little snow princess, Belle! She could barely walk with her puffy jacket and boots but she wanted to walk and feel the snow. She is so cute.

She was all giddy and her curiosity is so fun to watch! =)

Kinda hard to catch her to pose for a pic.

A quick snap of the whole gang.

So the next day was Thanksgiving day, the family cousin/host took us to a little town of Leavenworth, i guess the locals call it a the German town because it is inspired by it. I adore this little village which right now was adorned with Christmas lights, poinsettias and garlands. They have this huge all dressed up tree on the corner of the town plaza which whom i wish i could take back here in the bay area!

The next day we head onto downtown Seattle to get a taste of what is in their Farmer's market. I was not prepared for the crowd to be honest and I started to feel a little claustrophobic and my little daughter gets a little uncomfortable as well. But before that, we found a little Chinese bakery and got some pork buns and pineapple bread(which i devoured later that afternoon!). Yum!

We also spotted Santa and let the kids pose some pic with him!

Later we went on to see the Space Needle.

The next day we head back home. I think Oregon has a gorgeous picturesque landscape, i fell in love! The green mountains, rivers and lakes, looks stunning. And lastly i met Mount Shasta..=)

The kids had fun and we would take them again in a heartbeat if it was not a fourteen hour drive!

This Thanksgiving was sure a memorable one for me. I am sure blessed with everything i have and i am grateful for that.

xo's

~beverly~

♥ Priceless Moments ♥

Moments like this is priceless.

The way Belle looked at her big sister and the way Jasmin looked at her little sister while holding hands made my heart melt, and always, whenever i see this picture.

Sisters have a special bond and it will always be forever. They may not came from the same mother but they share one special person which is their father.

You know, Belle acts different with her "ate". This little one wants to play as long as she can with "ate". And Jasmin, she is very protective of her little sister. She does not want to see her cry so she would sing a song and tries to make Belle smile. =)

And so I am hoping and praying that they will be kind to each other and help each other throughout their growing years.

=)

Belle's very first carousel ride with Daddy!

It was big sissy Jasmin's 6th birthday celebration and their daddy took the kids to Chucke e cheese. Belle loved the little carousel ride so i have to snap a quick picture of it. She was so cute. I love it!

From a Mother's heart..

Miles and miles away... i can feel him longing for me and wanting me.
Miles and miles away... he is suffering and the pain is becoming greater.


How hard could it be for a mother and child being away from each other when it is only them two together in the world? Tell me how hard could that hurt a child wanting his mother to nurture him with love, believing in him with all his must. His confidence might be shattered. His trust might have been gone for all we know.

How can a mother make this all right? How can she diminish the hurt in the past? What can she do to bring back the trust and undying love they all had?