My first sewing project....Necktie

I have always told myself and to others that with enough courage and determination, you will accomplish something. And that’s what I did with my first sewing project! All this time I have never touch or horse around with sewing machine. If there’s a need to stitch something I’d sew it by hand. These past few weeks, I was having a hard time finding a necktie for my hubby and my son to match. And so I thought of making one! After several search on the internet about how to make it, what to do and the things I need, I have decided to make one. With the help of Purl Soho’s website for the necktie pattern, I did it! And I am proud to share you this DIY project of mine. 

wheeewww...it's not that bad, isn't it? and it's not hard to make too!

Puto Bumbong (steamed cake in a bamboo cylinder)

This is one of the favorite native delicacies in the Philippines especially on Christmas season. This has been in Filipino tradition for a very long time. It is time consuming yet worthy of wait. It is a mixture of 3 different kinds of rice; ordinary, glutinous and purple rice (pirurutong as they call it). It is soaked overnight, grounded the next day and then let set to dry. It is cooked on a special kind of kettle like steamer with 2 holes for the bamboo cylinders. Puto bumbong is the most sought delicacy (aside from bibingka) after Simbang gabi or the Christmas Eve mass, people would line up to their favorite stalls/vendors just to have a taste of this delicacy.

I was not able to take a good picture of the puto itself (silly me). I did not use any food color. That is the actual color, purple. I was actually shock when I was grinding it because the color was pale but when I took it out from the bamboo cylinder, it was a deep purple. I'm glad I did not use any food color to add on. As for the steamer and the bamboo cylinders, my mom sticks it in her luggage when she took a vacation here.


Utensils
cheese cloth
measuring cups
food processor or rice grinder
strainer

Ingredients
2 c glutinous rice
1 c purple rice
1/2 ordinary rice
2 tbsp melted butter

Toppings
grated coconut
margarine
brown sugar