Points of View by Ms. Joey Albert

...thank you for the time spent listening to my thoughts and stories. Most importantly, thanks for being there at any time (",)


Look, it's happened once again
It happens ev'ry now and then
Feeling the hurt and hatin' all the men
Ready to stop it all

That's when I need a friendly face
To see me through these lonely days
Just to put some sunshine in my place
Don't take too long, I need you

Here I am
I haven't gone that far away, 
And since I am
The kind of friend you know
Would stay with you through all the pain
Never to leave you in the rain
Ready to listen to what you've been through
Your woes and blues and share each other's... 

Points of view
We've been there once before
And kept our points of view
It doesn't really matter if they're never quite the same
We have our rules in diff'rent ways, 
We play the games of diff'rent folks with diff'rent strokes
And keep our points of view.

See, the world seems bright again
It only darkens now and then
Most of the time there's just no telling when
Look up and see you've got me.

Food for the Gods

1 1/4 c sifted APF
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c chopped pitted dates
1 c butter
1 c granulated sugar
1 c brown sugar
 2 eggs
1 c chopped walnut

Preheat oven to 350F

Grease and line a 13x9x2 inch rectangular pan

Sift the first 4 ingredients together.

Take 1/2 cup of flour mixture and dredge dates. What I do is, I tossed the dates in the flour mixture and then sift it again then set aside the dates in a bowl.

Cream butter until soft and fluffy. Add the sugar and blend well. Add eggs. Fold in the flour mixture and dates. Add walnuts. Blend batter completely.

Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in a preheated oven for 10 mins.

Lower the heat to 300F and continue baking for 30 mins.

Cool slightly, then cut into bars.

My Pride and Joy

He may not listen sometimes, but John is a great boy. He's got a big heart, always thinking of other people first before his self.

School year of 2011 and once again, never missed any day at school. For 5 yrs, since kindergarten, he missed 1 day, and that was the time he got really sick, and couldn't get up but still asking if he could go to school. That was when he was on 2nd grade.

Time flies so fast that I couldn't believe myself that he is going to be on 5th grade the coming school year.

For his perfect attendance at regular school, he got a 10$ Walmart card (wow....) and for the summer school (lasted for a month after regular school) he got 100$ Visa card. Few weeks ago, we went to Walmart to buy groceries, he brought his cards with him saying he wanted to buy bey blade. And so went and got our groceries with his bey blade toy, when it was our turn in the cashier, i kid him. This is how our conversation went...

Me: John, we don't have money for the grocery

John: (looking at the price of his toy) he said...here mommy, you can use the $100 for the grocery and i'll pay for the toy with my walmart card.

Me: (looking on how much the grocery was) i said...john, it cost about &125.00.
without any second thoughts, he pulled his bill fold, grab and gave me his 10$ walmart card and said

John: this is all i got mommy, can you pay for the rest?

I grab the checkbook and paid our groceries. Gave back his cards and just smiled at him.

Whenever I think of that day, it always make me smile and be proud of him. I know that no matter what, I can always count on him.

He is my son, my friend, and my constant reminder that there is always hope. He sees what I feel and always ask, what is wrong or why I am sad, if i don't answer, he'd just put his hand on my shoulder as if he is telling me, it's going to be okay and that he is there if I want to talk.

Life as we know it

It's been a while since I posted something different or should I say, special, aside from the foods I cook. Today, I want to share my views about life, how I see it and how blessed we are. To all of you of who stopped by and wasted your precious time in reading, thank you very much.

People may not know that as we hear stories, it changes our life. It inspires us to be more happy, more confident and more caring. It give us a goal, give us time to think on what we really want to do and pursue in life as time goes by. Life is all about hope. I remember somebody told me that Hope is good and sometimes we see it as the only thing. We should not give up. Just because we stumbled and have fallen once, it does not mean we should stop there, instead, we get on our knees, take a deep breath and pray.

We cannot always spit out what ever we want to say whenever we get hurt, words hurts more, and leaves a deeper mark. When you get hurt emotionally, say it, tell the person that hurt you, it doesn't matter if they get mad as long as you tell them what you feel. Don't keep it because if you do, one day you'll wake feeling nothing for the person you use to love.

Life is a matter of choices. We, as human, are privileged to have the choices in life. The choices we make in life are the ones that puts us to where we are and what we are doing. Destiny is different. You can always meet people and instantly click, as if you have known each other a long time. Soul mates? It can be your friend, somebody you are with or anybody. When two people are destined to meet, it is going to happen, where ever you are, what ever you are doing, even, who you are with.

Fried Donuts

1 package yeast ( I use active dry yeast)
1 tsp sugar
1/4 c warm water
6 c flour
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 c butter
1 c half and half (room temperature)
1 c evaporated milk (room temperature)
6 eggs

Dissolve yeast in 1/4 c warm water with 1 tsp sugar. Set aside.
NOTE: when the yeast starts to bubble, it is ready.

In a mixing bowl, measure 3 cups of flour, add salt, sugar, then mix. Then add in yeast mixture, half and half, evap milk, butter and eggs. NOTE: if using kitchen aid, use the dough hook and put it on 2. Then add the remaining flour. Put the beater on 3 until the dough starts to cling on the hook. NOTE: do not worry if the dough looks like it needs some flour because it don't. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and kitchen towel, set aside until it doubles, for about 1 hour and 30 mins. Turn dough into a separate bowl, do not punch down. Cover and let rise again for 30 mins.

Heat oil to 375F ( i used deep fryer, easy to tell the temp). Drop the dough by teaspoonful. Cook until brown, toss in a brown bag with sugar. NOTE: you can put cinnamon in the sugar if you like or you can fill it with any kind of fruit filling or just drizzle it with melted chocolate.

Love and Laughter

What is the real meaning of Love and Laughter? Who do you love and who makes you laugh? A lot of people oftentimes say they are in love but do they know what love means?


Love is a virtue. It also refers to a variety of different feelings towards people, animals or things. It ranges from pleasure ( I love my bag or I love my new shoes) to personal (I love him,/her). Love in its various forms acts as a major facilitator of interpersonal relationships and owing to its central psychological importance, is one of the most common themes in the creative arts. Love can be anybody's survival instinct.


While love is a virtue, laughter on the other side is a part of human behavior regulated by the brain, helping humans clarify their intention in social interaction and providing an emotional context to conversations. Laughter is a reaction to certain stimuli. It is considered as a visual expression of happiness,  an inward feeling of joy.


Laughter is sometimes contagious. 

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

Fondant Peterbilt - Groom cake

I made this cake in 1 1/2 day, but not actually the full 24 hrs. As per grooms' request...mocha frosting and a lot of it. The frosting of the base cake is mocha (well not really mocha because there is no chocolate in it, maybe i should call it cappuccino) and the truck filling is butter-cream since the cake itself is already blended with coffee. I baked and used pound cake for easy handling and cutting. This is my first fondant truck and i'm happy with it(",)

Being Single

Single means you have the time to grow and be the person you want to be. It gives you space to grow. Sometimes it is harder to grow when you are too close to someone or to somebody.

Trees are planted far apart so they can spread their branches and become strong as they mature.

Single means learning to live by yourself. However, that is no more difficult than learning to live with somebody else. This means freedom. You are free to spend a week's vacation on the beach, take classes, work late on an interesting project, spend the day on bed or on a couch with a good book or comics.

Single means learning not to need a man/woman to make your life meaningful but learning to live with a man/woman because you want to be with him/her.

Single means that sometimes you will wonder why you will bite your lip and feel wistful and wonder if marriage is better. Ironically, yet quite happily, single is feeling good about being in control of your life. It is liking and respecting who you are and why you are.

It is the state of realizing that being married is not necessarily better, it is merely different.

Single means that there could be something wonderful around the corner and you can take advantage of it.

This only means you are free to do whatever you want, whenever you want and however you want things to be. Most especially, you are free to love again.

stir fry tofu

I call this budgeted yet healthy meal! This is one of my favorite food growing up with lots of rice!!!

Ingredients
1 block of tofu
2 medium tomatoes (or more if you like)
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 bunch of bok choy, sliced (pechay in tagalog)
2 cubes of beef bouillon
cooking oil
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 c water
2 tbsp soy sauce

Direction
Fry tofu until brown. Cut in cubes then set aside.  Heat oil in pan, saute garlic until brown, add onions, saute until caramelized, then add tomatoes. Simmer for a minute. Add sliced bok choy (pechay) and tofu, add water and soy sauce, simmer for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Served with rice.

Chicken and Asparagus bundles

7 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
35 fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp cornstarch
1 c chicken broth

Flatten chicken breasts slightly. Combine the oil, lemon juice and seasonings. Wrap top and bottom of asparagus w/ foil. Wrap the asparagus in chicken, secure with toothpicks. Place in a 13x9x2 baking dish coated w/ non stick or brushed w/ cooking oil.  Cover and bake at 350F (175C) for 15 mins. Uncover. bake for another 15 mins or until the chicken juices run clear. Remove bundles to a serving platter and keep warm. In a saucepan, combine cornstarch and broth until smooth; stir in pan juices. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 mins until thickened. Remove toothpicks and foil from bundles; top w/ sauce.

Basic Sponge Cake

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease sides of parchment paper lined pan (12x16x1/2 inch).

2 c Cake flour
1/2 c white sugar
1/3 c vegetable oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
8 egg yolks
1/2 c water

Mix together all dry ingredients then add the veg. oil, water and eggyolks. Blend well using whire wisk. Set aside.

BASE 2
8 egg whites
3/4 c white sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar

Place egg whites and cream of tartar into the mixing bowl. Using wire whisk, shift the mixer to 5 until it resembles to a float/bubbly(like beer). Gradually add in sugar. Whisk until soft peaks form. NOTE: Do not over mix, the consistency of the white should be like shaving cream, not dry and a little bit stiff.

Fold the cake flour into the white mixture by using rubber spatula.

Put the batter into the greased lined pan and tap once onto working table to release air bubbles.

Bake at 350F for 30 mins. Turn the pan upside down, and peel the paper. Let it cool.

NOTE: you can also roll this cake as in jelly roll. As soon as you take the cake out of the oven, roll it w/ the paper inside. Set aside while you prepare your own filling. Otherwise, you can slice it like a cake, put some fruits and some whip cream. Enjoy.

No fail Black Forest Cake

CAKE
1 2/3 c Cake flour
2/3 c cocoa powder (unsweet or sweet)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 c buttermilk

MOCHA FILLING
1/2 c butter
1/2 c shortening
1 1/2 c confectioners' sugar (add more if you want it sweeter, and how you want the consistency of your filling)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp instant coffee (dissolved in 4 oz heavy cream)
bottle of maraschino cherries (reserve the syrup)

FROSTING
2 c heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp maraschino syrup
1 square semi sweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line the bottoms of two 8 inch round pans w/ parchment paper circles. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
Cream together, butter and white sugar, beat until creamy and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour into 2 round 8 inch pans. NOTE: I use 1 measuring cup to pour my batter in the pans to make it even.
Bake at 350F for 40 mins. Cool completely. Remove paper from cakes. Cut each layer in half, horizontally, making 4 layers total. Brush each layer with  the reserved syrup from the cherries. set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream the butter and shortening until light and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar, salt and dissolved coffee. Beat until smooth. NOTE: If the consistency is too thick, add 2oz of heavy cream.
Spread first layer of cake with 1/3 of the filling. Top with some cherries. Repeat with the remaining layers. NOTE: You don't have to spread filling on the top layer, if you don't want to.

In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. beat in 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tbsp of cherry syrup. Frost top and sides oc ake. Sprinkle w/ chocolate curls or shredded chocolate. You can decorate the sides and put as much chocolate you want.

Coconut Salad (Buko Salad)

3 package of Shreded Coconut (thawed)
1 can condensed milk
1 can all purpose cream (buy it at Walmart store > latin or institutional aisle)
1/2 c heavy cream
1 c palm fruit in syrup (you can buy this at the oriental store)...you can use 1 jar if you like
tapioca pearl (optional)
fruit cocktail (optional)

Mix all ingredients. Chill before serving.

unfounded accusation

An accusation even if it's unfounded always leave a mark to a person. We have to be careful at all times on what we want to say or do.

Its' been a long while since I wrote my last blog. We've been quite busy, running errands here and there. And I am thinking of something to blog about, until recently my friend shared a picture she entered in a contest. In order to win, you should share it and gather votes, which my friend did! She shared it to a website where friends, friends of friends, friends and relatives..etc. should "like" the page first before they can cast their vote for her entry.  I visited the page and click the "like" button so I can vote, unfortunately the contest has expired. All I can do is look at her entry and several people's entry. She made it on top of the list after the 1 1/2 day of working in it without sleep, exerted all the effort just to win the said photo contest. Sad to say that in that contest somebody had ruin her effort to win. Somebody who is not sport enough to accept that they got lost and beaten big time, and I mean big time! He posted someting about cheating and faked accounts on the page's discussion board, referring to my friend. He requested that her profile, voter's account be checked because it is impossible to gather a lot of votes in just 1 1/2 day (he had to, I guess bec he only have 9 votes compared to my friend's 189 votes). And so the discussion went on and on like a circus, exchanging ideas and words. FYI, the voters can also read evertyhing that's in the discussion board. My friend's mom read about the accusation of this "guy", and as a mom she did her job, and that is to protect and defend her daughter regarding the matter. As goofy as this guy is, he accused the mom of having a faked account too, that this person is the same person who casted 185 votes (which means 185 accounts is solely my friends'..but that is accdg to him), and that he cannot believe a 70 yr old woman is active on that site and can speak perfect English. And now he is being a racist!!! grrgrgrgrgrg...I can't stand what he said and so I made a comment and gave my own opinion. I have to discuss outside the topic since he brought it up. I am a Filipino myself. I may not speak perfect English but most Filipinos can, just like other nationals out there. English is our second language, heck...even toddlers can speak English there, too! So, there is no question about how well our elderly can speak perfect or not perfect English. After my comment, he now accused me of being one of the faked accounts of my friend, and asked me why am I so engaged in the discussion board.

lessons in life

"people are eager to come to the defense of those who they feel are worthy of it..but if you are a jerk, don't expect any help"

Obituary for Common Sense

Today we mourn the passing of an old friend by the name of "Common Sense"...Common Sense lived a long life but died from heart failure at the brink of the millennium.

No one really knows how old Common Sense was since his birth records were long lost in bureaucratic red tape. He selflessly devoted his life to service in schools, hospital, homes, factories, and offices: helping folks get jobs done without fanfare or foolishness. For decades, petty rules, silly laws and frivolous lawsuits held no power over Common Sense. He was credited with cultivating such valued lessons as, (1) to know when to come  in out of the rain (2) the early bird gets the worm and (3) life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (the adults are in charge, not the kids). But his health declined when he became infected with the "if it only helps one person, it's worth it" virus.

Pansit Bihon (Stir-fried veggies over Rice noodles)

1 lbs pork, cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 med. onion, chopped
1 1/2 c shrimp, peeled (blanched in boiling soup stock)
3 c soup stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 pepper
1/2 c soy sauce
green beans, cut into strips
snow peas
carrots, julienne cut
cabbage, sliced thinly
1 pack of bihon (rice noodles)

CHEF's note: I did not put any measurement on the vegetables, use how much veggies you want(",)
                    ....soak the noodles into the hot water for 15 mins, don't forget to strain it before putting into the                       simmering soup stock

In a pan, place pork, add a little water, and simmer until the fat is rendered. Add oil in the pan, fry the pork.

Saute garlic and onion. Add soy sauce, soup stock, salt and pepper.

Bring the soup to a boil and blanch the vegetables one at a time. Set aside. Blanch the shrimp. Set aside.

Add the strained bihon (rice noodles) and cook until tender over medium heat (keep on stirring the noodles until there is no more stock left on the pan).

Add half of the vegetables and half of the shrimp into the noodles and mix thoroughly.

Place on a platter and garnish with the remaining veggies and shrimp.

Serve with lime slices and toasted bread.

don't mess with a filipina

In a New York ouside cafe', a Filipina is enjoying a hearty breakfast, Coffee, croissants, toast, butter, jam, etc.

While an American, chewing a gum, sat next to her and started an unwanted conversation. ..

American: You Philipinese eat the whole bread?

Filipina: Of course!

American: (Blowing bubbles with his gum) we don't. We, Americans only Eat what's inside. The crust we collect in a container, recycle, make these into croissants and sell these to the Philippines.

American: Do you eat jam with bread?

Filipina: Of course!

American: (Chuckling and crackling his gum between his teeth) we don't. Americans eat fruits at breakfast, put all the peels, seeds and Leftovers into containers, turn these into jam and sell it to the Philippines 

Filipina: Do you have sex in America?

American: Of course, we do!

Filipina: What do you do with the condoms?

American: We throw them, of course!

Filipina: We don't. In the Philippines, we put them into containers, Recycle them, turn them into chewing gums and sell it to America. LOL...