Chicken in Tomato Sauce

I belong to one of the many frustrated people who wanted to learn how to cook.
And that includes thinking that someday, I would learn how to cook one of my favorite..."Afritada!"
I'm challenged with it, because, most of it's ingredients are cheap and easy to find.
Now, that I have the time and opportunity to cook...I immediately went to the market and gather everything that made up of it.
Honestly speaking, I cooked Afritada before. But it turned out to be a disaster.
But today, I have the guts to do it again.
I did a little research via the internet on how to do it and from there followed instructions.
The Afritada version, I grew up with only has potato, bellpepper and carrots veggies. But this one has green peas, and has hotdog.
I look for ways, how to copy it's exact preparations but due to some shortage of ingredients like the chicken broth, I used a left-over chicken bones from our Tinolang Manok.
Just really couldn't do exactly the same chicken broth for there was no celery available in our kitchen. So, I just settle it with onion, salt and pepper for flavors.
Suddenly, I think of food diversity. The reason why we have different dishes because everything is base on it's ingredients availability.
Exactly, happening to me earlier.
But the entire cooking process was really fun.
Especially at the time, you see combined ingredients from raw is now becoming the complete dish itself.
Tips for aspiring cook like me, do not be afraid to try and commit mistakes...it's part of the whole process. Unless, that talent is really innate in you.
By committing mistakes, that's how you achieve perfection.
Just believe!

The success of cooking Adobong Pusit!

Back when I was a child, my Mom used to cook Adobong Pusit almost every week. It was actually one of my many favorite dishes which includes Menudo, Afritadang Manok, Dinuguan, Sinigang na Baboy, Nilaga and many many more.

But because my Mom had suffered from a mild stroke in the first quarter of the year, she couldn't do things she normally do.

Since, I couldn't push her to cook for me...I just asked her how.

And from the instructions given, that's how I successfully cooked my very favorite..."Adobong Pusit!" 

Life sometimes has sanctions

When everything seem to be in their proper order...no think again because you'll never know that like life, it's full of surprises...something bad will happen.
One concrete example is committing mistakes during your live newscast airing.
Normal day, you usually do your regular routine at work, when something you think you have a control will pull your expectations down.
Television is two great components, there's an audio for hearing, and visuals for your sight.
These two elements should be all the time, working in perfect harmony.
But that day, is definitely a bad day for me. My attention got called because there was a wrong picture that was put to air.
I was then supervising the program. Part of my duty is to secure everything is ready before everybody catches it on air.
At this time, I cannot be specific with the lapses that took place that time. This is also to protect the company where I am currently working, and my credibility as well.
And with this particular scenario, it brings me back to one similar mistake that took place a very long time ago.
I tried to forget about it. It's one part of my life, a skeleton...I wanted to bury forever.
I can still feel the pain. I remember I used to have nightmares about it.
It happens at the time I was building a career. And got so afraid that the tower I am building then, with my own eyes melted and totally collapsed.
But I must admit, I became a better person after that surpassed and survived trial.
I never wanted to blame myself too much about it.
I'm still at this point, teaching myself not to be so hard on me.
But I want to open my eyes in reality...that life is not about reward, sometimes it will give you sanctions.

A happy day

Occupied, busy, unreachable.
Three words that sometimes we hate to hear from each other.
Occupied with priorities,  busy with work, unreachable sometimes in some remote locations.
But despite the situation, we manage to find time for each other and unwind a bit.
They were like sisters to me and our friendship have grown through good and bad times.
They say friends are hard to find nowadays, but I must say that I am very lucky to to have spotted one who's with me everytime I need guidance and love.
The reason why I feel so blessed.

A very tough day

Coming from weekend, almost morning when I went to bed.
Suddenly, I'm hearing a voice that eventually becoming more clearer.
It's my wife rubbing my shoulder. It's already 5;30 in the morning, I almost forgot,
It's my eldest first day in school. I remember I made a commitment to bring her to school.
Understandable, because everything is entirely new to her. New grade level, new set of classmates along with totally new school. Althea just finished a kindergarten level and now officially in grade school.
I just had coffee and my favorite peanut butter sandwich and a banana for breakfast...and the next thing I know, it's time to go.
Well, we just arrived on-time, just before every teeny-tiny details about my daughter's school requirements given...we were there.
Since, parent like me really can't stay inside the school, I immediately left my daughter after some of her teacher's few reminders.
Actually, I'm a bit bother as to...she might not be in the mood because she lacks sleep. Also at the same time, thinking she can't concentrate and her level of understanding the lesson will deteriorate because the room is just ventilated by electric fans. Also, thinking that who will look after her when she became hungry or would have wanted to access the comfort room. And a lot more.
I might, at some point cynical about what will be her welfare in her new environment...but I think you won't blame I'm just a parent like anyone else, concern and just wanted everything is well secure.
But I have no choice, I can't stay. I'm planning to go home, when suddenly, I thought of buying all her school stuffs. Since, I think the location of her school from the market I'm about to go is pretty near...I literally walked towards it.
And from there, I personally choose stuffs like notebooks, crayons, folders, envelope etc.
And then, I went back home.
And from home, since we do not have something ready for lunch, I went my way out of the house again to go to the nearby mini-market.
At the time, I was torn between a fried fish with veggies and Tinolang Manok for lunch.
But, eventually came up with the latter.
At home, my wife is busy taking good care of our newborn baby.
While, I'm relaxing, I sat on the floor very near our main door, and started removing peeling it.
And it was indeed a great challenge.
Later on, I  have to prepare other ingredients as well like sayote, onion, garlic and ginger.
And immediately after that, I have to steam the rice.
At that very moment, it was time for our youngest to have a bath, so I have to prepare for everything she needs.
The clock is really ticking fast, and 30 more minutes...it's time to fetch my daughter in her school.
So, I went back there. The timing is perfect, I'm able to catch the latter part of their class. At least, I happened to have an idea of how their teacher gave them their lectures.
And quite surprise, for I caught my daughter playing inside with her classmates while their class still in progress.
I'm actually, wondering why she's not writing anymore and what happen to her notebook and pencil, Because most of her classmates was still very occupied.
Then, they were all dismiss.
While we were riding a tricycle on our way home, I took the liberty of looking at her notebook. And from there, I have seen that it wasn't empty plus she has so many wonderful stories about her very first day in her school.
She said, her teacher was very impressed about her knowing how to write. Althea, even shared a story of her very proud telling that she was a former second honor in her class.
I just asked, did she ask you about it? She just replied, no. Althea just felt that it was a very important information to share.
And then, we were home and started to have lunch. I have a very limited time, for it was really closed to almost 12 in the afternoon. I have to be at the office before 2pm.
Just ate lunch, and then after preparing something for dinner at the office, I went to the bathroom and took a shower.
But before the day, almost finish...I remember that I still have a pending job to do.
I went again to the market, during my dinner break and purchased a doormat.
It was my daughter's assignment, she just told me that it will serve a very specific purpose on their earthquake drill and orientation tomorrow.
After, finishing everything today, I just came to realize that I was able to accomplish so much today.
Honestly speaking, it's very tiring. But it was also indeed fun for you're doing everything not because you have a mission to finish...it was a will all done out of love for your family.