Aspiring Designer

Hi, Folks! I decided to try my hand at being a designer. For the first time, I own a sketchbook and draw all my ideas inside. I find myself taking photos on our frequent walks around the block of things that inspire me--ordinary things that I usually pass by. I'm learning more about photography in the process, and how to use Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.

My sister-in-law Julie's sister-in-law, LaVon, has a vinyl lettering business she started a long time ago and it has since grown a lot. Well, LaVon was kind enough to "take a chance on me" and let me design for her.

I'm currently working to expand the "kids' room" category. Here are photos of my first two completed designs!



I also made a border out of the set of balls, but for some reason I can't load the photo. And the best news is, I had my first sale! Somebody bought "Lil Champ"! Somebody liked my work and bought it! Isn't that exciting? It's a great feeling. And I have to say, I like my designs, too. I'm proud of them.

So, go check it out at stickywords.net

Filipino Food Recipes

Eureka! I finally came up with a good recipe for Pancit and Filipino BBQ. So you'll need to add these recipes to the old Wing Family Cookbooks I made for some of you forever ago. In fact, I've updated my Adobo recipe, too. It's fool proof. I'll just include all my updated Filipino recipes. Just so you know, Ma, the Kare-Kare recipe is not like the one we grew up on, but I like it this way, too.

Anyway, we tried the pancit and BBQ tonight, and oh!!! it was so heavenly. It brought me right back to Auntie Iding's house, watching Uncle Al BBQ on the driveway. His is still probably better, and Auntie Iding's pancit, too. But it's the closest I've ever gotten it. And sorry no pictures. We ate it up too fast. Enjoy!


Filipino Barbeque

1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken thighs (4-6 thighs)
4 large cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Sprite or 7-Up
1/2 cup soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Trim fat from chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine ingredients and coat chicken in marinade. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Save a thigh or two to make Pancit, and barbeque the rest. Heat barbeque (we used gas) on high for 5 minutes. Cook meat 5-6 minutes on one side then turn over and cook 3 minutes. Serve with rice. [Note: you can substitute pork, but choose a really tender cut, b/c in my experience, it usually turns out tough)



Pancit Bihon

250 grams (8.8oz) dry bihon noodles
2 tablespoons oil
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound chicken, marinated (see Filipino BBQ)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 small onion, chopped (optional)
2 medium carrots, sliced into thin sticks
2 cups snow peas, or less
1 cup cabbage, sliced thin (optional)
1 cup chicken broth (subst: water + bouillon)

Marinate chicken ahead of time, and slice thin. Soak bihon in water for 10 mins, meanwhile chop vegetables. Saute garlic in hot oil until brown. Add marinated chicken and saute until brown. Stir in onions, carrots, snow peas and soy sauce. Cover and cook for 2 mins until tender. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Add cabbage and cook until tender. Mix in bihon noodles until evenly distributed.



Adobo

1 1/2 to 2 pounds chicken thighs
1 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
3-4 large cloves garlic, crushed slightly
1/2 teaspoon peppercorns

Trim fat from meat and pat dry with a paper towel. Combine ingredients in a large pot. Coat chicken in mixture and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer on low heat for 30-60 minutes, stirring occasionally. Sauce should be thickened and glistening. Serve with rice. (Can use a crockpot. Use 2/3 C soy sauce instead. Still good to pat dry chicken then bring mixture to boil in a pot before transferring over.)



Kare-Kare

2-3 pounds pork (oxtail or pork roast works fine)
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons onions
2 tablespoons soy sauce (subst. for 3 T bagoong)
2 small yellow squash, cut up
2 cups fresh green beans, cut up (1 lb?)
1/3 cup peanut butter

Boil the meat in 6 cups water and 1 1/2 tsp. salt until tender (30-60 minutes). In large saucepan, saute garlic and onion in hot oil until brown. Spoon out the meat from the liquid and saute with the garlic onion mixture. Add soy sauce and saute another 3 minutes. Return all the meat/garlic/onion mixture back to stewing water. Add squash and green beans and cook until tender. Reduce heat and stir in peanut butter. Cook another 5 minutes, adjust seasonings to taste and then serve with rice.



I found this one online, followed it exactly, and it was delicious and easy, too.
Filipino Bistek (Beef Steak)

1 1/2 to 2 pounds beef (round, sirloin or tenderloin), sliced 1/4 inch thick
4 tablespoons kalamansi (native lemon) juice --I just used lemon juice
1/4 cup dark soy sauce --I just used regular kikkoman
freshly-ground pepper --mine was not freshly ground
2 large onions, cut into rings
2 tablespoons oil

In a glass mixing bowl, mix kalamansi or lemon juice and soy sauce. Add beef, garlic and ground pepper. Mix well. Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Heat a heavy skillet. Add oil. Lightly fry the onion rings. Remove from skillet and drain on paper towels. Keep warm. Reheat oil until smoking. Pan-fry the beef slices in batches, removing them as they brown. When all the beef has been cooked, pour the marinate into the skillet and boil for 1 minute. Arrange beef slices on a plate. Place the onion rings on top. Pour the sauce over the onions and beef. Serve at once.

Early Easter Egg Hunt

We've begun to do "spending time" with our boys every weekend. We rotate which of the boys is with which parent and we go out and do something with our boys one on one. Hunter took Paulo to a train store. I took Andre to a yard sale that our ward pre-young women were putting on to raise money to donate to Haiti. (I found some awesome Adirondak style chairs for the boys to sit out on the patio. I'm currently sanding them down. After I stain them, I'll post pictures.)

When we got home, Hunter rode bikes with Paulo on the driveway for a while and Andre and I went upstairs. Ten minutes later, Paulo comes and finds me upstairs and says, "Daddy's hurt! He has blood. Lots of blood." I sprinted out the door and down to the driveway to find Hunter sprawled out next to his bike, unable to get up. He hit his knees pretty badly and has been icing them for the past two days. Nothing was broken--don't worry. But he developed a huge bump on the inside of one of his knees, and injured his bursa on the other knee, causing sharp pain if he's not really careful. His scrapes are scabbing over now-sort of.

Anyway, this is a long explanation of why I took the boys to the Easter egg hunt alone this year. (Hunter had to keep off his leg as much as possible and elevate it at home.) But I had a lot of fun with my boys. Andre slept through most of it and then was irritable when he woke up. It's funny because Paulo has a picture almost exactly like Andre's--bawling next to his Easter basket. It was a beautiful day. I love the month of March in Pasadena. The climate is perfect. Enjoy the pictures. And Happy Easter!

Handsome Boys In Church Clothes

Just A Typical Thursday Morning