A Sunday Of Many Firsts

Three days ago, I made squid adobo.  For some reasons, the squid made a lot of juice.  There was so much juice that if I didn't get rid of some, my adobo would turn out too soupy.  So I ended up removing about 4 cups of squid broth.  I felt bad throwing it away and the first thing that came to my mind when I thought about what to reuse the broth for was Paella.

So today I made my very first Paella.  I've been thinking about making some for a while now. Charles likes it and he often talks about how he loved the Paella from Lighthouse in Cebu.

I used Arborio rice, a.k.a. Risotto rice.  My Paella turned out OK, but the rice was too fluffy and sticky for me.  Next time, maybe I'll just use Jasmine or regular white long-grain rice.

I wanted to make Chicken and Seafood Paella so I had a good mix of seafood in it.  I had frozen jumbo scallops, which I thawed and diced.

I had Prawns, peeled and deveined.

I had live mussels and clams, thoroughly washed.

I didn't only have squid broth, but I also had some leftover squid adobo which added so much flavor to the dish.

You gotta have meat and a Paella won't be complete without chorizo.  I had chicken and chorizo sauteed in garlic, onions and red bell pepper.

I used carrots and celery for the veggies.

And last but not least, what I think makes Paella a good Paella--saffron!  This is the first time I had real saffron in my kitchen, if I don't consider those mixes and saffron flavorings which I'm sure I had in the past.  This was sold in a small capsule, which I emptied into a cup and soaked in warm water. Each capsule goes a long way.  The wonderful smell and taste of saffron in the Paella was undeniable.

And why was I able to take photos while cooking?  I had to wait for my broth.  I mixed my squid broth with white wine, and added two large smoked ham bones that I had in my freezer.  I had to simmer the broth for about 30 minutes to an hour to get the smoked ham flavor.  It smelled so good in the house when it started simmering.

Meet my first Paella.  With everything in it, this made a complete meal.  This was all I had for dinner, but I had a whole lot!  The husband loved it too!  The two of us finished this entire platter!

For dessert, I made Apple Strudel.  This was a first for me too and it did not disappoint.  This was so easy to make. Everything was completed in about 40 minutes, 30 of which was baking.  I stuck it in the oven right before dinner and by the time we finished eating the Paella, we had a warm, crunchy fresh-from-the-oven apple strudel, which was excellent with our favorite coffee.

I ate so much today that I ended up in the pool, swimming a few laps as late as 10:30 at night.  Had to burn the extra calories off.  I've never been in the pool this late.  Another first.

Missing Ma and Pa

I feel so lucky that my parents are still around.  And I remind myself often that I should make the most of our time together because one day they won't be around for me.

But I don't always do what I must.  I don't always call them when I have the opportunity. I used to call them every Sunday, but now I often forget.  When they were here visiting, I probably spent more time in front of the computer than hanging out with them doing nothing else but have a conversation.  And it's only after they leave that I'd feel I should have done more.

I just miss them today--for no particular reason.  I miss the sound of their voice, my mom's cooking, my dad's smell and the sight of them both in the backyard nurturing the plants, enjoying the sun and whatever little warmth it brings in a chilly early morning.

And I wish they were here with me right at this very moment.

A Magical Place On Earth

Lucas and Nathan meet Mickey Mouse

When my colleagues learned that I was taking the family on a 6-8-hour drive to Disneyland, they thought I was crazy.  Why would I waste almost an entire day driving, paying for a rental van and spending on gas, which by the way is priced almost at its highest for the year, when we could just fly there for an hour and spend less than $100 in airfare?  Point taken.  But when you're with a big group of nine, three of whom are toddlers, driving has definitely its benefits.  We were more relaxed (except maybe for Nathan and Benjamin who got car-sick), we were flexible, we stopped whenever we needed to, and most of all we had fun on the road.  With the exception of heavy traffic in the Los Angeles area, the road trip went relatively well.

I was probably the only mom who did this, but I couldn't care less.

This was probably my sixth trip to Disneyland, but a first for Lucas and all three of them kids.  I was excited for this trip--excited for myself but so much more for my son and my nephews. I couldn't wait to see their faces when they see Mickey Mouse and the other Disney characters.  I couldn't wait to go back to my favorite rides, watch the parade and the shows at night.  I was like a kid waiting to be unleashed and let loose in the playground.  My only childhood experience of Disney was confined to TV, magazines and notebook covers, which is why the child in me is playing catch-up.

The colorful parade at Main Street Disneyland

I'll never get tired of going back to Disneyland.  Despite multiple trips there, I still have not been to each and every ride and attraction.  And every time I go back, there is something new.  This time, the parade is different (though I like the old one better, this too was amazing), there is the new World of Color water show at the California Adventure park which was nothing short of spectacular.  I didn't make it to the new Ariel and Star Wars rides, which is definitely a good reason to go back.

What made this trip even more fun is the presence of my cousin Jopie and her family. It was wonderful to see little Benjamin having fun with his cousins.

Three days is definitely not enough to enjoy Disneyland.  I don't even know if a week is enough.  But I find comfort in knowing that Disneyland is going nowhere.  It will be there when we have the opportunity and the means to visit again.  All it takes is an hour flight or a 6-8 hours short drive to get to one of the most magical places on earth.

The Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure--site of the World of Color water spectacular.

July

JULY

the peak of summer,

flowers blooming abundantly in the yard,

picnics, barbeques and concerts,

a dip in the pool to cool down from the summer heat,

night-swimming,

a walk in the beach or getting dirty in the sand building sand castles,

lemonades and iced tea,

fruit shakes and ice cream,

trips to theme parks, water parks and gardens,

raw oysters and a bottle of beer,

taking the ferry to work,

beautiful sunsets.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer so far!