Road to Wellness: Me time, my time. :)

One of the improvements that I have applied in my life as I cope with my anxiety is my me time, my time.  I am really valuing my quality time with myself, spending time with me alone and at some point doing the thing/s that make/s me happy.  I am very grateful that I have an open minded and supportive husband who eggs me on to keep on doing this.  I am also very grateful that I have my son who is a natural 8 year old - naughty and nice but at the same time, his "maturity" shows on the occasions that I have some anxiety attacks.  

So what is this me time, my time?  Though the answer is very obvious, it requires a lot of conscious effort, mindfulness to enjoy your own company, dedicate a generous amount of whatever is left as your free time to self-care, essentially, doing something that makes you happy.  It need not be extravagant nor luxurious.  

Why is me time, my time important?  This is the time where you connect to yourself, introspect, retrospect, feel the nerves of your entire body, hear your own breathing, flex your muscles, do nothing, be at your own pace. As this is about you, it is a serene, unhurried, relaxing activity.  As very busy individuals, we need that time to disconnect. 

How can you spend your me time, my time? As mentioned earlier, it need not be expensive nor whimsical.  Here are some of the activities that work well for me. 

1.  Yoga, stretching, meditation.  For additional information on meditation, please visit my previous posts: Finding my silence and Mindfulness

2.  Cooking:  In as much as I love to have my son with me in the kitchen as we whip our dishes together, I find tranquility being in the kitchen by myself and cooking at my pace.  In order to have a win-win situation, I usually have my son with me during breakfast preparation (he has already perfected the recipe for a homemade pancake jejeje) and then from lunch, snacks and dinner preparation, I am usually alone in the kitchen.  My son usually hops in from time to time but that is okay.  :) I find peace and fulfillment slicing the ingredients, smelling the aromatic scent of sauted garlic, onion and ginger hahaha, and cleaning and organizing the kitchen.  :)  

3.  Reading, writing, blogging 

4.  Organizing: This is similar to de-cluttering and putting your things in order.  As you go through this pace of making things spic and span, as Marie Kondo´s konmari method advocated, there is a feeling of an inner force extending order, serenity and peace to you! 

5.  Singing or listening to music -any music that you like - rock, ballads, pop, classical, latin, name it. :) 

6.  Walking, Footing 

7.  Eating alone. :)  I am a firm believer that eating alone is healthy. :) You connect with your food, feeling and tasting your food, enjoying the experience of simply existing and eating.  

8.  Looking at pictures:  This is a very powerful tool that brings back smile on our faces as we recall the time, place and familiar feeling that go with the picture.  This is always a sentimental journey with me as I live far from my original family. :)  

9.  Massage:  I am a passionate lover and self confessed supporter of massage.  In fact, when I moved here to Spain, I immediately looked for a massage spa.  :) And since then, I have been a regular clients of The Organic Spa and Yo me Cuido  I am regular client of Kobido (Japanese traditional facial), strong hard massage jajajaja, aromatherapeutic massage and thai massage.  

10.  Watching movie alone:  It is always nice to watch a movie with my family. However, watching a movie alone is the time when I can be more relaxed as I have only myself as my company.  I can buy my cinema ticket at my pace, I can choose not to order popcorn or probably have salted popcorn instead of the caramel one, hehehe etc. 

11.  Sewing

12.  Surfing the internet - looking at online shops though not necessarily buying 

13.  Maintaining a "thank you" jar:  This is where you put a thank you note, gratitude note to somebody or something that has made your extraordinary day even more extraordinary tantamount to making it more awesome!  

14.  Make a list of your personal projects, objectives and start making baby steps to fulfilling them! 

15.  Praying.  This is always my silver lining, my ray of hope. After all, when man prays, God works. 

A memorable family get-away: A visit to the Tuscany Region (Florence, Siena and Pisa)

We were blessed with the opportunity to visit the Tuscany region in Italy.  We had this trip planned early on to manage our logistics - approved vacation leaves, no major conflicts with the school activities/school day and affordable airfare and accommodation.  

It was my idea to go to the Tuscany region.  I have heard so many positive, beautiful feedback about Florence! In fact, all the people I know that have been to Florence had nothing but awesome feedback about their trip.  It was a good thing that the airfare and the hotel accommodation were all within our budget range. :) And besides, I have this notion that Italy is a romantic place.  :) 

In this post, I would like to share with you our family friendly itinerary and the joys that we´ve had during this trip to the Tuscany region.  We stayed most of our 6 day holiday in Florence, spent one full day in Siena and half day in Pisa.  This was absolutely a memorable and truly happy trip - the hotel, which is a 3 star hotel is wonderful!  The staff is friendly, accommodating, helpful and multilingual!  The service is great!  The location is just spot on! The taxi drivers were nice.  The restaurants food and the service were all great!  The only downside if I may say, and actually a minor downside, was that it rained one day. The rest was fabulous! 

Hotel:  We stayed in Hotel Cosimo de Medici, situated in the Santa Maria Novella area.  This is very central, accessible to the train station which we took to go to Pisa and to the bus station which we took to go to Siena.  There are many ristorantes (restaurants) and trattorias (restos serving family meals) within the area.  There are also many small groceries just in case you would prefer to buy something light and eat at your pace, convenience.  The hotel service was amazing! The staff -cleaning ladies, reception, kitchen, were all polite, multilingual, helpful and very accommodating.   The breakfast area, in terms of space is properly maximized.  The breakfast buffet, which goes with the accommodation package provides a wide variety of selection - continental and european breakfast!  Our room was neatly organized and cleaned on a daily basis.  

Visit to Siena:  We took a bus ride which was almost 1,5 hours one way.  The bus ride was smooth and relaxing. It is advisable to know your schedule ahead so you know which bus you will take.  Buses leave every 20 minutes.  

Visit to Pisa:  We took a train ride which was 1 hour one way.  From the Pisa Train Station, we took a local bus that took us to the area of the Baptistery, Duomo and Leaning tower of Pisa.  It is advisable to visit the website of the train company and know your schedule so you would be able to buy your ticket ahead of time.  This is a very busy train terminal.  

What to do and visit in Florence?  

Florence is a city designed for walking.  This is a place where you can absolutely hold hands with your love ones while walking!  :)  

1.  Santa Maria Novella 

2.  Duomo - there is an entrance fee of 18€/head which includes the visit to the Duomo, Bell Tower and  Baptistery.  However, this cost does not include the visit/climb to the Dome itself as it requires a long notice period.  From the outisde, the Duomo boasts of its unique architecture and design, the usage of the marble as statement pieces were really a statement!  A visit here gave me the 15th century feels! 

3.  Ponte Vecchio - this literally means the Old Bridge.  This is a long stretch, avenue where each side is occupied by jewelry and local artisans´merchandises.  What makes this avenue really enchanting is the beautiful river and the hanging stores. Again, walking here gave me the vintage vibe!  

4.  Uffizi Museum -  this is a MUST! Definitely a MUST when you visit Florence!! Entrance here costs 11€/head.  There are no elevators, the stairs are wide and you have to climb the first 3 floors walking on stairs, again no elevators. BUT EVERYTHING IS JUST OH SO WORTH IT!!! We stayed here for 4,5 hours.  It was jaw dropping, astonishing to see the works of the great artists such as Michael Angelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Botticelli!  We were able to see how the gears were shifted during the Renaissance period!  Botticelli made the difference - The Birth of Venus, Primavera (Spring, etc).  We were also able to see the sculptures of Tristan and Isolde, Cupid and Daphne.  This was really one of the best museums that we have ever seen! 

5.  Pitti Museum - this also an entrance fee of 8€/head.  Make sure that you visit this place early in the morning as they close around 5pm.  And there are so many places to visit here.  A kid friendly area is the Boboli Gardens, which is in the exterior part of the palace and will enable your kids to jump, run and freely move around.  This is a well-maintained palace and huge.  

6.  Plaza de la Republica - this is a big square where you can enjoy sight seeing, basking in the beautiful architectures of the buildings.  This is tourist-heavy so take care while walking and don´t lose sight of your kiddos.  

7.  Plaza de la Signoria - this square is filled with lots of youngsters and is like a museum in open air!  It is beautiful, lively, with amazing sculptures.  

8.  Iglesia de Santa Croce (Holy Cross) 

9.  Leonardo da Vinci Museum - this is a haven for kids! We stayed here for another 3,5 hours and my son was just himself here!  This is the place where you and your kid can enjoy the works of Leonardo da Vinci and at the same time, out yourself in the shoes of Leonardo, as you can see, touch and play with the gallery items exposing the theories and methods used by Leonardo da Vinci. Entrance fee is 8€/head.  

10.  Academia Gallery is the museum where you can see Michaelangelo´s masterpiece, the original David, made of marble.  This is the centerpiece of this museum.  Entrance fee is 11€/head.   

11.  Florence also boasts of its Italian leather and it seemed to me that there are genuine leather bags and other crafts store in every street.  You can haggle/negotiate for a lower price if you were to buy some of their leather items.  Otherwise, you can simply enjoy looking at the leather goods! They are eye candies! 

10.  We ate in the Mercato, which has a very good ambiance.  Food is great and fairly reasonable.  We had very good pizzas, pasta and cannolis!! There are also very good trattorias/ristorantes. However, be ready as there can be an overload of carbs. Hehehehe Btw, the ice creams are just great! Who says you can´t eat ice cream during winter? Hahahahah 

12.  On a personal note, we bought as souvenir of this very beautiful trip, the Uffizi Museum Gallery book, some toys, including experimental toys from Leonardo da Vinci museum for my son (as he has been watching Italian cartoons) and some leather goods.  

What to do and visit in Siena?  We took the bus and had a day trip to Siena.  This is another city built for walking.  We visited the Siena Cathedral, House of St, Catherine of Siena (as I studied in a Catherinean school), Piazza del Campo and Siena downtown.  We also had the typical Tuscany dish here (fegato pasta - chicken liver pasta, pasta aglio).  The old buildings are a sight to behold! The piazza del campo is a relaxing place even if there is a lot of vibe!  

What to do and see in Pisa?   We spent half day in Pisa where we went to see the trio of the Baptistery, Duomo and the Leaning Tower of Pisa.  

The Amateur Cook in Me. New Year´s Eve Menu: Filipino style Humba, Pancit Canton, Mango Float

For 2019 New Year´s eve dinner, we had a typical Filipino menu!  Here´s a short list of our recipe.  

Pancit Canton (noodles) 
Pork Spare RIbs Humba 
Mango Float 
Oatmeal Cookies 

Pancit Canton:  During the New Year, it is customary to serve noodles as it signifies long life, good health and the veggies as they are color green are believe to bring fortune and lots of luck. 

Ingredients:  Olive oil. Canton noodles/stir fry noodles, garlic, onion, shrimps, chicken, pork, water, soy sauce, pepper, snow peas, carrots, mushrooms, cabbage 

1. Saute onion and garlic.
2. Add the pork, chicken. Saute until they are brown. 
3. saute the shrimps and set aside when cooked.  They should not be overcooked.  
4  Saute the veggies except the cabbage.  
5. Season with pepper. 
6. Add water and soy sauce.  Let it simmer.  Add the cabbage.  
7. Set aside a generous portion of the cooked veggies so they will not be overcooked. 
8.  Pour all the noodles and let them cooked until the sauce is almost gone. 
9.  Serve with the vegetables as toppings. 

Enjoy! 

Spare Ribs Pork Humba:  Humba is very similar to the adobo but it uses pineapple for additional flavor.  

Ingredients:  3/4 pork spareribs, pineapple juice and pineapple chunks, onion, garlic, soy sauce, water 

1.  Marinate the pork spareribs with chopped onion, garlic, pineapple juice and chunks, soy sauce and vinegar.  Refrigerate it to a minimum of 3 hours to overnight (I did an overnight marinate). 
2.  Pour the marinate to a cooking pot, add water.  Let it boil and after the first boil, lower temperature to medium and cook until the meat is soft and tender. 

Enjoy this delicious meal! 

Mango Float:  I still remember the very first time my elder sister prepared this dessert. It was delicious!! In the Philippines, we usually prepare this with Graham cookies.  I was unable to find Graham crackers here in Spain so I settled for the typical maria cookies.  This was a blockbuster!! 

Ingredients:  1 can condensed milk,evaporated milk, maria cookies, sliced ripe mangoes

1.  Mix the condensed milk and the evvaporated milk.  Mix them thoroughly until they are properly incorporated.  
2.  In a tray, put the maria cookies in the base.  Pour a portion of the condensed and evaporated milk mixture.  
3.  Put sliced mangoes on top.  
4.  Repeat steps 2 and 3 until the tray is filled.  For the last layer, it will be good to have the fruit slices on top.  
5.  Refrigerate and chill. 

Enjoy this bombastic dessert! Delicious!! 

The Amateur Cook in me.. Easy Recipes fit for busy yet hands-on moms :)

I would like to share with you easy to whip recipes that are fitting for busy yet hands-on moms like us!  Hope you´ll find them useful. 

For breakfast/morning or afternoon snacks: Moist, fluffy fruity oatmeal pancakes 
Complexity:  Easy 
Preparation and Cooking Time:  35 minutes 

Ingredients:  Banana, Fresh Strawberry, Pineapple chunks, Oats, Flours, Olive oil, yogurt, low fat milk, eggs, vanilla extract 

Procedure: 

1.  Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl.  
2.  Add the diced fruits.  
3.  Add the liquid ingredients.
4.  Heat the non stick pan and start pouring the batter.
5.  You will know that the pancake is ready to be flipped over/turned over when bubbles start forming. 

Enjoy!!! 

For lunch/dinner:  

Openfaced bread with spinach and cheese 
Complexity:  Easy 
Preparation and Cooking Time:  25 minutes

Ingredients:  Bread (can be a loaf or a baguette), Spinach, Cheddar cheese, Cold Cut (optional) 

Procedure: 

1.  Pre heat the oven. 
2.  Prepare the bread.  Put it on a tray.
3.  Put a portion of spinach on top of the bread and then cheese and then the cold cut (optional). 
4.  Put in the oven and grill for 10 minutes.  


Enjoy!!! 

Garlic Noodles - This is a very practical recipe.  You can use all  of your available ingredients.  The base of this though are the garlic and the noodles.  

Complexity:  Easy 
Preparation and Cooking Time:  25 minutes 

Ingredients:  Vermicelli noodles or Rice noodles (put in hot water to soften them a bit and then put in cold water), Garlic (lots of them!), onion, spinach, carrots, mushrooms, chicken, shrimps, cold cuts, soy sauce, oilve oil - 

Procedure: 

1.  Heat the wok. Add the olive oil.  Saute the onion and the garlic, lots of them!  
2.  Add the shrimps, chicken, cold cuts or whatever meat you want to include in this recipe. 
3.  Stir fry the veggies - carrots, mushroom, spinach, etc. 
4.  Add the noodles.  
5.  Season with soy sauce to taste.  


Enjoy!!! 

Spinach Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing 

Complexity:  Easy 
Preparation and Cooking Time:  10 minutes.  

Ingredients:  Spinach for salad, hard boiled egg, canned tuna, canned corn, onion flakes, organic honey and mustard 

Procedure: 

1.  For the dressing:  Add 1 teaspoon of mustard to 3 tablespoon of honey.  (If you want your dressing to be more "spicy", with more kick, then add more mustard).  Mix well until the mustard and the honey are well incorporated.  Set aside.  
2.  Wash the spinach and drain.  
3.  Add all the ingredients - spinach salad, hard boiled egg, canned tuna, canned corn, onion flakes and drizzle with the homemade honey mustard dressing.  


Enjoy!!! 

Steamed veggies and Grilled Chicken 
Complexity:  Easy 
Preparation and Cooking Time:  35 minutes 

Grilled Provolone Cheese and Tomato 
Complexity:  Easy 
Ingedients:  Provolone cheese, tomato, olive oil

Procedure: 
1.  Preheat the oven. 
2.  Slice the provolone and add a slice of tomato on top. 
3.  Grill in the oven for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!