Scallops in Pink Pasta! Yummeeh!

I finally got around to editing this "Recipes for My Son" video on how to cook scallops in pink pasta. I started making this while looking for pink pasta recipes I can cook at home. Miggy doesn't like red pasta, so it's mainly a compromise since I like eating pasta.

Here's how to make it:

If you want it spicy, just add cayenne pepper. Alternatively, a friend suggested you can replace the black pepper with furikake. I'll probably try it next time I make this dish. Oh, Sweetie and I like adding Tajin to the dish while we're eating. It brings it to another level when we do that. I just don't add it while cooking because Miggy might not like it. It's a great condiment for a lot of stuff (including pizza!).

Try it this weekend? Let me know what you think. 

Full recipe here.

https://recipesformyson.blogspot.com/2026/09/recipes-for-my-son-scallops-in-pink.html

#BeKind #StaySafe

Throwback: August 2026

I started tracking the weather on my planner when I noticed that it was raining more often last July. It rained everyday from July 27 to August 20 in our area. It's the only time in my life I have experienced so much rain. 

We canceled half of our appointments because it was raining so hard and flooded around our area. We didn't want to take the risk of getting stuck somewhere. We ventured out sparingly and only when it was really needed. 

Staying in gave me time to scan old photos and I managed to do some cooking. My garden though is a huge mess. All my plants have grown like crazy and badly need trimming. I haven't been able to do any gardening because of the trans-boundary haze from Indonesia. 

The highlight of the month was my birthday! I skipped celebrating last year because of the accident. This time I got to celebrate with family and then had another one with some friends. I originally thought of doing a bigger celebration, but with the bad weather and disasters it's not appropriate. I'll just send a donation to Angat Buhay. 

Here's my August one second a day video!

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Dealing with Haze

The bad air quality has been present for awhile now. I regularly check since it triggers me to have an asthma attack. I noticed it last August despite the rain. It would make itself felt when the rain stops. The air becomes heavy. My eyes start feeling heavy and itchy when the air quality is bad. 

Last week, reports were made about unusual haze in Pasay and Manila. Some also mentioned it reached Makati. No clear cause was identified for it. The air quality got worse the past few days and I knew I had to arm myself to prevent an asthma attack.

Here's what I usually do:

• Monitor air quality indicators. I use the IQ Air app since that's what DENR also uses.
• Take my asthma medication. Increase puffs and spray as needed.
• Wear N95 mask when outdoors.
• Use air purifiers at home. 
• Keep facial absorbent paper handy in case my eyes get oily.
• Keep essential oils handy (eucalyptus radiata and RC)
• Use portable air purifier in the car when I need to go out.
• Stay indoors.

The particulate matter brought by bad air quality is hazardous. I lived in Singapore for 10 years and I didn't have asthma growing up. Bad air quality helped deteriorate my lungs and that's why I now have asthma. It is my kryptonite and that's why I warn about bad air quality whenever it happenes.

Take care of your lungs!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Completed Part 2 of Baby Yoda (Pixel Art Project)

As expected, dividing the grid into 3 made piecing the Baby Yoda project easier. I also didn't do it as a grid (1" x 1" pieces). I cut the fabric based on the length of the same colors. 

At the speed I'm going I can probably finish this project in a few weeks. It took me almost a quarter last time when I made the Pikachu project using 1" x 1" pieces. Piecing together small cuts* is painful. It also means you'll have more corners to sewing together. It's really hard that's why it took me two years to work on a "pixel art" project. I took the chance to work on it this way to see if it works. :)

*They call 1" x 1" quilts postage stamp quilting. It's usually made with scrap fabric.

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First Month of Demolition

It was surreal for me to see my childhood home be "unwrapped". That's how it felt during the first month of construction/demolition work. My siblings said they got to see the house built from the ground up. I'm witnessing the opposite -- the unraveling. 

Here's what happened in the first month:

Week 1: Removed all the "add-ons" including cabinets and big furniture we were planning to keep. They moved the big items to a hut in the garden. Bedroom walls and the bathroom were also removed. All inner doors were also removed. They worked fast!

Week 2: Started removing the flooring.

Week 3: Removed all the windows. It was during this week that the CCTV and server was relocated to a booth outside.

Week 4: After 4 weeks, the whole house felt decidedly empty. The "second floor" was almost gone. Everything left in the house was either in the hut or moved to our place. Our architect checked the development in-person weekly and kept in touch with the foreman everyday. 

If you noticed, we didn't have the site blessed at this point yet. The foreman suggested doing the blessing after they started to work on the new foundation. From the outside, it didn't look like something was being done to the house.

Mom's trees and plants effectively covered the house and nothing was done yet on the front area. That came months later.

Next week: site blessing!

#BeKind #StaySafe

Rain, Rain Go Away

I think there was only one day this month when it didn't rain. I don't remember experiencing this much rain. Needless to say, I've lost a lot of sleep especially when the rain is intense.

I just hope and pray everyone is safe and coping well. Let's all pray for each other 🙏

#BeKind #StaySafe

Best Birthday Bouquet

It's another very rainy day today and all my plants are soaked. I gave a bit of water to some plants that don't get wet from the rain. I wanted to putter around the garden today, but everything's so wet, so I just checked on all the cats. I need to keep an eye on Meredith since she was coughing. I hope it's just a hairball.

Anyway, I celebrated my birthday yesterday. It was just a family affair -- just me and the boys and Kuya and Ate Joy. The food I ordered was just enough for all of us and we're eating leftovers today. My friends surprised me with a parcel. I thought it was a bouquet of flowers...

It was better than flowers! It was a huge pot of succulents! I super love it and immediately thanked them for choosing a very unique gift! It's another chance for me to prove I could take care of succulents. I also pinged my friend in Cebu to ask for advise. He said I should put it outdoors where it would get a lot of sun, but not get rained on. 

I moved it today beside a window. The intense rainfall we've been getting will ruin the succulents, so I just placed it for now beside a window where it could get sunlight all day. I hope it will adjust well in its new spot. I'll move it outside when it's not raining anymore.

Stay dry and safe everyone!

#BeKind #StaySafe