Rice ‘n’ Easy 9 November 2009

Rice ‘n’ Easy

1 cup long-grain rice

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large shallot

1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1tbsp chopped fresh parsley

8 oz skinless chicken breasts fillet, chopped

2 cups tomato puree

1 chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 1/2 cup boiling water

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp superfine sugar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cook the rice according to the package instructions.  While the rice is cooking, heat the oil in a large saucepan and saute the shallot, red pepper, and parsley for about 5 minutes.  Add the chopped chicken and saute, stirring occasionally, until it turns opaque.  Add the tomato puree, chicken stock, garlic, and sugar and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, uncovered for 15 minutes.  Mis the cooked rice with the tomato sauce.

Serving:  6 portions

Salmon Teriyaki With Noodles 9 November 2009

Salmon Teriyaki With Noodles

 

Marinade

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp Asian sesame oil

10 oz salmon, cut into small cubes

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/4 tsp gingerroot, grated

4 small scallions, thinly sliced

1 cup beam sprouts

1 cup sugar snap peas

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 cup fish stock or water

6 oz thin egg noodles

Mix together the ingredients for the marinade and marite the salmon for about 30 minutes.  Remove the slamon with a slotted spoon and reserve the marinade.  Heat the vetable oil in a pan and stir-fry the salmon with the garlic and gingerroot until opaque on the outside (about 1 minute).  Remove with a slotted spoon.  Stir-fry the scallions, bean sprouts, and sugar snap peas for 1 minute.

Mix the conrstarch into 1 tbsp of the reserved marinade and add to the pan together with the remaining maride and the stock or water.  Bring the mixture to a boin and simmer until thickened (about 1 minute).  Cook the noodle according to the package instructions and drain.  Add the noodles and salmon to the vegetables in the pan and heat through for about 1 minute.

Anticipating 12 May 2009

Currently in my week 38/39, I’m so anxious on giving birth already. My EDD is on the 20th, 8 days away from today. On the last pregnancy that I had, i gave birth 8 days before my EDD, and was admitted to the hospital 9 days before because of a leaking bag of waters. Most mothers and doctors say that in second and subsequent pregnancies, delivery is earlier and easier, though, we still have to consider that every pregnancy is different. But now, I’m 8 days away from EDD and I still mild irregular contractions, as the way I feel it. oh well… Anticipating the delivery since the 1st week of May. d=)

Latent Labor Phase 11 May 2009

Seen the doctor this morning, had an IE and found out that my cervix is now dilated to 2cm. So, this confirms that I am currently in the latent or early phase of labor.

New Nanny… More Idle Time 9 October 2008

we were recently blessed with a new nanny. a competent one. let’s call her yaya.B. yaya.B is in her 30’s. she’s good with my little girl. she was able to feed her her meals, let her drink her milk, gave her vitamins on her 2nd day on the job. she was able to bathe the baby on her 3rd day. on top of that, she’s good with diapering, very much aware of cleanliness and health, and totally no resistance in wearing scrubs while at work. she seems perfect for a nanny. parang… too good to be true.

she’s also a mother, by the way. a mother to 3 children. that maybe contributed to her being good with child care. she said she was also a hands on mother with her children, but due to financial constraints, she has to leave her children to her sister and parents to work.

of all the 10 yayas that i had, yaya.B is the only one who has been doing what a nanny should be doing. she’s commited to her work. overwhelming. sana talaga totoo sya.

having a yaya this good, i have time to do other stuff. but….. this is the time that i need to lay low and breath, because i am nurturing a new member of the family.

The Nanny Diaries (Part II) 6 October 2008

13 months, 10 yayas


yaya no. 9. age: 19yo-22yo (age unknown, yaya somehow was inconsistent when asked about her age); civil status: single; hometown: pangasinan; length of stay: 13days; reason for leaving: boredom, and uninterested to learn; employer’s rating: 3/10

yaya no. 10. age: 32yo; civil status: married; hometown: samar; <<< current yaya


i’d like to comment on my former nannies. nothing violent, i hope… sabi nila, in hiring a nanny, get someone who is both WILLING and ABLE to care for your children. never compromise on this. with my former nannies, some are willing to care for my child, but not able, in a sense that they lack experience; some are both willing and able, but due to personal circumstances, has to leave and go home; some are willing to try and definitely are unable. we know that trying is good, but we don’t really need someone to treat our children as their guinea pigs, do we? some of the “some who are willing to try”, are first-timers in manila, they are more after the adventure, the travel, the vacation from their usual provincial lives. the other some say they are willing to try, but their actions say otherwise.

some of you might ask, “how am i as an employer?” well, i am… thorough, mataray and masungit, OC (sometimes, really OC-OC), but i am also generous and kind to them, and i try to understand their situation any possible way i can. i am willing to teach them how i want things done in my house, and most especially my preferred child care. everything starts with asking nicely. they were never treated them as slaves. we always treat them as our partners in caring for my child, at least we try to treat them as such. we point out mistakes and let go the 1st, 2nd, 3rd times, sometimes more. if you can just imagine how nerve-wrecking this is, if they’ve been with you for more than a month, doing the same things everyday, and still forget how to properly wash the baby bottles, which is by the way a basic chore as a nanny. some of them can really get stupid (please excuse my choice of words), they we still manage to let it go of their mistakes and be very understanding of the situation. but for how long shall we keep doing this? maybe… for as long as nothing bad happens to my child, but do we need to wait for an accident, that we know could have been prevented, to happen before we take action on our Willing and Unable, or Unwilling and Unable nanny? i think a line needs to be drawn somewhere. i do draw the line somewhere, somewhere wherein i was really pissed off, can no longer ignore the stupidity. this is where the dragon in me rages out of the dungeon. (strong words ba? perfect way maybe to describe myself when angry. hehehe…)

lessons learned.

hire someone BOTH WILLING AND ABLE.

always be patient and give them a chance. train and nurture them.

treat them as partners in caring for your child.

lend them an ear.

if they make a mistake that can not be ignored, tell them in a diplomatic manner. should this is the last straw after everything you did to teach them how to do it properly, let them go. never release hurtful statements.

The Nanny Diaries 18 September 2008

13 months, 9 yayas.


yaya no. 1. age: 18yo; civil status: single; hometown: isabela; length of stay: 2mos; reason for leaving: preggy; employer’s rating: 7/10

yaya no. 2. age: 43yo; civil status: single; hometown, iloilo; length of stay, 2mos; reason for leaving: incapable on coping with the demands of being a yaya; employer’s rating: 5/10; remark/s: better housekeeping and cook than yaya

yaya no. 3. age: 28yo; civil status: single; hometown, la union; length of stay, 3mos; reason for leaving: giving birth soon; employer’s rating: 8/10;

yaya no. 4. age: 20yo; civil status: single; hometown, ???; length of stay, 4days; reason for leaving: poor personal hygiene; employer’s rating: 3/10; remark/s: was being trained by yaya no. 3 but we decided not to keep her because of incapacity and poor personal hygiene.

yaya no. 5. age: 18yo; civil status: single; hometown, la union; length of stay, 2mos; reason for leaving: incapable on coping with the demands of being a yaya; employer’s rating: 6/10; remark/s: not up for the job, expecting a different work environment.

yaya no. 6. age: 30yo; civil status: married; hometown, bicol; length of stay, 2wks; reason for leaving: marital problems; employer’s rating: 5/10; remark/s: not up for the job, expecting a different work environment.

yaya no. 7. age: 19yo; civil status: married; hometown, bohol; length of stay, 2mos; reason for leaving: marital problems; employer’s rating: 7/10; remark/s: 2mos stay with 3-4 cash advances, salary almost on prepaid basis.

yaya no. 8. age: 16yo; civil status: single; hometown, pangasinan; length of stay, 3wks; reason for leaving: homesickness; employer’s rating: 6/10; remark/s: not up for the job, expecting a different work environment, BIG LIAR.

yaya no. 9. age: 21yo; civil status: single; hometown, pangasinan; present yaya

She’s Now 1 2 September 2008

September 1st of 2007, around noon I was admitted at WCMC because my water broke. Since then I was the the labor room until 12 hours later.

September 1st of 2007, around 11:30pm or so, epidural was administered as per my birth plan. This was personally requested because i prefer to be awake and aware all throughout the birthing procedure.

September 2nd of 2007, around 12:15 or so, I was transferred to the delivery room. my ob/gyn, Tita Ime changed to her scrubs, and so did Arnold and my cousin, Jayson, as both boys are accompanying me in the delivery room to witness and share with me this wonderful and magical event (while Ninang Armi stayed in the room). for around an hour, i was coached to push and push and push and push… but the baby keeps going back in. and so, i pushed harder, with some help from the male midwife or nurse (ewan ko kung ano sya, basta all the know, i can still recall all the faces of the people with me in the delivery room) who pushed my tummy.

September 2nd of 2007, 1:22am, Izzie finally came out! she was facing up, that’s why she keeps peeking, as if playing peekaboo. hehehe… babies normally are delivered facing down. if Izzie was a lil bigger, i would have had a c-section.

here are some photos of our baby girl a couple of minutes from delivery.









































here is a photo of Daddy and Tito Jayson in scrubs:

“I Love You, Yaya” Handbook 26 August 2008

“I Love You, Yaya!” HANDBOOK

A Must-Have for Caregivers and Employers



In these busy times, parents cannot discount the tremendous impact yayas or
caregivers have on their children. For the past 10 years, The Parenting
Company (TPC), in its advocacy of providing the best care for children, has
been conducting the “I Love You, Yaya!” seminar program, a one-day training
workshop for child caregivers and first time mothers.

Conceptualized by mompreneur and celebrity mom, Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, the
“I Love You, Yaya!” seminar program aims to empower and equip caregivers
with basic knowledge and skills to create a healthy and holistic environment
where the child can maximize his potentials in different aspects of life.
Maricel, together with sisters-in-law Dr. Donna Simpao and Felichi Buizon,
along with professionals from various fields on child care, have been
bringing the advocacy around the country-in residential areas, the corporate
world, even in showbusiness.

The Parenting Company and the trainers want to reach more parents and
caregivers to make a significant difference in the lives of children. But
the “I Love You, Yaya!” seminar program is still far from covering the
entire country. Thus, TPC offers a must-have handbook for both caregivers
and employers-The Yaya Handbook. It is a two-part reference book containing
informative articles on hiring, training, and nurturing caregivers, as well
as practical guides on first aid for children, common illnesses,
developmental milestones, and even fighting stress. What’s more, yayas can
listen to the trainers themselves as the handbook comes with an audio CD
containing the lectures in the handbook. It’s like listening to the actual
“I Love You, Yaya!” seminar in your own home!

The Yaya Handbook-get it now and help make a difference in our children and
caregivers’ lives.

For Orders and Inquiries Call: 920-0537 or email
theparentingcompany@yahoo.com

Special Discount for Bulk Orders!

Available at TPC Office #59-A Xavierville Ave. Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Reference: I Love You Yaya Handbook

———————

I Love You, Yaya Handbook
by Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan, Felichi Buizon and Dr. Donna Simpao

P499 pesos only

For Orders and Inquiries Call: 920-0537

Includes:

An Employer’s Guide with the following topics:

Interviewing Caregivers ©

Will you or will you not? ©

Getting helpers from a recruitment agency ©

A Guide to Partnering With Our Yayas©

Delegate ©

Common mistakes we (parents and yayas) make in feeding our children ©

Teach your Yaya the value of disease prevention ©

Yaya: Your Organization Buddy © Educating Our House help ©

Helping our helpers help themselves © Nurturing Caregivers

Love Your Kasambahay ©

Letting our helpers celebrate Christmas too ©

Best Gift Ever: SSS for your household employees ©

Enforcing the Day-off Policy © Your Yaya and her cellphone ©

Watch what they say! ©

Letting Go ©

Relax and see a movie ©

Vacationing without Yaya: Will it really be a vacation? ©

Yayas and the never ending birthday parties ©

Boosting Boys Molding Men ©

Keeping Them Happy ©

Family that Eats Together ©

Engaging your Child’s Cooperation

A Yaya’s Manual accompanied by an audio CD with the following topics:

SESSION 1

Topic 1: Gabay sa Wasto at Masustansiyang Pagpapakain sa Bata at Sarili (Basic Nutrition)

Topic 2: Kalinisan, Kalusugan, at Kaayusan sa Pag-aalaga ng Bata (Health, Hygiene, and Orderliness for Child Caregivers)

Topic 3: Gabay sa Paglaki ng Bata (Developmental Milestones)

Topic 4: Gabay sa Wastong Pangunahing Lunas para sa mga Bata (Basic First Aid for Young Children)

Topic 5: Mga Karaniwang Sakit ng Bata (Common Illness)

SESSION 2

Topic 6: Laro Tayo! Pagbuo ng Isang Malikhaing Kapaligiran (On Play)

Topic 7: CreActivity (Activities to Enhance Creativity)

Topic 8: Tayo’y Magbasa at Magsulat! (Pre-Reading and Pre-Writing Activities)

Topic 9: I-Off na Muna ang TV (Alternatives to TV viewing)

SESSION 3

Topic 10: Epektibong Ugnayan ng mga Kasambahay ng Pamilya (Family and Yaya Partnership)

Topic 11: Gabay sa Mabuting Asal at Tamang Pakikitungo ni Yaya sa Tahanan (Good Yaya Manners)

Topic 12: Pag-iwas sa Stress & Burn-out ni Yaya (Yaya Stress)

Hindi biro ang maging Yaya, di ba?



Reference: I Love You Yaya

Waiting for Doc 25 August 2008

taken on her “month 12″ well-baby-check-up.