What's your favorite rainy-day activity?

Gray skies and rain should never bring us down,

especially when it means spending time at home!

COMFORT ZONE

MY FAVES...
Hot Arroz Caldo, curling up in bed to read a good book,
 and preparing healthy but quick meals and desserts are just some of my favorite rainy-day comforts. ♥

Chicken Arroz Caldo

You will need:

2 tbsp cooking oil

2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1 tbsp ginger, crushed and julienned

1 piece medium-sized onion, chopped

1 kilo chicken, any part, cut into serving pieces

6 cups water

2 tbsp fish sauce (patis)

1 piece chicken bouillon cube

salt and pepper to taste

2 cups uncooked rice

4 cloves garlic, minced and toasted (for garnishing)

How to prepare:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic, ginger, and onion in oil.

Add chicken. Cook for about 15 minutes while stirring occasionally.

Add water. Add all the seasonings. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat.

Simmer for about 20 minutes or until chicken meat is tender.

Add rice. Cook while stirring occasionally. Add more water if necessary.

Taste if more seasoning is needed. Top with garlic.

Fried Tilapia with Green Mango Salad

and "Ginamos" ("Bagoong")

Fried Tilapia

You will need:

2 medium sized, whole tilapia (descaled & cleaned)

Salt

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

How to prepare:

1. Heat the oil in a shallow frying pan.

While waiting, rub the salt on the fish skin.

2. Once oil is hot enough, fry one side of the fish.

It will sizzle so just be careful (this is, after all, scorchingly hot oil!).

Don’t put a lid on it otherwise it will just steam the fish, and not fry it.

3. Give the fish about 7 minutes on each side or until it reaches the desired crispiness,

and then place on a towelled plate to blotch off excess oil. Set aside.

4. Mix chopped green mangoes, tomatoes, and onions together in a bowl.

You can either mix the "ginamos" ("bagoong") with the salad,

or just set it aside for those who do not like "ginamos" ("bagoong").

5. Serve with steaming hot rice and eat with fingers "kinamot style" ("kamayan style").

Enjoy! ☺

Green Mango Salad

1 medium sized green mango, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

1/4 onions, chopped

"Ginamos" or "Bagoong" (shrimp paste)

Baked Macaroni ~ this is my son B.E.'s fave! ♥

Champorado

My Champion Champorado (Bow!)

1/2 kilo "pilit" ("malagkit")

1/2 kilo rice

water for boiling rice

5 to 6 tablespoon Hershey's cocoa powder

1/3 cup hot water

1. Combine "pilit" ("malagkit") and rice in a pot.

2. Dissolve the Hershey's cocoa powder in hot water.

3. Stir continuously so that the rice will not stick to the bottom of the pot.

When the mixture turns to dark brown in color, voila!

You have your Champorado! ☺

Most adults, unlike most children, understand the difference between a book that will hold them spellbound for a rainy afternoon and a book that will put them in touch with a part of themselves they didn't even know existed. ♥

One rainy day when I was in the first grade, I picked up a book to look at the pictures and discovered that even though I did not want to, I was reading.

I have been an avid reader ever since. ♥