Sharing the joys, pleasures and discoveries of being a new home maker and wife.
A Slice of Wife
The “germiest” places in the kitchen may not be where you think. A new list released by NSF International, an independent public health and environmental organization, reveals unlikely places where germs might be most likely to prowl.
Sharing this article from huffingtonpost.com on the “germiest places in your kitchen.”
Nishiki Market, known as “The Kitchen of Kyoto,” has been in existence since 1311 having started as a fish market. Presently, it consists of hundreds of stalls selling seafood, pickled vegetables, skewers (they serve cuttlefish on a popsicle stick that my husband decided to nickname “cuttlepop”), tea, spices, sushi, rice cakes: all served beautifully and with so much effort for, well, humble food.
Pickled vegetables
Seafood
Seafood on popsicle sticks
Beautiful, fresh sushi 
Among the more unique food we tried were:
TOFU DONUTS
QUAIL EGG INSIDE AN OCTOPUS’ HEAD
EEL TEMPURA
MUGWORT-FLAVORED RICE CAKE
We also got a few items to take home:
During our first lunch meal in a restaurant that only served tempura udon, we were curious to find green powder served with the ebi tempura with no tempura sauce in sight. We were told that the ebi tempura was to be”dipped” in the salty green powder. It was green tea salt!
We stumbled upon the only stall that sold green tea salt, Kyoto’s original table salt. Been researching on recipes using it- others mix it with other spices as a rub, make green tea-salted popcorn, or sprinkle seafood with.
Next we came upon a unique stall that sold spices that may be used as a rub for fish/meat OR made into soup! Got me a can of lemon-peppery spices for the nights I need a quick fix.
Lastly, who doesn’t love Japanese rice? Got us a kilo of traditional “Kyoto rice.”
The local pulse was surely felt in Kyoto’s Kitchen. Conde Nast, in its article (http://www.cntraveler.com/food/2012/07/nishiki-market-guide-kyoto), sums it up best: “It’s the perfect place to come to find a cheap meal or a snack, or just to witness the quality and care with which the Japanese treat even the most ordinary, the most humble, objects of life. After all, that attention to detail and presentation is, as much as the food itself, what makes Japan the place it is.”
CREATING A HOME FILING SYSTEM
Happy New Year!
A lot of us are bent on accomplishing the goals we’ve set for ourselves this 2013. Before 2012 ended, a lot of us did our fair share of spring cleaning and de-cluttering to usher in the good vibes for the new year.
One little goal I set for myself was to be more organized with the accumulating paperwork that comes with married life. I finally came up with a home filing system after a year of organized chaos.
After reading through various websites and Youtube watching on the how-tos, I came up with my own categories that are enough to serve our newly-married life: Housing, Vehicles, Medical, Important Documents, Home Appliances, Employment, Heirloom Recipes. Others are more detailed with their filing system. For a more complete list, see this website for more ideas: http://www.plan-and-organize-life.com/support-files/home_filing_system_categories.pdf
Off to get the supplies! File box, suspended file folders (per category), and clear/plastic folders (for sub-categories) to be inserted in the suspended file folder. I prefer suspended file folders because they allow me to maneuver through the records easily by sliding the folders— as opposed to stuffing all folders in a box.
I decided to color code the suspended file folders: blue for my husband, red for me and yellow for conjugal matters. I used corresponding color-coded clear folders as well. A suspended file folder will have one or more clear folders depending on the sub-categories. For example: inside the “Medical” (one for the husband, one for you) suspended file is a clear folder for “dental,” “heart,” “General,” etc.
When everything was filed, I arranged the suspended file folders alphabetically and made a “Filing Key” (or a legend) to guide me (but most especially, my husband) when filing incoming documents. I also made an Inventory or Table of Contents to serve as my master list of all documents and records filed.
I got all the supplies from National Bookstore: File Box- P350; Suspended Folders- P32 a piece; Clear folders- P8.25 a piece
Here’s to accomplishing our goals and resolutions for 2013!
“I REALLY LOVE MY…”
Just as fashion websites have an “I Really Love My…” section on Hollywood stars’ favorite fashion accessories, I have decided to start the same section on my favorite home appliances and home accessories
2. Joseph Joseph Index Color-Coded Chopping Board Set
COLOR CODING YOUR CLOSET
The holidays gave me the time to re-organize my and my husband’s closets. When it comes to choosing what to wear, some rely on their moods, others by their functions while others think in color. Organizing the closet based on these factors will shorten dressing-up time as well as the time it takes for us to put fresh laundry back in.
I divided my husband’s clothes into the following categories: round neck shirts, collared shirts, sports shirts, casual shorts, sports shorts, white shirts, undershirts and winter clothing (to be tucked at the highest shelf). I then arranged each category by color.
Opening the closet and choosing clothes becomes an easy, visual and functional experience! (See photo. Second photo grabbed from website below). And maybe… just maybe… when the husband sees the order and careful attention you put into organizing his closet, he will think twice putting it in disarray faster than you can say “color coded.”
This website offers other helpful tips! http://goodlifeofdesign.blogspot.com/2012/05/color-coding-will-help-keep-your-closet.html
Enjoy adding some ROY G BIV in your closets!
WHERE TO: EDSA GARDEN HOUSE PICK N’ PAY HERBS GARDEN
A few weeks ago, Manila Seedling Bank Foundation, Inc. was seized by the Quezon City local government for alleged non-payment of taxes amounting to almost Php57 Million. The wonderful garden paradise in the middle of the city was PADLOCKED just when I had scheduled a weekend to go there and buy potted herbs. Nooooooo!
Last week, a news article stated that the tenants were nevertheless allowed to operate their businesses within the compound. Yeeeeees!
I dropped by EDSA Garden House (which is one of the shops within the Manila Seedling Compound) and bought a pot of tall and lush sweet basil (P150), a pot of holy basil (P150— to try “hacking” People’s Palace’s Chicken Basil recipe at home) and a humble pot of Cuban oregano (P50). These will join my two pots of sweet basil and rosemary at the balcony.
Upon payment, you will be given literature of the potted herbs you purchased (see photo). The literature includes a short description of the herb as well as tips on its cultivation, propagation and harvest, among others. It is still best that you do research on the peculiar care for each herb you purchase.
Its website boasts that EDSA Garden House sells 102 kinds of herbs. However, only a few were available during my visit. I was informed that the herbs are more abundant during the summer months.
EDSA Garden House is located in EDSA corner Quezon Avenue (opposite Centris Hypermarket).
FRUITY ICE CUBES
Sharing a new way to infuse flavor into your water aside from fruit slices!
MAKE FRUIT JUICE ICE CUBES!
Juice oranges or lemons (or any fruit of your choice) and pour the juice into the ice stray. When frozen, simply pop the cubes into your pitcher or glass of water. You may also include the fruit slices for more flavor, aesthetic appeal and vitamins!
PRODUCT FEATURE: DAPHNE’S HOME SCENTS
Finally found scent reed diffusers that aren’t so expensive.
Daphne’s Home Scents come in Acres of Lavender, Lemon Tart and Mint Jasmine Infusion. A box has two sets of reed diffusers and an elegantly designed bottle containing the fragrance: all for the affordable price of P348.
I got Acres of Lavender to complement my lavender sachets and Mint Jasmine Infusion.
Available at Dimensione.
HEALTH COMMANDMENTS
I have let these rules (together with my mom’s trusty words and Super Healing Foods book) guide me when choosing ingredients and preparing meals at home.
Sharing the rules with you! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-servanschreiber-md-phd/20-new-anticancer-rules_b_450166.html
POST-COLONIAL MENTALITY: NEWLY-DISCOVERED HOME SHOP
The Independence Day holiday gave my husband and I a perfect occasion to travel back in time. We were on the lookout for night tables and a friend had recommended a secret place. The compound, tucked away in the traffic-free-for-the-day-only Pasay City, was a setting fit for F. Sionil Jose’s novels. Colonial houses, now turned into showrooms and museums, lined the narrow pedestrian streets. Wooden planks for facades, screen doors and windows barred with grills were the common characteristics of the houses. Stepping inside, however, led you to an altogether eclectic experience of the post-modern and the avant garde.
Furniture made of wood, metal and other mixed media decorated the rooms. The dim yellow lights, coupled with the overcast sky, gave an even more vintage feel- as if one were looking at the place in sepia.
No, we didn’t get to find the night tables, but we were attracted to some chinaware. We purchased a set of coffee cups in a bluish-jade color which came with black saucers (P720 for six), a coastal pitcher (P325) and a ceramic spice container (P110) See photos.
Purchasing the other ceramics (see photos) would have to wait until we have more storage room. The items are unique and are reasonably priced.
Send me a message if you’re interested to check out the place!
