How to Cook Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce (Chinese Pan-To Style!)

When I was a kid, I hated going to huge family reunions. There were always too many people to hug, too many oldies to kiss, too many faces to smile at (and half of them I didn’t even recognize). It would always be held at these traditional Asian restaurants, with the big round tables and the intricate designs of dragons/peacocks/whatever symbols that signify good luck. And then there are the fish.

The live fish, swimming along in their little tanks in the corner, all happy-go-lucky and oblivious to the fact that they will soon be snatched up and served as delicacies in their short lives. Looking at them on the other side of the tanks as a little child, I felt a twinge of sadness in my heart.

Of course, over the years, I’ve come to love family reunions. Growing up, you realize that amidst all the challenges and trials you go through in life, there’s one thing that’s always constant—family. And all these smiling faces gathered together just prove to me how wonderful it feels to have a tight group of people who will always love you no matter what.

And the fish—the innocent and ultimately doomed fish—have now found a place not just in my heart, but in my stomach. I just love the taste of steamed fish with light soy sauce served up in these restos.

My photography skills are a disgrace. But the fish is good---promise!

Unfortunately, I do not have enough money to keep dining in fancy restaurants just to get a taste of that elusive fish. So, despite my amateur kitchen status, I’ve decided to learn how to make them at home.

How to Cook Steamed Fish (Simple, Can’t-Mess-It-Up-Because-I’m-A-Noob Version!)

How to Win Every Argument in Your Relationship

My father-in-law is harboring chickens in our house.

Caged in their bamboo homes with that distinct poultry smell, the chickens would cluck away in the most ungodly hours and attract all sorts of flies and crawlies nearby. They’re cute, though, the chickens. They would poke their heads at us every once and a while, and the little kids just love them whenever my husband’s brothers come visit.

What’s weird though is that they’re all hens, all of them. And as I stand there in the garage looking at them, these female chickens pecking at the floor with no mates to call their own, I feel a certain twinge in my chest.

My mother always said that she and my father fought all the time because of their Chinese zodiac signs. He was a “rooster” who liked to crow at her nonstop, and she was a “dog” who barked all the time. But we had a dog, too, once. He didn’t seem too happy to be alone, either.

Despite all the fighting and the tears and the storming out and the pain, we all need our relationships—arguments and all.

Now that I’m married, I’ve come to realize even more that regular little spats are normal. Sometimes, the issue is big or small and they come and go and resurface even though we think they’re long buried. While arguments will always be a part of married life (or any relationship for that matter), it doesn’t hurt to spare yourselves the pain, does it?

There is no one surefire way to win an argument. It all really depends on what you mean by “winning”. In fact, if all you really care about is winning an argument with your beloved, then you probably shouldn’t even be in a mature relationship, right? But for those who want to emerge victorious in different ways after a fight, following these steps guarantees that you’ll never have to “lose” an argument with your significant other ever again.

How to Score an Epic Win in an Argument

Sweet Ground Pork or Minced Lumpia Filling

Big and brown and ugly, there it was.

The cockroach.

On my mousepad.

Chillin’.

I had to scream for help because I’m a big sissy. My husband came to the rescue with a slipper in his hand and a look of determination in his eye. He marched in there, a soldier armed for battle, and—as I cowered in the corner of our room—he whisked the pest away to its dizzy death.

My hero.

Moments later, as he was dousing the thing with alcohol to make sure it stayed dead, I stood there pondering just how I would react if my own kid was afraid and it was up to me to protect him from the big, bad roach. I really ought to toughen up if I want to be a good homemaker.

That and my cooking. I need to be passable at cooking.

How to Make Sweet Ground Pork or Minced Lumpia Filling

What to Expect at the Pre-Cana / Marriage Interview with Your Priest

SMACK!

Startling. That was the sound that echoed throughout the court when my husband hit the shuttlecock. I watch him squint his eyes, lunge forward, and swing his racket. The umpire raises his hand a final time—they’ve won. His peers all turn to look at me with smiles on their faces.

“Inspiration,” they tell me. “Everything’s possible when you’ve got a personal cheering squad.”

A personal cheering squad. That’s me. It’s my hubby’s badminton tournament for their architect chapter, and I’m sitting at the bleachers holding his towel for him. Everybody’s reaction for the day: “You guys are married? But you look so young!”

We get that all the time, and it’s a compliment, really. In fact, that was exactly what our priest said when we went in for our marriage interview. And when you’re sitting at the parish office and your excitement is filled to the brim at the prospect of getting married, that’s really not something you expect to hear.

We were not prepared AT ALL, because we had no idea what to expect. We ended up attending two interviews with different priests and had to answer forms with “no cheating”. We really wish we’d known what would happen beforehand, so to keep anyone else from making the same mistake, here are some handy tips for you engaged couples out there:

What to Expect at the Pre-Cana Interview with Your Priest

Why Spending Some Alone Time is Good For You

My trusty little pink notebook? Check. Multi-colored pens? Check. That paperback book that’s been on my nightstand half-read forever? Check.

I close my eyes. Breathe in, breathe out. I’m alone.

And I smile.

I had another opportunity last night to hang out at this quaint little place called Press Café over at the new Promenade in Greenhills. I’ve always loved Fully Booked, and I think the idea of opening up a book-themed café filled with the smell of books around me is just absolutely brilliant.

I’ve been overwhelmed with fertility treatments, new clients, and article deadlines for the past month. It’s been a long while since I had some quiet quality time to myself. And last night, I rewarded myself by snuggling in the corner of a cozy café with only my own thoughts as my companions.

Two hours is simply not enough.

Why It’s Awesome to Have Some Therapeutic “Me Time” Every Once in a While

How To Fry An Egg Without Burning It To A Crisp

Never in all of history has a fried egg been cooked so horribly.

I always tend to burn my eggs for fear of undercooking them and giving my dear husband salmonella. But this usually results in me serving him a plate of burnt eggs, and I can only imagine how terribly forced his smile is at me every morning.

The fried egg is basically the simplest and most amateur dish anyone can ever cook. Even kids are experts at it, and practically anybody who can handle a pan can do it flawlessly. Of course, because I’m such a culinary noob, it’s only natural that I suck at even the simplest of recipes.

But after countless ruined breakfasts and morning mishaps, I’ve finally found some methods that work. No longer will my hubby have to suffer through washing down my horrid eggs with a hurried glass of milk.

How To Fry An Egg Without Burning It To A Crisp

How to Cook Japanese Sukiyaki Beef at Home

Here's yet another one of my kitchen misadventures in my never-ending quest to be a good homemaker! I've always been fascinated with Sukiyaki Beef in Japanese restaurants, and thanks to my super awesome cousin who taught me how, I can now cook homemade sukiyaki beef for my hubby.

Japanese Sukiyaki Beef Recipe

How to Be a Good Wedding Guest

After months and months of losing sleep and sweating it out on a guest list, my hubby and I finally had a perfect seat plan for the reception. You can imagine just how much a guest wanting to bring an unexpected plus one to the wedding made us want to rip their throats out.

Thankfully, most of our wedding guests were amazing people who made our wedding day extra special because they were all just wonderful. We love them all so, so much. :)

We were very lucky with our wedding guests, but most couples are not as fortunate. Unruly wedding guests can be a pain. Being one of the first among my peers to get married, I am now witnessing the steady stream of my friends getting hitched one by one. And if you don’t want to be blacklisted as a horrible guest that nobody will want to invite ever again, read through these tips.

How to Be the Model Wedding Guest of Any Couple’s Dreams

How to Make Homemade Gyoza

I love Gyoza. These little potstickers have always delighted me whenever we visit Japanese restaurants, and finally, when hubby and I got lost in Johor, Mayasia one time, we stumbled upon this cozy little gyoza kiosk that made us fall in love with gyoza even more. I actually planned to sell them as a business, and now I can finally start, thanks to my incredibly talented cousin who taught me how to make these Japanese delights.

Homemade Gyoza Recipe

The Most Annoying Airplane Passengers Ever

Seat reclined. Jacket draped over our bodies. Snuggled together. Hands entwined.

My husband and I were settling in as the plane took off. Then, when we were just about to close our eyes for a quick nap during the hour-long trip, she started moving. The woman seated beside my hubby.

She was rapidly rocking her head side to side, her eyes closed, her brows knit together. Her hands were raised. Her feet were kicking.

For a split second of horror, we thought she was being possessed.

She was just stretching, though. Sure. That’s what she was doing. Minutes later, she started chanting something. Out loud. With feelings. She didn’t even have earphones on or anything.

On the weirdness scale of weird airline passengers, she definitely takes the cake.

But that’s not all there is to be wary of.

The Worst Airline Passengers You Will Ever Have the Misfortune of Flying With

How to Care For Your C-Section (But Not Really) Scar After Surgery

If somebody had told me years ago that I would stop wearing bikinis by the age of twenty-five, I would have laughed at that guy’s face. Not that I’m that mean—to laugh at someone’s face and stuff—but it’s just hard to believe, is all.

Of course, how could I have known I would get an ovary sliced out smack in the middle of my quarter-life crisis?

Yes, I had a huge three-headed Hidden Mickey cyst removed (you can read all about it HERE) two years ago, and as a result, I had to say goodbye to my tiny string swimsuits because, heaven forbid, I wouldn’t want anyone to get grossed out by the big fat scar across my belly.

Sure, I can still pull off my cute two-pieces at the beach every now and then, because hell yes, scarred people are beautiful. Still, exposing my scar can’t be all that good for it, now is it? It doesn’t help that I’m a major Keloid-former, too.

So if you’ve ever had an oophorectomy (goodbye ovary!), a C-Section, or a sorta-C-Section-but-kinda-not-really-scar-across-your-belly, here are just some tips on how to care for your wound.

How to Bake Homemade Crepe Cake

So I hate baking, but my delightfully wonderful cousin taught me how to make this incredibly delicious treat. And because I'm not into anything too sweet, I just think this crepe cake is perfect. Not to mention it scores me extra brownie points with the hubby.

Baking That Awesome Crepe Cake

How to Hold a Kitchen Knife

I’ve never really cooked in my life.

Being such a huge fan of the Asian Food Channel, I know all the ins and outs of each cooking show and I got by with knowing squat about anything.

But, now that I’m a married woman, and a complete noob, I’ve dabbled a little bit into the mystic arts that happen in the fabled land of The Kitchen. Such wonder, such mystery! What delightful smells that come wafting in from this unknown sanctuary of culinary treats!  And so, filled with eager curiosity, I stepped into the secret world they call Cooking.

The first thing I did was cut myself.

Naturally.

So here I am, fresh with a Band-Aid wrapped around my finger, to tell you how to properly hold a kitchen knife.

What “The Last of Us” Can Teach You About Zombie Survival

Being a Naughty Dog fan, it’s only natural for me to play This 10/10 super awesome game that comes after the three Uncharted games. Even if I don’t particularly have a fondness for zombie games with the exception of Resident Evil 5 (but that was only because of its co-op functionality), I just HAD to play The Last of Us. I just HAD to. And I’m not regretting it one bit.

Okay, since it’s Halloween and all, I’ve decided to post something related to horror or something. So here are a few things I learned from The Last Of Us in case the zombie apocalypse does arrive.

Survival Tips from The Last of Us

How to Clean Old Lego and Remove Pesky Stains

What could be more precious than a little kid playing Lego?

My husband. Playing Lego.

Yes, seeing this grown man's face light up when he gets a new Lego set is like seeing crazy fireworks lighting up the New Year’s Eve sky. Sure, our nieces and nephews can play with whatever they want at our place, but those Legos?

Off limits. Mess them up at your own risk.

Fine; I do find my hubby’s love for the Bane of the Underfoot (have you even STEPPED on a Lego brick before? It is DEATH.) very endearing. I myself have got some childhood quirks that the little kid in me hasn’t quite gotten over yet, and I’m not ashamed of it.

If your husband shares the same passion for the universal brick, or if you’ve got a few kids who just can’t get enough of them, let me share with you my husband’s trick on how to keep your old discolored Legos (damn those UV rays!) looking good as new every day.

How to Clean Stained and Yellowed Old Lego Bricks and Figures (And Retain Their Original Vibrant Colors That Have Faded)

All About APAS: Infertility in Today’s World

When a mother loses a baby back in the day, people would often assume that it just wasn’t meant to be. “The baby wasn’t ready”. “The timing just wasn’t right”, “You can always try again”—these were the most common things that well-meaning friends and family would say to someone who had lost a baby. Left undiagnosed, these miscarriages seemed normal, but now that medical advances have finally looked into these unexplained losses, we have a definite yet extremely complicated answer: APAS. Short for Antiphospholipid Antibodies Syndrome, APAS is now the growing cause of recurring miscarriages and difficulty to conceive in most women today.

It may sound like a lot of scientific mumbo-jumbo, but the bottom line is this—APAS makes baby-making a challenge. It requires patience, emotional strength, a hefty medical budget, and a great leap of faith.

I should know—I have APAS, after all.

What is APAS?

In layman’s terms, what APAS basically means is that a person’s antibodies are sort of on overdrive—they sometimes mistake their own body cells for foreign invaders, hence, attacking them. The antibodies attack all foreign bodies—which includes anything related to making a baby.

It’s true that there are a host of other factors that may hinder a couple from conceiving properly. The woman may have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, Endometriosis, blocked fallopian tubes, and so on. The husband may also have sperm with decreased mobility or high levels of abnormalities, opening up a different kind of infertility. But APAS is one of the most difficult factors to treat, which is why a lot of couples find themselves becoming disheartened.

Characterized by internal blood clotting, unsuccessful IUIs (Intra Uterine Insemination), and failed IVFs (In Vitro Fertilization), APAS brings a whole new meaning to waiting for the stork to come. Most women who have inexplicable infertility might not be aware that they should consult their medical provider for a series of reproductive immunology tests. These tests will help determine if the patient is indeed positive for APAS—at the very least, they can start getting the proper treatment they need in order to make a healthy baby a possibility.

What does it all mean?

There are five categories when a woman undergoes immunological testing. 

Rainy Day Fix: Moroccan Mint Tea in a Mason Jar

I drink tea every day. No surprise there.

Deliciously soothing, the aroma of freshly brewed tea intoxicates me. With just a single hot cup, I feel relaxed, rejuvenated, at peace.

It’s been raining a lot lately, and there’s nothing more satisfying than sipping away as the raindrops trickle on the window beside me. If I could, I would just curl up and drink tea forever.

Yellowish teeth stains be damned.

I recently discovered that my trusty Ball mason jar can withstand extremely high temperatures, so I’ve been directly pouring boiled water into the jar over the tea bags. I wish my mason jar had a handle, but this would have to do for now.

My personal favorites are the STASH Moroccan Mint Green Tea, STASH Orange Spice Black Tea, STASH Cascade Mint Herbal Tea. There’s really not much to this entry. Just a general appreciation of tea in all its refreshing glory. J

How To Make Matcha Green Tea

My journey is at an end—I have found the perfect matcha green tea powder at the supermarket.

For months I have been scouring the beverage aisles of major grocery stores, poring over each foreign label on the shelves of the Asian goods section, wondering if I will ever succeed in my seemingly futile quest. I have spent wasted resources trying out unsuccessful green tea powders, sacrificing my taste buds and disheartening myself with each new brew. Then, finally, when all hope seemed lost, the heavens parted and my redemption presented itself in a blinding light.

The Nittoh Matcha Green Tea Powder.

And yes, when I tasted the tea at home, my eyes welled up—the search is over.

How to Make Matcha Green Tea

Working Up Chronicles: How to Count Your Ovulation Cycle

For everyone who’s trying to get pregnant, we all know it’s not that easy. I used to think it was as simple as bumping uglies, but hey, those who don’t want to have kids are usually the ones who end up getting accidentally preggers, while those who actually WANT to have kids are the ones who can’t. Ironic world, really.

There is a delicate and extremely complicated process called counting-the-days-until-you’re-fertile-again-so-let’s-do-this. And it’s not just doing it whenever you feel like it.

So according to our immunologic fertility doctor, here’s how you should count the days.

Image source: http://thesmiths3511.blogspot.com/2011/04/welcome-to-gator-town.html

Cheesy Potato Balls Recipe

I am a sucker for cheese.

Really. I am not a foodie, nor do I have an appetite of epic proportions. But just cheese up anything and I will DEVOUR it. You have been warned.

But I am also a complete cooking amateur, so everything is extremely simple and based off my estimates from a food magazine that made me hungry the other day.

So here it is, fresh from the pan to my hubby’s delight, a super simple recipe of some soft and chewy cheesy potato balls that are perfect for when you’ve got a case of the munchies.

How to Make Cheesy Potato Balls

I suck at photography, but look at all that cheese!

How He Loved Me

It all started with a pimple.

Glaring and annoying and right there on my face, the pimple was when it all began.

The Working Up Chronicles: How to Deal with Fertility Issues

A.P.A.S.

You have A.P.A.S., they would say. I used to fantasize that it was something cool, something awesome and superhero-ey, like I had a special ability that only a select few in a secret society of agents were chosen to bear.

Turns out, A.P.A.S. is short for Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome, and it’s nothing as cool as I was fooling myself it was.

There are varying levels and cases and specifics, but what it simply means for me is that my antibodies are far too intense to the point of rejecting any foreign body, including my husband’s, including any future baby.

Surprisingly, the condition is pretty common nowadays, especially for Fil-Chi couples. (My reproductive immunologist is Dr. Eduardo Lim or Ed Lim in Maddocs for APAS). But in my case, it’s a little bit more complicated because of my PCOS, my Endometriosis, and my Dermoid cyst that may or may not return…let’s just say that it is going to be quite difficult to have a baby just like that.

Still, if you and your husband are working up to add a little bundle of joy into your family, here are just a few tips on how to deal.

When You’re Struggling With Fertility…

How to Remove That Stupid Price Tag Without Leaving a Sticky Mess

It’s the white smush of death.

A shiny cover. The smell of fresh ink on crisp pages that were bound just for you, just so you can sit back and read and weep and laugh and maybe snuggle under the covers and is that a cup of tea on the nightstand?

A new book.

Then you flip it over and there it is, that dreaded little rectangle, marked and barcoded and bearing the amount of money you shelled out for your new baby. That nuisance. That sticky mess.

That price tag.

And in an imperfect world where price tags are mercilessly stuck onto the book covers themselves, it is nearly impossible to remove this stupid sticker without damaging the cover of your book forever.

Life’s just not fair.

For years, I have been struggling to remove the price tags on my precious books without leaving that glaring trace telling me that something was once taped there by a bookstore employee. Sometimes, when the sticker is new, it comes right off. Oftentimes, I’m not so lucky. I either remove it in a flourish but it leaves an annoying rectangular mark where it once was, or worse, bits and pieces of the sticker remain on the book, haunting me forever.

Luckily, my MacGyver husband has a way of removing those pesky price tags without leaving a trace.

How to Remove a Price Tag and the Residue It Leaves Behind

The Skinny Girl’s Guide to Surviving ToyCon

I’ve just finished scrubbing my wrist raw trying to remove the massive stamped ink on my skin.

Shaped like Batman’s head in honor of his 75^th anniversary this year, the stamp on my wrist tells me that I am one of the elite, one of the ecstatic geeks who braved the crowds and survived the annual awesomeness that is ToyCon.

Every year, I buy myself a ticket to gain entry into this hallowed event, this holy haven for those of us with esoteric tastes. And every year, I wind up harassed and bruised, my feet swollen from all the people who’ve stepped on them, and my lovely lady lumps violated (inadvertently, of course).

Gone were the days when I could wear my casual cotton dresses with a trusty pair of Keds and move through the booths with such ease and comfort. Because more and more fans journey to this Mecca of geekdom that is the Megatrade Hall at SM Megamall, it is now impossible to be unprepared and come out of the crowds alive.

Still, I would never miss my annual pilgrimage to ToyCon. All I gotta do is gear up and charge into battle with all the right tools in my arsenal. How else would I be able to score that Fables deluxe edition graphic novel?

That said, if you’re a frail little lady devoid of any significant muscle tone just like me, how do you make it out of there in one piece?

The Skinny Girl’s Guide to Surviving ToyCon

How To Remove The Garlic Smell From Your Fingers

How do they make everything look so easy on TV?

In every cooking show, all the ingredients are lined up clean and neat and all you have to do is whip everything together and smile at the camera. And they make it all look so flawless, too. Nobody ever says that after sweating it out in the kitchen with all the mincing and trying desperately not to cut myself and inadvertently adding a hint of my own DNA-filled flavor into what I’m cooking, I’ll end up all smelly—and not the deliciously smelly kind.

It’s the garlic, really. It’s always been about the garlic.

I, for one, love garlic. But when they stick to my fingers after chopping and stay with me for DAYS, that’s an entirely different story altogether. The garlicky smell lingers on my fingers forever and haunts me in my sleep. Literally. I even feel like it could be stuck to my nose permanently and added to my sense of smell for good.

"One last time." - Uncharted 4 Trailer from E3 2014

What the WHAT?

Now that E3 is here, I am once again in my annual state of excitement that quickly spirals down to depression in a span of a minute. With every new trailer, announcement, and gameplay sneak peek that E3 brings, I am filled with the burning desire to play, replaced in a blinding flash by the realization that the release dates are cruelly too far away. And as I sink down on my knees screaming “why god why” I resign myself to the fact that I will just have to be content with replaying the trailers over and over again until my husband tells me I need help.

The Complete Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Your Marriage License/Certificate in the Philippines (As Of 2013, For Catholics and Filipino Citizens)

So I’ve been getting a lot of questions from brides-to-be on how to get the ever-elusive marriage license.

Before I got married, I had no idea where to even begin getting the necessary documents to make our union legal and binding. There were just too many requirements and nobody to ask, being one of the first of my friends to get hitched. My hubby and I ended up going to different city halls, church offices, and even notary public centers for affidavits of our marital status. I tried to Google these things to no avail, and it always irked me that nobody ever posted stuff like this when this is actually one of the most important things to do in a wedding.

Why? Why had nobody ever thought about making a step-by-step guide for this?

And because I don’t want soon-to-be-brides to ever feel lost and confused again (you have enough on your plate to worry about; I know), here’s a comprehensive how-to for those pesky papers you just want to get out of the way (kidding).

The Complete Step-By-Step Guide To Getting Your Marriage License/Certificate in the Philippines (As Of 2013, For Catholics and Filipino Citizens)

Not-So-Random Tips On Your Big Day

Being one of the first among my friends to get married, I had no clue what I was supposed to do.

Will I really fit into that gown? Do we even need a cake? What in the world is an arrhae?

License? WHAT LICENSE?

I was never the type of girl who had her wedding all planned out since she was 12, so you can just imagine my panic.

Still, my husband and I planned our wedding in 10 months, and thankfully, after the hectic schedules and the crazed trips to all the suppliers, we pulled it off and got hitched smoothly. It was a hell of a ride, one that isn’t without its flaws. Looking back, as we both fondly recalled everything that happened, we found some things that we could have done differently, if only we knew them ahead of time. Like if someone from the future went back in time and warned us and stuff. Or something not ripped off from every sci-fi movie in the 80s.

So, fresh from my first-hand experience, here are some not-so-random tips for your big day:

So you're married. Now what?

The very first thing I did when I got home was pee. Really.

I was filled with too much excitement just waiting to be released. I was stepping into a wonderful new life with a husband I love dearly, and I was filled with that “Just Married” aura, so much so that I just hadn’t snapped back to reality yet. There were just too many things to do, and so many burning questions that I had to find the answer to: how will our bathroom routine work? Which is his side of the bed? Can I keep doing freelance work in our room? Where will I put my Playstation 3?

The important questions.

Thankfully, I was coming home to my husband’s parents’ house—now my in-laws. So really, there wasn’t much to fix because everything already has its place. Some people might think that living with the in-laws is a big no-no, but honestly, it suits me just fine. More on this on later posts, though.

Image Credit: DaveShelton.com

So we unpacked for six days and tried to settle down. Even though it seemed like forever, we actually got the hang of our everyday routines. But two months came by like a blur—I honestly can’t remember the first few weeks of married life. All I know is that I was a lovestruck girl living in my happy little bubble.

Of course, that’s not always how it works best. So let’s get into the nitty gritty.

Congratulations! You’ve now begun a new chapter on the road to your happily ever after. You’ve snagged yourself an awesome man and he’s officially the luckiest man on earth. When all the flowers have wilted and when the wedding gown can no longer fit (hopefully not that fast though), you come home with your beloved hubby with stars in your eyes and your heart bursting with love and joy. You’re now left with a mountain of gifts (yay!) and with a new life you’re excited to begin. How do you start?