Let’s be optimistic in 2019

We homemakers are saddled with the usual concerns about our family’s well-being, how we can make them healthy and strong.

As the old saying goes – ring out the old and ring in the new. It’s Three Kings’ Day. May we follow their faith and believe that life can be better. Let’s all start the year 2019 with optimism. Life can be much more bearable; it all depends on us.

We homemakers are saddled with the usual concerns about our family’s well-being, how we can make them healthy and strong. There is a wish list actually for the woman of the house.

To start with, be a budget master. We wish no Train 3 will be promulgated. There are Trains 1 and 2 which to our mind were responsible for the rising cost of transporting goods from farm (and other sources) to market. We saw how galunggong went up to Pl80 a kilo.

Learn how to substitute. Use more of the less expensive vegetables, such as sayote which has stayed at an affordable price. Maybe a kilo of dressed chicken is less costly than kilo of pork laman. Refrain from buying prime cuts of meat and renew contact with your meat vendor suki. They normally charge much lower than the big chain stores. Frequent the wet markets, but be aware that some premium seafood – prawns, crabs and squid – could be tagged higher.

Then be innovative. The galunggong does not have be simply fried. Try making it into sarsiado. Make torta of ground pork with diced potatoes and julienned cabbage. This will yield more omelettes. Turn leftovers into new dishes. Try using flaked fried chicken in soup with macaroni or salad or as sandwich filling. There is always a treasure of “forgotten” food in the refrigerator waiting to be recycled. Serve leftovers alternately with the newly-cooked dishes. 

We acknowledge the recent effort of the Department of Tourism in promoting Filipino food through its program called Kain Na (Let’s Eat). We have always thought that our food can be a great come-on for domestic and foreign tourists. Recently there was an event which focused on Laguna cuisine in Solenad, Nuvali. Hopefully other provinces will follow and have their own programs.

There is a lady who is the unsung heroine of Filipino food management: Maria Y. Orosa, a native of Taal, Batangas, who left the comforts of her home and sought to learn more about food management in the US. During the war she concocted a beverage called soyalac from rice bran (darak) which she bravely supplied to the men in the underground movement. She is credited for giving us an alternative to tomato catsup, the banana ketchup which is now a popular dip in most Filipino homes.

The modern-day food supplier of basic baking elements, the Liberty group, which supplies Maya brand flour and its byproduct, hotcake mixes, has introduced the Maya Happy Mugs – versatile, special cake mixes in individual mugs ready to mix and bake in the microwave for two minutes. Voila! A single serve cake. Flavors are chocolate and caramel. We did enjoy the former as an afternoon snack during the holiday season. It was good! Innovations are happening in the food industry. This makes home bakers happy.

E-mail me at [email protected].