Forever Daughters, Forever Sisters

The signs were there. The yelping of the dogs as the car parked into the garage. The welcome smiles of our loyal house helpers as we surrendered our bags to them. The strong smell of tsokolate.  Slippers and house dusters laid out and ready.

Our mother calling us to the dining table for breakfast.  We were blissfully home once more.

 

Five daughters. Five sisters. Five grown women happily allowing our mother to mother us once more for the duration of our short reunion.  Anyone looking at us would have thought we have not seen each other for the longest time.  Truth be told, with the advent of skype, facetime, viber and what-have-you, we are in constant touch with each other.  But those calls even with matching video come a poor second to the actual feel of an arm around ones shoulder or a peck on the cheek. 

For a short week, we spent much of the time talking.  We showed off how much we gained or lost around the middle, the well-earned grey in our hair and our knowledge on where to get a good facial.  There was the past to bring up again and again: the misdeeds and missteps.  Proud stories of our kids, our pets, and our significant partners (not necessarily in that order).  The absence of our two brothers  gave us license to dissect and analyze their relationships. We solved the problem of the world and more while relaxing on the veranda that overlooked the city and the far-away neighboring islands.  We were safe from all the madness and cares of the world below. 

 Most mornings, my younger sister, M, would quietly get into my bed, nudge me and say,  “wakey, wakey”.  Eventually, with sleep still heavy on our eyelids, we got ready for our morning walk around the neighborhood and to the bakery. Rainy mornings did not deter M from waking us up for some aerobics or yoga or more chit-chat. 

As the house stirred to life, there was constant music in my mother’s room.  Mambo Italiano, Gypsy Kings, Old Blue Eyes and my mother’s timeless favorites.   We took our places on my mother’s bed drawing up plans for the day.  

Our week was filled with all the activities girls love: massages, hair and nail treatments, lunch at our favorite restos, shopping, shopping and more shopping.  

 Evenings found us back for supper at the house with my mother at the head of the dining table making sure we were having our fill of food we grew up with: Utan (click here for recipe), fried fish, chicken asado (click here for recipe) , pork sinigang (click here for recipe ), left-over roasted chicken stewed in coconut milk, and chicken adobo. In the past, my mother would have had her signature desserts for us to enjoy: chocolate pie (click here for recipe), leche flan (click here for recipe ) and chocolate cake ( click here for cupcake version).  But we insisted she conserve her energies.  So desserts consisted mostly of mangoes and chocolates brought in by my sisters.  Besides, we had waistlines to consider. Then it’s back to my mother’s room for more serious conversations. 

Before all our stories could be told, the week was over.  We felt that there was still much to say, much to do together.   However, it was time to head back to our own homes. It was time to return to our role as wife, mother, partner, employee. But we will always be forever daughters, forever sisters.

Our next reunion?   Plans are already underway.

------xoxoxox------

For as long as I can remember, the tsokolate we sip in my mother’s house has always come from home-made tablea (chocolate tablets).   My mother learned how to prepare these tablets from her mother.  It is a tedious process that takes quite a considerable time and effort to make.  Ironically, when made into a cup of steaming tsokolate, it  takes only a few minutes to consume by itself.  It is also the perfect partner for suman (sticky rice wrapped in banana) or for dunking a piece of buttered pan de sal.

These days, the task of preparing the tablets fall on our helper, B.  She has been with our family forever.  Unlike before when we used to have several cacao trees at the back of our house, B now buys the dried cacao seeds from the market. 

It is first sun-dried for several days.

Then it is dry roasted over a hot fire until black.

The seed cover is now brittle and removed by hand.  It gets better and better.

The seeds are then ground into a thick paste. B goes back to the market for this service.

Using a mold, the paste is formed into individual tablets and air-dried.  When set, they are placed in the fidge and can last for a very long, long time.  

 

How to prepare tsokolate:

In a baterol or pot, for every tablet used, add ½ cup water.   For every tablet used, add ½ T brown sugar.  Heat up and carefully beat with a wooden beater.  Let it come to a boil but be watchful as the brew can quickly overflow. 

Remove from the fire and transfer to a heated coffee or tea pot.  You may have a small container of milk on hand for those who want mild with their brew.

Enjoy this elixir of life and love.

Note:  Tableas can be found sold in groceries.  But take note, some makers may have added peanuts and what-have-you. The resulting brew is gritty and has an artificial taste.  As a rule of thumb, real tableas will melt easily when heated directly—even under the sun