Free to Be

I celebrated Independence Day with my kiddos.

My son had been living on his own for 10 years now while my daughter is a newbie and is still learning the ropes of living on her own.  When I hear them talk and compare notes about water and electric bills, I get nostalgic. Was it not only yesterday, when they were chasing each other around the house—with water pistols?!?!

“What do you feel like eating?”, my daughter asked.

It was mid-morning and we had time to kill before my son joined us for a late lunch.

“How’s about a visit to a pastry shop where we can have good bread and sit around?”, I countered.

Guided by a magazine article on out-of-the-way eateries on the edge of the business district, she declared,  “I think I know the perfect spot.”

The Other Way Around

One morning, I decided to hitch a ride with my daughter. She had called for a cab to take her to work and by joining her, I would be spared the effort of having to walk to a nearby house of a friend.

In the short ride, my daughter exclaimed out of the blue, “Come to work with me mommy.”

I laughed at the request and told her that her boss would surely be alarmed if he saw a grey-haired lady sitting at the back of her desk busy making cut-out dolls.

In the short ride, we both recalled the many times she went with me to the office and the activities she did to keep from being bored: taking one document from me and bringing it to my staff at a near by room; punching holes and collecting the punched out dots; using the dater and pretend to be busy stamping away a stack of newspaper; and, best of all going to the canteen for some snacks. On top of that, she had to make herself as invisible to the boss as possible— a tough challenge not to call out loudly, “Mommy, come here.” Or “Mommy, I need to go.”



Soon I was at my friend’s house. I bid my daughter good-bye as I got out of the cab. As her cab sped away, I wondered if there will indeed come a time when daughters or sons will be allowed to bring their parent/s to work. The most compelling reason for doing so: the parent’s caretaker was sick or had not returned and there was no one who could spend time with the parent. It’s the same major reason why parents bring their kids to work.

Several companies now provide daycare centers for the children of their employees. Would companies in the future provide elderly daycare centers for the parents of their employees?

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What do both kids and the elderly have in common? They are usually served oatmeal. And rightly so. It's healthy, it's rich in fiber and can be mixed with a variety of fruits and nuts. Its preparation is only limited by ones imagination.

Now here's a recipe that will not only delight both the young and the old but everyone else in between.

Mookies

recipe found in Sunset's 1997 Recipe Annual Edition
It says that Pam Afpinall, a coffee shop owner, was experimenting, trying to make the best oatmeal cookie around. Her customers picked the cookie made using this recipe. It resembled a muffin, so they called it a "mookie."

* Ingredients:
1 cup butter or margarine, room temperature
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups regular rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sweetened shredded dried coconut
1/2 cup raisins
* Instructions:
Mix butter and brown sugar until thoroughly blended.



Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.



In another bowl, combine oats, flour, salt and baking powder.



Blend oat mixture with butter mixture.



Stir in walnuts, coconut and raisins.



Pack cookie dough into an ice cream scoop (4-ounce size) or 1/2-cup measuring cup. Scrape dough level with rim and empty onto lightly oiled baking sheets, spacing dough about 3 inches apart.



Bake at 350 degrees until cookie edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes. If using one oven, switch pans halfway through baking.



Cool cookies on a rack, serve or store airtight up to 2 days.

Letting Go

You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.

Khalil Gibran

My sister’s son—- her only child— is getting ready to leave the “nest”.

For almost a year now, my sister and her husband have been busy psyching themselves of the inevitable. The dutiful son has in turn listened to their wise advise on how to prepare for an independent life.

Relations on both sides of the family have come to rally around my nephew. Consoling words have also been offered to my sister and her husband. It’s probably more difficult for the parents than the child.

As a mother who has gone through the experience almost 7 year ago, it is hard to find the right words that would capture the emotional turmoil going on inside. Happy to see a child finally getting ready to take on the world; apprehensive of what lies ahead; and, hopeful that all the lessons you have repeatedly taught through the growing years would have been absorbed and be of immense value … brush your teeth before you sleep; be alert; say your prayers; eat right; be grateful; lock your doors; be respectful; save; and, always keep in touch. Just a few of the 1001 lessons to remember when leaving the nest.

So, even if it breaks our hearts to see them off, we let go of our darling children. For it’s the only way they can learn how to fly.



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Leaving home can be daunting and exciting at the same time. But knowing how well my sister and her husband guided their son, I am confident that everything will be alright. My sister has also included a crash cooking course in her lesson plan. So if fastfood or teevee dinners start to loss its charm, my nephew will have a skill that would come in handy.

I never got around to teaching my son how to cook. The most I got to do was show him how to operate a gas stove. If I were to do it again, I would teach him how to make an omelette. Not only is it nutritious and easy to do, but it’s very versatile in terms of the numerous filling options one can stuff into it.

An omelette is just a fancy name for a stuffed scrambled egg. And you only need to break two eggs (per person) and not the bank nor your back : )

Easy Omelette
1. Break two eggs into a bowl, add some salt and pepper and beat lightly up to a point that you can still see some whites in the mixture.
(You may also add two tablespoon of milk or water—suppose to make for a fluffy result.)



2. Heat up a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of cooking oil. You can cut down on the oils if you use a non-stick pan.
3. When pan is hot enough, pour in your egg mixture.
4. Let mixture set just a tiny bit before pushing the sides into the center. Your mixture will then result to something comparable to an unmade bed.



5. Once you notice that the mixture is almost set but not dried out, pour your filling in the center of the mixture and flip one side over it.

6. Slide your omelette to your plate and Viola, a meal is made.



Below are some of just a few suggested fillings which you first sauté quickly or cook prior to stuffing your omelette:
a) sliced tomatoes and onions
b) drained canned tuna sauted with onions (or you can just drain the tuna)
c) diced ham and cubed cheese (no need to sauté before or this will be a mess)
d) an assortment of veggies that have been julienned (sliced into matchstick sized) like: sayote, cabbage, onions, leeks,or chives)
e) sliced mushrooms ( top omelette with shredded cheese)

Do remember not to over-stuff your omelette. A good rule of thumb is keep your stuffing to about 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup at the most.