Friendship Across the Miles Series: It’s Yesterday Once More

“All my best memories

Come back clearly to me
Some can even make me cry
Just like before
It's yesterday once more”  by the Carpenters

“Remember me? “, was the first line to a message I posted and sent off to a classmate who I found via FB.  She immediately responded the next day.  And we soon were sending off messages back and forth to each other.

The FB encounter is now a little over four years old.  Before FB, my contact with P was via slow mail probably more than 20 years ago before I lose touch with P again.  My lame excuse “life got in the way”.

Friendship Across the Miles Series: Best Friends in Florida (BFF)

My nephew, P, had finally found work in Orlando, Florida.   It had been an emotional parting for my sister, G, and her husband.  Their only child was off to conquer the world on his own.  But as fate would have it, he was not totally alone.  A very close cousin, C, had graciously taken P into her wings. 

And when a couple of months passed, my sister, G, decided to take a vacation and visit her son.  Not to let the opportunity pass, the rest of us felt we needed to visit as well.  Besides, it was finally time to accept my cousin’s long standing invitation to visit.

After five hours of air travel, our party of seven (my mom, my niece, brother-in-law and sisters: G, J, M plus me) had finally arrived at the Orlando airport.  My brother and his wife would follow two days after.  That’s how much we take family visits seriously. 

To most travelers, Orlando means a visit to the happiest place on earth: Disney World.  To my sister, it was a chance to be with a sorely missed son.  And to our group, it meant a grand reunion among cousins who were a part of our very happy childhood.

Friendship Across the Miles Series: Forever Special

San Francisco will always be special to me.  It was the entry point to my first visit abroad 25 years ago.  At that time, I was enthralled by its many man-made structures.  The bridge, the cable cars and the quaint houses on both sides of its many winding streets.  Let’s not forget the touristy boardwalk with a variety of shops, street performers and restaurants. 

With each visit, I saw a different side of San Francisco. One year, a sister and I took a ferry and explored China town. Another time, we checked out the thrift stores.  There was an unforgettable car ride on a foggy afternoon that ended with a big bowl of clam chowder on a chilly night out.  

 A year ago, accompanied by two other sisters, a brother-in-law, my mother and a nephew, we ventured out of San Francisco city and op to explore nearby Half Moon Bay. (if interested, here's my take on that day: When Serendipity Took The Driver's Seat)  I can still remember how the cold wind wiped my hair into my face as we walked along the beach.

Friendship across the Miles Series: A Home Away From Home

“You didn't have to be so nice
I would have liked you anyway
If you had just looked once or twice
And gone upon your quiet way…”   The Lovin Spoonful

Asking for a favor let alone asking to stay in someone else's home in America (or anywhere else for that matter) does not come easy for me.  But with friends like D, there was no hesitation, no second thought to send off a quick email to make such a request.

"Hello D, would it be possible to stay at your place for a few days while I wait for my mother and sisters to arrive at a later date?", my email read.

D's response came soon after, "Yehey!!! Yes I will pick you up and you can stay with us for as long as you like :-) ”

The smiley face at the end of her message sealed it for me.  The stress of finding hospitable accommodations was replaced with happy anticipation of seeing a true friend and her family again.

Hello Again

Over the years since I retired, I have made it a habit to start my day by attending the 6:30AM mass at my nearby parish church.  Doing so puts me in a positive spirit that would serve me well throughout the rest of the day.  These daily ritual has also afforded me the chance to make the acquaintance of several parishioners.  Mostly senior citizens, a sprinkling of empty-nesters and working folks who have time to spare before rushing off to work.

Chillin' Time

I have been to Tagaytay, the nearest resort town from Manila, many times. Although the inroads made by tourism efforts has been responsible for the lost of Tagaytay's provincial innocence, the chilly air, foggy mornings and the awe-inspiring view of Taal Volcano makes for a good reason to return again and again.

And so, last Janaury, I found myself heading up the southern trail with seven very close friends.

Gelling

What could be better than whiling the hot afternoon hours chatting away with friends of like mind?

Chatting away while taking a nice dip in a cool pool!!

 

My Carpool Family

In the late ‘80s, gasoline became quite expensive due to the Middle East crisis. (What else is new?!?!) I didn’t know how to drive and so I commuted. Bus fares increased and I tightened the purse strings.

Every now and then I would be lucky to get a ride with a next door neighbor who happened to work in the same office as I did. In one of those rides together, we thought it would be a good idea to start a carpool among neighbors and friends living nearby.

Turning Chicken

A well meaning friend, let’s call her C, comes up to me after morning mass and tells me that she was castigated by a mutual friend (let’s call her D).


Apparently, D was upset that she was not informed about a little gathering we had a few days ago. Since I was charged with informing the group, C asked if I had sent out the text invite to D. I immediately said yes!

Not wanting to upset my morning, I changed the subject. After we went out separate ways, I could not help feeling uneasy about the whole thing. Did my text fail to reach D?

Upon checking my celphone’s sent folder, I could no longer retrieve the messages I sent out four days ago as my unit could only save the last 15 messages.

My first thought was to just ignore this little incident. D has been known to be moody so I brush her actions. But somehow the nagging thought that I might have hurt D would not go away. Pride is an awful thing to have and can make a strong person turn chicken and run the other way. I did not want to start the year by becoming a chicken.

After morning mass today, I decided to greet D as she was leaving the church. I tried to catch her eye, but she seemed bent on looking the other way.

Oh well, I guess she still had issues with me. Then again, maybe she had to hurry home and I was making unfair assumptions.

In time, I hope I build enough courage to walk up to her and clear the air. Life is too short to let pride stand in the way of friendship. Besides, I don’t want to be a chicken.

xxxoooxxxoooxxxoooxxx

On the last night in London, my sister and I were deciding what and where to eat. Passing several restaurants in a nearby mall, we decided to try out the chicken at Nando’s. Top on the menu was Peri-peri chicken—a spicy dish with roots in both Portugal and Africa. I was so taken by the delicious flavor that I made up my mind to make it at home.

After reading up on the many peri-peri recipes on the internet, I ended up trying out the recipe offered by Antony Worrall Thompson found on the BBC website as reference. And I must say that it hit the spot.


Here’s one chicken dish that you can be proud of and will surely have your friends come running to get a bite.


Piri-piri Chicken (adapted from AWT’s recipe)

Brine 6 pieces of chicken legs and thighs (about 1 kilo) in a measure of ¼ c salt and enough water to cover the chicken. Leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.

Peri-Peri Marinade

Place all of the following ingredients into a pan and simmer for about 2-3 minutes. 1 bell pepper (roasted, charred skin peeled off, sliced) – I roast my pepper directly on the flames of my gas burner.

1 serrano pepper (chili espada—the one you use for sinigang—also roasted, charred skin peeled off and sliced. If you want more heat, you can use more pepper or the hotter variety of pepper)

1 T chopped garlic
1 t salt
½ t dried oregano (or 1 t fresh oregano)
½ t paprika
¼ c olive oil
3 T lemoncito or lemon juice

Flower Power

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul. Luther Burbank


Whenever I find myself thinking about a problem, I can’t help but sometimes get deeper and deeper into a bottomless abyss of despair and anxiety. It’s like an addiction of never ending what ifs and whys.

I remember the many times I would knock myself out with worry. Before long my fertile imagination would paint a guesome picture of the worse kind of accident. Then time passes and I marvel at how quickly these worries go “puff”.

Of course, there have been close calls and it would have been unnatural if I did not worry. But it’s dwelling on them far too long that causes havoc to tranquility. And so before I realize that dwelling on a situation is not going to help, I have already died a thousand imaginary deaths.

It’s a good thing that every now and then I get a wake-up call that puts everything into perspective. Sometimes it takes the form of a song, a passage in a novel,  and, sometimes it’s a shared story.

Just yesterday, a friend pulled me aside to share his wake-up call. Let’s call him R.

R is an early riser. At 4AM, he is up and busy sweeping the dry leaves that had fallen in his yard. As he sweeps the leaves into a pile, his mind is preoccupied with a financial problem. What should he do? Who can he ask for help? How will he continue to support family members who depend on him? These questions go round and round in his head as he moved on to water his plants. He is very passionate about his plants but lately, his focus had been on his problem. He was about to enter his house, when his attention was caught by a Trumpet shrub that was in full bloom. The morning sun was shining on it just like a spotlight on a stage actress.

He had been so anxious over his problem that he was losing all hope. He had buried himself in his own misery and had lost sight of the beauty that was around him. With new resolve, he got ready to attend the early morning mass. Then and there R accepted that he had done all he could and was leaving the rest to God. A God who never fails to send us reminders of hope in the form of flowers-- if we care to to take notice.

xoxoxoxoxox

I remember being served deep fried stuffed squash flowers in one of those provincial heritage tours. As I recall, the flowers were stuffed with a mixture of ground pork and shrimps; dunked in a batter; and deep fried. Unfortunately, I don’t have the recipe. But I will not dwell on my limitations.   Instead, I share with you some eye-catching beauties from my garden.

Periwinkle (suppose to cure cancer)



Lantana: a butterfly's delight



My Summer Blooming Lilies

Hibiscus aka Gumamela= a herbal tea

  These are my everyday reminders of hope.

Feel at Home

If there is one day in the week that I so love, it would be Saturday. It’s the day I leave the dust in peace and the laundry for Monday. It’s the day that I linger over breakfast—in my housedress. It’s the day that holds exciting possibilities of discoveries— checking out a nearby farmer’s market, a romp around the neighborhood, or simply a good book to read while curled up in bed.

But last Saturday was extra special. I and a group of very close friends were invited to spend the whole day in the new homes of two other friends. It was a coincidence that both homes were located not far from each other in a neighborhood that was still lush with vegetation.

I always believe that to be invited to someone’s home is a privilege. It is not only an invitation to set foot inside the person’s “castle”, but it is very much an invitation to see the homeowners as they truly are.

And what a privilege it was indeed! We had lunch at the first house at a very leisurely pace. The hostess making sure that our needs were met. Good food made for good conversation around the table. In between bites of King Seafood Roll, I could not help admiring the tastefully arranged interiors as the sunlight poured in from floor to ceiling windows.

But I believe that the loving relationship of the family within made for the brightness in the home.

With the long lunch over, we moved on to the tour of the house. Every now and then, we would pause to comment about the wallpaper or a particular artistic treatment of the floor in the outside balcony.

Again, I felt fortunate to be allowed access to my friend’s private sanctuary.

Then it was time to move on to the second house for afternoon snacks. When we arrived, I already felt a welcoming warmth envelope the group just by walking up to the front door. Just like the first house, the second house was tastefully furnished. Just like the first house, the second house radiated with a very positive energy. We moved from one level to the next—stopping to glance inside the rooms. Again, I felt honored to be invited into the heart of my friend.

We then settled in what I felt was the best part of the house. A balcony that overlooked a view of distant mountains. Here we continued our conversations on life and love over plateful of delicious pasta and smile inducing desserts. Before we knew it, night had descended and a concerto of sounds filled the darkness.

We dilly-dallied with our good-byes. We lingered on the roadside before reluctantly climbing into the car that would take us home.   As I look back at my friend’s house, I could not help thinking that a day spent with good friends always seem too short.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Housewarming Prayer

O Lord, bless this new home with your presence.

May your angels always hover over it and keep it safe.

May this home be filled with laughter and love.

And may Mary, your mother, help keep

this home a haven of peace.

Amen.

0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0x0

Through my writings, I have opened myself to many of you. Through my musings, I have allowed you to take a peek at my life. And each time you visit, I will continue to welcome you with life’s stories and virtually serve up dishes you can prepare for your love ones.
The following is a recipe of a dish served up at one of my friend’s home. I marveled at how each ingredient complimented the other—just like true friends.


King Seafood Roll

250 grams sliced fish fillet (creamy dory will do)
2 t minced ginger
1 ½ t salt
1 egg white
1 t sesame oil
5 crab sticks, sliced in half (you can find this in the freezer section of your grocery)
5 dried shitake mushroom (rehydrate in a bowl of water)
10 pcs shelled and deveined shrimps
10 pcs Chinese cabbage leaves (pechay Bagiuo)

In a bowl, mix the sliced fish fillet, ginger, salt, egg white and sesame oil. Set aside.

Remove the hard stem from the softened mushroom and cut in half.

In another bowl, place the washed Chinese cabbage leaves and pour very hot water on it. Remove the leaves as soon as they wilt and drain. Set aside.

On a plate, lay one Chinese cabbage leaf. On the leafy part, place a piece of fish, mushroom, crab stick and shrimp.

Roll up toward the soften stem part of the leaf. Repeat with the rest until you have wrapped up everything.

Place in a steamer and steam for about 10-15 minutes depending on how large your roll is.

Serve piping hot with soy sauce and calamansi or lemon juice.

Star of the Sea

"Oh star of the sea keep burning bright..."

I went to a Catholic school for girls that was managed by Franciscan missionary nuns. For eleven years, from kindergarten to high school, this was my world.

The school grounds were huge. Upon entering the school gate, one had to drive thru a pine tree-lined road and rows of asosenas and rose bushes as one approached the L-shaped building. The school was a narrow three-storey building consisting of very long hallways.

I remember how during my elementary years, I would “skate” down the hallway in my white socks— with nary a thought on the extra work I would give to the laundry lady. And oh the thrill I would get from taking a walk at the back of the building to investigate the insects and frogs that lived in a thick bamboo grove.

I knew almost every nook and cranny of the school minus the nuns’ cloistered area. There was a closet under the stairwell where it was rumored that the nuns “aged” their habits to get that particular shade of ivory. The threat to be placed inside for misbehaving was every little girl’s nightmare.

During my high school years, there were more threats and thrills. The sisters kept a close watch on the lengths of our skirts, our hair styles and our eyebrows. Those were days when chunky boy shoes, rolled down socks and tiny brass bells were the in-thing. And how vividly I remember our Principal (Sr L) standing in the middle of the road to block the entrance of a motorcade consisting of several busloads of high school boys. I joined in with the rest of the girls screaming at Sr L to let the buses through.

Fun and crazy. An emotional rollercoaster ride of growing pains and joys shared with girls of different backgrounds and personalities. Of overnight stays at retreat house where wet toilet paper fights broke out and buckets of tears were shed during “bull sessions”. A shared time that bonded classmates together.

My high school batch was the last to graduate. The school had to close down because it could not manage to pay the real estate taxes on its huge land. The convent has since relocated to another area on the other side of the city.  With no school to go back to, there have been sporadic reunions arranged in other venues.  And as we continued to age, the desire to meet up more frequently became stronger.

Thus two weeks ago, after much search for each other – some with ease, some with hesitation, some involving travel of great distance— a dozen classmates came together once more in what could only be described as a riot of a reunion. Although time has managed to change our physical appearances, a strong connection still lives inside our 16 year old hearts.

Our hearts swelled with happiness as we spent time catching up with each other’s lives. And even if there were sad stories told – of separation, of death in the family, of health issues—just being in each other’s company gave everyone a natural high. Reconnection was complete.

Before we bid each other good-bye, we promised to get together more frequently in the coming years. In the final analysis, a lot of change have occurred in our lives but one thing remains constant— true friendship.

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Very recently, I was told that the school property was sold to a real estate developer. In a matter of time, our school will fade away like so many landmarks that have been replaced by condos, malls and call center buildings. But no matter.  The memories I have always make going back to Cebu a happy occasion.  In addition to my happy memories, there still remains a delicious array of delicacies and dishes that give me a sense of connection.  Here are just a few of my favorites:

Steamed Fried Rice ( now served in many dimsum establishments but was exclusively served at Ding Haw Dimsum Revolving Restaurant)

Cebu Lechon (Sunday family lunch would not be complete without a kilo or two of lechon.... there's Luz, CnT, Rico's, ZuboChon, and many more outlets now)

Puso ( rice in a handy heart shape coconut leaf woven container). Where there is barbeque, there is puso.

Bibingka from Catmon, Rosquillos from Liloan, Tagaktak and Marreal from Mandaue, Ampao and Chicaron from Carcar (rice cake, a cookie with scalloped edges, triangular shaped fried sweeten rice noodle, peanut based delicacy, rice puff and pork crackling. Now available at most food carts in the mall)

hot bibingka

ampao, tagaktak, piniato, marreal, rosquillos etc.

Breakfast of corn grits, fried eggs, chorizo and tsokwate

Ngohiong- similar to a long spring roll but with a crunchy exterior and an ubod-singkamas based filling (used to be sold only at a rinky dinky canteen near San Jose Recolletos Universary but is sold almost everywhere—fastfood areas in malls and street food stalls)

Cebu breads and pastries: King Roll, Bohol, Elorde, Everlasting, Monay, Binankal, Darling, Sweetheart and much, much more.

The ultimate Cebuano treat: Sweet Mangoes paired with puto (steamed coconut and ginger flavored sticky rice) or budbud (same as puto but rolled up in banana leaves and steamed) AND tsokolate (thick chocolate drink whisked to perfection from hand-made chocolate tablets.

I yum Cebu-- the star of the Visayan sea!

Getting to Know you-- Again

“Uy! Manang! Long time no see,” I gleefully exclaimed.

Manang M used to do our laundry when I was in between stay-in helpers. It had been sometime since I last saw her. Although she had her idiosyncrasies—some funny and some not so funny, I put up with them then because she readily came when I called for her help.

She had just come from doing laundry work at one of the neighbor’s and was looking for work to fill up her time.

And as luck would have it, I told her to see a neighbor who had just returned from a long absence from the subdivision. This neighbor was in need of help with putting her house in order.

With a happy wave of the hand, she bid me good-bye as she proceeded on her way to a possible job.

People come and go. Some more memorable than others. Some better forgotten. Some you happily welcome back.

-x-o-x-o-x-o-x- o-x-o-x-o-x- o-x-o-x-o-x- o-x-o-x-o-x- o-x-o-x-o-x- o-x-o-x-o-x-

So it is with the next two appliances I recently took out of their hiding places. These are definitely worth using again and again.

Bread Machine
I got my first bread machine maybe ten years ago during a visit to the States.



For awhile there was the sweet smell of baking bread in my house. But with my kids not at home anymore, it was easier to buy a small loaf than to put out the machine.
A craving for walnut bread got the better of me and out came my bread machine. Unfortunately, such an appliance is not available locally so if there was one thing you could bring back from your trip from the States—make it a bread machine.

What follows is a recipe for Honey Walnut Oatmeal Bread. I am sure you can make this by the old fashion way of kneading and proofing. You will be able to work out your stresses from all that kneading but you’ll have to contend with sticky hands and the clean-up of your work surface.



Honey Walnut Oatmeal Bread
(By Donna Rathmell German)
Place in the order indicated, the following ingredients into the bread pan to make a 1 ½ pound bread. When done, insert the pan into the machine and push the necessary button settings and that’s that.

Water - 1 cup
Vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
Honey - 2 tablespoons
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Oats - 1 cup
Flour - 2 cups
Yeast - 1 ½ teaspoon

At the beep, add ½ c chopped walnuts.



Slow Cooker
My mother introduced me to the marvels of a slow cooker.



It comes in handy when you don’t have time to stand over a hot stove to come up with a delicious and tender meat stew. Like the bread machine, you just put everything in the pot and let it do the work.
This appliance is a boon for home makers like me who need to watch the budget. Cheap meat cuts come out splendidly flavorful and at a savings on energy—gas or electric.

Below is my mother’s recipe for Pepper Steak. I am sure you can do this the traditional way, but you will have to watch your pot to make sure it does not go dry on you. Or put out the old reliable pressure cooker to soften the meat up in no time but I can’t guarantee that the meat will be as flavorful.

Pepper Steak
(best seller-- learned by my mom while working as a cook in a Care Facility for old folks)
2 kilos beef (Kalitiran, Chuck, Neck, ) cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
Marinate overnight with:
1/4 c lemon juice (1 lemon)
pepper
powdered garlic



Next day, fry in olive oil after drenching pieces in flour. Place beef inside a crock pot.


Other Ingredients:



Meanwhile, sauté:
1 big chopped onion, 2 to 3 stakes of chopped celery (less if you do not care for celery), 1 big chopped bell pepper.

Pour into the veggies:
- a can of Cambell Cream of Mushroom soup;
-1 beef bouillion cube to 1 cup of water;
- a tablespoon of Perrins.



Stir well and pour contents over the beef inside the slow cooker.



Set on High for 1 hour and Low until tender (about 5-6 hours). Walk away and come back to a delicious meal. Have some potato salad on the side for contrast.



To make the dish more visually appealing, you could stir into the finished dish some sauted sliced onions, mushrooms and bell pepper.

Lifeline

Now that I am back home, I have started to settle down to my normal routine. My interment presence due to several long trips have earned me the moniker “stewardess” from my church group. I must admit that I enjoyed the chance to get away— from the routine, the responsibilities, the sameness. I only pray that I don’t develop anything from all that exposure to airport security x-rays.

And in the time since I returned, I have attended a series of get-togethers with different sets of female friends. And in those gatherings, there were a lot of catching up from where we left off. There was joyful exuberant at the chance to let our hair down and be ourselves. The laughter went from giggles to knee-slapping boisterous glee. We marveled at how fast time flew— kids growing up, age creeping in and how there seems so much to be done with out lives. There were some poignant moments of stories of heartaches and pain too. But humor always seemed not far away to shake off any melancholy mood. And so much quotable quotes that would make any movie script writer proud.

“Remember, you chose me and not the other way around.”
“You can always say enough.”
“Is that intuition or sixth sense?”
“I read, I watch teevee, I do whatever I want to do.”
“They gave me everything except for that one thing that mattered to me.”
“Don’t hesitate. We should be the first ones you should call for help.”
“He's leaving everything behind to be with me.”

In my opinion, it would be possible for a woman to go through life without a man. But life would be impossible without the love and support of women friends.

“><” “><” “><” “><” “><” “><” “><” “><” “><”

No talk-fest is complete without food. And food there was a-plenty in all the bonding sessions I attended. Coincidentally, it was Korean cuisine for two of the gatherings. An assortment of appetizers, chap chae (glass noodles), grilled beef and pork wrapped in pechay leaves, bulgogi (beef bbq), fried tofu and kimchi kept the conversations going. Opening up to friends is easy. The hardest part is saying good-bye.

What follows is a recipe for Korean spareribs shared by a couple who have been my friends for ages now. This dish will have you welcoming it to your table like a new found friend.

C&J’s Korean Braised Spareribs (Yukkae Jang Kuk)

Ingredients
2 kg. Beef spareribs
¼ cup cooking oil
6 cups water
¾ cup soy sauce
6 pcs. Spring onions, sliced
1 tbsp. Ginger chopped
3 tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Black pepper, ground
7 cloves garlic, peeled and chop
¼ cup sweet or Chinese rice wine
2 pcs. Chopped spring onions for garnish
1 tbsp. Sesame oil
½ tbsp. chili oil (optional)
2 pcs. carrots, cut into bite-size pieces

6 pcs. dried mushroom
(wash, then rinse with hot water. Soak until soft, reserve liquid then cut into halves)

2 tbsp. Prepared sesame seeds
(Brown one cup of sesame seeds over low fire, stirring constantly. Save about 1/8 cup toasted seeds for garnishment, then mix the rest with 1 tsp. salt and pulverize in a mortar with pestle.)

Procedure:
1. Wash spareribs, separate with a sharp cleaver, then chop into 3-inch pieces. (or have your butcher chop the ribs for you)
2. In a frying pan, heat cooking oil over high heat and brown spareribs a few pieces at a time. Drain off oil and set aside.
3. In a big wok, sauté the garlic, ginger and spring onions until fragrant and garlic starts to brown. Add in the sweet wine, sugar, ground pepper, prepared sesame seeds, soy sauce and 4 cups water. Stir blend.
4. Let the mixture boil first, then drop the spareribs one at time, basting each piece with the soy sauce mixture. Allow to boil once more, then lower heat, cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Turn the spareribs once over and add 1 cup of water and simmer for another 30 minutes.
6. Add sesame oil, mushroom, reserved mushroom liquid, another cup of water and season to taste. Cook for 30 minutes more, remove cover and continue simmering until meat is tender.
7. Add carrots and chili oil, if desired, until tender. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and garnish with spring onions. Serves 6 to 8.

Not only is the dish delicious but the resulting mix of colors—orange accents, specks of green & dots of ivory on a dark brown canvas-- says it all.

Unfortunately, I do not have a picture to go with this dish. I hope to edit this post with some pictures as soon as I cook the same dish again.

Reunited And It Feels So Good

It had been 37 years since we were thrown together by fate to share our first college years in a poorly equipped state university in what then was a small Philippine city. Most of my classmates have spread their wings and settled down in different parts of the world— mostly in the US. Of the three major reunions set, this was the first time that it was held in the US. This time around, 15 college classmates (out of about 30 or so) came together once more to celebrate friendship. The same faces, albeit with a few added pounds, white strands of hair, and life lines here and there; the same funny stories that continue to be a box office hit, retold a zillion times; and, the same tight connection that could not be easily severed or forgotten.

It is this same tight connection that embolden each to reveal poignant experiences at every reunion: initially about our growing families, our work and our interests. And as we move to the present, our stories have evolved into deeper and thought provoking insights on spirituality, the hurdles passed or continue to experience, on growing old—menopause, health issues, empty nesting, and on views of what now is really important to us.

And it is this same tight connection that moves us to acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of each other. To accept, to forgive, to continue to love.

8 ~ 8 ~8 ~ 8 ~8 ~ 8 ~8 ~ 8 ~8 ~ 8 ~8 ~ 8 ~

My classmates and I never seem to tire of listening again and again about how so-and-so got drunk for the first time; or, how some of us cheated on a Spanish quiz; or, about the infamous trek up a mountain. Of course, we relived the moments with songs— ABBA, the BeeGees, Motown; and, dances of our college days--- twelve steps; swing; hassle; salsa; the bump.
But there were also newness to our get-together— some brought their siblings; some, their spouses; others, their kids ; and, still some, their best friends. Their presence and interaction widen further the circle of connection. They too felt the camaraderie and immediately felt at ease.

And our reunion would not be complete without the FOOD. Over the years, some of us have honed our cooking skills while others have stocked up on knowledge on contact numbers of delicious take-out restaurants.

What follows below is a breakfast pudding recipe prepared by a classmate who now lives in Virginia. Simple and easy. But the end result: impressive, delicious and not to be forgotten for a long while.

M’s Overnight Breakfast Casserole

Ingredients
• 1 (16 ounce) package Regular Flavor Jimmy Dean Pork Sausage
• 10 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 cups cubed bread (about ¾ of a loaf of bread)
• ¼ cup diced onion
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 F. In large skillet, cook sausage over medium-high heat, stirring frequently until thoroughly cooked and no longer pink. In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, pepper and salt; stir well.
2. Distribute the bread evenly in a buttered 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the sausage, the onion and any other optional ingredient. Distribute the shredded cheese then pour egg mixture evenly over casserole.



3. Bake uncovered for 55-60 minutes, or until eggs are set. Tent with foil if top begins to brown too quickly.



Footnotes
• may be assembled ahead and refrigerated up to 12 hours before baking.
• You may substitute the sausage for any other preferred sausages or cold cuts like (just remember to crumble or cube before frying) :
o Ham
o Spam
o Luncheon Meat
• You might want to add the following optional ingredients:
o 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
o 1 medium tomato, seeded and chopped
o 1/2 cup thin-sliced green onion
o 1/2 cup broccoli flowerlets or asparagus