If there’s one thing a mom can count on, it is kids making a mess. You can’t blame a child for spilling fruit punch on a brand new carpet or trudging across it with muddy boots, but you can minimize the damage. Empire Today, a leading national service provider of carpet, flooring, and window treatments with over 50 years of expertise in the field, offers these tips for rescuing your carpet if you find yourself in this situation.

The first step is to scoop up any solid material before it gets ground into the carpet. If it’s a wet mess, try to absorb it as quickly as possible by blotting repeatedly with white paper or cloth towels. Never rub or scrub abrasively because this might damage the fibers! If it’s a serious stain, and you need to use a cleaning agent, make sure to apply the agent to a clean white cloth, not directly to the carpet and test it on an inconspicuous area, like behind a door or under a couch, before using in the middle of the floor. Once the visible stain is gone, draw out any remaining moisture by placing several layers of white towels over its location. Finally, rinse the spill location with cold water to get rid of any residue that may stick around even after the visible stain itself is gone.

If you act quickly, before the stain really settles in, and follow these simple tips, you’ll be able to keep your Empire Carpet looking brand new for years! For more tips, including ideas for removing specific spills and messes, visit the Empire Carpet tips website.

This is a guest post from my friends at Empire Carpet.

The weather was perfect last Saturday morning. It was not cold, allowing me to open the windows without getting chilly inside the house. While thinking what I should be preparing for breakfast, I heard our neighbor left their house. They should be out the entire day. They usually are.

With my neighbors gone and still confused what to prepare for breakfast, it dawned on me that I can cook Danggit!

Danggit is the local Philippine name for a fish also known the rabbitfish or spinefoot (part of the Siganus family). Other local names include samaral, taragbago, kitang, or tabago. –WikiPilipinas

Popularly known as a product from Cebu City, the fish is split open and dried under the sun with salt. This tedious process is what makes Danggit a little expensive.

I still have Danggit in my fridge. It was brought by my sister from the Philippines. I’ve been keeping it, waiting for the right time to come. When you cook Danggit, all possible ventilation in the house should be wide open. Fans should be turned on. Scented candles should be lighted. Neighbors should be away. You see, when you cook Danggit, it emits a certain smell that can draw everyone’s attention. Okay, it smells bad, at least for those who haven’t encountered Danggit in their lives. It sticks and lingers for awhile. I’m used to it.

Danggit turns crispy when fried. Serve it with rice, scrambled eggs, and tomatoes. Make sure you have vinegar on the side to dip it. You would totally forget about the smell after your first bite. I did.

As promised, I will be sharing some of the recipes we had in our Thanksgiving dinner.

Crown Roast of Pork was my alternative to Roast Turkey after I stumble upon it while doing my food shopping for Thanksgiving dinner. My initial plan was to roast a big chicken since I will be preparing dinner only for the four of us. I was just lucky that the meat section of the store had a prepared pork loin rack of pork (Frenched). I seldom see this kind of cut of meat. In fact, this is only the second time, after 8 years, for me to make this impressive dish. Usually you need to ask the butcher in advance to prepare this for you.

You may also want to check this out with Martha Stewart on How to Make Crown Roast.

I went with the Herb Stuffing and was happy to try the recipe from Real Simple magazine. My only regret was adding the celery. I thought I could sneak it in without anyone noticing it. Too bad, it seems that celery will never become a part of the vegetable list for my husband and kids. At any rate, I recommend this Herb Stuffing recipe. It is a nice pair for the Crown Roast of Pork.

Crown Roast of Pork

Ingredients for the roast:

1 7 to 8 lb of crown of pork or pork loin rack of pork (Frenched)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1/2 head of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Ingredients for the gravy:

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken or beef broth
Pan drippings
salt and pepper to taste

Directions for the roast:

1. Mix together the ingredients. Rub all over the roast. Let roast sit at room temperature for an hour before roasting.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the crown roast in a shallow roasting pan.

3. Roast pork on middle rack of oven. Bake for 3 to 3 1/2 hours total or cook until meat thermometer inserted deep into center of meat registers 150 degrees.

4. Remove pork from pan and reserve drippings.

5. Arrange crown roast on a serving platter and let rest for 20 minutes.

Directions for the gravy:

1. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour and mix well until flour is cooked.

2. Gradually add broth while stirring constantly.

3. Pour in the pan drippings.

4. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Continue stirring and cook until mixture is smooth and thick.

Blogging Mama’s Tip:

1. This recipe serves 8 to 10 servings. Leftover is still good the following day.

2. Let the crown roast rest for 20 minutes so it will retain its juices and will not make the meat dry.

3. To check if meat is cooked, meat thermometer should not touch the bones. If you don’t have meat thermometer, bake about 1 hour for every 2 lbs of pork.

4. Arrange crown roast on a serving platter with desired vegetables.

5. You can also fill the crown roast with stuffing, but I prefer to separate the stuffing for even cooking.

6. Use a wire whisk in making the gravy. Whisk constantly to avoid lumps.

Herb Stuffing (adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients:

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup (1 ounce) dried porcini mushrooms, roughly chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil or unsalted butter
2 medium yellow onions, diced
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 stalks celery, diced
3/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 baguettes, left on the counter overnight to dry and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (10 cups)

Directions:

1. In a saucepan, bring the broth and mushrooms (if using) to a boil. Remove from heat.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium-low heat, heat the oil or butter. Add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8 minutes. Add the celery and cook for 7 minutes. Add the parsley and dill.

3. Heat oven to 375° F. Place the bread in a large bowl. Add the onion mixture and the broth and mushrooms (if using) and combine. Transfer to a 9-inch square or 11-by-7-inch baking dish.

4. Bake the stuffing for 25 minutes. If you prefer a soft stuffing, cover the dish with foil while baking. If you prefer a crusty stuffing, bake uncovered. (You can cover and refrigerate the uncooked stuffing for up to 24 hours. Bake as directed, adding 10 minutes to the baking time.)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

I cannot stress enough that there are millions of reasons to be thankful. Thanksgiving Day is also for families to gather and partake of the food to feast on just like how the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Indians shared an autumn harvest feast in 1621.

Just like what I planned (and mentioned in my previous post), I prepared the following Thanksgiving menu:

Fresh Vegetable Lumpia
Crown Roast of Pork with Herb Stuffing
Puree of Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Creamy Mashed Potato
Sweet Potato Pie
Apple Pie (as requested by my daughter)
Corn on the cob (as requested also by my daughter)

I was able to accomplished all these with early menu planning, little helping hands from my daughter, and the dish washing expertise of my husband. My son? He provided the pushing in order for us to finish the cooking and baking in time for dinner.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

Please take note that I will be sharing all the recipes in the coming days. I am just too ‘stuffed’ for now. You will noticed that we did not have any turkey this year. We pardoned the turkey for now.

For a quick dinner before Thanksgiving, I decided to make pork adobo, the classic Philippine dish.

Adobo involves meat or seafood marinated in a sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, spices (bay leaf and peppercorn), onion and garlic, browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade.

Actually, there are several versions on how to cook adobo. Basic ingredients are vinegar, garlic, peppercorn, bay leaves, and salt. To some, adding soy sauce, brown sugar, onions, and pepper flakes will bring more flavor and color to the adobo dish. The good thing about adobo is that it has relatively long shelf life that it does not even need refrigeration due to the vinegar that kills the bacteria.

Since adobo is almost a staple food in our family, I don’t usually measure the ingredients. I just eyeball the ingredients and dump them in an enameled cast iron pot. Let it boil and simmer until the meat is tender. How easy is that.

This recipe pairs well with white steaming rice, but we had to settle with pita over bed of lettuce and carrots. My husband had rice. He promised to burn it.

For the purpose of this blog, I measured my ingredients so I can also share this savory dish.

Pork Adobo

Ingredients:

2 lbs pork loin country style, cut in cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vinegar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
5 cloves garlic, crushed/minced
1 small onion, diced
1 teaspoon peppercorn
3 pcs bay leaves
1 tbsp vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except vegetable oil and salt and pepper in an enameled cast iron pot. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Stir only when the vinegar aroma begins to mellow.

2. Remove the pork from the pot and keep the sauce.

3. On a fry pan, heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil and brown the pork for a few minutes.

4. Pour the remaining sauce to the browned pork. Add salt and pepper if needed.

5. Simmer until the sauce is reduced.

Blogging Mama’s Tip:

1. I prefer to use enameled cast iron pot because I do not want the vinegar to react on stainless or aluminum pans. A clay pot is also recommended to be used in cooking adobo.

2. Do not stir the ingredients while you can still smell the vinegar. If you stir, it is believe that the adobo gods will make your dish sour. You will know that the vinegar is cooked if there is no more sharp and vinegary aroma.

3. I added brown sugar because we want a hint of sweetness to our adobo. You can always omit the sugar.

4. Frying the meat after simmering is also optional.

5. Meat can also be flaked especially if used with pita bread. I was just in a hurry that I did not bother to do it.

Thanksgiving Day should not be stressful. For us it is the time to gather as family and build happy memories. It is also during this celebration that we emphasize on how grateful we are for all the blessings as well as to reflect on the not so good things that come our way.

Okay, let’s admit it, food plays a large part of Thanksgiving Day. For some, it is stressful to prepare. For me the secret for an easy Thanksgiving dinner is advance planning. Make a list of the menu and ingredients. Prepare the dishes to use, including the cooking schedule and timetable. Prepare recipes that you are comfortable to make without sacrificing its taste. Needless to say, it has to be delicious. Above all, consider the favorites of your guests or family members.

For this Thanksgiving, I will be preparing dinner for just the four of us. This will be a non traditional Thanksgiving as turkey will not be the star of our dining table (turkeys can have a sigh of relief at least this year).

Thanksgiving Menu:

Fresh Vegetable Lumpia
Crown Roast of Pork with Herb Stuffing
Puree of Roasted Seasonal Vegetables
Creamy Mashed Potato
Sweet Potato Pie
Apple Pie (as requested by my daughter)

There is always an advantage if some dishes can be made in a day or two before Thanksgiving. This can give you some free time and concentrate more on dishes that need to be cooked on the day itself. Thus, I already prepared my Sweet Potato Pie. What I like about this pie is that it can be made up to 2 days in advance. If it comes out not so perfect, don’t fret because it can be topped with heavy cream (I guess you can sense now that I am giving an excuse to the crack on my pie).

Sweet Potato Pie With Candied Nut Cream (adapted from Real Simple)

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet potatoes (2 medium)
12 graham crackers
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
pinch ground cloves
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chopped candied nuts or peanut brittle

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork, place on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until very tender, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool, then halve and scoop out the flesh (discard the skins).

2. Reduce oven to 350° F. In a food processor, process the graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add the butter, sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of the salt and pulse until moistened. Press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, using a straight-sided dry measuring cup to help. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and set, 10 to 12 minutes (if the crust puffs while baking, press it down gently). Let cool.

3. Wipe out the food processor and add the sweet potato flesh, condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt and process until smooth (do not overprocess). Pour the mixture into the crust and bake until set in the center, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool completely.

4. Before serving, using an electric mixer, beat the cream on medium-high until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the nuts and serve with the pie.

Bloggging Mama’s Tip:

1. Instead of baking the sweet potato, I used the cut up sweet potato in can. This will cut the baking time by 50 to 60 minutes.

2. You can adjust the spices called for in the recipe. You may use only spices you like or whatever is available in the pantry.

3. Try to cover with plastic wrap or cling wrap the measuring cup used in pressing the crust to the pie plate for easy clean up.

4. The candied nuts or peanut brittle is optional. After topping the pie with cream, you may dust it instead with any of the spices you used in this recipe.

My son was recently invited to a Junior Prom. He decided to wear his two-button suit. On his way to the prom, my daughter reminded him to button his suit.

“In wearing a suit there is a rule that you should follow. It’s THE always, sometimes, and never rule,” he commented.

Known also as ASN, this rule is actually simple to follow. It refers to your buttons from top down. The top button should always be buttoned. The middle can be buttoned while the bottom button should never be buttoned. So, since my son had a two-button suit, then he had the choice whether to button or unbutton the bottom one (apologies for the tongue twister here).

Quizzing him, my daughter asked who came up with that rule.

Trust me me because that’s how we also wear it with our suit in school,” he said.

Since this is the first Junior Prom that he attended, I learned that in the US it is customary for a guy to give her date a corsage as a sign of appreciation for inviting him. I learned from the florist from our neighborhood flower shop that corsage can either be a wrist corsage, pinned-on corsage or a hand held corsage (nosegays). The wrist corsage is popular especially for prom or any formal dance. One has to consider also the color of the dress of your date so they can match the ribbons or flowers, her age and size. You do not want your date having bulky flowers on her wrist especially if she’s petite.

So off he went to the prom looking his best and tons of reminder to remember his good manners!

Yesterday my daughter turned 13, now officially a teenager. Isn’t it that when they reach thirteen, they become a teen?

I don’t know if this transition stage on her age has something to do with coming up with her own decision of not having a party. We usually celebrate her birthdays with family and friends from school. It was different this year. She just asked for a Japanese dinner at home and a cake with red fondant flower.

Time flies that I now have two teenagers in the house. Just like any other parent, we can only hope and pray that they will grow up as responsible adults.

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The United States isn’t broke. It remains as one of the richest country. But we are making some pretty dumb choices. Go watch the The Story of Broke: Why There’s Still Plenty of Money to Build a Better Future.

Why do I like The Story of Broke? Because I was part of the millions who watched The Story of Stuff.

My husband can consume an entire pineapple in one sitting. Peeling a pineapple is tricky though, so we make it a point to buy the cut up one. It usually costs around $5.00.

Trying to save and impress me, he bought a fresh pineapple at $2.00 and did the peeling himself. It was a long process for someone who’s used to getting served and having no ounce of idea on how to peel a pineapple.

Here’s a tip from my mom: do not chop the head so that you can hold on to it while peeling the skin; once skin is out remove the “eyes” by running your knife around the pineapple; wash the pineapple then rub it with salt (you might wonder why we rub it with salt but it definitely adds contrast to the sweetness of the pineapple); slice it into disc or whatever shape you prefer.

If you’re confused now, this is how you do it courtesy of Jun Blog.

After close to an hour of peeling the pineapple, he said that this will be the first and last time that he would try this. He’s going back to the $5.00 pineapple.

Do you have tips on how best to peel a pineapple? Please share.

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