Our new puppy, Sheba

Like this. Suddenly, we have a puppy sleeping on our floor!

Four days ago, C on his way home from Sultana, passed by the family living on the side of the road, and noticed this roly-poly little black puppy. It was so cute, he said, that he had to stop and look. Telling me about it, he asked if I wanted to stop by one day and take a look too. I know C has always wanted a dog in Boracay, but with our schedule I wasn't sure this was feasible. We did go to see it, and it sure was cute (so was its sibling), and we learned that others had been stopping to take pictures of it so we were not the only ones smitten. A Korean couple had offered P500 for it a week ago, but weren't ready to pick it up just then. We expressed our interest, explained that we wanted a guard dog for Sultana down the way, and offered P700. The next day Chito paid a deposit, and noticed the family had given it a bath. :) And today, here she is!

We've decided to name her Sheba, meaning queen -- also the name of the black dog who lived next door to us in GreenTree Village, Burnaby BC, the first home I remember and the first dog-next-door that began my like for dogs and my practise of borrowing the next-door-neighbor's dog for playing with & walking (after Sheba, there were Shadow & Peaches in Richmond, remember).

She's sleeping a lot, as puppies are known to do, so C has to wait before he can give her a luxurious flea & tick free bath. We plan to take her to the vet for shots soon too.

Isn't she cute?

My laptop bag

Lemon-lime loaf

Does anyone know what colour a ripe Philippine lemon is?

Well, too late now, it's already in the oven ...

I'm making a lemon cake. I used 4 local Philippine lemons - not calamansi, which are much smaller in size. I think these are called dayap and the rind is dark green. I used this recipe I found online. I reduced the sugar slightly, and apparently also the butter (I read 1/2 lb as 1/2 cup)! I also created my own buttermilk using water and a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt mixed together, and a splash of lowfat milk. ...

Delicious. The tops are brown and crunchy, and the inside is a nice dense, yet still light (because of the reduced butter) texture. I remember really creaming the butter and sugar together for several minutes - perhaps this is the effect... The recipe makes 2 loaves. I have just 1 loaf pan, so I spooned the rest of the batter into these little oblong cups.

The recipe calls for a lemon-sugar syrup to be drizzled over the cake, and then a lemon glaze made of confectioner's sugar & lemon juice. I can't imagine it needs both; I like that the cake tastes nice and lemony and not overly sweet.

Welcome

Hi! This is my 1st blog after Singlehood Countdown. Don't bother recalling that blog unless you are in the throes of remote wedding planning yourself, and think it could be a useful reference (more like a nightmarish checklist!). This new blog is an experiment, not sure if it's my 21st Century Diary or what - but it's a way of sharing info/stories, comments, photos, and links to websites, articles, other blogs, etc. Feel free to post a comment or share something ~

Good for you

"Magandang Umaga" (Beautiful Morning) here in the Philippines! Today I made oatmeal pancakes topped with fried banana slices -- a simple way to use up the ever-ripening yellow fruit lying around! The oatmeal reduces cholesterol, and the the fresh banana reduces to a jam-like texture as the natural sugars caramelize with the heat ... In other words, good for you.

Bellydancing with the Family

As something "new" for 2007, a Tanada Bellydancing Sisterhood of the East was formed -- members are: Trixie (the instigator), Bambi (flaunting it in the photo at right), Marites & Trina (sisters & fellow cousins), and me (the new girl). Though none of us has the intention of "jiggling" professionally, we do try to take it seriously (giggle). Imagine our talented Filipino "DI" [dance instructor] -- yes, he's gay -- slavedriving us with “Continue!” “Louder!” and “Push!” as we do hoopless hula hoop moves to the pulsating rhythms of Pussycat Girls and Shakira. After much sweating and wondering if we might dislodge a hip from its socket, we get to 'cool down' to 1970s & 80s songs like "Do the Hustle" and "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." Fun aside - it is a good way to exercise your Abs.

Watching the Clouds Break

6:30AM, Bulabog, Boracay, Philippines:
The rooster caws, and I make an effort to get up earlier than usual to watch the clouds in the sky slowly break …They lighten, before they darken, before they sink, upwards... the slow-moving "backlight" under the clouds is the morning sun "coasting" ... and growing bigger ... I think this is what is called "the break of dawn" ; it happens without a whisper.

The breeze on this side of the island is wonderful, a refreshing change from urban tropical life. Directly below where I am standing, I see blue clouds in the water.

Yesterday we took a short hike up to the neighboring development for a look at their view. My back and shoulders are now sunburned! I forgot sunscreen and how, despite this 'cool' breeze, tanning is effortless here.