Taste of Home: Homemade fresh fruit juices

Posted on March 27, 2020 by littlelilly

There is no better way to refresh us from the scorching heat, rejuvenates the lost energy and stay hydrated than shaking up superb juices at home. So my family and I indulge ourselves by mixing up different kinds of fruits and vegetables with herbs and spices and zing and enjoy a glass or two of nature’s energy booster every day in the comfort of our home.

We realized that juicing is an amazing way to add nutrition into our diet. It’s very delicious and refreshing, and it’s loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. We actually love the combination – strong flavor of nutrient-rich green and sweet taste of delectable fruits – it’s sooo good, and good for us too. Plus, the more fruits I put into it, the more luscious our juice becomes. We gulp it down at any time of the day – breakfast, after-school snacks – at any time we feel thirsty.

Since it has been 3 years now that we are making and drinking homemade fresh fruit juices and on our third year of not buying any fruit juices from the supermarket, I would like to share with you some of our favorite mixtures and blends. There’s certainly unlimited ways you can mix up fruit juices at your convenience and start up your day by drinking your minerals.

1. Orange juice – is one of our morning constant. Our breakfast is not complete without a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice.

Freshly squeezed orange juice

2. Carrot and ginger juice – carrot is one of our favorite root vegetables.

carrot and ginger juice

3. Avocado and apple juice

avocado and apple juice

4. Mango juice

mango juice

5. Pretty pink – it’s a combination of red dragon fruit, papaya, passion fruit juice and honey. The result is awesome – it tastes like strawberry.

A combination of red dragon fruit, papaya, passion fruit juice and honey.

6. Glowing Green – a mixture of kale leaves, green apple, pineapple and honey

A mixture of kale, green apple, pineapple and honey.

7. ABC juice – a mixture of apple, beet root and carrot.

A mixture of apple, beet root and carrot.

8. Grape juice

Grape juice

9. Tomato and carrot juice with honey

Tomato and carrot juice with honey

10. Gorgeous Green – a mixture of lettuce, cucumber, green apple, lime and honey

A mixture of lettuce, cucumber, green apple, lime and honey

11. Papaya and banana juice

Papaya and banana juice

12. Moringa juice – a mixture of cucumber, pineapple, honey dew, cherry tomatoes, moringa (malunggay) leaves and honey.

A mixture of cucumber, pineapple, honey dew, cherry tomatoes, moringa (malunggay) leaves and honey.

13. Soursop juice

Soursop juice

14. apple juice with lime and honey

apple juice with lime and honey

15. Carrot and orange juice

carrot and orange juice

16. Mango and apple juice

mango and apple juice

17. A combination of pineapple, pear, banana, honey dew, oranges and honey.

A combination of pineapple, pear, banana, honey dew, oranges and honey.

18. A hearty mixture of red dragon fruit, passion fruit, pear and papaya

A hearty mixture red dragon fruit, passion fruit, pear and papaya.

19. Mango, apple and honey dew juice

A mixture of mango, apple and honey dew.

20. Apple, papaya and banana juice with a hint of lime.

A mixture of apple, papaya and banana with hint of lime.

38th birthday: 38 things I am grateful for

Posted on March 21, 2020 by littlelilly

In the past years, I spent most of my time being occupied in achieving something in life – to reach my goals, to accomplish the things that I dreamt about, to get where I wanted to go, and in my quest to give the best I can so that I can help others.

So, on my 38^th birthday (19 days ago), I took a time out and remembered and journaled about 38 things that I already have that I am thankful for.

I’m grateful for my Catholic Faith. I believe that there is God who loves me unconditionally, who created this magnificent world, who makes miracles in my life, and who bestows me all the gifts and all the good things I enjoy in life. My faith has sustained me through the most challenging times in my life.
I’m grateful for the privilege of having a comfortable, happy and healthy life. For all the privileges life has afforded me.
I’m grateful for the privilege of living in the pink of health every day, and for the good health of my loved ones.
I’m grateful for the privilege to be a mother. I am thankful for the opportunity of rearing and raising a smart and talented son. Motherhood, hasn’t always been easy, but every day, I wake up, I thank God for my son.
I’m grateful for having a great and loving family – my son, husband, parents, siblings, in-laws, aunties and uncles, nephews, cousins, relatives, and grandparents (who are now in heaven) – who cares for me and support me no matter what, who are my greatest fans and the most honest critics, and who put up on me in all my “pain in the a** moments” and who walk the journey beside me and behind me. My family is everything to me!
I’m grateful for the ability to financially support my family – paid my parents’ financial loans, sent my three siblings to universities, built a house for them, helped my brother in his medical and hospitalization expenses, and many other things.
I’m grateful for having the privilege to eat at least 3 times a day. I am thankful that we have access to a healthy source of food, cook delicious and wholesome meal and to be able to share and enjoy it with family and friends.
I’m grateful for having good friends who are always there to lean on, laugh, smile, and listen.
I’m grateful for the different organizations I am involved in as they shared me the true spirit of camaraderie and brotherhood.
I’m grateful for our 5 pet cats. They make us happy. We love each of them for they are photogenic, for their playful moods, for their best meow ever, and for their individual personalities.
I’m grateful for my lovely home.
I’m grateful for my good education and all the opportunities it has incurred me.
I’m grateful for my skills – multitasking, time management, adaptability, personal relation skills, cooking…
I’m grateful for the opportunity to travel, live in new places, and explore other places – discover the world’s famous spots and wander the off-the-beaten path.
I’m grateful for the ability and opportunity to financially contribute to charitable causes my family and I care about.
I’m grateful for the privilege of having some money in the bank, acquiring a few properties and insurances (life, health and education).
I’m grateful that our son is in a good international school.
I’m grateful for all the mistakes and wrong choices I have made. I’m grateful for having the courage, focus and positivity. I have been through a lot, but I am thankful for all the difficult times I have experienced in life as they have honed me into a stronger and a better version of myself.
I’m grateful for my time and for having managed it well between my professional, family, and personal life.
I’m grateful for the privilege of living in a society where my family and I are not living in a constant fear or danger for our lives.
I’m grateful for my job experiences, they allow me to become who I am today and at the same time they prepared me for the next adventure. I’m thankful for my present job because it is very flexible, it allows me to take care and spend a good amount of time with my loved ones and with myself. I’m thankful for the ability to earn a decent living and at the same time doing what I enjoy.
I’m grateful for all the opportunities in Cambodia – teaching in the international schools, running this small business (tuition centre), and meeting many amazing people from all walks of life, amazing students and wonderful colleagues.
I’m grateful for the little things and free pleasures of life – a sunrise and sunset, a relaxing walk in the woods and along the coast, twilight walk in the park, a swim in the sea, blue skies, clean air, cool breeze, stars in the sky, and so many things. I am delighted to know how much joy these little things bring and stunned that joy is always free and accessible.
I’m grateful for all the opportunities where I was able to inspire others and share my knowledge, my ideas, and my hard learned life lessons.
I’m grateful to technologies for making my life more convenient, effective and efficient. And, I’m grateful for the access to the internet because it connects me to my loved ones – family and friends far and wide, in spite of the physical distance between us.
I’m grateful for experiencing the splendid beauty of nature that covers the world with breathtaking sceneries, add to the diversity of life and provides an overwhelming healing and calming effect.
I’m grateful for having the freedom, the right to vote, and independence. I’m thankful that I have the freedom to be myself, the freedom to make my own choices, the freedom to find my happiness in life. Although, it’s great to be free, it’s also important to be independent.
I’m grateful for the ability to progress in life – in all aspects. In many instances and in different occasions, I could hear myself saying, “Oh, I was like that before, but now I choose to be this way.”
I’m grateful for every holiday break. It allows me to rest and recharge my energy, spend more time with family, and get to explore some new places.
I’m grateful for my belongings. I love my stuff, they give me pleasures. It’s not really about the things, it’s about the stories behind it and the way to embody those stories in our home.
I’m grateful for my memories. It’s fabulous to look them back sometimes.
I’m grateful for the ability to define meaningful goals and act on them.
I’m grateful for the kindness I have met along the way – the kindness of my friends, the kindness of the people I know, the kindness of strangers.
I’m grateful for having so many privileges in life – the privilege of having choices in life, the privilege of living a healthy lifestyle, the privilege of having access to safe drinking water, healthy source of food, etc.
I’m grateful for my good mentors – teachers, leaders or bosses. I’m thankful for everything I have learned from them, and working with them was an interesting and a memorable experience.
I’m grateful for my beautiful childhood that my parents have given me and my siblings. Personally, my great childhood memories have truly contributed to my entire well-being.
I’m grateful for my blog as it allows me to connect with other like-minded people. It’s crazy to think how much I’ve changed, and accomplished for the past years. I’m thankful to all of you who continue to support me and enjoy what I share.
I’m grateful for my beautiful journey and my gifts of walking this journey with my family. I am thankful for every day especially when I have thoughts of how grateful I am for having what I have in life, and I’m thankful that this journey has brought me a heart of kindness and a heart of gratitude.

Taste of Home: Home-packed meal with a sweet lunch box note for my pre-teen son

Posted on March 15, 2020 by littlelilly

At the beginning of the school year, my husband and I asked our 12-year old son about his lunch preference – school lunch or home-packed lunch. Guess what? He chose the latter option. Since it’s nearly the end of the academic year, I settled for sharing with all of you my compilation of our son’s favorite hearty and healthy lunch ideas that can sustain him throughout the day.

Korean beef bulgogi, steamed Jasmine rice, fresh banana, freshly sliced cucumber and cherry tomatoes

Spaghetti bolognese topped with cheddar cheese, sauteed zucchini in butter and fresh oranges

Gratin dauphinois, fresh Romain lettuce, cherry tomatoes and green grapes

Cantonese rice, sauteed spinach with garlic and sesame seeds, and grapefruit

Our pre-teen is a busy active kid – he plays sports (basketball, volleyball and football), he swims, he reads books, he draws, he plays a guitar, he listens to music, he does crafting, he does his homework, he helps with household chores, and many other things.

steamed Jasmine rice, chicken with creamy lemon sauce and fresh strawberries

savory crepe, chicken, fresh vegetable mix salad and fresh red dragon fruit

steamed Jasmine rice, beef stroganoff, sauteed mixed vegetables and fresh cherries

Fried chicken, steamed Jasmine rice, sauteed mixed vegetables in butter and fresh white dragon fruit

We cook different dishes all home-made and from fresh and organic ingredients. Considering that he is not fond of sweet foods, I pack piquant, savory and wholesome lunches for him with a dazzling splash of colors. I put varied nutritious foods in his lunch boxes such as pasta, rice, potato, meat, vegetables and fruits in order to achieve a healthy balanced between carbs, proteins and fats.

Noodle soup, chicken nuggets, fresh banana

steamed Jasmine rice, Salmon steak, steamed asparagus, sauteed carrots and zucchini, and freshly sliced red apple

Sardines pasta with spinach, butter and blueberry jam sandwich and fresh green apples

Furthermore, our son has a huge appetite; I see to it I put a generous amount of food in his lunch boxes. In addition, he also takes with him a 700-mL bottle filled with water and refills it at school at least twice throughout the day. Moreover, before he leaves home for school in the morning, I make sure he has eaten a proper breakfast – cereal, toast, scrambled eggs, porridge, fried rice, freshly squeezed orange juice, a glass of milk, yogurt or fruits depending on how rushed for time we are.

steamed Jasmine rice, chicken, stuffed tomato, fresh avocado and fresh oranges

Homemade beef burger with homemade bun, sauteed potato, mixed salad, and fresh soursop fruit

sauteed potato, chicken nuggets, sauteed pok choy, and fresh green grapes

Since every weekday Pete leaves home for approximately nine hours (school and travel time), each time we part ways in the morning, I always have mixed emotions – happy knowing that he is gone chasing his dreams and success at the same time unhappy because I miss him. Because of that, I scribble down a small note as a gesture of my love and support for him. Sometimes I write a quote, a joke, a riddle, a reminder, a wish, a sweet and amusing note or draw a funny picture.

Smashed potato, sausages, salad wraps, and fresh Cambodian grapes

pesto pasta with spinach, meatballs, and fresh grape fruit

macaroni beef stew and fresh apples

chicken Paella, vegetable salad and fresh red grapes

pork adobo, rice, sauteed carrots and bean sprout and fresh green apples

Every morning, I get up very early, inspired to prepare his lunch box and look forward to jotting down a sweet note. In a similar way, Pete is looking forward to reading about what his little note for that day would be. I knew that he is reading my little notes, because one day, I purposely didn’t write any, and the following morning while I was preparing his lunch boxes, he popped into the kitchen and told me that he didn’t see any notes in his lunch bag yesterday. The moment I heard it, I was on a cloud nine! Moreover, I found out that he kept those little notes in a box, because one afternoon, he went through reading them while he was lying on his bed. I am overwhelmed that he appreciates the extra effort I put into writing down a lovely note for him and that he enjoys reading them.

steamed Jasmine rice, stuff chicken, sauteed mixed vegetables and fresh jackfruit

Spaghetti carbonara with mushroom and fresh banana

minestrone and fresh green grapes

He also told us that he loves his packed lunch and that he is proud of his dad and me cooking healthy and delicious food for him every day. Plus, he doesn’t need to queue for his lunch and he gets to eat his lunch without hurrying since their lunchtime is quite short.

Blanquette de veau, steamed Jasmine rice and fresh oranges

Sphered’s pie, fresh Romaine lettuce and sliced tomatoes, and fresh passion fruit

Blanquette de veau, rice and fresh yellow honey dew

As time goes on, my husband and I realized that preparing home-cooked lunch with hand-written note has generated long-lasting benefits, self-esteem and excellent performance at school. All in all and without a doubt, it is certainly worth waking up early in the morning.

France: Coastal Walk in Carantec, Brittany

Posted on March 8, 2020 by littlelilly

Whenever we have the chance to visit the Finistère in Bretagne in the north-west of France, we make sure to spend a day walking along the coast of Carantec. Carantec is a popular vacation spot in France because of its beautiful beaches with enjoyable climate.