(To understand the issue better, I recommend that you click through the links in this post. The links lead to articles, Facebook pages and posts about the SM Baguio issue.)

~~~

I feel strongly about the issue of cutting/earth-balling trees by SM Baguio on Luneta Hill. Baguio blood runs in my veins. Baguio is my home. My Lolo was a tree lover and I guess he passed that on to me.

Lolo’s Legacy

Lolo, Dad’s dad, was an agriculturist and forester. After World War 2, Lolo worked for the regional office of the Bureau of Forestry and was responsible for reforesting parts of Northern Luzon. I remember, though vaguely, stories he told me of his adventures, mostly about planting thousands of trees all over the mountains – the stretch of the Mountain Trail (now Halsema Highway), the hillsides of Baguio. He brought with him a number of people whose primary job was to plant trees. They travelled in caravans across Benguet, and the Mountain Province.

Lolo also created a beautiful forest haven in his home in Baguio. It was near downtown but it looked like nothing you would expect in a home just 10 minutes from Session Road. We had bamboo groves, coffee trees, guava trees, a langka tree, a couple of avocado trees, many other smaller trees and shrubs, more bamboo, and more coffee trees! (We had so much coffee trees that we made our own coffee.) I have a lot of fond memories growing up in our mini-forest. My sisters, cousins and I – we were children of the earth. Literal earth.

Sadly, it isn’t how it used to be anymore – there and most everywhere else in Baguio.

SM cuts it all for you

Now SM wants to cut/earth-ball/transfer  182 – scratch that, 133 – there are just 133 trees now (49 trees were cut/earth-balled/left for dead during SM’s defiance of the TEPO, according to this open letter from the lead attorney of Project Save 182.)

SM wants to earth-ball/transfer (read: kill) the trees on Luneta Hill so that it can build an expansion that will house a parking/shopping complex. Of course they justify this with green-washing – such as a “lushly landscaped Roof Garden with delightful water features”, and that the building is supposedly needed to prevent soil erosion. (I was taught in elementary school that trees, not concrete buildings and most definitely not cutting the trees, prevent soil erosion.)

The protests began late last year, but have recently escalated due to SM’s defiance of a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) issued by the court. The anger, not only among Baguio locals but of others in Metro Manila as well, grew even more when SM went ahead and cut/earth-balled the trees anyway.

Photo courtesy of Karlo Marko Altomonte, one of the leaders of Project Save 182, the group that spearheads the protests.

(View more photos of the earth-balled trees on Luneta Hill here -taken during the site inspection by media and Baguio environmentalists.)

(View video of a tree falling to its death in the middle of the night of April 10. How come DENR and SM deny that any trees were cut? This video does not lie.)

The surviving trees are safe for now, under an extended TEPO that was issued by a Baguio court. But who knows what SM can do, especially with government defending it?

The trees are Baguio’s heritage

I feel strongly against the cutting of the trees in SM because those trees are Baguio’s heritage. It is as simple as that. As Mr. Neal Cruz asks - what is Baguio without the pine trees? The Benguet pines make Baguio unique.

As kids travelling back from vacations in the lowlands, we always looked forward to that cool feeling – the different air that sweeps us up on entering the Kennon toll gate. It was fresher, cooler. And it made us feel we’re closer to home.

It should not be difficult to understand that having more trees – preserving them, protecting them – will always be better than a concrete shopping complex. I do not understand why some people don’t get it.

That patch of green on Luneta Hill is one of the few remaining forests in the city center. Let’s not easily give it up.

There are still some forests remaining in Baguio. Let’s not also easily give them up. If there’s one good thing that SM Baguio has brought, it is the awareness of the environmental issues Baguio faces. Yes, thousands of trees have already been cut – in John Hay, on mountains to give way to houses that now dot them. Yes, Baguio has been asleep for so long.

But now Baguio has awakened. People are getting angry  - at the corporate greed, at the corruption at City Hall. They are starting to realize the importance of preserving the heritage of Baguio – that which makes it uniquely beautiful. There is no other place in the Philippines like Baguio. But why do we want to turn it into like any other city?

Boycott SM everywhere!

If angry Filipinos somehow manage to protest by emptying SM malls all over the country for one day, that would deliver a stronger message than any Earth Hour would. (Raissa Robles)

Don’t you agree? I agree, but not just for one day.

The arrogance that SM showed by defying the first TEPO is proof that SM thinks it can do anything it wants – even be above the law.

SM forgets that it’s the giant it is now because of the masses that crowd its malls everyday.

Let’s hurt SM in the pocket. Bring your hard-earned money elsewhere. Buy your groceries from the countless alternatives. Spend more time outdoors instead. Patronize the small local businesses. Go back to Session Road and the City Market where we all used to buy all we needed before SM Baguio came. Here is a list of alternatives in Baguio. There’s a lot more to Baguio than just SM.

I was guilty of being a frequent SM visitor every time I was in Baguio, but am now am proud to say that my family is well into the 4th month of our SM boycott. Well, there was one slip-up some time in January when my daughter had to meet up with a friend to watch a movie at SM North. Arrgh. Other than that, and the occasional “I miss SM!” whine from V, we are doing great. Though skeptical at first (of my cause and that I’d survive without SM), my husband is awesomely supportive!

I’m a reluctant Metro Manilan, always dreaming to go back someday and live in Baguio again. I am hopeful that there will be much to go back to, and that my children, their children will get to enjoy what I did as a child of Baguio.

V: Aww, I wish you could bake like tita Sherry.

Me: Hmmm. I never bake. It’s very hard to bake. You have to measure everything exactly. It’s messy. We have no pans, no tools… (voice trails off with more excuses)

V: Hmm… Can I try baking?

Me: SURE! (thought bubble: whew, please don’t try to talk me into it!)

V: Really? Yay!

The other two – Patch and Nate – were excited with the new project too so off we went to the supermarket to buy their materials.

We have a kiddie cookbook at home called The Witchkins (by Mel Martinez-Francisco) that I got from the ladies of Tomatis Philippines when I attended an event at their Rockwell center. It’s got some really easy recipes for all occasions and I brought it out so the kids can look for something that they can handle for their first baking project.

We all agreed to make the Secret Kisses for Santa recipe because it’s primarily egg-free (Nate is allergic to eggs). We are going to buy some white chocolate to substitute the Kisses in some pieces too. So even if it isn’t Christmas, and Santa is most probably enjoying himself in some sunny getaway, we decided on doing this one.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

28 Hershey’s Kisses (Cookies and Cream flavor0, unwrapped

several squares of a white chocolate bar (for Nate!)

powdered sugar, sifted

Step 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 deg F.

Nate was happy with his primary role: unwrapping the chocolates and cutting the bar into squares… and occasionally sneaking in a white square to his mouth.

Step 2: In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer. (We don’t have an electric mixer so the little arms went to work. I did, however, promise V that I would buy an electric mixer if she sustains her interest in baking.)

Step 3: Gradually add the flour. Mix on low speed until well blended. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.

Step 4: Shape 1 tbsp of dough over each Hershey’s Kisses (or white chocolate square), making sure it is covered completely.

We’re ready to roll – wrap the chocolate pieces with dough; form dough into balls; roll balls in powdered sugar.

Step 5: Form into a ball.

Step 6: Roll in powdered sugar.

Step 7: Place on cookie sheets, one inch apart.

Step 8: Bake for 10-12 minutes. Don’t overbake! (They firm up as they cool.) Let cool.

The cookies are cooling. (Rectangular ones have white chocolate squares, reserved for Nate.)

…And voila!

They’re a bit too sweet for my adult taste, but perfect for the kids’. I am going to cut the sugar next time we do this. But wow, this was super easy to make. And the kids are super happy with how their first baking project turned out. More coming!

~~~

Get tips and advice from experts and other moms through mom forums. Mom forums are a rich resource for parenting advice, home keeping tips, even recipes easy enough for kids to bake!

In the past, it was husband who went to the market to buy our weekly supply of fresh meat, fish and veggies. (I’d occasionally tag along.) Then he became too busy with work and too tired to wake up early every Sunday just to do the palengke rounds. So, I pretty much didn’t have any choice. Unless we buy all meat and fish from the supermarket, which if you’re used to palengke-quality fish (most esp.), just don’t measure up.

But yes, I find my new hobby enjoyable, actually. I have my suki fish, chicken and meat stalls. Of course, I buy from the vegetable stall owned by my fellow highlanders. (I’ll remember to take photos with them next time!) Incidentally, I go to Suki Market along Mayon Street in Quezon City. It is a very long drive from where we live, but always worth the trip.

And this is what I found last week at my suki vegetable stall -

Fresh pako (edible fern / fiddlehead fern), Php30 for a small bunch

It was the first time I chanced upon pako. And even if I have never tried them before, I quickly grabbed one of the two remaining bunches as they were going very fast (panic!). Never mind if I didn’t know what to do with them. There’s always Google. And Facebook.

As soon as I got home, I asked on Facebook what to do with them. There were lots of suggestions from friends, so I decided to do the simplest: Pako Salad!

All you need are:

A bunch of pako (leaves and tender parts of the stem)

Salted duck eggs (itlog na maalat, shelled and sliced)

Fresh tomatoes, chopped

Onions, chopped

Vinegar and olive oil of equal parts

Pinch of salt, dash of pepper

Make the vinaigrette: Whisk vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper briskly together. (I found this vinaigrette too sour. Next time, I’ll remember to add some sugar.)

Toss everything in the vinaigrette. Perfect with fried fish! Someone on Facebook also suggested to add chicharon (pork cracklings). That would have made the salad more delightful – will do it next time!

Pako, or edible fern (also called fiddlehead fern), is a rich source of fiber, iron, Omega 3, and Omega 6. This bunch that I bought came from Cavite, according to my suki.

Click here for more Weekend Cook recipes.

I can’t believe how this year’s first quarter just zoomed by! And how I have totally neglected this blog.

Work is what got in the way.

Work-from-home perks: working in pajamas and in the company of Parker

I am thankful, though, for being blessed with a home-based job. In the past 5 months, I realized how lucky stay-at-home moms are today, because they have opportunities that were not available 10 years ago. I’m talking about online jobs that run the gamut from writing, blogging, managing social networks, customer service, and virtual assistants. Home-based jobs are ideal for moms like me who have kids and a home to take care of, but still want to keep a job. I will blog (fingers crossed!) about this on another day.

Anyway, I’m so back. I wanted to renew my commitment to blogging because it’s this blog, after all, that has led to a lot of opportunities for me. And I miss blogging! I miss sharing with you my inanities and randomness. I miss going to events! Hopefully I’d be able to manage my time better and update this blog at least once a week.

I want to send a special shout-out to those who have been visiting and leaving comments despite the obvious inactivity around here. Thank you!

But this year, I think the Christmas spirit possessed me. Actually, I found lots of inspiration from my job. And so I decided to decorate a little bit more than usual. First things first – our 13-year-old tree looked so tired so I decided to retire it and got an 8-foot replacement.

Yep, our home has never been so Christmassy.

Daughter Patch revamped the old wreath – she took out everything and glued red paper roses (from Dapitan Christmas Market) instead. She finished off with a nice golden sinamay bow.

Stuffed Santas and Snowman from a bazaar at my sister’s village.

Nate insisted on adding his touch to our tiny Christmas village. (Aside from the two yellow diggers, there’s a warplane hidden somewhere. Can you find it?)

Love this shot by Patch! It’s so warm and aglow with so much holiday cheer.

With just 14 days to go (aaaaack!), I know we are all busy and frantic and rushing to finish all Christmas shopping. But hey, stop a while. Step back and take time to admire the beauty of Christmas around you, even if it’s just the decor in your home.

]]> http://imomonline.net/?feed=rss2&p=4315 5 http://imomonline.net/?p=4311 http://imomonline.net/?p=4311#comments Wed, 07 Dec 2011 02:15:13 +0000 imomOnline http://imomonline.net/?p=4311 It’s a chilly December morning in Metro Manila, and I am loving every moment of it… Oh yeah, I have a blog! Lemme check on it…

For the __nth time, I’ve totally neglected my blog. Boohoo.

So I am finding this time to do a quickie. (Hmm, not my favorite term, by the way. Do a quick search and you will find only one other post with “quickie” in it hehe.)

I honestly have not even visited my own blog in weeks! I was expecting it to be dead in terms of traffic. But wow, thank you, readers for keeping my blog traffic alive!

There aren’t new blog posts, but if you could click on the “Archives” and “Categories” here to the right —->, you’ll find that there are over 5 years’ worth –  5 years! – of blog entries. Well, yeah, some are just nonsense stories about my kids, others are recipes and food places you might find interesting.

So what’s been keeping me so busy? Yes, I am still tsupernanay (translation: chauffeur extraordinaire) to my kids. On top of that, I’ve taken on a really nice work-from-home job that I enjoy so much. Suffice it to say that I Tweet and Facebook (v.) for a living. Hmmm, not actually for my whole family’s “living” (that is husband’s job), but I get decent pay and love, love, love, love what I do!

Okay, I’ll end this post before it gets any more random.

And in case I disappear again into my work cave and forget to greet you, let me be the first to say:

Merry Christmas! Fill your hearts with love, joy and positivity. Enough with the hate and biatching- there’s too much of that already.

“Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are.” ~Marianne Williamson

(I hope to be back though – I haven’t posted my wishlist yet!)

Are you employed, but now want to spend more time with your family while still being productive?

Are you one of those who believe that entrepreneurship is the way to a “better life”?

Before my husband became a businessman, he worked several years as an employee. Like most entrepreneurs-at-heart, however, he started feeling discontented and wanted to be his “own boss.”

And so he ventured out on his own.

He had several business ventures; most were initially successful. But somehow, something always turned bad and the businesses became unsustainable. In short, lugi. In fact, it was lugi x 4.

Four businesses – all flops.

But he never gave up. He firmly believed that when you are down – deep, deep, deep, deep, deeeeeeep down (no, I’m not exaggerating, we got that low) - there is no other way but up.

With this mantra, he persisted and kept looking for business opportunities.

Our business today has to do with the construction industry. It is doing fairly good now, though it wasn’t like this when we started 4 years ago. The first 4 years were bumpy and full of challenges – not encouraging at all. But my hub, he just kept on.

Aside from his indomitable spirit, hub would not have made it this far if not for help from financial institutions, business partners and friends who supported him.

And that is what I am writing about today: help for start-ups and small enterprises.

SERDEF: Small Enterprises Research and Development Foundation

Businessmen who are just beginning need all the help they can get. Likewise, SMEs (small/medium enterprises) constantly need assistance in financing, training manpower, improving technologies – essentially, at getting better in what they do.

That is why there is SERDEF.

The SERDEF was founded in 1976 to assist in the promotion and development of entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises in the country.  In particular, it aimed to complement what its partner GO, the UP Institute for Small-Scale Industries, is doing for the small business community.

SERDEF’s vision is to build an enterprising culture within Philippine society and thereby increase the pool of citizens who will seek to generate income and jobs through entrepreneurship and self-employment. (Quoted from the SERDEF Website)

SERDEF, an NGO, is a resource hub for mSMEs (micro, small, medium enterprises). The website, serdef.org, is rich with information for entrepreneurs and aspiring ones.

There’s a “Beginner’s Kit”, which includes articles on writing the business plan, how to register a business, credit programs available for SMEs, and even a comprehensive A-to-Z list of business ideas – from A for Apiary to Z for Zeroxing, there are over a hundred ideas!

For those who need business advice, email them your questions and you just might be featured in the “Rx for Small Biz” section.

The SERDEF site regularly features success stories of businessmen/women from all over the country. It’s when we read stories of Aling Nenita’s puto-kutsinta and sapin-sapin pre-mixes (which are now “exported” from Davao to Manila), or an ex-OFW who becomes a techno-preneur, or how Letty’s Buko Pie became what is today that we get get inspired. And the business idea you’ve been toying with comes to mind again. Maybe I can do it too.

Which brings me back to the questions I asked at the beginning of this blog post. Many of us itch to get started on a business. But how? Go check SERDEF.

The goal of SERDEF is simple: to encourage more Filipinos to become entrepreneurs so that there can be more jobs in the country. Then parents won’t have to become OFWs. So then kids can grow up to be better citizens. Then, maybe, finally, the Philippines will become a better place to live in.

SERDEF has a Facebook page too. LIKE it to be updated.

Well, she doesn’t stand alone now in the funnies category. Nate’s vocabulary and speech talents have grown in the recent months by leaps and bounds.

Here’s a couple of the duo’s recent riot lines.

~~~

V, memorizing a Bible verse for Christian Education test. She quotes a verse in Isaiah, with feelings and actions: “All the grasses may wither and the flowers may fall, but your word shall remain forever.” (imagine her dramatic way of talking and acting.)

She pauses, with an discontented look. “Hmmmm, you know, Mom, it should be: All the grasses may wither and the flowers may fall, but your word shall remain for all. That sounds better, right? It should rhyme…”

~~~

(I posted this on my Facebook profile, but I wanted to share it here.)

I hear Nate getting back from his afternoon walk with the neighborhood kids. He races up the stairs and into our bedroom where I was napping. With twinkling eyes and that adorable smile (this little boy will break a lot of hearts), he gives me two gumamela flowers:

Nate to me: “For you! Put it on your ears… I know you love pink… Don’t let it die!”

And the punchline, with a half-wink (he still can’t do a full wink): “Papa never give(s) you flowers…”

All together now: *aawwwwww*

Enter, Miss V to burst the bubble… ”You know,  sioti (little brother), Mom’s favorite color is blue. She hates pink.”

~~~

On the punchline… Yes, boys, even if your girlfriends or wives don’t ask for flowers openly, they will love getting them from you. As for me, yes, I would love to get flowers from Hub more often. But he is not the flower-giving type – I’ve come to terms with that. He more than makes up for that, anyway, being a good provider and an occasional gift-lavisher… He is sweet in his own ways.

Women are easy to please when it comes to gifts. It just takes a bit of knowing what they really like. On the other hand, I find it harder to buy gifts for men than women. Online shopping sites are great places for finding ideas. If you are looking for gifts for new boyfriend, for example, online shops like Red Envelope offer specific suggestions. Check it out.

Do you have trouble controlling internet usage in your home (whether your own internet time or your kids’)?

Do you sometimes/often/always catch your kids playing online games on their devices instead of studying?

Are you concerned over porn and potentially harmful sites such as Omegle and Chat Roulette that your kids might be exposed to while browsing the Net?

Do you want to block certain sites, but it seems like the process will cost a gallon of your blood (because of nosebleed)?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, read on! And make sure you read through to the end, because you could win a Linksys Cisco E4200 Wi-fi Router – from the high-end range of the Linksys E Series.

—–

As a mom of three, including a full-blown teenager and a ready-to-blow pre-teener, I have good reason to control internet use at home. Aside from being in that curious stage, they are also innately wired. They, like most modern kids, have a knack for technology. No need for manuals or step-by-step guides – they just know how to go about something techie.

That’s not always a bad thing. But if their computer use is not reined in, it’s dangerous. There’s even a debate now on whether internet addiction should be considered a mental disease. So yes, I think we agree that too much internet use is not good, most especially for kids who are in the stage of forming life habits.

Not so long ago, I installed Chrome Nanny, an application that enables me to block websites and set timed access, on my laptop.

However, Chrome Nanny has its limitations -mainly that I could not install it on my daughter’s mobile device from which she primarily accesses the internet. That leads to another limitation of browser-based parental controls: one can always launch another browser that doesn’t have any control app installed.

Enter, wi-fi routers with parental controls

Cisco Philippines, through Mommy Mundo, recently gave me the chance to experience and review the Linksys E1000 Wireless-N Router. It’s not just a wi-fi router; it also has parental control that can limit access time and block sites for specific users.

Like most wireless routers, the Linksys E1000 is easy to install. Just insert CD-ROM into your computer and follow onscreen instructions.

However, my internet connection at home is Sun Broadband that uses the Huawei B200 Modem/Router that was provided by Sun. Being a wi-fi router also, the existing modem conflicted with the E1000. “IP address conflict” is what Salvador (from Cisco) called it. I risked losing some blood (as above) if I attempted to figure out a work-around. So I waited for Cisco’s technical assistance.

Fortunately, Salvador made this for-dummies installation guide. It’s easy to resolve the IP address conflict, after all.

A simple edit of the E1000’s IP address resolved the IP address conflict with my existing wireless router.

Click link to view step-by-step PDF guide - How to connect Linksys E1000 to Huawei B200.

After following the steps, I was ready to install the E1000 as my wireless router. I inserted the Installation CD-ROM that came with the router and followed the on-screen instructions.

Upon successful installation, the Cisco Connect software will launch. From there, one can access the features and adjust settings of the E1000.

With the Linksys E1000, you can:

Authorize and connect devices and computers to the router.

Allow guest access without exposing your real password (thereby protecting the admin computer from possible unauthorized access).

Set parental controls that are specific per connected device/computer.

Easily personalize router settings, such as changing the network name and password.

Check internet connection speed.

• How to connect computers and devices to E1000 Router:

Click on the “Computers and Devices” box on Cisco Connect window. This window will appear -

Select type of device you are going to connect to the router, and click “Next”.

Go to your device and set up a wireless connection using the settings that appear in the window above.

Wait for your device to be detected by the router. When it does, click “Next” to assign a name for the device and  finish adding device to router.

• How to set Parental Controls:

Click on the “Parental Controls” box in the Cisco Connect window to set up a parental controls password (which, of course, should be different from the network password) and a secret question.

Each time you log into Parental Controls, you will be asked for the password.

Click on the “+” icon on the window’s left side to select a device to control. Remember to add/connect all devices first so you can set parental controls.

Now the fun part – blocking sites and setting the blocked time! Settings are done separately per device.

(I set Patch’s internet access to be blocked at 10PM on weekdays because sometimes she actually does stay up late doing homework. S’ya, s’ya…. pagbigyan na…)

As soon as the clock strikes 10 (or 11PM on weekends), the proverbial carriage turns into pumpkin -

Boohoo. In case of emergency though, the Linksys E1000 provides compassion and allows access for one hour if the parental controls password is entered.

• How to set guest access:

Click on the “Guest Access” box in the Cisco Connect window.

The default guest access network name is your network name+ “guest”. The password is different from the main network password. You can also set the number of guests allowed to ensure that your connection doesn’t get clogged up.

Again, you can easily reset password for guest access from the window above. So that eliminates possibility of “lingering” guests a.k.a. neighbor-leechers who may have gotten hold of the password.

Router settings, such as router name and password, can be easily edited from Cisco Connect. You can also check internet speed.

So how do I find the Linksys E1000 Wireless Router? I like that:

• It’s easy to install and set up. If you use broadband internet connection (like mine), we now know that there is a work-around so that isn’t a problem.
• The features are easy to access and settings can easily be adjusted through Cisco Connect.
• There’s option for guest access without exposing the network password.
• The parental control feature actually works! No need now to nag and remind the kids –  one task off the list!
• For its retail price of Php2,895, the Linksys E1000 is affordable. Yes, other wi-fi routers are cheaper, but they don’t have the advantage of E1000’s features.

The internet is an important and vast tool. Everything is right there – one Google search and you have the answer to your kids’ homework. But with uncontrolled use, it can be harmful. Internet safety should be a priority in every home.

If you have young kids like mine and you’d like to control their internet use without totally blocking their access, theLinksys Wireless Routers are for you.

Now, how would you like to experience what I just detailed here, only awesome-r?

Join my Linksys Router giveaway – and get a chance to win the sleek and powerful Linksys E4200 worth Php8,595!

The E4200 has parental control and more: Dual-band N to double your network bandwidth; SpeedBoost antenna to maintain high speeds across greater distances throughout your home; Gigabit ethernet ports that’s 10x faster than standard ethernet.

It’s easy to join. Simply leave a comment and answer these easy survey questions:

1) How do you access Internet at home? 3G or Wifi connection

2) Do you connect many Wi-fi devices (e.g., smartphone, tablet, laptop, wireless printer) at home? Yes or No. If yes, how many?

3) Do you have a wireless router at home? If yes, which brand are you using?

4) Which is the determining factor when choosing a router for your home? Brand / Performance / Price?

Here are the Contest Mechanics:

1. Contest is open to all residents of the National Capital Region (NCR).

2. Comment and answer the survey questions above from October 17 to 24.

3. Duplicate responses are not allowed; only the survey response posted earlier will be counted. (UPDATE, 10/19/11: “Duplicate response” means comment of same person in other blog entries. A person is only allowed to answer the survey once in one participating blog. Other responses made later in other blogs are not valid. Please ensure this is the first participating blog you are responding too. )

4. There are 10 participating blogs (ImomOnline is one of them). The blog with the most survey responses wins. Owner of winning blog gets an iPad 2 3G with wifi. (So please help me win! )

5. From the winning blog, one lucky survey respondent will be selected by raffle to win the Linksys E4200 Router.

6. Winning blog and respondent will be announced on October 28 at the Mommy Mundo website.

7. Prize will be delivered by Mommy Mundo/Cisco to the winner.

Remember, you have to answer the survey questions from Oct. 17-24 to qualify for the contest.

To increase our chances of winning, share this contest with your friends who live within NCR. Copy and paste this link – http://imomonline.net/?p=4235.

Thank you for your support, and good luck to all of us!

—–

The Linksys E Series of Wireless Routers are available at:
Octagon Computer Superstore
Villman Computer
Complink
PC Express
PC Options
The Computer Authority
PC Worx

The humble, unassuming shao bing (read “shao ping” without the air sound on “p”… If you studied Han Yu Pinyin, you know what I’m talking about. )

On our last eve, our hosts brought us to a restaurant that still cooks shao bing the traditional way: on the inside-side of a barrel oven (<– my own term, I do not know what they call it). They said it was one of the local special delicacies.

Shao bing is a common Chinese bread or biscuit that is filled with something either savory or sweet. The shao bing of Zhejiang province (where we went) is usually savory, stuffed with ground pork and leeks and wonderful spices. I remember now that on my first trip here, I had another version of shao bing for breakfast. That one seemed fried as it was quite greasy.

This shao bing had thin dough and wasn’t greasy.

There doesn’t seem anything out of the ordinary when I saw the shao bing. It tasted yummy, of course. But the way it’s made piqued my curiosity. I wanted to see that barrel oven! So they asked the head waitress to bring me and hub to the kitchen to see how the shao bing is made.

We were led to the kitchen downstairs where a fresh batch of shao bing was being prepared.

Rounded dough pieces are filled with meat mixture, flattened and topped with sesame seeds.

It’s not the most hygienic kitchen, I knoooooow. LOL.

And then the exciting part –  sticking the dough inside the barrel!

See the red glow from the fire? This guy must have asbestos hands to tolerate reaching inside! He dips his hand in the bowl of water so that must help a bit.

It only takes a few minutes for the shao bing to turn from that (above) to this (below)…

The dough starts to rise and puff…

Kuya shao bing maker made it look so easy. But it obviously isn’t. I had an all-new respect for the humble, unassuming shao bing after seeing how it was made.

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Do you think the shao bing would make a great addition to food gift baskets for moms? It will surely give the baskets a unique touch!