Skydreamer Eats: Tuna Aglio Olio Pasta

One of my goals last year was to learn how to prepare 12 dishes - that's one dish per month; however, because of my demanding schedule I wasn't able to fulfill that. This year, instead of being specific about this goal, I just placed a line - "try my hand at being a domestic goddess like my mom." Already halfway of 2013, I can't say if I am on my way to being a mommy wonder but I'm definitely more confident in the kitchen now than last year.

Today, I'm sharing a recipe that's super easy - even first time cooks, wannabe chefs and instant-ramen cooks can make this without fail. You only need four main ingredients - your pasta of choice (obviously), a can of tuna, 5-7 cloves of garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

First, cook 200g of pasta according to package instructions. Once your pasta's cooked and ready, drain and set aside.
Next, and here's the easy part. Mince your garlic, and saute it in a non-stick pan with about 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Wait until your garlic is fragrant (always love the smell of garlic and oil). Add your pasta and toss. Add your can of tuna (I used Century Tuna) including the oil. Toss until all your pasta is covered in all its oil goodness. Taste.
Check if it needs salt and pepper. Sprinkle some to taste.
Turn off the fire at this point and serve to your family.
Don't forget to add some shredded parmesan cheese (you can get some at Metro Gourmet in Ayala Center Cebu); or you can shave some fresh parmesan if you prefer. Either way, try to use real and fresh parmesan instead of the ones sold in green bottles at the supermarket. There is a huge difference in taste, trust me.
I'm not a cheese snob, but I cover the basics - parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, gouda, emmental, etc.
Anyway, back to the point.
The best thing about this recipe is that it's so versatile. Do you want to add more garlic? You can definitely do that. More tuna? Some chili flakes? You want to add a few basil leaves? No problem. Really depends on the taste you're aiming for.
Here's a picture of my finished product:

Tuna Aglio Olio Pasta

Try it and let me know what you think! xx

My Sonshine - You will not always be this small...

Good morning everyone,



I rarely make a personal post, but I feel like sharing a little bit about my life.

I am a mother to a wild and adorable chubby toddler, Seth. He lights up my world. Every little thing he does is nothing short of magical, and I am amazed at everything he can do. At 1 year and almost 10 months, he is very independent. He rarely cuddles up, but the smallest trigger of anything foreign to him would move him to tears and hiccups, and that leads to a lot of cuddling and hugging.

Right from the start, he has stolen my heart and he is my little world. I gladly gave up any semblance of social life I had before; even beauty trips to the salon have been foregone just so I can spend more time with him. Every night when I leave for work, it pains me to kiss him goodnight and leave him and my husband to sleep. I want to be on that bed with them, dreaming dreams. I wish I could get a stable job and work from home so I could be with him more, but there’s just nothing out there for someone who knows nothing about coding, wikis, and being a virtual assistant. Even then, if I get a job working from home, I know I’d be at home but I still won’t be able to leave my work behind when he cries so it’s kinda still the same.

When I get home from work, it’s still in the wee hours of the morning so I would cuddle up next to him, just smelling him and kissing his hair, savoring these moments while he’s still small and needs me often. I would wait until he wakes up so I can give him his morning milk and water. We would talk for a few minutes – well, I’d talk and he would respond with his baby language. After a bit of that, he would usually look for his daddy by saying “daddddyyyyy” and looking at my phone. We’d give him a call so they can talk for a couple of minutes. We’d play a bit after that, just him and me and his toys.

I’d then reluctantly open our bedroom door so I can prepare his breakfast – usually rolled oats with brown sugar, or pancakes, or eggs and tomatoes. While his nanny feeds him his food, I would go to our little kitchen and prepare food for lunch. I sometimes let him “help” me with the veggies and it delights him when he gets to do that. He’s a curious little one, and if Mama is holding a wooden spoon, then he needs to hold one too. Once I’m done in the kitchen, it’s usually time for me to sleep. I only get to spend a few hours with him in a day and I wish I have more time. Sometimes, when he would like to stay with me in my room while I’m sleeping, I let him in and let him play with my iPad next to me. I just tell my nanny to come inside if he starts crying and wants to do something else, or if it’s time for his bath or morning/afternoon snacks.

I do my best to balance things – my son, my husband, the rest of my family, my career, my friends, my life, myself. It’s not easy. Most of the time I get overwhelmed, and I know that if there’s something I will always put first, it’s always my little family. My career can be on hold, and I’d rather remain stagnant and hide behind my comfort zone – not because I’m lazy, but because I don’t have the luxury of time to spend more hours away from my son.

from Pinterest

I know it won't always be like this. Someday, he won't need me so much anymore. Someday, he will start talking back to me and there will be days I'll get mad at him for something really major. Someday, he won't want to be seen with me in public in his teenage years, and someday he will start his own family and be his own man. But for now, this little boy is all mine to hug, to hold, to teach and to mold. He is mine to cherish, because yes I know, he won't always be this small.

To my son, I love you so much and I’m trying. I’m doing the best to maintain this balance and spend more time with you.

I’ll always be here for you. xx

Skydreamer Eats: For the love of Avocado

Over the weekend, I bought a kilo of avocado at a nearby fruit market because they were selling them for only P30 per kilo (that's less than a dollar!). Avocado is one of my favorite fruits, and I love mixing it with sweetened milk and shaved ice.

Me being me, I checked other avocado recipes out there, and I found a couple that I wanted to recreate.

First, I tried making avocado pasta.
I first read about it in Rosie's blog and found other variations in Pinterest (which is my new addiction).

For my pasta, I used Del Monte's Pasta Italiana in Merienda Pack (175g), one big avocado, one strip of bacon, parmesan, juice of half a lemon, and salt and pepper to taste.

First, I cooked my pasta. Once done, I set it aside and sliced my bacon into smaller pieces. I then cooked it in a non-stick pan without oil to let all the oil out. While my bacon was cooking, I took out my avocado, opened it and mashed the avocado meat in a bowl.

After it's all nicely mashed, I added my hot pasta to the avocado and mixed them up. I added all the bacon, and tossed in a pinch of salt and a little bit of pepper. I also added just a little bit of the bacon's oil for flavor. Lastly, I added shredded parmesan and lemon juice. I gave it one more toss, took a not so clear picture from my ipod touch and served it to my son - and me.

Here's what it looks like:

A non conventional way of eating avocado

Second: I tried making avocado salad based on Pinterest inspiration, but did not recreate it from any particular recipe. This is very easy to make and the entire preparation will literally take you less than 5 minutes!

I used one avocado, one tomato, a little bit of lemon juice, parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.

First, I sliced an avocado into thick strips, and sliced my tomato the same way. I placed that it a bowl and mixed it with shredded parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste. Check and see if it requires more parmesan or lemon juice and eat it all.

Here's what it looks like:

Avocado Salad

Now, if you ever do try any of these two recipes and you've never eaten avocado other than with sweetened milk, it will definitely taste different, and for some it may be an acquired taste. But for avocado lovers out there, I'm sure you will embrace these recipes as I did.