Creamy Carbonara

Want to do something special for the day? You feel like cooking? I have an easy and delicious recipe for you :)

I got this recipe from the internet some time ago and have modified it a little bit to fit the discriminating taste buds of my family. :) My brothers want it more meaty. My mother wants it to have more mushrooms. And I want it cremier. :)

I've tried this several times at home when my brothers request for a quite heavy afternoon snack. It's so easy to prepare and very affordable. :) For a 400 or 500 gram pasta, it'll cost you a little less than P300. And it can serve 6-8 persons.

Ingredients:

400 g pasta (Any type. Be experimental on the type of pasta.it's fun! :)..)
200 g cooked ham, sliced into dice (I use the Sunpride cooked ham. Never tried anything else.)
1 big can mushroom ( Mushrooms are delicious!)
2 250 g Nestle cream (or Alaska. For me, it doesn't really make a difference)
1 smallest size of Eden cheese :) (For cost-cutting purposes :)...)
2 beef cubes (It's what I use so I don't have to experiment with other seasoning)
2 tbsp of butter (It adds to the taste and aroma. But vegetable oil will do)
1 medium white onion
1 tbsp minced garlic

Steps:
1. Cook pasta according to label instructions. Set aside.
2. Saute onion and garlic with the butter. Be careful not to overheat the pan so as not to burn the butter.
3. Add in the diced ham and cook for a little while until slightly brown.
4. Add in the mushrooms. Mix until slightly brown. Or just until it mixes well with the ham.
5. Add the Nestle Cream and simmer until it slightly boils. (You can also add half cup of water.)
6. Add the cubes and the cheese.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Add the pasta and mix well.

There!!! You have a creamy pasta carbonara! :)


Tips:
1. Carbonara is best served when hot.
2. You can use chicken strips instead of ham. And chicken cubes instead of beef.
3. There are pastas which are bought in 500g packs. Use 3 packs of Cream so as to achieve the creaminess even until you reheat it for the next day.
4. Presentation says it best. So, in everything you cook, use the best serving dish! :)

Happy cooking! :)

My First Day High :)

Just done with my first day of class this semester!!! :) And I'm feeling ohhh sooo good about it. :) I've never felt so excited to start a sem and never been this fulfilled after the first day! :) A very great way to start something so wonderful and successful.

I had a very nice schedule and very interesting subjects. Well, actually I'll only be teaching Geometry, Trigonometry, and Statistics this sem. There's been a shuffle with the teaching loads because of the two newly-hired lecturers in replacement of a professor(my thesis' adviser) who's on a study leave.

So this sem is somewhat a new change in the department and in me. But as I have perceived changes, this one is such an advantage to me.

1. I'll be handling students all from the College of Education. The first time ever in my career. I got excited about this because I remember a vision of mine not so long ago that I'll be teaching teachers and future teachers. (The Lord answers my prayers so fast:)....)

2. I am positively forced to change my teaching strategies from lots of lecturers (a strategy that I apply to engineering students because they have good math foundations in high school and topics in algebra and trigonometry are mostly effective with the use of lecture method) to different teaching styles which would create a better learning appreciation of my BS Elementary Education students. (They are not so into math and thus, I have to make them at least like it. And to do that, I have to find ways to make them so. :) Quite challenging and I like this. )

3. I am offered to teach a newly-offered subject. Still in education. It's a Seminar on Technology in Mathematics. It was given to me before the end of the last semester and I have actually prepared for it during summer. :) I'm always excited about learning new things from computers and this subject greatly captured that interest. I pray that I'll be able to provide my students the required skills that are expected of them.

4. For the first time ever, I'll have a Wednesday class. :) In this university, we only have regular classes four days a week. A wednesday is an activity day. But due to the excess of classes maybe and the limited laboratory schedule, that computer class I've mentioned will be on a Wednesday. This would mean a no-idle day for me. :)

5. I'll have classes in another building. Another first time ever. (Maybe I should have entitled this post "First Times" :)...) This for me is another advantage because I'll be in a new environment which would mean a fresher aura. Fresher energy and thus, fresher perspective and fresher attitude! :)

There!!! The things that I'm so glad about my first day of this school year.

May my excitement and enthusiasm be continually renewed throughout the semester that every day will be as if my First Day! :)

Summer Is Officially Over

For a person working in the academe, start of classes signals the end of summer. And yes, this day is the end of my summer 2010.

What did I have for summer?

Just as what I've envisioned it to be. I had no major trips. I had no major getaways. I had no major gatherings which I attended to.

1. I had my first summer classes ever and I had so much fun! :) Work was my life this summer.
2. I had generous amount of focus dedicated to my thesis! :) The one thing I've been dying to start for the longest time ever! The audiobook was right. The desire just fires up when you actually have started. Stop planning. Start acting! :)
3. I served the SFC's Christian Life program! :) And I'm so happy with the presence of my two good-old-friends Guimo and Harvey. :)



4. I had generous time spent with family! :) I love being at home. Good food. Good laughs. Good rest. Good conversation. Great people. Great love. :)
5. I had few stuff for myself - an MP4 player which I adored so much. I love listening to audiobooks to avoid idle moments. I listen to few when I'm washing my clothes, on the ride, waiting for a friend, before sleeping, or just anytime that I feel the desire to be filled with wisdom. I also had an external hard disk :) The thing that I've been dying to have for quite some time.
6. I had great time for myself! :) Even in the midst of busy days, I took time to dig in my inner being and it's always worth knowing the intimate part of me. :)


I become a better person everytime! I'm loving me each day!



It's not a typical summer that everyone desired to have. But it was a summer I so planned and wanted.

Nothing beats a fulfillment of a desired vision. It's just the way I wanted it to be! :)

And tomorrow will be a start of a new school year! :) I've never been as excited. I always am, actually, everytime. But this time is quite different. I feel so fired up and ready to give the best of everything that I am! :)

"I will work more than I'm paid for!"

Change Can Be Exciting After All

The past month, I went through an emotional struggle on changes. Actually, the changes weren't happening yet. I was just so into the future consequences of the things which were about to change. I engrossed myself too much on the negative effects of those changes. But I haven't anticipated the good things which would also go with them.

But thank God for the grace of enlightenment. Just about the changes truly occurred, I've handled and managed my emotions well and had actually tried to view everything from the good side.

And guess what, it's just in the matter of how you perceive things. I'm now happy with the changes in other people's lives which would partly affect mine. Partly and greatly, as well. :) Uhhhmmmm... That's about it. I can't explain further. Hehe...

Thanks to my one-week mantra. "I will handle my emotions gracefully."

And I know I've handled this one more gracefully than I ever thought.

I'm now more excited of what will come ahead of me. And of I will be able to overcome every challenge! :)

A Noble Act of Service

Our highschool batch holds reunion every December. We don't want to miss each other so much so we make it sure to see each other at least once a year. :) And we don't want to be surprised of each other's life's events so we catch up often. :)

Last December, we decided to do a noble act for our alma mater, the General Santos City High School. And via suggestion of our dearly loved adviser, we agreed to join the brigada eskwela this year.

"Brigada Eskwela is a schools maintenance program nationwide that engages all education stakeholders to contribute their time, effort, and resources in ensuring that all public schools are ready in time for school opening. It is a week-long event where communities, parents, alumni, civic groups, local businesses, non-government organizations, and private individuals including teacher and student volunteers devote their time and skills to do repairs and maintenance work in public schools."

We called for pledges and had raised a generous amount. (I love you Einstein pips for having a kind and gratitude-filled heart!)

Harvey, Guimo and I had an ocular survey weeks before the Brigada to coordinate with the school officials for the needed service.



We also met our teachers and had a visit to our classrooms. :) Super fun! :)





Our Science Curriculum Coordinator, Ma'am Almasin emphasized the need for the repainting of ceilings of the 8 sci-curr rooms. And so it was. We were to paint the ceilings!!! :) We canvassed for paints and painting materials and our pledges were good enough to supply the 32 liters of paint. Yey! We got excited! :)

And then the day came! It wasJune 1, 2010. The day when Einstein '02 got back to GSCHS to show gratitude to our teachers and our school. After 8 years, we were back! All the good memories flashed back. We were not only there to visit but more than our presence, we brought something else. Something to share to our beloved school and to the present city highians. 

(The gang with our adviser Sir Gani and Sci-curr coordinator, Ma'am Almasin.)

(My first time to paint. :) I had fun!)