My First Attempt at Making Ube Ice Cream

Ube ice cream is a delicacy most Filipino are very proud of.

Ube is one of the most popular rootcrop in the Philippines. Its attractive violet color and delicious, with a hint of relaxing aroma, add to its antioxidant features. Thus, it is a sought-after tuber for ice cream , halo-halo and dessert makers.

This is my first attempt at making ube ice cream. Since I am quite proud of my accomplishment, I would like to share to you how I managed to cook Ube ice cream despite my little knowledge and skills in cooking. Enjoy!

Steps in Making Ube Ice Cream

First, wash and peal ube tubers thoroughly.

Ube tubers washed and peeled.

Second, slice ube tubers in small portions so that all parts of the tubers are cooked.
Cook the ube tubers for 1 hour or until the tubers are cooked and tender.

Mash the cooked ube sliced

For this mixture, I used pure coconut milk, Nestle Cream and condense milk to taste.

Mix the liquid misture with the crushed ube.  Cook for about 10 minutes or until a little over boiling point.

And voila! Here is my home-made Ube Ice cream.

Delicious!

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How to make a memorial video for a loved one

One of the most hardest things in life is the death of a loved one. 

A dear uncle died in our family. We were in grief, and we know his surviving family was also in pain. Still, we held onto memory that we know of him. We try to cherish the happy and wonderful moments we had. And we try to hold on to those memories. 

Fortunately for us, I have video editing skills and was able to make a memorial video for him. In the video that I upload, I will try to show you that even a small number of pictures can create a big impact in your video. (Update: Despite any efforts to upload the video, it will not embed in the page. There must be something wrong with it)

Some important points to consider if you want to make a video for your loved one:

• Be positive. Remember your loved one for they were before. It is good to put in the positive qualities so that when you think back about them you will know that they had a good life before they died.
• Personalize. You can use their favorite song as your background music, instead of those soulful, sad instrumental music or the ones memorial services used to play. My uncle loved the song "God Gave Me You". In fact, when he was on his death bed, he used to request his son to sing that song to him. You can also add in some quotes you can relate your sadness to.
• Avoid too much effect. This is usually the downfall of every memorial service provider. Too much effect in picture transition. So, for this video, I focused only in zoom in and zoom out effects. 

I cannot say that the video is perfect. For when you are faced with death of a loved one, you would cling to the video, and cherish it, for you will know that it will be the only memory you have of them. 

“You will lose someone you can’t live without,and your heart will be badly broken, and the bad news is that you never completely get over the loss of your beloved. But this is also the good news. They live forever in your broken heart that doesn't seal back up. And you come through. It’s like having a broken leg that never heals perfectly—that still hurts when the weather gets cold, but you learn to dance with the limp.” 
― Anne Lamott

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How my online job helped paid the bills

I have been a freelancer for almost 4 years now. While working full-time in an office, I take sideline jobs for clients in oDesk at night. Most of the jobs I take are for a fixed-priced job so it does not have to mess up with my full-time work. 

oDesk is undeniably the largest online workplace in the web. Savvy - it is where you can find talented and experienced freelancers work. It has around a million online job available and you cannot imagine how many businesses rely on oDesk to find the best freelancers. 

I owe my first online opportunity to my friend, Josie Ann. She has been an oDesk freelancer and have been a data scraping professional for a year for a company. After referring me to her boss, who also happened to be the owner, I started working for $2.50 per hour, 30 hours a week, as a web content editor. In the Philippines, $2.50 an hour is quite big especially the tasks were just so easy. It was so much fun, too! The boss gave me five stars as a feedback score.

With that feedback score (5 stars), I was able to attract other clients and opened my niche for writing and editing contents services. 

My sister works full-time online at oDesk. She has more than four projects now and all of them are 40 hours a week and pays up to $5/hour. Her husband also works online for Google, which also hires freelancers from oDesk. Sometimes, she refers me to her clients who wish to hire her for a writing project. Other times, I get projects on my own.

I must admit that it has been a lucrative gig and I have been able to buy most of the things I like and want (such as an expensive make-up or perfume). It has also paid up some of the emergency bills.

I know that some of you who browse the internet is looking for an online work as a sideline job. My word is that freelancing have been a very proliferated business. You should be wary in picking up catchy advertisements that says, "Extra Income!" or "Work from Home!" which promise big compensation but at the end, ask you for a sign-up fee.

Legitimate sites like oDesk or Elance offer free sign-up. No payment is required. All you have to do is make an account, complete your profile and read like tons and dozens of tips and help links to help you land that first job online.

However, like any other "normal" or offline jobs, you should remember your work ethics. Working online demands more professionalism and integrity, especially that clients and freelances come from a diverse set of professionals. Like the old adage says, "All roads that leads to success have to pass through hard work." 

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How to prepare your child for a new sibling

When I found out I was pregnant of my second child, my first thought was how my four-year old son will  take in the big lifetime event. You see, my son grew up very close to me. The arrival of a new darling in the house would surely shatter him. Or so, I thought. Surprisingly, my little boy welcomed his baby sister and loved her so much. Sibling rivalry? Nah... They're as close  as hands and feet. How did I do it? Well, here are some of the tips I can share with you.

During Pregnancy

• I spent a lot of time with my older child. We read books together before bedtime. I would tell him story of how he was as a baby. I would also tell him that a baby sister will not make him less loved. 
• Aside from telling stories, we would go over his baby pictures and recall how he came out of my tummy. A child this age asks a lot of question. It is important to give him answers that would satisfy his curiosity and would not paint bad picture about a new sibling.
• I delegated simple tasks, like picking up his toys after playing, or fetching slippers when I arrived from work. This way, he started to take responsibility and obedience. He also learned to believe in himself and assert his maturity, however young he may be.
• I asked relatives to help build positive images of having a new sibling. I strictly refrain them from telling my child that his new baby sister will only occupy our attention. The last thing I wanted was a misinformed, jealous preschooler.

After Childbirth and Adjusting at Home

• After giving birth, the first person I looked for was my son. I wanted him to be there when we meet his baby sister. To my surprise, he was very excited to meet her!
• I was patient with my older child's adjustment. We gave him time to absorb all the excitement and make sure he is part of the big event in the family. My son couldn't contain his happiness with his new sister. He even announced it at school and how proud he was a "kuya".
• While a baby needs all our attention, we gave enough attention to our older child. We needed to put in more effort to understand him as he may feel being left out. 
• We have encouraged him to express his feelings as some of his actions may indicate his frustrations. Above all else, I payed special attention to his body language. We have a one-on-one talk more often as this may encourage his behavior toward his baby sibling. 
• We allowed him to help with caring for the baby. For a toddler, he may do simple chores like getting the towels or baby powder. We constantly reminded him how we took care of him when he was also a baby.
• Lastly, we include him into play. He would make his baby sister laugh. My daughter now looks forward to his older brother's funny faces and crazy, energetic antics.

Yes, my little boy and baby girl are growing up. They are close to each other. Someday, he will be her knight in shining armour, the brother, the protector. 

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How to train your baby to bottle feed from exclusive breastfeeding

If you are exclusively breastfeeding your little one and would want to wean her to bottle feed, you can follow this easy, step-by-step method I have outlined below. 

When I gave birth to my daughter eight (8) months ago, my biggest dilemma was how to sustain breastfeeding my baby when I have to go back to work after two months of maternity leave. I really wanted her to give her breast milk even if I am working as no milk formula can replace breast milk. To this day, I still breastfeed my daughter when I get home from work or even after a three-day travel. If you have the same dilemma as mine, I will relate the steps I have done so that you, too can follow!


How to train your baby to bottle feed from breastfeeding:

• Give it time. When I mean time, set an adjustment period for both you and your baby. A two week adjustment period is good. This two week will be spent with bottle training. Below are some points to follow when you are ready for bottle training.
• Find a perfect milk reliever or a breast pump. Buy the one that is easy to disassemble and easy to wash and sterilize. Easy to disassemble like the one below is also easier to carry in your bag. When you have to go to work or have to travel, you won't need a bulky bag to fit in your breast pump.
• When you have decided that today will be a bottle-day, try to stay away from your baby and let someone in  your family give the breast milk you have expressed. Remember, you are trying to wean her from your breast. It will only be a struggling moment for both of you and it will only be futile if you will be the one to feed her as she is will insist to feed from your breast.
• Use the soft nipple for baby's bottle. Your breasts' nipples are soft, so it is best to also use the soft silicon nipple so that you baby will not have a hard time adjusting with the nipple.
• Depending on the number of hours of your work, let's say you work from 8am-5pm, it would be best that it's also the range of time you will train your baby to drink from the bottle.
• Express your milk at a scheduled time. It is important that you also set a schedule when you will express your milk. Ideally, milk flows better after you have taken a good meal with lots of vegetable and fruits. Also, don't forget soups for an ample supply of breast milk.
• Bring extra lampin or a baby's wash cloth so you can clean and wipe dry your breast prior to pumping. Find a private, clean and calm place you can express your milk. Store your expressed milk in a chiller or freezer. The milk is good for up to 24hours.
• When you come home, you can breastfeed your baby again. Your stored expressed milk can be given then next day for her feeding.

It will be a struggle, I know. But you will teach your little one independence while still giving her the best milk - your breast milk. Do not be worried if your baby will refuse feeding through the bottle for the first time. You will be surprised how flexible babies are. It should not be difficult to completely switch your baby to formula milk afterwards.

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