no-cook fruity oatmeal

Here's a clever way to enjoy oatmeal - without any cooking required.  This really works for me, since there are so many things to do at the start of the day, and I really appreciate a nutritious breakfast that spares me the unnecessary hassle. All I have to do is prepare it the night before and refrigerate it so I can eat it in the morning.

"Why opt for this when there are instant flavored oatmeal packets available from the supermarket?,"  you might ask.  Good question.  My answer is that those instant thingies are often loaded with sugar and preservatives, and they have much less nutrition than good old classic oats.  Furthermore, their oat bits are near-pulverized, so they don't provide the same satisfying texture.  More importantly, no brand carries the delicious flavor of fresh, succulent, Philippine mango - which is waaaay different from what imported products try to pass as "mango".


Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup fruit juice or milk
• slices of fresh or dried fruit  of your choice

Optional:

• a little bit of cinnamon, honey or brown sugar, or whichever sweetener you prefer
• whichever nuts or seeds you like
• 6 tbsps plain yogurt.

Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients and mix together.
2. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

That's it! No cooking required - soaking the oatmeal in milk or juice will make it nice and soft by breakfast time.  In the morning, you could stick it in the microwave for a minute or two if you want it hot; but it's nice as a cold treat too, especially on scalding summer days.

Suggestions:

• Apple-cinnamon oatmeal:  apple juice + bits of apple + a pinch of cinnamon + a pinch of brown sugar
• Mangoes and cream:  milk + mango slices.
• Banana-walnut:  slices of banana + milk + honey or brown sugar + crushed walnuts
• Honey-almond:  almond milk + honey + slices of almond
• If you're watching your weight, pass on the sugar and dried fruits (which often have a lot of sugar).  You could ditch dairy milk for almond milk (or your preferred substitute), or choose all-natural fruit juice with no added sugar.  

newspaper seedling pots

Here's a brilliant recycling idea, which is particularly handy if you have a garden at home: seedling pots made of old newspaper.   It's an eco-friendlier, biodegradable option to the usual material  (e.g. plastic cups, tin cans, or the often-used plastic seedling bag).  It's pretty convenient too - you can drop a "potted" seedling right into the soil.

It's surprisingly sturdy, and once you fill it with soil, it's stable.  And it's real easy to make, so voici --

How To Make Newspaper Seedling Pots

You will need:

• old newspaper
• a can or bottle

Procedure:

step 1.  

Open up your newspaper and separate it into sheets.  Tear a sheet in half along the crease, then tear in half again, like so:

All you need is half a page, or one-fourth of a sheet to make one pot.

step 2.
Fold this lengthwise, leaving a margin of about 1-2 inches from the ragged edge.

step 3.
At the folded edge, and make another fold to create a "lip" about half an inch wide.  La la la ...

step 4. 
Next, roll the folded newspaper snugly around a can or bottle.

It doesn't really matter whether the "lip" faces, just make sure the folded edge of the newspaper is parallel to the rim of the can.


step 5.
Holding the newspaper in place with your fingers, turn your can (or bottle) so the ragged edge of the paper faces upward.

step 6.
Fold the ragged edge in, like you would a parcel.

Keep folding.  As tightly as you can.

step 7.
Now, slip the can out, and flip your little newspaper cylinder over.

step 8.
Remember the half-inch lip you made earlier?  Simply tuck your newspaper into itself to lock your pot in place.

Ta-dah!  It's ready to use.

Repeat the process to make several paper pots.

Pepper Potts

er, paper pots!

Fill with dirt and plant your seedlings.   ^_^ Here are the ones we have at home, poised right where they will be transplanted soon:

how to make your own all-natural, chemical-free household cleanser /disinfectant

I picked up this really brilliant idea from a friend's blog, and I decided to try it out myself.  It's quite useful and it costs next to nothing.

You will need:

• A clean jar (or any container that can hold liquid) with a cover
• White vinegar
• Orange peel

.

You will simply have to:

• Pour an amount of vinegar into the jar.
• Immerse the bits of orange peel.
• Cover and let stand for a week or two, then fish out the orange peel from the liquid.
  

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant, and the orange peel will neutralize it's rancid odor.

How to use:

• Transfer the liquid into a spray bottle - or any bottle you think will make it easier for you to pour out.
• Spray directly on surfaces (careful though - don't use it on colored material or anything that reacts to acid).
• Wipe with a clean, dry rag.
• If you need a less potent solution, dilute with drinking water.

Clever, huh?  I really appreciate this because I'm quite iffy about those commercial kitchen cleansers and disinfectants laden with all sorts of chemicals; I feel as if those things are not exactly safe for surfaces where I prepare food, like kitchen counters and table tops.  I mean, those products are poisonous, and what if the vegetables I'm chopping accidentally come in contact with the residue on a chemically-treated marble counter top?  Well, vinegar and orange peel are completely non-toxic.

An all-natural homemade cleanser is also safe for cleaning things that pets or children use (like toys that they tend to put in their mouths).  No need to worry about poisonous residue.  ^_^

kind words

lazy summer spag

The basil plants in our garden usually dry out during the summer, but they're flourishing this year - the Hubby discovered that basil plants actually love sunlight, and they simply have to be watered well in the dry-hot season.  So now, summer means more basil. 

Summer also means bigger, brighter mangoes and tomatoes.

And hazy, lazy days when I'd like to spend as less time in cramped kitchen as possible.

I hate the heat and the suffocating humidity and the fact that we can't afford to have 24/7 air-conditioning, but  I'm thinking my happy thawts now.  I do love basil and tomatoes and mangoes (trying to stay positive here ... it's so hot and dizzying).


lazy summer spag for lazy summer days

Ingredients:
Olive oil
Garlic, one half small head or 2-3 large cloves, minced
Onion, one whole, large, chopped
Tomato, 2 large, diced
Fresh basil leaves, a whole lot, chopped
Dried rosemary, 1 tbsp
Olives, sliced, about a fourth to half of a cup
Parmesan cheese, as much as you like
Spaghetti noodles, whole grain is nice, about 2 fistfuls

Optional:
Tuna flakes, 1 can
1 ripe mango, cut into cubes
A dash of black pepper


Procedure:

1. Cook noodles as directed on package.  Drain and set aside.
2. Swirl garlic and onions in a tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.  When the onions are slightly transparent, add tomato and rosemary and swirl further until tomatoes soften. 
3. Smile.  
4. Add the tuna flakes.  Or not, if you'd rather go vegetarian. Remove from heat.  
5. Stir in cooked noodles, cheese, pepper, olives and basil (and mango, if you like).  Toss to coat.  

Makes 2-4 servings.
Nothing fancy, but The Hubby and the Sister swear it's good.
Nice with a tall glass of ice-cold cucumber shake.
.