PROJECTS on my Food LAB

Processed Foods

1. Grape wine - December 2014 Accomplished (note: need to make more)

2. Soymilk - 

3. Kimchi -

4. Bubod (starter) -

5. Tapuy wine -

6. Strawberry wine -

7. Nata de coco -

8. Mozarella Cheese -

Cooking skills
1. Hot pot Shabu shabu
2. Ramen
3. 

My Dream Projects:

1. Grape wine
2. Apple Cider
3. Kimchi
4.

Progress Report: SEARCA Summer School 2014 Day 1-5

The first 5 days of the training was fun! I met new friends, visited new places and gained new knowledge which I believed will be very helpful for my profession as a food scientist and also as an individual consumer.

Title of the Training: Food and Nutrition Security for Sustainable Development in South East Asia

Duration: October 6-31, 2014

Location: SEARCA, College, Los Banos Laguna Philippines
Here is a link to the news from the SEARCA website: SEARCA and UC pilot post graduate course on food and nutrition security

1. Participants

I am one of the lucky participants for this said training by the SEARCA and we are the first batch. We are 10 in all from 7 different countries. I thought I will be the youngest among the group but when I met my coursemates, we are of the same age.

2. Lectures

We have 2 modules for this week: 

Module 1 : Sustainable Development in SEA: Opportunities and Challenges

Module 2: Food and Nutrition Security, Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development in South East Asia

3. Activities

I the first two days, we have been fed with lot of information of the subjects that I have never heard before. Yes, sustainable development is really an old term but it does not ring a bell to me.. and so, I listened intently and learned that sustainable development is really one of the key in attaining not only food and nutrition security but also developing the capacities that promotes community participation and gender equality, health and education, environmental protection and sustainable economic growth.  

This is really new to me and as I learned, the social, ecological and economic sector of a community is important in attaining a sustainable development. A framework was presented to us but until now, I can not really understand well but I believe that to attain sustainable development, the pillars (social, ecological, economic) as well as the enabling environment and appropriate processes. 

Sustainable development in Southeast Asia present challenges because of the highest percentage of poor and hungry Asians and the booming population that will also incur very high food and resources consumption.

Food availability is needed but there is decreasing production due to the fragmented (land conversion to residential), ageing farmers and the decreasing quality of the soil. Lesser people are also engaging to farming which is not a very good news. This means, lesser labor force that will help in the food production of the world.  People's various activity also caused the increased of green house gases that triggers the climate change and can greatly affect food production and the quality of living here on earth. Whew! Is that economic big bang?!!... anyway,., let us move on..

And another topic I learned which is really a very interesting one is the climate-smart agriculture in the form of the BIG or the Bio Intensive Gardening methods in which the principles are so easy to follow and materialize. The principles are: (if my memory serves me right)

1. Deep dug and raised plots -for deeper roots and enhanced hardiness of the plants

2. Diversification - at least 12 different plant spp; multi-cropping for food and nutrition security

3. use of indigenous varieties - they can withstand the climate change better than other plant varieties

4. Planting of green manure trees

5. Organic mulching

6. Cover cropping in summer

This technology was introduced to the Philippines few years ago but the intensification is still on going specially on the school gardens. This was initiated by the IIRR or the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction. We visited 3 school gardens and so far the project is successful. Only the question of sustainability is at hand. Can they sustain the garden? They also introduced to us the integrated nutrition approach in which the school gardens, nutrition education and the school feeding program can work hand on hand on the  improvement of school children ages 6-8 (grade 1 to 3).

We also visited the model farms for BIG inside the IIRR and I was so delighted. I learned a lot. I will post many pictures regarding this. I am going to practice this climate smart agriculture method.

So far, the week was so exciting and i have not yet covered many things but hope I shared the necessary information :) I am so happy! :)

Where to go? Just around Laguna, Philippines

I've been living in Los Banos Laguna for more than 2 years now. And friends come to visit me sometimes. They requested me to just go around and visit some places. Laguna is a beautiful place. Actually, I admitted that I am so much comfortable to this place that I wanted to stay and settle down here. But there is such no place like home. Anyway, going back to places around here, I can suggest few places that I visited once or twice or those I really wanted to visit in the future...

1. University of the Philippines Grounds - this is where we go when we want to enjoy nature and just relax around big green tress and sit by the grasses. One word? Biodiversity.

2. Calamba, Laguna - Shopping and may visit the house of the national hero, Jose P. Rizal
3. Sampalok Lake, San Pablo City - Lakes, lakes, more lakes, actually there are seven, biking around a lake and eating blue berry cheesecake.
4. Pandin Lake, San Pablo City - I think of green waters, delicious shrimps, and ube and also, Palawan! yes, palawan -like sceneries. Also kind and empowered women.
4. Sta. Cruz, Laguna - went to take pictures and dine at the famous but expensive "ISDAAN" restaurants
5. Pagsanjan Laguna - Water falls and adventure!
6. Pansol Laguna -  Hot spring!
7. Cavinti Cave - Adventure in the underground cave... exciting!

I will tell you about each of the places, just follow the link above.

Hope you enjoy your trip too^^,

Len

From Sagada with LOVE

I saw this, as i wake up to the bright and breezy morning in the sleepy town of SAGADA, Mt. PROVINCE last 2012... Wishing of coming back to this lovely place.

As simple as me :)

Why I love climbing mountains

My father asked me why I love climbing mountains. He said it was very exhausting, not a very  safe activity for a lady like me and consumes my savings. 

I laughed as an answer. It is because, he was actually the reason. He influenced me to explore mountains! Back then when I was little, He shared to me his adventures as a hunter back in his earlier days hunting for wild boars in the virgin forest of Isabela and Cagayan Valley. As I listened to him, my fondness for nature grows and I long to be on these places. Now that I had the chance to go, then I decided to set sail and of course come home safely to share my experiences with my family. Here are the mountains so far I have gone through:

Mt. Maculot 03.17.12

Mt. Batulao 08.17.13

Mt. Makiling 04.05.13

Mt. Timbac 12.22.13

Mt. Gulugod-Baboy 06.29.13

I just climb mountains for the surreal bliss I felt everytime I am at the summit. I love the idea that climbing mountains is just like making love, slowly and exhausting but will take you to the peak of the summit. Uh-oh... I encourage you also to climb :) Just try it, especially when you have the time and the resources. Bring your friends with you or your love ones. It will be surely fun!

Count your Blessings :)

With my adviser after my defense. Hurray!

With my happy family :D wacky shot!

My motto in life is : "Do your best, God will take care of the rest."

I learned the importance of prayers especially when we pray about our plans. It is truly important that God acknowledge about it and through His loving grace, He will turn these plans into blessings.

I hope and prayed for blessings and believe with all my heart that God listened and already gave it to me: 

happy and loving family, a man who truly loves me, a job that can influence others (teaching), a graduate studies (I am now on the completion of my Ms degree), healthy life and a lot more blessings He provided. 

Another blessing came today: an scholarship for a month-long training. I have been excited to join the training especially very much happy for the field trips (yes, for free!) but thinking I will be away from home on my birthday made me sad again. Anyway, it is a very good opportunity for me to explore food and Nutrition Security and I am very grateful.

Another blessing!

I am really thankful in every way possible for all these blessings coming my way. I cannot ask for more. I am very much contented and I really enjoyed everything that I have right now. Yes, challenges come but they only make me stronger and left me with so much lesson to learn. For example, right now I am very tight with my budget but yes, I am learning to spend on the most important things and practice good financial management that I can also follow once I am earning my own money again. What is more important are the blessings that keep on coming and counting them only replicates the happiness they bring. Thank you dear Lord. I am done with my MS thesis defense, now I need to focus and keep doing the important things.

I will be posting my progress and activities regarding this training. I want to share my experience and discoveries here in my blog. Life is a continuous process of learning and such given opportunity to learn is rare. I will do my best and I really do appreciate this birthday treat from God.

Family + the wandering basang = Birthday Happiness

YEAR 2012... 

It was 5:50 am as I opened my eyes in a not so familiar place, a small room with a wide window. I opened it a little to let the sunshine in, to see the trees and the beautiful place.

Yes, i thought i was just dreaming but it is true. I'm here on Sagada on my birthday!

Seeing the scenery outside made it finally dawned to me that yes, i thought i was just dreaming but it is true. I'm here on Sagada on my birthday. Suddenly I remembered home and I miss my family especially my mama. Reading their early birthday messages, I was moved to know that they are planing to prepare foods for me tonight as I arrived home... I wondered why I was here, celebrating my birthday alone. To cut off the drama, I just remembered I had an egg pie ( I finished the lemon pie yesterday) in my bag and a cold yogurt from the nearby food house, the Yoghurt House. I just happily munched on the blessings.

Happy 22nd birthday to me :)

YEAR 2013...

Then came again, on my 23rd birthday, the hard headed and wandering basang (ilocano term for young lady) and that's me (!!!) was still away from home. I was on the muddy seashore of Quezon's long stretched beach and was with fellow volunteers picking seashells locally called "litug" for lunch. I joined an immersion activity organized by the a community development and outreach organization, the UPLB Bahay ng Pahinungod. i participated in the 10-day immersion program which aims to dwell with the people in Brgy. Sipa, Padre Burgos, Quezon and be familiar with their daily lives and routine. It was indeed a happy day of my life.

We had walked a long stretched of rice fields and hilly coconut farms just to reach the shore where there are lots of seashells. Most of the people nearby will pick the shells to make soup for their viand or sell them to those far from the shore.

We experienced how to provide and prepare our own lunch.

We did have a enjoyable moment as we savor the fruit of our labor that day, seeping hot and tasty soup from fresh litug and freshly catch fishes while enjoying the view of the beach.

Happy 23rd birthday to me!

 YEAR 2014...

My birthday is fast approaching... I do not have any travels in my mind for now because I promised to myself that the next time i will be celebrating my birthday, it will be together with my family, where my heart is truly at home. I am praying and hoping.... God's blessings are always delivered in His own mysterious way.

Positivity Note Series #1: Faith + Love + Hope = Must-Have Values

God gave us three values worth of nurturing for. Having these values gave me the sanity to live in these world. We need these to survive and be at peace in mind, heart and soul despite many troubles we encounter. These 3 values are:

               

1. FAITH 

                        Faith is believing on those that are not seen by your eyes yet felt by your heart. And I am happy because I had a chance to grow on faith of God's words and fruitful rewards. Having faith makes me a better person and leads me to strive for the righteous ways of living. I pray every night to God to make me a good person and lead my hands and feet not to astray. I am still working on this one. I hope that one day, I can find myself totally immersed in God's grace and love, guided by faith in Him.

2. LOVE

                    Love comes in many packages and it makes the world goes round. I believe on this. I am blessed with family who are a lot understanding and supportive. Every time I feel so overwhelm about the world, I had these "recharging" moments, just go home and be near with my family. Their love filled my heart and that is enough to be back to real place again. God really is so good when He let me find my other half and I can't be grateful enough. Friends I had were my treasures back in my elementary days, and high school days then after that, I also meet good people worth treasuring, in my undergraduate years, at work and now that I am at school again. 

3. HOPE

                Hope keeps me going even if there are tons of works to do and lots of failed plans show. I felt very sad at times and my energy drained. But because of hope I just keep trying and trying and pray that whatever I do become successful one day. Yes, I do fall hopeless about loving, because sometimes loving means hurting myself or the one I love but because of hope, I carry on. I hope that everything will become okay and every pain be forgotten. A sun set so it can rise again tommorow.

So, for a positive Monday, I keep remembering this 3 values I have: LOVE, FAITH and HOPE.

Smile,,smile,,smile and keep remembering that life would not be easy but God's grace and presence sorrounds us and He will never let us down. Yeah! Have a happy Monday :)

And happy as can be,, now back to my thesis revision :) 

Len ^_^

Mushroom + Spice + Everything Nice = Burp!

 Mushrooms are super delicious! Plus packed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals. That's why it is not really difficult to love this vegetable?!.. hmmm... it is a kind of fungi, actually. And because I love mushrooms, I bought a packed from Mushroom burger in Tagaytay which cost Php 75 per pack for around 500grams already.

Tenganng-daga (English: rat-ear)
Actually it is bigger that rat's ear! :D

All mushrooms, edible or not are fungi, but not all fungi are mushrooms (Arora, 1986). 

Different varieties of edible mushroom.
Picture came from here.

If mushrooms come with nutrition label, it will be something like this:

B vitamins, and minerals plus it has 0% fat! from: Mushroom Info /  website here.

When I got at the dorm, I kept them in the fridge and these variety kept really well. Compared to oyster mushrooms, these have lower moisture content and are darker in color (more phenolic compounds, i think, which are good antioxidants). Then, every time i got time to work on the kitchen, I experiment on them. (As a food scientist, i don't play with foods, it's like adding more value to the food :)

So here are the results :

"mushroom sisig rice topping"

"mushroom chips with parsley"

"dinengdeng : tomato, mushroom, bittermelon leaves and stringbeans"

"another version of dinengdeng : malunggay, stringbeans and mushrooms" 

"mushroom omelet"

"mushroom vegies" add sotanghon and it becomes pancit!

creamy sisig topped with egg and parsley garnish :)
Trying hard chef, I am.

Yes, they're so easy to cook! So fun to prepare and the outcome? Try it yourself. It depends on your creativity and of course, palate "choosiness" . I am an Ilokana (known for love of bagoong - fish paste) that's why I included dinengdeng there! Taste really good. Mushrooms are rich in glutamate, so no need to add MSG. It makes the dish savory, umami-rich. 

So now, it's your turn :) When was the last time you cook something new? 

Rice + Chicken Joy + Bread = Fun

Yesterday, i had a chance to visit the biggest bread manufacturing in the country.

Gardenia Bakeries Inc. produced 6,000 loaf breads a day

It was also worth spending time with former classmates I have not seen for a while.

Nice to see you, Camille :)

I am lucky to had joined the CLSU Food Science department in their educational trip for their students.

First, special thanks to FST teachers who let me joined the trip :)

 The educational tour includes:

1. UPLB Tour and IFST plant

Oblation pose

Tita Mafe showing the spray drier to the visitors

2. International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) Museum Tour

3. Jollibee Commisary in Canlubang

4. Gardenia Bakeries Inc. in Binan, Laguna

5. Enchanted Kingdom (I did not join the EK part because I have no enough money for entrance :D

Lastly, I have a picture for my beau who like me, loves the kind of Japanese culture. 

Taken at the IRRI museum, a typical Japanese dinner: Japanese rice, miso soup, pickled radish, boiled squash, sardines and hot tea. yum! so healthy!

I had free food, free toasties, free ride, new knowledge and of course, so much fun with friends!
Indeed, a worthwhile and educational trip!
I hope this helps those who wanted to organize trips for students, families or friends :D

Feeling hopeful with my thesis study

June 17, 2014

I pursue my graduate study in Food Science with the goal in mind to have an stable teaching job after I finish.
I know it will not come so easy but studying my Masteral degree is not a monotonously about hardships. It comes in mixture of joy and worries, happiness and depression.
One time, I felt hopeless because my statistical analysis is not good. I can not seem to explain my result in the way I wanted to be presented. I felt in pain, when I myself is guilty for not giving my best, finding myself playing around and having no motivation ang focus at all. I felt more saddened.
I am very lucky, I thought. I still have ample of time to do it. I can write in a very relaxed pace. Though I have no innate knowledge about the test I am going to apply to my collected data, I have a vast of contacts to people who are knowledgeable about it, and what makes it a lot easier is that there are actually people who are willing to help me, even them can sacrifice their sweet good night sleep just to finish the analysis.
The problem lies in me. Myself. They said that your best enemy is yourself. For one, it os now happening to me. I can not even write normally because I myself is not trying my best. I have no efforts in studying even the most basic thing about statistics. And this will lead me to failure.
But I realized, myself is my best alley too. I need to help myself. This time I need to start making efforts. I will help myself move forward.
I know, my love of life will be always by my side so as, God who lend me the intellegence and patience to go on.
Am so blessed, I should not lose hope.

Review: Almost done with half of 2014

As we say, time travels so fast! and so we need to catch up and review what have we done from time to time. As for me, these had been my accomplishments and round about so far.

January

1. Happy New Year!
2. Intamuros, Manila

Sunday afternoon walk at Intramuros Manila

3. School Organization General Assembly

4. My Cousin's Wedding

5. Back to Lab School

February

1. After 8 years REUNION

2. Catching up with friends

3. Charity Walk

4. our Dormitories Open House 

5. An afternoon at the garden

6. Thesis tough times

March

1. Tribute to the Graduates

2. A Senator visits my school

3. Summer Inspiration at School

4. Laboratory works

April

1. Dorm Residents Outing

2. Movie time

3. Church activity

4. Sunset at school

May

1. Comprehensive exam successfully passed

2. Island get away

3. Garden Show

I can never put everything in a box, but hopefully I can relived some of these lovely moments in memories.

New Products: Instant Cereal Drinks

Living independently may affect our preference of food and the diet we observed. Many of us risk nutrition over convenience which is wrong. Instant foods offers less time of preparation, that we like. But some products in the market are not to be underestimated. Oat meals or cereals are number one in the list of instant food products that are nutritious especially when we add banana/ fruit slices or a tablespoon of milk.

Energen for example is a popular food/oat drink that comes in different flavors and is one of the favorite in our home. New line of food products I recently spotted on the grocery shelves is the All Good Instant Oatmealproducts by Universal Robina Corporation (Jack n Jill) but I found not really appetizing because the texture seems so soft for Lugaw or Arrozcaldo. I wished for this slightly chewy and soft rice grainy-like texture for Aroozcaldo but what I appreciated is the real ginger bits. Im a sucker of ginger. It was gingery perfect for me. Actually, it’s a very good twist on the instant oatmeal product line. But I can say that taste and food preferences, especially when one uses the word “delicious” is super subjective.

Again, because I am very fond of trying something new in the market, I found this instant oatmeal Magnifico Cereal Drink “delicious”. Well, it impressed my taste buds. I tried the Strawberry flavor and I promised myself to definitely grab 1 dozen to the counter the next time I visit the grocery store. I am not really sure if this is new in the market but it is something new for me because I just check it recently. I’m happy I tried. Checking the labels, I read that it was a Superbrand Award (oh, wow!) and that the ingredients also contain "real" fruit bits. This list of ingredients kept me skeptical but since I experienced working in a food manufacturing company, I believed whatever the company declare in the list is true. The taste is great, maybe because it also contains creamer. I added water to it and at first, I cringe because it was really pink. I ask myself if this is a strawberry’s natural color or if it’s a food coloring. And I answered myself too. Definitely it is a food color. But the list of ingredients doesn’treflect anything about it. Anyway, the taste is really good. That I can say.

Perfect with Skyflakes and Banana fruit

Magnifico Cereal Drink as I search from GOOGLE is FDA registered product, and is owned/repack by Rackey Crystal Top Corporation which also offers ranges of gulaman products marketed as Mr. Gulaman, candies and salt. The cereal drink has 3 other flavors according to the website, which excites me try again. These flavors are Red Tea, Brown Coffee and Chocolate. The company is located at Valenzuela City, Philippines.

Anyway, so much for company background check. hehehe.. I am just curious who the people behing this delicious product are. I think the price is Php 5 only. I say, my money’s worth it. Affordable and delicious.

So okay. The next time you visit the grocery store. Observe. Try something new to your palate. If the price does not hurt, then why not try? Sometimes, instant foods are really consumer friendly to people like us who are busy. But always be easy on these products. Checking the labels for cholesterol, sugar and sodium contents matters.#

Happiness project for April

It's 2:57 AM as I started typing, and I wish to steal a 3 minute break from my "grudgingly difficult" research paper I've been working since 2AM.

God! I need your help. My mind seems stopped working and my stress bars are full. Haha! Enough for my happy go lucky attitude. I felt that every tissues of my body had gone stressed. A final examination by tomorrow and a critic and mini research to work on.

Everytime I wanted to work on my topic, I can only felt so strange about myself making excuses (like going to CR), standing and reaching for a chocolated drink) and ended up never finishing anything.

And now, obviously, browsing net and writing my feelings in here. And so I reached for Gretchen Rubin's book "The Happiness Project" and flip through the pages.

Camera Roll - refreshing memory pockets

As I browse my camera roll in my phone, i saw some real glimpse of my everyday living. Sometimes, I felt nostalgic of those times that I wanted to refresh every memories.

Just for today, I wanted to post all the pictures I took from my phone.