arrliinn 3Speak Podcast: Recent Episodes
Arlyn
Listen and watch the latest videos from arrliinn. Hosted by 3Speak.tv. The free speech video platform on the HIVE blockchain.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/jhjanbni
Hello guys!
I thought for this library day, I would take some snippets of what we do at the library every Friday.
We still keep our Friday Library Day despite the tremendous summer heat. The humidity this week has been over the top, magnifying the heat all the more.
Anyway, in the video you will also see the Reframing Reality exhibit featured at the ground floor of the Abu Dhabi Cultural Foundation. You will also see that they have a dallah (coffee pot) and some dates for the visitors - truly, a symbol of Arab hospitality.
The Children's Library is at the first floor - inside there are two levels. We stay at the second level (for bigger kids).
We start by returning any books that are due to be returned (we can borrow up to 6 books for 3 weeks) and then the kids go and choose the books that they would like to borrow anew.
There are many reading nooks and play areas in the library. The kids have a great time and really look forward for this day all the time.
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/skrpsnah
I want to present.This was what Little Man said after he finished creating his Canva presentation of the Water Cycle. It was a very simple and spontaneous presentation and yet I am glad he was able to pick up most of not all of the important points of the water cycle.
"That's it, bye," he said at the end. He wanted to still say more, but he already forgot what he wanted to say. Eventually, he discussed condensation but not at the recording.
Basically, this is just Little Man, being really spontaneous but I love how he expressed himself well.
DesignThis is basic digital design, that I think is important for most of us, regardless of the age. Canva is a very powerful design tool that children must learn (even I do not know a lot yet) and we learn together. Here, Little Man was just happy to put together all the Canva Pro elements that he could find. LOL.
Design-wise, there are still lots of room for improvement. Right now, what's important is he was able to relay his thoughts through the design.
More, more practice!
Upload it on Hive!It took me a while before I had the energy and a tiny bit of inspiration to upload the video. Little Man wanted me to share it here straightaway, but life always gets in the way, sooo...
Regardless, I still asked for his permission today if I can share his video here. He said. "Okay," so here it goes. Appropriately, he will also get a beneficiary reward from this, since it's mostly his work.
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/vhewuqce
A Visual Tour
Hey, everyone! Al Nahyan Park!
In this video let me take you on a visual tour of this park in Abu Dhabi that we recently visited. If you enjoyed the photos in my recent blog post, you're in for a treat as I take you on a tour with me for an immersive visual experience.
In the video you will see how strikingly clean it is, the meticulously maintained landscapes, and how the amenities are arranged to create a beautiful oasis for the residents.
The highlight for us was the Cube Tower, that Little Man immensely enjoyed. I have a longer clip of Little Man and myself in the tower, conversing from both ends of the spiral slides, but that may bore you.π The other one of course, was the water feature. I think that's always a hit for any kid.
There were not a lot of people when we came since it was close to noon-time. The sun was very bright, but the breeze was cool and one could comfortably seek refuge in the wooden rounded nooks or under the shades of the trees.
The Al Nahyan Park is indeed a gem, a free to visit park (like the rest) here in Abu Dhabi, for anyone to enjoy. Since we're now approaching the summer months, it will take a few more months before we can come back here. At least, we were able to enjoy it to ourselves during our last visit. Can't wait for the next one.
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
πAl Nahyan Park
Abu Dhabi, π¦πͺ
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/wgyniaye
The 9 days Eid Al Fitr holidays are almost over and guess what, I feel as tired and spent as I could be. There really wasn't time to rest and relax. So yesterday, while the fam was watching some zombie movies (I don't like these movies) at Netflix, I decided to take a break and went to the beach by myself even though it was noontime. I was banking on the cloudy and breezy weather to accompany me.
I first went to Hudayriat Beach, hoping they would have beach umbrellas up, but they didn't, so I instead went to Bateen Beach. Fortunately, I got a kiosk for myself which gave me shade from the sun.
The breeze was so nice and I immediately felt great. It was like the wind was lulling me to sleep.
After some time, I felt like the kiosk floor was shaking, and it indeed was. There were some people around me, but I ignored them. After a while, I realized that they came to my kiosk because a parrot was on the roof. They were trying to feed it with some seeds.
The parrot was so amusing. It wasn't intimidated by people at all. It even came to the nearby shed and took some food from the plastic bag. At one point, I saw it come near a man lying down on the sand.
I headed to the water after my nap, and felt the crunchy sand beneath my toes. It rained the night before and that made the sand feel that way. I did not swim though. Just dipping my feet knee-deep was enough to tickle my being.
After spending over 3hrs at the beach, I felt hungry and I decided it was time to leave. Regardless, it was a time off I badly needed for myself. I was instantly recharged by nature, and it was wonderful.
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/kmuldyvf
Hello guys, I would like to share a more personalized experience of our recent visit to Fahid Island.
Here's a poorly edited video that should compliment my post yesterday - Self Similar Land Art - Fahid Island | Manar Abu Dhabi
It was a challenge to take good quality videos/photos with the mobile. I think my phone should be capable of it, but I just plainly s*ck at it.
Regardless, I hope you enjoy the video. π
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/yfaswwht
Manar Abu DhabiIt just really had to be the last day...
I kept on postponing our visiting the various Manar exhibitions around the city. Manar Abu Dhabi is a part of the Public Art Abu Dhabi, a project launched by the Department of Culture and Tourism. Manar is a platform showcasing an array of light artworks that celebrate the natural beauty of the city. It is showcased in several locations in the city.
There were a couple of light installations we found at the Corniche, but what I was really hoping to visit were the ones in Lulu Island and Samaliyah Island. Well, now is too late for that. :D
We strung together two locations on the last day - Saadiyat and Fahid Islands. This post is about our Louvre experience.
Louvre, Saadiyat IslandBest viewed at the Louvre Garden is the Live Drone Show and Light Painting by Artist Groupe F. Actually, the drone show could also be viewed from the Abu Dhabi Port, albeit far. The experience was better from the Louvre... While waiting for the show, just enjoy this beautiful structure. Why not, right?!
Apart from just viewing the drones at as they do their mind-blowing maneuvers at the sky, you could also see their light painting output on the big screen set up at the garden.
There were four shows that start from 6:00 PM until midnight.
We missed the 6:00 PM drone show and were only able to witness the Light Painting towards the end of the 6:00pm show.
We waited for the next one at 7:30 PM to complete the experience.
Persistence of Form by Groupe FThe drone show lasted for 25 minutes each. During this period the hundreds of drones lit the sky and started to impress the spectators with the different forms they drew, accompanied by music on the ground.
My Little Man called this formation, "cacti". Not really sure what it was, but I'm too easy to impress since I do not know how it is actually done, so I still would rate this as excellent. LOL.
After staying in this formation for a while, the drones made a move to create another formation - these time just various shapes.
The sky was hazy, the moon was hiding behind the clouds. I believe these would have looked better in a clearer sky.
After some time, the shapes moved to form into this cluster. What do you recon it is? I see a car or a military tank.
This one perplexed me the most. My kids say it formed into an eagle at one point, but what I could see was a clam or a plastic bag. LOL.
It was the the last maneuver of the drones until they eventually disappeared behind the Louvre.
Of course, I am sharing a video of the timelapse I captured so you will have a better idea of what I had talked about. π
All photos are owned by the author unless stated otherwise.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/gwoiempp
Have you ever been to Taal, Batangas?
It's widely known as the world's smallest active volcano is named after it, and it is alse where we can find the Largest Catholic Church in Asia.
Here's a peek of the Taal Basilica, with the Municipal Hall building at the left.
For me, it is almost like a second home as I spent my grade school and high school years here. I can remember when my friends and I would walk down this street going to the market to buy stuff for school projects or simply any street food that we fancy at the moment.
The market has definitely had a makeover in the past years. It was my first time to see this structure at the market entrance.
There used to be a lot of embroidery shops that line this side of the market. They would rent out barongs and saya (Filipino traditional outfits), and gowns for different occasions like Flores de Mayo or weddings.
I did not see such shops anymore, apart from this one. Perhaps they moved to another spot inside the market.
The wet market inside is not as big as the public market in the nearby town of Lemery (which is where most people from the nearby towns go to buy stuff). Taal Public Market is famous for its tapa and longganisa (garlic-y marinated meat and sausages). Sooo yummy.
Other staples here are the suman (sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves), panutsa (peanuts candy), coffee beans, and cocoa balls.
We pass by this road every time we would go to the nearby town of Lemery to go to the market. I decided to take this video on our last day in PH when we passed by the Taal Public Market to buy some pasalubong (something we brong back to AUH when we come back).
You would notice the how they were able to keep the old houses, which were important parts of the Philippine history. One of these the house of Marcella Agoncilla, who is known in history as the woman who stiched the very first Philippine flag after its independence from the Spanish colony.
Marcella Agoncillo House These are just some of what you would usually see in the town proper. There are still a lot of places that we were not able to explore, sadly. There's the small barangay (village) of Balisong, aptly named so because they forge the iconic knives that the Batanguenos are known for. It embodies the might of the Batangueno people. πͺ
From the Archive: Us with a giant Balisong replica.Next time, I'll make sure to capture of this amazing town as much as possible. π
Music:Walk
Musician:Ikson
License:https://ikson.com/track/28/walk
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/hpjqacxu
I am kinda upset I have to do this all over again. I clicked the back button, and deym! All my work is gone. I just hope the text editor autosaves so I don't have to redo it all over again. π
Anyway, this video is the continuation of the earlier video I shared which featured the beautiful Dubai skyline as we were taking off during our flight to the Philippines.
Following a nine (9)-hour flight, we were treated with the view of a bright, blue sky scattered with cottony clouds. Such a start contrast from Dubai's colorful city lights.
Some weeks ago, I shared some photos of from this sea of clouds. Now, I finally got the chance to edit the video. I hope you enjoy it. π
It was a rainy day in Manila and the nearby provinces, and that was so evident from the sky. There were lots of rain clouds and at one point, there was also a splatter of rain on the plane's windows!
It has been four (4) years since our last trip to PH. Little Man was just three years old while Little Miss was five. Now, they are big enough to really appreciate the view and the whole experience, in general.
Throughout the video, Little Man's commentary could be heard. It was cute, from a biased mother's opinion. Lol.
Music:This is Happy
Musician:OrangeHead
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/pyiffhcy
It's been about two months since we came home to the Philippines and I finally got the chance to upload and share this quick one-minute video of our plane as it takes off from Dubai International Airport. We were able to get priority seats, thanks to the very cordial ground crew who not only made sure the kids and I were seated together, but she went out of the way to put us in the section without the rest of the economy passengers. We had a comfortable 8hours+ flight as we each had a row of seats to ourselves.
My youngest took a video of our plane taxiing up to when we were finally airborne. It was almost a 10-minute clip which I trimmed down to a minute.
We were all so tired from carrying our hand bags through the very big Dubai Airport. That, added to the stress of getting at the airport at 8pm for a 10pm flight. Wew. It was like our 2017 trip all over again when we reached the boarding gate at exactly the boarding time! But then, seeing the magnificent Dubai skyline, all of the weariness went away. The city lights are so beautiful!
It was day time as we reached Manila. Little Man also took some video clips as the plane was about to land. I hope to be able to share that with you soon.
Music:Apart
Musician:Ikson
License:https://ikson.com/track/75/apart
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/sslytpwx
Don't you just love how your day's cravings will be satisfied by instant-cooked meals?
It was a busy albeit lazy day and I needed to of course have to be able to feed my kiddos. So it's instant chapjae to the rescue!
It was fairly easy to cook-- just mix together the instant seasoning mix and add to the cooked glass noodles. Add some shitake mushrooms, meat, and greens! My sister has a chapjae sauce in bottle which she's now saying is much nicer than the pre-mix seasoning powder that I got. hmmm. She's cooking another version tomorrow. Let's see which one is better. π
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/zfqsfzok
My sister out of nowhere thought we should go to San Nicolas Baywalk last Sunday. San Nicolas is a nearby town where we could have a front seat view of the picturesque Taal Volcano and the Taal Lake.
Taal Volcano is one of the smallest (if not the smallest) active volcanoes in the world, and the second most active volcano in the Philippines. It is a complex volcano system with 47 volcanic craters. The main crater is the small one on left side of the photo, but the recent eruptions are from this bigger one on the right side.
Taal Volcano erupted last 2020 and remains under Alert Level 1 due to low-level unrest, where the PHIVOLCS warns of possible hazards like steam-driven, phreatic, or gas-driven explosions. Time and again it is reported to have minor eruptions, emiting plumes. Despite this, there are still lots of people who come by the baywalk to see the view especially at sun down. Do note though that the volcano island is a permanent danger zone.
We can also see here the other side of Mt. Maculot from here. Sometimes, we can't help but wonder, "What if Mt. Maculot is also a volcano?"
San Nicolas was one of the towns largely affected by the last major eruption with tonnes of ashfall and even big cracks on the ground (sinkholes) due to frequent strong earthquakes.
We spent some time walking down the baywalk trying to take in the majestic view. There were lots of people, majority of whom I would bet were also like us who came from other towns.
Music:Sunshine Rainbows And Lollipops
Musician:Alex Cap
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/czrbymvu
Hello Home Edders!
It's been a while, I know. Looking back, it's been a month since I last shared anything here in the community. There, I shared how I am sprinkling a bit of Charlotte Mason method in our homeschool this year.
Having said this, I am still planning to sprinkle a bit of Charlotte Mason here and there in our homeschool. Some of the areas we will be adapting would be copy work, poetry, picture study, music study, and foreign language. We have been doing narration for quite some time, but still do a lot of paperwork.
Folk Songs Over the past month, we have been listening to different Filipino folk songs with an emphasis on the Song, "Ang Pipit" by National Artist, Levy Celerio.
"Mommy, why do you keep on playing that song? You make me want to sing it," my Little Man commented.
Well, that's the idea -- to let them listen to the song over and over until they master it. π
We follow the US curriculum but I consciously added Filipino Folk songs to our activities to let them appreciate their being Filipinos! My kids do not speak Tagalog, but I am proud that they can sing and memorize Filipino songs.
Ang Pipit (lyrics)
May pumukol sa pipit sa sanga ng isang kahoy
At nahagip ng bato ang pakpak ng munting ibon
Dahil sa sakit di na nakaya pang lumipad
At ang nangyari ay nahulog ngunit parang taong bumigkas
Mamang kay lupit ang puso mo'y di na nahabag
Pag pumanaw ang buhay ko may isang pipit na iiyak
The song is about a small bird, called pipit, which was hit by a rock thrown by a man. Its wing got injured and could no longer fly. Through the pain, she cried, "Cruel man, you did not have mercy! If I die, another pipit will cry."
The kids thought the song was sad, but the rhythm and melody are upbeat and very catchy.
I printed the lyrics and pasted in on our wall so that we could sing it anytime. The kids "mastered" the song in a couple of weeks, albeit with a twang on their accents.
Here's their performance video. I apologize if I have to cover their faces because they are now at the age (especially Little Miss) where they are no longer very excited to see their faces being shared in public. Anyway, I hope you still enjoy their singing. π And yeah, before I forget, I have also set them as a partial beneficiary for the post rewards for letting me share this.
Cover image credit: Canva.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/tgokjpuy
Hello everyone!
Last week, we shared how we grew little plants from flax and chia seeds. After showing you the sprouts we still had a few activities with them, like observing how they bend and follow the light, which was really amusing! The little plants were not placed directly under the light, so we could clearly observe them bending to reach for the light.
We also have added these little plants to our salads and sandwiches. They are so packed with nutrients and there's no reason not to consume them.
More Plant Lessons -- Leaves After learning about seeds and how they become baby plants, we moved on to studying more about leaves. We collected a few leaf samples from our little garden. We found leaves of different shapes and sizes. There were leaves that were thin and long, small and round, heart-shaped, hexagon (words by Little Man), and we also found leaves that have another color apart from green.
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Leaves of water spinach (kangkong), squash, a garden plant we failed to identify, tamarind, basil, sweet potato, lemongrass, and tomato.
We proceeded to identify the parts of the leaves from what we can observe through our naked eyes. We could of course see the petiole, midrib, veins, and leaf blade. But how about the stomata and other features of the individual leaves?
So we got our little digital "microscope" to see as much details as our device would allow.
Squash Leaf The squash leaf is rough to touch and we can actually see some small hairs on it even if we do not use the microscope. See below how it looked magnified 1600x.
We were wondering what those tiny specks were. "Bread crumbs?" Little Miss joked. They turned out to be tiny specks of dust and sand that got caught on the leaf!
Tamarind Leaves Tamarind leaves are complex leaves - they are leaves with little leaflets. We were a bit surprised to see a hairy petiole. The leaf did not look hairy when observed with the naked eye.
You can also observe here the network of tiny veins on the small leaflet.
Stomata Plants breathe too!
The stomata on the leaves of the plants take in the carbon dioxide for synthesis and then exhales the oxygen the leaves produce.
Not just green. Leaves can have different colors, although a majority of them are green. Below is a part of the leaf from a garden plant that we unfortunately do not know the name of. I showed a photo to my mom to which she replied, "I have that in my garden." LOL, that plant literally came from her garden. The husband cut a stem and brought it back here to Abu Dhabi. It's a bit hard to take care of especially in the harsh summer here. It needs constant watering or else it would wither and die.
We had absolute fun observing the leaves under our "microscope". We can only imagine how much more awesome it would be if we had a compound microscope.
We captured some clips on video. I hope it gives you an insight at how we performed our little activity.
Music by: https://www.bensound.com/
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/qxbxpalk
Emerging from its chrysalis!
Remember on New Year's day my daughter and I found a butterfly that seems to have just gotten out of its chrysalis?
As I went back around, my daughter called me to show this little butterfly that looks like it recently emerged out from its cocoon. It stayed there for quite a while and was not bothered by our closeness as we took a photo of it.
Photo first shared here. As beautifiul as it may be, I have never really witnessed a butterfly actually coming out of its cocoon. I remember as a child, we got a caterpillar that we "took care" of, and witnessed it made its cocoon and all... I was so excited to see the butterfly! Then, one morning I woke up, the cocoon was empty. The butterfly already flew away and I missed that magical moment...
Today, it happened! The Little Man and I were busy playing the piano when my eldest noted that the "butterfly was coming out" from its chrysalis and it fell down the bean bag.
What?! Inside the house?
How?!
Then I remembered the husband brought one inside. I honestly thought it was an empty chrysalis but apparently, I was wrong. LOL. He brought it inside as it fell on the ground and it might just be crushed by passersby. And of course, to be able to see it develop into a butterfly.
My initial reaction? I freaked out. What if the butterfly flies around inside the house? How will we be able to shoo it outside?
Well, apparently, the butterfly does not come out of the chrysalis strong and mightly, and ready to take off. It's a very vulnerable and delicate insect that couldn't fly (yet).
The delicate new butterfly. Fly high, butterfly! Of course, we cannot keep this beautiful insect indoors. It has to go where it belongs. We assisted it on a piece of paper and put it outside the window.
Can you see how its wings are still not fully opened but instead cramped like wet paper? It stayed there for a few hours. It was still there when the husband came home from work. He then transferred it to the rose bush outside at the garden.
Learning Opportunity The homeschoolers in us took this as a learning opportunity to discuss the life cycle of a butterfly.
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We've seen it develop from larva to pupa, and seeing it emerge as a beautiful adult butterfly is an added bonus for us!
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/cokxbesj
Taking A Break At The Marina Breakwater The weather is perfect in the UAE these days and it presents with a perfect chance to just be out and about. Inspired by my earlier post about Corniche Street, I decided to take a drive along this road with the intention of checking out the Founder's Memorial. It turns out that to get there, I needed to pass by the road the leads to the Breakwater.
Instead of making a u-turn, I decided to take a right and drive straight ahead to the Breakwater. The Breakwater is also the location of the Abu Dhabi Theatre and the UAE Flagpole.
How To Get Here:
From Corniche Road, driving to the direction of Emirates Palace, take a right at Al Marsa Street (to the direction of Marina Mall). Turn right at Al Alam Street and drive straight. The Breakwater is at the end of this road. It is accessible to private cars and taxis.
The big UAE Flagpole standing tall next to the Abu Dhabi Theatre. The UAE Flagpole The UAE Flagpole once held the title of the " Guinness World Record of the Tallest Flagpole" when it was erected in 2001, standing at 122 meters. It still stands tall, visible from the Corniche, and is a prominent landmark in the Capital.
Breakwater It was a working day when we visited the Breakwater and I did not really expect to see a lot of people. It turns out that since the kids are already out of school for the winter break, families have come here just to pass time. Some were sitting at the benches, tossing bread crumbs to the sea and feed the fish, while others have set up picnic mats along the shades provided by the nearby Abu Dhabi Theatre.
From the Breakwater, you can see the city from across the sea. Towards the left is Al Lulu Island, a manmade island.
See here a clip of the beautiful view from the Breakwater.
Just to See The Birds The water was so clear and we could see the schools of fish at the rocks. Not long after, seagulls start to fly by and snatch fish from the water.
A couple came and started tossing chiz balls into the air which the birds expertly caught in mid-air. We were content in watching this spectacle for a good 30 minutes or so. The children (and adults alike) were so amused, you can just forget the time.
Picnic Time We were not prepared to go on a picnic - the plan was just to check out the place but lots of other families were. They set up mats, tables, and chairs chatting away while drinking coffee, tea, or whatnot. The kids on the other hand were playing ball, driving around in scooters, or simply running around or climbing trees.
There is signage that says swimming, camping, grilling, and yes, even fishing, are not allowed. Since it is actually facing the small road, there is also a reminder that the place is not a "park" and that children are the parents' responsibility.
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If like us, you do not wish to set up a picnic, but would simply just want to pass time, there are lots of benches that are positioned around the area surrounding the theatre.
There is also ample parking spaces by the breakwater and near the gate of the Heritage Village (which unfortunately is still closed for visitors).
The Breakwater is a perfect place to stay and be close to nature, enjoy the sun, and just forget your worries even just for some time. We thoroughly enjoyed our time spent here and we definitely would come back, ready with to picnic.
Many thanks to @bearone for this beautiful Hiveph badge! Join and subscribe to the HivePh Community : Supporting Filipinos Worldwide Join us in Discord.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/gldfuywa
I love ensaymada. My kids love them too, mainly because of the sugar bits and cheese on top. Why, who doesn't love that?!
The Filipino Ensaymada is a pastry that is derived from ensaΓ―mada which originated from Mallorca, Spain. It is also said to be the Filipino version of the brioche from France. The Filipino Ensaymada is distinctly buttery and sweet, topped with margarine or butter, sugar and cheese.
For the love of ensaymada, and to further up my bread-making skills, I decided that I wanted to try making these yummy pastries!
I once saw a post by @sherylneil, where she shared her ensaymada recipe, and I was quick to comment that I would rather go to the bakery and buy a few pieces than make them. π But baking was calling me and I made several cakes after that, even bread, the ube-cheese pandesal! After my recent experience making ube-cheese pandesal, I was really hesitant to get another "arm workout" from all the kneading.
Until yesterday.
I can make this everyday! No joke! I found this recipe yesterday and I already made it for two days in a row. So that also means that we already finished the first batch I baked.
The process was too easy, I barely lifted a finger. Lol. Seriously. I never thought it would work, but when I saw my dough risen and double in size, I could already taste success!
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It entailed very minimal kneading, and most of the time spent on this is mainly on the rising time -- 2 hours on the first rise, then kneading for 2 minutes to cut and coil, then 1 hour final rise on the baking tray.
Baking time is 15 minutes, then remove to brush egg yolk on top, then another 10 minutes.
Cheese Ensaymadas! Soft and Buttery! Though I was skeptical at first at how this would turn out because of the process (I thought tedious = success), I was too pleased that the ensaymadas turned out perfect -- soft and buttery.
For the toppings, I made a butter frosting, then sprinkled it with granulated white sugar and loads of cheese!
Perfect-O! The fambam loved it.Just look at how Little Miss devoured a big chunk of ensaymada. That's definitely her favorite.
It is a pleasure to serve my family with freshly baked goodies such as these, especially when you see them beam with delight at every bite.
Besides, as I always say, acquiring new skills is always good. This time, it's baking for me.
Cheese Ensaymada Recipe
Yield: 8 servings
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rising Time: 3 hours
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients: * 1/2 cup unsalted butter * 1 cup milk * 5 tbsp white sugar * 2 eggs * 1 tbsp (1 standard packet) instant yeast * 1/2 tsp salt * 4 cups all purpose flour
Toppings: * 1/4 cup softened butter * white sugar * 1 tbsp all purpose cream * grated cheddar cheese
Method: 1. Melt the butter in a pot. Once melted, turn off the heat then add the milk, sugar and eggs. Mix. 2. Add the yeast to the butter mixture and let it stand for 5 minutes, to activate. 3. Add the flour one cup at a time, mix until it does not stick to the sides of the pot. 4. Form into a ball, cover, and let it sit for 2 hours or until double in size. 5. After two hours, softly punch to deflate. 6. Knead for 2 minutes to soften the dough. 7. Divide into two portions, then into 4 smaller portions each (total of 8) 8. Roll each portion into long logs, then form a coil. 9. Put on a baking tray or round pan (whichever you prefer), cover, and let it rise for another 1 hour or until double in size. 10. Bake for 15 minutes at 150C, then take out to brush egg yolks on top. Bake for another 10 minutes.
For the toppings:
Whisk together softened butter and all purpose cream, you can add confectioner's sugar for sweetness. Spread this evenly to the cooked ensaymada after it has cooled down. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and generous amounts of grated cheddar cheese.
Enjoy this soft, rich, buttery pastry with your preferred beverage -- coffee or tea! Perfect for breakfast, or mid-day snacks.
All photos and videos were shot using smartphone Huawei Nova 3.
Music: bensound.com
Many thanks to @bearone for this beautiful Hiveph badge! Join and subscribe to the HivePh Community : Supporting Filipinos Worldwide Join us in Discord.
https://3speak.tv/watch?v=arrliinn/vekhnmlu
About a week ago, I shared the Sapin-Sapin recipe, a Filipino "kakanin" which I thought was intimidating at first.
Here, let me share to you the video process on how to make this delicious Pinoy treat.
Few tips I can share, it is really necessary to strain your mixture to remove the lumps of the glutinous rice flour and later on the purple yam and the jackfruit puree.
It is also much better to use one big mould than the smaller moulds I used on the video. Lastly, be sure to grease the mould generously as it would be hard to turn it over on a plate if you don't (it is sticky!)
As for the toppings, the sapin-sapin is best eaten with "latik" or toasted cocunut milk curds. You can make this my slowly cooking coconut milk until the oil separates and the curd is cooked to a slight brownish color. I have stored toasted coconut shreds so that's what I used instead.
Enjoy the video and let me know what your thoughts are!
β€οΈ Arlyn
Videos shot via smartphone - Huawei Nova 3
Music: www.bensound.com
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I finally made it! It is easily one of my most favorite condiments of all time. I fell it love with it when I had my first siomai many years ago, and boy, oh boy! I never forgot it ever since.
Back when I was still in the Philippines, I only get the chance to have it when we eat at Chowking a Chinese-inspired food chain. Having no idea on how to make it, it went on that way for many years. Until it became "famous" as a home-made condiment.
A few weeks ago, @honeytart18, shared her own home-made version of chili-garlic oil and then I knew, I had to try it too.
The ingredients are easy to find, and it is not so difficult to make too. You just need to be mindful when handling the chilis - better use hand gloves when you need to chop the them manually.
The Ingredients Ingredients: * 150g Thai Chilis * 1 head garlic * 1 small onion * 1 tbsp black pepper corns * 1 cup vegetable oil * 1 tbsp sugar
I used a food processor to mince the chilis, garlic, and onion. Whew! It saved me a lot of time, and that chance that I might burn my hands (and sting my eyes!) with those chilis.
Cooking the chili-garlic oil needs a lot of time as you need to cook it over low fire only. You do not want to end up with burnt garlic. You have to keep on stirring it so it cooks evenly, for around 25-30 minutes. You want a dark (black-ish) color on your chili. Adding sugar and vinegar/lemon juice are optional. I guess it will keep the shelf life of the chili-garlic oil longer. Since I only made small quantity, I decided to forego the vinegar/lemon juice.
Store the chili-garlic oil in a small glass jar, and make sure it is tightly capped to avoid it from spoiling early.
You can add this when cooking meat, to add more spice to your dish, or simply as a sauce to dip fried fish, meat, dumplings, anything you wish to add some delicious kick to! It is definitely going to sky-rocket your appetite! Deym! Do I even need to tell you that? LOL.
Anyhow, let me also share you a short clip of how I prepared it. Hope you like it!
β€οΈ Arlyn
Videos shot via smartphone - Huawei Nova 3
Music: www.bensound.com
My Recent Food Blogs
| Quinoa: The Superfood | | | Sushi 3-Ways [Fusion Dish]Featuring: "Baked Sushi" | | | Birthday Cake 2/2: Fudgy Chocolate Cake with Oreo Cookies Recipe | | | Birthday Cake 1/2: Carrot Cake Recipe | |
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Hello there!
Today, I want to share a dish that I also prepared for my daughter's 6th birthday few days ago. It's been making rounds online recently - thanks to the quarantine brought about by the covid pandemic. I first saw it from one of my friend's IG stories, and did not really bother much. When I saw it from Erwan Heussaff's yt channel though, I knew I had to try it.
Baked Sushi Whaaaa... baked what? Sushi is generally raw fish, but this dish is yeah, baked.
Let me apologize in advance, to the Japanese peeps around. This is more of a fushion dish - Japanese inspired. I had a hard time finding all the necessary ingredients for this; I had to go to 2 big supermarkets for to complete them and nope, I did not get all of them still. LOL.
Fortunately, the dish still tasted soo sushi-ish. Like, really yum, yum, yum.
What is it exactly?
It is, what it is. Sushi, flattened into a baking dish, then baked. It would later on be eaten with nori (dried seaweeds). Don't forget to dip into Japanese sushi soy sauce with wasabi to complete the sushi experience.
3 - Ways
The first recipe I found suggested crab sticks and I was only about to make that. However, I found a canned tuna in my pantry and decided to make tuna toppings too.
When I opened the nori, it was the big square one, and so I tried to make a maki roll too! Not sure how to make it, let alone roll it properly, I had to do a search on the how-to. Oh, thank God for the internet! What will we be without it? Haha.
It was a hit!
A new dish on our table (we've never done this before), this is something that will definitely be served again. Hubby loved it, kids liked it too. Actually, I still have some left over ingredients, I can make it again sooner. I just need to go get buy some sheets of nori.
β€οΈ Arlyn
Videos shot via smartphone - Huawei Nova 3
My Recent Food Blogs
| Birthday Cake 2/2: Fudgy Chocolate Cake with Oreo Cookies Recipe | | | Birthday Cake 1/2: Carrot Cake Recipe | |
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Most Requested Cake This carrot cake is the most requested cake amongst my friends and family so far (well, except for my girl who loves chocolate cake). I have been craving for this cake for over a week already, but only had the chance to make it in time for my daughter's 6th birthday last June 19th.
I first shared here this carrot cake recipe two years ago, you can check the post Baking Carrot-Mango Cake. A Weekend Special Treat. However, I did not add mango this time, just the carrot. *If you ever have less carrots, you can add grated apples too.
No oven, no problem! I had three dishes to cook that involved baking last Friday for my girl's birthday, so I decided it was time to buy LPG for the oven. Unfortunately, there seemed to be a problem with the regulator (it leaks!) so we were not able to use it still.
To bake my dishes, I used a large pot with sand, more like a clay oven as you will see in the video.
Ingredients + Measurements: 2 large carrots, grated (around 2 cups)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 medium sized eggs
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
2 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
chopped walnuts (for toppings)
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Check out the video for the procedure!
Really delicious, moist and dense carrot cake. The cream cheese complements the cake so well.
Until my next video! β€οΈ Arlyn
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The 2020 Annual Solar Eclipse
The annual solar eclipse happens today, June 21, 2020. A solar eclipse happens when the sun, moon and earth are aligned and the moon blocks the sun. Since the moon is smaller than the sun, there appears to be a ring of fire when the moon covers the face of the sun.
Abu Dhabi, UAE Here in the UAE, we were able to observe a partial solar eclipse where the sun was covered up to 86%. It happened from between 8:00am to 11:00am (GMT+4), with the peak at around 9:35am.
We almost missed this phenomena, mistaking the gloomy morning only to the humidity. LOL. Though I was able to see this in the news earlier, I totally forgot it to be today. Thankfully, @kennyroy messaged me and reminded me about it and I was able to take the kids out of the house at around the same time of the peak of the eclipse.
Eye Protection It has to be noted that we MUST NOT look at the sun directly, as it may cause severe damage to our eyesight. Nope, normal sunglasses are not advisable too. We used 2 layers of xray film to safely view the eclipse.
I tried to capture the eclipse through my mobile phone camera Well, you will see that futile attempt on this short video, while below are some pictures I took through the xray film.
Partial Solar Eclipse, Abu Dhabi, UAE - 9:39 am Partial Solar Eclipse, Abu Dhabi, UAE - 10:02 am
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Got inspired by animals today!
Hello there!
I hope you are all well. It's been a while since my last #iamalivechallenge post, and yes, my friends! I AM ALIVE!
Today, let me share some of my thoughts inspired by our cat, "Kulet" (translates as "naughty"), and some birds who always come to our villa.
These birds and our cat have a very special relationship, because they defend her whenever a stray black cat comes to our villa to fight with her. These birds make loud noises and shoo the cat away.
Today, however was different. This afternoon, we heard the birds making loud noises again but the black cat was not there. They kept on for a few minutes before I decided to go out and check what was happening.
Our cat was standing next to an injured bird, and the other birds were agitated.
The big question is, DID KULET HURT THE BIRD OR NOT?
I hope you find time to watch the video and share your thoughts about my realizations from this incident.
Until my next video! Ciao!
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Shrimp Paste Shrimp Paste (bagong alamang) is preserved shrimp or krill, made by adding salt and then fermented for a few weeks. It is widely used as a condiment in the Philippines (and Southeast Asia, if I am not mistaken). We love eating our green mangoes with it, as the saltiness of the bagoong perfectly blends with the tanginess of the mango.
I know it doesn't appeal too much to people from Western countries because of the smell. I have encountered quite a few who cannot stand it. Haha.
Shrimp Paste in Your Dish Shrimp Paste is used as a substitute for salt in some Filipino dishes. We use it for pinakbet or stir fried vegetables, there is also bagoong fried rice, which is simply as the name implies - fried rice with bagoong alamang or shrimp paste. We also add it to our meat, mostly in pork, to make what we call "pork binagoongan".
In this video I will share how I prepared Chicken Binagoongan. It is really easy and simple, and of course, delicious. If you could only smell my kitchen that time!
You will need:
- 1 large chicken breast, sliced into strips
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 small onion, julienned
- 2 small tomatoes, diced
- olive oil and butter for sauteeing
- dried rosemary leaves for aromatics
- black pepper
- oyster sauce
- 1/2 cup water
Procedure:
- Put olive oil and butter in a heated pan, and sautΓ© the onion, garlic and tomatoes until limp.
- Add the chicken. Put pepper and oyster sauce, then mix together. Add more butter if desired.
- Add water and keep at a low simmer for 10- 15 minutes.
- Put the shrimp paste and mix well.
10/10 Rating π My eldest son, gave it a 10/10 rating. I know, he is a fan of my cooking. Lol. But in all fairness, it was really delicious. The taste of the butter lingered on the meat. It is best eaten with steamed rice.
Tip!
You can also cook bagoong fried rice on the same pan. That way, you can make use of some of the sauce that will be left on the pan.
Photos and videos taken using Huawei Nova 3
Edited on phone and uploaded to @threespeak using mobile browser. (First upload attempt got frozen at 97% and disappeared at refresh)
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Hello Hive Peeps!
It's been quite some time since I last posted about our mini vegetable garden. I am sure @kennyroy has been filling you up on some details through his posts.
Today let me share with you the latest on the mongo plants that the kids and I planted almost a month ago. @kennyroy has added some wires for the vines to cling on to.
Moving on to the bitter gourds, more fruits are showing up, which is amazing especially that the weather is starting to really get hot at over 40 degrees C.
The water spinach (kangkong) are also looking good. They are have now grown more luscious, but hubby doesn't want me to take any of them yet.
| | | | | --- | --- | --- |
We also have some new corn sprouts (cover image). I'm not sure what @kennyroy"s plans about them are.
I have mentioned this in one of my previous posts, but did not really show a photo of it. Look what hubby has done to repurpose an old toilet bowl. He has planted some chilis on them.
Hubby also has transplanted the watermelon sprouts to the compost pit we made earlier. So far, so good. Hopefully, they grow to bear fruits since these are plants that can tolerate heat pretty good.
Finally, check out the little mints that I have planted long time back. This is where I pick up my mint for my tea. Cool, right?
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There is also a lemon that has sprouted from the seeds that we throw in. This needs to be transplanted too.
The following months will be tricky - with extreme heat and humidity. Let's see how these plants will thrive in this weather.
How about you, how's your garden?
Videos: Huawei Nova 3 Music: Bensound.com !()
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Hello 3speak Community!
I am sure many, if not all of us have heard about the infamous South Korean coffee sensation - Dalgona Coffee.
Yesterday, I finally had the chance to make one, check my blog here.
Today, let me just show you what happened behind the scene. It is challenging to shoot your own video and prep for the content (I shoot everything with my smartphone). At one point, while trying to get a top shot, my smartphone dropped to my barely frothing coffee!!! Huhu.
In the end, it was a success, but I have to rethink if I will do it again in the near future. My arms are still hurting from all the whisking.
See you again,
Arlyn
Videos and photos taken via Huawei Nova 3.
Credit: Music from Bensound.com
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It's a Holiday! Today is the second day of the Eid Al Fitr Holidays. Not that there is anything different. It is more or less the same for us since I have been staying at home with the kiddos round the clock since the end of February.
The kids requested for donuts again today, so what else should mommy do? Make donuts of course!
It's been a month since I shared here on hive the my first take on making donuts (refer to this post for measurements). Well, it is not the simplest thing to make but for the love of my kids, I will do it again.
Improvisation
In this video you will see 2 tools I used to make the donuts -- a mason jar and a syringe.
I could not find my rolling pin (I know, how can something that big disappear in my kitchen!) and I had trouble with piping the cream filling last time that I ended up using a syringe. Genius, actually. LOL.
More BTS Apart from improvised tools, I also made a major mistake with my dough! Instead of beating the sugar and eggs together first, I put all the ingredients together at once. Not knowing how it will affect the end results, I still went on.
Deep frying...
Well, the first few donuts that I made did not expand a lot. It must be because my oil was too hot, and they cooked fast and the baking powder did not have time to react to the heat.
The next ones were a lot better though.
It was a chore, with all the kneading and the 2 cream fillings I made. My Little Monster had to visit me several times in the kitchen to check if I am done.
Honest Review. Little Monster:
It is yummy. It tastes "sprinkly". (Referring to the rainbow sprinkles)
Kuya:
First of all, yummy; second of all, sweet, and third, good-looking.
Daddy @kennyroy:
It is delicious, but it needs to be bigger next time.
Little Miss:
The donut is yummy, but it is a little bit hard to bite.
(She must have gotten the first ("surprised") ones. Lol)
Whew. But they finished all the donuts in a flash. I think I need to make 2 batches next time. Hopefully, the donuts will be "perfect" that time.
Videos and photos taken via Huawei Nova 3.
Credit: Music from Bensound.com
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Splinterlands makes it easy to earn on a daily basis. Players can win rewards from Tournaments, Ranked play, and Quests! No matter what your skill level or collection size, there is always an opportunity to earn digital assets that have real market value.
Splinter, What? I'd say, I was one of the many who got very excited when SteemMonsters was launched two years ago. As soon as I learned about it, I quickly dug unto the SteemMonsterdom. Hey, I even mentioned it to be the "next big thing on Steem", and I guess I was right.
My bad, I did not really focus on playing and I have left my account stagnant after that FOMO rush. My last game was in November 2018 - Actifit + Steem Monsters and the Joy I Call "My Children". Rightfully so, eventually, I got left out.
Diving into it one more time. A few days ago, I had the chance to open my Splinterlands account, but still could not quite get a grasp of the game. <<"insert face palm here">> There are a few active Splinterlands players in the PH community, we even have a channel for it in the Discord server of HivePH. They are even talking about creating a guild. What to you say about that? (Be sure to chime in on Discord!)
Today at the Third PH Hivers/Steemian Community Meeting initiated by @pinoy.viajero, we touched upon the Splinterlands dApp, and this naturally sparked my interest to the game again.
A noob me is Ranked Novice having played only a total of 29 battles in the period of two years. Duhhh! Will anyone want me in their guild? Lol.
My Son Beside Me Well, thankfully, my 11 year old son was with me when I opened my game. A few clicks here and there, and he got the idea. I think I will have him play this game in between.
We finished the daily quest and advanced to Bronze III Level and what do you say, I am inching my way to 5 loot chests in seven days!
Shameless Show of Cards π Well, my cards aren't even that good, so don't feel threatened. LOL. I have not purchased any deck since 2018. I am not sure if I will ever
Our quest today involved the Death Element and we used this guy here:
See, as I said, don't feel threatened at all!
A couple of games in, my son was able to "strategize" and use wisely what resources we had. This guy here was his favorite for the first line:
My Little Monster also enjoyed watching as this Haunted Spirit heals itself. Whew!
I never knew how to read the cards and understand the capabilities and properties of the card. Well, again, glad my sons were there. Haha.
Would you be interested to see a replay of that Novice Game? Not too exciting I might say, but nonetheless, my sons enjoyed so....
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