MEComposing

I told my cousin Tin to bring along her boyfriend when we have dinner this coming Sunday (for my birthday). She said we only keep teasing her about how un-cute he was. My sister and cousin reminded her that he really isn't much to look at (inferno to her, he's not drop-dead ugly naman, he's just too average-looking compared to my cousin who resembles Angel Aquino sans the square-jaw). I remarked that women of our clan never did prefer good-looking men (based from our mothers/aunts and our good-looking female cousins who married non-meztizo and some verging on ugly men).

My cousin then remarked, "What will I do with good-looking men who only want to have sex with me?"

And I couldn't be prouder that my cousin, like our other cousins, valued the intangible worth of a man over his superficial qualities.

But of course, I pray that my sister and cousin have as healthy an attitude towards sex and their bodies as I do... it's kinda pointless being a woman and not be sensual.

*~*

Attended the Talent Explosion of the Psych Soc at my old college and met up with old friends. Actually, only 4 of us showed up but we still managed to have a really great time going over old professors (they all knew the one who I hit with a polvoron) and the good old times.

We laughed at the memory of how yucky, loserly men used to take Lite dancing... and how Bhing donned a gown with metallic-chain straps we only wrapped around two buttons at the back, strutting her stuff on stage without knowing that if the chain unwounds from the button, she'd have bared her breasts in front of the whole school (alas, she was still 1st runner-up for Ms. Intrams)... I told them how we'd take that satin cloth in Intramuros and sew the border sequins there, and unravel most of what Allee did because she was just not born to sew... we talked of how we'd escape teachers even if they're only 5 minutes late... and which professors made which of our classmates cry... They all told us how they were amzed that Allee and I would top quizzes when we'd always escape to go watch movies instead... and how, the guy sitting beside Bhing at the Conference Hall that day ended up liplocking with our gay friend Jerry... and how crazy some of our professors were (imagine being given 10 behavior cases, then asked to prepare 3 personality theories as explanation for each behavior... and still not knowing which of the 10 you'd be asked to defend during the oral exam)... and how we could have bagged the trophy for our play Salome, if only our star had a louder voice (Allee was already shouting-projecting, to no avail, and she lost her voice for a week after that).

We also talked about our present preoccupations and future plans. I'm gonna miss Tere, who's being sent to Germany to take up anotehr masteral degree... and Bhing's first baby's upcoming birthday (am godmommy to Julian btw).

How I loved college!

Tere, Me, Lite and Bhing

*~*

I seldom cook. And I couldn't find any cumin powder so I used chili powder instead. But the following recipe was a hit at home. They kept complaining that it was too spicy (my Bicolana Mom didn't raise us with spicy anything). But JRA loved it (and refused to go home without getting the recipe) and kept begging me to move the platter away from him. We topped this with Rocky Road cake (yummy!!!) ... and if anyone's wondering why I cooked, it's got to do with grand gestures and JRA... :)

Anyway, feel free to use the recipe as is... or use chili powder instead (maybe you can reduce it to just a tablespoon). I've already thanked my friend from whom I got this one (it was a hit at her birthday party two weeks ago, see).


Brownie Style Chicken Nuggets

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken breast fillet, sliced into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 tbsp. curry powder
2 tsps. cumin powder
2 cubes of chicken broth cubes, mashed or crushed
2 tsps. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper

Breading:
A pack of crushed graham crackers. Eggs, beaten

Mix all the dry ingredients. Rub the crushed/mashed chicken broth cubes all over the sliced chicken pieces. Then mix the chicken with the dry ingredients and let it marinate for about an hour or 2.

Heat up a pan with oil for deep frying. Dip the chicken pieces into the beaten eggs, and then roll the chicken pieces in graham crackers until they're covered entirely, then fry until deep brown.


Sour Cream & Garlic Dipping Sauce
1 container of Sour Cream
1 1/2 tbsp of Garlic Powder
1 tsp. salt