Raising a Happy Child

Becoming a parent provided me with what I considered my happiest moment. I can vividly remember when I had my first glance at my first born child inside the nursery room over the glass window; I was instantly transcended into the highest level of joy I could never imagine. It’s truly magical and for a moment, I felt there was no other emotion inside of me but pure happiness. And then I felt love, lots of love, overflowing. You will be amazed by how much you can love someone you just met for the first time.

I believe most parents also experienced such enchanting feeling upon seeing their first born the very first time. It is a natural phenomenon probably driven by instinct and powered by complex human emotion.







Our fascination continues each passing day. We struggle to provide what we believe will give them joy………will give them happiness. It’s human nature. Or probably more aptly, parents nature.

Happiness seems everything we want to give to our children. Who doesn’t? It’s every parent’s goal……dream……aspiration. But then we have to ask, is our child really happy?

In an article in babycenter.com a child psychologist explains “Happiness isn't something you can give a child like a prettily wrapped present. In fact, trying to serve up happiness by showering children with toys — or even shielding them from emotional discomfort — can get in the way of their long-term happiness by denying them the chance to develop important inner tools …… and that the best predictors of happiness are internal, not external.”

But don’t worry; you don’t have to be an expert in child psychology to guide your child toward happiness. Just help him develop the inner strength and wisdom he needs in life. With patience and flexibility, you can lay the foundation for a lifetime of happiness. These simple guidelines provided by BabyCenter will help you.

Learn to read the signs: “Babies will become a master at showing you when something makes him content or upset. As you get to know your own child's temperament, you'll become better at learning the signs that something's not right in his world.”

Make room for fun: “Although a colorful crib mobile may bring a smile to your baby's face, what makes your baby happiest is much simpler: YOU. That's the first key to creating a happy child. Connect with your baby, play with her. If you're having fun with your baby, she's having fun. If you create a 'connected childhood,' that is by far the best step to guarantee your child will be happy."

Help them develop their talents: “Happy people are often those who have mastered a skill. When your baby figures out how to get the spoon into his mouth or takes those first shaky steps by himself, he learns from his mistakes, he learns persistence and discipline, and then he experiences the joy of succeeding due to his own efforts.”

Healthy bodies, happy children: “Lots of sleep, exercise, and a healthy diet are important to children’s well-being. Giving your baby plenty of space to release her energy, whether that means kicking her legs in the air, crawling toward a beloved ball, or going back and forth, will help put her in a good mood.”

Let them struggle with problems: “It's good to let babies cry a little as long as you're giving them lots of positive affection and attention. Children need to learn to tolerate some distress. Let them struggle, figure out things on their own, to allow them to learn how to cope. Allowing children a range of experiences, even the difficult or frustrating ones, helps build the reservoir of inner strength that leads to happiness.”

Allow them to be sad or mad: “Children need to know that it's okay to be unhappy sometimes — it's simply part of life. And if we try to squelch any unhappiness, we may be sending the message that it's wrong to feel sad. We need to let them experience their feelings, including sadness.”

Be a role model: “You can pass on your temperament to your children — not necessarily through your genes — but through your own behavior and childrearing style. Children pick up on their parents' moods. Even young babies imitate their parents' emotional style. In other words, when you smile, your baby smiles and his brain becomes "wired" for smiling.”

Teach them to do meaningful things: “As baby matures, she can be taught — with even the smallest day-to-day lessons. You can teach your child the satisfaction of give and take. If you give her a bite of banana, let her do the same by feeding you a piece. Show her how happy her gesture of generosity made you feel.”

Good luck to parenting. It’s everything. …..c”,)

Home-Made Chunky Pizza Sauce

Pizza is basically made of the shell, the sauce, the toppings and the cheese. In order to create a truly delicious pizza you owe to have a really good sauce, the second component which provides the foundation on how your pizza would taste. While you can always buy a readymade pizza sauce from the groceries and supermarkets, you won’t really be satisfied with your pizza creation knowing you just purchased one of the main components.

So liberate yourself from that feeling of incomplete fulfillment, take the next level and make your own pizza sauce. It’s easy, rewarding and fun. As promised in my Chicken Sausage Pizza post, I will show you how I do mine… c“,)

So let’s now re-create the home-made chunky pizza sauce I used in my pizza post earlier. This is basically an adapted Italian Marinara Sauce with some twists to make it particularly special for pizza. The difference from other pizza sauces is in the tomato. I preferred the tomato chunky by just chopping rather than smooth by mixing in a blender.

The main ingredient is of course real fresh plum tomatoes, about 1 kilo. Properly washed in running water then boiled for several minutes until it can be easily peeled.



Drained the peeled tomato and then chopped into gorgeous chunky pieces. Set aside.





For other ingredients you will need 2 tbsp vegetable oil (you can use olive oil if you have), 2 tbsp garlic, peeled and minced, 1 large onion, minced, 1 pc green or red bell pepper (or combination), minced, ½ cup grated carrots, ½ tbsp chicken broth powder, 1 cup sweet tomato sauce or Filipino banana catsup, ½ tsp dried oregano and ½ tsp dried basil leaves. To make it even special you can also put ½ cup mushroom, minced and 2 stalks celery, minced, I just don’t have at the moment so I omitted them in this preparation.



Heat oil in a thick large casserole and sauté garlic until slightly browned then add the onion. Add the other ingredients one at time, first your bell pepper, then grated carrots, mushroom and celery (if you are using) and continue sautéing. Then add your chicken powder.





Then add the chopped tomato and simmer in really low heat. Be careful not to burn the bottom by mixing from time to time. When the watery liquid has evaporated pour your sweet tomato sauce, mixed properly and continue simmering. I am using a Sri Lankan tomato sauce which is similar to Philippines sweet banana catsup that’s why I don’t used sugar anymore. Otherwise you might want to add some sugar at this point.

Add the oregano and basil and let it simmer for 2 more minutes. Taste and adjust to your sweetness preference. Add salt if you think necessary but I usually don’t.

When you’re satisfied with the taste, turn off the heat and let it cool.

That’s it, easy right? Others include cheese, tomato paste and some other herds such as rosemary in their recipes. That would be fine too, but for me this chunky sauce is good enough. Enjoy.

Goto (Arroz Caldo con Goto or Beef Tripe Congee)

In the Philippines, aside from the more famous Callos and Kare-Kare, beef tripe is also cook in a congee-type soup (“lugaw”) called “Goto” or “Arroz Caldo con Goto”. It is a popular breakfast or snack (“merienda”) meal especially in the cities where people are always on the go. You can eat it from high end restaurants, mall food courts and even roadsides eateries.

Our net friend Wiki says beef tripe is usually made only from the first three chambers of a cow's stomach: the rumen (blanket/flat/smooth tripe), the reticulum (honeycomb and pocket tripe), and the omasum (book/bible/leaf tripe). I think the first two are what the Filipino collectively called “tuwalya” and last one is “libro”. Any of these can be used for that comfort food called “Goto”.

The main two (2) ingredients you need in making “Goto” are as follows: First, 1 ½ cup rice, a combination of regular long grain and glutinous would be perfect, but since I only have Thailand Jasmine so I have to settle with it. Washed the rice properly then drained thoroughly in a fine strainer. Brown it in a medium hot pan without oil and set aside.

Second, ½ kl beef tripe or “tuwalya”/”libro”, meticulously cleaned (do it several times) then boiled and slowly simmered in a casserole with enough water to cover and 2 pcs crushed thumb-sized ginger until pork tender. Others boiled tripe in garlic, bay leaves, onion, carrots and whole pepper corn but for me just ginger is enough to remove all that unwanted smell and after taste. I don’t use the water used in boiling anyway. Sliced the tender tripe in strips of 1 cm by 3 cm (3/8 inch by 1 inch) and set aside.

Other ingredients are your basic sautéing stuff and some really good chicken (or pork) broth (this is important). The broth from the boiled tripe as I said above is a no-no for me. You can use it at your own risk.....:-)

So you also need 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1/2 head of garlic, peeled and minced, 1 pc thumb-sized ginger, julienned, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 onion, chopped, 1 tsp ground pepper, about 10 cups broth (maybe more), 1 pc leeks, sliced diagonally, 1 tsp “kasuba”, salt to taste and 3 tbsp minced spring/green onion.

Heat oil in a thick large casserole then sauté garlic and ginger. Add the fish sauce, onion, ground pepper and continue sautéing.

Add the browned rice and sliced tripe. Pour in the broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for about 40-45 minutes or until the rice grains are cooked and puffed.

Add the leeks and “kasuba” and let it simmer for 3 more minutes. Adjust the broth level according the consistency you like. My father likes it thin while my mother wants it a little sticky so I go to the middle ……… which my wife prefers….c”,). Taste and add salt if necessary.

When you’re satisfied with the taste, turn off the heat, sprinkle the spring onion on top and return the cover for another minute. Just another minute, please wait, you’ll have it soon.

You can serve is as you wish, some toasted garlic and sliced boiled egg (or salted egg) on top and calamansi on the side are just perfect additions. Enjoy. As for me, I have to rush some to my Dad, this is his favorite.

White Sandy Beach & Coral Reefs of Sri Lanka: Simply Amazing

Sri Lanka is an island in the Indian Ocean surrounded by the rich waters of Bengal Bay to the southeast and Arabian Sea to the southwest. This tiny but naturally beautiful island offers an abundance of white sandy beaches, lush greenery, exciting water adventures and amazing wildlife.

It also has very healthy coral reefs and wide deep waters providing shelters to numerous varieties of coral and sub tropical fishes and other astounding marine life.

Among the well known coral reefs and popular beaches in the southern part which are close to my residence are those of Hikkaduwa and Unawatuna. Their fine white beaches and clear blue waters attract thousands of tourists every year.

Hikkaduwa which is among the first tourist areas developed is one of the most visited beach resorts offering several water activities. Angling is one but it’s still on the early stage with vast potentials for development. It is famous for its reefs and fishes. The reef, which runs parallel to the shore and a few meters below the water, can be explored with snorkel and flippers, or in a glass-bottomed boat.

The famous & lovely Unawatuna Bay located in the bursting City of Galle is protected by a vast reef which provides safe retreat for swimmers, light surfers and beach watchers. The tranquil and gentle wave plus the truly fine white sand qualifies it to one of the world’s best destinations.

I feel very lucky to have fished these waters several times with pretty impressive results. Schools of gamefish abound which provide the fights all anglers are dreaming of. Even from the shoreline, surfcasters and shore anglers will not be disappointed.

At the end of each day, when your body desires an absolute rest and relaxation after all those tiring but extremely pleasing activities, you can always sit back, sip your favorite drinks and be enchanted watching the mysterious beauty of the sun setting.

Sunset in Hikkaduwa

Sunset in Unawatuna