We Are a SHRIMP Family!

This was one of those moments when I had to run at the feet of Jesus for words of comfort, soothing words for the tired soul. Homeschooling two young kids could at times take its toll on you. I mean, school is not what we do 8 hours a day, but it could get tough at times.  So, this was just one among those times when a little creativity, my love for photography and print would just jump off out of me, God's way of telling me that He is in control of everything. And my goal was to encourage and remind myself that, "hey, you're doing well, you're doing just fine, stop being anxious, God is in control."

"THRIVING NOT JUST SURVIVING," my daughter saw this printed on the cover of my personal ring-binder seating nicely on our family table over lunch time. This was a cover design I have just printed the night before, my girl remarked in a nonchalant manner, "Mommy, we are a shrimp family." I chuckled, I asked her to repeat what she said, although I heard her, but was not sure of what she meant. "Yes, that's right, we are a shrimp family. Shrimp are able to swim through the water and could swim against the current, and they can withstand all the pressures, toxins around them. Our family is like that. You always tell us that we don't always have to be like the rest of the world, we don't have to do what everyone else is doing all the time. And yet, we're thriving! " (With a little modification on wordings for blogging purposes.)


So, this young lady, whom I thank God is learning the art of critical-thinking, went back to eating her lunch and then said, "O, Mom! This shrimp "sinigang" is soooo yummy! Can I have more rice please?" Proud Mom obliged her girl's request  without hesitation.

WHAT'S IN THE POT: SHRIMP OF COURSE, FRESH TOMATOES, FRESH-SQUEEZED "KALAMANSI " JUICE, SILING HABA (LONG PEPPER/SPANISH PEPPER)

"Sinigang" is a favorite Filipino broth or soup dish that has a tangy-zesty taste in it. It is believed to be a dish that was brought by the Spanish colonizers to the Philippines from centuries ago. When the Spaniards left, "sinigang" left an indelible mark on Pinoy taste buds and became a regular family dish paired with boiled rice which is a staple at the table. "Sinigang" could be pork, chicken, or fish.

My common practice is to use the tamarind fruit and its young leaves to give out the tangy-zesty taste to the soup/broth. At times, powder soup-mixes come in handy when good quality tamarind fruits are hard to find. But for this day, I have tried using the Philippine lemon, or what we popularly call "kalamansi" to acidify my soupy dish. I was hoping to achieve not just the tangy-zesty "kick" but also I want a hint of "fruitiness" in it. Oh, I drool just by writing about it. 

THE GREEN CIRCLE LEAVES THAT YOU SEE ARE "MALUNGGAY" LEAVES.  THEY GROW IN ABUNDANCE IN A TROPICAL COUNTRY LIKE THE PHILIPPINES. AND MY GENEROUS NEIGHBOR HAS GIVEN MY FAMILY AN UNLIMITED "ACCESS" TO THEIR "MALUNGGAY" TREE ANYTIME WE WANT. GOOGLE SAYS "MALUNGGAY" HAS A SCIENTIFIC NAME: MORINGGA OLEIFERA. ON A SIDE NOTE-  I WAS SURPRISED AT MY DISCOVERY THE OTHER DAY THAT MORINGGA OLEIFERA CAN ALSO BE USED AS AN INGREDIENT FOR A PERFUME AT THE BODY SHOP DURING MY SHORT TRIP AT ONE OF OUR LOCAL MALLS. I'M LEFT WONDERING HOW IT SMELLED THOUGH, HUH...

Was my decision to drop by at "Monterey," the name of a local meat shop, while running errands to pay my bills earlier that morning worth it? I'd say it's a yes. Thank you "Monterey" that even if you are primarily a meat-shop, you have added "shrimp" to your regulars. Hailing from the island province of Oriental Mindoro where sea foods are always fresh and abundant, I have high standards for choosing what sea foods get cooked and served at our family table, and you won my approval: they are clean and fresh and reasonably priced. Forget that they're frozen, but they're frozen fresh.  

THE LABEL SAYS, "WHITE SHRIMP / SUAHE," THE LAST WORD I BELIEVE IS A CHINESE WORD FOR SHRIMP THAT HAS BEEN ADAPTED  AS TAGALOG WORD FOR THE SMALLER KIND OF SHRIMP LIKE THESE ONES. AND AGAIN, I SAY, THESE ARE FRESH SHRIMP WITH ITS SWEETNESS AND JUICINESS.