(Photo edited on canva.)
Hallo Hivers! Bhamshell once again.It has been weeks now since I came home from our boarding house. I really relax my body, get enough sleep, eat a lot of my favorite vegetables, and spend my free time watching television.
On the day, my parents are in the field, for they have work to finish there. As a sugarcane planter, they need to be in the field daily to maintain the stand of sugarcane (the grass is not competing with its length) and to put fertilizer on it for further growth.
Only I and my youngest sister are left in the house.In the morning, when we two woke up, we didn't have to cook rice because our parents had already left us rice. All we need to do is cook our meals for breakfast and lunch.
We start our day by first fixing our bed, sweeping the floor, and cleaning up the trash that the dog has scattered.
Boredom might occasionally result from staying at home. And time passes by so quickly. As the clock approaches 2:00 p.m. Following our midday meal, we are considering what to cook and consume.
Cooking is not exhausting; thinking about it is. We've prepared a lot of kakanin cuisine that fills and satisfies our bellies.
We prepared steamed cassava as our first merienda. The rootcrop cassava is given to us by our neighborhood. They planted plenty of it, and for the reason that his wife is allergic to this root crop, he gave us most of it. Upon receiving it, my father rushed to peel it because he thought it was nice to be steamed. After peeling the cassava, my youngest brother is the one who slices it using a scraper. The secret of the cassava is to not taste bitter; you will squeeze it until it doesn't have juice. My father is the one who squeezes it, for he is stronger than us.
We had bread with a twist for our second merienda (lol). All we have here at home is flour, brown sugar, and baking powder. In order to satisfy our hunger, we made use of the ingredients that were on hand. We add water to the mixing bowl after we've combined all the ingredients, just enough to get everything well combined. It's finished mixing. The second thing we do is shape the flour mixture into a little circle the size of a peso coin. Once the circle is formed, we use a fork to give the mixture a different look. The fork is pressed into the flour in circles, and then it is flipped to create a shell. Forming is completed, we get the frying pan, oil, colander and frying ladle ready to cook everything at once and serve it.
(Photo edited on canva.)
The Gulaman leche flan taste is our third merienda option.According to my youngest sister, it is stocked in the tray of eggs. Before deciding to have our merienda, I read first the ingredients needed, the procedure to follow, and to finally anticipate the outcome of this.It also includes the components and methods for manufacturing caramelized sugar. Based on the ingredients, we need to add sugar, eggs, evaporated milk, and condensed milk. Since we only have one Gulaman sachet, one piece of egg, and sugar, we ignore the fact that our materials are insufficient and combine everything in a pan according to the directions. We just add what's on hand and savor its deliciousness.
Reflecting on my time at home after leaving the boarding house, I realize how fulfilling and enriching these weeks have been. With my parents working diligently in the fields as sugarcane planters, my youngest sister and I have embraced the opportunity to manage our household and explore our culinary skills.
Through our daily routines, from tidying up the house to preparing meals, we've developed a sense of responsibility and resourcefulness. The occasional boredom has been outweighed by the joy of cooking together and experimenting with the ingredients we have on hand. Each merienda we prepared—steamed cassava, bread with a twist, and Gulaman leche flan—was not just a meal but a creative endeavor that brought us closer.
Despite the challenges of limited resources, we learned to make the most of what we had, transforming simple ingredients into satisfying dishes. This experience has not only filled our bellies but also enriched our bond as siblings, teaching us the value of collaboration, creativity, and gratitude for the little things in life. As I reflect on these moments, I appreciate the lessons learned and the memories created during this time at home.