Behind the Blog's Name

BEBENGISM is a straight-in-your-face imitation of MELANISM. No, not the dark pigmentation of the skin that is the opposite of albinism, but coined because of Miss International 1979 Melanie Marquez's quotable quotes. Ten of the most memorable melanisms can be read here. As a stay-at-home mom then, Facebook was my only social life. Status updates were my micro-blogs. Whenever it's something quirky (or so I thought), I put the word bebengism prior the post. For example, "Bebengism: Breakfast cereals can be eaten any time of the day." But if my memory serves me right, I have only posted three updates containing the word. Well, it doesn't stop me from using (and abusing!) it, bebengism now holds a special place in my FB Photo Albums. The album mostly consists of photos of food I have prepared over the months as a SAHM and some random things my frustrated photographer's eyes had seen.

Our Newly-Renovated Room

This room had cost us my husband's midyear bonus. To date, the room's a bit messy, full of my daughter's toys and its two pin lights aren't working anymore. But we barely care about it 'cause it serves as our home for almost a year now. It witnessed my little giggly girl's shrieks when I tickle her, my bouts of emotional arguments with my "virtual" husband and the solace of being alone, reading (and re-reading) all my magazines and books.

Chicken Cordon Bleu with Buttered Broccoli
My husband's favorite! Lakas daw maka-catering.

Kangkong topped with Stir-fried White Onions
Simply our take on the domesticated adobong kangkong.

Fried Rice, Fried Siomai and Sauteed Vegetables

Spiced & Buttered Baby Potatoes

I envy Janice de Belen's spice rack and promised myself to have one in the future. So when I got hold of three McCormick spices, I put 'em all in these innocent baby potatoes. Regardless of the fact that herbs should match the food you're spicing. It was delicious, anyway.

Chocolate Truffles

My husband has sweet TEETH (plural, yes.) but when he tasted these, he said he almost had diabetes. Haha! Too much condensed milk or confectionery sugar, perhaps. :p

Sizzling Shrimps in Butter and Garlic Sauce

My mother-in-law (MIL) adores her hot plate. She bought this basically for tofu sisig. She said she wants to cook something that she ate from Max's, but when she bought shrimps from the wet market, as getting sick of (nauumay, that is) the usual butter & garlic tandem, I made use of the hot plate's existence so as to innovate. Voila! Very pulutan-ish dinner. Kampay!

Oriental Fried Rice, Breaded Cream Dory Fillet
and Buttered Button Mushrooms with Cooked Peas

Cream Dory fillet can be bought in the supermarket at a very reasonable price. In Parco Supermarket in Concepcion, Marikina City, it's located in a separate fridge together with fishballs, squidballs, lumpiang shanghai and the like. You can buy it at Php80 to Php110 per pack. I specifically recommend this to parents having a hard time feeding your kids fish. Because it doesn't stink like fish and it's best fried, dipped in mayonnaise. Yum! 

Buttered Vegetables

My little story-teller thinks broccoli is a tree and baby potatoes are mountains. She's the giant monster eating the forest! Her imagination is ridiculously funny but I'm lucky she eats veggies, as long as it's pleasing to her eyes. She doesn't like eggplant which she thinks is dirty. And I remembered her saying "my tongue is itchy, Nanay!"

Sophia's Nuggets

Oh! Before I forget, as the youngest girl in the family, my father called me Bebeng (somewhat a Pinoy way of the endearment baby) and thus started the blog's name. Clear, yes?

P.S. All pictures were taken using my trusty almost 2-year-old Nokia C3. Do you think I deserve to have a DSLR? Paging the husband of the blogger! ♥