Easy Writing Contest: How I spent My New Year's Day Celebration

Happy New Year to all my steemit family! Another year has come and counting with hope that everything will run smoothly to each and everyone of us despite the ordeal that we've painstakingly undergone during the past years! There are still lots of things that I am grateful of and praise God, we're safe and going stronger!

Before the New Year, we spent our Christmas celebration at my daughter's house in Bacolod because the following day was scheduled for my grandson's dedication. I then prepared my hamonada, empanadas and cassava cake beforehand to avoid hassles in the kitchen when I arrive from travel which would be so tiresome since it was already 24th when we departed. All I did was prepare the carbonara before Media Noche. Mothers are like that I guess.):

We went home on the 30th for the New Year's Eve celebration. Of course, I did the marketing. My daughters shared with the expenses to be incurred and I opted to prepare food just enough for the four of us. I prepared the following:

• Hamonada
• Spaghetti
• Escabeche
• Pochero
•
• Cake
• Fruits
• Red Wine

We already had so much food the previous Christmas and the dedication of our baby that my daughter said I've had enough of sweets! Salad and sweets was then purposely omitted for the New Year! LoL! Well, they're only after my welfare since I already have my maintenance so I conceded to that.

I used firewood to do the cooking in our dirty kitchen to save gas since I have already gathered dried branches and twigs from our backyard for this kind of occasion because it's faster to cook this way when I prepare varied menus.

Since Hamonada and Pochero takes time to be cooked, I prepared the ingredients for my Hamonada first along with the beef Pochero and let it boil separately for hours until they're tenderized.

While both were still on the process of boiling, I prepared the other dishes.

Fish preparation:

Remove the intestines and gills and wash thoroughly then stuff the tummy with chopped lemon grass, spring onions, tomatoes, black pepper, salt and seasoning to taste. Sprinkle the top base of the fish with flour to avoid from sticking in deep oil. I fried the big tuna fish (about 1.5 kilos) on the big wok and the spices for the gravy on the other side.

Gravy Preparation: (All spices were cut in long strips:)

•Ginger
•Carrots
•Bell Peppers
•Onions
•Garlic

Mixed Liquid:

•3 cups water
•1/4 vinegar
•1/4 soy sauce
•1/2 cup brown sugar
•1/4 tomato paste
•1/3 cup corn starch
•1 tsp black peppers
•Salt and seasonings to taste

Mix all liquid ingredients then set aside.

Sautee the spices with cooking oil and stir then add the liquid ingredients, stirring occasionally until sticky.

Place the fried fish in a platter and pour the gravy on top.

Afterwards, I prepared the shrimp gambas recipe while boiling the pasta on the other stone stove then the spaghetti sauce followed.

How to cook Gambas:

Simply sautee garlic, onion, tomatoes, bell peppers then add the shrimps stirring occasionally. Next add a bit of vinegar, oyster sauce, blVk pepper, tomatoes paste and seasonings to taste. Let it simmer for 15 minutes only. Do not overcook.

Having done with Escabeche and Gambas, I proceeded with my Hamonada and Pochero which were both tender already with the following mixtures:

2 kilos Tenderloin (whole and uncut)
Potatoes (fried)
Ripe Cooked banana & fried
Catcup
Tomato paste
Laurel leaves
Basil leaves
Anis
Black peppers
Sliced Pineapple including juice
Sprite
Brown sugar
Salt and seasonings to taste

• Aside from potatoes and bananas, the rest of the ingredients were added and boiled until tender then I added the potatoes and bananas. Remove from heat when the desired amount of sarsa is acquired.

Pochero:

•1 kilo beef thigh, cut without eliminating the bone marrow.
•Spring Onions
•Bell Peppers
•Chili (Espada)
•Potatoes
•Banana (cardaba)
•Pechay
•Batuan
•Sinigang Mix sa gabi
•Black Peppers
•Lemon grass
•Salt and seasonings to taste

-After the beef cuts are tenderized, all you need to do is add the potatoes, bananas and the rest. Serve hot.

Spaghetti:

1 kilo spaghetti
1/2 kilo ground meat
Garlic
Onions
Cheese
Spaghetti sauce
Meat sauce
Tomato paste
Black peppers
Brown sugar

I see to it that I wash the pasta after boiling and drained so that it won't be saggy. Next, the spices are sauteed adding the rest of the ingredients. A little amount of brown sugar is added to regulate the sourness of the sauce.

After my task in the kitchen, we started making the table for four. Our long table is too big for us so Antonia and I joined the two small table that would be enough for us four and covered with our Christmas mantle.

My daughter arranged the table this time after sending her baby to sleep.

She made a beautiful arrangement of these little stuffs in lieu of the sweets I meantioned. She said that I already had enough sweets last Christmas! LoL!

Since our baby didn't have enough sleep during daytime as they went to the house of his grandpa, the clock striked 12 midnight but he was "dead sleep" despite the noise outside!

After offering our Thanksgiving prayer, we took some souvenir photos. Antonia's mom and my youngest son was not around since Angela is in Germany and Benjer was tied with his work at the call center. Nevertheless, we called each other via messenger GC. Thanks to our technology that we were still able to communicate with each unlike the old days that we only had letters and telegrams as our means of communication!

Here are some of our photos taken at New Year's Eve. We were not able to stroll around the park due to bad weather.

Once again, I would like to thank you all especially my steemit Philippines Community for your booming support!

With the coming of another year, I fervently pray for good health and prosperity to all mankind. I am asking God to forgive me from my sins and cleanse my soul so that I may be able to enter the door to eternity. Amen.

Before I forget, I would like to invite @joshuelmarie, @caydenshan and @lorelie.cortes to join in this contest as well.

God bless us all,
@Sarimanok