Toni's The Ref Door Project 2

image from Toni's site

This is the second time I'm joining Toni's Ref Door Project. You can see my first Ref Door entry here.

Nothing has changed much. I still have all of my old ref magnets but I have a few new ones too. The colorful dinosaur ref magnets on the lower left side corner were made by my hubby and my son using a craft kit. The cute spotted dog and the wine bottle were given to me by my blog friend Thess.

What Rachel Means

I saw this at Melli's site and thought it would be nice to try it too. There are some things I don't think apply to me but it's an interesting result. Go ahead and try this fun quiz.

What Rachel Means

You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Source of Fun Online Quizzes

I enjoy doing online quizzes because they are fun, entertaining and easy to do. It's fun to post quiz results on your blog and compare yours with the results of your blog friends.

I’m a member of Quibblo, a good source of online quizzes, surveys and polls. The site now features special pages where you can find the most popular quiz topics.

You can choose from a variety of interesting topics. If you are fond of anime, try the Naruto quizzes. Quibblo even has a discussion forum where you can discuss your favorite ones.

Oink, Oink! A Personality Test

I saw this Draw A Pig site from Meeyauw and I decided to give it a try. Here's my drawing. Meet Piglet.

In this site, you are required to draw a pig online and answer a few questions. Then you will receive a personality analysis.

Common, give it a try. Just for fun. Let me know if you do so I can give you an oink.


My results are:

- a realist
- direct, enjoy playing devil's advocate and neither fear nor avoid discussions
- emotional and naive
- a good listener
- i drew a medium sized tail (find out what it means)

Lasang Pinoy 18 :: An Invitation from Toni

image courtesy of Toni

Toni of Wifely Steps is hosting Lasang Pinoy 18: Oh my Gulay! According to Toni, "Lasang Pinoy was created to promote Filipino food." She invited me to share some interesting vegetable stories, experiences and dishes.

Here are some of my personal stories about certain vegetables and simple dishes that I would like to share ...

LABANOS (Raddish)
photo source
My mom told me that when she was pregnant with me, she always craved for ensaladang labanos. Filipinos refer to this food craving during pregnancy as paglilihi. Here is a very simple recipe of ensaladang labanos based on how my mom did it.


Ensaladang Labanos

Ingredients:

3 pcs. labanos
2 pcs. tomatoes
1/2 onion
vinegar
salt
sugar

Procedure:

1. Wash and peel labanos (raddish). Cut diagonally into thin slices (circular).
2. Put salt and squeeze bitter juice out.
3. Wash and squeeze dry.
4. Put in a bowl. Add thinly sliced tomatoes and onions.
5. Add vinegar, salt and sugar.

Ironically, I don't eat labanos (raddish). I don't like the smell of ensaladang labanos. This dish, however, fondly reminds me of my mom because it's one of her favorite side dishes.

OKRA
photo source
When we were young, my mom and yaya (nanny) would mix okra seeds with our rice to make eating faster. They said, my brother and I took so long to finish our meals and the okra seeds mixed in our rice helped us swallow our food faster. Thus, ever since we were children, my brother and I would cut our okra in the middle to get the seeds out. We never ate the outer okra. Relatives and friends would find our okra-eating-habit amuzing.

Would you believe it was only several months ago when I learned to eat a whole okra? My sister-in-law planted okra in her garden. She gave us some freshly picked okra and convinced me to try eating the whole thing. I did. Amazing how crunchy fresh okra could be. With some bagoong (shrimp paste), I realized blanched okra could be quite tasty.

Now, I eat okra just like everybody else. I still have to convince my brother though. :)

PATANI (Lima Beans)
photo source
I'm familiar with the name Patani because of the Flipino song Bahay Kubo but I have never tried it when I was young. I tasted it for the first time when my mother-in-law cooked some for lunch. My husband also cooks it from time to time. Patani is widely available in the Philippine market during months of June to August. Let me share with you the recipe of Patani with Sotanghon.


Patani with Sotanghon

Ingredients:

2 cups patani (lima beans)
1 cup tomatoes diced
1/4 cup sliced onions
1 cup minced pork
5 cups chicken broth
2 tbsps. garlic chopped
250 grams sotanghon
salt & pepper to taste
kuchay (young garlic shoots) chopped

Procedure:
1. Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes. Add minced pork. Wait until golden brown.
2. Mix the patani (lima beans).
3. Add chicken broth.
4. Put sotanghon, salt and pepper.
5. Bring to a boil.
6. Once patani (lima beans) are cooked, add chopped young garlic shoots.

Amy's Scavenger Hunt

I'm enjoying playing along Amy's Random Thoughts Scavenger Hunt. It has been six days since it started and I always look forward to the exciting task of the day.

I made this sign for the Scavenger Hunt. In case, you're a participant, feel free to use it too. Just right click and save the photo on your computer.

Happy Hunting!

KMMS Postcard Swap

I received this lovely postcard from Judy of Welcome to My World of Dreams. Thank you Judy! Finding a lovely surprise in my mailbox always brigthens my day.

I met Judy in one of the weekly memes that I participate in and it's wonderful to encounter her again in Kooky Kay's KMMS.

I enjoy swaps because it somehow brings us closer to people we meet in the blogosphere.

A Generous Blog Tip from Yvonne

According to Yvonne, Blog Tipping is a tradition of choosing three blogs every first day of the month. The objective is to briefly outline the "blog focus and name three things it has going for it and then finish with a small tip."
Yvonne Russel of Grow Your Writing Business has included me in her Blog Tipping Day for the month of March.

Thank you Yvonne for this wonderful honor. I'm touched that you have thought of me in such a positive way. I will always be grateful.

Let me share with you what Yvonne has written about my humble blog ...

Heart of Rachel
Blogger - Rachel

This blog shares the everyday life centred around Rachel’s family and friends.

Rave Reviews
1. The warm, friendly family focus of the blog - I’m a fan

2. Very regular posts, photo hunts and other shared activities, encourage daily readers & a real sense of community

3. Great photos and photo editing effects

Small tip to consider
Just keep doing what you’re doing. It works well.

Quoted from Yvonne Russel

I think Blog Tipping is a marvelous idea! Thank you Yvonne for sharing the gift of Blog Tipping Day. I am excited to start mine next month. I agree with you that it's a wonderful way to "support our fellow bloggers".

Such a lovely way to start the month. I'm truly inspired!

My KMMS Package

Kooky Kay of Simple Pleasures is hosting KMMS (Kay's Monthly Mini Swap). She started this great swap activity last January 2007.

I joined the January KMMS and the theme was Foodies. The object of the swap was to put together several items related to food and mail it to your partner (name provided by Kay). My partner for the January KMMS was Graymama of The Beauty of Gray.

For the swap, I sent her the following ...

crocheted coaster/mini doilies, coaster made from capiz shells, keychain, chopsticks, ornamental spoon & fork and a friendship bracelet.

When Graymama received my package, she e-mailed me a sweet thank you. Hope she doesn't mind me sharing a part of her kind note that warmed my heart ...

Your package arrived today :-) I could not have asked for a better
Valentine's Day gift!!! I LOVE everything!!!! The bracelet and
note were a special little extra that I will wear every day and think of you
:-)

I was glad she liked what I sent her and I was really touched by her sweet and kind thoughts.

Today, I received the package from Graymama and I'm very happy to receive all these wonderful things. She sent me the following ...

a wonderful hardbound Pizza recipe book, a nice dish towel with different herbs design, a set of cute recipe postcards and a beautiful knitted dish cloth.

A note for my sweet and kind partner ...

Thank you very much Graymama for your thoughtfulness. My husband and I are excited to try the pizza recipes. We love eating pizza and how nice that you sent us this great recipe book. Upon reading your blog, I learned that you have a passion for knitting and I happily assume that you knitted the beautiful green dish cloth. I like the recipe postcards. It's a wonderful way to share my favorite recipes to family and friends. I love the different herbs printed on the dish towel. It reminded me of the herb garden that my husband has always wanted.

The new swap theme for the month is Post Cards. Would you like to join this month's KMMS? Drop by at Kooky Kay's Simple Pleasures to find out more. Enjoy!

My Cartoon Self

Rose DesRochers of World Outside My Window has shared a cool link that allows you to make your own cartoon portrait. I enjoyed making mine and here's the finish product ...

This icon was made using the Portrait Illustration Maker. I like my cartoon self and decided to put her on my side bar. Thanks Rose!

It's really fun. Give it a try. :)

A Fun Sketch Swap

I visited Rose of World Outside My Window and saw this cool website called Sketch Swap. It lets you draw freely on a blank screen and after you submit a drawing, you will receive a drawing in return. I found the swap idea very interesting and decided to try it.

Sketch Swap rules: We appreciate you sketching sketches! We approve every single sketch submitted before it can be received by others. You can draw anything except: if it's only a writing with no sketch, or writing only your URL, or anything a child wouldn't wanna see, anything completely garbled, just a dot, just a line, just a stick man etc. If you want to write something, you also need to sketch a bit... also, please only write in English so we can understand & approve it.

I drew a simple friendship bear which I submitted to the site.


This was the drawing I got in return.


It's quite amuzing. See the girl at the door? I think she was surprised when she opened the door and saw a man trying his very best to act like a hero even though he's not one. He's probably trying to impress the girl. LoL.

I would love to hear how you interpret this drawing.

Special thanks to Rose for sharing this fun link.

Funny Sign

Want to make your own funny sign? Click here.

What Kind of Flower Are You?

I saw this at Skittles sidebar and decided to try it. Here's what I got...

I am a Daisy What Flower Are You?

You are just a sweet person. When a friend needs a shoulder to cry on, you are happy to offer yours with a box of tissues as well. Once in awhile, you wish you could be a little more dramatic but then sensibility sets back in and you know that you are perfect the way you are.

My favorite flowers are tulips and sunflowers. I collect many sunflower items, particularly for the kitchen. I have sunflower placemats, curtains, plates, serving spoons, hand towels, divider, ref magnets, etc.

I love receiving flowers. Over the years, Jules has given me roses, orchids, malaysian mums, daisies and sunflower. But I've never received tulips before. I just love seeing tulips at flower shops. I love the vibrant colors of tulips. They are a bit more expensive compared to other flowers because they are imported, usually from Holland. Oh well, maybe someday I'll receive some. :)

Drawing Personality Test

Saw this cool link on Gabrielle's blog. Thanks Gabrielle for always sharing wonderful and interesting sites. I'm always inspired by your ideas.

This is my drawing ...

About my drawing: My family and I are vacationing in a beautiful place. There's a terrific view of twin mountains. It's a perfect sunny day for relaxing. I'm happily reading a book on the hammock while Jules and Yohan are fishing nearby. Bruno, our labrador is also with them.

The results of my analysis say:

You tend to pursue many different activities simultaneously. When misfortune does happen, it doesn't actually dishearten you all that much.
You are a thoughtful and cautious person. You like to think about your method, seeking to pursue your goal in the most effective way.
You are creative, mentally active and industrious.
You have a sunny, cheerful disposition.

Come on, give it a try. It's fun. Let me know when you do. Here's the link below...

What does your drawing say about YOU?

I'm 512 on 2000 Bloggers

Not yet? Hurry and be part of Tino Buntic's great project. Click here to find out the details.

I was thrilled the first time I saw my photo on 2000 Bloggers and I recently found out that I earned the 512 slot on this fascinating page.



Credits:
1. 2000 Bloggers is a project of Tino Buntic of The Blogger Links Benefactor.
2. Lovely button courtesy of Ilker Yoldas of The Thinking Blog.
3. Photo presentation inspired by Bug of An Indian Summer
4. I originally found out about 2000 Bloggers from Teena of It's All About Me.
5. Finding out my number on 2000 Bloggers inspired by Princess of The CooknTcher Mom.

2000 Bloggers

I saw this post at Teena's blog and decided to check it out. I think it's a nice project.

2000 Bloggers is a page created by Tino Buntic which aims to showcast 2000 bloggers from all walks of life.

If you want to be included in 2000 Bloggers, leave a comment here with a link to your blog and your name.

Tino Buntic has two requirements, though:

1. You must have a photo of yourself somewhere on your blog, and 2. Your blog must have been created prior to January 1st of this year.

I checked it out a few minutes ago and left a comment.

Updated:
I posted my comment this morning then when I checked my site just now, my photo is already there. Cool! Thanks Tino Buntic.

Decode My Message For You

I saw this cool puzzle at Gabrielle's. It's called a Rebus. If you have some time to spare, try to decode this short message I made for you. Have fun trying to figure it out. Click on the picture if you find it hard to see the letters and symbols. Happy weekend everyone!

A rebus (Latin: "by things") is a kind of word puzzle which uses pictures to represent words or parts of words; for example: H + = Hear, or Here. source: Wikipedia

Updated: I forgot to put the link. I didn't make the rebus from scratch. You can easily make one using this generator. Just type your message on the text box then click Shape. After that choose the option Rebus Generator and font of choice then click Print Preview to get your own Rebus. Press Print Screen on your keyboard then paste it using Paint and save it as jpeg file. Instant Rebus! Try it and have fun.

The New Year's Resolution Generator

Found this cool link at Judy's. I tried it and got a few hilarious and naughty ones but settled on a nice resolution that I personally like.

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Build up my chi. Get your resolution here.

Chi is "the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things; in traditional Chinese medicine the balance of negative and positive forms in the body is believed to be essential for good health." [source]

For the fun of it, tried it a couple times until I got this one which made me laugh.

In the year 2007 I resolve to: Stop refreshing this page until I get the answer I want. Get your resolution here.

Get your own funny resolution here.

Warholizer Effect

Want to make your own? Click here.

Fun Name Generators

I saw this cool name generators at Marianne's blog.

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Her Grace Lady Rachel the Paragon of Peevish St Victor Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

I thought it's quite appropriate considering I have many Pet Peeves. :)

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Rachel!

1. Over 46,000 pieces of Rachel float on every square mile of ocean!
2. There are roughly 10,000 man-made objects the size of Rachel orbiting the Earth.
3. There are more than two hundred different kinds of Rachel!
4. The word 'samba' means 'to rub Rachel'.
5. The only Englishman to become Rachel was Nicholas Breakspear, who was Rachel from 1154 to 1159.
6. Peanuts and Rachel are beans.
7. The blood of mammals is red, the blood of insects is yellow, and the blood of Rachel is blue.
   
8. There are 336 dimples on Rachel.
9. While performing her duties as queen, Cleopatra sometimes dressed up as Rachel.
10. Michelangelo finished his great statue of Rachel in 1504, after eighteen months work.
    

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem