Technical Analysis

Finally understood the basics of technical analysis. Will try to apply it on stock trading portfolio. Will keep you posted.

Vermicomposting 2

It has been more than two weeks and my Reds are still happily wriggling. There were no stench and instead there was a faint earthy smell to the bin. So far so good. I was feeding them minced potato peels, squash peels and carrot peels. I avoided fruit peels after my colony was invaded by ants the first week I set them up.

I decided to transfer them to a bigger home, and did some minor changes to the set up, after finding one to two Reds escaping. One big one even tried to slither out thru the cover. I figured it must be crowded inside.

Got myself a new bigger black plastic bin, which I bought in the supermarket. I had holes drilled top to bottom and side to side. First, I laid flat sheets of newspaper at the bottom of the bin to catch the poop and hopefully prevent the Reds from escaping. Then I hand-shredded a lot newspapers, drenched them in water and layered them on top of the flat newpaper.

Next, I spread a layer of used ground coffee which I picked up from a local coffee shop for free. This seemed to prevent stench and contribute to the earthy smell inside the bin. This also helps the Reds grind their food.

Then I plopped a generous amount of chopped vegetable peel in the middle of the bin and tipped the entire colony into their new home, lock, stock and barrel. Now that they're upside down, I found my Reds crowded together with some worms bigger than they were before. I'm not sure if they have multiplied but I sure hope they did. Then I covered them with another layer of hand-shredded drenched newspapers, topped with a layer of used ground coffee and a layer of flat newspaper and I returned them to their dark spot to do their job.

I'm glad to know my Reds are thriving and look forward to next weeks progress.

Comments, tips and suggestions most welcome

Vermicomposting

Typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng’s disastrous aftermath, prompted me to seriously think about the effects our trash has on the environment. In the old days, floods were few and far in between. But with the invention of plastic bags, I hear and see floods happening all over the world, not just in the Philippines. Like a coronary blockage, the build up caused an attack and now the recovery process is slow and painful.

I believe Solid Waste Management is the key. Reduce, Re-use, Recycle. This should be our mantra and home is where we should start. I heard about Prof. Marlon Era, of DLSU’s Behavioral Science Dept., who studied Solid Waste Management on Morning’s at ANC TV show. He discussed waste segregation, waste reduction and recycling. He showed how easy it is to start at home. He got some plastic bins (recycled of course), and labelled them - Paper - Tins/Plastics - Bottles - Food Waste - Residuals (walang pakinabang). Then he asked the cooperation of all the members of the family to help out. After a couple of days or weeks, he would sell the papers, tins and bottles which provided them extra money for extra treats. Food wastes and kitchen scraps he composted and what’s left were the residuals that was so much less than before. Imagine if every household does this, less trash would be thrown into the environment.

Then I remembered Vermicomposting, which I first saw during the heydays of the weekend markets in Makati. These worms, called Red Wrigglers, eat kitchen scraps, digest them and poops them out as organic fertilizer. I call them Miracle Workers.

I’m not really fond of wriggly, slimy things but when I decided to start composting at home, I thought of vermicomposting. I read, on the internet, that they’re easy to manage and they don’t smell compared to regular composting. In fact, they should smell earthy.

I bought my very first tray of Red Wrigglers from Earthworm Sanctuary, at the Agri-Link Expo, for 100 pesos. I should have approximately 50 Red Wrigglers, according to the sales lady, to start as an experiment. It came in a small plastic microwaveable tray with holes on top. Since I wanted to propagate them, I decided to transfer them to a bigger tray that measured 8x8 with holes all over for ventilation with damp hand-torn newspaper, sprinkled with used coffee grounds as bedding.

Day 1 - I fed them chopped banana peel and that was a mistake. Ants came crawling all over the colony tray in less than a day. I quickly came up with a makeshift stilt by placing the colony tray on top of the tray they came in with which I inverted over a water filled tray creating a moat like structure. No more ants attacked, but the existing ones in the tray stayed. Lesson #1 - Do not feed fruits unless the area’s ants-free. Vegetable peels better.

Day 3 - I decided to transplant my colony, again, to their new home sans ants. Red Wrigglers are night creatures and they prefer to burrow. I discovered, while migrating them, that damp hand-torn newspaper compacted compared to shredded newspaper which formed spaces. I found my Reds (which they will be known hence forth) clustered in the middle of the tray. I successfully migrated my Reds and counted approximately 30 wriggly worms with 2 dead. Lesson #2 - Shredded newspaper’s better than hand torn newspaper as bedding. Provides better aeration and space for Reds to burrow.

Day 6 - My family treat my Reds as my pets. They’ve learned to set aside food waste, minus bones and fats, for my Reds to feed on. I’ve been eating more vegetables now because I’m thinking my vegetable peels will be my Reds next meal. Lesson #3 - Get the family involved. Lesson #4 - Consider vegetarianism. It’s healthier too.

Maybe, my Reds are one of the solution to our environmental problems. Our country needs to address our trash problem as early as now before another Ondoy or Pepeng unleashed their fury.

Tips, comments and suggestions most welcome.

Earthworm Sanctuary

La Mesa Ecopark

Fairview, QC

Tel: 931 2617

Mobile: 0922 8961996

Caramel Cupcakes

Using one basic recipe, I made several variations and came up with one that I called Caramel Cupcakes.  By substituting granulated sugar with muscovado sugar, the batter smelled caramelly and when baked the cupcakes tasted like caramel cake.  I used one ounce cupcake mold and one ounce ice cream scoop to make equal distributions.  Let me know how yours turned out.

Caramel Baby Cupcakes

Makes 12 regular size cupcakes or 

38 mini cupcakes

180 gm all purpose flour

    6 gm baking powder

    2 gm salt

115 gm butter

200 gm muscovado sugar

2 large eggs

125 ml milk

1/2 teaspoons vanilla

- Preheat oven to 350°F.  Line pan with paper liners.

- Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

- Cream butter and sugar.

- Add eggs one at a time until well blended.

- Alternately add in dry ingredients and milk, ending with dry ingredients.

- Stir in vanilla.

- Divide into pan.

- Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

- Cool in pan for 5 minutes.

- Transfer to wire rack and cool completely.

Happy Baking!

Home Baked Bread

The last time I baked bread was when I attended a special course on baking at the Asian Baking Institute under Chef Bejar.  As a special student, I got to choose the time and date when I would take the class on a one-on-one basis.  With all the ingredients and equipments at my disposal, my pandesals were perfectly soft, my loaf breads crusty on the outside and soft on the inside and my hopia squares were to-die-for, not to mention my enseymadas, spanish breads and cheese rolls.

This time, using a recipe I found on the internet (http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/11/04/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/) I tried to replicate my previous success.  To my disappointment my pandesals were compact and my bread was on the heavy side.   I blamed my yeast, which I found out too late, was to expire this month.  And perhaps my rusty elbows which probably needed some greasing.

Both breads were delicious, albeit on the compact side and it made the house smell like a bakery.   I found out there are people who prefer compact breads and some people who prefer the fluffier breads.  I belong to the latter and therefore will continue to experiment until I have my perfect bread.

I find weighing my ingredients more convenient to measuring, therefore I will list the ingredients in both.

HOME-MADE BREAD

60 ml   (1/4 cup)         milk

21 gm   (5 teaspoons) sugar (or 1-1/2 tablespoons)

  5 gm   (1 teaspoon)   salt

21 gm   (5 teaspoons) butter (or 1-1/2 tablespoons)

  7 gm   (2 teaspoons) active dry yeast (or 1 package)

240ml  (1 cup)             warm water

300gm to 420gm (2-1/2 to 3-1/2 cups) flour

cornstarch or nonstick cooking spray (just to prevent the dough from sticking to the pan)

For a detailed instruction with pictures, check out:

http://www.thesimpledollar.com/2007/11/04/homemade-bread-cheap-delicious-healthy-and-easier-than-you-think/

Happy Baking!

Patio Guernica Restaurant

I remember when Guernica used to be located near the Remedios Circle. It was a special treat when I was invited to dine with the adults then. I would watch in awe everytime the waiter prepared the Ceasar's Salad by the table, rubbing the garlic along the inside of the wooden bowl, mashing the anchovies, separating the eggs and slowly pouring in the oil to the yolk while beating. He then tossed in the greens, coating each leaf with the dressing and finally, a sprinkle of bacon bits, cheese and croutons to crown the "Ceasar".

Then the waiter would bring in the paella, whether it's a Valenciana or Marinara, I would try them both. Even the Negra. I was an adventureous eater even way back then.I remembered having the gambas and the mushrooms as appetizers but the Paellas and Ceasar's Salad would alway be my favorite.

Today, Guernica's under new management and a new home. Taking into consideration the mall location, the ambiance's almost the same, old world with a modern twist. The Ceasar's Salad preparation was a joy to watch and the Paella Valenciana was as delicious as I remembered.

I would definitely come back and be invited again to dine with, now, the seniors.

Patio Guernica Restaurant

2F South Wing 

SM Mall of Asia

Bay Blvd. Pasay City

Floating Island Restaurant

Floating Island Restaurant is the place to eat when I'm in Makati Medical Center, whether it's for a check-up or visiting, lunch or dinner. It used to be located on the 3F, "floating" above the ramp towards the lobby entrance. Today, it's on the 1F of the new wing, all brown woodsy interior with Lavazza coffee station by the entrance.

My favorite dish was the Crispy Pata (Deep Fried Marinaded Pork Knuckles) with kalamansi soy sauce. The skin was super crackly and the meat fall-off-the-bone tender. Eaten with steaming hot rice, perfection.

I had lunch with my mom and two aunts. All seniors. All watching their cholesterol level. No Crispy Pata for lunch.

Spying around what others were eating, I saw a dish of vegetables in saffron colored sauce and bagoong on the side. Kare-kare! vegetarian version, pescetarian with the bagoong. But I'm not a vegetarian nor a pescetarian but I would definitely order this Vegetable Kare-kare again. With another order for take-out.

Floating Island Restaurant
1/F Makati Medical Center
Amorsolo St.
Legaspi Village
Makati