My nanay and I on my 2nd birthday
There are many things which I got from my nanay. I got her cheeks (when she was younger), I got her Gabriela-Silang-bravery, and judging from the number of kitchen gadgets and thermos up on that cabinet on the above photo, I think I also got this habit of hoarding kitchen things, from her. LOL! But most of all, I got my love for cooking from my nanay.
Whenever there’s a family occasion or a family outing, she’s the one in charge of cooking. She’s very organized and systematic when it comes to cooking and she does it really well. She cooked all those in that spread up there for my 2nd Birthday party. — Oh and she loves family parties too, another thing I got from her.
— And family picnics! She’s also the one in charge of cooking our picnic food. I’m the one in yellow and she’s the one in black with curly hair. I think the photo above was taken in Luneta back in the days.
Even when I was just a little girl, my nanay lets me dabble in the kitchen while she was cooking. I grew up helping her carry fruits and vegetables which we buy from Divisoria. Then helping her chop up ingredients for everyday meals. The kitchen is our happy place.
Now that she’s older, she doesn’t cook as much anymore. She also doesn’t want to go out Or go to picnics and parties. Plus her appetite isn’t as good as it used to.
So, if she doesn’t want to go out this Mother’s Day, then I just might as well bring the picnic and the party to her instead.
Ykaie and Cyra helping me prepare Mango Pandan Salad
So I gathered up my little kitchen helpers to prepare picnic food. My daughter Ykaie and my niece Cyra , which I also encourage to help in the kitchen, helped me with some dishes without much cooking involved.
We prepared Baked Penne, Crispy Pata, Mango Pandan Salad and Basil Garlic Bread. We set up the living room for our Surprise Picnic Party and I even made placards that say “We Love You, Lola. Happy Mother’s Day!” I instructed the kids to yell over the greeting when nanay enters the living room so she’d me much more surprised.
We didn’t want the Basil Garlic Bread to be cold and chewy while we eat it with the freshly baked pasta, thanks to our Electrolux Oven Toaster, we can toast as we eat!
We didn’t have to wait long either because this multi-function table top mini oven is a superb oven and heats food really fast. Don’t be fooled by its size, you can also bake, heat, cook and grill all your favorite food using this oven.
I rarely see my nanay laugh and smile but she was really happy about the surprise. It was very heartwarming.
I spy she’s even getting second helpings of the dishes we prepared!
Nanay didn’t expect this Living Room Picnic. She thought it was just my normal food blogging day.
Happy Mother’s Day Nanay and to all the great mothers out there!
Thank you so much Electrolux!
Share your Delightful-E Yummy moments with your mommies and get a chance to win one of three delightful Electrolux kitchen packages worth over P25,000 each by joining the Your Moments with Mommy Facebook photo contest. Hop on over to (https://www.facebook.com/thelittlewhitebook/app_262794450560161?ref=br_tf) for more details.
Oh, so cooking really runs in your family. 🙂 Wow! I bet your kitchen is so big as it’s one of the most important areas in the house.
You’re right that the kitchen is one of the most imporatnt areas in our house but it is not big..heehee
Belated Happy Mother’s Day to you, Peachy and to your mom! I’m sure she was really happy with the Mother’s Day treat you all prepared for her.
Thank you! She was really surprised.
What a sweet post!
Thanks Katherine!
i love those kids, they are really eating fine, and you cook well ,nice nanay shes cute.
Thanks Daniel!
I envy people who knows how to cook. Cooking is my waterloo! hahah! That Mango Pandan Salad looks yummy!
The Mango Pandan is very easy to do. The recipe is here in my blog.
Seems you all enjoyed this mother’s day in a superb way.
Yes, we all did! This is our best Mother’s Day yet.
What a lovely day for Lola with awesome little children.
Yup, my mom was very happy.
Well, as the saying goes, small is terrible! That oven toaster can do so much. 🙂
I agree! It’s really an oven that is multi-functional.
This is really a nice tribute to your Nanay even if it’s not the typical picnic.
My nanay doesn’t like going out anymore that’s why I just brought home the “picnic”
Suddenly naalala ko yung picnic days namin when we where still kids because of your photo. The oven toaster is very cute!
The oven toaster is multi-functional too!
those foods just looks and sure is they are very yummy! very lucky mom!
Thanks Jane!
I’m sure your mom enjoyed your picnic at home. Belated Happy Mother’s Day!
Thank you Michi!
weeee!! that is just so adorable. 🙂 me i barely had a memory with my lola bec they died early. treasure your lola, kids 🙂
Thank you Janine!
OMG!!! What an amazing post <3 loved every bit of it x
Thank you Sana!
Aww that is so fun and sweeet! <3
Aww, this is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen! And your 2nd birthday photo, the way the table is set up is so us Filipinos! Look at how we’ve evolved now with parties! Separate buffet tables and dessert tables pa!
True! That’s how tables were set up before..
That’s so sweet of you and the kiddos. Wasn’t able to plan something similar for my mom for mother’s day but her birthday is coming up next month so maybe I’ll just do something special then. 🙂
I’m sure your mom will be thrilled!
thank you for reminding me about my own mom and how simple things would make our mothers smile. 🙂 i haven’t seen my mom in a while since our car broke down, it’s been hard but i should really make an effort to go see them.
I’m also glad to have seen this because of the oven you used. I’ve been so limited by not having a big oven but now I see i can start with that for now.
btw, that menu is outstanding. I should take note of this, hehe. 🙂
Thanks May!
Sweet and touching post! I miss my 93-year old Lola tuloy who is in the province.
Thanks Que!
Wow!:) So lucky they have you as daughter and mommy!:) yummy food as always!:)
Thanks Jho!