Good afternoon and welcome back to the channel! It’s been a while since we’ve had a chance to just breathe, so today was the first day we could really relax a little bit. We decided to spend some quality family time together, and of course, Jessa wanted to head straight to White Beach here in Moalboal. I’ll admit, I was feeling pretty exhausted—just one of those days where you want to stay in bed—but we packed up Liam’s chair and his umbrella and headed out. The weather looked a bit iffy, but Liam had a great time playing in the sand, even if we had to head back sooner than we planned.
Once we were back home, the conversation turned to food, as it often does. Jessa had bought some "salty fish" at the store for 120 pesos. I had to laugh because you can get the exact same amount at the local market for maybe 30 or 50 pesos! The store version comes in a fancy glass jar and has some extra spices in it, but the price difference is just crazy.
Sunday morning rolled around, and I was half-dead, just absolutely exhausted. But we had to hit the market for some fresh vegetables. We found a great spot right in front of us that we hadn't noticed before. We stocked up on all the essentials: onion leaves (perfect for scrambled eggs and salads), bags of mixed leaves for soup, onions, mangoes, and some bananas. I always insist on white onions because they have so much more flavor than the red ones, and Jessa has finally come around to my way of thinking.
I also picked up some "ant chalk"—if you live in the mountains or near the beach, you know ants are a constant battle. You just grind it into a powder and spread it around, and it keeps them away for a few weeks until the rain washes it off. Total lifesaver.
I decided to take over the kitchen for a bit because I was craving some "home" flavors. I made a massive batch of my signature potato salad and a fresh garden salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olives, and cheese. The secret to my garden salad is the dressing: vinegar, oil, and soy sauce, in that exact order, with a healthy dose of black pepper. For the potato salad, I made my own version of sour cream using a little trick with mayo and spices. It needs to sit in the fridge for a few hours to get that perfect consistency, but it’s worth the wait.
Monday was back to the grind. My "commute" to work is about five steps from the bedroom to my desk! Jessa and Liam usually sleep in until 9:00 or 10:00, so I use that quiet time to grab my coffee, eat my oatmeal, and listen to some podcasts. I’ve been really into Morbid on Spotify lately; it’s a great true-crime podcast if you can get past the first few episodes where they were still finding their feet.
I worked straight through until my lunch break at 11:45. Jessa had made some fish soup, but I stuck to my beans, sausage, and eggs.
We ended the day with a roast chicken I picked up from the shop (270 pesos—a bit pricey, but convenient) to go with my salads. There’s nothing like sitting down with the family and just relaxing after a long day of work.
Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you in the next one!
