Together at Home: Comfort in Simplicity

Hi everyone! It’s still a little rainy today, and I hope you’re all staying safe. Since it’s Sunday, there’s not much going on for us. My husband and I are the type of people who like to stay at home rather than go out,😂! With the cold weather, it sounds really nice to have something warm to eat. Maybe we’ll make some soup or bake cookies to enjoy while we relax.😆

We decided to buy some kamoteng kahoy (cassava) and corn. I was just joking about baking cookies—I don’t actually know how to bake😁. But it’s nice to think about relaxing with some warm food.

We use a "pugon," which some of you might not be familiar with. Only poor can relate 😄. It’s a clay stove used for cooking over fire. You can use charcoal, wood, or branches. You insert the wood into a hole in the front or place the charcoal inside, and then you put the pan on top. It’s easier for us to cook food that needs to boil for a while in the pugon. While we usually use a portable LPG stove, it’s better to use charcoal to save on gas. Sometimes, cooking the traditional way feels nice, and food can taste better when prepared naturally.

In our province, this is how we cook food but instead of "pugon," we just use three big stones arranged in a triangular. We use tree branches to make a fire. I remember when I was in high school, I had to wake up early to cook rice because it sometimes took a while for the branches to fire, especially if they were a bit wet from the rain. I even recall a time when the cauldron tipped over and spilled uncooked rice because the stones weren’t level 😂. Ahhhh those days, kinda hard but memorable 😌.

Cassava and corn are great for days like this, especially since it’s a bit chilly today. It feels nice to just stay at home, watch movies, read, or scroll through social media. I also enjoy sweet potatoes, but unfortunately, there's none left earlier. They would have been perfect, especially for my diet, lol!

It takes a bit less time to cook cassava than corn. The corn can take a while, especially if it was harvested a few days ago. Eating meals like this brings back memories from my childhood when there were days that we only had corn to eat instead of rice. It reminds me of simpler times but we were really grateful for what we had back then. We appreciated everything our parents provided. Life was tough back then, but it made us stronger. Now, no matter what we have, we remain thankful and appreciative for it all.

After 30 minutes, we finally get to enjoy the food. Days like this feel perfect to me. Spending time at home with family and sharing simple meals together is truly special. It’s those moments that make life meaningful and remind us of the joy in being together. I love the warmth and comfort that come from these moments.