Maja Tropicana

After giving birth to 2 kids, I kissed my 24 inches waistline goodbye. Although I would never trade my daughters to a slim waist, vanity dictates that I at least try to bring my waistline down to 30 inches. It's now down to 30 inches and my brain has to constantly poke my stomach to make it remember not to eat every food that it encounters. Actually, its the "free" food from leftover caterings and meetings and birthdays that are much harder to say no to. When the "free" food is shared among friends, saying no to it then becomes a disgrace. One could count the number of slim ladies in the office as they are only a few as opposed to those that have enjoyed through feasting the stress and low pay in the Department of Agriculture.

When one loves to eat, one should know how to cook. For women, men who are at home in the kitchen as well as in the bedroom are hard to come by, and are a dying breed. These rare breed of men will go instinct in a few years to be replaced by men who are skilled in calling for takeouts and opening a pack of Lucky Me pancit canton.

In case you're wondering where this litany is going, here is the recipe of the Maja Tropicana care of Del Monte Kitchenomics. You can replace the fruit cocktail with mashed kalabasa to make it more nutritious for the kids. I can't find a pic to post to show you all what it looks life but I'll make sure to have my cam ready when I get to cooking it.

For aspiring mommy chefs, you will need:

1 pc buko, shredded (reserve buko water)
1 cup cornstarch, dissolved in 1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 cups of buko water
1 cup evaporated milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 can (439 g) Del Monte Fiesta fruit cocktail, drained

To make it:

1. Combine cornstarch mixture, buko water and milk. Cook over medium heat with constant stirring for 30 minutes or until thick. To make this cooking session romantic, ask your Fafas to do the painstaking task of stirring the mixture. Once it starts to thicken, our dainty hands will need our Fafas strong hands.

2. Add sugar, buko and Del Monte fiesta fruit cocktail. Blend well. Pour into 7"x 7" pan. Cool, then chill until set. Slice into desired shapes. Remember to watch the refrigerator in case over- eager hands of daughters and husband try to take a taste before it's ready.

Cooking for me gets to be more rewarding when the family eats together what I've prepared. And much more if it is shared with those whose stomachs are brave enough. I'm just fortunate that Edwin has learned to hold his tongue when my latest cooking experiment will test even his love for me. So, ladies to do the kitchen!!!