Roast Pork (Crispy Pata)

I’ve been craving for Crispy Pata, so I decided to cook this for dinner tonight.

Crispy Pata is a famous Filipino recipe that uses a whole pig’s leg (or pata). It is made tender for simmering in water along other spices, then deep fried until the texture becomes very crunchy. But instead of frying it, I baked it in the oven until golden-brown and crispy.

I can’t find a pig’s leg, so I just used a picnic pork roast with a bone in it. In the Philippines, this is usually served in a party as a pulutan while drinking beer or alcohol. Many restaurants serve this as a specialty.

Ingredients:

5 lbs picnic roast pork

1 big onion sliced

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp whole pepper corns

2 bay leaves

3-4 tbs salt

1 cup Sprite

Procedure:

1.      Clean the pork well. Cut horizontal slices on both sides.

2.      Put in a pot and cover with water. Add the onions, garlic, and the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.

3.      Skim off the scum that rises to the surface.

4.      Boil the pork at medium heat until tender about 1-2 hours. Don’t overcook; the meat should not be falling apart. Drain and put in a rack to dry.

5.      Put in a tray and open freeze overnight.

6.      Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Put the meat in the tray with racks, and bake for 1 hour, or until golden-brown, and the skin is crunchy.

7.      Serve with soy sauce and lemon dip, or Mang Tomas sauce. 

Note: You can prepare the meat ahead of time and freeze it. Bake it whenever you want to serve it.

Succulent Plants Arrangement

"It takes some one really brave to be a mother, someone strong to raise a child and someone special to love someone more than herself." 

I’m kind of fascinated with succulent plants. It all started when I made my daughter a terrarium for her dorm last year. It’s springtime and these plants are growing in the garden and I bought some to make an arrangement. I found inspiration online and it’s suitable for Mother’s Day as a present for my mom.

Succulents are ideal if you’re living in a very limited space, like in a dorm or an apartment. It doesn't need a lot of care and they don’t grow very fast.

Succulents store water in their leaves, making them low-maintenance, drought-resistant plants.

Materials

Pot

Rocks

Soil

Green moss

Happy Mother’s Day Balloon

Succulent plants

Mug and a little tray

Directions

1. Put the rocks on the bottom of the pot for a good drainage.
2. Place the soil on top of the rocks.

3. Arrange the succulents around the pot.

4. Place a small plant inside the mug and let it lay on the soil. Put the little tray at the back of the arrangement.

5. Put some moss around the pot to hide the soil for a decorative look.