I’m happy to see old faces, friends and classmates. Every five years, my Alma Mater in High School conducts a Grand Alumni Homecoming. This activity and effort allows us former students of St. Catherine of Siena Academy to be together again and remember the years that we had fun, learned, loved, gave our teachers headaches and pride, and prepared us to become what we are right now.

Every five years that we are able to meet each other in one single event, allows us to see the changes in our lives. Those who are single five years ago are now having their own families. Some who struggled during school days with studies are now the achievers on their career. Some honor students were not able to finish college and tried hard to make both ends meet. The rich kids when we are younger are the ones who struggle with their finances. And a lot more scenario to mention.

The status and achievement of each one of us is not a hindrance to enjoy the moment. Our batch seems to break the barriers of section and the feeling of indifference. I’m really happy that we are able to mingle without getting intimidated by social and personal projection. I may not know the names of every batch mates but at least am able to recognize their faces. Greet everyone with a genuine smile and take some time to ask how they are doing.

Talking to each other and starting to reminisce our past made everyone giggle and laugh about our silly stories. It just only shows how childish a matured person can be when we get to talk about things that we did (be it good or bad).

Another cherished moment for this day is when we get to see our past teachers whom we considered either as mentors or dementors (sorry for the word). The last word came to mind because as some of our teachers were roaming around and joins every batch for a photo op, one of my former classmates exclaimed that he does not approve of a group photo with a particular teacher. When we asked him why before that teacher approached us, he firmly stated that he does not like him simply for the reason that he never learned anything from that teacher and asked us if we feel the same. Almost everyone answered “yes”, including me. Then I laughed, saying to myself that after all these years, I didn’t think of having the same thought for that teacher’s contribution in molding our young lives. Anyway, that was in the past and we are able to live our lives until now carrying those memories.

One by one, we left, bid goodbyes and said to each other our sincere thanks of making ourselves available and joining the activity. A few hours shared story-telling, eating, drinking (for some), and laughing is one of the best days we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

The next homecoming is set after five years and will be more exciting for our batch because it is our Silver Year and the task of hosting the event is on our shoulders. I hope more batch mates will join us and be able to make it another milestone to remember.

See you on the year 2020 Batch 1995 of St. Catherine of Siena Academy!!!

Want to make egg pies? No oven, no baking pans.

We don’t have an oven. This is the reason why I always look for alternative ways to bake and experiment on baked goodies. My first recipe attempt was Lasagna. I will tackle the recipe in a different article soon.

I want to share my recent discovery on how to make egg pies even if you only have an oven toaster and leche flan pans (llanera).

The following are the ingredients:

Crust:

4 cups all-purpose flour

6 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp fine salt

1 ½ cup butter, cut into cubes and softened (I used Selecta butterfresh because it is not salty unlike other brands, and cheaper too.)

½ cup cold water

Filling:

1 cup evaporated milk

5 medium eggs and another 2 medium eggs with white and yolk separated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp fresh kalamansi or lemon juice

1 can condensed milk 380g

How to Cook:

For the crust:

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix well. Add the butter and thoroughly mix with other ingredients. You can use a pastry mixer or a big spoon.

2. Gradually add the cold water to the mixture and continue mixing until every ingredients are well combined.

3. Shape the dough into a large ball and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

4. Sprinkle flour on a clean surface to flatten the dough using a rolling pin for about ½ centimeter thick and wide enough to cover 3 llaneras or a 9” pie pan if you have one.

5. Press the flattened dough on the pan and trim the dough using kitchen sears at about half an inch overhang. Save the scraps to bulk up thin areas later on.

6. The edges can be crimped by fork or pinch the edges with your fingers. Set aside the dough inside the fridge while making the filling

For the filling:

1. Heat the evaporated milk in a pan for a minute or two. No need to boil.

2. Combine and whisk the 5 medium eggs and the separated 2 egg yolks.

3. Gradually add the condensed milk while whisking. Add the vanilla extract and kalamansi juice, continue mixing until well blended.

4. Add the evaporated milk and mix well.

5. Beat the separated egg whites using an electric mixer to form soft peaks. This makes the upper part of the pie brown in color.

Baking the Pie:

1. Preheat the oven toaster for 10 minutes. Pour the filling on the refrigerated pie crust. Top with the beaten egg whites. Cover with aluminum foil* and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. (If you have a wider oven toaster, you can cook the pies all at once). You can check if the pie is completely cooked by inserting a toothpick in the filling and it comes out clean.

2. Remove the foil covering of the pie and spread the egg white on top and put the pie inside the oven and cook again for five minutes or until you achieve the golden brown top.

3. Allow the pie to cool down before serving. If you like, the taste is much better if you eat the egg pie after refrigeration.

*The use of aluminum foil gives the trick of cooking the filling without burning the top part of the pie.

There you have it. Enjoy!