KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - TORTANG LUNCHEON MEAT

Everyone has a saturation point when it comes to food… and I guess when it comes to luncheon meat, my family had already reached theirs. Whereas before, they had been satisfied already when I serve fried luncheon meat or sometimes if it is dipped first in egg before frying…but I guess they have reached their limit…same thing with hotdogs, tocino, and other processed meat. This is a good thing, actually, because that would mean they have started to shun processed food so maybe I can start introducing healthier food for them. And so on rare occasions that I am forced to serve them processed meat, I only do so sparingly and instead add more vegetables and spices to the dish in order to infuse it with flavor.




This is one such dish, I only used ¼ of an entire can of luncheon meat and yet I was able to make a torta that could fill a 9-inch plate. The idea was taken from a recipe that I read from the blog 'Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa'…the main difference was that I added potatoes, omitted tomatoes (because I didn’t have any on hand) and it was fried not baked. I first fried the diced potatoes, luncheon meat, and onions in a non-stick pan. Then I stirred them together, seasoned with salt and pepper and finally added the beaten eggs. Before the eggs have set, I dropped the cubed cheese and covered the pan. With lowered heat, I waited until the torta is half-cooked then I turned it over onto a plate and cooked the underside. After a few minutes, I flipped the torta again onto a plate and served with catsup.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – Burger steak with mushroom gravy

My daughter’s all-time favorite food is Jollibee’s burger steak so I would often try to replicate this dish using home-made burger patties and gravy. For the burger patties, I simply combined ½ kilo of ground pork, minced carrots, 2 medium onions, salt, pepper, magic sarap, 2 eggs, bread crumbs and a bit of flour. Form into patties and fry in a non-stick pan over medium heat. While the patties are frying, I started doing the gravy. In a separate pan, melt butter and pan-fry the mushrooms then set aside. Melt more butter, add flour all at once, then pour in broth (if you have any) or even plain water will do. Stir continuously and season with salt and pepper to taste, add a bit of soy sauce for some color. I let the burgers cool for a bit, packed it in my daughter’s lunchbox and topped with the mushroom gravy sauce. I just hope that my daughter likes it!

P.S. She liked it!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - CHICKEN AND BABY POTATOES IN CREAM

This is another recipe I got from Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa blog…it is basically like chicken a la king but the main difference is the addition of potatoes instead of mushrooms. The dish starts with salting the chicken pieces lightly then they are fried in a bit of butter. Set aside. Then garlic, onions and ginger are sautéed, chicken added, then after a while a cup of water. When the water boiled, the baby potatoes are added then allowed to cook. When the potatoes are still firm, I added the all purpose cream and green peas. I let the mixture boil some more until the sauce becomes thick. Another option is to add some cornstarch diluted in water if you want a thicker sauce. I adjusted the seasonings – added more salt and pepper and served this as our lunch today…yummy! Thanks again Dennis!

LIFE OF PI – a movie review

The Life of Pi was our chosen movie today…we started watching the movie after breakfast/brunch at around ten am. I thought my daughter would soon get tired of the movie because it lacked some action and was only about a young boy’s adventures on a boat…but I was wrong since she watched the entire film and was really interested with what happened to him in the movie. The movie is actually about an Indian boy named Pi Patel, he tells his story to a novelist/writer in Canada and he starts about his childhood in India. Pi relates that his family owned a zoo and that he was particularly fond of animals, in particular a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. One day, he tried feeding the tiger but his father angrily shoved him away and told him that the tiger is dangerous. As proof, he made Pi witness the tiger killing a goat and made him promise not to go near it again. But then his father came home one day with sad news that the municipality cannot support the zoo anymore hence they needed to sell the zoo and its animals. The family will be also be relocated to Canada and so they rode a Japanese ship. One night while Pi is on deck, the ship is met with a heavy storm, he tries to find his family but a Japanese crew member throws him out into a lifeboat and he watched as the ship sinks killing his entire family. The next day, he discovers a zebra with him on the lifeboat. They later discover an orangutan floating at sea who they also take into the lifeboat. Then, suddenly a hyena emerges from under tarp covering half of the boat and kills the zebra. It also kills the orangutan and tried to approach Pi when suddenly a tiger comes out from underneath the tarp and kills the hyena. So Pi decides to get out of the boat and use the flotation device to stay at a safe distance from the tiger. He gets some emergency food rations and water that he found on the boat. He starts to fish and also collects rainwater for him and the tiger. After many days, Pi teaches the tiger to accept him inside the boat and it was then that he realized that caring for the tiger was what kept him alive. But despite his survival efforts, the two almost die of starvation until later on they reach an island filled with many edible plants, fresh water pools and thousands of meerkats. They eat and drink what they could find in order to regain their strength. But come nightfall, they soon discover that the island turns onto a carnivore, since Pi sees dead fishes floating in the now acidic water and discovers a human tooth inside a flower. So the next day, he and Richard Parker decided to leave the island. Soon, they reach the coast of Mexico and as Richard Parker walks away into the forest, Pi looks on and expects him to look back at him to acknowledge him. But instead, the tiger walks on and goes into the jungle. Pi cries as he is rescued and brought to a hospital. After some time, insurance agents come to interview him but do not believe his story and ask him to relate what really happened and so he makes up a story about being on the boat with his mother, a Buddhist sailor with a broken leg and the cook. In this story, the cook killed the sailor in order to eat him and use him as bait then Pi's mother pushed her son to safety on a smaller raft before the cook stabbed her and threw her overboard. Pi later returned, to kill the cook with a knife. Pi then asked the writer what story he prefers and he responds ‘the one with the tiger’ as it is the better story. Later on, he sees the insurance report and notes that the insurance agents wrote that Pi survived 227 days at sea with an adult Bengal tiger so I guess it seems they believed his story after all. What was originally a quite boring story about the adventure of a young boy with a tiger came truly alive with the 3D effects that this film used. In fact, many critics described the movie as a 3D masterpiece since you just don’t watch the movie, you live it. The film is visually amazing, the effects that Ang Lee made in the sky and the water makes it so much interesting. The movie is filled with so much marvelous things that you may even doubt what you are already seeing with your own eyes. And in the end, it makes you even wonder if you have seen anything at all. In fact, if you read the making of the film, the tiger and all the other animals in the film is not real at all and just the product of magnificent visual effects. But then again, this draws us back to the story’s real ending – which is the story that truly happened? The one with the tiger? Or the one with the humans? But I guess it does not really matter, as it depends on what you prefer to believe as a moviegoer: if you are someone who only believes what he sees and touches or someone who believes in miracles and accepts things based on faith. What matters is that the movie made me believe in the majesty and miracle of God and believe in something that would have been thought of as impossible.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - BACON AND TOMATO OMELETTE

This was supposed to be a frittata…but the ingredients came up short and I could not make it fill up a 9-inch plate and so it became an omelette. I used the same ingredients though and practically the same process – I started out with frying the bacon in a bit of oil, none at all if using a non-stick pan. Then I sautéed the garlic, onion and tomatoes and removed from pan. Next is beat three eggs in a bowl, dropped the sautéed ingredients, added some grated cheese and then I reheated the pan. If cooking as a frittata, you just let the eggs set in the pan and when it seems solid enough invert onto a plate and return to the pan to cook the other side. But since my ingredients would not fit the entire pan, I decided to cook it as an omelette, I just dropped half of the mixture into the pan and folded the egg in the middle until the edges are set. I did the same to the other half of the mixture and then served with rice or bread.

SAM’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

Sam turned seven today and in a way it was a reunion of sorts... because my long-time college friend Mia came (she is also a friend of my brother and my two sisters...it's a long story how but it just is) then an aunt who had long been 'missing in action' in some of our family gatherings arrived with her kids in tow and we we were quite glad to see her. We all chipped in something just to ensure that Sam’s birthday will be really special! The night before, I went off in search of bread sticks, marshmallows and choc-o sticks just for my special contribution for Sam’s party – his very own choco fountain! Ma cooked some spaghetti and fried chicken for the kids…and we all went there at around 4pm to have fun with Sam and his friends. His mom Vanj was here in Manila and she prepared a few somethings too and some of the other guests brought some cake and ice cream… I know what we shared was just simple things but collectively I am sure we made one little boy’s day truly special…Happy Birthday Sam!

P.S. Credits go to Vanj for the photos that I grabbed from her FB account.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - GARLIC KANGKONG

Here’s a new twist to the classic kangkong favorite…usually when we have fried fish dishes we pair it up with steamed kangkong or kamote tops, whichever is available, and have as our sawsawan some bagoong and/or toyo with calamansi --- yummy! But last week, the boss treated us out to a Chinese buffet restaurant somewhere in the Timog or Quezon Avenue area (I forgot na e!) but all that I remember was that it was located within Aberdeen Court. Their food was OK and quite affordable pa but what really got my attention was the kangkong dish that was smothered in garlic and cooked briefly in oil (can be olive if you have it) and I vowed to try and replicate the dish at home. And I did! And the family loved it! I just sautéed lots of garlic in oil then I added the kangkong (that was already previously blanched in boiling water) then when the leaves have wilted, served immediately and add more fried garlic bits as garnish! It tastes really good…and healthy too!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - SWEET AND SOUR TILAPIA

This is another fave dish that I got from Mga Luto ni Dennis at iba pa…it was a new way for me to cook tilapia because I knew the family had gotten tired of the usual fried, inihaw or pinangat that we cook around the house. It is really actually just frying but afterwards, sweet and sour sauce was added that made all the difference and a totally new experience for our usual tilapia fare. For the complete recipe please just check out Dennis’ blogsite…all I did was after cleaning and scoring the fish, I rubbed some salt and pepper and let the fish rest for a few minutes while I cut up the vegetables. While the fish fries in a pan I sautéed the ginger, garlic and onions. Then I added the carrots, red bell pepper and tomato catsup and seasoned the dish with salt, pepper, brown sugar and some cornstarch dissolved in water to thicken the sauce a bit. Finally, I poured the sauce over the fried tilapia, garnished with chopped onion leaves and served with hot rice for another yummy lunch! Thank you Dennis!

OUR WEEKEND FOOD TRIP

During weekends that we stay at home and we do not have much to do…just the regular chores and review of my daughter’s lessons, we usually watch movies either on USB or regular cable. And during those times…we do nothing much but EAT! And EAT! And EAT MORE! So it is expected that I stock up on food that we can munch on or sometimes my daughter and I make some sweet desserts (either baked or not) to have our own kinda fun in the kitchen…it’s good therapy really…Of course, it is expected that there will be a lot of mess to clean up afterwards but still it’s a good way to bond and develop camaraderie with my kid! And so this weekend, we bought some chips, fish crackers, Indian mangoes and bananas…we bought this at the local tiangge market then later on we’d be getting more from the grocery store… here’s tp a yummy weekend!

CUPCAKE SECRET

Here’s another belated gift to myself – and it arrived in the mail today – yippee! My very own Cupcake Secret silicone muffin pans! What is it really? Well, it is just like your regular muffin pans but it has a secret… it has pins at the center of the cake and removable bottoms so you can place anything – marshmallows, a chocolate, even a fruit at the center of the cupcake! Or you may opt to use the small thimble-like container, if you want anything liquid naman at the cupcake centers – like maybe some melted cheese or dulce de leche or even dark chocolate! There are endless possibilities – all I need now is to find some very promising recipes, buy the needed ingredients, and have THE TIME to finally do some baking! I am just SO EXCITED!!!

NEW POPSICLE MAKERS!

Before I left for home today, I decided to open my emails and FB page to check out the greetings and thank those who greeted me on my special day. Then, I got a pleasant surprise when I saw in my email inbox an item for sale at Cash-cash pinoy…the popsicle makers that I had long been wanting to have! This is just the perfect thingy for the coming summer and the perfect birthday gift I could give to myself and my daughter! She would surely love this…and I just know we would both enjoy making different flavored popsicles together! Here’s looking forward to a fun summer with my new popsicle makers!

DITSE'S BIRTHDAY

Today is Ditse’s birthday and as our way of showing our gratitude for everything that she has done for us…we always celebrate it with cake and a special dinner. Of course, it cannot be helped that she had to cook some of the dishes herself, but most of the time, we buy her something special like cake or lechon manok or liempo or siomai…to save her the effort of cooking everything by herself. Sometimes, we also invite her children to spend the day with her…to give them time to spend together…but with their very busy lives, they rarely are able to come. And so this year, it was just us…I just hope she felt special even for just one day…

NEW BLUETOOTH HEADSET

I made another purchase via the internet and it arrived thru special delivery today…but I swear, I really do need this gadget because it had been pretty hard for me to make some calls using the tab because it is so bulky to just hold up and make phone calls (kinda makes me look stupid too) So more often than not, I need to insert the earphones first…this is OK when I am the one making calls but what about during those times when I receive the call…I had no choice but to hurriedly take out the earphones and insert them but by the time I am ready to answer, the caller had already hung up. So when I saw this Bluetooth headset on sale with Groupon, I immediately grabbed the deal because it was quite cheap too! Imagine, at only PhP400 I could have my own Bluetooth headset yippee! I could simply put it on my ear whenever I am travelling and there’s no need any more to take out the gadget just to answer the call. A very welcome development indeed!

HOT AIR BALLOON FESTIVAL @ CLARK

 Today, we spent the day at Clark, Pampanga to witness our first-ever Hot Air Balloon Festival…it had been celebrated annually for 18 years now, ever since the US military bases vacated Clark to promote tourism in the area. We had planned to do this since last month pa, ever since I saw the announcement about the event. But it was all just plans…we never really made concrete itineraries and made invitations to others to join us. So on the week before the event, I was still non-committal to my sister who wanted to tag along with us for the event…good thing we were together na din since last night so when the hubby decided to push through with it… she was able to come with us.      
The day before, Alan already bought some hotdogs and longganisa for our breakfast/picnic tomorrow while waiting for the balloons to be launched then on D-Day, we got up early to cook rice, and the hotdogs, we also packed some plates, glasses, cold water in a jug and of course, a picnic mat. Then, after I woke up everyone (including Anna, Alan, Ditse and the kids) off we went to travel for about an hour to Clark, Pampanga. We do not have the money to pay for the entrance tickets and so we opted to just find our spot outside the launching grounds…anyway, we can see the balloons naman from just about anywhere. At first, we went near the entrance, we followed where the people were going…but after awhile, we realized the entrance was still quite far from the launching area and in fact, our parking spot was even nearer and so we changed venues and hurried to where our car was parked because they were starting to inflate the balloons na.      
The balloons this year included a lot of regular shaped balloons and had many forms and sizes - a space shuttle, a sun, an elephant head, Humpty Dumpty, and whole lot more. The balloons, a blog says, were from different countries around the world and were brought here to the Philippines. The thing about hot air balloons is that you can’t control them. They go where the wind takes them. So even if the balloons did not fly near where we were situated, at least we were near the launch area so we get to see them before the winds took them elsewhere …we were so lucky indeed! The kids had so much fun taking pictures and watching in awe as the colorful hot air balloons took off.  
But the day is not just about hot air balloons – we were also able to witness para-gliders doing exhibitions and different formations in the sky. But what really made our day was the Breitling Jet Team that made a spectacular aerobatic display with their supersonic jets…it was just so amazing! We almost did not get to see it because we thought the show was over and we decided to move out of the parking lot earlier than the others so as not to get stuck there…but good thing that we were caught in traffic or maybe the cars just decided to stop on the highway and gaze at the marvelous maneuvers unfolding before our eyes. And so we all went home quite satisfied and happy with everything that we had witnessed…will we come and visit again next year? Maybe…if it were better planned and maybe if we get the chance to get real up-close with the balloons or even better – get to ride in one---that would be the best experience yet!       

JOLLIBEE PARTY AND STAR CITY WITH BALIKBAYAN RELATIVES

About three weeks ago, our step-sister who had migrated to Canada in 2006 came home for a much-needed break. They went there at around June of 2006 with two kids and a dream to make it big in Canada…and they did all of that and much…much more! They now have their own dream house, their own car that would amply fit their growing family of three boys and a girl (the youngest boy and girl were born there), their successful jobs and some money saved/left over to vacation here in the Philippines…imagine that! Well, I guess their big risk and hard work for the past seven years had paid off and now they are starting to enjoy the fruits of their labor…
They planned their vacation to last for about a month, and for the past three weeks of their stay here (we haven’t really seen them yet) they have been making the rounds of tourist spots in the country like Bohol, Palawan, Tagaytay, etc…visiting the places they have truly missed and going to popular tourist places that they want to enjoy and savor. I heard, they even visited Bali or was it Bangkok…whatever…and so this weekend, is the one they have reserved for us. Well, it was not the usual long all-night sleepovers that we used to do where we just spend the night making non-stop kwento and all…but I guess they have other plans and so this birthday at Jollibee for one of their kiddos and for the little girl, to finally meet the Jollibee mascot, is the time that they have reserved for us…we do understand their busy sked! I guess not even a month is enough to arrange meet-ups for all the relatives and friends that you want to see and spend a moment with…
Suffice it to say that we had fun during the Jollibee party…the kids played some fun games and even us adults, participated in some of the games. Then, after the games the kids wanted to have more fun and went to Star City…this time the hubby and I just begged off, I knew it was a Saturday and there were just too many people there…I also knew the hubby would not be enjoying the rides and so we just left our kids in Anna’s care and took off on our own. It was almost 7, when they went out of Star City and we said our goodbyes and thank you’s to our balikbayan relatives…I knew it was just a short but sweet visit especially for the kids who have not been able to have the kinda fun and chat they would have needed to catch up with each other’s lives…but I guess there’s always FB… so here's hoping the family will have a safe trip home! Sure hope, too, that we’ll have a longer bonding time on their next trip home!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - Porkchop aloha

Here’s another easy recipe that I was able to get from mgalutonidennis@blogspot.com. I say easy because it allowed me to do my exercises while cooking. I simply marinated the porkchops overnight in a mixture of calamansi, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Then, in the morning, I pan fried the chops in a little oil and when the meat has turned pink, add the marinade and a little water and let the mixture boil until the pork has considerably softened…when the liquid had been reduced, add the pineapples, adjust the seasonings according to your preference, turn off the fire then serve!

MEETING UP WITH AN OLD FRIEND

Facebook is truly a wonder as it has made the world smaller and access to friends even from those around the world so much easier! Can you imagine getting in touch again with a friend whom you parted ways with when their family moved out of the old neighborhood when you were about fifteen years old? Imagine too that she’s now living in Chicago, Illinois, some 8,100 miles / 13,000 kilometers away in the U.S of A…hard to believe right? But thanks to FB this kind of miracle now happens every time!
But this friend I recently met up with is not the same childhood friend who lives in Illinois, USA. This is another friend whom I met when we moved to Diliman after living ten years in Cubao. She lived across from our house and on the first day after we moved, she immediately knocked on our door and introduced herself and we hit it off right away. By then, I became pregnant with my first born son and she was the one I shared my joys and woes with…but sad to say, we moved to Paranaque after only two years and I have lost touch with her ever since, though I made her a godmother of my child.
Then, suddenly a few months ago I saw her trying to add me up as a friend on FB and of course I immediately accepted her and we chatted just like the old times…I learned that she is now married to a new guy, but she has not had another child again…just my inaanak, Top-top, who is BTW, now a pretty young lass herself, albeit a bit on the chubby side. She stayed in Bicol for awhile, in pursuit of ‘gold’ but she did not luck out and had to return here…her next stop was Cagayan where she engaged in another form of business, making jewelry. This is where she met her current man and nowadays she keeps herself busy with another business venture – the Royale Business Club.
It is actually a multi-level marketing company that earns its profits thru networking/recruiting and sales of beauty products that are all produced and distributed locally. Recently, however, they have branched out to different countries like Singapore and some Middle East countries like Qatar, UAE, in order to target OFWs. She invited me to join but at first I balked because I needed to shell out about 12K for the membership fee…but she gave me an incentive/package wherein I could get some products advanced and if I am able to sell them and reach the amount of 12K, I can be a member na…no cash-out required! Pretty neat huh! And so I agreed to meet up with her so she could explain to me the basics of the products and the company itself. I left the office at around 3pm to go to her place via a trike at the Bliss area. Stopped first though at Yviana’s to buy some banana cake which we can share…after all, it is coffee time! She still looks good, after all these years of not seeing each other and in between her explaining to me about their products and services and of course, how I could eventually earn, if I get to recruit some down lines…well, it all looks legit naman and the products are all enticing…I just hope I would have the guts to eventually sell them to the people in our office…or better yet to recruit some down lines so that I could earn much…oh well, here’s crossing my fingers something good will come out of this yet!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - Bonchon chicken

There had been many outlets of this famous chicken house here in the country (that originated from Korea pala!) but sad to say, I have not been able to try it yet…but what I was able to taste was the version made once by my cousin-chef when we visited another aunt’s house in Pasig…it tasted great and at the time, I saw how he cooked it and saw the ingredients he used, but did not remember the proportions and so I searched the net and saw a couple of recipes …they basically had similar ingredients and the processes involved were the same. First, the chicken part – though I was not really a fan of chicken wings, I decided to use them for this recipe since most sites I visited used the wing part of the chicken (but I think it’s OK if you use any part). Marinate the chicken pieces in salt, pepper, minced onion, minced garlic and 2T soy sauce, overnight is best - the longer the better. Prepare the breading by mixing ½ c flour, ½ c cornstarch, salt and pepper, and a dash of your fave seasoning (vetsin or magic sarap). Toss the chicken pieces in the breading, making sure that each piece is coated well. Deep fry the chicken pieces until golden and drain on paper towels. Let rest for a few minutes. Re-fry the chicken wings until crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Then toss the chicken wings in the sauce. For the sauce, mix together ¼ cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. honey, 2 tbsp brown sugar, and ¼ c water in a bowl. Then set aside. Saute garlic and ginger for two minutes. Pour in the soy sauce mixture and simmer for ten minutes until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and toss the chicken wings with the sauce. Coat each piece well and serve with hot rice…It tastes really good - the kids and the hubby liked it!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - DULCE DE LECHE CREAM TART

This is another sweet and sinful recipe that I got from Casa Veneracion but first you have to start with making dulce de leche. What exactly is dulce de leche? Well, according to Wikipedia dulce de leche is a confection prepared by slowly heating sweetened milk to create a product that derives its taste from the caramelization of the product. Literally, it means ‘candy of milk’ or candy made of milk. It is popular in South America, in particular, in Argentina, Uruguay, Southern Brazil, Colombia, Eastern Bolivia and Venezuela.
But the product itself varies from country to country – some like in El Salvador, has a soft crumbly texture while in Colombia and Venezuela it is made with corn starch giving it a soft custard like texture. Mexican’s make theirs from goat’s milk while in Puerto Rico, it is sometimes made with unsweetened coconut milk. The most basic recipe calls for slowly simmering milk and sugar , stirring almost constantly, while other ingredients like vanilla, cinnamon may be added for flavor. Much of the water in the milk shall evaporate and so the mixture thickens.
Here in the Philippines, I have learned to make dulce de leche from my fave chef – Connie. You just boil an unopened can of sweetened condensed milk for two to three hours (shorter if using a pressure cooker), allow the cans to cool completely before opening them to have your very own dulce de leche. This may be used to flavor candies, cakes, churros, pies or even with plain old pandesal…but enough of the history, you may get the exact recipe at the CASA Veneracion blog…I just want to say that what drew me to this recipe was because it required no baking. You just have to make the crust (from graham crakers) then mix together the cream mixture. Then its assembly time - place the dulce de leche layer on top of the crust then the sliced bananas and cover it all with the whipped cream mix. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon and chill first before serving…quite easy eh? Delicious too!

PLAYING WITH THE RABBITS

These bunnies were born last month on January 26…and today is our first time to play with them…and it may be the last time too…coz we’ll be giving them away again, in a few more weeks…we can’t afford to keep anymore bunnies kasi e…Whitey’s babies this time are four – two white ones and one completely brown like its dad and another white one with big brown patches. They’re just sooooo cute and cuddly, quite big at just three weeks! One pair will be given to Keith’s ‘special friend’ while the second pair to Ate Gemma, Kaye’s school bus operator, she had long been asking us to give her some bunnies and now she can finally get her wish…

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – FISH FILLET IN SWEET CORN AND WHITE SAUCE

I had some leftover fish fillet from the one I used to make the nuggets and so I decided to cook another fish dish but this time with some sauce so it won’t be too dry. We had this for lunch and though it was just me, the hubby and the daughter…it was truly a satisfying meal! I got the recipe from CASA Veneracion’s archive. The only difference is that instead of using fresh corn on the cob, I cheated and used the ones in a can…It still tasted great though! I just knew my family loves anything with milk…and corn…so they just love that this dish had both…thanks Sassy for sharing!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – BAKED PORK IN MUSTARD AND YOGURT

I am posting this dish even if my family did not like it…I guess it may be considered as one of those epic failures of a dinner that I made…boohoo! I knew I followed the recipe to the letter and the chops came out juicy enough…but I guess the family does not really like mustard in their food…which was just too bad because while the pork was cooking in the oven, they were quite excited because the aroma of the dish was just so great…but when it was served…they found the taste - peculiar! Oh well, at least now I know not to serve them anything with mustard…lesson learned!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – MAC N CHEESE

I made some snacks for the hubby since he’s been busy all day trying to make an aluminum cage for the bunnies…yippee! Now I won’t have a difficult time trying to clean the cages since the underside would be made of plastic pallets that they would have a hard time chewing out…well, because in the previous wooden cage, they were able to chew away some parts of the metal screen – the reason why some of our kits died last year because they fell through the hole…so this time, the hubby is making something far more stronger and as my way of showing gratitude I made them this delicious snack. It’s just a simple recipe really – pretty much like your home-made spaghetti. The main difference is that after cooking the macaroni noodles and the meat sauce, you assemble the pasta and sauce on a baking dish, top with a generous amount of cheese, pop in the oven and when the cheese melts…it’s ready!

FAVE SUSHI

Just posting a pic of one of the few foods that my daughter considers her favorite…she is such a picky eater and so more often than not, whenever I discover something that she likes, I try my best to buy it for her…like this sushi…she likes this together with salmon sashimi. But the salmon is just so expensive at PhP400-500 per kilo! So I guess I would have to discover others…a bit cheaper than the salmon. (hehehe) This assorted sushi costs about PhP300 per plate…just enough for our family of four.

VALENTINE’S DAY 2013

Today is Valentine’s Day …and so it is expected that many people will flock the malls – mostly young lovers, sweethearts, and families wanting to spend the day with their kids…but how and why exactly is it celebrated? According to Wikipedia, the tradition started as a Christian celebration to honor a Saint Valentine for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry under the Roman empire. The use of hearts on Valentine’s Day came about because legend says that St. Valentine cut hearts from parchment and gave them to soldiers and persecuted Christians to remind them of God’s love and encourage them to remain faithful Christians. It was also believed that St. Valentine sent the first ever greeting card to the daughter of his jailer (whom he also miraculously healed from blindness) by sending her a letter on the night before his execution and signing it with ‘your Valentine’, a phrase still widely used in Valentine’s day cards to this day. However, the first recorded association of romantic love for Valentine’s day occurred in the 14th century with a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer entitled Parliament of Foules…there were three other authors who made reference to birds’ mating on St. Valentine’s Day. Many more references on Valentine’s Day appeared in English literature like Paston Letters, Hamlet and Fairie Queen. But it was only in the 19th century that paper cards became popular in England. By mid-19th century, mass-produced greeting cards became the norm rather than handwritten notes. Then in the 20th century, instead of just cards, gifts like roses and chocolates packed in a red heart-shaped box were also given out to their lady loves. In the 1980s, Valentine’s Day was also promoted as a day to give jewelry. But to tell you frankly, I am not an ardent believer in all this hullaballoo that has become of Valentine’s Day. Of late, it has become a highly commercialized holiday that is being taken advantage of by numerous scrupulous establishments like greeting card companies, chocolate factories/makers, flower shops, jewelry stores, restaurants and even, hotels that offer special promos for lovers and families. It is merely a product of too much commercialism and HYPE, all for the benefit of PROFIT. And so on this special day, instead of standing in line to eat at restaurants or watch movies or check-in at a hotel…we would just rather spend a quiet dinner at home…with the kids. We could go out on our own date – either eat out and watch movies after the Valentine frenzy is over…

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – CHIX N CHIPS

You may have noticed my penchant for cooking fried chicken …many times in the food blog portion of this blog, I have featured different methods of cooking fried chicken – some of them were OK but sad to say I have not found the perfect method…where the chicken is crispy on the outside and still juicy and tasty on the inside…and so my quest continues. This time around, I am using another recipe from mgalutonidennis.blogspot.com. (check out his site for the complete recipe). By way of a background, the term chicken and chips is popular fare in England and it could mean chicken that is either fried, roasted or barbecued paired with fried potatoes – may be sliced thinly like mojo chips or julienned like fries. The main difference in this recipe is that unlike in the others where the chicken is marinated overnight then fried the next day, this time around it is boiled in water and allowed to cool first before deep-frying in hot oil. While the chicken cools, you may fry first the potatoes. Then, the chicken is fried twice to make it crispy…and was it indeed? Yes! It was quite tasty too…just too bad that I cooked this in the morning and we had this chicken for our lunch so it was not as crisp anymore unlike the one that my kids had for breakfast…maybe next time I will try to cook this for lunch or dinner during weekends at home.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - FISH NUGGETS

It’s Ash Wednesday today, the beginning of the Lenten season…for us, Catholics, it is a period of forty days where the faithful are called upon to pray and fast, abstain from meat and other luxurious goods like ice cream, chocolates and pray…repent and ask the Lord for forgiveness. Unlike before where all Fridays are days of obligation wherein meat is completely shunned, it is not so anymore…now only two days are required to abstain from meat – Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. So today, to honor the day when people are made to wear ashes on their foreheads to remind all of us that we came from ashes and to ashes we shall likewise return, I made this recipe for my kids baon – fish nuggets. There really is no exact recipe that I followed…all that is needed is just any fillet of fish - any kind will do. I used cream dory, patted them dry first with paper towels then seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. After a few minutes, I dredged the fish pieces in flour and fried in hot oil, a few pieces at a time. Then, I drained the fish in paper towels, waited a bit till they cooled before packing them in my kids’ lunchboxes…another yummy baon!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – Pork chops in honey-lemon sauce

This is another quick and easy recipe from “mgalutonidennis.blogspot.com” (just go to his website for the exact recipe and ingredients). What I did was marinate the pork overnight then come morning just pan fry the chops in a non-stick pan then set aside. In the same pan, fry the ginger, honey, soy sauce and brown sugar. Return the chops and let the mixture boil just until it thickens. Turn off the heat and serve with hot rice or in my case, pack in the kids lunch boxes…yummy!

My first born...

Last month I became a grandmother...courtesy of my eldest son whose wife gave birth last January 20... and this made me look back to our 'somewhat' short bonding moments as mother and son. You see we never really had the chance to be together all that often...it's a long story...but suffice it to say that in my own little way, I tried my best to be a good mom to him...but I don't think I ever was...and now, I am a grandma...and sad to say I suddenly missed the little boy I once held in my arms twenty-four years ago...I knew many times I have failed to be there for him...I just wish he knew that in my heart of hearts...I will always love him...after all he was the first recipient of my unconditional love - my first born son...

MY FIRST IBON-EBON FESTIVAL

I have long heard of this festival from my pamangkins who took part in it during their school activities…sometimes, they would participate as dancers, other times as part of the band, in fact, there was even one pamangkin of mine who made the rounds of different provinces performing as a drummer to feature this particular Candaba festival. According to Wikipedia and the Department of Tourism website the Ibon-Ebon festival (literally means Birds and Eggs festival) was organized just recently. It was spearheaded by Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo in 1998 as a way of paying homage to the migratory birds that flock to the Candaba swamp as they travel in search of warmer temperatures from different parts of the globe. One of the highlights of the festival is the street parade participated in by many students from the different barangays of Candaba. These are just a few of the pictures of this year’s street parade…

1ST BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR NICOLE

One of our pamangkins will be celebrating her birthday today…and so to celebrate her special day we bought a little something from the grocery last night. After all, it is not every day that a girl gets to spend her first birthday and so we want to make this day special for her even in our own little way.

JOGGING AT CIRCLE WITH ANNA

(February 8, 2013) I stepped on the scale today and was quite disappointed…you see I have been dieting and biking on and off for about a month now but sad to say, I still weigh about 140 pounds…I lost only a bit… and to think that I have been working my ass off on that bike each morning for thirty minutes and watching what I eat each day via MyFitnessPal app…oh dear, I guess that only means it is not enough at all… maybe I need to add jogging to my repertoire (at least twice or thrice a week), or maybe increase my biking time to 45 minutes, or stop eating dinner altogether…I don’t really know, I have run out of fresh ideas…and so today, when my sister invited me (or was it me who invited her…can’t really recall e) to go jogging, while she goes biking around the Q.C. circle…I relented immediately hoping that this would be a welcome addition to my attempts to lose weight. I just hope that I would find more time to jog here more often, if not with her, then, even if just by myself – LET’S DO THIS!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – PORK BROCCOLI WITH OYSTER SAUCE

For the kids baon, it is quite rare for me to cook a veggie dish. Well, this is because the vegetables usually become wilted and unappealing by lunch hour. So when I saw this method of cooking from one of my favorite food bloggers, I thought I should try it so that the vegetable would not come out overcooked. The usual method that I knew was to add the broccoli after I had sautéed the meat but even if I turn off the fire quickly the broccoli still turns out wilted after some time…broccoli pa naman is one of the very few vegetables that my daughter likes and knowing its health benefits – high in fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, folic acid and calcium, I try as much as possible to cook this often for her. And so this time, I blanched the broccoli florets first in boiling water, just a few minutes. Then I scooped out the florets then dropped them in a bowl of iced water. Drain and set aside while I sautéed the meat in garlic and onions, added salt and pepper to taste, and a little oyster sauce. Finally, return the broccoli to the pan, turn off the fire…and it’s done! I just hope it still stays as good as it looks now come lunch time.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – Chicken Asado

Here is another chicken dish that is just perfect for the kids' baon...it's so easy to make and quite delicious too! It's quite similar to the adobo wherein you just have to mix everything together - the chicken, garlic, onion, ginger, soy sauce, oyster sauce, muscovado sugar, salt and pepper. Add a bit of water and let the mixture boil. (I biked for 30 minutes while it boiled and only went down to check the water level twice). Then, when the mixture had been reduced, turn off the fire. In a non-stick pan, add sesame oil and fry the chicken pieces, add the remaining soy mixture and a bit of honey, turning the chicken pieces every now and then so that it does not burn...after a few minutes...voila! Another delish baon for the kids! Thanks again, Dennis! (you may check out the exact recipe at his blogsite - mgalutonidennis.blogsite.com)

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – PALITAW SA LATIK

Last week, my daughter related to me that she and her classmates cooked this native Filipino snack as their project in T.L.E. (Technology and Livelihood Education, what used to be our Home Economics). She was among the students who played a major part in cooking the dish but when the dish was done, she was only able to eat one palitaw! She was so frustrated since she helped more than the others did and yet she only got to eat one tiny little piece…definitely not commensurate to her efforts. And so I promised her that I would buy ingredients for palitaw latik this weekend and help her re-create the said dish. Around siesta time, when she said she feels rested and can get up without feeling woozy, she helped her father in making palitaw sa latik…another favorite family dessert/snack.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - CHEESE AND POTATO SOUP

This is another dish that I made today for my sick daughter – warm and hearty soup with her fave ingredient – cheese! I saw this one day in Casa Veneracion’s blog and I knew right then and then that this would be one surefire dish that would be a hit with my family. And I was right! The process is quite simple really. (just check out her blog for the complete recipe) All that is needed is to cook the potatoes and onion in butter, add the home-made broth and season with salt and pepper. When the potatoes have softened, process or puree in a blender until smooth then return to the pot. Add the cheese and some parsley for garnish before serving. Thanks again Connie! This truly made my daughter’s day! P.S. The next photo shows what we had to go with the soup – fried chicken and potato salad…yummy!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH AND SOPAS FOR THE SICK GIRL

My little daughter is sick...yesterday, I awoke to find that she had crawled into bed to sleep beside me and I felt that she was quite warm and feverish. And so today, to make her eat...she is already a difficult/picky eater as it is, moreso now that she is feeling a bit woozy... I prepared two of her favorite dishes - sopas...and something, anything with cheese - grilled cheese sandwich. The first is her comfort food whenever she is not feeling well and the cheese sandwich...well, she likes anything with cheese so I figured if the soup would not perk her up to eat anything, the melted cheese in toasted bread would surely do the trick! And I'm right...she did eat...even if a bit sparingly...at least she ate something!?!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – SINIGANG NA ULO NG SALMON

This is our lunch today - another favorite comfort food that is just right for a rainy day... Before we used to cook another fish for sinigang - the maya-maya but the fish earned a bad rap ever since its fakes (called Imelda) allegedly proliferated the Pasig river, thus, many were hesitant to buy and cook maya-maya anymore for hygiene/health reasons (me included). And since we already discovered that salmon is another good fish to cook sinigang, we never looked back and had been cooking that ever since. First, you clean the fish head thoroughly then saute ginger, garlic, onions, and tomatoes. Add the fish and cook well. You may add salt or patis, whichever you prefer before adding the miso then the water. When the sinigang boils, you may add the vegetables, mustasa or kangkong, then the sinigang mix. Let the sinigang boil for a bit more then turn off the heat and serve the soup while still hot and steaming!

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – MEAT AND VEGETABLE FRITATA

This recipe can usually be done with leftover giniling that is cooked with bell peppers, carrots and potatoes. But if you don't have any leftovers, you can make one from scratch. Start with browning the meat then saute in garlic and onions. Add the diced carrots, potatoes and bell peppers. When the vegetables have cooked, stir in three beaten eggs and lower the heat to allow the eggs to set. You may cover the pan with a tight lid to ensure that the eggs are fully cooked or you may invert the fritata to a plate and cook the underside. Once cooked, serve the fritata at once with catsup on hot toast or rice. Happy eating!

NEW FOOTSTOOLS FOR THE HOUSE

On our way home we passed by the hardware store inside Starmall to buy some plumbing materials that Jun would need this weekend to fix the kitchen sink, change the p-trap as it may be leaking. He also bought us a new shower...yipee! My daughter would be so glad! Then, as we were getting near the cashier, I saw the foldable footstools at 50% off! I had been eyeing the said stools for quite some time now since I saw them about a month ago siguro...but they cost about 250 for the small ones and 350 for the big one, but now that they are being offered at 50% off, I immediately decided to buy some...after all they're only gonna cost less than 500 for two small and a big one for my room. Yipee! I know they're not the hofa ones that I would've wanted but close enough so they would do...

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – VIETNAMESE CHICKEN WITH PINEAPPLE

I am not a huge fan of putting fruits in cooked meals…I prefer my fruits as desserts and not as part of my regular meal – like pininyahang adobo. But recently, I decided to have a change of attitude since knowing how difficult it is to feed my daughter her daily dose of fruits and vegetables, I knew I needed to be creative just to make sure that she gets the right amount of nutrition through her meals. And so, I have started cooking (and, of course, also eating) viands cooked with fruits like orange chicken, fish in lemon sauce, and this recent discovery from CASA Veneracion’s old files – Vietnamese chicken in pineapple. It is really quite easy to do (you may get the complete recipe from her blogsite). I simply marinated the chicken in patis, then after about an hour, browned the chicken in a little oil, added the garlic, onions and bell pepper. After two minutes, I added the oyster sauce, pineapple chunks and a bit of sugar. Let the dish simmer covered for about ten minutes, season with salt and pepper and add the corn starch to thicken the sauce. Lastly, add the onion leaves before turning off the heat. Serve with hot rice or pack in lunch boxes after cooling a bit. Thanks Connie for another healthy meal!!!

FIRST TIME TO SLEEP IN OUR NEW HOUSE

I woke up early today and was surprised to see unfamiliar surroundings…I gathered my thoughts and started to remember that we are now in our new house…and it’s actually my first time to sleep here. And did I sleep well? Not really…because I was not used to hearing all the noise in the streets…you see the house we moved into was just behind the store and so we hear all sorts of things like the trikes and motorcycles revving up, the big trucks and buses plying the route each morning…I guess the fact too that the second floor still doesn’t have windows added much to the noise. Well, maybe when the windows and ceiling are installed and the walls finished and painted, the noise outside will be lessened…I hope! Since the old house (of Inang/and now Allan’s) will now start building, all three families (ours, Allan’s and Lona’s) are living here in our house despite the fact that it is still yet to be completed… It’s OK, we’re here naman only twice a month and with our funds already depleted, we intend to continue the finishing touches maybe by mid-year (June or July). Meanwhile, we’ll have to make do with what space and living conditions we have…I am just glad that now we’re all moving closer to achieving our very own dream homes…some place we could call our very own. Here’s a pic of the old homestead…so sad to see it all torn down… but we all have to move on and it’s gonna change for the better anyway so this kind of change is a good thing.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES - FAILED CORN CUPCAKES AND PANCAKES!

You know the saying…if it is not meant to be then don’t push it…it will come in the proper time and in the proper moment…but why am I quoting this saying here? In what is obviously a food blog entry…well, actually I am just trying to justify or make amends with the failure I made today…you see I tried but failed to make corn cupcakes…I knew already that I did not have cornmeal…I could not FIND any! But I still persisted thinking it may not be needed, anyway… And so I proceeded with doing my cupcakes. I knew I did everything – I first mixed the sugar, honey, butter and eggs in a bowl. Then in another bowl, the flour, baking powder and salt (no cornmeal). After that I mixed little by little the wet and dry ingredients, then added the milk and lastly the corn. I poured the batter in the muffin pans until almost full and baked in a pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes. I began to suspect that something was wrong when I peeked at the muffin pan halfway through, and I saw the cupcakes looked different…the cupcakes weren’t rising in the center…in fact, even after the required time of baking is through the cupcakes were still as flat as ever and had the consistency of a ‘puto’ or a pudding…what went wrong? Is it because of the cornmeal? Maybe…or there may be something else I totally missed to do altogether! Well, anyway, the corn ‘puto’ still tasted good, it was just a bit dense and not airy like cupcakes truly are. I decided not to cook the remaining batter na lang and instead made them into pancakes…but the same thing happened…the pancakes also had the same chewy consistency. Oh well…I guess I had to learn my lesson the hard way…never ever cook a dish/recipe when you don’t have all the ingredients available…unless you know the correct substitutions.

KITCHEN MISADVENTURE SERIES – Baked potatoes

There was a time, way back in college, when I used to eat this dish once a week – often with bacon bits and cheese, sometimes with even double cheese or even if with just plain cheese – it’s my perfect go-to food when I am feeling down and wanted to feel happy even for just a few moments. But that was when Wendy’s was our fave tambayan and study group venue…but when I started working, the price of baked potatoes also started soaring and so the times I am able to eat this fave dish became few and far between…and so today when I suddenly felt the need for baked potatoes and with the nearest Wendy’s resto about 30-45 minutes away from our place…I already know how to make my own! First, you must choose the right potato, I am not sure what kind but they should be large enough to satisfy one person and not too starchy like the ones you use for mashed potatoes. Wash the potatoes thoroughly as you do not want some dirt left on the skin because you will be eating them with skins on, after all. Place the potatoes in a big pot, pour enough water until the potatoes are submerged and boil them until a toothpick can be inserted through the center – the potatoes should still be firm, not soggy or soft. Then, transfer the potatoes to a baking dish, place some cheese and whatever topping you want – bacon, ham or tuna and bake in a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes or until the cheese melts…that’s it! Your very own home-made yummy baked potato!

FINALLY…TEMPLE RUN 2 FOR ANDROID!

At long last…the wait is over…Temple Run 2 comes to Android! For about a week now, I have been hearing (from Apple users, of course!) their excitement about this new update and I was curious to know what the hullaballoo is all about…basically, the concept of the game is still the same…it still involves endless running! But what’s exciting about it is the addition of new obstacles like ziplines, riding a mine cart that seems more like a roller-coaster as it twists, turns and almost falls off, and flames of fire that shoot off in unexpected places, among others. Then, there are also new prizes that one must seek to attain – like green gems that can give you much-needed life! Further, the three monkeys that are running after the main character have disappeared but instead a humongous creature had taken its place…creepy! The track too is more difficult…whereas before, you can just let the character run by itself and just wait until it needs to turn left or right but this time around, the road suddenly narrows so that one must always be on guard to watch the track. Still it is a totally exciting game! Just wish I could get the hang of it soon…I just envy my kids and cousins playing and proudly displaying the ‘millions’ they were able to score…while I am still endlessly struggling and forever running, hoping to outsmart my pursuer…but to no avail!

A NEW MASSAGE PLACE

We made a new discovery…actually it was the hubby who first noticed it a few weeks ago when we passed by it and he saw the new sign… but it was only today (because his back was aching terribly) that we finally decided to stop and check it out. We were walk-in customers and expectedly, we had to wait a bit since our visit was not scheduled. They said they had a room ready in about thirty minutes and asked if it was OK if ours was not a ‘couple’s room’ and we said it was fine, we can be booked separately naman. He decided to go ahead since the ‘masahista’ that became free first was a guy and so I took the next girl that was available. How would I rate the experience? First, let’s talk about the venue – the massage place was located at the second floor of an old building, kinda creepy going there really so don’t expect me to come here by myself. But the massage parlor itself was OK… dark, as they usually were but it smells good (wafts of scented oil permeate the place the moment you enter it) but since it was dark I had no way of knowing if the place was clean…the sheets smelled clean though. Then, the service – it was OK by me…nothing spectacular about it but I had a totally relaxing and enjoyable massage. The hubby did not have a good time though…he requested for a man, thinking that he would be experiencing a ‘hard’ massage to assuage his tired and aching muscles but it seems he wasn’t satisfied at all because the guy they gave was a bit soft…well, do we return to this place again? Maybe…since it’s relatively cheap and quite near our place pa…but only if time and our budget permits…it’s good to indulge in such pleasures every now and then…

KITCHEN MISADVENTURES – Pork sinarabsab

This is another dish that I got from Dennis Lutong Bahay blog…it is believed to be an Ilocano version of the well-loved Inihaw na Liempo. The main difference is that instead of marinating the pork in the usual mixture of vinegar and soy sauce, one uses the tamarind mix, yup the kind commonly used for sinigang. I mixed it with the pork together with brown sugar and salt. I marinated the mixture overnight but if you don’t have the luxury of time, you can do it even for just a few hours. Then, the next day instead of grilling the pork, I just fried it like your regular lechon kawali and voila! Another delicious baon for the kids…

FAILED JUICER!

About a week ago, an officemate of ours offered us a Philips juicer and it was quite huge, but relatively cheap at PhP1500.00 considering it was only slightly used. So the hubby decided to take it coz he knows we all have a penchant for having blended juices anyway…but when I got home and decided to try it out using cucumbers, it was an epic failure! The juicer did not reduce all of the cucumber into juice; in fact, I had to return the still-whole pieces of cucumber into the chamber to make sure that it gets juiced all over again (see the left side of the juicer in the pic). And what’s even worse is that there is a whole lot of mess to clean up afterwards…oh no…I don’t think I will ever get the hang of this thing, I guess I would just have to return it and stick to my old reliable blender. Good thing, it wasn’t brand new otherwise, I would not be able to return it…and get stuck with a gadget I would not even be able to use…