christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I haven't been here in awhile. You know, the holidays are such a hectic time for me and my diet (lol!). Aside from work, I've been really busy with shopping and parties. Heck! with the long vacation approaching, I am 100% sure I'll be gaining a few pound or so. Yikes. God forbid!

In the meantime, allow me to share one of my favorite food related books. Actually, this blog has been inspired by it. I never get tired of reading this. I also like very much to try out some of the recipes here.

What am I talking about? Laura Esquivel's LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE

Incidentally, there is also a movie version of the novel. I was quite unfortunate, though that i missed it. Im still in search of the dvd version.

Anyways, back to Christmas... if, by any chance I get so caught up in the festivities, let me be the first to say. HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND HERE'S TO A FRUITFUL NEW YEAR!

childhood memories...

It's All Saints Day once again. I have the fondest and yummiest memories of the season. Here in the Philippines, remembering our dead is a tradition that goes hand in hand with family reunions, homecomings, and a sumptous spread.

This year, my sisters and I took roadtrip to Daddy's hometown, Cabatuan City. This is where our biological mom and grandmother is laid to rest. Instead of going to the ancestral house (the way we always do), we decided to go directly to the cemetery to meet up with our other relatives for a "picnic". Lola Tina, who always kept track of our childhood favorites brought pandesal with giniling, freah carabao's milk, homemade chicharon, fried rice, buro, and adobo.

In Cabanatuan, no meal is complete without the cholesterol laden pork skin cracklings (chicaron). In our house, it is eaten not as an appetizer, but rqather as one of the ulam (viands). After staying a couple of hours, we knew it was time to head home. Mind you, we very much dreaded the traffic and still have to go cemetery hoping in Manila.



Of course a trip to Cabatuan is never complete without stopping by the local market and buying ourselves a few kilos of batute, a very garlicy variant of longaniza. Hmmm... childhood memories are filled of these tasty, meaty treat frying in our kitchen.

Recipe: Roast Chicken

Wanna impress Hubby and the kids? Are you looking for a exotic twist to the classic roast chicken? Wondering what to bring for potluck? No worries, I have the perfect solution. Here's my version of roast chicken. Aside from it being super yummy, it is also so easy to do.

you will need:
1 roasting chicken
salt
pepper
lemon grass (tanglad)
lots of crushed garlic, 1/2 cup
soy sauce
lemon juice

1. Clean roasting chicken thoroughly. Rub with enough salt and pepper, including the inside cavity.
2. Rinse with water and pat dry. Meanwhile prepare the marinade.

Marinade:
soy sauce
lemon juice

3. Marinade the whole chicken for 30 minutes or longer (overnight is best)
4. Stuff the chicken with crushed garlic and lemon grass
5. Turbo for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is done

Recipe: Sweet Style Spaghetti

This is the most requested pasta dish in my home. Eversince I started making this classic party pleaser, I have been asked a number of times to share the recipe. I did, actually in my other blog during my daughter's birthday. I feel festive today, so I thought it would be really nice re-printing the steps on how to make the:

BEST EVER KIDDIE SPAGHETTI

you will need:
500 grams ground beef
4 c sweet style spaghetti sauce
onion, chopped
garlic, minced
fresh parsely
3 tsp spoons sugar
1/4 tsp oregano
1 bay leaf
beef cube

Cook noodles according to package directions. Saute onions, garlic and beef. Add sauce, beef cube, sugar and other spices. Season with salt and pepper (for my variation, I added grated cheese). Toss spaghetti noodles with the sauce and set aside.

White Sauce
1/4 c flour
4 c milk
1/4 c butter
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Mix all ingredients in a saucepan. Cook in slow heat, whisking until it thickens. Spread over pasta, top with cheese ( i used quickmelt) and bake for 20 minutes

20 yummiest cakes in town

this is a cross post. i featured this article in my other blog, BOTH SIDES NOW. but since this is about food and other delicious stuff, i thought it best to do a second serving on these delectable taste ticklers.

my appologies, this is not a dieter's best friend. here's the yummiest link you'll ever find....

source: phil daily inquirer

happy birthday (to me!)

I am in my 36th year of life. I was not planning on entertaining but my siblings and other family members won't take no for an answer. It was really sweet of Hubby to organize an impromptu get together.



Since I didn't really prepare, we thought of the next best thing to celebrate. We gathered everyone in my favorite Chinese resto, Causeway for dinner. The affair was simple, fun, and loaded with these yummy treats.

Thanks Hubs!

not your regular pizza parlor

For time to time, my officemates and I would treat ourselves to lunch. We would pick from the an array of restos near the workplace. Robinson's Galleria is our no.1 stop.

This month, we decided to try Pizza Hut Bistro. This is not really new in the vicinity, but we haven't really gave it much thought because, for one, pizza is a bit too ordinary for our tastes. But we were wrong. Pizza Hut Bistro is not your average pizza place. Don't be fooled by the interiors, the menu packs quite a surprise. Wanna see some proof? These are what filled our plates (and tummies

a kani roll salad

pasta carbonara

seafood paella

By the time we were have way to the meal, we were so stuffed. Heck! there even wasn't enough room for pizza. As for the prices? Hmmm very reasonable. Good for groups.

improvised diet plan

To keep up with my fitness goal, I did a lot of research about eating healthy. Of course, every so often, I would come across the South Beach diet. A great number of my friends swear by it. So, I thought of giving it a try.

But I am just an ordinary working mom with a budget to stck to. I cannot really afford to buy all the meals from a South Beach food supplier. It's too pricey. Even a sandwhich costs a fortune! So, the next bext thing to do (and the most practical) is to make the food by myself.

I am in endless search for the recipes and affordable ingredients. The net have become my mentor, the wet market and vegestable stands my best friends.

Now, i know I am on my way to a better me

bring it on!

Okay, now that I have my gym membership, the hard part is just about to start. I just finished my fitness test and the results were not something to smile about. Jing, the PI assigned to me said that I was not a bit flexible and in dire need of stretching exercises. I am about 10lbs overweight and had to losse it ASAP. He also didn't fail to mention that I had to start think, cooking, and eating healthy.

So, let the diet (and exercise) begin...!

GIFT OF FITNESS

To celebrate Mother's Day,Hubby picked me up from work and suggested that we have coffee. I was rooting for Starbucks, but he suggested Gloria Jean's instead. After my usual cuppa and dessert, he handed me an envelop and said "my mother's day gift". My eyes lit up, thinking it must be cash...As in shopping money for me.

But I was wrong. Gloria Jean's played a part in his gift. The envelop contained a Gold's Gym membership. Yahey! This is what I've been telling him for sometime now. He got me pala the gift of fitness.

Aw...

breakfast in the afternoon? why not!

There will always come a day when no matter the time, breakfast seem to always on your top food choice. Well, we are no exception. After our family movie date the kids, Hubby, and I headed to Pancake House for our all day breakfast craving.

Here's what we feasted on:





hay... the perfect ending to a family date!

if it looks good, it must be yummy!

A quick stop at the Trinoma Mall was all I wanted. Hubby, the kids and I were on our way to a children's party but then we realized that we haven't gotten the celebrant a gift yet. So, we pulled over, went to the the toy store and got the gift.



We were on our way out when a familiar, homey smell filled my nostrils. Aha! I was right. Within eyesight is one of my favorite breadshop--BREADTALK. I begged Hubby and the kids for a few morsels. These goodies were soo good to look at that it was on an impulse that I bought a few pieces. The result was divine. Perfect blend of sweetness. Luscious!

Burger Fix

It is a rare occurence for Hubby to at home on Sundays. So, I thought this is the perfect day to drive around town. No particular directions, just our senses (and tummies) leading the way.

After a few stops and a bit of arguing, Hubby and I decided to listen to the carnivore in us. It was a no brainer for us to head to our number 1 beef stop--HOTSHOTS. Honestly, who can forget this juicy chuck of meat? It's heaven in a bun. And will all the fixings, you really can't go wrong.


I like my burger with a little bit of a kick so, I ordered the mexican style. Hubby, being less of an adventurer eater, prided himself with a classic cheese burger.

Yummy!

Tagaytay Interlude

Last weekend was my sister's engagement party. All the members of the Guanio and Cobarrubias families headed up to Tagaytay (her fiance's family farm) for some r&r, good food, and of course to celebrate!


It was a welcome treat for me because it is not very often we siblings get together. Amidsts all the activities, we still managed to catch up on each other's lives. Just look at all the images! Honestly, this is one the BEST weekends I ever had.

The Alfonso farm is not your typical farm. It's a whole lot more. It's like a mini ranch (with horses and other animals) plus the amenities of a bad and breakfast inn. There's plenty to do and explore. My favorite was the brooke. We had to trek several distances to get to this hideway. The kids favorite, no doubt was the pool and the horses. And of course, the food was to die for. We were served buffet all through out! We were lucky because the farm is still yet to be opened to the public. This would be the perfect weekend getaway treat. Room rates I think starts at PhP3,000.

THE PERFECT ENDING

As predicted, today has been a stressful day for me. True enough, my workload came all at once. I must've done about 30 lapse going to and fro the photocopy machine, the Accounting Department, and my desk in a span of 2 hours. Boy, oh, boy what a workout it was!

By late afternoon, the messengers assigned to distribute all the board materials are impatiently waiting for me to finish. I was already in a crummy mood by then. My feet were killing me and the stuff Im doing showed no signs of it being over. There's still some last minute review to make before I get the thumbs up. With nothing left to do but wait, I enviously watched my other officemates call it a day. Got myself another coffee, sat by my pc, and kicked off my shoes.

Luckily, I didn't wait that long. After thirty minutes, the Boss approved the reports and there i was moving as fast as I can to get things done and out. I made 17 sets of folders. All about 50 pages per set. By the time I finished, my hands were sore and my legs were shaking. Im glad the messengers took care of getting each one stapled.

I finished everything in an hour. Yehey! It s been an adrenalin rush for me. It felt good in a way. Now I can let out a sigh of relief... Hubby waited for me in the mall. As if sensing my exhaustion, he surprised me with a bannanasplit from Dairy Queen.

Hmmm.... what a great stress reliever!

DARN!!!

With just barely a day and a half till our monthly board meeting, I find myself in a panic mode. Heck! I haven't got anything in my hands up till now. Everything is dependent on "outside forces".

HELP! Im supposed to have the materials ready by tommorow... where in the world do I start? tsk! tsk! Im sure tomorrow's gonna be one hell of a day...

sigh.

FAMILY DAY

My son woke up early this morning very excited. Its Family Day in school! Kobe excitedly to and fro the room and got his clothes organized. After a hearty breakfast, we all went to the school chapel for mass.

After mass, the three of us (me, hubby, and Kobe) were led along with a throng of families to the gym. The boys were restless. They all wanted the parade to start already. So, at the signal of the school's President, the Family Day began. Boys and parents paraded the campus in color coordinated shirts. Kobe class was assigned the color purple, so hubb and I came in coordinates. I have never seen such happy, lively parents supporting their kids. The atmosphere was contagious. There were lotsa games for everyone. Students. Moms. Dads. Parents. Siblings. We particularly enjoyed the booths stationed in the gym. There's henna art, photo booth, numerous food stalls.

What really made our day was seeing Kobe perform on stage. A week before the affair, I remember him telling me that their class is preparing something. I kinda didn't give it much thought because I rarely see him practice or show his stuff. He just kept mum about it. Yun pala, it was a surprise! He led his class dance and cheer! I never knew this side of my son. At home, he is this quiet kid who always wants to watch tv or play alone.

Watching him, really made Hubby and I ver, very proud... hep hep Hurray!

BETWEEN THEN AND NOW

Hallo! Im back. Haven't visited this place like in a million years. It has been what? Almost four weeks since my last post. Nah, I wasn't on a vacation, nor was I sick. I've been around actually. There's been a lot going on between THEN AND NOW.

The new year kicked off really well for me (and hubby). The kids are their usual active, curious, and happy selves. Ah... work. Well, pretty much the same. Well, okay. To tell you ther truth, I've been busy with MY OTHER BLOG. I got my hands full chronicling life as it matters in that site. Im sure yah all know what's it like maintaining two homes. Its a challenge. You'll never know where you want to kick your shoes in...

Oh what the heck! All Im saying here is that there's still another part of me in the blogsphere. Let's fill in the gaps of between then & now....

HAPPY 2008 EVERYONE!

FROM MY FAMILY TO YOURS, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! MAY ALL YOU HOPES AND DREAMS COME TRUE....