Monthly Archives: February 2005

Oh no, I burned the water!

Okay, that’s not true. BUT! I’ve had my share of cooking bloopers.

I once tried making sauteed beansprouts. Easy right? I crumbled half a Knorr shrimp cube over the veggies while sauteing. Yummy. Then towards the end of the cooking, I added salt and pepper to taste. SILLY ME. The dish was overly salty and I had to drink a lot of water along with that meal. That shrimp cube was enough to give the beansprouts flavor.

I once attemped to make cheese sticks. Easy right? Slice some cheese lengthwise, wrap it with molo wrapper, deep fry, serve. SILLY ME. I was wondering why I would see just the wrappers floating in oil. I had used Quickmelt cheese. Hello!

I know I’m not alone in this. Have you had any cooking booboos?

Pritong Talong & Puffi Cones ver. 3

Eggplants in Soy Sauce This is one of H’s favorite dishes. Whenever we have eggplants at home, this is a must-have dish for him. Thanks to Ting Aling for this recipe! Here’s Ting’s recipe and a picture of her fried aubergines.

What I did: I immersed the sliced eggplants in soy sauce for a couple of minutes. Then I fried them in a tablespoon of hot oil. Please resist the urge to pour in the rest of the soy sauce into the frying pan. It’ll taste overly salty, trust me! When the eggplants look a bit soft, take ‘em out of the pan and serve! Now wasn’t that so quick and easy?

It’s a perfect side dish. I eat it on its own too. Yummy!

~*~

The third version of Puffi Cones was all about three baby cones, three jet-puffed marshmallows, six pieces of Hershey’s Kisses and a microwave oven. The melted chocolate in the cones was DIVINE but puffing up the marshmallows in the microwave was a disaster. Don’t try this at home. Scratch the microwave out! The oven is still best for this recipe!

Catnaps

Click to see cute cats up close. This was taken at Little Tokyo, a restaurant square in Makati.

This trio looks so peaceful, taking a catnap in the middle of the day. I’m not a cat lover, but don’t these kitties look so precious?

A busy workday can take a toll on me. To help myself get re-energized, I take short naps sometimes. I do it in the privacy of a small meeting room. A 10-minute snoozer makes me ready to face the rest of the day in a much livelier mood. A power nap is what you call it, right?

So go and work, work, work! But don’t forget that your brain needs to rest too. We may not nap in the workplace as comfortably as these cats, but at least five minutes of shut-eye in a quiet corner will help our minds think clearer and better.

Click to enlarge! This was taken at Little Tokyo, a restaurant square in Makati.

Come again!

Click to read the sign better!!!

We found this sign on a food stall. Hmmm. Can I say the same thing about my blog traffic? I hope so!

Happy week everyone. Hope you had a great weekend and have an even greater week to look forward to!

Picture! Picture!

Do peanuts really make you smart? I’ve always considered peanuts as brain food. And I love eating nuts. Maybe I was a squirrel in a past life.
Bored with butter? I mixed in some strawberry jam with butter and ta-da! A yummy blend. I didn’t finish it all though because I was afraid to get a headache from too much oil and sweetness.
Breakfast for one anyone? Spreading it in small doses over pancakes is delish. And whoopee, I made those pancakes from scratch. They didn’t taste great but I was proud of myself nonetheless.
Why is there a return of the Puffi Cones? Version No. 2 had the marshmallows squeezed in between two dollops of brownie mix. Baking it for 30 minutes in a hot oven melted the marshmallows. These are now Brownie Cones. Hey, how was I supposed to know? I’m an amateur cook, remember? :)
Why are the Brownie Cones so prettily wrapped? I gave them away to the students of my mom-in-law. Who else can appreciate a brownie better than a kid? A brownie in a cone for that matter! I decided to share the sweets.

The end! I’ve been so busy. I haven’t had the time to bloghop. Will do soon. :)

Sassy’s Chicken, Tomatoes and Pineapple Stew

It tastes more delicious than it looks. Sassy’s recipes and yummy pictures never fail to leave me salivating by my computer keyboard. Mmmmm. Okay, that’s not a nice visual. Let’s move on. I’m serious though that her recipes are always excellent and are even more excellent when you try them out. I can vouch for that.

Last weekend I tried cooking her Chicken, Tomatoes and Pineapple Stew. Let me sum up how it turned out in three words: YUMMY. YUMMY. YUMMY.

My Mom thought it was a refreshing change from the usual chicken tinola, adobo, afritada, you know the usual poultry dishes. After one taste of this dish, she nodded her head and said it was different and delicious. Woohoo! The ultimate tester was of course my sister P. She’s a very picky eater. When I saw her get two servings of the dish AND extra stew to pour over her rice, I knew the dish was a success.

I love that it’s easy to prepare and that it tastes fantastic. The sweetness of the tomatoes and pineapples blended perfectly. I didn’t have to adjust the flavor at the very end.

Dear Sassy, thank you for this fantastic recipe!!! :) :) :)

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Rose petals on the floor, on the dining table, on the kitchen counter. A room lit illuminated softly by maroon plum-scented tealights. A table set with a bowl of shell macaroni, two kinds of pasta sauce (red and white), little bowls of tuna, parmesan, mushrooms, capers and pesto. Two cups of rice and a bowl of corned beef as back-up. Two chilled wine glasses filled with apple juice. A little card wrapped with a green ribbon nestled on his plate. Lots of good talk and warm embraces. Strawberry gelatin and polvoron for dessert. A toast with red wine as the finale. Then we hit the Playstation 2.

I had a great Valentine’s Day. I told myself I wouldn’t get into the cheesiness of V-Day but there I was in the late afternoon, making sure everything was perfect when H got home from work.

How was your Valetine’s Day?

~*~*~*~

My Red Sauce: Saute onions and garlic in olive oil. Stir in 2 pouches of tomato sauce, a teaspoon each of dried basil, oregano and rosemary. Simmer. Add shavings of parmesan cheese. Top with basil leaves then serve.
My White Sauce: Dissolve one pack of Knorr Cream of Asparagus in 2 cups of hot water. Boil then simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with sliced mushrooms.
My Strawberry Gelatin: Sugar-free Strawberry Jello!

Let’s speak Simlish

I just bought this.

Now if only I had a computer.

Hi Rachael Ray! I’m your biggest fan!

I’ve been watching so much TV the past weeks. Reality shows are becoming my weakness. Monday: The Apprentice. Tuesday: Manhunt. Wednesday: Amazing Race & American Idol. Thursday: American Idol & Outback Jack. Friday: I have a semi-social life so no TV on this night!

Besides reality shows, cooking shows are another favorite of mine. I find myself rushing home as much as possible during MWF. I try to catch Rachael Ray’s 30-Minute Meals on the Lifestyle Network. She prepares food in real time — real 30 minute time. As soon as the opening credits start rolling, I grab my notebook and pen to take down her recipes. I love that show because Rachael Ray is pleasant, funny and simple. No fancy schmancy moves. She tells family stories while she chops her tomatoes, gives you a bit of trivia about fettucini alfredo (yesterday’s show) and gives you tips on how to chop, squeeze, grill, whatever. Watching her is like watching a friend teaching you how to cook. That’s what I like about that show. It’s so personal and hey, a meal in 30 minutes? Perfect for someone like who doesn’t exactly like me slaving over a hot stove for a long time.

I saw her cookbook for kids in Powerbooks. And I found the rest of her books on Amazon. But since I promised myself I wouldn’t buy any more books till I’ve read all my unread ones at home, these cookbooks will have to wait. Sob. Oh well, I just hope they won’t go out of stock.

30-Minute Meals is shown MWF at 5:30 pm on the Lifestyle Network.

Happy New Week!

I believe that imagination is stronger than knowledge —
That myth is more potent than history.
I believe that dreams are more powerful than facts —
That hope always triumphs over experience —
That laughter is the only cure for grief.
And I believe that love is stronger than death.

-Robert Fulghum

Something to live by not only this week I hope. I’ve loved this creed from the first time I read it.

P.S. Thanks for the greetings everyone! H was genuinely surprised and deeply touched by all your kind words. Thank you sachiko, Junnie (the pic was taken by Edwin Fornoles, our wedding photographer), Jmom, eye, DT, justice, Tito Rolly (I didn’t cook!), tanya (birthday girl!), tin, pazette, Linnor, Renee, mitch, maiji, Debbie & Paul, Christine, dindin, jeanny, selina (oo nga no, that’s a good idea of hanging that pic at home), Paparazzi, Daphne, vea, Ting, pie, BabyPink (hoy Feb na, kita tayo! hi to drew too!), AnP, pia, tintin, dang, delish, ela and LHC. Did I miss anyone? If I did, let me know. Thanks again!

Quick Sticky Fix

Are little dustballs annoying you? Itty-bitty pieces of paper or other gunk driving you crazy? Are they so stubbornly stuck to the floor they don’t even unglue from the floor with the sweep of a broom? Here’s an idea. Grab a stretch of Scotch tape, wrap it around your finger or a pencil and start dabbing at those stubborn ones. It’s a quick easy way to rid your floor of irritating gunk. You don’t even have to take the broom out of the closet!

Birthday Boy

Husby & Wifey He is my little boy, my gentle giant, my clown, my partner in crime, my remote control hog, my food taster, my cheerleader, my cook, my cleaner, my sounding board, my lifesaver, my pillow, my blanket, my stuffed toy, my adventure buddy, my anchor, my best friend, my inspiration, my one and only, my hunny bunny, my soulmate, my husband. I love him to bits. Happy Birthday, H!

Pray

Heal me, Lord.

Have you ever felt lost for words when in prayer? I do, lots of times. Sometimes so many things cram into my head that I don’t know how to say my prayer. It happens.

Mama gave me a prayerbook a couple of weeks ago. It’s called “Healing Presence. Prayers for Healing.” I’m not big on prayerbooks but this one was different. I liked that the prayers were written in a very personal manner, no “thous” or “thy” stuff. That’s not my thing (hence my preference for my personal prayers). The prayerbook is divided into several sections, two of which are entitled “Prayers to Heal Oneself” and “Prayers to Heal Others.” Under both those sections are prayers for spiritual healing, phsyical healing, healing of mind, body and spirit, financial healing, healing the loss of a loved one, cancer healing, and lots more. That’s the best thing about this prayerbook — the very specific prayers. They put into words exactly what I’m feeling at a particular moment.

I’m not the most religious person in the world but I do believe in the power of prayer. The prayers in the book have helped me a LOT. They have helped me through some emotional turbulence and when I’m grieving for my late Wowo. I pick out prayers every morning and before I sleep. So there you go. I just wanted to share this blessing with you. The prayerbook is available in St. Paul’s Bookstores (there’s one in SM Megamall). Praying is wonderful quiet time.

P.S. While we’re on the subject of prayers, do check this out if you’re praying for motherhood. St. Gerard has worked miracles for two of my grandmothers, I’m hoping a miracle happens to me (and you!) too. :)

Recipe Exchange

Want to play along? If you do, you’ll end up receiving a bunch of recipes. Here are the instructions:

Dear blog friends,

This is an invitation to try a new recipe exchange. Please send a recipe (an easy one!) to the person whose name is listed in the number one position below. Next, copy this letter to a new post and move my name to the number 1 position and put your name in the number 2 position. Only your name and my name should appear on this list when you send it out. This is just for fun. You should receive a bunch of recipes! It is also fun to see where they come from. Seldom does anyone drop out, because we all like new recipes. Thanks and enjoy!!

1. Andrea: http://bumblingbav.blogspot.com
2. Toni: http://wifelysteps.blogspot.com

Post the recipes on the “comments” section. I can’t wait to update my recipe list!

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