
This is our new favorite snack — sisig buns! These cute buns are filled with, you guessed it, yummy sisig. Best eaten when fresh out of the oven! Aren’t they just too cute to eat? This is sold for P38.00 per bun at Breadtalk. Mmmmm!
I was tagged by Diane!
Three names you go by:
1. Toni
2. Tones
3. Toni Girl
But you already know all that.
Three screen names you have had:
1. solace
2. tonigirl (no originality!)
3. Cat
Three physical things you like about yourself:
1. Skin color (not too dark, not too fair)
2. My fingers (though knobby)
3. Lips
Three physical things you don’t like about yourself:
1. My non-existent waist (Oh where oh where can you be?)
2. Height (I wish I were taller than 5 feet!)
3. Fat ankles (Stilettos hate me!)
Three parts of your heritage:
1. Filipino
2. Chinese
3. Filipino
Three things that scare you:
1. Lizards
2. Mice
3. Airline turbulence
Three of your everyday essentials:
1. A journal I take with me everywhere I go
2. Face powder
3. Cellular phone (I’m a slave to mobile technology, gaaah!)
Three of your favorite musical artists:
1. Justin Timberlake
2. Norah Jones
3. Black Eyed Peas
Three of your favorite songs:
1. “Come Away with Me” (Norah Jones)
2. “I Believe in Fate” (Papas Fritas)
3. “The Nearness of You” (Norah Jones version)
Three things you want in a relationship:
1. Respect
2. Trust
3. Honesty
Three lies and truths in no particular order:
LIES:
1. Homosexuality is a sin.
2. The dog ate my homework.
3. Skipping breakfast will help you lose weight.
TRUTH:
1. Soulmates exist.
2. There is always a brighter side.
3. The best way to lose weight is to move it, move it!
Three physical things about the opposite sex that appeals to you:
1. Strong hands
2. Height (I like ‘em tall!)
3. Sincere eyes
Three of your favorite hobbies:
1. Writing poetry
2. Reading books and magazines and blogs
3. Playing Sims 2 (occasionally)
Three things you want to do really badly now:
1. Lose ten pounds.
2. Play Sims 2.
3. Eat a gelato — pistachio! Mmmmm!
Three careers you’re considering/you’ve considered:
1. Teacher
2. Travel Journalist (like those guys in Discovery Channel’s Travelers. I loved that show!)
3. Writer
Three places you want to go on vacation:
1. U.S. – Disneyworld and Universal Studios heehee.
2. Italy
3. Palawan
Three kid’s names you like:
1. Christian
2. Denise (after H hehe)
3. Bo
Three things you want to do before you die:
1. Go to the U.S. with H
2. Build my own house
3. Publish a book
Three ways that you are stereotypically a boy:
1. I eat a lot.
2. I’m quite messy.
3. I scrape my knee every now and then.
Three ways that you are stereotypically a girl:
1. I’m quite emotional.
2. I can multi-task!
3. I enjoy girly days (going to the spa, getting my hair and nails done, etc.)
Three celeb crushes:
1. Christian Bale
2. Ethan Hawke
3. Brad Pitt
Three people that I would like to see take this quiz…
You, you and you! Feel free to leave your answers in the Comments section or answer the questions in your own blog! It’s fun! Thanks for the tag, Diane!
steam
definition | To cook food over (but not immersed in) a small amount of boiling/simmering water in a tightly closed vessel.
equipment | Large pot or wok; steaming rack (if you don’t have a steaming rack, anything that raises the food above the water will do just fine … you could try the Asian method of laying two wooden chopsticks crosswise in the bottom of a wok, for instance), collapsible metal steaming basket, or bamboo steaming basket; stove (you can also steam in a rice cooker).
advantages | Best method for preserving the vitamins, minerals, flavor and texture of foods; cooks food quickly and with no added fat.
best used for | Vegetables, poultry … great for low-fat diets.– Taken from Digs Magazine
I used to think that steamed food would taste bland and watery. Uh-uh. It’s time to dispel that thinking.
The great thing about steaming is that the flavor of the veggies is still very much intact. When I bit into the carrots, spinach and baguio beans, I could still savor their sweet juices and they tasted very fresh! I’m not a big baguio beans fan but after tasting it steamed, I became a convert. A healthy one at that! The fish also tasted so scrumptious. There was a full and malinamnam taste to it and I wolfed down my share without feeling guilty at all. No oily aftertaste!
Mama said she’d give me my own steamer as an anniversary present. Right, Mama?
Why don’t you try steaming your food too? It’s a much healthier option to frying and if cooked the right way, your dishes will still be flavorful and yummy.
—
For more on steaming, visit Hot Tips on Steam Cooking, Veggie Asia and of course, the Moulinex site (You’ll find the Steamer under Products > Culinary Pleasures > Cooking). Enjoy!
If I had the time to have a leisurely breakfast, this would be my ideal menu: tinapang isda, diced tomatoes on the side, brown rice and an egg cooked sunny side up. I’d wash that down with a glass of O.J. and have some fresh fruit for dessert. Yum.
Sadly, weekday mornings make my home resemble a grocery when people are panic-buying. I’m all over the place stressing myself out on why I had to press the snooze button so many times. But breakfast is a must and so here’s what I usually have when I’m in a morning rush:

I grab a box of cereal, pour about a cup of it into a plastic container. And if I have bananas, I slice some up very quickly and place them in with the cereal. I take with me a disposable spoon and a tetra pack of skim milk. When I get to the office, I take a little bit of time to enjoy my morning cereal.
There’s no escaping breakfast. If there’s a will, there’s a way!
A fairy godmother named Tin waved her wand over my pumpkin home and transformed it into this pretty new place that reminds me of spring. Thank you, Tin!
Make yourself at home now. Help yourself to some Sinigang na Baboy, all-you-can-eat rice, tortang talong and some steamed spinach. We’ll wash it down with green mango shakes! And for dessert, let’s have some mais con hielo. Mmmmm.
I’m looking forward to writing here in WordPress. I’m finding it much more organized and therefore a perfect match for my semi-O.C. tendencies. Walang aangal sa semi ha.
So have you made yourself at home yet? I have! So do update your links to reflect that I’ve joined the Marikit community. Enjoy!
This is mine:

Whenever I’d come home from a trip abroad, this would be one of my immediate requests. “Mama, I want Sinigang when I come home ha.” Or when I’m feeling really down at work, I’d rush over to the food court and get myself a bowl of Sinigang. I’d feel significantly better afterwards.
I like the kick of Sinigang. A warm bowl of Sinigang comforts me heart and soul, then kicks my senses up a wee bit with that delicate sourness. I love munching on the kangkong, tomatoes and onions, feeling little bits of gabi melt in my mouth, nibbling on the pork ribs, mixing a bit of rice in my soup and being delighted with this hearty spoonful… ah, Sinigang na Baboy is one of the best Pinoy dishes ever.
I finally learned to cook the dish last weekend. I did cook Sinigang na Hipon before but iba pa rin ang Sinigang na Baboy. It’s a fairly easy dish to prepare that yields magnificent results. Here’s what I did:
1. I simmered the pork meat/ribs in pork broth for about an hour and a half. You can simmer the meat in plain water but the broth makes the dish even more flavorful.
2. When the meat is tender, slide in the chunks of gabi, sliced onions and sliced tomatoes.
3. Stir in a packet of Sinigang mix. I used (and recommend) Knorr Sinigang sa Sampaloc with Gabi.
4. 5 minutes before serving, slide in the sliced kangkong.
Serve steaming hot with rice.
Sinigang is best enjoyed with family and good conversations as I did last weekend. I enjoyed watching my family sip on the soup and give their approval. H was the proudest of them all. “Marunong na magluto asawa ko!” (My wife now knows how to cook!”) Uh… I wanted to tell him about all the other dishes I’ve cooked in the past but realized that apparently, his standard for me knowing how to cook was cooking a good Sinigang. Hahaha!
Kain na!
I visited my folks over the long weekend and couldn’t resist looking into their pantry. I did spy some leftovers! Now what can you make with a leftover pack of fresh basil leaves, an unused pack of pizza sauce, a block of Mozzarella and a bunch of sliced bread? This!

I first made pesto out of the basil leaves — mash chopped basil leaves, olive oil, some walnuts, 3 cloves of chopped garlic and parmesan together in a mortar and pestle… or use a blender.
Grab a slice of bread, spread pizza sauce (or tomato sauce) on it, top with sliced mozzarella, the sprinkle with pesto. Pop it in a toaster oven for 5 minutes or till the cheese melts. Voila! Easy pizza merienda. I’m telling ya, it’s yummo.
P.S. Interesting things are happening the blogosphere. I will be moving to a new home soon. Will keep you posted.
When I was a kid, I loved watching Popeye squeeze the spinach out of a can, gobble it up, then grow muscles. Because I wanted to be strong like Popeye, I asked my Mom if I could have spinach some time since I’ve never tasted it. In my mind, I was thinking that spinach was very tasty since Popeye seemed to enjoy munching on it.
And when that fateful dinner came, my Mom put a plate of dark green vegetables in front of me. I remember the dish being a bit runny and the greens looked slimey — not appetizing at all. “What’s that?” I asked. “That’s your spinach!”, Mama said. A single thought ran through my mind, “Popeye ate that?!” After a taste of the slimey vegetable, I figured I could be strong in other ways. Goodbye spinach.
Fast forward around twenty years later.
Spinach is good for your health! Read the benefits of spinach here.
I was so amused when my sister pulled out a big sandwich bag full of snacks out of her school bag. This was her emergency stash. While they come in handy when your sweet tooth’s acting up, they’re also great to take the boredom out of long waits. She had Nissin’s wafers, Andes chocolates and Haw Flakes. Needless to say one of those Haw Flakes disappeared in a flash. Dumdeedum.
As for me, all I have is a box of mints. Sometimes I have a Granola bar. These are the little foodums that get me through my day.
Do YOU keep an emergency stash of snacks in your bag?
Let’s work our way backwards!
The Thank You Note
I overslept again this morning. I’ve been so tired the past couple of days. Hopefully the upcoming week will bring out the early bird in me. Thanks for the tips!
A Tip
I helped out with the decor of a friend’s party. The theme: Midnight Madness. I tried crumpling little bits of aluminum foil but they looked like trash, so don’t go that route. You can also try cutting stars out of gold and silver foil but I didn’t have time for that. I covered tables with blue crepe paper and generously showered them with gold glitter. A quick and cheap way to play up a party theme. But oh, don’t forget to serve coasters for the drinks, okay? The crepe paper will bleed if you put wet glasses on top. If it does happen, try taking the rings out with alcohol. Just make sure it doesn’t strip your tables!
Two Surveys:
One is a Friday Feast and the other is a Musical Baton passed on by missyosigirl. Check out the bottom of the entry to see if I passed the musical baton on to you!
Friday Feast
1. Appetizer: What comes to mind when you hear the word bizarre?
“Every time I see you falling / I get down on my knees and pray / I’m waiting for that final moment / You’ll say the words that I can’t say…” Know that? Bizarre Love Triangle by New Order. New wave rules!
2. Soup: Using just a few words, describe your childhood.
Creative. Quiet. It made me grow up real fast. Nurturing.
3. Salad: Name one thing you do each day that you feel improves your appearance.
Drink lots of water.
4. Main Course: On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how would you rate your self-confidence?
7.5!
5. Dessert: Where did you last find a bargain?
At Dampa sa Libis.
My in-laws and I had lunch there last weekend and Mommy sure got a bargain with those yummy seafood ingredients. Have you guys eaten at Dampa? It’s yumyumyum.
Musical Baton
1. Total volume of music files in my computer:
I’m not a musically-inclined person so the music files won’t be more than 50! And they’re mostly American Idol season 4 songs… AND mostly from Bo Bice.
2. Last CD I bought:
I cry at this question. I THOUGHT I had bought the Sugarmoney CD. Due to some technical difficulties, I couldn’t buy it. Now I can just wish and hope it gets released here in Manila. So anyway the last CD I bought was Michael Buble as a Mother’s Day present.
3. Song playing right now:
Michael Buble singing a song whose title I don’t know — I’m at his website.
4. Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me:
a. Whipping Post. I like it not only because Bo Bice sang it on AI, but because I enjoy hearing H sing it (intentionally) with the wrong lyrics. It’s always good fun when he makes up lyrics to make me laugh. He also does it to lightheartedly mock my adoration for Bo!
b. This Love: the John Stevens version. This has been my LSS lately (Last Song Syndrome). Click the link, watch the video and wait for a snippet of John Stevens singing his version of Maroon 5′s song. Beautiful. I can’t wait for his CD.
c. Dare You to Move by Switchfoot. A song from “A Walk to Remember”. I didn’t like the film but it was the first movie H and I watched together (we were just friends then!) so that in itself makes the song (and the film) very memorable.
d. A song from South Border. I don’t remember the title. It’s another one of those songs H has been singing playfully lately to crack me up.
e. Waiting in Vain by Annie Lennox. One word: Serendipity.
5. Five people I’m passing this to:
I’m too generous to pass it on to just 5 people. So ANYONE can answer this! Leave your answer as a comment. You can also post it in your blog — just let me know so I can hop on over and read your answers!
HAPPY WEEKEND! THANK GOD THE WEEK’S OVER!
My biggest enemy in the morning is my alarm clock. So far, it has won the many battles we’ve had. I’d wake up to my Pucca alarm clock blaring out a melody similar “Under the Sea.” I’d reach over and press the little button on her head and she’d go, “Good morning!”. Cute ‘no? Not at 6 am. I say she always wins because she doesn’t have a snooze button, hence I oversleep most of the time. Bad Pucca.
I’ve also started using my cell phone as a fallback alarm clock. The great thing is I can put a little note when the alarm rings. So at 6 am I not only wake up to a “Cock-a-doodle-doo” rooster sound, I also see a message I’ve written the night before that threatens me to get up ASAP: “WAKE UP NOW. Fix breakfast. Fix bag. Take a bath. Many things to do. Traffic. You will be late for work. WAKE UP NOW.”
Am I turning cuckoo? Nah. I just want to jolt myself enough to resist going back to dreamland. Does this double alarm clock work? Sometimes.
What do you do to get yourself out of bed in the morning? I sure need help! Can you tell I’m not a morning person?