A Kitchen Showcase? & As Requested By--- Homemade Shitake Shumai

A Kitchen Showcase? Well, almost. All 3 kitchenwares were gifts, isn't that nice. The rice cooker we could keep for future use. But the new griller and steamer... just in time. For the past months, I have been struggling to fit a fish in a small steaming pan that went with the rice cooker were using at the moment. Now I have a real steamer.

The Griller came in handy too. My husband was about to get us a new Griller, his recruitment team heard his Christmas wish and gave him a new griller for Christmas. Thanks so much girls!

On New Year's Eve, we will go grilling galore. We're very happy to have the right griller because we live in a condo. Normally, the building owner doesn't permit grilling (especially the old fashioned way).

Since we have a new steamer, my husband requested for some homemade Shitake Shumai. This is a Cantonese Shumai.Also known as pork or mushroom dumpling. It is a combination of ingredients, consisting ground pork or shrimp, and black mushroom in small bits.

The wrapper is made of thin sheets of lye water dough. The center is usually garnished with an orange dot, made of roe or diced carrot. I used a slice of my main shumai ingredient (shitake mushroom) for garnishing.
Best served with chili garlic, calamondin and soy sauce mixture.

C For Cuervo& C For Chocolates

C for Cuervo (Jose Cuervo)

Aside from Chocolates, we decided to give out Tequila to some close friends of ours. Especially with our recent Christmas Party, everybody enjoyed rounds and rounds of Jose Cuervo.

Label saying: "open during the most memorable and happiest moments"

C for ChocolatesAs always, chocolate candies. It has become our trademark every year.
This year I made 4 sets of different mixtures.

Dark Chocolates: Cashew Nuts and berries, Rocky Road and Rice Crispies
Premium Chocolates: Cashew Nuts and berries, Rocky Road and Rice Crispies
Whole Dark with Cashew nuts and Berries
Whole Premium with Berries

Food Trip Friday--- Maruya

Banana FrittersOne Friday, I went to my favorite store to buy some soda, when I saw the sales lady took out a pan of this freshly cooked Banana Fritters. Perfect as a Filipino Snack. Maruya (what we call it) is a Philippine delicacy made of fried bananas dipped in batter, usually served sprinkled with sugar. This Maruya moment reminded me of my late father-in-law. I used to buy him Maruya. This is his favorite snack.

A New Bed For Franky

I will surely miss the times when my son would wrap his arms around me while sleeping. He is all grown up, like literally. He's taller and got longer arms. We battle a lot for space when sleeping. As a mom, I end up giving him all the space to make him sleep comfortably. Yes, it is very sweet if you're going to think about it, but I do get a lot of aches and body pain once I get up in the morning. It's about time we buy him his own bed. Again, I see this as a chance to make a good investment. A bed that he can use at least, throughout his teen years. A bed that is made of fine materials. A bed that will suit any living space in terms of design.

Early this year we went to several stores and looked up on beds for sale. The beds we saw were very nice both quality and design. It comes as a package too, a mattress and a set of sheets come with it too. But that time, we weren't very serious about it, until just recently when I developed some muscle pain and a stiff neck. We should have considered it earlier. Realistically speaking, our kids grows up so fast. You'll never notice it, you'll just feel the pressure. For both mine and my husband side, our families are considered as tall people. I bet Franky will love to have his own bed. He can play, have his small corner, everything is going to be his. And kids loves to have their own space.

Mom's Sotanghon

Mommy's Sotanghon. We had this for dinner last Sunday. Went to my parent's place and my mom was cooking it when I went inside the kitchen. My reaction: Oh my gulay! It just so happen at that time, I was craving for it. My dad taught her a little secret on how to nail the right taste. I'm not a sotanghon person, really. But when I tasted my mom's recent concoction, it was the best! I totally forgot about her Meaty Carbonara.

Sotanghon: cellophane noodles

Best served with hot pandesal and calamansi (Calamodin)

Cake and Dark Chocolate Lovers

May I take this chance to thank the whole Red Ribbon Management for the rare experience they shared with me this year. For the gift coupon, for the opportunities given in order to share my Red Ribbon moments with my family. It was truly an honor. 2009 was a great year for me. It was filled with good opportunities for SHARING and SERVING other people. And like my usual story, I shared my Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake with the whole family.
My parents, my siblings and of course, my very own family of 3. I had to wait for December 13 so that I can claim it straight from my hometown, be with my family and have a perfect cake moment again with them. I have to say, that the Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake with Hershey's Dark is our cake for this season. It's simple, if you're a cake and chocolate lover, this is the ultimate dessert for you. If there's a chocolate bar to look for in every ice box we have in our homes... all you will ever find are bars of Hershey's Dark Chocolate, and I'm talking about the biggest bars you will see in every supermarket shelf. My dad and I would go all the way to a PX shop in Makati just to buy in bulks. So desirable that my Dad drove me everywhere, to every Red Ribbon branch around our area just to check which one has a stock left. Lucky enough, we were able to find a branch who served us with the last cake they have.
The moment I took the cake out from the box, 2 members of our family which we consider the "kings of cake and chocolate" took the center spot.

That would be my brother Nano and my son Franky

This 2 boys... they never choose the time, the place and the occasion on when to have a piece of their favorites.

They were very excited to take a bite of this mouthwatering delight. You might notice that I don't post pictures of myself with any of the cakes I shared with my family. I'm happier seeing them and capturing memorable shots of my family satisfied and happy. That makes me feel complete.

As you can see, the cake is composed of dark chocolate rolls on the sides. For the kids, I bet they'll feel that this cake popped- out from their dreams overnight. I share that same feeling. Imagine, a cake from the finest ingredients covered and coated with the best dark chocolate ever created. Yummy!

Gourmet Picks My New Favorite

I'm not a 100% junk food lover. Junk food is one of the things that my Dad won't permit us to have in the house. With that background, I have become choosy of the chips and crackers to munch. Less salt the better, no MSG, is the best. Once in awhile, I indulge myself with some Marty's Veggie Snack. Everything changed when I tried one of Oishi's Gourmet Picks. KIMCHI.

In the recent Manila International Bookfair (September 09), a booth sold Oishi products and had a taste test of their new line of Chips. I was originally looking for Marty's but it was sold in an instant, had no choice but to try their Gourmet Picks.

I particularly love the Kimchi flavor. Sad to say, it is a hard to find variant. My husband would go all the way to a 7-11 store in the middle of the night just to check if they have it. We're sometimes lucky, but most of the time we're not. In big supermarkets, you will not find a single pack of the Kimchi flavor. This is now my husband's ultimate pasalubong for me everytime he comes home, if he knows that he will pass a store along the way, definitely, he'll stop to check if they have my Gourmet Picks flavor. I'm really, really, really happy and blessed to have a good a very thoughtful husband.

Left- Over Magic---Ampalaya Con Carne

Left over magic. Well we all get into the situation when we end up having so much left-overs. With my experience, even when I was a kid, my mom would make a new dish out of some left-overs (still edible and in perfect condition) that she can find in the fridge.

At home, we often find ourselves preparing a recipe more than what it can originally yield. We Filipinos have the habit of eating more than 3x a day, aside from the snacks we take in- between. Left-overs plays a very big part in our kitchen.

Remember my Food Trip Friday entry for this week? Braised Beef I actually cooked a recipe that will serve 6 people.

Using some of our beef left-overs, I was able to cook a very healthy dish. I added slices of Ampalaya or Bitter Gourd, ended up with Ampalaya Con Carne.

Ingredients:

5 cloves garlic (minced)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion (chopped)
2 medium red tomatoes (cut into quarters)
Left-over braised beef ( a full bowl)
2 medium Ampalaya (sliced into pieces)

Saute garlic in olive oil until medium brown
Add onion and tomatoes, stir for a few seconds
Add left- over beef with sauce (pour everything!)
Stir for a few seconds
Add slices of Ampalaya.
Stir until Ampalaya is cooked (not overly done)
A dash of salt and pepper.

Serving: 3-4

Note: The # of servings will depend on the amount of beef (left-overs used)

The Beer Club

The Beer Club has been one of the pioneers. Offers the finest to all beer lovers everywhere. As a beer person, the variety of beer is very much put into consideration.

Beer of the month club have a the finest selection of 4 different hard-to-find domestic varieties. All over the United States a full pack is brewed to perfection . The quality is unique and freshness is guaranteed.

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• 12 bottles of microbrewed beer featuring 4 varieties
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• Beer of the Month makes a great gift idea
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Experts choose all monthly beer club selections. Join the club and order your full 12-pack of the finest beers. All members should be 21 years of age or older to order and receive this product.

Santa Baby I Want A Louis Vuitton Too!

Yes ladies, I do have dreams to own a Louis Vuitton. Owning one in addition to every girl's closet is considered to be a fulfilled dream. In the first place not all can afford it. The price is just right, especially if style and quality will be considered. For quite sometime, I have been on the look for an online store that sells louis vuitton handbags for a very affordable price range. A store that has a lot of products and styles to choose from.

One of the things that turns me off with cheap sellers online are the limited stocks and designs they offer. But this site that sells louis vuitton bags is the opposite of all that. It will make you drool with excitement. They have a Louis Vuitton line both for men and women. So there, the guys can share with the fun too.

I have been meaning to own this louis vuitton bag for the longest. Odon PM is modern and functional, it is perfect to carry the essentials. Well, if I am going to buy a worthy bag, might as well consider its flexibility.

- Monogram canvas, textile lining, trimmings in natural cowhide leather
- Shiny brass metallic pieces
- Zip closure
- Inside flat and phone pockets
- One outside flat pocket
- Carried on the shoulder or across the body
- A comfortable and adjustable leather strap

With all the mentioned specifics for this bag, I can bring it around anytime without requiring an event or an occasion. Plus, I can buy it for a very reasonable price. It is very timely for the Holiday Season too. For the men, your girl will surely be the happiest on Christmas Day once she receives a louis vuitton surprise from you. It can also be the perfect gift for your girl friends, best buddies, even your mom. From briefcases, handbags, clutches and pouches , wallets to the smallest leather goods, louis vuitton has it.

Red Ribbon's Santa's Wish Cake

Just looking at this adorable new cake from Red Ribbon will make you wish to have it everyday, whole year round. Hoping that it will never go out of season.

Inspired by the beloved icons of Christmas, Santa Claus, with his cherry-red hat, twinkling eyes and fluffy white beard, who brings joy and cheer to children and adults alike and Christmas trees that call to mind the one standing proudly in your home, Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish Cake lets your loved ones revel in the joy of the Christmas spirit unlike any other. A truly special holiday cake, the Santa's Wish Cake is sure to bring much delight to any Christmas celebration.

Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish Cake is made with moist and dense rhum,butter cake with a layer of creamy caramel filling and covered in soft and smooth icing. The deliciously festive flavors combine for a true Christmas symphony of taste, certain to elicit appreciation from your loved ones this season.

I can say that I will be considering this as a new favorite.

My Story: I am such a chocolate person, it is very seldom that a cake that is not chocolate gets my appetite and most especially captures my attention to at least try it. My preference is now changing slowly and it all started with Red Ribbon's White Forest Cake.

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling very well. I have Tonsillitis. But I didn't let it ruin the whole experience and to my surprise, the sweet delights shared to us by Red Ribbon tasted just right. That goes to show that Red Ribbon truly believes not just in Quality, but the "Finest Quality". It didn't even affect my current state. I really enjoyed the treat and privilege given by Red Ribbon.

To help you avoid the Christmas rush, Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish Cake will be available on a pre-order basis at any Red Ribbon store from November 27 – December 15. Order now and add an extra special touch to your gift with a personal dedication on the cake.

Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish cake will be available off-the-shelf in all Red Ribbon stores from December 22 – 24 at only P550.

I really can't wait to have one on my Christmas table this season.

Braised Beef

I went online to look for the right process of Braising Beef. The one I found was explained properly. You can see it here: Braising Beef

Ingredients:

Chunks of beef (tenderized)(Mechado Cut)
2 medium carrots (chopped)
1 Medium white onion (chopped)
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp all purpose flour
salt and pepper

How to:

After tenderizing the beef, set aside the beef stock.
In a pan, saute beef and carrots until the meat is a bit brown.
Add beef stock. Simmer for a few minutes or until the carrots are cooked or according to your desired preference.
Combine flour with the soy sauce stir while pouring it in with the rest of the ingredients.
Add white onions and stir for a few seconds.
Lastly, add salt and pepper to taste.

Servings: 5-6

I adjusted the recipe and procedure to the available ingredients I presently have. If you're going to take a look at the real process, it is as easy as 1,2,3.

Happy Eating and Have a Yummy-full weekend!

Red Ribbon's Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake

Over the years, Red Ribbon Bakeshop has come to be known as the leader and innovator in cakes. With its best-tasting signature cakes, yet again, Red Ribbon is ready to give more of that unforgettable cake experience.

Introducing, the newest member of Red Ribbon's Premium Selection

Chocolate Walnut Fudge Cake with Hershey's Dark Chocolate!

Total Indulgence, a Once In A Lifetime Treat, Perfect This Holiday Season...

As we officially enter the Holiday Season, all of us are bound to look for that special cake that carries the extraordinary flavor we are looking for. Perfect to celebrate with family and friends or as gift to our loved ones. The new Chocolate Walnut Fudge with Hershey's Dark Chocolate Red Ribbon’s newest addition to its Premium Selection made it to the top. It is made of a layer of creamy chocolate mousse on a bed of moist fudgy brownie, both loaded with chopped walnuts and finished with dark chocolate ganache, sprinkles and long chocolate curls all made with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate to make it even more irresistible.

Chocolate Walnut Fudge will surely be the sweetest, the grandest and the most memorable addition to every celebration this holiday season.
The new Chocolate Walnut Fudge with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate is available in all Red Ribbon stores and select booths for P680.00. Offered only this holiday season, it’s the perfect ending to any celebration.

Best served with a cup of Red Ribbon's Brewed Coffee

WholeMeal Pasta in Pesto

My Birthday this year was a very healthy one. Aside from having fresh greens and fruits on the table, the main highlight was a wholemeal pasta with pesto dish cooked by my husband. No salt added. Just plain pesto (homemade pesto---better), some mushrooms, green olives, EVOO, parmesan cheese and our favorite herbs combined together.

I added a little something-something, to enjoy it more. White meat for a healthy pasta dish. Chicken Teriyaki.

The pasta was perfectly cooked the right way... Al dente!

Wholemeal pasta is made out of flour particularly the entire grain seed, that is very rich in protein. A high-quality wholemeal pasta, may be found light brown in appearance. Wholemeal may be a bit expensive than the regular white pasta. But when it comes to health, nothing is too expensive for me. A few grams is good per serving. By the way, my son Franky liked it. I was feeling a little unsure, that he might not like it. Well, he finished a whole plate! I am very thankful that at an early age, he can appreciate healthy food even if its not as colorful as a party spaghetti.
Smiley Face

Shifting To A More Healthy Lifestyle

As a stay at home mom, I have been very open to changing our lifestyle. With the fast-food we eat, the instant meals, and preservatives. It's up to us moms how to be able to serve a well-balanced meal all the time. But sometimes, I view the process a bit hard. Sometimes, I see that producing healthy dishes is quite a challenge, because everything is natural.

For the past 2 years, I have been reliable on easy recipes. My food blog is based on that too. But if you're going to look at it and take time, preparing an all-natural dish is easy. Just recently, I found a great website that has the answer to my small kitchen situation.

1001recipe.com shares both easy and healthy recipes. A complete set of menu that is compose of healthy recipes. There's a lot of easy recipes to choose from. Everyday is going to be healthy for the family. If you're a member, you can also share some of your recipes. Even dishes passed down from one generation to another.

This site is an answer sent from heaven. Imagine, I will never go browse for random websites hoping to get an easy, healthy recipe dish. They have food from all categories, delights that will satisfy the palette. Aside from the main recipe, nutritional facts/ food facts for the ingredients are also shared. For me, food facts is an outstanding criteria. I would often struggle thinking about the nutritional content of a dish. Which I think plays a vital role with the food we eat everyday.

Red Ribbon's Sugarfree Mango Passion Cake

This was my birthday cake. I'm glad that Red Ribbon came up with sugar free cakes. This is perfect for the health conscious. I for one is a cake lover, but I do watch my sugar in- take. And that's what I love about Red Ribbon cakes and desserts, they're not too sweet, yet the taste and quality I want is there. It gives the ultimate satisfaction I'm looking for.

This cake was actually requested by my husband. It was his first time to know that Red Ribbon has a sugar free cake. He has always been praying for Red Ribbon to create a line of sugar free cakes. So there, the moment he saw it, I knew Mango Passion is going to be my cake for this year.

Today, I indulged myself with another slice.

It's so good that we try to save some even before it reaches its expiration date. The fun part, it taste like the usual cake. Real mango filling, rich chiffon cake covered with crushed grahams. Yum!

Join Us Food Trippers! Food Trip Friday

My Christmas Menu Is Ready

Freshly made pasta by moi will make our Christmas special this year.

We had to do our Christmas Menu early because we plan to purchase most of the dry ingredients as early as mid of this month. With the news that prices will go through the roof by December, definitely, it will triple the expenses. Considering the ongoing price freeze too. So wow! what a dilemma right? Crazy!

Smiley Face

Anyway, we were able to come up with simpler dishes for this holiday season. The menu will consist of dishes and goodies we missed eating and stuff we also enjoyed throughout the year.

Hors d'œuvres which I also call The Holiday Plate! fresh fruits, crackers and cheese and some cold cuts. If I could insert Caviar in the budget, why not!
Smiley Face

A pasta dish.

Mom's Carbonara! its my mom's specialty. Very meaty and saucy. It will have my touch because I will be making the pasta. The sauce, my mom's!

Liempo! We need some of that juicy meat. Yum!

Fresh Garden Salad! Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, onion rings, croutons with special salad dressing.

Fruit Salad! Make that sugar free. Christmas will never be complete without a bowl of cold fruit salad. It's advisable to double the recipe, so you can have something to enjoy during the days between Christmas and New Year.

Cake from Red Ribbon! Winning the contest was just timely for the season to come. Must try their Sugar Free Mango Cake.

Lastly, a bottle of Franzia Red Wine and Baileys Mint Chocolate to complete everything...

Loving Your Body

Loving your body means investing on the right products. Things that we may think that cost so much. When it comes to taking care of our body, nothing is safer than relying on the most trusted and the most qualified. Especially when it comes to cosmetic surgery. Girls nowadays would prefer going under surgery to fix what they feel is needed to be improved. In this case, I noticed that mostly, goes with rhinoplasty or nose surgery. Our nose is a big factor for beauty. May I also emphasize that it is important to have proper research before going for it. Do not base any of your surgeries on cost. It's best to always rely and trust an experienced cosmetic surgeon. Rhinoplasty is one of the most demanding cosmetic procedures and requires an extremely skilled surgeon.

If you can afford it, clinics and more surgeons are available abroad. It is going to be cheaper. Don’t forget to add in your travel, transport and accommodation costs.

Rhinoplasty cost depending on the surgeon, clinic and location. There are surgeons and clinics with the lowest and highest costs for the procedure Rhinoplasty (Nose Job - Nose Surgery). Rhinoplasty surgery is almost like an art form; the surgeon must be able to visualize the new nose and carefully make the changes.

The Reward Given

It's here! I got it early today from a nearby Red Ribbon Branch, and just in time for my birthday. I was already feeling a little sad over the weekend, because my birthday is just days away... I was really hoping to enjoy a Red Ribbon cake from the prize I won, on my Special Day. You know what I mean. But it goes to show that the blessing of being patient is very rewarding.

I got an email last night from one of Red Ribbon's contest organizers. (Hi Jon! ) He sent me a message that I can already get my gift certificates worth P3000 at the Red Ribbon Branch I chose. That email really made my weekend. Thank you, thank you Red Ribbon. It was a wonderful experience. Immediately, after getting my GCs, I treated my family to lunch! Ciao!

ActivTrak Value Companies

With the recent recession, companies everywhere are cutting back and laying off workers, and that means that the employees who are left will need to pick up their pace and be more productive. It can be very difficult for some to distinguish which workers are truly pulling their weight and which ones are just fooling around.

Having to measure if an employee is doing good or bad, productivity monitoring software can help. Using productivity monitoring software to monitor workers, members of management can easily see which workers are doing their job and those failing. This information can then be used to guide underperforming employees while rewarding the top notchers. Through this, you get to keep qualified workers, identify the best workers and you can keep top performers motivated and help them do an even more effective job. Productivity monitoring software can also be used to identify those workers who may need a bit of help to reach their full potential.

ActivTrak has benefits too. It makes it easier for the management team to enforce existing policies with regard to email, internet usage and other electronic communications. By installing productivity monitoring software employers can get an early earning that such dangerous activities are taking place.

Monggo With Alugbati Leaves

Alugbati is one of my favorite green, leafy source. In terms of its nutritional content, I would consider that it is one of the most nutritious. Easy to cook, easy to grow.

Alugbati

A succulent, branched, smooth, twining herbaceous vine, several meters in length. Stems are purplish or green.

Common market product, a popular leafy and stew vegetable, a good substitute for spinach.
The green and purple cultivated varieties are preferable to the wild ones.
Both the young shoots and stems are eaten.
Excellent source of calcium and iron; good source of vitamins A, B, and C, with a high roughage value.
-source-

Enhancing Your Online Connection

Here's a new and reliable source to enjoy your online connectivity. Ventrilo is a scalable Voice over IP (VoIP) communications system that solves a lot of the problems associated with network latency, packet loss, uptime and administration. It can be useful for both for home and personal applications. That includes, online gaming or chatting. Voice Comm can make them more exciting and productive. It can also be used in an enterprise environment as a productivity tool for conducting long distance group discussions.

The ventrilo.com domain is used for hosting these web pages and all of the download files for the Ventrilo Client and Server programs. It is a centralized location for checking on updates to the programs and asking for technical help via the message forum.

Slice N' Dice

A newly opened Steak House just around the corner. Truly, heaven sent this restaurant to add variation to the line of restaurants in a nearby commercial area. I'm not talking about Cubao. This new branch of Slice N' Dice opened at the Metrolane Complex 20th Avenue.

Steaks served for P99! T-Bone, Steak ALA Pobre and my favorite, Garlic Steak

Steak Salpicao P75 Beef Strips combined with their special gravy sauce topped with mushrooms and roasted garlic. It's one of my favorites.

Garlic Pork Tenderloin P79. The meat is very tender and juicy.

Slice n' Dice also offers an All-Day Sunrise meal. Dishes typically served during breakfast. Sunny Sirloin Rice, Grilled Chorizo, Sirloin Scramble, Cheese Steak Omelette.