Homemade Pizza

Among the 5 of us (me and my siblings), 3 of us took Hotel and Restaurant Management in college. Myself, my brother Nano and my sister Ella. Cooking has always been our interest. But all 3 of us has something different to offer, an individual specialty. For now, let us concentrate on what my brother Nano can do.

Every weekend, we make it a point to have a family gathering at my parents' house. We prepare food and activities that will make our bonding moments more colorful and fun. Over the weekend, my brother treated us with pizza. Before, we would always buy frozen pizza crust from the supermarket. Now, we're enjoying our pizza that's made from the freshest dough.

The pizza sauce is a special mixture of herbs and spices concocted by my brother.

I really love the fact that I'm able to eat pizza made out of fresh dough. The last time I experienced eating pizza this fresh was during my last visit to Baguio in 2010. Fresh meaning: the dough is smoking hot once you tear a piece, the smell of fresh flour is present and of course, it's soft and chewy--- and it will never harden up even if exposed for a very long time.

Tossing the pizza dough.

Please bear with the shape, we haven't gotten our materials for making pizza. They call this amoeba pizza. You just open the dough, spread it out, start with the sauce and toppings immediately.

The fun part with homemade pizza,  make your own! Just top it with whatever you want.

In one day, we enjoyed eating 3 kinds of pizza. We really can't wait once we get our hands on the pizza- making materials--- that would include a heavy- duty mixer and other baking essentials too. 2013 might just be our year ;D 

Fish Salpicao with Patola Strings

Fish Salpicao is not always cooked with Knorr seasoning or soy sauce. All you need is butter and lots of garlic and mushroom. In a frying pan, stir them all with your chosen fish fillet, add pepper and salt, top it over the prepared patola strings and you're done!

It's been a long time since I've posted a recipe. I thought that this fish salpicao dish would be something different. The blanched patotal strings gave a twist making an ordinary salpicao dish tasteful and healthier.

A Busy Me

I have been very busy from the time we moved to a new place. With that, my husband and I are both occupied with work, family stuff and of course preparing ourselves on owning our own place. It's not easy especially if we've suddenlt taken out the things we used to do in preparation for the Holidays each year. But for every sacrifice we make, something good comes in return.

 

If you noticed that I haven't been updating this food blog, not that I don't log in, I do, it's just that I have more important things to take care of. One of the things that I'm running through right now are my files in each of my external drive. I need to take it one at a time to a point that I've considered this task as a form of "me time".  I even searched for backup online so I can access my files easily.

The spirit of the Holiday season inspired me to find time and update this food blog. One thing is for sure, this year, I will be preparing simple dishes, food that are easy to prepare but will still make Christmas amazing.

The New Magnolia Flavor House

I grew up visiting the old Magnolia Flavor House in New Manila, Quezon City. Half of my childhood was spent at my grandmother's house near Magnolia. I remember, as a kid, my parents would take me and 2 of my brothers for some banana split and their classic chocolate sundae. Every Christmas, Magnolia would set up a small amusement park and late at night, my parents would drive us again there to enjoy the rides and with more ice cream.

 

The Magnolia Flavor House is a famous ice cream parlor here in the Philippines. At the back of the ice cream shop there lay a huge ice cream factory. I enjoyed the old ice cream house until I was in college. My school sits right across Magnolia. Later on, I discovered that Magnolia was already a functioning restaurant serving not only ice cream but rice dishes, sandwiches, pasta and sodas too.

 

Most of the time, I would have lunch there with my college friends.  It was during my 2nd year in college when Magnolia slowly went down. Eventually, the factory closed and so is the ice cream shop.

 

I shared this same story with my husband. The Magnolia Flavor House was also part of his childhood.

 

Now, we are very happy to share that the old ice cream parlor opened its doors again. The very same lot where the old ice cream factory once stood is now a mall called Robinsons Magnolia. It is a new mall that offers its visitors a high-class shopping experience. Behind the mall is an open garden and there you will find The Magnolia Flavor House.

 

Of course it is a smaller version of the original ice cream shop. The menu is composed of ice creams and sweet delights that will surely make you travel back in time. They also offer pasta, and sandwiches in case you're up for something heavier. It was our first time to visit and relive our childhood once again. We took our mom with us so she can also reminisce of the times when she had her Magnolia moments.

The restaurant was packed,  we were #9 in the waiting list. It seems like there's more people waiting  at The Magnolia Flavor House than those inside the mall. I was the happiest the moment I stepped in the Magnolia Flavor House. I kept telling my eldest son Frankie that it is a very cool place to have some fun and ice cream. It feels so good to be back and to be able to bring  our own kids  to experience this amazing part of our journey together.

Getting Hooked With Your Favorite Show

I stay home but I work almost 24/7 especially with an infant around. One of the things I have less time with is to relax, sit back and watch a good show on television. I have my favorites if we're to talk about t.v. series. I grew up following certain tv shows. I watch them almost everyday.

 

It's different if you're able to watch from the beginning up to the end. But now, since I'm busy- full, I rely on the net. Well it's a growing industry, since you can access almost everything on the web. In case I miss a show, I go online, I update myself watch online series especially my favorite shows. With that, I get to relax and take a break even just for a short moment, and I get to watch basing it when I want to watch it.

 

Web television has a wide variety of categories, including; Video Game, Comedy, Animated, Cartoon & Comics, Woodworking, Drama, How-Tos & DIY, Music, Health & Fitness, Educational, Celebrity Entertainment, Food & Drink, Parenting & Family, News & Politics, Sports & Cars, Talk & Interview, Technology, and Fashion & Beauty Webisodes.

 

It is also a perfect medium in discovering new ideas and shows. It's not bound to one series and one time frame. There's so much to choose from. Almost every night, I look forward to something to watch.

 

You can login with your Facebook and even share it!

 Share the episodes your watching, series you've followed and episodes you've loved

 Follow your favorite web series and keep up with their latest episodes.

 Share your favorite videos on other social networks o

 Comment on the videos

Shrimp Paksiw in Coconut Cream

Paksiw: Vinegar sauce.

 

Food cooked in vinegar sauce is very common here in the Philippines. Most of the time, we use seafood such as fish. One of the main purposes of vinegar sauce is to eliminate the fishy smell. Vinegar sauce is composed of vinegar, pepper, ginger and garlic. With the viand I am sharing today, I used shrimps, I simmered it in vinegar sauce then I added coconut cream to balance the vinegar flavor and to make the sauce richer.

 

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

• 10-15 pcs of shrimps (head removed, shell intact).
• 1/2 cup cane vinegar
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup Coconut Cream
• 1/2 tsp chopped ginger
• 5 cloves crushed garlic
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• a dash of salt
• 1 stalk celery with leaves (washed well, chopped) optional
• 1 medium eggplant (chopped into thin rings) optional

How To:

• In a pan arrange prepared shrmps.
• Add vinegar, water. chopped ginger, crushed garlic, ground pepper and salt

• Simmer until shrimps are half- cooked.
• Add eggplants, then simmer until eggplants are half- cooked.
• ( Add water if necessary )
• Add coconut milk and simmer for a few seconds.
• Add chopped celery.

Best served with hot rice and a little soy sauce.

From The S&R Members' Treat 2012

 

As A Consumer:
S&R has been a regular grocery stop for us for the past 2 years. Grocery? some of you might think... that it's  too expensive... I understand where you're coming from, I also thought of it that way. But since I'm after the freshness and quality of the products I buy and serve my family, especially the perishables and stuff we can stock on like canned goods, S&R has it all on a silver platter. It's just the right place for me as a home-maker, I find whatever I need in S&R.

From One Branch To Another:
My husband and I noticed the flood of people coming to S&R BGC branch even on a regular day. With that, sometimes we don't get to buy the products we need. So we decided to move to a different branch to shop. Since we live in Quezon City, we thought that S&R Congressional is a the perfect branch. It's bigger, I noticed that this branch has more products and of course, on a regular day, there's not much shoppers. With the recent Members' Treat, Congressional was packed to a point that they closed the gates to regulate the poeple and cars coming in. From there, we decided to head back to S&R BGC branch.

Last year, the S&R BGC branch was in total chaos during the Members' Treat.  This time, it's the exact opposite. The line was long but moving, it was more organized and parking was easy. I'm just happy to visit this branch again.

 

The Journey Begins:

The S&R Members' Treat is one of the most anticipated events every year. As early as 4am first day of the sale, people are already lined up just to get their hands on hundreds of products sold for a very cheap price both local and imported items. Some are offered on a Buy1Take1 basis, some have discounts for as low as 50%.

This month's Members' Treat, we didn't concentrate on certain products. We opened ourselves and our budget to whatever we can find useful for our home.

Since S&R BGC is smaller, it's hard to go around with a shopping cart. One tactic that my husband and I practiced through the years is to park our cart in line for the cashier then we take turns to go around and get whatever our eyes catches.

As always, the line for the cashier is longer than the line of people waiting outside for their turn to come in. Last week, I posted a link where everyone can get updates with regards to S&R promos, special offers and activities.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SR-Membership-Official/277396802337298

It is very important to get updates on products to be sold and at the same time, make a list of products you intend to buy or at least products you wish would go on sale. A list makes it easier once you're inside the warehouse, all you have to do is go from one aisle to another and then grab, grab, grab!

It took us 2-3 hours to get to the cashier counter. We lined up where people ahead of us had 2 or 3 carts full. We were in line to pay around 11am, we went out of S&R exactly 2pm. While waiting, my husband got us some food. Actually, I enjoyed the whole waiting process. While in line, we were just playing around with the new apps we bought for my iPad, one of them is 360 Panorama, my first picture with the app was not as presentable, but I like it.

Our Great Finds:

1. Quilted pillows: Queen Size at (350.00 each) Standard (250.00each)
    Buy1Take1 Pillow Cases with 300 Thread Count (250.00)

2. Canned goods and other products:

• Prem Luncheon Meat( php79.00 each)
• Hormel Luncheon Meat (php 87.00 each)
• Purefoods Chunkee Corned Beef (php38 each)
• 2  280g boxes Swiss Miss with Free Mug (php 197)
• 1 box of Pringles 6 Super Stack (php399)
• 1 box heavy Duty Ziploc (php175)
• 6 Chow Mein Terriyaki Beef Noodles (php49 each)
• Planters Honey Roasted Peanuts (php129each)
• Combos (php100+ each)

We stock up on certain products such as canned goods with easy-open lids for emergency purposes. It's always best to keep a full pantry. I for one, cook a lot. I make experiments on whatever ingredient I have available, so everything is an essential for me. The goodies such as the chips, peanuts and biscuits, those are to be consumed anytime, especially for our weekend family movie night :)

 

3. Toiletries:

• Buy1Take1 8Bar Pack of Safegurad White (350.00)
• Buy1Take1 6Bar Pack Irish Spring (350.00)
• Buy1Take1 3 Litre Jug of Zip Dishwashing Liquid (299.00)
• Buy1Take1 Colgate (179.00)
• 1000 ml Johnsons baby Milk Bath with Free Johnsons Baby Powder (200.00)
• Carefree packed by 2s (124.00)

Most of the tioiletries we got are the very same products we're using.

4. Others:
1 K Bounty Fresh Chicken Nuggets (214.00each) original price (250.00)
Hormel Pork Sausages (75.00 each) original price (199.00)

As always, our favorites for breakfast. Chicken Nuggets and Sausages.

5. Home Essentials: Furnitures

So we moved to a new place last July, we're still at it. Since we ditched our old furnitures, we are now slowly buying new ones, looking for the right ones that will fit in our humble home. One of our great buys during this month's Members' Treat was a shelf. My husband bought it separately, we had to go in an area in the parking lot to claim it. My husband said he got it for (2,100.00)/ original price was at (3,000.00)

It's sturdy and way better than the stuff we see in local department stores.

 

We're very lucky that S&R moved their sale on the time we're about to do our regular grocery shopping.  Most  discounted products and buy1take1 items are the things we needed. Imagine, same budget we got more than the usual, spent a little on the things not on the list but still very useful and handy.

 

Why is this so important? you don't get TREATS like this in any other store here in the Philippines and you're not treated this way in any other shops and outlets.

 

Last Hurrah for the S&R Members' Treat 2012, waiting for another round at the S&R Members' Treat 2013 and see you again S&R next week :)

In Preparation For SAT

Preparing for college? I remembered my own struggles just to be able to get in to a good school in college. Aside from the entrace exams taken from different universities and colleges, I also prepared for NSAT National Secondary Assessment Test. It's similar to SAT, it's a form of exam that gauge literacy and important skills that will determine one's success in college. SAT is a form of assessment done by analyzing and solving problems, topics learned throughout highschool that will come in as essentials in college. In my case our highschool class had a month of review everyday after our regular class. For some of my classmates, they thought that getting a tutor will help a lot in acquiring the proper knowledge and review in order to pass the exam.

I went through another process... The college or university I chose used my scores as another source on how ready I am for college. And as they added up my scores, yes, I did pass and I was able to get in to the school of my choice. These exams such as SAT, with proper review and with the help of sat tutors can be considered as a big contribution to one's future.

We all want to be successful. In order to be successful, it's best to achieve the things we think is good for us, just like choosing the best schools we will thrive in. A place where we can grow and develop in.

S&R Members' Treat September 2012

Okay, I  noticed that people are going to this food blog searching for details with regards to S&R's Members' Treat for this month. So let me share the basic information. In a way, help spread the word to fellow members and non-members interested to become part of this special Treat.

Before anything...

Here's my last year's loots: direct link: http://frommomachie.blogspot.com/2011/09/s-loots-and-goodies.html

Like everyone else, I too am raving about the S&R Members' Treat. Aside from a regular visit to any S&R Store, here's a link I visit  all the time to get the latest from S&R.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/SR-Membership-Official/277396802337298 

This is the official Facebook page of S&R Membership.

First week of this month we've already enjoyed the Early Bird Septembers' Treat. There's quite a lot already so I can't imagine once the Members' Treat will start rolling. Beginning tomorrow:

- Sept. 26 up to the 30th of September 2012, S&R is treating its members for another round of discounted products, buy1 take 1 items both local and imported brands.

- From 8am-9pm

- all S&R Branches. 

On a personal note:

As I recall, there was a Members' Treat March of this year, but I was out of town for a week, so yeah, took me months wating for Septembers' Members' Treat.  For the upcoming Members' Treat, I plan to spend on quilted pillows and bed sheets. S&R has the best set of beddings. Not to forget towels and kitchenwares. And my mom is eyeing for a set KitchenAid Mixer, we're going together by the way. It's nice to go shopping with my mom, we just click and I like it everytime we treat each other with the things we want for both our homes.

Don't forget to bring your Reusable Bags!

The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. I don't have any connections with any company.

Memory Lane

I found about Memory Lane through my mom. Like me, my mom is a food lover. One of her favorite destinations for food tripping is Tagaytay City. She would often enjoy these so-called food trips with my aunt, my mom's sister. We all know that Tagaytay is filled with restaurants and food stops of different cuisines and dining- experience.

It was not too long ago when she came across Jolina Magdangal's restaurant in Tagaytay City. I think, she found out about Memory Lane when it was featured in a tv show.

When my mom saw Memory Lane, she was ecstatic to see something similar to our house. And so, when she found some time to visit Memory Lane she shared her experience with me.

On the recent vacation I made in Tagaytay with my husband, we made sure that Memory Lane is going to be part of our itinerary.

One thing I always look forward to in every food adventure I make is the personal connection I can get. Thinking, that I'm not only there to take pictures and blog about it, but also to savor every moment of the experience sharing it with someone special and very important in my life.

It was around 2pm when we arrived in Tagaytay, checked- in our Villa, waited for an hour to rest, then we decided to have some snacks at Memory Lane.

 Being not familiar with what they serve, we opted to try their house specialties. Memory Lane Blended Iced Tea (php95), Memory Lane Tuna Sandwich(php180) and Cheese Croquettes(Php160), softdrinks in can (php50+).

The menu consists mostly of Filipino dishes served with a twist. Memory Lane is known for it's scrumptious Sinigang na Lechon. I wasn't able to try something heavy for this visit. But again, it's always best to leave some room for another round, a second or a third visit perhaps...

Memory Lane has this Country- 50's diner inspired dining atmosphere.

Memory Lane is located along Magallanes Drive, Tagaytay City. Prices range from: php140- 600. With the small snack we took, our bill summed up to around php550.

Memory Lane brought me back to the time when my mom would talk to me of her dream house. The times we would just sit in the dining room talking details that was then our dream house...



This is going to be the first time that I'll be sharing our lovely home... My close friends calls it Casa de Lara. For those who know my family's story...  this Casa they call is our family's dream that has become a legacy because of the hardships, sacrifices our family went through and the strengths and inspirations gained to fulfill this dream.

Memory Lane reminds us (our family) so much of the heart-filled dream we once had. A dream we are now living in. Living the dream in 2 destinations close to our hearts... Our very house and Memory Lane Tagaytay City where it feels like we never left our home...

Young Broccoli Leaves and Shitake in Sweet Garlic Sauce

Servings: 5-6
Ingredients:

• 1 bunch fresh broccoli leaves
• 2 cups of sliced dried or fresh shitake mushrooms
• 1 whole garlic minced
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• cooking oil for frying garlic
• 1 tsp roasted sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp washed sugar
• 1/4 cup soysauce
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• a dash of salt and black pepper

:Make sure that the broccoli leaves are washed well. You have an option to cut the leaves into pieces or blanch it as it is. The young broccoli leaves are not as thick and long as the mature ones. For me, I like the whole thing intact as I blanch it.

How To: Part 1

• Arrange blanched young broccoli leaves in serving platter.
• In a small frying pan heat cooking oil and fry minced garlic until light brown. Set aside.
• Using the very same frying pan, roast sesame seeds. Set aside.

How To: Part 2

• In a sauce pan, heat sesame oil and stir fry sliced shitake mushrooms for about a minute.
• Add water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, washed sugar and roasted sesame seeds.
• Mix everything well and let it simmer for a few minutes.
• Add salt and pepper if needed.
• Pour sweet sauce with shitake over blanched young broccoli leaves.
• Top and garnish with fried minced garlic.

Served with hot rice or noodles and hot tea. Enjoy!

Pork Adobo sa Gata

Pork Adobo in Coconut Milk

Here's one Filipino dish I experimented on. Well, I thought it's something new, but it's not, because just yesterday, I saw this particular viand in a menu from a local restaurant. This dish is easy to prepare. It's just basic pork adobo with coconut milk or coconut creme.

 

Ingredients:

• 5-6 pcs. pork adobo cut
• 1/2 cup coconut milk or coconut creme
• 3 bay leaf
• 5 cloves garlic crushed
• 5 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 cup soysauce
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 green chilli chopped into pieces
• a dash of salt and black pepper

 

How To:

• In a sauce pan mix pork adobo cutlets in water, soy sauce, crushed garlic, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
• Boil pork until tender. Drain, set aside Adobo sauce.
• In a pan, heat olive oil and fry minced garlic until light brown. Set aside.
• In the same frying pan, stir fry drained pork cutlets. Stir for a few minutes and pour about 5-6 tbsp of Adobo sauce. Set aside in a serving bowl.
• Using the very same frying pan, stir fry green chilli for a few seconds.
• Add Coconut Milk and simmer for a minute or 2.
• Add remaining Adobo sauce and simmer again for a minute or 2 or until sauce is thick.
• Pour prepared Adobo sauce with coconut milk in the serving bowl with the pork cutlets.
• Add and garnish fried minced garlic.

 

Servings: 4-5

I Love Tootsie Rolls!

You know what, I can't recall if this is my first time to share my love for Tootsie Rolls or if I already made a post about it before. Anyway, it's been raining Tootsie Rolls here in our house. I've been a Tootsie Roll lover eversince. All the way from my childhood, I would ask my mom or grandmother for 2 Pesos for a stick of Tootsie Roll. As a kid, for a child who's always attracted with the dark brown packaging and for the ever curious little girl  wondering what's inside the dark brown foil, I would do anything just to have a taste. I remember visiting the store even without money just to take a glimpse of the jar of Tootsie Rolls. Of course as I grow up, I'm able to treat myself  not only with a stick, but packs of this sweet goodness.

 

I've enjoyed lots and lots of candies, but Tootsie Roll has always been my favorite. Every Tootsie Roll candy reminds me of my colorful childhood.

Here in the Philippines, they sell Tootsie Rolls in small tubes, sticks which are packed by 5, a jar and packs of small candies. I always go for a jar of bite size Tootsie Rolls, I am very fond of the Vanilla flavor too.

Today, my husband surprised me with 2 big packs of Tootsies. Both assorted and original flavor. The sweet gesture of my husband inspired me to share my love for Tootsie Rolls.

To my husband, thank you for filling up my jar of Tootsies again. I am very happy to share my every Tootsie Roll moment with my family.

GMAT Prep with Veritas Prep

GMAT is a computer-based assessment with programs offered in universities and institutions in 83 countries. It consists of four parts: Quantitative section, the Verbal section, the Integrated Reasoning section, and the Analytical writing assessment. A gmat tutor is often hired as guide and to provide knowledge in order for the student to pass the exam. The student works one-on-one with an experienced GMAT instructor who has scored in the 99th percentile on the GMAT. Passing GMAT is a qualification on becoming successful in the fields of business, accountancy and finance.

 

In serach of a reliable GMAT Prep company?

 

Veritas Prep combines curricular excellence, instructor preeminence, and authentic practice problems with the largest array of course options. Veritas Prep has trained the most talented and effective faculty of GMAT instructors ever assembled. All Veritas Prep GMAT instructors have previous teaching experience and earned a score in the 99th percentile on actual GMAT examination. Veritas Prep offers free seminars and trial classes.

 

Veritas Prep offers the most comprehensive courses, the most exacting instructor standards, the most practice tests, the most comprehensive lesson booklets, and free MBA admissions workshops. Veritas Prep students can choose from the most classroom options available, including weekday evenings and weekends in dozens of global cities, intensive weeklong programs, prerecorded lessons, and live online courses. They also offer self-study, virtual coaching, and one-on-one tutoring.

The Smarty Pants Gummy Vitamins Mission

Here's one easy way to get our kids to take-in their daily vitamins. It's been working for me for the past 7 years. Gummy Vitamins! My brother-in-law from GA gave a bottle for my son Frankie. It's just like candy, but it's a healthy gummy. We all know how much kids love those chewy gummy cadies. It's so good, that even us adults would grab a bag for ourselves.

A smart bottle of these healthy gummies is called smarty pants vitamins. Smarty Pants Vitamins was created by parents and entrepreneurs who wanted kids to get all the nutrients they needed without any of the bad stuff. Because we made them with our kids in mind, we chose only the highest quality ingredients and most effective natural forms of key nutrients.

SmartyPants Gummy Vitamins for Kids is recommended for children 3 and up with 4 gummies per day. Please check nutritional facts above.

If the children will get their dose of these chewy vitamins, Smaty Pants developed gummy vitamins for adults as well. You can avail one through adult gummy vitamins at www.smartypantsvitamins.com/.

Aside from being able to offer vitamins on a healthy and fun way through gummies, Smarty Pants is pusuing a huge and a very important mission.

Get Health Give Health:

SmartyPants is on a mission to help 1,000,000 kids get the nutrients they need in 5 years. The United Nations and the WHO (World Health Organization) agree that with micro nutrient supplements and clean water we could eliminate over 90% of childhood mortality. For every bottle you buy, we make a 1-for-1 matching nutrient grant so kids and expecting mothers both in the US and abroad get the start in life we all deserve.

 

 

Be A SmartyPants Angel!

Holy Guacamole!

When it comes to Guacamole, Avocado is the main ingredient. Avocado is very common here in the Philippines. Aside from using it as a dip, for salads or as Mexican filling, Avocado is also delicious when eaten with a little milk and sugar. I love the texture of this fruit. A few months back, since baby Mikee is already allowed to eat solid food, I thought that Avocado is a healthy option for my son, and yes, he loves it.

Since we had a lot of it, I decided to turn some of the Avocados into Guacamole. And it just so happen my mom was around for a visit, it was perfect to whip some and serve with a healthy amount of tortilla chips.

Ingredients:

• 3 medium size ripe Avocados (pitted)
• lime juice (equivalent to 1 lime)
• 1 tbsp of chopped cilantro
• 1 medium red onion (chopped)
• 3 medium red tomatoes (seeds removed, chopped)
• salt and ground black pepper

How To:

• Remove Avocado meat from skin and mash it all up in a bowl.
• Add chopped vegetables: (tomatoes, red onions, cilantro and mix everything well.
• Add lime juice and mix everything until well-blended.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.

Since it's high on Vit. E, Avocados reduce the signs of aging, it lessens the risk of acquiring heart disease and maintains good blood sugar.

The Artist in Frankie

It was an ordinary evening. I was preparing the school materials for homework, so I told my son to give me 10 mins and handed him his drawing book. In a metter or 2 or 3 minutes, he handed me back his drawing book with this drawing and told me: "it's for our kitchen". Scribbling, drawing, doodling these things aren't new to him. Eversince, my husband and I saw that our son Frankie is going to be an artist, we just don't know in what manner or on what field he'll be good at. But as he grows older, things started to become clearer.

This particular drawing of his was the most beautiful I have ever seen. As a stay at home mom, I was able to witness Frankie's growth and development. As a toddler, we end up coloring in all directions. As a pre-schooler, it's much contollable and as a grade- schooler, it's practically putting ones imagination into picture. I for one, I never came out with a drawing this good. I mean, Frankie's just 7 years old, when I was his age, all I can draw were sticks and houses, that's why I am so proud of what Frankie can create with his own imagination.

Frankie is very particular with the shades to be used in every drawing and painting he makes. Sometimes, he'll ask for my opinion, he'll grab a little from the idea I shared with him, but later on, he'll be able to come up with something better and more attractive.

This particular drawing symbolizes 2 things:
1. His creativity and his love for arts reflecting.
2. His love for food. There's a big difference between having the passion for food and the love for eating.

My son Frankie is not a heavy eater, but he loves food. He likes to cook and help around the kitchen. He knows how to chop vegetables, and he can tell good food just by smelling it. He likes to set the table. By the way, the fruits you see in the fruit bowl he drew are his favorite fruits. The tea cup? he told me that it's hot chocolate.

Fresh Herbs Straight from Our Backyard

As much as possible we like our ingredients fresh. One of the things my parents love are fresh herbs. During their free time, my mom and dad would drive all the way to Tagaytay to buy pots of fresh herbs and they grow it at their very own backyard. Father's Day for this year, I was asked by my mom if I can be the official cook for the ocassion. I'm very passionate about cooking, I never get tired of it. So my mom's request was something I looked forward to. When I arrived at my parents' house, this line of fresh herbs surprised me.

They just bought it from Tagaytay and my sisters labeled each pot to be transferred and planted in a particular area where they can grow and flourish. Some were placed inside the kitchen. Seeing the herbs and the thought that I'll be cooking with fresh ingredients made my day.

Swiss Mint which is perfect for teas.

Dill and Fennel which we often use for sauteed dishes

Italian Oregano for a delicious pasta dish

4 kinds of Basil: Thai Basil, Lemon Basil, Purple Basil and Sweet Basil

I find basil as the most flexible herb. It can practically be used in all dishes, even in selected Filipino viands. Father's Day, I prepared some vegetable pasta, and the herbs, especially the Basil blended well with my sauce.

*these set of fresh herbs were bought near UP Los Banos for php25 each.