Suddenly I NEEDED Coffee

Cutting on caffeine was really not easy for me. Had to stop smoking when I got pregnant . Not only that, had to totally eliminate caffeine as part of my daily routine. But eventually,  I was able to cope and I was graced not to have a daily caffeine fix. Not until...

Lately...

It's one of the things I can't explain because I am still figuring out why I am craving for coffee. My system is looking not just for any form of caffeine, just COFFEE. For the past week,  yes, I have been taking in some already, but not everyday. Then over the weekend, with all the activities and trying to be awake for the long drive, had to take more than my usual. And as of yesterday, my body's been aching to have more of it.

toothpastefordinner.com

This afternoon when I really couldn't take it, I had to walk all the way to the nearest Shell Select just to buy coffee. I used to have coffee for brewing, freshly grinded coffee beans. But since I stopped drinking years back, there's none stored in my pantry, not even instant coffee. I wanted to drive to Starbucks and spend my coffee time there, but our car wasn't around, I settled for some iced coffee from Shell instead.

After all this, looks like that I'll be a frequent follower of Coffee houses and Café restaurants.

The Original--- Cassava Cake

Orient, is the most famous Buko Pie seller in Laguna. Aside from Buko Pie, they also whip up some Filipino delicacies, like the Cassava Cake. Last Sunday, I was able to try a different brand of Cassava Cake. Then, yesterday my Dad who traveled again to Laguna dropped by and gave me another box of Cassava and this time it's from The Original brand. I was able to taste the difference. It only proves that Orient's Cassava tops it all.

Cassava is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates.

Cassava must be cooked properly to detoxify it before it is eaten.

Source

Food Trip Friday

Camote Tops

Kamote Tops or Sweet Potato Tops is one of the healthiest local green vegetable that can be found anywhere here in the Philippines.

I bought 3 bunches today. Fresh from the market. 1 bunch I plan to add to my sinigang, another as vegetable salad and the next as a juice drink. Yup, as juice drink. Again as juice drink. When I was a kid my dad would always boil lots of Camote tops harvested from our yard. It was really good, a great substitute for instant fruit juices. Being one of the healthiest greens around, now I know why throughout my 31 years I didn't get sick and not a visit to the hospital. True, first time I laid on a hospital bed was when I gave birth. Same with my siblings, none of us got seriously sick. And with discipline we like to continue this lifestyle until we get old.

 Camote Salad

Steamed, blanched or boiled then drained. Seasoned with Calamondin juice and a little salt. Mixed with chopped red tomatoes and white onions.

Health Benefits of Camote Tops:

1. Sweet potato tops are excellent sources of antioxidative compounds,
mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative
stress that is associated with many diseases including cancer and
cardiovascular diseases.

2. Sweet potato greens have the highest content of
total polyphenolics among other commercial vegetables studied.

3. Sweet potatoes contain protein, dietary fiber, lipid, and essential
minerals and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium,
potassium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron.

4. Sweet potatoes are also important sources of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin and ascorbic acid." -source-