Conserving Energy

Our share for the Earth Hour was not to use the rice cooker for one day. A huge sacrifice for both hubby and I because we eat rice everyday, we could miss a meal without rice but not a whole day without it.

I missed breakfast and lunch while hubby had leftover spaghetti for his lunch then, we had Tacos for dinner and sandwich for our midnight snack. It's a good feeling having helped conserve energy even if it's just for a day, and the best part? WE SURVIVED!

Bacon, cheese and tomato sandwich

Shopping at T&T

Lance's fave: cheesy ensaymada

I love going to Calgary partly because we get to go to T&T Supermarket and buy Filipino stuff (mostly food) and since it's a pretty big store, they got a huge selection of almost everything a Pinoy living abroad would want. I would have wanted to fill out a shopping cart but I decided to just pick out what we need (banana leaves, grated cassava, rice crackers, ensaymada, and my steamer). Just a few items but enough to make me happy and that's because of the steamer of course!

cheese flavored rice crackers

I used it the very next day for my Cassava Suman and then used it again the day after for the Max's style fried chicken. Steamed dishes coming up soon :D

steamed for 45 mins. before frying

first time ever to cook cassava suman

Pretty Footsies!

colors chosen by lei

Blue!

I was so sleepy this afternoon but my little one didn't want Mom to nap. She wanted me to watch with her and soon my desire to sleep faded. I went to get my nail kit and decided to do my nails instead. I did Lei's first before she left me alone and before I could finish mine, she already removed her polish. That's what we did on a Sunday afternoon, mother and daughter bonding while the boys slept.

I learned how to give myself a manicure and pedicure through years of having my nails done back in the Philippines. Mom and I used to go on a weekly or twice a month basis, foot spa, getting our hair colored and the mani/pedi. The services are pretty cheap back home that you can go on a regular basis unlike here. But I don't mind doing it myself rather than spend a lot for that and besides my hubby is more than willing to color my hair (because he doesn't have a choice) :D

Lunch at Red Lobster

During our recent trip to Calgary, we stopped at Red Lobster for lunch. Hubby ordered the Ultimate Feast while I tried the Bar Harbor Lobster and Shrimp Trio with creamy parmesan lobster and shrimp bake. We were so full and satisfied after the meal. It's worth the wait (we've been planning to eat there for the longest time), but of course, the seafood back home is still the BEST!

Steak is next on our list but first, I'll give the Max's style Fried Chicken a try using my new steamer tomorrow :D

a steamer at last!

Hello Allergies!

It's Springtime and Lance welcomed it by being sick. He  has this bad case of allergies this time manifested by itchy eyes and runny nose (he also has eczema particularly during winter) and last last night he was feverish. But all these wouldn't stop him from going to school. I told him this morning he could miss school today but the thought of being absent upsets him. He really wanted to be in school and assured me he feels better already. I would have preferred him to stay at home and cuddle up with Mom but seeing his energy I knew a few hours in school wouldn't hurt him. I can't help but be proud of my little boy, I just hope they give him an award for having a perfect attendance :D

Eggplant, Mushroom and Broccoli Stir Fry

Days before our scheduled trip to the supermarket, I only had a little of this and that left in the refrigerator. An eggplant, some mushrooms, 1/2 bag of broccoli, 1/4 bell pepper, a half styro pack of ground beef to be exact. Since it was Lance's special day in school and hubby's from night shift, I had to assemble something pretty quick before the kids and I left for school. And from the state of our stocks, it was hands down back to stir fry. I threw in all the other ingredients after browning the ground beef and just added oyster sauce. Would have been better if there was tofu but it's still delicious anyway.

Kiddie Yogurt to the Rescue

Late one night I couldn't sleep and was really craving for something sweet. I could have eaten a sweet candy or a piece of chocolate but I wanted something richer as in a cake or ice cream or a very very sweet fruit. Unfortunately, we didn't have any of those and I couldn't go back to bed without this nagging sweet craving satisfied.

And I did, thanks to the kids' strawberry vanilla yogurt and a glass of cold water. Sorry kids, Mom had a little emergency. Craving solved!

Lengua de Gato (Cat's Tongue Cookies)

Out of boredom I baked these cookies based on this recipe. They are super easy to make and I was done in like 20 minutes or so (that easy).  I used a sandwich bag since I didn't have any piping bag. Thank God I got bored and ended up making these delicious cookies :D

Fave TLC Shows

I am glued to TLC whenever I can. I love watching 19 Kids and Counting. It's fun to watch this huge family and get a glimpse of what it's like to have so many children. Their house is huge as well as the property surrounding their home, the older kids are so well behaved and they really look after the small ones, their pantry is like a grocery store and they got a ton of laundry everyday! Lance loves to watch this show and he's trying to memorize the kids' names.

Next is Cake Boss who also happens to be Kitchen Boss. The cakes are gorgeous and I can't wait to try his family recipes especially his Grandma Maddalenas Sausage Lasagna Recipe.

Another TLC fave show that I love watching is the Little Couple. Through this show, my kids have learned that people come in different sizes and yes, Bill and Jen are super cute and they're just like any normal newlyweds.

TLC's controversial show Sister Wives is not a favorite but I always find myself watching it. It's quite intriguing, it's more than intriguing actually but I have my own opinion about polygamy and will reserve it to myself  but that won't stop me from watching the show. I like the 3rd wife Christine the best.

Hoarding Buried Alive is an eye opener, a bit overwhelming at times and every episode just breaks my heart. It makes you want to jump into the television and help them sort and clean up the stuff accumulated through years and years of hoarding. Watch them go through several emotions as they clean up and share their joy as they start their new lives.

Last but not the least is Say Yes to the Dress. The gowns are all beautiful and I do get teary eyed when they say yes to the dress. The consultants are so efficient and they are so good in dealing with the brides and the families even those with attitudes.

I could spend the whole day watching TLC but CSI and Criminal Minds marathons are just as irresistible. And there's the Food Network too. Now, if only I can watch uninterrupted :D

A Week's Kitchen Activities

The kids have been helping in the kitchen quite a lot these past few days and they wouldn't cook anything other than their favorite puto. They had fun making colorful ones, they love the mixing part and putting cheese. Lance can finish a dozen in one sitting while Lei can finish all the cheese :D

Aside from the puto, the kids also love making pizza. This time we didn't make the dough anymore. I used leftover bread which I usually save for making garlic bread. Lance brushed the pizza sauce while Lei was in charge of the toppings. Another fun activity and snack afterwards for my kids.

Since it was St. Patrick's Day last Wednesday, I asked the kids if they wanted to eat something green, only Lei grabbed the offer with too much excitement opting for green milk. Yesterday, she requested for purple milk and according to her it was delicious.

I now have cans and cans of coconut milk in my kitchen cupboards and as I was arranging them, I saw a bag of dried taro leaves which we purchased last month. I realized I haven't cooked them yet because I keep forgetting to buy shrimps but since I couldn't wait no more, I decided to cook Laing (Taro leaves with Coconut Milk) and just put pork instead. It was my first time to cook this dish and the recipes on the internet were quite confusing so I just threw all the ingredients in a pan (garlic, onion, ginger, pork, taro leaves, coconut milk and shrimp paste) cooked them in medium fire without stirring. Both my Mom and my mother in law can cook delicious Laing and mine was also good for a first timer. For me it was delicious and the most important thing was it wasn't itchy on the throat. We ate it for three days I think and it was still yummy. I can't wait to buy another bag of dried taro leaves. I'll remember to buy shrimps too, or crabs and lots and lots of chilies!!!

Green Rice Cake

I spent the whole night looking for biko (rice cake) recipes. I found a lot actually, all of them different. Some would cook the sticky rice with the coconut milk while the others cook theirs the same way they cook rice using water. Some would add butter and egg and there were several recipes for the toppings too. I settled for the latik (fried coconut milk solids), they are easy to make, contrasts the sweetness of the rice cake and provides texture too. For the biko itself, I decided to cook it with the coconut milk, added the sugar before it dried up. I also splashed some pandan essence to add flavor and color.

This is what I would normally eat on a Sunday back home but usually bought and not homemade like this. This is better except for the absence of freshly grated coconut, but the brighter side? I got lots of latik, my most favorite part!

Arroz Caldo

After making the rice cake, I went on to make arroz caldo which is also congee or porridge with chicken and boiled egg topped with fried garlic and spring onions. This is a favorite during rainy season back home, also served when someone is sick. It is my first time to cook arroz caldo and was surprised how easy it was. I never thought that something as delicious as this could be very easy to cook. I used this chicken arroz caldo recipe as my guide.

Pizza Day

Since the kids see how much I love to cook, they are also developing great interest and would often drag their orange chairs to the kitchen insisting to help in their own little ways. My little helpers are always eager to mix, add this and that, often driving Mom crazy.

After my experiments with sticky rice this morning, it's now the kids' turn along with Daddy to bond and create something in the kitchen. They made pizza from scratch, down from the dough and they got to choose their own toppings.

The kids enjoyed the experience, they even watched while the pizza was baking. It was a fun afternoon and we finished everything, dinner will be later than usual I guess :D

Suman (Rice Cake)

Suman is a type of rice cake. Bibingka, kakanin, puto bumbong and puto are all forms of rice cake too. Suman is made out of sticky rice cooked in coconut milk, a pinch of salt, wrapped in banana leaves then steamed. This delicacy is often served during special occasions in the Philippines. It is best eaten with ripe mangoes, grated coconut or just plain sugar.

I cooked mine in the rice cooker, I let it cool before wrapping them in banana leaves. As I steam the suman, the smell reminded me of the province and fiestas back home :D

A Bowl of Yema (Custard Candy)

I wanted to make yema balls to satisfy my sweet tooth. Pastillas would have been easier if I had powdered milk but since I don't have any, I settled for the yema balls. I used the egg yolks from yesterday's purple puto, a can of condensed milk, butter and chopped peanuts. I ended up with a very sticky custard making it impossible for me to form them into balls but it's ok, I ended up with a bowl of yema anyway. Sweet!

Ginger and Five Spice Burger Patties

We gave in to our burger cravings but this time around, there was no need to go to Burger King to pick up our usual orders. I had been searching for patty recipes for the past two nights and found this recipe. Ever since my best friend posted a picture of her five spice burgers, I knew I had to try it. Unfortunately, our five spice powder remained unopened until last night. Finally, I made burger patties with ginger and five spice while watching American Idol last night and I knew from the smell permeating in the house that it`s gonna be delicious. We were not even planning to cook it yet but we gave in to the temptation. Thank God we did!

Pretty in Purple

While Lei was taking a nap, Lance and I spent some time together in the kitchen making his favorite puto. This time we added a few drops of blue and red food color resulting to purple puto. My puto monster is once again happy and full! Now he's requesting for blue and red ones. I said NO of course, we compromised and agreed on green. If Lei was awake, she would have wanted pink ones and I'm pretty sure she wouldn't take NO for an answer. My life is indeed a colorful one :D

Color my Eggs Orange

I was dying to try either the kwek kwek (eggs coated in orange batter then deep fried) or ukoy (fried shrimp patties) but my hubby is not a big fan of bean sprouts and we don't have shrimps so I decided to do the kwek kwek which is a popular street food back home. We didn't find any quail eggs in the supermarket so I used chicken eggs instead. According to the recipe, quail or chicken eggs can be used and the orange batter is simple to make. It was supposed to be our snack but it was good with rice too so it became our late lunch as well. Next time I'll add a little more food color to achieve a reddish orange color and maybe do some quail egg hunting for my next kwek kwek.

Sweet Spaghetti

I still don't have my own perfect recipe for spaghetti sauce. One thing's for sure, I like my spaghetti sweet. I prefer brown sugar over white sugar, I know someone who adds Coke, my best friend taught me to put soy sauce instead of salt and she adds milk too, some people add all purpose cream. The closest I got to making the best spaghetti sauce is when I use pork sausages instead of ground beef but to make it sweet, I still have to dump a lot of sugar which I don't really like doing. Sugar makes the sauce sweet but not really tasty, though adding herbs help a lot.

What I tried  for the first time was add condensed milk. I heard it from one of our friends and decided to give it a try. And true enough, I got my sweet spaghetti sauce without adding sugar, not even a pinch. The result is quite addicting, sweet but not too sweet, just the way I like it.

A Taste of Spring and Some Cookies Too!

It was warm and sunny today, such a perfect day for walking as long as you ignore the melting snow and mud puddles. Lei and I picked up Lance from school and both were excited to visit Klassy's Bakery which is a block from our house. Lance didn't mind the long walk home because he was anticipating  his free cookie. Before going to bed last night he already made up his mind regarding his choice of cookie. It's easy because he is a chocolate chip cookie guy. Lei loves the mint chocolate chip cookie not because of the taste but probably due to its green color. We bought several kinds of chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies, brownies, freshly baked white bread and ice cream which they ate on our way home.

It felt like an ordinary Spring day, the sun and sugar made the long walk bearable. Kids were happy and munching all the way home.

Chicharon and Ensaladang Ampalaya

During our last grocery trip, we chanced upon some really good cuts of fats with skin on which are ideal for cooking Chicharon. I searched for a bagnet recipe and tried to copy it. Unfortunately, it ended up just like the usual chicharon (crispy pork skins/pork cracklings) which wasn't bad at all I guess if you're a sucker for oily, fatty and salty food like me. Chicharon dipped into vinegar with lots of garlic is just so delicious. Don't forget the hot rice too. Pairing it off with a bitter melon salad takes away the wooziness of too much fats!

Easy Carrot Cake

I just don't have what it takes to bake successfully. I don't have the patience and the talent but my sweet cravings push me to bake. My latest baking experiment was with a carrot cake. I found an easy carrot cake recipe here at muchmenus and cut the recipe in half. I used a ready to spread cream cheese frosting which made things easier for me. Having baked quite successfully puts a smile to my face and makes me forget about my previous failed attempts :D