The Chef is Sick...

The chef is sick... the kitchen has been silent... we are thriving on fast food and some to go orders in the restaurant....

Will be cooking soon.... watch out for new recipes....

Happy Holidays

From all of us who are now enjoying the food in our kitchen....

Red Pomelo

When we went grocery shopping the other day, I saw a red pomelo in the fruit aisle. I was excited and surprise to see it so, I decided to buy one to try it. Well, Andrea loves it! I am just so glad that my daughter loves most fruit.


Back at home in Philippines, pomelo is very common in the neighborhood. Although we don't have a pomelo tree, our neighbor has a few so when we wanted one, all we need to do is ask for it.

There are three varieties of pomelo: white, pink and red. Not surprisingly, the pink and red varieties are sweeter than the white which has a slightly acidic taste.

It has a very thick peel and yellow, pink or red pulp. The pomelo, also known as the shaddock, is often confused with the grapefruit. It is sweeter and much less acidic than regular grapefruit.

The pomelo is an excellent source of vitamin C but provides little energy. It also contains potassium and folic acid. The nutritional value varies according to the colour.

Who Want to Watch Pacquiao vs Mayweather Fight?

I am really excited to that the fight between Manny Pacquiao vs Floyd Mayweather is already set. It will be on March 13, 2010 at MGM Grand Arena Las Vegas, Nevada. This will be the biggest fight of Manny's career and this promises to be the biggest money at stake. I read somewhere that it would be like $50million dollars fight!

Besides the money that both boxers will get, this will be a chance for Manny to hold a record that nobody ever held if he will win the fight (winning different championship belt in 8 different weight category). This is really an exciting fight to watch.

Manny Paquiao boxing tickets are already out now. You need to hurry and purchase your ticket if you want to see the fight live because I am sure that these tickets will be sold fast. My friends in Las Vegas already bought theirs at teamonetickets.com. As for me, I will just watch it at the Pay Per View Channel because Las Vegas is far away from me. On the scheduled Pacquiao vs Mayweather fight, I know that "Pacman" will beat "Money".

Wonderful Clock!

I remember the first time I set foot on my mother-in-law's lovely abode. They picked me up from the airport and then brought to their place while waiting for Dave to get off work. I was so impressed with their house. I thought, it was like a hotel. Well, It was far different from different houses that I have been to in the Philippines. After we pass the big porch, we enter the room and on its right side going to the living room was a beautiful grandfather clock. It was really eye catching especially that it was placed where you can see it right away when you open the main door. I was so fascinated with their place. That was the first American home that I have seen so, I have the reason to be fascinated.

After I freshen up and after I get settled, they give me a tour inside the whole house. I noticed that in their living room lies a mantel clock that looks very stylish and it fits the style of the living room. After the tour, we settled in the bar area in the kitchen. They really made me feel at home at that time. Since then, their house has become a second home to me.

Looking back, I wonder if the grandfather clock that I saw at Mom's is one of the famous Howard Miller Grandfather Clock. If it is, can you imagine the history in that piece of clock?

Puto... Puto Bungbong

Yes it is Christmas in few days! The time of the year when I missed the different traditions. I miss the 9 morning masses. I miss the aroma of the street while cooking puto bungbong. Oh how heavenly is the scent of the early morning while people are cooking puto and puto bungbong.... these are one of the few things that I miss living in Manila.

Remembering this makes me more nostalgic about Philippine Christmas... oh how I wish I could be there....

Puto (Source)

Puto Bungbong (Source)

How Puto Bungbong is made (Source)

Perfect Gravy for the Holidays

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Club House. All opinions are 100% mine.---------------------

Three more days and it is Christmas. We may not have a festive Christmas celebration compared to the ones I am used to in the Philippines, but we will surely have our own Christmas Tradition. This year, we will be spending Christmas with my mother-in-law. We will open gifts Christmas morning then followed by a breakfast then we will have our dinner later.

As always, Mom is busy preparing for our Christmas get-together. She even asked me what type of gravy I prefer. I know that making a perfect gravy is a hassle because it will depend on how much roast drippings she can get. I told her that any type of gravy is okay with me. I even recommended that she needs to watch the gravy tips video so that she won't have problems making the gravy. I know that Mom can cook but an additional tips will not hurt for sure!

Mom and I always shares cooking secrets. I told her about the Club House gravy mixes which will be a good way to make a gravy without much fuss. These mixes provide a dependable and consistent way to deliver flavorful gravy. Everybody in the family loves gravy so I am sure that Clubhouse Gravy will be a welcome addition to our get together this coming Christmas.


Do you want a perfect gravy for your family Christmas celebration? Join the Club House and learn about their newsletter sign-up and contest entry and get a chance to win a Club House Gravy Gift Pack.

Roasted Pork Loin and Vegetables

This is a very simple yet delicious and nutritious meal. We had this the other night as our dinner. What I like about this dish is already complete. I don't need to prepare anything else because it already has meat and vegetables.

Ingredients:
Boneless pork loin
garlic salt
pepper
dried parsley
dried thyme
potatoes
carrots
olive oil

Directions:

• Season pork loin with garlic salt, pepper, dried thyme and sizzle with olive oil.
• Put in a roasting pan and baked for 45 minutes at 350F
• While roasting the pork loin, bring the carrots and potatoes to boil until half cook.
• Drain. Season with garlic salt, pepper, dried parsley and sizzle with olive oil.
• Add the seasoned vegetables to the pork loin. Bake until veggies and pork loin is done.
• Serve

Jones Soda

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

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I love watching football. I am actually addicted to it. Sometimes, it is amazing to think how I became a die-hard football fan since there is no football in Philippines. I think I can say that I am now a true southerner... who loves football!

We love to munch while watching football game. It will be very nice to have a drink that is dedicated to our favorite team while munching something. Can you imagine watching your favorite time playing and drinking their official soda? Now, I think that is very cool!

Anyway, I was excited to find out that Jones Soda is now the official drink of Seattle Seahawks! This limited edition of Jones Soda Seattle Seahawks Collection will be perfect to share with a fellow football lover. I am not a big fan of the seahawks but I will be very thrilled for Jones Soda to be the official drink of the Pittsburgh Steelers. For the Steelers soda, I want it to be Berry Lemonade! I think this flavor fits the team image.

While browsing the website of Jones Soda, I found out that you can design your own label and choose your own flavor. I think a personalized Jones Soda will be a perfect gift to share this holiday season to family and friends. This will be how my personalized Jones Soda looks like...

Interested about a personalized Jones Soda? Check them out today and make your own!

Food Trip Friday: Oven-Roasted Pork

It is another week of Food TripFriday. Today, I am sharing a very delish... yummy... crunchy... pork!

LECHON KAWALI

This is actually like a "Lechon Kawali". The difference is it is cooked in oven instead of frying it. This was one of the main dish served during Andrea's birthday party. This is almost 20lbs so it really took a while too cook this. It is worth the effort because all our visitors like it. This is very crispy outside and the inside is moist and very tender.

Ingredients:
Pork thigh (with skin on)
salt
pepper
accent
water

Directions:

• In a big and shallow casserole put water enough to submerge the meat. Season with pepper, salt and accent.
• Bring to boil and simmer as long as you want ( we simmer it for 5 hours)
• Remove from water and let it air dry. Put in a baking pan. Season with more pepper and a little salt all over the meat
• Bake at 350F for another 5-6 hours.
• Serve.

Beef Spring Rolls

Usually when it comes to spring rolls, it is made of ground pork. Well, I improvise because some of my friends doesn't eat pork. It was the first time that I made beef spring rolls and it tasted just like any other spring rolls.


Ingredients:
1lb ground beef
carrots (diced in small size)
beans (cut in small size)
onion (diced)
garlic
pepper
soy sauce
oil
spring rolls wrapper
water (to seal the rolls)

Directions:

• Sautee garlic and onion. Add beef. Cook until brown.
• Add carrots and beans. Season with soysauce and pepper.
• Cook until done.
  
• Drain and Reserve.
• Wrap one spoonful of the meat and seal it with water. Continue until desired number of rolls is achieved.
• Fry the rolls until golden brown.
• Serve with sweet chili sauce.
  

How Wheat Works

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Wheat Food Council. All opinions are 100% mine.

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I played Farm Town in Facebook. I actually got addicted to it for a month or so. After I got my mansion, I quit playing it. When I visited the website of How Wheat Works, it reminded me of my Farm Town games. How Wheat Works is a farm-to-fork experience where players will be educated on how wheat really works.

How Wheat Works is an interactive, online multimedia program which enables participants to better understand the nutritional value of wheat. It is actually fun and exciting game. It delivers factual information, vibrant video and 3-D animation. Participants of the program can be of all ages and they can virtually grow, harvest and mill their own kernels to create their desired wheat food. It will only take just a few minutes to complete each of the four phases of the program. The program spans the course of four days. By participating in this program, you will track the path of America’s most-consumed grain, from the wheat field to the table. Furthermore, Wheat Foods Council will donate two pounds of flour, up to 90,000 pounds, to Operation Homefront, a non-profit that provides assistance to needy U.S. troops and their families for every participant that will complete the program. This donation is made possible by the members at ADM and ConAgra, two of the world’s largest millers.

How Wheat Works is a very educational program. Sign up an account now to start playing. Remember that if you will complete the program you can help provide assistance to needy U.S. troops and their families. To learn more about this program you can also visit www.wheatfoods.org!

Chicken Afritada

I am not really a fan of chicken afritada but some of my friends love this so I cooked this during Andrea's bday Party.

Ingredients:
Whole Chicken (cut into pieces)
3 potatoes
3 carrots
2 bell pepper (i use yellow and orange because it was what I have in our fridge)
1 small can tomato sauce
1 can chicken stock
1 big can sweet peas
garlic
onion
salt
pepper

Directions:

• Saute garlic and onion. Add cut up chicken
• Add tomato sauce, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil.
• Simmer chicken for 20 minutes or until almost done. Add potatoes and carrots.
• Simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Check if veggies are done (if not continue simmering until everything is well-cooked.
• Add sweet peas and bell pepper.
• When pepper is cooked. Remove from heat
• Serve
  

Food Trip Friday: Oven-Baked Crispy Chicken

For this week's Food Trip, I wanted to have a crispy chicken but without frying it for a healthier dish. I decided to oven-baked a crispy chicken with the use of Panko bread crumbs.


Ingredients:
Chicken drumstick
garlic salt
pepper
Panko bread crumbs

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F
  
• Wash Chicken and Season with garlic salt and pepper
• Roll over in breadcrumbs
• Put in baking pan and baked for 1 hour.
• Serve.

Have a Healthy Food Trip Friday everyone!

Real Time Search

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of LeapFish Inc. All opinions are 100% mine.

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The change is inevitable. I am talking about the search engine and its real time search. Google and Leapfish launched Real-Time Search.

When you use Leapfish or Google, you can get real time results. These search engines provide a single, connected, multimedia experience for both searching and sharing. With these search engines, the new web become easier to navigate, more integrated and more efficient. It becomes easier to share traditional, social and real-time content of web searches. Real-time search updates as stuff is happening around the Web — for example, live tweets, news articles and Web pages now stream in on the actual result pages for your query. This real time search updates also works in your mobile.

Did you know that both Google and leapfish used social media to promote their Real-Time Search? They formed partnerships with both Facebook, Twitter and MySpace to provide data in real-time. This means that if you are in for a real-time search, you can see public Facebook pages, stream data of MySpace and newest tweets.

A quick access to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, FriendFeed, Jaiku, and Identi.ca are one of the many features of the Real-Time Search which will be available to everybody in the next couple of days. These real time search will be beneficial to internet users and web surfers because it will be easy get information and share it right away. Check them out and experience the newest internet innovation.

Happy Birthday Andrea

For my little chef... Happy Birthday. We love you so much. Thank you for coming into our lives!

Sweet Potato Casserole

My friend's boss makes the most delicious sweet potato casserole. When I first tasted it, I told myself I need to make one... to my dismay it didn't turn out as good as my friend's boss...

I am craving for a good sweet potato casserole...

Sauteed Ground Beef

I was craving for something like a recipe that is made of ground pork and vegetables. Too bad, I don't have a ground pork in my fridge. What I have is a pack of ground beef. So, I decided to use beef instead of pork.

Ingredients:
Ground beef
1 pc potato (diced in small pieces)
1 pc carrot (diced in small pieces)
diced onion
minced garlic
black pepper
soy sauce
little oil
little water

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan. Sautee garlic and add onion.
• Add ground beef and cook until beef is brown.
• Add diced vegetables. Season with soy sauce and black pepper. Add a little water
• Cook until veggies are done.
• Serve.
  

Food Trip Friday: Pork Chop & Mashed Potato

I was sorry I missed the FTF last week. To make sure I won't miss it this time, I made a post earlier.

Anyway, my entry for today is our dinner last night. Fried Pork Chop and Homemade Mashed Potato. Andrea loves the mashed potato and she is kinda weird... she want it dip in ketchup...lol

You can visit Food Trip Friday for more entries.

I Need Wall Clock for My Kitchen

The kitchen is one of my favorite place in the house because I love to cook. I love discovering and trying new dishes. If my family in the Philippines will hear me say " I love to cook" they will all be shocked. All my family in the Philippines never thought that I can learn to cook. I admit, I grow up as not very domesticated. I am not the type that would cook, clean or wash clothes. I grow up working and earning our living so the domesticated jobs are delegated to some other members of the family. And yes, I admit it... I am a bit spoiled. When I moved here in the USA I learned to be independent and it is different when you are married especially if you have a baby. I learned all the things a good wife and a good mother should do. I learn to cook... and do some household chores (although I still need to improve).

Anyway, since I love my kitchen, I think I need to hang a wall clock in my kitchen because I tend to forget time. When I need to know the time, I have to go to the living room to look at it. I am sure that a wall clock in my kitchen will be very useful.

Talking about clocks, I saw different designs of mantle clocks at 1-800-4Clocks.com! When I browsed at it, I was so amazed at how beautiful they are. I wish to own one someday. When that time comes, I want to own a Hermie Mantle Clock like the picture below.


If you prefer a grandfather clocks over mantle clocks, you can now purchase discount grandfather clocks at 1-800-4clocks.com!

Pizza: America's Favorite

I can't imagine how many pizzas are made in one year. I admit I love pizza. When I don't feel like cooking, pizza is always an easy dinner for us.

Here's our latest pizza dinner... Supreme Pan Pizza from Pizza hut!

Who can resist a pizza with bell pepper, mushroom, black olives, pepperoni and more!!!

Experience Music at Its Best!

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Yamaha. All opinions are 100% mine.

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Playing and listening to music using our iPod has been a daily routine for us. Andrea is now learning to appreciate music. I played some nursery songs in the iPod for her so that she can dance with its beat. I also play songs that she can sing along with.

For people who enjoys listening to music, watching videos and playing games on either the iPod or iPhone, did you know that you can experience music in your iPod or iPhone at its best when you will attach it to a Yamaha PDX-60? Yamaha PDX-60 is a new and powerful speaker system which provides no sound delays while you are enjoying your games, music and movies. You can enjoy all these wirelessly!

Yamaha PDX-60 is powered by Yamaha yAired. It is an original wireless technology which allows you to get Instant connection, no sound delays and quality sound with deep, rich bass. It also provides convenience of dual charging which means two separate iPhone or iPods can be charged at the same time.

Get your Yamaha PDX-60 today and experience the music of your iPhone or iPod at its best. Enjoy the games, music and videos wirelessly anywhere in your room. Its simple and convenient operation is an added bonus to this wonderful product.