PLACES, PEOPLE, EVENTS, GOOD FOOD AND MY LIFE

My husband loves pizza and he usually makes home-made pizza that he is perfecting. Here's one of his creations:He made his own pizza from scratch and topped it with some flavorful ingredients. Isn't it so tempting? Hhhmmmm! I love his home made pizza. Yummy!!!! I will share with you more of his pizza creations soon.

Hi guys! I wanted to share with you the recipe of ginataang mais which I had for my snack last time. Btw, ginataang Mais is a Filipino snack made from corn, glutinous rice and coconut milk.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole kernel corn
1/2 cup glutinous rice or malagkit
4 cups coconut milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar

Procedure: Combine glutinous rice and coconut milk in a cooking pot, then turn on the heat. Bring to a boil. Stir the mixture to prevent the glutinous rice from sticking. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rice is almost done. This will take about 15 minutes. Add the whole kernel corn and sugar. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally until rice and corn are cooked.

When I was in my third trimester of pregnancy I loved eating Barrio Fiesta Bagoong (shrimp paste) with mangos but not on my first trimester when I had sensitive smell for food. Hmmm..I miss eating bagoong and mango! I might get some when I go to the Filipino Store again.

I made puto bread 2 months ago and it was a hit! My friends loved it when I made some for the birthday party of my friend's son. I baked it instead of steaming since I have no steamer available that time. By the way, puto is a steamed rice cake popular in the Philippines.I got the puto bread recipe from allrecipes.com and I want to share it with you too.
Ingredients:
* 2 3/4 cups cake flour
* 1 1/4 cups white sugar
* 2 tablespoons baking powder
* 1/2 cup evaporated milk
* 1 cup water
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup margarine or butter, softened ( I use butter)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Mix together the cake flour, sugar and baking powder. Pour in the water and evaporated milk and stir well. Mix in the eggs and butter or margarine.
3. Pour the mixture into molds or muffin pans. Find a baking pan that your muffin pan will comfortably fit in. Pull the oven rack out a little (perhaps 1/4 out of the oven) and place the baking pan (with the muffin pan inside it) on the rack. Pour about 4 cups of hot tap water into the baking pan which holds the muffin pan. Then slide the rack completely into the oven.
4. Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Be VERY CAREFUL not to burn your hands with hot water or steam when you remove the muffins from the oven. Top with grated cheese.

Hi guys! As I've mentioned to you a few days ago, I've made a Purse Cake for Mother's Day and would love to share the outcome with you as well as the recipe. I chose to make a purse cake as a theme since it's somewhat girly and perfect for Mother's Day. Anyway, for baking the cake, I used a Black Forest cake recipe since I like the taste of it but you may also choose whatever flavor of cake you prefer.

HERE'S THE RECIPE:
FOR THE CAKE:
*1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
*2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey's cocoa powder)
*1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup shortening
*1 and 1/2 cups white sugar
*2 eggs
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*1 and 1/2 cups buttermilk (If buttermilk is not available, you can substitute it with milk and vinegar by placing 1 and 1/2 tablespoon of white vinegar in a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one and 1/2 cup line and let it stand for 5 to 15 minutes.)
*kirschwasser (I substituted syrup from the cherry jars for this since brandy is not allowed for pregnant women like me).

FOR THE FROSTING:
*1 and 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
*1/2 cup sugar (or confectioners sugar)
*1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
*yellow food coloring

FOR DECORATIONS:
*licorice
*jelly beans (candy)
*decorating icing (green color) or green frosting

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round pans (or two 9 inch round pans) with parchment paper circles. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk, until combined. Pour into two round 8 or 9 inch pans
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Cool the cake completely. Remove parchment paper from the cakes.
4. For frosting, in a mixing bowl, combine the cream, sugar, vanilla; cover and chill for 1 hour. Beat until stiff peaks form. Add 3 drops or more of yellow food color and mix. The food color doesn't affect the taste of the frosting. 5. Get the one whole round cake and sprinkle it with cherry syrup ( it adds a bit of extra luxury and richness to the cake plus extra moisture). Cut the one whole round cake into halves. Spread frosting on one side and at the bottom of the cake. Do the same with the other half to adhere 2 sides together. Let them stand in place together (same as what you've seen in the picture). Crumb coat the cake. Spread frosting on all sides of the cake using a spatula. Now, make the small purse shape from the other cake and sprinkle some cherry syrup on it too, and spread frosting on all sides of the cake. Then, chill the cake for 30 to 45 minutes to firm up the frosting. Do the final coat by spreading frosting all over the cake and smooth it out.
6. In putting on some decorations, add a little zigzag decorative border on the top of the cake using green decorating icing or green frosting. Use licorice for the handle of the big purse. For the smaller purse you can use the jelly beans and cut them into halves, making it look like an opening, like one you can fasten. Then decorate the purse cake with decorative flowers using jelly beans.

TIP: I suggest that you make the cake a day or so in advance with the frosting on it so it will give you plenty of time for the layers to soak through. Refrigerate it. Then just put on some decorations before presenting it.

I'm very satisfied with the outcome of this cake! Glad to hear from my hubby and my parents-in-law that my cake was lovely, pretty and delicious! Glad they liked it! ^_^ By the way, you can try this cake not only on Mother's Day but also on birthdays, tea party and other occasions as well.

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

My spouse and I love chili! We have it most of the time during winter or prepare it whenever we crave it. Hmmm...I'm actually craving chili now. Oh, I also miss the special chili that my mom always prepared for me when I was still a kid during cold nights. Anyway, I might actually buy Hormel chili tomorrow and prepare one of my favorite recipes for my snack- the Cheese Chili Dip. It's quick and easy to prepare so if you want to try it here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
1 can Hormel chili
1 package shredded cheese
1 package cream cheese
1 package chips to dip
Directions:
Put 1 package of cream cheese in dish. Pour 1 can of Hormel chili on top of cream cheese, then 1 package of shredded cheese on top of chili. Put in microwave for 1 minute or until cheese is melted. Enjoy with chips!

Isn't easy? If you want more easy and delicious chili recipes, I suggest you visit www.hormelfoodsrecipes.com and get more ideas for your next meal. There are lots of recipes I found in the site that I would love to try soon. In the next few days I might also prepare the Chicken Pot Pie recipe with the use of a can of Dinty Moore Chicken & Dumplings. How about you, what 's your favorite way to eat hormel chili and Dinty Moore?
By the way, do you know how Hormel chili and Dinty Moore product ads and labels have evolved? It was in the 30s that characters from “Bringing Up Father”- Jiggs and Maggie, were used in Dinty Moore advertisements. Later, a lumber jack character was introduced, proclaiming “First name’s Dinty, last name’s Moore,” who placed his signature thumbprint on every can. Utilizing celebrities proved to be a popular route in promoting Hormel chili. Ray Milland, star of “Copper Canyon,” appeared in print ads. In the 80s, pro football player Fran Tarkenton was tapped to promote Hormel chili.

Thanks to Hormel chili and Dinty Moore! I love their products so much, and guess what? They will be celebrating their anniversary soon! As support, I also encourage you to Tweet the following as I already did:

-Happy 75th anniversary! Hormel® chili and Dinty Moore®! What began with 1 product each has evolved into 20 varieties today www.hormelfoods.com
- Celebrate the NCAA tournament cheering on your team & enjoying comfort foods Hormel® chili and Dinty Moore® Game time recipes: www.hormelrecipes.com

What do you usually eat to keep yourselves healthy? I wanted to share with you what I've recently read online. These are some of the inexpensive but healthful foods that you must eat for a healthier you:
1. Leafy Greens - is one of nature's miracle foods which prevents diabetes and high blood pressure.2. Whole grain- studies showed that a diet rich in whole grains actually flattens your belly by reducing fat storage in your lower abdominal region.3. Nuts- are high in natural fiber that slows our digestive process, keeping hunger and unhealthy mid-afternoon snacks at bay.4. Yogurt -improves digestion but make sure you choose those with "active cultures" in the label lists so you can get healthy probiotics. Also pick a yogurt rich in vitamin D to prevent osteoporosis.5. Onions and garlic - reduce symptoms of asthma and the risk of developing stomach cancer so enjoy them in stir-fry, soups etc.

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

I am more than three months pregnant! I can feel my baby now inside my womb like gentle flutters and I am more and more anxious everyday to feel my baby kicking up a storm. Of course what I am more excited about is to see my baby in a few months time and know that he or she is healthy.

Since I knew I was pregnant, I researched almost everything about pregnancy. This is my first pregnancy so this is really something new to me and I find it pretty exciting as well. Oh! Do you know that I am craving for seafood now and want ice cream as dessert? Yeah! I love seafood especially healthy tuna! Maybe some of the moms and pregnant women out there are confused about seafood associated with pregnancy because many women totally stop eating seafood when they were pregnant. Do you know that according to studies, pregnant women who ate fish had the lowest level of risk for symptoms of depression? Depression isn't good for the pregnant woman's health and the baby because it can lead to some serious effects on them. Actually, I always prepare a light tuna sandwich for myself every week or every other week. Tuna is packed with protein, vitamins, mineral and omega-3 fatty acid that my baby and I need. Plus my tuna sandwich is so easy to prepare and is so good! In the next few days I will prepare the Rise n' Shine Tuna Tostadas. I found this recipe online and it looks easy to prepare. Would you love to try this one too? Just click the image below.

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

Here comes Christmas Eve! Wooohoo! Oh I am so excited about cooking our Christmas dinner tonight! My husband and I will be having roasted turkey with gravy as the main course for our Christmas dinner. By the way, do you know how to make great gravy? I am not really good in making gravy because every time I make it I can't achieve the right texture and color that I want. Plus it is so lumpy!. Thankfully, I have found gravy tips video online. I have learned that using Club House gravy mix and adding roast drippings to it can make a great gravy. Club House Gravy is easy to prepare and can help me make great tasting gravy with no stress or fuss! Now I can make gravy just the way I want it to be and I'm sure my family will love my new gravy! Not only can I make a great tasting gravy, I can also make several dishes perfectly because there are several cooking tips and recipes that I have found in the Club House site.

By the way, You may want to check out the newsletter sign-up and contest entry page. You can create your personal recipe collection and share your Spicy Story tips. Plus, by entering the contest and sharing your Spicy tips, you may have the chance to win a Club House Gravy Gift Pack! Joining is fast and FREE! So what are you waiting for?.

Do you love hot spicy chicken wings? I do! Here's a recipe for them:
Ingredients:
1/2 kilo or 1 pound chicken wings
1 8 oz can tomato sauce
3-4 tsp tabasco or hot sauce
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp jalapeno peppers, chopped
Directions:
In a bowl, combine tomato sauce, seasonings, and peppers. Dip wings in sauce and place on a greased baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. When oven is hot and ready for baking, bake the chicken wings for 20 minutes, basting occasionally with sauce.

Here's another simple way to prepare fish fillets with a few ingredients you can find in the kitchen.

Ingredients:
fish salmon fillet
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 tsp of pepper
1/2 tsp of garlic powder
all purpose flour
vegetable oil for frying
Directions:
Season the fillet with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Roll the fillet in all purpose flour. Heat oil and fry until cooked.

These pigs in a blanket were made by my husband. My mother-in-law usually prepared these for him and his siblings during summer vacations when they were still kids. He tried to make some using pillsbury crescent rolls. Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
Hot dogs
Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
Square cheese (optional)
Directions:
Cut each crescent roll into 8 triangular pieces and wrap them around the hot dogs. Optionally, first wrap the hot dogs with cheese and then with the crescent rolls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake according to crescent roll package directions. You can serve it with dipping sauces like ketchup, mustard or whatever you prefer. Enjoy!

Here's a simple way to prepare fish fillets with a few ingredients you can find in the kitchen.
Ingredients:
1/2 kilograms or 1 lb. fish fillets
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
dash of black ground pepper
2 tbsp oil

Directions:
Wash, dry and cut fillets into nugget or serving size pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Dip the nuggets in oil and coat them with corn flake crumbs. Arrange them in a baking dish. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. When oven is hot and ready for baking, bake for 10 minutes without turning. Enjoy!

My husband loves some Mexican food aside from American food of course. One of his favorite dishes is fajitas. We tried to make some beef fajitas last week. We used beef in this recipe but you may also use chicken for it if you prefer. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 pound flank or sirloin steak, sliced into strips
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 medium green pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 medium red pepper, sliced into strips
4 tbsp. oil
4 tortillas, microwaved

For marinading the steak:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. tabasco sauce

For condiments:
cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa

Directions:
In a bowl, marinade the beef strips with lime, tabasco sauce, garlic powder & black pepper. Refrigerate the marinaded beef for a few hours or better if overnight. When ready to use, drain the beef. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan. When oil is hot enough, put the onion in the pan, next the red and green pepper. Cook until onion is slightly brown on edges. Remove onion and pepper from the pan and set aside. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil in a pan and cook the beef until brown. Add the onion and pepper and cook for 1 minute.

To serve:
Warm four flour tortillas. Put sour cream or guacamole (whatever you want as a condiment) in the middle of the tortillas. Then put some filling and put some grated cheese on top. Fold as seen on the picture. You may also put some salsa in it. Enjoy!

This is my simple way of preparing salmon. The flour-based coating helps keep the fish moist and gives it that crispiness. The hint of lemon adds just a little tang. I got the recipe from the cook book that my sister-in-law gave me. It is best with lemon as a garnish.
Ingredients:
1 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup lemon juice, divided
2 pounds perch fillets or walleye fillets ( I use salmon which is available)
Oil for frying
Lemon wedges
Directions:
1. In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup flour, baking powder, salt and sugar; set aside. Combine the egg, water and 1/3 cup lemon juice; stir into dry ingredients until smooth.
2. In separate shallow bowls, place remaining lemon juice and remaining flour. Dip fillets in lemon juice then flour and coat with the batter.
3. Heat 1 in. of oil in a skillet. Fry fish a few at a time, over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Drain on paper towels. Garnish with lemon if desired.

A few weeks ago when we went to the house of my parents-in-law, I asked my mother in law how to cook pancakes since my husband loves them for breakfast. She gave me the recipe and I cooked some last weekend. I want to share with you my mother-in-law's recipe:
FAVORITE PANCAKES. The good old-fashioned buttermilk kind.
Ingredients:
1 egg 1 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or melted shortening
1 cup Gold Medal flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1/2 tsp salt
Directions: Blend egg, milk and oil. Measure flour by dip-level pour method or by sifting. Blend dry ingredients together. Add to liquids; beat with rotary beater until all flour is moistened.(Batter will be slightly lumpy). Grease heated griddle, if necessary. To test, sprinkle with drops of water. When water sizzles, griddle heat is just right. Pour batter from pitcher or tip of large spoon in pools slightly apart (for perfectly round cakes). Turn pancakes as soon as they are puffed and full of bubbles, but before bubbles break. Turn and brown on other side. Serve immediately with butter and syrup. If necessary, keep pancakes hot by placing between folds of warm tower in warm oven. Makes 10 4' pancakes.SWEET MILK PANCAKE
make favorite pancakes (above)-except substitute sweet milk for buttermilk, add 2 tsp. more baking powder and omit soda. For extra lightness beat egg yolk, add milk, etc. Fold in stiffly beaten egg white.
Note: To make pancake thick or thin as desired: Add a little more liquid to thin; make thicker by adding a little more flour.

This one of my husband's favorite menus and the first menu that I cooked here in the U.S.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
2.2 lbs (1 kilo) chicken, cut into serving pieces (you can marinade it with soy sauce and calamansi or lemon if you want to)
1 head garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
4 pieces potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 handful red bell pepper, sliced into strips
1/2 cup water
2 cups tomato sauce
2-3 carrots, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons soy sauce
ground black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons cooking oil
Directions:
In a sauce pan, saute garlic and onion. Add chicken and cook until slightly brown. Pour tomato sauce, soy sauce and water. Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked. Add potatoes and carrots and continue to cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked (You can fry the potatoes separately first if you want to). You may add water in increments of 1/2 cup to avoid drying, to your desired consistency of sauce. Add red bell peppers and simmer for an additional minute or two. Pepper to taste(you may add a bit of sauce sauce according to your taste). Perfect with rice.

Banana with ice (saging con hielo/yelo or minatamis na saging) is another summer treat that I like second to halo-halo. This may be bizarre to Westerners but I love it...feels like home. I made my own saging con hielo last week and I wanted to share with you the recipe:
Ingredients:
12 pcs saba (plantain)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup brown sugar
crushed or shaved ice
1 can evaporated milk or fresh milk
Directions:
Peel bananas and remove any bruises. You can slice it into 1 - 1/2 inch pieces or boil it as a whole. It's totally up to you. Put the bananas in a sauce pan. Add four cups of water. Bring to a boil and let simmer until bananas are soft. Add brown sugar and vanilla extract and simmer until sugar melts. Remove from heat and let it cool.To serve: In a bowl, place half cup of shaved ice and add 1/2 cup of sweetened bananas with its syrup. Top with 1/4 cup evaporated milk. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Bananaque is a popular snack and street food in the Philippines which is made of plantain bananas (saging na saba) deep friend in hot oil with sprinkled brown sugar and skewered on a stick. I made some last week and I wanted to share it with you.

Ingredients:
14 pcs. banana (saba)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 lit. cooking oil
bamboo skewer

Directions:
Peel off the skin of the bananas. In a large wok, heat the oil. Put all the bananas in the wok and deep fry for about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle brown sugar over the bananas. Stir occasionally and continue to fry for about 5 minutes or until the sugar melts. Do not overcook them. Remove the bananas from the wok. You may put them in a strainer to drain excess oil. Put 2 bananas in each bamboo skewer. Enjoy eating.

This chicken soup recipe is one of the most famous dishes in the Philippines and one of my favorites. It's hard for me to find sili leaves or malunggay leaves in the International grocery store so I just substituted spinach leaves for those which is actually good.

INGREDIENTS:
1 kilo chicken, cut in serving pieces
2 cups papaya, quartered (or 2 sayote "chayote" or potatoes)
1 onion, diced
1/2 head garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger root, cut into strips
2 tablespoon fish sauce (patis)
4-5 cups of water
1 cup sili leaves (or malunggay or spinach leaves) I used spinach leaves since it's the one available in the International grocery store near us
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oil
Directions:
In a sauce pan, heat oil. Saute garlic and ginger until you can smell the aroma of ginger. Then add in onions. Continue to saute until onions become translucent. Add the chicken. Cook for about 5 minutes until the chicken turns white. Pour in the fish sauce. Add the water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer. Add the papaya or sayote or potatoes. Continue simmering until chicken and vegetables are tender. Add salt according to your taste. Then add sili leaves or malunggay or spinach. Cover with lid and let it simmer for a minute or until the leaves are cooked. Serve hot. Best with rice.