Craving for Mangoes

Have you ever felt the urge to take a bite on a food that's nowhere in sight? Well, I do.  Just recently, I have this crazy cravings for ripe mangoes.  Blame it on the pregnancy.  It's good that the fruit I crave much is  readily available. Philippine mangoes are in abundance from the month of  December but it reaches it's peak season during the summertime.  It was so nice that my husband is very supportive that he extend all effort to get me the food I want to eat.

So what is it about pregnancy and food cravings?  I read that the reason why pregnant women crave for a certain food is because they are in need of the nutrient contained in that specific food item.  Some even says that food aversions have something to do with the gender of the child in your tummy.  If it's the citrusy type then it's going to be a girl (yehey!) and if it's the spicy type, it will be a boy.   But what about those who craves for really crazy foods? (Trust me, I know some of them!)  Old wives' tale says that it is actually just a way of pregnant moms to get the assurance that they can still get what they want even if they are no longer the pretty, sexy lady that their husband's adore.

The funny thing about my craving is that I actually don't want to eat these mangoes and all I want is just sniff on them for as long as I can.  I just love their smell and I believe it eases out the nausea I am experiencing during nighttime.


Wanna see what's with the letter C? Please head on to ABC Wednesday to see some other entries.

 

My Kid and His Food Choice

My kid is real foodie at heart. A lot of times, he stays with me in the kitchen during food preparation time. One day, he asks if he can cook for us. Since it was just a very easy omelet dish, I give in to his desire.

the kid cooking his version of Tuna Omelet

A lot of other mom friends are asking me how I make my kid eat vegetables and other healthy foods. Well, as early as he can start on solid foods, I introduced "true" foods to him. He grew up on home cooked mashed potatoes, mashed carrots, and other fruits or vegetables that can be mashed. He never tasted baby foods from the supermarkets. And I guess that is the reason why he has a very good choice when it comes to food. I did not even have to bother asking him to take on healthy snacks like salads and healthy breads over junk foods. Well, not that he does not take some chips or those fat-laden burgers but its just that he knows he can only have it in certain times and not everyday.

He even does the plating of his dish.

To date, the kid normally favors vegetable salads (and even makes his own vinaigrette), he loves fish dishes and most of the time asks for his favorite Chicken Caldereta  ("and Mama, please add in some paprika and some chili pepper for the kick!", he always asks).  For his baon, he wants Vegetable Wrap or Baked Potato with Cheese and Bacon.

another favorite of the kid, Ensaladang Talbos ng Kamote

I guess, it's all about introducing your kids as early as possible to healthy options. And we are both reaping it's benefits. My kid rarely gets sick and if ever it's almost always the usual cough and colds. That makes me a happy Mom!

Pinoy Summer Food

With the temperature in the Metro going to as high as 36 degrees celsius, what could be more happy that digging into something cold. Ice candy, ice pops and shakes are what defines pinoy summer food.  But the ultimate favorite is still Halo-Halo.  With all its sweet ingredients, the milk, the shaved ice, no doubt that it is the ultimate among all summer foods.  There has been a lot of stores selling these foods even the neighborhood sari sari store carries it nowadays. 

Halo Halo Special from Iceberg's

Just be cautious where you get your halo halo.  A lot of unsanitary ice making plants are also taking advantage of the current heat.  Whether you get your halo halo from your friendly sari sari store or from big restos, just make sure that the ice being used is safe for consumption.

Of course, it's better sharing this with your loved ones!

Ikaw, what's your summer food cravings?

Back to Normal

The fifth of January is mostly back to normal schedule for most of the moms. Our kids are now back to school and we are either left to tend to household chores or are back to work as well. My household is not yet through with the holiday buzz. This day is the 37th wedding anniversary of my mom and dad. If Mama was alive, the house could be filled with visitors once again. But since Mama is no longer around, a simple prayer will do. We will just light a candle for her and ask her to still guide us through this new year. The kitchen is still going to be bursting with the aroma of good food. I plan to cook something special for the family dinner. I will also bake something since tomorrow is my uncle's 63rd birthday and I promise to deliver some desserts for the party. Perhaps some cupcakes would be good especially if they will be frosted. Soon, I will have plenty of time for blogging as this year marks my return to being a work-at-home mom.

A Cookbook Giveaway

I have not remembered entering into any blogging contests or giveaways. But I could not pass on the chance of getting a limited edition Nestle's Centennial Celebration cookbook. So when I read that the Purple Fairy is giving out a copy, I did not think twice and I immediately started to fathom what good food can be concocted using that cookbook.



So, mommies and foodies, what are you waiting for. Head on to the Security Blanket and join the fun. You can click here for the contest details.

FTF: Healthy Doughnuts

Who wouldn't want to take a bite of a freshly fried doughnut? But what if I told you that my doughnuts are made with a special ingredient, would you dare? I have been a fan of doughnuts (especially when served with free-flowing coffee!) ever since. So I could definitely tell you that I have noticed how their size and quality have dropped over the years. And this is the reason why I started to look for the best donut recipe. I wanted my kid to savor doughnuts the way it should.

So what is the special ingredient, you might wonder. The lowly potato has been boiled and then mashed and mixed in with the other ingredients. I have read on somewhere that adding in potato flour to the dough will give it a soft and moist finish product. I could not find any potato flour or starch in the market so what I did was mash a medium sized potato and mix it to the other ingredients. The result was great! You could not even tell that there was potato on these doughnuts. The kid loved it and that makes me a happy mom.

Ingredients:
1 medium sized potato, baked and mashed,
2 cups bread flour + some more for kneading
1 cup milk warmed
5 teaspoons yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 cups oil for frying + 2 tablespoons to be added to the dough

1. Put the yeast in the warmed milk. Make sure that the milk is not hot as this could "kill" the yeast. If the milk is too cold then it will not bloom. If you are going to use a cooking thermometer, milk should be warmed anywhere in between 80 to 95 F.
2. Poke the potato and then bake in the oven or pop in the microwave for 4 minutes. Once this is cooled, mash then set aside.
3. In a bowl, mix flour, potato, sugar and salt.
4. Add milk-yeast mixture and about 2tablespoons of oil. Mix until well blended.
5. Rest dough for about five minutes.
6. Generously sprinkle flour on the kneading surface and then roll dough to about 1/2 inch thick.
7. Cut dough using cookie cutters. To make the hole, I use the cap of a bottle.
8. Heat oil to 375 F then fry doughnuts.

Our family enjoyed the doughnuts with chocolate and honey glaze. But they are great as they are, plain and simple. But for me, this is best served with home brewed Batangas coffee.

FTF: My First Birthday Cake

This is a long overdue post. The cake on the photo has been consumed on my husband's niece birthday last May 12. This is my very first attempt in making an entire cake with everything on it. I enjoyed creating the cake, and everone enjoyed consuming the cake afterwards. It was a red velvet and chocolate cake covered with strawberry buttercream frosting. I know, I know, it's not perfectly frosted. You may see some bumps here and there, but hey, it's my first attempt in frosting an entire cake. After that day, I made myself the official cake baker of the family. I pledged to create cakes on everyone's special day (and I am hoping I can keep up with the promise!)



So, what do you think about my cake?

Food Trip Friday: Adobong Manok sa Gata

I was raised by my mom's side of the family who were true blooded Bicolanos. As a young girl, I grew up on food cooked their way, with lots and lots of gata. Fish, vegetable, meat even desserts all made with their gata. Not that I don't like dishes made with coconut milk or cream, it's just that they would sometimes serve it for 3 consecutive days. When my Mom died, the household rarely gets to eat ginataan dishes. I could cook them, butu it always ended up being compared to the "original". If there is one thing though, that I would say a ginataan dish that I perfected (okay, nearly perfected!) according to my kid, it will be Adobong Manok sa Gata. He loves it so much and would say "Parang luto na ni Mommy, ah!"(It tastes almost like Mommy's version!).




Adobong Manok sa Gata
Ingredients:

half a kilo of chicken, cut into serving pieces
a cup of coconut cream
half a cup of vinegar
a pinch of salt
freshly ground pepper
a cup of green papaya, sliced
finger chilies (cut in half if you want it hot)
some chili leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
one onion, sliced
a piece of ginger, julienned
oil for sauteing


Cooking Procedure:

-Saute ginger, garlic and onion.
-Add in the chicken  and sprinkle a pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper.
-Once the chicken are browned ( which will take about 5 minutes on medium heat), add vinegar.  Simmer for about 10 minutes.
-Add in the papaya, followed with the coconut milk.
-Continue to simmer until the papaya are soft but not mushy.
-Add in the finger chili and the chili leaves.  Simmer for 3 more minutes then remove from heat.

Best if served with lots of rice and enjoyed with the whole family.

FTF: Cupcakes Galore!

Cupcakes has always been a delightful snack. What more if it was made with love and freshly baked! I baked 3 batches of cupcakes today for the family. They are meant to be stored and eaten during snack times. I was hoping they could last for at least 3 days but I dont think they will. After just about an hour,only half of them remains. Hubby and the kid loved them and cant stop devouring them. I was even asking them which among the three batches they liked more, and but of them answered, "Lahat naman masarap, eh!". Oh well, baking indeed is a tedious job but I don't care, hearing them say they loved what I baked for them is more than enough consolation.

Food Trip Friday : Brownies, anyone?

My latest ventures in baking seems to be flourishing. I have added these brownies on my usual treats for sale.



This is plain brownies made with the bittersweet chocolates.


This on the other hand is my take on Rocky Road Brownies.


Now it's for you to decide which one to order. You can send me an email if you want to taste them.

Food Trip Friday: Cinnamon Rolls

My kitchen life nowadays is mostly about baking. It has been my destressor for the past few months. I have always been on the look out for good baking recipes. Our kitchen is beaming with the smell of cinnamon, vanilla and nutmeg the past couple of months. I want to brag about my most recent kitchen experiment and how it turned out really delicious. Much to my delight, even Hubby who is not fond of cinnamon rolls devoured an entire piece with his favorite brewed coffee. The best thing about this is that I am selling the fruit of my labors. Orders are now pouring in and most of them are from husband's officemates.

Baking for a Healthier Me

Me + Baking = Healthy

This is the equation of my life these days. I have started in reviving my passion for baking which was buried deep within me simply because I don't have an tools. I had the chance to bake way back high school days (oh, please stop asking what year that was). I enjoyed it or better to say I super- duper enjoyed those days. It was really nice to work in the kitchen. I never had a sweet tooth but I always loved making pastries and the likes. It was Christmas 2009, when my brothers surprised me with an oven. Much to my delight, that very same Christmas, I made my very first Chicken Galantina. Mothers Day of last year, Hubby gave me a hand held mixer. That was the time that I started to hunt for baking recipes here and there.

Just recently, I have been really burnt out with all the works at home and at the office. I decided I would like to take a leave out of the usual routines of my life. I took out the mixer, bought some good (read: pricey) ingredients and started to make the recipes I have been keeping for months now to come to life. Voila, results are good (at least for someone who had not been baking for years now). I am thankful because it does not only give me an outlet for destressing but three months after it is not giving me extra income. So , I guess the equation could still change in the future. i have to finish this post and head right to the kitchen, I have to finish the cinnamon rolls that is starting to smell from my oven.

Oh , I almost forgot, my Dad also gave me a bigger mixer as a present for my last birthday. And if you are wondering about those cinnamon rolls at my oven, I will post images of them later.

Growing Up Foodista

Apart from the phrase "Ano ulam natin ngayong gabi?( what's for dinner?)" another common phrase from my growing up kid would be "Ano baon ko bukas, Mama? (What's my snack at school for tomorrow?)". He really is no longer a baby, even his food choices are no longer for babies. Hubby will probably give me a queer look when he reads this. He had been reprimanding me of calling the kid a baby. Back to the original topic, it was nice though to see him making good food choices every time he eats. As an example, he would prefer to have a vegetable tortilla wrap or sliced baby carrots for his baon rather than junk foods. When other kids are munching on hot dogs and greasy pizzas for their school snacks my kid prides himself in eating vegetable sticks. He would always ask me during my rest days to cook a batch of cookies and he would carefully lay them on the cookie jar once they've cooled and he would grab a cookie whenever he feels the need to munch on something. Last Friday, this was what was on his snack bag.



I am very happy with his food choices and I just realized that this could be because we managed to introduce him to those good foods. I guess, there is really another foodie in the house.

WS Foodie Wednesday: Compatible Food Combos

I know a lot of people would love to have a dipping of either calamansi or vinegar for their fried fish. Oh, I see the hands of my little one raising up. He loves to dip his fried fish in soysauce with calamansi juice on it. But that changed when he tasted this combo that we always have every summer.

Those are Fried Yellow Fin Tuna on a bed of Fresh Mango Salad. The mangoes are freshly picked from the tree in our backyard. The salad is actually a no-brainer to make. You just toss in a bowl some chopped green mangoes, some chopped tomatoes, some chopped onions and drizzle with very little patis and ground pepper to taste.

Oh, well this reminds me that the tree still have some fruits ready for the picking. Might as well have the same salad with some grilled porkchops this weekend.

Quick Dish for Lazy Days

My early mornings have been busy since monday. I am now attending to two kids (my son who goes to school and the bigger baby Hubby who goes to work). I am enjoying it so much and I am not complaining but then again, admit it or not, there are really days when you stayed late because of blogging you just can't go to sleep easily. I need to prepare their breakfast real quick or they will end up munching on just bread. This dish is a quick fix to those days when I feel too lazy like not getting up too early.

Finding Comfort in Food

It's been raining cats and dogs in the Philippines for almost a week now. I have been craving for soupy dishes as well as soupy snacks. I realized I haven't cooked much soupy snacks lately. For a change, I cooked this "Misua con Meatballs" today. This is actually one of my comfort foods. I remember my mom making this when one of us was sick. She would sit down by the bedside and feed us with it. It is perfect for the rainy days. You know what, my son asks for rice when it was served.

Misua con Meatballs

For more Foodtrippers visit this.

WS Foodie Wednesday: Practical Kitchen Tips

When it comes to practicality in the house, Hubby will definitely agree that he can trust me on this. I can make a lengthy entry about this and I won't run out of ideas. A very great way to save would be to stack up on your groceries. Buying those big packs of tomato sauce, spaghetti sauce, cooking oil and other staples in the kitchen could mean a lot of savings. Same goes with other household supplies. Grocery should be the done in one to weeks interval. If this is strictly followed, you can lessen the trips to the grocery thus saving on time, energy and even gas.

With regards to food, I try to make a list of what I will be cooking for the entire week. This way I will have a list of what to buy when I go to the market. Sometimes, you just can't help to have some leftovers. When this happens, I put them in the microwaveable containers and stock them up in the freezer. I make it a point that we have a "dig-in-those-frozen-dish meal" (read: Mom is lazy tired to cook!) within the week which means that all the left-over in the fridge will be reheated and it will be the dish for that particular meal. Now, there are some dishes that can be transformed gracefully into another one. Just take the case of my Chopsuey.


The following day, I saute some garlic, onion and put in a dash of oyster sauce (or soy sauce). Put some canton noodles in the pan and some chicken stock (or chicken cubes and water). And then I mix in the left over chopsuey. After just a few minutes and I already have this delicious Pancit Canton, which we can enjoy either as snack or breakfast.

Can you share site some examples on how to save on food?

WS Foodie Wednesday: Cooking Before and After the Knot

Kung meron akong dapat ipagpasalamat sa Mama ko (aside from the good genes), iyon ang pagtuturo sa akin ng pagluluto. Relatives said that I have been in the kitchen ever since I was four years of age. I remember taking simple orders from my Lola as she cook. It started from little things like sorting the vegetables and washing them...to bigger things like wrapping up the Embotido, or beating up the eggs for the Leche Flan (that's for two straight hours). Every good chef needs a good assistant, 'ika nga. You would probably think that I don't have any kitchen dilemma when I got married. But, you are wrong. My mom's side of the family hails from Bicol and we have been brought up savoring on foods from their region, from Cocido to Laing to their own version of Dinuguan. The problem is Hubby is not so into this kind of dishes. He'd rather eat Bulanglang than Chopsuey. He wants his Sinigang with very little hint of sourness. Well, this is how they cook food in their home. MIL is not good at cooking (this is my opinion, it's my blog anyway). You can probably imagine the reaction on my face when he compared my version of Bulanglang (which happens to be his favorite) to her mom's version stating that the latter was the better. Sinumpa ko talaga sa sarili ko na hindi na ko ulit magluluto ng Bulanglang. Almost eight years after, Hubby already acquired a different taste over food. He now drools over my Bicol Express.



But, if he wants his Bulanglang, he will have to take it my way.

Oh, and let me just add my son also acquired the same passion over food.

I dreamt of Marilyn

Last night, I dreamt of Marilyn. No, not Marilyn Monroe or any other Marilyn for that matter. I dreamt of my mom, her name is Marilyn. She was cooking her most applauded (read:laging ubos!) dish, Pancit Palabok (hence we named it Pancit Palabok ala Marilyn). It's a different take on the traditional palabok. This could actually pass to most vegetarians (or at least to those who still eat seafoods but not pork, beef, chicken or any other meat). This dish is actually my mom's specialty, (kahit na ako ang nagturo sa kanya kung paano ito lutuin.) It is her staple centerpiece everytime there is a family gathering. She used to brag about how tedious the process of making the dish (the exact same reason why I don't cook this dish often). A week ago, we celebrated her first death anniversary, and I deemed it appropriate to have this on the table. I cooked the sauce ahead of time and just stored it on the fridge. Paggising ko kanina, bigla ko tuloy naalala may extra sauce pa nga pala so I cooked the noodle and make today's lunch (err, brunch) a feast.

Pancit Palabok ala Marilyn

Well, everyone said parang luto daw ni Mama. I just hope hindi nila ako binobola.

Pancit Palabok ala Marilyn

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo Palabok noodles (cooked per package direction)
1/2 pc tofu, mashed
1 head of garlic, minced
1 medium sized onion, minced
cooking oil, enough for sauteing
1/4 kilo fresh alamang (unsalted)
1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3 tbsp. water ( this is the slurry)
1/2 cup powdered tinapa
1/2 cup powdered chicharon
achuete oil (for coloring)

For the toppings:
1/2 kilo tahong steamed and taken off from shell
1/2 kilo squid steamed and cut into bite sized pieces
4 hard boiled egg sliced
crushed chicharon baboy
chopped green onions
chopped kinchay
fried garlic, crushed
calamansi

Procedure:
1. Saute garlic and onions in very little water. Add in the alamang and wait until it turns into an orangey pink color.
2. Add in the tofu and stir well. After a few minutes, add in the chicharon and tinapa and the slurry, then the achuete oil.
3. Simmer for a few minutes and you may then add this to the cooked palabok noodles.
4. For an authentic look, arrange in a bilao laden with banana leaves. Topped with the tahong, squid, eggs and the other toppings.

**Other people find the saltiness of the powdered tinapa enough for their taste while others find the need to add some more patis. Just do serve it with patis, tinapa powder and chicharon powder on the side para pwedeng dagdagan ng ibang gusto ng mas maalat. You may also omit the chicharon, so it won't have any meat products at all.

WS FoodieWednesday : Our Food-Related Quirks

This is going to be my first time to write for a topic discussed in WifeSpeaks. I have been a follower of this site and I felt sad when they were on hiatus. But the good news is that they have a new site and it's better than before.

Today, wives are discussing about food quirks, be it their husband's or theirs. My hubby is never a picky-eater. Kahit ano ang nasa mesa, kakainin nya; wag lang kahit anong pasta. It was hard to deal with it because my family loves pasta, specially spaghetti, so much. I actually discovered his "unliking" for anything pasta when we are still dating. It was my birthday and I invited him for a late afternoon lunch in our house. My mom prepared her famous spaghetti, which he obliged to have a taste (nagpapasikat eh!). Ang problema, nahihilo pala sya pag kumakain ng pasta. Good thing, kasama nya ang bestfriend nya so may nag drive para sa kanya.

To date, Hubby now finds my pasta dishes delectable. Oops, hindi ko sya pinuwersa. It would be better to say that he began to acquire the taste over the years. Just like this Penne in Tomatoes and Cream that I cooked last week.

As for me, natuto na rin ako kumain (at magluto!) ng isa sa mga paborito nyang gulay, ang Okra.