Christmas Party 2010

We went to the Seymour Residence for the Christmas party. She made a lot of yummy dishes for everyone. We gave each other gifts and everyone had a great time eating and drinking. The kids were anxious to get some toys but most of the gifts they received were clothes, lol. Thank you Roger and Menmen for having us. We went there earyy so I was able to see how my friend was able to prepare the food. We planned to have the New year party in our residence. Good luck to me.;-))

Thanksgiving Treat with Friends

How was your thanksgiving everyone? I have been sooo busy with my house clean up. I am making it a serious issue since we will be selling it. Last thanksgiving Bob and Jo Ann invited us to dinner. They made grilled turkey and it was really realy good. There was also some ham and vegie casserole which was excellent. I made some bico and Gen bought some coconut custard pie. I call it a treat since we don't have to get busy making the turkey and we dont have to think on what to do with turkey leftovers. One thing I sure notice after eating the turkey is I felt very sleepy. Hubby askked for some cranberry sauce to go with the turkey. Thank you Jo ann and Bob for inviting us over for dinner!

Baked Cornish Hen

I was out working the whole day so hubby made some baked cornish hen for dinner. He thawed it for five hours. He then washed it and placed some onions and garlic inside the small hen. He sprinkled some salt around it and baked it for 2 hours. He also made some cornbread stuffing and broccolli as aside dish. When I came home it was still hot. Hubby did a good job so I told him that he can be the master chef of the house from now on. He laughed at me and told me he will just help me and be assigned in the kitchen when I am busy.;-) Thank you for dinner honey! Great job!!!;-)

The Fruit Basket

A delivery guy was knocking on our door the other day. He handed a large and lovely fruit basket to hubby with his name on it. I was surprised about it because there was no name of the sender. He told me a guy who is selling gold coins to him is giving the fruit basket. There were different varieties of fruits in it. He tried one pear( he didn't know the kind) and it was amazingly good.
Yesterday our neighbor Kayun came to talk to my husband. He also brought fruits for us. Awww I thought that was so sweet and thoughtful of him. He was my hubby's officemate and they were both laid off from that job. He also invited us to his girlfriend's house tomorrow for dinner. Blessings and more blessings are pouring in.

Adobong Pusit

I was thinking of something for dinner. Lately hubby has been cooking for us. I guess it's my turn to make something.;-) I made some dinner before I went to work.

When I cleaned the squids gut out hubby was looking at me and told me it looked gross. I cut the squid and then stir fried some red pepper, garlic and onions. I placed the squid in the pan placed some soy sauce and vinegar and a dash of sugar. I sprinkled a little bit of pepper and salt and dinner was ready to serve.

When I went to work I starved myself because I want to eat the adobong pusit at home on top of rice. The thought of it made me hungry. Yummm... When I got home only a few slices were left. I was and happy at the same time. Sad that almost nothing was left for me but happy that my family must have liked it that they gobbled it.;-)

Dinner from Scratch

I made skillet for brunch today. I threw some sweet potatoes and ground pork. It turned out so good amazingly. For dinner I made a spring roll made from brunch leftover. Yes I made it from scratch. I'm proud to say it came out good. It was a perfect pair of the hot and spicy banana ketchup. I also made so fish soup (tinolang isda) where I threw in some leafy veges like sweet potato tops. I can't believe how my kids ate with gusto tonight. I kept hearing more rice pleassse, more soup pleasssse. Hubby told me that he would like to bring a leftover lumpia for work. My family is such an inspiration.

On the Border

We went to the restaurant called On the Border for dinner tonight. We endulged ourselves with mexican food and ambiance. It's a fiesta in there. We had unlimited chips that I love since it is not salty, on the border platter for appetizer, some raspberry tea and ranchillada for the main course. One big plate for one small person. I was only able to eat half of my food. Nevertheless it was a joy to dine out. Thank you my dearest hubby for the treat.;-)

Pancakes and Bacon

Today I made a simple breakfast for the kids since they are out of school. With no rush at all I made something special for them. Pancakes and bacon. I did not take a pic of the bacon just the pancake. I have never mastered making pancakes but I am glad it came out alright when I made it today. I make them every once in a blue moon. My son commented that I am the best pancake maker, awww, my heart melted, lol.

Foods I Made This Week

I am taking the time of my life. I am having 4 days off can you believe that? So I made some macaroni salad, pork barbecue and corn this week. I gave some macaroni to my next door neighbor since I made lots and lots of it. I threw a little bit of tuna in it and so far I am enjoying it. The barbecue was a blast. Hmmm, I always love barbecue I wonder if someone ever hated eating it.I wonder what I'm going to make today. I always have impromptu cooking. wish me luck for that.;-)

Tiramisu

We had dinner at Macaroni grill last Friday. It's been a while since I ordered dessert from the restaurant. This time I made sure I saved some room for it. Between New York cheesecake and Tiramisu I ordered the later one. It tasted good. I posted a picture of tiramisu in my facebook page and somone commented. What is that? That looks like shit! Oh my oh dear was I offended. I wish if people don't have anything to say nice they should jjust keep their mouth shut. I felt I was the object of ridicule and not the cake itself.;-( FYI: Tiramisu is an Italian cake made from lady fingers dipped in espresso or strong coffee rum, layered with whipped cream, egg yolks, mascarpone cheese, sugar and topped with cocoa. I think her comment tells me who she is. Just one ignorant b*****!

Fresh Crabs With Coconut Milk

How do you like your crabs cooked? I like mine with coconut milk. Really? My sister-in-law never heard of such a thing when she heard it but yes it's true. I am an island girl so I have seen how seafoods have been prepared from simple to complicated ones. You can actually steam, fry, roast or grill or boil crabs. When we went to the grocery store this afternoon I haven't prepared anything for dinner yet. I am a little bit tired and about to get down with something but I didn't let myself get affecterd. I went with hubby to the store and saw the live crabs on sale. Fond memories of the Philippines flashed back into my mind. I remembered how much we love to eat crabs when I was small. My mom loves to cook too. I must have gotten this talent from her. Lol. While in the store we decided to get half a dozen crabs. I had the live crabs steamed for ten minutes before we went to pay for it. When I got home I right away got my ingredients ready and cooked it. My kids really love eating the messy crabs especially the claws. Here are the ingredients and how I did it.
Ingredients
6 crabs steamed
1 cup water
1 onion sliced
3 garlic cloves
1 jalopeno chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 green onions chopped (scallions)
1 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup lettuce or cabbage chopped
1/3 cup cherry tomatoes (optional)
1 small ginger chopped
2 tbsp canola oil
a dash of black pepper
a dash of salt
vegetable buillion

1. Heat the pan and put the canola oil.
2. Saute the garlic,onion, red pepper and ginger.
3. Place the rest of the vegetables.
4. Place the crabs too.
5. Put 1 cup water and bring to boil.
6. Pour the coconut oil and bring to boil til it thickens.
7. Place the vegetable buillion.
8. Season with salt and pepper then sprinkle the green onions.

Dinner is served with some rice. Yummy!

Dinner at Don Pablo's

It's good to dine out once in a while. It breaks the routine of having to cook. Aside from that you can see something new.;-)Last Saturday we surprised Tess with a dinner at Don Pablo's. She thought we only surprised her with giving her two pairs of prescription eyeglasses. The fun did not stop there. We also went and shared our last dining out together. We had ribs and some margaritas. It's a good combination, don't you think so. It's always fun to share good times with a good friend. Thanks to hubby for bringing us there.It was all his idea to go there since it was a block away from the eye doctor's office.;-)

Filipino Dish

secret ingredients



I was making some fruit salad and embutido (meatloaf) last Saturday night for my special friend's surprise despidida party. There's something funny about the fruit salad. She was the one who took the taste test if it was good enough to eat. She did not know it was for her party. Take a quick look at the pics I took of the embutido meatloaf. Embutido is easy to make since you just simply steam it. If I remember it right I have posted the ingredients and directions on how to make not so long ago. It is in the preparation time that you really need to be patient. Oh well, time flies by so fast when you do love to cook.;-)

Green Eggs and Ham

I was watching Rachel Ray's cooking on TV Network last Friday and was interested with it. She is an inspiration. She made green eggs and ham that I gladly tried for breakfast the next day. I know you will tell me it's not Dr. Seuss birthday but birthday or not this is an easy and fantastic recipe. The ingredients and procedure was so simple that I just watched it and remembered it by heart. I received a lot of wow's at home when they saw what I made for them. You can try it at home too.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 large shallots, finely chopped
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, defrosted in microwave and liquids drained
1/3 to 1/2 cup heavy cream, eyeball it
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
8 slices deli ham or prosciutto di Parma
8 eggs
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the extra-virgin olive oil and the butter and sweat the shallots a few minutes. Add the spinach and stir in the cream, season with salt, freshly ground black pepper and a little grated nutmeg. Cook the spinach, stirring occasionally, until the cream has thickened, 5 minutes. Adjust seasoning to your taste.

Fold each slice of ham or prosciutto in half and line the nonstick cups with 1 slice of meat each. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cooked spinach into each of the cups, then crack an egg into each, making sure it stays whole (hint - if you're worried about breaking the egg yolk, crack the egg into a small bowl first, then pour it into the muffin cup). Season the tops of the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper and bake in the oven until set, about 15 minutes. Allow the baked eggs to cool in the muffin cups for a couple of minutes before removing them from the pan. Serve immediately.

Dining In At a Log Cabin Restaurant

We dined out last night in a beautiful rustic wood-themed restaurant. The ambiance of this place pulled me back to it. Yes, we went to PJ Whelihan's Grill Restaurant located at the Medford Lakes. We passed by this place last week that is why I specially requested this place to hubby. It is located at a place where you peacefully see the log cabin homes. The restaurant was also design like a log house. We had an amazing experience. They really have good food at a great price. We ordered some hot and spicy buffalo wings as appetizer. It was served hot and saucy. It was one of a kind. I ordered my favorite salad- the mediterranean salad. Heaven gobbled her burger like she haven't eaten for years. James told me he loved the grilled cheese. Hubby had a reuben sandwich and he told me it is one of the best reuben sandwich he tasted in South Jersey. Bff had a chicken wrap. Hubby was interested in going back there again. After dinner we went around the lake, took pictures and went home. It was a great dinner experience.;-)

What's For Dinner?

I baked some tilapia fillet for dinner. I simply sprinkled it with some garlic powder, minced onions, salt and pepper, wrapped it in an aluminum foil then baked it for 30 minutes. I also sauteed some broccoli and beans to go with it. I garnished it with red pepper, onions, garlic and a spoon of soy sauce. Hmmm, it smelled really good. It is very healthy too! For sure hubby loved what I made. He is always proud I can cook. ;-)

100% Vegetarian

Kayun's girlfriend Sherry invited us to dinner last Saturday evening with her family. I did not know what the occasion was but my hubby told me that they were vegetarian so I would know what to expect. We visited a new friend before we went to their house which is 30 minutes away. To make the story short we were late but was able to come on time for dinner. Kayun thought we would never show up. We did not know what to bring for them as a gift so hubby brought a red wine but regretfully they don't drink wine too. Sorry for that. I looked over the window and saw there backyard vegetable garden.
We came to a traditional chinese family home who served us a wonderful vegetarian dinner. We were all impressed because we are omnivorous so to say. There was something that looked like chicken as Heaven described it but it was mushroom. We had vegetable lasagna, tofu, cabbages and rice. I thought it as amazing. We had juice.
Sherry's mom was very charming and pleasant to be with. She entertained the kids well. Even if she don't talk in English well but we are able to carry a conversation. Sherry showed us her paintings. We had tea together while the kids played wii and the boys talked had coffee after dinner. I thought the chinese tea taste a little bitter but it was placed in a small cup so it was fine. I asked Sherry's mom why they eat vegetables only and she said it is significant for a long life and a healthy body which I would really agree.
When we went home they told us they look forward to seeing us again. Sherry's mom wanted me to taste her version of vegetarian burger. Ohlala;-)
Thank you so much Kayun, Sherry and family for that wonderful experience. I do wish we can emulate your healthy living and wonderful family.

Dinner at Outback

When I went home after work hubby let me decide where to eat dinner. We went to Genuardi's for groceries since they have good sales this week. We ended up going home at 7pm so going to Bahama Breeze for dinner is not a good option. I kept thinking and thinking where and it came to my mind that Outback Steakhouse would be a good one. The kids were invited to have dinner with Madie so they did not go with us. Surprisingly stepson went dinner with us. We all had the same order the outback specialty of lobster and steak. It was amazingly good. We had some chicken quesadilla as appetizer. Stepson liked eating outback and told us that the next time we go there he will order the bloomin' burger. He also said it was his first time to eat lobster.

Chicken With Barbecue Sauce

A great dinner was served tonight. I made some chicken breast with barbecue sauce. This is my modification for chicken adobo. I'm glad it turned out realy good. Yummy. I also cooked some white rice and steamed vegetables with it. Because it is so good let me share it with you guys how I made it.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups water
2 lbs chicken breast
sliced red pepper
sliced red onion
3 cloves crushed garlic
3 tbs canola oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 black pepper
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs vinegar
5 tbs barbecue sauce

Directions:
1. Boil chicken in 3 1/2 cups of water for 25 minutes.
2. Add some salt on the boiling water then remove the chicken from the water when. Set aside on dry towel.
3. Prepare a pan then stir fry the garlic, red pepper and red onions.
4. Put the chicken and fry for 5 minutes.
5. Add 1 cup chicken broth.
6. Put some soy sauce, vinegar and barbecue sauce.
7. Bring to boil.
8. Sprinkle a dash of salt and pepper.
Great with white rice. Serve and enjoy!!!;-)

Mr. Potato Peeler Guy

I just saw on the 60-minute news about a guy who was very good in selling potato peelers. He just passed away last Friday at age 75. He was a well known peddler in the streets of New York City. He left an inspiring story. He had sold hundreds and thousands of potato peelers everywhere in New York City. They said he was a peddler by day and went dining in fine restaurants in the upper east side by night. He spoiled his wife with their way of living. He was never ashamed of what he did and he could not imagine what he would do without his job. His name is Joe Ades. They said no one can sell a simple item the way he did. May you rest in peace Mr. Joe.

Look What Hubby Got Me

Hubby got me a Mandolin slicer! Yay! Thank you so much hubby. When I told him that I wanted to cut the veges the way I should like it he brought me to Bed, Bath and Beyond. He let me chose my own vegetable shredder. I have been wanting to be able to cut my vegetable with style like crinkle, julienne, straight and however I like it. It is a manual one but it works amazingly for me. Do you want to take a peek?;-)Sure.;-)

Dining In at The Silver Diner

We usually eat out on Fridays. When hubby asked me where I want to eat I told him that I want to go back to Bahama Breeze again. It is located right at the Cherry Hill Mall. When we went there it was so full of people who wanted to dine in and hubby could hardly find a spot to park. He dropped me off by the door to so that I can grab a priority number. The receptionist gave me a number telling me if it was fine to wait for 90 minutes. Are you kidding me? I wonder why he asked me. Do I have a choice? Ninety minutes is more than an hour away and you will eat for 20-30 minutes only. Is it worth the time? I waited for hubby who parked almost half a mile away so we can make a decision. When he came we have to wait 70 more minutes. The kids can't wait that long the were getting restless of waiting so I suggested hubby that we will just eat right across the street at a diner. Usually when you talk about diners you would be served with more than a pound of food that you do not know how to finish. But it would be our first time to eat in this diner so I was willing to give it a shot. When we crossed the street we came to the theater that has almost a similar signage of the diner. I thought it was funny. As we moved along we finally found the place the Silver Diner. We waited for 5 minutes which was not bad. We ordered a basket of appetizers which had mozarella sticks, onion rings and chicken fingers. I had asian chicken in skewers and brown rice, hubby had cajun penne shrimp and the kids tried chocolate chip pancakes but heaven tried some brown rice and bacon. It was not bad and I was so happy we tried it there. The food portions per person were just enough. It was so far the best diner we tried!

I Love Japanese Food

Last Friday we had dinner at Red Lantern, a Chinese-Japanese Restaurant. My family invited Tess to have dinner with us. The ambiance and the food was really fantastic. So far in our stay in South Jersey this small yet great restaurant really surprised us. Tess and I had the same order, sushi deluxe that included sushi nigiri and some sushi rolls. The kids loved their chicken and beef fried rice. Hubby chose to have General Tso's chicken which was amazingly good. It was a great dinner. Thanks hubby!

Lumpia (Spring Rolls)

Lumpia is a very common asian delicacy. It is a traditional filipino delicacy and you always see this dish in every shindig. Last Saturday was Madie's birthday. She is my children's one special friend. Aside from giving her a gift, I also made her some lumpia. Her guests love the lumpia. They said it was a contagious food to eat. What a delight to hear that they really loved it. Let me share with you my lumpia recipe.
Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
3 cloves garlice crushed minced
1 pc onion bulb minced
1/3 cup red pepper minced
1 pc carrot minced
1 potato minced
1 tsp soy sauce
30 pcs lumpia wrappers
2 cups vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Cooking Directions:
For filling:
1. Heat a pan/ skillet on high heat.
2. Place 3 tbs vegetable oil and cook the pork til brown. Drain and set aside.
3. Saute garlic, onions, red pepper, carrot and potato.
4. Stir in the pork into the vegetables.
5. Season with soy sauce, salt and pepper.
6. Remove from heat to cool down.
Preparing the roll:
7. Set the roll diagonally and fill in 2 heaps of filling.
8. Fold and tuck both ends as you roll it tightly and neatly.
9. Moisten the remaining part of the edge of the roll to seal it.
10. Cover the rolls with damp cloth to retain moisture.
Deep Frying the roll:
1. Put skillet on medium heat.
2. When the skillet is hot put 2 cups oil and heat it up for about 4-5 minutes.
3. Fry the rolls till golden brown.
4. Drain excess oil on paper towels.
5. Serve hot and enjoy with ketchup.