spiCes

…something that we all look forward to when we go for a night or so hotel living, or should i say living of reality for a few days. when we get away to unwind a little. when we forget about everything behind to have room service, a nearby pool to wade in and yes…eat all you can breakfast!

…and i love love love this muffin! yummm-eeehhh! i even got another one with blueberries to go! haha!

…we can never have complete breakfast without the scrambles right?

this one’s S’s bagel. definitely with cream cheese.
had to end it all with a bowl or two of fresh fruits! no photo though, sorry..i decided to enjoy the last few bites without the camera getting in the way.:)

…my take on this theme, a heart healthy dish.  a bowl of warm and delicious vegetable noodle soup, or any kind to most will always be comfort food…but more importantly, it’s good for someone who needs to cut down on sugar and carbs . shhh…this will be our little secret, ok? he doesn’t want me to talk about it here on my blog. maybe it’s just a result of the depression that came with the sudden realization, and a very recent one too [just last week, ironically...even before i thought of this theme] that he is now a diabetic. he must’ve had Diabetes for a time now, we just didn’t know since he hates going to the doctor. this time though, i made sure that he is scheduled for his annual check up, whether he liked it or not. and this is what we found out, unfortunately. incurable and genetic as it is, we are still thankful that it’s a disease that can easily be controlled with the right food, change of lifestyle and correct attitude.
i still have so much to learn about it, believe me.  unprepared as we are about this,  we have decided to take those special classes for Diabetes soon.

so what’s this chocolate cupcake doing in this post, you may ask?  since day 1, i have been researching and shopping for ’special’ food and ingredients for M. it has slowly dawned on us that this is a total change of diet and lifestyle not only for him, but for all of us. the children being very susceptible on having the disease too…has to be educated as well.

this…is called LOW-FAT VEGETABLE CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE. i was treated to a trip to the full house on a Saturday morning FLOUR, a very popular bakery in Boston, well..it was featured in one of Food Network’s shows that i cannot remember which one exactly at this moment, pardon me.  and so  i chose a few sweets for myself and Samia, who has a sweet tooth just like dad!:(… just as i was going to pay for my loot, came right in front of me was this guy from the kitchen with a full tray of freshly-baked chocolate cupcakes, so it seems.  i don’t know why i asked for its exact name, but i did. and was so delighted to learn that it’s the healthier version of the sinful dessert! yay! he deserves some prize for being a good boy the whole week…don’t you think? and so he had it for dessert after lunch.

and as Marco himself puts it…this is like a ‘wake up call’ which should be taken in a positive way.  it’s not the end of the world and so….here’s to a whole new HEALTHY-er and HEARTY-er life ahead!!!

is a bi-monthly FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, Pinoy style!

Advance Happy V Day to all!!!

…this one’s for Ayen! i posted last night on my Facebook status that i was eating these together with pistachio nuts…and yup! my guess was more or less accurate. not such a good combination after all! it’s not that bad, but better beware if you have sensitive tummies! hehe! one go was all it took for me though.

So this is how Longans look like Ayen:)
it is somehow hard to find here in the country but i would assume that any Asian store will have this when in season. that’s where i got them:) must be a cousin of sorts, this sweet, succulent almost lychee-tasting fruit brings back memories.. that of my mom, more importantly. we both loved this and we first had a taste of it together during that special trip, when she gifted me with my very first airplane ride to nearby Hongkong.

and now it’s my daughter Samantha who shares this love love love for snacking on ‘em!:)

what’s that? before you scroll down…can you at least try guessing first? demanding! haha!
this has been part of our weekly ritual…the hubs and myself, that is. more often than not, Saturday mornings are spent in this place while the kids are in their karate class. it’s also the only ‘our-time’…and we make good use of it…

with…

dining…dimsum style!:)
kakainin lang po nitong mga larawan na ito, sa kadahilanang nagpunta kaming mag-asawa sa Doctor kaninang umaga para sa aming flu shots at blood test naman para k M…at syempre pa…wala ang mga bata…nasa school…kaya dito kami dumiretso! pramis! haha!

syempre pa ang paborito naming…chicken feet ay hindi mawawala sa order:) sarap!!!
lahok para sa Litratong Pinoy…na may temang…BALAK!

…on days like this, any kind of warm and hearty soup would be great!

Lava cake. Molten Chocolate cake. flourless chocolate cake…however you call it, this one proved to be huge in the household even to my most cake discriminating son. to date, this is one of the few sweets in general that he loves so much! i can take that just because it is very easy to make whenever he asks for it.

just a few reminders…
LaPiS is going to be bi-monthly now and I am honored to announce that Dexie of Feisty Cook is joining me on a regular basis. So please check out her blog too. We will be posting simultaneously but will take turns every 2 weeks.

…next theme…HEARTY with Valentine’s day in mind!

Have a great weekend to all!

…ito ang isa sa mga naipamahagi ko sa mga kaibigan kong nasa tabi tabi lang in other words, mga kapitbahay. nagawa ko na ito noong nakaraang pasko, pero di pa rin maiaalis sa akin na tanungin ang sarili  kung ito ba ay magugustuhan nila…silang mapapalad na nakatikim nito…wehehehe! j/k!:)
sana naman, di ba?

these are the ALMOND PETITES that i found to be so good [thanks to my neybur, Stel who taught me how to make them] taste-wise, definitely a yes!  it’s also a perfect give-away goodie! this time i packaged it in those pans and wrapped in simple red cellophane, tied in bows. too bad i didn’t get to take a photo of that all wrapped up:(

we love it so much in the household that i always get requests most especialaly from the daughter with a sweet tooth, but hers has got to be plain. without any nuts, that;s how she likes it, not that she’s allergic to nuts. allow me to mention too that the last batch i made were even better, with Pistachios in it!:)

an entry to na may temang…Magustuhan? at heto pa pala ang isa kong lahok na medyo kakaiba

yay! i am back! i am back! not only to posting an entry to one of my most fave weekly memes in the whole wide and wild world!!! [tarush! titaT! hehe] but i am back to blogging…paid blogging, working per se! i have finally snatched that groove back and i simply wish that this doesn’t end here. wish me luck!

ah, syanga pala…manipis diba? e di manipis na klase ng pasta? pwede na duhbuh? oo? oo! hehehe!

an entry to

TOMATO

When Ces asked if I would be interested to do the second “Iron Chef LaPiS Challenge”, I was honestly both excited and a wee bit, ahem, “apprehensive”.

Excited because this would probably be the closest I would get to rubbing (virtual) elbows with “foodie greats” and “iron chefs extra-ordinaire” in cyberspace and apprehensive because I was quite afraid that my entry wouldn’t quite measure up to LaPiS’s “discriminating” standards… hahaha! J

I know…‘nuff of my cheesy intro… Obviously, I welcomed the “Tomato Challenge”!  So, here goes…

to·ma·to  (tə-mā’tō, -mä’-)

n.   pl. to·ma·toes

A widely cultivated South American plant (Lycopersicon esculentum) having edible, fleshy, usually red fruit.

According to Wikipedia, tomato consumption is believed to benefit the heart among other things and has been associated with decreased risk of breast cancer, head and neck cancers and might be strongly protective against neurodegenerative diseases.

And if this isn’t enough reason to munch away on this “veggie-fruit” or include this is our daily diet, tomatoes contain lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants.  Lycopene has also been shown to improve the skin’s ability to protect against harmful UV rays.

Tomatoes are also used extensively in Mediterranean cuisine, especially Italian and Middle Eastern cuisines. The tomato is acidic thus making it especially easy to preserve in home canning -  be it whole, in pieces, as tomato sauce, or tomato paste. Tomato juice is often canned and sold as a beverage while unripe green tomatoes can also be breaded and fried, used to make salsa, or pickled. The fruit is also preserved by drying, often by sun, and sold either in bags or in jars in oil.

As for me, since cooler days are upon most of us especially with the onset of winter, what better way to keep warm and toasty than with a steaming bowl of this…

For the recipe, click here.

Yes, a definite comfort food – both for the tummy and for the soul. Couple this with a grilled mozzarella sandwich and I’m in “foodie heaven”! (*sigh*)

How about you? What’s your take on the terrific tomato?

This is Pinky of The Kingdom Kitchen Tales – honored and privileged to be this week’s LaPiS guest contributor. A blessed Sunday to all!

is a weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, Pinoy style! thanks a lot for guest hosting PINKY!

The delicious aroma of food. The gastronomic delight we get from the smell of breakfast. The pungent scent of Pinoy breakfast. salty DILIS, garlicky SINANGAG coupled with the appetizing flavor of spiCy vinegar dip!

SARAP!

Lahok para sa na may temang…AMOY!