spiCes

…Sunday. Summer. Salad.
rolled into one. on a warm, lazy family day such as today…a refreshing SALAD is a must. ones that are particularly made of fresh and citrusy ingredients such as fruits and gourds flavored by minty and syrupy dressing, never fail to ease the unbearable heat even for just a bit.

…consider the pleasantly unique, light and fresh flavor that this MANGO and CUCUMBER SALAD is made of plus the fact that it can be easily assembled in as little as 10-15 minutes! no cooking required. just simple slicing tossing and mixing. pair it with your favorite chicken, fish or any meaty dish…and you’re golden!
recipe is now up on MOMCOOKS.DADCOOKS!

…its bright nd vibrant colors against the bright and sunny outdoor backdrop make for one delicious beat-the-heat photograph too! too bad i only had yellow onions instead of red, but as it is, i think it does the job!

Lasang Pinoy, Sundays is a bi-weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme, Pinoy style!

isa sa mga pangunahing bagay na napatunayan kong muli mula nang malaman namin na ang aking mahal na esposo ay may diabetes, ay ang kanyang natatanging disiplina sa sarili, at ngayon ay maging sa kanyang katawan. unang una, naging very conscious na siya sa mga kinakain nya at ang pinakamahalaga ay sa kauna unahang araw ng diagnosis sa kanya, tumigil na siya kaagad sa paninigarilyo. ang galing di ba? as in! sana ako rin matigil na haha! ooops! i think it’s the very first time i wrote about this. anyway, may ilan na nakakaalam nito sa inyo pero it’s something that i need help with. especially at this point in our lives. with the big D and our age…wag na nating pag usapan ang numero. pero it is about time to quit. at disiplina ang kinakailangan. isa nalang ang dapat naming gawin mag-asawa at ito ay ang regular exercise. lahat ng bawal hindi na ginagawa ni M at ehersisyo nalang ang kulang and we’re on the right path to beating this disease. i hope.

what’s the photo doing on this post? well well…i made this dessert/snack specifically for M…it is diabetes friendly and i got it from one of the cookbooks that we bought recently…if you want to know how to make it..here it is on my food blog. good not only for someone with diabetes but for me and my daughter as well who lurrvvveesss it!:)

Lahok para sa Litratong Pinoy…DISIPLINA.

…this week’s theme for LaPiS…CORN!
i made this Ginulay na Mais last night, inspired by Nell. thanks again dear! seeing his photo over at Facebook made me crave for another comfort food. still not the way my mom used to do it, but close enough.

…what have you to offer?
Lasang Pinoy, Sundays is a bi-weekly thematic FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY meme…PINOY style!

Three weeks ago we received the unfortunate Doctor’s diagnosis that my husband has diabetes. Ever since that day, it has not been that easy for all of us but especially for Marco who is a foodie at heart. He loves to cook and he cooks really good food. Needless to say, his happiness is eating…and eating good food at that. Shopping for ingredients is never the same now. We have to take extra time and effort to check on carbohydrates, sugar, calories and sodium content of ever single food that we buy now. It has been a dramatic change when it comes to achieving that healthy and delicious chef diet that he should have from now on.

This makes us dream of getting diet meals delivered to our doorstep. Having that 360 degree turn around our eating habits is one serious matter and what could be better than having somebody else do it for us, right?  Much research led me to this amazing solution to our current dilemma and it is trying out fresh delivery for his meals. Basically, we only choose the plan that best suits his needs and we can try it out within a 30 day period and if we really like it, we can change our plan to a 60 or 90 day package. No more counting calories, no more extra cooking with the assurance that everything Marco puts in his system is healthy and more importantly still filling and gourmet.  We can even get professional diet coaching so as to monitor carbs and sugar intake with an easy to follow customizable weekly menu to boot.  If we go out of town, there’s the option of vacation or holiday suspension too!  What more can we ask for, right?

…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!!!

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!

…for 2 days in a row, we had Teriyaki on the dinner table. the first one was with Salmon and last night, it was chicken. both with stir-fried bok choy with sesame oil on the side.

why? just because i made my own Teriyaki sauce and it was just more than enough for the salmon the previous night. plus! of course, there’s a plus!:) we all loved the sweet soy flavor that much that a second serving [read:repeat performance] was far from keeping it at bay, so to speak. Recipe will be posted @ momcooks.dadcooks!

An entry to

…that while i was sleeping [sort of] nursing a flu, ‘wine’ flu [that is according to my neighbor Stel]…my daughter S was concocting this facial mask.

at alam nyo rin ba na ito ay gawa sa kalahating avocado…the other half, kinain ko hehe!

at isang carrot.
a little bit of EVOO, honey and cream… and voila! instant @ home pampering by-from-with my dear sweet dalaginding…

An entry to

Ingredients for a great facial are no further away than your own refrigerator. Avocado and carrots may sound like something healthy to eat, but then when blended together, they make a wonderful facial for dry or mature skin. The vitamin E in the avocado, combined with the antioxidants and beta-carotene in the carrot, will improve your skin’s texture and tone and fade age spots.
[source:e-how.com]

…you can click on the link for the complete instructions!:) try it! your skin will definitely feel soft, smooth and supple after:) pramis!:)

Back in New York, I can only go as far as an Asparagus on a pitcher or vase on a table or counter, sometimes it’s the basil or other fresh herbs i mostly use in cooking or a foliage of them all. primary reason…wala akong hardin sa building apartment na tinitirhan namin noon. secondly, i was never huge on colorful blooms and bouquets…in fact kung ako ay papipiliin ng bulaklak berdeng bulaklak pa rin ang gusto ko or simpleng puting tulip is as far as i can go. even in decorating the house, i would still opt for twigs, pussy willows and cat tails [la la la la, hee!] rather than roses and stuffs…

Pangatlong dahilan? takot pa akong sumubok sa pagtatanim o paghahardin. The most successful one i’ve ever had was this parsley i bought ready on a pot at matagumpay ko namang nabuhay ng buong taon. But now I am ready to enjoy this bigger back/side yard/garden/deck that we have.

At sa mga panahong ito na painit na ng painit, mahalaga na ang hardin ay may BBQ grille! Hindi akin yan, at hindi ko rin kilala ang mamang iyan. He he! Kapitbahay lang na nagkataong nasa labas mga ilang minuto pa lamang ang nakakaraan, habang hinahanda o nililinis ang kaniyang grille.
This is one thing that I need to buy soon myself. Add to that a set of patio chairs and table both for entertaining and lazing around during these nicer weather condition outdoors.

An entry to with a GARDEN theme.
and here’s another take on this theme

…as is. or,

thinly sliced, to add flavor and zest on to your cereals, together with a half a handful of dried cranberries.  topped with almond slivers/slices for some added crunch…ishgooood!!!

An entry to .