spiCes

…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!!!

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

…one ordinary day when i craved for something truly Pinoy tasting like Chicken Afritada and did not exactly have all the required ingredients. the twist? i used a can of Minestrone in lieu of potatoes and olives. i only had to remove the pasta that’s inside the can and voila! Afritada to the bones! hee! even the beans made the stew  better with that unexpected starchy texture and taste.  i can aptly say that this can also be called Chicken Minestrone meets Chicken and Beans Afritada, whateva! haha!

an entry to

…sunday lunch at Pho Hoa. M’s ultimate fave soup, Beef Pho. a traditional Vietnamese dish with thinly sliced meat and rice-noodle swimming in delicious soup flavored with asian spices.  it’s a hint for me to start making some myself. although it is fairly priced at $8 for a large bowl, i still think home-made will save us some $$$ still, huh? considering that it has become a weekly craving for us now:]

…i caught a glimpse of that cute little squirrel comfortably nestled atop a branch on a breezy day as i passed by my dining room window.  instinctively, i rushed to get my camera ready and take a snap! that’s the nearest zoom my lens can take, awww!

…an entry to