LIVING THE HEALTHY LIFE.

Cravings.

2012-02-01T11:05:00.000-05:00

I am such a huge eater this past few days, argh! Hormones hormones!
This meme from Kathy is very timely :P. Let me answer this before I check on cable trays online.

1. What is your favorite guilty pleasure yummy food?
~ Cherry Cheesecake paired with Chips.

2. It is snack time. What do you reach for? Chips? Ice cream? Something healthy?
~ Raisins and nuts, seriously hahah!

3. What is your ideal breakfast?
~ I developed a very healthy breakfast habit and stop taking any fried food :P. So my breakfast may consists of Smoothie, Toast, Boiled Eggs, Fruits and Cereal Drink.

4. What are you craving right now?
~ Nothing because I just gave in to my cravings a few hours ago.

Recipe of the Week: CHOCOLATE CRINKLES

2012-01-31T22:58:00.003-05:00

Like I've said in my 1st few blog entries this year, I became so busy last Holiday season despite the fact that I took a 2-week off from work. I do not know how it started but I began to accept holiday goodies orders within my social circle and neighborhood. Chocolate crinkles was one of the baked goodies I made. So before I check on this internet video conferencing site, here's sharing my very easy-peasy recipe of Chocolate Crinkles. Happy Baking y'all!

CRINKLES COOKIES:
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup Hershey's Cocoa powder
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
powdered sugar

1.) Combine granulated sugar and oil in large bowl; add Cocoa beating until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Gradually add to cocoa mixture, beating well.
2.) Cover; refrigerate until dough is firm enough to handle, at least 6 hours.
3.) Heat oven to 350F. Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper. Shape dough into 1-inch balls; roll in powdered sugar to coat. Place about 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheet.
4.) Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until almost no indentation remains when touched lightly and tops are crackled. Cool slightly. Remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely.

Twenty.Twelve.

2012-01-24T16:08:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year! err more of Happy Chinese New Year hahaha!
I know I need a lot of catching up in this blog but I need to check on these discount coupons at Shari's Berries as I want to stock up on fruits and other organic stuff in our pantry. For the past 3 weeks, I have been very consistent with my New Year's resolution, fitness-wise. I have not missed a day without any visit to the gym or simple workout at home. However, when I weighed in this morning, I was so sad to discover than I haven't lost a lb! I guess I should be back to counting calories again, then I will be able to shed off these stubborn 10 lbs.

Mojo, where are thou?

2012-01-12T09:55:00.003-05:00

Before the year ended, I promised myself to be a better blogger, meaning more worthy-reading entries. I even have a blogging notebook which I kept/wrote down thoughts that would come out of my rustic blogging brains but then when I have the time to finally sit down and write an entry, I just get overwhelmed with all the thoughts in my blogging notebook. I guess I must have left my blogging mojo last year hee hee. And now that I feel like writing, I need to research on Halogen Free Solder Paste first! Oh boy, I hope next week I will be able to share all those meals I have feasted on over the holidays, hello 5 lbs!

What I Cooked for Noche Buena

2011-12-29T23:50:00.003-05:00

Lastly...yes definitely the very last entry of the year and before I check on these Resort Clerk Jobs.

I am very happy to share with you that I cooked my very first ham last Christmas Eve Dinner/Noche Buena. I just marinated it with Brandy, Sprite, Pineapple Juice, Cinnamon Powder, Honey, Soy Sauce, Brown Sugar, Pepper, Salt and Garlic. Voila, until now my boys can't get enough of my Ham hee hee. I can't wait for the next family gathering as this glazed ham will be a staple dish in our dining table.

Busy Baking

2011-12-29T23:40:00.002-05:00

Yes, I am on a holiday vacation but baking has kept me busy Yay!
I do not know how and when I got myself into accepting orders on a Christmas bake! While standing up for wee hours, I make sure that my favorite passion fruit tea is brewing in my airpot, it has become a great partner for all the baking I do. I am too tired to share recipes tonight or maybe before 2011 ends, but I promised to share the recipes of these goodies I have been baking next year! Let's all welcome 2012 with positivity and good vibes!

RedRibbon-filled

2011-12-20T23:27:00.002-05:00

Before I check on these metal switchplates, let me share with you some photos from our trip to Red Ribbon.

For the longest time, I had been urging dear hubby to drive me to the nearest Red Ribbon bakeshop (read: 45 mins drive) but we always end up getting so tired or busy. Until one day, he surprised me with this secret trip. Secret, because I was asleep the whole time. The moment I woke up, this is what I saw:

Weee!!!
And this is what I had for dinner, for desserts and took home some more Red Ribbon Goodies. Oh Christmas is truly around the corner hee hee.

Chocoholic!

2011-12-06T22:42:00.000-05:00

Oh yes, I turned into one after my pregnancy. You see, I was diagnosed with borderline gestational diabetes when I got pregnant almost 7 years ago. My ob-gyne was so strict that even if I was just borderline, she strictly monitored my sugar level and gave me a strict diet. So I was really thin when I was pregnant. Would you believe that I am heavier now compared to my full-term pregnancy weight? LOL! Now, that is a trivia. In short, I did not take any kind of sweets, most especially chocolates during my pregnancy and the 1st thing that I requested as soon as I delivered my son was boxes and bars of chocolates to which my mom and bestfriend obliged. That's when my addiction to chocolate began. Anyhow, my mom forgot to buy me the Royce chocolates in Manila which I have been craving for such a long time now. So let me just drool over Royce's pictures in the net and share this with you before I check on swarovski crystal!

The Top Chocolate Manufactures in the World: and of course, Royce is part of it :)

1. Nestlé
http://www.nestle.com/
Founded in 1860 by Henri Nestlé, a pharmacist, Nestlé is a multinational packaged food company located in Vevey, Switzerland. Nestlé is globally renowned with its several product lines including milk, chocolate, confectionery, bottled water, coffee, creamer, food seasoning and pet foods. Today, Nestlé is considered one of the biggest chocolate companies with a wide range of chocolate products such as Aero, 100 Grand Bar, Kit Kat, Nestlé Crunch and Rolo.

2. Cadbury Schweppes
http://www.cadburyschweppes.com/EN
One of the world’s largest confectionery company, Cadbury Schweppes was founded in 1905 and has its headquarters in Berkeley Square, London, England. Apart from confectionery products, this British confectionery company has also produced a great deal of beverage productions which has made the company a strong regional presence in the beverage industry in the Americas and Australia. Cadbury Schweppes has produced many types of chocolate brands such as Boost, Brunch Bar, Crispy Crunch, Crunchie and many more.

3. Ferrero SpA
http://www.ferrero.it/
An Italian Chocolate manufacturer, Ferrero SpA, is a family business which produces chocolate and other confectionery products. Ferrero SpA was founded in 1946 by a confectioner Pietro Ferrero and is still owned by the Ferrero family. In each year, Ferrero SpA has produced many tons of chocolate which are used in manufacturing chocolate products such as Ferrero Rocher, Mon Chéri, Confetteria Raffaello and also produce the Kinder product series, including Kinder Surprise, Fiesta Ferrero, Kinder Chocolate bars and Kinder Chocolate.

4. Callebaut
http://www.callebaut.com/
The second-largest chocolate producer in the world, Callebaut is a Belgian chocolate manufacturer which produces a wide range of chocolate products for consumers and professional chocolatiers around the world. Founded in Wieze, Belgium in 1850 by Eugenius Callebaut, this company was first operated as a brewery. Later in 1996, Callebaut merged with rival chocolatier “Cacao Barry” to form a new company which is now called “Barry Callebaut”. Its primary products are baking chocolate and cocoa powder which is sold to consumers and professional bakers around the world.

5. Camille Bloch
http://www.camillebloch.ch/
One of the most prestigious chocolate manufacturers in Switzerland, Camille Bloch has been producing high quality Swiss chocolate for over 75 years. Camille Bloch is renowned for their Ragusa Chocolate which is filled with smooth praline cream and hazelnuts, available in a variety of sizes and package types. Additionally, Camille Bloch also offers four different Chocolate Mousse Bars, each of which features decadently smooth chocolate filled with one of four creamy mousse fillings. Camille Bloch’s products were distributed to luxurious chocolate stores all over the world.

6. Divine Chocolate
http://www.divinechocolate.com/home/default.aspx
Established in the UK in 1998, Divine Chocolate Limited is a manufacturer of Fairtrade chocolate products in the United Kingdom and the United States. The company is owned as a partnership between the Kuapa Kokoo cocoa, Twin Trading and Oikocredit. Divine Chocolate’s first product, Divine Milk Chocolate, was launched in October 1998 and followed by a long list of chocolate products such as Divine White Chocolate, Flavored Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate and drinking chocolate.

7. The Favarger Company
http://www.favarger.com/en/
Founded in 1826 by a pastry-cook, Jacques Foulquier. The Favarger Company is a Swiss chocolate manufacturer which is located in Versoix, the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The company is not only well-known for those who live in Geneva and the rest of Switzerland, but also available at many places throughout the world where good quality chocolate is offered. Its soft chocolate and exceptional taste are claimed to be made by the original recipe which has been passed down from generation to generation. The Favarger Company has its famous chocolate products such as Les AVELINES de Genève and Les NOUGALINES de Genève.

8. The Hershey Company
http://www.hersheys.com/
The largest chocolate company in America, The Hershey Company was founded in 1894 by Milton Snavely Hershey. Globally, the company is commonly called Hershey’s and is also considered one of the oldest chocolate companies in the United States. Milton Hershey began to plant cocoa trees in his hometown, Derry Church, Pennsylvania, in 1903 and the manufacturing of chocolate proved successful. Since then, the company has grown rapidly.

9. Royce’
http://rb.e-royce.com/archives/2007/03/royce_chocolates_and_confectio.html
One of the biggest chocolate manufacturers in Asia, Royce’ onfect Co., Ltd., is also known as E-Royce’, has produced and distributed chocolate products to many countries in Asia and other continents. Royce’ was first established in July 1983, with a total capital of ¥10.0 million and increased its capital to ¥30.5 million in September of 1985. From1990, Royce’ became a significant player in the Asian candy industry with many of its famous chocolate brands such as Dacquoise, Lurumaro Chocola, Nutty Bar Chocolate, Royce’ Chocolate Bars, Royce’ Pure Chocolate and much more.

10. World’s Finest Chocolate
http://www.worldsfinestchocolate.com/
Established in USA in 1949, World’s Finest Chocolate is probably most recognized for its beneficent activities which help to raise money for non-profit organizations. Its $1 Almond chocolate bar that is used for fund raising can be labeled with a group’s name and fund raising purposes. This family-owned business has its headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, and also has a sales office located in Campbellford, Ontario, Canada. World’s Finest Chocolate is well known for being one of only 9 companies in the United States that produces chocolate “from bean to bar”.

source: http://www.chocolate-world.net

Recipe of the Week: HOT WINGS

2011-12-06T21:58:00.003-05:00

I have to edit this entry in a wee bit to include the recipe.

Hubby was the one who whipped this Hot Wings dish one dinner, which I may say (ahem ahem) was super yum-o! I do not remember what he put in here so I have to wait for him who is currently busy talking to his friend over the phone, I think they were discussing gifts for their loved ones (me included!) as I have overhead this line: "christmas gifts for her". In the meantime, I hope this photo is enough to make you come back and check the complete recipe :).

missing Conti's.

2011-12-06T06:41:00.000-05:00

I am craving for anything Conti's right now!
Oh gosh, I used to live in a village which was tricycle away from this uberly-yummy pastry shop and restaurant. I am not only after their sinful desserts but also I miss their dinner meals!!! I was telling my friend, C last night that my home country serves the best food and houses the best restaurants :). I am still on a hunt for a perfect restaurant here that would satisfy my Pinoy palate. In the meantime, I need to research on silver bars.

W.W.W.

2011-11-28T00:02:00.001-05:00

There are just a lot to do online. You could spend all day infront of your computer, read about all the news happening around the world, do your work online, stay connected with friends or simply be entertained by casino online. I remember a friend telling me that he could be locked up in a room for as long as he has internet and laptop, he would be really fine, and of course some food supply. You see, this friend of mine loves to play the best poker games online. At that time, I did not even know that he is into casino games and the like. Anyway, he told me about a site where you could find list of safe and reliable casino sites. It is very important that when you try to play these kinds of games online, you only play at reliable sites who value your privacy and personal information especially since there is money involved.

After 4 years of having this convo with my friend, I still have not really tried playing any of the available online casinos no matter how much this friend of mine would want me to try out some of the USA online casinos they have been enjoying. Maybe, this type of online game is not my cup of tea or casino for that matter as when we were in Vegas last year, I never enjoyed nor won any of the slot machines that we tried. Just a word of advice from my friend, if you ever try to play these games online, Play safe and only on reliable online sites.

Acupressure Against Nausea

2011-11-16T10:59:00.001-05:00

No matter what the causes are, no one wants to suffer from the feelings of nausea so often. Some people will depend on over-the-counter medicines that will help them ease the pain and deal with the sickening feeling. Though these medications are proven effective, they are not always available.

However, for most people, they prefer a different way of treating nausea. Many people are looking for ways to kill the pain without having to take medications as it may have side effects in the future. As much as possible, they want to have a natural healing power because safety is one of the things that they are considering as well.

Today, the very popular acupressure is widely used. In fact, it’s what other people do whenever they experience the worst feeling of nausea in public places. They initially don’t know what to do but remembering the right acupressure points will quickly help in effectively eliminating the pain, dizziness and queasiness without having to take their usual medications. Aside from the fact that you are going to save money, you will also assure yourself that the treatment you performed is safe because of the natural procedures performed. Likewise, this will be very convenient for you since you can be able to do it discretely at any place and any given time.

Learning the accurate points on your body might be difficult but everyone experiencing nausea should not worry anymore in studying the connections of your body. There is a newly invented solution that people will surely be amazed of and there is no doubt that it will be preferred by most.

An American Board Certified obstetrician and gynecologist developed an acupressure wristband, which is designed and patented to treat nausea that can be caused by motion sickness, morning sickness, chemotherapy treatments, dysmenorrhea or post-surgery anesthesia. This wristband uses an acupressure, which is proven to be very effective in treating nausea and vomiting. It is a safe, simple, guaranteed no side effects and very budget friendly way of killing the pain caused by nausea. There is a small bead located in the band itself that performs the pressure faster through the median nerve to the brain, disrupting the signals to your brain that triggers the feeling of nausea.

It is very easy and safe to use, as you just have to wear it accurately to your wrist and then the built in bead will do the work in disconnecting the signal that causes the person from the feeling of nausea. The band is 100% adjustable, which will perfectly fit on your wrist.

According to research, it is proven to be very useful and the design of the wristband is very comfortable for all users because you can adjust it depending on the size of your wrist. Even kids can wear it and the good thing about this is, it’s not like the other elastic bands that loosen up eventually, especially if you use it very often.

Knowing the fine distinction of the points in our body can be complicated especially for those who are not fully aware of it but still, once you were able to determine the important parts of your body that can push pressure, it will help you gain a deeper understanding on how your body parts connect with each other.

Acupressure wristband is just one of the many ways of preventing nausea but this is one of the safest and has FDA marketing clearance. If you opt not to use this wristband, you just have to make sure that every treatment you give your body is safe enough and as much as possible, get the prescription of your doctor first.

Remember that health is one of our top priorities so it’s better to be sure of all the actions performed before anything else is too late.

Brooke Burke, a health buff icon

2011-11-16T02:44:00.000-05:00

The first time I saw Brooke Burke on E!, I was so amazed by her unique beauty. When she became a mother, she vouched that she would never ever take the shortcut on losing weight by taking diet pills, going under the knife nor learn more weight loss supplements. She was always pushing herself to do extreme workout combined with healthy eating. Here are 4 tips this Dancing with the Stars co-host shared at Shape.com.

Tip 1: Avoid Fad Diets
Having tried just about every diet in the book, Brooke has finally learned what diet works for her body and that is the Mediterranean diet. Her entire family follows the diet, which includes lean grilled beef, chicken, fish, salads, vegetables, and olive oil.

I also eat five small meals a day,” she says. “And I never skip breakfast, even if it’s just a protein shake. I can honestly say that I’ve never been healthier or fitter in my life.”

Tip 2: Pencil in a Workout
There is no excuse for not making time to exercise. Pencil it into your daily agenda if you have to just like Brooke does. Ideally, she works out five days a week. She normally does a cardio workout at the gym first thing in the morning after taking her children to school. Her favorite cardio activities are running the treadmill at 3.5 miles per hour at a 15% incline and the Pilates class she does 3 times a week.

Tip 3: Exercises for Confidence
Exercise offers many benefits, but self confidence is the best one of all. Being beautiful like a model is one thing, but being comfortable about who you are and with your own health brings more confidence that is even more beautiful.

I never wanted to be on magazines like Vogue or Allure; I wanted to be on SHAPE,” says Brooke. “There’s something very special to me about being relatable to other women, being healthy, and representing confidence at any age.”

Tip 4: Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself Too
Many women struggle with trying to take care of everyone else around them and, as a result, they often put themselves on the back burner. However, it is just as important to find time to relax, de-stress, and do something that makes you happy. For Brooke, working out is often that time. However, it can also be something as simple as scheduling a day to do absolutely nothing but sleep in.

Recipe of the Week: BRAISED PORK TROTTER

2011-11-16T01:27:00.000-05:00

Too early for this? or too late :).

For this week's recipe, I am featuring a dish my son loves and can eat everyday. The cuts of the pork should be the trotters but at home, we try to veer away from pork skin. Thus, you cannot see any pork skin in the photo but I assure you that pork trotters with skin are just perfect for this dish. Oh how I miss meat during Lent that I got so excited to cook this over dinner.

Happy Cooking! I shall head on to this site and check some Spring Sferra linens.

BRAISED PORK TROTTERS/PATANG PAKSIW
INGREDIENTS:
Pork trotter or Pata slices
Garlic and
Onions chopped
Spring onion
Bay Leaves
Star anise
soy sauce
rice wine
Szechuan pepper corns or any whole black pepper
Salt
Sugar
Vinegar
Some Water

I am sorry because I do not really measure my ingredients hee hee. Anyway, you can try and taste test while mixing all the ingredients except the Vinegar, into the uncooked pork trotters. Bring to boil. Once the pork is tender, you can add the vinegar. That's it!
Oh and by the way, adding banana bud or blossom into this recipe would make this dish more sumptuous. :)

Clumsy me.

2011-11-12T23:50:00.000-05:00

I am a clumsy person but I am not accident-prone (knocks on wood :P ). You see, as DS and I were exploring our new community yesterday, we met this Puerto Rican grandmother whose granddaughter goes to the same school as DS'. She was telling me about this actos cancer lawsuit lawyer that handles personal injury cases she needs to hire because of a recent personal accident she had. Apparently, it was her 6th accident this year, yay! I guess next time she really needs to be very careful. Good thing there are personal injury lawyers who can legally represent similar cases.

MY DIET FILES: The Tools

2011-11-12T22:41:00.000-05:00

Before I make a research on the cheapest online wire duct supplier, let me share some good news with you. I have lost 9 lbs already, though I am still 8 (+5) lbs away from my weight goal. This is a good progress with my weight loss project. Here's sharing some tools I have been using (doing) as I burn my stubborn fats away.
1.) The first beverage I drink in the morning is a glass of lukewarm water with freshly squeezed lemon. It is known to oxidize the toxins of your body.
2.) I keep a stash of Prunes in our pantry and snack on them, then the loo visit happens hee hee.
3.) I try to eat at least 1 grapefruit a day. The say eating 1 grapefruit before every meal will assure you of 12 lbs weight loss in a year.
4.) On days I binge and indulge on junk foods, I drink 2 cups of Twinnings green tea. I also stick to a cup of coffee in a day and the rest is green tea.
5.) My home workout combination includes PS3 Zumba, Hiphop Abs DVD, and Jillian Michael's 30 day Shred. ***(not in the picture, my 2 lbs dumbells)

6.) It is in the gym where I do most of my Cardio workout. My favorite equipments include abs ball, elliptical, bicycle, and treadmill.

7.) Lastly, I count my food calories intake through the LOSE IT iPhone app. I also turn to MyFitness Calories counter for food not listed in LOSE IT.

I am determined to be fit and reach my weight goal.
I believe I can and therefore, I will.

Hello Monday!

2011-11-07T08:58:00.004-05:00

What a way to start my week. Because of the DST, we all woke up an hour earlier than we should. DS had an hour to prepare for school which he spent playing Legos while I research on Morgan silver dollar. Then hubby prepared my favorite omelette which I call omelette of the champions hahaha.

Spinach ham and cheese omelette, 1 slice of toast and a cup of black coffee.
Bring it on Monday, we are so ready for you. Have a good one y'all!

When taking Medications.

2011-11-04T02:10:00.000-04:00

I am the kind of person who is careful with what medicine to take. In fact, I rarely take medicines even when a Physician prescribed me to take one. I make sure to read the literature and seek for second opinion, probably because of my dad who is very particular with our health.

A friend sent me this link about Crestor lawsuit. Apparently, Crestor can result in serious injuries such as rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdomyolysis is a condition in which damaged skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly. Products of the damaged cells are released into the bloodstream and could destroy your kidneys. No wonder, lawsuits are being filed by many who were afflicted with these serious illnesses.

EXTRA RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Cheese CupCakes

2011-11-03T10:15:00.003-04:00

Growing up, DS was not really into sweets. In fact, I still remember how I would try to force him to eat some chocolates and cakes as often as possible. Yeah, bad momma but I just want him to enjoy sweets while he's young. Until he developed a sweet tooth when he was 4 and from then on, he would always end his lunches or dinners with something sweet or a bar of treats! While I always keep a stash of chocolate bars or brownie fudge or chocolate cupcakes that I baked from scratch, I realized that he might have too much chocolatey=caffeine in his diet. So one weekend, I baked his all time favorite, cheese cupcakes. I have shared this recipe here about a couple of years ago but I want to save you time to search on my archives by reposting the recipe below. I promise, this is something your kids will enjoy without worrying too much of the sugar content. I made a variation of 2 different cheeses: parmesan and sharp cheddar.

Off to check these Pharmacy Technician Jobs. TGIT!

CHEESE CUPCAKES:
1 whole large butter or 1 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
3 medium eggs
1 can condensed milk
1/2 tbsp baking powder
3 cups cake flour or all purpose flour
grated cheese

PROCEDURE: Cream butter, add sugar, 3 eggs (one at a time) and condensed milk. Then add the flour with the baking powder. Mix grated cheese. Then pour the bater in baking cups or loaf pan, place grated cheese on top. Bake at 15-20 minutes at regular heat.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: Blue Cheese and Cress Beef Wellingtons with Broiled Tomatoes, Parsley-Dill Potatoes and Broccolini Spears

2011-11-03T09:54:00.004-04:00

I have lost count on how many times I have said and written how lucky I am to have DH as my husband and bestfriend. Ever since I met him, he never gets tired pampering and spoiling me to bits. Say for instance, dividing the house chores, even if I do love cooking, I enjoy him taking charge of the kitchen. In fact for the past 2 months, he had already taken full-charge of our kitchen. I only cook whenever he would come home late for work or when he has work during the weekends. Sometimes I would doubt if he really loves cooking or maybe he just does not like what I cook for him and DS hee hee. But the down side of this is that I have gained a whopping 5lbs from all the sumptuous dishes he has been preparing for me and DS. I might be tempted to take this best weight loss pill towards the end of this year. tsk tsk.

Anyway, I'll try my very best to share a few of the dishes he has been preparing for us. While most of his dishes seem to be very hard to cook because he really enjoys plating and all, I tell you that most of his recipes are very easy to prepare. Say for instance, this week's recipe. The Total Time is 35 min for Preparation and 15 min to Cook. He watches Rachel Ray shows every now and then and saw this recipe. While the recipe below seems lengthy and hard, if you watch the episode which this Beef Wellington was featured, oh boy it was so easy to make.

Enjoy the recipe and happy cooking!

Ingredients
2 pounds small red or baby Yukon gold potatoes, halved
4 pieces beef tenderloin, 1 1/2 inches thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling, plus 1 tablespoon
Sprinkle all-purpose flour
1 large sheet frozen puff pastry dough, defrosted (recommended: Du Four)
1 bundle watercress, chopped
8 ounces blue cheese get a drier blue that will crumble easily
1 egg beaten with a splash of water
2 vine-ripe tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup Caesar style or garlic flavor large croutons, crushed or processed into crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley leaves
1 large bundle broccolini, trimmed
2 tablespoons butter
2 to 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.

Put the potatoes in a sauce pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, salt the water and cook the potatoes until tender.

Meanwhile, pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Drizzle a little oil into medium skillet and wipe it around with a folded paper towel. Add the beef and brown over medium heat, until it becomes a deep reddish brown, about 3 minutes. Turn the beef and brown for about 2 minutes more. Turn off the heat, then remove the meat to a plate and reserve.

Sprinkle flour on work surface and roll out dough a little, then cut into 4 pieces. Pile a little watercress on each piece of dough, top with crumbles of cheese and some meat. Wrap the dough around the filling and cut a small vent in the top of each parcel. Cover a baking sheet with parchment, arrange the parcels on the baking sheet and brush them with the egg wash, using a pastry brush. Bake until deep golden, about 12 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the parcels rest.

While the parcels bake, bring a couple of inches of water, in a deep-sided skillet, to a boil over medium heat for the broccolini.

Put the broiler on high.

Arrange the tomatoes on small baking sheet and season them with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the crouton crumbs with half of the parsley in a small bowl. Sprinkle the crumbs on the tomatoes and drizzle with a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. When the broiler is hot, put the tomatoes in the center of oven and broil until bubbly and the crumbs are brown, about 3 to 4 minutes.

Salt the boiling water and add the broccolini spears. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, then drain.

Drain potatoes and put them back into the hot pot with the butter, the dill and the remaining parsley. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to combine.

Serve each beef parcel on plates with a broiled tomato half, a few potatoes and a couple of spears of broccolini

keep them handy.

2011-10-21T13:56:00.000-04:00

I may be a sucker for online shopping but I have not tried purchasing medicine or medical needs online. Apart from privacy issues, and the fact that pharmacy company online can have access to your medical record, it is just that there aren't so many sickies at home. Fortunately, we are not sickly family. Would you even believe that our medicine cabinet has not been replenished for a year now? Now I am more worried that maybe some medicines have expired. However, if you want to order any medical needs online such, you might want to visit online pharmacies then there is this website which has a comprehensive listings of medical practitioners such as Ross Tanner DO.

My Diet Files: PROMISE!

2011-10-11T22:57:00.002-04:00

I made my IG friends crave pork skin after I posted this in my IG account a few minutes ago heehee.

"But seriously, tomorrow is the first day of my diet err, tomorrow is the first day of my healthy lifestyle, promise!"

I guess no one will ever believe me anymore as I have been saying this line more than a hundred times same goes when I say that the RayBan aviators would be my last shopping loot for 2011. :P

DC Eats: Chinatown Garden

2011-10-03T23:21:00.000-04:00

Every time we visit Washington, D.C., we never fail to have lunch at the Chinatown. It all started when 2 of our friends from Boston celebrated the 4th of July with us. That was about 2 years ago. We were starving so much from the day's activities that we decided to pig out in a Chinese Restaurant. We just randomly entered Chinatown Garden due to the fact that there was a line outside the entrance and exiting customers seemed happy with the service and food (yes, we asked them :P). So we never really got to enter other Chinese restaurants whenever we visit the city. I guess we were not that adventurous to try the other Chinese restaurants or we were so satisfied with their food that we keep coming back. However, during our visit last month, DH and I decided that would be our last time to dine there. Prices have gone up and unfortunately, one of the servers did not understood our orders and we had to wait a little longer to get the right orders. I do not want to go into so much details anymore but the manager was very kind enough to replace our orders with what we originally ordered. Also, for some reason, we were not too enthusiastic with their dishes anymore except for the soft shell crabs which is a new dish, for that dish alone, I will bug DH to go back there. Anyway, before I make birthday invitations for a friend, here's sharing photos of the food. Makes me crave for soft shell crabs in the middle of the night hee hee.

(the bowl of oranges and of course, the fortune cookies were complimentary :))

Cracked Heels, Dry Skin, Cold Feet.

2011-10-02T23:06:00.000-04:00

So yes, the Autumn season has fully set in and slowly by slowly the temperature has gone down. While I am dreading the colder seasons, I have nothing to do but to actually accept the fact that pretty soon, I need to layer myself with bundles of thermals, scarves and jackets. Last weekend, I have started to unpack the luggage full of Winter coats, scarves and jackets but I think I lack a few more stuff to make sure I can brave the colder seasons. I noticed that I have everything I need for work and traveling during Winter/Autumn but I do not have enough house clothes that could keep me warm especially some bedroom fluffy Ladies Slippers. That, and we do not have enough throw blankets in the living room. Maybe after the Halloween party that DS is going to attend this weekend, we can drop by the mall to grab these cold seasons must-have. If not, I can always visit The White Company and pick a few stuff from this online shopping site.

change of career

2011-09-28T14:52:00.001-04:00

Some people are lucky enough to find what they love doing aka their passion early on in their lives, while others end up finding their passion all of their lives, often wondering what their passion really is. A friend found her passion in Make-up and hairstyling as soon as she sets in her puberty years. However, it is only on her 30th birthday that she decided to educate herself and get a degree from this cosmetology school. Currently, she already finished her degree and has started her own salon business. From time to time, she would also do photoshoots.

So how about you, have you found your passion already?

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 3583 Alpine Avenue NW – Walker, MI 49544

A Good Soup for the Sick.

2011-09-24T19:28:00.000-04:00

Who is under the weather? ME :(
(and I refuse to see people in hospital scrubs, you know what I mean hee hee)
I think everyone is having a hard time coping up with the change of season. When I told my Aunt that I am sick, she said well, there's only 4 people in the clan who is not. Yay!

Here's sharing a chicken soup for the sick I found on the net. Hope you are better this time.

1 (4 pound/2 kilogram) free range or organic chicken
7
ounces (200 grams) tamarind*, broken up
1 piece ginger, sliced
2 red
chiles, seeds removed, 1 chopped and 1 finely sliced
1 red onion, skin on,
sliced
2 sticks lemongrass, bashed, bruised and roughly chopped
1 bulb
garlic, cut in 1/2
1 large bunch fresh coriander
1 (400 ml) can coconut
milk
8 ounces (225 grams) rice noodles
Thai Fish Sauce*
Soy sauce
Drizzle olive oil

SOURCE

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: tamarind candy

2011-09-22T19:18:00.000-04:00

I was craving for Sampalok/Tamarind Candies for 2 weeks now. I did not realize there are ready made being sold at the Asian/Filipino store. Hubby did not bother checking too. Instead, he bought this the other day after checking some Motherboards in a computer shop.

And I transformed them to this yesterday :).

Sampalok is love!
hee hee.

Oh and yes the recipe is quite easy :)
Peel off the tamarind. Dissolve sugar and a bit of flour in a boiling water then mix the peeled tamarind. Add sugar and salt, depending on the consistency and taste you want to achieve.

Prima Taste's Singapore Chilli Crabs: A Review

2011-09-18T18:57:00.003-04:00

I have 2 close friends who are both based in Singapore. I have known them for almost 25 years now, maybe even more. One of them visited me last week and we had a good 3 days spent together in Washington, D.C. while the other one who is working for an insurance company and could not take a leave sent me some goodies from Singapore. I was not aware that Singapore is known for Chili Crabs, I haven't visited the place yet. So when she told me she is sending me this Prima Taste's Singapore Chilli Crabs mix, I could not contain my excitment. Too excited that as soon as we arrived home, DH cooked me some Chilli Crabs for dinner.

My Verdict: it was really good save for it lacks a bit of salt, maybe I just like my crabs salty but the mix itself was good and it was easy to cook. Too bad, crabs is the only seafood I am allergic with so I was not able to indulge so much.

Busy with Pucca

2011-09-05T08:27:00.002-04:00

This is a photo of my Pucca restaurant taken 2 weeks ago, an iPhone app game that I religiously play every single day. By this time around, I have more used restaurant furniture and added 2 more staff in my growing restaurant. I was never into these kinds of mobile games but I just could not resist this one. I guess my yearning to learn how to make dumplings and noodles from scratch made me love this game more.

Have a good week ahead y'all!

I Heart Bread.

2011-08-31T23:52:00.003-04:00

Argh, it's almost 12 midnight and here I am drooling over these carbs!
I should be researching about Arai Helmets and not check on food photos. Oh well, the more I pressure myself to lose weight and diet, the more temptations are hard to resist. But one thing is for sure, until I learn to give up carbs, I will never lose this flabby tummy.

Fred&Friends, pick of the week.

2011-08-20T11:28:00.000-04:00

As I was washing off some dishes this morning, I realized I have been neglecting on our kitchen sink apart from the weld wheels I need to research on! My mom always tell me to make those sink squeaky clean because it is where you wash your dishes and even food. Anyways, I like this bubblescrubber from fredandfriends. I'm sure my son will have a blast blowing bubbles whil I clean off our kitchen sink.

BUBBLE SCRUBBER™
it’s a scrub brush, it’s a bubble wand

Why shouldn’t washing the dishes be just as much fun as charades
or a torrid game of scrabble? Introducing Bubble Scrubber, the
kitchen brush with an anatomically correct bubble wand hidden
right inside the bristles. And, as everybody knows: bubble wand +
dish soap + water = FUN! Hey, maybe you can even get the kids to
do the dishes! Peggable blisters.

Design: Jason Amendolara

©2006 FRED

MY DIET FILES: tick, tock, tick, tock...

2011-08-19T18:52:00.003-04:00

The countdown to my 33rd birthday officially begins tomorrow. This means, I am on my crunch time to reach my weight goal, err maybe even halfway through it hee hee. I guess, I should be back to my veggie and fruit shakes _ soup diet to reach this quite unrealistic weight goal. Oh well, I believe in miracles ^^. Here's wishing you all a happy weekend as I hop on to this site that sells wireless security cameras. Have a good one y'all!

It's Friday, I Indulge.

2011-08-19T18:46:00.002-04:00

Dear Lord, forgive me for I have sinned. I have worked out this morning and burned a total of 2000 calories from going to the gym the whole week. I guess I deserve a little treat. You can blame my boys for letting me wait too long at Starbucks this afternoon. Maybe, just maybe you could bless me with magic corsets that could instantly hide my flabby tummy. Thank you, sincerely, your loving daughter.

=P

MY DIET FILES: 13 to 33

2011-08-12T21:36:00.005-04:00

I need to hit my weight goal before I turn 33, been somewhat derailed for a week now because of several gatherings which of course, food cannot be avoided (looks like I will be needing a diet roadside assistance hee hee). Checkout my collage of food photos which are actually not very good for someone trying to lose weight. I guess it's time for cleansing and rigid workout. I can do this!

Smurfed!

2011-08-05T22:19:00.003-04:00

I have mentioned that for the past 3 weeks, I have been religiously visiting the gym on a daily basis, trying to burn at least 300 calories doing elliptical and treadmill. However, this week, I was a bit derailed because of the boys' schedule and guess what? I even managed to pigged out at Mc Donald's just so I could get hold of these cute Smurfs! Who would be able to resist them when my first memory of funny shirts were customized Smurfs shirts. Oh well, back to fitness routine tomorrow. I need to catch up!

In Stacks or In Scoops

2011-07-31T01:34:00.000-04:00

DS knows that every time we visit the Beach near our home, we had to pass by at Ben&Jerry's and get his favorite ice cream and so we did. I was so good with my diet that I had to skip it even when DS had a lot of left overs :P. Anyway, this reminds me of this entry I did a few years back on Cuisipro® Ice Cream Scoop & Stack! I really think having your ice cream in stack is cool! How was your Saturday? I'm off to check this plantation shutter for now.

Cuisipro® Ice Cream Scoop & Stack

Make delightfully amusing treats with our playful Cuisipro® Ice Cream Scoop & Stack. The scoop & stack creates cylindrical blocks of ice cream that can be decorated or stacked for a colorful and creative presentation. The ergonomic scooper cuts through the hardest ice cream with a simple twist-and-lift action. Push button release. Each scoop holds 3.75 oz ice cream. Dishwasher safe on top rack. Choose from three colors.

9.8 oz.

Plastic,Stainless Steel

Recipe of the Week: CILANTRO CHICKEN SALAD.

2011-07-31T01:30:00.000-04:00

If only I religiously eat cereals and Salad each day for the past 2 months, I'm sure I'd be able to lose all my stubborn fats by now. But I just need my protein, read: steak, adobo, etc... Although, Salad can be that yummy all the time, I still need to train my palate from eating it on a daily basis.

I guess to be able to appreciate Salad, one should learn to do Salad varieties. Here's sharing Cilantro Chicken salad before I check on diamonds international.

CILANTRO CHICKEN SALAD
Prep Time: 10 minutes.

1 (16-oz.) pkg. frozen Asian-style mixed vegetables, thawed and well-drained.
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tbsp finely chopped peanuts

1.)Combine vegetables and chicken in a large bowl.
2.)Mix mayonnaise, cilantro and soy sauce until blended. Pour over vegetable mixture; toss to coat.
3.) Sprinkle with peanuts before serving.

Serves 5.

MY DIET FILES: before I turn 33.

2011-07-20T22:37:00.003-04:00

Before I check on these tire chains for trucks, let me share a little update on my fitness routine.

In about 60 days from now, I shall turn another year older. Every birthday, I promise myself to look good, more so, be fit and healthier. I usually get inspired a couple of months before my birthday and like now, I am back visiting the gym again every single day. I do not have much time to spare in the gym because of work and house chores plus I need to spend quality time with my boys. So everyday, my target is to burn at least 300 calories doing cardio. I really hope to lose 14 lbs before I turn 33.

Boston Eats: FINALE DESSERTS

2011-07-09T17:14:00.004-04:00

Inspired by our most recent Summer getaway, I decided to make restaurant review-entries in this blog. I do not claim to be an expert nor even good at this, but more of sharing my own personal experience on different restaurants I visited. Perhaps when I become so used to making these food reviews, I can move on to gadgets reviews, say 8g ipod nano, haha! Dream on, I will never be a gadget savy blogger.

Anyway, for starters, I am going to review our experience at Finale Desserterie & Bakery. My friends and I were so full from our Skipjack's Seafood Dinner that we decided to order 2 sample dessert platters instead of having 1 slice each of the desserts in their menu.

This Dessert Sampler include: Crème Brûlée, Lemon Roulade, Manjari Mousse, Hot Fudge Sundae, Finale Cheesecake, Boston Cream, Whoopie Pies, Apple Cranberry Tart and Gelati & Sorbet plus a Molten Chocolate.

We also ordered illy coffee and dessert wines to match these sweets.

Everything was beyond expectation. The dessert wines and illy coffee tasted so good and words are not enough to describe how good these desserts samplers were. Service was fast and staff was efficient. We will definitely come back.

Personal Creations

2011-07-09T17:05:00.002-04:00

I chanced upon this site: www.personalcreationscoupons.com, while helping out DH's cousin plans out her wedding souvenirs. We are just extremely happy that we did not rush into ordering her wedding souvenirs because this site offers a lot of choices and they have a lot of discount coupons as well. This include 10% off your whole purchase plus free shipping on orders more than $25. I guess all we need now is to finalize what font to use for their initials which would be engraved in their chosen souvenirs.

When in Boston

2011-07-07T22:51:00.004-04:00

I have so many food photos to share but this will be a quick post for now as I need to check on these horse riding helmets. Most of which I took from our most recent trip to Boston. I swear if I stayed longer there, I could have gotten home weighing double than I am because food there is just extremely good!!! So yes, more food photos later but in the meantime, here's my favorite restaurant in Boston!

What's your Sport of choice?

2011-06-22T17:37:00.004-04:00

My first ever exposure with sports was when my parents gifted me and my brothers with 2 kinds of ping pong tables. Then I fell in love with table tennis and made it to our grade school varsity team. Come to think of it, table tennis or ping pong is the only sport I had. Although I tried volleyball and basketball but I only lasted about a couple of weeks. I bet with my son's love for sports, I would be inclined to choose my current sports of choice as an adult. Running, perhaps?

the culprit!

2011-06-22T17:29:00.002-04:00

Twice a day of this fruity twin popsicles is probably the culprit of my weigh gain yay! I thought this had lesser sugar than ice cream but they are just both fattening! So I guess, I have to work double time with my workout plus daily wii fit, which reminds me to get this wii motionplus so I can hit my weight goal by end of this year.

His & Hers

2011-06-22T17:25:00.002-04:00

Since it was just a few days after Father's day, I guess it is okay to write another article about dear hubby hee hee.

You see, he though me to drink. Drink more water, drink devita for my skincare, drink coffee and yes, drink liquor. So this is a common pair in our living room every weekend. Stella Artois beer for him and half-a-glass of red wine for me.

For Him

2011-06-22T17:20:00.002-04:00

Eversince DH tasted my mom's version of the Thai Noodle Salad, he would always asks me took cook one for him. But, I do not oblige because I do not cook it well as how my mom would prepare it. Last father's day however, I realized that instead of giving him cohiba cigars, surprising him with a video montage + dinner of steak, thai noodle salad and cupcakes would make his day.

This is actually an easy version.
You will need a sotanghon or any thai noodle as your main ingredient.

Saute the ground beef with onions and garlic, season it the way you want until it is soft. Put more water. Remove the beef and boil the noodle in the same water used in cooking the beef for that added taste. Drain when cooked. Separate.

Make the sauce. I do not have exact measurements for this so just mix all these ingredients depending on your taste. Patis (fish sauce), onion leaves, lime (not lemon or kalamansi), chili powder and pepper. Then mix the sauce with the beef and noodles. Garnish with more onion leaves, add tofu preferrably. Then serve.

What is your Passion?

2011-06-11T12:03:00.000-04:00

Some people are lucky enough to find what they love doing aka their passion early on in their lives, while others end up finding their passion when they are too old to even start pursuing it, some end up just wondering what their passion really is. A friend found her passion in Make-up and hairstyling as soon as she sets in her puberty years. However, it is only on her 30th birthday that she decided to educate herself and get a degree from Little Rock beauty school. Currently, she already finished her degree and has started her own salon business. From time to time, she would also do photoshoots.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 2614 South Shackleford Road, Little Rock, AR 72205

Back to Cooking

2011-06-10T14:24:00.000-04:00

I guess my cooking mojo is back. I have been cooking every single day again, buh-bye take outs, fastfood and pizza fix, hello again, homemade meals. In fact, last week, we had some guests at home and here are the dishes I prepared as we talked about the best htc online.

Seafood Carbonara, Potato Herbed Wedges, and Spicy Roasted Steak.
Recipes to follow!

surprise! surprise!

2011-06-10T06:46:00.000-04:00

Sometime last week, I received the package that my DB and SIL sent to us. There was an adult acne treatment which I asked for them to buy in China for a colleague and these goodies they bought while in Shanghai/Beijing! Soooo exotic but oh-so yummy!

Then dear mother sent her freshly-baked revel bars. Oh mommy why do these have to come when I am on a diet hee hee. Anyway, it was a beautiful week and I hope this coming week would be equally beautiful if not better :). Have a good one everyone!

Pick 1.

2011-06-09T21:39:00.000-04:00

A blogger/twitter friend and ex-colleague turned kumare to his son, Cobi, A sent me this box of Goldilocks polvoron as one of her many pasalubongs from Manila. I immediately took a photo of it in my instagram and shared it in my flickr account, knowing my asus computer is not working hence I cannot upload photos from my camera.

She must really know me well because this is the only polvoron flavor I eat, yes, CLASSIC. I do not like all the other flavored-polvoron especially the ones with nuts. Can you guess how many days this box lasted? :P.

Personal Injury

2011-06-08T23:41:00.000-04:00

While I was going through some pending project proposals I decided to take a break and surf. I chanced upon the site of this Austin Personal Injury Attorney who handles personal injury accidents.

This made me recall the incident in one of the gasoline station Stores/Cafes near our place. My son was just a baby at that time and I was carrying him on one hand and the other hand was carrying a plastic bag of snacks which we will munch on our way to Tagaytay. As I exited the gasoline store, I slipped! It was a painful hit on the floor, I swear! No one from among the store employees not even the guards helped me out. I argued with the nearest staff I saw and told him that they should have placed a warning that the floor was wet or they should do the cleaning on not-so busy schedule like wee hours of the morning or late at night. He was apologetic though but I did not feel the concern from his part. I could have hired a personal injury lawyer if my son was hurt.

O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949

Mutant Strawb

2011-05-30T01:47:00.002-04:00

After untangling my niece-in-law's gold chains, we prepared strawberry shake for DS and his little cousins. Until we saw this humongous strawberry from the basket of strawberries which were freshly picked by DH's Aunt. The kids were so amazed including me. I can compare it with a small-sized apple. Have you seen a huge strawberry as big as this?

sleepover

2011-05-28T22:53:00.001-04:00

During our overnight stay at a hotel in D.C., my friend, G and I talked about our beauty regimen and shared our vanity kits. I was telling her that I have been looking for ways to get rid of my dark circles. In fact, I cleaned my face in front of her and she saw how dark my circles are. I know that I may have developed the expertise in concealing those dark circles but that does not stop me from looking for ways to get rid of them on a permanent basis.

Magic Jack

2011-05-28T22:49:00.002-04:00

It's been almost 2 years since my folks got their Magic Jack from my brother. You see, because of this kind of communication technology, my mom would call me every single day even 2-3 times a day talking about everything under the sun, from mundane things like their water pumps restoration to serious issues. I just cannot imagine my life without these daily calls from my folks and siblings. MJ sure does lessen the homesickness I feel from time to time.

And then there's Viber app for my iPhone. A tool I used to talk to my friends overseas for free! Of course, they should have an iPhone too to be able to use the app.

Grocery Staples

2011-05-01T06:34:00.003-04:00

Don't you just love grocery-shopping? I do, in fact, I could go out of control if I do not come with a grocery list. However, even without a list, I already know what I need to get, I just have to be reminded that I should stick within the budget :P. So here's sharing my top 3 grocery staples before I check shindaiwa blowers online.

These are: Fruit cups, Salmon and Mangoes!

Advance Happy Easter

2011-04-22T10:48:00.005-04:00

I cannot believe this, I survived 44 days without rice, any kind of meat, chocolates, soda and junk foods/chips. In 2 days time, I will celebrate Easter with all the food I missed :). I must say that the sacrifice was all worth it.

Today is Black Friday and I am still working, yes no Holy Week holiday here in my neck of the woods. But I promised myself to leave an hour earlier today, I just hope that my research on this Topamax lawsuit will be finished asap. In the meantime, here's wishing you all a Happy and Blessed Easter!

O’Hanlon, McCollom & Demerath – Personal Injury Lawyers – 808 West Avenue, Austin, TX. 78701 – 512-494-9949

New Workout from Jillian Michaels

2011-04-21T14:01:00.000-04:00

Remember this Jillian Michaels' 30 day Shred workout entry I wrote about early last year? Sad to say I am still on Level 1. I keep going back to doing level 1 because I cannot sustain level 2, much more level 3. But since I have already been working out in the gym for a good 3 weeks now, I guess I can move up to Levels 2 & 3 and eventually buy this--->the newly released Jillian Michaels: Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. (yes, I am willing to punish myself like that just so I can avoid diet pills for women :P)
Obviously, I am a huge fan of Jillian Michaels, why? Because she has this commanding voice tone that makes me never want to give up once on it. This new workout DVD is said to be super HARDCORE with a total of 59 minutes of plyometric exercises combining them with circuit training and explosive jumps! According to various reviews, this new one makes the 30-day shred like a small time exercise routine yay!!! Now, are you ready for it? Check out this workout details as lined up by MakeUpAndBeautyBlog.com:

The workout
Warm up: arm circles, toe touches, arm swings and jogging in place
Circuit one: squatting side kicks on the right side, squatting with alternating punches, squatting side kicks on the left side, a jab-cross-hook-elbow combination and alternating front kicks
Circuit two: burpies, plie hops (the former dancer in me loves these, they totally make your butt burn), a punch-hop combination, 180-degree jumps and single-leg hops
Circuit three: butt kicks, high knees, jumping jacks, oblique crunches on the right side and oblique crunches on the left side
Circuit four: mountain climbers, lower back and leg raises, pike crunches, oblique twists and a walking plank (hurts so good!)
Circuit five: swing kicks, uppercuts, back kicks, squatting with a jab-cross combo and knee crunches
Circuit six: jump squats, cross-country skiing, scissor kicks, skaters and standing mountain climbers
Circuit seven: twisting jumps, standing ab crunches, knee crunches on the right side, knee crunches on the left side and jump rope
Cool down: a five minute cool-down stretch

MY DIET FILES: My Lenten Sacrifice

2011-04-19T22:41:00.000-04:00

I realized that I have not been posting any update under this category. So yes, I am still struggling to go back to my pre-wedding weight but I am optimistic that this year, I'd be able to do it :). Aside from food portion control and working out at least 3 times a week (combination of treadmill, running, Jillian Michaels' DVDs and hiphop abs workout), I have also sacrificed a lot of food this Lenten season. Hoping to lose a few lbs after Easter. So here's a rundown list of what I have sacrificed this year before I check these document scanning services:

Rice
Chocolates
Junkfood
Meat (beef, pork and chicken)
Soda

Oh My Mangoes!

2011-04-10T05:20:00.002-04:00

Since I have been missing out a lot of fun in my food list this Lenten season, I make sure to stock up with a lot of fruits. Name every fruit in Costco or Sam's and I have eaten them in heaps of volume last month and this month. Then 2 days ago, while we were looking for a step stool at Sam's, these I saw!!!

Not at par with the Philippine Mangoes but good enough to satisfy my sweet tooth cravings :).

almost there

2011-04-06T20:48:00.002-04:00

As I have mentioned HERE, my Lenten sacrifice includes skipping rice, chocolates, soda, all meat-chicken, beef and pork and junkfood. A colleague asked me while we were making college flags if I have gone crazy already hee hee. I admit that there are days my mood swings are bad, read: cranky and I lack energy at the end of the day but all for the Glory of God. I just cannot wait for Easter Sunday because I know DH will treat me to an Eat-All-You-Steak Easter lunch hee hee :P.

How's Lenten Sacrifices going?

Recipe of the Week: Sauteed Beef Tenderloin

2011-03-05T18:23:00.003-05:00

Hopefully, I could go back to doing this weekly :) I'll try my very best to post as many recipes as I could. Remember, I don't post recipes I haven't tried. Here's Sauteed Beef Tenderloin for now as I need to check this Table Rock real estate. Be back with more recipes!

BEEF TENDERLOIN SAUTE

Prep Time: 10 Minutes, Cooking Time: 10 Minutes

Serves: 4

4 beef tenderloin steaks cut 1 inch thick (1 lb total)

2 tbsp teriyaki sauce

1 tbsp chopped fresh gingerroot

1 tbsp lime juice

1 tsp. vegetable oil

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1.) Place beef in plastic bag with teriyaki sauce, ginger, lime juice, 1 teaspoon oil and pepper. Turn to coat well. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain beef and pat dry.

2.) in nonstick skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add beef to skillet and cook 3-4 minutes per side or to desired doneness.

3. Serve with fresh vegetables.

The Oscar Diet Plan

2011-03-05T18:16:00.003-05:00

Have you watched the most recent Oscar awards night? While many would blog about how painful it was to watch the young and hip hosts, Anne Hathaway and James Franco, I actually enjoyed it! Now here's something I got from Access Hollywood, what stars would do weeks before Oscar night. This is the Oscar Diet Plan! Off to check this hcg platinum for now.

6 Days To Oscars:
One week before the event, it’s recommended to eat foods that are powerful cleansing and antimicrobial. The following foods help reduce redness and detoxify the skin:
1. Artichokes: act as anti-inflammatory agents for the skin 2. Strawberries: acts as an astringent and helps remove surface discoloration from your teeth. 3. Honey: improves blood flow to the skin.
4 Days To Oscars:
At this time, you need anti-inflammatory foods and foods rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, like salmon, chia seeds and flaxseeds. Here’s one of Keri’s suggested masks for an irritated skin:
“Apply 1 tbsp of flaxseed oil directly onto skin. This will smooth and restore moisture to dry, thirsty skin. Try putting a few drops of flaxseed oil in your favorite moisturizer for added help for inflamed, irritated skin.”
2 Days To Oscars:
Eat fruits rich in antioxidants to increase the elasticity of your skin.
“Selenium is an antioxidant that can help prevent cellular damage, helping your hair stay healthy and supple. Foods to add to your diet are Brazil nuts and tuna,” Keri explains.
24 Hours To Oscars:
Drink lots of water to hydrate your body and eliminate toxins. This also makes you skin look healthy.

wood hunt

2011-03-05T18:10:00.003-05:00

Have I mentioned that my husband is fascinated with any furniture for as long as they are based from wood? Yes, even log furniture! I was telling him that he should not be patronizing those because of environmental reasons but nothing would stop him from checking affordable and uniquely-designed home wood furniture. But I have to give him credit for choosing only the best wood furniture for our home.

V.2

2011-03-05T18:06:00.003-05:00

After this entry, I will need to edit my cousin's resume. She is looking forward to land any of these administrator jobs. Her resume has been sitting in my desk for over 2 weeks now and I just need to work on it later. I really hope that she'd be able to land a job after I edit her CV. Afterall, it has already been almost 4 years of nonstop job-hunting.

Spring Cleaning.

2011-03-05T17:53:00.000-05:00

I just took a break from our first and very early Spring cleaning. Sometimes I wish we had laminate flooring as it would be easier to just wipe the dirt away rather than vacuuming them. Also, DH did a lot of cupboard reorganizing in the kitchen which only means one thing to me, I need to be reoriented with the kitchen arrangement again.

Whew! What a tiring but productive Saturday!

shortcut

2011-03-04T22:58:00.004-05:00

My in-laws have been visiting us more regularly now. Since we moved to a new community, they were hesitant to visit because of the distance. But apparently, they discovered this shortcut route that would make them skip 2 exits. Yesterday, they were here to drop a huge roasted turkey, yum! I bet this turkey would last us more than 2 weeks. They were in such awe of the pendant lighting that DH installed in the living room. Of course, we got them on sale! I bet this coming Sunday, they would come again for a surprise Brunch visit.

Antipasti Ideas and Cheese

2011-03-02T11:50:00.006-05:00

I am currently looking for a good antipasti recipe and cooking ideas that I would bring for our small gathering this weekend. Mostly, dishes will be Mediterranean since the couple we are sending off are Greek. Of course an antipasti would include some cheese string, with special request of light cheese from the guests who are coming, yes, we are all counting our calories this time of the year :). Hello Spring and Summer seasons!

While I was looking for an affordable supplier of string cheese online, I came across these very easy antipasti recipes, the Manicotti Cordon Blue and some Antipasti skewers at Sargento.com. They also supply all kinds of cheese and I am pretty sure dear hubby who loves wine and cheese would be delighted to check the site. The site also gives out nutritional facts for every product they sell. I guess I now have 2 antipasti to bring this weekend. One item off my checklist! Ahh, this is going to be a crazy exciting weekend. Everyone cannot wait to enjoy the warmer season this weekend.

Recipe of the Week: BEEF & MANGO FAJITAS

2011-02-20T15:05:00.003-05:00

For this week's recipe, I am sharing something that me and my in-laws would always cook out when we have barbeque parties. Yes, because Spring is just around the corner and we will have a lot of barbeque weekends once again.

I have yet to upload a photo of my own Beef&Mango Fajitas so come back as this entry will be edited. I am just too busy to upload them now. (which includes: checking these best wrinkle ream my cousin-in-law is bugging to check me out) I won't keep you long so check out the recipe below :). And oh yes, I try to substitute Mangoes with Peaches as Mangoes are hard to find here.

BEEF & MANGO FAJITAS
Prep Time: 10 Minutes

1 lb. beef sirloin steak, cut 1 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tbsp fajita seasoning
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
1 cup thinly sliced red onion
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 cups sliced mango (or peaches)
1.) Trim fat from steak, if necessary. Place steak in resealable plastic bag. For marinade mixture, stir together oil, lime juice, fajita seasoning, and oregano. Refrigerate 2 tablespoons of the marinade mixture; pour remainder over meat. Seal bag; refrigerate 4-24 hours, turning occasionally.

2.) Preheat grill to medium. Place onion slices on 18-inch square of heavy-duty foil. Drizzle with reserved marinade mixture. Bring up 2 opposite sides of foil and seal with double fold. Fold remaining ends to completely enclose, leaving space for steam to expand. Wrap tortillas separately in heavy-duty foil.
3.) Drain steakl discard marinade. Grill steak 14 to 18 minutes for medium-rare or to desired doneness, turning once. Add foil package of onions to grill during last 10 minutes of grilling time. Add wrapped tortillas during last 5 minutes.
4.) Thinly slice meat. Serve with onions and sliced mango in warm tortillas.
Serves 4.

The Young at Heart

2011-02-20T14:34:00.004-05:00

Dear hubby and I were practically together for a good 24 hours during Valentines. We know that we won't be celebrating it in a grand way because we were saving up for the glass mosaic tile for our humble abode.

First off, we grabbed a quick sushi lunch while waiting for DS' Valentines celebration.

Afterwards, we joined DS and the rest of the class for their Valentines celebration and had these for our dessert.

To cap off the day, I bought half a dozen of these for my boys in return of the sweet stuff they surprised me, read: paper flower bouquet, handwritten cards and candy corn greeting surprise.

How did you celebrate your Valentines?

2 weeks ago

2011-02-20T14:27:00.003-05:00

Two weeks ago, I had this nasty sore throat which resulted to tonsillitis and fever that I had no choice but to skip work. I took advantage of the time to research on personalized baby gifts for a work. While on my sick leave since I will be useless at work as no voice was coming out of my mouth, dear hubby was so kind enough to come home for lunch and cooked salmon with dill&asparagus sauce for lunch. I was so surprised that I was well the next day :).

Celebrity Moms and Staying Fit

2011-02-20T14:21:00.002-05:00

I wrote an entry about how Celebrities lose Weight, now here is another one that would inspire all moms out there to keep staying fit and learn a thing or two on how to reduce belly fat from these celebrity moms. I snagged this from Shape.com. We can do this mommies!

Jennifer Garner
When taking her family to the park, Jennifer Garner joins right in with the fun. Women who play along with their kids on the playground can burn up to 200 calories in just 45 minutes.

Cindy Crawford
Cindy Crawford likes to frolic on the beach with her daughter, chasing her through the sand and water. Running on sand would certainly make a great leg workout.

Reese Witherspoon
Reese Witherspoon has been seen shopping with her son, picking up things like a big red kickball. Dressed in a sporty outfit herself, it suggests that Reese might enjoy playing some of those sports with her family. Qaulity family fun and a great workout, who could ask for more?

Jessica Alba
Jessica Alba pushes her toddler in the swing, which is a great workout for the arms and possibly the legs too since she stands barefoot in the sand to do it.

Kendra Wilkinson
Although, Kendra Wilkinson‘s own son isn’t old enough to run around a game field yet, she has gotten together with friends and enjoyed a game of soccer with their kids.

Heidi Klum
Heidi Klum is certainly one busy angel, but she finds time to stay fit playing with her family. She’s been seen recently helping her children stay on the their feet at an ice rink. Just half an hour of ice skating can burn around 242 calories, but she must be getting tummy scrunches in too as she picks up her child.

Drink Milk.

2011-02-17T23:09:00.002-05:00

I was meaning to make a review on apple iphones but I am too tired and sleepy that I could not come up with a decent post. So yeah, I'll do that tomorrow along with my recipe of the week entry. In the meantime, I need to drink my milk while wishing for this milk pitcher.

Have a fabulous weekend everyone!

Finishing off Early.

2011-02-10T10:27:00.000-05:00

Have you ever thought of retiring early?
Yes, DH and I both wanted to retire early and enjoy the fruits of our labor so we are planning out our future carefully. Speaking of, a friend who has a very well-planned life has been making good investment returns. She said that investing in gold or when you Buy Gold Krugerrands got to be one of the best decisions she has ever made. In fact, during our last dinner, she was very keen at introducing to me all the different types of bullion and where we could buy gold. These gold coins are precious metal that could be invested. They say that gold and silver bullions are wiser investments than CDs and stock options because the nominal value never depreciates. I have yet to study the mechanics of these investments and if we decide to invest on these gold coins, I will let you know how promising the returns. After all, we all want to be careful with the money that we worked so hard for.

CNY Dishes.

2011-02-04T22:16:00.002-05:00

I almost forgot to send out positive jujus and greet you all a Happy Chinese New Year as I was too excited to check out these pet beds.

So what dishes did you prepare last Thursday?
We only had simple dishes prepared. Here they are:

A Soupy Chopsuey for continuous blessings.

Red Grapes for More Moolah!

and Pancit Canton for Long life!

Prosperity and Good Health to all of us!

cravings

2011-02-04T22:07:00.004-05:00

It's almost 10 pm and my cravings are beating me up! Hello food delivery!

Yikes, I better ignore these cravings if I do not want those burned calories at the gym be put to waste. So maybe posting photos of the food I am craving for at this moment would help?

The Best Chocolate Chips in the World!

My weekly Red Velvet cupcake, drool!

and lastly, my weekly sushi serving.

Recipe of the Week: GRILLED ROSEMARY LEMON CHICKEN WITH HERBED COUSCOUS

2011-02-04T21:20:00.002-05:00

Last weekend, DH and I visited the nearest Fresh Market after checking out ring mandrel and I was able to snag 3 boxes of couscous. I haven't bought one ever but I have always loved morrocan dishes. So I relied on the recipe in the box and made a little twist to this recipe by grilling the whole chicken and adding brown sugar and terriyaki sauce in the basting. It came out really good! DS loves couscous better than his regular white steamed rice. Happy Weekend!

Lemon-Rosemary Chicken with Herbed Couscous

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon fresh or dried rosemary, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon lemon juice, divided
1 package Near East herbed chicken couscous
1. Bring 1 & 3/4 cups of water to a boil in a small saucepan. When the water comes to a boil, add the couscous, spice sack, 1/2 teaspoon of rosemary, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and cover. Set aside.

2. Pound chicken breasts to 1/4 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and rosemary. Dredge in dried bread crumbs. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and cook, turning once, until the chicken is browned on all sides and heated through (about 9-11 minutes).

3. Mix white wine and lemon juice together in a small bowl. When chicken is cooked through, carefully add the wine/lemon mixture to the pan. Cook for 1-2 more minutes until liquid is gone.

4. Fluff couscous with a fork and serve with chicken.

moments

2011-01-22T11:04:00.002-05:00

There are still days that I lurk on beauty sites and make-up websites just to be updated with the latest trends and the current season's colors. Every time I do this, I would still wonder, can I still be the make-up artist I used to be? While I know for a fact that I would forever love dolling up someone else's face, I am not sure if I will have time for this other passion or even enhance my skills by attending make-up schools such as the Regency Beauty Institute. I honestly do not know the answer right now because my focus is my current work and my family but if and when that time comes, I will let you know and of course, I will be glad to do your make-up. For now, you will read some make-up related entries from time to time.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com or contact Regency Beauty Institute – 10217 North Metro Parkway West – Phoenix, AZ 85051

neat

2011-01-20T10:46:00.000-05:00

Before I check on this cheapest phenphedrine, let me share this photo I grabbed from a friend's blog.

Now this is really neat, I can relate to how tiring it can be to maintain a clean house. My boys love bread and most of the time the bread crumbs are everywhere! But I need to find a well-behaved bird that would stand still and wait for any bread crumbs to eat. hee hee.

when oh when

2011-01-20T10:39:00.000-05:00

I have been craving for these French macarons for almost a year now, like how long DH has been looking for an electronic muscle stimulation. I have searched and searched for a nearby supplier but none of them sells this kind of macarons. They have the ones with the coconut. I guess I have no choice but to order a dozen online, I deserve to treat my sweet tooth especially after completing my 7-day Spiritual Fasting and Prayer.

34.

2011-01-19T10:51:00.003-05:00

Someone's celebrating his 34th birthday real soon and this person deserves more than just a men's clothing piece because of the hardwork and unconditional love he gives to his family. Yes, dear hubby's birthday is fast approaching and I should prepare something special this year, a surprise party or give him his dream watch? Yay, I think I will just surprise him with a party because I do not have enough funds for his dream watch :P.

supplements

2011-01-19T10:36:00.003-05:00

I realized that when DS stopped taking his vitamins, simply because we ran out of stocks, that's when he gets sick more often. Yay! I cannot wait for my mom to come and bring all of his vitamins so I'd have a healthy son again. That and also this harsh weather is making us all sick and tired most of the day.

planning for a vacation

2011-01-19T10:27:00.001-05:00

A friend sent me a copy of her Outer Banks vacation rentals package. While it may be very affordable and enticing to instantly grab it, I just had to decline the offer because DH and I have other things in mind this year. Aside from getting a second car, we are also planning for 3 trips this year. So I guess it is important to focus on these goals so as not to be tempted easily.

next year

2011-01-19T10:23:00.002-05:00

Wow! It is only this week that my friends in Europe and Canada received the Christmas greeting cards and presents I sent out in the mail. And so I thought the electric blanket I sent to my friend will be in time for Winter but looks like she will be able to use it only for a few more weeks. This surprises me because I did the mailing early enough to give allowance to postal delays. Hmmm.

Does this mean I should start sending out Christmas cards in October instead??? :P

the last bite.

2011-01-10T09:13:00.001-05:00

Hubby's Suman Latik is to die for. How many times will I say that??? :P.

I am glad that the last serving of this Suman Latik is finished and guess what, I was the only one who finished the whole plate! Now, I dread that visit on our weighing scale. Maybe February would be a good time to visit it.

Now, that the Holidays leftover is almost finished, I should try to focus on my weight loss (*coughs!) plan and on other things in my list, such as research on this pci compliant hosting. I am claiming that this year, I will be able to finally reach my pre-wedding weight!

Recipe of the Week: DEEP FRIED FISH WITH BLACK SESAME SEEDS

2011-01-10T09:11:00.002-05:00

Hurrah, I'm early to post my recipe of the week :). I want to try this recipe my mom (as usual) sent me. I think DH would be relieved that there would have some variation in my fried fish dishes! Enjoy this recipe guys! I'll whip this dish after I check on some personalized baseball bats online.

DEEP FRIED FISH WITH BLACK SESAME SEEDS
Ingredients.
300 grams white fish ( fillet, stake or whole)
salt to taste
1 small piece ginger
egg white
corn flour for dusting
¼ teaspoon black sesame seeds
oil to cook
Procedure: In a fish add salt, ginger, lime juice, dust with flour then with white egg white then fry.

Sauce
1 fresh red chili
1 fresh green chili
1 tablespoon sugar
½ cup water
salt to taste
3 teaspoon corn flour
calamansi juice
Procedure: In a pan, add sugar, red and green chili, add small amount of water about ½ cup then boil add a little bit of lime juice or vinegar then add corn flour then pour over to fish arranged in a platter and drizzle with black sesame seed.

Bring it on 2011.

2010-12-27T10:34:00.002-05:00

This would probably be my last entry for 2010. If I fail to greet you a Happy Christmas last week, which I am pretty sure you had a good one, I will not pass this day to greet you all an Advance Happy New Year!

So we decided to keep it low this New Year. Christmas has been a little extravagant because we had to spend it outside of our house, in a themepark, a dinner out and the some more splurging. DH and I decided that we are not going to spend a single cent for our New Year's celebration. We are going to cook whatever food is left in our fridge.

Here's the line up of our New Year's menu:

Roast Beef
Seafood Paella
Lasagna
Suman
Brazo De Mercedes
Broken Glass (a gelatin dessert)

That's it! Now, all I need is to look for an urban clothing to match our family's outfit this year. Have a good one everyone!

LECHON, fail!

2010-12-23T23:25:00.002-05:00

After almost 3 years of craving for lechon, I still could not have one on our Noche Buena, boo hoo. I should have used a spotting scope to find a supplier in our side of the woods because just when I saw one, they are not selling this time of the year due to lack of demand waaah! I guess, I'd just enjoy the crispy pata that my in-law is whipping tomorrow. Oh well.

I wish you all the most festive Christmas ever!

Recipe of the Week: YEMA BALLS

2010-12-23T23:22:00.002-05:00

*Cough, cough!
Ahm, I think I am getting the sniffles again. Blame on this recurring sore throat due to too much sweets this Holidays :P. Thanks to my friends who included chocolates and candies in the gift baskets they sent us :P. Now, if you think you ran out of sweet goodies to bake this Yuletide season, check out this Yema Balls recipe I got from Nell.

Mix 6 eggyolks, 1 can of condensed milk and 1 cup of sugar in a double-boiler until sticky enough to make balls then dip in caramelized sugar. In this photo, they dip it in the simple sugar.

Enjoy your dose of sugar yay!

Photo Credit: PurplePantry.com.

White or Yellow Gold.

2010-12-22T11:23:00.000-05:00

Ever since I got here, I have completely forgotten about my gold jewelries. I noticed people here are not so fan of the yellow gold jewelries. Most of them wear fancy accessories or silver. Maybe Asians do really have a thing for yellow gold. I used to really love yellow gold because of the orientation I got from my mom, but when I started buying my own jewelries, I developed a love affair on white gold.

Jewelries are really good investments, they never depreciate. Then came a friend who told me that you can also invest on gold coins! If you are interested on investing on gold bullion and where to buy gold bullion, check out USGoldBureau.com for more.

One of Those memes...

2010-12-17T09:42:00.000-05:00

Got this from the salad caper.

1)What do you miss eating?
- Anything Pinoy (LECHON, SISIG etc...), most especially dishes whipped by my mom.

2) What do you want to receive on your birthday?
- I've already got my Birthday wish. How about, a term life insurance package :P.
.
3) Reach your hand out to the right. What do you touch?
- my clutter :)
.
4) What time did you sleep last night?
- almost 1am.

5) What’s the wallpaper on your computer?
- this computer I am using now has a default wallpaper I cannot change.

6) What can you hear besides the computer?
- My colleagues ranting about the weather.

7) What is your favorite line to say when bored?
- hmmm, nothing?

8) When was the last time tears started to roll down your cheek?
- I forgot but it was this month. I was getting frustrated over something.

9) The last person you were on the phone with?
- Mrs. R.

10) What makes you frustrated?
- Unable to deliver.

icetris icecube

2010-12-17T01:56:00.000-05:00

We experienced flurries for the past 2 days already but I really wish the snow would fall to lessen the wind chill. I picked up DS this afternoon in school, because I had to file undertime as I had a throbbing headache, must be because of the cold. Also, I must refrain from drinking water with ice as my throat's starting to hurt.

Speaking of ice cubes containers, check out this ICETRIS from Fred and Friends. Okay, off to do some green cleaning in our freezer. Happy Monday!

PC Games in your freezer!
Make ice cubes with Icetris!
Drop them into your glass and play tetris!

news channels

2010-12-16T09:54:00.002-05:00

Everyday, I make it a point to tune it at a local TV News Channel and CNN to get updated with what is going on economically and politically. I used to be tuned in all day and all night to TFC but I realized I needed to get updates from where I am. Just as I thought the economic stature is getting right on track, I am wronged. I heard that Michigan's unemployment rate has risen up from 1% in May to 15%. Yay! Anyways, on the lighter side of things, banks have started to lend money again and this makes people realign their investments. Some would even invest on silver and gold coins. If you think, you need to educate yourself on this kind of investment, or you simply want to learn the ins and outs of investing in gold bullion, you can visit United States Gold Bureau for more information, who knows, maybe tomorrow, you'd be ready to buy gold coins and bullion.

Recipe of the Week: SMOKEY CHILI WITH PASTA

2010-12-14T09:03:00.000-05:00

Apologies for not being consistent with posting my weekly Recipe sharing entries :). To make up for that, I promise to post 3 recipes before this week ends. Let's begin with this Smokey Chili Pasta recipe. This is a healthy whip, you would not dread to visit the scales after eating this dish.

SMOKEY CHILI WITH PASTA

INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups (about 6 ounces) rotelle or rotini pasta, cooked
1 Pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cans (about 15 ounces each) red kidney beans
2 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup
2 tablespoons Hershey's Cocoa
2 1/4 teaspoons chili powder
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
Grated parmesan cheese (optiona)

1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.
2. Meanwhile, cook ground beef and onion until meat is throughly done and onion is tender. If necessary, drain fat.
3. Stir in undrained kidney beans, soup, cocoa, chili powder, pepper and salt. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Stir in hot pasta; heat throughly. Serve with Parmesa cheese, if desired.

***makes 8 serving.

RECIPE OF THE WEEK: chicken popcorn from scratch

2010-12-13T01:47:00.000-05:00

When it comes to DS' lunchables, as much as possible I try to make everything from scratch. I find frozen foods filled with preservatives and my mom won't stop from reminding me about this, especially since my son is the one who will eat. So I make french fries, meatballs, fish sticks, chicken nuggets etc... from scratch.

So here's sharing my chicken popcorn from scratch before I head off and check this acne treatment.

***Debone your chicken then slice them like half of a fillet chicken.
Marinate with Patis (yes, I have been using patis since I've learned that is
Max's Chicken secret ingredient), pepper, chicken seasoning, garlic. When you
are ready to fry, dip in scrambled egg first then dip in flour mixture and
fry. You can also alternate scrambled egg with fresh milk to make it crispier.

busy.

2010-12-12T12:40:00.001-05:00

I cannot believe that we only have barely 2 weeks before Christmas. I bet I am not the only one who gets busier each day. In fact, I was too busy and probably, stressed that a zit has grown on my forehead. I might need those reliable best natural acne treatment just to make sure that this zit would go away in time for our family reunion. I need to breathe and enjoy this relaxed Sunday for now and be fully energized when I come back to the grind on Monday.

People in Scrubs

2010-12-07T09:35:00.002-05:00

Having a healthcare career is turning to be more than just an option these days. My friends who have shifted careers and are already registered nurses told me that more than just the lucrative pay, it is more of their passion that keeps them going. I think it is very important for people in this field to really love what they are doing because afterall, it's a tough job to be in.

Give Thanks.

2010-11-29T01:29:00.003-05:00

How was your Thanksgiving Feast?

Originally, DH and I planned to eat out and take DS to his favorite hangout place, this nearby theme park. We wanted a quiet celebration so we declined invitation from our in-laws and some of DH's colleagues. All of a sudden, DH was itching to cook salmon, turkey and steak and so he went to the market.

This was how our table looks like. Well, after less than 2 days, we had zero leftovers, yes including the pecan cheesecake. No wonder I am seriously reading these fat burner reviews a few hours ago.

I made the Roasted Turkey Breast. This was a Premium Basted Jennie-O's and I tried my very best to replicate my mom's stuffing recipe. I also made mashed potato and macaroni salad, the rest was DH's.

He made baked salmon in dill.

Then he wanted to try his new griller, hence this grilled salmon and grilled steak.

Most of the bargain-hunting we did were online thus, it was a restful Thanksgiving weekend. Have a blessed week ahead everyone and yes, Happy Holidays!

F Loot: kitchen gadgets.

2010-11-29T01:05:00.004-05:00

Burp. Excuse me as I look for slimming pills that work, hee hee. I gave in to my cravings and indulge myself with nonstop feasting for the past 4 days now. Before I share what we had for Thanksgiving, I am happy to share that finally we were able to score these kitchen goodies at such good deals! When DH and I passed by the Prime Outlet and saw these, we didn't think twice and grab them right away. We actually bought these on a Wednesday so come Black Friday we were determined not to go to the outlet anymore nor do any shopping, but online deals were too hard to resist so yes, I am 99% done with my Christmas shopping. And you? How was your bargain-hunting?

Honey Fix.

2010-11-20T11:30:00.002-05:00

Sick has been going around lately, thankfully not at home but sadly, in my son's Kindergarten class. I guess it's time to update those Blue Cross Blue Shield NC.

I found out that Honey is one of the best cough suppressants. Even my dad used to let me drink Honey when I have a whopping cough. Although, I dislike taking one because it can get very sticky on your throat, it works for me. As for my son what I would do if he dislike taking them directly, I mix it with water or his juice.

No spoonful of sugar needed to help this medicine go down. Honey has been around for centuries as a food and a medicine. It has antimicrobial properties, so it's really the first antibiotic ointment. It's good in coffee. It comes in those cute little bear jars. I don't really have anything bad to say about honey, but does it cure coughing?
Answer: No, but there is evidence that honey keeps coughing down better than over the counter cough suppressants.

By far, this is the best explanation I have read as to why Honey can be a cough suppressant.

Honey was tested against dextromethorphan, a common cough suppressant, to
determine which was better at calming coughs in kids. Researchers compared
honey, dextromethorphan and nothing at all. None of them cured cough altogether.Coughing is complicated. There are a lot of things going on in the brain, the throat, the windpipe and the lungs that combine to trigger coughing. Curing a cough is about fixing the underlying problem. Honey doesn't cure anything, but it looks like it is the best bet for getting a little relief at night.

In the study, dextromethorphan didn't do any better than nothing at all. Honey did, but the difference wasn't amazing.

So, basically, honey is better than nothing at all. In this study the kids took the honey straight by the spoonful and they took buckwheat honey, a darker variety with more antioxidant properties than lighter honey. The kids were also supposed to drink a hot beverage after the honey dose.

I've seen lots of recipes for honey cures. Sometimes it's mixed with lemon juice, which sounds good but wasn't tested here.

Currently, there is no cure for coughing. Since kids shouldn't take cough medicine, there aren't a lot of options to get relief.

Honey might be right for your child. Remember that honey should never be given to infants; they could get a botulism infection from it. Only give it to kids older than a year and don't expect miracles. SOURCE

More on Gold.

2010-11-20T11:25:00.000-05:00

I know I may have talked about Precious Metals, gold coins, bullions and how through US Gold Bureau you can buy gold bullion or other precious metals and coins many times already in this blog. I have also mentioned before how you can benefit from these coins and metals, through wise investments. You see, I had friend who is seriously considering these precious metal and gold coins as her top priority forms of investments. He has been really saving up for his future family and he can get paranoid when it comes to handling his finances. With all the talks on the global economic crisis, he wants to pull out some of his savings from the banks as he said it might not be safe there anymore. What do you think? Do you think he is making the wisest money decisions?