Ginataang Tambakol - Skipjack Tuna in coconut cream

Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask what's for lunch. ~ Orson Welles

If you'll ask me what's my favorite food, ginataang tambakol is included on my top 10 list. I remember eating it with banana or mango when I was young. It sounds odd but the combination of hot rice, "gata" (coconut cream) and these fruits are SUPERB! Thanks to my mom, she always put sliced banana or mango on my plate whenever we have our lunch or dinner. I tell you, try this... it's crazy delicious! ;)

So this is our lunch today. Simple, easy to cook, economical, comforting, rich and exquisitely divine!

Halloween party

In the happiest of our childhood memories, our parents were happy, too. 

~ Robert Brault

I'm having second thoughts about this post but I really wanna share with you the halloween party held in our home last week. Yes, I know it's too late for the halloween theme this year but... not too late for next year - *wink! ;) 

Lowell, my eldest, did not stop persuading me to have a party. During breakfasts and even during bedtimes he was talking about the party. So to make him happy, I granted his wish. I wanted it to be as simple as possible that doesn't cost too much money and only requires minimum effort and time! I'm not a creative person but because I super duper love my kids, I became one! From the decors to foods to costumes, I did it all! Lowell was my buddy in doing the decorations, he messed up all the stuff I bought! Hahaha! But he's the one who gave me the idea for the decor's design. 

I baked cakes, cupcakes and made some cake pops. Cake pops are chocolate or candy melt coated cake on a stick. I've never tried making cake pops before and this is the first time I tried doing it. It's a little messy for me and requires patience but when you see the result of your hard work, it's like reaching the summit of your Everest. I mentioned earlier that I'm not a creative person but really... I'm proud of my work. Of course! Yay!

Tiramisu - Pinoy version

                             Sam Baldwin: What is Tiramisu?

                             Jay: You'll find out.

                             Sam Baldwin: Well, what is it?

                             Jay: You'll see.

                             Sam Baldwin: Some woman is gonna want me to 
                             do it to her and I'm not gonna know what it is!
                            
                             ~Sleepless in Seattle

When I was in high school, I thought that Tiramisu was a Japanese word (because of MY-San's commercial "Tiramisu Tira-mo-ko"), little did I know that this is a classic Italian dessert. And just recently I've learned the meaning of "Tiramisu"... Thanks Gordon Ramsay! This is what he just said to one of the contestant: "The whole idea of Tiramisu means pick me up. You just put me down. Great shame!" Ouch!

Linguine Alfredo with Smoked Bacon

"Friends are the bacon bits in the salad bowl of life" ~ Homer Simpson

Good pork + Good fat = Extremely Good for the heart BACON

Whenever I eat bacon, my heart smiles like a young lady who fell in love for the first time... the satisfaction I get when I eat this good stuff is undoubtedly priceless! So when my hubby requested for a pasta dish, I gladly welcome the thought of having bacon in my dish.

Japan #2 - Rice Cooker Bread

"How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?" ~ Julia Child

This is it!!! Finally, I made my dream bread. Seems to be burnt outside, but lo and behold, once you have tasted it, you'll find yourself bouncing in cumulonimbus clouds. Fluffy! Fluffy! Fluffy! The crispiness of the crust brought thunder in my ears and the softness of the bread took me to a new dimension... Oh yes, that's my reaction! If you don't believe me, better try my recipe! Keep on reading... you'll know later why I have an exaggerated reaction.

Looks can be deceiving huh, seems like an ordinary bread but there's something special about this bread... this was cooked on our humble rice cooker! Yes, you read it right! R-i-c-e  C-o-o-k-e-r...

My first attempt - Devil's Food Cake

"Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." ~ John Q. Tullius

Never mind the name, this cake is so gooood that I found myself in heaven. When I took a bite of this heavenly goodness, I've heard the angels singing... the ethereal voices filled my soul.. so pure... so melting... and it's so darn good! 

OK, I'm exaggerating, can't help it.. of course, it's my first ever cake! But honestly, I love the way it turned out. This is my first attempt to make cake and it exceeded my expectations! Yay!

Warm and Hearty Almondigas

"Lord, I know that there's a reason for everything, I pray Oh Father that you will hear our prayers to stop the rain and bless us with good weather. Amen."

I barely got any sleep last night, it's raining torrentially! No tropical storm predicted and I couldn't believe that it is only a monsoon rain. I saw the flood reaching our gate and I couldn't do anything but pray. Pray for our safety and for those people who are greatly affected by the heavy rain.

As I watched the news today, my heart grieves for the victims of the flood, I feel sorry for the poor little babies, elderly, pregnant and new moms who are being rescued by our living heroes. I'm in the moment of grief when my little boy asked me for food! Oh my! I'm so busy watching that I forgot to cook for breakfast. Poor Lowell!

Brown Butter Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

"Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the main reason I have trust issues." ~Unknown

Chocolate oatmeal cookie? Ummm... Nah!

Chocolate oatmeal cookie? Hooeee! Yes!

I baked  2  two kinds of oatmeal cookies. One has raisins (personally requested by my husband) and the other has chunks of chocolate (of course, personally requested by the baker). 

Beef Misono with stir-fried vegetables

Good drink... Good meat... Good God... Let's eat! ~Dan Castellaneta (Homer Simpson)

Whenever my husband and I go to Tokyo Tokyo, we never fail to order the legendary Beef Misono. We are addicted to the garlicky and buttery taste of the beef and when it is paired with the stir-fried veggies, oh the taste is divine! 

We didn't have the time to go to the mall and just to satisfy my cravings I decided to cook my own version of Beef Misono with stir-fried vegetables.  

Cheesy Talk - Homemade Ricotta

"Enjoy change! Savor the adventure and enjoy the taste of new cheese!" 

- excerpt from "Who Moved My Cheese"

Since my husband is a big fan of cheese, I always wonder how to make one. But I get discouraged every time I tried doing it. I'm intimidated with the ingredients I haven't heard once! And I'm talking about Rennet and the cultures. Where can I find it? In supermarket, drugstore, meatshop???

Comfort of Rain... Ginataang Halo-halo

"To enjoy the rainbow, first enjoy the rain". - Paolo Coelho

 I love rain! I love the "moment" it gives... I think rain makes you connect with your emotional side. It gives you deeper thoughts on everything. Some people say rain makes them depressed and blue but for me it is the opposite of what they feel. I am happy and alive.

Since it is raining all day long, I am craving for something sweet. I want something that brings back memories. Besides the all time favorite "champorado and tuyo", another comfort food that my mom used to make during the rainy days is the Ginataang halo-halo. Ginataang halo-halo(1) is a very versatile Filipino food. It can be served on breakfast, snack (merienda), or as a dessert.

Alkaline Juice

 

Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is essential for optimum health. It naturally detoxifies and heals the body as it provides nutrients that gives you energy and strengthen your immune system. Not only that, fresh fruits and vegetables contain essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, easily absorbed protein, carbohydrates, fiber, water, enzymes, phytonutrients, and phytochemicals. 

I know all these things but the problem is I can't eat the required amount servings of raw vegetables and fruits in a day, especially R-A-W VEGETABLES. This is always my problem not until my brother-in-law shared his breakfast routine. He said that he's making an alkaline juice every morning (see the recipe below). Wow! I haven't thought of that... Juicing can make it possible to reach the goal of 9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day without requiring a lot of time and munching.

So here is the recipe, this can be taken an hour after taking the Power Juice. This is really a great tasting juice that feeds and cleanses the body.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cucumber (peeled, optional)
1/2 head of lettuce (iceberg)
2 cups of spinach
2 stalks of celery
1 apple (remove the seeds) or carrot for sweetness
1/2 cup water

Yield: 2 glasses, 1-2 servings

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash the vegetables and fruit thoroughly.
2. Add all the ingredients in a blender along with a small amount of water.
3. Blend it well and serve it immediately or store in a refrigerator to drink throughout the day.

Happy day always,

Rhea

Power Drink

I finished reading the Morning healing habit by Bo Sanchez⁽¹⁾ and it motivated me to become more conscious with my health. I’m still in my early 30’s but I feel that I’m already in my 40’s or 50’s. I always feel tired, sleepy, sluggish, and weak. Yeah I know what you think… I am LAZY! Ouch! Yes you’re right, I am lazy sometimes because I know that being “lazy” has health benefits too (I will tell you why in my future post). But seriously, I have my annual checkup but the result is good. But what seems to be my problem? Am I just being lazy? Or there is a problem which I do not know. 

After finishing Bo's e-Report, I convince myself to start living healthy and what is the first thing I need to do? Discover ALKALINE food and its wonders! To start with, I follow Bo's morning healing habit, and to share with you, here is a very simple and inexpensive power juice you can make in less than 10 minutes.

INGREDIENT:

28 pcs. Calamansi (Yes! This is the only ingredient)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Wash thoroughly the calamansi. Organic is better but if you can't find any, you can use the ordinary kind but wash it very well.
2. Slice the calamansi at the side avoiding the seeds. It takes on a bitter taste if you accidentally cut the seeds.
3. Squeeze the juice out with the seeds. Mix up the seeds with the juice to get the pulp around the seeds. Please do not use strainers.
4. Mix the calamansi juice with its seeds using a fork.
5. Scoop up the seeds using a fork.
6. Drink your freshly made power juice and enjoy the experience.

RULES:
1. Take this every morning on an empty stomach.
2. Take it pure. Don't add anything even water or sugar or else it will become acidic and loses a lot of its healing effect.
3. Take it green. Not the yellow ripe ones.
4. Don't take anything else for an hour. Let the calamansi juices do its work in your body for an hour.

TIPS:
1. Start taking 4 pcs of calamansi on your first day, 8 pcs on your second day, and so on, until you drink the 28 pcs calamansi on the seventh day.
2. Do not buy calamansi for a whole week's consumption or they'll ripen. Remember Rule#3.
3. You can substitute 2-3 lemons if you can't find any calamansi.

Alkaline foods are essential for our health as these wonder foods neutralize the acids and remove the toxins in our body. Did you know that germs, bacteria, and even cancer cells love to thrive in acidic environment? Now that you know, do your part in making your body and immune system strong. Our body is a self healing organism and making your body alkaline gives you the assurance to enjoy life longer and happier. To God be the glory!

Click here for more info

⁽¹⁾Bo Sanchez is an author, entrepreneur, preacher, celebrity and lay evangelist in the Philippines.


Happy day always,

Rhea