3 Smoothies That Will Give You Summer Vibe

It's more than 1 month ago when we bought a new blender. It's now a month old. Yey! Sorry if I used you too much to make smoothies but don't worry they were all refreshing! Even before when I was like 10 years old I always wanted to have a blender. Perhaps the main reason is it still amazes me how it can turn solid into like slime in just a snap. Isn't it a great invention? It's really a great help especially for those who have issue in chewing their food or somewhat tired of eating. 

Living in a tropical country like the Philippines will give you so much love to the sun and fruits. It's like you always want the whole year to be summer and your house is nearby the beach. Oh my I want another summer! So, to pacify myself I will just drink a lot of tropical fruits smoothie which I personally created. These were just inventions. As much as possible I would really want to have a very light and clean taste of the fruits. Smoothies are not only helpful if you're on a diet but healthwise? Yes! I highly recommend to drink and make one or two everyday. It will be worth it for sure as month goes by. These are all quick and easy. So if you have time you might wanna get your blender now. Enjoy experimenting! 

Banana

Milk

Ice

Maple Syrup

Remove the skin and chopped 3 bananas into chunks. Put it inside the blender. Add 3 cups of ice cubes. Add 200 ml of milk and 5 tbsp maple syrup. Blend it well for about 3-5 minutes. Good for 2-3 persons

Pomelo

Ice

Maple Syrup

Apple Cider Vinegar

 Slice pomelo into 2 and remove the skin. Chopped 1/2 into chunks and make sure to remove all the seeds. Put it inside the blender. Add 3 cups of ice cubes, 5 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Blend it well for about 3-5 minutes. Good for 2-3 persons.

Pineapple

Ice

Maple Syrup 

Apple Cider Vinegar

Remove the skin and slice the pineapple into 2. Chopped the 1/2 into chunks. Put it inside the blender. Add 3 cups of ice cubes, 5 tbsp of maple syrup and 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Blend it well for 3-5 minutes. Good for 2-3 persons.

Treat Or Cheat Day: Macaroni Salad And Mushroom Soup

Two more days and it's gonna be my off! Yey! So what are my plans? For sure I'm gonna sleep a lot and go somewhere. How about you? What do you do on your rest day? I can say that nowadays I'm enjoying it unlike before that I used to dedicate like all my life to work. Perhaps because I'm getting addicted to one of my hobbies and that is cooking. What else? I can eat anytime and definitely I can do anything or everything under the sun. And as a way to thank all of my readers on my blog. I wanna share two of my recipes you can also try on your rest day. Let's call it a treat or cheat day! 

Macaroni Salad

Macaroni

Mayo

Raisins

Salt

Ground Pepper

Parmesan Cheese

Corn Kernels(drained)

Fruit Cocktail(drained)

Tuna Flakes(drained)

Water

Bring 3 liters of water to a rolling boil. Put 1 tbsp of salt. Add 400 grams of Macaroni Pasta. Simmer for 9-10 minutes in high heat. Stirring occasionally to avoid pasta from sticking together. Let it cool once it's "Al Dente". In a medium bowl combine cooked macaroni, 220 ml mayo, 100g raisins, 5 tbsp parmesan cheese, 125g corn kernels, 822g fruit cocktail, 420g tuna flakes, 1/2 tbsp salt and 1/2 tbsp ground pepper. Mix it altogether. Transfer it in a clean container and refrigerate overnight. Serve it cool. Good for 7-10 persons.

Mushroom Soup

Olive Oil

Garlic

Onion

Mushroom

Evaporated Milk

Oregano Leaves

Thyme Leaves

Cream Of Mushroom

Salt 

Ground Pepper

Heat a pan in a medium heat. Add 3 tbsp olive oil. Saute 1tbsp minced garlic and 1 tbsp minced onion. Slowly add 15oz drained mushrooms(pieces and stems). Pour 370 ml evaporated milk, 10 oz cream of mushroom. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes and stir occasionally. Add 1tsp of thyme, 3 dried oregano leaves, pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer it in a medium bowl. Serve it hot. Good for 3-5 persons.

3 Filipino Desserts That You Will Love From Dusk Till Dawn

Filipinos totally love to eat and I can say that food is everyone's weakness. And do you know how to make them smile? Well, Filipinos are naturally happy people but one thing I can assure that will make them love you is to taste their food on the table. Yes! Filipino food. Since we are known to be very hospitable, eating our food is a nice gesture to say you appreciate the treatment. Like what they say too "when in rome, do what the romans do". Without a doubt Filipino dishes are something that will not stop you to eat. From chinese, spanish, japanese to american. Thanks to different influences which made it really tasty and full of flavors. Moreover, our love for food can never be compromised especially if it's sweet. Like the normal person we still stick from the rule, eat your breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most of the time with rice and extra rice. So, if you wanna know more the culture of the Philippines. I highly recommend to start with our food. To help you, I will be sharing the three most well-known Filipino desserts that you will truly love and eat from dusk till dawn. Enjoy!

Good Morning! This is the usual food you will see when you wake up. Perfect to warm up your stomach with this sweet chocolate rice porridge. It's like hot chocolate plus carbs. 2 in 1!

Champorado

Glutinous Rice

Maple Syrup

Water

Cocoa Powder

Cinnamon Powder

Vanilla Essence

Condensed Milk

Pour 2.5 liters of water in a cooking pot. Bring to a boil. Slowly put in the cocoa powder and then stir. Add 1/2 tbsp of cinnamon powder, 1 drop of vanilla essence, 1/4 cup of maple syrup. Stir it again for a minute then add 4 cups of glutinous rice. Stir it occasionally and let it cook for about 20-30 minutes or until it becomes sticky. Put the champorado in a medium bowl. Top with condensed milk. Serve it hot and enjoy! Good for 7-10 persons.

Good Afternoon! I will eat this like forever! Well, this really brings me back to the old days. Every weekend especially when there were no school days my mom used to cook for us this healthy dessert or sometimes snack! It has become already a traditional merienda(afternoon food) of every Filipino. It smells good too!

"Ginataang Saba"

Bunch of Bananas(Saba)

Coconut Milk

Pandan Leaves(Screwpine)

Brown Sugar

Vanilla Essence

In a medium cooking pot combine chopped bananas, 5 cups of coconut milk, 2 drops of vanilla essence, 2/3 cup of brown sugar and pandan leaves. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes. Lower heat to a simmer. Good for 7-10 persons.

This is a Filipino kind of cake usually serves during "Fiesta" but now you can also see this dessert even on birthday celebration, noche buena and media noche.

"Puto"

Puto Ready Mix(Available in grocery store)

Edam Cheese

Salted Egg

Water

Olive Oil

Brown Sugar

Cinnamon Powder

Vanilla Essence

In a mixing bowl add 200g of puto ready mix, 2 cups of water, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 3 tsp of olive oil, 1 drop vanilla essence and 1 tsp cinnamon powder. Use a whisk and mix all the ingredients thoroughly. Lightly brush the molds or small cupcake pans with olive oil. Pour the mixture. Put edam cheese or salted egg on top of the mixture. Prepare the steamer. Put the molds inside and steam it for 25-30 minutes. Remove the puto in the steamer. Let it cool down. You can create for about 15-18 pieces of yummy and fluffy puto.

Discover Divisoria - Bargain Hunt At The Philippines Shopping Mecca

It's January 2017 now for sure your 13th month pay already lost in space. Where did you use it? In the Philippines indeed everyone will agree that one of the best things you can get as a hardworking employee is the so-called 13th month salary benefit. Am I correct? By the term itself it's the value of your basic salary per month. But definitely it will be prorated if you were hired in the middle of the calendar year or you spent less than 12 months in your company. Usually that can be withdrawn in your debit card last week of November or first until second week of December. In short, it's raining Peso in the country every December. Sadly, thieves too. There are a lot of things Filipinos do with their money. Either they save it, pay for different bills, additional payment to their newly bought dream home or the usual shopping. I think I forgot one? Pretty much most of us are using it as budget for the holiday. Like many, I also use it to buy gifts or ingredients for our Filipino dishes on Noche Buena and Media Noche. Do you know what's one of the best places on earth to buy gifts and spend your 13th month pay? That's Divisoria in Manila aka The Philippine Shopping Mecca. Well not to splash all of your cash but you only get this once a year so why not take advantage for a 1 day bargain hunt. Right? Just to share too. I love shopping and I love buying things that are cheap but somewhat have quality like branded overrun clothes. 

For bargain hunters and wholesale buyers. As I mentioned, Divisoria is truly a haven for us. Although I did not buy a lot when I was there I still got the proof that my money was well spent.

From raw materials to finished goods you can buy it at rock-bottom prices. I know you're excited go here especially if you're leaving in Manila which is usually 1 or 2 jeepney rides only from your place but there are advices I would like to share to you guys. You may already heard this but as everyone knows Divisoria is really not that safe place. You may still encounter thieves so to be secured. Act as if you don't have money! So wear just simple clothes, as much as possible don't bring gadgets, don't wear your watch or earrings. Just a canvas tote eco bags for your purchases and coin purse or small bag where you can put your paper money are okay. Since it gets crowded by noon especially every holiday season I don't recommend you to bring your kids with you or if you're pregnant, it would be better to stay at home for now. Sorry but it's not the perfect place if you have claustrophobia but if you want to face it then feel free but make sure to bring bottled water you might get exhausted. Just in case I missed an advice don't worry experience is the best teacher. You can use it on your next visit.

So I bought a wall clock for the new year. And you know how much? For 120 pesos (roughly $2.50). The great thing is when you buy it wholesale(minimum of 3 pieces) you can get it for 100 pesos each(roughly $2.00).

What's unique about Divisoria because most of the malls have names like 999 and 168. Catchy right? So we bought "christmas" led lights for 150 pesos per box(roughly $3.00).

Divisoria gets crowded as hour goes by not only because of the sea of humanity but also because of the sea of beautiful clothes, curtains, shoes, etc. Well this place will not be word-of-mouth if not because of these. For only 100-150pesos(roughly $2.00) you can buy a lovely dress.

Unlike in Mall when you buy branded short the price starts at 500pesos(roughly $10.00) but in Divisoria although what you see most of the time are fake branded items that amount will give you 4-6 shorts. Amazing?

BINGO Cards for only 130pesos(roughly $2.50) one of Filipino favorite past times.

This is totally bargain! This wallet when you buy online it costs 250pesos each($5.00) but I only bought it 60pesos each(roughly $1.10). Wow!

One of my hobbies is cooking. I can say it's also a great place for kitchen tools. I bought a steamer for only 550pesos(roughly $11.00) but in Malls it's like a thousand. 

I had so much fun buying gifts but that made me really hungry after that several walks. In Divisoria you can see also a lot of our chinese businessmen and businesswomen friends since it's inside Binondo Manila, the world's oldest Chinatown. I'm so in love with Chinese food so I chose to stand in the line while my mom and my sister were at the Filipino fastfood.

Can you give me 3 dozens of dumplings please?

Yummy! Although eating in Chinese fastfood is a bit pricey it's worth it.

Our Divisoria bargain hunt is a very challenging experience yet it's pushing you to go back. I highly recommend to go here early 8-9 in the morning and during weekdays. A van or car is a must if you will buy a lot. I can guaranty you will gonna love this place too. 

San Juan, Batangas: Kick Off 2017 With A Splash At Laiya Beach

"Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and old lang syne?" 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year! Still can't get over with the new year's anthem? How about the crazy little things you did last new year's eve countdown? Oh my! So sad I missed one of the most emotional moments of the year. But that's okay even if I have a bit of bitterness and even though I missed my favorite time of the year I'll again turn over a new leaf. Man! Can the world just stop the people from working during new year's eve? I wanna join the countdown and see the fireworks display. It's really special for me. Well, anyhow it is over. The new year's ball drop in Time Square and dazzling fireworks display all over the world, from Burj Khalifa-Dubai, Sydney Harbour-Australia, Victoria Harbour-Hong Kong to Manila Bay-The Philippines are now just part of the history. For those who missed these? Don't worry let's prepare to be free and no work next new year's eve countdown. So now let's welcome this new year with full of not only good but great and positive vibes. Hell Yeah! It's 2017 now! So what's your plan my friend? Pretty much you have already listed several new year's resolutions. Let me give three usual examples. Go to the gym and get sexy body for the summer, save a lot of money and definitely travel with friends or family. I'm really not a fan of this kinda "tradition" because I think it just stays as "plan". I have my own way but yes it will stay as secret for now because it's "effective".

Well, since I already mentioned that one of the usual new year's resolutions is to travel. Luckily, this kicked off my 2017 and guess what it's with a splash. It was not listed nor well-planned. It wouldn't be possible without our relatives from California who spent their new year's eve celebration in the Philippines. Thanks aunt Irene and my cousin JayJay. It was really a long process and I think I spent more travel literally than the time I stayed in the beach. That journey though. Imagine this, we are living in Manila and I needed to go out of town to see my relatives and family who spent new year's eve with them and unintentionally left me alone that time because I was working. Oh! Am I turning into bitter melon again? Hahah. No, I'm just kidding I love them. I had no choice but to adjust. It took me like more than 2 hours drive to reach Montalban, Rizal.

Good Morning! Look at this priceless view of Montalban, Rizal. Are you familiar with the mountains on this image? If you're a local here definitely yes. When I arrived I was really attracted but the next day I found out that these are the famous Mt. Pamitinan and Mt. Binacayan. Not yet familiar? How about Bernardo Carpio? He is a legendary figure in Philippine Mythology. One version of the legend is that he is keeping these two mountains from crashing into each other. Wow! We have somewhat a Filipino Atlas. But wait I don't wanna feed you too much information because it was not our main journey that time. Even before I'm totally in love with the sun and the beach. It's like I can live forever in the summer vibe. I love the heat I guess because I'm living in a "tropical rainforest climate" country. Plus, I love mother nature. So we went to Laiya. Where is it? One of the beaches in San Juan, Batangas. One of the best getaways for someone living near Manila but I think it's a bit challenging if you're in Montalban, Rizal. Why? Next image please.

Cute Hello Kitty Jeepney! Oh wait we are not in Sanrio Puroland Japan! This is one of coolest jeepney designs I've seen in my entire life. If you don't have a car or travelling with large family. Jeepney for rent in the Philippines is a must. Let's count on the king of the roads. We rented this head turner 20 passenger capacity jeepney for P6,000 plus P1,500 for gas. It's roughly 150 U.S. Dollars for full day tour(Montalban-Batangas-Montalban).

Hello Sunrise! It was 4:22 in the morning when we went out of the house in Montalban. I was a bit sleepy but ready to go. I can say it was a smooth journey going to batangas. It was a best road trip. I enjoyed the cold air but there were also instances that we needed to cover our nose because of the smell from we didn't know if it was a carabao's waste or from a poultry. Remember we were riding an "open-window" jeepney. But that's okay air is way way better in the province than Manila.

It was 8:35 in the morning when we arrived Moonlight Beach Resort. We were checking online what resort that doesn't have entrance fee and great thing we found this. Located at Sitio Balakbakan, Brgy. Laiya Aplaya. One of the beaches in San Juan, Batangas. I guess the only thing that disappointed me was the fee. Fee here, fee there and fee everywhere. There were a lot of toll fees as we drive toward batangas(P214, P20, P53). Unexpected ecological fee P20 per head(16 years and below are free). Another P150 passway fee.

"Kubo". This was a kind of cottage we rented for that whole day unexpectedly. We walked-in and we were planning to rent a small tent but since there were only few people the owner just gave 3 "Kubo" good for 36 person. And guess what we paid? Instead of P6,000 its only P3,500. Thanks for the new year gift! For more details you can check their website www.laiyamoonlightbeachresort.com

I love the sunny weather but I can't stand the heat.

       I love the feeling of like you own the beach because there were only few people.

Shadow and footprints in the sand.

Local dog.

This is what you call "life".

Time to swim.

Under the Nipa Hut.

Pebbles under water.

Boat ride with me?

Enjoy the water my nephew.

I wanna bring this boat in Manila.

Sunbathing or am I just tired?

It was 3 in the afternoon when we left laiya. It was short yet I'm satisfied with our family reunion. I've been hearing about laiya even before and yes I can say it's a beautiful beach and a best place to relax. The water is not that salty, there were people maintaining the beach clean but please do it religiously because I still saw plastic cups. I just hope that when I get back here I can still find that peace and definitely stay longer. There are still a lot of things I can discover here for sure. I want boat ride next time! 

Craving For C? Check Out Recipes Of Caldereta And Carbonara

What would you do if no one is home? Pretty much they left you alone. Sad, right? Yeah I felt devastated too. I've been struggling being too much independent for the past few days. What's hard about it is you tend to deprive your usual 8 hours of sleep. It's like you're working all day long. But what's great on the other side is I spent so much time in the kitchen. Somewhat I was able to master my cooking skills. Imagine you're cooking while singing all by myself of celine dion. Sad, right? But since I'm introvert that helped me to be more focused on what I'm doing. For sure, what I made were 100% delicious. So, I already posted my recipes last christmas and for new year'eve celebration. But I wanna add two more recipes. I can say these are two of my comfort foods. Let's start the taste test! 

Caldereta

1 Kilo Pork Meat

Oyster Sauce

Calamansi Juice or Lime

Cheddar Cheese

Salt

Garlic

Onion

Potatoes

Bell Pepper

Olive Oil

Tomato Paste

Ground Pepper

200g Tomato Sauce

Make sure to wash your pork meat. In a medium bowl marinate the pork in 1tbsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tbsp ground pepper and 2 tbsp calamansi juice. Set it aside and leave for about 5-10 minutes. Heat the pan. Saute 2 tbsp minced garlic and 3 tbsp chopped onion in 5 tbsp olive oil. Add the marinated pork and stir fry until brown. Add 2 potatoes and bell pepper cut into chunks. Pour 3 cups of water and 1/2 tbsp of salt. Simmer for about 20-25 minutes or until meat is tender. Add in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 200g tomato sauce. Cook for 5 minutes while continuously stirring to avoid lumps. Add in grated 150g cheddar cheese and simmer again for another 5 minutes. Serve hot. Good for 7-10 person

Carbonara

6 Liters of Water

1Kg Linguine

500g Ham

1 tbsp Salt

Garlic

Onion

Chopped Mushroom

20oz Cream of Mushroom

Olive Oil

Butter

Ground Pepper

Thyme

Rosemary
Black Olives

2 250ml of All-Purpose Cream

2 370ml Evaporated Milk

Cook linguine in a large pan of boiling salted water following the packet instructions for about 10-12 minutes or until it's "al dente". Meanwhile, heat 5tbsp olive oil and 3 tbsp butter in a fry pan over medium heat. Saute 3 tbsp minced garlic and 3 tbsp chopped onion. Add 500g of Ham cut into chunks, 30oz of chopped mushroom and 1 cup of chopped black olives. Cook it for about 10-15 minutes while continuously stirring to avoid lumps. Pour 20oz cream of mushroom, 500ml all-purpose cream and 2 cans 370ml evaporated milk. Season with 1/2tbsp ground pepper, 1 tbsp of thyme and tbsp rosemary. Cook it for another 5-10 minutes. Add the cooked linguine and stir it continuously. Cook it for another 10 minutes. Serve hot with extra parmesan cheese. Good for 7-10 person. 

3 Mouthwatering Filipino Desserts For Media Noche

Happy New Year! Time indeed flies so fast. It was just like three weeks ago when we spent the christmas holiday dinner with our family where in the Philippines we call it "noche buena". And now? Sadly, new year's eve countdown is over too. I'm really sad because I wasn't able to appreciate that moment and to witness the fireworks display outside our house. Well, honestly I don't go outside during the countdown every year because of the smoke but only last year of 2016 that I had no chance to hear the firecrackers much louder and to spend that eve with my family. They were at my aunt's house while me, I was at work devoted to deliver on what they call "excellent customer service". Totally that was the first time it happened. But as they say too "oh boy, it's part of life". Its either to take it or leave it. Later on I realized that everything was just okay. Anyhow it still helped me to be much more independent even if it's already in my blood. In fact the day before the countdown after my shift at work I still managed to create filipino desserts. Definitely even though there was no one in our house I made sure to have food on the table aside from the usual basket of fruits. What's good with it? At least I had food to eat when I went home. To take over a new leaf since it's new year, new life and everything seems new. I already did this last december and because I wanna start the year a bit unique for the second time around I wanna share to all of my readers one of my skills. So I will be a cook slash (/) pastry chef again. Honestly, this post is just another trial and error since I would want to challenge myself too to put something new on my blog. So there you go. Here are my very own recipes of three filipino desserts I created last "Media Noche", a spanish term that literally means "midnight". Tell you what, these are the classic filipino desserts you can see on every Filipino family's table. These became part of the traditions during new year's eve countdown. Filipinos will serve these sweets with a very sweet smile too. Be mindful with your sugar intake. Make sure to have a bottled water on the side. Eat in moderation. Okay?

 Leche Flan

12 Brown Eggs

2 Cans(370 ml each) Evaporated Milk

1 Can(390 g) Condensed Milk

Maple Syrup

Water

Macapuno String(optional)

Cherry(optional)

1 tbsp Calamansi Juice or Lime

Vanilla Essence

*Steamer

*7 Llaneras (Leche Flan Molder)

In a bowl, combine egg yolks, 2 cans evaporated milk and 1 can condensed milk. Slowly stir in a circular motion until blended. Add 2 drops of vanilla essence and 1 tbsp of calamansi juice(you can also use lime). Gently stir again for a minute and strain egg-milk mixture. Then add 5 tbsp of maple syrup into each llanera. Pour 1 cup of strained egg-milk mixture into each prepared llanera. Cover lightly with foil. Fill the steamer with 2 litres of tap water and place the molds into the steamer. Steam it for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the toothpick inserted in the middle of mixture comes out clean. Finally, remove and allow it to cool. Refrigerate overnight to set. To serve, turn flan over on a plate. Add macapuno strings in the middle and cherry on top. Good for 7-14 person.

Strawberry And Peach Graham Cake

3 Cans of Strawberry 

1 Can of Peach

5 200g Crushed Graham

6 250 ml All-Purpose Cream

2 Cans (370 ml each) Condensed Milk

110g Butter 

Strawberry Essence

Maple Syrup

Drain the canned strawberry and canned peach. Cut the strawberry into two pieces. Slice peach halves into slices or cubes. Heat the pan and glaze the strawberry first by adding 3 tbsp of maple syrup for about 5-7 minutes. Do it also with sliced peaches. Put each glazed fruit in a small bowl. Set it aside. In a big bowl, pour all-purpose cream and condensed milk. Add 2 drops of strawberry essence. Slowly stir it in circular motion for 5 minutes. Set it aside. In another big bowl gently mix crushed graham and butter until well blended. Put a layer of graham mixture at the bottom of rectangular tray. Pour 2 cups of all-purpose cream-condensed milk mixture. Spread it until it covers all the surface(about 1/4 thick).  Top the layer with glazed strawberry. Repeat the same procedure but top the layer with glazed peach. Do it again until you get the desired number of layers. Pour the excess cream-milk mixture on top of the final layer. Decorate it with cherries. Refrigerate to chill overnight before serving. Good for 10-12 person.

Filipino Fruit Salad

4 Cans(1lbs each) of Fruit Cocktail

2 12oz Nata de Coco(Coco Gel)

1 12oz Sugar Palm Fruit(Kaong)

2 Cans 15oz Whole Corn Kernel

1 200g Raisins

3 250ml All-Purpose Cream

2 300ml Condensed Milk

250g Grated Cheese

Vanilla Essence

Parmesan Cheese(optional)

Cherry(optional)

Drain the fruit cocktail, nata de coco, sugar palm fruit and whole corn kernel. Put it altogether in one big bowl. Add raisins, grated cheese, all-purpose cream, condensed milk. Add 2 drops of vanilla essence. Mix it altogether in circular motion for about 3-5 minutes. Refrigerate it overnight. To serve, put it in a wine glass(optional) and add cherry on top. Good for 7-10 person.