In My Kitchen

Plain Yogurt

2012-01-25T13:12:00.003-05:00

Remember my home made chicken pieces I make for my ever picky child? Yes, the same exact one, I made it better. I marinade the flatten chicken pieces at least overnight in yogurt and honey Dijon mustard (the flavor my child like). I saw it at one cooking show on PBS. He said that it leaves the chicken tender and juicy. He wasn't kidding.

In addition to tenderness and juicy, you can really taste the spices you put in them while marinating. My child likes them more than before. If I can only add more vegetable variety in his diet, I will be a very happy mother.

The Kitchen of my Dreams

2012-01-16T18:26:00.006-05:00

The kitchen of my dreams, yes only in my dreams. Unless DH and I figure out how to do a kitchen remodeling, that we can easily afford. I love the traditional styles with light wood color cabinets. Can you imagine how much baking I will be doing with the below examples? You will not get me out of that kitchen.
Every time I wanted to use my kitchen counters; cleaning is a must. Cleaning as, removing all the appliances on it before I can do anything. Even the cupboards that I have, are not enough to hide everything. I enjoyed viewing the example from this website. Just looking at them is enough for me, as for now. Maybe when our children are bigger, we can eventually try remodeling it with their help.
We can also add a pantry when we do. I don't have to go down the basement when I need something. All the things I needed will be in the kitchen, where it should be. The pots rack we have will fit perfectly on top of the sink just like the picture above. I can't wait! Ok, back to browsing more kitchen styles, come and join me.

Canned Dry Goods

2012-01-08T17:31:00.005-05:00

I read this from one of DH emails. This is suppose to last 20 to 30 years. I will let you know in 20 years if they really last. We are storing food for rainy days or at least enough for one year for a family of six.

I need to buy more jars to put everything I saved (dry food) so far. I have three packs of these jars. One pack with tomatoes and and the rest are below. Now I need to find room in our pantry for these.

They used to lived in a buckets with lids. These actually is half of one bucket. I will be needing a lot of these jars...whew! They are unbleached flour, Quinoa (really good for human), and seven grains mix (hard red wheat, oat groats, tritcale berries, dehulled barley, rye berries, soft white wheat, spelt berries).

Oh, btw, sterilized jars. Filled with dried food (nothing oily), set them on cookie sheets, open. You can place four cookie sheets in the oven. After placing everything inside, set the oven on 200°F and leave the jars inside for one hour. When done, used a mitten to take one, wipe the rim with damp cloth or paper towel, then re-place the lid. Repeat until all the jars are out of the oven. Let them cool, and store somewhere that the temperature will not rise up to 72°F.

New Waffles

2011-10-27T09:28:00.002-04:00

A very quick shot this morning. I did not plan on making this but DD have other thing in mind. She wakes up when we are ready to start with classes and asked if I can make waffles. I do hate it when any of my children decided to ask me something when I am ready to do other things. I don't mind cooking anything that they wanted to eat, however, when our schedule is limited I get very prostrated.

Anyway, again with no decoration here is what I made in our new waffle maker we bought last year...I think.

Sick Day

2011-10-23T06:17:00.001-04:00

I appreciate the guest post, Jewel Rodgers

I rarely stay home from work. I have been known to show up to work so sick that my manager has sent me home. I literally have to not be able to move or talk to not make it in. Last week, I was feeling under the weather, but of course, I made it to work. My manager informed me that I looked terrible and was worried that I was going to get everyone else sick. She sent me home at ten in the morning. I did not have anything to do, so went straight home to take some medication , get in the bed, and try to get well so that I wouldn’t get sent home the next day. I have to admit, I loved staying at home. I put on my pajamas, heated up some tomato soup, curled up with my dog in the bed and watched EXPERT SATELLITE. I did not check my e-mail or answer my phone. Relaxing and watching television with absolutely nothing to do was pure relaxing bliss!

A New Friend of The Family

2011-10-21T11:11:00.005-04:00

Let me start by saying no, it's not a person but VINEGAR. I found so many uses for vinegar and I am loving it. I got the marks in my pots and pans erase with a few drops of vinegar. You know the marks after leaving a hot dish in them for a few hours. Yes, those marks. I usually have to scrub them until I can see the scouring pad marks. Not anymore, goodbye marks the easy way for me now.

Our children love to play with markers, pens, and pencils from relatives. And they always use our walls as their papers, like we are running out of paper, (we have plenty to go around). Water, vinegar and dish soap erased them. Of course it takes a while because I don't want to have a bare wall (no paint), so I am taking easy on scrubbing it.

Our bathroom sink is made from ceramics. Since the bathroom is closer to the classroom than our kitchen, our children always empty their paint brushes wash in the bathroom sink. The tempera paint sticks to the ceramics. I tried brushing it with soap or bleach, they don't go away. I had such positive outcome with the walls and tried the same mixture. When I was finish, I cannot believe my eyes. It looks like it was a new sink.

We have a a well and our pool filtering system always get clog with lime/calcium from the water. And concentrate vinegar does the job. Even with our faucets. I will do it with our shower head very soon because our shower is not a shower anymore. More like a faucet the way the water comes out of it.

Thank goodness for distilled white vinegar. It is my cleaning savior.

Eggplant Rollatini

2011-09-29T05:43:00.000-04:00

Yes, I love, love this eggplant recipe. I found this at our friends house on one occasion and I had to try making it. Which I did. Of course this is my very first try and not as good as the one in our friend's house.

I just need to adjust the cheese measurement I put in mine according to my taste. However, I am the only one that eat a lot of vegetable in my household. I probably eat enough for the whole family...lol. I definitely recommend "eggplant rollatini." Just type the name on your search window and you should find plenty of recipe.

Having Kids

2011-09-27T10:39:00.001-04:00

Guest written by our friend Gladys Fuentes

When my husband and I were dating, and even in our first few years of marriage, we went out all the time. We went to see movies almost every weekend. We went out to dinner at least twice a week. We went to concerts and college football games and traveled to every state within a six hour driving distance. However, after we had our first child two years ago, we were no longer able to go out as much. I began working part-time instead of full-time, so our income decreased and we were not able to afford going to movies and concerts as much as we used to. We actually did not have cable TV at home until after we had our first child because we were never home to watch it. Now that we’re home a lot more and cannot afford the entertainment that we used to, we decided to get cable from Direct TV. Now my husband and I go on “dates” after the kids are asleep, and we usually watch a movie or a show that we both enjoy. Times have changed in our house, and I miss the days when we would travel or go to the movie theater, but I am glad we did those things when we could, and I would not trade these kids for anything.

Something Goes Wrong

2011-08-26T14:07:00.003-04:00

On January we got invited to a potluck party. It's sort of New Year's Day party but it wasn't New Year. Since my cinnamon rolls was always a hit every time I cook it in the past, I decided to bring a batch along with herb roast. Well, I'm not really sure what happened but, that batch did not came out the same as before. I tasted it first and warned everyone. I was so looking for good phrases for my hard work and nothing came out of it :)).

Easter dinner, I bought a roast beef not knowing it was already seasoned and cook it the regular way, turned out really, really salty. My FIL offered to bring some pre-made meal before the dinner and we opt not. Then the meal I made was horrible...ack!

July fourth party moved to last week because of rain. My ever famous Hershey cocoa chocolate cake turn very very cocoa-we. It taste I put too much cocoa in it. How are all this recipes gone bad? I can see the mistake with the Easter dinner, but the cinnamon rolls and chocolate cake? I was always able to cook them perfectly.

I blame my DD for always talking to me while I was making them. I kept on telling them to watch, but no, she needs to asked questions and sometimes I forget the measuring count for the ingredients. Sometimes I start making some other meals than intended. I can't wait for her to grow a little taller so that she can work in the kitchen by herself.

Baptism Over the Weekend

2011-08-17T12:32:00.002-04:00

We went to our friends' house on Saturday afternoon. I brought kabobs, corn, and Napa cabbage salad for our dinner. I don't want to be a bother because they have three little children and when his wife do something, he is the one doing more.

It was a very tiring weekend for me. I cooked the kabobs (she helped me put them on a skewers). Their little one was getting baptize on Sunday noon. And what a rainy day that was. I think the High Almighty is telling them not to do it...he he he. Their house was packed and there was some cabbage salad from the night before and we also serve it. I cannot believe how fast it disappeared. Almost everyone who loves salad praise me on how delicious it was. Well, thanks to DH friend Bob from NJ for it.

While in church DD asked a lot of questions about chanting, the word Amen and why they say it, kneeling and crossing oneself. The man sitting next to DH sing very loud, he is probably telling us something like, "how come your children don't know anything about Christians or Catholic church?"

I am sorry, I know they are good people, but...yes that, there is always but. People like him don't need to shove his belief on other people. The very same reason why this country is the way it is right now.

Anyway, that's it for this week. I have plenty of things to do to prepare for the first day of school.

Rita's

2011-07-27T11:56:00.003-04:00

Do you have one in your area? The children and I went out to get DH some tobacco yesterday and the place was close to Rita's. The whole family love their product. Well, the children wanted me to buy them some but I told them that we need to take daddy with us. Sure enough, I told DH when he got home from work and after dinner we all went there.

Before we always buy for everyone, and the children never finished theirs and DH ending up eating it all up. I guess we never been out for sometime and DH was surprised last night that our children finished what they got. As soon as we got them something we left and went home. Poor DH didn't have anything to eat...lol.

We now know to buy each one something. DH was disappointed, however, he is always out and about and can buy himself something.

Customer Service Stinks!

2011-07-22T16:52:00.001-04:00

Thanks to Wm Rowe

I think one of the most obnoxious things in the entire world is customer servicelines. They all always say that they have representatives that are ‘available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” That is always such a joke! Even when you call during normal business hours, there still usually isn’t someone available until 30 minutes later. Then they get mad at you when you’re not overly excited to talk to them because: a.) your product doesn’t work in the first place which is why you are having to call, and b.) now you’ve just wasted 30 MORE minutes of your time to try to ask them why your product isn’t working. Even online help centers aren’t the best, because they try to give you computer generated answers based on the key words in your query. One such place I should look for help with customer service for my high definition television is: ExpertSATELLITE.com. I need to call in with them, and I’m hoping that they are better than the rest with response time!

Fresh Peanuts

2011-07-17T16:06:00.004-04:00

Actually, I like it fresh boiled peanuts with salt. I am very lucky that DD is not allergic to the smell of boiling peanuts. DH usually share it with me, however, he likes it really salty. That means I have to boil them a few times to get the shell soak through and have the taste of salt inside.

If I can't find fresh peanuts, I settle for dried raw peanuts.

Guess What

2011-06-28T14:29:00.002-04:00

Firefox decided to update my browser, and now the entrecard tool bar is not compatible with firefox 5.

So, until EC decided to update the tool bar, I will not be able to return drops when it is convenient for me. I don't want to re-install the all firefox because the last I did it, my back, refresh, forward buttons got messed-up. I will leave it alone for now.

Broccoli Salad

2011-06-24T08:54:00.002-04:00

Another recipe that is over due. I got the recipe from DH friend a long time ago and I never really tried very hard making or buying the ingredients. And finally, I got some made. Of course DH love it because he knew how it taste.

1 pack cooked bacon (crumbled)
2 crown broccoli
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp sugar
1 c mayonnaise

Rinse the broccoli and separate the floweret. I let it set in the fridge until crunchy or rinse them in icy cold water. Mix the rest of the ingredients, pour on top of broccoli and mix until the dressing is well blended then add the crumble cook bacon. Yum!

Simple Meal

2011-06-17T16:24:00.009-04:00

With a flash.

Without a flash.

Pan fried in butter and olive oil ranch tilapia, saute beans with tomatoes (another fav of mine), and my very favorite, white rice. I cook a lot of this in the summer. You can see a few post of mine here with the same items on a plate...:))

Coffee (@4pm)

2011-06-13T16:15:00.002-04:00

I forgot to drink my coffee this morning. I was cleaning in the kitchen before starting to cook dinner and I found my mug, with brown sugar (we are only using brown sugar) on the bottom. Oh, I forgot to drink my coffee today. Yes, the coffee is already old from this morning, however, using cream with old coffee still taste the same to me.

Yup, drinking my old coffee right now. I don't want to wake up with a headache tomorrow morning. As for DH, he will drink coffee morning, noon and dinner or even before bed. That how he was when I met him. And yes, he did not have any problem falling sleep at night. I do, I'm hoping I will be able to go sleep on time tonight. I don't want to spend some days in my summer vacation with a headache. I can easily get it from other things already, I don't need to add something else to it...

Looks Familiar

2011-06-10T22:16:00.003-04:00

Taken with no flash. I can never get a good shot without a flash. They are always blurry. And I don't like flash much because it is too bright and shiny.

Anyway, a lot of you are probably familiar with the following. Egg-rolls, rice and rice noodles with vegetables.

I am craving for fish for a while now, and anything Filipino takes care of that craving. I can buy fish, but I am craving for bonito or milkfish. I can't get those in my local grocery store. DH call most of the fish I like, bait fish...:(

Cooking on the Weekend

2011-06-02T11:01:00.004-04:00

I know most of very organize mother cook meals for the whole week, or at least have the plan for the whole week. Well, I do try to do all of my cooking for the whole week on the weekend.

Which I just did last weekend. I put all the meat that I wanted to cook late Thursday in out fridge. By Friday night they are almost thaw and Saturday and Sunday I do all the preparations and cooking.

However, on the weekend we also go to our local farm to get milk to last our family for a week. And what you will find in our refrigerator are a lot of it on the weekend. You can imagine how pack my fridge last weekend?

The deep fried things are chicken tenders on the left and fish sticks on the right.

Anyway, the images can tell you how much I cooked. An image of my beef adobo is not included because I forgot to take a picture of it. It was still cooking inside my crock pot when I put everything on the table right after everyone was done eating. I always forget to take a picture before eating. I can't stop the hungry tummies in my household to hold until I take some photos of the food. I will hear it from DH...:))

The deep fried meat took forever to make/cook. The process takes time. The strawberries are sour being early in the season so, I made the children strawberry smoothies. It has been a very hot few days for us. The bananas I mixed some pieces with cottage cheese and mandarin oranges, and shredded coconuts on top. I tried not to add any cooking on some days when its hot outside. And the following was very easy to make.

There are only 5 pieces of the barbecue wings left. DH commented not too cook to often because he might gain more weight. We both been there and we don't want to go back weighing more than we should have. I mixed the regular barbecue with some honey and DH can't stop eating them.

Tips on Making Salad

2011-05-27T13:20:00.003-04:00

I like to be organize. Well, I can say that I was very organized before I met DH. It is easy to do so when I only have to do it for two people. My ODS and myself. Now, add another person to the picture will be hard, specially when one does not follow it and always wing it.

When one does all the planning and the rest just wait to be told is very hard. Now-a-days meal planning is next to impossible. I will asked what they want to a meal. Most will answer, "I don't know." Well, that will not solve anything. They end up just eating what is ready to eat (mostly like junk food). And whatever food was cooked will never get touch and end up rotten and wasted.

Anyway, let's get back to my title. Most of the time DH will come to the kitchen hungry because his answer was, "I don't know." I don't usually pre-cut romaine lettuce because I am not organize anymore. So, what I do is, rinse the lettuce in ice water. It makes the lettuce instantly crispy. If you are a salad person you know what I am talking about. The crispier part of the refrigerator does not work very well. And limped lettuce is not appetizing.

I can make salad in ten minutes, considering everything that DH wanted mixed on it are ready or cooked (ex. grilled chicken).

Tips with the lettuce: Rinse them on icy water for extra crunch.

Texas BBQ Queen

2011-05-25T10:53:00.001-04:00

This guest post from Doris Dillon

I didn’t know anything about barbeque before I moved to Texas. I got my new place, checked out the wireless internet providers dallas had to offer and got hooked up – before long I was surfing the web to find out what there was to do in my neck of the woods. Turns out, there are a couple of world renowned barbeque restaurants near my house so I started trying them one by one and it didn’t take long before I was hooked! I’ve learned the difference since then in sauces (mustard is Carolina, Tomato is Georgia) and what types of meats work best with each cooking technique. I can’t believe it took me so long to get into bbq, especially since I’m originally from Kansas! I’ve challenged my dad to a barbeque cook off the next time in town and between me and you, I think I might just win! I’ve got the techniques under my belt and the best teachers in town behind me…it’s really impossible for me to lose!

On Buying Meat

2011-05-15T10:48:00.002-04:00

I did try cooking another version of brisket for my DD birthday a few weeks back. Sure enough the local market was having a sale on brisket. I picked one up and didn't even bother looking at the ingredients.

It turned out it was pre-season and I was supposed to add a lot of water to it when I cook it. Yes, I got a very salty brisket. Geez! I should have stick and followed my own tips. Yes, no one touch it after tasting it on Easter dinner.

I was so disappointed, because my FIL offered to buy some hoagies for our dinner and I insisted to cook something. Yup, lesson learn.

Need to Replace

2011-04-30T14:31:00.003-04:00

This pertains to mostly every furniture we have at home. I did our kitchen chair cushions and covering when our children are still little. You know what happens when they are being used all the time, yes...you know it, right? They get dirty and well,.. the padding/cushions get less cushiony. I also made a mistake buying the new cover on them, because I match the curtain which has blue flowers on white. With children using it on every meal, I came to a conclusion that is not very smart.

Before

Lucky enough our dining table does not use vinyl tablecloths. Did you know that the fork can go through anything when they don't want to eat? I would have change that thing once a week, and don't get me started with butter knives...:)) They used it as a saw. They are getting big now, and they can comprehend a lot of things too.

After

I think it's time to do some updating especially in the kitchen and dining area which we use a lot. It would be nice if my husband can add some more kitchen pantry cabinets, but that is another story. However, I will settle for more than one drawer. Every time the drawers come to mind, I always asked, what are they thinking when they build this kitchen (for the people who owned it, before us), they never thought about of using it, I think?

Too Much Sweets

2011-04-25T05:46:00.000-04:00

My family have enough sugar that will last them until Halloween. As for me, If I eat that much, I should be fine until next year. Whew! DH was craving for cake, so I whipped one up after dinner Saturday. We have such a nice dinner and I agree, I did feel like having sweets.

Sunday came and DD was complaining because we didn't do egg hunt. DH was supposed to go out and buy some candy, but instead he stayed home Saturday evening and download some movies for the whole family to watch (X-Men four movies). So. I went out today grocery shopping with our two children, and I bought pounds of chocolates.

For the celebration of new beginning, I got my whole family sweets and some summer clothes. They are happy.

I was thinking about cooking a lamb (easter-n-all) but I am sure I'm the only one who's going to eat it, and even roast. They are happy with the sweets, and I am glad because they are happy. That's all matter...right?...:D :D

Enjoy It Inside or Out

2011-04-19T10:01:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

That is inside or outside your house. I know spring is a very crazy when it comes to the weather, that is why Pier 1 import made their furniture and decors versatile. You can move it anywhere in your property. Outdoor entertaining is normal this season, when the temperature is a bet warmer and nicer than winter. You may need a new umbrella or stand. They have it for you. I like their swingasan. I think that one will look great hanging on my big tree in the back yard. And the color selection of the cushions, you will really feel the spring season.

Furthermore, for those of you who want to join tweetups, please check them at Pier 1 Tweetups to get the latest upcoming event near you. I am about half hour to the city, New York city that is.

Anyway, let's get back to their spring collection.

I will swing by to the one location close by me to check that swingasan I found online. Just looking at those print patterns is very uplifting. I need to keep bothering my husband about the patio he started a long time ago. Maybe, just maybe with a little nag, he might actually finish it this year for everyone to enjoy. I like having dinner out back when the weather is perfect and perfect ambiance from Pier 1.

Photobucket is Back

2011-04-15T20:40:00.002-04:00

Actually, it came back yesterday. I didn't have time to return the code and I just did it today. Thank you for understanding.

Have a great weekend. My children and I are on spring break for a week, starting today around noon. They got done with their lessons early.

Excuse my blog for being bare

2011-04-12T13:01:00.001-04:00

Photobucket is doing maintenance and all of my background images are not showing so I removed them. I will return them as soon as they are done playing with the program.

Rice Noodles/Vermicelli

2011-04-11T12:07:00.004-04:00

I found this at my local grocery store. This saved me a lot on gas, because I don't need to drive very far away to enjoy the food my parents use to cook when I was small. The ingredients listed are rice and water. Less is better for me, but then again, if they used less than 1 percent of something it will not be included with in the list.

We (my family) been to NJ yesterday, and we passed the Asian Food Market in Plainsboro but I opt out to stop. Our children was tired and just wanted to get home after a long day playing with other children. I could have bought many Asian vegetables, but there is always another day.

Here is my cook rice vermicelli. Right from the pan...lol.

Beef Adobo

2011-04-01T19:04:00.003-04:00

I been wanting to cook beef adobo for a long time now. And today, I finally got the courage to use beef instead of pork or chicken. We are trying to remove pork from our diet and it is very hard. I still buy bacon once in a blue moon.

I used beef cubes use in stew. I had to slow cook it first and add all the the spices little by little after an hour. I made sure it is soft enough, I hate tough beef.

So, no more pork adobo for us. The beef taste better and much healthier in my opinion. I will add the picture next. Have a great weekend everyone.

Anything Salad

2011-03-27T20:46:00.002-04:00

Anything I like in it salad, is more like it. Butter and garlic croutons, breaded chop chicken, carrots, Romain lettuce, and my favorite salad dressing...creamy Cesare dressing. My tip is to make a whole lot for a meal, make sure to eat it within 10 minutes. Yes, a little hard to do myself, however the point of eating it all in 10 minutes is because salad is very light. If you only eat a little, you will feel hungry right away.

And if you past 10 minutes, you can't eat it all because your stomach feel full. So, you need to eat it fast to trick your stomach to eat all of it. I hope I make sense here...ha ha ha.

Fish Sticks

2011-03-20T20:48:00.004-04:00

This one is taken with no flash. Please remember these are home made food. I do not care if they don't shape like sticks. They are still fish, DH and children eats them. And that is all what matter to me.

And with flash.

My secret with the batter...baking powder. I got myself a new deep fryer nice big one too. However, I don't know what the coil is made out from. For all I know, it is made out of aluminum...they advertise these things as chrome to look commercial. I rather goes for what materials they used to make the inside of the damn thing. I've so many years not using that is made from that and tiplon (SP?), now I am frying and heating oil with it..grrrr!

The Iron Chef is My Favorite Show

2011-03-16T11:07:00.001-04:00

Author: Joseph Sandoval

Baking shows are very popular. There are many reasons that can be given for this current baking show craze. Many people may say that it is because people need to cook food for themselves to eat and this means that they like to learn new tricks and can relate to people who are trying to make great dishes. There are a number of great baking shows that are currently on television.

My favorite show with a baking theme is The Iron Chef. The Iron Chef is an extremely popular production of the Food Network. People find the intensity of this show hilarious and exciting. This is not a warm or fuzzy show like many of the other baking s! hows. This is a baking show for real men. I love to watch it on my satellite TV that I got after reading up on this DirecTV Offers Information. Some of the things that make this show so goofy and weird are all of the dubs, subtitles, and voice-overs that they use. Chefs battle one another and try to be faster and more original. These chefs wear strange and very elaborate jackets that make each of the competitive men look individual. When the special ingredient gets revealed, they begin their showdown and start a cooking free for all.

The Iron Chef is an extremely entertaining new take on the baking show. There is nothing else like it on television.

The Cakes

2011-03-12T10:00:00.002-05:00

This is from the bridal shower.

And this one was from the wedding. A very simple cake.

I did not like any of them, but they are nice to look at. I like my homemade anytime...:))

Hello Blogging World

2011-03-07T21:20:00.004-05:00

I am deeply sorry for not returning EC drops and posting here. Yikes! Where did the time go? Might be stopping the weekend holy book learning, I am not learning anything new but learning to look down on other beliefs through the studies. I don't want to learn how to look down on others and the differences on how they interpret it worries me. Everything will be much easier if we all follow the "golden rule."

I am with the kosher way to butcher animals and what animals are kosher, but other than that I am pretty much the same as before. Not all kosher products are good for human consumptions. That is my opinion and will stick to it.

I will be posting some cake pictures (2) from my niece bridal shower and wedding day. Everything happened within a month. Looking forward to some great nieces or nephews. She is the second niece from DH family who is married. The first one is not planning on having any children. She will be putting un-natural drugs (birth control) into her system before finding out that they are not good for humans.

Anyway, thank you everyone for all the visits and EC drops during my absence. I still have a commitment next week for my child state testing, so, I maybe MIA again. That would be 4 days next week. I'll be driving about 45 minutes to an hour one way. I may be staying and just wait for him to get done along with his siblings. I hate state testing. It has nothing to do with the children but a lot to do with the school and teachers. Why do the children have to take the test to find out how the school is doing their job? It's like testing a dog if it will chase a cat in the yard to find out if the owner is teaching the dog to behave.

Ok, enough of that. I need to start cooking new recipes again. Running out of new recipes. I should try making crackers to keep my children for eating not healthy ones from the store. Have a great day everyone.

Kosher Recipe

2011-02-21T16:01:00.003-05:00

No, this post is not about kosher recipe, but looking at kosher recipes. This is my very first time cooking one, and I don't know if I have to follow everything to the bone or substitute them with something.

I am not bashing the kosher recipes but some of the ingredients on some of the recipe I found was a killer. Literally can kill someone when they eat enough of eat. I know about the "boiling a kid in its mother milk." However, our rabbi was nice enough to explain it too us.

First we are not converting to anything, because we are nothing to begin with. We (my whole family) wanted to learn the other side of the story (the easiest way to put it). We don't mind learning about Islam if someone is willing to teach us about it too. Our rabbi is in the same phase with us about the government and other organizations that are made up to control people.

So, the phrase "boiling a kid in its mother milk" was pertaining to the way women cook a long time ago. On Kosher meat I pretty much do it when I was living with my parents, except for pork...yuck! That is what happened when your elder did it while they are alive.

So, on Saturday after learning some words from the book of high almighty, we ate together. We jump from books to books, and chapter to chapters and it took forever. Anyway, I decided before going to this study to bring Brisket. I don't think the meat is kosher because there are blood all over it. And yes, it did not say kosher on the tag. I cook it the easiest way or the less ingredients as possible, because I don't want to add non-kosher with the dish. Our rabbi did not have any problem eating it. I am not saying anything, simply stating he is not hard to please, and he puts everything in perspective.

I Been There

2011-02-12T18:00:00.003-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

Can you feel the tight hold of our government on everything we do these days? Well, if you are these hard working people of this country, I can say you're lying if you say you don't feel it. They are so much talk about how much it will cost you to have a child in this world, come on. Do you really put a price bringing a human life in this world? As the Savior once said, "Go Forth and Multiply." He did not mention how much it will cost you, because you do not put a price on a human being.

You can shop around for Bright Beginnings diapers online or buy on buy on diapers.com. Why buy something you cannot afford and pay a hefty price later? I have been there, and I know how hard it is to provide for little children. Some parents only provide the bare necessities sometimes. Couples working and saying cannot afford to have children, well you have to pick which one is more important. To be able to go on holidays twice a year to have children whom they always dreamed of having. Most of the time they will pick the initial than latter.

Peoples' priorities had changed dramatically over the years. Don't even get me started with marriage because people seem to do it for the wrong reason. Hey, I am not perfect and very far from it. I am trying to be a good individual here. I am just making everything better from what I did the year before. I am more spoken about the right and wrong and don't follow what was established but what is right.

Become a fan of Bright Beginnings on Facebook, they are offering a limited 30% off your diapers for three months. That is a saving's, I can use when my children were still on diapers. Have you seen their free 1-2 days shipping with your order over $49 and free returns?

Red Snapper in Sour Broth

2011-02-12T10:49:00.003-05:00

In short "Sinigang na Isda." While eating this my DD keep on asking me about it. She said the broth is sour, but she keep on sipping it. She wanted to eat some fish but she does not know which part to eat. I said if you feel something hard in your mouth spit it out and do not eat any bones. To make the story short, she opted out eating it and settled with the broth.

I also told her that the fish is not very fresh just like the ones I used to eat when I was little. What kind of fish are fresh in my local grocery store? We far away from the ocean and I am pretty sure most of the seafood they sell are not fresh. I miss my island life.

Inconvenience

2011-02-09T21:59:00.002-05:00

You would think a well traffic eatery in a town should accept credit card for the convenience of their customers, not all of them. Some owners would say it is too expensive to have it, and they don't earn enough to use it. Others simply don't want to accept credit card payment. Knowing what I knew now, I can't really blame them. It is their establishment and they can do whatever pleases them. If they want you to pay them eggs or chickens, you must, because that is what they accept.

Yes, it would be an inconvenience for people like me, because I hardly used cash, since they invented debit cards with Visa and MasterCard logos. I can use it as a credit or debit card. I am bad at remembering things, so I use it as credit most of the time.

Who uses cash these days? Yes, I know, someone will say, "I do, all the time." Well, majority of people nowadays doesn't. These eateries should get a restaurant merchant account. Serve more with merchant account providers. They are offering a limited time offer with free setup, free application, free programming, same day approvals, free technical support, free internet check software (for those who love to write checks), free shopping cart software, and next day funding available. If this is what you are looking for, please follow the link I provided and check their rates.

Asparagus And Tilapia

2011-02-02T20:37:00.004-05:00

Little bamboo I called it, the first time I laid my eyes on them. It was my first time shopping in the US grocery store 21 years ago. I love them, especially with hollandaise sauce. However, I cook it with butter and olive oil most of the time. In the other dish is broiled Tilapia with ranch dressing marinade.

Moreover, what is the urine smell after eating these little bamboos? I search online and found out that I am not the only one having the asparagus scent in urine. It's like eating jackfruit. Well, jackfruit have a sweet smell because it is a fruit.

Anyway, study said that some people cannot smell anything when eating asparagus. I don't know if I can say it is a good thing or not. I really don't mind about the urine smell, as long as my family does not complain about it. Flushing the toilet right away eliminates the odor.

What's Up With EC

2011-02-01T09:32:00.002-05:00

There is a note on the top of my EC dashboard saying that the EC bot cannot locate my widget in my blog. Well, guess what my widget was been here since I added my blog into their system. I cannot drop in my inbox either.

I apologize if I cannot return all your drop if you drop in the last two days. Can someone enlighten me with the EC issue. Thanks.

One Pound of Cod for $19.98

2011-01-29T14:47:00.006-05:00

Well, I just got back from the grocery store and wanted to make fish sticks again for DH. I looked at the package of my wild caught Alaskan Cod, and it say's, Lobster Tail 2 pack and I paid $19.98. I was like, should I open it and see if the man gave me Lobster tail or leave it taped and go back to the grocery store and get my $13.00 back. A pound of the Cod is only $6.79. I knew it was less than $7.00.

Mind you our road are still bad from the storm two days ago. Our driveway is not totally melted because it is gravel. And I have to back up to the garage when I get back because it is very hard to get out of the driveway backing out to the road. Our garage is lower than the road. However, I did not have a hard time backing to the garage earlier. Our driveway shape like a "L."

I asked DH if it really worth the driving and the backing-up to get $13.00 back. He said no. I think I can go back and forth for $5.00 gas, and aggravation of driving on the snow, looking for a parking spot, be out in the cold, so the verdict...I'll cook my very expensive fish stick I have right now. I have to make sure to check the tag next time.

DH was also arguing with me, that taking it back I may get a look from the costumer service window. Why, I ask? They might say you bought that some other day and wanted some money back today. But the tag was wrong, I did not get a Lobster Tail, I got some fish. He thought that I got a fish and the tag on the fish said fish, but somehow the cashier charge me for Lobster tail...I was like...what! No, the person at the fish department press the wrong code, and somehow printed a lobster code instead of a cod code and put it on to tag my fish. The cashier only scan the bar code on the package, they can't change it. This is what happens when he does not let me finish telling him the story and simply jump to solve the problem.

Plus, it's his money, if he say's "fine let it go," well...it's fine with me. However, I do get mad at him when I tell him do not spend any money on the account it might over drawn...then he will say...huh! what happens to all the money in there? Then I can say...well someone gave away $13.00 not to long ago at so and so grocery store...remember the fish and lobster story? He needs to take some kind of money management class of some sort.

Ok, I better get off my PC. Time to cook the very expensive one pound Cod I bought for $19.98...gee!

Popcorn

2011-01-27T10:40:00.004-05:00

Making popcorn in my household is DH job. I make the hot cocoa and he makes the popcorn. However, if he is out during a snow storm, and our children ask for popcorn I make it for them. I do refused to make it when he is home because that is additional work for me...I know...lol

This is our favorite snack while watching some family movies. Sometimes we go to the library to borrow children movies. We never watch real movies, most of the time we borrow animations.

We mix the popcorn with butter, sugar, and salt. I miss the way my mother makes it. With caramelize sugar! Yummy!

Get Organize with These

2011-01-21T11:28:00.002-05:00

Organize your kitchen with enclume pot racks. There are no more digging at the bottom of your pots and pans pile and scratching each one. This is also a great space saver because you don't need to use your shelves. Display your nice pots and pans, these are not the old days anymore, that people only own one big cauldron.

Yes, I own one, and I am very happy with it. I don't have a nice one as enclume potracks, but mine does its job. With my little kitchen, I freed part of my shelving, and I can hide other things there. I just wished I have a bigger kitchen. However, mine is workable...(barely that is)...:))

I recommend enclume pot rack to anyone. There is nothing to like about it. Easy to install and use. You don't need to on your knees looking for that special pot anymore. All you have to do is look up, if you buy the hanging types. However, there are disadvantages for the hanging ones. With my size and height, I need to use a step to get something on top of it. Though, I like the advantages of it more than the other, though.

Brought to you by your friends at www.enclumepotracks.com

The Rice Comes from an Elephant?

2011-01-21T10:57:00.003-05:00

I was cleaning the covers in our kitchen and YDS came up and started playing with the things I wanted to throw away. He was looking at the empty bag of rice, however, did said anything while I was at the kitchen.

As soon as I was done, he ask me if the rice came from an elephant. I knew right away that he was talking about the empty bag of rice. He made me smile sometimes and he is attentive too. I had to explain to him that it was only a logo or name brand for the rice. Poor child brain was probably working hard...thinking that his been eating elephant the whole time...lol

I showed him some images of rice online and telling him how they grow. I should know, my parents used to grow them when I was little. I can't wait to take them all back home and show them how things are done with basic equipments. I better start working on my zappy machine to zap ourselves in Asia...:))...lol.

Out of Control Eating

2011-01-18T09:41:00.003-05:00

Is it correct that American people have more over weight people than any other countries? I don't really know who conduct this study, or who participated on it. All I know is, if you are ready to be healthy and take control of your weight problem you can use food diary for help. This is a social fitness network. Some people can stay on their diet with others just like them. I am in the same boat when it comes to working out. I can't stay on track working out on my own. I want to see other people when I do it. I feel good knowing that I am the only one sweating when others look tired and ready to quit. I can say, I feed on other people failures to attain my goals. However, this only pertains towards working out. I just wanted to make it clear.

People must realize that eating junk food can be done occasionally. Furthermore, over eating will not help either. I am thankful that I don't have that kind of problem. I eat when I am hungry, and I eat natural or whole food 80 percent of the time. I rarely go out and buy cook food. If my family and I are traveling, yes, there are times just like that. However, as soon as we get home, we stop and make home cook meals. Cooking at home helps at a lot, especially for myself. It isn't healthy to sit all day and call for take out when it's time to eat. Yes, it is very easy for me to say because I've done it many times.

Brought to you by your friends at www.fitclick.com

Napa Cabbage Salad

2011-01-17T06:37:00.000-05:00

3 packs Ramen Noodles (raw, discard the seasoning)
5 oz. sliced Almonds
1 butter stick

I head Napa cabbage

2 bunches scallions (optional)

1/2 c Cider vinegar
3/4 c brown sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
3/4 c Olive oil
Break raw Ramen noodles into pieces. Saute noodles and almonds in butter until lightly toasted.

Chop cabbage.

Finely chop scallions.

Combine vinegar and sugar in a sauce pan. Stir over low heat until sugar is melted. Combine with soy sauce and Olive oil.

When ready to serve, toss all ingredients. When I serve it at home, I keep everything separated, and who ever wanted some, they can make their own servings. I like to keep the noodles and almonds crunchy. You should try this.

Family Favorite

2011-01-14T10:23:00.003-05:00

I am talking about chocolates. Yes, they get enough of it or anything sweet that is. And you know what holiday is coming? Valentine's day, and they expect to have chocolate gifts waiting for them. My husband favorite is the chocolate covered cherries. Most ladies I know love chocolates as well. I think I am the only one that is not very fond of it. Don't get me wrong I eat them, but I don't go over board when I do. A pack of chocolate will last me a while.

I also found out, that when you drink milk after eating some minty chocolates your mouth feel very cold almost like a brain freeze.I know you probably knew that a long time ago. I am just sharing my new found experience. This is also a post as a reminder to get something for your love ones on this coming event. I always give out chocolates for the holiday when I was still working. I may not be as sweet as chocolates but at least my associates received something sweet from me. My sappy self is coming out...bleh...ha ha ha

No More White Sugar

2011-01-14T10:15:00.002-05:00

I heard time and time again that white sugar is bad for our health. Now, as new year begun, you will not find them in my pantry anymore. My family switched to brown sugar and all of us can't tell the difference.

I also asked my mother to send me some sugar patties. As soon as I get it, I will take a few pictures and post it here. The sugar patties is much healthier than the brown sugar crystal. However, the patties are cooked, as well as the brown sugar crystals. The patties are process less than the brown sugar, so in my opinion much healthier.

I can't wait for them to come in the mail.

Exercise schedule New Year's resolution

2011-01-13T21:25:00.001-05:00

Guest post written by Mark Davidson

I think that one of the reasons that I'm never able to keep up the exercise habit when I've decided to work out a lot before is that I never arrange my schedule to where I reasonably have enough time to work out. It seems like to make time for working out I would always just give up something else in my schedule that I really needed to do, like spending time with my girlfriend or even getting some extra much-needed sleep. Well, my New Year's resolution this year is to come up with some time to work out without letting anything else in my life suffer.

I had let my gym membership at my old gym run out months and months ago, so I thought that I would go online with my BUNDLE CLEAR INTERNET to find some information about other gyms with extended hours.

I found a few gyms in my area that I think would go along with my schedules and let me work them into my exercise routine resolution. I signed up for a membership with one that's on the way home from work, which I think will make me want to work out even more.

Tomato Soup & Grilled Cheese

2011-01-13T18:28:00.002-05:00

This is what DH ordered when he came home from plowing for twelve hours on Wednesday. Poor man worked very hard cleaning up parking lots.

I usually add milk with it rather than water, and I only heat it up a little. I been using raw milk for a few years now, and cooking raw ingredients will not give the full nutritional value. No, the tomatoes came from a can. I did not made this from the scratch. Warm up everyone!

I Am a Guac Snob :(

2011-01-12T18:01:00.005-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Avocados from Mexico. All opinions are 100% mine.

What is guac you ask? Well, this is a neat sweepstake that Avocados from Mexico is doing right now. They call it Guac Rocks Sweepstakes. The sweepstakes run until January 28, 2011, there are two grand prizes of "Fly Away" for two, three first place prizes of $100 in groceries for your next party, and 80 second place prizes of $20 coupon good for Avocados from Mexico. You need to click on the links to see what you need to do to enter. I can't tell you everything here, where is the fun on that? :))

Anyway, the above image is what I score on their Guac Star Style quiz. The quiz called me a Guac Snob, yikes! And my perfect Guac recipe is the Wild Side Fiesta Bar. I like guacamole but I only like a little zing in them. I like eating it plain when ripe. What can I say, I am your average guac consumer. Will you try your luck at Avocados from Mexico Facebook page like I did? You better do it fast because you only have 17 days.

I had two avocados trees in the backyard when I was growing up. I wonder if they are still alive and providing essential nutrients for my family. I missed going out in the backyard when I needed something for a snack. Those are the days. Furthermore, I just wanted to mention that you can follow them @guacgrl at Twitter and use the hashtag #guacrock to tweet about the promotion. Good luck everyone!

Homemade Fish Sticks

2011-01-11T19:20:00.002-05:00

Somehow every time I here the words "fish sticks" it reminds me of one episode of South Park about R Kelly and fish sticks. That was messed-up.

Anyway, I tried making a few pieces of fish sticks yesterday for my ever picky 10 year old DS. He said it was ok, well I told him that it is home made. However, DH likes it because it does not smell or taste like fish. I used wild caught cod. I slices them thinly, submerge with butter milk, then flour, next butter milk again, lastly into seasoned flour. I used cooking oil to fry them.

I am thinking about using the tempura mix next time, or better batter and breading. I have to research some more online and see which one most prefer.

I Like a Little Zing

2011-01-10T18:00:00.002-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of TABASCO® Original Red. All opinions are 100% mine.

On chili, tacos, dips, seafood recipes, it does not matter what I am eating, when I wanted some zings, I add TABASCO® Original Red on any of them. The possibilities are endless for me. I even add it on soups when I am feeling a little under the weather, to get me sweating and get rid of what I have. Have you tried it yet when you are feeling sick lately? You should try it. There is so much more than hot that get rids of your cold or flu, it enhances the flavor of food you can get the best of every bite.

I encourage you to visit their website and check out the Game-Day Party Menu for simple ideas & recipes for everyone to enjoy on any occasions. You may have already known some recipes. However, there is nothing wrong with more choices.

You can also read about the Pizza Perfected page while you are there. That I haven't tried, because some of the toppings I use in my home made pizza already have that zing I am looking. This gives me an idea to try different toppings on my next pizza. I always wanted to try ham and pineapples. I had it a long time ago, but never tried making it myself. Hmmm, this would be interesting.

Plain Lazy

2011-01-05T15:35:00.004-05:00

ODS came home for his winter vacation last Thursday. DH picked him up from his father's house. I had fresh chicken from the store in the refrigerator and decided to make chicken Parmesan. I have all the ingredients and I don't need to go out to make it.

Well, like I said I have fresh chicken...I made quesadilla for lunch and I still have some left over. So, I decided to make chicken Parmesan. I cooked the chicken without any breading. When I am ready to bake it, I started thinking. Will it be fine without breading to make the dish? Well, guess what, it did not taste right. Something is missing with the taste. I checked online and most or all recipe for this dish calls for breading.

ODS still ate it because that is what we have for dinner. He is very nice for putting up with me, with my cooking mistakes. Well, that goes with DH too...:)) Always follow the recipe is the lesson for me.

Fruit & Veggies

2010-12-31T21:12:00.003-05:00

I am done hibernating, and started eating fruits today. I haven't eaten fruits in a while and today I started again. I go through the cycle of not eating certain stuff and goes back to it.

The image below is for DH. He complains that he should eat better food. So, for start, I gave him bunch of veggie slices. No dip, he eats them plain. New Year, making ourselves better...well, kinda...he he he

Feeling Festive

2010-12-29T22:01:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Pier 1 Imports. All opinions are 100% mine.

Like I mentioned before, I don't feel very festive this holiday. It was probably the fact that, families have other things in mind, and we are the youngest sibling, and have the youngest grandchildren. However, when we were starting, we are always there for them to watch open their presents. Now, they hardly come even just to chat and catch up.

I love it when my whole house is decorated for the season. I like matching table cloth, napkins, table liner and curtains. This is the time of the year that I do my spring cleaning too. I find all the things I needed at Pier 1. My husband enjoys browsing through all the exotic things we can add to our old decorations. We both love their papasan the most. Furthermore, make sure you go back after the season, because seasonal are on sale.

I urge you to stop by at one of their locations before the month ends. You can help support Toys for Tots by dropping unwrapped toys and/or making a cash donation at the register. Spread the love with holiday gifts from Pier 1 Imports by liking on Facebook. For every fan they get, they will donate $1 to Toys for Tots.

Holidays Are Over

2010-12-27T17:22:00.004-05:00

We can finally go back to normal after a week. And the best part of all, is that the day is getting longer everyday. I know winter only started not too long ago, however, I'm looking for warmer temperature from now on.

I made pot roast for Christmas dinner. Actually, that's all I have because my SIL told us that she will not be staying long. However, it changes because she had cold and their plan did go through. They are supposed to visit an ill step mother in law. This is the 3rd time we got a late noticed for Christmas dinner. And yes, she was late again.

DH was sure that his parents was not staying long because his sister is not staying. Well, they all stayed. Not enough food to choose from, and I told my SIL, that I only made one dish because she said that she will not be eating here. I just don't like it when there is no other food choice.

If it's my extended family, they will be more than happy to stay longer. Or until the food meant for the occasion are all gone. I know, I'm just saying. They don't waste food, not like here...lol.

All Natural?

2010-12-23T11:15:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Toms of Maine. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't have any experience using Tom's Of Maine products as of yet. However, I have plenty of thoughts on the product. I will try to elaborate the way that do not discriminate a product that I have not used.

First of all, when I want to use a product it should be all natural. Are soothing and moisturizer ingredients are really needed to have all natural toothpaste? I do not believe so. I like my toothpaste with only three or four ingredients, for example, baking soda, food grade peroxide, peppermint oil and distilled water. If I have to refrigerate it to last longer, that is just fine. My family enjoys eating sweet delights, and I make sure they have the best and healthy toothpaste to clean their teeth with. I also make sure that I can personally read the ingredients on any products I buy. Any ingredients that I cannot read will be at the bottom of my list. Furthermore, there are natural ingredients that are bad for human consumption too. So, make sure you know what is good and bad for you.

I do believe life is full of Wicked Fresh Moments. Once you find out the truth, you can never go back and doing things the old ways. I have plenty of those moments. I hated some of it and embraced many, even the hated ones. You can share some of your own by following That's Wicked Fresh contest page. Yes, you will have a chance to win great prices. You can also join them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter@TomsofMaine.

Gave In

2010-12-19T20:05:00.003-05:00

I know that there is no chance that I will be able to go to the Asian store anytime soon. I decided to buy a few fish in my local grocery store instead. The tag said it was wild caught, ok...four little fish will not kill me.

So, today, I brought my deep fryer outside the house and fried my four little fish in the cold. I can't bear to smell my house all day with fish scent. Not to mention my family can eat a well dressed fish but not the way I like them...ha ha ha.

I ate some fried fish and my house does not smell like it. My neighbor who is very sensitive about things, like your foot on their property, might have said something if they were home. A comment like, "I don't want that stench going into my breathing air." I feel like putting a high wall between our property. They will never see the sunset after that.

All in all, I am pretty happy with my dinner tonight. It's not dried fish, but it will do for now.

Craving for Something

2010-12-15T16:17:00.002-05:00

DH almost drove to NJ today to pick up a used PC for our youngest child. I could have been eating dry fish by now, because the Oriental Store is close by where he is supposed to go.

I could have fresh fish easily, but somehow I want something different. Not to mention I haven't had any of my usual Filipino food lately. Vegetables do not cut it anymore. I might look like a vegetable one of these days...:))

Have a great day everyone!

Too Much Take Out

2010-12-12T18:31:00.002-05:00

I am just thinking how much take out we bought this year. Every time we go camping, we stop at fast food to eat before and after camping. When we (DC & I) go with DH to a meeting we always stop also. Whenever I don't feel like cooking or simply too busy to think about what to cook, I go out and buy something that are ready to eat.

I bought so much, that I think the total was the same for us for the last 7 years. That is too much in my opinion. For the past seven years, we use all the take out in one year, which is this year 2010. It is too much easier when my college child was still in high school. Every time I don't know what to cook, I'll just asked him and that is what we eat.

Now, I will ask anyone of them, and it takes them forever to get back to me. By the time they figure out what they all wanted, I am tired or just not enough time to thaw anything from the freezer. Or if I decide by myself what to cook, the food will sit inside the fridge forever. Then DH will say, (when he sees me throwing it away) "I didn't know we had that." Ah, yes, I told you. "Well, I probably wasn't paying attention to what you are saying." Great, now it's my fault.

Yup, fast food corporation made a lot from us this year. :(

Too Many Excuses

2010-12-07T09:28:00.000-05:00

In my part, that is. I got so much things I wanted to bake this season. Baking gets the house warmer than usual too, however, I can't find time to do them. Then when summer gets here, I don't feel like baking because it is too hot and I am not fond of baking when I am sweating.

I can't win...gezz! Anyway, I will coming back more often now. I free myself from another none sense activity that I used to do. Yay! More posting for me...lol.

Holiday Came and Gone

2010-12-02T08:38:00.002-05:00

I am very thankful for my SIL, for taking over the Thanksgiving gathering this year. I don't have to clean and cook so much stuff and less half of the food will be eaten. My time cooking is not worth what they eat. Too many left over and most of the time they will never show up because my nieces rather be with their boyfriends' house or busy working.

I only cooked cheese cake, pumpkin pie and chocolate cake this time. We left our untidy house and came back after eating dinner at her house. She set up the dinner at 2pm, but we did not show up until 3pm, because I told DH that she was always late showing up in my house for the whole 7 years the gathering was done in my house.

She called around 1:45pm to make sure we are on our way, but we're not even ready to go yet. I forgot to tell her not to wait for us. Oh, well...I don't feel bad. lol, no remorse at all. High almighty forgive me. We never gave her time when the dinner was in my house, but she always gave us the time. So, I worked around that. However, when everything was done a set, she was no where in my house. That is why, I don't feel bad when I made my husband late this time.

She don't have young children to dress before leaving her house. I have four to keep on reminding to not get dirty or find something to wear for. We were always on time, before their (DH family) tardiness caught up to me. I am sick of it, and I don't care anymore.

So, how was your Thanksgiving?

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-11-19T06:59:00.001-05:00

This is my very first home made pot pie. When DH and I were dating he asked me if I have eaten pot pie. Well, I haven't and he took me to Boston Market and order one for me. I like it, especially in a cold day. Yes, after so many years and during my busy schedule, I finally made one enough for the whole family.

Please remember this is my very first try. I refuses to use shortening to make the dough and used oil instead. I use olive oil on every bread recipe I make. To those of you who are familiar with virgin coconut oil (CVO), it makes me wonder if the dough will taste differently if I use VCO? CVO have the same consistency like the shortening, I should try it sometimes and see the outcome.

I will post the recipe sometime next week or this weekend when I have time typing. Have a great weekend everyone, and to join FTF, just follow the image below.

Update

2010-11-16T08:46:00.002-05:00

Huh, I finally made it here. Geez, it's getting hard every time to get in here. I finally had a chance to whip-up something this weekend. I will post it as my FTF entry, since I haven't really join it for so long.

Thank you so much to EC advertisers from keep on buying ad here. I do try my best to visit EC and approve all of your request, except for half naked people EC avatars. I also try to return most drop when I have a chance.

Schedule post is a life saver, I write about a few things and schedule them. When my schedule gets better, or if I get better with my schedule I will sure be here often. Have a great week everyone. Make sure to spend only cash this holiday, economy is not getting any time soon. And make sure you stock-up on food too and hide it somewhere safe from preying eyes.

Another Friday

2010-11-05T11:12:00.004-04:00

Whew! I missed two weeks of FTF again. Like I said before, this will not get better anytime soon. I think this will only get better when my children can do their own lessons at home. Right now, I can't leave them alone.

I'm having a lot of salad lately. Even DH cannot tell me what he wants to eat most of the time. And I don't want to waste time cooking if no one will eat it. I miss my son in college. He eats everything I put on the table and even the left-over.

Too much chocolate from Halloween. Kids open them non-stop and when they are broken, they just put it in the garbage. Then later they will not have anything sweet to eat. I don't mind it at all, at least they will disappeared faster...but a waste of money.

Have a great weekend everyone, I maybe traveling again this weekend along with the family. I have to pick up my ODS from Edinboro University on the 23rd and I am not looking forward for a 6 hours drive one way...:( But I have no choice, I wanted him to join us for Thanksgiving.

Sweet & Sour Fish

2010-10-21T16:14:00.004-04:00

I harvested my entire vegetable garden not too long ago and I have plenty of carrots. I have to use them or they will get bad and here is one recipe I used them at. The fish are cut into cubes and mixed with some flour then cook in butter for less than a minute. I usually like my fish a little crunchy but I did not cook this particular dish that way. DH like the fish just right and not over cooked. I used Mahi-mahi because the fish does not over power the sweet and sour. With DH first bite, he cannot recognized what kind of meat it was. Which is good, because if he can taste the fish more than the sauce, I am sure he will not eat it.

Picture can also be seen in my Vegetable Garden blog

I apologize for lack of post for FTF. To see more FTF entry, please click the below image.

Steak Sandwich

2010-10-18T13:11:00.002-04:00

Here is another way I like my steak sandwich. Cheese at the bottom, onions and bell peppers with ketchup on top. Yummy!

Have a great week everyone.

Salad Places

2010-10-12T11:40:00.002-04:00

I saw a few salad restaurant going to Harrisburg a few months back. I guess this is the in thing now. People can stop there and grab some salad for dinner. They are like mushrooms popping every where. I guess I have not left my county for a long time and never noticed it before.

However, I am frequent in NJ and never saw one. Might be a PA thing, who knows. You will not see me there unless we are traveling. I rather make my own salad at home. I remember my ODS is complaining about the salad in his campus dinner hall. He said most of the food are GMO and he quit eating salad because he always find brown lettuce in them...ewww.

We are doom when it comes to vegetables and meat. Unless you are growing your own, you will never know if that organic thing they sell in the store is really organic. They can easily pay FDA to have the label organic, you see. As long as they get 50% of the profit, they don't care.

Money moves mountain...I hate it.

Two Weeks

2010-10-08T12:55:00.002-04:00

I haven't share a new food recipe picture for two weeks now...whew. My weekend has been very hectic and cooking some new recipes are out of the picture. I don't think it will get easier either.

We(my family) have some activities lined up for the 4 day weekend we will having. Camping would be nice but that is not in our schedule (yet). A few meetings to go to and a gathering (picnic) of some sort.

I'm hoping to go shopping tonight for food and fabric for my kids costume. Hopefully I have spare time to sew even only one costume this weekend. I'll be making brownies (from the box) for the gathering. I don't have time to make it from scratch this time. The picture should be in my FTF next week. I hate making dish from the box, but I don't have any choice at this time.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Homemade Calzone

2010-09-23T08:58:00.003-04:00

Since my ODS is out of the house (in college) the meal that I usually cook last forever because we don't like leftover. I used to cook two pans of pizza and it is usually gone or sometimes not enough when he is around. However, we always have leftover now a days. So, instead of having a lot of pizza the next day, I tried making pizza wrap (or calzone) from one pan.

Not as filled like the one you buy from an eatery, but the same concept on how to do calzones. I ask DH if he prefer them all cheese, or mix stuffing instead? He likes the pizza better, but I will making the calzone again and put other stuffing like chicken and cheese, or vegetables.

Here is my finish calzone. It needed more filling inside. Next time this sure will be filled with something.

Steam Crabs

2010-09-17T08:45:00.005-04:00

I wish I still live in the south to catch some of these. My friends and I used to spend one whole day in the pier catching crabs. This one however, is caught inside a grocery store. DH asked me how much I paid for it, I kinda lied because I know if he heard the right amount I will never hear the end of it. He does love crabs but he rather buy the big ones because it has more meat in them. DD was asking when we are going crabbing. With DH schedule, all I can tell her is I don't know.

Crab & Shrimp Casserole Recipe

2010-09-15T09:55:00.005-04:00

I apologize for posting this late, I was pre-occupied with so much stuff.

I looked at so many recipe and I settled with two. I took the recipe for the seafood on one, and the recipe for the white sauce on the other. The picture can be found below this post.

For seafood:
salt and pepper (to taste)
thyme (to taste)
lemon juice (to taste)
1/4 c shredded mild cheddar cheese
1/4 c Parmesan cheese
1 tsp mustard
1/4 c white wine or sherry
cooked shrimps and crab meat
cooked rice or pasta

Mix all the ingredients and put it in a baking dish.

For white cream sauce:
1/4 c butter
1/4 c flour
2 c light cream
2 onions chopped
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
grated fresh nutmeg to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in flour and cook 3 to 4 minutes while stirring; do not brown. In another saucepan, bring the cream to just boil. Stir the warm cream into the flour mixture, whisking until smooth. Add onions and bay leaves, simmer for 20 minutes on low heat. season sauce with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Strain the sauce and pour on top of your seafood and rice or pasta above. Bake in 350°F oven for at least half hour and serve.

Crab & Shrimp Casserole

2010-09-10T09:12:00.002-04:00

I know not much to see here because I covered the mixture with the sauce which by the way is too thick...lol. It almost taste like the one we ate at the 50th anniversary celebration, but (you know there is always but) the sherry is over powering the imitation crab meat and the sauce is too thick. Next time I will decrease the sherry and make sure I do not leave the sauce in the sauce pan. I enjoyed it very much.

I will add the recipe I used later today...busy teaching my children right now...

Thinking Out Loud

2010-09-08T08:34:00.004-04:00

I found a recipe for peach short bread a few days back while dropping EC. The picture look enticing and I told DH about it. Then over the weekend we passed a farmers market who sells peaches and DH asked if I wanted some. I told him, "if you will eat some peach short bread sure we can buy some."

He said, "yuck! I can't believe people actually eat it, why ruined a perfectly bad for you short bread and add something good, it ruins the whole purpose of bad food (or the other way around)." Well, he got a point you know. In my case why add something bad for perfectly good food? What exactly the point of all of this? To keep it balance? I don't know, but I like to try something different once in a while, and only once.

I don not understand it either cooking meat you with fruit. With vegetables I don't have any problem, but fruit...why? Maybe someone can explain it to me...:))

Dijon Chicken

2010-09-02T16:24:00.005-04:00

I found this recipe on the Lea Perrins bottle marinade for chicken. I think I cooked the chicken a little bit longer because it was a little dry. DH refuses to eat pork meat and my meat choices is very limited. Sometimes I can cook chicken perfectly but this time this one came out not perfect. I checked it when I got it out of the oven, and I can still see some juice, but when we ate it, it was dry. I probably should have remove it from the roaster pan while cooking the side dishes. All I can do is try again next time.

Dijon Marinade:

* 1/2 cup(s) Lea & Perrins® Marinade for Chicken
* 3 tablespoon(s) Dijon-style mustard
* 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 ¼ lbs)

Cooking Instructions:

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken.

2. Marinate in refrigerator 1 to 3 hours.

3. Grill or broil, turning occasionally and brushing frequently with additional Lea & Perrins® until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

I Love To Watch CNN in the Morning

2010-08-27T12:31:00.001-04:00

Author: Jonathan Suarez

There is no greater pleasure for me than flipping through the directv channels and checking out CNN in the morning. Getting caught up on the day's events, and what might be coming down the pipe helps prepare me for the day while I sip on a cup of coffee. The anchors and reports present the facts in a professional and somewhat entertaining manner, and the show varies topics enough that a half hour or so is usually enough to figure out what I may have to research more on the Internet later in the day. Basically, national and global newscasts, like CNN, provide a sound basis of just about everything going on.

Of course, larger newsworthy events get focused on much more. This expanded coverage allows for an in-depth look at a given situation. I can always count on CNN for an unbiased report, and the reporters almost always ask the right questions. It is nice to watch my favorite news program without it trying to skew itself into entertainment. First thing in the morning, I want the facts. While admittedly, I have tried other news programs, I almost always turn back to CNN. I suppose everyone has their own unique comfort zone, and mine rests in that capable staff. I suppose the news channel is pretty much a solid part of my daily routine, as much as anything else.

Food Trip Friday Entry

2010-08-27T09:11:00.003-04:00

Vegetables in coconut milk with fish...lol. My parents always make this when I was little. Yes, with rice, I can't eat it without rice...:))

One version of cheese steak that I like, mushrooms and onions. Sometimes I make it with red/green bell peppers and onions, or mushrooms, onions, lettuce and tomatoes. It depends what I have available in the fridge or my garden.

From My Vegetable Garden

2010-08-20T04:23:00.000-04:00

This is my very first harvest in my garden this year...in August? yes, I am not very happy about it either. I should be in the end of harvesting season already. However, I am still happy because I can have some fresh veggies that I love, even though there are too little of it.

Some type of squash, okra/lady fingers, sitaw/long/string/yard beans with shrimps. This shellfish thing will bring me to hell...argh.

Below is my DD showing how long some of my sitaw are. All natural soil, the only difference from last year was food scraps from my kitchen mixed with the soil.

You will find some of the pictures in my other blogs. No, I do not copy it, I own them both...just to clarify if you find the same pictures somewhere...:))

(In need of ) Ketchup Recipe

2010-08-17T14:13:00.004-04:00

Our neighbor knocked on our door yesterday and gave us a lot of vine ripe tomatoes. I haven't really made ketchup yet, and that came to mind when I saw how ripe they are. Now I found plenty of recipe but I don't know which one to pick. I like it to be thick just like Heinz ketchup. If I make something not that thick, it will end up in the garbage and my work will be wasted.

So, which recipe would you recommend?

Sushi Newbie

2010-08-17T12:57:00.001-04:00

Guest post written by Kathryn Myers

I never tried sushi until my freshman year of college. I’m originally from a small town and there was one Japanese restaurant there that offered sushi, but I wasn’t crazy about the food so I never braved trying it. But once I went off to school and found a great little sushi place near campus when I was looking up local eateries with my blue internet service Oregon.

I’m basically a regular there now and always chat up the employees when I go there for a meal. In the spring semester my best friend from home was visiting and I of course wanted to show her a good time so we found a movie to go and see through wild blue and direct tv and then after I took her to the sushi place.

At first she was really unsure and skeptical. So I told her to order a California roll and got an order of hibachi chicken for us to split just in case she didn’t like it. But she ended up liking it once she got used to the concept!

Milk Bottles

2010-08-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

These are half gallon milk bottles we are using to get milk from our friend. They have farm animals and their cows are giving too much milk for their own consumptions. We barely pay anything, because I know the work done milking a cow is a lot more than $3 a gallon. We like to pay them $5 a gallon but they don't want to accept it. So, I try very hard to go there with no change and just give them the money I came with, usually $10.

We are very thankful that they give us milk or trust us. We will do the same if we have cows and if we know our neighbors are nice and will not get us in trouble with FDA. By the way, the milk we get from them are raw and sometimes still warm. mmmm, nothing compare to warm milk (natural) before bedtime. I know some cannot drink raw milk. I cannot tolerate dairy product when I came in this country, but drinking raw milk prove it wrong.

My new brother in law was having digesting pasteurize and homogenize when she married my SIL. Now, he drinks raw milk and never had any problem. We told them where to get natural raw milk but we told them we like the place and please do not complain about them to FDA. We need more natural raw milk farmers in this area in my opinion. And I hate this raw milk wannabe drinker complain and run this farmers out of business.

(Samot-Sari) Anything Goes

2010-08-12T14:01:00.004-04:00

I was missing the grill corn from back home and I made my own version; roasted corn in my toaster oven. Yummy!

This is my homemade chicken pieces for my ever picky children. Honey dijon flavor chicken pieces.

And here is the cake from my Uncle's 50th wedding anniversary. Decorated with golden leaves for 50th, the golden anniversary. Actually my parents celebrated their 50th 3 weeks before this one. My mom called me up telling us to come. If only they are walking distance or even 1 day drive we could come. But it will cost us about 15K and at least 1 week off work for DH...oh how I wish...

Ok, you know what you need to do to view more FTF entry, below is the link.

What Kind Of Recipe?

2010-08-11T10:28:00.002-04:00

Like I mention on my regular post earlier, I wanted to know what this dish called. It has crab meat, shrimp, rice and white creamy sauce. I don't know if the sauce have white cheese on it what. Usually I can taste the saltiness if there are some, but one has sweetness in them.

I did try locating it from google search by typing the ingredients and I got a lot of seafood/shrimp & crab casserole. Is it the correct one? Please let me know because I wanted to make some. DH love it too and it is very hard to find a dish that we both like. This one can save my time in the kitchen preparing one dish for the whole family.

Let me know, ok?

Have you Notice?

2010-08-11T10:02:00.003-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of PBM Products. All opinions are 100% mine.

I would say that most parents with newborn should have, and those who are looking for formula brands to use for their babies. When I had my oldest, they have a different kind of formulas, and I can't even remember if the stores have this kind those days. Yes, they change their look but the product is the same, and the formula is still offering complete nutritional value for baby's health and development. The same DHA & ARA to help support brain and eye development and meet all FDA (we all know how I feel about them) guidelines.

New packaging does not make me buy anything, unless I know it is good for my children. However, with Parent's Choice, they made it easy-to-read product along with age and benefits. Cleaner look than before I may add. Walmart is selling this for the same price of $11.88 just like before. And for those of you (like me) don't have time to shop in the store, you can buy this product online at Walmart.com...and hear this..."with free shipping." This is real saving for those you are in the budget and only have one vehicle and cannot go out while their spouse is at work. More importantly this product is made by PBM Products, and from what I research, is made in USA. Please correct me if I am wrong, anyone.

Making Chocolate Cake Today

2010-08-11T09:48:00.003-04:00

From what I was told (lol) my birthday was yesterday. And DH today and our wedding anniversary tomorrow. I am graving for any type of shellfish (I know I will go to hell for eating it) and DH promised that we should go out this weekend with no kids if we can find someone to watch them...lol...more likely not. I told him we should just go to our local grocery store and buy some live ones (not locally grown..sad), ask them to boil them for us and take it home and enjoy it in the comfort of our home.

However, we both agree a long time ago that it isn't the same as going out. Anyway, we were at relatives gathering this past Sunday and they have this imitation crab meat, shrimp and rice with white creamy sauce. I forgot to asked them what they call it. I looked online and it is more likely a seafood casserole of some-kind.

If anyone know what it is, please let me know. I would like to make some with regular crabs of course. It was very yummy and I went back for the 3rd time...lol. DH and I shared my 2nd and 3rd. No, I did not take a picture of it because I don't feel comfortable doing it when all of our relatives are watching.

Oh, about my title, yes, I will be making chocolate cake for DH and for our kids. They love chocolate cake with chocolate icing.

Made Locally

2010-08-04T18:27:00.006-04:00

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Ramblers Way. All opinions are 100% mine.

A friend of mine was very surprised when I told her about the things I do now a day. My family has a vegetable garden in the backyard, and we try to buy other vegetables in our local farmers' market. They are fresh and yes, we do help them by buying vegetables from them. They may be some difference in price, but I rather gave my money to them than a big corporation driving small businesses out of business. Furthermore, nothing can compare to the service they gave the locals. I know I have been there many times.

It worries me because I can't find products Made in America anymore, even the United States of America's flag is not made here, how sad is that? Can you find a shoe-maker in your town? I can't and that scare me too. How about one day, these corporations decided to stop sending us products from another country? What will you do then? I don't know anyone that can make toys from wood in my town. It used to be that at the corner in a small town you will find all of them.

I have a passion to preserve what America used to be. Moreover, we should start preserving it now, because if we don't, we will end up with nothing. I live in a small town, but I cannot find one single bakery. Why is that? They are being bought by this corporation, that is why. Producing and selling locally not only helping small business owners but also create a job locally. I am all for "made in America," do you? Let's support each other locally.

More Mangoes

2010-08-04T18:04:00.004-04:00

Again, thank you FIL and Uncle George for these mangoes. Uncle George for growing and bringing it to my FIL house from FL, and to my FIL for taking it to my house. I have given 4 people so much of these. Sorry Vicky, I can't mail it to you in CA...lol.

Here are 3 boxes full of Apple Mangoes and Tropical Mangoes. I am surprise they grow in FL. Maybe next year we can visit our Uncle and take home a lot of it. The only reason for me not having enough to go around is, they are too far away. Plus, they are too old to travel that far. Thanks to my other Uncle who lives half way in NC. I think they drive until they get in NC. Then stay the night and continue on to NJ the next day. I can't thank them enough for doing this for me.

I Need My Coffee

2010-08-04T17:17:00.006-04:00

I can probably say (by now) that I am addicted to coffee now. Why you ask, because I get a headache if I don't drink at least a cup of my favorite coffee a day? It wasn't used to be that way, but in my age, I need an extra boost to get through the day. I will be taking one nap a day if I don't, and I can't afford to take a nap, especially during school days for my children. I have a job to do, and they need to spend certain hours a day with their lessons. I used to drink everyday when I was still working. However, I stop with no problem when I stayed at home. It's not the case anymore.

It is another story with my husband. His been drinking coffee when I met him, and he still drinks a lot until now. More when he is home than working and yes, he gets the headache too when he doesn't have any access with them. Like when he goes camping and always forget to bring his instant coffee. They are getting fancy now a day, they almost look like coffee pods.

I bet he will not mind at all getting gift baskets filled with coffee for any occasions. He is not very hard to please...:)) Just make sure the coffee is Folgers with no flavor. Furthermore, we both like our coffee with sugar and cream. Now, as for me, I need something for my coffee teeth. A side effect from drinking coffee, but I am not willing to give up coffee just to have non-stained teeth. Time for food grade peroxide and baking soda for my toothpaste, I think...:))

Home Made Rolls & Mussels

2010-07-30T14:08:00.002-04:00

Whole wheat rolls, home made.

With butter melting...

And my mussels cooked in coconut milk with ginger...DD can't stop eating them until they are all gone...:)

More FTF entry at Miss Willa's Blog. Pay her a visit by following the image below.

Simply Delish

2010-07-22T06:01:00.000-04:00

For my pallet that is. I know some people are not fond of what I eat...he he he. Our Uncle who lives in FL is nice enough to think of me and sent me some of these. A few years back they had oranges, and this year they have Apple Mangoes growing in the backyard.

While looking at them, I was thinking on what to do with it. I never liked the ones they sell in my local grocery stores. However, I can't stand looking at them and cut open one. It smell like Indian mangoes from back home and it taste like one too. I had so much, that I had to give some away and I force DH to eat some. He likes it all cut up. I don't have any choice and I did it for him. The below picture is slices of mangoes with saute shrimp paste. No drooling please...he he he

A friend of mine got 4 big pieces. I cannot drop it to her early when still a little crunchy because she moved and working the whole time I got them. She some very ripe, and she told me it smell so good not like store bought. Anyway if you like some, they are wide spread at Boyton FL. Just ask the owners and they will gladly give you some. From what I heard, they let it drop on the ground and most end in the garbage file.

Above is the picture of my dinner; white rice, saute pak choy and sweet potato tops with sardines on top. Let's eat, posting this makes me very hungry. For more FTF entry, please click the image below. Have a great weekend everyone.

Mac & Cheese with Broiled Tilapia

2010-07-16T11:24:00.004-04:00

DH said with to mac and cheese with broccoli over the phone. However, when he got home he devour it because he was soo hungry. I should let my family starve first, then cook something healthy and they will eat it with no problem...urgh.

Broiled Tilapia recipe can be found by clicking here.

Paksiw & Strawberry Banana Smoothie

2010-07-08T14:17:00.007-04:00

This is my FTF entry for this week. Paksiw (sour broth) frozen baby bonito (tulingan). I settled for frozen ones, because this is very hard to find in my area. Always eaten with ton of rice...lol I don't have any other vegetables to mix with it but the pepper. I was lazy to go out (shopping) with the heat we are having.

And for dessert; strawberry banana smoothie. I was weeding my vegetable garden today and I was sweating a lot. What a nice drink to have! Very filling (sweet) and refreshing after soaking under a hot sun.

For more FTF images, just follow the image below.

Cakes

2010-07-01T10:55:00.005-04:00

We celebrated my YDS 4th birthday over the weekend. All four children requested to have ice cream cake for any birthday in the summer. And here is one of them, (so far).

Below is DH fathers day cake. I whipped this thing up a few hours before he got home from a meeting. Since he was away, I could not go to the grocery store to buy anything, but it turns out I have everything I needed to make this cake. I had to look very hard inside the pantry...lol.

Homemade chocolate cake, the recipe is on the Hershey cocoa powder container. I recommend the recipe because it is very moist. Try it out sometimes.

Enclume Potracks and More

2010-06-27T19:16:00.000-04:00

There is no denying that my children are growing. Everything that we need inside our house is growing too. When kitchen appliances break, we must change it with something bigger to accommodate our needs. Hanging enclume potrack made it happen for us, because I can use more shelving in our kitchen without the pots and pans on it. Now all of them are hanging, and we can use the empty space for food.

You can use enclume pot racks as shelving for your pantry too. If your husband is not incline to do things inside the house, just use one of their shelving units. When we were looking for a house to buy my big concern was closet space. Older houses are very seldom come with any, and we can never afford to buy a new one with a lot that we preferred.

We turned one of our closets that is closest to the kitchen into a pantry. You may have heard me complained about our small kitchen and now my pantry problem is solved. I still have other complaints about the kitchen, but those can be taken care off through the years. The most important ones come first. Please check out enclume potracks, you might find what you are looking for. Enclume, timeless classic designs.

Breakfast Anyone?

2010-06-25T08:35:00.003-04:00

French toast sour dough bread, bacon, and strawberries with powder sugar sprinkles.

Let the sour dough air out over night to soak in cinnamon eggs mixture the next morning.

DD was all smile this morning when I called her for breakfast. She was asking why there was decoration on her food...lol.

Pansit Canton (canton noodles)

2010-06-18T14:32:00.005-04:00

Ok, my collection/version of pansit canton. Different kind of mix with all three. I think I posted 1 or 2 already, but hey, if you are from the same country you cannot have enough...lol This is my late entry for Ms. Willa FTF.

S'mores

2010-06-16T19:11:00.004-04:00

A contraction of the words "some more". Yes, this is what I am talking about. They label this as a snack, but I call this dessert because it is too sweet for my taste. According to Wikipedia the first s'more was made in 1927. See, I told you this thing been around and very popular when camping.

You need Graham crackers, chocolate bars, and marshmallows. My version is made inside the house. Yes, I am using a microwave to make the marshmallow puffed. I put the crackers on a plate and top it with marshmallows for 7 seconds. Then add a piece of a chocolate bar and another piece of crackers. Of course, we have the old fashioned way, gathering around a bonfire with a stick and marshmallow on fire at the end...lol.

Here is one just for you.

Updates, Updates

2010-06-15T17:49:00.004-04:00

Kids are officially on summer vacation. I can spend more time blogging now...lol. The last two weeks of school was a killer. So many papers needs to turn in. Graduation and making sure the others are within the 90% lessons completed. Whew, now I can finally rest and soak in our swimming pool.

Tomorrow, I will post a recipe for a very easy, not so healthy dessert for everyone...he he he. Did I narrow it down or what? I am taking the kids to wally world to get some floaty and some sleeveless shirts at Old Navy. I am pretty sure they have some shirts on sale that I can afford...:P

I will try to decorate my finish product before taking a picture. You will only need three ingredients with my un-healthy dessert. This is very popular with Americans, specially when camping.

Strawberry Picking

2010-06-02T17:05:00.003-04:00

Time to pick strawberries from your local farms. I am still trying to locate by me to take my kids. What can you make from strawberries? Jam, smoothie, ice cream, dip in chocolate, can you make pie from it?

I like it fresh or blend with plain yogurt. I better get off here and start locating farm that we like to get these fresh strawberries from. They are in season now, yummy.