Fun Fishing with the Family

We had a great time with the whole family when we celebrate my Mom’s birthday few months ago in Bulawan’s floating restaurant near Tanay, Rizal. My brother asked us if we want to spend it there as they always go there when they want to unwind and relax. Since we really wanted a different birthday ambiance and for Mom to enjoy her birthday we agreed and set out for the family bonding early morning. The day was actually cloudy and before we arrive it was already raining but we still continued with our plans and started fishing. 

Big brother is so used with his fishing hobby that he brought along his own fishing equipment and accessories except for his fishing rod rack which he kept in his home. He taught us all the basic techniques in fishing and in time we were all waiting for the first fish to eat our bait. It was a relaxing rainy day and Mom was the happiest seeing us all there laughing and enjoying her special day. The menu was superb with some of our catches cooked for our lunch birthday food. We had great-tasting healthy sea foods such as sugpo, tanigue, alimango, pusit, tilapia cooked for us and everyone was satisfied. It also feels good to eat what you have just caught from your fishing just like what my brother always says when he asks us to join in his hobby.

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4 Cake Ideas For Your Child's Next Birthday

The most important part of any child's birthday is the cake. Depending on the theme, there are many creative ideas, from ice cream cakes to themed cakes, which will make the event special and memorable. Here is a look at four cake ideas that will make any child happy.

 

Castle Cake

A castle cake is perfect for a young girl's princess party. It is an extremely easy cake to make with only a few ingredients. The cake begins as a traditional double layer square. A person can use an 8 X 8 inch pan. The exterior of the cake is frosted with any icing flavor. The top of the cake is decorated with a few upside down ice cream cones. These cones can be dipped in melted chocolate or frosted with icing and rolled in sprinkles. Various candy pieces can be used to make the cake appear like a building with windows and a door. A drawbridge can be made with a graham cracker.

 

Basketball Cake For The Sport's Enthusiast

Most little boys love sports. This birthday cake will be perfect for any child who loves to play ball. The best part is that this cake can be decorated for any sport that uses a round ball. A person can take a round, oven safe bowl and bake a normal cake inside. Two of these cakes can be joined to form a giant ball. The end result can be decorated like a soccer ball, tennis ball, basketball, or baseball. It may take some imagination, but the cake will make a great centrepiece.

 

Ice Cream Cone Cupcakes

When a child's birthday falls in the summer, a great theme would be an ice cream party. Instead of opting for one large birthday cake, some children prefer the idea of individual servings. A fun idea is to make ice cream cone cupcakes. Most children will love eating cake from a cone and not a pate. These items are simple to make and can be personalized for every child.

A person prepares a boxed mix and lines a muffin tin with ice cream cones. Each cone is filled two-thirds full. The tin is carefully carried to the oven and baked as directed. When finished, the cupcakes are removed until fully cooled. The tops are frosted. Each child can decorate his or her own cupcake with sprinkles or other candy pieces.

 

Building Block Cake

This is a great idea for any child who loves to play with Lego blocks. A person bakes a normal rectangular cake and cools it until it can be removed from the pan. The cake is cut into small squares and rectangles. Each piece is iced with a different color and topped with M&M's of the same color. This makes each piece look like a Lego block. When finished, the cake is reassembled like a puzzle back into a rectangle and served. Each child can enjoy an individual block.

Getting creative for a child's birthday can be fun. For a memorable party, it is always wise to make a unique cake. The above ideas are just a few ways to make the day special. In the end, the child will appreciate the fact that the cake was made with love.

Mandy is a stay-at-home mum with 2 children in primary school, in her past time she loves to garden, travel, bake and write blogs for other stay at home mums or just anyone who is interested in arts and crafts ideas.

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Popcorn Machines in Your Home

As a habit people always associate watching movies with big boxes of yummy popcorn, it’s one of the best selling foods whenever a family or a group treat themselves on watching movies. That’s why it’s not a surprise to see popcorn machines  besides the theatre. Now that you can see movies in the comfort of your home with your favorite DVDs the routine for eating popcorns remain. The only problem is it seems a little tasking to make the usual delicious popcorns we buy at the theatres. I know how to cook it with the use of closed casserole or improvised popcorn pots but it takes a lot of time and effort to feed the whole family. The end result is they watch the movie while I attend to preparing their popcorns which is quite unfair don’t you think? lol!

Well for some it’s as easy as 123 because they would just buy the ready-to-cook flavored popcorn and cook it for few minutes in microwave oven. What if you don’t like the ready-to-cook packs and want to mix the flavor yourself? Glad that I found the solution for that when I visited ePopcorn.com because they offer miniature version for home use and it’s also offered at affordable prices. 

You can make your popcorn flavoured, glazed, caramelized and more with their wide variety of popcorn supplies and home popcorn makers for producing the gourmet popcorn for your family. For others who want to have a small business they have commercial popcorn machine poppers, machine carts, popcorn boxes, popcorn buckets and popcorn portion packs and everything you need for selling delicious popcorn.

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Inherited Flair for Cooking Holiday Recipes

I’m very fond of cooking and I can say that among my hobbies this one proved to be the most active hobby that I do everyday of my life. My parents came from families that are good in cooking. My Mom always tells me stories of her grandparents being invited to cook for special occasions like wedding and big gatherings. Just the same with my father’s side as his father is known to have a special talent in cooking and used to cook for his friends and relatives on weddings and special occasions.

I grew up seeing my school teacher Mom cook various original recipes for their school’s entry in cooking competition for original, most healthy and economical recipes. Most of the times they win using my Mom’s original recipes and she will teach me their winning entries. I was in my teens when I show my flair for cooking but it all started with desserts and Holiday Recipes because I love to help my Mom when I’m on school vacation. During holidays we tried several unique recipes and we’re happy to see the results from the satisfied visitors we have.

Now that my Mom is old I’m the one who primarily manage the kitchen and I was contented to have my Mom’s golden advices and tips in cooking. She taught me a lot in cooking and when they praise me for my delicious recipes I can only tell them that it’s from my Mom’s tips. Aside from that I also read books and from what I learned from the books I enhanced a bit to give my recipe a special touch. I’m planning to enroll in a baking class so I can be good not only on regular recipes but also on baked goodies just like my Mom who used to bake our birthday cakes. I thank God that I will be able to do this all because He has given me an opportunity to earn income at home. I just love being a work-at-home Mom.

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:Thursday Challenge - Red (Cherries)

"RED" (Cherries, Apples, Clothing, Furniture, Houses, Cars,...)

This is my daughter Ruth's birthday cake when she was 11 years old (she's 12 1/2 now!)which is a favorite flavor cake of my kids from Goldilocks. When I order cake from them I just want this kind as it's really yummy with tempting cherries on top with choco beside. It's one of their premium cakes and available also in smaller size.

See more Thursday Challenge 'Red' entries here!

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:Thursday Challenge - "Food"

"FOOD" (Fruit, Vegetables, Cookies, Candy, Meals, Food for Animals, Feast, Hungry,...)

My entry for this week is our food feast last year when my friend Jen and I attended a get together dinner with our old friends. We're all busy so we decided to have potluck meaning each of us will bring some food for the occasion, no pressure, no price, just anything that we want to bring. When we finally unwrap our foods we laughed because some have the same kind. We have two bilaos of pancit, two packs of lechon manok and two pork liempo. It's good that we also have fruit salad, some mushroom steak, plenty of pika pika foods (chips) and various kinds of drinks mostly softdrinks and iced tea. And we love the hershey's kisses on our table courtesy of the host, they have plenty!

See more Thursday Challenge 'Food' entries here!

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Trying Out New Recipes and Restaurants

If there’s one thing that satisfies me that’s cooking and I think it’s already in my blood and veins. No matter how busy I am or how hectic my schedule is I always make it my pleasure to cook for my family. I’m an experimental cook which means that I don’t cook according to book because I always put something of my original spices and style in what I’m cooking. I’m also a very economical cook that I always find a way when the needed ingredients are no longer available or too expensive to buy. Cooking is a wide field of people trying to put their heart into what they’re doing. I always believe that it’s already in my heart ever since I was young.

I was born into a family of musicians and cooks. My grandparents on both sides were the community cook whenever there’s a wedding or feast. They even made some money out of cooking. Even though I wasn’t trained by them as they died when I was a child I grew up in a home where cooking binds the family. My Mom used to bake our birthday cakes and cooks very well too. Now that she’s not that strong to cook her always gives me some tips on cooking.

I’m trying out chicken and pork dishes in a baked-style cooking as per request of hubby and my kids. Though it took me more time than cooking it the traditional way it brings me happiness that I can make them happier by preparing extra ordinary meals. I’m now into experimenting various style in cooking spare ribs and trying out some nice sauces. But for those who really have no time to cook you can treat your family once in a while in nice restaurant that serve impeccable dishes and I’m sure they’ll be happy dining out somewhere for a change.

I happened to have a chat with one of my former officemate now living in Manhattan and we’ve been talking about good old days when we hop around restaurant in Libis for some good fine dinner. I told her to check out Rosie O'Grady's, one of the leading Restaurants In Midtown Manhattan where they serve the finest steak and seafoods. Tourists frequent the place as they’re just about the area near Times Square, Rockefeller Center and a walking distance to major museums. It was a nice location and superb foods so there’s no stopping my friend now. She’s a real fanatic of fine dining restaurant especially upon looking at their menu like this one : The Prix Fixe Lunch Menu.

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The Big Fat Duck Cookbook

Since school days I’ve been a wide reader girl and I’ve collected plenty of books along the way which I’ve given to my friends because I shifted priority in the kind of books I read. I love reading adventure, science fiction, romance and some subscription books like reader’s digest and more. Now I shifted my interest into inspirational books that will help me in sharing thoughts in my sites. I also collect health and recipe books because I discovered my love for cooking and baking. Since Mom is also a good cook I gained some tips from her to enhance my hobby and skills. Her books are now mine because she lovingly gave them to me as I’m the one who took after her flair for cooking.

Actually I started a food blog sometime last year to share my cooking adventures but due to a very busy schedule I didn’t pursue that blog. I was thinking of continuing it because that’s where I’ll put all the adventurous side of me when it comes to cooking. I cook with my heart and I don’t follow all the rules, I follow my taste and what I think will make my loved ones happy. I just hope I’ll be able to revive it as I’m inspired by what I read online on Heston Blumenthal's the big fat duck cookbook which highlights the story of the restaurant, the chef and how his passion for cooking made him rise above his colleagues. Oh how I love to see the book’s various recipes; I must have one of them so I can try it for myself.

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More of the Wonders of Bananas!

glitter-graphics.com

There's just so much you have to know about this wonder fruit which is also the common fruit among Filipino household that sometimes I've been wondering why it's not been voted as the Philippine fruit :-) Almost 99% of Filipinos love this fruit which has many varieties such as Lakatan, Latundan, Señorita and some others. They also differ in colors. There's also the Saba variety which is the common snack here in the country which when cooked can give you different delicious recipes and forms like Turon, Banana-Q, Saba con Hielo, Saba Fritters, Maruya, Sweetened Saba in Sauce.

Here are additional uses of this wonder banana:

Overweight and at work?

Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control: For The Ladies

Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.

Smoking:

Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:

Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.

Strokes:

According to research in "The New England Journal of Medicine," eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, bananas are really a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around.

So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"

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Wonder Banana!

After Reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas Containing three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:

According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS: For The Ladies

Forget the pills -- eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia:
High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.

Blood Pressure:

This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power:

200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert..

Constipation: For The Ladies

High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:

One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:

Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness: For The Ladies

Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:

Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Seems like this wonderful fruit which is very common in every Filipinos' table has a lot to contribute in our health chart and so I'll be posting another for more!

Image by glitter-graphics.com

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Healthy Meal Plans

As I’ve been busy with my hectic schedule now because of my work turnover and writing posts for my sites I tend to eat more. It has always been my habit that if I work late in the night I eat more just to stay awake. I know this is not good for me but I can’t do something about it, the only thing that I started doing this week is to have some fruity snacks in the night instead of sandwiches.

Well these snacks help to make me think and write more even if I’m tired so the replacement seems right. Actually it really is as fruits are a lot healthier than any other snack so I’ll think I’ll make it a good habit and will include this in my meal plan always. For the pounds that I’ve gained these past few weeks maybe I just have to think of a fast weight loss guide or plan to help me get rid of my excess pounds. I’m not that super serious in making myself thin, I just need to shed some pounds off my weight for healthy reasons. I can do more jobs when I’m not so fat and heavy and I can walk faster too.

It’s important to me to walk with ease as walking is the only exercise that I happen to maintain these days. It doesn’t require much time and I love walking especially on areas with fresh air and nice view.

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:WW - Lechon Manok At The Camp

Wow it's an improvised lechon manok griller we had at the camp. Our brothers just used some ingenuity in the woods available there and the rotisserie was helped by human hands. We were very happy watching how they cooked the chicken for our lunch warming our early morning with the fire. The kids were excited also especially my son Josh who wanted one whole chicken for himself lol!

Got another entry at My Crossroads.

Visit more WW entries -> here.

Wordless Wednesday

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Such Cravings for Ice Cream!

Josh just love ice cream any flavor and any brand. Actually when I go to office and I leave him to my Mom they would wait for the rolling ice cream on the streets. If you’ll see him calling for the ice cream vendor you’ll smile at the excitement you’ll see in his face, such cravings! See his picture here!

No wonder every time I bring him to supermarket he’ll go immediately to chest freezers containing ice cream and he’ll choose one for him. And you know where he got that super cravings for ice cream? Yes he got it from me I’m also an ice cream girl but now that I’m older I have my own flavor preferences! I love double dutch, coffee crumble and some other premium flavors, actually the only flavor that I will not buy are ube and macapuno.

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Cravings!

I woke up early this morning even if my kids has no classes today. I need to go to market early to catch up with my busy schedules. Yesterday night hubby asked me if I can cook pork sinigang tomorrow with real tamarind and not just the ready-made powder tamarind broth because he really wanted an original tamarind sour taste. He didn't know that my two girls are also asking me the other day so I decided since I don't have office work today that I'll succumb to their cravings. I bought a meat with some pork bones so it will have a tasty soup. Well actually I didn't just cooked for their cravings because it's my favorite too!

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Osang's Birthday

Another birthday luncheon again and this time it's Osang. Actually her birthday was really last September 11 but she was in Cebu then attending the ACC conference for telcos. She requested Art to cook pork liempo for her yesterday and brought her turbo. She cooked spaghetti, chicken lollipop and lumpiang shanghai to go with pork liempo. Cakes flooded the table as we have chocolate and ube cake from Red Ribbon and mercedes de brazo.

As we're only around 15 in the office wuthout the technical staff who were assigned in some place the food was more than enough for us. Again it's a yummy lunch for all of us. Happy birthday Osang!

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New Ice Cream Dessert

Just when I’m beginning to slow down on my eating habits my officemates begin ordering for high-calorie foods and when they asked me I easily chanted my orders, can’t help it! I told myself ok just for now, tomorrow I’ll be back again to wheat bread, tuna and corn. They’re a bunch of temptations but I love it lol! I’ve ordered burger mcdo and the latest addition to Ronald Mcdonald’s list – the Strawberry Cheesecake Sundae Ice Mix. For ice cream lover like me it was a cool refreshing delicious dessert, so yummy! Try it!

Will post pics later! Got to go home now.

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Big Time Meals

Are you fond of value or big time meals? My kids are! If they want pizza you can satisfy them with Greenwich big time meals which are available in three varied kinds. Joshua love the P69 meal because it has chicken, my two girls love the P49 meal because they just want pizza, hubby and me of course we want them all the P99 because it has everything on it, chicken, spaghetti, pizza and of course my fave macaroni salad!

What's good about it? It's light on your pocket :-)

Photo was taken at their branch in Robinson's Metro East

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Cravings

Showers of rain are starting to fall and it's getting cold but still I'm craving for an ice cream, yes I love eating ice cream when I'm blogging even if a little disturbing on my part. It's like a therapy to me, you know! My kids are also ice cream lovers as when we go to any mall we always stopped by to have one be it Selecta or Herns or any other Mr. Softy type that you pass by in the mall as long as it's an ice cream.

But now I want McDo's Mcflurry where I can dip my fries into it. Sad I'm too lazy to get out of the house. Will just text my hubby to bring me one. Such cravings!

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Josh Loves Fried Chicken

This is Josh 2 years ago when all he wanted for a viand was fried chicken, no matter what the size or cut it is he wants it. He's very fond of friend chicken that every time he gets a little sick or not feeling well he always wanted us to buy chicken joy for him. Not that he finished the whole part of it, sometimes he just rounded up the leg and after munching or biting all the skin he’ll give it to Brownie, my auntie’s loyal dog. He always thought that he should spare some meat to Brownie, sad that dog died that year also. Brownie was hit by a speeding car across the street. Josh missed him for a month or so.

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New Year

Happy New Year!

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