Inato lang Filipino Cuisine and More

ATCHARANG PAPAYA (PICKLED GREEN PAPAYA)

2015-08-27T10:40:00.001-07:00

4 cups green papaya (peeled, cleaned, grated)
1 cup carrots (peeled, grated)
1 medium sized carrots (peeled)*
1 medium sized red bell pepper (cleaned, julienne)*
1 cup medium sized sweet onions (peeled, julienne)
1 (2 inch size) of fresh ginger (peeled, julienne)
4 cloves garlic (peeled, sliced thinly)
1/4 cup raisins
1 T whole peppercorns
1/2 cup salt

For the Syrup:
2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cup sugar
1 cup water
2 T salt

*These will be used for garnish. I use a vegetable cutter or use a small cookie cutter. Or use a pairing knife to cut and shape a star, heart or a flower.

1. Combine and mix salt and the grated papaya. Set them aside for at least an hour.
2. After an hour, rinse the grated papaya with water. Using a clean cheese cloth or a clean towel, squeeze out all the juice until dry. Set aside.
3. In a saucepan, mix all the syrup ingredients and bring it to a rolling boil until sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool down.
4. Combine and mix all the dry ingredients except the shaped/cut carrot and pepper for garnish.
5. Place the mixed ingredients in a sterilized mason jar.
6. Using a fork or chopsticks, strategically arrange your shaped/cut out carrots and peppers making sure it's visible. Check out the photos above to get the idea. :)
7. Pour some of the syrup in the jar, slowly, just enough to cover the vegetables.
8. Seal the jar tightly. Clean and wipe the jar.
9. Keep in the refrigerator for a week to allow the vegetable and syrup to blend.

Best served with fried foods. Enjoy!!!!

FISH BAR (CHICAGO)

2013-07-14T19:23:00.000-07:00

Fish Bar

2956 N. Sheffield, Chicago

IL 60657

A must try when in Chicago.

I enjoyed the food and will definitely visit this place on my next visit to Chicago.

We ordered two kinds of oysters, goose point, i can't remember the other one. I love them both honestly i couldn't tell w/c one was better.

Scallop Ceviche...i wanted more.

Fried Eastern Belly Clams..so good!!!!

Oyster Po'boy, i can eat more of these ;)

A la plancha - Octopus, lemon aioli, capers, parsley, garlic and asparagus.

Perfectly grilled and so tender. The Aioli "broke" but it was still good.

CHEF MICHAEL SYMON'S ROAST (DETROIT)

2013-07-11T10:45:00.000-07:00

Celebrated my birthday at the Roast (Chef Symon) . Over all experience was good. Situated near historic places in downtown Detroit. Nice ambiance, good food as i expected but our waitstaff (Greg) ruined the night. He was not enthused as he explained the dishes, not attentive...we had to wait and wait for him to come by and check on us. There was a long wait between our apps, main entree and dessert.

Beef Tartare, poached cold egg, avocado and lime, crostini. This was good, i like the avocado lime, tartare combination.

Crispy Veal Sweetbreads, Cauliflower, roasted grapes, hazelnuts

Not really a fan ;( but my daughter loved it.

Roasted Marrow, sea salt, oregano, capers and chilies. My favorite ;)

Beast of the day- roasted pork, salsa verde, crispy tortillas,chili broth

Love the flavor of the beast ;)

Sides : Spinach, feta cheese Au gratin

Sides: Brussels sprouts and walnuts

This is the only way i cook my Brussels sprouts and i got the recipe from, of course.. Chef Symon.

Sides: Rosemary Fries...so addicting!!!

Peach Blueberry Crisp served warm with corn crumble, cinnamon, and sweet corn ice cream

I have tasted a better version of this.

Porter Beer Ice cream, chocolate covered pretzels, caramel foam

Nice flavor combination

Me and my daughter....Thanks, Pam...I love you!!!

Across the restaurant.

Beside the restaurant. St. Aloysius Church

KOREAN STYLE BEEF STEW

2013-07-03T08:01:00.002-07:00

Korean dish? maybe.... fusion dish? i think so. Makes me wonder if this really is a Korean dish only because every time i order beef stew at a Korean restaurant, presentation and taste varies.

I have been craving for this dish for the longest time. I remember ordering this dish at a Korean restaurant back then. It was located somewhere Makati Ave. I can't remember the name of the restaurant probably it's not there anymore.

This is my version, totally based on how i remembered it. It's supposed to be beef short ribs, since i have chuck eye steak in the freezer waiting to be cooked, i decided to use it in lieu of short ribs.

The flavor is there but i think i can add something to make it more flavorful. I will make this again and perhaps add daikon and shitake mushrooms for the umami flavor. Add vinegar to balance the tangy, sweet, and salty flavor.

Ingredients:

3 lbs. chuck eye steak (Original dish calls for beef short ribs)
1 C brown sugar
1 medium cleaned carrot and cut on a bias about an inch size
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped
1 knob of ginger (about an inch knob), cut into three pieces
3 pieces of Thai bird chili
2 pieces of star anise
1/2 C crushed pineapple or pineapple juice (add more brown sugar if pineapple is not available)
2 T sesame oil
3 T rice wine
1 C soy sauce
1 beef bouillon
3 C water (add if needed)
Garnish:
1/4 C sliced scallions for garnish
2 T toasted sesame seeds for garnish

1. In a dutch oven, sear the pieces of meat until brown.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients except the garnish (green onions and sesame seeds)
3. Bring to a slow boil check and add water if needed, making sure to taste and adjust the seasonings.
4. Cook until meat are tender.
5. Add the sliced green onions and roasted sesame seeds for garnish.
6. Serve with steamed rice and kimchi.

PORK GALBI WITH HOMEMADE KIMCHI (Dwaeji Galbi)

2013-07-02T08:43:00.000-07:00

GALBI / KALBI - Korean BBQ....sweet, tangy, juicy and spicy goodness.

Ingredients:

4 lbs. pork ribs (i used country style ribs)

Radish

Green leaf lettuce or bib lettuce

Kimchi ( HOMEMADE or store bought)

Steamed white rice

Marinade:

2 C soy sauce or Tamari

1 C brown sugar

1/4 C sesame oil

3 T rice wine vinegar

4 cloves garlic, grated

1 medium sweet onions, grated

1 small Asian pear, grated

1 bunch green onions chopped (save some green parts for garnish)

1 T pepper paste (Gochujang)

Mix all the marinade ingredients. Save 1/2 of the marinade for dipping sauce* or if you think your meat needs more marinade then use the saved mixture.

Toss the ribs with the marinade. Covered and refrigerated for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Grill or broil the meat for 15 minutes or instant read thermometer is at 150 degrees F.

Arrange pork galbi on top of lettuce leaves, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds.

Serve with steamed rice, homemade kimchi and thinly sliced raddish.

*Bring the extra marinade to a soft boil for your dipping sauce.

*YOU CAN MAKE BEEF OR CHICKEN GALBI/KALBI USING THE SAME MARINADE. IT'S AS GOOD AS THE PORK GALBI.

I love, love this dish.

SMALL SPACE GARDENING

2013-06-30T06:41:00.002-07:00

Want to have a garden but you don't have a space? Not a problem....Pallet, pots, soil and plants....the solution to make your own small space garden.

I have seen blogs about vertical gardening or small space gardening, the use of pallet is the best and unique idea in my opinion. Pallets are inexpensive some bloggers suggested that you can ask them from Lowe's or Home Depot since they discard them anyways. I got mine from my husbands' work for free.

You'll need the following to make this vertical garden.

Pallets or pallet - free
Pots - i bought these plastic pots from Lowe's for .98 cents each. (about $8)
Bungee cords - bought them at the dollar store for $1/bag (5 bags, about $6)
1 bag of garden soil - i bought Miracle Gro brand ($3.88)
Plants - $2 /6 small cells ( about $4)

I spent around $25 for this project. Not bad at all ;)

My petunias

My herbs- basil, from the stalks that i saved when i made tomato basil soup, micro greens, parsley, thyme and another basil. I have yet to add more herbs.

CHICKEN WITH FORTY CLOVES OF GARLIC

2013-05-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Don't worry or be intimidated by the copious amount of garlic. Once roasted, garlic imparted a nutty, buttery flavor. I promise you that!!! ;)

Chicken was juicy, moist and tender.

Definitely a keeper, this will easily be one of my comfort food.
Served with rice (because i'm Filipino...hahaha) but i know slices of baguette will be perfect to absorb those sauce or spread those roasted garlic like butter.

Recipe adapted from Williams-Sonoma. Check out the recipe CHICKEN WITH 40 GARLIC CLOVES

"Don't be alarmed by the number of garlic cloves called for in this recipe. The garlic mellows as it roasts, imbuing the finished sauce with a subtle flavor."

Ingredients:

2 chickens, each 4 lb., cut into 8 serving pieces (used 5 lbs. of leg quarters)
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (season liberally)
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
40 garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme
Zest of 2 lemons
1/4 cup white wine (used pinot grigio)
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 Tbs. unsalted butter, at room
temperature, cut into pieces

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a wide Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chicken, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest and stir to combine. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Baste the chicken with the accumulated juices. Continue roasting, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes more.

Transfer the chicken to a platter; leave the garlic in the pan. Cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil.

Set the pan over medium heat and mash the garlic with the back of a spoon. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a sauce boat. Serve the chicken immediately and pass the sauce alongside. Serves 8.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

To save time peeling 40 cloves, i bought already peeled garlic.
I buy those small bottles of wine for cooking purposes.

Remove chicken, continue cooking the garlic (took out some for garnish) add the wine, water or chicken stock (add more if needed). Taste and adjust seasonings. Whisk in butter until sauce thickens.

Served sans the sauce, it was good too.

Roasted garlic imparted a nutty, buttery flavor.

Chicken was juicy and tender.

Definitely a keeper.

FILIPINO LECHON, KIMCHI TACO

2013-05-28T10:57:00.001-07:00

So, basically this can also be called a kitchen sink dish since i have all the ingredients ready and available, just waiting to be used. But, kitchen sink doesn't sound appetizing hence the name Filipino Lechon Kimchi Taco.

Ingredients:

Filipino Lechon - I have the whole roasted pigs' head in the freezer from our Thanksgiving celebration. Pig Roast

Kimchi - Homemade yes ..... i do make my own.

Ramp pesto - i made them last month and froze some for future use. Recipe to follow

Onions - i had red onions, but you can use any kind of onion.

Cilantro - happened to make guac last week so i had some cilantro left

Sriracha Aioli - just mixed sriracha sauce and mayo

Corn Tortilla - i had some left over when i made the guacamole. Yes, i fry my own corn chips, given the time. Fry your own

"An amalgamation of delicious flavor" Will definitely make this again. I'm thinking of roasted chicken, i know it'll taste as good.

slather a spoon or two of pesto

Then add kimchi, depends on how much you want

Add chopped lechon w/c was broiled quickly just to crisp up the skins

Garnish with thinly sliced onions, red radish cilantro and sriracha aioli

Not for the faint of heart...... made some sisig out of this as well. Will blog my sisig taco next ;)

Apple Crisp a la mode

2013-03-02T07:30:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite fall dessert. Well, actually all year round. This is not your regular crisp recipe, i experimented on some ingredients which i think will add more flavor to the crisp. Well....I'm happy to tell you that this was a success! If you like caramel and apple jam....then you should give this a try!

Ingredients:

4 medium apple, sliced (I used apples that we picked from our Apple picking adventure)***
1/4 C caramel (I melted 1/2 a bag of 14 oz Kraft Caramel) i had some left overs.
1/2 C homemade apple jam or store bought
3/4 C packed light brown sugar
1/2 C self rising flour or All purpose flour
1/2 C Old fashioned oats
8 T butter (one stick)
3/4 t cinnamon

Heat oven to 365 degrees F.

Grease bottom and sides of a baking pan with butter.

Arrange sliced apples in baking pan.

To melt the caramel, follow the caramel package instructions.

Mix together melted caramel and apple jam.

Pour the caramel/jam mixture into the baking pan making sure to spread it all over the arranged apple slices
.
In a bowl, using your hands, mix and stir brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon and softened butter until it forms pea size lump.

Sprinkle over apples.

Bake about 45 minutes or until topping is golden brown and bubbling.

Serve warm with ice cream or whip cream.

Used different varieties from our apple picking.

NO SEW DISNEY PRINCESS FLEECE BLANKET

2013-02-28T08:46:00.001-08:00

This is so neat and by saying neat i mean "cool" idea and neat/clean border. I have made no sew blanket before using the "tie a knot" method which is good but this "looping" method is way better. Thanks to Barb of A Chelsea Morning for the tutorial. Check her blog HERE for the tutorials.

I chose the Disney Princess pattern to match the Disney Princess Headbands i made for my great-niece. Check out my blog HERE .

Materials needed:

2 - 2 yards of no fray fleece fabric- one patterned fleece and another one solid color to match your patterned fabric **

Ruler

Scissors for fabric ( must be sharp)

** You'll probably need 1 5/8 yards for a kid but I want extra fabric as allowance should you make a mistake.

*** I made this while watching a TV show...... yes it is that easy.

I made this for my adorable, beautiful great-niece ;)

Front of the blanket. Take note on how neat the knots are.

The back side of the blanket, still look so neat ;)

Loop the strands together

Then pull the "strands" as neatly and tight as you can to make a uniform, clean border.

DISNEY PRINCESS HEADBANDS

2013-02-16T07:55:00.001-08:00

Love, love this project!!!!! A perfect gift for little girls. A wonderful project to use the spools of ribbons i have had through the years.

I got the inspiration from Kathleen of Grosgrainfabulous.blogspot.com . Check out her blog for detailed tutorials. Thanks for the tutorial Kathleen!

Really enjoyed making these cute ribbon/headbands. I got excited and so inspired, i made the project right away and finished 20 headbands in a week's time. I made two per character. One for my great-niece and the "twin" for my sister-in-law's daughters who happened to love Disney princesses.

Once i learned the basic structure, i made my own interpretation and used the ribbons i have available.

What you'll need:

Spools of ribbon - basic colors/Disney colors
Glue gun/glue sticks
Fabric glue
Anti-fray glue - I have been using clear nail polish and it works perfectly
Scissors
Needle and thread - you'll need it especially for Belle and Aurora's "skirt"
Headbands
Sequins beads - optional
Chopstick - you need it to curl ribbons*

* I experimented on other ways to curl a ribbon aside from using the oven. First, i tried hair gel, it worked but i didn't get the curly effect i wanted. Then i tried spraying the ribbons with water then place it around the stick, clip both ends and gingerly iron it and it worked!!!

Thank you to my beautiful model......my great-niece. She is so adorable!!!

And to my sister for patiently taking these beautiful pictures. Good job, Nang!!!!

Snow White

Pocahontas

Tinker Bell ( fairy)

Jasmine

Belle (I didn't have brown for her hair)

Ariel

Mulan

Aurora (Sleeping Beauty)

Cinderella

Rapunzel/Tangled

CRISPY SPICY SHRIMPS

2013-01-31T17:39:00.000-08:00

My version of one our favorite dimsum dish. Well, this and the crispy spicy squid. Basically both are cooked the same process. So feel free to try this w/ squid as well.

Ingredients:

Serves: 4

2 lbs. shrimps, whole (26-30 count or bigger)
1 small bunch Napa cabbage - sliced thinly
1/2 C cornstarch

1 C Rice flour ( substitute w/ all purpose flour if you can't find rice flour)
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder

1/2 T salt
1 t freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 t Oriental five spice powder (optional)

10 cloves garlic - minced

1 T pepper flakes

1/2 stick of butter

Oil for frying

In a bowl, combine cornstarch, rice flour, garlic powder, onion powder, Oriental five spice, salt and pepper.

Clean (take out the whiskers), rinse and pat dry shrimps.

Put shrimps in the flour mixture.

Shake shrimp until well coated with flour mixture.

Heat oil in a frying pan/heavy bottomed skillet.

Fry shrimps in batches to achieve crispy shrimp, (over crowding will give you soggy shrimps)

Shrimps are cooked when color turns pink.
Drain on paper towel and set aside.

On a small pan, melt butter then fry garlic, cook until garlic turns brown but not burned.

Remove fried garlic. Using the same pan quickly saute' the sliced napa cabbage until it starts to wilt but not over cooked. Cabbage must still have the crisp.

Arrange cabbage on a large plate.

Set shrimps on a bed of cabbage.

Garnish with fried garlic and pepper flakes.

Ddeokbokki (SPICY KOREAN RICE CAKE)

2013-01-29T11:35:00.001-08:00

Kim B's version of Ddeokbokkie is the best. Click Panda and Mango and you'll see what i mean . He added pork, need i say more ;) I did a little bit of tweaking and substitution only because i didn't have some of the ingredients and i needed to skip some steps. But nothing that would compromise the recipe and taste, i promise.

So, so, so good!! I love the "plain-jane" but this version just made me love this dish even more.

Kim says " fantastic after a night of drinking" hmmm, that i have yet to try ;) and easily considered a comfort food which i agree.

Thanks, Kim!!!!

***Tubular rice cake is normally used in this dish but i opted for the sliced rice cake for faster cooking time and not as chewy in my opinion.

I had to render the fat of the porkbelly. It had too much fat than the meat. I saved the lard for future use of course!

I skipped the marinating step. I incorporated the onions, garlic and ginger into the mixture.

Used regular cabbage in lieu of napa cabbage.

gochujang

No!! that's not a worm or what ever you are thinking ;p. That's anchovy paste, from my anchovy paste tube. I added anchovy and kombu (kelp) to the water to incorporated flavor to the rice cake

Bring to a boil then add the rice cake cook until tender and chewy.

I saved some for soup. Don't throw the kelp include it when you are ready to make your soup

If you haven't tried this dish....It's a must that you give this a try!!!!

Ddeokbokki

Recipe : Kim B. (Panda and Mango)

"Feel free to adjust the amounts of ingredients. If you want less meat, use more cabbage and/or rice sticks. Rice sticks can also be found frozen, and are usually pre-sliced. If you can't find rice sticks, just serve this with rice."

1/2 lb pork sirloin or pork shoulder (I USED PORK BELLY)

1/2 head napa cabbage (I USED CABBAGE)

5 fresh rice cakes, or a large double-handful of the sliced frozen ones

1 small bunch green onions, roughly chopped
1/4 C toasted sesame seeds
3 heaping T gochujang
2 T soy sauce
1 T rice wine vinegar
1 t sugar
1 heaping T Korean crushed red pepper (or more)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, chopped and crushed
Salt and pepper to taste

**Cube the pork. Mix together the pork, garlic, ginger, sugar, rice vinegar and soy sauce. Let this marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Heat a wok over high heat. Add peanut oil*. Stir in pork. Cook until no raw pork can be seen. Cover and reduce to medium low. Let mixture cook 20 minutes. Remove mixture to a bowl.

Add more oil and allow the wok to return to high heat. Add napa cabbage. Add salt and pepper. Cook until the cabbage is just wilted. Add the rice cake and pork mixture back in, along with green onion and sesame seeds. Stir to combine. Check seasoning, and adjust it with salt and pepper to taste.

****Skipped this step . I had to render the fat.

* Used some of the rendered fat but you can use canola oil or vegetable oil if you don't have peanut oil.

CHRISTMAS CANDY SLEIGHS

2012-12-07T20:16:00.000-08:00

How adorable are these!!!! I'm sure my girls (co-workers) will love these. I got the idea from pinterest of course. Thanks to Ellyn's Place for the cute idea.

Ellyn's Place used glue gun and Christmas wrapped candies. I opted to use clear tapes which i think is as sturdy as the glue. And bought a variety of goodies which i know my co-workers will eat or chew ;)

Tape and attach a Kit Kat bar or a box of gum to two candy canes as the base.

Start stacking your candies. I taped each candies making sure they are sturdy. Then top with mini ribbons or embellish with more ribbons if you want.

I made 12 in an hour.... made these while watching "The X factor".... hahaha!!!

A word of caution....you'll definitely be on sugar high as you are making these. I probably ate a pack of snickers ;) So.... discipline is a must. Don't say i didn't warn you!!! ;p

CHEF IZARD'S MAGIC BEANS (GREEN BEANS WITH AIOLI)

2012-11-10T21:17:00.000-08:00

This is my take on Chef' Izard's Magic Beans. Green bean is not my favorite vegetable but i will eat if i have to. When my daughter and I had dinner at Girl and The Goat , this dish was highly recommended so of course we gave it a try and fell in love with it. I have been making this ever since. A great and a new way to prepare your green beans especially this holiday celebration, a perfect substitute to the "same old same old" green bean casserole. The combination of the dressing and the aioli drizzled on top of the crisp beans and the nutty flavor is just genius. Thanks, Chef Izard, i now have a new appreciation for green beans :)

Green Beans with a special Aioli

I opted for almonds because i love the flavor.

Wash the beans. Snap or cut the ends.

This is how my mom clean the beans. Snap both ends making sure to take the "string"

Or cut the ends using a sharp knife

Recipe by Chef Stephanie Izard

The Ingredients:

green beans
4 fl oz. oil
shallots
green bean dressing*
cashews (or another nut if you prefer a different one)
aioli*

green bean dressing/vinaigrette*
yields 2 cups

4 oz. lemon juice
5 oz. fish sauce
2 ½ oz. soy
1 tablespoon dijon
3/4 teaspoon sriracha
1/3 oz cloves garlic
combine lemon juice, fish sauce, soy, dijon and sriracha. transfer to blender, add garlic and emulsify with oil.

aioli*
yield: 1 cup

1/3 cup green bean dressing (from above)
1 cup mayonnaise
whisk together

preparation
1. heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan.
2. add green beans and some sliced shallots for flavor.
3. add enough vinaigrette to coat the green beans. let steam.
4. add a handful or two of cashews for flavor. season with salt.
5. transfer to serving dish & drizzle with aioli.
6. serve hot.

I highly suggest that you visit Chef Stephanie Izard 's Girl and the Goat when in Chicago.

HALLOWEEN WITCHES' FINGERS

2012-10-30T19:59:00.003-07:00

Yup it's the time of the year! For some reason these "fingers" became a staple for our Halloween party at work. I must say they have improved through the years! hahaha!! Check it out and you'll see what i mean.
My witches' fingers through the years.

I have used my empanada dough but any pie dough will work. The following year i used a store bought sugar cookie dough. Then i used store bought dinner roll. They all came out pretty good. Each dough produced different shape and character. That is the beauty of this project, perfection is not necessary...the odd shape your fingers are the better it is.

This year, i decided to use Marina's Rich Butter Cookie recipe and of course i like them. There's no doubt about it, i trust Marina's recipes. This by far is my favorite. I will definitely make this again but this time it will be for my Christmas cookies. ;)

If you have her cook book, it's on p.88. If you don't have the book it's not too late to buy a copy. Let me know if you are interested and i'll give you the information.

Here's the recipe for the Rich Butter Cookies.
1/2 stick butter
1/3 C sugar
1/2 package cream cheese, softened
1 egg
1 t lemon extract
1 1/2 C flour
1/4 t salt
1/4 t baking soda

Cream together butter, sugar, and cream cheese until fluffy.

Beat in the egg and extract (you may use anise, vanilla, rum or almond extract in place of lemon if desired)

Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda and combine slowly with egg mixture. (For a firmer cookie, use egg yolk only and chill dough before baking.)

Cut into thin slices. Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 minutes. and bake at 350 degrees F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Lemon Icing: Mix 1 cup sifted powdered sugar, 1 egg white, and 1/4 t lemon juice until smooth. Ice cool cookies.

*** To make the fingers:

30 pcs. roasted almonds

1 egg and 2 T of water- beat to make the egg wash

Divide the dough into 30 small pieces.

The dough is a bit sticky so rub your hands with little butter or oil.

Start rolling each piece of dough back and forth with palms and make finger shapes.

Lightly score the middle part with the back of a small knife to make a knuckle.

Transfer fingers to baking sheet and repeat until all pieces are formed.

Brush with egg wash and push almond into dough to attach making sure it's positioned to look like a nail.

To add nail polish, mix a little dot of red food coloring w/ little water and brush the almond.

* Double the recipe to make more creepy fingers. ;)

CRISPY GREEN MANGO, APPLE AND JICAMA SALAD

2012-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

My version of a Thai green mango salad. This salad goes perfect with anything fried like fried chicken, fried fish and even fried pork chop. Best and famous with Thai crispy fish. Thai crispy fish with green mango salad is one of the best dish i had during my visit to Thailand. That dish will be for another blog. In the meantime let's continue with the salad ;)

This salad is easy to make and you can substitute other ingredients to make it your own. The addition of the jicama is my version. So, you can probably add pears to the salad or any crispy/crunchy fruit...hhmmm now i need to try that. ;)

The secret to a fresh and crispy salad, is to make sure you buy fresh fruits and no blemish as much as possible

Ingredients:

For 4 serving

1 green mango (choose a big size and make sure it's not ripe)

1 jicama (medium size)
1 apple (green and tart- granny smith is perfect)

1 lime or more if you want it sour

cilantro (washed, this will all depend on how much cilantro you want. Omit, if you don't like cilantro)

2 pieces of Thai bird chili

1 small shallot or small sweet onion

2 T pounded roasted peanuts

1 T chopped roasted dried shrimps ( available at any Asian stores)

Dressing: ****

5 T fish sauce

4 T fresh lime juice

2 T sugar

**** Taste and adjust the dressing to suit your taste.

Peel and grate or julienne the mango and jicama. Slice the apple and onion the same way.
Roast and chop peanuts.

Roast and chop dried shrimps (optional)

Mix all the dressing ingredients (Remember, taste it first and adjust if needed)

Toss the salad and garnish more cilantro or dried shrimp if you want.

Oh...so...delicious!!! Crunchy, crispy, sweet, sour and tangy!!!!!

Some of the ingredients.... green apple, jicama, green mango and lime

An important ingredient. Fish sauce. I love this brand but you can use any brand of course.

I know this might not be available in your area, or you are allergic to shrimp,you can omit this ingredient. But if you ask me...really, i think this does add flavor to the salad.

I served this salad with my version of the Thai Crispy Fish. Recipe to follow;)
Now, i want to make this salad again!!!! lol!

TACOS DE POLLO EN SALSA VERDE

2012-09-11T07:28:00.001-07:00

My daughter shared this recipe years ago but never got the chance to blog it. This is one of my family's favorite Latin dish. My BIL had rice with this, not surprised about that, we Filipinos love our rice ;) I like mine with fried corn tortilla chips, no not the store bought. I fry my own corn tortillas.

Tortilla is recommended but when i made this as shown below, i used fried pita bread which is as good as the tortilla.

Ingredients:

Salsa:
8 oz Tomatillos, husked and rinsed
2 Serrano chiles, stemmed ( You can also use jalapeno)
1 1/2 T olive oil or canola oil
1 medium Spanish onion, coarsely chopped (any sweet onions will do)
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 C Chicken stock or broth****
1/4 C cilantro, coarsely chopped
Salt to taste

2 C firmly packed spinach, shredded or 1 bag of spinach
2 C cooked chicken breast ****
1/2 - 3/4 C Queso Fresco, crumbled (I've tried feta and it was equally as good or omit the cheese)

Corn Tortillas - cut in bite sizes and fried.

***I boiled the chicken with water, carrots, onions, celery to get my chicken stock.

Roast tomatillos, chiles , garlic and onions under a broiler until blackened and soft on both sides.

Transfer, along with any rendered juices to a blender.

Puree to medium coarse consistency.

Heat saute pan, add oil and puree. Saute, stirring, until puree gets slightly darker and thicker.

Stir in stock and simmer about 10 minutes. Add cilantro and season with salt.

Just before serving, bring salsa to a boil , add spinach and allow to wilt.

Adjust seasoning as needed.

Add chicken to the salsa or served separately.

Serve with tortillas topped with queso fresco,

I used pita bread. Cut the bread into bite sizes and fry them.

Pita bread is as good as the tortillas.

Cut them into bite sizes and fry.. You could use flour tortilla but i prefer corn tortilla

Yum!!

DIY BRAIDED HEADBAND

2012-07-21T08:09:00.001-07:00

This blog is sort of an addendum to the DIY BEACH WRAP . Another easy project. The photos will show you how to braid, i promise this project looks complicated but it is really simple ;)

But if you think my step by step photo tutorial is confusing, check this Re-purposing: Tshirts into 5-strand-braided-headbands . This is were i got the idea and she got the perfect tutorial for this project.

I used the same fabric from the beach wrap project.

Nice huh? ;)

This is an extra fabric from the second beach wrap i made.

DIY BEACH WRAP

2012-07-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

A pinterest project by Auna caught my attention. What a great project for my daughter! I fell in love with the project (i kid you not!). What is there not to love? It's cute, practical and so easy. No sewing machine needed...oh yes!!

Okay i take my word back, it wasn't so easy on my part. I don't know anything about measuring a "dress" let alone making this sans my daughter to actually measure. I had to base and follow Auna's measurement thinking that my daughter will fit into her measurements. Oh, i did asked a co-worker of mine to try it on so i will get an idea, where i need to adjust or fix.

Went to visit my daughter in Chicago, finally, she tried on my beach wrap and modeled it. The adjustments i had to make were the straps, it was too long on her. She wanted the length (above her knees) shorter as well but other than that.... it fit her to a Tee! ;)

I had extra fabric so i made her a headband to match the wrap. Of course i got the idea from pinterest!!! that'll be my next blog!

I will be making another one, this time plain black. I bought this fabric on sale,thinking that if i didn't cut them right, i will not waste that much.

I love it... really love it! hahaha!!!

The back view.

Materials you will need:

1 1/2 yards of jersey fabric (45 width). Cut down Auna's suggestion (1.75 yards) since she said she had so much extra fabric.
Thread
Needle
Tape measure
Scissors

*JERSEY FABRIC IS RECOMMENDED, IT DOESN'T FRAY, NO NEED TO SEW OR HEM THE EDGES.
* THE JERSEY FABRIC I BOUGHT WAS ON SALE FOR $4/YARD. I SPENT A TOTAL OF $8 INCLUDING TAX.

"Decide the length & width of your fabric. You want it to wrap around your body a bit loosely. I chose to have mine hit just above my knees. You'll also need to make underarm areas. I did that by folding it in half and cutting a deep "C". (*you may need more or less fabric depending on your size- about your waist + hip measurement)" ....AUNA

Cut: Underarm area - Fold fabric in half and cut a deep "C" shape. I suggest to measure the underarm area or use a tank top blouse as your guide.

Use a tank top as a guide and measure to play safe.

This worked for me since she was not around when i made this.

Use the extra fabric for your straps.

Measure the width and divide into three equal strips. Then braid.

THE NEXT THREE PHOTOS ARE FROM ANOTHER BEACH WRAP I MADE.

Sew the ends of the strap. Anchor a tip of the "strap" so you can make a good braid.

Sew both ends to secure the braids you made.

Sew and attach the straps to the C cut (underarm)

BANANA PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM MADE EASY

2012-07-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

Another Pinterest must try "goodness". Check Here for the original recipe .
Was so impressed with the end result. I can't believe an ice cream was made sans cooking or the ice cream maker and with only 2 ingredients. You can actually make the ice cream with just the banana but i opted to add peanut butter. Others add cocoa powder for variety.

You must give this a try!!!

Banana Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Slice your very ripe bananas before putting them in the freezer. Pre-slicing them will make it easy to blend in your processor and saves you time.

Pulse until it will turn into a gravel like texture. Then gently mix them towards the middle so everything gets incorporated. I added 2 Tablespoon of peanut butter at this stage (gravel stage). Pulse and blend.

Pulse and blend until you get a soft serve ice cream texture.

Viola! Banana Peanut butter Ice cream!!!

BOW PAPER CLIP BOOKMARKS

2012-06-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

Got the idea from How About Orange. These pretty little bookmarks were my 2011 Christmas gift stuffer. I used materials that i already have. Instead of fabrics, i used ribbons for the bow and i used those generic jumbo paper clips that were just waiting to be used.

These are the things you will need. Not in the picture...glue gun.

4 1/2 inches of the wide ribbon and 2 inches for the thin ribbon .

Make a bow. Gather the middle part and sew it to secure the ends of the ribbon.

Wrap the bow and attach it to the paper clip. Sew to secure making sure it is tight enough.

Follow w/ a glue gun to make sure it is secured and attached tightly to the paper clip.

A few of what i made ;)

Aren't they cute?

D.I.Y. Headbands

2012-06-12T12:06:00.003-07:00

Made these for a co-worker's birthday who loves bows and headbands. These are so easy to make, all you need are ribbons, buttons, store bought undecorated headbands, arts and craft gadgets/tools and glue gun. Oh and your creativity "juice" hahaha!

First headband.

You decide on the size of the ribbon/bow. Just make sure that the top ribbon will be an inch shorter than the bottom ribbon. Also cut an inch and a half of a ribbon to wrap and secure your bows. Glue gun the bows to the headband.

Nice.... ;)

Cute

7-UP Biscuits

2012-06-12T09:17:00.002-07:00

One of my Pinterest "Recipes I Want To Make" . I was intrigued not only by the amount of ingredients needed for these biscuits but also with what ingredients these moist, flaky biscuits called for. I will be making my biscuits this way. I will bake and brown them a bit more and maybe add cheese the next time i make them.

Recipe by PLAIN CHICKEN

2 cups Bisquick

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup 7-up

1/4 cup melted butter

Preheat oven to 450.

Cut sour cream into biscuit mix, add 7-Up. Makes a very soft dough.

Sprinkle additional biscuit mix on board or table and pat dough out. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a 9 inch square pan. Place cut biscuits in pan and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yes, heart shape biscuits!!! but of course!!!! ;)

These are moist, flaky and tasty!!

Love, love them ;)

CALENDAR JOURNAL

2012-06-12T07:35:00.002-07:00

Welcome to my first "Arts and Crafts" blog :) If you haven't read my about me...yup, aside from cooking i love me some DIY's as well. ;)

CALENDAR JOURNAL

(May 24, 2012)

I love, love personalized and unique gifts. I got the idea from Design Sponge . I love the concept, i have to make it. I made one for my niece who just welcomed a very pretty bundle of joy. I thought, what a great way to document the arrival of the baby. A one line journal is perfect for a busy mom to write down important or unforgettable memories and something i know they will enjoy in years to come.

An inexpensive and easy project and yet it'll be a priceless gift for sure!!!!

I bought the materials from the dollar store and spent $4 total.

MATERIALS:

Box - $1

6 packs of Index Cards (3 in. x 5 in) 2 for $1

*buy 1 pack colored index card

Ribbon -2 pieces (cut 12 inches length)

If you don't have a ribbon find anything to tie or bundle the index cards.

Love the box!

I'm telling you...everything worked out perfectly!!!! FIT TO A TEE ;)

You will need the ribbon for these reasons

1) To bundle/tie the cards per month

2) To indicate the current month

3) To make it easy to pull out the cards.

Like i mentioned, i like personalized gift so i opted to have the labels handwritten.

Divide each months with the colored index cards.

Write the month and dates on each cards.

Organize the cards according to months and dates.

Viola....project done!!!!