It's all about the meow.

Spinach and healthy substitutes

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:47:00 +0000

Piyaya? Haha, no! These are the spinach tortillas I made the other day. They look uneven and lumpy in some areas because I didn't use a rolling pin :D But it doesn't matter because I was pretty pleased at how these turned out. They were yummy and went perfectly with the lentil soup that I made. I followed the recipe at Tammy's blog but made some changes. Instead of using just flour, I added a cup of ground oats for more fiber.

Scrambled eggs?

Speaking of changes, I attended this really cool cooking seminar at The Maya Kitchen this afternoon. They taught us how to make a healthier version of "scrambled eggs" and "mayonnaise" using tofu!

Soyanaise!

I'll be sharing those recipes in my next post :)

We love Fancy Feast

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 07:12:00 +0000

My cats LOVE wet food. They love their kibble too but I notice that there is a different reaction when they find out that they are having wet food for lunch/dinner :) As soon as they see me holding a can they both run to their food bowls and start meowing wildly. It's the cutest!

Nugget must be thinking: "Fancy Feast for lunch?! Yay!!!"

I think it's really cool that we found out about Fancy Feast's contest on their Facebook page. All you have to do is send in a review of the featured flavor for the week. I had to look for the Beef Feast in Gravy because the variants we had at home were not the ones included for this week. Haha! But I'm sure Nugget is happy because that means extra noms for him :)

I smell Fancy Feast!!!

Nugget jumped on the chair as soon as I placed the open can on the table!

Beefy goodness!

Just look at that hungry face!

Kumo wanted some too! I had to feed them after this pic because the boys were so wild :D And as expected, the food was gone in just a matter of minutes! Bitin! But not to worry because tonight they will each have a can for dinner.

Nugget: "Can I please eat now?"

We'll send in our entry in a while. Paws crossed that we win :)

Mushroom veggie wrap

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:56:00 +0000

We had this simple but filling veggie wrap for lunch today. Do you like mushrooms? If you do then this is the perfect wrap for you!

I chopped a handful of baby Portabello mushrooms.

Marinated them for about 15 minutes using a blend of olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar and garlic bits. I didn't really measure the ingredients but I tasted the sauce first and it was pretty good. I got the idea to use balsamic vinegar from this recipe. After marinating I tossed the mushrooms in a grill pan and cooked them for a few minutes.

Assembly time! Cooked mushrooms on top of lettuce, chopped carrots and whole wheat tortilla.

and drizzled my own version of tzajiki before rolling. Yum :)

Homemade Banana Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 10:04:00 +0000

I still can't believe that something so simple and easy to make can turn out to be so yummy!

Frozen bananas

Put some bananas in the freezer and leave overnight (or until banana is frozen solid). Chop them up and load into the food processor. If you don't have a food processor I think a blender will work fine :)

It is better to cut up the bananas into smaller pieces for easier mixing and so that you do not overwork the food processor. The bananas here were a bit too big for my tiny machine so I had to cut them up again :D


Blend until creamy!

Turn the food processor on and blend for about 5 minutes. Stop occasionally to mix in the solid parts on the side. I added a tablespoon of powdered cocoa to my mix. Next time I think I'll add some chopped nuts too!

Yum :) Perfect snack on a hot day and definitely a healthier alternative to regular ice cream :D

Things that make me happy

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:48:00 +0000

Just another list of random things that make me happy :)

Home cooked Pad Thai! This is probably my favorite Thai dish so I try to cook it as much as possible. I also like Tom Yum. I'll try to make that next time.

My funny kitties :) This morning I woke up hearing strange rustling noises. I was surprised to see my cats playing in a pile of dried grass.

Hide and seek?

I see you, Kumo!

Making an artwork without using a computer. I just enrolled in a printmaking class and so far it has been fun. I feel as if I am back in college :)

Can you guess which one is mine? :D

Busy Nugget and the house of Katsu

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 10:26:00 +0000

Another week has passed! I can't believe that January is almost over. I don't think Nuggie noticed because he has been busy all week. His days are so packed that I think he needs a personal assistant (Oh wait, that's me!). In a day he has almost 16 hours of sleep, grooming, 2 meals, snacks and naps in between. So busy! :D

i can reach it!

It was also a busy day for us. My brother and I had run errands in SM. Since we were already in Megamall we decided to have lunch at Yabu: The house of Katsu. As expected the place was packed. Yabu is quite popular lately since all food bloggers have been raving about the yummy food. We waited for a few minutes before being ushered inside.

My brother got the 120g Rosu (pork loin with fat) Tonkatsu Meal (p320 + 12% Vat and Service charge).

I ordered the Chicken curry meal (p290 + 12% Vat and Service charge). I asked them to serve the curry on a separate bowl. I got very intrigued with their homemade curry because it said on the menu that it is made with 45 ingredients!

curry soup :P

Both meals were served with rice, miso soup, sliced fruits, pickled veggies and unlimited shredded cabbage.

It's good that the cabbage is unlimited because there are 2 dressings to choose from - creamy sesame and vinaigrette.

grind it!

We were also given a small bowl of sesame seeds with a wooden pestle for grinding. The waiter told us to mix the ground seeds with the tonkatsu sauce and use this for dipping. Yummy! Overall we enjoyed our meal at Yabu. The servings are huge and can be shared by 2 but with extra rice :D

Yabu: The House of Katsu

http://www.yabuhouseofkatsu.com

2/F Mega Atrium, SM Megamall,

Mandaluyong City, Philippines

Mailbox sightings

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:48:00 +0000

Do you like sending mail via post? I love it :) I also like to look out for vintage mailboxes. Here is a mini photo collection of the mailboxes that I have seen so far. Please let me know if you've spotted one and where it is so I can add it to my collection.

Painted blue and white at the Banaue Hotel in the Cordillera region

Philippine Mail printed on the side

All yellow in Colon street, Cebu

A bigger version in Las Casas Azucar, Bataan

On display at the Manila Post Office museum where they had not just one

but two boxes!

At my sister's school in Pasig

And guess what... we have one at home too :D

Amazing coincidences

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 07:29:00 +0000

I always see this red orange colored bug in our kitchen. The funny thing is that this bug matches the color of our kitchen wall!

See! How amazing is that? :D

I had another cool bug sighting in Batanes. This time it was a group of green bugs matching the green windowsill.

Color blending doesn't just apply to bugs. Just look at this camouflage kitty!

My funny kitties choosing the box that match their colors. Nugget in the brown and Kumo in the white :D

And orange Nuggie matching the scratching post

Spotting a "Kate" boat in a remote beach in Siargao

Seeing red and green while looking down from my old office!

and probably the most amazing coincidence for me so far - having not one but two rainbows on our wedding day :) Happy Monday folks!

Crunchy baked garbanzo beans

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:24:00 +0000

Looking for a healthy snack? I chanced upon this recipe and decided to try it. It's very simple to make too! All you need are garbanzo beans, olive oil, salt and spices (this is up to you).

First step: wash and drain the beans. I let the beans air dry a bit and also used a kitchen towel to get rid of the excess water.

Remove the skin if you like. Some sources mentioned that leaving them on might cause the beans to burn but I deliberately left some to test it. The beans with the skin on turned out fine :D

Put the dry beans with a small amount (I used a teaspoon) of olive oil in a plastic container. DO NOT put the spices yet like I did. I had some beans with burnt chili powder. The spices should be added when the beans are cooked :P

Cover the plastic container and shake the beans to distribute the oil. Each bean should be lightly coated with olive oil. Again, there should be no spices yet in this stage :D Transfer the beans on a metal pan and bake for 30-40 mins at 300-350 degrees. Make sure that you check the oven once in a while to avoid burning. You'll know that they're done when the beans make a lot of noise when you shake the pan. The beans will also be slightly smaller by this time.

finished product!

Let the beans cool a bit then season with your chosen spices. For this batch I used Cayenne pepper, celery salt and chili powder. I would like to try Nori flakes and wasabi powder for next time. Enjoy! :D

12 things for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:45:00 +0000

Do you have goals this year? I don't usually list things down since I think I am more of an anything goes type of person :D But for a change I thought it would be nice to have it in writing. This way I can stay on track and work on the things that I want to experience and accomplish this 2012.

1. Cook better food.
I love to cook, but I think I should make extra effort in improving my menu. I recently purchased Heidi Swanson's Super Natural Everyday cookbook. I've been following her blog for quite awhile now and I think having the actual cookbook will motivate me to follow a more natural path in cooking. Less processed food and frying :)

Awesome recipes and great photos too!

2. Create more artworks - preferably non computer generated :)

3. Go to the beach at least 3 times - we already have 1 trip planned so 2 more to go

4. Move in our condo. This really depends on the developer but we are praying that the punch listing and the renovations will be finished soon.

5. Ride a helicopter. Not sure when and how yet :)

6. Have a complete body check up

7. Take better care of my cats by being diligent with vet appointment and shots. Regular ear cleaning and nail clipping. De worming should be done ~~every 2 months~~ quarterly.

8. Explore Cambodia with Erman - trip has been booked! So excited :)

9. See and touch real snow - again not sure when and how

10. Get a US, UK and a Schengen visa - No immediate plans on visiting these areas but it would be really nice to have them so we can make plans. Also nice to dream :D Paws crossed that I get approved to all!

11. Visit the Myth of the Human Body exhibit - They extended the show yet again and this time we should finally visit it!

12. Win something major in a contest - you all know how much I love to join contests :D Hope to win something big this year.

Nugget, Kumo and the scratching post

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 04:37:00 +0000

Remember that coconut fiber scratching post that I bought a few weeks ago?

funny faced Kumo

It's still here but mostly left alone :D The boys rarely scratch on it but they seem to think that it is a rubbing post. So funny!

Couch art by Nugget and Kumo

I don't think they will ever outgrow their love for our poor couch

chair art by Nugget and Kumo

and our dining table chairs. This is just 1 out of 6! Haha!

Sometimes I see Nuggie sitting beside the post. And yes, they match! :D Maybe he thinks that the post is a part of him.

So brown! Anyway, here is a video of my cats playing with the post. It doesn't happen often so I'm glad I was able to capture it :)

Happy Wednesday, folks!

Peanut butter overload

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 11:26:00 +0000

Do you like peanut butter? If you do, then you should definitely drop by this restaurant called Peanut Butter Company where almost all the items on the menu have peanut butter mixed in- sandwiches, burgers, chicken wings and even pasta! Admittedly I am not a big fan of the stuff but I do enjoy it once in a while (especially on hot pandesal! Yum).

what to order?

We finally had the chance to visit PB Co. yesterday. There are so many interesting items so it was quite hard to pick what to get :D We decided to try 2 kinds of pasta, a plain pb sandwich and a roast beef sandwich (for my brother).

Curry chicken pasta

This was so good! I had no idea that curry and peanut butter would go well together. Yum!

Cold Asian noodles

Another good choice :) Nice and refreshing.

Peanut butter sandwich

Looks really creamy. I wasn't able to eat my share since I was so full but Erman said it was good.

Roast beef sandwich

My brother liked it although he did say that the PB was a bit too sweet. Maybe next time we should order the sandwich and chips combo :D

sugar rush!

We also ordered soda. I'm not much of a soda drinker but I wanted to try the A&W cream soda :) I'd love to try their Chicken wings and tomato based pasta on our next visit!

PB Co is at:

G/F North Parking Bldg. SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
G/F Paseo Center, 8757 Paseo de Roxas, Makati City
2/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City

Happy 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 09:42:00 +0000

It's been a bumpy start for meow this year - surprise fees on our condo (which means that moving in will be delayed yet again), accidentally booking an airline ticket that has my maiden name while my passport already has my married name and a lot of other kinks. But I'm not too worried because I know that things will eventually sort themselves out :) In the mean time, it's better to just take things slowly and take time to appreciate the important things in life.

Yes, it's another Christmas ball reflection photo :D

I am thankful for Erman who is not only my husband but also my best friend :)

Love my Nug :)

Curious Kumo!

I am thankful for my cute kitties! This is how my boys look when they are spying on what we are eating :D

Spending time with my family

Having a nice leisurely brunch with my mom and little sister

I had a yummy pecan waffle while

my mom explained the tags and pins on her Super Junior bag (yes, she is a big fan!)

cloudy building

Seeing and taking a photo of something beautiful while stuck in traffic. Just look at how that building almost seems invisible. Super cool :)

my hometown LOL

I really hope that 2012 will be filled with love, creativity and a lot of crazy random things that make us happy. Happy New Year!

Scratching post

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:34:00 +0000

Erman and I dropped by the PAL office in Cubao early today to pay the tax on our free tickets to Dumaguete (thank you, Mabuhay Miles!). I haven't been to Dumaguete yet but no worries since we have almost 5 months to plan the trip. I really miss traveling. It's been a while since we've gone on a trip because we have been saving up to furnish and the renovate our new home. Hopefully we can move in by mid January :D Paws crossed!

Cheap scratching post at PetExpress

After the PAL office we dropped by the most awesome pet store ever! I've heard about Pet Express before but this was my first time to go there. They have a lot of cool stuff and prices are reasonable too! We got this scratching post for just p79! Score :D

Curious Nuggie sniffing the post and after a few minutes...

Attack!

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 12:42:00 +0000

best gifts ever!

Hello folks! We hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas celebration :) Just a few more days till 2012! Happy Holidays!

Local Loco Deli

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 04:24:00 +0000

My Local Loco Deli orders are here! And just in time too since I will be giving most of these goodies for Christmas :) I really like buying locally made products and it is great that Local Loco Deli offers a nice selection of goodies. They offer different kinds of coffee beans, vinegar and bottled seafood and longganisa.

Bottles of local goodness

I ordered 3 kinds of Longganisa and since I do not eat pork I decided based on the product description. The ones I selected are: Cebu (peppery • the oldest city in the country’s mastery of the art of flavorful longganisa-making) , Bulacan (spicy-garlicky • touted by most as the tastiest in the land) and Ilocos (garlicky • packed with wicked Ilocano garlic). There is also Cabanatuan, but decided not to get that since it says that the meat is on the sweet side. Nothing wrong with sweet but the longganisa fans here at home are not into sweet meats :D

All homegrown and homemade Ilocos and Bulacan goodness! Serve it as is or as canape, pizza or pasta topping or sandwich filling.

Yummy Tinapa flakes for meow. They also have cured baby oysters and dulong. Will try those next time.

And for the vinegar I got Tuba (maisug {strong!} na tuba: coconut vinegar from the land of the fierce, Samar • naturally fermented and infused with lemongrass and garlic) and Mangga (from the mango farms of Zambales • naturally fermented and infused with lemongrass). Yum!

You may contact Local Loco here

Something Affordable from Globe

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 11:58:00 +0000

This is my little sister, Jamila. She's 14 and she talks A LOT!

If she's not busy talking on the phone, you'll find her online chatting on Facebook, tweeting or surfing tumblr. Usually it is all of the above :D

Keeping in touch with friends is very important for her. And nowadays technology has become synonymous with communication. Unfortunately, my sister recently lost her phone so I think she is feeling a little out of the loop with her friends - especially when all the adults at home are busy using the computers!

It is great that Globe has several phone plans to choose from. And I think the UnliSurf Combo Plan 599 with unlimited mobile surfing is perfect for talkative teens like Jamila! There is also BBM that will allow her to send instant messages to her friends using Blackberry phones :) Anyway, I posted Globe's super affordable plans below just in case you are interested in availing of their promo.

This Christmas is the perfect time to get a new BlackBerry–with an unlimited mobile surfing plan!

Subscribe now to My Super Plan UnliSurf Combo, from 599 to 2499, to get any of these amazing BlackBerry offers with free Globe services:

BlackBerry Curve 8520
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 599 with unlimited mobile surfing

BlackBerry Curve 3G 9300
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 999 with:
• unlimited mobile surfing
• P400 consumable amount
• 1 freebie from A to C, E

BlackBerry Curve 9360
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 1799 with:
• unlimited mobile surfing
• P1,200 consumable amount
• 3 freebies from A to C, E

BlackBerry Bold 9780
FREE at UnliSurf Combo Plan 2499 with:
• unlimited mobile surfing
• P1,900 consumable amount
• 5 freebies from A to C, E

Freebie choices:
A - 10 min calls and 200 SMS to Globe/TM
B - 5 min calls and 25 SMS to other networks
C - 20 mins IDD calls and 10 ISMS to 10 destinations**
E - Unlimited calls and text to one Globe/TM number
** US, Canada, Guam, Hawaii, Alaska, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Thailand

Promo period is from December 1 to 31, 2011. Per DTI-NCR Permit No. 9409, Series of 2011
Available for new Globe Postpaid line applications only.

*- all details about the Globe promo taken from their website

How to wrap your Christmas Cat

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:08:00 +0000

Please watch our video for this week's Nestle Purina video challenge :) Most views gets 12 bags of catfood! Yum.

please click here to watch our 30 sec video :D Thanks!

Nugget's Birthday Giveaway winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 08:37:00 +0000

The results are finally in! Thank you to the 30 people who joined :) Each entry was assigned a number- 1 for the first commenter and 30 for the last. Winners were picked via Random.org

And the winners are:

1.) Gwen! Gwen is the first winner and gets the first pick among the prizes.

Gwen's prize

2. Kitten!

Kitten's prize

3. Kat!

Kat's prize

4.) Mench!

Mench's prize

5. and our Special prize winner is Kaoko! She was the first one to guess where Nugget's name came from. I'll send a secret package your way, Kao :D

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 13:57:00 +0000

Please watch Kumo's SuPurr star video for Purina :)

Things that make me happy

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 02:46:00 +0000

Tea! I drink about 4-5 cups a day (yes, I am addicted). So excited to try the Red Berries.

Cute face Kumo in a box.

Watching big Nuggie grooming himself :D Wheee

Sleepy kitties!

Funny results on Google image search. I randomly searched for Nug and Kumo's photo and almost all results were food related! Not a single cat in sight :D Good thing I did this though because I discovered a very interesting recipe for Key Lime pie! I have to try it one of these days. Happy Thursday, folks!

Nuggie Ensaymada

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 09:54:00 +0000

Nugget has a new favorite box. He's been sleeping there for the past week and we all think it is so funny! Why funny?

It's funny because this is how it looks like from the top :D Just look at our baby ensaymada. All curled up in a tiny box.

I fit!

Look at those feet! Too cute! Speaking of ensaymada...

Erman and I ordered our Christmas gifts yesterday. Can you guess what is inside the cute pink box?

Ensaymada of course! Mallorca Pasteleria's version is one of the best for me. I love that they use Queso de Bola and lots of anchor butter. Yes, very calorific but so worth it :D

Sunday lunch at Dampa

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:01:00 +0000

Sunday lunch with the family is always fun. This Sunday, our lunch was extra special because we were celebrating our sister's birthday :)

small, medium and HUGE shrimps!

I can't remember the last time I've been to a Dampa. Although Dampa means "hut" (I googled it :D) it can also mean seafood market. These types of markets are a little different than the usual because nearby there are restaurants that offer cooking services for your market bought items.

Too bad we missed the whole market experience but I knew my sister bought a lot of stuff because the table looked like this when we arrived...

whoa!

We had buttered chicken, 2 kinds of crab, grilled pork, adobo oysters, steamed shrimp, prawn tempura, clam soup, grilled squid, baked scallops and mango salad :D

Everything was really good but the best dishes for me that day were the baked scallops with cheese and garlic

and the prawn tempura! We brought home the leftover food which we were able to stretch to two more meals :D Amazing! Can't wait for our next Dampa experience.

Let the eating begin

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 12:15:00 +0000

Just attended my first pre Christmas reunion (the first of many!) this afternoon.

stuffed

Not sure how my jeans will fit me by the end of the month but as of now they fit me a little tighter than usual. In fact, I no longer need a belt to hold my pants up! Uh-oh... Suman days are here :D

Lucky 8

noreply@blogger.com (Kate) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:10:00 +0000

I just had a really lucky day.

my winning bingo card!

I played Bingo at my little sister's school and won 8 thousand pesos! We were hoping that we'd win the grand prize, which is 1 year free tuition but we're not complaining :D We celebrated the win by ordering 2 pizzas when we got home. Yum!


It was a sign!

Later in the evening I received a call from the partner organization of Cecon... and guess what?! Our group was chosen as the winner! San Francisco de Asisi will finally get their electric fans. I am so happy and thankful! I knew it was a good sign when I saw this electric fan "tree" last Saturday. Haha! :D