The Red Gingham

Boxes As Luggage + Airline Food

2013-04-07T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! I am writing you from Manila, Philippines. Yes, it is good to be back in my native land to see good old friends and good old places, and of course the new places as well. Boy, does Manila have anything new? Are you kidding me? The city is in constant evolution. Perhaps we will get to that as I blog from here. But first, ever wonder why Filipinos bring boxes instead of Samsonites?

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Good Friday Menu

2013-03-19T17:56:00.000-07:00

There are two more Fridays left in this season of Lent, that means two more Fridays of fasting and abstaining from meat. So I decided to give you a compilation of previous recipes I have created that you can make for the next two coming Fridays before you have your glorious Easter meal.

Good Friday Soup: Click here for the recipe.

Linguini With Mussels: Click here for the recipe.

Shrimp Pasta: Click here for the recipe.

Shoyu Sesame Salmon: Click here for the recipe.

Sweet and Spicy Crab: Click here for the recipe.

Asian Style Tilapia: Click here for the recipe.

Braised Tofu: Click here for the recipe.

We have other meatless recipes here on the blog. Just click on the Recipes page and scroll down to the following categories: Sauces, Soups and Stews, Salads and Sandwiches, Seafood Entrees, and Vegetarian. I hope you enjoy these recipes all year round. -GG-

Tuna Pasta for Friday Lent

2013-03-15T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick meal that I would like to dedicate to all Catholics out there. If keeping your "no meat Friday" is a challenge, here's a quick and delicious alternative to help you fulfill your religious duties.

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Chicken & Walnut Kale Salad

2013-02-28T19:19:00.000-08:00

As Veggie Girl had mentioned, she and I are on a quest toward healthier eating. Though I don't aim to be a vegetarian, I am trying to minimize my consumption of meat and have more veggies in my diet. Here's a quick salad dish I made up, and it's what I had for dinner tonight.

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Light & Easy Shepherd's Pie

2013-02-25T21:37:00.001-08:00

Shepherd's Pie is one of those comfort foods that'll warm your soul but could really stick to your ribs at the same time. Anyone who loves meat and potatoes will enjoy Shepherd's Pie because it's essentially ground meat and some mixed veggies topped with a layer of mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown on top. My family loves Shepherd's Pie but since I'm on a quest to shed some weight, I thought, why not make a lighter and healthier version that everyone will still enjoy?
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Salmon Ochazuke + Quick Japanese Cucumber Salad

2013-02-23T19:53:00.002-08:00

I recently bought a new kettle/teapot and I've been in tea heaven! I love tea and I used to have an old metal kettle which started rusting, believe it or not, so I went shopping on Amazon and saw an awesome glass kettle. It now doubles as both my kettle and teapot (since I prefer loose tea) and I've been sipping tea all day long on a daily basis this week.

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NutriBullet (My New Toy)

2013-02-20T19:54:00.001-08:00

Hello once again! I have been so busy the past couple of months with other projects I am working on, that is, my landscaping business, that I have not blogged for so long. I know, that is a sin in blog world. But Veggie Girl and I are back with exciting things to share with you.

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Veggie & Tofu Lettuce Wraps

2013-02-19T20:12:00.000-08:00

Hello again! This blog has officially made a come back. The last time we had a post here was sometime towards the end of last year and it's hard to believe several months have already gone by and we're now in the new year! Well, seeing as how it's a new year, what better time to tackle our resolutions than now? A big one of mine is to lose some weight and drop some pounds which I've accumulated over the years. Apparently GG also has the same goal so we're planning to refocus the content on this blog on healthy eating and weight loss management.

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Chili con Carne

2012-12-04T23:28:00.000-08:00

Take the guesswork out of chili and do this simple recipe. This is just far better than the ones you buy from a can. It's quick and simple and it's made from "semi-scratch."

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Thanksgiving 2012 Roundup

2012-11-25T17:51:00.000-08:00

Let me start by saying that this post does not contain fancy Thanksgiving photos of lovely table settings or decorated platters of food or any of that. It's merely a quick recap of a simple Thanksgiving dinner which I cooked for the most part, despite feeling really sick and tired. And when the time came to eat, the fam was so hungry, they had no patience for food decoration, props or fancy photography so brace yourself, the food pics in this post can best be described as "rustic". :)

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Asian Style Rib Eye Salad

2012-11-07T17:56:00.002-08:00

Hello again everyone! Between trick or treating and yesterday's presidential election, Veggie Girl and I have been busy all week. But here I am again, and I am glad I was able to snap some pictures I can share with you all.

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Italian Herb Roast Chicken & Vegetables

2012-10-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

I love roast chicken and, for the longest time, was afraid of attempting to roast them whole at home because I always thought it would be hard for some reason and I would end up with really dry chicken. So I just settled for store bought rotisserie chicken and even then, they were sometimes dry or lacking in flavor.
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Soy Sauce Pork Chops

2012-10-26T21:09:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! First of all, I would like to thank all of our new readers. This week, Veggie Girl and I were so happy to see new people liking us on Facebook. Special shout-out to all of you who liked us this week, which ever part of this beautiful earth you are from.

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How I Like My Bacon (Garlic Fried Rice)

2012-10-23T18:17:00.000-07:00

It is very rare that the hubby and I get to have breakfast together during the weekday. But today, when I mentioned bacon, he immediately got hungry before I could even get out of bed. Yeah, the power of bacon...LOL!
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Pumpkin Spice Muffins + Homemade Pumpkin Purée

2012-10-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

I'm milking pumpkin season for as long as I can, can you tell? I made these pumpkin spice muffins last week to contribute to my daughter's fundraiser at school. It was a bake sale and parents were asked to donate a baked item. I know I could have just bought something from the store but since I had plastic containers of pumpkin in my fridge, I thought, why not make something from scratch with the pumpkin?

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Slow Cooker Braised Garlic Spareribs

2012-10-15T20:38:00.000-07:00

I recently had a hankering for some tender pork ribs and by that, I don't mean American style ribs with a sweet BBQ sauce. No, what I wanted was an Asian version with a salty, garlicky sauce perfect for drizzling over steamed white rice. I bought some spareribs over the weekend and today, was finally able to quell my craving. Best of all, these ribs cooked up in my slow cooker while I went about my day. I did spend about 20 minutes in the morning prepping the meat and putting the sauce together but after that, it was all on auto pilot. These ribs made for a fantastic dinner along with some sauteed green beans and steamed rice. Easy peasy.
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Pork Meatballs and Pumpkin Soup (Chinese style)

2012-10-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Here's more pumpkin love. I made this soup over the weekend and I just couldn't stop eating it. Although it's a simple soup, it is packed with lots of flavor from the meatballs and a touch of sweetness from the corn and pumpkin. The key is to a) brown the meatballs, and b) allow the soup to sit for a couple hours after it's been simmered so that the flavors can really come together. If you're planning to make it for dinner, make it a few hours in advance. If you love pumpkin, this recipe is a must try.

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Pumpkin Spice Bread Pudding

2012-10-12T10:39:00.000-07:00

It finally feels like Fall! We've had a drop in temperature courtesy of our first winter storm of the season and it feels good! Another thing that screams of Fall or October is the pumpkin and they are on sale everywhere I go, even at the local pharmacy. This excites me because I love pumpkin. It has a mild flavor and is slightly sweet at the same time, making it a versatile ingredient for both sweet and savory dishes.

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VG's "Shanghai Angus Steak" (Panda Express copycat recipe)

2012-10-04T21:37:00.001-07:00

I have been a big fan of Panda Express since I first ate there many years ago. For those of you not familiar with Panda Express, it is an American restaurant chain serving fast, casual Chinese cuisine. It's actually considered to be American Chinese cuisine as their dishes are created to appeal to non-Asian palates and frequently use sweeter, thicker sauces.

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Red Wine Steak Marinade

2012-10-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

Hello again! Yes, I have been away from the blogging world for a couple of months due to work and other endeavors. Big thanks to Gingham Girl for keeping our little blog alive. While I may not have blogged, I have still cooked almost every day, even during the two weeks last month when we were hit with nasty 100 degree temperatures. When the weather gets that hot, we do most of our cooking outside on the grill. Yesterday, the hot weather returned once again, seemingly with a vengeance (it got to 105 degrees!) so I decided to marinate some steaks to throw on the grill.

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Panko Crusted Teriyaki Tilapia Fillet

2012-10-01T16:53:00.001-07:00

Boy, that's a mouthful of a title. LOL! Fortunately it doesn't take as much effort to make as it is to say it. Here's another quick and easy delicious meal.

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Curry Potato Chips

2012-09-26T22:39:00.003-07:00

What happens when I get some free time? I get to experiment in the kitchen, that's what happens. I had extra russet potatoes that I don't want to go to waste, so I thought of making my own potato chips.

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Yakiniku Salad with Ginger Soy Dressing

2012-09-19T23:30:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick and easy meal that is easy to prepare. It's for those days when you want to have some greens but you also want to balance it with a little bit of meat.

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Bull-Dog Spaghetti

2012-09-13T23:06:00.000-07:00

Hello there everyone!!! I'm back after a super long hiatus. I know, that's a sin in the blog world. No excuses....it's just that Veggie Girl and I have been busy with work. I will speak for myself but I have had no time to be creative in the kitchen. I've been mostly cooking repeats that are already here on the blog. But why bore you with my reasons, let's just get on to cooking once again.

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Fab Friday!

2012-07-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Dozen Wicked Mint Brownies

I found a site through GG called Fab.com and they do indeed carry some fab items that are unique, bold and oh-so-interesting. I'm drawn to vintage styles and quirky, kitschy items with a sense of humor and the site certainly didn't disappoint. I thought I would share some of my favorite finds for the kitchen, home and belly so today's post will be chock full of images but not much more. Still, I hope you'll enjoy looking at the pics and have a totally fab Friday!

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