On our last visit to Younger Sister in Florida last Thanksgiving, she handed us a tub of Olivio Premium Spread for our toast at breakfast.  I was first intrigued by the packaging because it carried Lee Iacocca’s name on it.  But when she told me that it was made from olive oil, I got even more intrigued.  My first taste convinced me that this was the one product I would always choose to have on my toast.  No matter who makes it, or what it’s made of, IT IS DELICIOUS.  it doesn’t hurt that it is also has 85 percent less saturated fat than butter and is cholesterol-free.

Since I am so impressed by this product and decided to write about it here, I also checked out their website and learned more about the company.  Olivio Premimum Products is owned by Mr. Iacocca with his son-in-law Ned Hentz running the ship.  The company partnered with Unilever to manufacture and distribute their products which include the Olivio Premium Spread and Olivio Buttery Spray.  

Their website also says they are coming out with Olivio mayonnaise, cooking and salad oils soon.  Mr. Iacocca gives ALL his profits to diabetes research.  He has given more than $20-Million to this cause since 1984 which is when his wife died of the disease.

My mother is a diabetic.  People who know me will remember what a horrendous  time I went through five years ago when my mother was hospitalized due to complications of diabetes.  She’s doing a lot better now.  She keeps to her diet and made her doctor very happy on her last visit because all her tests came out normal.  My mother is 76 years old and has only one remaining kidney.  We are all very proud of her for this latest news.  A couple of years ago, my sister was diagnosed with the disease too.  Spouse’s mother was also a diabetic so this is a disease that is constantly at the back of my mind.

If I buy Lee Iacocca’s spread, he will be able to help diabetes researchers do their job better.  Diabetes research can help my mother and sister in their struggle to beat this disease.  Can you blame me if I never look at my buttered toast the same way ever again?

Eatingwell Diabetes Cookbook: 275 Delicious Recipes and 100+ Tips for Simple, Everyday Carbohydrate Control

This time we decided to try “Peanut Butter Cup” and were not disappointed.

My first spoonful reminded me of “Choc-Nut”, my favorite Philippine sweet.  Choc-Nut was the reward I got from the sari-sari store owner off 11th Street?in New Manila. My yaya would take the day’s pig slop from my grandmother’s household to the store owner who had her little pigpen in her backyard.  I was just a toddler but remember accompanying my yaya and being handed a Choc-Nut or two when we said our good byes.  I have always loved Choc-Nut.  I found it in a Filipino store here once but was disappointed to find the Choc-Nut had gone old and stale.

Going back to B&J’s Peanut Butter Cup…yup, it did not disappoint. This time, the pint lasted 3 days.  I was pleasantly surprised to find one or two whole Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and not just smidgens of it.

These guys really know how to make ice cream.  I think they start by leaving their conscience outside the drawing room where they first dream up their flavors.  And I love them for it!!!!

I am planning to include photos in this blog.  That will be as soon as I learn how to work Word Press. I’m definitely not a techie and rely heavily on Spouse to introduce me to all the technical stuff that has to be done to get this blog looking the way I want it. For now, I hope the words will suffice.

Enjoy your weekend!

Ben and Jerry

Ben and Jerry’s Homemade Ice Cream and Dessert Book

Spouse and I are not big on gorging on ice cream so it’s a real wonder why we weigh as much as we do. I mean… I think our ice cream binges are reasonable enough. A quart of ice cream usually lasts between 3-7 days in our freezer… depending on the flavor of course. We only buy ice cream when we really have a craving which is not every week. Months (cold months) can go by where we don’t buy any ice cream.

Then there was the discovery of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. The tightwad that I am, I felt like a small pint was too expensive at the same price for a quart of some other brand. I never bought their ice cream in the more than 4 years I lived in Colorado. Can you believe that?

I was disappointed with Coldstone Creamery ice cream and decided to stick to grocery store brand ice creams or local ice cream makers like Sinton. Coldstone ice cream has unusually sticky ice cream. How can ice cream have so much carageenan and still call itself ice cream? Duh… ice cream is not supposed to be THAT sticky.

A couple of months ago I noticed that Ben & Jerry’s was on sale at the Peterson AFB commissary where I buy my groceries, so I decided to try it.

Our initiation into the world of Ben & Jerry’s was with their Coffee Heath Bar Crunch. Ohhhhh…man, what an initiation that was! I was amazed at how a teaspoonful of this ice cream was just soooo satisfying. I actually slowed down while I was eating so I could savor all the flavors. The coffee, the choco bits and the crunchy crunch…mmmm. That pint lasted us about 3 days. Next on our list was Cherry Garcia, a flavor we heard was their best-seller. A lady at the supermarket told Spouse her husband loved the Chunky Monkey flavor and we made note to put that in our list.

There’s just no saying what flavor is best. We both love fresh cherries and Cherry Garcia has just the right amount of real cherry flavors and none of that maraschino, artificial, cough syrup flavoring you’ll find in some other ice cream brands. But bang for your buck, Coffee Heath Bar Crunch is the best. I’d even recommend it to those on a diet. There’s only so many teaspoonfulsof this ice cream you can take at one time. The Chunky Monkey had a nice banana flavoring, nothing overpowering but I guess, we’re just not banana ice cream fanatics.

We’re trying more flavors soon as the weather permits. But in the future, don’t expect me to write about any other ice cream but Ben & Jerry’s. In fact, I’ve been looking at their website and noticed they actually give their employees 3 whole pints of their ice cream EVERY SINGLE DAY.  Is that an ideal job or what?!?

I’m still trying to convince Spouse to re-think our move to the Philippines – what about Vermont?  Somewhere close to Ben & Jerry’s so I can get a job with them? Just one summer?  Please?

“Slow down. Savor the flavors. It’s important in life” – Tony Soprano

Not unlike the Super Heroes of our youthful fancy, they are supposed to fight the evil cancer-causing whatever it is that causes cancer by supplying your body with phytonutrients, vitamins and minerals.

Alrighty… I can believe that.  My mother always told me to eat my vegetables when I was a kid.  This kid was smart enough even then that before Momma could shove it down this little carnivore’s throat, I would gulp down a few greens now and again – chewing and tasting it was another thing though.

And so here I still am – a not so rundown forty-something.  Please don’t ask proof of this last statement – just take my word for it.  Please.

But do these Super Foods TASTE good?  Now that is the question we shall seek to answer today.

First of all, what are these foods and what do they do for us?

APPLES.  Yes, the apple that keeps the doctor away.  Did you know they have flavonoids  The same flavonoids we are so used to associating with chocolate. These little mass of molecules actually have the  ability to modify the body’s reaction to other compounds such as allergens, carcinogens and viruses.  Great, huh?  But not only that, they have other phytonutrients (love that word – can you visualize them fighting the evil cancer cells?) and don’t forget the healthy fiber. You really need fiber in your diet, and trust me, the pills just don’t cut it.  So, grab that apple sitting in your fruit bowl the last two weeks before someone beats you to it.  Two weeks you say?  Well, that’s another advantage to these fruit, they have a very long shelf life.

AVOCADO.  In my youth, I always thought avocados were very rich and not at all good for your health. Turns out the same oil avocados have that make it taste so rich is the same kind of healthy oils you will find in olive oil – monounsaturated fatty acids.  This is the good fat, you guys…the one that will even help lower your bad cholesterol levels.  Not only that, somehow the nutrients in avocados help your body absorb nutrients from other foods like tomatoes.  Mmmm….guacamole anyone?   Next time you are handed a bowl of guacamole, don’t pass it up.

BEANS.  “beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat the more you toot… the more you toot the better you feel. “   So it’s not a fruit, but you get it.  It has lots of fiber and protein as we always knew.  But who knew they also had anti-oxidants and Vitamin B and potassium?  It impressed me so much, I cooked up some  beans for dinner tonight.

BLUEBERRIES.  Oprah said she always has a bowl of blueberries on her desk at work because it’s so good for you.  Hey if Oprah said it, it must be true.  In fact, these little blue balls pack a ton of anti-oxidants – three different kinds ’smatter of fact – anthocyanins and other polyphenols, and carotenoids.  I don’t know what on earth they are supposed to do but it all sounds  healthy to me.  Plus, they have Vitamin C and E and the most important thing – they taste good and have very few calories. Just make sure you don’t have any of it stuck between your teeth when you look up from your desk and smile at someone…

DARK CHOCOLATE.  Now, we’re talking… Who knew that something everyone actually loves and feels guilty to eat is good for you?  What – there’s a catch? Yup, dark chocolates only – not milk chocolate or even my favorite white chocolate.  It’s the flavonoids you’re supposed to be after.   These flavonoids help lower your blood pressure and somehow keep your arteries clear.  At last, a good excuse to make my next cup of cocoa extra dark and sinful…..

KIWIS.   Surprise, surprise…this Vitamin C-loaded fruit originally from New Zealand is actually richer in potassium than bananas.  And the skin (minus the fuzz which you can simply rub off) has all the flavonoid oxidants.  Thank goodness kiwis don’t have the same skin as bananas have!

OATS.  Phytonutrients again?  Who knew?  Not just fiber…but also protein, potassium, magnesium and other minerals. I wonder how many people always knew oatmeal lowers your cholesterol and has so much fiber?  My husband and I are one of those countless people who have memories of grandma and oatmeal.  His grandma’s oatmeal was a thick Scottish gruel and ours was a thin porridge with milk and sugar.

SPINACH.  Did you know that boiled spinach makes healthier eating than raw spinach?  So what does spinach have that made Popeye love it so?  Lutein, carotenoids, coenzyme Q (oddly enough, I first heard about this nutrient from Pat Robertson of the 700 CLub), iron and other minerals and something called betaine.  Kale and other dark green, leafy vegetables  also have the same nutrients.  Yep, we’re having Spinach Souffle for lunch tomorrow…with a pie crust made from scratch with the much-maligned but irreplaceable Crisco shortening. *shrinking in shame*

WALNUTS.  I don’t know why they always just cite walnuts in health articles.  What about the other nuts out there?  They can’t be less good for you.  They all have Omega 3 fatty acids, plant sterol and anti-oxidants that walnuts have.  I say here’s to all nuts!

YOGHURT.  Live culture is their claim to fame.  Doesn’t sound very appetizing,  does it? These cultures kill bad bacteria inside of you, aid in digestion, meatbolizes food and tunes up your insides like no other food can.  However, most commercial yoghurts are heated to a point where these live cultures are zapped and aren’t much help to the consumer.  Solution?  Read the label before you reach for that fruit-flavored yoghurt cup in the refrigerated aisle of your grocery store…or make your own yoghurt with blueberries, avocados, apples, walnuts, kiwis, dark chocolate – but please don’t try it with spinach or other  dark green, leafy vegetable…green yoghurt is not as appetizing as you think it could be.

Do these Super Foods taste good? I think so. And here are my suggestions for how you can enjoy them:

Apples – apple dumplings, apple pie, apple betty, apple crumble, apple cider, applesauce.

Avocados – avocado ice cream (everyone has to try this), avocado shake (this one too), guacamole with chips.

Beans – chili, 4-Way Cincinatti Chili, refried beans, chili dogs,

Blueberries – blueberry pies, blueberyy cheesecake, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, bluebery sauce on French vanilla bean ice cream.

Dark Chocolate –  Large, steaming cups of thick, dark cocoa with half and half and Splenda.  Chocolate Tart, chocolate mousse, lava cakes.

Kiwis – in a fruit salad, mixed with a lot of other fruits.

Oats – a warm, thick gruel with some pitted dates or other dried fruits thrown in for flavor.  I prefer mine with milk and sugar, hubby prefers his just lightly salted.

Spinach – Quiche, quiche, quiche… with low fat cottage cheese and low fat swiss cheese so I can have the transfat-laden pie crust.

Nuts – in coffecakes, fruit salads, green salads, or just plain roasted.

Yoghurt – fruit-flavored, BTIC – but the read the labels before you purchase.  Remember, it’s the LIVE cultures you want in your yoghurt – they are no good to you once they’re dead. 

This is a photograph of an ampalaya (bitter melon or bitter gourd) vine grown organically by my newly found cousin, Pito Garcia. We’re second cousins actually and we connected through a website on geneology my maternal relatives have just discovered.  It’s the coolest thing to find relatives online and meet them for the first time in person.  If not for the internet, our paths may not have crossed for a long time.

His farm is located in a beautiful spot surrounded by gentle hills in the Zambales town of San Antonio.  It was a stormy day when Spouse and I went to visit.  You can probably tell by the dark clouds over the hills that more rains were on the way.  The rain and winds came in bursts, strong and surrprising…an amazing display of nature’s power and beauty.  I’m getting all poetic because it was a truly awesome experience.

Pito is currently  experimenting with organic farming. He’s been growing vegetables commercially for about three years now. Going organic is the next logical step. When you’ve lived the life of a farmer, enjoying the clean air, healthy lifestyle, and beautiful, beautiful surroundings that no man can build, going organic is the only way to go.

Watch out in the coming months, the unofficial cook might just turn into the unofficial farmer!

And please, it’s not a savage practice of uncivilized people. It’s an art you have to learn.  Besides, it’s fun! I mean… it really is. No Pinoy picnic would be the same if they handed you a silver spoon, fork and knife. Besides, you tend to lose all sense of inhibition when you’re sitting fully-clothed on a creekbed with graceful bamboo leaves swaying  over you and the bamboo table you’re eating from virtually floating over the gentle, streaming water.  Not to worry, the guys would have tied it down to something. The food is staying on the table….but not for long.

Not only is it fun, but eating with your hands takes a lot of skill. You don’t just moosh things in your palms and shove them into your mouth. Actually, you only use your fingers when eating with your hands. Oh gee, that sounds sooo NOT right…but it’s true!  You pick up your food using your fingertips and scoop it up, not in your palms, but on the very tips of your fingers.

The ultimate in skill is eating a whole fried or grilled fish (yes, with the head on) with rice and other dishes one-handed….with no problem separating the flesh from the bones mind you.   If that isn’t what you call skill, I don’t know what is..

See….you have to keep one hand clean so you can use the serving spoons for the other dishes on the table….or do something else like pick up the abaniko (Filipino leaf fans) and drive away the flies hovering around attempting to share your food….or some other things youneed to do at picnics in the Philippines.

Here’s the Christmas turkey our family had for Christmas this year.   Everyone looks forward to having it on Christmas surpassing the more traditional ham that would take days to prepare.  So, I’ll keep making this until something new catches our fancy.

When Spouse was carving the turkey, 3 sets of hungry little boys’ eyes were carefully watching him.  Soon as a piece of the skin came off, it went straight to my 4-year old  nephew’s mouth.  He had turkey for lunch and turkey yet again for dinner.

Recipe to follow…

It’s Christmas everywhere and in the Philippines no other treat says Christmas more than this rice cake.  It’s available year round in most places.  During the Christmas season, churches everywhere will have vendors setting up shop in the wee hours of the morning.  These vendors will be selling  bibingka or puto bumbong and cooking them right in their stalls.  The Catholic faithful who hear the early morning novena mass before Christmas all flock to these stalls for their bibingka.  It makes a perfect breakfast with your coffee or hot cocoa.

The best way to cook these cakes is in shallow pans made of clay  lined with banana leaves set up over hot coals with more live coals on a movable tin cover to cook the top.  My version is oven-baked for convenience.  This was my first time to make this and I was not all that impressed by how it turned out.  When I took it to my mom’s for merienda however, they all liked it.  Youngest Sister even said the only thing missing was the distinct smell when you cook something over live coals….something we always called “charcoal smell.”

The toppings may not be readily available.  The salted duck’s eggs can be homemade but it will take a couple of weeks to cure.  The Filipino quesong puti is similar to the Mexican queso fresco or queso blanco.  The Philippine version uses carabao’s milk and thus,  richer.  As for the coconut milk, there’s nothing like fresh since it has a natural sweetness you can’t get from canned coconut milk.  If you are in a pinch, use cow’s milk or the canned/powdered coconut milk.

Here are the ingredients:

2 c. Jasmine or other fragrant long grain rice variety

2 c. water

4 eggs

3/4 to 1 c. sugar

1/4 c. butter

1 c. coconut milk

1 tbsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

sliced salted duck’s eggs

sliced quesong puti

Soak rice overnight in the water to soften the grains.  Put grains in a food processor and grind on high until fine.  Set aside.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Prepare two 8-inch round pans by lining with banana leaves that have been wiped clean and heated over an open flame to make it flexible.

Beat eggs, sugar and butter until frothy.  Add the rest of the ingredients, not including duck’s egg and cheese.  Pour the batter into the prepared pans and top with eggs and cheese.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middles comes out clean.

Serve with freshly grated coconut meat.