Butterscotch Bar Recipe

There comes a time in your life when you want to do everything yourself and not rely on somebody else. So instead of buying baked goods from the store, I decided to just make them myself. The first step? Buy an oven!

I bought my first electric oven last Saturday. It's from the trusted brand Westinghouse. Originally priced at Php 3,100, the oven was on sale so I only paid P 2,200 = the original price minus the discount and the Sodexo gift certificate I won at an office event. It actually looks more like a microwave than a baking or toaster oven.

I was so excited to use it that I couldn't sleep that night. I had to gather enough energy to keep from using it right away since it was already very late. I still managed to heat up some pizza my cousin brought as pasalubong though. Just can't help it!!

My First Baking Experience

Homemade Vanilla Coke

I feel like a scientist today having that "Eureka!" moment. I just discovered that you can actually make your own Vanilla Coke in an instant! Neat, isn't it?

If you are craving for the Coca-Cola Vanilla variant that rarely makes its appearance in the supermarket shelves, then you are in the right place.

I found out that you can make your own Vanilla Coke with only 2 ingredients.

Passion Fruit

It was my first time to taste or even see the Passion Fruit. It tastes well because of its smell or aroma but its sourness was just too much for me! They taste good as juice though.

Our cousin, Ate Novelyn, brought these from Isabela, our mother's hometown.

Here are just some of the health benefits of the Passion Fruit.

• It is a high source of Vitamin C, A, Potassium, Iron and dietary fiber.
• Its flower can help induce sleep, tantalize the senses and has a calming effect.
• The yellow passion fruit extracts can kill cancer cells!
• It can reduce symptoms of asthma.
• Treats nervous gastrointestinal disorders and menopausal problems.
• Used in treating nervous and easily excited kids (probably those with ADHD)

Sweet and Spicy Dilis Surprise

Pinoys love dried food and experimenting with them. The dried anchovies dish called "dilis" is an example.

This Sweet and Spicy Dilis is most commonly sold in any sari-sari store for Php 1.00 for small packs, Php 5.00 for bigger ones and around Php 30+ for the large packed dilis meant to be sold in pasalubong shops and grocery stores.

The Sweet and Spicy Dilis is a very distinct snack not only because of its sweet taste but mostly because of its orange color.

One day, Kuya Jun surprised us with a bowl of still hot sweet dilis and I was amused that it also came in orange. I told him it was such an effort from him really to add food color when food colorings do not even contribute to the taste. But he said he did not use one! So of course I inquired.

Rebisco's Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich

So I recently discovered something from REBISCO (Republic Biscuit Corp). I learned that they created a new Hansel biscuit product that has a taste that's familiar to only a few Filipinos.

I now introduce to you, my latest discovery:

The New HANSEL PREMIUM CHEESE SANDWICH!


You got it! This snack tastes like Ritz Cheese Crackers from Nabisco, only Rebisco's biscuit breaks easily or is crumbly. But this is not the true test of a yummy treat!

If you are craving for a cheese biscuit, you can satisfy that with a box of Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich for only Php 36.50. It smells and tastes heavenly and you'll be taking your every bite as if you are savoring your last piece of Combos Cheese Cracker.

The only thing that's really bothering me is how oily it is. I don't know if Hansel Mocha Sandwich also has the same oily cracker but hey, as long as it satisfies my taste buds, then that's the least of my worries!

Casa Naimas: A taste of Ilocos at the heart of QC

Coming from a family with Ilocano taste buds, I came to appreciate the unconventional way of preparing classic food items such as Langgonisa and Empanada.

Unlike the Longganisa from most parts of Luzon that Pinoys have grown accustomed to, the Ilocano Longganisa, is not sweet but looks basically the same as the traditional langgonisa, sans the color. Marinated with the well-known vinegars from Ilocos, the Iloko Longganisa is salty and garlicky and quite perfect for the palate of the grown up.

Meanwhile, the Ilocano Empanada is a treat that may not appeal to many but may grow on some if they have an open mind (and stomach) to appreciate what it offers.

KFC's Cheese Top Burger (New Product!)

Before going home from school, I treated myself to something new: KFC's New Cheese Top Burger.

Social Media is really a very important support to tri-media campaigns especially if advertisers want to reach people like me who elude TV, radio and news prints. I only came to know about the Cheese Top Burger because of a post from the KFC FB account that was shared multiple times, eventually reaching my Facebook dashboard (I'm not sure that's how they call it).

The image was really funny because it looked like Superman with his brief over his pants. After a few days expecting the sandwich to look like this, I was somewhat disappointed that it actually looked like this:

First Day Food Trip

Kung ang High School ay may "First Day High", 
ang Grad School ay may "First Day Lamon".

(If High School has its "First Day High", Grad School has its "First Day Gorging")

My classmates Salve, Vanessa and I were not supposed to eat lunch that day because we were about to head to UP to crash Salve's graduation. She enrolled for the Filipino Sign Language Program in the University of the Philippines' College of Education for two weeks, which she attended 5 days in a row for 2 1/2 hours. Van and I expected that there would be food enough to be our lunch but since we walked (instead of riding a jeepney) from the Morato - Kamuning extension to the Timog-Morato Rotonda, we were understandably famished.

It was hard to think of where to eat at first but when we saw Lugaw Republic, I began to crave for Pares, so we checked out the food across the famous lugawan. The place was like a "food court" where there are different stalls that offer different menus.

At home we never really have beef meals because my mother hates the smell. So I immediately ordered the braised beef dish called "Pares".

Chowking’s Chow Pao (New Product!)

I'm never really on the road that much so I'm not in the know of any billboard that shows the new products of my favorite fast food chains.

I only discovered Chowking's Chow Pao for example when my friends were talking about it. These are filled Man Tao or Chinese Steamed Buns, sort of an interesting twist to the usual siopao.

Easily convinced of their deliciousness, I bought all 3 variants as merienda for myself, papa and mama.

 

The first question I had in mind when I saw those online menuboards / ads was if they really had the "Ck" stamp. I asked my friend who tried it and she said they had them. It looks nice actually.

Bread Pan Salad

One workday last month, Papa and I craved for a veggie salad so we went to the grocery to buy some ingredients. You see, our father is a retired government employee so he basically has all the time in the world to go to or bring us to places.

This is how our delectable vegetable salad looked like!

Try this very simple vegetable recipe at home! =)

Bread Pan Vegetable Salad Ingredients:

•  Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Pipino (cucumber)
• Carrots
• Bread Pan Toasted Bread
• Clara Ole Caesar Dressing

Preparation / Procedures:

1. Slice veggies
2. Mix
3. Pour dressing

VOILA!!!! Instant veggie snack!

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Oishi Bread Pan Photo courtesy of http://philippinesnacks.wordpress.com

Hershey's Treats Choco Roll: The Verdict

Okay I almost forgot my Hershey's treats chocolate bar is sitting in the freezer for almost 3 days! Thank goodness nobody noticed it and ate it without my permission. Haha!

I got giddy when I opened it!! I can already see the bulges of rice crispies and wait... are those bits of chocolates within the chocolate?????

Camachile Cookies

When I was a kid, our family would go to a restaurant in Cubao called "Pancit ng Taga Malabon" and papa would treat us to a sumptuous pancit palabok after enjoying playtime at the Fiesta Carnival. Their staple appetizer was a plate of biscuit cookies called Camachile, which I enjoyed very much.

Hershey's Treats Choco Roll

I went to my favorite hangout again - the grocery - and noticed another variant of affordable chocolate snacks from Hershey's just like the Hershey's Treats Cookie Bar.

Lumpiang Shanghai

Lumpiang Shanghai is a Chinese-influenced Filipino delicacy. Also known as Spring Rolls, the Lumpiang Shanghai is also popular in Indonesia,Vietnam and the Netherlands where its name is spelled "loempia", an old Indonesian term that the Dutch eventually adopted and used to refer to "spring rolls". It was brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Chinese province of Fujian.


This recipe has become so popular among Filipinos that the number 1 fastfood chain in the country even included it in their value meals -- and you know I'm referring to Jollibee, right?

When my mother and I were in Savemore Market near Meycauayan tollgate (our favorite hangout just because it's near our house), I suddenly had a craving for lumpiang shangai so I asked my mom if we could have it for dinner. We bought the lumpiang shanghai ingredients that we thought we needed...

Cream Filled Biscuits

Cream filled biscuits are one of my favorite snacks because 1) they’re affordable; 2) they’re yummy and; 3) they satisfy your hunger instantly especially while you are on the road.

Hello Panda was my favorite brand because of the delicious Meiji chocolate inside (another favorite). But recently, I discovered other cream filled snacks, starting off with the Hello Kitty Strawberry Filled Biscuits that I purchased at 7-11.

Five brands are now in my vocabulary including Hello Panda and Hello Kitty. Read on and find out how each of the brands fared with my taste buds.

Pichi Pichi: Filipino Snack Recipe

Last month, my Aunt visited us at home and while we were chatting over lunch (or merienda, i can't remember), she mentioned that she knew how to make Pichi pichi!

You see, Pichi-pichi is one of my favorite Filipino snacks because they're really delectable. A store here in Bulacan named "Tetok's" sells well-made Pichi pichi as well as palabok and barbecue. Because that store has really delicious pichi-pichi, their product became my standard.

When my Aunt taught us the Pichi-pichi Filipino recipe, I was pleasantly surprised how Tetok's product and my Aunt's pichi tasted the same! It was really a delightful experience watching her make one of my favorite Filipino desserts and tasting how good they are.

Let me share a few things about how my Aunt did it.

Hershey's Treats Cookie Bar

This week's chocolate fix: HERSHEY'S TREATS COOKIE BAR !

At an affordable price of Php 6.50, you can satisfy your craving for a Hershey's chocolate! But is it at par with the brand's quality of yummy treats?

Hello Kitty Filled Biscuits

I bought this bag of Hello Kitty Filled Biscuits at 7-11 because I thought it would be a good substitute to the Meiji Hello Panda biscuits I always purchased. Apparently, this product was licensed by Sanrio itself so I got even more curious. Can this snack actually keep up with Hello Kitty's fame and not disappoint the Hello Kitty fans out there?

Kopiko's Kopiccino: Instant Capuccino

I saw this instant Cappuccino sachet in the grocery and bought it right away. KOPIKO is a brand that coffee lovers love and with a new product like this, one will not hesistate to try it out.

Puto Seko: Melts in your mouth… Seriously.

Puto seko is only one of the Filipino rice-based delicacies that we love to eat. It has always been a favorite, so just imagine our excitement when we learned of its entry into the commercial market!