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

Amateur Food Invention: The Meiji Strawberry Chocolate Coffee

For years, Meiji chocolate has been one of my favorite comfort sweets! I like Meiji better than the imported chocolates from the US and it doesn't even matter what variant I eat, as long as it's from Meiji, it will be gone in minutes.

By: The Food Junk via Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0)

I just discovered recently how you can actually wake up to a coffee that tastes and smells like the Meiji Strawberry Chocolate! You can do this very easily with these common ingredients:

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.

Corn dogs in a jffy

Back in the Philippines, we used to buy corn dogs in a stand inside Robinson's Mall.  The corn dogs are freshly made, batter and all. and they tasted divine.  My husband and I love corn dogs and he could devour at least 3 of these babies in one sitting.  We are not particularly fond of frozen microwaveable foods since it is riddled with preservatives, but when we saw this corn dog at the frozen aisle, we can't help but stare and be mesmerized.  Curiosity got the best of us and we felt compelled to buy it.  Verdict... it was delicious...

The corn dog out of the box.  There are 16 corn dogs in one box.

Heating instructions, nutritional facts for this tasty corn dog!

The hot dog inside tastes just right, not salty but tasty enough not to be overpowered by the corn bread.  I took a photo of the nutritional facts.  For people counting calories, I should tell you that there are 160 calories in one corn dog and even more especially when you dip them in ketchup, mayo and honey which my husband and I usually do.  I also took a picture of the cooking instructions.  As you can see, it is so easy to prepare.  Even kids can do it.  This snack is great for when you are famished and need to eat as soon as possible.  Just roughly a minute in the microwave and it's ready to eat.

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:

Our Attorney

Snacking is one activity that my husband always looks forward to.  Even the slightest bit of hunger pangs would get him storming to the fridge.  Back in the Philippines, we would keep snacks on stock in the room which would invite occasional visitors that we call mabait (rodents) that would sniff out any crumb that you are hiding in the room. Well actually it's not just crumbs that they are after, they would nibble their way in and eat the whole lot. By golly, you would think that they have human appetite and human teeth once their done with our chichirya.  Therefore, it was not hygienic for us to store snacks in the room because we don't want those unwanted guests roaming around.  It was just really eewwy and just the thought of them crawling while we were sleeping just gives me goosebumps.  So, snacks were banned from the room.  However, it was so tedious to go down to get snacks from the kitchen which was downstairs.  I found this plastic briefcase (it may be Orocan, I forgot what brand) that was lying around the house because nobody wants to use it and you'll see why.  This is what it looks like

http://itspersonalbyamy.blogspot.com/

well, more or less it looks like the one on the left (pink) but ours was colored mint green and without the glitters and I guess a little stouter.  So you can see now why nobody wants to use it.  It's actually for children and even they don't want to use it. LOL.  I found a perfect use for it though.  I filled it with snacks chichirya and shut it.  I observed rodent activity.  I did say that I thought they had human appetite and teeth right, so I wouldn't be surprised if they developed opposable thumbs.  Fortunately they haven't evolved yet to the point of being able to figure out how to open the container.  That night, when my husband asked for a snack, I got the briefcase and opened it in front of him.  We had a big laugh as he called it Attorney.  It is, after all, a brief case.  He would then say "Anong kaso meron si Attorney ngayon?" when he asks for snacks (What case is attorney working on now?).  A remark that would always make me giggle.

-- Lizette

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.