Good Ol' Brownies!

It’s been awhile since I updated my blog, I’ve been really busy at work because we are preparing for our upcoming corporate audit. I was really excited to do a Father’s day issue but never had a chance to do it so here’s my version of 4^th of July. These simple decorated brownies are for you to see and maybe you could do them too. These brownies are not for people with nut allergies, I substituted half a cup of flour to half a cup of almond meal to make my brownies more moist. I can totally call ‘em triple chocolate brownies since there’s dark chocolate, milk chocolate and white chocolate in these brownies, I must say, I’m quite impressed with them brownies.

I topped my brownies with a thin layer of almond bark, some red, white and blue chocolate covered sunflower seeds and some marshmallow stars. They’re simple and fun!

Vegetarian Chicharones!!!

Is this gnarly or what?  I tried them and I think they’re really tasty, I don’t think they are as good as the real ones but I’d say, I’ll buy some again.  I actually hope that they would sell them here in the US, since a lot people here are fond of chicharones anyway something that’s really not as bad as the real pork rinds but atleast you’d be able to satisfy your craving palate.  Obviously, it is still junk food, so do not expect that you are not going to gain weight if you munch this snack on a regular basis.  I think that Oishi peeps are really smart to come up with this, oh well, with the growing number of vegetarians nowadays I say props to them!  

 

 

 

 

Cake Bonbons, anyone?

You will love these cake drops because they’re really easy to make and everybody loves them. If you don’t like cake, you will forever have a change of heart.  The crunchy chocolate shell that covers the cake drops makes it more fun because we are so used to eating chocolates that we usually expect to taste truffle inside or covered cherries, but this is something different, it’s a moist cake inside!  

Here’s how you make them; you can use your favorite buttercream and put it in a food processor then use a mini scoop and place each scooped mixture in a baking pan and freeze for a few minutes.  While freezing the cake balls, microwave 4 squares of Hershey’s extra dark mint chocolate, 1 cup semi-sweet morsels and 1 square of vanilla flavored almond bark for 1 minute and stir well.  Once the cake drops are hard enough, dip each drop with a toothpick in the melted chocolate and let dry on a flat surface lined with waxed paper.  

Tire Cake for Ride Makerz

Jonathan (the manager of Ride Makerz at Baybrook Mall in Friendswood, Texas) and I agreed that I’ll make a cake for them since there are mom bloggers that are coming in their store on May 17, 2009.  Here is what I came up with; I’m hoping to get some feedbacks about it… thanks!  

Here is the website of Ride Makerz, they are pretty cool, it’s a place where you can build and customize your own toy car... yes! kinda like build a bear for boys!…you may want to check them out.  www.ridemakerz.com

Fancy… Not!

 

I got these ginormous strawberries from our local grocery store and thought I’d make strawberry shortcake but of course I was too tired to do it so I decided to just make chocolate covered strawberries.  I do not have time to temper the chocolate so I just used some chocolate almond bark and drizzled some with vanilla almond bark and sprinkled it with almonds.  Here’s how they look like..

 

shhhhh!  They look fancy but very easy and affordable… want some???

 

 

 

• You can find chocolate and vanilla almond bark on your local grocery store.  I think they’re only $2.00 each.  Microwave four squares of it for a minute and it’s ready!  

The 911 Leche Flan!

 

When I was growing up, this yummy custard enrobed with caramel syrup was always served on almost all of the occasions that we go to.  I got addicted to it; I love it so much that I could finish one whole “lyanera” (flan mold).  I call it the 911 leche flan since it’s made with 9 egg yolks, 1 can of evaporated milk and 1 can of condensed milk and flavored with a tbsp of vanilla and key lime zest or lemon zest and of course since there’s 9 egg yolks there, you already know that if you eat this everyday you might really end up calling 911.   Basically, you need to make the caramel ahead of time, 1 ½ cups of white granulated sugar and ½ cup of water in a saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves and is dark amber in color then pour it in the mold covering the bottom and sides of the mold.  Pour the custard mixture* in the mold. Pop it in the oven in 350º for 40-50 minutes on steam bath* but of course the baking time all depends on the size your mold but when you check it, as long as it wiggles like Jello, it is done.  After 20 minutes just put the leche flan in the refrigerator for atleast 3 hours.   

• You can use whatever mold you like.
• Run a knife on the side of the flan and soak the bottom of the mold in warm water for easy release and turn the flan over to reveal the caramel bottom and syrup will run down the sides of the flan.  

E.N.J.O.Y!!!

*    Custard mixture = (egg yolks, evaporated milk, condensed milk, vanilla and zest

      mixed together)

*    Steam bath = (flan molds in a baking pan with a little bit of water)

It’s almost that time of the year again…

Mother's Day, for me this is one of the special days of the year since we are reminded of how we owe our moms gratitude for all the care and love that they blessed us… aww!... but I want to be honest, I like it too because I’m a mom and I get to take a break from all the chores for the entire day!!!  Thinking about it made me excited that I came up with some decorated cupcakes for Mother’s day.  I hope you’ll enjoy looking at them as much as I did making them.  Here they are:

·         Hats, bags, rings and flowers are made of fondant and accents are pink and silver dragees.   

Where to find fondant? 

·         At your local craft store

Dragees?

·         I got the silver dragees from Kitchen Krafts online and the pink ones are from the Philippines.  

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

 

Mooyah-2-know!

Non-vegetarians and vegetarians are very much welcome to this place.  It’s my first time to eat at Mooyah Burgers and Fries today.  My husband told me about this place since Mooyah sometimes cater their lunch at work and he said that they’re good, kinda taste like IN–N-OUT, and we love that place, so once I heard that, I felt the urge to try and see for myself.  I am obviously not a vegetarian but I choose to eat vegetables whenever I can.  When I saw the menu at Mooyah, I got really excited because they have black bean veggie patty!  I of course ordered that with grilled onions, Mooyah special sauce (which I think is also similar to creamy Thousand Island dressing or In-N-Out’s Animal-Style Fries dressing) and Swiss cheese.   Let’s not forget about the fries by the way, they are a-okay because since they are considered seasoned-fries, I think they need a little bit more salt but that’s just ‘cause I like my fries salty.  As for their cheeseburger, I took a bite of it, their burgers are good too but I still think In-N-Out’s better.  Now, let me tell you about their veggie burger, although they should be known for their all beef-never frozen patties, they should be proud of their veggie burger the more!  I believe it’s the best veggie patty I’ve ever had in my life.  It’s like Morning Star no meat burger patty on steroids!  (No disrespect to Morning Star because, I still think they’re good).    The corn kernels on the patty adds a little sweetness to it, it’s juicy (surprisingly more than their regular burgers), smells good and definitely Mooyahmmy! 

Where to find Mooyah?

·         In Texas… Heehaw!!! J

Price?

·         Starts at $4.99

*If you are surprised to learn that In-N-Out has Animal-Style fries… all you need to do is ask and they’ll make it for you J

Say it with me… A-ROZ-CAL-DO!  (Arrozcaldo)

My idea of dinner this evening is to pan fry some salmon seasoned with salt, pepper,  garlic powder with a little bit of olive oil and butter and of course some sautéed green beans on the side but when I talked my husband this afternoon, he didn’t sound very good.  I know he’s not feeling well and I was right because he was at the doctor’s clinic when I called.  Before I went home I decided to buy chicken thighs because I’m pretty sure that salmon won’t be appealing to someone who’s sick.  My mom used to cook this chicken rice porridge for us when we are not feeling well so I thought I’d make it for my husband with his approval of course and I’m happy to say that he loved it.  If you want to try it, it’s really very simple so I thought I’d share this recipe with you…

Ima’s Arozcaldo:

3 tbsps canola/olive oil

1 small onion

2 tbsps of chopped garlic  

Pinch of Saffron

8 pcs. chicken thighs (whatever part of chicken you like)

2 cups of uncooked rice  

1 large box of vegetable stock/chicken stock

Ginger (it depends how strong you like it…this is important to remove the funky taste of chicken),

Salt and Pepper

Fish Sauce (optional)

Lemon

¼ cup crunchy fried garlic

Chopped green onions

Place the pot in medium heat, add oil and onions once they are translucent then add garlic.  Once the chopped garlic turns light brown add the chicken.  Let the chicken brown then add rice, saffron, ginger and stock then cover the pot.  Let it boil/cook until rice is cooked; make sure that the porridge is not too thick in consistency.  If so, just add more water or if you have extra stock that’s even better.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  

Before serving add chopped green onions, fried garlic on top and a wedge of lemon on the side.  You can serve it with fish sauce too if you like.  

*Many people are allergic to fish sauce so it’s safer to ask first.

*You may also add some hardboiled eggs if you want an extra topping.

*This doesn’t guarantee that you will feel better but I’m pretty sure if you eat it, take your medicine and get some rest… you will.  :)

Where to find fish sauce:

*In some major grocery stores they have it but you’ll have more chance of getting one in an Asian store of course.  

*Arozcaldo by the way means hot rice.  

*Arozcaldo or Arrozcaldo doesn't really matter to me... they both sound good.  

Hope you like it!  

 

I made some very common and simple cupcakes for Easter that I shared with my friends and co-workers. I must say though that… this is my version of semi-homemade, I was able to finish all these cupcakes in less than 2 hours. I used Duncan Hines Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix, I normally like to bake my cake from scratch but this is a full proof mix, I really like it compared to others so I don’t mind using it when I’m in a rush but I know you might think that with all the mix-ins why not just do it from scratch, it’s just because I don’t want to sift cake flour and wash extra dishes, just cutting corners.. Also, I believe that it doesn’t matter if you use a cake mix as long as you make your icing from scratch. I always make Swiss meringue buttercream. (I got my recipe from Martha Stewart).

For the decos:

· M&M Easter Eggs (Speck-tacular)

· Purple, Pink, Blue Peeps Marshmallows

· Buttercream icing (thanks, Martha Stewart… I really love this icing!... to get the recipe please check her website and here’s what you type in the search field “Swiss Meringue Buttercream for Cupcakes”)

* I do not have the prices this time but I'm pretty sure they are all on sale now since it's already Easter.

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Oooohhh… Cupcakes!!!

 

I was really never a fan of cupcakes until I made some for my son's birthday last year.  I thought if you are lazy to make a real cake then you could just opt for fairy cakes but I was wrong, I had to do more things and extra steps for these small treats and yes, they are really fun to make!  Each cupcake could have its own little scene if you may, which makes it more interesting, the cute thing about it too is that you could make some cupcakes that stands out and make simple ones for some accents.  I made these just a week ago for a friend’s son’s 1st birthday.  I learned that her baby likes Elmo a lot and he only watches Sesame Street because of Elmo’s World.  So here are the cupcakes that I came up with.    

• Elmo’s crayons
  
• Dorothy in a fishbowl (painted sand and seaweeds)
  
• Elmo faces
  
• Smash cake 
  

I passed by the Central Market…

It was so exciting to see so many varieties of food, it is like a play land for foodies like me.  Not to mention the free samples of new products from vinaigrette to freshly baked breads.  The merchandising concept really works because while I was browsing the aisles, I noticed that there are some new wines that are displayed on the walk way and of course, the distinct label and wonderful burgundy color of the foil in the bottle catches the eyes of a curious individual like me and so I got me a cute bottle of wine.  I am not sure if I read it right but I think it’s Riondo Sheraz Spago Rosso.   It is a semi-sparkling wine, sweet, very dark violet in color and magenta bubbles., I think it’s perfect for beginners. Pardon me but please do not ask me about wine, I’m not a wine steward or as they call it Wine Sommelier, as long as it taste good and I like it, I’ll drink it.  I drink wine when I’m really in the mood for it but this is the first time to actually finish one whole bottle and I’m really curious about the taste of their Prosseco because I noticed that most chefs suggest Prosecco in their cooking and you know what they say, “only use wines for cooking that you enjoy drinking” and since the Sheraz Spago Rosso was very good maybe I could try their Prosseco too.  

Another great buys that I found in the Central Market are Cedar’s baked Pita chips and Out to Lunch Handmade Chipotle Sun dried Tomato Hummus… yummy!!!  Of course, I always like to add a little bit more flavor so I drizzled a little bit of homemade basil pesto and it was exquisite!  The Pita chips are a little bit sweet and salty and just the perfect thickness, not too thick and not too thin and with a hint of garlic flavor, as for the Hummus, it was actually good on its own, very creamy but adding a little bit of herb to it, makes the flavor burst to your palate.  My husband hates chickpeas but when he tried this he thought it was actually very good. Lastly, the Easter bread.  When I tried this bread, I thought it is like a combination of Hawaiian bread and Panetone without the candied fruit. It tastes like Hawaiian bread because of the soft texture and it’s sweet like kinda dinner roll-”ish” and of course the hint of citrus that you get once you bite it reminds you of Panetone.  It’s perfect with just butter and jam but you could also eat it with Cheez Whiz.   

Where to get all these???  You know!  If you don’t, check the title one more time… 

• Sheraz Spago Rosso, I believe the price for this is $9.99.  
  
• Cedar Pita Chips 2 for $5.
  
• Chipotle Sundried Tomato Hummus, I’m not sure but I think about $4.99, you know… after a glass of wine or two, I tend to forget stuff.  
  
• Easter bread is $3.99.
  

Do not forget the tax!

“It’s bad luck to be superstitious!”

… as I read the imprinted words in one of Hooters’ free moist towelettes… hilarious!

I find it funny when guys joke about how good the chicken wings are at Hooters. In fact, it is one of my husband’s favorite joke too but to be quite honest I really love their breaded wings myself. I usually order the medium heat with blue cheese dip. I like the fact that the vinegar or acid in the wing sauce is not too overpowering that if you are eating it while it‘s hot the steam that you inhale does not hurt your nose, I don’t mind if I’m inhaling the scent of wasabe because atleast the smell is herbie but vinegar kinda lingers longer and of course the sour smell makes it even worse but don’t get me wrong, I love vinegar. I know some might think that I’m nuts to even mention this in my blog but I’m trying to hit 2 birds with one stone here, I want to point out that the wings at Hooters tastes really awesome ( I bet you already got that point) and two, for the women out there that doesn’t really know what hooters is, you may want to try going there first and be the judge. Also, consider that if your boyfriend or your husband is planning on going there with his friends just tell him that you want to tag-along because you want to try their wings too since he always raves about it anyway or if you have been there already, I‘m pretty sure you like how the chicken wings tastes like so you will still go with your sweetheart and say you too are craving for some wings and hopefully, each time he wants to go to the owl’s den, he would always invite you instead of his friends.

Eat with Peace!!!

Where to find Hooters?

They’re everywhere and since you are reading this, obviously, you have internet so you could just Google it because it might even take longer to look for your yellow pages book.

*Nope, I’m not an employee of Google (I wish), nor Hooters. :)

Appetizer, snack whatever you want to call it…

Here is one yummy but simple snack that I like to prepare for my friends.  Dulong on multigrain crackers sprinkled with lemon juice.  I honestly am not sure what kind of fish dulongs are but they are possibly baby anchovies or gobies.  I first had this simple motley snack in San Francisco served by my husband’s boss.  The dulong in olive oil was from the Philippines, these tiny fish are originally cooked as crispy fish cakes that you dip in vinegar.  They serve it with rice and it’s already a meal.  

Where to find Dulong in Olive Oil:

You can ask a Filipino friend to buy you one, if they plan to visit you.   They sell it in The Blue Kitchen in Power Plant Rockwell or at Connie’s Kitchen in SM Mega Mall in the Philippines.  (I apologize but I don’t know if they sell this here in US but this is really your best bet).

Where to find Multigrain crackers:

Multigrain crackers are everywhere but I prefer the one from World Market a.k.a. Cost Plus.  They’re a little sweet, salty and of course grainy.  You can also try Vinta which you can find at Trader Joe’s or at your local grocery store.  

I scream for X-Cream!!!

I was window shopping in one of the popular specialty grocery stores and the chocolate wafer snack is in one of their clearances. I have always been a fan of this brand because I love chocolates and what’s not to like about wafers, crunchy, light and they literally melt in your mouth. I thought, I’d grab it since it’s been forever since I last ate wafers. The chocolate in between the wafers is like a block of air dried mousse that when it touches your tongue it’s like a consistency of a melting butter. Of course, whenever I’m eating wafers, I don’t feel as guilty as having one chocolate candy bar and I get to share it with others too since they come in bite sizes. 160 calories for 4 pieces is a-okay once in awhile!

February the month of love...

Normally, people like to send chocolate covered strawberries, cards and flowers to their loved ones but for mothers like me, we like to give out homemade decorated cookies or some cupcakes usually to our children’s teachers. I have been giving my son’s teachers just dropped chocolate cookies because it’s easier to make but I was a little creative this year. I thought of making them Triple Chocolate cupcakes made of course with chocolate cake with chocolate chips, there’s a little oozy-gooey ganache surprise inside and of course I frosted the cupcakes with Swiss chocolate meringue butter cream. Lastly, I thought I’d keep it simple by just piping a heart on top using the same ganache that I stuffed inside the cupcakes and sprinkled the hallow hearts with red sugar for a little touch.

Tools /Ingredients you can find in your kitchen:

*I used Ziploc to pipe the hearts because I ran out of plastic piping bags, they actually work just as great. You will need to double your bag though and use a coupler to prevent the bag from bursting.

*You can alternate the red sugar with sugar sprinkles with white nonpareils if you have them.