Cake for hubby

It is hubby's birthday month next month. I am thinking of buying a birthday cake for him. I want to surprise him but I was thinking, what if I'll bake a chocolate strawberry chessecake for him too. I know this will be may first time but I want to do it on my own and make it more meaningful. Last year I already baked him a cake but it was just an ordinary one, but this time I want to bake something that he like and hopefully I will succeed. I am starting to search online on the recipes and so far this is easiest one that I have found.

Ingredients are:

1 1/2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Instructions:

In a bowl, combine crushed graham crackers and powdered sugar. Blend in melted margarine. Press into the bottom of a 9" springform pan.

In another bowl, combine the strawberries with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar; set aside.

For the filling: Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese with the condensed milk until combined. Add vanilla and eggs. Divide this mixture in half. Add the melted chocolate to one half of the mixture. Pour this (the chocolate batter) into the crust lined pan. Add the strawberry and sugar mixture to the remaining batter. Spoon over the chocolate filling.

Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and cool for half an hour. Remove sides of the pan. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Garnish with strawberry halves.

I am excited to do it and hopefully I will make it right. This cheesecake makes 16 servings.

Yummy!!!!

Egg Recall

I was watching the Filipino Channel particularly "Balitang (news) America" on egg recall. I was shocked with the news. 228 million eggs were recall because it was infected with "salmonella. The eggs which may be infected with salmonella are all produced in Galt, Iowa by Wright County Egg, but they are sold in retail stores as a myriad of different brands.

Here are the brand names that were infected:

Albertson
Boomsma's
Dutch Farms
Farm Fresh
Hillandale
Kemps
Lucerne
Lund
Mountain Dairy
Ralph's
Shoreland
Sunshine
Trafficanda

Eggs are packed in varying sizes of cartons (6-egg cartons, dozen egg cartons, 18-egg cartons) with Julian dates ranging from 136 to 225 and plant numbers 1026, 1413 and 1946. Dates and codes can be found stamped on the end of the egg carton. The plant number begins with the letter P and then the number. The Julian date follows the plant number, for example: P-1946 223.

So guys, do check the eggs that you recently purchased. Let us be more cautious of what we buy and eat and good thing they've warned the public about this concern.

Save The Holiday With A Perfect Gravy On The Table

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Club House. All opinions are 100% mine.

Christmas is almost here and people are very busy doing their last minute shopping for the holidays. But what's really with Christmas that people has this adrenaline rush and wanted things set up before the holiday hit. Well, Christmas is a tradition celebrated in every corner around the world. It is to pay respect to our Lord Jesus Christ upon coming into this world. We give gifts, do community service for the others and prepare a bunch of food. This is what excites me during Christmas - the food and the gifts. Back home ( Philippines ) we woke up in the middle of the night to celebrate Christmas. My mom would prepare a lot of food for us to eat after midnight. I miss it though and how I wish were back home ( my husband and I ). Truly the saying goes "there's no place like home" is very accurate. I miss the celebration we always have in my country but I know someday, my husband and I together with our precious daughter will be celebrating Christmas again in the Philippines. Speaking of food, people prepare different kinds of food during the holiday. Name it and you have it. The most popular is the ham and of course the stress point of every food - gravy. A gravy could be yummy if it's cooked right and the right ingredients are all there. But if there's one missing ingredient, your food could be messed up. Would you allow that to happen during the holidays? Of course not. Well, to perfectly do the right one, you can go to gravy tips video. This is a step by step procedure in making the perfect gravy for the holiday. This video is provided by Club House that came up with a club house gravy mix. Using this mix, Christmas meal is as easy. You can also join on the ongoing newsletter sign-up and contest entry this year. Hurry up and be part of it.

Fridge Locker

Does your food often go to waste? Well, worry no more because there's a website that helps you save your food and store your food safely and still be able to eat it. The website is www.FridgeLocker.com. You can use this to secure your Sweets, Snacks, Sodas, Coffee Creamer, Work Lunch, Medications, Expensive Ingredients, Off

Limits Diet Foods, Ice Cream, Energy Drinks, Alcoholic Drinks & Anything Else! Very handy and very convenient to use anywhere you go. This is definitely what everybody needs to have. Not just to secure your food but as well as to save some money and avoid wasting food in the long run. Get your own now and start eating healthy food anywhere you go.

Hell's Kitchen With Chef Ramsey

Hell's kitchen is the hottest show on television right now. It is not just an entertainment but a competition as well. Many desired chefs gathered on this show to win a quarter of a million and will get to manage one of Chefs Ramsey's restaurant. I like the show so much because of the way Chef Ramsey train those chefs and have them ready to a more realistic world of cooking. If you guys are following the show, you definitely know what I am talking about.

Healthy Chocolate

I love chocolate. I can eat any kind of chocolate as long as it is a healthy chocolate. It is very popular anywhere in the world and most people eat chocolate. Even young ones, chocolate is their favorite. Chocolates can be given as a gift, could be a topping in one of your food, could be one of the ingredients of the cake you are baking, a dessert and many more. Chocolate is extremely popular. A billion people ate chocolate yesterday. 9 out of 10 people report that they crave chocolate, I am one of those. Aside from that chocolate has been touted as one of the best business opportunities for the next 10 years by Entrepreneur Magazine. So business minded people out their, this a great opportunity to start.

Toaster Oven Guide

Do you know where the best toaster to buy? I certainly don't but there's a website that gives information before making a purchase. The website is the toaster oven guide. This is a website that is devoted to giving all the information you might need when you're considering buying a toaster or a toaster oven. That might not seem like a big deal compared to many other purchases most are pretty cheap, with even the extreme high end topping out at a few hundred bucks. But you'll be cooking a lot of food on whatever you buy, and getting a good one can make a huge difference in how it tastes. If you want to avoid burnt foods and uneven cooking, look no further - this site provides reviews of different models and general information you'll want before making your decision.

Cooking

Cooking is always been my passion. I love to experiment in the kitchen and even though I am residing here in the States now, I still cook some Filipino dish and my family loves it. I usually cook lumpia ( my husbands favorite), pancit ( my in laws favorite), adobo, eskabeche, sinigang, kilawin and fried rice. I was never expecting they will love this dish but I am very surprise that kept asking for it. I still want to introduce them the different kinds of menu that we Filipinos have and I know they are willing to try and will love it eventually.

Eating Pizza

I am eating pizza right for my lunch.. Yeah it's quite late and it almost supper but sometimes I forgot to eat something especially when I am busy. But at least I remember to eat...lol.. I just noticed that my I am experiencing acidity and found out I haven't eaten anything yet. Good thing also that my father in law went out and got some pizza for us.

Day with Kids

Today was a great day because I spent most of my time with the kids at the church. We had so much fun and they enjoyed. We made cookies and decorated them. We made cards for their parents and I find it so amazing that they had fun doing this kind of activity. My parents in law were there to help too. Women at the church find it so sweet because the kids made cookies for them. Everyone was just so fascinated of what they did and their parents were so proud of them. I am also proud that I get the chance to work them and had fun with them. Here's some of the pictures I took:
Dellen and I. He is a very sweet little boy. So energetic.Dad and Emma.Decorating the cookies with the kids.

Candies

Do you love candy? If so, CandyDirect.com has lots to offer you. They offer different kinds of Candy Bars, Milky Way Candy Bar and a lot more. Choose from their large selection of candy type such as candy liquids, caramel, chocolate bars, mints and lollipop from different kinds of brand such as albanese, american licorice, charms, concord, ferrero and hershey. They also carry a wide selection of miniature candy bars from different brands, so stock up and save!

If you love gift giving, this will be the right place for you to shop for your gifts in all occasion such as anniversaries, birthday's, wedding, valentines day or any occasion you wish to give someone a Candy. From color to flavor, from sizes to different shape, they all got it for you to choose, so buying candy now for yourself or as a gift is not hard to do anymore.

My personal favorite are the chocolate bars that consist of flavored chocolate bars, white chocolate bars, baking chocolate bars, dark chocolate bar and milk chocolate bars. Another one is the lollipop with different variety such as filled lollipop, sour lollipop, twinkle pops, novelty lollipop and sugar free lollipop.

Visit their website now and choose from their large selection of candies.

Puso (hanging rice)

Puso (hanging rice) is a dish originating from the province of Cebu in the Philippines, a local form of the Ketupat found in other parts of the Malay world. It consists of rice wrapped in coco leaves which is then boiled. It is served by slicing the coco leaves in half exposing the rice. Puso rice pieces are strung together and servers just cut them off and slice them in half for serving, hence the term “hanging rice.”


Local stories passed down through the generations have attributed the creation of this style of rice preparation to the Cebuano seafarers' need to keep cooked rice from spoiling during long sea voyages. The coco leaves used in wrapping the rice are always shaped into a triangular form and stored hanging in bunches in the open air. The shape of the package facilitates moisture to drip away from the cooked rice while the coco leaves allow the rice to be aerated and at the same time prevent flies and insects from touching it.

Puso, according to a Cebu Normal University(CNU) professor, had been once considered food for the gods, before Spain colonized the Philippines and introduced Christianity. The professor, however, said this ritualistic preparation of puso as divine offering is virtually non-existent today.

"Puso" has continued to be popular in the Philippines due to the large number of open-air eateries serving grilled chicken and pork meals. Customers of these establishments often worry about the cleanliness of the food being prepared hence the popularity of "puso" where the rice remains untouched by human hands after being cooked.

Food trip

Whenever were home, my husband and I loves to eat on whatever food we have on the fridge.lol. But we enjoy it and it's not because of the food but because we are together in doing it. We love food trip and we love to try different kinds of food because as long as it is food, we are on the go..lol. Well, I guess we are just food lovers and always wanted to eat as much as we can. And I am very thankful though because I am eating a lot but I am not gaining weight, to me that's awesome..

Most Expensive Coffee in the World

The most expensive coffee in the world does not hail from Jamaica or Hawaii, but instead from Indonesia.

Kopi Luwak the most expensive coffee in the world does exist, and those who drink the expensive coffee insist that it is made from coffee beans eaten, partly digested and then excreted by the Common palm civet, a weasel-like animal.

“Kopi” the Indonesian word for coffee along with “luwak” is local name of this animal which eats the raw red coffee beans. The civet digests the soft outer part of the coffee cherry, but does not digest the inner beans and excretes them.

Apparently the internal digestion ends up adds a unique flavor to the beans, removing the bitter flavor, and then beans are then picked up by locals and sold. The most expensive coffee beans can cost up to $600 a pound, and up to $50 per cup, if you can get over the fact that you are drinking such a strange brew.

You would know if you drank the most expensive coffee in the world, because the quantities of it are tiny amounts.

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1 container (8 ounces) sour cream
1 cup Pace® Picante Sauce
2 tsp. chili powder
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (about 4 ounces)
10 flour tortillas (6-inch), warmed
1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 green onion, sliced (about 2 tablespoons)

Directions:

Stir the soup, sour cream, picante sauce and chili powder in a medium bowl.

Stir 1 cup picante sauce mixture, chicken and cheese in a large bowl.

Spread about 1/4 cup chicken mixture down the center of each tortilla. Roll up and place seam-side down in a 3-quart shallow baking dish. Pour the remaining picante sauce mixture over the filled tortillas. Cover the baking dish.

Bake at 350°F. for 40 minutes or until the enchiladas are hot and bubbling. Top with the tomato and onion.

CARAMEL-DRIZZLED BROWNIE HEARTS

Caramel-Drizzled Brownie Hearts

Love brownies? Here's a special way to love every chocolaty crumb.

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 2 hours 15 min

Makes: 12 brownie hearts

INGREDIENTS:

1	box (1 lb 6.5 oz) Betty Crocker® Original Supreme brownie mix
	Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on brownie mix box
1	bag (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped
3	tablespoons whipping cream
1/2	cup chopped pecans

1.	Heat oven to 350°F. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan with foil. Grease bottom only of foil with shortening or cooking spray. Make brownie mix as directed on box, using pouch of chocolate syrup, water, oil and eggs. Bake as directed for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
2.	Using foil to lift, remove brownie from pan. Remove foil. With deep 3-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut 12 brownies.
3.	In medium microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and whipping cream uncovered on High 1 to 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until caramels are melted.
4.	Arrange brownies on serving plate. Drizzle caramel mixture over brownies. Sprinkle with pecans.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Follow High Altitude directions on brownie mix box for 13x9-inch pan.

Variation

Make double-chocolate brownie hearts by drizzling with chocolate syrup instead of the caramel.

Nutrition Information:

1 Brownie Heart: Calories 380 (Calories from Fat 130); Total Fat 14g (Saturated Fat 3 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol 35mg; Sodium 220mg; Total Carbohydrate 59g (Dietary Fiber 1g, Sugars 38g); Protein 4g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 0%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 6%; Iron 8% Exchanges: 1 Starch; 3 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 4
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

lumpia history and its popularity

My baby's favorite Filipino dish is Lumpia so I always make lumpia for him whenever his home from work. It is one of my in laws favorite too, so it's everybody's favorite. I'm glad that here in the United States especially in our place,we have an asian store here to where I can get all the ingredients I need when im cooking lumpia. Just a thought,where does this word lumpia came from and what does it mean?

Lumpia/h are pastries of the Philippines and Indonesia of Chinese origin and are similar to spring rolls. The term lumpia derives from lunpia (traditional Chinese: 潤餅; pinyin: rùnbǐng; POJ: jūn-piáⁿ, lūn-piáⁿ) in the Hokkien language. The recipe, both fried and fresh versions, was brought by the Chinese immigrants from the Fujian province of China to Southeast Asia and became popular where they settled in the Philippines and Indonesia. In the Netherlands, it is spelled loempia which is the old Indonesian spelling for lumpia and has also become the generic name for "spring roll" in Dutch. A variant is the Vietnamese lumpia, wrapped in a thinner piece of pastry, in a size close to a spring roll though the wrapping closes the ends off completely, which is typical for lumpia.

Indonesian

Lumpia Basah

It literally means "wet spring roll" which means spring roll without frying. It is similar to the Vietnamese spring roll with bean sprouts, carrots, shrimp and/or chicken, and served with sweet tauco (another Hokkien word for salted soybeans) sauce.

Lumpia Semarang

Named after the capital city of Central Java in Indonesia, Semarang. It was created by Chinese immigrants in the city of Semarang. It is filled with bamboo shoots, dried shrimp (ebi in Indonesian) chicken and/or prawn. It is served with lumpia sauce that is made from dried shrimp (optional), coconut sugar, red chillies, bird's eye chilies, water, ground white pepper, tapioca starch and water and can be served in either fried or unfried condition.

Filipino

Lumpia Hubad

Lumpiang Hubad literally means naked spring roll. It is basically an unwrapped Lumpiang Sariwa (without the crepe).

Lumpiang Sariwa

Lumpiang Sariwa, or fresh spring rolls in English, consist of minced ubod (heart of palm), flaked chicken, crushed peanuts, and turnips as an extender in a double wrapping of lettuce leaf and a yellowish egg crepe. The accompanying sauce is made from chicken or pork stock, a starch mixture, and fresh garlic. This variety is not fried and is usually around 2 inches in diameter and 6 inches in length; it is also the most popular among the Filipino variants.

Lumpiang Shanghai

This type of lumpia is filled with ground pork, minced onion, carrots, and spices with the mixture held together by beaten egg. It may sometimes contain green peas. Both lumpiang shanghai and the sweet and sour sauce are served with attests to the Chinese influence. This variety is by standard an inch in diameter and approximately 4-6 inches in length. However, most restaurants and street vendors often serve lumpia shanghai in smaller diameters, typically one-half to three-quarter inches, and is served with a spicy sauce instead of a sweet and sour sauce.

Lumpiang Prito

Lumpiang Prito literally means fried spring roll. It consists of a briskly fried pancake filled with bean sprouts and various other vegetables such as string beans and carrots. Small morsels of meat or seafood may also be added. Though it is the least expensive of the variants, the preparation – the cutting of vegetables and meats into appropriately small pieces and subsequent pre-cooking – may prove taxing and labor-intensive. This variant may come in sizes as little as that of lumpiang shanghai or as big as that of lumpiang sariwa. It is usually eaten with vinegar and chili peppers, or a soy sauce-and-calamondin juice mixture known as toyo-mansi.

Lumpia has such enduring popularity that one can see at least one variant in almost any set of Filipino or Indonesian festivities. Its distinct taste and ease of preparation (the Shanghai variant at least) has caused it to be one of the staple food products on the menus of many Filipino restaurants in the United States, including Jollibee and Chowking.

Menu for the day!!!

Spending time in the kitchen is a whole lot of fun. Just to be able to prepare the ingredients of the food you are about to cook is much fun already. Lately, I've been hanging out a lot in the kitchen and been cooking my favorite food. Tonights dinner was calamari and I have prepared some desert called choco nebler..Enjoy your food everyone


CALAMARI
BUTTER,CONDENSED MILK,COCOA POWER,GRAHAM CRACKER AND ALL PURPOSE CREAM


FINISHED PRODUCT OF CHOCO NEBLER

What's for lunch?

It's been a cooking day for me here around the house. I just feel like cooking in every meal and what i had today is one of my favorite food. I cooked a grilled squid, so yummy and it taste good and yes I'm fun of those kind of food (sea food). Here's what i had over lunch:>>>>>>>>>>>>before the grilling part..hehehehe..poor squid



>>>>>>>>>>>>when it was totally done from grilling and kinda burned it..wwwaaahhhhh
>>>>>>>>>> my lunch today,grilled squid soy sauce with lemon,rice,pineapple juice and a sliced of apple..Have a great lunch everyone.

It's been a while

Cooking is my favorite thing to do. I love being in the kitchen and discover new recipes and cooked some food that I desire to eat..It's been a while that i haven't spent much time in the kitchen but lately I just loved to cook and here's what I got for tonights dinner. It's been my favorite food to eat and I enjoyed the grilling part of the pork. This food is called "kilawin". I just love this food and will never get sick and tired eating it..hehehehehe..This is just so easy to do,just grill some marinated pork chop,then cut into small pieces,add some cucumber,unions,ginger,lemon,vinegar and salt to taste and your done..


I also had some apple for desert,God I'm so full and I enjoyed my dinner tonight. I had so much fun with my cooking since I stopped from work. Hope you guys had a great dinner and enjoy eating.