my life, my joy, my dreams
For the hubby and I, every weekend is different. Sometimes it’s quiet, sometimes it’s fun. Sometimes it’s tiring, sometimes it’s restful. Sometimes it’s dull, sometimes it’s playful. Sometimes it’s a combination of any two or all.
One factor that affects how our weekends turn out is the people we get to spend them with. The activities we do during weekends are almost the same, but it’s the people we do these activities with that make them more special and memorable.
Canned goods are my life saver. Whenever I’m not in the mood to do some serious cooking, like I was tonight, I turn to canned goods for immediate relief. One of my faves is Purefoods Corned Beef. Compared to other corned beef brands, it has chunkier meat and the quality is better.
Normally, I just sauté corned beef with onions for some stir-fried goodness or add some potatoes and water for a saucy and filling corned beef dish. Earlier in the kitchen, though, instead of just sautéing it with onions, I added some syrup to help caramelize the onions (honey is better), some garlic, some fresh tomatoes and quickmelt cheese. It was based from a recipe featured in a blog post I saw somewhere (sorry, I can’t seem to locate the site now). I also added some black pepper and dried oregano, just before turning off the heat, for more flavor. No need to add salt anymore because the corned beef is already loaded with sodium and the cheese is already salty on its own.
Unlike other guys, my only brother loves to shop. He even enjoys shopping with girls. Whenever we shop together, he doesn’t get bored waiting while I rummage through racks and racks of clothes. That’s because he enjoys scrutinizing items with me. And I love him to bits for that.
Just this morning, my brother texted me just to tell me that he emptied his wallet by shopping for some clothes and a new speaker. No, not the ButtKicker one that pro musicians are raving about because of its cutting-edge sound technology. That would have been way better, but I doubt he could afford it at this time. Haha. Anyhow, his new speaker is just a tiny one which he bought for his PC to replace the one he broke last, last week.
Recently, the Philippines, specifically the Visayas, has been a victim of two major calamities. Last October 15th, Bohol and Cebu were hit by a 7.2 magnitude earthquake that killed hundreds of people and destroyed billions’ worth of livelihood, properties and infrastructures. Just last Friday, a super typhoon named Yolanda washed out several parts of Leyte, Samar and Palawan which left thousands of people dead and livelihood, properties and infrastructures ruined as well.
Watching TV these days is just plain depressing. It’s like my heart is breaking into pieces every time I see footages of the devastation in the Visayas, the gloomy expressions on the faces of the survivors there. So terrible. Even the hubby has the same sentiments over this. He can’t stand watching the news for long without saying a sad phrase or two.
Continue reading “Trying Times in the Philippines and How To Help”
I never thought I’d fall in love with baking. Ever since I started baking at home this year, I became inspired to bake a certain cake or pastry every weekend. I’m just an amateur baker (and can’t see myself being a pro in the future) but I’m happy to say my finished products are a-okay. Most of them were even a hit to the hubby and our families.
Armed with a convection oven and my new electric mixer, I bake whatever I like. I get recipes online after scrutinizing the comment section of the article where these recipes are featured. You know, getting additional information or tips from the commenters who have actually tried baking the recipe in question. I keep all the recipes I got online in my email and when I find the time to do them, I just do them!
Last Wednesday night, I went to My Kitchen by Chef Chris Locher inside the Oasis Hotel in Paco, Manila. I had dinner there with the husband, my PILs, my SIL, my mom and my two sisters. It was our first time to taste Chef Chris Locher’s panizza which he invented and became famous for back in his days at C’ Italian Dining in Clark, Pampanga.
Chef Chris Locher’s The Original in four different flavors
After tasting four different kinds of panizza (from the six new flavors), I have to say My Kitchen’s panizza is the best in town. They were sooo good! Like, 100% yummy. Among the four panizza whose names escape my memory right now, I liked the one with beef sirloin the best. I also appreciated the fact that all panizza were served hot off the oven and the kitchen was generous with the toppings. The arugula and the alfalfa sprouts, which you eat with the panizza, were fresh and crunchy, too.