food

Mother’s & Birth Days Celebration

These were just some of the food that my family prepared for the Mothers Day and my mother birthday celebrations last Sunday. I miss the grilled fish and roasted pig. My cousin cooked the macaroni salad and the rice noodles with pork liver. The roasted pig is a home grown one. The birthday cake was bought from a bakery shop. When I miss the food from home, I will look at these pictures.

Jollibee is the World’s Second Best Fast Food

I recently found out that Jollibee is the world’s second best fast food. At least that is what the article on yahoo said. I have never thought in my wildest dream that the Philippines, Jollibee would be included in the list of the best fast food chains in the world. I am from the Philippines and I do like Jollibee but I did not expect that people aside from the Filipinos would also like their food. There are more than 700 Jollibee locations across the country. They serve fried chicken, hamburgers, palabok, rice noodles with meat sauce, shrimp, hard-boiled egg and much more. I like their chicken joy because it is crispy and juicy. A perfectly seasoned fried chicken that’s crispy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside. That’s my favorite dish they have that I always order every time I dine in at that fast food restaurant. Visit jollibee.com.ph.

Craving for Squid Adobo

I have been craving for squid adobo. I wish I was in the Philippines right now so that I can have some. I wanted to cook this recipe last night but unfortunately, I don’t have squid stashed in my refrigerator. Actually, I haven’t seen any at a nearby store. In the Philippines, we can always find them at the wet market. Cooking squid adobo is simple. The procedure is similar when you cook pork or chicken adobo.

My hubby and I are planning a trip to the Philippines this fall and I can’t wait to get to eat the foods that I have been craving for. I was quite resentful the last time I was there that I did not get a chance to eat what I wanted. I got sick and for some reason my appetite was not that good but I got to eat roasted pig. On my next trip to my home country, I will make sure that I have a “to eat list” so I won’t forget and regret when I come back here in the US. I will put my diet off for the meantime so that I can make the most out of my vacation.

I prefer small to medium sized squid because they are more flavorful compared to the large ones. The next time I go to the nearby Asian store, I will try to look for squid. I can’t wait for that trip but unfortunately, my hubby and I won’t be going there until the end of this month.

Sweet Treats for Mother’s Day

May 13th is my mother’s birthday. The Mothers Day also falls on the same date. My mother already received my hubby and I birthday and Mothers Day presents. We sent a big package of a variety of stuff. Some of the things that I put in the box were shoes, purses, food, plates, house decor and more. She got the presents just in time for the occasions. Even though my mother already got the things that she likes to receive on her birthday, I am still thinking about giving her something else like cakes, chocolates and that kind of stuff. I still have a few days left to think it over and if my pocket permits.

Speaking of Mothers Day, here are some of the activities and gift ideas that I like if I happen to be in the Philippines on that day. I will bake my mother cakes, bread or pastries. They are at the top of my list because they are inexpensive, easy to find and can be done at home. Chocolates and cards are also nice gifts. Bonding over shopping at the mall is a sweet treat for my mother because like me, she also likes shopping.

Festivities in the Village

These pictures were taken last year during the village fiesta. They were just some of the friends and relatives who came to visit.

There is a big festival going on in the village for a few days starting today. On May 2nd and 3rd, people there will be celebrating the village fiesta.  The fiesta is an annual celebration there in the village.  Last year at this time of the year, I was there and there was a big celebration. This time of the year is also our family reunion. My younger sister said that our folks did not prepare a lot of food like last year when my sister, my niece, my brother in-law from Germany and I were there. My mother decided that she wouldn’t throw a big fiesta celebration this year because it was too tiring. My folks are only expecting a few relatives and friends to come and visit. My cousin will help my mother do the cooking.

Anniversary Dinner

These were just a few of the good foods that my hubby and I had on our wedding anniversary dinner date at my favorite restaurant. I really enjoyed our dinner. The Chinese restaurant has been my all time favorite place to dine since I got here to the US. Their food is very similar to the Filipino food. When I told my sister about this restaurant, she wished that they had that kind of restaurant there in Germany close to her. She said, if there was one there like that, she would probably eat there everyday.

Mussel Soup

I was not able to cook this dish until recently. I did not know that I could find mussels here in the US. Mussel soup is a good dish to serve during cold season. It is very simple to make a delicious mussel soup. Here are the ingredients and instructions on how to cook:

* 2 lb fresh medium sized mussels – cleaned
* 1 medium tomato – chopped
* 1 small onion – chopped
* 4 cups of water
* black pepper to taste
* 3 tbs cooking oil
* 2 tbs finely chopped garlic

Procedure:

* Heat the oil in a pot
* Sautee the garlic and onions until they turn brownish
* Add the mussels and water
* Simmer for a few minutes then add the tomato
* Salt if desired then pepper
* Serve hot (with rice)

Sardines with Eggs

This is what I am going to be eating for the next few days. When I first cooked this food, my hubby thought that it would be disgusting. That is a normal reaction for people who are not familiar with this dish. For someone like me, who didn’t have much to eat when I was growing up in the Philippines, this dish was very special. For those of you who haven’t tried this dish, I urge you to give it a try. It is much better than you would think. It is actually very tasty and my Caucasian hubby can now attest to that. He eats it straight up but I eat it with rice. The main ingredients are sardines in tomato sauce, eggs, onions, garlic, salt, soy sauce and black pepper. The cooking procedure is very simple. I learned it when I was a freshman in college. As a college student, you always love those quick and easy dishes.

Here are the directions:
* mash up the sardines then add eggs
* mix the sardines and eggs really well while sprinkling salt and black pepper to taste
* preheat the cooking oil in a pan
* sautee the garlic and onions until they turn brownish
* add the mixed sardines, eggs, salt and pepper
* stir occasionally until it solidifies