Treasure Jar

Home cooking is not only inexpensive but it sure guarantees safe handling of food. Home cooking is also a way to be creative in preparing healthier choices as compared to food prepared elsewhere.

If only most of our meals are prepared at home then I know we are eating better than the alternative.

Being creative in the kitchen enables one to experiment with different tastes, textures, flavors and adaptation to what is readily available in the kitchen.

Here is one alternative food preparation we did recently, introducing our homemade chicken shawarma:

Thinly sliced chicken strips (from chicken breast fillet) with oyster sauce, a bit of light soy sauce, and a little muscovado sugar, were cooked in olive oil.

I seasoned with salt and pepper.

For the vegetables, I sliced green bell peppers and cucumber (I removed the seeds). Lettuce is still very expensive so I skipped that.

For the dressing I used light mayonnaise.

I then topped these with grated cheese and voila, a homemade chicken shawarma for us.

The wrap consisted of store bought wheat soft tortilla wrap.

Yes, it was ‘sawrap”!

Tags: cheese, chicken, cooking, dining, food, food and dining, food photo, healthy eating, home, Photography, Purse Strings, shawarma

Healthy living is not something we should decide upon to adapt or not, as a lifestyle.

Healthy living is the only choice if we put our perspectives in order.

Why not? Being healthy is one ticket to a life that is not riddled with chemical-induced relief from pain and hospital bills.

There are even some illnesses where people need to travel to seek help.Going for cancer treatments in the USA, spine surgery Mexico, and probably even seeking ayurvedic medicine treatments in India are just some of the costly steps people have in order to be healthy again.

Some would even travel to places where it is said that prayers and prayer offerings can give miraculous effect.

Becoming healthy or espousing a healthy living starts with the self.

How?

Some first steps to be considered would be healthy eating, having a fitness program, getting enough sleep and not getting stressed too much.

Yes, it seems like an impossibility to some but taking one small step at a time will surely help one live a lifestyle considered healthy.

Tags: fitness, food, health, healthy eating, healthy living, Purse Strings, thoughts

My eldest daughter’s project last year was to make a bag from a  pair of denim pants.

Here is a part of her project with some dainty beads:

I featured a different bead in this photo for another photomeme.

My other entry for bag.

Tags: children, family, Photo Hunter, Photography, Purse Strings

Dona Elena Cuisinera Club is a virtual hub where mothers, health practitioners and foodies get together virtually to share recipes that will promote healthy eating.

Not only do these members meet in the virtual world, they get to meet each other too, through monthly cooking lessons.

Can healthy and nutritious food go hand in hand? Yes!

How can this be?

Through the use of olive oil in preparing healthy, nutritious and of course, yummy food.

What are the benefits of olive oil?

• It is rich in monounsaturated fat with anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertensive properties.
• It can lower cholesterol level and reduce the risk of coronary heart disease AS LONG AS healthy and active lifestyle is also being practiced.
• Olive oil is rich in polyphenols which is a potent antioxidant that scavenges harmful free radicals in the body.

Go ahead, throw away those fat-laden and/or salty junk food and start learning to cook healthy and nutritious food.

You won’t need to read a lot about chemical-based weight loss supplements, herbal whatnot, alli and why starving yourself  is bad (LOL) to be able to live a healthy lifestyle 🙂

The choice is yours to make, here is to healthy living!

Tags: dining, family, food, pasta, Purse Strings

With Christmas 2009 just a few weeks away, it is no wonder malls are having possible gifts on display. Bazaars are happening left and right.

I do not want to dampen the joyous Christmas spirit but here in our country, at least the way I see it, Christmas will have a different meaning after all the things that happened to a lot of people and families.

Of course, husbands/male partners will still think of going to aisles that say “gifts for her” as would wives/female partners do. That is natural.

But for me who will be starting my Frugal Christmas year 2 for Christmas 2009, I hope to instill Christmas with less emphasis on the material things with my children.

Tags: Christmas, family, gifts, Lasang Pinoy Sundays, Philippines, Purse Strings, thoughts

All proceeds from the sale of every Original Glazed doughnuts TODAY, October 11, 2009, will go to Krispy Kreme’s fund in cooperation with Philippine National Red Cross Rizal Chapter and ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya for those who were affected by typhoon Ondoy.

Tags: Krispy Kreme, Ondoy, Philippines