Treasure Jar

When I cook pasta, I don’t have exact recipes that I follow. Whatever we have in the fridge is what I use, as long as these would give delight the fickle taste buds of my children.

Here is my simple version of chicken alfredo pasta Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

tomatoes

red and green bell pepper

sliced olives (optional, I added these because we have extra from another dish that I cooked)

bite-sized chicken (from chicken breasts)

all-purpose cream and cheese for the sauce

Italian herb seasoning for flavors instead of Cajun

spaghetti noodles cooked according to instructions

I topped mine with fresh parsley bits.

Tags: chicken and pasta, dining, dinner, family, food and dining, pasta

Several mom blogger friends and I were invited to the SM Hypermarket Super Chefs cooking demo by Caren.

Below was one of the three recipes she demonstrated: Smoked Bangus Paté

Ingredients:

• medium-sized smoked bangus fillet, flaked and fried in olive oil
• 1 box of cream cheese
• half-cup all-purpose cream
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

In a blender, put one piece of medium-sized smoked bangus fillet (minus the head, tail and bones), cream cheese, all-purpose cream, lemon juice and salt and pepper. Pulse until smooth and creamy.

Serve in individual containers with toasted bread or your favorite chips.

To those who have been reading phentermine reviews and want to diet, try substituting light all-purpose cream and light cream cheese. Lessen salt too since the smoked bangus is a bit salty already. Plus use baked chips instead of fried ones.

Nomnomnom!

Tags: cooking, dining, Filipino food, food, food and dining, food photos, pate, Philippines, SM Hypermarket Super Chefs, smoked bangus fillet

I heard giggling girls at the mall today talking about crash diets that work.

Just exactly what I need to remind me that summer is HERE and I haven’t done a thing to at least minimize, ok then burn, these unsightly mid-body bulges. Ugh.

Eat plenty of raw leafy vegetables? Check.

Use of olive oil in cooking? Check.

More healthy eating? Check.

More fruits in the diet? Check.

Staying on schedule re morning rounds? Check. For not doing these religiously in reality but mental running definitely a yes. Booo!!!

No soda or sugared drinks? Check for yes 🙁

Definitely not ready for summer yet.

Oh well, I may not be able to wear clothes that are the current fad, my only wish is that I be healthy and free from any illnesses.

Bitter, hahaha.

Come to think of it, without no one to mind the house, we can’t even go on a vacation, not even spend oversight at my parents’ home. It has been years ago since we had a real vacation away from home.

Staycation is not really a case to be sad about, we love to stay at home and chill but being in an entirely different place and exploring new surroundings can do a lot for bored children.

Tags: dining, food, health, healthy eating, summer, thoughts

Halloween was just a few weeks ago and with the Christmas season in full swing, sweets abound. By sweets I mean cake, pastries, candy canes, candies and sweet memories. Ok, scrap the last part because I am really talking about those with sweet tooth and unlimited stomach space.

I am sure a lot of health-related issues after the Christmas season would center on two or three or even four concerns:

• high blood pressure due to excessive consumption of food high in cholesterol and animal fats,
• high blood-sugar level due to consumption of food that are not even supposed to be within two feet of the sufferer,
• cavities especially with children who are in dire need of a visit to Plano dentist clinics
• stomach-related problems like dyspepsia, indigestion and just plain eating a little bit too much.

The key to not getting sick in to do things in moderation and that includes eating, drinking, shopping, having fun, and partying.

Sure, one can always say it is the time to be happy and enjoy the company of  family and friends but then again, knowing one’s limits is the best way to go so spend your holidays wisely 🙂

Tags: Christmas, dining, family, food, Purse Strings, thoughts

Premium Selection by Red Ribbon launches Chocolate Walnut Fudge with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate for the holiday season of 2009.

The description for this decadent cake:   a layer of creamy chocolate mousse on a bed of moist fudgy brownie, loaded with chopped walnuts and finished with dark chocolate ganache, sprinkles and long chocolate curls made with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate.

Presenting a sliced Chocolate Walnut Fudge with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate:

What are you waiting for? Go to the Red Ribbon branch near you and get a cake for PhP680.00. Cake will be offered till January 09, 2010 only.

Tags: cake, Christmas, dining, food, food photos, Hershey's Dark Chocolate, Photography, Red Ribbon

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