Ricota Cheese Appetizer

An excellent combination for appetizer, the aroma of the oregano flakes and the creaminess of ricota cheese will really boost your appetite.

Ingredients:
1 cup cubed ricota cheese or kesong puti
3/4 cup seedless olives
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon oregano flakes

Procedure:
1. Combine the tomatoes, cheese and olive in a big mixing bowl.
2. Sprinkle with olive oil and oregano flakes.
3. Serve.

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Happy New Year

                                                       
Happy New Year everyone. 
I would like to thank you all for always visiting my blog and sharing my recipes throughout the year,  I know that they are not perfect but I hope that you can get ideas from my posts. 
More recipes in 2015 with God's help.
Again Happy New year to All.

Photo from funmozar

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Top 14 Posts of 2014

I can't believe it is almost 2015!  Really just crazy to think that 2014 has come and gone in what seems to be the blink of an eye.  I was reviewing my "Facebook year in review" compilation they put together for you and 2014 was really quite an amazing year.  My husband and I both started new jobs at the beginning of the year.  Several of my friends had or are about to have adorable little babies.  After years and years of talking about it, we finally went to Europe for vacation and it was amazing!  And my little sister got married.  

It has been a fun year of blogging too!  While I did take a bit of a hiatus while life was a bit busy, there have been a lot of great new recipes added to the "recipe book".  Also, some new kinds of posts this year including some fun lists about Columbus.  So, without further adieu, the top 14 posts of 2014...

1. 40 Things to Do in Columbus When It's Cold or Rainy
2. Summer Bucket List - 20 things to do in the Cbus
3. Salted Caramel Mocha Brownies
4. Broccoli Chicken Alfredo Pizza
5. Creamy Salmon Pasta
6. Grilled Asparagus and Poached Egg
7. Creamy Springtime Pasta
8. Green Yakisoba
9. 26 Easy Vegetarian Recipe Roundup
10. Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Granola Bars
11. Seared Scallop Alfredo
12. Rosemary Chicken
13. Grilled Caesar Salad
14. Veggie Calzone

 

Throughout the year, the Columbus related posts have remained the most read posts of the year.  So, while this is a recipe blog, there may be some more Columbus posts coming your way in 2015.  Stay tuned!

 

  

And of course the number one post of the year...

Thanks for reading and have a happy New Year!!!  *cheers*

Top 13 Recipes from 2013
Top 12 Recipes from 2012

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New Year's Resolutions

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and time with family over the holiday weekend!  Ours was pretty laid back considering we started the Christmas celebrations three weeks ago.  Of course, once Christmas is over, then comes the realization that the year is almost over as well.  Still can't believe it!  2015 is only a few days away, so I started thinking about what my New Year's resolution could be.

Now I know resolutions are hard to keep and it seems silly that there is so much focus on "becoming a better person" for one day out of the entire year, but I am a goal setter, so I like them.

picture from katmichels.com

Here is a list of the top ten New Year's resolutions made every year...

1. Lose Weight

2. Getting Organized

3. Spend Less, Save More

4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest

5. Staying Fit and Healthy

6. Learn Something Exciting

7. Quit Smoking

8. Help Others

9. Fall in Love

10. Spend More Time with Family

You know what resolution would cover over half of these?  Meal planning!  I've been planning meals at the beginning of each week for about five years now and can say that there are tons of benefits to getting organized and cooking at home.  

1. Save Money - Because you're not eating out and when you go to the grocery store, you know exactly what you need (saves time wandering around too).

2. It's Healthier - Chances are good that you don't have a deep fryer at home.  Also, since you know what is going into the food you're eating you will probably think a little more about it.

3. Spend Time with Family - Eating around the kitchen table is 100 times better than eating on the go.  Savor your food and the conversation!

4. Knowing the answer to "What's for dinner?" - Ugh, I used to hate that question!  My response was always "food" because I didn't know yet.  Now I just point to this week's meal plan.  :)

5. Learn New Things - When I started meal planning, I was a beginner level cook at best.  You learn as you go.  Your meals get better, fancier... soon people are wanting your recipes and asking you to cook at their house.

To make it easier, I'm working on some curated meal plans for you... with organized grocery lists!  There will be a couple categories to choose from... 30 minutes or less (all recipes are quick and easy), vegetarian, and seasonal.  Each meal plan will have six meals and a weekend breakfast recipe.  And the first three are ready for you!

Week Meal Plan: 30 minutes or less
Week Meal Plan: 30 minutes or less
Week Meal Plan: Eating Seasonally Spring

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Green Beans Delight

Crunchy green beans loaded with my favorite chicken and shrimps, very rich in flavor, mmmmm :).

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo green beans/ Baguio beans
150 grams chicken breast (cut to your desired size)
150 grams shrimps ( de-shelled)
3 gloves garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute garlic then add the chicken and saute until brownish then add the soy sauce and shrimps and stir for 30 seconds.
2. Increase the heat then add the green beans and stir until almost done, add salt and pepper to taste then continue to stir until done.
3. Serve with love :-).

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Chocolate Cherry Bombs - total time 50 minutes

I looove cookies... but seriously, I need a break from them right now. Too many Christmas cookies!

So we were running through the produce section of our grocery store the other day (really just to grab some lettuce for tacos) and I noticed cherries. I have always associate cherries with summer. Cherries are the kind of fruit you can't have year-round in the produce department, so I looked into it, and it is currently the Southern hemisphere's cherry season (makes sense)! I guess Australians associate cherries with Christmas, which made me think... Christmas is really different down under, wearing shorts in the height of summer season and celebrating Christmas... strange thought!

Any way... there are a lot of birthdays around Christmas and I have been thinking about making cake pops, but instead of a pop, a cherry stem. So I grabbed a bag of cherries and made these super rich and chocolaty cherry bombs! And I mean they are really gooood. This is coming from someone who doesn't typically like chocolate cake or cherries... but these are the bomb! (Haha... pun intended!)

Just so you know, the stems are a little finicky. I really wanted mine to look like little cherry bombs, so I tried my hardest to keep the stem on throughout the process (specifically when dipping them in the chocolate). These would be just as delicious balled up without the stem or even put a pop stick in them.

So before your New Years resolutions are set, get in one last indulgence!

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Ham and Cheese Omelette

Simple and easy yet yummy.

Ingredients:
2 slices sweet ham
2 eggs
2 tablespoons grated melting cheese
salt and pepper to taste
oil or butter as needed

Procedure:
1. Beat the eggs then add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Heat the oil the pour the beaten eggs, add the ham slices and cheese evenly and fold each sides toward the center and continue to cook until done.

3. Serve and enjoy. I served mine with garlic and bacon pasta. Yummy!

topped with toasted garlic and diced tomato

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Beef Guisantes

One of the yummiest yet simple to prepare beef dish.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo beef Sirloin ( sliced thinly)
1 (280can  green peas ( guisantes)
1 onion ( diced)
3 cloves garlic ( minced)
2 tomatoes (diced)
3/4 cup tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic, tomato and onion then add the beef and simmer until the pinkish color is gone. Then add the water and simmer until the meat is tender.
2. Add the tomato sauce, soy sauce, salt and pepper then give a good stir and simmer until the meat is tender then add the green peas and simmer for a minute and turn off the heat.
3. Serve with a smile :-).

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Chicken Aloha

Will you try this recipe? It is very easy to cook but really yummy. 

Ingredients for 6 servings:
 Chicken ( I used 3 drumsticks  and 3 thighs)
1/2 cup soy sauce
6 cloves garlic ( minced)
1 1/2 cup pineapple juice from Pineapple slices can
1 can Pineapple slices
salt and pepper to taste


Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic then add the chicken simmer  until chicken is light toasted, then add the soy sauce and cover over low heat allowing the meat to absorb the soy sauce then add the pineapple juice
  then bring to a boil, when boiling decrease the heat to low then continue to simmer for 5 minutes. 
2. Add the pineapple slice, salt and pepper  then continue to simmer until done
3. Serve it hot.

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Saging Nilupak

Nilupak is my favorite after school snack in the 80's where bananas were abundant at our farm, my Nana (mother) always prepare this for us and she made a very good one. 

Ingredients:
10 pieces unripe bananas (cooked and peeled)
3/4 cup margarine
1 cup sugar

Procedure:
1. Put the bananas in a mortar and pestle then pound it, when bananas are broken into bits add the sugar and margarine then continue pounding until smooth and sticky.
2. Serve right away or by using the lid of a jar you can form it to be more presentable and top it with grated coconut. Enjoy.

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Chicken and Shrimp Omelette

Simple, easy and affordable.

Ingredients for 6 servings:
6 large eggs
100 grams chicken breast ( boiled and flaked)
100 grams shrimps ( coarsely chopped)
1 onion (minced)
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:
1.  Saute the onion, add the shrimps and chicken and continue to saute for a minute then turn off the heat.
2. Beat the eggs then add salt and pepper. Heat a flat bottom pan and put half of the beaten eggs, when it is already half cooked put half of the sauted chicken and shrimps mixture then fold the side and roll towards the other side to form a roll or simply fold both sides to meet at the center then continue cooking until done. ( Cook in 2 batches)

3. Slice then serve. 

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Triple Almond Cookies - total time 1 hour

Happy Winter Solstice! It was actually sunny today, but it has already been dark for hours (it is making me so tired). The darkest day of the year means the more sunshine in every day after! :)

Hope you're wrapping up on your holiday related shopping, baking, and giving, we just celebrated Christmas with my husband's family over the weekend. I was planning on making my mom's famous "melting moments" cookies made with almond extract. It took so long for her to share her recipe with me since it is one of those family secrets you just can't share willy nilly. I looked through my old recipe box that holds tried and true recipes I wrote down before I started this blog and before I had my recipe binder... I could not find the recipe!

At that point I had it in my head that I needed to make these cookies, I could almost taste them. During our vacation in Europe, I realized I pretty much love any almond related pastry! So I had to make some kind of almond cookie... came up with this recipe... and it was a hit at our early Christmas... and since it isn't a family secret recipe, I can share it with you!

These cookies have three different almond layers to make sure to satisfy that almond craving! It starts with the crumbly, almondy, shortbread-like cookie. Inside is a pocket of almond paste (new discovery!) that gives the cookie that soft, almost gooey center I love in cookies. And to finish it off with an almond sugar glaze. If you like almond, you'll love these cookies! (Then try it with coffee!)

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Butter Cake

A delicious cake baked by the best baker in town :) This is a contribution from my friend Gab.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoons milk, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (150 grams) sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
185 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

Procedure:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
2. In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the paddle attachment (or with a hand mixer), place the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar) and mix on low speed for about 30 seconds or until blended. Add the butter and half of the egg mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat for about one minute to circulate air and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Gradually add the remaining egg mixture, in 2 additions, beating about 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the egg and strengthen the cake's structure.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon. Bake for about 55 to 65 minutes or until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the cake browning too much as it bakes, cover with a piece of lightly buttered aluminum foil after about 30 minutes  at 350 Fahrenheit or 175 Celsius.

Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool completely on a lightly buttered wire rack.

The butter Cake can be covered and stored for several days at room temperature, for one week when refrigerated, or it can be frozen for two months.

Makes one 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf tin.

If you decide to use a another baking pan, please check the time limit  It will take less time to cook so start checking at the 35 min mark and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Contributed by:Gabriel Eli Ndegwa

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White Salad

I made this out of curiosity, my sisters said that it's yummy but it's better if it is colorful :D :D :D I said it's the taste that's matter and how I will call it white salad if it is colorful? They laughed :-). 

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo white small sago ( cook the sago then drain)
1 kilo white nata de coco (drained)
10 pieces young coconut ( buko) strips
1 big can condensed milk or according to your taste
2 big cans  Nestle cream (600 grams)
1 big can evaporated milk (add if needed)


Procedure:
1. Combine all the ingredients then mix well.



2. Refrigerate for few hours before serving.

Topped with chocolate Ice cream 

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Escabecheng Bulad

Bulad is a Visayan term for dried fish, this recipe is very common among Visayans. Simple but very palatable.


Ingredients:
1 big fried dried fish ( bulad)
2 big tomato
3 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons ginger (strips)
1 onion
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
pepper to taste

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic, ginger, tomato and onion.
2. Add the water, sugar, vinegar and pepper then allow to boil and simmer for 3 minutes over medium heat.
3. Put the fried dried fish in a serving platter then pour the sauce and serve.


You can thicken the sauce with a little corn starch.

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No-Bake Hotdog Pizza Roll

Pizza roll or bread roll is the best for snacks and even for parties, this is easy to prepare and very economical, we can make it with different stuffing. 

Ingredients:
12 slices of bread ( loaf bread)
12 pieces hotdog
12 slices of cheese ( we can use cheddar cheese, quickmelt cheese or mozarella)
2 beaten eggs
1 cup bread crumbs
oil for frying 

Procedure:
1. Flatten the bread with a rolling pin or if rolling pin is not available just use anything  like cylindrical bottle but be careful.

2. When the bread has been flatten put the hotdog and cheese.

3. Roll and seal it by rubbing the tip of the bread with the beaten egg or mayonaise then roll and sealed it tightly, then dip in the beaten eggs and roll over the bread crumbs.

4. Deep fry until golden brown, remove from oil and put in a paper towel to remove excess oil  then slice and serve.

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Weekly Menu

I didn't post a menu last week because we were basically out for dinner all week!  In between all of the dinners out, we managed to decorate our house.  Fully loaded Christmas trees have been taking up most of my newsfeed since Thanksgiving.  We don't have a ton of decorations (but perhaps using my mom's house as a comparison is unfair since she goes a little overboard) so it didn't take too long, but it really feels like Christmas officially.  

And, good thing it feels like Christmas... because we already had one!  Over two weeks early, I know.  After opening gifts, we headed to Ohio Village for Dickens of a Christmas, a tradition we started back in the early '90s.  Everything in Ohio Village is like it was in Ohio back in 1860.  My favorite part is the carolers singing in town hall all dressed up in period clothing singing carols from back in the day (with no mention of Santa Claus).  Then for some hot cocoa and chestnuts roasted over an open fire, we walk around the village seeing how thing were back in the day.  Dickens of a Christmas is only open two weekends in December, so check it out this weekend!

This week is going to be just as busy starting with going to the Lindsey Stirling concert with my parents in a few hours.  

Love all of the time with friends and family lately, but need some home cooked meals in my life again.  So I was busy yesterday prepping some food for lunches this week and making some homemade granola for breakfast.  We'll be home for dinner three nights this week, so here is our mini menu of quick meals...

chicken fajitas
shrimp po' boys
stuffed shells

And then trying to get some Christmas baking in this week too!

She is making little berry hand pies and baking with lard!

Snoop is confused why there is a fake pine tree inside the house (and then warming his butt by the fire).

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Shrimp Balls

This is a must try recipe. I am very sure that your loved ones will adore this. Very Crispy in every bite.

Ingredients for 3-4 servings:
1/4 kilo  Shrimps    (shelled and chopped)
1 piece carrot ( diced)
1 onion (minced)
2 tablespoons flour
2 pieces eggs ( yolks and whites separated)
8 slices loaf bread ( diced)
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying

Procedure:
1. Saute the garlic and onion then add the shrimp, salt and pepper then stir for two minutes and remove from heat. Set aside to cool.
2. When it's cooled add the yolks and flour then mix well. Form every � tablespoon of mixture into balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes get the egg whites and beat it, then dip the shrimp balls and roll over the diced bread.
4. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and serve with a smile :-).

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