Home » Archives for July 2015
Posted by
yanti on Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Until this year, I thought everyone went camping when they were kids. I just thought that was part of growing up, your family spending a couple weekends, some times weeks, at a campground having fun outside. I remember organizing our family's "field day" competition one year complete with SkipIt and paper ribbons hand colored and cut by yours truly.
Maybe that's why I love to be outside, get my hands dirty in the garden, stare at the night sky, and why bugs really don't bother me (unless they're mosquitos, mosquitos bother me a lot). While I'd like to think of myself as a somewhat technically savvy individual, I can also disconnect from the interwebs and be okay (unlike these kids).
Since it is summer time, it's the perfect time get off the grid and recharge your batteries, literally and figuratively! :) Time to go for a hike, sleep under the stars, and cook over the fire.
For me, breakfast recipes need to be easy. I'm not fully awake, and if it isn't easy, I might accidentally cut off a finger or something. This recipe requires very little effort and includes minimal involvement of sharp objects. It is very similar to the breakfast in a bag recipe (that I forgot to post, so, coming soon), but no chance of the cooking vessel breaking or burning in the fire. If you like breakfast sandwiches, but would rather clean one pan instead of three... this is the recipe for you.Read more �
Posted by
yanti on Monday, July 27, 2015
Tam-is ang sabaw ug lami kaayo, maong paborito jud nako ning sinabawan nga kinhason. Higop na ta mga higala :-), ug ingon pa sa akong lola makapabaskog jud ni :-).Unsay tawag ninyo ani nga kinhason?
Mga Sagol:1 kilo kinhason1 sibuyas3 tasa tubig1 kutsarita luy-a (strips)1 tasa kamunggaysibuyas dahonasin
Pamaagi sa pagluto:1. Pabukalon ang tubig kauban sa sibuyas ug luy-a. Ilunod ang kinhason, padayunon lang sa pagpabukal sulod sa lima ka minuto para maluto, tilawi unya timplahi ug asin.2. Ilunod ang kamunggay ug dahon sa sibuyas, pwede na haunon.3. Manghigop na tag sabaw mga higala.
More about → Sinabawang Kinhason
Posted by
yanti on Sunday, July 26, 2015
It seems like everyone was camping, hiking, or doing something outside while enjoying the beautiful weather this weekend! So many fun pictures while catching up on my newsfeeds while camping at Lake Hope State Park. It was nice to have some time to unplug and get away from "the city" and all that city life brings (traffic, noise, light pollution, etc). Plus, it is fun try to cook on an open fire.
My husband wanted to take some star pictures with his new app that makes his phone a trigger for his camera. So while he was getting fancy, I took some handheld star pics... which is sooo hard. Definitely have more blurry or just plain darkness pictures than I have good ones, but getting any good ones by hand was better than I thought I could do! Here are a couple... one with moon beams (which I'm almost as obsessed with as sun beams) and another with hope furnace slightly lit by the moon.
We got home this morning, so I checked on the garden. Squash are still climbing... and I got four strawberries before the birds or slugs did! They were tiny, but soo tasty. Homegrown berries are the best for sure. :) Then we cooled off and ended the weekend with some Jeni's ice cream... My favorite is a trio of salty caramel, dark chocolate, and black espresso, but since Jeni's isn't at full production capacity, and therefore limited flavors, I tried the new root beer one. Tastes like a fully frozen root beer float.
On to this week's plan...
cilantro lime shrimp with mexican rice
shrimp po' boys and sauteed zucchini
chicken sour cream enchiladas and cilantro lime corn
roasted tomato and garlic pastaloaded shredded chicken nachos
More about → Weekly Menu
Posted by
yanti
Caldereta is a Spanish word for stew while the Filipinos term for stew is nilaga or sinigang. As what I have said there is no right or wrong in cooking because there are so many ways to cook a recipe, I think nilaga or sinigang is the original Filipino way of stewing, plain and simple, because stewing in Spain and other countries include a tomato sauce, that makes the Filipino caldereta delicious because this dish is a combination of Spanish and Filipino stewing. Caldereta was adapted from Spanish during the time when they colonized the Philippines.
In our family gatherings, caldereta is always a special treat, I can not say that my caldereta is perfect but I think it is good enough to share with you. :-) This is just a simple one, I will share the special , soon, God willing :)
Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken
3 med. size potatoes ( sliced to your desired size)
2 med. size carrots ( sliced to your desired size)
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 pack tomato sauce ( 200 or 250 grams)
1 small can liver spread mix with 1/2 glass evaporated milk ( this will thicken the sauce)
1 small size onion ( diced)
5 cloves garlic ( minced)
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
1. Saute garlic and onion
2. Add the chicken, simmer for few minutes, then mix it well.
3. Add the soy sauce and tomato sauce, simmer for another few minutes.
4. Add the potatoes and carrots then simmer for few minutes. ( add water if necessary)
5. If all of the ingredients are almost cooked, add the liver spread and milk mixture, salt and pepper to taste, then simmer until done.
6. Serve it with rice and enjoy your meal.
You can add green peas and bell pepper
Posted by
yanti on Tuesday, July 21, 2015
Somen is a white Japanese noodles made with wheat flour and can be served as salad or soup, either hot or cold. I made I cooked it mee sua style and it's so good.
Ingredients for 4 servings:150 grams Somen1 1/2 litres water2 cloves garlic1 small onion (minced)2 tablespoons sliced spring onion onion1 can tuna flakes in oil2 beaten eggssalt and pepper to taste
Procedure:1. Saute the garlic and the onion then add the tuna, continue to saute for a minute then add the water and let simmer for 2 minutes.
2. Add the somen and simmer for a minute, add the beaten eggs then give it a good stir, add salt and pepper to taste then turn off the heat. Sprinkle with spring onion.
3. Serve and enjoy :-).
Posted by
yanti on Sunday, July 19, 2015
Well, summer finally arrived with some scorching heat and humidity this weekend. People were passing out from heat exhaustion and dehydration at Jazz & Rib Fest! Unfortunately the weather is always unpredictable in the Midwest, but I try to keep a bottle of water in the car and one in my purse at all times because dehydration is the worst. Headaches, grouchiness, cramps, fainting... not good. And sometimes you just want some water... so it is always good to have around!
I don't eat ribs often... in fact... maybe twice a year... but I spent a good chunk of my weekend at Jazz & Rib Fest. When the best in the world are in town, you might as well indulge a little. After more meat than my body could really handle, I had a plate full of steamed green beans for dinner to hopefully restore balance. :)
Jazz comes first in Jazz & Rib Fest because of how the event started (as a jazz music series in July on the Scioto River front), but also because of the rich jazz history in Columbus, specifically the King Lincoln and Olde Towne East neighborhoods. The ribs just came along because people were hungry. ;) Even though the grass was a bit soggy and shade was a hot commodity, it was great to see Columbus enjoying the tunes.
Thursday was a perfect day with blue skies, sunshine, and just the right temperature. Could use about 364 more of those days!
Alright, enough about this weekend, how about the week ahead of us? Here's my plan for the week...
summer harvest pizzazoodles with turkey meatballsbiscuit pocketsroasted tomato and garlic bowtiesshrimp fajitas
What are you planning to make?
More about → Weekly Menu
Posted by
yanti
Linguine is a form of pasta originated in Genoa and Liguria region of Italy. It is wider than spaghetti, but not larger than fettuccine. I like linguine more than spaghetti due to its texture and shape, beautiful in my eyes :-). Here is my simple linguine recipe.
Ingredients for 6-8 servings:500 grams Linguine1/2 cup toasted garlic1 cup diced bacon ( cooked until crispy)2 tablespoons butter
Procedure:1. Cook the linguine according to its packaging procedure, drain and set aside. |
| Linguine |
2. In a big wok or pan melt the butter, put the linguine and stir well until evenly mixed, sprinkle the bacon and garlic then turn off the heat.3. Put in a serving plate and enjoy.
Posted by
yanti on Tuesday, July 14, 2015
It wasn't raining last Saturday, so we spent the entire day outside since these days have been few and far between this summer. (If you need something to do when it's raining, check out this list.) One of the things on our list was just outside of Columbus that peaked our interest when we drove by a couple weeks ago... Slate Run Historical Farm.
We are avid users of our Ohio Metro Parks... but a farm?
It was pretty awesome! :) A great place to take children for them to see how a farm works and where their food comes from. I was particularly obsessed with taking pictures of the chickens (one day... I'll have a flock of my own). The baby piglets were adorable, although the mud around them was unbearably stinky, ick.
The farm includes cows, horses, sheep, chicken, turkey, bee hives, and pigs. There is a large garden of beans, squash, tomatoes, herbs, pickles, and peppers. Larger fields of corn and pumpkins. A smoke house and root cellar show how farmers preserve food. And inside the farm house there is usually something baking in the kitchen and demonstrations going on. Also several barns for making flour out of grain, making brooms, blacksmithing horse shoes, and more.
If you're looking for something fun to take kids to on a nice day, pack a picnic (there is a nice shady picnic area right at the farm entrance) and go down the farm!
