Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Winnie, with her post Shortbread Roll-cookies filled with Honey and Nuts, on her blog: Something Sweet.

I really do admire the way Ms. Winnie creates her baked goodies! Makes me wish we were neighbors every time I visit her blog! I would be her number one customer! :) Do go and check out her delightful shortbread roll; just click on the above shot!

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My youngest wanted some more shrimps for this week, so I obliged. The 'leftover' shrimps I added into a pasta dish, which I'd like to call: Shrimp and Avocado Pasta.

Ingredients

• spaghetti (cooked accdg to package instructions)
• shrimps
• avocado (diced)
• cilantro
• garlic and onion
• salt, pepper, butter, extra virgin olive oil, mayonnaise, cheese
• pepper flakes (optional)

some of the ingredients used

Procedure

• Cook the spaghetti accdg to package instructions.
• Clean the shrimps and devein. Cook (almost like blanching, really) shrimps in a bit of boiling water together with the head, add salt and pepper, then remove. Reserve the resulting broth.
• Add butter in a hot pan, then dump in the garlic and onions. Mix till you're satisfied, then add the shrimps and the reserved broth. Add mayonnaise (I didn't have any cream, so ...), just till it gets creamy. Adjust the taste.
• Immediately follow with the cooked spaghetti and the diced avocado. Mix well.
• Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle with some cilantro and a bit of extra virgin olive oil.
• You may add pepper flakes and cheese, if you like.

This is the first time that I have tried mixing avocado with shrimps (I know, it is weird! lol) and I must say, I like it! My youngest didn't care for this dish at all, specially when I added the chili flakes. I didn't mind, and neither did he...he was busy eating his plateful of shrimps! :D

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
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Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Dominique, with her post Laksa and Chicken Salad on a Friday, on her blog: From Dominique's Desk.

This is one of those dishes that I have been hearing/reading about for the longest time but haven't had the chance to taste it. I know that one of these days I will get that chance! Laksa, it won't be long now! To see Ms. Dominique's food post, click on the shot above.

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The last few days hasn't been good: too much rain, resulting in floods almost everywhere. But we managed to eat over at Pho Hoa, a Vietnamese restaurant. Actually, we were "forced" to go out since food supply was getting low. lol. Here is what we had (a kid and two adults):

This was the second time that I ate at Pho Hoa (I believe that they have many branches around here right now) and I must say that I am liking this restaurant more than the first time. I liked the fresh tastes and the feeling of being satisfied without a very heavy tummy. :P

To those affected by the heavy rains, stay safe and dry!

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
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Happy

My youngest likes humming and singing more than his older brother. I might be mistaken, of course, since he's only four years old. It's just that he sometimes sings himself to sleep or sings and sings while waiting. Quite different from his older brother, who'd rather read a book or play one of his gadgets, to pass boredom. The youngest has shown interest in musical instruments, too; like guitars (btw, found one of the best js24p at musician's friend just recently, online). He said he'd like to learn how to play the guitar when he gets older.

My reaction? Am so happy for him! Hopefully, he will still show the same enthusiasm when he gets older. :)

Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Winnie, with her post: Edible Dessert Cups, on her blog Something Sweet.

I love this! I can just imagine the different toppings.., cream cheese, dried or fresh fruits, honey... oh my, the possibilities are endless! Fun for kids as well as for adults, too. Want to see how Ms. Winnie did this? Click on the shot above!

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I seldom buy shrimp and it has been ages since my last buy. However, my youngest requested for shrimp this week (and I found some nice ones at the store today), so this was lunch: Shrimps.

Ingredients

• fresh shrimps (cleaned, meaning just cut off the sharp rostrum tip and pull the antennule - we like our shrimp prepared this way, most of the time; we seldom devein them)
• canola oil
• garlic powder
• soy sauce
• honey
• cilantro/wan soy
• butter
• salt and pepper

some of the ingredients used

Procedure

• Clean shrimps, then dump in hot pan with around a tablespoon or two of canola oil.
• Add a bit of soy sauce (around 2-3 drops), then salt and pepper. Mix slightly then when the shrimps starts to turn pink add around a tablespoon of garlic powder. Mix well.
• Once liquid has decreased sufficiently to your liking, add a teaspoon of honey, a slice (or two) of butter, then chopped cilantro (save some for garnishing).
• Remove from pan and transfer to serving dish, while still hot.
• Garnish with the cilantro. Drizzle with calamansi juice before you start eating.

Enjoy!

Back home, we would add Sprite (or 7-UP) to the jumping (because they were still alive!) shrimps, but I opted for honey here, just to get that slight sweetness. Healthier too, I guess. I would have wanted to add some chili flakes, but didn't because my youngest doesn't like them. Maybe when he gets older. :P

While I was cleaning the fresh shrimps that I bought, I then realized why I seldom buy them: cleaning them seems to take forever (as well as their being expensive, lol)! I am not a very patient person, so you can just imagine the different expressions my face must have gone through while cleaning half a kilo of shrimps (even if it only meant cutting the sharp rostrum tip and pulling out the antennule). In spite of that slight inconvenience, I know I did the right thing, though, when I witnessed my youngest kid's face as he saw what we were having for lunch... :)

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
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Thinking ...

Honestly, I want to get another self-hosted blog. I know, there are loads of online sites these days, but really, I don't care. lol. I mean, having a site all your own is great! More so if it's self-hosted, since it just means you get more control about how your site will look like. That would mean having knowledge about how the site works, too. There are sites that can help, like imcreator.com, or maybe your techie friend can help you out! Of course, all that would mean shelving out money; something which I am a bit low right now. lol.

It's still a plan, though. But time is running, and I must decide. Real soon.

This blog I plan to keep with blogger. I don't have as much time as I want with blog tinkering and so far this free site is doing just fine! Lately, though...loading time seems to lag. Too long, in fact, that more than once I fell asleep waiting! Yeah. Maybe it is my internet connection, but loading time in other sites seems fine.

Oh well. Life. :D

Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Kriska Marie, with her post "Medical Items-themed Cupcakes" on her blog: Sweet Nothings

I love looking at different cupcakes - simple and elaborately designed ones! The cupcakes made by Ms. Kriska Marie and her sister are decorated with fondant, and I must say they have done a very good job! Do click on the shot above to see the post.

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Leftover Salad ... that's what my post is going to be called.

Ingredients

• lettuce (cleaned and shredded)
• radish (sliced)
• cheese (i used cheddar, grated)
• grapes (seedless preferred)
• leftover roasted chicken (cut/flaked into bite-size; bones removed)
• grilled bellpepper (which was peeled then juliened)
• capers 
• toasted bread

dressing
olive oil, salt, pepper, calamansi juice, mustard, honey, crushed capers

some of the ingredients

Procedure
Mix the first six ingredients. Keep cool.
Mix the dressing. Pour over the salad once ready to serve.
Perfect with peppered toasted bread.

I actually had this yesterday, after I got my kindergarten to school. I was hungry but too lazy to wait and prepare a "proper" breakfast (which, for me, means having to cook steamed rice since there were no leftovers from the night before) for myself. Grabbed what I can from my meager stock and had this salad. Quite filling, actually. I would have wanted to add boiled eggs, but ... yeah. Next time. :)

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
Please don't forget to add a link back to this site (you can get the buttons here; deciding to use text instead of buttons is fine also) to be able to add your posts below. Many thanks and hope everyone is going to have a great time this weekend!

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Headache!

Got a splitting headache ... must be because I drank less than the usual amount of water. I hope that's all there is to it. Haven't taken anything for the pain ...

Let's see if this will be gone without any paracetamol!

Food Friday

This week's Featured Food Friday player is ...

Ms. Dexie, with her post Roasted Goat with Julliened Scallions Kilawen, on her blog: FEISTYCOOK

It has been ages since I tasted goat meat (chevon) and that shot certainly got me drooling! I have never tasted goat kilawen, but if someone offers me something like that I wouldn't hesitate. Click on the shot above to see how Ms. Dexie did her tempting kilawen!

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This week's post: Experience at Mooon Cafe. I have tried their Davao and Ormoc City branches last summer  (I wanted to compare both), and unfortunately, the latter wasn't really a good experience. Or maybe we came in at just a very unfortunate time: past eleven on a Saturday morning. Shots below are from their Davao branch...

The food wasn't really to-die for, but it was reasonably priced. Quantity was no problem, too. They delivered what was shown on their menu (which normally doesn't happen in some restaurnats, lol). We had chicken skin (sooo crispy!), pizza, and fried chicken (yeah, chicken overload!), with their summer juice. It was an after-snack-before-dinner time for us.

What I also liked were their tables: they've got one of those hooks meant for you to place your bags. So convenient (specially for moms like me), and I wish all restaurants had those! Maybe not the exact model, but something similar. Right? :P

All in all, it was nice. Yeah. So-so. lol. :D

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Listening

Ever since I got my first iPhone I have always dreamed of getting one of those speakers. The small but powerful kind; almost like they have one of those ultrasound amplifier attached. I like the quality of the phone's speakers, though I seldom get to use it myself since it's my son who almost always uses the phone (I download games - educational, usually, for him). It would be nice if I get to listen to the online radio while I do the houseworks, though (and while my four year old is at kindergarten).

Am not in a hurry. So, someday. Am sure. :)

Sick Child

My four year old has been having the cough and sniffles for the longest time now. Well, I believe that it has almost been a month (or more?!) now since the first episode. We gave him medication and at first it seemed to be improving, then when he got back to school ... the cough came back! Believe me, I got real worried. I gave him medications again, but nothing seemed to make him well. He was still active and wanted to go to school, which was a good thing.

It got to the point wherein I noticed that the medications didn't seem to be doing any good anymore. I stopped them. Well, had to finish the antibiotic's duration, of course. The antihistamines, nasal decongestants, and anti-asthma meds were stopped. Funny thing, he seemed to get better! Really.

He still has the occasional cough and sniffles but not like before. I changed his diet, too. Not that much restaurant/delivery foods anymore. This time, plain old homemade fried chicken and chicken soup with veggies (usually pechay).

Lesson learned? Nothing beats homemade cooking, made with lots of love and concern! Cheesy, huh? But oh-so-true! :)

Musical Instrument

I grew up learning how to play the piano, but never really got the habit of practicing. Our parents insisted we all learn how to play the piano and am so glad they were adamant about it (I didn't know any better back then). I used to complain about it, but our parents wouldn't even entertain the thought. Well, some older sisters excelled in it, and even our youngest, but not me. Oh, I can read the notes and play a tune, but that's just about it. However, now that I am a mom I want my kids to learn at least one musical instrument, too; and since we don't have a "real" piano here at home, am thinking of something similar to one of those exciting korg sv-1 at musicians friend. It would be awesome getting one of those. Perfectly space saving, too!

But first, have to ask my sons if they like the idea! :)