Food Friday

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

Ms. Czjai, with her post "Jack Skellington Cupcakes", on her blog: The Rebel Sweetheart.

This is perfect for Halloween! Here at home we really don't practice it, but I wouldn't mind sinking my teeth into those scary (but adorable) cupcakes! Food is food, right? lol. Want to know the recipe? Click on the shot to see Ms. Czjai's post.

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Since it is a semestral break, I thought I'd encourage my sons to help me in the kitchen. My youngest said he'd like to make puto (steamed rice cakes) again, but I found out we didn't have the necessary ingredients. While rummaging, we had most of the ingredients for a no-bake cheesecake...no topping, though. But we had lots of saba bananas (plantain). Yup, you guessed it right: Banana (Saba) No-Bake Cheesecake. :P

{The recipe below is the same one that I have been using for all of my no-bake cheesecakes; forgot where I got it, sorry. but it works!)

....and ripe, sliced, fried saba (plantain) bananas.

Procedure:

• Mix first four ingredients, then pack in the container where you plan to put your cheesecake. Reserve some as topping. Chill.
• Combine the remaining ingredients except the bananas. Once mixed thoroughly, add to the chilled crust.
• Bananas must be really ripe, or you might want to slice them into bite-size pieces. You might want to cook them further, too: add water, sugar, vanilla, and the sliced bananas then simmer for around fifteen to thirty minutes. Make sure it's cool before using it as a topping. Drizzle the remaining crushed graham cracker mix.
• Chill before serving.

My sons and I had a fun time making this. They just think it's weird using plantain bananas as a topping. lol. They loved it, though. Me, too. Well, we do love our cheesecakes around here. :P

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FREE Ebook: Essential Natural Uses Of....LEMON (Herbal Homemade Remedies and Recipes)

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Just got this! Will be reading it ASAP!
Want to get one while it's still free? Then click on the picture (or the book's name) above!

Time

Wish there are more than 24hours in a day...

Food Friday

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

unknown specimen (love that name!), with her post Brownies, Brownies, Brownies! on her site: Pud Blag ni Ako

I love brownies! Wish I can have them everyday! The brownies above are each flavored differently;  want to know what those are? Click on the shot and check out Unknown Specimen's post!

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My family and I went to visit SIL (sister-in-law) a couple of weeks back and along the way we decided to have lunch over at The Kanin Club (Laguna Branch). My eldest son and I wanted to try their Crispy Dinuguan (Their most copied signature dish! Pork heavenly deep-fried to a crisp then set in a semi-dry stew of pork blood. Proven to have convinced non-dinuguan eaters to like the dish {{source}}).

We both loved the crispy dinuguan! Not really a healthy dish, but I believe it wouldn't hurt as long as you eat in moderation. :P

I also liked their turon (Their original. An updated version of your lola's turon: bananas, purple yam jam, sweet coconut strips and monggo beans, wrapped and deep-fried in a rice paper roll. Like a halo-halo in a roll. {{source}}), which was a surprise. I mean, I wouldn't have thought of adding monggo beans to my turon! :)

Oh yeah, we'll be back. :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. Oggi, with her post "Cherry Tomato Confit" on her blog: I Can Do That!

This is a very interesting foodie post from Ms. Oggi. For me, that is. I mean, I have never tried anything like this before. Would love to try it! Click on the shot to know what I am babbling about! :P

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I had one remaining big chayote and some dried mushrooms which I didn't want it to go to waste. The mushrooms were still fine, but the chayote had to be cooked. Rummaged through my meager supply and came up with this: Chayote and Mushrooms in Coconut Milk.

Ingredients

• Chayote (peeled and sliced)
• Mushrooms (I had dried shiitake mushrooms, which I soaked in water for about fifteen minutes, then sliced; reserve the liquid)
• Coconut milk powder

Procedure:

• Place chayote slices as well as the sliced mushrooms inside a pot. Add the reserved water (where the mushrooms were soaked) to the coconut milk powder, then mix in with the chayote and mushrooms. Water must be more than halfway.
• Let boil then simmer until chayote and mushrooms are tender. Add more water if needed.
• Since the coconut milk powder that I used is already seasoned, I no longer had to add anything else. But it's your choice: you may add salt/fish sauce/pepper if you want.
• Remove from fire once satisfied.
• Delicious when served and eaten warm.

Back home we used to cook the chayote with ground pork, or just with the coconut milk. Adding the mushroom is a first for me and it is a refreshing difference! The mushroom water as well as the mushroom itself gave it another "dimension".

We had that for lunch, paired with fried fish! Loved it! :)

Appreciate much your taking the time to share and link your food posts here at Food Friday! :)
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FREE Ebook: Food in Jars: From Jellies to Jams and Lunches to Desserts

Just had to share this:


Food in Jars: From Jellies to Jams and Lunches to Desserts

I still haven't read my ebook (just downloaded this!) but this seems interesting! :)

Best part: It's FREE! To get the ebook, just click on the picture (or the book name).

FREE Ebook: Coconut Milk & Oil Recipes

Coconut Milk & Oil Recipes: Paleo Coconut Oil, Flour Recipes, Gluten Free, & More!
This looks like an interesting book. For me, anyway. lol. :P

Food Friday

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

Mr. Nicholas, with his post: Apple Muffins, on his blog: Intelliblog.

The shot above is really tempting me. I love muffins and this looks like something I'd love to sink my teeth into! If you're curious how Mr. Nick made those, then don't hesitate: click on the shot! 

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I was buying our supplies and waiting for my turn, when I happened to look behind the package of flour on my cart; there was a recipe for Cheese Puffs and I got curious. I got most of the ingredients, so here's my Cheese Puffs!

Ingredients: (Adapted from the recipe behind Magnolia's All Purpose Flour)

• 1 1/2 c all purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp paprika
• 1 c water
• 1/2 c butter
• 3 eggs
• 1 medium-sized red onion (diced and sauteed)
• 1/2 c cheese (diced)

Procedure:

• Preheat oven toaster (or an oven, to 200 degrees celsius). Grease baking sheets and set aside.
• Sift together flour, salt and paprika. In a medium saucepan, bring water and butter to a boil over medium heat.
• Remove from fire and add flour mixture. Mix until a thick paste is formed. Cool for around 5mins then add eggs, one at a time. Mix well.
• Add sauteed red onions and cheese. Mix until well blended. If too wet, add more flour.
• Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on greased baking sheets. Bake for 8-10mins. Place aluminum foil over balls midway to avoid burning (in my case, since I used an oven toaster). Once fully puffed, remove the foil and wait until golden brown. Delicious when served warm. 

Honestly, I had no idea how it would turn out. I was just curious. Surprise: I liked it! I had to use sauteed onions, though...since I didn't have any spring onions (which was on the original recipe). It was savoury, as expected. Am no expert, but I think it would be lovely with jam. Maybe. :)

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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Food Friday

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

Ms. Winnie, with her post Challahs and Rolls, sweetened with Date Spread on her blog: Something Sweet.

Here's another delicious post from Ms. Winnie! Sooo tempting! Do click on the shot and see how she achieved that delicious treat!

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This week's post was something that my sons and I made when someone from Instagram was kind enough to send over some puto molds (when I mentioned that I was having difficulty finding them). I was so excited I immediately looked online for some puto recipes and I found one that I liked: Puto de Moringa (Steamed Muffins). I had the ingredients so we decided to make a batch. I had to modify some of the ingredients, though. Am calling mine simply Very Cheesy Puto Malunggay. :P

Ingredients (adapted from Bits 'n Pieces' Puto de Moringa (Steamed Muffins) post - link above):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup powdered milk
• 3 tbsp moringa (malunggay) powder
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 cup muscovado sugar
• 2 whole eggs, beaten
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups water
• cheese slices (i only had Kraft Cheddar cheese, which melted so fast!)

Procedure:

• Mix well all dry ingredients
• Add water and vanilla.Fold in eggs, mix well until free from lumps
• Fill puto molders with the mixture (3/4 full) and arrange in the steamer
• Steam for 10 to 12 minutes. Add cheese slices the last two minutes (to avoid the cheese going all over!), if you use one that melts quite fast. If not, you can put the cheese during the last five to six minutes.

I enjoyed making this even if it didn't come out perfectly (no rounded shapes on top, lol). My sons and I had a fun time, too: preparing/mixing/steaming. We made quite a lot for just the three of us, we decided to give some of them to my sister (who lives nearby). It was a yummy and healthy snack! What I didn't like much: the cleaning/washing of the puto molds! LOL

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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FREE Ebook: Circle of Friends - 25 Pie, Crisp & Cobbler Recipes

Circle of Friends - 25 Pie, Crisp & Cobbler Recipes

If you love desserts (as well as making them!) then get this ebook while it's still FREE! Just click on the picture (or the italicized book title) above.

Hurryy!!! :)

Longer Lives

I believe in eating healthy and taking medicines only when necessary. Some medicines are needed for us to live longer lives, though. Some family members take medicines that control their cholesterol level (I know they tried atorvastatin 40 mg) and so far they are coping well. They needed to modify their diets, of course. I guess that's why I am conscious when it comes to what I put inside my mouth, too. But am not perfect. Hopefully, I won't be needing any of that any time soon. :)