A Little Bloggy Break

I'm sorry for the Oh, so late post. However, I thought I just need to share this with those who take time to read this blog of mine.

I'm taking a bloggy holiday until probably the 20th of this month.

The reason: Life finally caught up with me. I started working last week of February and my 2PM to 11PM schedule is just eating up my time, for now. I will be back to regular blogging once I get a set-up that would suit my needs. Please bear with me.

I hope that you guys would still continue reading up my posts should anything come up one time or another. Thanks.

Brightest Blessings!

Choco Mucho for Valentine's Day

Yesterday, Valentine's Day, my former students surprised me with a big bar of Choco Mucho Dark Chocolate Wafer. 

It was a sweet gesture so I decided to give them a shout out here. Thanks Erica, Loreanne, JC for this big bar of dark chocolate! I love it!!!

Brightest Blessings!

Grilled Chicken and Veggies

I'm not really a fan of pre-prepped food in the grocery. But, when I saw these sticks of chicken breast fillet marinated Jamaican style with some peppers and garlic, hubby and I decided to try them out.

All I can say, it was all worth the money. If there are celebrations and I want some barbeque, I would not hesitate to buy these yummy treats in bulk to serve them.

BTW, these pre-prepped chicken BBQ is from the Magnolia Chicken Station which is available at all leading supermarkets.

Brightest Blessings!

Max's Gateway Branch

  

Filipinos have known about Max's for what seems like ages now. I'm one of those kids who grew up to having lunch in one of its branches every now and then.

Nine years after being married and I would say after a few months, nay, years of not even glimpsing at the said restaurant, hubby and I decided that it was time to go back to Max's and see if the quality of their food has changed.

For one, the menu has definitely expanded! There are items listed that may not have been available in the previous years.

To celebrate our great nine years together, we decided to have:

> 1 order lumpia

> 1 order of Bicol Express

> 2 cups of garlic rice

> 1 pitcher of iced tea

Our total bill Php600

What can I say about the restaurant?

Ambiance, well, given the fact that the restaurant was located at the entrance to the Gateway Mall coming off from the MRT Araneta Center station, it was quite cozy.

The food that they served was delicious and worth every penny spent.

Service was fast, efficient and the staff were accommodating.

Would I go back? Even without anything to celebrate, I would definitely visit the place again to try and sample their different dishes.

Brightest Blessings!

Halayang Ube

  

Among the many recipes that I have learned from my mom, this one is my favorite. I learned to make Purple Yam desserts when she made it into a business and I started helping out. So, when I saw some purple yam when I went to the market, I decided to make some last Chinese New Year.

What you'll need:

1/2 K Purple Yam

1 small can condensed milk

1 small can evaporated milk

1/4 K of white sugar

1/4 stick of butter

1L of water

What you need to do:

Boil the yam in water until it becomes tender. Take it out of the water, peel of the skin and grate it in a small pan.

Add both cans of milk, sugar and half of the butter 

Place the pan on top of the stove and start stirring. You will know that the yam is cooked once it starts sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Let the yam cool down for a few minutes then start placing it in moulds. 

*Use the remaining butter to smoothen the surface of the yam and mold it.

Brightest Blessings!

Mocha Roll by Goldilocks

We planned to stay in one house for one whole day a couple of weeks back. That plan came into fruition yesterday.

For the "Bahay ni Ate" challenge, I decided to bring some snacks for the "participants" a half roll mocha cake.

Brightest Blessings!

Leche Flan

  

Leche Flan or custard is popular in the Philippines, especially when there's a big celebration. It can be cooked either by baking or by steaming the mix.

What You'll Need:

10 egg yolks, well beaten
1 big can evaporated milk
1 big can condense milk
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 moulds
Aluminum foil
3/4 cup water

To make the syrup. mix water and sugar in the moulds. Parboil in very low fire until it turns brown and sticky. Do not overcook the sugar to avoid it turning bitter.

In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, evaporated milk, condensed milk, and vanilla. Pour the mixture in the moulds and cover with aluminum foil. Steam for about 15 - 20 minutes. Remove from the steamer after checking if the custard is cooked by sticking a toothpick or butter knife in the center. If the toothpick/knife comes clean, it means that the custard is done.

Alternative way of cooking the custard: Bake it for 45 minutes 370F placing the moulds in the middle of a bigger oven safe dish which is half filled with water.

Let the custard cool down then refrigerate it before serving.

Taking the leche flan out of the mold is easy, you just need to run a sharp knife around the edge and carefully invert it on serving dish, letting the syrup flow over the leche flan.

Brightest Blessings!