Asian Kung Pao

There's a little restaurant in Tyler, Texas where we live during the winter time. It is called Kung Pao. They served fresh Asian food. Thai and Chinese food are the food they served. You can order what you want and they will cook it from there. My husband and I loves it because they served fresh vegetables. You can choose from seafood, meat and poultry. It is really good. When we come home to Texas, we will visit Kung Pao!

Favorite Foods of Football Fans

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kenmore Live Studio. All opinions are 100% mine.

Are you ready for Super Bowl game? I am! Did you predict who will win the Super Bowl XLV? Every year, people across America get together to watch the Super Bowl game. It is indeed a big game for everyone. People are preparing special Super Bowl Recipes for the whole gang. I am very sure that pizza and chicken wings are present in the menu. I am okay with that. But for some people, there are crowd-pleasing recipes that will score big points during a Super Bowl party.

For this coming Super Bowl game, I wonder what dish I will prepare for the family. It would be a lot of fun since my husband's daughter and his granddaughter will be joining us to watch the big game. This is different since it was just me and my husband who usually watch the game because they live away from us. Everyone's excited and sharing ideas on what to prepare on Sunday. We are looking forward to watch the new commercials of the Super Bowl sponsors. But before anything else, I should finish making my grocery list so we can start preparing our favorite dishes that we're going to devour during the game. May the best team win on Sunday!

Chili Con Carne

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hormel Foods. All opinions are 100% mine.

My husband is a chili lover! I learned eating chili from him when I got here in the United States. I thought it's just one of his crazy food cravings but when he cooked chili con carne (chili with meat) for me, I just can't stop eating it. It is good! Traditional versions are made from chili peppers, meat (ground beef), garlic, onions and cumin. Beans and tomatoes are included. You can find chili in an American-style fast food restaurant. As a matter of fact, my favorite was from a certain fast food restaurant which is the chili-cheese dog topped with sweet onions. It's a winner! One reason why we stock hormel canned chili in our pantry to satisfy our cravings even if it's in the middle of the night.

Hormel® chili and Dinty Moore® are celebrating its 75th anniversary. When you think of canned chili, there are lots of brands in the market but only one brand will make it on top. The hormel foods has made their name with products that bring more to your family's table - bringing you the taste and quality you crave. When I crave for chili cheese dog, my husband is like a road runner to open the canned chili for me. Hormel foods offers a wide variety of recipes online. When you are hosting a party, make sure to visit their website so you can get some ideas.

Wheat: Farm-To-Fork Experience

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Wheat Food Council. All opinions are 100% mine.

I live in North Dakota and our place is surrounded with a very great in size farm owned by our neighbor. During the early spring time, they will plant wheat which is the most consumed grain in America. Wheat goes through an amazing journey from the time its seed is planted until it appears on your plate. Once it is consumed, wheat energizes the body, delivering essential nutrients to its cells. Wheat’s work is never done.

Have you heard about How Wheat Works? There is an interactive program that you can plant, harvest, mill, bake and virtually eat your wheat. First, you have to register and choose the wheat product you want to create and track its path from the wheat field to the table. This is really cool! I have tried this game last month and I choose the Durum wheat since I am a pasta lover.

Come join the fun! Everybody is enjoying the virtual game! You can actually get good recipes on each wheat product you selected and they seem delicious! The Wheat Foods Council will donate two (2) pounds of flour, up to 90,000 pounds to Operation Homefront, a non-profit that provides assistance to needy U.S troops and their families. This will help thousands of families that will provide them nutritious foods. The donation is made possible by the members at ADM and ConAgra Mills, two of the world's largest millers. They are extending this program to the youth. Visit www.wheatfoods.org for more information.

Works of the Wheat

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Wheat Food Council. All opinions are 100% mine.

I put my husband and I for a diet challenge. Every time we go to the grocery store, we always read the nutrition information of every food we put in our cart. We also make sure that we get wheat bread instead of getting the white bread. I always know that wheat bread is better than white bread.

How Wheat Works is an interactive, online multimedia program that delivers a farm-to-fork education about wheat. The website will give a better understanding of its nutritional value. Wheat is the most-consumed grain in United States. The wheat goes through an amazing journey until it is served in our plate. This is a fun-loving game that invites all participants to join the program to plant, harvest, mill, bake and virtually eat your own harvest of wheat. Sounds like fun rather than just farming alone.

I am up for this fun game! What about you? The Wheat Foods Council believed that teaching people the right nutrition on how a whole or enriched grain food comes to shed new light on wheat nutrition. This will enlighten people on their food choices. They can live smart and happy. For each participant, the Council will donate two pounds of flour up to 90,000 pounds to Operation Homefront - a non-profit that provides assistance to the needy U.S. troops and their own families. Come join the fun and visit How Wheat Works website, register and experience how wheat works.

Beef Curry

My husband is my number one fan when it comes to my cooking. He just loves what I cook except for those dishes that's alien to him. He will never ever eat. He seldom eats fish and pasta and somehow, I can refresh an ordinary dish to an extraordinary dish and he just loved it! Last week, I prepared a beef curry for our dinner and it was really good. I cooked this dish may times as per husband's request.

Meal Of The Day

For today's meal, I cooked the pork chop with beef consomme soup. I love this recipe because of the taste and it just easy to do. I put some mushrooms and sweet onions. My husband loves this recipe too. Yummy!

Smells Fishy!

I lost my appetite for today's dinner. I prepared Sinigang na Tilapia sa Bayabas (suppose to be Bangus or Milkfish) for dinner and my husband didn't like it. I bought Mama Sita's Sinigang sa Bayabas (Guava Soup Base Mix) to try but I don't have any milkfish for my sinigang so I used tilapia instead. It turned out not satisfying for our stomach.

My husband said it taste fishy smell. He didn't like what I prepared for our dinner and so I lost my appetite. I didn't eat nor finish my meal. I told him that I lost my appetite and I can't eat what I prepared and so the husband throw it all and I will never cook another fish soup like this. My husband didn't grow up eating fish so he will not eat fish unless it is fried.

Mix Veggie Stir-Fry

I am really serious about loosing weight. Yes, I crave for some foods that I want to eat but it doesn't mean that it will ruin my diet routine. I have set my goals. All I need is a motivation and a little push to reach my goals. For today's menu, we had a mix vegetable stir-fry.

Here's what you need:

• 2 small red potatoes
• green beans, cut into two
  
• baby carrots, sliced
• yellow squash, round thin sliced
  
• mushroom pieces
  
• bell pepper, cut into strips
  
• yellow onion, sliced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
  

For the sauce:

• 2 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• pinch of salt and pepper

Procedure:

• Heat olive oil in a pan, put the red potato and cook for 5 minutes until the potato is a little done. While cooking the red potato, put the green beans. Check once in a while. Don't overcook the potato and green beans.
• Add carrots and yellow squash, stir-fry together. Add a little water, then simmer. Add the mushroom, then stir-fry. Add the sauce.
  
• Lastly, add the bell pepper and onions. Stir-fry until all vegetables are cook.
  

Pork Chop Tocino

The last time I visited Dhemcy's Blog - My Life's Perception and Inspiration, I craved for her grilled pork chops. I was drooling and I told myself that pork chop will be our happy meal. We bought 8 pieces of pork chops last Monday and decided to make a Pork Chop Tocino.

Here's what you need: Marinade

• 8 pieces of pork chops
• 1 pack Mama Sita's Tocino Marinating Mix
• 1 cup Mama Sita's Barbecue Marinade
  
• 2 tablespoons of powdered garlic
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika

Here's how:

• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Put your pork chops in a canister and pour the marinade mix onto the pork chops. Cover and marinate the pork chops overnight.
  
• Grill your pork chops.
• You can serve your chops with hot steamed white rice or vegetable stir-fry.

Maple-Garlic Chicken

Last Valentine's Day, I surprised my hubby as special recipe. I saw the recipe at Rowena's Thought blog. She got the recipe at Kusina ni Manang. The recipe was a hit! It is so tasty and we like it very much. It is also easy to prepare. I will post the ingredients and procedure here for those who want to try this delicious Maple-Garlic Chicken.


Ingedients:

• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1.5 pounds chicken pieces

Procedure:

• Place chicken pieces in the saucepan. Mix well the rest of the ingredients and pour onto the chickens.
• Boil, then lower heat to medium low and cook for 15 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, start heating up your oven - in broil method.
• Arrange your chicken pieces on a pan and place the sauce in a small saucepan. Broil chicken for 5 minutes to dry the surfaces.
• Meanwhile, thicken the sauce with cornstarch and water mix to the desired consistency and adjust the taste as needed with salt and pepper.
• Baste the chicken pieces to give them a glaze and repeat after 2 minutes, then cook further about 2 minutes. Turn over the chicken peices and do the same. When serving, pour some sauce onto the chicken pieces.

• 

This recipe goes well with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. The leftover sauce if any, will be perfect to flavor your fried rice. For my rice, I put a hot cream of mushroom on top of my steamed rice. Trust me, you will love this recipe!

Oxtail Stew in Peanut Butter Sauce

I have been looking for an oxtail meat for weeks now. I couldn't find them at Wal-Mart where we usually shop for groceries. Last Thursday, we went to Valley City to find the oxtail meat. We got lucky that they have it and bought 2 packs. Kare-Kare is one of my favorite Filipino dish.

Name of the Recipe: Oxtail Stew in Peanut Butter Sauce (Kare-Kare)

Ingredients:

• 1 pack of oxtail or beef stew meat
  
• 1 pouch Mama Sita's Peanut Sauce (Kare-Kare) Mix, dissolved in 1 cup broth
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• pechay or bokchoy
• sitaw or long green beans (I used green beans), cut into 2 inches length
• 8 cups of water
• banana blossom
  
• 1 tablespoon of sliced onion
• sliced eggplant
• bagoong gata or sauteed shrimp paste

Procedure:

• Boil oxtail in water. Lower heat and simmer until meat is tender leaving about 1 1/2 cups broth
• In a heavy saucepan, saute garlic and onion in oil. Add oxtail, stir fry and pour in dissolved Mama Sita's Kare-Kare Mix. Add the remaining broth.
• Stir and simmer until sauce thickens, then add the eggplant and sitaw or green beans. Simmer for 3 minutes, more stirring occasionally.
  
• Lastly, add pechay or bokchoy and simmer for 2 minutes or until vegetables are done. Serve hot with rice and shrimp paste.
  

Note: I didn't add eggplant in my Kare-Kare. Banana blossom is not available so it is up to you what vegetable you have.

Dessert: Maja Blanca

I don't crave for this a lot. But suddenly earlier today, I took a moment to look in our pantry. I saw that I have ingredients for my Maja Blanca. It is easy to prepare. I saw the recipe from Lisa - In My Kitchen. The husband said he likes it especially that I put corn and peanuts on it. You can also put grated cheese on top if you don't like or allergic to peanuts.

Ingredients:

• 1 can cream style corn
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup cream cornstarch
• chopped peanuts or grated cheese
  

Procedure:

• In a mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, sugar, corn and evaporated milk. Mix well.
  
• Heat the saucepan, pour coconut milk and bring to a boil then simmer for 3 minutes.
  
• Pour the mixed cornstarch, sugar, corn and evaporated milk. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened.

Fish and Fries

I have been craving fish for few days. I love eating fish, my husband don't. He's not a fish lover. But he can eat tilapia and catfish. While driving home, I requested a fish and fries for lunch. The husband gladly granted my request. He cooked both the fish and fries for me. We had a scrumptious fish and fries for lunch!

Beef Tenderloin Tips

When cooking beef, I usually boil it first until it is tender. I seasoned the beef with salt and pepper and add beef bouillon mix to add taste to the beef. This is one of my husband's favorite. I don't overcook the bell pepper, so it is still crunchy when you bite it.

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of beef strips
• 1 can of mushroom
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips
  
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 yellow bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1/2 yellow onion, cut into big strips
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• olive oil or vegetable oil
  
• 3 tablespoon soy sauce
• salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

• You can boil the beef if you want or fry it in olive oil. Saute garlic and beef in a pan until the beef is golden brown. Add the onion and mushroom. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
• Add soy sauce and simmer for 5 minutes until the meat is cook.
• Lastly, add the bell peppers. Do not overcook the bell peppers.
• Serve it with hot rice.

Adobo Chicken Wings with Lemon

Adobo Chicken Wings with Lemon (without the garnish)

Since I didn't make it to the Christmas party last Sunday in Fargo, I was planning to bring Adobo Chicken Wings with Lemon on this coming Christmas potluck party in town. It is going to be my first Christmas party since I got here. Adobo is one of my favorite Filipino dish, be it pork or chicken. I think I already mastered cooking adobo since I have been cooking it for quite some time now. My husband loves it too. Sometimes I cooked it with a twist just like my Adobo Chicken Wings with Lemon.

Here's what you need:

• chicken wings
  
• 1 can of Sprite
• 3 whole lemon (get the juice)
  
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1/4 white onion (chopped)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 tablespoon canola oil
• 1/2 cup of soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  
• 2 tablespoon of Chinese 5-spice powder
  
• ground pepper
• iodized salt or sea salt
• spring onions

Adobo Chicken Wings with Lemon (with the spring onions and sweet onions garnish)

Procedure:

• Marinate the chicken wings with 1 can of sprite and lemon juice overnight. Sprinkle ground pepper and salt to add more taste. You can also add 1 tablespoon of Chinese 5-spice powder but optional.
• Heat pan with a mixture of olive oil and canola oil. Saute garlic and onion then put the marinated chicken wings. Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Sprinkle ground pepper and salt to taste.
• Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1/2 cup of soy sauce. Note: for the soy sauce, you can add more according to your taste.
• Let it simmer for another 5 minutes then add 2 tablespoon of Chinese 5-spice powder and mix it all. Let it boil until the chicken meat is done. Turn off the fire and you can add the spring onions after boiling.
  
• Or simply add spring onions on top before you serve them. You can garnish sliced lemons on top of the chicken wings.
  

Simplified Fried Chicken

Last night, my husband requested a fried chicken for our dinner. He said he missed my cooking. I haven't been cooking much since we got here and it was him who do the cooking everyday. Sometimes, we go out and just grab a meal or sometimes, we got invited by the Filipino friends here in Bowling Green, KY. I don't have the eagerness or the passion in cooking as there's not much kitchen utensils in our kitchen and some spices that I really needed when I am cooking.

Ingredients:

• Chicken Breast (cut in half)
• Lemon
• Olive Oil and Vegetable Oil (for frying)
  
• Chili Powder (about 1/2 tablespoon)
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Procedure: I simply boiled the chicken first to make sure there's no salmonella or any bacterias hanging out in my breast chicken. Before frying, I rubbed it with lemon, olive oil and chili powder for extra taste. Fry the chicken until golden brown and served it with sweet boiled carrots and sugar snap peas. Bon Appetite!

Pancakes for Midnight Snacks

Can you imagine eating pancakes for your midnight snack? I did! My husband was sneaking on me one night and surprised me with a decorated pancakes. While watching a good movie one midnight, he decided to pamper his hungry stomach (my stomach was included too). You see, we don't have much in our pantry room nor in our refrigerator as we will be leaving our old house here in Kentucky in 3 weeks time. What we did was do the grocery shopping once every week so we don't have to throw them away once we are ready to go back up north. There's no waste and no spoiled food.

I guess that's the best thing we can do right now as we are on a tight budget for everything because we are one of the families who's affected by the economic downfall. Making pancakes are just easy. He decorated the pancakes with a whipped cream on the side topped with chocolate fudge then presented it to me. He surprised me good pancakes for our midnight snacks. It was all good!

My KFC Treat!

Finally! After having been deprived for my KFC cravings for several months, I finally got to eat the original fried chicken. I even blog about it - Somehow, I Miss KFC!. It was like more of a want than a winter clothes shopping for me. I keep on wishing that someday, there would be a KFC fast food in town where we live. So that whenever I want to eat fried chicken, I can just drive in town and get it.

It was the time when we are about to go back to our home sweet home to visit my husband's family and some friends. Winn asked me if I am ready for a KFC treat. I told him 'yes' with a big excitement on my face. We finally found the first KFC store at Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Imagine how many miles we have driven just to get a Kentucky Fried Chicken treat?! We ordered one bucket meal with original fried chicken recipe, a cup of gravy and a cup of coleslaw. We had so much fun eating while moving going home to the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Craving For Pork Spareribs

It was 3 days ago when my husband and I had a craving for pork spareribs. So I took the half slab of spareribs and cook the recipe - Savoury Pork Ribs with Green Beans. This is a rich and pungent dish. I actually used green beans (it is called baguio beans in the Philippines) instead of using snake beans (called "sitaw" back at home) as it is hard to find snake beans at Wal-Mart. You can also use runner or fine beans (I have no idea what are those).

I boiled the pork ribs first to become tender so it is easy to chew, I put some seasoning while boiling to have a delicious taste. Then fry until golden brown. I added some chili powder, garlic powder and sweet white onion for the stir-fry then add some green bell pepper and the green beans. It was delicious and tasty! We sure loved it and enjoyed our meal that day.