Crinkled Herb Baked Potatoes

Crinkled Herb Baked Potatoes were prepared on "ourmeza" or table for snacks.

See the picture on the left? I was unable to fill it up so I could take pictures because my husband and son started munching on it the moment I took it out from our oven.

Last week we had three different storms. And so after work and school we were all cooped up at home till the weekend. But before the three different storms came I have planned ahead, I have rented some videos and bought some of our food supplies, extra drinking water, extra batteries and etc. so we will be prepared and ready for the storm that were coming. The rain came down really hard and the temperature were really freezing. Days have passed when the clouds slowly clearing and thats when we got a peak of the view of the mountain at our balcony. From there we saw snow on top of the mountain. If you are from the west a view like that is rarely seen. So when you see one you get excited especially when you used to live in the eastcoast like us, well mostly my husband. I moved there,got married and gave birth there as well. Our son and I were there a few years then we all moved at the other side of the map,here in the west when he was still a baby. So snow on the top of the mountain was pretty exciting and the air feels and smells crisp and clean as well..

Anyway back to the one of the snacks I made for us to eat while watching a movie at home was Crinkled Herb baked Potatoes. Easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

Russet Potatoes

any of your favorite herbs

extra virgin olive oil

salt

pepper

ranch dressing as a dip or any vegetable dip

Procedure:Sliced potatoes with the crinkled vegetable cutter. Place in a cooking sheet. Drizzle some EVOO, some herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Baked till brown. Serve hot with some vegetable dip dressing.

Lumpiang Gulay or Vegetable Eggroll

Lumpiang Gulay or vegetable eggroll is a lumpia wrapper or spring roll wrapper filled with different kind of vegetables such as green beans, carrots, cabbage, mongo sprouts,celery, sweet potatoes , onion and tofu.


This is one of my husband's favorite dish so I often make a lot of it and stored most of it in the freezer for future use. When cooked it is crunchy, tasty and yummylicious lol. It is normally dipped in spiced vinegar or suka with siling labuyo and bawang and sweet n sour sauce. It can be eaten as main dish or as an appetizer. Either way when prepared you wont be able to resist to eat it up. It is normally serve when theres a party, get together, celebration , potluck, for dinner or even during snack time. And so I have it stored most of the time because we just simly love eating it.

To make you need the following ingredients; onion, garlic, olive olive, green beans, cabbage, celery, carrots, sweet potatoes optional, tofu optional, cooked or sliced chicken optional as well, and ofcourse the spring roll, lumpia wrapper, salt and pepper for taste.

Procedure: Cut all vegetables sliced thinly, julienne or shredded. Saute garlic, onion, chicken. Then add all vegetables. Stir fry till half cooked and season with salt and pepper for taste ( soy sauce can be added for taste). Fill each lumpia or spring roll wrapper about 1 1/2 spoonfuls of the vegetable. When ready to cook..deep fried and serve with spiced vinegar or sukang may siling labuyo and bawang. Serve while hot and crunchy and you'll never go wrong. Enjoy!

Decorated Cookies

Our unico hijo loves helping me out whether it is house chores or cooking or baking. When he sees me busy tidying up the place he'll start dusting the table even though I didnt ask him. When he sees me loading clothes in the washing machine he'll come running to help me out. And ofcourse he'll want to pour the laundry soap, softener and push the button to start it. But what he loves the most in helping me out is making the steamed white cake or "puto" and baking cookies or cupcakes. He likes stirring,mixing and tasting the batter. Asked him not to eat the batter but when I turned my back I know that he did it anyway. I could tell that he did it by the left over batter on the corner of his mouth. It is cute and funny how he was trying to hide it and acting so innocent.

Anyway just the other day we made some cookies for him to take to his school. We made some oatmeal,sugar cookies in different shapes. We made cookies shaped like trees, hearts, flowers, stars and clovers. We then decorated it with vanilla and strawberry frosting and sprinkles chocolates and nonpareil, this is his most favorite part... decorating and frosting the cookies. Why? Well he'll taste the frostings and sprinkles first and I'll always ask him, "Why are you tasting it first, his response always were " I'm checking first if its good ". And after tasting it, he'll always say: " yes it would work" And this would happened all the time...hahaahha... another glory moments that passed by but as always, it stayed as treasures of my heart.

Here are the pictures of our cookie making....

So spending lots of time whether cleaning together, cooking and baking together, doing school project together, playing and so on... spending time with our kids specially at their young age will surely give us lots of fond memories to keep us smiling and laughing during our old days.
Memories such as this are true treasures of the heart....so lets keep building them.

Champorado at Dilis

Hot champorado or sweet rice chocolate porridge and dilis or salted dried anchovies were served on our table or "meza" today for breakfast.

It really feels like fall season is here today. Why? Because it is windy, cold, raining and from our balcony we could see the top of the mountain covered with fog.

We have been anticipating rain since Friday morning but it didnt get here till late at night. So this morning we woke up with the sound of the rain falling hard outside. We dont normally hear it but I left our window open just a tad last nite for some air. We all heard it and we all got excited that finally the rain is here. It is time to have rain out here in the west, especially the southern part. Its been dry and muggy. So when it came late last nite and waking up to it, we were happy that it came. We all end up looking at the window and we're still not satisfied, we all got up and we opened our door and stood by the balcony to see it. Our son were excited the most in seeing it and hearing it falling hard. And then my husband and I started telling him some stories about when it rain in the Philippines it really pour really hard, harder than what he is seeing now. That sometimes you could see roofs flying around because of the heavy and hard rain and whistling wind. And he said " Oh, I want to see that". We, my husband and I both laughed. And we told him it is not a pretty sight to see. It is a story to tell now but being there during that time is not really good.

Ok, so much about that. Raining reminded us also of what good to eat backhome during this time. My husband was like.."hmmm sarap ang champorado ngayon ah". Well as a very doting wife, ofcourse whatever my husband wished for shall be granted. He is my master and I am his beautiful Genie...hahahaha joke. Anyway, he was craving for it and so am I. We happened to have some sweet rice, cocoa powder and some evaporated milk so champorado it is. And we just bought some dilis or dried salted anchovies yesterday so it would be perfect with the champorado.

Ingredients: 1 cup of sweet rice, two swiss cocoa powder (sachet), sugar, 5-6 cups of water and my secret ingredients cinnamon.

Procedure: Boil sweet rice until it looks like the grain have puffed with the cocoa powder when almost done, sprinkle some cinnamon (optional). Serve with milk and sugar on the side. Add milk and sugar according to taste. Side of "tuyo" or dilis is absolute the best side dish for this champorado. ( Vinegar with lots of siling labuyo and garlic can be used as the dipping sauce of the dilis).

Dilis: Simply deep fried till cook and serve hot with vinegar and "siling labuyo at bawang".

Comfort food from back home, time and time again is the only remedy for any home sickness.

Champorado is good for breakfast or snacks.

Adobong Mani

Adobong Mani! Mani! Mani!

Yup, that is how adobong mani looks like just after I cooked it. It is fresh, hot, crunchy, no msg, less sodium, home made and absolutely full of flavor.

Just by the smell of it, you'll know what it is...adobong mani or peanut with roasted garlic.

It is mostly consume during "inuman" but dont get me wrong "inuman" not just about drinking beers but drinking ice cold soda also lol .

I could still remember as growing up I would ask my dad or mom to buy me some "pasalubong" or treat when they get home after work. I would normally ask for a lot of things but would settle for adobong mani everytime or anytime. And so sometimes hot adobong mani in one of those brown bag will be our "pasalubong" ( for my big brother and I) . Hmmm, I could just close my eyes now and I could still see, smell and taste how crunchy, hot and just simply delicious it is.

Anyway, one day while my brother and I were eating it, we decided to play a game. A game of magic. My brother would like to see if he could make the peanut disappear into one of my nostril. So he put one peanut and voila!!!!!! it didnt disappear and not just that, it got stuck. The more he tried to get it out on his own, the more it got stuck..hahaha it is funny now retelling the story but I was scared and crying then. He finally gave up and told my parents. My dad took it out with an eyebrow plucker (lol)..oh well those were the glory days.Yup, story of our early childhood mischiefs. Thank God, my nose stays true to its shape. Nose of a beautiful true filipina. LOL wink ( if you know what I mean) hahaha...hey my nose is cute, said my husband...hahaaha.

Well let see if adobong mani is good to our health;

Peanuts have some health benefits but ofcourse eating it in moderation. We all know that anything above normal is not good. Peanuts contain; protein and fiber, as well as vitamin E, folate, potassium, magnesium, and zinc.

And how about the garlic; aside from it is essential for keeping the vampires away, there are some information floating around how it could help or helping people with their cholesterol,blood pressure, diabetes, circulation and so on but who am I to say, All I know that it taste good and my husband loves eating it when I cooked it.

So another fresh "adobong mani" prepared on our "meza" for a snacks with some ice cold soda and heineken or corona for my hubby.