i am totally exhausted...i had to call in sick for my 2nd job. sometimes the mind is willing but the body is just not capable anymore of doing anything. i've been pushing myself since may with my 11 hour workdays+house work+wedding related stress, i knew this was coming sooner or later. can't wait for the weekend!
sunny bouquet from rennie sunflowers are one of my favorites :) st anne's in barrington for the last sunday service  garlicky mushroom quesadillas to go  since I am a fan of Rick Bayless, I couldn't resist stopping by this Frontera Fresco location this one was inside a Nordstrom in Oak Brook Mall  it's a bright spot where tired shoppers can make a quick stop and have something inexpensive but tasty to eat...everything on the menu was less than 10 bucks  rennie checking out a mac vending machine selling ipods and iphones...what's next? vending machines for laptops?
This was the view from Kaye's window a few, few weeks ago during early spring. The tree was breathtaking, my photo hardly does it justice. There is also a ginkgo tree nearby(our backyard is a few steps away from a forest preserve). Maybe I'll take a picture next time. Just wanted to share this before I begin my busy weekend.
bacon-asparagus-colby cheese quiche something easy to whip up if even if one is lacking in culinary skill, i've made it several times and it's quite fool proof... bake some bacon on a cookie sheet until crisp, drain fat and blot with paper towel bake store bought pie crust on pie plate for 15 minutes saute diced asparagus and onions in a little butter and season with salt and pepper to taste, you may use any vegetable you like, whatever's in season, i've used zucchini a lot beat eggs, i typically use 3 large eggs(you may use more egg whites if you prefer) with some shredded cheese(cheddar, parmesan, colby, muenster-anything you like) and add 1/2 cup milk or yogurt or sour cream layer veggies and bacon in pie crust, pour egg mix on top...top with more bacon and/or cheese if you prefer bake at 350 for 45 minutes or until set
green mango, white onion and tomato relish with barrio fiesta bagoong 
shrimp cooked in ginger infused sprite, garnished with chopped cilantro with our extreme schedule these days, dining at home has become a luxury...husband and i carpool and by the time we get home, it's almost my bedtime...we happened upon some good looking shrimp at assi(never mind the "smallness" of the shrimp), the new korean market and here's what i did with it a simple pinoy home cooked meal...it was great with white rice, kulang na lang banana leaves to eat on :)
the motif is pink with a touch of matte gold life's been so busy since may, juggling 11 hour work days and planning a wedding in another continent(am so grateful our families are doing the major work, thanks family!!!) but am glad to say, everything's turning out well at the new workplace, husband and i are still doing well and....am finally done with the wedding invitations! everything has been done by yours truly with some suggestions from husband. they turned out well, simple and elegant, just like i wanted. aaahhhh...now to do the wedding favors :) 
 i heard that an authentic carbonara is made with eggs and no cream...i decided to try this for dinner one day...  plated carbonara fettucine with some basil  grating the parmesan  mix the eggs with grated cheese, add to just cooked pasta...the heat from the pasta is supposed to cook the eggs and give the dish a creamy texture buttering the cooked pasta...you may omit this step cooked crispy bacon was added after the egg mixture...prosciutto would have made the dish more italian but we did not have any on hand...yummy!
 these 3 products are in rotation in the shower: bath and body works pumpkin pie paradise, dr. bronner's pure castille soap in almond and bath and body works chocolate chocolate chip...the scents are so yummy, they lift me up after a long day...yummy without the calories :)
 superdawg is a must try chicago attraction. open since 1948, their most popular product is the superdawg, which they say is made from pure beef, no fillers. it is a drive in, and is most popular in the summer months, when people would drive-in in their classic cars.   park, flip a switch and wait for an order taker to speak to you...  your food will arrive on a tray which is hooked on to the window  their packaging had some interesting graphics and literature  husby had a blak kow, which is a rootbeer float and a superdawg chicago stye, which he said was really meaty  i had a superchic, a chicken breast fillet sandwich with grilled onions and super fries...nothing spectacular but quite filling, was unable to finish it  husby 's superdawg came with a whole pickle, a pickled green tomato slice and superfries "maurie and flaurie", the hotdog mascots(and the names of the owners) stand on top of the building and are also shown here on the box...when you're done with your meal, flip a switch and someone will take the tray away. the verdict? a must if you love hotdogs and hamburgers and that type of food. husby said he would come back. i would too, to try their fountain things. a real milkshake would be nice in the summer :)this place reminds me of pink's in los angeles.
bamboo yellow on the entryway and powder room     since i was off again on thursday, i decided to attack the living room wall...husband chose the color terra cotta from martha stewart collection...i'm not sure yet if i can live with this color because i mostly appreciate subtle tones ...we'll see :) we have cathedral ceilings so i only painted as high as i could reach standing on a barstool(not very high)...i think the color is very bold, i would say dramatic but still too dark for me...might have to pick a 3rd transition color(for kitchen and one wall of the living area) to bridge the gap between "bamboo"(a buttery yellow)and "terra cotta"...peeps, special mention to tita CL and cuzn claire(two very artistic individuals naks) if you're reading, what do you suggest? a greenish-sage color perhaps?
 dinner...served with iced green tea chili garlic sauce: made with store bought chili oil, fried garlic added...i take it with some tamari(japanese soy sauce) and lemon juice the spare ribs were marinated in sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, minced garlic, i subbed some mirin for the rice wine coz we didn't have that at home, this was then steamed for an hour just until tender...ours was quite oily because i forgot to trim all visible fat from the meat before cooking...i don't eat pork anymore but husband said it was good...walang leftovers :) if you're a foodie and have been to greenhills, then you must have tried le ching at least once in your life(it was not the neatest place when we used to visit during the '90s when i was a teen, i don't know about now)...i remember it for their noodle soups(beef brisket was my favorite), "hakao"(shrimp dumpling, another fave) and their famous chili garlic sauce(i've searched all over illinois, california and online but cannot find it or a recipe)...my husband remembers their pork spareribs served in metal bowls over white rice...above are pics from dinner at home yesterday
 apple cinnamon pancake mini choco chip pancakes  adding choco chips t o the batter batter with chopped apples and cinnamon i know i should consume more oatmeal for its health benefits. but when i get tired of eating it the usual way, i make oatmeal pancakes...just add milk or your choice of liquid, flour, sugar, baking powder and egg and cook on a buttered skillet. i divided my batter into 2 bowls and added choco chips to one and chopped apples and cinnamon to the other(you can use any fruit you have on hand, i've tried bananas, peaches and mango). you could do this to both cooked and uncooked oatmeal. some recipes suggest soaking the uncooked oatmeal in milk to soften the grain. this is a good way to get some fiber and whole grain into your child's diet(or yours). when i make a big batch, i freeze the rest and just grab what i need in the morning for a quick breakfast.
 | painting | Mar 23, '08 12:30 AM
for everyone |
 whew! just finished painting our powder room :) i've been wanting to change a few things at home. after the long winter(which is still lingering because it snowed yesterday), i was looking forward to some spring decorating. since we just got a new dining set a few days ago, a major change was not really in the budget. so i decided to stop by ikea to see what's new. i ended up getting a new runner for the dining table, placemats and some cushion covers all in a turquoisey/tealy color. i also went home with a gallon of paint from martha stewart. the color is called bamboo mat, a yellowish shade. i've never painted anything except for artwork in my whole life. surprisingly, it wasn't that difficult. the roller brush made it easy to cover a lot of space in a short time. i started at 9pm and was done by close to 11. not bad for a first try at this thing :)
guacamole fixins': cilantro, ripe hass avocados(i can tell they are ripe when the skin is loose), red spanish onion, tomatoes and lime i never used to appreciate the culinary uses of avocado. my mom used to make fresh avocado ice cream which i thought tasted horrible back then. i guess when one "matures", his or her taste buds "mature" too haha. i only started to like this fruit(is it a fruit or a veggie?)when i moved here and tried it in dishes other than avocado ice cream(i might have tried it in guacamole at tia maria's). here, i like it in guacamole or sometimes in sushi.  
we had it with some blackened tilapia and yellow rice yesterday for dinner... guacamole: combine chopped onion, tomatoes, cilantro and avocados in a bowl. mash to desired consistency. season with salt, pepper and lime juice.
 we've always celebrated easter with the customary egg hunt in manila...i remember my mom getting easter eggs from merced bakeshop back when plastic easter eggs were unknown...here in the states, kids dye hard boiled eggs in food color, in fact we just did that at school yesterday... willy wonka golden egg  these days, the only kid at home is hubby...so i made up a teeny easter basket for him complete with his favorite candy...willy wonka nerds, a dark chocolate rabbit, couldn't resist throwing in a container of bubble gum eggs and a coconut "nest"...cute! HAPPY EASTER!!!
 i can't remember when i first had a taste of green tea. probably as ice cream in one of the sushi restos in manila, back when i lived there. these days, i try to have at least a cup of the tea during breakfast. supposedly, green tea has a multitude of health benefits, what with all the antioxidants and cathechins it contains. for some people tea is an obsession, complete with the right "gear", precise steeping times and rituals. tea shops are popping up all over the malls here. as for me, i'm into genmai-cha at the moment. i love the mix of roasted brown rice and green tea, it smells good too. i know i'm just scratching the surface of the green tea world...today i got a box of hojicha-a roasted green tea. can't wait to try it tomorrow for breakfast :)
 i've always loved strawberries...when i lived in baguio for a couple of years during my UP college days, i used to enjoy this fruit almost every week, eaten fresh or in milkshakes...these ones come from florida, they are so big in size, some are almost as big as tangerines... at home, we prefer to eat them fresh, sometimes with a sprinkling of brown sugar and some whipped cream or if i want to do something special, we do a fondue....or dip the berries in some melted chocolate...a very simple but special treat!
chocolate dip: pour 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl, add a few tablespoons of milk(depending on the consistency you want-more milk means thinner consistency), microwave til melted, keep an eye on the microwave so as not to burn your dip...when melted, mix well with a spoon until glossy...you can use this as a fondue dip or dip the strawberries in the chocolate and stick in the fridge to harden for choco covered berries...enjoy!
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ready
straight from the oven, smells so good
dough
rising
rennie's
my grilled saba(mackerel)
the ever present california roll
udon
miso heaven
gyoza
exquisite japanese dishes
more ceramics