Corned Pork... Adobo???

Helloooooo domestic rockstars!!!

How was your holiday celebration? Mine was a bit tiring, but nevertheless, amazing. Great people--family and friends, nice presents and awesome food... I just couldn't ask for more!

Anyway, speaking of food, I discovered something today out of boredom--CORNED PORK ADOBO!

I know it sounds a bit weird, but trust me, it's good! I was getting too tired of the usual corned beef/corned pork cooked with potatoes. Heck, I sometimes even use that for a quick spaghetti! So yea, I thought of mixing things up a bit. I was thinking of making a corned pork sinigang as I remembered having corned beef sinigang at Sentro. But then I thought, why not try something else? Then I remembered adobo flakes and so I thought, "why the hell not?!"

There it was, a gastronomic epiphany.

I followed my guts and quickly grabbed a head of garlic, some vinegar, salt and pepper.

I mixed the corned pork with the adobo ingredients and let it simmer, boil, until the adobo finally dries out like the adobo flakes at the local resto. Aaaahhh... Warm rice, sliced tomatoes and that. Awesome. Just. Plain. Awesome.

Anyway, since I was very happy with the result, I decided I'll share it with you guys so you might try them too!

Hello there, dinner! :)

All you need are the following:

1 can corned pork
1 teaspoon salt
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1/3 cup of white vinegar

Procedure:

In a pan, mix the corned pork, salt, vinegar and garlic altogether. Place under low heat, mixing occasionally, until the adobo dries up and become flakes. Add more salt and vinegar if necessary.

Serve with warm rice and/or sliced tomatoes.

Adobo with rice and tomatoes... Yum!

The best part: my 4yo and 1yo daughters were sooo happy with the adobo that they had seconds! Even I did. We all know adobo without extra rice is cruelty to mankind, yea? Haha!

Anyway, I hope you all would try this soon. I promise you'll love it! :)

My Banana Caramel Cream Cheese Pie for Christmas

Happy holidays y'all! :)

It's our last holiday season here in the country before we leave and well, in this home, I'd rather go big or go home... or should I say, go home and get fat! Haha!

Santa would have loved this... If only he was real. Lol

I have been slaving for hours in the kitchen today making my Christmas cookies and pie for our noche buena. I made extras so I can bring pasalubong for tomorrow's get together with the whole fam. It's our last holiday season here in the Philippines before we leave for Canada next year. Might as well leave them happy and full, yea?

They say the ham is a Pinoy's "star" at their noche buena,
but not to my kids. This is theirs. Haha!

Aside from the usual Pinoy tradition of fiesta ham dinner, I thought of making our own dessert this time. A couple of days back, I dreamt of making pie and thought I'd make a banoffee pie. This morning, though, I thought of cream cheese as well. So I figured, I'll make a banana caramel cream cheese pie instead. It's like banoffee pie with cream cheese frosting, instead of whipped cream.

As my Christmas gift to you guys, I am sharing you the recipe. :)

Ingredients:

Pie crust:

250g graham crackers, crushed
100g butter, melted

Caramel sauce:

1 can condensed milk
150g brown sugar
150g butter
1/4 tsp salt

Cream cheese frosting recipe here.

Toppings and filling:
5 large bananas
Chocolate chips/buttons
Chocolate sprinkles (optional, topping)
Crushed nuts (optional, topping)
Chocolate and/or caramel drizzle (topping)

Procedure:

Caramel sauce:
1. Under low heat, melt butter and sugar in sauce pan.
2. Pour condensed milk and bring to a rapid boil, stirring constantly for about a minute or two.
3. Set aside until it has completely cooled down.

While the caramel sauce cools, you might as well prepare the crust.

I prefer mine with some chunks. Gives it a bit of crunch. :)

Pie crust:
1. Mix crushed grahams with melted butter.
2. Pour in a round pan.
3. Using a spoon, create the base of the pie crust first, then onto the sides to make the pie shell.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting afterwards.


Assembly:

1. After creating the pie crust/shell, place sliced bananas on the bottom layer of the pie.
2. Pour caramel over the bananas until about 2/3 of the pie. Make sure it has completely cooled down to avoid having a runny cream cheese frosting as well as to avoid melting the chocolate chips/buttons.
3. Place chocolate chips/buttons over caramel.
4. Pour cream cheese frosting on top, covering the rest of the pie.
5. Top with sprinkles, nuts*, bananas*, chocolate/caramel drizzle*. I made mine with just the sprinkles just to make people believe that I really made it. Haha!
6. Chill for about an hour before serving. Enjoy! :)

A step-by-step guide in photos.

Merry Christmas!!! :D

Chewy Toaster-baked Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

When people hear oatmeal cookies, the first thing that usually comes in their minds are those hard-as-rock cookies. But fear not, my lovely domestic rockstars! I have come to save the day. :) I'll be sharing with you my recipe of cookies. If you make this right, you'll have a perfect batch of cookies that are slightly crispy on the edges, but chewy in the middle.

Just this morning, I made my kids some oatmeal cookies. My eldest, Renee ate about a third of the first batch without even waiting for it to cool down fully! I made a total of 32 cookies altogether--first and second batch. Renee devoured (yes, that word!) 5 cookies in one go, while Allie had 2, and the rest was eaten by the grown-ups. Renee asked me if I could make more. She'd like to have some more cookies for desert after lunch.

Sometimes I wonder where she puts all those food in her tummy... The kid never goes fat! Ah well, probably all those food would melt away quickly, considering how crazy energetic she is all day. Haha!

Her second batch. She wanted me to take a "shocked" photo
of her because she wants to be a cookie model. Haha!

Anyway, here's my cookie recipe.

What you'll need:

Tools:

Toaster oven
Aluminum foil
Baking tray (most toaster ovens come with these)
Small spoon/scoop
Mixing bowl

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) of butter, cut into small cubes; softened
1 large egg
2/3 cups light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup instant oats (or crushed Frosties cereal)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup milk chocolate
1/2 cup pistachios or walnuts (optional)

One of the most common mistakes most people do is over-softening the butter.
To check if your butter is just right, gently press on the butter using your index finger.
It should look like the one at the center. If your butter turns out like the one in the right,
then that means your butter may cause you a runny batch of cookies.
(Photo source: cookinglight.com)

Procedure:

1. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Once those are already incorporated, add in the oats or cereal.
2. Add in the butter. Make sure you don't melt the butter--or over-soften them--before adding it to your dry ingredients. This will make your cookie dough look more like a batter instead, making your cookies runny. Using your hands, mash the butter with the dry ingredients until it forms a grainy bowl of mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg and vanilla.
4. Combine the egg and vanilla mixture to the dough.
5. Add in the chocolate (and nuts, if you want to add them too) to the mixture. I used my kids' favorite chocolates instead of chips and chopped them into small chunks. I wanted to use half dark and half milk chocolates so they won't be too bitter nor too sweet.
6. Line the baking tray with aluminum foil, shiny side down.
7. Scoop a ball of dough and flatten them on the lined baking tray.
8. Bake them for 4 minutes in the toaster, turn them over and bake for another 3-4 more minutes or until golden brown (Sometimes, you have to adjust your baking time with the altitude as well, especially if you live in the mountains. No, I'm not kidding). Bear in mind that you are using instant oats and that they are easily burnt if left longer in the oven.
9. Set the cookies aside to rest and cool down.

What was left of our first batch after Renee ate about 4 of them (that time I took this photo.
She ate more after), Allie had 1 at that moment, and the other 4 by the grown-ups. 

So there you have it. I hope you guys would enjoy making and eating them as much as we do. Happy baking! :)

A List of Lists... Goals, To-Do's, To-Buy's for the Year's End

Now that 2013 is almost over, not only am I writing down my "naughty and nice list" aka people we should be giving presents, but I am also writing down a list of our to-do's before we migrate, our moving itinerary for 2014 once we land in Canada, and a list of my to-do's (and to-cook) for the holidays. Bit by bit, I am already collecting ingredients for my Christmas menu--herbs, spices, cookie and pie ingredients, etc.

Aside from that, I am also writing down my list of goals for the coming year. I personally do not believe in resolutions. I mean, people always write things like...


New Year's Resolution:
1. Be nice
2. Be more compassionate
3. Abs
4. Abs
5. Abs
6. Stop hoarding
7. No more shopping sprees


Trust me, you can only go with number one and two. I'm pretty sure you won't last a year sticking on to the rest of that list!

Anywayyy... I made my own list of goals. Not resolutions. I want attainable things. You know, just simple ones that you can assure yourself you can always do--pursue drawing, get my eldest through her first year of school, learn to drive, learn to cook more recipes--stuff like that. Oh yea, and I also wanna make my own bacon, turducken, etc. I love food, don't judge me. Haha!

Nothing's wrong with the resolutions, mind you. But then again, if you come to think of it, those things that you would write EVERY SINGLE YEAR is not going to work if you'd just write it down. You wanna be nice, be nice. You wanna go on a diet, then go. Don't just do it this week, then stop the next just because "you were PMS'ing" or something. If you want something, set it as a goal. Eye on the prize!

What I'm trying to say is, resolutions are firm decisions. That said, you shouldn't be writing about something you are "firm" to do so, if you're not really into it. You'd rather aspire, and then step by step, you reach that particular goal you once wrote on your old list of resolutions.

Well, that's just me. Lemme know what you think. What are your 2014 plans?

How to Remove Stains on Concrete and Wood

Every parent's nightmare starts with that very moment their toddler picks up a marker, a crayon, or a pencil, and starts scribbling all over the walls, furniture, TV--just everywhere! Worse part of it all, you can't take it off even if you scrub it with a brush and your trusty detergent. Or that you have removed the stain ALONG with the paint/varnish on your walls or furniture (GASP)!

Here's something I have learned 4 years and 2 daughter later, and I am sharing it to you all for the sake of your sanity. Best part of it all is that you don't have to drive too far to look for the materials--just in the bathroom or the garage. Yay!

How to remove stains on wooden surface:

What you'll need:

Damp cloth or baby wipes
White toothpaste; NOT gel toothpaste

Procedure:

Squeeze about a pea-sized amount of toothpaste on a damp cloth or baby wipes. Wipe wipe wipe! Et voila! Stain's gone.

The kids' door... After some toothpaste and baby wipes action,
Allie's "abstract" art using a pencil, a marker and black crayon are finally gone.

How to remove stains on concrete surface:

What you'll need:

Damp cloth or baby wipes
WD-40
Optional: face mask or anything to cover your nose (especially if you have asthma or allergies)

Procedure:

Spray a bit of WD-40 on the stain. Be careful not to spray it on toys, etc. or you have to clean it all up! Wipe away the stain and the remnants of the WD-40. Ta-da! It's as if nothing ever happened.

The room's wall...
About a spot of WD-40 and a good wipe on Allie's crayon graffiti,
it's as if the walls have been untouched!

So there you go. No more stains, no re-painting needed, and most of all, no expensive stain removers required. Happy mommy and daddy!

Good luck! :)

A Sigh of Relief

A few of days back, my family and I were frantic with worry due to the situation in the Visayas. Reason being, my Aunt, cousins, niece and nephew all live in Tacloban. All lines of power and communication went out as Haiyan (Typhoon Yolanda) ravaged the region, leaving a massive trail of devastation. Lives and homes were lost by this tragic catastrophe.

Photo credit: NBCNews.com

Yesterday, as most people in the area laid their deceased loved ones to rest in a mass grave in Tacloban, my family finally got a message from my cousin that they are safe. My mother, and the rest of her siblings, got a huge sigh of relief to have found out that my aunt and her family are okay.

If you may have noticed in my last post, I posted an SOS to you all in case someone might have seen them in Tacloban during the rescue efforts. I am happy to say that they are fine now. Although they have lost their things, they are all alive and safe now. Their house was a mess, but still liveable. Only problem is, there are no lines yet for power and communication, no water, no food, and no meds. They have been travelling back and forth to Samar to get food rations from the relief operations so they could survive for the moment.

Haiyan victims rescued by C-130 planes have finally landed
in Villamor Airbase, Manila
(Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/)

In this post, I also want to thank those who helped me and my family through links of lists, videos, etc. so I can identify if anyone in those videos were my relatives. Also, the nations who have sent help... THANK YOU. To the government institutions who aided the people--except for the politicos with other agenda than to help--the Armed Forces, police force, DOH, etc. I may be harsh in my words with some of those who sugarcoated the news about those people, hiding the real condition of the people to "avoid panic" for the victims' relatives, I still thank you for helping out those in need.

You can find relief facilities almost anywhere at the moment.
Please send your donations to Red Cross, nearby hospitals, schools,
fastfood establishments, banks, etc. to help out our
kababayans in the Visayas. :)

What I am asking you all right now is to please help the people in need. In cash, in kind or if you can volunteer. Doesn't matter how, but just please, help them in any way. We may have lost some of our stuff by giving them away, but it's the least we can do for those who have lost way more than just material things.

Happy Friday everyone. Our nation will get through this. Kapit lang.

The Haiyan Aftermath

Hello all.

I haven't been writing for a few days now as I am looking for my relatives who were victims of the past typhoon. As you all know, our country was hit by Monster Typhoon Haiyan (locally called Yolanda). If you haven't seen the news, thousands of homes were wrecked by this Category 5 Frankenstorm. Families perished, children orphaned, parents lost their children, spouses widowed, crops destroyed... everything in chaos.

Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda), viewed from the International
Space Station (Source: AFP/Getty Images)

Aerial view of the massive destruction in the province of Samar, Philippines
(Source: Reuters)

Taclobanons (Tacloban City, Leyte residents) surveying the ruins
(Source: AP)

Though here in Manila and most parts of Luzon weren't hit by this freak of a storm, the central part of the country was badly devastated by it. Because of this, I appeal to you all. To those who could help our countrymen, please send your donations to Red Cross, or to charity groups helping out in this cause. It doesn't matter if you choose to donate in cash, in kind, or even yourselves as volunteers--as long as you can help.

Also, I wrote this to take the opportunity to find my relatives. She and her family are residents of Tacloban City, one of the most badly hit places here by that wretched typhoon. She, along with my cousins, Joyce and Patrick, as well as Patrick's wife, Mae, and their kids, Rhylenne and Russel, are living in Kassel Homes in Tacloban. Since the storm made landfall, we have no word yet about their current location. We don't know if they have evacuated or not. We have no idea as well on how they are doing at the moment--if they have food to eat, if they still have clothes to wear, if their home is still intact, and most important of all, if they are all safe.

I am posting their photos here, and ask you all if anyone (especially those who went to medical missions in Tacloban just recently) have seen them. I have tried Facebook, Google's Person Finder, etc., and am now trying my luck here too. Anyway, here are their names, ages and photos.

My aunt, Miraflor Cruz, 58 yo

My cousin, Joyce Carol Cruz, 24 yo

My cousin, Patrick Anthony Roca, 27 yo, his wife, Mae Richell Loyola-Roca, 27 yo,

daughter Rhylenne Keizhia, 5 yo, and son, Steven Russel, 4mos.

In case you have any information about them, please let me know through my email: shockingina<at>gmail<dot>com

Please, no spams, chain bullshit mails or whatever. I need help, not junk mail. If you are in my position, you will understand my point.

Anyhoos, thank you for your kind sympathies for my country, by the way. Til next time.

Back to the Old Drawing Board!

I started drawing again. It has been one of my oldest passions aside from music. I remember when I was in first grade, my father drew a picture of the Sto. Niño for my school project. I have always look up to him for being so artistic. He never draw portraits a lot, but when he do, it's always awesome.

Anyway, I stopped drawing back in college due to my crazy law subjects. I was a Public Administration student and I was pretty busy when I was in my third/fourth year. A couple months after graduating, I started working at a call center and had to press pause on music and art. Since then, I haven't done anything art-related... until recently.

One of my first pieces, years after I stopped drawing.

Here's a few that I made a few nights back.
Insomnia gets the best out of me, I guess. Haha!

So yea, I started practicing again--my family as my muse. I started out with mu husband, then the kids. I have never felt so great. For me, it's just like gardening and playing the guitar. This thing excites and calms me, both at the same time. And just like riding a bike, not drawing for far too long (about ten years, actually) does not make you un-learn these things. You just get rusty, BUT you will never forget how to do it.

Happy Allie. :)

Ate Renee and her shiny hair. Hihi!

How about you guys? Any passion you stopped doing that you wish to start pursuing again?

Streetfood Hack: Manong Fish Ball's Famous Sauce

When I was young, I have a very sensitive tummy. As much as I want to eat lots of street food, I was always the type who would be sent to the doctors the next day for eating isaw, fish balls, squid balls, dirty ice cream, barbecue, halo-halo or ice scramble from your nearest carinderia or "tulak-tulak".

Back then, I just wanted to hack their recipe for the sauce or the marinade. For years, I was able to make the barbecue marinade, the "dirty" mami, dinuguan, and all those yummy food that I so wanted to eat, but doesn't have the stomach to endure them. I mean, they're not that bad and all, it's just that I have the most sensitive stomach growing up. Though I'm still not sure if it was really the street dirt that has always got me sick then, or if it's really that sensitive tummy that has always been the culprit.

Years later, my tummy toughened up and there's this missing piece in my collection of street food hacks--manong fish ball's sauce. So much trial and error, but I just seem to get it right. Until now. I stumbled upon a recipe online. I tried it at first but it was not as good as manong's. A couple of tries and some tweaks later, I was finally able to get it right! And now, I am happy to share to you my "lamon triumph". Haha!

So without further ado, here is my food hack of manong fish ball's sauce recipe.

Ingredients:

4 cups water
2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp cornstarch
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tbsp white vinegar
7 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp patis
1 medium sized onion, minced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red chili or siling labuyo, finely chopped (you can add more if you want OR skip it, if you have kids who would eat them)
salt, pepper, and chili powder to taste

Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients, except onion, garlic, chili, salt, pepper and chili powder, in a saucepan. Mix them together until everything is dissolved BEFORE you start cooking it.
2. Once dissolved, place the mixture on medium heat until it boils.
3. Add garlic, onion and chopped red chili and stir the mixture until it thickens.
4. Once you reach the desired consistency of the sauce, add salt, pepper and chili powder to taste. Place heat on low. Bring to a boil.
5. Enjoy with kikiam, fish balls, chicken balls or squid balls.

My daughter has never had street food ever, but she loved it so much, I am cooking this once more this weekend for the whole fam.

I hope you guys enjoy this as much as we did. :)

My Lazy Corn Cupcakes

I have been under the weather lately and has been pretty sluggish in doing stuff at home. Renee asked me if I could make her corn cupcakes.

Since I have been suffering from asthma and super heavy colds since last Monday, I can barely breathe. I had to make a lazy version for the meantime and not something from scratch. That said, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but thank you, Sharon Cuneta! Haha!

Yes, I made a "lazy cupcakes" using Sharon's cupcake mix, corn kernels and cheese.

Here's how I made them:

Ingredients:

2 x 200g packs of Celebrations by Sharon Party Cupcake Mix
1 x 425g can of Corn Kernels (I used SM Bonus' kernels. I got them free at a yellow tag promo pack at SM. I don't know what to do with them until now. Haha!)
1/3 cup cheese
1 cup milk (instead of water)
4 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs

1. Drain the can of corn kernels. Set aside.
2. Whisk eggs, cheese and milk until frothy. Add the melted butter and cupcake mix until smooth, without lumps.
3. Fold corn kernels in the mixture.
4. Cook as per package instructions:
 - Preheat oven at 350 F/ 177 C
 - Line cupcake molds with liners.
 - Fill up cupcake tins until 3/4 full.
 - Bake for 15-18 minutes or until done.
 - Once cooked, set aside and cool.

OR if using stove & steamer:
 - Boil water in steamer.
 - Steam for 10 minutes or until done.
 - Once done, set aside and cool.

Makes about 20-24 medium sized cupcakes. Aaaand there you go! Enjoy. :)

Sorry, I'm Not Sorry... Bullying is NEVER Okay.

Earlier today, my family and I went to the mall to have some family time, taking advantage of the holiday (Eid al-Adha). We were also looking for costumes so the kids could have something to wear when they go trick or treating. By the time we were done, my hubby and I thought of grabbing something to eat at McDonalds.

After eating, my four-year-old daughter, Renee, asked us if she could play at the fast food's play area. Since she's already done with her meal, we let her played for a bit so we could rest a bit from taking care of the kids and for her to enjoy McDonald's free play place. We sat near the play area in case of a commotion.

A while later, the kids became sooo rowdy and my kid's reaction was to ask her new-found playmates if they could use their "inside voice" so that the people around them wouldn't be disturbed. One of the kids was not happy about Renee's request. The six-year-old-looking-boy kept on following my kid, shouting at her. My kid kept walking away from him, but he followed her. Renee stopped. The kid suddenly held my kids neck! WHAT THE EFF?!

My husband and I were shocked, and our reaction was to get his attention. We both shouted at him,"HEY!", so he would leave our daughter alone. I called out my kid and in the process, I was also lecturing the little boy. I said, "Sasakalin mo anak ko?! San mo natutunan yan?! (You're going to choke my daughter? Where did you learn that?!)"

My reaction to the situation caught another father's attention. He called one of the play area kids (his daughter, I assume), and told her that they'll be leaving. I noticed that earlier, he also made another girl (about his age) cry. What is wrong with you, kid?

Look, kid, I'm sorry if something mean happened to you when you were younger, that has caused you to be all aggro towards other people. But pick on somebody your own size! You're lucky that the Aryanne you encountered there was not the old version. If that were the old me, I would have dragged you to where the hell your parents were seated and I would lecture you about aggression and picking on smaller children. How dare you, you little prick?!

To his parents, WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU? I called on your son and told him off with a loud voice, so I could also get your attention. You weren't there. I was hoping for a parental showdown of some sort with you people earlier. No one came. No parents, no guardian, not even a yaya (nanny)!

I may have embarrassed him by telling him off in public, knowing that he's not my kid, but I am not sorry that I protected my four-year-old daughter from your six-year-old (seven-ish) son, who was about to choke her.

Sorry, I am not sorry.

A Little Piece of Sunshine: Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Curd Filling and Butter Cream Frosting

It has been a bit gloomy on this side of the world for a few weeks now. Though I love the gloomy weather, there are times when I would long for the sunshine. As do my four-year-old daughter, who wishes for a sunny weather.

I can't just magically pull out the sun out of its hiding so I thought I'd make something as yellow and refreshing as the sunlight for my lovely daughters... Lemon cupcakes with lemon curd filling and buttercream frosting based on Martha Stewart's recipe... though I tweaked it a bit. :)

If you may have noticed on my previous posts, I just looooove baking for my little ones. And now, I am sharing with you my bit of sunshine!

I started with the lemon curd. This way, the curd filling will cool off as I make my cupcakes as well as my frosting.

You'll need:

2 medium-sized lemons, juiced and grated for zest (make sure you avoid the white pith)
1 cup caster sugar (or you can also use confectioner's sugar, though caster is finer)
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 eggs, 2 yolks
pinch of salt
1/3 cup butter, unsalted

Procedure:

1. In a saucepan, whisk (or in my case, I used a fork!) sugar with the eggs. Cook under low heat.
2. Gradually combine the butter, zest, vanilla, butter and salt, while continually whisking until it thickens.
3. Strain through a sieve into a bowl.
4. Let it sit. Once cooled under room temperature, chill in freezer for a few minutes for easy piping.

Clockwise from top: lemon cupcake mix, buttercream frosting,
and lemon curd.

Now on to the cupcakes. For these, you will need the following:

1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
zest of 1 1/2 lemons
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 tbsp vinegar mixed with fresh milk to fill 1/2 cup)

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line tins with cupcake liners.
2. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time so it would incorporate evenly.
4. Add in zest and vanilla.
5. Finally, add the flour, half by half, alternating with milk and lemon juice, until everything is mixed.
6. Fill each cupcake mold up to 3/4. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Once cooked, let them cool.
8. Scoop each cupcake in the middle, using a spoon (as seen in the photo) for the filling.

Aaaaand finally, while I wait for the cupcakes to cool, we'll make the buttercream frosting!

For a basic buttercream frosting, you would need:

1 cup caster or confectioners sugar
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened (not melted)
1/4 tsp vanilla
2-4 tsp milk

Procedure:

1. Mix sugar, butter and vanilla.
2. Gradually add milk. 2 teaspoons first, then add a teaspoon at a time, until you reach frosting consistency.
3. Mix until there are no more lumps.

Assembling the cupcakes

1. Once the cupcakes are cooled, create a small crater inside each of them. Use a small spoon to scoop them. Make sure it won't reach the bottom of the cupcakes or the curd will flow out.
2. Pipe lemon curd filling on to each cupcake until it reaches the surface.
3. Pipe buttercream frosting on top of the cupcake. I made mine as such in the photo, surrounding the lemon curd filling. Make sure your cupcake is entirely cool and your lemon curd chilled, or your buttercream frosting would melt. You may also top them with lemon zest, if you wish.

And there you go! A little piece of sunshine, thanks to this zesty, lemony treat.

Enjoy! :)

It's Not COOL To Be Mean To Kids

I was scrolling through my Facebook page and I notice this article from New York Daily News about this woman who steals a foul ball from a child at a baseball game. Poor kid.

The 2011 video of Juan Miranda's foul ball was seen by people all across America at an MLB game between Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Minute Maid, and has already gone viral. Too bad, it's already too late. I mean, it's 2013 already!

In the video, you could hear the announcers noticed the Kris Jenner lookalike snatched the ball from the little girl.

"She took it right from her! That was BEYOND wrong!" One announcer says.

At first, I thought she was there to help out the kid to catch the ball. The woman was not able to catch the ball and she noticed that the child caught it. She quickly snatched it right from the kid's hands and waves it to her friends, with some high fives to boot.

Poor little girl just walked back to her seat devastated.

Bitch, you think you're so cool now, huh?

You can see the video of it in YouTube entitled, "Evil woman steals ball from little girl".

I know. She's soooo mean! If that were my kid, I swear, I'm gonna go all crazy on her. Ugh. I still feel bad at the sight of the sad kid. I could just imagine her sadness, that she might not want to go to any baseball games anymore. :(

So yea, being mean to kids: NOT COOL. Picture yourself in the kid's shoes. Would you want them to be mean to you?

What about you parents out there? Are you as furious as I was when you saw the clip? Sound off below.

My Lucky September

To some, September is like "hell month". But I beg to differ. September 2013 has been very kind to me. I just couldn't contain myself, that I just had to share the experience with you all. :)

This month was just... awesome. I couldn't describe it any other way.

I won! 

First of all, I won Bebengisms.com's Birthday Cyber Party. I got tons of giveaways that my four-year-old was sooooo giddy to see our table full of cool stuff.

Told you she was so giddy!

Renee's achievement.

Since I have been homeschooling my four-year-old, Renee, I have been given the task to teach my child her ABCs, math, writing, reading, and even science. I have started teaching her stuff back in January and am proud to say that she has progressed pretty well for a homeschooled child.

She has finally learned as much as basic two-digit addition and subtraction, how to read, how to write, the colors of the rainbow, shapes and polygons, traffic colors (traffic signals and "walk"/"don't walk" signs), and things about the human body. Oh and the piano as well, since her father's a musician, I thought it'd be fitting to start her up with piano. Not bad eh?

CVC words, phonemes and simple addition/subtraction.

Teeny hands playing "Mary Had A Little Lamb".
(I labeled the keyboard so she could remember the keys.
It works!)

The long wait is over.

As I have told you before, my husband and I have decided to move to Canada for good. A couple of weeks back, we finally received our family's Canadian visa. We will be moving to the great White North by spring next year, thanks to my uncle (mom's bro) who was gracious enough to sponsor my family so we can move there.

Destination: The Great White North

We have been waiting for this moment since that day we sent our papers back October last year. And now, it's finally here! It's bittersweet, though. I mean, we will be leaving our lives here to start a new one in a strange country. We'll be leaving our families behind--our siblings and parents, friends and relatives. All that to start anew across the globe. But then again, our plan is to eventually bring the whole family there anyway. At least, this is the start, yes?

Our future there still seems bleak. No idea of what's gonna happen. I mean, we sure have a Plan A and a Plan B. But we all know things don't always turn out as planned. Chances are, we might come up with new plans when we get there. Ah well, as they say, we'll cross that bridge when we finally get there.

For now, I guess, we'll just keep on hoping for the best. Until that day we fly to the land of bacon and maple syrup--no not milk and honey!

29 Things You Need to Know About Me

For Bebengisms Birthday Cyber Party

A domestic queen I know, has just turned 29 a few days back and her little princess is turning 5 soon (they celebrate the same birth month!). She is the woman behind the super-kikay and very fun to read (and informative) mommy blog, Bebengisms.com. Believe me, she almost hasn't changed a bit since the last time I saw her back in high school! I remember I got a grad photo from her back then with a dedication. I was suppose to post it, when I realize that most of my high school memories were taken that fateful day that Ondoy flooded almost the whole metro. :(

I have been an avid reader of her blog. It's just so exciting to read and very relatable, especially to stay-at-home-mothers just like me. You see, she's almost my age. We went to the same high school (she's a year ahead of me) and with her blog, I realized that we share many common mommy moments. Our kids--her little Pia and my first-born, Renee are almost the same age. Both talk as if they're grown-ups trapped inside some pre-schooler's body. We both had to hold up the fort while the men of our households are away (though, hands-down, she's way better in this part. Her hubby's a military man and is working outside of the metro, and she's THE man--er woman of the house while he's out). Oh and did I mention that she's a fellow Somerholic??? Hihihi.

Anyhoos, since she's celebrating her 29th, I wanna share with you 29 things about me... and 5 things about each of my darling princesses.

Let's start with me first.

Two-kid carry. One of my daily "amazona" tasks. Haha!

1. I was a premature baby, born 8 months.

2. I was told I only lasted about an hour in the incubator because the nurses feared that I might kick the wirings inside the incubator.

3. I'm a quarter Spanish (maternal grandmother), a quarter Chinese (maternal grandfather), and half (and proud!) Filipino.

4. I came from a military family--both grandfathers served in the USAFFE back in WW2 and my mother is a reservist, which why...

5. I was inspired to join the Cadet Officer Candidacy Course (COCC) back in high school, and was eventually a CAT officer in my senior year. I was then a company commander.

6. I have always, ALWAYS been an animal lover.

7. I once owned 2 lovebirds, 3 dogs, 2 cats, a "dagang costa" and a tank of fishes. Believe it or not, they were all my pets AT THE SAME TIME.

8. I was a tomboy when I was a kid, because...

9. I grew up with a bunch of guy friends--most of them are cousins. That said,

10. People once thought I was gay and were all shocked when they started seeing me with a boyfriend.

11. I used to smoke and drink until I completely stopped back in 2006. Never took a puff nor sip ever since.

12. I taught myself to play the guitar and piano.

13. I'm an insomniac.

14. I'm a coffee lover.

15. Since I was a kid, I always name my pets with people's names because I just want to see their reaction when they realize that I'm talking about our pets. It's only now that I started naming them with cartoon characters' names because my kid told me so. Haha!

16. I used to be in a band... BUT 

17. Before I got in a band, I was once a choir girl.

18. I once aspired to become an actress (don't we all do???).

19. I love, LOVE drawing.

20. I met my husband through a then-officemate. That guy is now my brother-in-law, who is also my husband's bandmate since the beginning of time.

21. I'm a big fan of TV series and rock music.

22. I have a crazy photographic memory.

23. Though I seem to be a toughie, I am such a cryer too.

24. I look like my brother's fiancee. People tend to think she's my sibling, not my lil bro. Hahaha!

25. I usually cut my own hair, and my kids' and hubby's. (Last time I was in a salon was back in January, after four long years of just cutting it myself. And now, I am back to trimming it by myself again! Real-life version of Zohan. Haha!) 

26. I haven't had a salon mani-pedi in years, in the fear of having a murdered cuticle again (I always come home with an injured toe, no matter who/where I get a mani-pedi from).

27. If you haven't seen my blog yet, or haven't seen my Facebook photos, you should know that I looooove cooking!

28. Due to some medical issues I had years ago, I didn't really expect I'll have kids. Am I lucky or what? :)

29. The best--and craziest job I have ever had is being a MOMMY. :)

Now, to my kiddies:

Me and my mini-me, Renee.

Renee:

1. Ren was born via c-section back in March 2009. The first grandchild on both sides--mine and my husband's. She's named Renee Angeli. Renee meaning reborn (French) and Angeli, (variation of "Angel", heaven's messenger). She was given the second name as a tribute to a sibling we lost, when my mother suffered a miscarriage back when I was in high school.

2. Renee would rather eat monggo, fish and seafoods, than have hotdogs and spaghetti.

3. She skipped Nursery when she applied for school this year, and was accepted Kinder 2 at a Catholic School in Marikina. Unfortunately, due to our plans of migrating, she had to skip this year. Kids in Canada go to school at age 5.

4. Unlike most kids, Renee is fascinated by movies like Nightmare Before Christmas, Coraline, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, and The Phantom of the Opera.

5. When we go out, people often speak to her in English, thinking she's Korean or Chinese.

Me and my little Allie-pot.

Allie:

1. Allie was a breech baby (suhi), and was delivered via c-section last year, May 2012. She was given the name Rachel (meaning lamb) and second name Allison (meaning noble one).

2. Allie started walking at exactly one year old. She took her first steps just last May, her birth month.

3. Her first word was "de-de" (milk)... not "Ma-ma" nor "Da-da".

4. She's been exclusively breastfed since birth.

5. She loves to play with our four cats. Takes after Mommy. :)

Soooo that's it. I know. It's suuuuuuuper long eh? I think this is like the first time I have ever opened up about myself in cyberspace. Well, yea, aside from my blog, this is THE first time ever that I have told the world things about me that only few people know. It actually felt pretty good, and I owe it all to you, Ate Denise!

Belated happy birthday, Ate Denise. Again. Hehe! And advance happy birthday to your little Bebeng, pretty little Sophia.

Cheers to more good reads at Bebengisms! :)

Half-birthdays and Easy-peasy Red Velvet Cupcakes

Hellooooo domestic rockstars! :)

Today is my 4-year-old's half-birthday. Yes, you read it right. My little panganay (first-born) turned half a year today. Look, I know it's not really a holiday or whatevs. But in this household, this mommy celebrates her children's half-year birthdays.

Happy half-birthday to youuuuuuu... :)

So today I made Renee one of the most typical (and popular) birthday food--pancit. The other most popular and most typical is spaghetti. People here believe that serving noodle/pasta dishes would give the celebrant a long life. I'm not really superstitious, but I made it because my kids love pancit. I added some of those rabbit-shaped fish cakes. I was inspired after seeing it on a sotanghon soup from Bebengisms. My daughter loves those and I thought I'd incorporate it. Suffice to say, my picky-eater ate a plateful of pancit. For dessert, she ate one regular-size and a couple mini red velvets! Oh and she blew her candle on one of those cupcakes, which I topped with cream cheese frosting and chocolate sprinkles.

Now, if you think I am sharing some recipe with you today, well, YOU. ARE. RIGHT.

I have been asked by a lot of people I know--moms mostly, about my red velvet cupcake recipe. So for everyone's benefit, I am sharing it now to you all. :)


You will need the following to make the batter:

1 1/4 cups flour; sifted
1 tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cups sugar
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1 egg; room temperature
1 tbsp red food color (about half a bottle of McCormick's food color)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk
3/4 tbsp baking soda
1 tsp white vinegar

***If you have no buttermilk, mix half a tablespoon of white vinegar (or lemon juice) and 1/2 cup of fresh milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes before you pour on the red velvet mixture.


Procedure:

1. Pre-heat oven in 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcake molds/tins with cupcake liners.
3. Mix all ingredients together, dry ones first. Stir until there are no more lumps.
4. Pour batter onto the mold/tin, filling only 3/4 of it.
5. Pop in the oven for 15-20 minutes OR cook in steamer for 15 minutes.
6. Set aside and let the cupcakes cool.
7. Once cool, pipe frosting (or dollop using spoon) onto the cupcakes, or dust with confectioner's sugar.

Freshly-made red velvets. Cool them off for a
few minutes, so the frosting won't melt.

Now, since I used cream cheese frosting for my baby's cupcakes, I'll share with you the frosting recipe as well. :)

Cream cheese frosting will need:

1/3 cup butter (1/3 of a brick of butter); softened
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup cream cheese

Mix all ingredients together until there are no more lumps. Spread them over the cupcakes. You can even add some sprinkles, mallows, sliced fruits, nuts or chocolate chips, if you want!

Ta-daaaaaa!!!
My red velvets with candy sprinkles (top left),
chocolate sprinkles (top right), and chocolate chips (bottom).

Renee was so excited upon learning this afternoon that I'll be making her fave red velvets. She offered to help me make them! So yea, that's a mommy-and-me tag-team effort you are seeing there, while little Allie was playing "tu-to" (Tagalog: luto; English: cook) with all the kitchen toys her big sister gave her. :)

I hope you ladies (and prolly some gents, too!) would enjoy making these.

Happy cooking (and eating)!



XO,
Aryanne

My very own "Husband Appreciation Day"

This is not one of my usual posts.

This one's not my typical blogposts. No. No recipe or whatevs. Just a plain "I appreciate my hubby" kind of post.

No. It's not our wedding anniversary. Today, I just woke up listening to Paramore's "Still Into You" and thought of making this for him... Just because.


Our story.

I have been married to my husband for more than 5 years now, and we have been together for almost 7. The marriage wasn't always butterflies and rainbows, BUT never rocks and thorns. I haven't told him how much I appreciated him for all those years though. So I thought this would be my chance. :)

You see, my husband has been in a band for almost half of his life. He has been playing the bass and guitar as far as he can remember. Surprisingly, he has never strayed, took any substance, smoked nor drank alcohol EVER. I never thought that it was possible, considering he's not even in a Christian/gospel band. Believe it or not, he's in a rock band.

I'll forever be your fan girl. 

For years, he had his own fair share of fans, groupies--even stalkers. He has always kept a distance from them. And since he never got drunk, nor have ever been under the influence, he never had any problem of making huuuuuge mistake/s of having to sleep with or do whatever crazy things anyone could possibly imagine to any of them. I am indeed one lucky girl. Well, me and my girls are soooo lucky.

I can still remember the first time that we met. He and his brother had a day job, aside from being one of those pogi-rock bands in the country back then. At that time, I was his brother's officemate. Since I had a band myself back then, he invited me to tag along at one of his band's radio tours. The rest, as they say, is history.

By the way, NO, I'm not a groupie-turned-rockstar's-wifey. No babies before the wedding and all that stuff neither. We had an old-fashioned courtship. We dated and got married a year and a half later. :)

So fast forward 7 years later, we already have two kids and he's still in a band. We're still together, without any complications. I couldn't be any happier.


Thank you, video games and comic books.


As I have told you before, he never strayed, smoked, nor took any substance or alcohol. Don't get me wrong, he's no wuss. Just because people don't do those things, doesn't mean they're wusses. In fact, I find those people way more courageous. Having the resolve to stay away from those vices is just remarkable. I have nothing against people who love alcohol and all that stuff, because I, too, smoked and drank when I was younger as well. But I never regretted the day I stopped.

I found him interesting back then, for having such profession BUT never had the urge to take those stuff. Nope, not even a sip of beer. Root beer, yes. But never THE beer. And for that I am truly thankful. I need not have to worry about nursing a hungover husband, an emphysemic one, nor have an eventful "Surprise! You have a love child." moment.

In my opinion, it was all because of the comic books and video games. When he was younger, he just loved LOVED playing video games. He always told me about his love for video games. How he's been playing them waaayyy longer than he has played any musical instruments. And that he's been collecting all these comic books and action figures for so many years now.

I figured this may have attributed to his personality. How calm he seems in dire situations, how great of a driver he is, and how much of a child-at-heart this man is. Probably the reason why he also doesn't have any other vices. I mean, have you seen Sheldon Cooper (Big Bang Theory) got drunk?

Okay, fine. Yep. Sheldon did got drunk once over a Long Island Ice Tea. Forget that I compared them then. Haha!

Anyway, he may not be a rocket scientist or a physicist, but I got me a computer geek. You see, aside from being a musician, he's also a computer guy. An IT dude whose got lots of certifications in his belt, just like a doctor with a lot of specialties (if there's one).

Yep. I married a computer-geek-slash-comic-book-nerd-slash-rockstar.

He may not have that typical "musician look" we usually see, with all the tattoos and what-nots, but he just plays the guitar and bass beautifully. He doesn't look like a nerd either. He may look like your typical Average Joe, but for me, he's just exceptional. Kinda like Clark Kent. He's my Superman. :)

Aaaand cue John Mayer's "Daughters" :)

I know our marriage isn't perfect. But I have always known that he's the best. How he has provided for me and our daughters the things we needed for all those years, while I stayed home to take care of them, after I quit my job 6 years back after almost having a miscarriage. How he nursed me when I gave birth to both daughters, and all those times that I get sick. How he has always appreciated my cooking, and even the smallest things that I do. How he never gets mad at how much I have been a Somerholic (haha!). How he suddenly became a cat person because of me. How he has always been there for me and the kids through thick and thin. How he always And how he always makes us feel loved.

He loves computer games... Now he loves cats, too!

You have a genuinely pure and gentle heart.

Thanks, Dad.

I love you. And I intend to love you even if we get waaaay too wrinkly, and too old to even walk a mile.


Lovelots,

Mom



This post is not your typical mommy blog post. No recipes. Just a plain "Thank you, husband. I appreciate and love you so much." kind of blog post.