Once a Month Cooking

One of the perks of moving here is the food.  Being close to every store imaginable we can buy every food or ingredient we want.  If I was craving for something then I just need to go to the store to buy the ingredients and I can have it for our next meal.  The best part of moving was having a friendly neighbor teaching us how to cook.  It’s no secret that I suck at cooking big time.  So I have been asking our neighbor to help us cook different dishes.

Yesterday, we bought a kilo of meat and asked her to demonstrate how to cook adobo.   What she did was different from what we were doing.  She cooked it first with soy sauce and didn’t add a single drop of water.  She added vinegar only when it was about to be cooked.

My family loved it, of course!  We ate it for lunch and dinner and we still have some left overs for the next day.  Next week I’m going to try cooking it the way she taught me and see if I can successfully replicate it.  Next time when I’m confident enough with my cooking I will try freezer cooking.  Freezer cooking, also known as once a month cooking, is the latest craze today.  We know cooking takes so much time and doing it three times a day equals a lot of cooking time.  With the help of a freezer you can cook large servings of food that would last you and your family one month.  This will save you time so you can do more productive activities.  I haven’t tried it mainly because we don’t have a freezer but it’s one of my dreams to be able to do this one day.  Maybe when I’m already a good cook that is.

Pizza Hut Promo

Pizza Hut’s buy-one-take-one is extended till July 19.  Go to your nearest Pizza Hut order a family sized pizza and then get another one for free.  There are three flavors to choose from.  This promo is exclusively for take out orders.

Calamares Recipe

One of the difficult things about being pregnant is getting the right food to agree with my tummy.  For the past weeks just the thought of the usual foods I’m eating make me want to vomit.  Just this morning for breakfast I thought I was craving for spaghetti but when it was finally served and I was about to eat it I realized I didn’t want it after all.  I tried to finish it but I failed.  Good thing for lunch I know what food I want.  I have eaten calamares yesterday and I was very satisfied so I decided to stick with it and eat it for lunch again for the second day in a row.

Just a little background.  Calamares is from the word “calamaro” which is the Italian for squid.

How did we cook it?  It was really easy.  Just clean the squid thoroughly by removing the intestines, ink sac, and spine.  Cut it into rings.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and coat with flour.  Deep fry (but not more than two minutes or else it would be as tough as rubber) and voila, you have your very own home-made calamares.

For the dipping sauce I just use lots and lots of vinegar.  Yummy!

Beef Siomai Recipe

One of the things I’m craving for while pregnant is beef siomai. I’m looking for a beef siomai recipe that would suit my taste and I have come across one that I will try. I think the reason why I’m craving for this is because I’ve had enough with fried foods. This was the same case when I was pregnant with Z the mere smell of cooking oil makes my stomach somersault. So now have to cook this because I can’t run to the mall every time I crave for one. Mmmm, I’m already salivating as I’m writing my entry. I would be eating this while I’m browsing for life insurance quotes online or while I’m reading my fellow BC Bloggers’ blogs.

Here is the beef siomai recipe that I will follow:

Beef Siomai Recipe

Ingredients:

1 kilo beef (you can also try 1/2k pork and 1/2k beef)
1 onion, minced
spring onions, chopped
1 thumbsized ginger, pounded
2 t sesame oil
2 T soy sauce
1 t sugar
1 t of tabasco (optional)
siomai wrapper

Procedure:

Mix the ingredients in a bowl.  Make sure to mix it well.  Season with salt. Wrap in wonton wrapper and steam. Serve with soy sauce mixed with kalamansi.

Birthday Cake from Red Ribbon

This is the first time ever we bought this cake from Red Ribbon. I remember this was Pehpot’s cake for her birthday and I really liked it so I told hubby I wanted one too. I’m really not a fan of the sponge cakes that Goldilocks make.  I don’t like my cake light and airy, thank you!  I wasn’t able to enjoy it on my birthday though because for some reason it didn’t taste right.  The next day – after it spent a night inside the fridge – I found out it tastes so much better if it’s cold.

Aside from this one, Pehpot surprised me and bought me another cake also from Red Ribbon.  So I actually had two cakes that day.  I really had no idea she would bring me something even though she was asking me at YM hours before if I had already a birthday cake.  She told me she would be late because she would have to do their grocery.  I was like, “Huwat? You can do your grocery later, hellow?”  Good thing I didn’t get mad at her for prioritizing her groceries over my birthday because it turned out she was at the mall buying cake and flowers for me. hahaha   Yes, I was really clueless I had no idea she would bring something.  So thanks so much Phepot – err Pehpot – for the surprise.  Buti na lang nagdala ka kasi kasi palpak yung spaghetti.  So now you know why I’m always attending your parties – it’s because we can’t cook. Spaghetti na nga lang palpak pa! wahaha!

Oops, I forgot to thank Niko, Fedhz, and Jade for the gifts.  They are Pehpot‘s partner in crime.  Thanks, girls, for surprising me.  Wala talaga ako kaalam-alam. hihi