From Our Home...to Yours!

Food Trip Friday: Leche Flan

We spent a Christmas dinner with Pinoy friends tonight. The made Pork Barbecue, fried Rice and I made some veggies, and Leche Flan. It was my second time to make this dessert and it turned out to be good despite the difficulty making the caramel; I almost gave up! Anyway, we also brought sparkling wine since we don't drink alcoholic beverages. We had so much fun having dinner together. Anyway here is my entry for this week.

For more yummy entry, visit Willa's Blog.

Friday Fill Ins

1. My boots is still in the closet; I didn't get to wear it this winter.
2. Baby Boomer lives longer this century.
3. Imitation like brand name items can be deceiving.
4. I just have a question for you; can we go somewhere private and talk?
5. I'd like to thank everyone who sent me/us Christmas cards, messages and gave/sent gifts as well.
6. I still suffer from homesickness, will I get over it?
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to having dinner at friend's house tonight, tomorrow my plans include shop for things I need to send to the Philippines and laundry afterward and Sunday, I want to rest and relax after church!

To All My firends and Visitors...

And Happy New Year...from the Kenyon's
Cecile, Matt and Jake

Filipino Foods: Sizzling Sisig

Ingredients:
- 1 kg Pork Face
- 1/4 kg Pork Brain (Optional)
- 2 tsp. butter
- 4 pcs. Onions, chopped
- 3 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. Catsup or Chilli Sauce
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fried Pork skin, grounded (Optional)
- 1 Egg (Optional) - only when serving

Cooking Procedures:

- Boil pork face till tender; slice thinly into cubes.

- Saute 1 pc. onion in butter and add the sliced pork face and the brain in a deep skillet.

- While sauteing, mix the liquid ingredients.

- Add the liquid mix in the pan. Simmer for about 15 mins.

- Serve in sizzling plate, garnish with Fried pork skin, egg and chilli for your taste.

Bonding Time with Friends

These pictures were taken during our last visit with our friends, Juliet and her family. The kids were having fun playing together. I really had fun seeing Jacob climbed fig tree. He never climbed any tree before and I was amazed how quickly he learned to climb up despite the difficulty he had! He had a blast...and so with all the kids.

Great Tasting Gravy Gift Pack

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

I have been roasting a turkey every thanksgiving day, but for whatever reason I couldn't really make a great tasting turkey gravy. So, I always end up using store brought gravy mix that taste better for me than the one I make. Who would have thought that there is far better than gravy mix until I watched the gravy tips video from the Club House. The video is about how to I can now make a great-tasting homemade gravy without worry or fuss that my family wouldn't eat. I say that the video is entertaining as well as educational. From now on, I would add up chicken or turkey drippings on my gravy mix for a tasting gravy; indeed it is a secret to a best-tasting gourmet-type gravy! If you are interested, make sure that you check the link out and watch watch the Chef's Video Tips on how to make the perfect holiday gravy. Make your holiday meal perfect using the tips the chef himself!

Even better is that fill up the newsletter sign-up and contest entry form for a chance to win a Club House Gravy Gift Pack. If you want, you can also share your recipe with fellow raffle entrants also. For more info about the contest, read the contest rules. Who knows, you might be the lucky winners of the Club House Gravy Gift Pack.

Food Trip Friday: Chicken Pho'

Here is my entry for this week's Food Trip Friday. This is a Vietnamese soup called Chicken Pho'. Hubby ordered this for me when he ate dinner with his colleague one Friday night. Visit Willa's Blog for more yummy foods.

It has chicken broth. with noodles, bean sprouts, red onion, green onions, basil, sliced of lime and jalapeno and of course...slices of chicken.

This is good especially on cold season like winter!

Mommy Moments: My Fave Entry

This week's theme for Mommy Moments is "your fave entry". Honestly, all the entries are my faves because I get to brag about my one and only son. Okay, my fave entry of them all is the "treasured moments." Buy I also , chose my own entry today where my son pause for some pictures taking in front of the Christmas tree. I particularly chose this for the reason that it is Christmas and Jake is very excited about it. He loves snow and hopefully get some snow before the winter ends. Anyway, just want to thank, Chris for hosting this meme...I had so much fun joining every week!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

For more entries just click the badge above.

Food Trip Friday: Mangoes

It's Friday once again...and here is my entry for this week's Food Trip Friday hosted by Willa.

I've been eating fruits lately and this is one I like best, MANGOES!

Sunday Stealing: The 6 Ws Meme

Today we ripped this meme off a blogger named Notbob at the blog Notbob's Bits. He states that he stole it at Milly's Big Fat Me blog. But, it was probably stolen there as well. So, of course, that will be as far as we go. Tracing back our theft's thieves might take some time. Link back to us at Sunday Stealing!

Cheers to all us thieves!

Sunday Stealing: The 6 Ws Meme



Who...
Is easy to love? ~~ Aside from myself...my family.
Do you just wanna smack? ~~ No one.
Do you trust? ~~ My husband... next to God.
Do you talk to when you're alone? ~~ The person on the other line.

What...
Dangerous things do you do while driving? ~~ Watch those crazy drivers.
Are you allergic to? ~~ Nothing.
Is Satan's last name? ~~ No idea.
Is the freakiest thing in your house? ~~ None!

When...
Is it time to turn over a new leaf? ~~ Right now!
Will you be all that you can be? ~~ I already am!
Is enough enough? ~~ Of what? Be specific.
Do you go to the dark side? ~~ Yup, when the sun goes down.

Where...
Are your pants? ~~ I am wearing one right now.
Is your last will and testament? ~~ We haven't done that yet.
Is your junk food stash? ~~ Yup, by hubby.
Is Carmen Sandiego? ~~ I don't know.

Why...
Was the Lone Ranger alone? ~~ You tell me...'cause I have no idea why.
Was The Scarlet Letter scarlet? ~~ I don't think so!
Are musicians sexy and plumbers not? ~~ Are they?
Are there no seat belts on school buses? ~~ Yeah, why? I need to ask my friend who is a school bus driver.

Would you...
Swim the English Channel for a doughnut and coffee? If not that, what? ~~ Maybe if it is a Chicory.
Forgive someone who deliberately hurt you? ~~ Yes, why not?
Rather believe a lie if it hurt you less than the truth? ~~ No!
You still be alive if you were sucked out of an airplane window? ~~ Maybe, if I am wearing a parachute.

Girl Rules: Birth Talk

Honestly, I never asked my parents what their reactions was when I was born. All I know is that, I was born preemie (2 months early) on the 18th of March. I was so tiny enough to fit into a shoe box. Yup, that small. I stayed at NICU for few months... because we were so poor, they couldn't pay the hospital bills. I got baptized at the hospital where nurses and doctors who took care of me became my godparents. One of my godfather was a doctor who wanted to adopt me that time, but my parents and grandparents, NO! My mother went to a postpartum stage; she couldn't really takes care of me, so my grandparents (her Parents) stepped up, paid the bills decided to take care of me. Basically, I lived with till I was seven years old. I was loved by my grandfather, and so I was spoiled then. Because I grew up with them, I didn't get the chance of knowing and living with my parents and siblings till I was about to start going to school. At the young age of seven, I already knew how to wash my own clothes.

Anyway, they (my parents) want me back...and so my grandfather who lives in Isabela dropped me off despite that it was against his will. I remember crying so hard when it was time for him to go back home... but he has no choice. The first few months living with my parents and siblings were difficult since my mother (I thought) hated me so much! I don't remember this but my mother told me that every time my father gets home from work in Manila that time, I always say to my siblings " your father is home again :-)...(yung Tatay nyo dumating na :-)!

That's all ladies....for more interesting entry, just click the badge above.

Food Trip Friday: Braised Beef

I have been craving for Chowking Braised Beef, that is why I search for a recipe and found this one. I couldn't upload the picture of the one I made last week, that is why I grab this one on google search. I will upload the picture when hubby is done fixing the problem. Here is my entry for this week. For more yummy foods, check Willa's Blog.

Ingredients:

4-5 tbsp clarified butter
10-12 pieces beef shortrib
1-2 onions chopped
3-4 small carrots chopped
1-2 sticks celery chopped
4-5 clove garlic chopped
1-3 tomatoes diced
2-3 cups red wine
1-2 cups stock or water
1-2 stems rosemary
3-4 stems thyme
3-4 stems parsley
3-4 stems basil
Salt and pepper

Procedure:
1. Heat large deep frying pan or pot add butter then sear (brown) the short ribs on all sides at high heat.
2. Reduce to medium heat and add each veggie as it is chopped, in the order listed, to the large pot and let them all saute till soft.
3. Add garlic and stir till you smell the garlic begin to cook, then add tomatoes.
4. Add wine and just enough water to cover all the meat and vegetables. Let wine get hot (just to the simmering point), then drop in all the herbs - not chopped!
5. Cover with a lid and place in 250 F oven for 2 hours. Then remove lid and keep in oven till meat is tender and falling off the bone.

Kitchen Renovated

As I mentioned before, we did many updates and renovation in our old house. The one part of the house that we totally renovated was our kitchen which we both love. Matt and I were both pleased with the outcome of our hard work. Yup, we did it ourselves from kitchen floor, painting to the cabinets installation. We spent like $5,000 because we didn't hire a professional to do it for us. Whereas, had we hired, we would have spent like $30,000

These are the photos before...

...and these are after the renovation.

Saturday 9: Leaving on a Jet Plane

Welcome to Saturday: 9 . What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!

Saturday 9: Leaving on a Jet Plane


1. When was the last time you jetted away for the holidays?
~~ April 2009
2. What is your fondest birthday memory?
~~ When my husband to be then visited me overseas... and proposed to marry him before he went back home (U.S.).
3. What names do you go by?
~~ Cecilia, Ces, Cecile, Cel and Mommy.
4. What do you look forward to most in the next six weeks?
~~ Moving to a new house.
5. Where is your least favorite place to be, and why?
~~ Somewhere where crime is uncontrollable.
6. Have you ever had a scary stalker type?
~~ None!
7. What is your favorite holiday tradition?
~~ Family gather together for Christmas and New year.
8. What are two activities you do after eating Thanksgiving Dinner?
~~ Sleep and shop in the morning.
9. What did your family do for Thanksgiving when you were a kid? Do you still do it? If not explain why.
~~ Hadn't celebrate Thanksgiving until I got here in America.

Food Trip Friday: Left Over

Since thanksgiving dinner was over, my entry for this week's FTF is the left over from last night's dinner. As you can see, this is spiral ham. I didn't roast a turkey for the reason that when it was time for me to do it, the turkey wasn't thawed yet. Thank goodness, the Kroger was opened and I saw this ham and decided to have it instead. The turkey by the way were roasted late last night. We also have the left over trimmings such as green beans casserole, cranberry chutney, pumpkin pie, stuffing, and mashed sweet potato.

For more yummy food entry, see Willa's Blog who created this delicious meme.

Girls Talk: My Fave Gift Ever!

Here is my entry for this week's theme on Girls Talk created by Niko of Niko's Blog

Since I love cooking, and baking bread and cookies; hubby bought me this "Kitchen Aid Mixer" as a Christmas present on December of 2006; oh boy, I love it!

I chose the color yellow for it matches the color of our kitchen back in our first house.

For All the Love and Friendship...

C'elle, Unique Life Saving Gift

Christmas is just around the corner. Everybody is busy buying gifts for their loved ones and friends. Shopping for gifts is different for me every year. It gets harder and harder every time. I don't want to give something to a family member or friend the same gift I gave her or him a couple of years ago. This year, I plan of giving them gift cards so they can buy whatever they want and actually like and use it. Anyway, if you have a friend, relatives or family member who is expecting soon, what a better gift to give her than a gift certificate for cord blood banking. C'elle company is responsible in preserving the stem cells found in women's menstrual blood. The stem cells found in menstrual blood may potentially be useful in future therapies to treat life threatening diseases that may occur in the future such as leukemia, anemia, cancer, stroke, diabetes and over 75 other diseases. The process is painless, easy and can be done in the comfort of your own home. If you want to learn more about it, check their FAQs page to understand about C'elle and the wonderful services they offer. Aside from stem cells, the babies’ umbilical cord blood is rich in stem cells that produces mature cells in our blood and immune system. These cells then fight infection and help promote our immune system. Cryo-Cell International has helped nearly 185,000 families to preserve their babies’ umbilical cord blood. We know health is very important, so why not give your friend or family member a C'elle certificates to help them protect their child's from any future life threatening diseases. This is the great gift you could ever give to parents to be friends and relatives.

Food Trip Friday: Bilo-Bilo

It is almost weekend once again, time for Food Trip Friday created by Willa. And here is my entry for this week's FTF. I made a Filipino delicacy called Bilo bilo.

Ginataan is a name shared by various desserts; for example, a soup made with coconut milk, tubers, tapioca pearls, and sago.^[1] This soup is also called "tinunuan" in Cebuano, "alpahor"Chavacano, "ginettaán" in Ilokano, and "ginat-an" in Hiligaynon. If gummy balls made of pounded glutinous rice are added, it becomes a dish called bilo-bilo. Ginataang mais is another example of a dessert soup; a warm, sweet, thick gruel made with coconut milk, sweet corn and glutinous rice.

The meat of a mature coconut is grated and the "thick" milk is extracted. Two cups of water are added to the grated coconut and a second extraction is made. This becomes the "thin" milk. This "thin" coconut milk extract is added to cubed kamote (sweet potato), gabi (taro) and ube purple yam), sliced ripe sabá (plantain) and langka (jack fruit), and tapioca pearls. Sometimes, young coconut meat strips are also added. The mixture is brought to a boil; being stirred occasionally until done. Just before removal from the flame, the "thick" coconut milk is added.

Ginataan may be eaten hot (during the cold, rainy season) or cold, but it is best served chilled. Some Filipinos even serve it frozen, eating the dessert much like ice cream.

Personalized Christmas Cards

It is almost Christmastime and that means celebrating the season with family. What a great way to send personalized christmas cards for family and friends. I have always wanted to send this kind of card, but I never get the chance for the reason that they are very expensive. But since Christmas happens only once a year, I think I could send personalized Christmas cards for it would mean a lot to my relatives and friends. If you are planning to do the same, why not visit, 123print.co.uk for they have plenty of Christmas cards design to choose from; you can even personalize your messages and your names in your chosen colors. I love that you can upload your photos, and images of logos free of charge!

This Is What I Ate!

I didn't feel like making a dinner today since hubby is back to work. And so, I decided to prepare myself an easy to make dinner. I fried a pinoy mini hotdog which my son loves, and ate it with steamed rice and sliced tomato. Oh boy, I was full after eating this :-)!

Well, I had an appointment to see a sister in the church and I don't want to smell foods when we go to visit her tonight, that is why I didn't cook dinner. Tomorrow, I will make dinner since I will not be very busy then. I am still torn between whether I would or wouldn't attend my son's school activity tomorrow night. Oh well, I still have a day to decided before that multi cultural night where I am supposed to bring a dessert; and if I decide to go, I will bring fruit salad. Sound good, don't you think?

Submit Your Entry and Win!

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

Calling all who are in need of vision correction! I recommend that "You Gotta See This" iLASIK Video Contest launched by Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO). This video is incredibly amazing! Anyway, this contest was launched by Abbott Medical Optics Inc. (AMO). We all know that AMO is a worldwide leader when it comes to lase vision correction; their goal to know how to better improve the vision of the people. This contest's goal by the way is to encourage the people to make a video showing the impact of improved vision to their daily lives, for a chance to win cash and other valuable prizes. Many of them already submitted original music videos,videos on boxing and swimming and even videos showing how their daily lives improved with repaired or improved vision.

This contest is still open and accepting more entries. The rules are very simple, just submit your video, tell your friends to vote for your entry and get a chance to win fabulous prices. Grand prize winner will receive $5,000! So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and start submitting your video. Aside from the $5,000 grand prize, there will be three first prize winners who will win an HDTV package and three second prize winners who will receive a Flip UltraHD camcorder. If you are interested, just visit them at www.GottaSeeThisNow.com to know more about the details and other prizes!

By the way, the contest is open for more entries, so wait no more go to their site now and submit your video entry. The following are the prizes you can get: The Grand Prizes winner ~~ $5,000, while the First Prize will wins (one in each video category): HDTV package — a $2,500 value. Second Prize (one in each video category): The Flip UltraHD™ camcorder — a $199.99 value. And it's really so easy to join...all you have to do is submit a video in any of the following categories:• “My contacts are getting in the way of my good time”; • “My favorite sport or activity would be so much cooler with better vision”; • “You should see life after the iLASIK® Procedure”.

After submitting your video entry, you must tell your friends, families and everybody you know to vote for your entry, thus giving you a better chance of winning those great prizes! You wouldn't want to miss your chance of winning $5,000, would you? Visit www.GottaSeeThisNow.com to submit video entries, view, and vote on all entries.

Cranberry Chutney

It is Thanksgiving once again, instead of canned cranberry sauce, I plan of making this one to compliments the Turkey :-)! This is yummy! Try it!

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) bag fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup water
1 large cooking apple, chopped
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:
1.In a saucepan, combine all ingredients; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat; simmer for 15-20 minutes or until apple is tender and mixture thickens. Cool completely.
2.Store in the refrigerator. Serve over cream cheese with crackers or as a condiment with pork, ham or chicken.

Real Estate Business Cards

Real estate business which is one of the competitive business ever since selling and buying of houses started. And if your want to succeed on this business, you need to do everything you can to make that happens. Aside from degree and experienced, there is one easier way and is through getting real estate business cards. This is like marketing your business using business card to be given to your friends, family, colleagues, acquaintances, or anybody who are interested or planning to purchase or sell a house. So, if you want to learn more about it, visit printmadeeasy.com where you can see how easy it is or make order.

Food Trip Friday: Sinampalukang Manok

Here is my entry for this week;s FTF which Sinampalukang Manok. I have been craving for this dish like forever, so I cooked some friday last week. Oh boy, this really satisfied my craving! I miss my Mom's cooking so much and this is one of my fave aside from Pinapaitan, Dinuguan and Bopis.

For more delicious food entry visit Willa's Blog

The Many Faces of My Son!

It is so rare that my son would let me take pictures of him without a fuss; and here is one of those day. Right before we went to a state park, after lunch, I took some pictures of him!

Oh, I love these pictures of him!