Dinner at Campisis Restaurant

After our long day is over on Monday where we spent great time at the Dallas World Aquarium, Harbor place in Rockwall, and park, we had a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant in Rockwall. Jacob had his favorite sausage and cheese pizza, while hubby and I have had a vegetarian pizza. Our appetizer was a dish of crab claws which was bit pricey, but very yummy! The pizzas were so delicious, too! I feel like I was eating a cracker with veggies on top of it. The crust was very crunchy with just the right amount of sauce.... we loved it! Here they are, don't they look sumptuous?

Jacob almost finished her own pizza....good thing he let us have a couple of it, lol. You can tell how much he loves that pizza in front of him.

Expand 'n Gro Concentrated Planting Mix, Perfect Soil for My Potted Plants

This post brought to you by Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

The best time to start gardening is in the month of March and April where the weather is perfect (not hot nor cold). Spring time is my favorite season of all. I can do all kinds of stuffs like walking, and working in the yard especially gardening to name a few.  Anyway, Our front yard is done. We already mowed the lawn, fertilized it and cultivated the soil so the plants can grow healthier  and the air can circulate under the garden soil, thus helping the plant breath better.

On the other hand I still need to cultivate my plants that are planted in the pots and afterward add more potting soil in it.  I am going to use Expand 'n Gro concentrated mix because this product will not only add fiber to the soil but also fertilize the soil at the same time. I learned that when you add water to the Expand ‘n Gro™ mix the soil will expand as you mix. Isn't it amazing? Instead of putting more soil or peat moss on your pots, just put a little amount of the Expand 'n Gro and the potted plants  will have enough soil and fertilizer to grow healthier.

Another thing that I like about this product is that it  can feed my garden soil for 6 months and therefore I can harvest big bunches of flowers and lots of vegetables when the garden soil is properly prepared and fertilized .  I trust this new product as much as the Miracle Gro for I have used the Miracle Gro before and it helped my flowers and garden grows bigger and gave me more flowers and veggies than I had without using this special soil mix.

Traditional Pancake

Last weekend, my son requested a pancake for breakfast. I don't normally make breakfast; but that day, I decided to make some for him. He was very happy when I said 'yes.' I can tell how much he missed having pancakes because he gobbled and in just a matter of minutes he was done eating :-). 

These pancakes were all so yummy! Next time I would like to make a buttermilk pancakes, see how it goes. I hope it will be fluffier than these. How about you, do you like pancakes, too?

Cheapest Fresh Flowers Online

I used to send my mother in-law a bouquet of flowers for her birthday and sometimes on mother's day. She is not used to receiving flowers that is why she gets a kick out of it when she received one. Anyway, lately, flowers that are purchased online are not budget friendly anymore. It seems like the shipping and handling fees are more expensive than the flowers itself. I wish there is a store online here in United States that sells cheap flowers, that way I can send my mother in-law flowers again. In U.K., you will be able to find the cheapest flowers online , plus the shipping is free! Isn't it a great deal or what? Serenataflowers.com will even deliver your flowers the next day free if you order it by 8pm.

The best thing about this store is that they offer a no - quibble replacement or full refund if you are not satisfied with your experienced with them. Plus, their website are easy to use. So, if you live in U.K. you should visit their site for they deliver flowers, plants, goodies and etc...for all occasions. I would use them if they deliver in U.S., too. I am not done reading their site yet, I wonder if they  offer tips on how to make fresh flowers  last longer than usual.

Kare-Kare (Stewed Oxtail with Vegetable in Peanut Sauce)

Kare-kare or (Ox tail stew) Commonly beef boiled or oxtail cooked with peanut butter and vegetables. Garnish with shrimp paste (bagoong alamang) on the side.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. Ox tail Or Tripe (optional)
• 1 Sm. Banana Heart (quartered)
•  1 bundle Pechay or Bokchoy
•  2 eggplant sliced thinly
•  1/4 cup or more peanut butter
•  1/4 cup Shrimp paste (bagoong alamang guisado)
•  1 mall onion diced
•  1/2 bundle string beans or green beans
•   4 tbsp. atswete (dissolved in water)
•  1/4 cup powdered toasted rice or dissolved cornstarch alternative
•  1/2 liter of water

Kare-Kare Cooking Instructions:

Boil water in a big pot and place in meat or ox tripe. Simmer over low heat until tender. Strain and keep the stock. Set aside the boiled oxtail/ ox tripe.

Blanch vegetables in batches into the pot of stock. Set aside.

In separate pan, heat cooking oil. Saute garlic and onion until fragrant. Add in oxtail or ox tripe and saute for a few minutes.

Pour in broth from boiled oxtail and bring to a boil. Add in peanut butter and stir until dissolved. Allow to boil.

Pour in atsuete juice, and stir well. Add in dissolved corn starch, salt to taste. Stir until desired thickness.

Soak in blanched vegetables for a few minutes or serve them separately. Turn off heat.
   
Serve with shrimp paste (bagoong alamang).