Busy Sunday Part 2 - Yakimix

So after we attended Mass (Busy Sunday Part 1), our busy day continues...

First we went to Manila to pick up some goodies from an Aunt's house. An uncle in the US sent my mom some tubs of multivitamins and we were also given some candies and chocolates for pasalubong, yay! I didn't really see what were in the other boxes because I was already holding on to my pack of chocolate and ham tee-hee.

At around 12:15, we arrived at our highlight of the day. Our eat-all-you-can adventure at Yakimix in Greenbelt 3. It was only our second time there and even though we were number 51 and they were still calling no. 25, we waited it out. Daddy, my sister and I have been preparing for this for 1 whole week. My bad that I didn't call for reservations earlier. Good news though was most of those from nos. 30-45 weren't there so a lot of numbers were skipped. I think we got a table in a little less than an hour. Did you know that they serve red iced tea while you wait? I only got one for little Missy but we didn't want to spoil our growing hunger to maximize the buffet.

I didn't manage to get any pictures taken. I was so busy feeding little Missy that I didn't even stand up to get my food. Daddy and my sister took turns to put food on my plate, or they'd get what they thought I wanted to grill. Food just kept piling on my plate and little Missy had fun tossing them on the grill. She ate the hotdogs that she grilled herself, some Nido or Bird's eye soup, some fresh grilled shrimps and a couple of bites of tempura.

The only picture I was able to take was little Missy's dessert. It was supposed to be the toppings for the ice cream but she just loves them so much that she just eats them like candy (yep, toothbrushed as soon as we got home).

A bowl of candies, smarties, sprinkles and mallows




Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum! Can't wait for another Yakimix date, maybe next month.
Buffet for 4 adults with bottomless drinks totaled just a little under P2,700.00 (around $65)
Seeing my daughter all happy and excited to grill and eat her candies, PRICELESS.

At the end of our lunch, we all had bulging tummies! What a perfect way to end the day, except it isn't over yet. Check out my post later for Part 3, which will be all about my tot, my little Missy.

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Sunday Funday!

We had a blast yesterday!

First we had to run some errands, lunch at Big Plate, then off to the Podium mall for the ParenTIN.tv event (and to meet other mommy bloggers).

Watch our for my detailed post soon. I hope I can finish uploading/editing/watermarking the photos real soon (over 700+). Stay tuned!

I hope you had a great weekend with your family too!

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Hotdogs and Onions, with Ketchup on the side please - The story.

My Tummy Calls features one of my all-time favorite dishes involving the juicy hotdog, the crisp round onions and a merry splash of ketchup (read here). Why is this dish on of my favorites? Here's the story...

When we were growing up, I was 11 I think and my sisters were 9 and 6, we had a Friday habit. My father (RIP) would pick us up from school early and take us to the Villamor Base Driving Range in Magallanes. A driver would pick my mom and my youngest sister from the house since her school schedule was only during the first half of the day.

A brief background, my father and most of his family members, (his father and some of his brothers) all played golf. My father was even the first (not really sure now) Team Captain of his University's Golf Team. It wasn't really a question that we were bound to learn it some day.

Anywho, I and my younger sister were coached by golf professionals. We would just let our youngest sister hit balls from time to time when we needed a rest, or when we'd snack on something. During those times, I personally felt that we were being forced to learn the sport. I knew that wasn't my father's intention. I just felt that since we had to do it every Friday, then it's somehow being forceful. The only thing I looked forward to during those days was this hotdog dish.

Maybe it's because eating it would mean a semi-long break (since we eat it with rice), plus the short rest afterwards. Maybe it was just because I loved hotdogs then. Maybe it was the ketchup. I honestly can't remember but I'm thankful for it.

Because we loved it so much, my mom imitated the dish. I don't think there's any difference between my mom's and the one from the Driving Range. I love my mom for discovering it. I love her for sharing it with me, now that my little girl seems to have a knack for hotdogs too, maybe she's in the hotdog stage already?

So why do I love this dish? Because my mom tried to learn it because we loved it. Because once upon a time in my childhood it was a big thing for me to look forward to. Lastly, because it reminds me of my father.

I may not have liked our Friday habit during that stage in my life, but I'm thankful he forced, err... encouraged us to learn it. I won a couple of tournaments when I was in my teens. I met a lot of people from different walks of life. I was able to use it at work if "recreation" was needed with clients and most importantly, I was able to learn something HE loved.

So.. without further ado... our dish for the day, Hotdogs and Onions, with Ketchup on the side please. Oh, ketchup wasn't really on the side, so it should be called Hotdogs and Onions with Ketchup "on it".

Do you have a similar story? A dish that takes you back to memory lane?

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Baby you can drive my car

Little Missy is now interested in driving or at driving. Whenever we get in the car, she always tells her Daddy where to go, or which way to turn (left, right or straight). Daddy and I have so much fun when she does this, because we're amazed at how she remembers the directions to places we regularly go to... AND voice them out.

Today, we headed to Market! Market. We had a quick lunch at Pancake House. It's been quite some time that we've last eaten there, I think way back when I was pregnant. I was surprised that they now have a menu for kids.


Being the kid that she was, she was intrigued by the multitude of colors (m&m's) so this is what she ordered.

I must say, I missed their pancakes. She only finished 1 piece so Daddy and ate a piece each too.

After lunch, Daddy was supposed to do some transactions in BDO but the line was overwhelming! We forgot that most people had their paychecks that day too. Since little Missy already saw what was inevitable, we let her have her way this time.

^^See the line to the ATM?



After this experience, Daddy and I both agreed, no driving for minors still! :)

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Good luck to you!

Our helper left yesterday. No need for huhuhuhu though. Some might even say good riddance but I just say "Good luck to you!"

Because of that, hubby decided to have food delivered from Chowking! Yummm... See good things do come out of bad situations. Oh how I missed you Chowking! I know I may cook better (lol) but sometimes we need a little kick from fast food chains.

^^Tender Beef Broccoli

^^Orange Chicken

^^Yang Chow Fried Rice

Love, love, love it! Littly Missy ate most of the Broccoli and Carrots, and some rice. Now time to rest and move around. We need to burn off these oils!

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At the end of the birth-day

So we had our trip to the zoo on her birthday. Of course we couldn't let the day end without her blowing some candles, right? A child has to do what a child has to do. So... Daddy had a cake delivered!

Because he knew she absolutely loved chocolates, he chose the Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven Cake. I love chocolate too so let's see how it fares.

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Birthday Surprise

After posting a greeting to my nephew Ray Paolo who celebrated his birthday 2 days ago I also dedicated a sort of feedback regarding the cake I bought for him yesterday.

When we got to my mom's place, my sister hurriedly called me. She said that Milkita of Unican sent her about 600 pieces of candies to giveaway. Woohooo! My sister gave away some of the treats but reserved half of it for my niece's birthday celebration on the 26th.

Thank you Milkita for being part of their celebration. I hope we win too in September.

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Red Ribbon Cake - Chocolate Creme Roll

This is not a sponsored post. This is merely my personal opinion and experience regarding Red Ribbon's service and their Chocolate Creme Roll.

I decided to bring a cake or roll for my nephew since it's his birthday. Together with some of our relatives, we will be going to their (my mom's) house later and bring potluck. My sister said she will be having spaghetti ready at around 6pm. My cousin, who is his god-father, will be bringing Roasted Chicken and my grandmother will be bringing the juice.

I decided to call both Goldilocks and Red Ribbon Bakeshop. In the end, I opted for a Chocolate Creme Roll from Red Ribbon. The girl on the phone said it was one of their new products. Besides, you only had to order a minimum of P250 ($5.40) for delivery versus P300 ($6.50) for Goldilocks, which would mean a roll and something else. I placed the order at 11am and scheduled it to be delivered at 2pm since we would be leaving at around 3pm.

So 2pm came and went. By 3pm, I was on the phone twice, once with a Red Ribbon customer service rep and the second time with a supervisor. They had no idea what happened to the order and the supervisor assured me that she will contact the branch manager ASP. By 3:11pm, I got a call from the branch. They informed me that the rider had an accident. His motorcycle was hit by a jeep.

They apologized for the delay and also let me know that the roll I ordered was the last one, thereby meaning it was ruined. They offered me 2 half rolls, a discount and waived delivery fee. It was around 4pm then when I got the rolls.

As a customer, I was very frustrated and disappointed (before knowing what happened to the rider). What if I ordered a really big cake for a grand party? But I also told the manager that knowing the story behind the incident, I also feel for the rider. I even asked how he was and if they already took him to the hospital to be checked. I also thanked them for the discount.

Anyway, about the cake, we loved it! It wasn't too sweet but very chocolatey. I love the chocolate fudge in the middle as much as the choco cream covering the whole thing. The cake itself was very soft too. We will definitely order it again. It's only P150 ($3) for half a roll.

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Updated - My own lumpia: Tuna and Pepper Wrap

I know it was weeks ago that I posted this recipe but I got so sidetracked with a lot of other things. I sure hope some people can still try this out this holy week.


Click HERE to go to the original post but now with pictures and modifications of the recipe. I will also link the posted recipes to my new blog My Tummy Calls!

Have a blessed week friends!

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Kay's Eggplant Parmigiana

IMPT Note: You need to do step 1 the night before you'll be preparing this dish.

Ingredients:

6-8 pieces regular eggplant (2 pieces if they're HUGE)
1 can whole peeled tomatoes
1 big can crushed tomatoes
1/2 onion chopped
2-3 cloves garlic chopped
fresh basil
salt
pepper
sugar
Parmesan Cheese and Quickmelt (I just used processed parmesan and quickmelt. Jean, since ingredients are easier to buy there, you might want to use fresh parmesan cheese then just grate it and mozarella in place of the quickmelt, for sure, yours will be yummier)
flour
egg/s
olive oil

Procedure:
1. Cut the eggplants lengthwise around 1 cm thick. Sprinkle some salt on each side. Place a paper towel on a plate. Place one layer of eggplant, then put a paper towel again. Repeat until all your eggplants are on the plate. there should be a paper towel on the very top then place a plate after it (this will help to add pressure on the eggplants to release any excess liquid from them and remove the bitterness of the eggplant). Place in the ref.
2. Next day, remove eggplant from ref, you will notice that your paper towels are very wet from the excess liquid of the eggplants. Remove the paper towels and put the eggplants on a dry plate.
3. Beat an egg or 2 (eggwash). Place some flour in a plate to dredge the eggplants in. Dredge the eggplant in flour then dip in the eggwash. Fry until golden brown. Set aside.
4. Saute the onions and garlic in some olive oil.
5. Add your canned tomatoes. Mash the whole tomatoes.
6. Add some salt, pepper and sugar to remove the acidity of the tomatoes. (tip also, you can add 1 chicken cube to balance the acidity instead of salt)
7. Simmer for a minute or 2 then add some fresh basil-chiffonade (http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Chiffonade/).
8. Time to "create" your eggplant parmigiana:
a. Pour some of your tomato sauce (thin lang not to the point na malunod eggplant) in a baking pan. Add one layer of your fried eggplant.
b. Pour some tomato sauce (thin ulit) over the eggplant, sprinkle some parmesan cheese and quickmelt then add another layer of fried eggplant, tomato sauce and cheeses. I make 3 layers usually. On the 3rd layer, since this is your last layer, pour enough tomato sauce to cover your eggplants and then of course your cheeses covering the sauce.
c. Place in oven - 350 degrees F, for about 20 minutes, or until your cheese melts.

Voila you now have your Eggplant parmigiana. I usually serve this with thin spaghetti.

Serves 4-6

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My very own Tunaboo-patita

Yeah, yeah! I just didn't want to write Tuna Burger Patties!

Anyway, this was what we had for lunch last Friday. Since meat isn't allowed on Fridays until after the holy week, I get to experiment with my favorite tuna. I could use other seafood but I won't... I love tuna and this is the only time I will always get what I want!

What you'll need:

• 1 can tuna flakes(in brine or hot and spicy), drained an hour before
  
• 1/4c red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/3c minced onion
• 1/3c minced celery stalk
• 1/4c mayonnaise
• 1/4t salt
• 1/8t ground black pepper
• 1/4t worcestershire sauce (or more depending on taste)
  
• 3/4c italian seasoned breadcrumb (or pounded green onion flavored Skyflakes), set aside a little bit more in case the egg you'll be using is bigger than what I used
  
• 1 egg, slightly beaten (I used the medium size egg, available in SM)
• tin foil/wax paper squares (approx 4-6 pieces, 4inches each side)
  
• oil for frying
  

1. In a bowl, flake tuna even more with a fork (no such thing as over-flaking here).
   
2. Add red bell pepper, onion, celery, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, worcestershire sauce, and bread crumbs. Mix well to evenly distribute the ingredients. You can adjust the salt, pepper and worcestershire sauce at this stage. The taste will also depend on the type of breadcrumb you use, if it's salty or plain.
   
3. Add half the beaten egg and mix. If the consistency is still too dry to mold, add the other half of the beaten egg. If it gets too sticky, just gradually add some more breadcrumbs.Note: You don't want it too dry because it will break up during frying. Breadcrumbs and egg amounts may vary depending on the type/brand you use. If you want to taste or check the consistency, shape 1T into a circle about 1cm or so in height and fry.
4. Shape the patties. I fill a 1/4c measuring cup, then slowly press outward to about a cm or so in height. I put each patty in individual 4in x 4in foil squares so it's easier to peel off when frying.
   
5. Put all the patties in a tight lid container and refrigerate for 30mins to make the patties easier to handle.
   
6. When about to serve, prepare oil for frying. Once oil is hot, peel patties and fry for about 3.4 minutes per side or until cooked through. Be careful when turning to avoid breaking the patties.
   
7. Serve on buns with a slice of tomato and some greens (and cheese if you love cheese like I do) or with rice.
   

Makes approx 4-6 patties.

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Chicken Pinyaki (Pineapple-Teriyaki)

A good friend from college posted this. For more food pictures or recipes (she will be posting some soon), please Become a Fan of her page on Facebook, Kay's Kitchen HERE.

To know how: Posted by Kay today 25th March at 3:07pm

This is one of my latest winning recipes. I was one of the 21 finalists last 2008 for Good Housekeeping's DEL MONTE PIÑA-LUSOG FAMILY, PIÑA-HAPPY MOMMY PROMO. Wasn't picked the grand winner but nevertheless, still won some cash$ ;).

So I wanted to share with you guys my winning recipe.

CHICKEN PINYAKI - VIAND

INGREDIENTS:
1 kilo chicken thigh fillet (or you can also use chicken wings)
1 red bell pepper – cut into strips
1 green bell pepper – cut into strips
Chopped garlic
Chopped onion
1 tbsp butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp. cornstarch
Shitake mushrooms (optional) – sliced
¼ cup light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar

MARINADE:
¾ cup light soy sauce
1 small can DEL MONTE Pineapple crushed (syrup included)
5 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper

PROCEDURE:
1. In a bowl prepare the marinade mixture.
2. Marinade the chicken in the marinade mix. Let stand for about an hour in the refrigerator.
3. Sauté the chopped garlic and onion in a little oil and add the butter.
4. Add the marinated chicken (including the marinade). When marinade starts to boil, add some water (around 3 cups).
5. Boil chicken until tender.
6. Add the soy sauce and sugar
7. Optional – add the sliced shitake mushrooms.
8. Add the cornstarch (mixed in a little water) to thicken sauce a little.
9. Add the green and red bell pepper.

*Serves 6-8.

Can't wait to try this next week!

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My own lumpia: Tuna and Pepper Wrap

As I was scouring recipe sites for seafood recipes, I my remember the days when I was still "working". A food provider sold a unique kind of "lumpia" (wrap) that I always had to buy when they catered. I know there's pepper because I see the stalk at the end of the wrap, and I do recall the taste of tuna. So I'm hoping to do some experiment and see if I can replicate the dish.

I would need:

• green finger peppers
• can of spicy tuna
• garlic
• onion
• salt and pepper to taste
• lumpia (spring roll/pastry) wrappers

I'm pretty sure you can conclude how to cook this but let me try it first before I actually recommend it. There might be some ingredients missing but I'll know as I'm cooking. Watch out for a follow up blog and pictures, of course.

UPDATE (03.22.2010)~~


Since my Lola and sister ate this with us, I decided to skip the "spicyness".

Initially, I intended:

• a can of spicy tuna
• finger peppers to be split open but not sliced, seeded but pulp intact and won't be washed after seeding

Modifications:

• Used Tuna in brine
• Peppers sliced in half lengthwise and removed seeds (and pulp). Washed again to minimize spicyness
• Added strips of cheese, and
  
• Cut the peppers when they tend to curve to make is easier to wrap them
  

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