Rice Cake on the Tourist Trail

I am trying to maintain a website about our hometown in the Philippines and one of the recent articles I just posted is the possibility that Pozorrubio, a small town in Sison may just be in a position to catch a spot on the lucrative tourist trail. A movement seems to be going on to revive traditional ways of making some of the delicacies like the rice cake pictured above. The novelty about these rice cakes is that the raw rice is woven into these baskets then cooked in sugar cane juice as it is caramelized into raw sugar or brown sugar. It's really a fascinating process.

These rice cakes are fat-free but definitely not calories free for you dieters out there. But they sure are delicious! But like any calorie rich food, I believe that you don't have to totally forsake them. I was reading sensa reviews and they even say that those diet pills are not meant to work for long term solution, that healthy eating and exercise are still your best option for keeping weight off. That, and of course moderation.

Not Exactly Diet Food

One of my facebook friends shared a link to this recipe and since I had everything on hand, I decided to try it.

Now this won't get rid of belly fat anytime soon and it might even add to your cache of fat, but it sure is good! Now I like being at a decent, manageable weight, but I also like food too much to deprive myself. I found that eating in moderation is the key. Eating before you are stuffed if you're not sure what moderation is. Eating a balanced meal like this one, also helps. It's ok that you're eating meat cooked in rich coconut sauce but if you balance it out with some vegetables and steamed rice, you have a healthy and very delicious meal! Recipe will follow soon on the food blog.

Olivari Giveaway

I am a bit behind posting on my food blog since the desktop computers at home finally reached their limit and I am now reduced to sharing a lone laptop with my daughters. Not only is the laptop too small for my taste, that touch pad thing is just a pain. I like having a mouse. Anyway... I finally got around to posting one of my obligations.


I am holding a giveaway for this Olivari Kitchen Essentials Kit on my food blog until the end of the month. It's easy to enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment and you could win a KITCHEN ESSENTIALS KIT which includes:
· One full size, 17 oz. bottle of Extra Virgin Olivari® Mediterranean Olive Oil
· One heavy duty Olivari® garlic press
· An Olivari® recipe card for Fresh Bruschetta
· VIP coupons for you to try other varieties of Olivari® including classic and extra light taste.

So visit my food blog and enter the giveaway here: http://www.kitchen.amoores.com/2011/02/15/giveaway-extra-virgin-olivari%c2%ae-mediterranean-olive-oil/

Cat's Tongue

My daughter loves these delicate sugar cookies called Cat's Tongue AKA Katte Tongen or Lengua de Gato. We usually make these cookies whenever it's time for something sinfully sweet. They are buttery, melt in your mouth and stick to your thighs kind of sinful.

The Most popular diet pill probably won't work on these babies, but oh, they are so good that you'll forget about everything else. I kid you not!

Do Try This at Home

We cooked this up a couple of months ago and I think it's time to bake another batch. What is it? It's called cassava cake and it's made from grated cassava or manioc roots. It's a Filipino dessert which includes coconut milk in addition to the root. The root, you can get frozen at most Asian markets.

Which, speaking of Asian markets, we were there last weekend and I couldn't help but notice how much cosmetic products they also sell there. There were an unusual amount of ointments of all sorts but there were also skin whitening and eye wrinkle creams that seem to be very popular among their clientele. Personally, I'm a little wary of products that claim too much.

I'd much rather spend my money on something good to eat. lol!

Hey It's Soup Weather!

I heard on the radio today that we will get our first freezing temperature this Sunday morning. The first thought that came to my head is, I have to make soup! And I have to make it with my papayas!

I love soups and so do my daughters even though their father is a different story. For us, a soup can be a meal. For him, it is a mere side dish or starter. No matter though, we cook a lot of soups at our house. For one, it is very nutritious, it's filling (my husband will disagree), it's inexpensive and best of all, it's very easy and fuss free to cook! And if you're wondering how to lose weight fast, soups are the way to go. They fill you up, give you lots of energy but not weigh you down with lots of calories.

Below are a few of our favorite soups if you are so inclined to make a pot. Just pair it up with a hearty piece of bread and you'd be all set!

Easy & Creamy TOMATO SOUP

A very filling MEATBALL SOUP called Albondigas and its cousin the Italian Wedding Soup

Then there's the ever reliable POTATO & LEEKS SOUP

If you're daring, you may want to try out this very easy SHRIMP GUMBO

And if all you have is pack of ramen in the pantry, dress it up a bit like we did with this SOUR RAMEN SOUP

Homemade Pizza

Doesn't this make you want to have one right now? Yeah, I'm seriously wanting a slice of this rather than my green tea and apple. My youngest daughter has been making homemade pizza since she was 10. She loves to play with dough, and what better way to feed that need than pizza dough? It's the most forgiving dough and perfect for kids. They can knead it all they want and it just gets better the more they play with it.

My daughter made this last batch of pizza all by herself. I didn't even stick my head in the kitchen to check on her. My only role is to put the pan in and out of the oven and ready the phentermine pills. LOL! Just kidding :)

She knew I liked my crust thick and that I liked mushrooms, so that's what she made. A very bready, thick crusted pizza with lots of cheese and pepperoni and a few flecks of mushrooms. lol! She doesn't eat mushrooms, the few on there were for my benefit only, so I appreciate what little there is. :)

How Can You Live Without Sausage?

This is this week's entry to the Food Quote meme. The quote for this week is:

“Life withour veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demi-glace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living.” ~ Anthony Bourdain

I really enjoy this weekly event which we do mostly on facebook, we post a photo and relate a quote with it. The only problem with that is, we all end up needing the strongest appetite suppressant just to get through the day! LOL! Like right now, I am already thinking I need more of these sausages this weekend. The other food bloggers also posted some delicious food stuff that has inspired me to cook up something this weekend. So stay tuned, I'll let you know what brews this weekend ;-)

Post Valentine

So how was your Valentine's Day this year? Did you do anything special? Di you get lots of presents? Did you get lots of chocolates? Did you get a fancy dinner?

What ever it is that you did or however you celebrated this day of hearts, I hope that you are full of love today. If not full of love, then at least full of something good like this 'hearty' chunk of lamb that we cooked up in the kitchen for LaPiS, the weekly food photo blogging event.


If you're not a meat eater, it's downright scary, I know. But if you love meat like we do, then you can just forget the treadmills for a while and enjoy a big plateful of this baby!

Win a Progresso Soup Gift Set

It's definitely soup weather again! I made chili yesterday. We had it with cheesy corn bread and it was just perfect!

I love cold weather for the soups! The thing is when it's cold outside, you don't need any fat burners even with all the rich foods you consume during this time. It just all burns away from all the shivering you're subjected to and carrying all that heavy clothing. lol!

If you'd like more delicious soups but just don't have time to make them, make sure you try Progresso soups. That's the only soup in a can that I buy regularly because they do taste almost like homemade!

We received these beautiful soup mugs along with a couple of cans of the new high fiber soup in the Chicken Tuscany flavor to sample. We already love the soups so I don't have to tell you more about that. What we absolutely raved over are these blue soup mugs that also came with branded soup spoons. What a treat!

If you'd like a set, we're giving a set away on our food blog. Go on over there and sign up for the Progresso Soup Giveaway.

Make Ahead Lasagna

One of the recipes on the book we just gave away in Cooked From the Heart, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, is lasagna. Lasagna is actually perfect for making ahead because you can assemble it and stick it in the freezer and when you're ready to eat it, just pull it out and stick it in the oven and you'll have a healthy and filling dinner in no time.

Of course, I can't leave a simple recipe well enough alone, I kind of messed with the simple recipe that was in the book and made it a little more complicated. HOWEVER, I think the flavor combinations made my version of lasagna was superb and I'm glad I put in the extra efforts for it.

Now before you start worrying about a colon cleanse for all the cheese in this recipe, keep in mind that it is also packed with fiber rich vegetables. For moms trying to sneak more vegetables in their family's diet, this kind of dish is perfect. You can't even tell there are veggies in there!

Noodles & Tarts

Happy Sunday! Here's a couple of healthy and delicious suggestions for your Sunday dinner. I'm making a roast beef today just because Sunday has gotten to be a roasting day around here. The following dishes are more like weekday dishes for us. They are quick and easy to make, delicious and satisfying. Give them a try if you like.



This is Curried Chicken Over Rice Noodles. I kind of made it up as I went along but it came out quite well if I do say so myself :)

“Photo credit: One Fork, One Spoon”

Earlier in the summer we had an abundant harvest of Swiss Chard from our spring planting and that was when I discovered this recipe for making them into the pie or to put it more fancy like, a tart :)

Click here for the recipe for Swiss Chard Tart.

Don't go running looking for diet pills that work just yet, these two dishes, while not exactly low fat are actually very healthy. The Noodles has hidden veggies in it and very small amount of oil and while the amount of oil in the tart may seem like a lot, keep in mind that it's Olive oil and it's supposed to be good for you. We all have to have a little fat in our diet. We just have to consume it, like everything else, in moderation.

The Foodie Update

Time to update on what's been cookin' in the kitchen. It's been hot and not really conducive to cooking so we've been having a lot of salads but at the same time we've also been having some un-summer like meals like the chicken and dumplings we had the other night. Then last night The Clone asked for Potato Leek soup!

I had to hold her off though because I was already making some buttermilk fried chicken. The recipe is just like the one for these buttermilk fried pork chops that we already blogged about.


Of course we've also had the requisite summer barbeque. This one that we cooked up is Emeril’s BBQ Sauce & Creole Seasoning

Now if that is still not enough for you, then pull out your best weight loss pill and digg into this Banana Cake with Caramel Sauce

Summer Vegetarian Meals

This week is a 90 degree weather week for us. For some, those temperatures are scorching but for us, it is just a precursor for what's to come. We are actually thankful when it's a dry 90 degrees. Just don't let it be humid because then we'll surely melt!

One good thing about it is, we won't be needing any fat burner supplement in this weather! But we still do need sustenance and this is the time when we turn to our vegetables. Vegetables will fill you up but it also won't bog you down in this heat like meats can. They are also abundant this time of year. For me, I get them from my garden and from our local farmer's market. When they are at their freshest is the best time to cook them. They not only impart their best flavors, they also provide you with vitamins to keep your energy up. So check out some of our favorites from our kitchen...

Pasta Primavera and Opo Squash in Tomato Sauce

Garden Pasta Soup and Zucchini & Eggplant Stirfry

Fire up the Grill!

It's that time of year again, and yesterday we fired up the grill for the second weekend in a row. We grilled some hamburgers, hotdogs, pork chops and fish. I know, it seems like a lot but we'll eat off all that meat for at least three days. During the summer months, when we'd rather be doing something fun at the end of the day rather than cooking, it's a godsend!

The garden is also starting to put forth its bounty and yesterday, I harvested a basket full of green beans and peas. We made a quick salad of it and along with some potato salad, we had a feast on our table!

Grilling time actually makes us eat healthier and lower fat foods. Combine that with the fact that we also do more outdoor activities, why it's way better than the best diet pills you can buy! The girls and I have started walking at least a mile everyday when I get home from work. They're out of school now for the summer and they are cooped up most of the day playing video games, watching TV or on the computer. We all need the time outside for some exercise and fresh air. This is the perfect time to do it too since it's not yet oppressively hot.

So have you fired up your summer yet? I'm so glad the for the warm weather!

My, how time flies!

Can you believe that April is almost over and Mother's Day will be here before you know it? I can't! I started seeing references to Mother's Day and my first thought was, 'they're jumping the gun again'. But then I realized the date, and it's a mere three weeks away! If you're sending something overseas, it's almost too late already.

If you haven't shopped yet, something in the line of a diamond heart jewelry will be appreciated by any mom, I'm sure. But if you really put some time into it, maybe you can make something like this instead and take it to your mom in person.

What could be better than having a cup of coffee and a slice of pie with mom :)

Anthony Bourdain on Travel & Pig

I remember reading this quote from Anthony Bourdain several years back about travel and I just happened to think about it again recently:

Let things happen to you, good things and bad things. It’s almost invariably rewarding. And of course, avoid the hotel, avoid Western food, if you see other Westerners, run away. Avoid backpacks, maybe dreadlocks is not a good choice for you if you’re a white guy. Forget who you are. You’re never going to melt into Asia. They won’t have you completely. But that’s okay. You can love them, and you can love Asia, and Asia will love you back.
~ Anthony Bourdain"

I've always loved the idea of going local when traveling. I mean, what else would be the point of traveling if you didn't get the full immersion treatment? There is just something romantic about sleeping on the ground or a hay bed, without benefit of bed frames. Well, that is until the itchies start to get you. lol!

Anyway, speaking of traveling local, that is just what chef and author Anthony Bourdain and his crew are doing for the show, Without Reservations, which I love but don't get to watch since we don't have cable TV. But, that's story.

They finally went to the Philippines this season and I was excited to see all the foods I've been missing but also because I got to see some bloggers who were chosen to be his food guide. Best of all, he declared the Philippine lechon (whole roasted pig), the best pig ever!

We've Cooked Up a Turkey

Well, we didn't cook up a turkey really, but we did make some turkey chili and cornbread casserole with jalapenos which were a perfect way to warm up during these cold nights. This was the first time I've tried turkey for chili and I liked it because it was definitely lesser in fat than the beef version. However, my girls swear that the car lifts off the ground from the gas. lol! I don't care what they say, I didn't notice a significant change and it was delicious to me. :)

By the way, the cornbread was incredible. That one, we all agreed on. I put a whole jalapeno that has been diced into the mixture but it wasn't spicy at all. What you got was the aroma of jalapeno which was a nice change to the usual cornbread.

Holiday Cooking

Here are some delectable treats that we cooked up in our kitchen over the holidays. It was my first time making them but they were all big hits, thank goodness!

First of there were these duo of appetizers that I completed for Recipes to Rival. These are Gruyère Cheese Gougères & Galatoire’s Oysters en Brochette. Gougères are little cheese puffs very much like the more popular cream puffs. The Oysters en Brochette are simply oysters wrapped in bacon, battered then deep fried. Sinful, I know. But they were so good!

Then there was this chocolate lover's dream, a French Yule Log that was a real challenge to make, but was oh, so worth it. I had a daily dose of chocolate until it was all gone :)

For the first week of this New Year, we just ate leftovers. That's how much food we cooked up to celebrate the holidays! After all that cooking, I was kind of glad to take a break from cooking. However, after a week of sitting here at work with only office furniture for company, I am already looking forward to the next long vacation.

Holiday Cookies

We received our first batch of holiday goodies the other day. Our neighbor brought a couple of plates of rice crispy treats with craisins and snowflake cookies. Here at work, it's been an everyday sweets feast. And people wonder why we gain weight over the holidays!

Here are a few treats to make from our kitchen...






Check in our kitchen if you'd like more ideas on what to make this Christmas. Don't say I didn't warn you though, these recipes are definitely not low fat and are designed to defy the best fat burners you can find. :-)