Simplified Recipes by Issa :)

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you had a great Christmas holiday! Us? We did but it was a tad busy, shuttling back and forth between 3 nearby cities. The perils of having a huge families on both sides, lol! As such I don't have a new recipe to share with you from the holidays, BUT I have two very easy recipes from our new homeschooling blog that you'll love because of its simplicity! Below are the links to the recipes which I now branded as "Simplified Recipes by Issa", haha! Feeling Martha Stewart much! ;-)

2-ingredient healthy cookies - Yes, there's only 2 basic ingredients for this healthy treat! You can add more of course, but why complicate life? When you're a busy mom, every second counts. The faster the chore (cooking) gets done, the better it is for our sanity! Haha!

Chicken Cacciatore ala Issa - Instead of pan-frying the chicken like in the original cacciatore recipe, this one has no frying involved but just as yummy! No frying = less cooking time which means (not-so busy) happy mommy!

Give the recipes a try and tell me how it went okay? I love feedback! :) And to wrap up, once again, a happy new year to all of you! May you achieve all your goals this 2014, and may you be a good force here on Earth!

SAFE and yummy holiday drinks!

Pregnant this Christmas season? What a pity! You can't drink alcohol, have to say no to sweets, eat just right (not for two! haha)~ which are all hard to do when you're bombarded with yummy Christmas food almost every day! And the never-ending parties? Temptation through and through! :p

So what's a pregnant lady got to do? Find safe for pregnancy non-alcoholic holiday drinks and healthy (AND scrumptious) party food of course! :) Here's an oldie but goldie drink recipe that I loved when I was pregnant for the first time in 2009: 

The Bumptini (SOURCE)

3 ounces pomegranate juice
2 teaspoons white sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
3/4 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
1/2 ounce lime-flavored club soda
1 tablespoon raw brown sugar (garnish)
*1 lemon twirl (optional garnish)

Thanksgiving 2014

Heya everyone! It's been 5 looong years since I last updated this blog and I was thinking of retiring it for good. But when I checked the pageviews, I (surprisingly) still got a lot of visitors from Google! And I thought that if people still come here to get information then I should not close the blog. So here I am, blogging again about food and recipes. And because it's Thanksgiving, I'm sharing one of my favorite low-fat turkey dish from Delish.com :) No, it's not a roasted turkey recipe nor a Thanksgiving stuffing / side dish as we don't really celebrate Thanksgiving here in our country. I hope you enjoy it! And if you have any yummy turkey dish to share, feel free to comment below. Happy cooking dearies!

Bobby Deen's New-Fashioned Meat Loaf

Ingredients:

2 tbsp ketchup

2 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp yellow mustard

1 large egg

1/4 cup tomato sauce

1/4 cup 1-percent milk

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Kosher salt

Pepper

1 cup (from about 3 slices bread) fresh whole-wheat bread crumbs

2 medium carrots, coarsely grated

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 sweet onion (such as Vidalia), finely chopped

1 1/4 pound lean ground turkey

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick foil. In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, brown sugar and mustard.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, tomato sauce, milk, Worcestershire, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; stir in the bread crumbs. Add the carrots, garlic, and onion and mix to combine.

3. Add the turkey and mix just until incorporated. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and shape into a 9- by 3 1/2-inch loaf. Brush the loaf with the ketchup mixture. Bake until the internal temperature registers 160 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

This recipe will yield 4 servings. Cost per serving is $1.25 :) Total time is 1 hour and 5 minutes (prep time is 15min). ENJOY and Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!! ^_^

In most parts of our country, Thanksgiving (that the US celebrates every fourth Thursday of November) is not a known event. Needless to say, we don't celebrate it. But with the advent of online shopping, we became more aware of this event because of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals. The former happens the next day after Thanksgiving and the latter, on the Monday after Thanksgiving weekend. Both, of course, have retailers offer massive discounts and deals to consumers and signal the start of the holiday shopping season ^_^

This year, I decided that we'll celebrate Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for and I wanna glorify the Lord's uber-goodness with my cooking =) But no, we won't be having a turkey, (it's too big for the 3 of us!) just roasted chicken and some stuffing plus other dishes to go with it. For this Thanksgiving post, I'm sharing recipes from RecipeSecrets.net and a video on how to properly carve a turkey (or chicken in our case). Now, let's get on with the cooking!!

Southwestern Cornbread Stuffing

Ingredients
4 chorizo sausages
2 cups yellow corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
1 tps baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
4 lrg eggs
1/4 cup melted unsalted butter
2 cups canned cream style corn
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 cans (4 oz. size) diced peeled green chilies
2 sml onions, grated
1/2 cup minced fresh coriander

Procedure
1. Heat the oven to 350 F. Cook chorizos in small heavy skillet until brown on all sides, then cut into 1/4 inch slices.
2. Mix corn meal, salt, baking powder and baking soda in medium bowl. Stir chorizo chunks and remaining ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until thoroughly blended. Add the corn meal mixture and mix well. Divide batter between two well-seasoned 10" cast-iron skillets (or bake in 2 batches).
3. Bake the cornbread until brown on top and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely on wire rack then crumble coarsely for stuffing.

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie (not really a traditional Thanksgiving dessert but hubby adores this so much!)

Crust
1 2/3 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons butter

1. Mix the crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter in a nine inch pie pan or spring form pan. Mix until the crumbs have absorbed the butter and the mixture is uniform.
2. Press the crumbs across the bottom of the pan and up the sides.
3. Bake for ten minutes at 350 degrees.
Note: This is a crumb crust that will tend to burn during baking. To reduce the chances of burning, use a ceramic pan or a bright silver pan. A ceramic pan will tend to insulate the crust and a silver pan reflects heat.

Filling
2 8-ounce packets of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 21-ounce can of blueberry pie filling

1. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until soft. Add the sugar and beat until smooth.
2. Add the eggs one at a time and the extract. Continue beating until smooth.
3. Pour into the pie shell and bake at 325 deg until the center of pie no longer jiggles.
4. Cool on a wire rack. Spoon the prepared pie filling over the cheese filling.

healthy chimichangas!

Mexican food always get the bad rap of being unhealthy -- it's too oily, high in cholesterol, etc, etc. But I love Mexican cuisine and I just couldn't bear not eating my favorite empanadas, tortillas, chimichangas and burritos for "health" reasons! Thank god I stumbled on a copycat recipe of Chi−Chi’s famous healthy Baked Chicken Chimichangas. Nomnomnom! =) You can use ground pork or beef for this recipe but that would defeat the purpose of eating healthy so try to use chicken or turkey or any white meat. Me, I use leftover chicken -- no skin of course!

photo credit: Janet is Hungry

Baked Chicken Chimichangas

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chicken, cooked, shredded
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
16 ounces salsa
1/2 teaspoon cumin
pinch of salt
6 − 10 inch flour tortillas
1 cup refried beans
Olive oil (for basting)
Sour Cream
Guacamole

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
2. In a large saucepan, saute onion and garlic in oil until tender. Stir in chili powder, salsa, and cumin. Stir in shredded chicken. Let cool.
3. Grease rimmed 15 x 10 x 1 baking pan.
4. Working with one tortilla at a time, spoon a heaping tablespoon of beans down center of each tortilla. Top with a scant 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture.
5. Fold up the bottom, top and sides of tortilla; secure with wooden toothpicks if necessary.
6. Place chimichangas in greased baking pan, seam side down. Brush all sides with the oil.
7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and crisp, turning every 5 minutes.
8. Serve with sour cream and guacamole. This recipe has 8-10 servings.

Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookies!! =)

I'm so happy to have finally found the recipe to Mrs. Fields' oatmeal cookies!! ^_^ I can't get enough of these stuff and I can't wait to bake these cookies when I have the chance! This recipe will make 48 cookies. Enjoy and happy cooking!






Mrs. Fields Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Quick oats (not instant)
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Soda
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Cloves
2 teaspoons Grated lemon zest
1 cup Dark brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup Butter
1 large Egg
1/2 cup Honey
1 cup Raisins

Topping:
1/2 cup Quick oats

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
-In a medium bowl combine the flour, oats, salt, soda, cinnamon, cloves and lemon zest. Mix well and set aside.
-Cream the sugar and butter together in a large bowl using an electric mixer.
-Add the egg and honey and beat at medium speed until smooth.
-Add the flour mixture and raisins, and blend at low speed until just combined. The dough will be quite soft.
-Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart. If you wish, sprinkle the cookies with oats.
-Bake the cookies for 23-25 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. ENJOY eating!! ^_^

it's officially summer! ^_^

And to welcome the hottest season of the globe, here's a "Jamba Juice Banana Berry Smoothie" recipe for you! Perfect to cool you and your homies after some fun under the sun ^_^ The smoothie is very easy to make (it only has one step, LOL) and will definitely quench anybody's thirst! And it's very healthy too so go and make some!

Ingredients:

1 scoop fat-free vanilla frozen yogurt

1 scoop of raspberry sherbet

3/4 cup strawberry nectar

1 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup apple juice

1 cup of ice

1 banana

Method:

Combine all ingredients in a blend and blend until smooth. Makes 1 24-ounce smoothie. EASY!

Source: The Secret Recipe Forum

Tex Mex Salmon!

Love Mexican food but is now trying to eat healthy? Good news! Today we have a recipe guaranteed to squash your Mexican food cravings but won't make your cholesterol and fat blood levels soar ;-) Presenting to you -- Tex Mex Salmon! Yup, salmon as in fish. That's what make this "Mexican" recipe healthy. Plus the fact we won't be frying anything in oil or lard. But, don't push it and eat as much as you can -- that's still unhealthy! :p Anyway, happy cooking and always, always eat moderately!

Ingredients (6 servings)

1 7 oz. package of Ortega taco chips/shells

2 lbs. salmon fillets in pieces (you can actually use any fish you want)

1/2 cup olive oil (or any healthy oil you want)

Taco sauce (optional)

Instructions

Heat taco shells/chips according to package directions.

In food processor or blender, finely crush shells. Blend in Taco seasoning.

Dip fish in olive oil. Coat with crumbs.

Arrange in shallow baking dish.

Bake in preheated 425 degrees F oven for half hour or until fish flakes easily when macerated with a fork.

Serve with Taco sauce (optional).

make pancakes with a twist! =)

Bob Evans Stuffed Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Pancakes

Pancakes with pecans and sliced fresh bananas, covered in a warm, caramel sauce.

Ingredients:
prepared pancake batter for 2 pancakes

2 cups prepared vanilla pudding
2 cups cream cheese, room temperature
2 tablespoons honey roasted pecans
1 banana sliced into 1/2-inch thick slices
1 tablespoon powdered sugar whipped topping

Caramel sauce

Make Vanilla Cream Cheese mixture:

Mix vanilla pudding with cream cheese until well blended and creamy (no lumps). Cover and refrigerate immediately. This mixture will store (covered) in the refrigerator up to 5 days.

Procedure: (serves 1)

Prepare pancake batter and preheat griddle. Ladle batter onto hot griddle and sprinkle evenly with pecans and banana slices. When they bubble and edges are dry, flip to cook second side.

When done, place pancake on plate, top with 4 tablespoons Vanilla Cream Cheese mixture and top with second pancake. Ladle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Garnish with whipped topping.

Tips:

- Be sure to let the pecans and bananas show for a nice presentation.

- For a more intense flavor, use a banana-flavored pudding in lace of vanilla.

- For a completely different variation, add chocolate chips and serve with chocolate or fudge topping.

Source: "America's Secret Recipes" by Ron Douglas

the perfect Superbowl XLIII snack! =)

If you ask my husband what's my favorite food, he'd say anything potato. And he's right! I love potato foods -- from the usual fries and potato salad to gourmet baked potatos and Shakey's Mojos =)  For this this week, here's a TGI Friday's potato snack recipe (serves 2-4) -- the perfect companion as you watch Superbowl XLIII this Sunday. Happy cooking!

TGI Friday's Baked Potato Skins

5 baked potato skins, cut in half (empty of most of the potato)
1 tablespoon melted butter
seasoning salt
1 green onion, diced
1/2 cup crispy fried bacon, diced (about 5 strips)
3/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon snipped fresh chives

Procedure:
1. Heat oven to 375F.
2. Brush potato shells with melted butter and sprinkle seasoning salt to taste.
3. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crisp but not dry and hard.
4. Remove and sprinkle with cheese, bacon and onion, place back in oven until cheese is melted.
5.  Serve with sour cream and chives. You can also Ranch dressing or honey mustard.

Chocolate Brownies

As promised, here's a sweets recipe for your chocolate cravings! =) This is a step by step video of making yummy chocolate brownies, and is so easy to follow. GO COOK GUYS!



P.S. Belated happy birthday Pa! =)

Venetian Seafood Stew

Being in New York is like being in different parts of the world. Why? Coz you have lots of dining choices! You want to eat a Parisian delicacy - check! A meat pie ala London - check! If you want lollies and yummy chocolate, there are lots of confectionaries in NY! Wanna feel like you're eating in romantic Venice? New York has a resto for that too! The only problem is there fancy restaurants are quite hard on the budget. So for us who's into saving mode, why not cook your own 5-star restaurant recipe at home? Presenting the Venetian Seafood Stew recipe from Osteria da Fiore in Venice! Go cook guys! ^_^ Next week, I'll give a recipe for sweets. Watch out for that!

Venetian Seafood Stew

Ingredients
8 ounces mussels, beards removed, scrubbed and well rinsed
8 ounces clams, scrubbed and well rinsed
8 ounces baby calamari, cleaned (if you can only fine large calamari, cut them in half)
8 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 ounces red mullet fillet, cut into 1-ince pieces
3 ounces sole fillet, cut into 1-ince pieces
3 ounces halibut fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 ounces monkfish fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large scallops, halved crosswise

2 celery stalks, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1/4 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Leaves from 3 sprigs thyme
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
2 quarts simmering Fish Broth

Instructions
Place the mussels and clams in a medium saucepan. Add a cup of water, cover, and cook over medium-high heat until the shells are open, about 6 minutes. Discard any unopened shells. Let cool slightly, then remove the meat from the clams and mussels. Set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.

In a large saucepan or braising pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes; do not allow the vegetables to brown. Add the tomato and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove and discard the garlic cloves.

Add the baby calamari and cook, stirring here and there, for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook for a minute. Season the red mullet, sole, halibut, and monkfish with salt. Add them to the pan along with the scallops. Gently move the fish around the pan to cook evenly. After 2 to 3 minutes, add the white wine and cook until it evaporates by half.

Add the reserved liquid from the clams and mussels; leave behind the bottom quarter of liquid, which will likely contain sand. Using a ladle, spoon in the simmering fish broth. Immediately remove the part from the heat. Adjust the seasoning to taste and serve immediately, or cool quickly in an ice bath and serve, reheated, the next day. Serves 6.

KFC Cole Slaw!!! ^_^

I'm a HUGE fan of KFC products. I feel that their chicken, mashed potatoes, cole slaw, and brownies are the best in the fastfood business! =) When I was in college, my roommate and I tried to make their cole slaw everytime we need the mayo fix. But of course, it never matched the yumminess of the orig KFC cole slaw. But guess what?? Found a KFC cole slaw recipe!!! Happy cooking! ^_^

Ingredients
4 1/2 teaspoons tarragon vinegar
6 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
2 1/2 cups mayonnaise (Miracle Whip works well)
1 cup sugar
2 carrots
2 heads cabbage

Directions
- Mix oil, onions and sugar.
- Add Tarragon vinegar.
- Fold in mayonnaise.
- Pour over grated carrots and cabbage.
- Fold in well.
- Refrigerate overnight in an air-tight covered dish.

Oreo Cheesecake Recipe! YUM!

Cheesecake Factory's Oreo Cheesecake =)

INGREDIENTS

Crust
1 1/2 cups. Oreo Cookie Crumbs (about 23 Oreo cookies finely
chopped)
2 tablespoons. Melted Butter
9" Spring Form Pan (buttered on bottom and sides)

Filling
1 1/2 lbs. Cream Cheese
1 cup Sugar
5 Large Eggs
1/4 teaspoon Salt
2 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup Flour
8 oz Sour Cream
5 Oreo Cookies (coarsely chopped for the batter)
10 Coarsely Chopped Oreo Cookies for the Top of Cheese Cake

PREPARATION

Crust

Mix melted butter with Oreo crumbs and press in spring pan cover the bottom and 1 1/2" up the sides with crumbs, set aside.

Filling

>All Ingredients need to be at room temperature before beginning.
>Beat cream cheese until light and fluffy.
>Keep mixer on a low setting during the mixing and beating process.
>Add sugar gradually and continue beating cream cheese until mixed through.
>Add eggs one at a time and continue to beat until blended.

>Measure the vanilla, salt and flour, pour into cream cheese and egg mixture and beat until smooth.
>Add the sour cream and beat well.
>Turn off the mixer and stir in the coarsely chopped oreo cookies with a spoon.

>Pour cream cheese into the spring pan and place the nine coarsely chopped Oreo Cookies on to of the cream mixture.
>Place pan on the top rack and in the middle of a preheated oven at 325 degrees and bake for one hour and 15 minutes.
>When time is up prop the oven door open and let the cheese cake stay in the oven for one hour.
>Remove from oven and let cool enough to place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

24 hours?? It is worth the wait! Promise! =) A cheese cake should season. The flavor ripens and becomes enriched.

wanna make an iSSa?? =)

LOL! Got this super fun "recipe" from Chikai. Thanks for sharing gurl! =)

The Recipe For iSSa

3 parts Charisma 2 parts Impishness 1 part Kindness Splash of Desire Finish off with whipped cream

What's the Recipe for Your Personality?

Caramelized Onions!!!

I love onions! Call me bad breath grrrl but there's simply no way I'd give up eating onions (and garlic too!). My favorites are onion rings and caramelized onions. The latter is a classic "side dish" that adds a deep, rich flavor to everything from sandwiches to roasted meats. The trick in making it is slow, lengthy cooking -- so patience is required -- which I do not have! LOL! Here's a recipe from FoodPals.com ... Happy cooking! =)

1. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (or half oil, half unsalted butter) in a heavy 10-inch skillet or pot over very low heat. Add 1 1/2 to 2 pounds sliced onions (1 pound of raw onions yields about 1 cup caramelized). The onions will be 2 to 3 inches deep; stir to coat with oil. Cover tightly and cook over very low heat, stirring occasionally, for 45 to 60 minutes, until completely softened and beginning to brown.

2. Increase the heat to medium; remove the lid and add 1 cup liquid (water, wine, or broth), scraping the pan to loosen any browned bits on the pan's bottom. Cook until the liquid evaporates and the onions are a deep caramel brown color.

VARIATION: Quick Caramelized Onions
Cook sliced onions as in the preceding recipe, only increase the heat to medium or medium-high. Cover and stir often until the onions are softened and beginning to brown. Remove the lid; sprinkle the onions with 1 to 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, stirring to combine. Continue to cook until the onions are caramelized as desired.

VARIATION: Caramelized Onions Balsamico
Stir 1 to 2 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar into the caramelized onions; cook until liquid evaporates.

super yummy sizzling squid in MACKY's!

If you're from Davao City, there's this not-so brand-new small restaurant in front JS Citimall (okay it's GS now but JS is more sosyal, lol!) along Ilustre St. named MACKY's. One lunch time, Labsie and I went in and ordered their super yummy Sizzling Squid (pictured above) and Grilled Porkchop. Our total bill? A measly P128! In other restos, that would just get you 1 squid order. MACKY's is truly light on the pocket and heavy on the tastebuds. Can't wait to come back! =) You can view their full menu HERE. If you'd like to cook your own sizzling squid, you need to have a grill (an electric or gas grill is fine), sizzling plate and super yummy sauce. Here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 pc. big squid
2 slices ginger, julienned (cut into thin strips)
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cloves garlic
1tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. vinegar

STEPS

Combine salt, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic and sugar in a bowl.
Marinate squid in the mixture for half a day.
Grill to almost done, but not quite, basting regularly with the marinade.
Slice into rings. Transfer to a heated up sizzling plate.
Pour a little marinade over the grilled squid and serve.

YUMMY! =) If you have your own secret grilling sauce, you can use that actually. You can even use the gravy for steaks to make it really sizzle when you pour it on the squid. Remember, when you cook, it's all about experimentation and what works for you. Don't follow recipes to the letter -- improvise, innovate, experiment! =)

want FREE recipes??

I got one! And it's another cookie recipe, hehe! This time you need to BAKE, so for those averse to cooking, you can scroll down to the bottom where there's more FREE stuff. Promise, it's not a recipe! LOL! =) Anyway, I got this recipe from the Recipe Secrets e-book where they compiled copycat recipes from famous restaurants and food products. The one I'm gonna share today is "Copycat Mrs. Fields Black and White Cookies" ... I love Mrs. Fields' cookies!!! And I miss it already! Ever since Subway closed about 5 years ago, the only place I can eat her cookies is in Manila. Sniff! Anyway, that's gonna change now coz I can bake her cookies with this copycat recipe. Muhahaha! Here goes:

COPYCAT MRS. FIELDS BLACK AND WHITE COOKIES

2 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Dark brown sugar
packed 3/4 cup White sugar
1 cup Salted butter
soft 3 large Eggs
2 teaspoon Pure vanilla extract
5 1/4 oz Semisweet chocolate bar - chopped coarsely
5 1/4 oz White chocolate bar - chopped coarsely

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
In a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
Mix well with a wire whisk. Set aside.
Blend sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium speed.
Add butter and mix, scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add eggs and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until smooth.
Add the flour mixture and chocolates, and mix at low speed until just combined. Do not overmix.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto ungreased cookie sheets, 2 inches apart.
Bake about 25 minutes.
Transfer cookies immediately to a cooling rack.

Yield: 3 dozen (36) cookies.

For those who scrolled down to this part, i.e. those who don't like to cook, here's my freebie tip to you: FREE CHAT if you follow the link! Yes dears, you can yak on the phone for hours with your relatives and girlfriends you won't be seeing this Christmas =) The site that offers this service was made for teen chat and chat lines, but who cares?? You can chat for free so would you pass that up?? Me? I couldn't resist a freebie to save my life! Lol! Enjoy!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

It’s Christmas time again! And in our home, it means it’s time for baking gourmet cookies and making fruitcakes! Mmm good! My mother is the queen of our kitchen, and I expect to eat her yummy baked goodies anytime soon. Actually, I’ve been pestering her many days now to start baking already. Hehe! For those who love to cook, here’s a simple and delicious recipe for Christmas cookies that you can whip up anytime. This is NO BAKE! Enjoy and have fun cooking!

CORNFLAKE WREATH COOKIES

1/2 cup butter
3 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp green food color
4 cups corn flakes
red hot candies
silver dragées

Melt butter, add marshmallows, stirring until all marshmallows are melted. Add extracts and food coloring; stir until it is a uniform green color. When mixture is smooth, add corn flakes; mix well but gently so as not to crush the cornflakes. Form into wreath shapes on sheets of waxed paper, decorate with red cinnamon candies and silver dragées. Let cool.

For those who don’t have the time to cook (or don’t have the inclination to do so), you can buy baked goodies online. One of my favorite “bakeshops” is the San Francisco Cookie Company. I love browsing their site, and the moment they’ll ship internationally, I would surely buy their award-winning all natural cookies. They use whole grains, heart healthy oats, and organic dairy in their cookies. The result? This is what they claim: “A cookie beyond the ordinary -- the traditional taste that you've been looking for but haven't found in all of those "other" cookies.” Now, that sounds GOOD! =)

Bubur Asyura

This food post is dedicated to my friend Rehana who’s gonna be leaving for Saudi Arabia this Friday. She’s a Muslim, and in case you don’t know, their holy season of Ramadan has just begun. To all my Muslim friends and classmates out there, check this recipe out! Guaranteed to keep you going the whole day while you fast =) To all the others, Bubur Asyura (a savoury congee rich in carbohydrates and protein) will make a great breakfast meal coz it will fill you right up. No need to eat fattening snacks before lunch! Ain’t that a great way to stay trim?? Here are the ingredients:

2 cups of jasmine rice, washed and drained
2 large onions, sliced
10 shallots
3 pcs garlic, chopped and minced
2 cm of fresh ginger, thinly shredded
2 cm cinnamon stick
6 cloves, 4 star anise, 4 cardamon
½ cup vegetable oil
½ cup yellow dhal
300 gms of freshly peeled prawns
½ cup cup of fried dried shrimps, pounded coarsely
10 cups of coconut milk, extracted from one coconut
½ cup of fried dessicated coconut, pounded
1 bunch of fresh coriander leaves
4 stalks of spring onions, thinly sliced
pandan leaves, lemongrass
fresh black peppercorn, pounded
salt to taste
sufficient water for the congee

Whew! That was quite a long list of ingredients, hehe! And it’s mostly herbs you can just forego if you don’t like spices that much. You can just season the food to your taste, much like the way we eat our “lugaw” or congee. Some cook it like our light-colored arroz caldo (see it here), while others cook it dark (it's here). By the way, I got this recipe from the Asian Food Channel so I get they modified it already. And now, to cook our Bubur Asyura:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot, and fry the onions, shallots, garlic, ginger, spices, pandan leaves and lemongrass until golden brown.

2. Add the rice and dhal, and slowly fry for three minutes before adding sufficient water to boil the rice. This will take about 20 minutes, or until the entire mixture starts to thicken in consistency.

3. Add the coconut milk, prawns, dried shrimps and the rest of the ingredients, and simmer the congee gently over slow heat. Remember to stir the congee from time to time to avoid burning it. And we’re finished! =) Serve the savoury porridge while still hot ok? Bon appetit!

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