It’s all about everything

Christmas is now approaching and our Christmas party in FBRDC will be held in a famous Hotel restaurant in our place. I already got a party dress for this occasion. (too early! -Wink!) Actually, I got cranky before in finding a right dress in a different occasion. I always want to look very dashing with a head turner personality! Ha-Ha! And now, I know the rules for looking your absolute best whatever dress you may wear.

Here are some few tips:

Off-the-shoulder dresses (featured)

It is work best for woman gifted with a full chest, outstanding height and curvy body shape. The neckline of this style of dress sweeps across the chest and rests just below the shoulders to highlight without emphasizing. Woman with pear shaped bodies will find that off-the-shoulder dresses can, very simply, even out their top and bottom heavy figures while emphasizing the waist. Though woman with fuller arms may shy away from an off-the-shoulder dress, a lightweight wrap or shawl can hide fuller arms while the dress could still emphasize the curves. This style of dress will highlight the bare arms, chest, back and shoulders. It’s a perfect opportunity to show off not only beautiful skin but also coordinating accessories.

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My friend Josh brought me this afternoon a snack. Actually he brought me a “pancit canton” I describe it as s a stir-fried noodles mixed with tender vegetables and some meat (chicken or sea foods or beef). He teach me how to use a chopstick when I’m eating a pancit canton.wink! Several attempts makes me an expert to use a chopstick! Ha Ha! I did it with flying colors. You could at least try to learn it. You know it could be too fun when you learn how to use the chopsticks.

Origin

Chopsticks are a pair of small even-length tapered sticks made of wood, bamboo, metal, bone, ivory, and in modern times, plastic . Originated in ancient China, and are the traditional eating utensils of China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, and Vietnam. The origin of chopsticks dates back more than 2,000 years.The pair of sticks is maneuvered in one hand – between the thumb and fingers – and used to pick up pieces of food.

I always love to eat vegetables but this upcoming Christmas would be too different. During Christmas or any occasion majority will cook ham, roasted pig, various chicken recipes, spaghetti and prepare a lot of salads…Yum!Yum! let me give you an idea what these foods are: (usually cook during any special occasion: holidays/parties )

RECIPE I. Pork-Piña Hamonado (Pork ham)

Ingredients:

1 kilo pork pigue, sliced thinly to make 2 pieces (tapa style)
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1-1/3 tsp. iodized salt
2 tsp. praque powder (for 1/8 tsp. salitre)
200 grams pork fat, sliced into 8 strips
1 medium carrot, sliced into 12 strips
2 whole pickles, sliced into 12 strips
1 can (439 grams) pineapple chunks, drained (reserve syrup)
1 can (35 cl) pineapple juice

Instructions:

Combine sugar, salt and praque powder or salitre. Rub mixture on pork. Spread pork and alternately arrange slices of pork fat, carrot, pickles and pineapple chunks until all ingredients are used up. Roll and tie firmly with crocheting thread.

Combine dripping from pork, pineapple chunks syrup and pineapple juice then marinate meat overnight. Simmer meat in marinade for 1 hour. Remove thread from meat then chill if desired for ease of cutting. Continue simmering the marinade for 5 minutes or until thick and serve as sauce. Slice meat and arrange in a platter.

RECIPE II. ROASTED PIG

Lechon baboy is prepared by stuffing the inside of the pig with a variety of herbs and vegetables, in this case lemongrass (tanglad), garlic (bawang), onions (sibuyas), and ginger (luya). The pig is then roasted over a fire for a very long time, resulting in tender meat and a rich, dark brown and crispy skin. It is brought to the buffet table, usually with a red apple in its mouth, carved, and served with a liver-based sauce.

RECIPE III. BAKED SPAGHETTI

Ingredients:

1 lb spaghetti
1 tablespoon salt
1 medium onion — chopped
4 tablespoon cooking oil
15 oz tomato sauce
16 oz tomatoes — chopped
1 salt — to taste
1 pepper — to taste
9 oz cheddar cheese
1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Instructions:

Boil spaghetti for 15 minutes in salted water; drain. Make tomato gravy by frying onion in oil, adding tomatoes and salsa, then salt and pepper. Cook 20 minutes. Cut up cheese; 1/3 package in small pieces and 2/3 package in strips.

Grease large glass baking dish with oleo. Place 1/2 spaghetti in dish. Add small pieces cheese, half the gravy and then sprinkle bread crumbs on top. Add remaining spaghetti, cheese pieces and gravy. Top with cheese strips and breadcrumbs. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

RECIPE IV. Escabeche (Sweet and Sour Fish) Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 3-4 fillets of salmon, or substitute cod, snapper, etc… (pictured here: wild sockeye salmon)
• 1 red bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, de-seeded and sliced
• 1 small-medium cooking onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 stalk lemongrass, minced, OR 2 Tbsp. frozen prepared lemongrass (For more on lemongrass, see below)
• (optional: 1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple chunks or tidbits)
• handful fresh coriander and/or fresh basil (for garnish)
• 2 heaping tsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2-3 Tbsp. water
• SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE:
• 6 Tbsp. ketchup
• 2 Tbsp. fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1+1/2 cups water
• 1-3 tsp. chili sauce (OR 1-3 fresh chilies, minced; OR 1-3 tsp. dried chili flakes) - 1=mild, 2=medium,3=hot
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar (OR other vinegar such as white, apple cider, etc…)
• 2-3 Tbsp. brown sugar (adjust according to taste)

PREPARATION:

1. Rinse the fish under cold water and pat dry. Using a sharp knife, cut the fillets into halves or thirds. Set aside.
2. Pour 2 Tbsp. canola or other oil for stir-frying into a wok or large frying pan.
3. Set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and lemongrass*. Stir-fry until fragrant (about 1 minute).
4. Add all the sweet and sour sauce ingredients. Stir well to incorporate.
5. Now add the fish pieces plus the bell pepper slices to the wok. Stir well. When sauce begins to bubble (nearing a boil), turn heat down to medium.
6. Cover and allow simmering for 5-6 minutes.
7. Remove cover and stir well. Return cover and continue to simmer for another 5-6 minutes.
8. Check fish by inserting a fork into the center of one of the thicker fillets. Gently pull apart the flesh - if it’s still translucent, the fish isn’t cooked yet. If the flesh is opaque, it’s done.
9. If fish needs more time, return cover and allow simmering 2-3 more minutes.
10. When fish is done, taste-test the sauce. You should taste a balance between sweet, sour, and spicy, veering more on the sweet side. If not sweet enough, add a little more sugar. If too sweet, add a little more vinegar (1-2 tsp.). If not salty enough, add a little more fish sauce.
11. To thicken the sauce, add the cornstarch (along with the water it’s dissolved in). Stir well over medium heat, until the sauce has reached desired thickness.

If you have a question about this you can send send me an email:

cailee10@gmail.com

Every time I eat some spicy food i could remember the hottest Chile pepper that Denz told me “The Bhut Jolokia” originates in Assam, India and earned Guiness World Records’ recognition as the world’s hottest Chile pepper. Bhut Jolokia comes in at 1,001,304 Scoville heat units; a measure of hotness for a chili. It is guaranteed to give you ‘that burning sensation’. While you might want spice up your food with chilies, this is one even you had best avoid. It’s guaranteed to make you weep and cry because it’s the world’s hottest chili pepper. Ha Ha Ha!

The Scoville Scale

A scale developed by Wilbur Scoville in 1912, The Scoville scale is a measure of the “hotness” of a chili pepper It was first a subjective taste test, but since, it has been refined by the use of HPLC, the unit is named in honor of its inventor.

*The hottest pepper recorded was a Habenero. Pure Capsaicin measures 16,000,000 Scoville units.

In replicated tests of Scoville heat units (SHUs), Bhut Jolokia reached one million SHUs, almost double the SHUs of Red Savina, which measured a mere 577,000.

Every Sunday will always be my day, NO WORK! NO PRESSURE! NO WORRIES! Times like this, I’ll just cook food, make salads, enjoy the pleasure of my bed - (sleeping mostly), go to Christian - Catholic Church and attend enjoyable household meeting in Single for Christ.

But today is different! It is more exciting and great! November 18 - Cagayan de Oro CFC- Couples for Christ Celebrates its annual anniversary held in Pelaez Sport Center. It has a lot of talks, presentation/activities with firecrackers/firework - (night celebration), full blast worship (praising songs) and also features the Gawad Kalinga project. Yap! I’ll be there to celebrate the annual celebration with my friend and my family (too excited). Ministries under of Couples for Christ are also there and these are:

SFC - Singles for Christ (were I belong), Kids for Christ, youth for Christ, handmaids of the lord and Servants of the Lord.

I could evaluate myself as a devoted Christian though I’m not perfect even sometimes I even failed and sinned, I always try to change myself the way it pleases him. Having this community could make me complete for my whole being. What could I ask for? I am too contented. I am so bless with my life and I have my friends and family who support me for my service in this community. I could always say i have a great and wonderful time serving God in my own special way. wink!

All of us are unique. We have different lifestyle, passion for food and even looking for an ideal partner. Nowadays, dating site are now rampant and a new trend to find an ideal partner through the web.

So what i did, I tried to find the best Asian dating sites…( I love registering any dating sites that suits my style). It’s too good when I found the best dating site “the FilipinaHeart.com”. It has a good services and well satisfying offers you’ve been looking for in a dating site… They offer free membership for all new members. Wow! With this site, I figure it out that I met a bunch of people here with different races and I really love it!

Some successfully found their ideal partner through the dating site and some of them failed but what I am trying to say here finding your match would be exciting if you have a clear intention. But sadly some of them mislead when searching for an ideal partner that we call “Mr. Right and Ms. Right” actually if your looking for that aspect then you have to know the rules first! No games, just be honest, knows what your interest lays in, knows your limitation, and be sincere in every conversation and take note! DON’T RUSH THINGS! You have to know the person first. With this, you will be able to know that you are both compatible and the person is sincere…If your just fooling anyone and just pretending then you better to stop logging in a dating site. Dating sites are for people who look for a commitment/ideal partner! Neither for playing games nor for money!