Sibuyas Republic

When grocery shopping, I always do take time to browse for which products which are offered on discounts or those that have freebies. I get overly zealous when I can find the products that we are actually using at home.

At every find, I quickly estimate how much should be my savings and thinking more than two times if we really do need the product. If my senses proves me right, last thing I will check before wheeling off the item(s) to the cashier is the expiration dates. If all these things are considered, I will be a happy shopper.

Newest item I grab on the grocery shelf is this catsup pack. Not only did I get a 25-peso savings, but, we can get a free hotdog sandwich.  Redemption for the sandwich is up until October 31 this year. If in case you find this pack on your grocery shelf, go get one. It’s a huge savings.

Oh. I am not paid to do this post. It just so happen, this brand is our brand of catsup, and, Heinz too.

I am a sucker for freebies, discounts. It’s not every grocery trip that we can find the one we’re actually using at home.

We live in the age where people are getting busier. Busy with families, raising kids, perhaps . And, busy with work. The reason why some people prefer to just dine out because they do not have time to prepare foods at home. And, the worse thing that can happen? We get poor nutrition, while some have become overweight. A potential threat to diseases which we have been avoiding.

Hence, people have made the a huge industry out of “diet programs”. Where food industries and diet experts dictates what we should be eating and what not to eat. The dieting world has made a huge business out of this. The catch is simply make each person attain his ideal weight. Great. So-called dieters are filling up diet clinics or are enrolling in diet programs, and, the food industry profits from the food items that were labeled as “diet foods”.

As dieters religiously adhere to these diet regimen, why are some people gaining weight more than what they are suppose to lose? It is because when dieters have reached their diet goals, they go back to eating and gain more weight. Some peole have rationalized that however is the case, they can always get back to their diet program and start “dieting again”.

This is the main reason why most diet programs fail. The fact is, there aren’t any successful diet programs. Each one vary depending on the needs of the person. However might be the case, it is vitally important to educate ourselves about the food we eat and how it would affect our health. Lastly, exercise, is still a must whether we do regular diet or is planning to achieved a svelte physique like Tim Ferriss. Because, remember, workout plans for weight loss is more than effective in achieving our diet goal.

Yes, finally this year, the avocado tree in our backyard produces these oh-so-big-green-fruits. We have two avocado trees, the other one did not produce any fruit this year.  Some farmers say the flowers must have been attacked by pests. We do not spray pesticides to our trees here. We just let nature take care of them.

And, look at what we got even without fertilizers and pesticides….

Lovely. Are they? Yet, they’re not ready for eating. Mature as they are, they’re still unripe. TIP: To hasten the ripening process, just right after picking, I wrapped each avocado into old newspapers, place in a small box, then cover.

On the third day…here they are…from green to purple…

Ripe enough for consumption…

Check out the lovely green flesh…so thick…

Ready for some guacamole or mixing with other greens to make salads. It’s one fruit where one can indulge without feeling guilty of the FATS.

Yes, avocados have a higher FAT CONTENT.  Yes. But, that kind of FAT that falls into HEALTHIER DIETARY FAT –the MUFA (Monounsaturated fatty acids).

What does MUFA do to our body?

MUFA help improve blood cholesterol levels which can lower risk of heart diseases. It can have great benefits to insulin levels and blood sugar control which is very helpful in Type 2 Diabetes.

Clearly, avocados’ fats are healthier fats which are essential for better body functions.

Next post will be about how we enjoyed those avocados.

How about you? Can you recommend avocado recipes?

There’s still few pieces left in the backyard tree…I will be needing some fresh recipes

So. You love to cook. And, you don’t want to buy recipe books in the bookstore. Where in the end, the book will be thrown in the dark and dusty attic. Wasted money, if that would be the case. Besides, who does need books when you can browse recipes, great recipes using modern gadgets nowadays?

Increased number of people nowadays have been using smartphones or better yet, they have iPhones, or Ipads which are all capable of downloading thousand apps that can turn a newbie cook into instant chef.

Food apps can provide cooking inspiration because of the clarity of the images displayed, and cooking procedures are also guided by photos while others can have accompanying videos to go.

More importantly, even gadgets so small, it can store thousand recipes and other information that can promote overall health. Very unlikely in one recipe book where it can only accommodate a hundred or more recipes. But never thousands.

Here are 5 popular food apps you can download anytime to your gadgets or your iPhone.

AllRecipes.com Dinner Spinner. This app will provide all your recipe needs. It is so easy finding recipes here. You can get a recipe when you select with ingredients or by dish type or time preparation. With your iPhone or iPod Touch, just shake the unit and it will spin away to a recipe. Each recipe is provided with an easy step-by-step procedure plus it also provided nutritional benefits. How impressive can that be. This is a free up where you can easily found in the apps store of your unit.

Epicurious.com  The ultimate apps for foodie enthusiast. With over 30,ooo food and drink recipes, this app will make a mediocre cook into instant superstar chef. Finding a recipe is easy via a search tool, or just type in the available ingredient and the app will provide a selection of recipes for you to choose.

The Ultimate Recipe Search. Wonder what you would do when you find just a thing or two ingredients in the fridge? This app will magically find you a recipe that matched according to the exact ingredients available. All you need is to type in the ingredients. You might be surprised at the set of recipes it would suggest.

Happycow.net Great for vegetarians. The app will point out suggested places to shop for the freshest and organically grown farm produce, look out for places to dine which offered vegan foodies, and find the most amazing vegetarian recipes. This is a must-have apps for people who are advocating vegan lifestyle.

BakeSpace.com What sets BakeSpace apart is the encouragement of users to interact with each other. Sharing thoughts on each recipes. It is almost like cooking school. Users are provided by a space where they can share expertise on food and cooking. This is an awesome site for those who are learning to cook and those who are willing to share what recipes they have learned.

Detoxification is a healthy process which allows the elimination of all the toxins and impurities that might have accumulated inside the body. It is also effective in reducing weight and increasing metabolism in the body.
People now can choose from a lot of different cleanse detox techniques offered in the market. But not all these are guaranteed safe and effective. Some even involve starvation and deprivation, which are actually unnecessary parts of detoxification. It is important them to look for the right cleansing programs and check their CleanProgram review to verify their effectiveness.

Here are some easy ways of body cleansing.

1. Water is very effective in the natural elimination of toxics from the body. Drink 12 to 16 glasses of water per day to cleanse your body well enough. Natural juices and coconut water are also good alternatives.
2.  Cut back on your consumption of sugar and white flour. These foods can make you fat easily.
3. Take in a lot of fruits and vegetables- the unprocessed ones. Eat them fresh. They will give your body enough fiber essential for detoxification.
4. Exercise. Having active lifestyle is also key in eliminating toxins from the body. You might want to enroll in yoga classes or start hitting the gym for regularly.

When you are in the market for new cutlery it’s hard to know where to begin. It used to be that you could go to a local knife and cutlery shop and speak with the owner about which knives would meet your needs and fit your budget but today there are few independent cutlery retailers and most are in big cities so that does not leave a whole lot of options.

The good news is that with the click of a mouse you can surf the web and learn almost anything you want to know about the various manufacturers and styles of knives along with innovative new concepts such as ceramic and glass cutlery and knives which are made of one-piece stainless steel construction. Take a look at the websites of the major knife makers – both the JA Henckels brand and the Wüsthof® brand have been around since the 1800s so they are well-versed in how to craft fine quality cutlery.

The three things to consider are design, material and construction. A knife should be designed in such a way that you can grip it safely and use it for extended periods of time without experiencing fatigue. The handle should feel good in your hand even if it’s is wet or greasy as if often the case when you are working with food. The rivets should be flush with the knife handle and it should feature a full tang; there should be no irregularities of rough spots anywhere on the knife which might harbor germs or breed bacteria.

Most professional chefs clean their cutlery only wit a damp cloth; knives should never be submerged in water for any length of time. Always make sure your knives are completely dry before storing or they may rust or corrode.

I tell you. There’s no break time in my kitchen. I ran out of LPG (thank goodness, I have a spare one), thought it’ll be a great excuse to curl up in bed the rest of the afternoon. But, then, the little girl remembers what I had promised yesterday. That, I’m gonna try baking a pie today. That girl, for one, has a sharp memory. She’ll never stop buggering you until you do what you promised her. Hayz!

Well, for one, I did promised a pie because it’s been days that I am craving for one. So, here goes…

Starting out, I’m stuck as to what pie it shall be…When I did saw the apples in the fruit tray…sige na nga…APPLE PIE it shall be…

Paano ba? A, ewan…bahala na si batman…si superman…o si spiderman…si avengers kaya?…ay, kahit si thor na lang…

Basta bahala na…Let’s make some pie…

I’ll be needing:

FOR THE BASIC PIE CRUST
2 cups flour
1/3 portion of the butter (as seen in the photo below)
half cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
half teaspoon salt
1 egg yolk

FOR THE FILLING:
4 medium sized apples (tig-sampung piso^_^)
half cup brown sugar
1/3 cup flour
pinch of salt
a dash of cinnamon
vanilla extract (optional)

1. Start with the crust. Pie crust or dough making is very intimidating. Palpak in some recipes I made. Crossing my fingers this will do well. Cut the butter in smaller portions, add the flour, add salt and sugar. Work with your hands until it resembles coarse meal.

For some tips:  In making doughs or crusts, work with your hands…work cold (READ: Butter comes from the fridge)…and work fast. If not, butter will melt and will make your crust too mushy. It’ll be difficult to roll.

2. After mixing, form into a ball and place in the fridge for at least 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, it is best at this time to preheat the oven at 350 degrees.

4. Now for the filling. This is the fun part. Because it’s so easy to make this filling. No need to cook. Just cut up the apples in whatever cut you desire. Added tip. Soak the cut apples in water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to prevent browning.

5. Place the apples in a bowl, add the rest of the ingredients. I use brown sugar instead of white. Hmmm, they say it’s healthier, so be it. nakikiuso lang^_^. Of the cinnamon, I had second thoughts about it, because my kids didn’t like the aroma of cinnamon. So, I just use only a small pinch. Besides, I don’t wanna overpower the taste of the apples. Same with the vanilla. I always wanted the aroma of vanilla in baked foodies. I would never want to miss even two small drops only And, oh, why do I add flour into the filling? It will act as thickener. That’s it. Filling is ready. No cooking needed. Saves time…saves me gas, too.

6. The hardest part in making pie crust for me? The rolling…but in the end, sans the photos (kitchen’s a mess when rolling doughs, I must say), here’s the pie…READY FOR BAKING…

7. Just seal the ends by pushing ends of the fork. I vividly remember how I escaped my cooking class in high school. Yay!

8. Before placing the pie in the oven, don’t forget to brush the top with egg yolk and sprinkle sugar on it. It’ll keep your pie achieved a glaze and golden color. Also, do not forget to make tusok-tusok (feeling konyo lang^_^) to serve as steam vents for the pie.

9. Baking in the oven for 35-40 minutes…Kabanguhan naman sa buong bahay habang binebake siya…See the golden top.

10. Finally…Please, you be the judge…

Pie dough not crumbly. I can hold a slice ng hindi nagbabagsakan…Yey! Hindi ata palpak ngayon…

There’s the apple slices. Sweetness. Pramiz

Ano pa? Kainan na…

Ang verdict niya? Let her smiles tell you what ^_^.

I had 3 slices (out of 8). My!

Pwede na…pwede na…

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Sports drinks are the constant companions of individuals who always engage themselves in strenuous activities such as exercise and sports. Many brands of sports drinks are now available in the market. These drinks are said to equip nutrients and vitamins that energize the body in no time.

But we shouldn’t be buying these claims as easy as that. We should be wise consumers who closely examine the benefits we can get from the things we consume. After all, it is our money which are at stake.

There are several myths that come with sports drinks. These myths have been passed from mouth to mouth. And these myths sometimes are the sole reason why people consume these drinks.

But are there truths to these myths? Here, we try to break these myths down to clear things out once and for all.

Sports drinks are better than Water. Some say that sports drinks provide energy for the body faster than pure water do. This may be true, but it is not true all the time. Sports drinks contain increased level of ions, which make them ideal for athletes who sweat a lot all the time. But if one engages in less strenuous activities, water does suffice to replenish the lost fluid in the body.

Sports drinks should be given to patients suffering from dehydration.  This is a big no-no. While sports drinks can easily provide energy for the body, it is not advisable for people experiencing dehydration. This is because it will cause imbalance of nutrients in the body. Doctors say that water therapy is a good first aid treatment for dehydration. But it still seeking medical attention is the best thing to do.

In the world of commercialism, consumers need to make research on every product we’re buying. Do we really need to buy them? Perhaps, there are cheaper and better alternatives.

Let us become wiser consumers.

The greatest thing living near the farm? Not only the freshest of air. Not only the silence of the night. With only the sounds of the crickets in summers and the croaking of the frogs this rainy season. Best of all, the abundance of fresh produce. And, it comes FREE, most of the times.

The owner of the farm at the back of our house plants different varieties of vegetables depending on season. Tomatoes, jalapeno chili, red chilies, string beans, eggplants. Come harvest time, I usually request for few pieces. Oh, not only me…a whole lot of community peeps will do the same. Such is the practice here in a small community .

So, this season, when palay is yet to be planted, there’s kalabasa (squash) planted on their farm. And, my, its harvest time again. Of course, I did asked for a small one.

Because we had kare-kare last weekend, and ginisang kalabasa with sitaw few days ago, I meant to snubbed the kalabasa. But, when I saw the malunggay leaves dangling near the fence, I did get the idea what to cook for dinner.

So, here’s the kalabasa and malunggay tandem…

From here, I decided to make Fried Squash Balls…

Procedure:

Since the squash is too big for us, I decided to just make use of few slices and refrigerate the unused portion.

1. Peel and grate the squash. Squeeze out juices if there’s any. This is to prevent the squash dough from being too watery/mushy.

2. Prepare the malunggay leaves. I opt to cut them a little more. So as to deceive the little girl that’s there’s  “gulay” in the “burger balls”.

3. Add in to the grated squash. Add also diced onions.

4. Season with salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper (more please), 1 large egg, and flour.

5. Mix it all up and form into a ball. That’s it. Don’t want to add anything. Don’t want to be too superfluous in cooking. The reason why I do sucked in following popular recipes.

6. Lastly, portion into smaller ball and deep fry.

The aroma wafted through the room where the little girl asked, “Are you cooking burgers, mom?”  Yes, of course.” I snapped quickly. Haha.

For the dip, spicy vinegar’s the best.  But since, the little girl thought it was a burger, I cooked up mushroom soup (in pack) to go with the veggie dish. And, fried pork chop…

Here’s the little girl’s plate…

And, Oh. She dished out the pork chop and munched on the veggie balls. Good girl

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For lunch today, we had shrimps (fresh water shrimps which I had bought at a vendor who frequents our community) which I sautéed in butter, garlic, seasoned with salt, ground black pepper and chili powder. And, more chili powder, please.

And for veggies, I sautéed into the same pan asparagus and carrots. And, season with the same as in above.

But, before I could even start eating, an idea pop right off me. I remembered Mirage’s photo posted on her Facebook account. It was a sushi veggie (er, I do not know how's it's called in Japanese). How I crave! It’s the reason why I dropped by at SM supermarket last Monday and bought 2 heads of romaine lettuce. And, before the remaining leaves get too limpy, I grabbed them from the fridge. Made a quick rinse with tap water and dry them on paper towels.

Then, I lined the romaine atop a nori sheet.

Next, comes the asparagus and the carrots…

Give the nori a quick roll starting on the diagonal end…

Another foodie shot. Please bear with my aging digicam :)

Because, my sushi veggie was already seasoned, it’s ready for biting. After the first major super crrrunchy bite, I then, again remembered Mirage’s suggestion…soya sauce…or Kikkoman.

Yes!

And, what do you know???

Burp. Burp. Excuse me :)

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