Chocolate muffins

I've tried using the most famous and expensive cocoa powder that I see in grocery stores, but I can't seem to be contented with the taste of my chocolate muffins. Then, I tried Goya's cocoa powder recently and it was perfect! Yey! Denden, my number one customer, loved it!

Grinder

This is my new helper when it comes to making the baby's food: Munchkin's baby food grinder.

For the next stage in eating solids, I needed more texture and  less the "smoothness."  There's no need to add water and it makes the baby food bite-sized and chewable.  She won't just swallow like when her food passed through the blender.

Recently, I let the baby try green leafy veggies: malunggay, pechay.  I just chop them in small pieces.  She's becoming a fan of fish as well: tilapia, milk fish, dory and salmon.  She looks forward to desert: raisins, pineapple and dragonfruit.  I am slowly adding real rice in her food also.

She looks forward to eating! And even if we're out, we bring her food so that she'll be able to eat with us.

Vampire Baby

No, this is not Bella.  Ah Ma gave us dragonfruit when we visited them.  

We let the baby try and she loved it.  The  picture above describes how much she did! 

Baby in her chair

Here's a longer list of the foods that the baby has eaten.

1. Cauliflower.  This she liked very much!

2. Green bell pepper.  She didn't like at first, with it's strong smell. I mixed with sweet potatoes for her to get used to the taste.

3.  Asparagus. She liked it instantly.

4.  Egg yolk. First protein food!  I just grated this and not used the blender.

5.  Chayote.  

6.  Steamed fish.  Second protein!  She liked it as well.

7.  Banana

8.  Rambutan slices.

9.  Mango

I started her with some fruits with very little slices, just to introduce the sweet taste.  Her's a picture of the baby, shirtless with one foot on top of her high chair tray.  All ready to eat!

 

Cheesecake Experiment

My sister's birthday gift for me is a hand mixer.  For the further exploration of my baking adventures.  And cheesecake is the first on my list.  This was a no-bake cheesecake.  And it's more of a cheesecake in a pie/tart pan.  

I followed the recipe but it was too late when I realized that my pan is bigger.  Thus, the crust was a little thin and there wasn't enough for the sides.  I used frozen strawberries as topping but this could be varied depending on who'll eat.

We had it frozen and we loved the taste when we ate it. Yey! 

Potatoes

After a week of sweet potatoes, normal potatoes is next on the baby's menu.  I did the same thing as with the sweet potatoes. I think the baby liked the sweet potatoes more, so after a couple of meals of potatoes alone, I mixed an ice cube of sweet potato with an ice cube of potato. That, the baby liked!

I started feeding the baby twice a day, one lunch date just the two of us and one dinner date as a family. Feeding the baby is really very messy, she grabs her spoon herself, putting her hands inside her mouth, spreading food all over her face and all over the place.  But I love that she likes food and I enjoy every bit of it!

Sweet potatoes

After two weeks (almost) of rice cereals, I decided to let Euen try real food! First on her menu: sweet potatoes.  Here's what I did:

1. Wash the sweet potatoes.

2. Steam / boil / bake.  (I choose to steam.)

3. Cool then peel.

4. Sprinkle a little iodized salt.

5. Cut into small pieces.

6. Mash. (I used a blender, adding water little by little until desired consistency is attained.)

I use BPA free ice trays to stock and store for the following days.  I mix 2 ice cubes of the sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of rice cereals, adding a little water for one meal.   Note:  feed with the same food for 4 consecutive meals to check if baby has allergic reaction to the food. 

Yes, the baby loved it!

Steamed Fish

In lieu of steaming vegetables for Euen, I thought of steaming fish instead of frying, for a change.  Is just an experiment, with fingers crossed, that Denden will like it.  Here's what I did:
1.  Clean the fish, remove the scales.
2.  Make a couple of cuts diagonally both sides.
3.  Rub with salt and pepper both sides, also inside.
4.  Insert ginger and garlic slices.
5.  Add soy sauce and a little calamansi, inside and out.
6.  Steam for 12-15 minutes.
7.  Sprinkle with chopped spring onions and pour a little sesame oil when done.

Starting Solids

Euen's pedia gave us a go signal to start her on solids. I actually want to start on the fourth month, while Denden want to start on the sixth month. So we both compromised and set it on her fifth month. But when we went for her check-up, it was the pedia who said that we could start giving her solids if we want. Yey! :)

My bestfriend's recommendation is to start her on rice cereals for two weeks, mixing with water or breastmilk. First serving is just a tablespoon, increasing the serving gradually. We brought the rice cereal from Healthy Options, it was single grain, brown rice cereal. 

We made sure that she is hungry when we gave her the first spoon and she liked it! Funny at first she sucked the spoon as if she's breastfeeding. After more spoons, she learned to swallow a little. Success!

Broccoli-Cheddar Omelet

I've always loved broccoli, but usually, I would just boil/steam it, or just stir fry and put oyster sauce with or without beef. When I was pregnant I tried this recipe from What to Expect: broccoli-cheddar omelet. Here's the complete recipe here. A different taste of broccoli, plus the cheese makes it tasty! It became one of our favorites dishes. It is easy to prepare and cook, plus it's healthy.

Baking Trial

We did't have a space for a stove with oven in our kitchen. I thought it was okay because I do not know how to bake anyway. But during my pregnancy, I thought it would be fun to bake pastries and deserts when we have children already. Thus the number one excuse to get an oven. But where to put it is the question.

Our conventional microwave oven is placed on the left corner of our countertop. I was always puzzled as to why ALL microwave ovens open from the right. This complicates opening our microwave oven.

One day, a salesman gave me a positive answer, there is a microwave oven that do not open from the right. It opens downwards. But it is not just a microwave oven, it is a microwave, grill and convection oven in one, the Whirlpool Jet Chef. I got excited but I held off buying because it is pricey.

BUT, our microwave broke a few weeks ago. Instead of buying a normal microwave oven, it gave me the second, third and fourth excuse to get an Jet Chef oven. Yey!

For my first try in baking, I got the help of Betty Crocker with the Chocolate Chip Cookies. Not bad for a first timer. Denden and Mamacherub liked it.

Happy Foods

I didn't have any food craving during the past nine months of my pregnancy. Pregnant or not, these are two of my many happy foods.

The first one is homemade cheese pimiento by Auntie Debot. Every year, after Christmas, she makes her cheese pimiento from the leftover queso de bola. Other ingredients include butter, pickles, bell peppers and cheddar cheese. And she always saves some for us. Yummy!


My second happy food are the 365 Chocolate Chip Cookies that I always ask as pasalubong from Shashing in Singapore. These are healthy cookies as they contain soy milk. It is best served when frozen. Of course, I eat moderately. One cookie is equal to one carb choice. I usually take one as snack whenever there's stock and when I reward myself for ther other times that I don't eat sweets/deserts. Or, when I'm happy or simply, when I want to be happy.

2011 Holidays

Shashing is back in Manila, just in time for Christmas. First stop, Nanay's birthday and our reunion with the Cunanan Family. Sadly, Nanay wasn't feeling well that time so she couldn't join us. We just visited her at home and greeted her. As for the reunion, everyone was happy finally seeing me with a big tummy. My growing cousins were all excited to be called tito's and tita's soon enough.

As one family, we all gathered and prayed to thank Him for all the blessings and answered prayers in 2011.

Chrismas day in La Loma means Tita's Kare-kare, which means heaven. She cooked Sinigang na Salmon also which is equally heaven but more nutritious for me. There were new additions to our growing family this year, plus at least one more next year! I can't wait when Euen receives and opens her first Christmas gift from Santa Deeday who gives the grandest gift to every Marcial child and child at heart.

More little kids running around the house again, just like us when we were small. Admiring the huge Christmas tree, snooping at the gifts under them. A new generation of the Marcial clan is coming and growing.

Carbohydrate Counting

A major part of the being diabetic is associated with food. That is why on top of my list of things to do is to meet with the nutritionist. The appointment with the dietician has taught me all the information that I need for my diet and meal plan.

Based on weight and list of day to day activites, the number of calories needed per day is computed. This number is then broken down into the three basic food groups: carbohydrates, protein and fat. Since I am pregnant, the goal is not to lose/gain weight. Just retain my current weight. This is, until the end of the first trimester.

Since carbohydrates mainly affects the blood glucose, it should be monitored: thus the carb counting. 1 carb choice = 15 grams of carbohydrates. This conversion makes all the numbers simpler. The total number of carbohydrates, divided into choices, is distributed into six meals a day for me: breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks in between.

I should be able to count the carb choices in the food that I am eating, minding not to eat too much or too little. A list of common foods, with 1 carb choice is provided. Also, I should learn to read more on the nutritional labels on foods.

It seems complicated enough because of the numbers, but it gets more complicated due to the fact that you have to count the carbohydrates in whatever it is you're eating. But, I think I'm getting the hang of it. Goodluck to me!

Reminiscing with Churros Con Chocolate

When I was little, I spend summer vacations at my grandparents' house in Labo. This is in La Loma, Quezon City. I look forward to these days because I get to spend time with Mamang, Daddy, Tita Bebe, my other Tito's and Tita's, my cousins and my favorite cousin, Ate Deeday.

Ate Deeday. Yes, she was the Ate that I look up to. She had all the toys that I never had, Barbie/s with a big doll house, with all the clothes, shoes and accessories. She had the complete series of the Nancy Drew books. We were partners in crime and we would stay up late doing anything we want. I also get to go with them on Ate's voice lessons in Yamaha, SM North Edsa/Centerpoint. Or watch her Tae Kwon Do lessons. Usually, I would just wait and watch. Afterwards, we eat and they treat me. Tita and Ate would always have favorite restaurants that I never knew. Back then, dining out means eating a one-piece fried chicken and rice on a specific fast-food chain.

Thus, it's Tita and Ate who introduced me to Dulcinea. Dulcinea has been around since 1960's and they serve mostly Spanish-Fusion menu combined. I liked their deserts: cakes, cream puff and eclair. But their famous Churros Con Chocolate is the best! As a child then, I loved it and looked forward to the days when Tita or Ate would crave for Churros.

Today, we passed by Dulcinea and decided to have desert there. Since it is the "Love-Month", the churros were heart-shaped and looked extra-special. As I dipped each one and took a bite on cruncy thinly fried pastry, memories of my childhood days in La Loma came back to me. Feeling like a child again, as I savored the bittersweet chocolate dip, there was also this tinge in my heart, mostly because of the happy thoughts and memories back then.

Frutti Froyo

Mama Cherub's birthday gift to Ikoy, yogurt with all the toppings that he wants. Where else but Frutti Froyo, our favorite. This is the best yogurt place for us, because of the concept of make-your-own-yogurt. They have a lot of choices for the flavored yogurts, aside from the plain. Also, a wide variety of toppings: from cereals, nuts, chocolates, candies to fruits. With a number of flavored syrups to add to the final taste. We also love the colorful decorations and creative chairs and tables on the store.

Ikoy was free to choose which topping he wanted, he was so excited to put his cup on top of the sweet toppings and chocolates.

One thing to describe his creation: sugary. But he finished it in no time. It looked like a party for a the birthday boy because of the hats. We promise to make up to him when he's seven, when Shashing is back in Manila.

Bonchon Chicken

Chinese New Year dinner last night,we were thinking of where to eat. And Bamba came up with a bright idea, Bonchon Chicken. I remember that this is Shashing and Kuya Shosh's favorite in Singapore but I never had a chance to taste it. I'm surprised that we now have it here in Manila. And glad, at the same time.

Super yummy Soy Chicken! A different kind of "fried" chicken because of the unusual taste. Said to be healthier. With a reasonable prices.

Sure to be one included on my list happy foods.

Christmas at La Loma

There are plenty of reasons why I love celebrating Christmas at La Loma:
1. Good food, i.e. Morcon, Lumpiang Sariwa, prepared by Tita Bebe.
2. Of course food prepared by Tita Lea, with the favorite Maha Blanca.
3. Miyok's pasta.
The good part, each family will make an effort to prepare their own specialty. So every year, they also look forward to the deserts that I make.
4. Gift giving. You see the appreciation for every gift given, and of course the effort to give with what you can.

This year:
5. Marlene gave us the same shirts that we all wore.
6. The lucky girl is Mavee! She had the most number of gifts and the most beautiful ones. We were more excited while she was opening them.
7. The newest addition to the Marcial clan, the handsome Zac!


8. Cousins growing up, babies turning kids. Adults turning kids.
9. Neverending picture taking! Fun. Fun. Fun.
10. Family bonding. Filled with lots and lots of laughter.

Noche Buena

This is the first Christmas in our new home. I was happy because Papogs agreed to spend the Noche Buena with us. Though we didn’t have the usual “Sopas na Tadyang”, we setteld for just the ham and Queso de bola sandwich, and the hot Tsokolate E. With our cute Belen transferred on the dining table, we were all happy to be together celebrating the birth of Jesus.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

We have attended a couple of Christmas parties but this is actually the first, that I am really excited. This year, it was a barbecue party courtesy of Kuting’s griller and special marinade, Marge and JR’s fish and special coleslaw and Bubbles’ special chocolate cake.

It turned out to be a dog party as well, because Glico was there.
And Ikoy, though a bit sick, was a special guest due to public demand. Racquel became an “ate” looking after him.

Lastly, it turned our to be a Wii party. Everyone got a chance at the Kung Fu dance.

Gifts. Fun. Friends.
Now, I feel Christmas.