My First Try With Kids' Bentos

Since Clarise started school 5 years ago, she has always been bringing homemade snacks and lunch to school. This is because she hates cafeteria food and the the long lines she has to go through before she could eat lunch. Since her kindergarten year, I've always tried my best to wake up early so I could prepare breakfast as well as packed snack and lunch for her & Ryan, that we Filipinos call "baon". Baon is basically the same as bento which is Japanese home-packed meal in box-shaped container, the only difference is that baon is usually not elaborately arranged and may come in whatever container (baunan) available, which in Clarise's case is Ziploc® sandwich or snack bags and sometimes, Ziploc® containers. Clarise hates having lunch boxes to take care of after eating. She's the type who prefers disposable containers so she can just throw everything into the garbage after eating. When my friend, Anna started posting pictures of the bentos she prepares for her kids on Facebook last year, I thought it would be nice if I could try making some for Clarise too. I showed her the pictures. She said "'they're cute but I don't like it. Besides, it would be added work for you, Mom". I wasn't sure if she really didn't like it or she was just being considerate to me. But after giving it a serious thought, I realized that she's right...I might not have enough time to prepare pleasingly arranged bentos, so I better stick to the usual simple baon I'm comfortable doing.

But since I started blogging in January, I've come across a lot of bento sites including My Lil Messy & Cheeky and Cooking Gallery which features very cute bentos. All these really boost my interest to try bento-ing myself. Whenever I find a cute bento, I would show it to Cherlin. I'm really glad that she finds bentos cute! One time, she said that's how she wants her baon when she starts school this fall. Great reason for me to buy bento accessories, right? And so I did!!! Last July 9, I got my first set of bento accessories that I ordered from allthingsforsale.com. Cherlin and I were so excited to open the package! And guess what...I saw the glow in Clarise's eyes when she saw what's in it! Good that I ordered lunch boxes and bags for her too! All I heard from both of them when we were looking at the accessories was "ohhhh...that's so cute! I can't wait to see what you gonna make for us, Mom!"...

...And so, my bento-ing begins!!! I know that the bentos I'm sharing with you today aren't as good as that of the pro's, but I want to share with you my very first bentos so you'll see how I will evolve from a newbie bento-er to (hopefully) a pro! (^.^)

This is my first experiment with cutters and egg molds. Prepared on July 12, 2011 for the girls' take out snack on our way to the library.

Bento #1: Stars and Bear Bento (for Cherlin)

What's in it: cheese sandwich, star & bear-shaped American cheese slices, bear-shaped hard boiled egg & cherries

Bento #2: Hearts and Bunny Bento (for Clarise)

What's in it: ham sandwich, heart-shaped American cheese slices, bunny-shaped hard boiled egg & grapes 

These are the bentos that I prepared on July 14, 2011 for the girls' breakfast, lunch and snack for our Kansas road trip. I tried using rice molds for the first time, and as you can see, the rice didn't come out perfect. I've researched on this and found out that I should have applied a small amount of water or oil on the inside surface of the molds before filling the mold with rice so it will come out easily and my friend Lyn of My Lil Messy & Cheeky suggested that I put a cling wrap in the mold. I'll be sure to remember doing this next time. :)

Bento #3: Breakfast Bento 

 (for Cherlin)

What's in it: star-shaped steamed rice, bunny-shaped hard boiled egg, chinese chorizo  & bacon 

(for Clarise)
 What's in it: heart-shaped steamed rice, bear-shaped hard boiled egg, chinese chorizo  & bacon

Bento #4: Spaghetti and Chicken Nuggets Bento

(for Cherlin) 
 What's in it: filipino-style spaghetti, beef franks & chicken nuggets

*I wasn't able to take a good picture of Clarise's, but it was the same except that she had more chicken nuggets.

Bento #5: Cheese Sandwich and Mini Kabobs Bento 

(for Clarise)
 What's in it: cheese sandwich, heart-shaped American cheese slices, carrots, turkey ham & mozzarella cheese with grapes & cantaloupe

*I wasn't able to take a good picture of Cherlin's, but it was the same except that she had star-shaped American cheese slices

I've seen how much Cherlin enjoyed eating her bentos. And to my surprise, I saw the same thing with Clarise. The big grin on her face seemed to be telling me that she's sorry for saying that she didn't like cute bentos.

I just ordered some more cutters, picks and egg molds. Can't wait to get them! I don't know how creative I could get with those additional accessories...but I know that the girls would be more thrilled to see added cuteness to their bentos. School will start in three weeks. I'm sure every morning will be busy for me with all the bento preparations...so wish me luck! I promise I'll share them all with you!!! (^.^)

Bicol Express and Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry Campaign

Before going to my recipe for today, I want to take this chance to share with you about a meaningful campaign in which I am taking part. If you are a Foodbuzz Featured Publisher, you may have already heard that Foodbuzz has partnered with Yahoo! who is donating $20,000 to Share Our Strength on behalf of the entire Foodbuzz community and all the people who make Yahoo! their homepage. 

Statistics show that:

*more than 17 million kids in America are at risk of hunger. That’s nearly 1 in 4. 

*15.5 million kids in America live in poverty.

*19 million kids get a free or reduced-price school lunch on an average school day.

*Just 1 in 6 eligible kids get free summer meals.

Join me and support Yahoo!’s $20,000 commitment to an organization working to find a solution to all these! Share Our Strength is a nonprofit organization which through partnerships with public officials, community and faith-based organizations, and private-sector leaders at the state and city level, connect kids to programs that can help provide the food they need. It is dedicated not only to ending childhood hunger in America, but in making sure that children don’t just have enough to eat, but that they are getting the nutrition they need to learn, grow and thrive.

Here are three things you can do to help and raise awareness about this important cause:

1. Make Yahoo! your homepage now by clicking on this link.

2. Share the campaign with your Facebook friends and Twitter followers.

3. Check out Share our Strength’s website to learn more about what you can do to end childhood hunger.

Together we can do this! Every simple thing you do counts!

 ~~~~~oooooo~~~~~

Now back to my recipe...

Every region in the Philippines has its own unique specialty dish which are mostly not too spicy, except for the Bicol Express which is the specialty dish of the Bicolanos from South Luzon.  Also known as sinilihan (which means made with chillies), Bicol Express which is basically pork strips and finger chillies cooked in coconut milk, is known to be the spiciest Filipino dish.

I was introduced to this dish by my Bicolano friends when I was in college. They said this dish is called Bicol Express because it makes you run for water like an "express train" as soon as it touches your tongue because it is really spicy. The original Bicolano version makes use of siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) which makes it really hot. And unlike my version, it has less or no coconut milk at all and it actually has more chillies than pork. I love spicy food, but my obsession with hot peppers isn't as much as that of the Bicolano’s and I want to be able to appreciate the flavors in the dish, and not mask it with heat, so my Bicol Express is a milder version. I couldn't find siling labuyo here so I used a combination of Thai chillies, Jalapeño pepper as well as Korean pepper instead. I also removed the seeds of the Thai chillies. It may still be hot for some, but for me and Ryan, it's just right. You can adjust the amount of chillies you use depending on your liking.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork (shoulder or belly), cut into small cubes
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 thumb sized ginger, minced
• 6 Thai chillies, seeds removed and chopped
• 3 Korean pepper, sliced into rings
• 3 Jalapeño pepper, sliced into rings
• 3 stalks green onions, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp shrimp paste
• 3 Tbsp cooking oil
• 1 can coconut cream (14 oz.)
• 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• Salt & pepper to taste

Orange Chocolate Frappe Using Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee

When my family and I got back from our Kansas vacation last Tuesday, I found a brown box awaiting by our front door, and this is what's inside it --- a gift pack from Godiva!

Opening the box, I found not just one, but two bags of Godiva Coffee! Thanks to Godiva and Foodbuzz for sending me these as part of Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program.

I must admit that though I am from Batangas (where the world class Kapeng Barako comes from), I am not much of a coffee drinker. Unlike other Batangueños who drink coffee from morning 'til night, I only drink coffee occasionally, and I don't like it hot. I only drink cold coffee i.e., plain iced coffee, frappes or smoothies. 

Seeing Godiva French Vanilla and Chocolate Truffle Coffee in the box made me so excited to give myself a treat. Just the aroma of it makes me crave for coffee. The next day, I immediately tried using the Godiva French Vanilla Coffee for a very refreshing iced coffee, the recipe of which I got from Godiva Coffee's Recipe page. I tell you, it tasted really good! Godiva's French Vanilla Coffee has a rich vanilla flavor which combined with milk, a little sugar and ice makes a very good cooler! I'm sorry that I wasn't able to take pictures of it because of the tons of laundry I was doing that time. But let me make it up to you by sharing with you the Orange Chocolate Frappe I made yesterday using Godiva Chocolate Truffle Coffee.

I've always loved the combination of chocolate and orange, and that is what inspired me to prepare this very soothing treat! And as the natural chocolate aroma of Godiva Chocolate Truffle wafted through the air as it brews, I realized how perfect it would be for  my Orange Chocolate Frappe! And when I tasted it, it proved me right! Godiva's blend is so delicious, creamy, and truly so chocolatey which when combined with orange will truly make a very delightful treat!

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups brewed Godiva® Chocolate Truffle Coffee, cooled to room temperature 
• ½  cup orange marmalade
• 2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
• ½  cup chocolate sundae syrup
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup ice
• orange slices for garnish

Totsong Isda (Fish with Black Beans and Fermented Soy Cake)

I'm back here in Texas from our 6-day Kansas vacation, and after all the unpacking and laundry I had to do, I'm ready to share another delicious Pinoy recipe with you. But before that, let me share with you this awesome opportunity of getting your own copy of a newly released ecookbook from Jeff Pirtle a.k.a. Chef Jeff.  Chef Jeff, who grew up and attended cullinary school in Seattle, Washington, has over 10 years of cooking experience from health-care as a certified dietary manager to cooking for the rich and famous on yachts and cruise ships. He also had a private cooking practice in Charlotte, NC where he cooked for local sports celebrities and regular busy families, using regular ingredients from the grocery store that helped them save money. This is where he came up with the idea for this cookbook.

It's called dinnerRevolution. It's an ecookbook that will help us feed our families wholesome and delicious food without spending all day in the kitchen. The good thing is, Chef Jeff will be giving my followers a free copy of this. All you have to do is leave a comment here, visit this link, sign up with your name & email address and Chef Jeff will email you the link to your free dinnerRevolution copy. It sells for $27, so getting it for free is such a good deal. :) I got my copy yesterday, and though I haven't checked all the recipes yet, I can say it's a fantastic cookbook! It has my favorite recipes like Chicken Quesadilla, Chicken Enchiladas, Lasagna Roll-Ups, Pad Thai, Shrimp Salad & many more! With over 200 dinner recipes with less than 10 ingredients and take less than 30 minutes to prepare, this ecookbook will definitely be a big help for busy moms like me. It has a wide variety of recipes from chicken, beef, pork, seafood and even vegetarian! I must say you should really grab this deal! Visit this link now! You wouldn't want to miss it!

Now back to my recipe...

In the Philippines, totso is the way of cooking fish, which is usually bangus(milkfish), in black beans and tahure (fermented soy cake). I love this dish except for the tahure in it, so since I started cooking on my own, I've always used tofu instead of tahure...and most of the time, I don't use bangus. I love bangus but it has a lot of fishbones making it quite difficult to eat. When we were still in the Philippines, I often used tilapia, but here in the US, I use pompano most of the time. 

Here is my version of Totsong Isda that is slightly different from the original version, but sure is more appealing especially to kids because of the hint of sweetness that oyster sauce adds to it.

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fish, cleaned and cut into serving pieces
• 2 pcs roma tomatoes, diced
• ½ cup canned black beans
• 2 pcs firm tofu, fried and cubed
• 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
• 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
• Flour for dredging
• Salt & pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• ½ cup water (you can add more water if you want more sauce)

Chicken Curry - My Nanay's Favorite Chicken Dish

Losing someone we love is really very painful...and though I always knew that it’s something all of us will experience at some point in our lives, I never realized how hard it would be to lose my own mother. It's exactly four years since I lost my mother from gastric cancer, but everything still seems so fresh in my mind…from the day my father told me that she would be admitted to the hospital for a complete check-up which led to the diagnosis of her stage IV gastric cancer, up to the time she left…

The passing away of my mother in July 19, 2007 is really heartbreaking for my whole family. Though it may seem like a blessing because it ended her pain, losing a loving & kindhearted mother --- a wonderful woman who touched every life she came in contact with, is truly a big loss for us. Personally, losing her meant losing not just my mother but my best friend --- my greatest phone pal, my best shopping & movie buddy, the only person who knows me inside out, the only woman I’m most comfortable to confide to, the only friend who accepts me and keeps on loving me despite all my flaws, the woman I owe my life to, the wind beneath my wings.

Just as always, so many wonderful thoughts of her linger in my mind today. We're still here in Kansas, but I want to take the time remember and honor her by sharing with you her favorite chicken dish. She used to cook chicken curry a lot when I was little using the curry powder that is available in the Philippines. When I first cooked chicken curry for her using the curry roux Ryan brought home from Japan, she loved it and said that it's a lot better that her version. Since then, she never used curry powder again. And whenever we visit them in Batangas, she would request me to cook chicken curry for her. If she's still here with us, I'm sure she'll still be requesting for my chicken curry over and over again...

 Ingredients:

• 6 pcs. chicken legs, chopped into 3 pcs.
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, quartered
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, julienned
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into triangles ( I used ½ green and ½ orange bell pepper to add more color)
• 2 pcs. carrots cut into ½ " thick
• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• 2 cubes Golden Curry Sauce Mix
• ½ 14-oz. can coconut cream
• 3 Tbsp light olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Trifle

If you are following me on facebook, you might have seen the dessert I made last 4th of July...which is this Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Trifle. Trifle is a dessert made from thick custard, fruits, sponge cake, fruit juice or gelatin, and whipped cream which are usually arranged in layers with fruit and sponge on the bottom, and custard and cream on top. I've long been wanting to make a trifle, but I've always been intimidated by it. I've seen a lot of versions and I've always been thinking that it's complicated and time consuming. But last July 4, I thought of experimenting with the ingredients available in my pantry and refrigerator to make my own version of trifle...and I ended up with this very gorgeous looking Chocolate Mousse and Strawberry Trifle!

It was on Tasty Thursday of NinaLaZina.info yesterday. In case you've missed it, I'm sharing you the recipe here today.  

Ingredients:

• 1 lb strawberry , thinly sliced (save 5 whole for decoration)
• 6 Belgian chocolate thins for decoration

For the cake: (You can use ready cake mix like I did for this one or you can make your chocolate cake from scratch. You can even use ready store bought cakes if you don't have enough time to bake.)

• 21.5 oz Betty Crocker Decadent Cake Mix (Chocolate Mousse)
• 1 ¼ cups water
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3 eggs

For the pudding:

• 5.1 oz JELL-O banana cream instant pudding
• 3 cups milk
• 8 oz. cool whip

For the mousse:

• Mousse Mix that goes with the cake mix
• 1 ¼ cup milk

To make an easy chocolate mousse from scratch, you'll need:

• 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream
• 12 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate

Jiangxi Rice Vermicelli with Vegetables, Anchovies, etc. and the 100th Recipe Post Giveaway Winner

Tomorrow will be Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner's 6th monthsary. We are going to an out of state vacation and I might not be able to go online, so I want to take this chance to do my monthly appreciation post. (^~^)

It has been half a year since I started this recipe blog, and I must admit that there are times when I feel that I'm not doing good at it. Yes, I love to cook...and being able to share my recipes with other people gives me an amazing feeling of satisfaction. Meeting new friends even makes it more rewarding! But most of the time, I feel so bad when I find myself running out of time to reply to your comments and be a good follower to the bloggers that I'm supposed to follow. I must say that I appreciate all your comments, but as much as I want to, I really don't have enough time to email you back one by one to thank you. I am so sorry for that! But please know that you, my dear followers, mean a lot to me! I am so thankful for all your comments...and they are actually what motivates me to carry on. Knowing that there are people actually reading my blog inspires me to keep on cooking Filipino and non-Filipino dishes that I can share in this blog. Though my other tasks and responsibilities as an SAHM don't allow me to show how thankful I am to all of you, I want you to know that I really am! From the bottom of my heart, I want to  thank you all for your continuous support! You are the reason why Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner is here...and I wish that you all stay with me in this journey!

And today, as I wish for more months and years of recipe blogging, I'm sharing with you another noodle recipe. As I've said before, noodles, for us Filipinos, symbolize long life, and that's what I wish for Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner! :)

The procedure of cooking this dish is almost similar to the other noodle dishes I've shared with you like the Pancit Canton and Pancit Bihon. The difference is the kind of noodles used. With this one, I used Jiangxi Rice Vermicelli, a kind of noodles that isn't common in the Philippines. It is actually from China. It was only when we got here in the US that I first had the chance to try it. I like it in soup, and this is actually the first time I tried cooking it the way I cook Filipino pancit. Jiangxi rice vermicelli is opaque like the Filipino Bihon which is our version of rice sticks, but is thicker. Though it's vermicelli, it's not the same as the common vermicelli in the Philippines, called sotanghon which is bean thread noodles. I love the soft texture of Jiangxi rice vermicelli especially when properly cooked. If it's your first time to cook this kind of noodles, better cook it separately, according to package directions, instead of what I did. I cook it in the sauce just like how I cook Filipino Pancit. I like cooking noodles this way so the noodles could absorb all the juice from the other ingredients, unlike when just mixing it with the rest of the ingredients after cooking it separately.

Ingredients:

• 4 bundles Jiangxi Rice Vermicelli, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes and drained
• 1 cup fish balls, quartered
• 1 cup imitation crab sticks, flaked
• 1 cup kikiam, thinly sliced (que-kiam - a Chinese roll made with ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets then deep-fried until golden)
• ¼ cup anchovies
• 1 large carrot, julienned
• 15 pcs. green beans, thinly bias-sliced
• 8 heads baby bok choi, washed and trimmed
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium-sized yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and pepper

Vegan Family Meals Blog Tour: Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce

Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner is proud to be one of the blog tour stops for “Vegan Family Meals: Real Food For Everyone”, a new cookbook from Ann Gentry, Hollywood’s #1 Vegan Chef and owner of chic LA restaurant, Real Food Daily.

After being nominated on Babble.com's Top 100 Mommy Food Bloggers, I was contacted by Much and House Public Relations to be one of the blog tour stops for Vegan Family Meals. I must admit that I was hesitant at first, but after giving it a serious thought, I realized that even though my family is not vegan, this is a good opportunity for us to try something different. So I accepted the offer and chose to do recipe duplication of Ann Gentry's Lasagna Rolls. Lasagna has been one of my favorite pasta dishes since I was in high school but I've never tried any lasagna without meat in it. I find this the perfect time to do it. 

I've always been amazed with how vegans manage not to eat meat. Though I try my best to prepare meatless meals two to three times a week, I honestly can't imagine myself going entirely vegan. But Ann Gentry pointed out in her book introduction that  "It's not necessary to become vegan or vegetarian to enjoy the benefits of eating plant-based meals". Based from her own experiences, Ann understands what a very challenging undertaking going vegan really is, and she even admitted that she eats small amount of fish and dairy occasionally. 

After trying her  Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce recipe, I am now less intimidated with vegan cooking. It's basically the same, you are only excluding meat from your cooking which for me won't be too hard to do a couple of times a week. As Ann said, "it's well worth the effort to consume less meat and dairy even if you don't eliminate it entirely".

I personally loved the lasagna! I thought that it would be bland...but I was wrong. I loved how the Tofu Ricotta worked on it! Ryan loved it too. He said the vegetable texture made it seem like there was meat in it. I was surprised that Clarise loved the taste of Tofu Ricotta and ate one whole lasagna roll. Cherlin on the other hand, really don't like tofu so the Tofu Ricotta was a big no for her. But she adored the taste of Ann's Everyday Tomato Sauce! She requested me to cook 3 lasagna noodles for her and she ate them with just the tomato sauce. :)

I'm really glad to have tried doing this Vegan Lasagna Rolls. Though this recipe requires a lot of ingredients, the outcome is so tasty!  It gave me such a good experience with vegan food and now, I want to try more of Anne's recipes. 

If you want to know more about Ann Gentry, visit Real Food Daily,  and if you want to add some new healthy alternatives to your family's dinner table, be sure to get a copy of VEGAN FAMILY MEALS: Real Food For Everyone.

You won't be disappointed! With the very appealing photos and Ann's step-by-step instructions on how to prepare the recipes, you won't be sorry if you purchase this book. Whether you  plan to totally set your foot into the vegan world or you just want a break from the carnivore world, this cookbook will take away your worries about vegan cooking and will give you the assurance that everyone can make and enjoy this kind of food. Most recipes here requires a lot of ingredients, but don't let that intimidate you. I guess that's how vegans do it to make the dish more flavorful and replace the missing flavor of meat. Remember that in cooking, you can always omit and substitute. So if the ingredients list is too overwhelming for you, omit some of them and just use the ingredients you think will suit your taste!

Here's the Lasagna Rolls with Tofu Ricotta and Everyday Tomato Sauce recipe --- one of the more than 100 recipes from this wonderful 257 page cookbook. It's definitely a must try!

Ingredients:

• 2½ Tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into ¼" pcs.
• 1 head broccoli, stems removed and florets finely chopped
• 2 cups Tofu Ricotta Cheese (recipe follows)
• 12 eggless lasagna noodles
• 3 cups Everyday Tomato Sauce (recipe follows)

Salmon Sandwich Spread and A Visit From The Fairy Hobmother

Are you looking for a healthy option for your kids’ breakfast or snack. If so, this one is for you.

What I'm sharing with you today is a very simple and easy recipe for salmon spread which will definitely make tasty salmon sandwiches that both kids and adults will love. It is a very easy and truly healthy option as you can avoid the unhealthy preservatives, artificial flavoring and coloring usually present from store-bought sandwich spreads. Clarise and Cherlin love this. Even if your kids aren't fish lovers, I'm pretty sure they will like this creamy sandwich spread. 

Check it out and let me know what you think...

But before that, I have a special news for all of you! Have you heard of the Appliances Online Fairy Hobmother? I just heard about it last week, and I was so thrilled when the Fairy visited Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner the other day!

Last week, I left a comment on Amy's blog, uTry.it which has also been visited by the Fairy Hobmother. The other day, the Fairy visited me here and gifted me an Amazon gift card which she said I can use to get myself something nice to celebrate both the United States and Philippines Independence Day. Isn't that awesome? I still haven't decided what to buy but I'm so thankful for the Fairy Hobmother's gift, and I want to share with you the chance of getting a special gift yourself...

The Fairy Hobmother will be back here...and you can get the chance of having her visit you and grant your wish by simply leaving a comment and making a wish on this post. You might be the next lucky person chosen! Wishes do come true, you know! 

And now here's the salmon sandwich spread recipe...Don't forget to leave a comment with your wish! :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked salmon fillet, flaked (I used olive oil fried salmon fillet)
• ½ cup celery, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup red bell pepper, chopped
• ¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp honey
• ½ Tbsp chives
• ½ tsp season salt
• ¼ tsp black pepper

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Have you joined my International 100th Recipe Post Giveaway??? If not, do so now...you only have until July 12 to do so!

When I was a child, I've seen my mother make fruit jam many times, that is guava, mango, banana, sweet potato, and sometimes, strawberry jam (when friends bring us strawberries from Baguio City). It was really awesome watching her turn fruits into yummy jam that I used as sandwich spread, ice cream topping or just plain dessert!

I know that for some, buying fruit jam from the store is a lot easier. But did you know that making it yourself in the comfort of your own home is very rewarding? Not only can you be sure that fresh fruits are used and there's no additives and  preservatives in your jam, you can even sweeten it according to your taste! It can also be a fun activity for you and your kids!

Just as promised, here's my recipe for the Homemade Strawberry Jam that I used for my Homemade Strawberry Jam Ice Cream. Take a look at how easy I turned these strawberries

into this delicious jam! It's really simple...check it out! 

*Yield: two 6 oz. jars

Ingredients:

• 3 cups strawberries (washed, hulled and halved)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup sugar in a raw
• 2 Tbsp lemon juice 

Homemade Strawberry Jam Ice Cream

Happy 4th to all my friends and followers here in the US!!!

Did you know that from 1946 to 1961, the Philippines used to observe its Independence Day on July 4? Yes, that's how it was because July 4, 1946 was when the Philippines received full independence from nearly 50 years of American colonial rule. But in 1962, the late President Diosdado Macapacal changed it to June 12, the date on which the Malolos Republic had declared independence from Spain in 1898. Since then, July 4th was celebrated as Filipino-American Friendship Day to commemorate the liberation of the country by joint Filipino and American forces from the Japanese occupation at the end of World War II. In 1987 however, the late President Corazon Aquino declared that July 4 will no longer be observed as a holiday with the belief that even though the US and the Philippines are friends, Filipinos don't need a holiday for it. July 4 has been an ordinary day to Filipinos since then. 

Now that we are here in the US, we have embraced 4th of July like our own Independence Day celebration. Every year since we got here, even though we aren't U.S. citizens, we celebrate 4th of July with our friends as our way of showing appreciation to the independence and freedom of this great nation that we are now.

Today, we'll celebrate it with a simple dinner with a couple of friends here at our house, and then watch the fireworks display after. I've prepared this homemade strawberry jam ice cream as part of our dessert. I've tried making homemade strawberry ice cream using fresh strawberries last week. Though Ryan & I loved the hint of sour taste in it, Clarise and Cherlin insisted that they prefer it sweeter...so I decided to use strawberry jam instead of fresh strawberries. Again, I used the same procedure as my mango ice cream. We all liked it...I hope my guests tonight will like it too. By the way, I used homemade strawberry jam! I promise to share with you the recipe within the week! 

And before I forget, you have 8 days left to join my 100th Recipe Post Giveaway. Please don't miss it! ;) 

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup homemade strawberry jam
• ¼ cup sugar (this is optional - for me, the sweetness of the strawberry jam is enough)
• Juice of one lemon, freshly squeezed 
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ¾ cup milk

Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy (Cassava Wrapped in Banana Leaves) and my 100th Recipe Post GIVEAWAY

My 100th recipe post is finally here! That's actually 99 more than I thought I could share when I started  Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner! To celebrate this, and at the same time as a way of showing how much I appreciate all your support,  I'm hosting my first GIVEAWAY!!! So after checking out this recipe, drop by my 100th RECIPE POST GIVEAWAY PAGE and find out what I have for you! It's open to everyone...US and non-US residents, so all of you have the chance to join!

With all the leftover banana leaves from my Kamayan Dinner party for Foodbuzz 24x24 last week, I thought of making this popular snack in the Philippines. It's called Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy (Cassava Wrapped in Banana Leaves). This is a variation of the more popular Sumang Malagkit which is steamed glutinous rice wrapped in banana leaves.

Aside from the very simple process of making Sumang Kamoteng Kahoy, this "kakanin" (Filipino native sweet delicacy) is so popular to Filipinos because of the abundance of kamoteng kahoy in the Philippines.  Also known as yucca, cassava or manioc, kamoteng kahoy is the third largest source of carbohydrates for meals in the world. Here in the US, you can buy it fresh or frozen. Though I prefer to buy it fresh whenever I find some at the Asian store, I always have the frozen one in the freezer for emergency use. It's my first time to make suman, so I decided to just use my remaining 1 pack of frozen cassava just so I could see the outcome.

Ryan was so glad to find these suman waiting for him when he got home from work the other day. He said they're perfect! How I wish I had more cassava so I could have made more. It's gone in minutes! But I'm happy because I was successful even though it was my first time! I'll be making this again soon!!!

Here's the recipe...you should try it!

*Yield: 12 pcs.

Ingredients:

• 16 oz. frozen cassava (approx. 1½ cups after draining)
• 16 oz. frozen shredded young coconut (approx. 1 cup after draining)
• ¾ cup white sugar
• banana leaves cut into 10x6 inch rectangles (12 pcs)