Nilagang Pork Buto-buto (Pork Neck Bone and Vegetable Soup) and a Giveaway

This dish that I am sharing with you today is similar to Nilagang Baka (literally translated as Boiled Beef) which I featured here in February, the only difference is the kind of meat used. This one has pork neck bone (and I added ginger so this tastes a little like tinola) and this version is what I used to cook so often when I was in college. Not only is pork neck bone a lot cheaper than beef, it also cooks faster. But just like beef, pork neck bone also produces a very comforting soup which when served with a hot bowl of rice can be truly soothing! 

I am sure that you'll agree with me when I say that going away to college is a big step especially for those who have to leave the comforts of their own home. It means no more parents to keep after you to do your homework or to clean your room, and added responsibilities of being independent like having to do your own laundry, go shopping and cook for yourselves. I was lucky enough not to experience that during the first few months of college! Even though I went to a university which is a 3-hr boat ride, 2 ½-hr bus ride plus 20-min jeepney ride (approximately 87 miles) away  from home, I had my mom and my older brother with me, so it wasn't that of a BIG change for me. That time, my dad usually worked out of town during the week so my mom decided to just stay with us in Manila. We rented a room in a relative's house, and it was really good having my mom to do everything for us. But that didn't last long. My dad got sick around September and so my mom had to go back to the province. It was like a whole new world for me. Came with it was the responsibility of cooking and doing the laundry for me and my brother. I didn't know a lot of recipes that time, and with all my university activities as class president, OASES (Organization of Aspiring Students for Engineering Specialization) representative and Thomasian Engineer (College of Engineering newspaper) technical writer, I didn't have time to do experimental cooking, so I oftentimes found myself just buying food for us from McDonald's, Jollibee or Cindy's. And during days when we're almost running out of money, we contented ourselves with Lucky Me Instant Mami or rice with Filipino red hotdogs or canned foods like Century Tuna, Ligo Sardines and Argentina Corned Beef. After a few months of having those kind of food over and over again, my brother and I decided that we need something healthier and cheaper. We agreed to go to the supermarket and cook together on weekends (I must point out that he was just actually watching me cook), store cooked food in the ref/freezer and just heat it up in the microwave during the week. Pork Adobo, Chicken Afritada, Pork Steak, Pakbet Tagalog, Cardillong Isda, Filipino Sweet Spaghetti, Ground Pork in Tomato Sauce, Chopsuey and this Nilagang Pork Buto-Buto were among those that I frequently cooked. These are all easy to cook Filipino recipes that my brother and I both find so satisfying. 

But the Nilagang Pork Buto-Buto was my favorite. I can always adjust the ingredients to our budget. It can be as as simple as garlic, onions and potatoes and it can be as grand as this one with all the vegetables I want in it. I also like it because it takes almost no effort at all to cook this dish. You just put everything in the pot and let it cook. A very simple and yet so good and nourishing dish! For me, it felt like slurping the broth, and dripping a few drops of fish sauce and freshly squeezed kalamansi juice over the tender and flavorful meat sliding off the bone can take away all the stress of a typical day in college.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs pork neck bone, cut into serving pieces
• 1 medium sized onion, quartered
• 8 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 thumb-sized ginger, crushed
• 4 bundles baby bok choy, trimmed
• about 10 leaves of napa cabbage, trimmed and halved crosswise
• 20 pcs green beans, cut into 2 ½ inch length
• 2 pcs corn on the cob, each cut into 4
• 2 potatoes, quartered
• ¼  tsp peppercorns
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• Salt

Filipino Classic Egg Pie

As promised last weekend, here's the other dessert that I made for Ryan's birthday. We Filipinos call it Egg Pie. It is available in almost all bakeries in the Philippines and is enjoyed by Filipinos either as dessert or snack. It looks like a giant Egg Custard Tart usually found in Chinese restaurants, and is basically the same as the Classic Egg Custard Pie. The difference is just in the type of milk and flavoring used as well as in the appearance. We, Filipinos, use evaporated milk in our Egg Pie, and instead of nutmeg, we simply used kalamansi juice or rinds for flavoring (Kalamansi is a small round citrus like lime, common in the Philippines whose peel is sweet and whose fruit is sour). And unlike the Egg Custard Tart and the Classic Egg Custard Pie, our Egg Pie is dark brown on top.

There is this bakery in Calapan City (where Ryan & I grew up) named Halina Bakery which sells the best tasting egg pie! It is owned by our elementary classmate's family...and it is where both Ryan & I had our first taste of this very delightful dessert! I grew up loving it...same with Ryan! Now that we are far away from home, learning to make it on my own is a must. Glad that a friend of mine was nice enough to share this recipe with me. Not only can we enjoy it anytime we want, Ryan and I can also share one of our childhood favorite with our daughters! Though it's not Halina Bakery's recipe, it's close enough and definitely tastes like it!

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes and softened
• ¼ cup cold water

Filling:

• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 4 large eggs and another 1 large egg with white and yolk separated
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp fresh kalamansi or lemon juice
• 1 can condensed milk (14oz)

Cathedral Window for Rye's Birthday (1st Post for Kulinarya Cooking Club) and Canvas Print Giveaway Winner

Very seldom do I make weekend posts...but today, I am...not just to announce UPrinting.com's giveaway winner, but also because today is a very special day!  It is my wonderful husband's birthday! Ryan turns 38 today! We've been married for 11 years now, and it's the 17th year that we're celebrating his birthday together! Yeah...that's right...we've been together that long already! We've actually known each other since we were in 6th grade. We went to the same school in elementary and we both took up Engineering at the University of Santo Tomas. He became my boyfriend when we where in third year. We've been together for so long and I honestly say that I can't imagine my life without him!

During our college days (^.^)

Ryan is such a loving, patient, understanding, and supportive husband who never gets tired of me and my shortcomings (especially since I started blogging). He's my best friend in both good and bad times. He’s a phenomenal dad, the best husband, a truly all around awesome guy, and for that and so many other things, he is and always will be the greatest love of my life! A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, LOVE! Wishing you a longer healthy life! I am truly so lucky to have you...and I am so happy to share my life with you!

I want to dedicate this post to Ryan by sharing with all of you one of the two special desserts I made for him yesterday (the other one I'll share with you on Monday). I made them in advance so I can spend  the whole day with Ryan and the girls. These are 2 of his most favorite desserts that he will surely enjoy after we watch a movie and eat out later. 

The first one is Cathedral Window (some call it Broken Glass). Though not Filipino in origin, this dessert has always been part of all our family gatherings, as far back as I can remember. It was my favorite when I was growing up, and Ryan's too! It's so colorful and yummy to eat so I guess all kids love it! The name of the dessert, cathedral window, is a description of its appearance - brightly colored cubes of jelly against a creamy white backdrop, resembling stained glass cathedral windows.

Cathedral window, also known as Christmas Jello in the Philippines is commonly made with green and red jelly. We always had this on our dinner table not just on Christmas but also on other special occasions. I planned of submitting this recipe to Kulinarya Cooking Club September Challenge so I used blue, red and yellow instead. Yes, I'm trying to hit two birds with one stone! (^.^)  Ryan doesn't care about the color anyway! As long as it's cathedral window, he's happy! :)

The Kulinarya Cooking Club's theme for August & September as chosen by the four wonderful hosts, Ray of Wok with Ray, Oggi of I Can Do That, Chef Theodore Salonga of Chef by Day and Boyet of Reel and Grill is red, white, blue and yellow which are the colors of the Philippine flag. We're being patriotic here! Not only are we paying homage to our flag and country, we are also trying to honor our national heroes by sharing with you Filipino recipes with a hint of red, white, blue and yellow! This is actually my first post for Kulinarya Cooking Club so I'm so excited about it!

Though the hosts' rules include not using artificial coloring, the jelly I used had artificial color...so to compensate for that, I topped it with fresh blueberries, lemon and strawberries, even though Cathedral window isn't usually served with toppings. I wanted to use white agar-agar and color it with blueberry, lemon and strawberry extracts but I wasn't sure if I will get a jiggly outcome so I just stuck to the boxed jell-o. At least I have all the four colors required right! :) Ryan and the girls said it's beautiful...what do you think???

Ingredients: 

• 1  3-oz. pack Lemon Flavored Jell-o
• 1  3-oz. pack Blueberry Flavored Jell-o
• 1  3-oz. pack Strawberry Flavored Jell-o
• 4  sachets Knox Unflavored Gelatine
• ½  cup sliced strawberries 
• ½  cup blueberries
• 1 lemon, peeled and sliced
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 1 can Nestle table cream
• ½ cup sugar
• water

Simple But Cute Bentos

I want to remind you that you have until tonight, 9PM CDT to enter UPrinting.com 16"x20" canvas print giveaway. 

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It has been another very busy week for me! It's Cherlin's birthday next week and preparations for her simple party keep me so occupied. With all the things that I have to do, I feel so exhausted at the end of the day, hence waking up in the morning has been hard for me this week. But hard as it is, I still try my best to prepare bentos for the girls. They're not that fancy, but they are good enough to satisfy Clarise & Cherlin's hungry tummies! 

Bento #24:  Chicken Pasta Bento (Clarise's request)

What's in it: Chicken Pasta With Sun-dried Tomatoes, flower shaped American cheese with nori eyes & lips, and grapes / cantaloupe

 

This is again my Pasta with Chicken and Sun-dried Tomatoes in Alfredo Sauce (minus the sun-dried tomatoes). This is Clarise and Cherlin's favorite so don't be surprised if you will see this in their bentos often. To give it a cute effect, I topped it with flower shaped American cheese with nori eyes & lips. Simple but truly delightful!

Bento #25:  Burger Bear Bento (Cherlin's request)

What's in it: Quarter Pounder Cheeseburger, American cheese, carrots, celery, and  mini donuts / grapes and cantaloupes

Cherlin requested for a bear sandwich bento again. Instead of ham sandwich, I thought of making quarter pounder cheeseburger. The night before, I made quarter pounder burger patties. I just added a tsp of salt and herbes de provence and quarter tsp of freshly ground black pepper to a pound of 80/20 ground beef, divided it into four, flattened each into ½ " thick and then grilled for 14 minutes (7 minutes on each side).
The next day, I just heat them up in the microwave for about a minute before putting them in burger buns.

Bento #26:  Curly Girl Pancit Canton Bento

What's in it: Pancit Canton with carrot bits, fried Chinese chorizo, hard boiled egg with grapes and cantaloupe 

I woke up 20 minutes later than usual, and I didn't have enough time to make Cherlin's pussy cat bento request. This is the simplest replacement I could think of: pancit canton with hard-boiled egg and chinese chorizo. This is actually Lucky Me Instant Pancit Canton. I just added some carrot bits into it. It took me only 15 minutes to prepare this. The girls love hard-boiled eggs & chorizo so they gave me 2 thumbs up for this!

Bento #27:  Starlight, Star Bright Bento

What's in it: Sweet ham & cheese sandwich, American cheese, flower turkey ham and carrots, celery, and grapes / cantaloupe

Cherlin wanted a smiling flower Bento. I thought of using pot sticker mold instead of the flower cutter I frequently use. It didn't look much like a flower though. I added eyes, lips and star hair clips using American cheese. After I finished it, it didn't look like a flower. It looks more like a sun...but it has star hair clips, so I really didn't know what to call it. One of my facebook readers, Monina Clingaman, suggested that I call it starlight, star bright because it looks so cheery. I find the name cute so I agree with her...hence the name Starlight, Star Bright Bento. :)

Kalamay with Pinipig

Yesterday was one of those days when nothing could stop me from cooking the food I crave for. Though I've always been hesitant to make kalamay because of the long cooking time and all the stirring that goes with it, I gave it a shot.  Wondering what Kalamay is???

Kalamay is another favorite sticky rice-based kakanin (sweet delicacy) in the Philippines. It basically has the same ingredients as the espasol, but they differ in the manner of preparation and cooking. Kalamay comes in the form of a very sticky brown paste, although other colors in less viscous versions also exist. It actually has different versions, consistency, packaging and texture depending on location. In Bohol, it is spelled  "calamay" and is sealed inside hollowed-out coconut shells. In Tarlac, on the other hand, it is called "nilubyan" and green rice is used. In Baguio, they call their kalamay, "kulangot" (Tagalog word for snot). Kulangot is usually packed in smaller sago shells to further the playful image. In other regions, flavors are added to their kalamay to make it distinct from traditional preparations. In Mindoro, for example, locals add peanut butter to the paste, while others add grated coconut meat. Historians have difficulty pinpointing kalamay's exact origins because of it's wide variety of preparations. While the use of coconuts and rice is a clear indicator of traditional Philippine cuisine, similarities in preparation lead some food historians to believe that it an adaptation of the Chinese nian gao, a rice dish commonly served during the Chinese New Year. Though names and recipes for kalamay vary from region to region, the base ingredients are consistently the same: glutinous rice, coconut milk and brown sugar. 

I grew up with the simplest version of it - dark brown, sticky and a bit chewy, very fine textured 2 cm thick triangles wrapped in banana leaf...and that's what I love the most! It has been 4 years since I last had kalamay, and I was badly craving for it yesterday. I had all the basic ingredients in my pantry, so I really don't have any reason to simply ignore my craving! Though the Kalamay I grew up with had latik (fried coconut milk curd) on it, I thought that crunchy pinipig (rice flakes) will work well on it...and it did!

It took me more than an hour to cook it. My arm got so tired with all the stirring...but it was all worth it! I satisfied my craving and I was able to prove that I can make my own homemade kalamay!

Yield: one 8" round kalamay

Ingredients:

• 2 cups glutinous rice flour or finely ground glutinous rice
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 4 cups coconut cream or coconut milk (I prefer using coconut cream because of its thicker, more paste-like consistency compared to coconut milk)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup roasted pinipig (rice flakes)

Beef Balls in Mushroom Sauce

My daughters love anything in mushroom sauce --- chicken, pork, beef, fish, vegetables...whatever it is, they'll definitely be pleased! I, on the other hand, love to see them finish everything on their plate, so cooking dishes with mushroom sauce is one thing I enjoy doing!  

This Beef Balls in Mushroom Sauce is one of my girls' favorite. You can always see big smiles on their faces whenever they see me preparing this. And having this on the dinner table makes their eyes glow with excitement! They just love it!

As for me, I love the ease of preparation that goes with this dish. You can use store bought frozen meatballs, or you can make, cook and freeze the meatballs ahead of time for an extra-easy meal. (I prefer the latter). Check it out and see for yourself!

By the way, you still have 5 days to join my 16"x20" Canvas Print Giveaway from Uprinting.com.  Giveaway ends on Friday, Sept. 23, 9PM CDT.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef
• 1 medium-sized red onion, minced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ½ cup plain bread crumbs
• 1 tsp Herbs de Provence (for those who aren't familiar with this, it's a combination of basil, marjoram, thyme, sage, savory & rosemary - dried herbs typical of Provence)
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire
• 3 Tbsp light olive oil
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• ½ cup sliced fresh or canned mushrooms (I prefer using fresh ones but for this, I used canned simply because I didn't have fresh mushrooms on hand)
• 2 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 Tbsp water (This is optional. Just do this if you want a thicker sauce)
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup milk
• salt and pepper

Canvas Print Giveaway and This Week's Bentos

It's Friday again! Can't believe how quickly the week went by! I hardly noticed it. Time indeed flies fast when you're having fun. Today, just like the past seven consecutive Fridays, I'll be sharing with you the cute bentos I made for the girls...but before that, I have something special for you!

The wonderful people at UPrinting.com has offered my readers the chance to win a 16"x20" rolled canvas print! This is a great opportunity for you to turn your favorite digital photo into a beautiful canvas print! What a wonderful artwork to decorate your home!

UPrinting.com is an online printing company that offers a wide variety of printing services for both business and personal use. From labels and business cards printing to high quality vinyl banners and canvas printing, they have it! So, if you have any printing needs, visit their website and see for yourself all the products they offer.

My apologies to all my non-US readers...this giveaway is for US residents 18 years old and above only. Winners of Uprinting.com giveaway in the past 6 months are also not allowed to join. To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post. Yes, it's that simple! But if you want additional entries, you may do the following:

1. Like Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner and UPrinting on Facebook, and leave a comment here stating that you "liked" both pages.

2. Follow PinayInTexas and UPrinting on Twitter, and leave another comment here stating that you are following both.

3. Post about this giveaway on Facebook and/or tweet about it, and leave a separate comment here stating you have posted or tweeted about this giveaway.

You can have a total of 4 entries. Just don't forget to leave a separate comment for each. This giveaway will end on September 23, 2011 (Friday) 9PM CDT. One winner will be chosen via random.org to receive  one (1 ) piece 16” x 20” rolled canvas print, with 2-inch border or No border and 1 Business Day Turnaround *Free shipping.

If you love decorating your home with your favorite family or scenic photos, you'll love canvas prints even more!  So be sure to join this giveaway, and get a chance to win a free canvas print with free shipping!!! You really don't wanna miss this! 

Disclaimer: This canvas print giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting. No monetary compensation was given to PiTCC for hosting. All opinions expressed here are my own

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Now for this week's bentos...

Just like the past weeks, the girls mostly requested for sandwich bentos. They said it's easier and quick to eat in school. We agreed that I'll let them decide what they want in their bentos, so when they ask for sandwich, I prepare sandwich...but veggies and fruits must go with it!

Bento #20:  Adorable Puppy Bento (Clarise's request)

What's in it: Ham & Cheese Sandwich, White American Cheese, carrots, beef franks, blueberries, and grapes / strawberries

Clarise has always wanted to have a dog, and since I told her she can't have one until she's responsible enough, she just contents herself with anything "doggy" - posters, stuff toys, books, etc. Last Monday, she requested me to make a doggy themed bento. 

This was actually very easy to make. I still don't have a round cutter, so again, I used a glass to shape the dog's face. For the ears and the neck, I just used a sharp knife to cut the bread.

I made the face, ears and neck into sweet ham sandwiches.

Then for the eyes, I used white American cheese and blueberry cut in half. For the eyebrows, the lips and the collar, I used nori...then sweet ham for the tongue and blueberry for the nose. I added beef franks, carrots and bone shaped white American cheese for added decoration. Clarise really loved it...and Cherlin did too!

Bento #21:  Gobble, Gobble! Turkey Bento (Clarise and Cherlin's request)

What's in it: Cheese Sandwich, egg, carrots, sweet ham, blueberries, and grapes & cantaloupe/strawberries

For some reasons, we talked about Thanksgiving Day while having dinner last Monday...and there came Clarise's idea of having a turkey themed sandwich bento. But Cherlin said she wanted egg...so to satisfy both of them, I made a "turkey" cheese sandwich...

 

and a "turkey" designed hard boiled egg.

I made two happy girls with this! I joined Cherlin for lunch on Tuesday, and I saw how excited she was to see what I made for her.

Bento #22:  Starry, Starry Fried Rice Bento (Cherlin's request)

What's in it: Fried rice, Filipino red hotdogs, turkey bacon, strawberries and brownies

This is the type of food they usually eat for breakfast on weekends: fried rice with turkey bacon or hotdogs and sometimes, fried chinese chorizo or sauteed corned beef. I really like it when they request that I prepare something with rice for their school lunch (which they seldom do). I think it's more filling! For this one, I cooked fried rice with egg and turkey bacon strips, and made turkey bacon and boiled red hotdog kabobs. For a change, I let them have brownies for dessert, instead of fruits. :) 

Bento #23:  Bunny Bento (Cherlin's request)

What's in it: Turkey ham sandwich, American Cheese, mini sweet ham kabobs, carrots, blueberries, grapes and strawberries

Cherlin & I were reading  "The Weasel and the Bunny Rabbit" last Wednesday night, and that is how she came up with the idea of a bunny theme. I thought of preparing something with rice or noodles, but she insisted on just having sandwich, and Clarise agreed. So, bunny designed sandwich it is! The face and ears are made up of multi-grain white bread and turkey ham. I used white American cheese and blueberry for the eyes, grapes for the nose, and American cheese for the teeth. I added a piece of baby carrot, bunny shaped cheese slices and turkey & sweet ham rolls with grapes & strawberries for dessert. I find it really "cute"...and the girls agreed! 

In my past 8 weeks of making bentos , I've seen how my girls love it! Waking up at 6am (or sometimes earlier) and thinking of themes/designs make bento-ing more difficult than I thought...but the bentos I prepare definitely make my daughters smile, so I can't complain! Watching the joy and excitement  in their eyes is priceless! So, as long as I can see they're having fun, I'll keep doing it!

That’s it for today my friends! A wonderful weekend to you all where ever you may be! Stay happy and stay full!!! ;)

Chicken Tinola

Among the first recipes I've featured here is Tinolang Tahong (Mussels Soup)...today, I am sharing with you Tinolang Manok (Chicken Tinola). Are you wondering what "Tinola" is??? Well, Tinola is an authentic Filipino dish, which is a ginger based soup that can be cooked with either meat or seafood. Though "tinola" is more famous with manok(chicken) as the main ingredient, many Filipinos also use baboy(pork), isda (fish) and tahong(mussels). In Luzon provinces though, fish in ginger based soup is commonly known as pesang isda, but in Visayas and Mindanao, it is called tinolang isda. Are you enjoying your tinola lesson??? Let me go a little further...

Tinolang Manok, being the famous version of tinola was even referenced in Chapter 3 of Jose Rizal's book, Noli Me Tangere where Capitan Tiago ordered the said dish after he missed eating it for a long time when he extended his stay in Europe. Manok in tinola is best complimented with green papaya wedges and chili pepper leaves. I remember how I love Chicken Tinola when I was young. My mom used to cook it a lot and most of the time, she used home-raised native chicken instead of broiler chicken. This type of chicken has a stronger taste and tougher meat and has to be cooked for a longer time. But I'm telling you, it is a lot flavorful compared to commercially raised chicken! 

Here in Texas where papaya and chili leaves aren't usually available, I've learned to use different substitutes for them. Sayote (pear squash) is the best substitute for papaya and during times when even sayote is unavailable, potatoes will do. For the chili leaves, greens like bok choy, spinach and napa cabbage will be good...but I must say that nothing compares to the flavor that chili pepper leaves add to tinola.

Just like  Tinolang Tahong, this dish is best served during cold and rainy weather. But I love soup and whether it's spring, summer, fall or winter, I find it so comforting! Check out this Filipino favorite dish and let me know what you think...

 

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 1 medium sized green papaya, peeled, seed removed and cut into wedges
• 1 bundle spinach, wash and trimmed
•  4 heads baby bokchoy, washed and trimmed
• 2 thumb-sized ginger, crushed
• 1 medium sized onion, sliced
• 6 gloves garlic, chopped,
• 3 Tbsp fish sauce
• 3 Tbsp pure olive oil, for sauteing
• 5 cups water
• salt and pepper to taste

Espasol

Oriental Mindoro (the province where I grew up) is surrounded by water, and boat is the only means of transportation to and from adjacent provinces like Batangas, which is where my father's hometown is. Though a boat trip going to Batangas takes 4 hrs. back when I was a little girl...I always looked forward to it...not just because I was excited to see my cousins but also because I loved all the kakanin (Filipino sweet delicacies) that were available in the pasalubong (homecoming gift) stores by the port. Espasol was one of them. 

 

Espasol is a favorite kakanin of many Filipinos in South Luzon. It is a cylindrical rice delicacy originating from the province of Laguna, and is made from ground toasted glutinous rice cooked with coconut strips in coconut milk and then dusted with toasted rice flour. You can find espasol in bus stops and in pasalubong stores in Batangas, Laguna and Quezon.  Though I only got to go to Batangas 4-5 times a year when I was growing up, my father had to report twice a month to his Batangas office, and he always brought espasol as pasalubong for me.  It has a very simple taste that I really like. I like it so much that it is actually one of the first Filipino delicacies that I learned to cook. 

Today, I want to share with you my version of espasol. I usually used ground toasted glutinous rice but this time, I tried using glutinous rice flour instead. It's good...but I must say that freshly ground toasted glutinous rice makes tastier espasol. I also made them in different shapes instead of the usual cylindrical shape. Clarise and Cherlin found it more appealing!

Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups glutinous rice flour or ground glutinous rice
• 1 14-oz. can coconut cream
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup shredded young coconut
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp salt

Recreating PiTCC Recipes In Your Kitchen and This Week's Bentos

If you are following Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner on Facebook, maybe you already know about our ongoing contest called Recreating PiTCC Recipes In Your Kitchen. It's a dish photo contest wherein PiTCC FB fans who recreates any recipe from Pinay In Texas Cooking Corner can submit a photo of their dish. The photo that gets the most "likes" wins. I haven't announced the prize yet...but I assure you it will be really "great"! This is supposed to be a Christmas giveaway but after seeing some photos from followers who recreated my recipes, I got the idea of just hosting a photo contest. The contest period may seem too long, but with everyone's busy schedule, I guess it's better that way so there will be enough time for interested fans to join. There are 11 entries so far...looking forward to seeing more! Check out Pinay in Texas Cooking Corner on Facebook, and see for yourself which recipes our FB fans recreated in their kitchen! You might get inspired to join too!

Now, for my Friday Bento post...

The bentos I made this week weren't fancy...but I'm sure Clarise and Cherlin loved them because their lunch boxes were always empty when I checked them in the afternoon. I guess that's a good proof that they liked the food, right? (Unless they threw them, which I hope not.)

Bento #17:  Fried Rice & Embutido Bento (Clarise's request)

What's in it: Meat and Vegetable Fried Rice, embutido / mini ham and beef franks kabobs, grapes and cantaloupe

Clarise requested for meat and vegetable fried rice with embutido. Cherlin said she didn't want embutido so she had mini ham & beef franks kabobs instead. That was the first time Clarise and Cherlin had rice for school lunch...they said everyone was looking at them because they were eating rice in school. But they didn't mind. They are Filipinos and they love eating rice! :)

Bento #18:  Yogi Bear Bento (Cherlin's request)

What's in it: Ham and Cheese Sandwich, Beef Franks, Carrots, Celery, Grapes, Raisins, Kiwi & Peaches

Tuesday night, Cherlin asked me if I can make a Yogi Bear themed bento. I just said "I'll try". The next morning, I thought an ordinary bear bento would be easier, so that's just what I did. I used a bear face cutter for the small bear, and I used a glass for the big bear. (Sad to admit but I don't have a round cutter. hehe) I filled them with mayo, sweet ham & white American cheese. For the ears, eyes & nose, I used cheese and grapes. For the small bear's eyes, I used raisins.

I added a small piece of romaine lettuce to look like a cap (just like Yogi's). When I picked her up from school in the afternoon, she gave me a big warm hug, saying thank you for making Yogi & Boo-boo.  She said they looked so cool, and Clarise agreed! I realized little kids are indeed so easy to please! So I'm officially calling this Yogi Bear Bento! :)

Bento #19:  Chicken Nuggets and Mac & Cheese Bento (Clarise's request)

What's in it: Macaroni & Cheese, chicken nuggets, grapes and cantaloupe

Mac & Cheese is Clarise and Cherlin's favorite. They can eat it everyday and when it's all gone, they keep asking for more...so I usually cook a lot of it and just store it in the refrigerator.  They had mac & cheese with chicken nuggets yesterday, and today, Clarise requested to have it again...but this time, with beef franks. They just couldn't get enough of it! :) 

Wishing you all a great weekend! As we commemorate 9/11 this Sunday, let us all remember those who were killed, those who sacrificed their lives or health to rescue others, and all those who have mourned and continue to mourn their loss from that horrible act of terrorism...and let us pray that such tragedy never happen again...

Bread Pudding with Raisins and Walnuts

I've been bento-ing for three straight weeks now, and if you're a follower of my blog, I'm sure you've seen the sandwich bentos I've made for my girls since school started. Do you ever wonder what I do with the scrap bread???

If you're thinking that I'm throwing them, you're wrong! Just like what I've said before, I hate seeing food go to waste...so I always try to find ways to make use of my bento scraps. 

My girls request for sandwich bentos at least three times a week. The photo above will show you how much bread scrap I have at the end of each week. It's about 5 cups. I just can't imagine myself throwing that much! So what do I do with all the bread scrap??? Simple, I turn them into bread pudding! What...bread pudding every week? Doesn't she get tired of it? Well, my whole family love bread pudding. We love it for snack and dessert. The best thing about it is that I can always make it in different flavors like chocolate, cinnamon, coffee, peach, apple, peanut butter, etc...so I don't have to worry about eating the same kind of bread pudding every week! 

Today, I'll be sharing with you my mom's vanilla bread pudding recipe that I modify a little. I used butter instead of margarine, and I added walnuts into it...and unlike my mom who used to steam her pudding, I bake mine. I'll be doing some more bread pudding flavors in the weeks to come, so watch out for it! :)

 

Ingredients:

• 5 cups bread, cut into small cubes
• 2 cans evaporated milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup walnuts, chopped