Lunch is the middle meal of the day. At this time, our body has already use the food we have eaten in the morning and it is necessary to replace them in order to continuously have the energy by the body for the activities during the rest of the day. A nutritious lunch must have the necessary calories for energy in the meal journey. It must include rice, protein dish like meat, fish or poultry, and fruits and vegetables that make one satisfied, alert, cheerful and active.

Supper, on the other hand, is the meal we eat in the evening. Early breakfast means early supper. This is the time when each member of the family is more relaxed and has more time to enjoy the food being prepared. Well-planned and nutritious dishes are served in order to replace the nutrients used by the body. It his highly recommended to take the day’s last meal at least three (3) hours before bedtime. This will ensure a more restful sleep and better weight control especially if you're unto weight-loss journey.

One of the most empowering steps you can take towards achieving a good life is to begin cooking for yourself rather than relying on restaurants, takeaways and packaged foods. Honestly, I am not really a good cook, but I prefer to cook our own food than ordering foods from outside. Cooking is one of the most empowering things you can do for yourself. It lets you connect with your food directly because it allows you to choose and prepare the foods you know will make your body happy. When you cook wholesome meals, you are nourishing yourself, both in body and soul. And when you cook for friends and family, you are giving them a gift of nourishment and love. Most of all, cooking should be fun. It is a journey, an activity you can share with your friends, family, and your children (if you have). You can also share your specialty to your friends on Facebook. :-)

Have a great day everyone! All the best! :)

Mmmmm… yummy, yummy! That’s the right word to explain. I fried Argentina beef loaf the other day and it was really tempting. I missed this kind of loaf because there's nothing this here in California or in USA. Way back before, I love argentina corned beef at home. Then I just knew that there's already a beef loaf variety and yes, I love it just like the corned beef! Very easy to fry and really tasted perfect.

I am so glad I have awesome friends who are ready-to-go and bought for me when they went from my birth country home.. My longings for this beef loaf has come to an end. Sad enough this is my two last cans.

Actually, there are corned beef or beef loaf here too but they are not into the same taste. This is one of the two I really love most. Frying this with egg is perfect too and with dried fish as a side dish. Perfect!

Oh, I'm feeling hungry again. What should I do with my dieting this time. It is always good to eat this yumminess! I always feel hungry every time I see a can of this .

What is our breakfast today? Oops! Not a breakfast anymore because we woke up late, and it’s almost lunch time, so this is what we called a brunch, a combination of breakfast and lunch. Anyway, I made this so easy to prepare brunch for us. I made grits, ham and hard-boiled eggs, plus a milk chocolate "Ovaltine" and a coffee (combination of the two).

I like grits because it is very easy to prepare, and it is really good, especially when it is still hot. Anyhow, do you know that the white corn grits contain more calories, protein, carbohydrates, fiber and fats than the yellow corn grits? Nevertheless, both grits are good for our health. And I'm glad I have that two: white (rice)and yellow (corn) grits. The fiber and other contents which can be found in grits, help us to feel full longer periods of time and it helps to promote regular digestive functioning. In addition, grits contain almost no sugar and mainly consist of starches. So, if you are trying to reduce weight, include grits in your diet. It will also flatten your stomach if you eat it at least three times a week.

Good luck and all the best (in the dieting journey)!

When it comes to beauty, it is important to consider the role of regularity. If our body is not flushing out toxins (which is responsible for releasing wastes) regularly , it will show on our skin. It can appear as breakouts, rashes, and pallid, lackluster skin, according to my ever dearest expert beautician and medical experts. Although there have been models, actresses, and other great beauties obsessed with inside/out beauty, it should become an integral part of the total beauty regimen in everyone’s lives.

Anyway, you don’t have to buy expensive pills just to eliminate wastes to our body. Everything can be found in the kitchen just like drinking plenty of water. We need lots of water to push wastes and toxins through our body system. Try to drink about six to eight glasses daily. Detoxify the body by eating fruits and vegetables. Try to eat as many fresh foods as possible, including the skin, for optimal fiber intake. Fiber is the most important vehicle for proper elimination of waste, and there are two types of fiber to consider when reading labels, the soluble fiber, which lower your cholesterol, and insoluble fiber, which helps to combat constipation, hemorrhoids, and colon cancer.

Good luck to our daily regimen, eating and drinking and alike. All the best! :)

Fried fish, is one of the common viands on the table in my hometown. We usually dipped it with vinegar or lemon, soy sauce, and if you like something spicy, just add a chili. Some people like to dip it in a fish sauce or fermented fish with vinegar or lemon. Or you can make a side dish of tomatoes, onion, fermented fish or fish sauce, and lemon or vinegar. When I was a kid, I just dipped it with soy sauce with vinegar and nothing else. Yesterday, I was craving for it so I went to the grocery store and bought. I cooked it right away when I got home. It has been a long time I have not eaten a deep-fried fish, so yesterday; I enjoyed eating such with one leg up on the chair. Ha!. I have not eaten it all, but I can re-fry it or mix it with green leafy vegetable later.

What about you, how do you eat a fried fish? Or, do you like eating such? How do you like it?

Do you eat bread? Do you like having bread for dinner, or what. I was born in the Philippines, yes, I am a Filipina but then I live here in USA right now. So mix of rice and bread for a day for me is enough. But for now, I cannot live without rice that is for sure. Americans love bread (and my husband is of course, one of them). And I think bread is what their staple food. Since I am living here, eating bread in the morning is enough and having coffee or tea drink beside is perfect, but for lunch or dinner I must have rice.

Back in my birth country, we're not "used to" to have bread  as our meal. That is only for our  ‘merienda’ or snack. Bread for sure is healthy and with higher carbohydrates too but I cannot exchange it with rice (or at least for now, maybe). Rice as staple food is what  I grew up, eating it three times a day.

But I admit, sometimes, if I feel so lazy to cook then bread is my tummy's best-friend. Bread and rice are both perfect (as staple foods)!

All the food we eat, whether it’s a snack or a meal, should be very tasty and gratifying. If we choose delicious foods every time we eat, rather than trying to choke down foods we don’t like but think are good for us, we will be much more satisfied. And if you are always satisfied with your food choices, you are much less likely to obsess about food. Fortunately, there are literally hundreds of delicious and nutritious food choices out there, including many varieties of fruits and vegetables that you have probably never even tried.

Going shopping for food and cooking for yourself, rather than simply picking up a meal at the local fast food restaurant or heating up a frozen ready-meal are proactive ways to stop food obsessions. Not only do they make you more conscious of your food choices, but they also give you a sense of accomplishment. The simple act of preparing a meal also helps you to take time to nourish and provide for your soul.

Bitter-melon or bitter gourd, is what "ampalaya" is.
Anyhow, here are the ingredients of my simple Ampalaya con Carne Norte.

Ingredients:
1 pc. Large ampalaya
1 ¼ cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 pc. Medium-sized tomato, sliced
1 small can of carne norte or corn beef
2 eggs, lightly beatin
And salt and pepper to taste.

Preparation:
1. Blanch ampalya in boiling water, then immediately rinse in ice water. Strain and set aside.
2. Saute onion, garlic and tomato, and then add corn beef. Allow to simmer for about 2 minutes.
3. Add ampalaya, and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Pour in beaten eggs before mixing everything lightly.

Enjoy!

Do you like arroz caldo?

I seldom prepare this dish, but when I am craving for it, I will just make it at home because there is no arroz caldo at the nearby restaurant. So, here’s how to prepare this soupy rice.

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs or drumstick 
• 2 cups of sticky rice (uncooked) 
• 1 qt. of chicken stock 2 knobs of ginger (peeled, chopped) 
• 4 cloves of garlic (chopped roughly) 
• 1 onion (chopped) Green onion or onion leaves (chopped into small size) 2 tablespoon patis or fish sauce (optional) 
• Salt and Pepper

Procedure: 

• Get a big hot pot, add some olive oil and brown the chicken, the salt and pepper. 
• When you flip over the chicken, add the chopped onion and let it sautee until the other side of the chicken browns.
• Add garlic, give a quick toss and add uncooked rice. 
• Mix the rice and add fish sauce (optional). Add ginger. 
• Mix around and chicken stock. 
• Cover and bring to simmer to stir. Making sure rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot. Continue to check the tenderness of the rice. If mixture is getting too thick, loose with lukewarm water.  

Ciao!

When the holiday season starts, people tend to make a lot of excuses and pretend to be always hungry in order to try all the sumptuous dishes being served in the dining table. It is going to be an endless adventure of munching for the entire week. This is going to be fun but just imagine the amount of calories that you’ve been accumulating. You’ll just be surprised when you get to bond with the weighing scale when the season ends.

As much as possible, discipline yourself not to over eat during the entire season. It’s okay to taste everything but make sure that everything is in moderation. After all, when the summer season arrives, there is a need for you to shed off extra fats to be able to fit into your gorgeous bikinis. Do yourself a favor, if you could maintain your slim figure, much better. This isn’t just for looking sexy but for health purposes as well. Obese people are more prone to diseases compared to the physically fit ones.

"Health is wealth" , please remember that. 

The lunch bag has gone a long way from the time “baon” (food to bring) was wrapped in brown bags, banana leaves, or plastic cellophane. Oops! I am talking about our lunch box or lunch pack in the birth country. Now, the traditional baon wraps have given way to more innovative designs that are compact, handy and convenient and, most importantly, keep food fresh and crisp.

More than just the designs, though, it is also important for lunch bags to be tight and drip-free so food and drinks won’t leak and create smudges or stains on your bag, or clothes when you open it. This is really important, especially if you are giving a lunch box to your child in the school. You should consider buying a lunch box with air and liquid tight, and must have a resilient silicon seal to keep your food fresh longer, warm longer and eliminates odors and spills as well.

Our diet has a great deal to do with how we feel. Every day there seems to be another study that points out the relationship between the amount and type of food we eat and our health. Whatever the study, the evidence clearly shows that we should increase our intake of vegetables, fruits, and some whole grains. And reduce the amount of sugar and saturated fat we eat.

Another good practice is to substantially increase your water intake. This provides the fluid base the body needs to function effectively, and is essentially when you are walking and exercising. It is recommended that you drink six to eight glasses of water a day. While other beverages, such as soft drinks or coffee, may provide you with liquid, they also increase your intake of sugar and, in the case of drinks with extra caffeine (cola, coffee, tea), they dehydrate you. Juices in moderation are good for you, but do note that they add extra calories.

For babies, milk is absolutely the perfect food. They thrive, and grow well on it. Milk contains a good balance of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, along with an abundance of vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. Sounds like milk should be a healthful food for adults too. That’s what most people think and believe. However, for a person who eats too much fat, too much cholesterol, too much protein, and not enough fiber, that may not be so. According to what I have read, whole milk, when calculated in percent of calories, is 50 percent fat, 20 percent protein. It also contains 34 mg. of cholesterol per glass. You may thing that the two glasses of whole milk contain about the same amount of cholesterol as a three-ounce beef steak. And yes, experts said. In addition to that, milk has no dietary fiber. Drinking milk is putting ahead burdens on an already overloaded metabolic system. Good thing nowadays, babies got Pediasure that has fiber on it, though.

Who said that breakfast should be eaten in the morning as the first meal of the day? Aha! Not for me! Grin. I know there are people like me who can eat breakfast food even in the evening. During weekdays, the husband is at work, I usually eat my breakfast and lunch not on the proper time. I sometimes combined it as brunch. It doesn’t matter what food I have on the table.  I usually cook just enough for him, especially if I am not in the mood to eat his American food.

There are times, most of the times actually that I prepared Filipino food for myself and one of this, is a food for breakfast, but I prepared it for lunch. Ha! Okay, I enjoyed eating my breakfast food at lunch, even if I am alone. I sometimes cook dried fish and hubby doesn't care which is good. :)

Have you tried to prepare an egg poached? I have tried once but it wasn’t good. The egg white was cooked, including the yolk. To make it perfect, the egg white must be cooked but the yolk should be runny. I followed the instructions but it didn’t come out like the photo on the recipe book. I understand that this is a difficult yet elegant way to prepare eggs, but gets easier with practice. Hmm.. That’s it; I need more practice on making an excellent poached egg.

Anyway, here the instructions: Fill a pan with water and add vinegar. (1 tablespoon vinegar to 6 cups of water); the acid helps contain the egg whites. Bring to boil, then lower to a simmer (boiling water will make the egg white rubbery). Crack the egg into a small bowl. When water is ready, some people swirl the water with a spatula or wooden spoon to create a vortex, while others, do not, simply using circular molds. Try both ways and see what works for you. Drop the egg into the swirling water or into the mold. If using the vortex technique, continue swirling the water slowly to keep the egg in shape. The vortex creates a spherical shape, while mold makes a sunny-side up shaped egg. Cook for about 3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.

Good luck and enjoy cooking! :)

There’s nothing like a piping-hot bowl of soup to keep you warm during cold seasons. Take a quick trip to supermarket and pick up fresh ingredients that your need to prepare delicious meals that are perfect for the cold weather.Here’s easy to prepare recipe that everyone will love during cold days.

Chicken Macaroni Sopas

Ingredients:
½ cup elbow macaroni
1 cup cooked and diced chicken meat
 ½ cup cooked and diced chicken giblets
6 cups chicken broth
 Broccoli, carrots
1 onion
sliced 2 clove garlic, minced
½ cup evaporated milk
1/8 tsp ground white pepper Fish sauce, salt to taste, oil for sautéing

Procedures: Saute garlic and onion in a saucepan until light brown. Add diced chicken and giblets. Season with fish sauce and salt to taste. Saute for another 5 minutes. Pour in chicken stock and allow to boil. Add macaroni and boil again. Cover the saucepan and reduce heat. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the macaroni is done. Stir in milk and sprinkle ground white pepper. Remove from heat. Garnish with green onions before serving.

Enjoy eating! :)

Gone are the days when women would be content to drink their favorite soda, fruit juice or ice tea during social functions. Nowadays, women drink wine because wine-drinking is about celebrating festive occasions and enjoying life with family and friends. Women's wine choices are not based on wine ratings or vintage charts but on how good they taste. One big favorite of women is Carlo Rossi Sangria, which offers the sweet taste of freshly squeezed lemons, oranges and grapefruit in every bottle. It is a medium-bodied wine that is sweet, fruity, refreshing and easy to drink. It goes well with barbeque, and is perfect for any fun and casual get together. The best thing about it is that you don’t have to be a wine connoisseur to truly enjoy Carlo Rossi Sangria. If you have not tried it yet, maybe you should try it one day. By the way, the empty bottle could be used as bottled water. Just fill it with water from the faucet and put it in the fridge.

We greeted the day with different interpretations of breakfast: some have become classics in their own cultures and been adapted into others.

Americans, for instance, prepare a flurry of cereals such as corn flakes, oatmeal, porridge and grits. They like to linger over blueberry pancakes, waffles, and French toast, or settle down with a warm bagel or doughnut and brewed coffee. They also have bacon, smoked sausages, and patties.

For Filipinos, we have pork meat with noodles and vegetables (batchoy), arroz caldo (soupy rice with chicken) and sopas (elbow pasta with sausage and vegetable) to warm the stomach. But it is rice reincarnated as sinangag (fried rice), served with daing (dried fish), longganisa (local sausage), tocino (marinated pork meat with a variety of flavors), and the like. That comprises the complete Filipino breakfast. Often, the spread includes an "ulam" (viand) such as paksiw (fish with vinegar) or adobo (Filipinos all time favorite). For simple Filipino breakfast, pan-de-sal and coffee will do.