Nigella !!!

I'm a HUGE...HUGE Nigella Lawson fan. Next to Martha, Nigella is my next idol. As cheesy as it sounds, it's true. What I love about her, is the fact that she makes cooking looks easy. I know that you're going to say "But you don't cook..." Yeah I know but then again she bakes too!
I have recently purchased her new book called Nigella Express, haven't had a chance to really read it, just browse through it, so far, I'm intrigue. I'm even excited for her latest tv show aptly called eerrr.... Nigella Express, what else? I'll be able to watch it through Travel and Living channel starting this March, can't hardly wait!

Smooooothie...

I love smoooooothies! They are feel like an indulgence that is way good for you. Summer is already around the corner here in Manila. Summer bring about variety of fruits including my sister's and my favorite fruit, strawberries! I've been craving for strawberries for two weeks now, everyone has been so busy lately that I wasn't able to ask someone to buy me some. Last Saturday, when we're not busy as we were getting ready to leave the office, I asked out messenger to drop by at the market and buy me some strawberries. I'm so excited, I quickly chilled them for the next day.
Sunday finally came, with my strawberries chilled, I quickly brought out the blender from storage, grabbed my soy milk and bananas and gave a quick whirl. For those of you wants to try this, please do they are very good :P

Strawberry Banana Smoothies
1 pint strawberries, hauled
2 bananas, peeled
2-3 cups milk, (I use soy)
Ice (as many as you want)

Throw everything in the blender and blend. I like my smoothie, smooth so I give it some time to crushed all the ice. This is definitely a refreshing drink.

dear anonymous, please give this recipe a try, hope you enjoy it! I'm lazy in re-typing recipes so most often I don't post them ;p

Valentine Weekend

As some of you may have noticed, I'm a sucker for Valentines Day + I'm such a Martha Stewart fan. For me, it's not about the flowers and dining out (but that's definitely a plus!), it more on seeing heart shaped confections, I find them too cute! Green with envy and inspired by this cake. After consulting with the Queen of all baking, Martha, who would have thought that it would turn out bad.
Weekend after V-day, I spent my afternoon making Martha Stewart's Truffle Cake. It started out fine, I made the truffle base store in the ref to harden a bit. Make the cake. As I was making the cake, it looks too pale for me, I like my chocolate cake jet back. That's one minus points for this recipe. To make it all worst is that the truffles can't hold their shape! even after an hour in the freezer! As soon as I get them out of the freezer they turn into puddle! (as you can see in the pictures) yikes, definitely not worth all the trouble. Taste good, looks horrible!

Digital Scrapbooking Contest

Aside from baking, one of my other love is taking lots and lots of pictures especially during vacations and holidays. Pictures should be displayed and shared and for those picture to make it more special, I often put those pictures in scrapbook. With out local bookstores who carries foreign magazine which are often too expensive, it's such a blessing to discover bookoto.com. They are an online book, magazine store who carries extensive collection of books and mags, that are such unique titles that are most often not yet available in our local market. What I love ordering from them are books on scrapbooking and much recently on magazines on digital scrapbooking, I'm already excited in receiving them. Bye!

And oh yes, before I forget check out their website, because for their anniversary. They are giving away free subscription for Digital Scrapbooking Magazine, isn't that cool! Don't hesitate, visit their site for the rules. Ciao!

Happy Valentines!

V-day is finally here, Valentines Day! Like in many cultures, here in Manila, men are busy buying flowers for their love ones and boy I don't envy them, not one bit! The prices of flowers are outrageous! I celebrate valentines day by baking more chocolates!

With my family on a diet/healthy phase, I'm out on a look out for low fat desserts. While browsing through the bookstore, I chanced upon Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World by: Isa Chandra Moskowitz & Terry Hope Romero, I know you are thinking "but, you're not vegan?!?"
I know, I know...but then again, they are healthier than the full fat versions right, if they taste the same then, I'm all for it. I've been browsing through this book for quite sometime, but just haven't had the chance to use it, here is my chance.
For my first time with this book or with any other vegan stuff, I started with the most basic, I believe it was called the Very Best Chocolate Cupcake, with title like that
who would be able to resist! Not a chocoholic like me, no sir, not me! With soy milk in one hand and a whisk in another, I gave this recipe a whirl. Might I say its a pretty easy and a breeze to make, basically just mixing the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. I was a bit scared because this is the first time I'm baking without eggs!!! Duh! that's why it's VEGAN!
But kept my fingers cross and continue on. Being Valentines Day, it had to be special, I went searching for those lovely, expensive, gold cupcake foil liners that I've been saving for special occasions. Lined up my tin and baked them, they turned out good. I cooled and frosted them with whipped chocolate ganache made with non dairy cream and sprinkle some 'lips' sprinkle, just the right touch for V-day! Happy Valentines everyone!

Morsels!

On a quiet Tuesday night, as I was busy browsing through the aisle of supermarket looking for cocoa powder. I saw something that totally delighted me. Yes, you guess it! I saw Nestle Toll House Peanut Butter & Milk Chocolate morsels, Nestle Toll House Butterscotch Morsels and Andes Creme de Mint Chips. I was so happy in my discovery that I forgot to buy what I'm suppose to buy! yeah, I'm an impulse buyer :) I'm busy looking for those recipes I've been wanting to try for so long!

Deep Dark Chcolate Cookies

With my chocolate them for the month of hearts, I would like to start with a recipe from Marcel Desaulnier, Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies. Why you might ask? who is Marcel Desaulnier?
Years ago, when Food Network started showing in our cable channel here in Manila. There was this show called Baker's Dozen, I'm not sure if anyone remembers that, but that show used to be my all time favorite that's where I found out who Marcel Desaulnier is! That's when my first love affair with chocolates started! So before Jacques Torres, Marcel was my first.
Simply put Marcel Desaulnier is the Jacques Torres of Virginia! He is a chocoholic like most of us. He have several books in this topic, remember Chocolate to Die for? How about Death by Chocolates? Death by Chocolate Cakes? and I have 4 of those memorable books of his. He's recipe aren't one of those easy breezy type, specially the cakes, but as always they taste divine. It took a lot of time and planning, I'm embarrass to admit this but my Desaulnier books most the time I just browse through them, but as this heart month I got to try at least some of his recipes right? Please enjoy!

DPP + Shutter Box = FUN!

I know.... I know...This is a FOOD blog but with such good news I couldn't resist sharing it to everyone who bothers to visit my blog. Here goes....
My favorite Photography magazine Digital Photographer Philippines aka DPP and believe me I have tried reading other photography magazines that are locally published here in the Philippines, I'm proud to say DPP is my 1 and only! DPP & Shutter Box Philippines, where I get all these great photography related news, tied up to give us readers wonderful news! They are holding a contest. Readers get a chance to win 6 months worth of subscription to DPP Magazine for a whopping amount of Php 0! That's right, for FREE! Isn't that fabulous or what! In just FOUR EASY STEPS! Please check out Shutter Box Philippines don't let this opportunity pass by.

Heart Month

The Heart month is definitely here and what better represents the month for sweetheart, than chocolates. Yup, you heard me right this whole month, I'll be doing a a chocolate theme. Better crack open those chocolate books that I've collected for the past year and start baking.
Hmmmmmm.....I wonder where will I start???? Desaulnier? Medrich? Boyle? Herme? Malgieri? Recchiuti? Gonzales? Bigelow? Mini...mine....mo....