meal, me, and more

This has been in my draft since 2008, but I wasn't able to post it. I can no longer recall why... but let this be a start of reviving the connection that subconsciously got lost because life happened - one to my innermost self. Honestly, social media has become too convoluted for me. Here, I find peace sharing my thoughts, my feelings, stuff I love and simple things I do. Please welcome me back to the blogging world! Carpe diem, still! Photo credit to The Spruce Eats; I already lost mine but this somehow looks like it. I’m not really a fan of Ms. Anabel Rama (actress Ruffa Guttierez’ mom) but I believe in her TV ad that Pillsburry is the best fried chicken (and others) breading mix in town. I’ve tried a lot of brands but this one’s the most convenient, crunchy, and tasty. It may be just me, but my family loves this, too. Pillsburry made my mushroom crispier and more appealing to my babies. Whenever I cook this, my eldest would call it “chicharon” . Harhar! I owe it to its crunchi...

I’m not really a fan of Ms. Anabel Rama (actress Ruffa Guttierez’ mom) but I believe in her TV ad that Pillsburry is the best fried chicken (and others) breading mix in town. I’ve tried a lot of brands but this one’s the most convenient, crunchy, and tasty. It may be just me, but my family loves this, too. Pillsburry made my mushroom crispier and more appealing to my babies. Whenever I cook this, my eldest would call it “chicharon” . Harhar! I owe it to its crunchiness. Ingredients: 250 g table mushroom 1 small pack Pillsburry one-step coating mix ¼ c water oil for deep frying Directions: Mix the coating mix with water until free from lumps. Wash mushroom thoroughly. Heat oil. Dip mushroom in the mixture and fry until golden brown. This recipe is great with sweet vinegar dip. Just mix vinegar, water, sugar, chopped onion, and siling labuyo. Measurements depend on your taste preference.

Inabraw/Inabrao is a recipe from the Ilocos region made of vegetables with native fish sauce in steaming broth. Being a true-blooded Ilocano, my hubby loves this dish so much. Before we got married, I really tried so hard to perfect this recipe. Well, it's only after three years of marriage that I somehow learned to cook it in the taste he wants. Hehe... Now, I have lots of versions of inabraw, combining different veggies available in the fridge. I have tried a combo of two or more of these: horse radish ( malunggay ) leaves and fruit, squash, eggplant, lady's finger ( okra ), string beans, bitter gourd, battle ( upo ), sponge gourd ( patola ), sweet pepper ( siling haba ), and a lot more. The choices are endless actually. You just have to experiment as to which ones match best. This one is my most recently discovered version. The squash flower ( bulaklak ) came from a village vendor who walked by our house one morning. She said she picked the flowers herself from her own backy...