Cook and Brew.

A party trend that has become quite popular lately is the Chocolate Fountain. From birthdays to baby showers to baptismal to corporate events to weddings, the chocolate fountain table might have been the next crowded area next to the buffet table.

A chocolate fountain is a stainless steel with 2 or 3 (or more) tiers that melts chocolate and produces a continuous flow of chocolate film over the tiers like a fountain. The chocolate fondue are usually: Bittersweet Chocolate, Darksweet Chocolate, Premium Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, White Chocolate, and even Colored Chocolate. There is a variety of “dippers” or “dippings” which are used to dip into the chocolate film and cover it with the desired amount of chocolate.

Dippers can be fruits and non-fruits:
Fruits:
1.Banana
2.Apple
3.Pineapple
4.Orange
5.Melon
6.Watermelon
7. Grapes
8. Strawberry
9. Blueberry (Frozen)
10. Kiwi
11. Raspberries (Frozen)

and Non-Fruits:
1.Chocostick Wafer
2.Vanilla Wafer
3.Breadstick
4.Marshmallows
5.Graham Cracker
6.Garlic Fingers
7.French Bread
8. Pretzels
9. Mini Donuts
10. Chocolate Chip Cookies
11. Peanut Butter Chip Cookies
12. Butter Cookies
13. Mini cup cakes (in choco, ube, strawberry, and cheese)
14. Churros
15. Rosquillos
16. Broas
17. Barquillos
18. Butter Egg Roll Cookies
19. Nachos
20. French Fries

The Chocolate Fountain is highly favored because of the following advantages:
1. It simplifies your menu. Just serve the chocolate and dippers then the dessert bar is done.
2. Because of the interactive and fascinating experience of “dipping” it makes eating more exciting.
3. It is an elegant and impressive table centerpiece.

“My therapist told me the way to achieve true inner peace is to finish what I start. So far today, I have finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.”
~ Dave Barry

I’m literally drooling while posting this picture. And all the more I salivated when I noticed that my recent snapshots share are all food…so tempting and alluring. This is the husband’s shot of his special Father’s Day cake…Red Ribbon’s Chocolate S’mores Cake: moist chocolate cake with layers of heavenly marshmallow and grahams. Topped with caramel and chocolate squares.

1. Chicken sa McDo, Jollibee, or KFC?
:: KFC junkie here! I love both the original and hot & crispy chicken, unlimited gravy, zinger, choco mousse and coleslaw.

2. Pepsi, Coke, or rootbeer?
:: Coke

3. Greenwich, Pizza Hut, or Yellow Cab?
:: Yellow Cab! I love their 4 Seasons Pizza, Calzone and Charlie Chan Pasta.

4. Adobo, sinigang, or nilaga?
:: I go for adobo.

5. Beef, pork, or chicken?
:: Pork.

6. Starbucks, Coffee bean and tea leaf, or Gloria Jean’s?
:: Starbucks. I love their Mocha Frap.

7. Cornflakes, Honey Stars, or Milo cereal?
:: Cornflakes.

8. Goldilocks or Red Ribbon?
:: Red Ribbon.

9. Tokyo Tokyo, Teriyaki Boy or Rai Rai Ken?
:: Tokyo tokyo.

10. Take Out or Dine In?
:: Delivery…lolz!

Pay bills online via BPI portal and you’ll be rewarded with some great treats from Chowking. For every bills payment transaction of at least worth P300, you earn credits which you can convert into Chowking treats like Siopao or Siomai (5 credits), Meatball Congee or Halo Halo (10 credits), or Pork or Fish Lauriat or Braised Beef Beef with drink (15 credits).

Promo Period: July 1 – September 30, 2009

Promo Prize:
* 5 bills payment = Siopao or Siomai
* 10 bills payment = Meatball Congee or Halo-Halo with 1 scoop Ice Cream
* 15 bills payment = Pork or Fish Lauriat or Braised Beef Beef (with 1 regular Del Monte Pineapple Juice)

Log on to your account and start paying your bills. For more info, check the complete promo mechanics.

Filed under: Special Rice, Noodles & Breads

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp butter
2 medium onions, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 cups cooked rice (preferably overnight leftovers)
2 cups cooked leftover chicken, diced
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger, julienned
Optional: cooked luncheon meat or ham, diced

Procedure:
1. Heat butter in a large pan. Brown onion.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients.
3. Stir frequently while cooking over moderate heat. Cook for 15 minutes.

Mai’s Kitchen Notes:
Recipe slightly modified by yours truly from the Lorenzana’s The 20-minute Cookbook.

Play any or all of the above-mentioned games to win free drinks and food items from Tokyo Tokyo. Just log on to http://www.wattatempura.com/ and achieve the following levels to get the corresponding freebie:

* Level 1 – Free regular Red Iced Tea or any Pepsi product for a purchase of any Prawn Tempura rice meal.
* Level 2 – Free 1 pc Prawn Tempura add-on for a rice meal purchase.
* Level 3 – Free Prawn and Vegetable Tempura rice meal for a purchase of Red Iced Tea.

Promo period is from: August 04, 2009 – October 15, 2009.

Each user will receive a maximum of 9 coupons. Prizes will be sent once per account for every level accomplished. One coupon per store visit only.

Here’s one smoothie recipe that I’ll be trying once we can buy loads of strawberries this December in Baguio.

2 cans (240 ml each) Pure Pineapple Juice
1/4 kg fresh strawberries, washed and trimmed
1/3 to 1/2 cup sugar

Freeze contents of 1 can of Pineapple Juice in an ice cube tray. Chill the other can. Combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Garnichs with fresh strawberry slices. Serve immediately.

**This is rich in folic acid and helps prevent/reduce birth defects so this drink is ideal for pregnant women.

You Are a Boston Creme Donut

You have a tough exterior. No one wants to mess with you. But on the inside, you’re a total pushover and completely soft. You’re a traditionalist, and you don’t change easily. You’re likely to eat the same doughnut every morning, and you pout if it’s sold out.

This is perfect. Dunkin Donuts’ Boston Kreme is my favorite actually!