Cook and Brew.

For sure, our loots when we get back from Baguio will contain loads and loads of carrots, sayote and cucumber. As La Trinidad is called the Salad Bowl of the Philippines, vegetables grown there are sold a lot cheaper. Among these vegetables, we stock cucumber the most to make our favorite, Cucumber Salad. Also, my sister use cucumber as a simple home remedy for her dark eye circles. Here’s a simple recipe that I learned from my stepmom.

Ingredients:
* 3 large cucumbers, peeled, thinly sliced
* 1 cup white vinegar
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Preparation:
Combine all ingredients. Store covered in refrigerator.

You’ll love the contrasting sweet and sour taste.

Just one of our “baon” when we went to Tagaytay Picnic Grove the other week.

There are actually many taco recipe variations and that makes it more exciting and fun.

* 1 pound lean ground beef
* chopped tomato
* shredded lettuce
* shredded cheese
* 1 teaspoon garlic powder
* 1 can (8 ounces) tomato sauce
* 1 teaspoon onion powder
* 1 package taco shells

Optional: Mustard, Taco Sauce (available in grocery stores)

Brown ground beef; drain well. Add tomato sauce and seasonings. Place cooked meat in taco shells; top with shredded lettuce, chopped tomato, and shredded cheese, taco sauce and mustard.

I’ve shared a recipe find yesterday regarding Creepy Halloween Drinks. For today’s recipe find share, to complete the Halloween party foods for your kids, you might want to try this Mummy Dog recipe I stumbled upon from scoochmaru. Check out her article for a more detailed instructions plus step by step images.  Her article is indeed very helpful and easy to follow.

Step 1: Hot dogs (veggie dogs or sausages), biscuit dough (fresh or store-bought) and mustard are all you need to turn out these ghoulish delights! One roll of biscuit dough will cover one eight-pack of dogs. Preheat your oven to 375o F (190o C).

Step 2: Roll out your biscuit dough (Pillsbury Crescent Rolls), and pinch together any seams. Cut into strips about 1″ wide. Wrap your dogs!

Step 3: Bake for 12 minutes at 375o F.

Step 4: Decorate. Use mustard (or cheese whiz) to add eyes.

Notes: Mummy Dogs are more commonly known as “Pigs in Blanket”.

Photo Credits: scoochmaru.

Halloween is just a few weeks away. If your kids will be hosting a Kiddie Halloween Party, serving creepy or spooky drinks will surely spark their gathering. Not only they are refreshing but they serve as perfect Halloween prop, too. Check out this creepy healthy drink recipe that will surely satisfy their thirst after a tiring and sweating Trick or Trick activity.

Bloody Halloween Spooky Punch
1 quart fresh orange juice, not from concentrate
1 quart canned, unsweetened pineapple juice
1 quart ginger ale (there are non-alcoholic in grocery stores)
1/4 cup cranberry juice concentrate
12 thinly sliced cucumber rounds for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS:
* Mix orange juice and pineapple juice in a 1/2 gallon pitcher. Chill.
* When ready to serve, use clear glasses to see the “dripping blood” effect.
* Put ice cubes in glasses, then fill glasses 2/3rds full with juice.
* Add enough ginger ale to fill glasses.
* Garnish each glass will a round of cucumber.
* Use a small spoon to slowly drizzle 1 teaspoon of cranberry juice concentrate around the inside rim of each glass and watch the red “blood” drip down the inside of the glass.

More Halloween Punch recipes here.

Polvoron has become one of the most loved sweet Filipino delicacies over the years. It is an easy to prepare powdered milk candy, made of flour, sugar, melted butter and powdered milk toasted all together. They are shaped and pressed into round or oval-shaped special molds that can be bought from the grocery or supermarket. Several polvoron variations and flavors exist now: the choco flavour, pinipig, nuts and the latest one is called, chocovron: polvoron coated with dark or white chocolate. Chocovron from Collette’s is my personal favorite. In fact, it was one of my sweet cravings when I was pregnant with my son.

Polvoron has also been a favourite “pasalubong” gifts to overseas friends and family.

Here’s a simple recipe that my sisters and I usually follow whenever we make our own polvoron during our childhood years.

Digiscrapped by yours truly.
Credits:
All A Flutter Paper by Eve Recinella
Posh petals tab element by Eve Recinella
Heart element by Amber Clegg
Bent photo template by Nancy Comelab
Alpha by sharonk
Photo Corner by Corina Nielsen
Idea from Katie the Scrapbook Lady’s February Amazing Months of Memories Class (Feb as Snack Food Month)