Cook and Brew.

On New Year’s eve, I was tasked to cook my own version of Carbonara. Actually, my sister shared this recipe but I slightly deviated from the original ingredients. My in laws and my dear son loved my cooking dearly that they’re asking me to cook it again this weekend. Save for the ingredients preparation, total cooking time is fairly fast. It’s just easy to do but be warned though that this isn’t absolutely one of those diets for quick weight loss.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 Onion – chopped
1 whole Garlic – chopped
Mushroom (1 can, sliced)
Beef cubes (1 box)
Nestle cream (1 can)
Cream of mushroom (1 can, campbell’s)
Evaporada Milk (1 can, alpine)
Cheese (1 box, grated)
Fetuccini/tricolor (spiral) pasta
Bacon or crispy fried Maling or luncheon meat
Butter

1. saute garlic and onion in butter
2. add on the mushroom
3. beef cubes
4. add on the cream of mushroom
5. stir constantly, under low fire
6. add: nestle cream and evap milk
7. add the grated cheese with continous mixing
8. boil the pasta (put butter to prevent pasta fromsticking)
9. fry bacon w/o oil (til crunchy)

serving: top on the bacon or you can mix it with the sauce

While most of us are through setting up the Christmas tree and other holiday decorations in our homes some may still be in the midst of their preparations. So for those of you who are tired from scrubbing their kitchen floors, living room and garage flooring, quench your thirst with these cool and colorful holiday drink.

1 can pineapple chunks
2 medium bananas, sliced
1 cup mango cubes
1 cup strawberries
1 cup watermelon cubes
1 cup fresh dalandan juice
2 seedless oranges (peeled and cut into segments)
2 tablespoons honey
mint leaves (for garnishing)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Mix and toss lightly. Cool and serve.

Not only this is thirst-quenching but it also supplies the average daily requirement of fruit intake of our body.

Even though our country was massively devastated by a series of calamities recently, I believe that the whole nation will still celebrate the Christmas season with a gleeful and positive spirit. After all, we’ve always been known as a pliant kindred and we always try to stand up as a nation no matter how tough the obstacle is that comes our way.

Jollibee’s mission of spreading Christmas cheer to needy children through their Maaga Ang Pasko program has always been commendable. It is the longest yearly Christmas donation drive where kids are encouraged to donate toys and books to kids who are less fortunate. It doesn’t have to be brand new or those latest gadgets like PS3, Xbox or netbooks. In fact, they are encouraged to donate their old toys or their current ones which actually teach and instill in them the true spirit of giving.

Kudos to Jollibee for this admirable cause.

*Photo snagged from philstar.com

Tomorrow’s the first day of December and as early as now, I can’t help but feel the Yuletide Holidays already. The countdown to Christmas is much easier to monitor now..it’s just 25 days away. The whole family is eagerly looking forward to our yearly Christmas getaway in 27 days. As usual, Baguio is our Holiday destination. We’ve originally wished for a ski vacation but it’s just too impossible to push through for this year. Talk about financial crisis and meager savings. But we’ll still keep wishing because who knows, it’ll be a Christmas dream that will unfold not now but perhaps next year.

Many of us are anticipating and excited for the Christmas Holidays but a lot also dread the “weight gain” inevitable opportunity that Christmas feasting brings. If only there’s a thing such as a calorie emergency alert system that will tip off or warn when one overeats, many would have included this in their Christmas wish list. But since this isn’t invented yet, then I guess people don’t have a choice but practice self-control. I have read some holiday eating tips last week and I’ll be sharing them in a while.

Christmas Feast

I just heard a Christmas carol over the airwaves and I just could feel how the Yuletide season is seemingly peeping from not afar. Christmas season is my favorite holiday of the year. I love everything about the season from the Christmas rush to gift-giving, to yuletide foods, to christmas out of town vacations. I’m feeling lucky because the place we’ll be staying in Baguio on December has a wood stove elegantly designed as the firegalores.co.uk’s, we’ll finally get to experience roasting chestnuts while singing “chestnuts roasting on an open fire, Jack Frost nipping on your nose..“

Had a very busy day earlier but before I retire the night, I’m sharing a photo that I know you’ll be drooling over. Here’s the Lechon Cebu (flown in all the way from Cebu really!) we massacred and feasted on during our 2007 Christmas Party. Yummy!

CNT Lechon…lechon at its finest.

CNT Lechon Photo grabbed from my Love. Happiness. Us. blog

Photo snagged from my other blog

CNT Lechon
Address: 1377 Rama Ave, Guadalupe, Cebu City
Contact Numbers: (032) 254 4249 / (032) 254 6641