Ginataang Sitaw at Kalabasa with Crab

Here’s the second crab recipe, everyone!  First recipe was a basic crab with garlic butter sauce. This time, I served the crab with... vegetables! This ginataang sitaw and kalabasa with crab is the perfect way to make the kiddies eat veggies.   Succulent crab mixed with creamy coconut milk make the dish really savory, and of course the kids love mashing the squash into their rice.  Makes it more fun to eat, no?

Again I took shortcuts in preparing this dish.  Living in a condo surrounded by, well, more condos, there’s not much marketplaces.  Sure you can find carts that sell fruits and vegetables on the sidewalk, but not so much the coconuts.  Therefore, I resorted to using ginataang gulay mix.  Hey, whatever makes life easier, right?

Anyway, here are the ingredients I used for the dish

• 800 grams of squash (kalabasa), cut into one-inch cubes
• 5 pieces of string beans (sitaw), cut into two-inch long pieces
• Chopped garlic and onion
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Steamed crab, chopped into serving pieces
• 2 pouches Knorr Ginataang Gulay mix, 45 g each

The steps I did are the following:

• As with most filipino dishes, I sauteed the garlic and onion in vegetable oil until the onion turned translucent and the garlic fragrant
• I added in 2 cups of water, then mixed in the Knorr mixes. I used two pouches because we had around a kilo of crab, and the kiddies always love a lot of sauce in our meals.
• I raised the heat to high to bring to a simmer, then reduced to medium.  I made sure to mix the sauce thoroughly to avoid lumps.
• After simmering for around 3 minutes I added in the squash  and cooked until almost tender, then the string beans.  I don’t really time it, I just poked the vegetables occasionally with a fork to check their doneness.
• Finally I added in the crab.  My mom had already whacked the crab into smaller pieces, for easier serving and eating.  The crab was already cooked so I just stirred in as conscientiously and carefully as I can, making sure the crab got coated in the sauce and at the same time not accidentally mashing the squash. Once the crab was heated through it’s done!

And there you go! This recipe fed 4 adults and 2 children happily, with some leftover for lunch the next day.  I hope you give this a try and let me know what you think.  Happy reading!

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On the Menu: Crab with Butter Garlic Sauce

We had an abundance of crabs last week.  My brother-in-law ordered around 2 kilos of steamed crab from…somebody, I’m not exactly sure who.   I think it was an office-mate.   Anyways, the entire family loves crab, I mean, who doesn’t, right?   So we cooked up two different recipes for two dinner nights.   First is an old-fashioned crab in garlic butter sauce…

And another crab recipe which will come soon...

The first crab recipe is such a no-brainer, seriously.   Here are the ingredients I used

• 1 kilo Steamed crab
• Half a stick of butter
• 5 or more cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper

The steps to cook are the following:

• My mom first whacked the crab into serving pieces to make them easier to serve and eat.  She also cracked the claws so that the sauce can penetrate into the crab meat
• I then melted half a stick of butter on a skillet on medium heat until it starts to shimmer and turn slightly golden
• I added around 5 cloves of finely chopped garlic. Of course the amount of garlic depends on your taste; if you want it truly garlicky you can definitely add more.
• I sauteed the garlic until soft and fragrant, making sure that the garlic won’t turn brown.  Always keep an eye on the pan so that butter won’t burn as well.
• Finally, I tossed in the crab.  I made sure to mix carefully and thoroughly so that every single nook and cranny would get covered in my butter sauce.
• I let it cook for around 5 to 8 minutes until the crab was heated through.

Of course with crab like this it’s so much better and much more fun to eat with bare hands. There’s a certain kind of satisfaction to working for your meal, carefully picking apart the crab to get to that succulent meat inside.   Add in that gorgeous garlic butter sauce and you have dinner like any other.  Serve with steaming hot rice.

And there you go! Second recipe will be coming up soon. Happy reading.

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WIMMB: Covergirl Oh Sugar! Lip balm in Taffy

How fun is it to receive free makeup?  My sister found this Covergirl Oh Sugar! Lip Balm on sale and bought two, one for me and one for her.   She has this thing for lip balms recently, especially tinted ones.  I think she’s trying to cut down on her use of lipstick.  Whatever works for her is fine with me, since I get free lip products as well.

This Covergirl Oh Sugar! Lip balm was bought at SM department store on sale, 200-ish pesos, I guess?  Anyway we got them at MOA, SM .   As you can see, the packaging is absolutely cute, although the shade of the lid does not match the actual color of the product.

I got mine in the shade Taffy Tire, which I think is a perfect MLBB shade for me while I was swatching before.  

Awesome color payoff right? This gives me more color than my Maybelline Baby lips lipbalm

I do have mixed feelings about this product.  On one hand, packaging is adorbs, pigmentation is decent, my lips look really pretty when I put this on.  It feels lightweight and comfortable, and gives my lips moisture as well.  It glides on my lips so smoothly it’s always a joy to apply.  

On the other hand, it lasts only around 1.5-2 hours on me.  It tends to feel a bit drying the longer I wear it, which is weird considering this is actually a lip balm.  I just wish this had a tad bit more moisture.   It also has a bit of a scent, but faint and not bothering.  Well, to me anyway.

Over-all, I’m glad I have this product.  It’s a perfect MLBB shade for me when I just need to go somewhere really really quick.   However, I don’t think I’m gonna purchase this one myself.   I’m sure there are a lot more better-performing lipbalms in the market.

Happy reading!

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On the Menu: Beef Misono

This recipe is my take on the ever famous Tokyo-tokyo beef misono, although I’m not particularly sure how my version compares since I’ve only had the Tokyo-tokyo version two times.  But my nieces always request this recipe whenever there’s available beef steak cut in the fridge, and being a good tita, I always oblige.   They definitely prefer beef misono over bistek tagalog, which is the only other recipe I know for beef steak cut.

I serve the beef misono over rice, of course, with no vegetables on the side.   Also I don’t quite remember if the Tokyo-tokyo version has sauce, but mine definitely doesn’t.  It turned out to be almost similar to beef tapa, but more flavorful.

Here are the ingredients I used for this recipe:

• 500 grams of beef cut into thin one-inch slices
• 3 tablespoons of soy sauce for marinade plus another 3 for the “glaze”
• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce
• Splash of water
• Ground black pepper

The steps I did are the following:

1. First I marinated my beef slices in the soy sauce and pepper for 20 minutes. I made sure every single piece of beef was coated by mixing thoroughly with my hands.
2. After 20 minutes, I placed a heavy duty pan with some vegetable on high heat.  Once the oil was very hot I dumped in my beef, making sure that they were all in a single layer.
3. The beef released a lot of juice while frying, so I let it simmer until all the liquid had evaporated.   When all that was left was the oil I let the beef continue to fry.
4. I combined the remaining soy sauce with the oyster sauce and splash of water.   I added the sauce to my beef and stirred to coat the beef with the sauce.  Again I let the beef simmer until all liquid had dried out and adhered to the meat.
5. This is optional, but after I transferred my beef misono to my serving bowl, I quickly stir-fried some sliced onion rings in the same pan, just to absorb some of the goodness stuck to the bottom of the pan. Once the onions were translucent I used them to garnish my misono.

And that’s it! Hope you liked my version of the beef misono.  This is definitely a fam-favorite, especially with the kiddies.  Happy reading!

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On the Menu: Pork Giniling

On the days when you can’t decide what to cook for dinner, it’s always a safe bet to go back to the classics.   This pork giniling recipe was taught to me by my mother, and is a staple in our household because my brother loves it.  We refer to this recipe as picadillo, although as I browse the internet I find that it might not  be the right name for this recipe.   So I’ll call this pork giniling instead, just to be safe.

Of course with recipes such as this, it’s pretty easy to tailor to one’s individual taste.  For example, I only added potatoes since my picky nieces won’t eat carrots and bell peppers anyway.  I also put in quail eggs, which is always a big hit among kiddies.  You may choose to add frozen peas, raisins (which my dad does), olives, or even use beef instead of pork.  That’s you in charge of your dinner.

Here are the ingredients I used for this recipe:

• ¾ kilo ground pork
• 1 medium sized potato, chopped into cubes
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• Half a cup of tomato paste dissolved in a cup of water because I didn’t have tomato sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Another cup of water
• Pork cube
• 16 hardboiled quail eggs

Here’s how I cooked my pork giniling

1. First thing  I did is boil my quail eggs, just to get them out of the way.  I placed my eggs in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and put it in medium high heat. When it started to boil I lowered the heat to medium and let it cook for 4 minutes.  After 4 minutes I immediately drained the eggs and run them over cold water.  
2. Next, in a new pot I sauteed the onions in a little bit of butter until translucent, then I added the garlic and sauteed until the garlic turned fragrant.
3. I then added my ground beef, sauteeing until the meat turned brown and no more pink was visible.  I used a wooden spoon to break the meat into fine pieces while sauteeing.
4. Salt and pepper to taste, then the pork cube.  When the cube finally dissolved I put in the tomato paste dissolved in water, plus another cup of water.
5. I brought the mixture to a boil and lowered the heat to simmer for around 20 minutes.
6. After 20 minutes I added in the potato, which I chopped into the smallest cubes as I can.
7. I let the mixture simmer until the potato and the meat are tender, adjusting the water level as I go.  You can make yours as soupy or as dry as you want, just add more water or let it reduce some more.
8. Finally I mixed in the quail eggs.  I made sure to coat the quail eggs in the sauce before serving with some hot rice.

This recipe was able to feed 6 people, including 2 kids.   I’d say this recipe was a success, considering my usually picky niece had had two servings.

And that’s it!  Do you have a different recipe for pork giniling?  If so, I’d love to find out.  Hope you give this one a try and Happy reading!

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My thoughts on: Celeteque Hydration Facial Wash with NMF

For a change of pace, let’s talk about skincare products.   All throughout my teenage years, I’ve had combination oily and dry and flaky skin.   I think it runs in the family because my sisters also have dry skin, especially on the areas around our temples and near the hairlines.  I used to not think about my skin at all and continued on with my daily life.   I even used body soap for my face before, which is of course a big no-no, but again, I couldn’t care less.   Only when I reached my twenties and started working and earning my own money did I begin to pay attention to my skin care.  I scoured the internet for tips and tricks, and the first tip I followed is to use facial wash.

What made me purchase the Celeteque Hydration Facial Wash are the magic words: Natural Moisturizing Factor.  Sold!   Of course I went for the smallest tube to try this baby out first.  Luckily it comes in a  60 ml tube for only 75 pesos at Watson’s.

Claims:

*how Celeteque DermoScience Hydration Facial Wash works: It has mild cleansing agents and a special combination of moisturizers that gently yet effectively clean without drying your skin

I absolutely love this product.  Not to sound like an advertisement or anything, but I distinctly remember that in two washes, the dryness and flakiness on my temples and hairline completely disappeared.   As in totally gone.  I was actually amazed.  All it took was two washes of this Celeteque facial wash to get rid of the dry skin that has plagued me throughout my teenage years.   

The formulation of the facial wash is quite liquidy, and it doesn’t lather up as much as other facial washes (yes I did try out other facial wash. And I know now that I will always go back to Celeteque).   It has a really faint smell that I can’t describe, but it’s definitely not unpleasant.   I’m not so sure if it can remove heavy makeup, though, since I don’t wear heavy makeup at all.  It does make my face feel silky soft and moisturized every time I use it, and that’s actually all that I ask for.  And of course, no more flaky and itchy skin on my face!

And that’s it!  For those who are looking for an affordable facial wash for their dry and flaky skin, why not give Celeteque Hydration Facial Wash a chance?  It won’t hurt to try, and it certainly won’t hurt your pockets.  

Happy reading!

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WIMMB: EB Advance BB Cream in Oriental

As someone who describes her makeup skills as “a touch above mediocre”, I get pretty intimidated when it comes to foundation.  I never want to look as if I have a full face makeup on, I prefer a really subtle natural look.   That’s why I shy away from most kinds of foundations, especially liquids.

A great alternative to liquid foundations is of course, the ever-so-popular BB Cream.  This makeup sensation popularized by South Korea has become a staple in most makeup kits here in the Philippines. A moisturizer, sun-protector and light coverage formula all in one bottle.  And our own local brands definitely took advantage of this popularity to bust out their own formulations.

I’m talking about EB Advance, the “high-end” version of the Ever Bilena Brand.  I stumbled upon their EB Advance BB Cream in my never ending quest to find affordable yet quality makeup products.

I got this BB Cream for 220 pesos at Watson’s.  This BB cream has two varieties:  Anti-Aging in Natural shade and Whitening in Oriental shade.  I chose the latter because it’s the one with yellow undertone.

It comes in this convenient plastic tube; makes it easy to take anywhere.  Also I love the silver cap and the tiny nozzle which provides good control in dispensing the right amount of product.  Downside is that the nozzle gets messy.

The Oriental variant does have yellow undertone but it goes light at first when applied to my face.  However, as I mentioned in my concealer review, I have acidic skin, so I can get away with light foundations because they oxidize on my skin.  The consistency is quite thick so you know it will give pretty much a medium coverage.   Because of the thick consistency I use a makeup sponge to apply instead of my fingers, but that’s just preference.

WITHOUT FLASH

WITH FLASH

The BB cream feels lightweight on the skin, considering its thick consistency.  It dries to a demi-matte finish, which gives my skin just a hint of dewiness.   I do apply powder to set the BB cream because I tend to get oily on my T-zone, and I personally don’t like a dewy finish.   It’s not sticky at all and feels comfortable on my skin.   Coverage-wise, it definitely brightens up my skin, covers the redness and evens out my skin tone.   It also covers the darkness under my eyes and the veins on my cheek, which are pretty much all of my facial concerns.

Around the 4th hour mark, my skin starts to get oily, especially on my nose area and forehead   The good thing about this BB cream is that it doesn’t transfer to my blotting paper or tissues or whatever I used to remove the oiliness.  At the 8th hour mark I can definitely say the BB cream holds up very well, still managing to hide the redness and veins on my face.  I can definitely tell the difference when I take off my makeup at the end of the day.

And that’s it! I’m glad I purchased the EB Advance BB Cream.  I’ve been using this for 6 months now and I did not break-out at all.  This for me is a truly excellent buy, a good alternative to foundations.

Thanks for reading!

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On the Menu: Beef Sinigang

Nothing beats a cold, windy day than a perfectly good bowl of steaming Beef Sinigang. This quintessential Filipino dish is made from beef imported from… Tagaytay.   Yes, we went to the home of bulalo to purchase kilos of  beef because the meat there is much more flavorful than the ones here in Manila, or so I’ve been told.   Nevertheless, no matter where you purchase your beef, this asim-kilig sinigang will always be a family favorite.

I did take a couple shortcuts in preparing this dish.  First is that I used a pressure cooker because everybody knows that beef usually takes longer time to tenderize than pork or chicken.  Using a pressure cooker typically reduces overall cooking time in half.   Also, I used powdered sinigang mix instead of using real tamarind and taro (gabi), because I don’t know how to use real tamarind, and these sort of mixes make life a whole lot easier.

The array of vegetables I used in this dish are the usual sinigang staples: kangkong, okra, eggplant and string beans.  You can omit any vegetables you don’t like, but this set is our usual.   

1. To prepare this dish,  I placed my beef, along with an onion sliced in half and some peppercorns, into the pressure cooker.  I added water just enough to cover everything and placed my cooker into high heat.  Once the pressure cooker started whistling, I lowered  the heat to medium and set the timer for 20 minutes.
2. After 20 minutes I turned off the heat and left the cooker to release the pressure on its own.   This is important because you can NOT take off the lid with pressure still inside, or else.  You don’t want to find out what happens.
3. When I was sure that all pressure had been released, I took off the lid and checked the tenderness of the beef.   Mine was tender enough to just fall off the bone, so I’m good to go.
4. I added the vegetables first before the mix, because my mom said once that the veggies will cook faster without the mix.  I started with the string beans, gave it a 2 minute boil, then the okra, and finally the eggplant.
5. Once the vegetables are all in, I finally added the sinigang mix.  Now take note that the amount is definitely to taste.  My brother wants the asim-kilig, while I prefer a combination of sour and salty.  I used fish sauce instead of salt to flavor the soup.

And there you go!  Beef Sinigang for the windy days.  Hope you enjoy and happy reading!

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WIMMB: Careline Extra Shine Lipgloss

Hello everybody!

My actual go-to makeup look is what I fondly call the gandang minadali look.   I’ve mentioned it before on my previous post, where I only need concealer, powder and lip product and I’m good to go.   For this kind of “look” I always reach for my favorite lip tint or lip gloss.   And the lip gloss I’m currently loving at the moment is the one from Careline, the sister brand of another favorite, Ever Bilena. It is called the Careline Extra Shine Lipgloss (enriched with Vitamin E)

First of all, isn’t the packaging just adorable?  The tube looks so cute and you can actually see the color of the lip gloss.  It comes with a doe-foot applicator which makes application really easy.  

I got the shade 04 and I was actually surprised at how pigmented this lip gloss is. You may not see it in this arm swatch, but it actually comes out as a somewhat deeper glossy red when applied to my lips. That's because my lips have dark edges and are quite pigmented. Nevertheless, this lipgloss is quite opaque, almost reaching liquid-lipstick levels, and gives me a really nice pop of color.

It also has a bit of a scent, almost peach-like. I absolutely love its scent.

The formula is super bouncy, and it's difficult not to play with the applicator. It's really creamy as well, and an absolute delight to apply to the lips. One thing to note though is that this lipgloss is not heavy on the lips at all. Sure you can feel that you have something your lips, but it is definitely annoying or troublesome.

As for the longevity, well, it only started fading on me around the 4th hour mark, but it still has enough pigment to avoid actually having naked lips. It does tend to feel somewhat drying on the lips by this time, but again, nothing too troubling. Even after eating this lipgloss stays put, and that's an impressive feat for an inexpensive product.

I really hope you give this lip gloss a try, but since it has been around for quite some time now, I'm sure you already have. This Careline Extra Shine Lip gloss lives true to its name, giving a nice extra shine to your lips for a totally cute everyday look.

Happy reading!

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