Chocolates of the World

The change in weather caused the sniffles I've had since last week. It's still a bad cold. Not getting enough rest aggravated my low resistance to virus. Coughing ensued. I listened to my body so I cut down on other activities. I did not drop by the gym this week to use the time to rest. I thought I'm covered but I have developed a sore throat caused by eating too much chocolate.

Life is fair. I am on a forced diet since I can't eat much to compensate for my absence in the gym.

But before the nasty sore throat I craved for the moist chocolate cake from Conti's last week so my husband bought a whole cake. Three days after I had all these chocolates. Chocolate overload.

Don't mind the magazine in the background. I always have an MJ magazine with me and I browse when I am home whenever the feeling hits me.

Anyway, I love most of the chocolates in this jar. My favorite is Swiss Delice Rotondini. It tastes almost the same as Lindor Truffles, my favorite chocolate in the world.


The jar containing 2 pounds worth of chocolates is still half-full. My sore throat prevents me from taking even a tiny bite a day. My daughter is NOT a chocolate lover and I'm happy about that. My husband is so-so. I devour all the chocolates in the house you see.

Thanks to my mom for including this in one of their packages. It's Kirkland Signature, Chocolates of the World. I love it!


Picture from Vita Springs website.

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Potato

A staple in our order - chicken tenders with fries. This one is from T.G.I. Friday's menu. It's a choice of honey mustard dressing or barbecue sauce. My daughter prefer the former.

My daughter loves potatoes, not just fries but mashed potatoes as well as boiled. Maybe because this is one of the first baby food we fed her when she was about four months old. She doesn't like mashed potatoes with gravy though.

I prepared mashed potatoes with meat loaf and cheese a few weekends ago and she loved it!


I tried cooking chicken curry and got some excess carrots and potatoes. I boiled them and we munched on them while watching Disney shows.


***Feast on more potatoes at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Kulinarya

I have been absent in my food blog for almost four weeks now. I was too preoccupied to post anything here during the height of the storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and the anticipated (but definitely not welcome) Pepeng (Parma). As most families, our time and energy were spent monitoring the news, getting home early, stocking food and yes, we did pack some clothes and important documents. Our area was not affected by the flood but the deluge that happened in 80% of Metro Manila was enough to alert us and keep us to be always on guard.

Let us continuously pray for the complete rebuilding of the damaged areas and the lives of the people greatly affected by the flood, the children most especially. Let us pray that our country (or any other country) will not experience another Ketsana or anything damaging to lives and properties. Pepeng lingers in the country and is ravaging northern Philippines. Pepeng, please leave and do not create more damage.

Life goes on. Work and school and other activities have resumed. I'm back posting and joining the food meme.

I'm sharing right now one of our dine outs at Kulinarya Kitchen, Rockwell, Makati City. As I have shared in my blogs countless times everyone in my family loves shrimps. We tried two different servings of shrimp at Kulinarya and both proved to be delicious.

Barbecued Shrimps

Gambas
My daughter wanted some pasta and ordered twist and cheese with bacon. It's fun to eat as it's both creamy and crunchy (because of the bacon bits).


Twist and Cheese with Bacon
What is ever present in our menu when we eat out? Of course, chicken. It feels like my daughter always add either chicken or fish and chips in her order as her "fallback". In case she does not like the taste of what she first ordered, she can have the chicken anytime.


Deep Fried Boneless Chicken
The dessert came in chocolate creme brulee. I am not fond of creme brulee but this is my daughter's favorite.


Chocolate Creme Brulee
TGIF!

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This is a very rainy weekend as reported by the weather bureau last night. We had soup the past days so we want something else. At least for us, the next best thing during a cold, rainy day would be stir fry.

Again I am not an expert in the kitchen but this passed the taste of my family. I cooked this from what I remember the last time I prepared this dish which was a few months ago.

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
1 big head of broccoli
1 kilo of beef
10 cloves garlic (we all love garlic in the house so we put in quite a lot)
2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
salt, pepper and sugar to taste (sugar is optional)

Wash beef and cut into thin strips. Size and how thin, your call. I tenderized the beef for easier cooking. Wash broccoli and cut into sections.

Heat about 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan, saute garlic. Add beef strips until seared and pour in oyster and soy sauce plus broccoli. Add salt, pepper, sugar according to taste. Check broccoli's texture. We want it crunchy.

A good lunch while it was raining cats and dogs outside.

***Feast on more food at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Chocolate Overload

I'm trying to curb my craving for chocolate cake for a few days now, specifically this chocolate cake from Conti's. This was one of my daughter's cakes during her birthday last July. My cousin gave her another chocolate cake from Conti's also. If this family isn't a fan of this restaurant, I don't know what to call us.

Chocolate Overload
A slice as big as this is good for three persons because it tastes so rich.


You know I just might give in to my craving later. TGIF!

***More food sharing at Picture Clusters and Food Trip Friday.

Puto Bumbong

Puto bumbong is a local delicacy popular during the holiday season. It's glutinous rice in purple color, cooked in bamboo tubes in a steamer, topped with butter, shredded coconut and sugar. It goes well with tea.

In the Philippines, the holiday season is not complete without bibingka or puto bumbong especially for those who are attending Simbang Gabi. Maybe because the weather is cold, a hot pica-pica is just right before heading home.

A few market place and restaurants sell puto bumbong whole year round. I'm glad to note there is already one stall selling puto bumbong in front of the minimart on the way to our place. I bought one serving a few days ago just to check the taste. It's good! Bitin! We'll go back tomorrow for more.

***Feast on more food at Lasang Pinoy, Sundays.

Seafood Pesto Pizza

This is my family's favorite pizza. I had my two slices when we dropped by Napoli Ristorante again a few nights ago.

***More food sharing at Life Snippets and Food Trip Friday.