Dear Lisa......

You are probably up in the air right now as I write this post, on your way home to your 2 kids, Chloe and Bandit.  I am so sure they missed you dearly!  Please let me know how they greeted you upon entering your front door and if they will follow you around the house all day and night.

I am very glad you were able to come home for a visit! The first time I saw you after 3 years was at our homecoming.



Were you not happy to see your old schoolmates, teachers and friends?  Hehehehehehe.

I super enjoyed our Boracay trip!



I think all we did was eat, eat, and eat



and use the you know what!   Hahahahaha!

Oh my friend .... I love your sense of humor!



You insisted I take this photo of you.  Hahahahahaha.  You love to shock me but I do not get shocked easily.

I know you are all Royaled-out ... but who would not be??



You were chugging 1.5 liters of Royal True Orange most of the time!

We did not have enough time to go around the malls and shop but we had time to go to Landmark once and you had your first Puto BumBong at Cafe Via Mare.



I cannot believe you have never eaten it before!!!!  Wow! I am so ahead of you in terms of food here in Manila.  I regret I was not able to let you taste the Buko Sherbet of Arce.  You would have liked it.

I also enjoyed our Cebu day trip. Well ... not the part where you and Mona were so full and did not have space in your stomachs for dinner!!!

You just had to shop everywhere ..... even in the little side street in Cebu.



Good thing you had time for a picnic under the tree behind the Main Library of UP Diliman with a few of our classmates, Marianne, Catherine and Jopet.



Beachouse Canteen is known for their Pork Barbecue which they featured in TFC, that was why you wanted to eat there.

We also let you try the siopao and mami at Masuki (Ma Mon Luk group).





Lisa! Even if this was the longest vacation you have ever taken, it was not enough!  There were still a lot of places I wanted to take you, still a lot of my recipes you have yet to try and I wanted to spend more time with you.

My friends, Jing, Mariger and Mayette enjoyed your company as well.  On your next visit, we will go to Bataan with my BFFs. Hopefully, Celine will be able to join us.

Promise that you will come home again soon! We will go back to Boracay, ok?  And Cebu also? Next time leave space in your stomach for the Barbecue, ok?

You have no idea how happy you have made me.



Thank you so much! I will miss you!!!!

Hahahahahaha OK enough of the tear jerker ... let us lose weight together!!!!

Hugs and kisses .....

Lia

Holiday is over.

My vegan holiday is over.  I am back to eating oatmeal for breakfast again as opposed to eating fried rice, bacon and tocino.  I was reading several websites about pesco-vegetarianism, eating plant based food with seafood.

I will give it a try and will monitor my blood sugar.  Will check if I see a significant drop.

So ..... here I go again.  Wish me luck and help me, God!

Sinful in Cebu!

I have never committed so much sin in one day!!!  From being a vegan for three weeks to being a carnivore in one day!!!!  I even included Lisa and Mona in my transgressions!

As soon as we landed in Cebu, I immediately called CNT  (032-233539) to reserve one kilo of ribs.



It is my most favorite part of the Lechon.  Good thing I did! When we got to their Juan Luna Extension Avenue branch across SM Cebu, there was no more lechon!  The other customers had to wait for the next delivery.  Two were delivered but was sold out in a flash.





People ordered 13 kilos, 9 kilos, 5 kilos, etc. 


We also ordered Puso, it is rice cooked in leaves. 



It tasted like suman though, I prefer the ordinary rice.

As everybody can see .... I was a happy camper! 



Lechon for breakfast at 9:30 in the morning.

I just nibbled on all the ribs and look at the aftermath...



We crossed the big street to go to SM Cebu and checked out their mall.  Did our pasalubong shopping in their supermarket.  We met with Aling Posing, the Chicharon lady, when she delivered my orders. 



10 packs but not all for me!  Lisa got 3, 1 for Mona, Celine ordered 3 bags and the rest was pasalubong for  my Ate, PD and of course one for Lia.

I let Lisa try the Barbecue flavored french fries of Potato Corner. 



LOL  I actually got lost and could not find them but I saw the stall and ordered one for myself.  I called them up to meet with me at the Potato Corner place.

I was looking at my watch at 12 noon and asked if they were hungry and ready for lunch, they said, No.

Ok.... I can understand that since we had a late breakfast.

I asked again at 1:00 pm and they said they were still not hungry.  Hmmmmmm.....

We went to the Basilica Minore del Sto. Nino.



Then to the Magellan Cross.  It was my first time to visit the place.  So, I had my picture taken there, so did my friends.  Now that I have a picture ..... so what????



LOL  The experience felt like someone was talking to me in another language.  I could not relate.  That is why I do not do the touristy sight seeing activities.  Because I just do not get it.  My interests lay somewhere else.  Hahahahaha. I think everybody knows what my interests are.

It was already 2:00 pm and I asked Lisa and Mona if they were hungry already.  Still, NO?!!??!!!!

They went shopping in this little side street near the cross.



By 2:30 PM I already declared it was time to eat lunch!!!! 

We went to Kusina Uno. 



It is a fairly new place on the 2/F of GND Bldg. F. Cabahug St.  I thought it was an air-conditioned restaurant but it was just a verandah, super airy and fresh cool air would circulate so it was not really an inconvenience.



We ordered the Chicharon Bulakalak.



OMG! It was so good! Very crunchy and not gummy like the other Chicharon Bulaklak I have eaten. I told them it was like eating hostia!  Remember the texture of the hostia?  That was how it felt in my mouth.  So lightweight and not weighed down by grease.

Beef Pochero is actually what we call Bulalo here in Luzon.  We told the waiter that we came all the way from Manila to try their Beef Pochero and if he could please get us one with the marrow.

When the big bowl of soup arrived we were so excited! 



I took several pictures of course, LOL, much to the dismay of my friends who said were not hungry yet! Hahahaha!

I was in Bulalo Heaven!  There is really a God!  The broth tasted so clean and flavorful.  The chunk of meat was really big.  The utak was deadly.



We were given a popsicle stick to scoop out the marrow.   I was really bad... I poured hot soup inside the cavity of the marrow and drank it like a shot of Tequila.



There was a surprise underneath the shank.  There was another bone with marrow and Mona gave it to me!  Sinful! Buttery! Artery clogging marrow!!!!!!  All for me!!!!!



Bulalo with calamansi, patis and sili!!!



I was ready to die and go straight to heaven.

NOT!  Hahahahahaha.  Jing said Mariger already reserved 4 seats for us (Jing, Mariger, Lia and Celine) in you know where.

If I am given a choice to eat CNT Lechon or Beef Pochero from Kusina Uno.  I would choose the latter.

Food was so good I drank a can of soda!



Last drink I had was September 27, 2009.

AHHHHHH... I am salivating as I am writing this post.



The serving was too much for 3 people.  I did not want to leave it so I told the waiter to pack it well because I was taking it home to Manila! I even had to buy a plastic container in SM.

We also ordered Pancit Bam-i but we barely touched it because we were enjoying the Chicharon Bulaklak and Beef Pochero.



We needed something to wash down all the grease blocking our arteries so we headed to Zubuchon to drink their Kamias Shake.



Even if I wanted to order another round of Lechon, I could not anymore because I was really so full!  Too bad, it was just delivered and looked so YUM!



Lisa and Mona said we were not going to eat dinner anymore.  WHAT?????!?!?!?!!

We just went back to SM to get our stuff from the package counter, then to CNT to pick up the Lechon Lisa reserved for her family and headed back to the airport by 6:00 pm.

Hello???? Reason why I booked a 9:40 pm flight was to have enough time for dinner!  But they were truly so stuffed.  LOL Next time, I have to go Cebu with people whose appetite is the same as mine.  Hahahaha!

It was an enjoyable day.  Lisa and Mona had fun.  We were all so tired because we woke up at 4:30 in the morning but so super worth it.

Now that I have confessed my sins.... I feel so much better and will start my penance soon.

HAHAHAHAHA  Is it not sometimes when you do something bad you feel guilty about it for a while but then since you super enjoyed yourself that it does not matter anymore?

My BFF with my BFFs

Lisa wanted to meet my friends so I set up a dinner for all of us.



It was such a fun night!  I am glad that all my BFFs enjoyed the company of my BFF, Lisa who is equally as funny and shares the same kind of humor that we have.

While waiting for the others, our appetizers (favorites of Lisa) were fish balls,



squid balls,






green mangoes



with my Bagoong with bits of fat and garlic http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/garage-sale-birthday-party.html



white corn




 and Mona asked Hermie to cook pork barbeque.

The request of my friends was Paella.  http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/04/lias-simple-paella.html



I also made Fresh Lumpiang Ubod (filling http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/12/christmas-get-together-with-my-hs.html with Homemade wrapper.  http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/08/tender-juicy-lechon-manok-and-visayan.html



Jing cooked calamares.  Hehehehe She and I experimented with it.

Calamares



1 k. medium sized squid
1 egg, beaten
1 pack fried chicken breading mix
cooking oil

Clean the squid, remove the head and cut into rings.

Pour the beaten egg and refrigerate until ready to use.

In a brown bag or plastic container shake the rings a batch at a time with the fried chicken breading mix.

Deep fry in batches and drain.  Serve with vinegar and garlic dipping sauce.

Mayette brought her famous Adobo.



I loved it! The best! And I drizzled the oil on my rice!

Mariger asked me to make Leche Flan as her potluck contribution.

Leche Flan - Alaska



6 egg yolks
1 whole egg
1 Tall can Alaska Evaporated milk
1 big can Alaska Condensed milk
1/2 C. white sugar

Melt the sugar in the baking pan over low heat.  Let cool and the syrup harden.

Beat the yolks and the whole egg lightly, add the evaporated and condensed milk.  Pour into the prepared baking pan.  Cover with foil and steam for an hour over low heat.  Chill before serving.

I also asked Hermie to make Turronitos, baby saba banana turon.



Too bad Celine was not able to join us because there was an important meeting she had to attend.

The night ended on a positive note.  Loved everybody!!!!  I always tell my BFF stories about my BFFs and vice versa.  Finally, they were able to meet each other for the first time.



Hopefully, not the last.

Lengua Asado for the Birthday Dinner of Jodie and Eileen

We had a birthday dinner celebration here in my house for Jodie and Eileen.

Mico, Tricia and Lia. Birthday girls Eileen and Jodie.

Tricia and Mico asked me to cook Lengua as their contribution and I made Paella. http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2010/04/lias-simple-paella.html



 I was supposed to make Ceasar Salad but Jodie requested the Vegan Lumpiang Hubad.

http://liasfoodjourney.blogspot.com/2012/01/homecoming.html



Mico also brought Buko Pandan from Nathaniels.



Tricia bought sans rival cake from Cake Avenue.

It was just a small intimate gathering of friends and we had a great time plus good food!

Eileen has been my friend since the 4th grade.  I remember, she used to help me with my art homework.  It was Kalamansi painting, wherein you use half a kalamansi, dip it in paint and use it as a stamp pad.

She and I were also member of the Technical Staff in HS.  We were in charge of the sounds, lighting, etc.  whenever we would have a program in the auditorium.

LOL One funny incident.... in the Tech room, just like in the movie house, there is a small window for the technicians to view the screen. Silly, stupid, crazy me, stuck my head in the small square window.  I almost could not get my head out!!!!!   Hahahahaha.

Jodie was my seatmate in HS, she was seated in front of me and we would always chit chat and I would copy notes from her.

I have a new and very easy recipe of Lengua Asado, I got it from the CEU cookbook.

Some people are so intimidated by the thought of cooking lengua.  It is one of the easiest dishes to cook in the whole world!   You can buy in the supermarket cleaned ox tongue already, so I just let the water boil once then rinse the tongue and cook it in the pressure cooker for an hour.  Then, I just peeled the tough outer skin like I was peeling a banana!  I even had time to go shopping at Debenhams while I was letting the tongue cool before slicing.

Lengua Asado



1.5 K. ox tongue, cleaned and tenderized
3 T. butter
1 T. garlic, chopped
1 white onion, chopped
1 can button mushrooms 
1 1/2 C. tongue broth
3-4 T. soy sauce
1 t. pepper
1/2 t. msg
1/2 C. olives, drained
1/4 C. cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 C. tongue broth

Freeze or refrigerate the tongue for an hour or two.  Slice into 1/4 inch thickness, set aside.
Heat a casserole, melt the butter and saute the garlic and onions.
Add the sliced tongue and mushrooms.
Pour 1 1/2  C. broth and soy sauce.  Simmer for 20 minutes. Add the seasonings.
Add the cornstarch mixture and olives.
Cook until the sauce thickens.

My off-diet meal.