Beat that Summer Heat!

One sure way to beat the summer heat is through ice cold drinks. So this afternoon we pulled out our blender and some of my toppings left in our pantry. This is easy as 1-2-3 and would surely quench that thirst and it's filling too!

All you need is to mix 3 cups crushed ice, 1 cup evaporated milk, 1/3 cup chocolate syrup, 3 tbsp chopped peanuts and 1/4 cup marshmallows in a blender. Pour into glasses and top with more of the ingredients according to your preference.

Ichiro got this from Alaska evaporated can and asked me to make this for them. I like the thought that my kid is just like me who loves to try out new things and reads whatever interesting stuffs that we can do together.
Great bonding everytime!


What bonding activities have you done with your kids to beat the summer heat?

Cake Pops!

Jiro, my youngest son has a sweet tooth.  The mere mention of chocolate would make him get up from whatever he's being busy with. I use the choco trick everytime Jiro pretends he cannot hear me. So I thought of making a cake that I can store for a long time and easy to make anytime.

Actually, you can use any kind of cake for the base cake. Any left overs from a recent party would do. You're going to mash it up anyway.

The basic ingredients are Cake, frosting and choco or candy melt.

First step is to crumble the cake into a large bowl. You can use a food processor or a mixer to make them into fine crumbs.

Second, place in a large bowl and stir in half of the frosting. Mix with your hands until thoroughly combined and thick. Add in additional frosting if necessary.

Third, roll into balls and place on a container then refrigerate for an hour or overnight.

Fourth step is to melt the chocolate and dip the the choco pops until covered. Softly tap the cake ball to remove excess chocolate. Immediately cover with sprinkles before the chocolate has a chance to set.

This is the part where I let the kids bond with me in the kitchen. I've let them decorate the first batch of cake pops I made. It was fun and they get to critic what's best and what's not with my latest kitchen experiment. Ichiro said the cake pops with the colorful candies were so sweet so I made sure the next batches only have a few. Jiro on the other hand said the cake pops are the best, he kept asking for more.

I used banana cake for my base because it's not only healthy, it's also one of the easiest and affordable cakes to make. I'll be posting the banana cake recipe next time.

This post is for Mommy Odess who's celebrating her birthday today. She's one of the empowered women I know in my circle of friends. She's a mompreneur busy juggling time with her only son, work and business. She was once featured here in PHdM.  She's been asking for this cake pops recipe and here it is! I hope you have a great one with your adorable Peija. Happy Birthday! Continue to be an empowered woman, God bless!




Bonding with the kids are priceless moments.
Have you bonded with yours?

Crunchy Montecristo Sandwich

My Ichiro is fond of bread and sandwiches. He prefers it more than rice. He's used to it because he grew up with my parents who loves pandesal every morning. Being a very busy mom, I used to buy biscuits and bread in bulk so whenever I come home late from work I am assured that he won't be hungry and he has everything he needs anytime. So when he approached me with my cookbook in his hand, I know what he wanted already. So there, sandwich making time for Mama Eila.

The original recipe came from Nestle Daily Delights menu planner. I just did my own version by skipping some of the ingredients. This is very much the same from my Kariman sandwiches. The only difference is that this has more fillings. I'll be posting the original recipe but of course you can modify it according to your taste and budget or what's available in your fridge.

Ingredients:
1/2  cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp mustard
Sliced American bread
Roasted or fried chicken strips
cooked ham or bacon slices
cheese slices

special coleslaw: combine-
1/2 head cabage finely shredded
1 small carrot, cut into fine strips
1/3 cup pineaple tidbits drained
1/2 cup caesar salad dressing salt and pepper

combine-
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup Nestle fresh milk
1 8g maggi magic sarap

2 cups crushed Nestle cornflakes

Procedure:
1. Spread mayonnaise and mustard on a bread slice
2. Layer the chicken, ham, cheese, and coleslaw on the prepared bread slice. Top with another bread slice.
3. Cut sandwiches diagonally to form triangles. Secure with toothpicks. Set aside.
4. Dip prepared sandwiches in egg milk mixture then coat with crushed Nestle cornflakes. Fry on heated oil until golden or bake in a 375F oven until brown and crisp.
5. Transfer on paper towels to drain excess oil. serve with your favorite drink for a filing snack.

Good to know Trivia from Nestle:
A bowl of Nestle cornflakes with milk contains 11 essential vitamins and minerals, including calcium and iron.

I made two batches. One batch was cooked in the oven while the other batch was fried. I like the latter better because the sandwich was softer and cooked well while the one from the oven was crunchier, thus it's name.:)

It's a very heavy sandwich you can skip a meal for this if you're on a diet just watch over that mayo, ok?


What have you tried lately?

Chocolate chip muffins

This chocolate chip muffin is one of my very first experiment when I was just starting to learn how to bake. My friend from grade school who is now based in Dubai shared this recipe and I was inspired to do this for my boys who are so fond of chocolates. I was so surprised at how easy it is to bake this. It was definitely a hit at home.

Chocolate Chips Muffin

2 cups flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 bag chocolate chips
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter
2 tbsp sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with muffin cups.
2. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, toss the chocolate chips with half a cup of the mixed dry ingredients and make sure the chocolate chips are coated with the mixture.
4. Mix together butter, milk, eggs, vanilla, the brown and the white sugar. Mix well until everything is combined together. Add the dry ingredients mixture.
5. Then add the chocolate chips to the batter mixture. Use a spatula to fold in all the ingredients.
6. Put the batter in each of the prepared muffin tins with the use of an ice cream scooper.
7. Bake for 18 - 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the muffin comes out clean.
8. Let it cool for 5 minutes and serve.


Ling is a dear friend since grade school, in our Alma mater who made a difference in shaping my faith. We started with SSMMAALL, a group name combining  all of our initials. We eventually acquired new friends and the friendship circle just got bigger. Now, we are classmates again in Jomar's Internet Marketing class. This used to eat much of my time requiring me to stay glued on my computer for hours.  It was worth it.  It's always fun learning something new.


You can check out her blog at Quickandeasybaking .

Have you learned something new today?

Macaroons de Italyana

I have a new baker on training.:)

Since Mama's brownies are getting in demand, I'm needing extra hands to meet my orders. Good thing the boys are willing to help. We also got to finally try the macaroons. The recipe was from an Italian chef Laura Vitali thus the name of my macaroons.

The ingredients are:
1 14 oz Bag of Sweetened Shredded Coconut
1 14 oz Can of Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp of Vanilla Extract
¼ tsp of Almond Extract
2 Egg Whites, at room temperature
¼ tsp of Salt
½ tsp of Cream of Tartar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. You can use a parchment sheet or a mini muffin molder. Whisk eggs, salt and cream of tartar until very stiff peaks. I learned that the tartar stabilizes the egg whites. In a separate large bowl mix together the remaining ingredients until the condensed milk is incorporated well throughout the shredded coconut. Use a small ice cream scoop to drop the macaroons. Make sure they are about an inch apart if using baking sheets. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and crisp.

Jiro loved the macaroons. He kept on coming back for more. My friend Joy and her soon to be husband Jeff,   who dropped by liked it too. My youngest sister who came home late today said the macaroons were delicious. I kinda liked it a little brownier but it's already well done. I guess this recipe is supposed to be just like that.

Ichiro on the other hand cracked me up when he commented that he wanted to be the host of the Junior Master Chef Pinoy Edition. I was expecting him to say he wants to join the kids. I just forgot he is officially my food critic. All my kitchen experiments have to pass his taste before I try it again. Quality control in the house. :)

What's new with you today?