Weeeh! Since I arrived here in California, USA, I have never seen a lanzones in any store here. I was surprise when I saw a frozen lanzones a few days ago in an Asian store nearby. Of course, as a person raised in a tropical country where fresh fruits are everywhere, I don’t want to miss a chance to try a frozen lanzones. I couldn't even imagine how it tastes because it was frozen. I actually have question on my mind if these were ripe already before they packed and sealed.
Anyhow, I bought a pack, and I was so excited to eat it. Naturally, the taste is different from fresh, but it is enough to compromise the desire of eating fresh lanzones. It has been a long time since I ate fresh lanzones, and it was in my hometown. Lanzones is one of my favorite fruits, and when I ate it, I even swallow the small seeds. Anyway, the amount I paid for the frozen lanzones was worth enough for my cravings.

Wow! That was (I just had my dinner) my first time I finished four (4) pieces of medium drumstick deeply fried of olive oil by my husband. Yes, he is now the one volunteering to fry chicken every time fried chicken is our meal. I could not contain my happiness of what he is doing. I am happy because I don't like frying chicken. I usually had blisters out of a very hot oil. It is not my first time frying chicken but I don't know know I just cannot minimize the hotness or so. What my husband does and advises me at the same time, is he put a cover on the pan but that is close to impossible to me to do that because our stove is high. Putting a cover in the pan would make it worse for me. Good for him because he is tall. Alright, I am grateful he sees the problem. Ha! I can just remember, every time I had blister/s before, he is always there for me to put vaseline on it so it won't be painful. :-) Just being grateful, on the other hand. :-)

Okay, so, this is a record for me and apparently I am making a note. (*wink*) To pair with my viand 4 fried medium drumsticks, a half a cup of rice is doing great along with a lemon-sugar free maple syrup. Burped! Oops! Excuse me. I just had a great dinner (aside from DH cooked it). Smiley me. :-)

I have to admit this is my first time of this name of apple, Pink Lady, is the name. All I know is that Fuji apple is the best. Well, not anymore now since I have seen this new one. And mind you, it taste like the Fuji, there's nothing difference except that what I just ate was in a bag of little ones whereas in Fuji, I know there are big ones. Who knows there are also big of this. This has grown here in USA and the Fuji is I don't know where it grow. All I know it that it taste very much alike. And it is cheaper than Fuji. I got a dollar and fifty cents for a bag of 12-15 pieces I think. Not bad for a first-timer of this variety huh! I was even skeptical of buying it since most fruits in bags seems like it is not as tasty than the ones that are of pieces (not in a bag). But I was wrong and I am so glad I got this as I can now differentiate what's the difference of the two for now. I will have my journey of finding-out if there is bigger ones of this. I want to try it too if there's any difference to Fuji or the little ones. By the way, it is not very little huh, it seems like medium when compared to the big Fuji I saw (or bought. I bought the big Fuji while bought this one too to the thought of  "what if I don't like this" . :-) I don't have a luxury of going back and forth to the store huh! :-)

So this is it, just making my notes of one of my random memorable journey. :-)

Didn't I told you that I am in diet right now? Yes, you bet! Okay, I told you in my other former posts. So I am in fruit diets. Meaning I eat more fruits nowadays and the 30 minutes-1 hour-fruits eating before the typical meal. And to tell you, even if I am not in diet, this mazanos banana variety is my favorite of all the banana family, alright the variety.

By the way, this is my first time that I know how they call it here (or at least in the grocery store or market). As I bought it, I then looked what the name because I know that it is the banana of my favorite. And yeah, it is "mazanos" (or the "tundan" , "tundal" in "Bisaya" birthplace dialect in the Philippines, Camiguin.

And so now I know. I smile left and right because I now know where to get when I ought to get and eat it. And the great catch is, it is very near of our apartment home rented. Yay! Happy me! :-)

Yes, four days ago I had my "Forever 25" birthday. I just hide my age in that phrase in quotation mark as you read. Ha! And now, it is my baby love daughter's month day. And minutes from now, I have to get ready to leave to go to church with my friend Te Claudia, whom was not present in my after-day birthday (a day after my birthday) celebration with my friends. My family's celebration was on the day of my natal day. Me and my two friends (one with her family, much thankful she has with them which made it more) were present in one restaurant, Sizzler. I love the idea of being in a serenade. Ha! My first time being serenaded during my birthday. It made my day! The waiters and waitress along with my friends sang along and I was just smiling all the way. I can't thank them  more for making it a very happy one. We're just few but very happy. I think I can share you the video which my friend A took. Next time. For now, I have to go on the next round so I can already prepare to go to church, my friend C would have waiting for us with my daughter. Bye for now. Thanks for being here.

Haiizzzt, you know, right! Some person just have to wake-up in the middle of the night to feed the baby daughter. Actually, it was passed 1:00 A.M. already that time. Then made a lemon-maple sugar-free with cayenne juice. And since the lemon juice just only little left, I then immediately made more aside from the reason of I didn't want my lemons will be rotten as it were already going to such. Then I did! Yes, I did the squeezing of the five (5) grocery bags which has a total weight of 31+ lbs large lemons unto the juicer, strained, put in the container and the routine work mentioned.

And the journey continued in the kitchen alone, whilst the housemates were busy sleeping. Aright! Yes! But then that's the only time I had so I grabbed the chance. And it went fine. It went fine of four hours standing and squeezing and such! Oops, there was also an extra work of putting the done lemon shells along with its little left juices to the kitchen upper tiles. And so that was it. I did it all! Good luck to my next step, my main goal. :-) Guess.. :)

There are foods that you do not like, that is for sure. Just like, I am not a picky-eater but when I arrived here in United States of A, I suddenly became a little of such. It maybe mixed with a home-sickness thing too, I think since I was just new that time. You know, I missed those foods that I grew-up with.

One food that I cannot stand to eat before, was the pizza. Yes, it is. Come to think of it, it is what most of the people here eats. But it just can't get into my taste bud, even into my smell. It got me puked (sorry for that) even if I am already so hungry. But that was before. I already overcame it after how many years. Whew! Pizza is one of my DH fave, so I gotta learn how to embrace it even just its smell. Good thing, I learn to eat it too and you would surprise because it became my favorite too!

Lately, I am just so very glad I already got over of  "not" liking the taste of fresh milk to drink on. Just like how pizza (even its smell) irritates my mood. Oops I was not pregnant those times, okay? It took me years to appreciate its taste. Fresh milk here in USA (specially to my DH) is somewhat like a basic thing in the kitchen, basic thing in the breakfast, basic thing of eating with cookies. And it is just two days ago, I learn its precious taste. The reason? Because I do not have "Nido" dry  milk anymore. The "Nido" by the way is the dry milk I drink in lieu of my favorite dry "Bear Brand" milk. What-ta! Yum!

What about you, do you like drinking fresh milk? Do you have some story of it too just like mine? ;-)

Two days ago, I had a friends get-together for the four of us, here in our place. We had it specifically in downtown. We had food trip and of course, the laugh trip. Ha! It is a great moment. The first time being together for the four of us, after more than six months. My second time went-out without my infant with me. And so, the highlight of the food trip was eating in "The Boiling Crab" restaurant, my first time.

The mild cajun dungeness flavor of the shrimps, taste really great! You would forgot that you are in the restaurant. Well, all the people there have their plastic bibs because it is a shell seafood restaurant. So, it is not a shy moment since all eats that way.
And because I cannot get over with the shrimps, I order a pound weight the next day! I eat it in the house with a little share for my DH (he don't like shrimps much). Yay! Happy me! :-)

Having friends, is one of the most precious in our lives. They are next to our family. Yes, it is to me.

Today is the last day of March, I did not matter it. I even did not noticed that tomorrow is already the start day of April. I had fun with my friends here in my place. We are four, the first time we're complete of going out (Friend P is always not with us), and first time of how many months the four of us together wayback when I was still pregnant, that is more than six months ago. This month has been good to me (despite of being hard having an infant, ha!). Much better because my friend Au with her family was here in the middle of last week.

It has been weeks Friends P and A along with me planned this, and this day just came. Hooray too because Friend D was with us with her two kiddos. What a together-again friends getaway. We had "siopao" and ate in "The Boiling Crab", my first time eating in the resto crab place and it is really good, much more because we had a great chitchat and a reunited moment of the four of us, the mommies in the block. :-)

All in all, it is a great, great day! I hope yours too! How was your day, by the way?

From a Louisiana Kitchen or the famous food chain "Popeye" as for "P" is what I got days ago. DH bought us this for dinner for our (it is just me and DH in the house except if our little one can already eat like this) dinner.

Have you ever put a beef meat for a mixed veges in a coconut milk recipe? How was it?

It was my first time to put a beef of a mixed vegetables in a coconut milk menu. Never in my life had I seen one with it, but out of curiosity and am craving of beef meat that time, I put it as a mix of such. For sure, it won't poison me because the beef and all of my ingredients are fresh. Then I began my kitchen journey for such menu. Yes, I put several ingredients of vegetables like leafy yum leaves, swamp cabbage/ kangkong, eggplant, string beans, taro root and squash along with the fresh spices like lemon grass, ginger, bell peppers of two different color, then a dash of salt and beef bouillon. Hoorah! I love the taste of it with beef! Well, for that time when it is still warm. Then since I cooked more than I one sitting of eating I  have the leftover to which I actually intent to stash for future meal(s) just a typical way when I cook such menu. But to my surprise, the time that I wanted to eat already, the food was not good anymore. It bubbled. It was not that I did not put it in the refrigerator directly because I did, I even put some in the freezer. And I thought of, because it is beef. Beef bubbles. I don't know but it will be a long time and have to persuade myself strongly with a strong proof that beef, is good to mixed vegetables in a coconut milk, that is hard to do. However, am not closing my mind for any experienced cook or chef about this. For now, I still cannot comprehend of mixing beef of such recipe. I promise myself of putting not. Really, it is a waste of ingredients thinking that such are not cheap. :-( Lesson learned for me.

Five days ago, I posted about my quest of thinking any recipe with spam canned goods since I my taste bud cannot take its taste if I eat it alone. And then I thought of my stashed gourd vegetable I had in the refrigerator waiting for me to cook. :-)

And yes, yesterday yours truly cooked soup-y sauteed gourd vegetable with spam canned good and a little bit of corned beef from left-over. Ingredients (gourd, spice(s), cooking oi, spam, a little left-over corned beef, salt and a little bouillon beef) were gathered. I then (1) chopped the spam into small quarters along with an onion (the only spice I had in the kitchen). I wanted to put garlic and bell peppers but I cannot find any. So only onion was being mixed with it. Then what I did after chopping the spam and onion, (2) I heated a little bit a pan and put cooking oil as well as an onion and spam with corned beef while waiting for me to (3) skinned and chopped the gourd vegetable. The next thing I know was I already finished chopping the gourd and washed it in running water while the. And the sauteing began. I put a cup of water because I like it soup-y. (4) After boiled and half-cooked, I then put salt, a dash of beef bouillon to taste. Wait for another boil and done! Yummy soup-y gourd vegetable with spam and a bit of corned beef!

It was my first time having this recipe out from scratch.

Obviously not spam comments on blog(s), but the spam canned goods. You like spam, don't you? Then good for you if your answer is yes, but not me. I keep on buying spam canned goods. I tried the usual or the original flavor, the less fat one and how many times I bought it for myself for breakfast or any time I want to eat canned goods. I see it as beef loaf or "ma-ling" . But, there's a huge BUT, why? That is because my taste bud won't take it. It's insane for many who like to eat spam, to think about what my respond unto it. I just can't take it. I feel sorry on my taste bud. How many cans I tried and won't eaten all because as what I said, I can't take it. 

Just recently, I tried again hoping I can take it already. You bet, still I can't take it yet. And DH won't eat too. What I am trying to do is to mix it on vegetables to which I like eating this time. Lately,  I mixed it on the sauteed long beans. It is just perfect because I don't have pork to mix for the sauteed long beans and at the same time, I maximize the use of the spam. It tastes great for me. This is my first time for this recipe and am glad I thought of doing such! Later or tomorrow I will mix the other remaining spam canned goods to the vegetable gourd. I can't wait for my other recipe.  :-)

Which do you prefer on the two, electric or gas stove?

When it comes to my kitchen journey, it does not matter to me what preferences of stove do I have as long as it is a working stove. Ha! But oops! I just did not realize (or because it is my first time, *naive huh!*) after my first time to use a non-lighting electric stove that I do love the gas stove or the visibly seen fired-stove. It seems to me like I am cooking in a ghost stove. Ha! Yes, am serious. Thought there is an intended little hole which is enough to see the light if stove is in use (you have to intentionally have to see it though), still am not comfortable if it is already up and running. I still have to put my hand over a particular area of pan rack where I have to cook to check if it is heated up to make sure it is active. I like that better than looking up in the peephole. *grin* 

Sometimes, I forgot to turn it off when it is in low state (thanks goodness it is just in low state but still it is not safe aside from bucks wasted because I have not cooked anything. When it comes to monetary value, using electric is pricey than using gas. So speaking of saving, DH and I prefer using gas. However, by using electric stove, it has its great perk. And that is fast in cooking. You just have to put the arrow to high and at one snap, it already boiled. So which is which?

Yours truly have been experiencing leg cramps as you know am 34 weeks pregnant now. Before this 34th weeks, I had it already, well, not that bad enough before but then I learned and was advised with reading how to cope with it. One of the ways on the journey of coping up with it is eating avocado fruit. I was reading on the pamphlets which my OB-GYN gave me. Those were a lot of pamphlets but I was patient enough (I should have to or else, nothing kept on my mind or I will be an airhead. Ha!) to read those, again, I should have to. I then eat avocado at least twice a week even if I do not have cramps (but of course especially if I have, I should have to eat those if I have it).

I do not know if you believe me but I do not care about my body before, as in "sickness, come what may" and I do not care! I would just care if it was already there. Resilient bod, huh! I was just opened my eyes on the reality after a close friend of mine told me about it, that I should have to observe my body needs to be on the right track of being resilient body. And so now, I was used with it. I already care.

This avocado thingy really have good effects on the leg cramps, I observed my body several times of not eating it between eating such. I can prove it myself aside through experience aside from it is already proven by science. :-)

Rice is the staple food in the Philippines and some other countries but never in USA and other countries too. I am proud to say my Dear Husband eats rice even if he was born here in USA. Thanks goodness. :-) Whenever I cooked rice, he also ate. I am proud of him of not being picky when it comes to it (though he still won't a eat a lot of vegetables unless it is salad or potato). And we can eat together with rice unto our meals. Lately, he can also cook rice in stove well (I said in stove because we also have rice cooker and also rice can be cooked in microwave). Yep, he asked how to do it and then I replied. It is easy though. He prefers fresh rice (what I meant fresh is when it is freshly cooked not refrigerated from previous meal/s difference) unlike me that it's okay if it is already refrigerated, heat it up when I want to eat/. 

Yes, I am the one responsible for household chores and (of course) I used to do it (and until now for myself if he's not at home or I need it). But then since am now pregnant and doing chores (but if am free, I am the one doing the thing, of course), aside from he is practicing to cook for himself if we have the baby already, then that's what he currently did. Am happy about it, we share responsibilities. Thanks goodness I have a husband like him. :-) He cannot cook viands a lot (mostly he just heat it up or the easy way other than buying ready-to-eat ones) but that is fine with me because as I said there are lots of fresh foods-to-go from restaurants/food chains here. Well, am just a happy wife though maybe that's just too small for you. :-) Whatever! :-) Diary, keep it in memory. :-)

What's your dinner folks? My kitchen journey on cooking is very silent nowadays. I can only cook rice and some easy stuffs just like reheating foods for DH. Cooking the ground beef with a lot of onions added to the chili and beans in cans is what he likely most when talking about combination of easy stuff but fresh (halfway at least). Mostly we bought ready-to-eat fresh from restaurant. I know if I can cope up my stuffs to do, I can then restore my normal kitchen ways, cooking leafy vegetables with coconut and stuffs like that. At the same time, cooking DH foods because he don't like eating vegetables unlike if it's salad and potato. :-) 

Yesterday I was thinking of cooking the chayote with thin pork chops for its mix. I planned to saute it. But plan changed. Adding to the changed was DH asked me what to eat for dinner, he was not asking of what I was going to cook so advantage to my changed plan besides I have stuffs to catch-on. Ha! So we settled of a fresh burrito each of us and with his additional chili tamale. This is my first time I love eating burrito because there's only beans (brown) and  beef (soft-style of cooking) covered with soft tortilla. Whew! Yummmy! No picture taken as I indulged unto it directly. :-)

Yes, big pieces of bread. That was my first time of eating such kind and pieces of bread. I forgot though the name of this bread, French bread I think. And it is inexpensive and I love it! Yours truly bought it at Ralph's. I do not know about you but for me I was not raised with such kind of bread to eat. Ooh well, I am just small and those breads are for big folks. What could be an American-size then, right? :-) You might even know that everything big, I/Filipinos/my folks called it "American-size" and not bad at all! In fact, it's abundant. It was just my first and you can look at my palm differs from such bread. DH don't eat such so obviously, am the only to consume and because of curiosity, I just bought that pack (you cannot buy few pieces only but to buy that a pack, as I said it is inexpensive so no biggie deal for me). And you know what happened next, I wasn't able to eat it all in one week. Hahaha! That is why I call this bread a "bread for life" haha! An abundant supply.

(click images below and zoom-in to enlarge)