hard boiled eggs

You would think that one of the easiest things to cook is a hard boiled egg. For me, it was always hit or miss when it came to boiling eggs until I came across this helpful technique from the Barefoot Contessa.

Place the eggs in a sauce pan and add enough cold water to cover.


Bring the water to a boil and immediately turn off the heat. Let the eggs sit in the pan for 15 minutes.

Remove the eggs to a bowl and allow to rest for at least 2 minutes. When the eggs are cool enough to handle, crack the eggs on each side and then roll them back and forth with your hand, breaking up the shell. Remove and discard the shell.

I just thought it would be a good idea to share this with you especially since I boil eggs on a daily basis.The Mister loves his egg salad sandwich and never tires of eating it every single day.

Do you have other tips for boiling eggs? Please do share.

weekend roundup

How was your weekend, bunnies?

Last Saturday, the boys and I took a chance and headed over to 5-8 Club, home of the original Juicy Lucy, Minnesota's version of the ultimate cheese burger. A 1/2 pound burger with the cheese inside the beef patty. It's obscenely good it was even featured in Travel Channel's Man vs. Food. We were lucky we got there just in time to get a table before the line at the door started. By the time we were done, the line was like 30 people deep. In case you were wondering, yes, I did finish my Juicy Lucy! I surprised even myself!

We celebrated father's day at the Stone Arch Art Festival in Minneapolis along with the hipsters and the hippies. The riverfront district was brimming with life with over 250 featured artists and artisans, non-stop live musical performances and a smorgasbord of food stalls. It had all the ingredients for creating a memorable family outing.

I would say our weekend was just perfect.

photos courtesy of dressedtoat

toddler-approved recipes: monte cristo sandwich

We attended a birthday party yesterday and as expected, Bud was too busy playing with the other kids to give a second thought about food. He did have a few bites of hotdog, spaghetti and some pastry but in quantities far less than what he would normally have. He also stayed up way past his bedtime so I wanted to serve him something more substantial for breakfast this morning.

TODAY'S BREAKFAST:

EASY MONTE CRISTO SANDWICH

2 slices of wheat bread

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

olive oil

1 slice of honey ham (or any kind of ham)

1 slice of american cheese

dallop of strawberry jam (or any berry preserve)

Heat oil in pan. Beat together the egg and milk. Dip bread slices in the egg mixture and grill on the hot pan. Make sure to grill both sides of the bread. When bread has a nice golden crust, add the cheese and ham on one slice and jam on the other. Remove from pan and assemble into a sandwich.

Cut up and serve.

Don't forget to make one for yourself too!

cranberry orange cookies

It was only recently when I had my first taste of Cranberry Orange Scones and what a delight! I really enjoyed the tartness from the cranberries and hints of citrus from the orange. Since then I have been reading up on how to make scones but have not found the confidence to make them yet. Instead, I tried making something simpler, Cranberry Orange Cookies! I only made a dozen of this recipe to see how they will turn out and now I wish I had made more. They are just heavenly! And if I just cut back a little on the sugar and butter it could be a great snack for the little dude too.

welcoming spring

It's finally starting to warm up - meaning temperature highs are now in the 40s (or 5 celcius). It's amazing how everything is relative, isn't it? 40s in Minne-snowta already feels like spring! The snow has started to melt and the sidewalks have reappeared. The coming days are only going to get better and brighter.

To usher in the season, I baked a batch of colorful M&M cookies.

We also spruced up the living room with some new pillows.


And I have brought out more colorful pieces of clothing to wear!


How have you been preparing for spring?

bread dumplings with mushroom sauce

design sponge

This is what's currently making my mouth water.... hmmm, yum! Must...buy...mushrooms....and... heavy...cream.

weekly dose

Here's something you still don't know about me. My favorite day of the week has always been Thursday. Why? Because it means just one more day and it would officially be the start of weekend fun! The idea that the week is almost coming to an end thrills me. I guess I'm quirky that way. But I look forward to it even more so now because it's when the Mister comes home from his weekly business trips.

While I wait for Thursday and the Mister, here were some of my sweet companions throughout the week.


I have always been intimidated by the thought of making Leche Flan. It seemed like such a tedious task until I found this recipe and finally had the courage to make it. It was not as hard as I imagined except I still can't make proper caramel so I cheated and made simple syrup instead.



I've always been a HUGE fan of anything with chocolate and mint together so I was delighted to find this at the grocery store. Instant warm hug in a cup.



Oh my, these shortbread cookies from Honolulu Cookie Company are like little pieces of joy. Something you must try if you ever find yourself in Hawaii.

Thanks for stopping by!

P.E.T.A.

While I have great admiration for those people who support more sustainable food alternatives, I personally go by the rule eat in moderation and don't be wasteful.

Live, love and eat, bunnies!

thank you berry munch

Snow is still falling...I'm planning to spend the next hour of peace and quiet curled up on the sofa with a cup of hot chocolate and these bite-size pieces of giggles.

assorted girl scouts cookies

What's your favorite girl scouts cookie?

cinnamon sugar toast

.... is the perfect pick-me-upper for someone like me who's only had a total of 4 hours of staggered sleep last night. Don't you just love the smell of butter and cinnamon in the morning? I'm having mine with a cup of hot chocolate for that extra boost of sugar to get me through the day.

Hope the rest of you slept well last night.

weekly dose of saccharine

Have I ever mentioned how much I love dessert? I love it as much as I love shoes. I need to have my daily dose of saccharine treats like a baby needs milk. I'm not exaggerating. Ice cream and cookies are staples in our weekly grocery list. On occasion, I bake my own pastries just so I can control the amount of butter and sugar I consume.

This week I've had the pleasure of indulging in these sweet delights.


I received a box of Sprinkles Cupcakes with Red Velvet, Coconut, Black and White and Banana flavors from my Aunt who lives in LA. Heaven in a box! I've always wondered what all the hype was about and now I understand. The cupcakes were dense, moist and generously frosted. Each flavor perfectly concocted - not overly sweet. My favorite would be the Red Velvet. What's yours?

My Aunt (bless her) also sent me a box of macarons from Paulette. Her Christmas present arrived a little late but I'm not complaining, not at all. These macarons may be small but they pack a punch of flavors so even if it's a bit pricey per piece you still get your money's worth. The pistachio and columbian coffee are my favorites. I'm already mulling the idea of sending myself a box of these delectable bites on Valentines.

Last night I baked two pans of blueberry loaves to take to our playdate this morning but only one pan made it to the playdate. Guess what happened to the other loaf?

Somebody couldn't keep his little hands off it. This hand is too small to be mine. I reckon I'm not the only sweet tooth in this family.

weekend highlights

Hello, Bunnies! How has your week been so far? I know for most of you it's already the middle of the week. Me? I'm still trying to get back into our routine after a 3-day weekend (happy birthday, MLK!). Here are some of the highlights of our weekend that was filled to the brim.

We jumpstarted our Saturday with a relaxed brunch at D. Brian's deli where they serve food with all organic ingredients. After a healthy meal of soup and sandwich, we headed to the Minnesota Childrens Museum for an afternoon of discovery.

Bud finally got his cash register fix at the pretent grocery store.

He also manned the cash register at the mini restaurant, drove the bus, got wet and had his face painted.

After hours of exploring and playing, we parked ourselves at the mezzanine for some downtime and snacks.

On Sunday, we indulged in some traditional Italian food for dinner at Bucca Di Beppo after sweating it out at the community center. If you ever find yourself in Bucca Di Beppo, I highly recommend their Eggplant Parmigiana and Fried Calamari. Their food is just simply delicious - very flavorful. The place is family friendly too. In fact, you probably need to bring a big family to work on the huge portions of food.

This photo does not do justice to the mouth watering Margherita Pizza.

Monday afternoon we went sledding at Staring Lake to burn off the hearty Italian dinner we had the night before. We took turns climbing back up while pulling Bud on the sled. Oh my, it was quite a workout but seeing Bud's big smile as he was sledding down was worth every bead of sweat.

Today I allowed myself to take a break and rest. I joined Bud in his mid-day nap which extended to 3 hours! What can I say, I guess we were both tired from all the activities last weekend.

Here's to a great rest of the week!

weekend in dallas

Hi y'all! How was your weekend? Ours was spent getting to know Dallas. We started with a visit to the Dallas Museum of Art. Lucky for us it was Museum District Day last Saturday so admission was free! After spending time appreciating art, we drove to Galleria Dallas, the so-called fashion epicenter of the Southwest. It was impressive but I was not in awe as it looked very much the same as the high-end fashion malls you would find in Bangkok or Singapore. For dinner, we tried Blue Mesa Grill for some Southwestern cuisine which proved to be a good choice. As it turns out, Blue Mesa is one of the top 5 Southwestern Restaurants in the DFW Zagat survey. We capped the night with some gelato from Paciugo, a quaint cafe down the street from Blue Mesa. I wasn't really planning on having any dessert after chowing down a plate of Mixed Grill Churrascaritas but the gelato display was just too enticing to resist.

at the kid's room of the Dallas Art Museum

I got myself a small cup with Amaretto Chocolate Chip, Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel and Pistachio

Sunday afternoon was spent at the Texas State Fair sampling all sorts of Texas-style food. We were surprised at how they can deep fry any kind of food, even drinks!

fried food paradise

enjoying every bite of the Fried Peanut Butter and Jelly and Banana Sandwich

Have a great week everyone!

simple joys

With my simple life come simple joys. Here’s a peak at the cheap thrills that made me smile the past couple of days.

Bud has been slowly recovering from his ear infection and is steadily eating his way back to health.

little boy can't get enough of Pretzel Crisps

Finally saw the movie version of one of my favorite love stories, The Time Traveler’s Wife, on HBO. The movie version was not as good as the book though. The tonality of the movie was very melancholic and by my standards it fell short in capturing the essence of their enduring love. Nonetheless, I was extremely pleased to see it dramatized on screen.

After consecutive days of buffet breakfasts and dining out, I was ready to throw in the towel. I felt like I was on the verge of having a coronary what with the (Texas-style) gargantuan portions of food we’ve been eating! I craved for light and healthy alternatives so I tried the route of frozen dinners. The microwavable meals from Marie Callendar’s were a revelation! The Chicken and Mushroom Risotto was exceptionally yummy. I probably couldn’t cook risotto that good even if I tried. I’m thinking of stocking up on those microwavable meals when we get back home. At 300 calories a box, you can’t go wrong.

Fried Okra from Dickie's BBQ Pit

Tempura and Katsu platter from Toshio's

Aside from the meal allowances, another perk of out-of-state assignments is the chance to earn rewards points. I’m so excited at the prospects of free vacations with the amount of hotel rewards and airline miles we’re racking up! It pays to be points-savvy.

Speaking of hotels, the managers and staff here at the Hilton Garden Inn have been tremendously helpful and friendly. Maybe because Bud has charmed them all? Everyday at breakfast, we are greeted and served by an unbelievably chirpy lady. She’s too perky to a point that P gets annoyed with her cheerfulness early in the morning, haha! I love her positive energy though. And I love that she’s so smitten with Bud. Since we’ve become good friends with her, we set a playdate with her and her little one when we come back to Dallas in two weeks.

Janika aka breakfast lady with Bud

What's made you smile lately?

highlights of the weekend

I always look forward to the weekends. It's the two days in the week we spend sampling the different restaurants and exploring the numerous recreational parks around the twin cities. And if I'm lucky, we squeeze in some time for shopping.

Last Saturday, we started our little city adventure with lunch at Champps Americana. It's a sports bar chain that looked more like a restaurant you would find in Napa Valley if not for the large tv screens scattered around the dining area. The interior looked very bright and relaxed with its high ceiling, glass walls, brick panels and natural wood finish. Food portions were very generous. The Pulled Pork Sandwich exceeded expectations, yum! Definitely a place where we could bring guests to enjoy American food.

After the hearty lunch, we hit the mall for some shopping. I wasn't really looking for anything to buy for myself. My only agenda was to get new toys for Bud. But then I found these ballet flats in Gap for $5 a pair! What a steal, right? They were so darned cheap that I got 2 pairs, one in silver and another in blue denim. Bargain price aside, they were great shoes. Chic and comfortable. The leather was really soft plus it came with rubber soles which is a preference for me these days. I was giddy with delight when I walked out of the store.

To cap off the day, we went to Lyndale Park Rose Garden. It's the second oldest rose garden in the country with more than 250 varieties of roses and other flowers. The garden was so vibrant and lush yet serene. The atmosphere was so relaxed and unpretentious. It's like stepping into a secret garden in the middle of the city.

Phelps (turtle) Fountain.
Photo courtesy of wikepedia.

More than my shoe(s) purchase, the highlight of the day for me was watching Bud play in the Turtle fountain in the garden. He was cruising around the rim of the fountain and trying is very best to climb into the cool water (good thing he was still too short to get in by himself). Then he made some new friends and they threw pennies in the fountain. It was too bad we didn't bring a camera to capture that lovely evening.

And because Bud loved the water so much, the next day we took him swimming in the sand-bottomed lake in in Bryant Park. It's the next best thing we have to a beach. Again, we forgot to bring our camera.

The days just go by so fast. Before I know it, it will be the end of the week and the start of another adventure.

Korean Food

15 more days to go before we leave Seoul... I thought i would post my favorite Korean dished so i could use this as reference in case i forget their names in the future. Please excuse some of the food shots. They might not look appetizing at all because most of the time i only remember to take photos halfway through the meal.

1. Bibimbap - Traditional Korean rice bowl with lots of veggies, seaweed, egg and your choice of meat or seafood topping seasoned with sesame oil and red pepper paste.


2. Pajeong - Savoury pancake with either seafood or kimchi filling. Served with sesame and soy dipping sauce.

3. Dakgalbi - "Dak" means chicken in Korean. It's a Sweet and Spicy chicken dish with red pepper sauce and lots of vegetables cooked in an iron grill right on your table.


4. Galbi - Beef shortrib barbecued on a charcoal grill at the center of the table. The way to eat the barbecued meat is to put in on the center of a lettuce or sesame leaf, smear some doenjang (fermented soybean paste) on the meat, top it with pickled radish and grilled garlic, fold the leaf over and take a bite. Yummmm....


5. Jjeyopukum - Sweet and spicy pork cooked with red pepper sauce very similar to Dakgalbi. Usually served with coleslaw or macaroni salad.


6. Gyeran Mali - literally translated means "rolled eggs". It's like a fried egg crepe with fried rice filling. Other variations include cheese, vegetable or kimchi fillings.


7. Mandu - Korean dumplings. Like the Chinese dumplings there are different types of Mandu - fried, steamed and boiled. The mandu i enjoy the most is the bun kind from Shinsegae food court. It looks like siopao but with spring roll filling.


I realized most of the popular Korean dishes in Manila have already been "filipinized" and adjusted to suit the Pinoy palette. The Korean food they serve in Kaya and Kimchi are mostly soy-based while authentic Korean food are mostly cooked with the red pepper paste. I guess the red pepper paste may be too spicy for most Pinoys. Another difference I noticed is that authentic Korean stews and barbecues are always served with some kind of vegetable which is not the case back home. It's not to say I have any complaints with the Filipino version. I'm just simply pointing out the differences so you won't get surprised if you don't find the same Kimchi beef stew here in Seoul.