Thank You! - How Did You Celebrate Christmas?

How did you spend your Christmas? =)

Well I spent it mostly at work. I know, most of you probably think I'm crazy. Don't worry about me I didn't get depressed or anything. I've been in the business for 10 years and I think I got over that a long time ago.

I'd like to take this bit first to thank everyone who greeted me on my birthday. You guys know who you are. And for those who didn't get to do that, well screw... I mean bless you hahaha!

Christmas celebrations started for me in the office. I got my team to come out from their shells and go to Q Bistro in front of the Podium Mall in Mandaluyong. Remeber my review about them HERE? Well they've got a Roast Beef buffet which we tried out on the weekend and it was mighty perfect for us and my team's families. Think about this huge slab of meat that melts off the bones, plus a menu that is the envy of everyone in Manila. Why? Check this out!

Pork with gravy, pinoy tacos, bruschetta, Asian spring rolls which I absolutely love.

The Asian Spring Rolls had fish on it. So I really had seconds and thirds. The fish with cream sauce was nice too. I'd skip the cream if I was in a diet but I'm NOT haha!

The Salad bar was heaven according to my foodie friend Gian of BossandMe.com. I had some too with the jicama and carrots. Their salad dressings? I LOVE!

Plus I love the soup too. They provide freshly cracked pepper like clockwork because they know it is going to make everything extra better! Visit them if you have some time. I highly recommend their place because its cozy, perfect for intimate dinners or business meetings.

I also made my Christmas stay at home by bringing out a couple of bottles of Daphne Home Scents. They came out with this limited edition Green Forest Pine that spreads the scent of the same tree; perfect for this season. I love every bit of it. 6 rooms, plus our living room all have this! =)

Plus I also had several sent to my relatives as gifts. It's only 380 Php on Bench and Dimensione stores nationwide. I love how it's also boxed elegantly. Truly world class products here.

And I'm still lovin it!

Then I met up with friends for dinner at BGC

We are Engineers, different courses. Some are ECE, EE, CE, ME and me CoE. We've ravaged time and trials like everybody else but what I like about them is when I spend time with their families. They are good friends. Some of them are my inaanaks :) So happy to see them once every year.

These guys (in black and white) are my bandmates in college. We've been through a lot. Now their husbands, wives also tag along so we are kinda growing. :)

Relatives from here and abroad came to our house to celebrate my Grandpa's 112th birthday. He ain't here anymore but we have continued meeting on the same date every year. Missing him a lot. :(

Last night, we still were in a festive mood and celebrated with family in Tagaytay. My brother also arrived from Ireland and he's here til middle of next month. We'll be making memories like we used to. 

From my home to yours, I hope you guys get to celebrate with the people you love. I know things will be greater next year. Thank you to everyone who supported me this 2012. To the celebrities I know, may your careers flourish because as far as I know all of them have been good people. To the PR companies I dealt with this year, they have been so good and even sent me some goodies this Christmas. Thank you so much for that. For the friends that I've made in the blogging world, thank you, you know who you are. You guys made my 2012 so great. I hope we continue to do more things this 2013! We're worth it! :)

Healthy Lifestyle Starts with Splenda!

If you have been frequenting coffee shops these days, you probably know that there are low sugar options available right? Don't tell me you haven't asked!? Well, here's the thing... they've got Splenda available now and you can actually have it blended with your frappes and hot coffees. At least in one coffee shop I went to did that. I'm not a regular there mind you but just tell them what want to happen with your coffee and poof they make it a whole lot better for you.

It's small things like these that matter. In some way, it's like living a healthy life. It starts from healthy choices and seeing your food intake or the sweets you use for your coffee. It might be a small thing to some but just think about the days you'll live longer when you manage your sugar levels. It's the same concept when you stop smoking. Doctors have researched you get to keep 5 minutes of your life for each stick. So make sure you take time and have the smartness to choose things you take wisely. Imagine how long you could keep your life and spend most of it having fun with friends and family.  

Make it a habit to use Splenda. It's got zero calories and takes just a small amount to sweeten your cup. It's something we've had since then, I don't know what would stop us now. Good thing it's available at most big groceries and stores nationwide. Life can really be sweeter... with Splenda!

For more ideas how to prepare food with Splenda

Visit their site at

http://splenda.tastebook.com

Healthy Splenda Pinoy Spaghetti!

We all have that day where everything doesn't happen to what we wish it would be. Mine just happened recently. There is always one person though who knows something is wrong with me, my Mom. She always prepares the best whenever I'm home because everybody knows my favorite... Spaghetti!

She's been doing legwork for it since I have ever known; so this time I want her to take a rest and let me do the cooking. Problem is my Mom and Dad are diabetic and when they want Filipino spaghetti I usually take out some of the ingredients but it won't feel the same if it didn't have that sweetness. Good thing there's Splenda!

I got the ingredients here!

Pinoy Spaghetti

1 Kg Pasta
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons capers
1/2 cup black olives
1 Kg Lean Ground Beef
1 bottle of banana ketchup
10 pieces of hotdogs
4 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 tbsp Splenda
2 cups water
2 tbsp all purpose flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 big block cheese (You can't have enough of it!)

Boil a few liters of water enough to cover the pasta. Drop in the spaghetti and wait for 8-10 minutes or according to package instructions. Leave just a little bit on the pasta because I'm sure you'll have some let to be mixed with your sauce later.

Separate a half a kilogram of beef and put salt and pepper, onions, garlic on it to make small meatballs. Roll on flour and fry until golden brown. Saute in a pan a heap of onions, garlic and evoo then wait for it to become translucent. Throw in the other half kilogram of beef and brown it. Pour in tomato sauce, the bottle of ketchup and water. Wait for it to boil then simmer for a few minutes. Slice the hotdog diagonally and throw it in, simmer another 5 minutes. Throw in the capers and olives then turn off the stove. Put in salt and pepper to taste. Put back the meatballs and let them simmer for around 2 minutes. Then serve.

Serving, just put a hefty amount of pasta on a bowl. Pour in the meat sauce on top and put in as much cheese that they can take, melt it under a salamander or your oven. You really can't have enough of that! You can even put ribonettes of basil if you want to make it a little classy for your taste.

My Mom loved it and it doesn't have sugar. My Dad almost ate half of it LOL. It's the time to share with friends and family. Health wise you don't have to worry because there's Splenda taking care of that. Oh, which reminds me a box of these even had Quaker Oats on it which we'll have tomorrow for breakfast! Merry Christmas guys! :) Get one on stores now!

Splenda and My Secret Mango Cheesecake Recipe

It looks like it's Christmas time already and I think I'm going to have a grand time whipping up something for my family since in this part of the world December 25 is indeed a special occasion. I'm thinking of cheesecakes all of a sudden and I want to plan ahead so I'm modifying some ingredients from an American cook book because I want a healthier alternative to the old New York Cheesecake. Yes, I do bake and just do this when I feel like it. Since my Mom is diabetic, I'll be choosing Splenda instead of processed sugar. Let me share my secret recipe:

1 and a half cup Grounded Graham Crackers

2 tablespoons full of Splenda (for the crust)

3 tablespoons of butter

3 whole packs of Cream Cheese

3/4 cup Splenda (mixed with Cream Cheese while whipping)

2 whole eggs
2 extra egg whites
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in water
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla or a few sprigs of vanilla bean in water

3 whole golden ripe mangoes sliced for toppings
1 extra mango for sauce

Mix the crust, the few tablespoons of sugar and butter then bake until firm. Usually, it takes around 8 minutes at 325 degrees. Place in the cooling rack until its cold. Whip the cream cheese, sugar, eggs and cornstarch. Add in the vanilla and cream too. Make sure there are no lumps whatsoever to the mixture. Pour it over the crust. Bake around 45 to 50 minutes at around 325 degrees again and wait until the center cooks all the way through. Use a toothpick to test it. Remember to set the temperature not to high so it won't crack the cheesecake too much when it cools. After it gets cold, put it in the fridge then slice some mangoes and place it on top like a fan. After slicing, add more Mango sauce and powdered sugar. Mango sauce is just simple syrup and grounded mangoes, you can do that.

I tried this recipe before but tweaked it a little so I can use Splenda. Now my Mum will surely love this new Mango New York Cheesecake that I'm making for our Noche Buena. After all, she deserves to enjoy dessert too!

Grab one now on your leading Supermarkets nationwide! ☺

For more information and recipes about Splenda

Please visit their website

http://recipes.splenda.com/