Tokyo Eats, Good Eats

Ah, Japan... So many good food, so little time! 
That's how I feel to this day. I was a bit frustrated that I wasn't able to visit some of the recommended dining places in Tokyo, like Nabezo shabu-shabu, rotating sushi restos, and some wagyu beef eateries that abound. Buti nga nakapag-Ichiran kami! =) There was just not enough time and we have five kids with us who have different food preferences. Thank goodness there's the familiar Mc Donald's, 7-11, and Yoshinoya for their quick take-out meals.

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DIY Breakfast Bowls for Beginners

First Friday of the month: Foodie Friday

What's in a breakfast bowl? Usually a thick fruit smoothie base topped with the good stuff like fresh fruits and nuts, oats, granola, and all sorts of superfood mix. And it's cold and thick. It can also be a simple bowl of yogurt with whatever add-ons you crave. Yan ang hilig ko ngayon and many of my friends are also making their own versions at home. You can too, try it!

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BLISS BOWLS, Deliciously Healthy Smoothie Bowls

First Friday of the month: Foodie Finds / Healthy Food

I love fruit smoothies. My favorites are blended frozen strawberry-banana, ripe mango, and mango-banana combos. Sometimes, I add chia seeds and honey in the mix. When juicing and green smoothies became a fad, I never got into it mainly because I didn't like the idea of drinking and mixing raw veggies in my fruit shakes. Hindi lang ako sanay na iniinom ang gulay unless it's in soup form. But I know they're healthy. Then came these power breakfast smoothie bowls that I see posted on Instagram. It got me curious but have never tried one before until BLISS BOWLS opened.

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Easy Cheezy Halloween Sandwich Bento

We are all cheese lovers here, and so I try to incorporate different types of cheese in our meals, from breakfast to snacks. The kids especially love cheesy sandwiches, so it's a no-brainer for me to send it as their baon to school or on road trips. That's why, I make sure we're well stocked with cheese slices, grated cheese, and spreadable Cheez Whiz all the time.

I grew up with Cheez Whiz so it's also a staple in our pantry. The versatility of this favorite cheese spread makes it very easy to use, especially for bento meals. Thanks to Cheez Whiz, I'll be sharing with you three bento creations, starting with this month's theme -- Halloween!

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Fruits In Bloom Edible Gourmet Arrangements

Are you done with or have you started your Christmas shopping?  I know we all have friends who already "have everything" and it's always a challenge to think of a nice gift for them, right? Here's a great gift suggestion for you:  Fruits In Bloom.

The first time I saw their arrangements was during the Fifth Season Spa party where the buffet table featured their fruit arrangements, as seen in this album.  It was an impressive spread of fresh assorted fruits, like grapes, pineapples, kiwi, apples, bananas, strawberries, some dipped in fine chocolate!

Fruits In Bloom uses fresh fruits artistically designed in every edible gourmet arrangement. It's a sweet and practical gift - something fresh, unique and elegantly different.  They can also customize for your special occasions like weddings, birthdays, and table centerpieces for your parties.

  
My present came in this pretty green box and set in a cute Christmas theme mug.  Refrigeration was a challenge since it's a bit tall for the shelves in my ref, heehee...  We'll have these fruits for dessert tomorrow!

 Check out their beautiful (and delicious) holiday collection!

Order your Fruits In Bloom arrangements now!
Visit their website www.fruitsinbloom.com.ph, or Facebook page Fruits In Bloom Philippines for more info.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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Cranberry Cocktail Drink

I've been buying Tipco 100% Fruit and Veggie juices for several years now, and it's one of the many juice brands that I include in our grocery list.

I can't tell you enough how healthy their juices are, having an impressive set of health benefits in every pack -- made with no preservatives, no flavorings, no colorings, nor sweeteners.  Among it's 22 fruit and veggie juices, one of our favorites is the superfruit variety, Cranberry mixed fruit juice.  Superfruit is classified as being nutrient-dense and high in antioxidants.

You may be wondering - how did I end up making a cocktail out of this very healthy drink?

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Mom-Grocer: Rediscovering Welch's Grape Juice

I buy a lot of different fruit juices for the family... and I mean a lot! You'll see them in a separate feature here soon.  Although I'm already a regular consumer of this brand I'm featuring today, I  had the pleasure of getting reacquainted with this family favorite several weeks ago.

Since we're heavy juice drinkers, I buy assorted brands and alternate them on a weekly basis. One of the products you'll find in our pantry is Welch's Grape Juice, in either the big 64 oz. (about PhP200+), or 24 oz. glass bottle (about PhP125) like that one up on the left.

A week after I bought a bottle, I got invited by Welch's to learn more about their heritage brand and have a better appreciation of this premium grape juice that we all grew up drinking.

Clip from the presentation by Welch's

Yes, you read that right -- a glass of Welch's already meets our daily Vitamin C requirement! Plus, it's all natural, no additives, no preservatives, and comes from 100% real fruit -- Concord grapes to be specific.

The key difference between Welch’s Purple Grape Juice and other grape and fruit juices:

• Welch’s is made from whole Concord Grapes - not available outside of America
• Have a unique taste, color, and natural sweetness
• Contains a huge amount of natural polyphenols (plant nutrients and antioxidants) that provides lots of health benefits

Harvesting the grapes from the vast farm in Concord, Massachusetts, USA

It's distinct bold taste, deep purple color, and natural sweetness from the Concord grapes, only found in America, set the brand apart. That is why, when I think of grape juice, top-of-mind brand for me is always Welch's. 

In our Filipino-Chinese family, Welch's has been part of tradition too.  We've grown accustomed to giving, and receiving, Welch's big bottle to women who just gave birth. Why?

We know that grapes are loaded with vitamins, and it's juice is a natural tonic to give warmth and nutrients to the body -- which all new mothers need to help them recover from childbirth. Welch's is the only 100% grape juice, thus, the brand of choice.

More interesting facts and some Welch's history I learned from the presentation:

• The Welch family first processed the first bottles of unfermented wine for use at church during communion
• The National Cooperative Association, Inc. acquired the company from the Welch family in 1952
• The grape growers are dedicated to producing and delivering premium-quality grape products through the years
• Welch's was first brought here in the country in the 1940s by American soldiers during wartime

Have you drank Welch's grape juice lately?

Pour it over ice, or mixed with cold water, the way my family and I enjoy it.

Cheers to good health! =)

Single-serve 5.5oz Welch's over ice!

Welch's 100% Grape Juice is available at all leading groceries and supermarkets nationwide.


II'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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Foodie Friday: Kani Salad Roll-Up with Wasabi-Mayo

First Friday of the month:  Food / Recipe


We're all feeling the heat wave in this country and I just want to drink and eat something cold, or light and refreshing every single day.  There's no surprise to this post since the title said it all. And as I celebrate my 3rd blog anniversary this May, I thought it's nice to start the month with an ode to one of my most popular food posts -- kani salad (which, by the way, is currently #1 on Google search for 'kani salad'! Woot!)

In my recent trip to the grocery, I spotted a pack of tortilla and dropped it in my cart, not knowing what to do with it. When I got home, I found all the ingredients to make our favorite kani salad, which I already featured here, and planned to serve it for dinner. But I had another idea. Tortilla + kani salad... eureka!

It's gonna be a wrap for dinner! =) The whole family can help prepare this super simple and delicious roll-up -- no cooking required!  Just by looking at the photos, I'm sure you already know what you need and how to do this.

KANI SALAD ROLL-UP with WASABI-MAYO

Soft tortillas
Kani sticks (Japanese imitation crab meat), cut in half, length-wise
Cucumber, cut in sticks
Fresh ripe mango, slice vertically and scoop out
Washed lettuce
Japanese mayonnaise (I use Kewpie brand)
Prepared wasabi (hot/spicy Japanese condiment of horseradish and mustard mix)
Homemade or bottled herb vinaigrette, optional dressing (I use Gourmet's brand)

For the wasabi-mayo:

Mix 1 part prepared wasabi + 2 parts Japanese mayo (1:2)

(Or you can do 1:3 if you want the spice to be mild.  Adjust proportion according to your taste.)

To prepare:

Lay tortilla flat on a board and spread some wasabi-mayo mix on the center

Layer 2 - 3 lettuce leaves over the wasabi-mayo, which acts as a glue

Add more wasabi-mayo over the lettuce and assemble all the filling on top

Carefully flip lower end of the tortilla over the filling and roll over tight

Wipe some mayo on the top edge of the tortilla to act as glue and secure your roll-up

You can make as many rolls as you want. 1 roll is good for 1, or maybe not enough! =) Press together and hold 2 or 3 rolls and, with a sharp knife, carefully slice into 6 or 8.

A perfectly balanced combination of juicy kani, crisp and cool lettuce and cucumbers, spicy dressing, sweet and succulent mangoes, all wrapped in soft and chewy tortilla.

You can use more of the wasabi-mayo as dipping sauce -- it tastes fantastic with that extra kick!  I forgot to add some nori strips with the filling though, and for sure, it would have added another dimension to the flavor of this refreshing salad roll-up.

Serve on a bed of lettuce, with extra dressing on the side. Dip or drizzle before you pop a slice in your mouth.  A drizzle of the herb vinaigrette adds some tang to the sweet-cool-spicy taste. But you can just stick with the wasabi-mayo for extra creaminess.

I always loved the combination of sweet mangoes and kani! With the tortilla, I now have a more filling alternative to the usual kani salad that I often prepare with our dinner.  This kani salad roll-up is great as appetizers too, or served as hors d'oeuvres during parties.  Try this perfect summer salad roll-up  now!

Care to share your summer-inspired recipes for my Reader's Nook?
Have you tried any of the featured recipes from this blog?
Tweet me your food shots if you did, I'd love to see your version! :)


I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
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I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again!
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Foodie Friday: Baby Caramel Apples

First Friday of the month:  Mom-Cook / Recipe / Dessert

My little M has a major case of sweet tooth. One of her favorites is caramel -- be it the plastic-wrapped cubes, coating on popcorn, or the classic caramel sundae, she will eat them. I didn't know where she learned about caramel apples but she was bugging me about it for some time now.

I did attempt to serve her a twisted version and instead made her caramelized slice apples, hoping it would pass and meet her expectations. Suffice to say, it didn't fly.
"This is not caramel apple mommy! And I want on a stick."  Well, at least I tried. ;)

Now here's the real thing. Cooled are ready for the taking!

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Dirty Dozen and Clean 15: Pesticides in Produce 2011

I regularly receive newsletters from Environmental Working Group.  A few months back, they sent this updated list and since July is Nutrition Month, I thought I'd share this very useful guide to all of you, which I'm sure many of you already know by now --  EWG's Shopper's Guide to Pesticides in Produce.

The Shopper's Guide to Pesticide in Produce will help you determine which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticide residues and are the most important to buy organic. You can lower your pesticide intake substantially by avoiding the 12 most contaminated fruits and vegetables and eating the least contaminated produce. - EWG

Since I'm the one who's doing the grocery shopping, this guide is something I look back to and help me choose what foods to buy.  But the reality is, I don't always have access to organic produce so I seldom buy produce like apples and celery.

Feel free to print and clip this pocket guide, and share to family and friends!

Learn more about EWG and their many causes to help promote a better environment.
Environmental Working Group
EWG Food News


I'd love to know your thoughts on this post.  If you enjoyed this, feel free to share it!
Get instant updates:
My Mom-Friday on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
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I try my best to reply and answer any questions you may have on each entry so check back if you've left one. Thank you and do visit again!

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