Banana Upside Down Cake

I love upside down cake! Not only is it easy to make it is quite versatile, too as you can choose the topping you want. I have done one with berries, mangoes, kiwi and this time I thought why not one with Bananas. After all, my entire family loves bananas and especially when I use them for cake! So, it was an easy decision to use bananas for this delicious and moist upside down cake!

Chewy Chocolate Flapjacks (Oat Bars)

These oat bars are so delicious and more-ish!! These chocolate-covered and honey-sweetened flapjacks are  quick and easy to make, too! Gluten-free.

When we went to England last November, we enjoyed so many yummy food that we don't often get here in the US. That included delicious British sausages, Christmas pudding, clotted cream or simply any food from Marks and Spencers! We enjoyed lots of Victoria sandwich cakes, scones, shortbread and certainly some yummy chewy flapjacks. Thankfully, flapjacks are easy to make and the ingredients are readily available anywhere in the world unless you don't have oats where you are! In the Philippines we can buy oats so I guess, if our little country has it, I can imagine it is pretty easy to find anywhere else.

Chocolate Cappuccino Cupcakes

A delicious burst of coffee goodness in every bite of these Chocolate Cappuccino Cupcakes with a luscious espresso-flavored buttercream frosting! Perfect pair with your morning coffee! 

Last month we went to England and visited some family and friends. We stayed with my mother-in-law who has a lovely house overlooking the Norfolk Broads. My favorite thing to do when there is simply relax enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy the lovely scenery by the window. I do have lovely memories of my father-in-law and, recently, my mother-in-law serving us with a delicious homemade espresso-based drink, whether it be a cappuccino or latte, all with a delicious helping of something sweet if we wanted some (there's always a yummy treat in that house!) and we all felt like we were in 5 star accommodation indeed! You see my parents-in-law owned this lovely little machine that allowed them to make espresso at home in a breeze and entertaining became easier for them having that especially when unexpected guests arrive and we had some while we were there. Anyway, since then I have always wanted a little machine like that!

One Bowl Yummy Pumpkin Muffins

Use this as your basic formula for  yummy Pumpkin Muffins! Add your favorite baking chips for extra deliciousness!

One day earlier in the school year my little boy came home very excited and declared he will be doing some baking the next day. I asked him what inspired him to do that? He said their class baked some pumpkin muffins that day and that he enjoyed them so much he wanted to make them again. He was totally motivated to do it that he, in fact, got the recipe and brought it home!

Prosciutto-Wrapped Mozarella Sticks

No fuss appetizer that requires only 2 ingredients. Prosciutto-Wrapped Mozarella Sticks - you can't get any easier than this! It's also great as a low-carb, protein-rich snack!

Once a month, we have the newly-married couples in our church over for some fun and fellowship. To make it less formal and a relaxed atmosphere we usually have a potluck where everyone who is able may bring either appetizers or side dish to share. So it doesn't get boring, I try to come up with different varieties of dishes to offer. However, there are times when elaborate preparations are impractical as there are always things that come up unexpectedly and so I have to make sure that at the last minute, I have a fall back dish I can easily make when time is running out.

Christmas Krispie Wreaths

A few Christmases ago, while my kids were still quite young, we made some edible crafts that kept them occupied long enough to allow me some peace and quiet for an hour or so and also helped fill their little tummies. At that time, I wanted them not just to enjoy making something with Mommy but also have a sense of fulfillment with the work of their hands. So, we made these easy rice krispie Christmas wreaths.

Cranberry Cheese and Prosciutto Sandwich

Do you stick to one particular supermarket or grocery store when you go shopping for food on a weekly basis? Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't depending on which one has a sale. I do have three favorite stores that I make my rounds on. I already know, more or less, where to go for particular products or for certain food and that helps make everything easier and convenient.

Red, White and Blue Yogurt Parfait

My kids absolutely love yogurt. Whenever I run out of breakfast ideas you can be certain they will suggest, "Can we have something with yogurt, please?"  For them anything with yogurt just tastes better. So we always have some yogurt stashed in the fridge for snacking or breakfast emergencies!

Lumpia (Filipino Vegetarian Spring Rolls)

You may be wondering why I am publishing another Lumpia recipe when I already have 2 on this blog. Well, you may or may not know it - but there are actually many variations of Lumpia (Filipino Spring Rolls) namely: Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Lumpia - unfried with a crepe-like wrapping), Lumpiang Hubad (Naked Spring Rolls - as you may have thought - it's fresh Lumpia without the wrapping), Lumpiang Shanghai (not really from Shanghai but named after the Chinese city which is mostly made with a meat-filling), Lumpiang Ubod so-called because it's made with Ubod which is the heart of the coconut tree and lastly, Lumpiang Gulay or simply Lumpia which is this recipe.

Green Tea Chocolate Muffins

I am swamped with paperwork today. It's not fun. I've done this routine countless times before. But it's never an enjoyable experience; it's always tedious. I am talking about applying for a visa. Since I still have my Filipino passport, even though I am a permanent resident here in the US, whenever we travel abroad I still have to apply for visas (except when I am travelling around South East Asia where there is reciprocity agreement among neighboring countries so no visas are required).

Raisin Corn Muffins

We're back in Michigan this weekend. A friend of ours got married this Saturday and we came to attend their wedding. As you can imagine, we had such a lovely time. It was great not only to be able to join our friends in their momentous occasion but it was also such a joy to see many familiar faces and hear familiar voices. I won't forget what my 9 year old boy said when the plane touched down in Grand Rapids, "It's great to be back in the place I was born." Sounds strange and funny when it comes from a little boy but the sentiment is not just true to him but certainly for all of us. Because both our kids were born here, it will certainly be our home to come to wherever we may end up in the future.

Pineapple Praline Bread

Crushed pineapple makes this Pineapple Praline bread super moist and flavorful. No butter or oil is ever used in the batter. The crunchy pecan topping makes it even more scrumptious.

The Philippines is well known for its Pineapple. We have hectares and hectares of plantations of this juicy, sweet-tangy fruit in the southern part of the country. I remember the first time my husband Mark came to our country over a decade ago. He tasted some pineapples and declared that it was the tastiest pineapple slices he's ever had. I didn't really care much for what he said then as pineapples were no big deal in our country, almost something we take for granted as it's quite common and ordinary.

Strawberry Bread

During the papal visit in the Philippines (January 2015), three working days were declared holidays. Sandwiched in these days is a weekend so there was in-effect a 5-day holiday period. My siblings and I took advantage of this long weekend and decided to go up north and visit the Banaue, Sagada and Baguio areas. These three places are some of the top destinations in the Philippines. Banaue has the world-famous rice terraces considered as the 8th wonder of the world. Sagada is the place to go if you wish to go hiking, climbing, spelunking and engage in other extreme adventures. Of course, Baguio City with its cooler weather is considered as the summer capital of the Philippines.

Cranberry Pecan Bread with Apple Cider Glaze

The other day I went to the grocery for some food shopping. I got excited when I saw some fresh cranberries already being sold. You see, I love baking with cranberries! I love the tangy flavor it imparts to baked goodies particularly sweet breads and cakes. I got myself a pack and decided that I should make my favorite Cranberry Orange Bread when I get home or at least pretty soon. However, as it sometimes happen, I forgot to buy some oranges. I was frustrated because I was really craving some nutty cranberry bread at that time. What was I to do?

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

My two kids were both born in the month of October and only 3 days apart. As you can imagine, this is quite a busy month for us. Thankfully, since they are still quite young they haven't really demanded their own separate birthday parties yet. For now they are quite happy to celebrate their birthdays in their classrooms with their classmates. There's only one condition I need to fulfill - that is, they want me to make something yummy for their class on their birthday.

20 Wholesome and Delicious After School Snacks

Tomorrow my little boy begins his first day of school for the 2014-2015 academic year. He is going to 3rd grade. He's excited to go though a little bit nervous because this is a new school for him as we transferred from Holland, Michigan to Connecticut this summer. Thankfully, last week he already met two of his classmates during a soccer camp. With at least two familiar faces in a different and new environment, it won't be totally alienating or strange. I hope that he'll easily gain new friends like he did in his previous school. But, as you know, being a Mom, I worry more for him than he does.

Peach and Blueberry Financiers

A Financier is a small French Almond Cake traditionally baked in the shape of a gold bar, hence the name. Some say that it is called such because the cake became popular in the financial district of Paris surrounding the Paris stock exchange and was named after its wealthy bankers. Its main ingredient is the almond flour (ground or finely crushed) though it's distinct feature comes from the use of  beurre noisette (brown butter).

Salted Chocolate Hills

I have attempted to make some snacks for hubby and myself that are healthier and do not contain all the bad stuff that comes from processed food. After some trial and error, I was finally able to make these coconut chocolate almond balls that were really delicious and great for nibbling when your stomach is grumbling. Now, I could have easily just named these as Chocolate Almond Balls or something like that  but hubby had a better idea. 

When he saw what these little chocolate balls looked like (quite dark brown), he said it reminded him of the famous natural wonder in the Philippines called Chocolate Hills in Bohol. Please find below the photo of what the Chocolate Hills look like. From a distance these tiny cone-shaped hills look like chocolate-covered mountains especially during the dry season when the grass has thinned out. He then told me why not name this particular dish - Chocolate Hills as they sort of look like them. Perhaps I need to work more on shaping these little mounds into cone-like structures so they look quite similar to the Chocolate Hills. In the meantime, I thought this should do. What do you think? :)

These little nibbles are a great snack as they are not overly sweet (you can adjust the sweetness to your taste) and has a great contrast of sweet and salty flavors. Since I only used natural sugar such as honey or maple syrup as sweetener, it's actually good for you. Also, these are completely gluten-free, raw, vegan and truly delicious! Enjoy each yummy bite!

Photo credit here.



Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups shredded dried Coconut
1 cup Almond Flour
3 oz dark Chocolate (70-80 %) or 1/3 cup raw Cacao Nibs*
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

1-2 Tablespoons Honey
1-2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

*As Cacao Nibs are unsweetened (not sweet and slightly bitter), you may have to increase the amount of honey or maple syrup by an additional 1-2 Tablespoons or  to taste.

Procedure:

Mix all the ingredients and pulse in a food processor until well-blended. Continue to process until it has a paste-like consistency (a little sticky). Shape into balls by using your hands or use a rounded tablespoon to shape them into hills. Or, if you're not bothered about shaping it just eat with a tablespoon!

Enjoy these yummy snacks!

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Double Chocolate Chip Muffins

Oh muffins! They are a family favorite and definitely one of the first ever baked treats I have ever tried. The first one I have ever attempted was a blueberry muffin recipe. I was so excited when it came out edible. That's what happens when you are a first time baker. :) I discovered that the muffins are even better when I use fresh or frozen Michigan blueberries; they are the best!

Fruit and Chocolate Oat Bars

I love to give my kids snacks that I make at home and from scratch. That way, I can ensure I know what they are eating and don't need to worry much that they are taking in too much processed food. Of course, like any other kids, they love to snack on something sweet and fruity. My solution is to make them some wholesome granola bars that not only will they enjoy (something that satisfies their sweet cravings), but something that I won't feel so guilty giving to them as I know they are quite nutritious, too. Using good quality ingredients (organic, if possible) is always my aim whenever I cook or bake and that ensures a truly wonderful result every time.