May 31, 2014

Cheese, Herb and Sun-dried Tomato Quick Bread



I love Bread! It is my diet downfall. While I do try to go low-carb and gluten-free most of the time, I simply cannot resist a good bread. I often tell myself, "Ok just one slice with butter and that's it!" Oh well, before you know it I've had three already. :) I don't know if it's the bread or the butter, or perhaps both - but I never ever end up eating just one slice even though I resolve to do so. So, I resort to nothing at all sometimes - but you gotta live, right? So on occasion, I indulge in a slice or 2 - ok, 3 then.
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May 28, 2014

Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream

Egg-free and creamy-licious Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream. So easy to make and no need to use an ice cream maker! | manilaspoon.com

Oh summer! Nothing beats the summer heat as deliciously as ice cream does! I have never heard or met anyone who hates ice cream, at least in my personal circle. Whoever has thought of freezing sweet cream is a true genius. The whole world, I am sure, is truly thankful! My family and I are. :)
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May 23, 2014

Sweet and Savory Treats for Memorial Day and the 4th of July



When we first came to the USA, about 10 years ago, one thing that truly struck us was the patriotism of Americans. In our small town here in Michigan so many houses have the American flag hoisted in their front lawn. In the Philippines, we only do this, if at all, during our own Independence Day and after that, the flag goes back to the closet and won't be taken out again until the next year. But here, it's there pretty much the whole year through. 
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May 21, 2014

Nutella Chocolate Chunk Cookies


By this time, if you follow our blog, you already know that we love Nutella. Not that we eat it on a daily basis, however, when we buy a big jar on occasion, I make sure that a portion of it is used or converted into something yummy! After all, who really can resist a recipe that has Nutella in it?

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May 17, 2014

Coconut Lemon Bars


Of late I have been having some Coconut obsession of some sort. That means I crave anything coconut and love to incorporate coconut in any recipe I think it may be suitable. Of course, there are a gazillion recipes for Lemon bars and using coconut in it is probably not a novel idea but it just popped into my mind last week when I was contemplating on what to do with the bag of lemons I bought from the grocery. This was when the brilliant idea of adding coconut to the mix came into my mind.
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May 16, 2014

Broccoli Bacon Salad with Raisins and Almonds


The first time I have ever had this wonderful American salad was in our church potluck. I wasn't much of a salad eater when I first came to the US. We only had one type of salad in the Philippines and that was always made with iceberg lettuce and always with a thousand island dressing. For us, vegetables were always cooked with meat so eating it raw (which is better really!) wasn't typical at all. It's only recently I believe that we've had more exposure to different types of salad, well at least for me.

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May 13, 2014

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!

If you wish to print the recipe, there's a print-friendly icon at the end of the post. Click on the "remove images box" for easy printing.

If you like what you see and would like to receive new recipe updates, we'd love you to subscribe to our posts or join our site. Needless to say, we'd love you to like us on Facebook too where you can get more recipes and updates. Thanks and happy browsing!



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May 8, 2014

Delectable Desserts and other Sweet Treats for Mom


Mother's Day is almost here and being a Mom myself, I always look forward to this day! My kids are still quite young  but in collaboration  with their  Dad they always manage to make me feel truly special during this day (not that they don't do so everyday, of course!). While it is right that we honor our Moms for all their sacrifice and love, for me it is also the perfect time to honor and praise God for giving me the chance to become a MOM! 

It is indeed such a privilege to be gifted with such precious lives and while the responsibility is both challenging and tremendous, I will never trade it for anything. It is the most amazing experience any woman could have. When I gave birth to my eldest, William, I suddenly knew the reason why I was born - it was to become a Mom. I felt an extraordinary bond and love for this little one that all of  a sudden I cradled in my arms. Apart from my wedding day,  it is truly one of the best days of my life. Of course, the same goes for my little darling Sophie who is such a ray of sunshine everyday. Because of this, I really wish I could store every little bit of memory that I have with my kids as I cherish each and every one of them. They have indeed grown so fast and though they will still be with me for many more years, Lord-willing, I know it can fly so fast even before I know it. Hence, I resolve (hopefully on a daily basis) to make the most of my time with them.

Now going back to our post, if you're thinking of doing something special for your Mom, why not check out, perhaps even try one or even some of these delectable sweet treats! Am sure, Mom would appreciate the effort and the love that goes into this sweet labor of yours. Enjoy and please give your Mom a hug and a kiss and make sure she feels totally special this day! 

Please note: To get the recipe, find the photo below of the yummy sweet treat you are looking for and then click on the link underneath. That should lead you to the recipe. This is a collection of recipes from our blog and other amazing food bloggers. 



Coconut Cream Tart by Willow Bird Baking



Vintage Cake  by Kitchen Meets Girl


Cinnamon Sweet Bread by Chef in Disguise


Chocolate Pecan Pie by Manila Spoon


Cream Cheese-Filled Sweet Bread  by Positively Splendid






Citrus Olive Oil Mango Cake by Not Just Baked


Baked Chocolate Hazelnut Donuts by I Love My Disorganized Life


Apple Praline Bread by Manila Spoon




Orange Pecan Sweet Bread by Eat Yourself Skinny


Italian Fruit Salad by Manila Spoon


Super Swirly Cinnamon Buns by The Sugar Hit


Fresh Strawberry Pie with Cream Cheese by The Suburban Soapbox


No Bake Nutella Cheesecake by Manila Spoon 


If you like what you see and would like to receive new recipe updates, we'd love you to subscribe to our posts or join our site. Needless to say, we'd love you to like us on Facebook too where you can get more recipes and updates. Thanks and happy browsing!
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May 3, 2014

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake


We love sweets in our family! Too much, I think!!! And if there is one dessert that we all can agree on - it's got to be cheesecake - it's pretty obvious as I now have about 4 cheesecake versions on this blog and yes, there'll be more to come. We simply cannot resist the creamy, sweet and rich nature of this delectable dessert! It's especially better when mixed in with some chocolate, right?
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May 1, 2014

Tofu and Vegetable Stir-fry


I got some firm Tofu from the grocery the other day. I don't remember now why I purchased it. Perhaps it was for Pad Thai or some other Asian dish I was planning to make but for some reason, I failed to make it. Yes, my days and times can truly be full of plans but sometimes they don't often materialize as I end up doing something else or sometimes not doing it at all. :)
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