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.

Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup

In 30 minutes you have a delicious, nutritious and hearty soup for the whole family -  Italian Sausage, Kale and White Bean Soup. Easy recipe, too.

Winter season is soup season indeed! Since winter is also the season when you most likely will get sick or catch a bug, I want to make sure that I feed  my family healthy and wholesome food, too. As we all know green and leafy vegetables are one of the best sources of nutrients and Kale is certainly often considered the queen (or was it king?) of greens! Naturally, since it's not exactly candy material and the bright tint of green doesn't excite my kids either - I need to devise some ways to make them eat this healthy veggie!

Dutch Baby Pancake with Spiced Apples and Bananas

Delicious and easy to make Dutch Baby Pancake loaded with cinnamon spiced Apples and Bananas! So yummy and perfect for breakfast or brunch!

I have been desiring to make Dutch Baby Pancakes for the longest time but for whatever reason, I never got to. Sad. However,this day was meant to be the day to do it. Sophie, my little girl, approached me this morning and asked me what was for breakfast. She was usually content with cereals or oatmeal and anything with yogurt but today she requested something different. When I mentioned pancakes, she was immediately delighted. I told her, when the idea of Dutch baby pancake popped into my mind, that she may have to wait a little because this is not the regular pancake and it required some baking. She seemed excited about the idea of a new kind of pancake so didn't mind waiting a little at all.

Italian Sausage Casserole

This Italian Sausage Casserole is delicious and loaded with flavors from meat, herbs and vegetables! A healthy and yummy option for those in a gluten-free and low-carb diet, too!

Last November we went to England because of a family emergency. While we were there we met up with some of our friends. We only get to see them when we come to the UK for a visit so when we are over we make sure we meet at least once. One of the Sundays we were in London we attended worship service at St. Helen's, part of the Church of England denomination. Our friend attends this church regularly and we all decided to have dinner together after the evening service. After our souls were fed, we wondered where to get some physical nourishment. Thankfully, we didn't have to go too far to find a restaurant as St. Helen's, on Sunday nights, offers a dining service in one of its buildings for a very reasonable price. And the food was really good!!!

Slow Cooker Beef Caldereta (Kalderetang Baka)

This Asian beef stew (Beef Caldereta) is robust in flavor and so delicious! Cooking in the slow cooker makes it very convenient, too. Serve with Jasmine rice.

Sometime last year when the weather was starting to get cooler, I had this intense craving for Filipino food. In particular, I was longing for a steamy bowl of Beef Caldereta, a classic Filipino beef stew originally based on a Spanish stew, hence the name, (we were colonized by Spain for over 300 years, remember?) but with a distinctly and authentic Asian flair! It is a dish you will commonly find in any major celebration in the Philippines - weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, you name it. It is usually made with either beef or goat though you may also find versions of chicken or pork. Naturally, it pairs perfectly well with rice!

Cherry and Panettone Trifle

Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, fruits plus Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious and party-perfect Trifle! 

My kids and I love Italian Panettone! When the chilly fall season finally arrives, you can be certain that we look for and buy at least a loaf or two of this special holiday bread (or cake as others readily point out but I won't argue with anyone over this! I love it either way!). I compare it to a brioche loaf - deliciously sweet, buttery and tender! During the Christmas season it comes in many varieties - plain, with chocolate chips or loaded with fruits so it's like a fruitcake and taste a little bit like it, too! I guess because it was Christmas I gravitated to the more festive looking Panettone loaf that I saw.