Product Review: PackIt Freezable Lunch Bags

These products were given to us as free samples and for the purpose of doing a review. All opinions are our own.

As some of you may know, we recently bought a house and moved to another area. It isn't too far from our old residence, really just a mile away, but still it is a new place for us. That means new school for the kids as well. Thankfully, we found one near us, walking distance at that. Perfect! Now that means certain adjustments for the entire family, too. That includes, at least for me, daily preparation for the kids' school lunch as they are required to bring their own food. That is actually great as I prefer making them to ensure they get a balanced and healthy meal.

Pear, Honey, Cheese and Caramelized Onion Sandwiches

A couple of weeks ago, we went to Rhode Island to check out the city of Newport, well-known for its lovely beaches and of course its mansions. It was holiday in Connecticut, the weather was warm and sunny so we took advantage and took a quick tour to our neighboring state. While there we had a quick stroll of the city center and had a tour of  "The Breakers" (Vanderbilt Mansion). We had a truly wonderful time.

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.

Left-over Turkey Hash

Now that Christmas Days is past and done, perhaps you are once again left with too much Turkey. While you probably already have a few staple recipes that you use for these left-over pieces, it certainly doesn't hurt to add more to your repertoire especially something that's so easy to make and that packs in a lot of flavor.

Piquant Spaghetti (Spaghetti Piccanti)

In the Philippines, I grew up eating food flavored with Anchovies and Shrimp paste so my taste buds love dishes that have bold flavors or piquant as they describe it - having a pleasantly sharp taste or appetizing flavor! Whether it is green Mango, Pinakbet or Fried Pork Belly when it is flavored with Bagoong (our local name for Anchovy and/or Shrimp paste), ordinary food becomes extraordinary!

Smoked Salmon Pizza

My family loves Salmon! I have at least three salmon recipes now and there are two more which I haven't posted yet. It's just such a versatile fish and not to mention so easy to cook because it just absorbs and contrast or complement the flavors you add to it. You simply cannot go wrong when you cook with this fish.

Gluten-free Tuna Pasta Salad

 

It's been over a month now since my husband has changed his diet - dairy-free, soy-free and gluten-free! I know, sounds like an awful chunk of food group(s) have been removed.... It was overwhelming at first and I didn't think I'd be able to cook anything but with some research and a little creativity - it's not impossible to live this way, actually.

Stilton and Walnut Pie

We are excited to go to England in a few weeks time! Because of this I thought it's about time I add a British recipe, after all I am married to one! :-) Thankfully, my husband has such an eclectic taste when it comes to food and is always willing to try something new that he's not too bothered that I don't do much British cooking.

Spanish Chorizo and Corn Pizza

They say that "necessity is the mother of invention." And while I would never say that I invented Pizza, such an adage applies here. Sometime in the summer of 2012, it was lunch time and I totally didn't know what to make for my family. I had some ingredients in the fridge but can't seem to imagine how to incorporate them all in one dish. We had a visitor too that day which really upped the pressure for me to produce something good --- quick!

Chicken Ramen

In 2009, we went back to the Philippines to visit my family for the Holidays. En route we stopped by Tokyo so we can see what it's like in Japan during the Holidays and also to have a much needed break after that long trip from Chicago. Once we landed and after checking-in at our hotel, we immediately went to search for food (airlines don't feed you much nowadays, do they?).