Mango Guyabano (Soursop) Smoothie

My mom is quite the health enthusiast. Ok, not the obsessive one but the kind who tried her best to ensure that only the best and healthiest kind of food entered our stomach. I remember her making juice from fresh tomatoes and concocting all sorts of smoothies for our snack! I didn't like the tomato juice at all so even if she bribed me about Php 5.00 for every glass that I drank  (quite a good amount in the 80s) I never learned to love or like it and today, I still don't! :)

Yummy Pear Pie

I am not much of a pie person I must confess. Not because I don't like it because I certainly do - it's one of my favorite desserts! I especially love it served a la mode - anything with ice cream is always better, isn't it? The truth is I don't make a lot of pies because I get scared I'll mess it up. It's just one of those desserts that I truly feel intimidated, I don't know why. That fear factor has certainly prevented me from trying to make pies.

Classic Glazed Ham

If you are a subscriber of our blog, then you probably already know that we are on holiday in Asia at the moment. I do try, when I get the chance, to spend the Christmas season with my family. There's just no place like home for the holidays. It doesn't hurt when you can spend Christmas season by the beach and enjoy the sun and the sea either! For me that's the ultimate holiday treat!!! :)

Creamy Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

Delicious wild rice soup with chicken and mushrooms simmered in a creamy wine-flavored sauce is easily fall and winter's comfort food!

Whether the weather is cold or hot a good soup is always a delicious option! When I was in the Philippines, I practically and literally knew only one kind of soup and that is "sopas" - the Filipino version of Macaroni soup. I don't know why. Perhaps because sopas is my family's perennial favorite and so it's the only one that I can remember eating while I was growing up.

Overnight Cranberry Eggnog French Toast Casserole

With sweet and creamy eggnog, tangy cranberries and crunchy pecans - this MAKE AHEAD Cranberry Eggnog French Toast Casserole is the perfect breakfast or brunch dish for Christmas, New Year and beyond! 

Oh the weather outside is frightful....let it snow, let it snow, let it snow....so goes the song. Thankfully, this year I won't have to sing this song as I am in a warm and beautiful tropical island republic - The Philippines. This year I will have a wonderful warm Christmas, yay! Please don't get me wrong - I do like a white Christmas, too. After all, I have lived in the US for over a decade and am used to having a cold and wintry Christmas. However, this year I am home not only to be with my family, whom I haven't seen for 3 years, but to celebrate my parents' 50th wedding Anniversary! So, I do have the perfect excuse to have a warm Christmas this year! I am truly delighted to be with my family for such a special occasion.