Archive for March 2008
She’s an addict!
A few years ago, a high school friend borrowed money from me because she needs to pay her tuition fee. According to her, the money from her parents that she needs to pay for her tuition fee didn’t arrive yet. I was already working that time and renting a condo with some friends somewhere in Makati. So, I lent her the money she needed without hesitation. Months passed, and I haven’t heard anything from her until I had a chance to talk to one of our friends, whom I haven’t seen for quite awhile. So we had a chat on what has been going to our lives. She mentioned to me that our friend, the one who borrowed money from me, is a drug addict. It surprised me because I don’t have any idea that she’s an addict. So, I told her about the “money” thing and learned that she did not pursue her studies in a Law School. Yes, she took up law after she graduated as an accountant. I really have no idea that she had fooled me because we’re really friends during high school days. Tsk tsk tsk. I pity her because of her situation and I think she needs to be sent to one of the rehabs here to treat her addiction. Until now, I haven’t heard anything from her. I think I have to say goodbye to my money. Pity me, but I feel sorry for her.
Panna Cotta in Strawberry Sauce
My husband asked me to make this mouth-watering dessert that we have tasted during our Valentine’s Day date at Pizza Hut. So, I searched for the recipe of Panna Cotta and tried it. Panna Cotta is a velvety smooth Italian flan. It is perfectly served with fresh berries or fruits according to the season. I made this last month, after we arrived from Baguio. Since we had lots of strawberries that time, I used them with my Panna Cotta. I made a strawberry sauce for this by combining 1 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, 2 tbsp of white sugar, and 1 tsp of lemon juice in a blender, and blended it until smooth.
Here’s the recipe for the Panna Cotta:
1 tbsp of unflavored gelatin (powdered form)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cups heavy cream (I used Nestle All purpose Cream in can)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Here’s how to do it:
1. In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/2 cup milk; let stand until the gelatin is softened, about 5 minutes.
2. In a large saucepan, combine heavy cream and sugar. Add vanilla extract. Bring cream just to a simmer (do not let it boil), whisking occasionally until sugar has completely dissolved; remove from heat.
3. Add the softened gelatin mixture and whisk to completely dissolve the gelatin.
4. Strain hot cream mixture into a large glass measuring cup with a pouring spout; pour into ramekins or custard cups. (NOTE: Don’t skip the straining step as it removes any bits of undissolved gelatin and insures a nice smooth dessert. Also, don’t let the cream mixture cool before straining.)
5. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
6. Unmold it in a serving plate and serve in a bed of the strawberry sauce or any fruit of your choice, like mango. To make a mango sauce, just substitute mango for the strawberry.
Tips: To unmold and serve, carefully dip bottom of each ramekin in a baking pan of hot water briefly. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin to loosen it from the inside of the bowl. Wipe the outside of the mold dry and place on individual chilled serving plate (topside down). Invert the custard onto the plate and carefully lift off ramekin (shake gently to release).
Let’s think green!
In our current environmental situation, the world needs to start thinking “green”. I think we really should. It’s one of the best ways to help save our planet. We are all aware of the issue on climate change. It is one of the greatest environmental, social, and economic threats facing the planet. Global warming is to blame, which is a result of various human activities like fuel burning and excessive use of plastics. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the global average surface temperature is likely to rise by a further 1.8-4°C this century without further action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The IPCC is a scientific intergovernmental body established by the World Meteorological Organization and by the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP).
Changes in lifestyle and behaviors that promote resource conservation can contribute to climate change mitigation. We can help save our planet if we will help conserve energy by using alternative sources. And I found GreenandMore.com very helpful. GreenandMore has an online shop that offers various environmental products with quality and style. They offer a wide range of products like baby products, bedding, energy saving products, furniture, and home décor. Here are some of the products that interest me: Solar Charged Decorative Accent Lights, Solar Charged Shed Light System; and Planet Earth Compost Bins.
GreenandMore also offers environmental information and latest environmental news. They hope to educate and inspire everyone to minimize our influence on the planet. In addition, GreenandMore has a green learning center with top level information from sources like the EPA and US Department of Energy. They also contain a community and staff blog called “GreenMusings” where the employees and community share their going green stories and photos.
We should really start to do something to help save this planet because we are the one who will profit from it. Let’s save the planet! Let’s think green!
What type of spice I am
I saw this one on Butchay‘s blog. I am curious about what type of spice I am because I normally use different spices in my cooking. This is more of a personality test and I tried it, too. Here’s the result….
You Are Black Pepper |
 You may be considered ordinary by some, but you’re far from boring.You elevate the mood of any discussion, and people miss you when you’re not around.You are secretly very dominant and powerful. Most can only take you in small doses. |
Cruising Together
Abeth and I agreed to travel every year for leisure and have our bonding moment. We are planning to visit first all our local tourist spots here in the Philippines before we go internationally. One of our out-of-town travels together was in Bohol, which happened last year, and we are thinking of our next destination. We also want to experience traveling via cruise ship. One of our dream tours is to experience the Asian Cruise and the Caribbean Cruise. We are checking on various websites that offer cruises with the lowest deals to be considered for our future travel. I wish we can go to these places someday if our budget permits. 