Crunchy Tofu Steak
I am a big fan of Japanese food. I fell in love with Japanese food when I first tasted a sushi roll. I told myself that I have to learn how to do it. And I simply did. I have learned to make California Maki. I used to hate sushi because I didn’t like the taste of wasabi, but I later started to like it and eventually fell in love with it. I am now so addicted to salmon sushi. Whenever we are in an international buffet, I never fail to miss the Japanese Cuisine. But, my husband is not a big fan of sushi. The only Japanese dish he wants is tempura. Sino ba naman ang aayaw sa tempura diba? 
But, I’m glad my officemates love to eat Japanese foods. We usually dine at Tempura Japanese Grill in Ayala during payday. During one of our visits, we ordered their Tofu Steak and loved it. It was crunchy outside and soft inside. I knew that it was easy to make, so I searched for the recipe and tried it at home. The result: A SUCCESS! My husband loved them and asked me to cook them again.
Here are the ingredients:
For the crunchy tofu, you will need:
Silken Japanese tofu, sliced (be careful in slicing the tofu because it is very soft)
Flour for dredging (season with salt and pepper)
1 egg, lightly beaten with 2 tbsp of milk
Japanese bread crumbs
Oil for frying
For the sauce:
- ¼ cup sake
- ¼ cup mirin
- 2 Tbsp light soy sauce (I used Kikkoman)
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil for sautéing
- 1 large white onion, sliced in rings
- 1 tsp cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Chopped green onions for garnish
Procedure:
- Drain tofu’s excess water in a paper towel.
- Carefully dredge the tofu in flour, then dip in egg, and coat with breadcrumbs.
- Deep fry until crisp and golden brown for 1-2 minutes. Set aside and arrange in a serving dish.
- To make the sauce, combine sake, mirin, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Set aside.
- In a frying pan, sauté the onions until transluscent. Add the soy sauce mixture and mix well. Add the dissolved cornstarch and let the mixture thicken slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pour the sauce on top of the fried tofu and garnish with the green onions. Serve immediately.
Note: The original recipe includes shitake mushrooms, but I omitted them because they are not available in my pantry during that time.
***This is an original post from my food blog. I am planning to transfer all my recipes from the food blog because I am having a difficulty maintaining 2 blogs.
Minced Ginger
Bottled minced ginger – an alternative to fresh ginger 
I use it in my Chicken Pandan.
Beauty find: Human Heart Nature Products
A few months ago, I was able to finally try Human Heart Nature Products when they opened a new branch here in Bulacan. I have heard and read good reviews about their products because they contain no harmful chemicals that are usually found in beauty care products commonly available in the market. Their pocket-friendly products contain natural and organic products that are 100% Philippine-made. One good thing about these products from Gandang Kalikasan Inc. is its three core principles, i.e., PRO-PHILIPPINES, PRO-POOR, and PRO-ENVIRONMENT. The company’s goal is to provide more livelihood to Gawad Kalinga residents and communities. Gawad Kalinga is a Philippine-based poverty alleviation and nation-building movement that aims to end poverty for 5 million families by 2024 by building homes for poor Filipinos. In every Human Heart Nature product you purchase, you will be able to help GK residents.
Here are some ofmy favorite HHN products:
Natural Feminine Wash (available in 50 and 200 ml bottles at P59.75 and P159.75, respectively)
I have switched to this natural, pH-balanced, clinically tested feminine wash because, aside from its natural ingredients from aloe vera and chamomile, it smells good and very refreshing. It contains natural cleansing agents from coconut and sunflower and natural preservatives from rice and anise to make this the safest and gentles way to care for your vajayjay
HHN Balancing Facial Wash ((available in 50 and 200 ml bottles at P79.75 and P194.75, respectively)
This is our most favorite. We use them twice daily to wash our face. It is very refreshing and it leaves a very smooth feeling in the face after every wash. I love the way it exfoliates and cleanses my face with the bamboo scrubs.
HHN Natural Hair Mask (available in 50 and 200g packaging at P99.75 and P299.75, respectively)
This is one of their bestsellers. It treats and restore stressed-out hair strands. We use it weekly after shampoo and it really softens the hair. Love the Jasmine scent because of the minty feeling upon application. It is a natural alternative to a salon hot oil treatment.
HHN Moisturizing Shampoo ( available in 20, 200, and 500 ml bottles at P44.75, P139.75, and P289.75, respectively)
The first time my husband used it, he fell in love with it together with the conditioner. He got rid of his dandruff right after he used it. We love its refreshing smell and makes our hair soft. We also use it as a body wash.
HHN Moisturizing Conditioner ( available in 20, 200, and 500 ml bottles at P49.75, P144.75, and P289.75, respectively)
After every bath, our hair feels so refreshed and moisturized. We love its citrus scent that we smell upon going out of the shower.
We have also tried their Hand & Foot Salve and apply it every night. It helped to soften my cracked heel. They also have other beauty products like lip balms, their new & improved lightweight mineral foundation with 4 shades that matches different skin tones, hydrating mineral lipstick, and their new mineral lip gloss.
We started switching to Human Heart Nature’s products with 100% no harmful chemicals. We also believe and want to support their advocacy in helping the poor and taking care of the environment as well. Their products are affordable compared to imported organic beauty products. Since we started switching to their products, I decided to become a dealer. 
So if you want to try these HHN products, just send me a message.
Let’s do the SWITCH and make our skin healthy.
The BIG GARMENT SALE is BACK!!!
YES!!! The BIG GARMENT SALE is BACK!!! This is one of our most awaited sale every year. The sale starts today, October 13, and lasts until October 16 from 8AM to 6PM. We were there as early as 8:30 AM today and as usual, the parking is full! There are are various imported items displayed in their Slat Wall Fixtures such as Hollister, G2000, Gap, Old Navy, Ralph Lauren, American Eagle, Aeropostle, Mango, Crocs, and a lot more!!! So hurry!!!
Here are some of the items we purchased:
Don’t forget to bring your membership card with you because this event is by invitation only. For non-members, you can fax at least 2 valid ID’s at (02)2996961 or you may send it via email at biggarmentssale@gmail.com and indicate your email address and mobile phone number. Membership cards will be issued for FREE on the SALE dates and can be claimed at the registration booth. Don’t forget to bring 2 valid ID’s. For more info, you may call or text Divine at (02)299-6061 or 0908-8742059.
The BIG GARMENT SALE is located at Startrends Apparel Corp, Block 4 Lot 3 Acefree St., Sterling Industrial Park, Meycauayan, Bulacan.
How to get there:
1. Take NLEX
2. Exit at Meycauayan
3. Turn left at exit rotunda towards Iba
4, Turn right into Sterling Industrial Park
5. Ask the guard for the directions to Acefree Street
6. Their gate is colored GREEN
BTW, they accept all major credits cards.
Enjoy shopping!!!
I love you mommy!
Last August, we had Seasons buffet lunch at the Manila Pavilion to celebrate my mom’s 66th birthday for half the price. This is one thing I love about group buying sites. I should say I am one of their frequent buyers of discount vouchers. At only P650 per person, which is inclusive of unlimited fruit juices or iced tea and taxes, this is truly a good deal. I will be sharing it in another post as soon as I have the time.
My mom is not getting any younger, as well as my dad who celebrated his 75th birthday this year. I wish and pray that they live longer so that we can still travel together and enjoy life with us. My mom has gone through so much in her life. We want her to enjoy life as much as she could because she has worked very hard alone to send us – her four children – to school when my dad lost his job when we were still young. He couldn’t find a new job to help my mom to send us to school so my mom worked all by herself and find no time for her daughters. That’s one reason why we had a “not so good” mother-daughter relationship. We were never close to her because of her very hectic work schedule. She didn’t know us well. She never knew if we have our crushes or even boyfriends during our teenage years. We weren’t able to share our secrets and “kilig” moments during those years with her. It is the phase in our lives that we were not able to enjoy and share with her. How I wish I could turn back time for us to share those special teenage memories with her.
But that was the past. Now that all of her daughters have their own families except for my youngest sister who’s still single, things have changed. We know that it is payback time. We have now realized the reasons behind her absence during those times. We are now trying to make up for all those times while there is still time. Though we live in different places – because they live in our house in Cavite and i am in Bulacan with my own family and my two sisters are based abroad – we are trying our best to visit them regularly. When the time comes that we need to change and purchase adult diapers at disposablemedicalexpress.com for them, I would willingly do it. We like them to enjoy life as much as they could. I want her to live a worry-free life because she deserves it.
To my mom, I just want you to know how much your daughters love you. We want you to know that we value your sufferings for us. Your absence helped us to become responsible, strong, and independent individuals. Your absence helped us to strive hard. We want to thank you for what we have become. We owe all of these to you. We want you to know that you’re the best mom for us. No one can ever replace you. We love you so much mom!
