Giant Leopard Caterpillar

I saw this caterpillar inching its way on a brick and got intrigued by its bristly appearance. He (assuming that the caterpillar was male) probably noticed that I was taking pictures of him cause he curled up in a ball, sort of like a defense mechanism. As he did, I noticed some red bands on his body.

The caterpillar curled up in a ball

After some quick research, I found out that it was the caterpillar of a Giant Leopard Moth (Hypercompe scribonia). And giant it was indeed - it was as long and thick as my forefinger, and the adult moth has a wingspan of 3 inches! That is about 3 times the size of a regular moth.

Photo Credits: www.wildflowers.jdcc.edu

These beautiful creatures are nocturnal, so I might not get to see it develop into a moth. But who knows? I might just catch a glimpse if I happen to wander in the garden at night. :-)

Read more »

Buckwheat Noodles in Peanut Sauce

I wanted to cook a healthy meal because we haven't really had a lot of veggies lately (hurrah for meat lovers!). I also wanted to use my left-over boiled chicken, so I made a noodle dish with veggies and chicken.

I used peanut sauce to see if I can make it oil-less since I'm (temporarily) on the health kick. Success! (Tastes like Kare-kare, too!)


What you need:

• 2 bundles of Buckwheat noodles
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 1/2 cup cut green beans,
• 1/4 cup snap peas
• 1 cup cooked chicken, shredded
• 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter
• 6 tablespoons chicken broth
• salt, to taste

What to do:

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil and cook the buckwheat noodles according to package directions, adding the frozen veggies about 2 minutes until noodles are done and vegetables are tender.

In a microwave-safe bowl, heat your chicken broth and add the peanut butter. Stir well until smooth. Add a dash of salt. Set aside.

Drain the noodles and vegetables in a colander, then return to pot. Add the peanut sauce and toss to coat. Garnish with shredded chicken.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Use different veggies like asparagus or broccoli.
2. Try a different noodle type - udon or soba comes to mind.
3. Garnish with chopped cilantro or peanuts, if desired.
4. Instead of chicken, use cooked shrimp!

Read more »

Mini Corn Dogs

I love corn dogs, but the commercially-made ones just don't have the "feel" of those dogs that you buy at the state fair. And since the fair has come and gone here in our state, I decided to bring the yummy corn dogs to our kitchen by making them. Son was my taste-tester and he loved them.

I had to make mini versions because I didn't want to use our electric skillet (and waste a ton of oil) for just 2 hotdogs. Besides, it's such a pain to wash. So I cut the wieners in half and happily fried them in my saucepan (which is way easier to clean!).


What you need:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon Canola oil
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 small egg, beaten
• 2 pieces hotdogs
• wooden skewers

What to do:

In a large bowl, mix flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in the oil. Pour in about half the beaten egg, milk and baking soda. Mix until it becomes very smooth.

Heat enough oil to cover at least half of the hotdog surface. Cut the hotdogs in half crosswise, and insert wooden skewers into the ends. Dip in the batter, and make sure the the hotdog is entirely covered. Place in the hot oil (sticks and all) and fry for about 30 seconds, or until they reach your desired doneness. If your oil is not deep enough, turn it over for the other side to cook. Keep your eye on it, as the batter burns easily.

Drain on a wire rack and let cool for a minute or two before eating. Enjoy!


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Use bacon drippings instead of Canola oil for more flavor.
2. Substitute regular milk with buttermilk.
3. Nathan's Hotdogs are still the tastiest!

Read more »

Backyard (Mis)Adventures

A happy woodpecker pecking the tree in our backyard. These birds actually "live" in the oak tree in our front yard where they drilled several holes at it. We usually see them popping their heads in and out of those holes.

This was the first time I saw them venture to the backyard, though. Well, as they say, the grass is always greener on the other side. Haha.

The woodpecker was not the only creature we saw on the trees. We also saw this hapless raccoon. Our dog might have scared it up the tree. There were actually two raccoons, but the other one was so high up the tree that I couldn't get a good shot of it.

Every creature is a blessing to thank God for.

Read more »

Peruvian Apple

This curious-looking oddity is a Pithaya, a fruit from several cactus species, and is more commonly known as a dragon fruit. Contrary to popular belief, this fruit is NOT from Southeast Asia, although they are also widely cultivated there. They are native to South America. The particular cactus we have, the same plant that gave us the Queen of the Night flower, bears the Peruvian Apple variety.

While I was doing research about the Queen of the Night flower, I learned that this certain type of cactus produces fruit, but I didn't think it was possible for our unsightly plant to get pollinated and produce fruits. But God works in mysterious ways, and I saw a red bump on the cactus one morning.


Before I ate it, I did A TON of research and picture comparison to see if it was indeed pithaya. But when I cut open the red fruit, I was certain - this was very similar to the dragon fruit that I used to eat, and so I gobbled it up. Son had a taste too, much to my amusement. He liked it. I couldn't blame him - the fruit was so sweet and juicy.

It has crunchy seeds that give it a somewhat weird texture, and yet the juiciness of the white flesh makes it so... fruity. In terms of taste, it seems to be a cross between a melon and a kiwi.


I am excited to pick the rest of the fruits from the plant, but I have to wait till they are ripe. Passe but true - nothing beats fresh, pesticide-free fruits grown from your own backyard.


Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. -Luke 2:14

Read more »

Macapuno Ice Cream

Macapuno Ice Cream served with (more) macapuno and jelly

I had a jar of Macapuno (Shredded Sweet Coconut) sitting in my pantry and it took me a while before I could decide what to do with it. I would have wanted to make Ube-Macapuno Cake, but I didn't have the other ingredients needed, so I made ice cream instead. It was also a good excuse to clean my ice cream maker and put it to use after its long hiatus.


What you need:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup Macapuno
• 6 egg yolks
• pinch of salt

What to do:

Scald (heat below boiling point) the evaporated milk by putting it in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the coconut milk, heavy cream, and salt. Stir continuously until it begins to simmer. Remove immediately from heat.

Whisk the egg yolks in a mixing bowl. Add the coconut cream. Pour in the hot custard mixture in a thin stream while whisking. Then return the entire mixture to heat (low setting) and cook until thick or it reaches the nappe stage. To test this, coat the back of the spoon with the mixture and run a finger across it. The mixture should hold, and produce a clean line.


Cool for about 5 minutes, strain and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Overnight is better.

Pour the cold custard mix into an ice cream maker and process according to unit's instructions. The time should depend on how smooth you want your ice cream to be. Generally, the longer the better. I set mine to churn for an hour. Add the macapuno about 10 minutes before the set time ends.

Ice cream maker (with Guy Fieri and Ina Garten in the background)

Transfer to an air-tight container and freeze overnight. Top with more macapuno and jelly before serving.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. Coconut cream is sweet and is used in drinks and desserts. Coconut milk is white and is usually used in dishes (like curry).
2. Patience is key in making this dessert. You have to do a lot of hard work and wait for days before even tasting it. But the payback is awesome. Definitely worth the wait.
3. Don't worry if your custard mixture seems puny. A few minutes in the ice cream machine and it will double in volume. Mine actually quadrupled and almost went over when I added the macapuno.
4. If the ice cream is too sweet for your taste, cut back on macapuno or coconut cream.
5. DO NOT burn the custard. Keep an eye on it and keep stirring/whisking.

Read more »

Product Review: Godiva Dark Chocolate Raspberry

Being a member of the Godiva Chocolate Rewards Club has a lot of perks - one free chocolate every month, free shipping on orders, free gift when you spend $10 or more... the list goes on and on. I could probably think of a hundred excuses to go to their store (my favorite is - "I have to get my free chocolate!"). The downside - you get tempted to buy more chocolates when you see the scrumptious displays in their shop *sigh*.

I finally gave in and bought the Dark Chocolate Raspberry bar. I thought of it as a "healthier option" because it is dark chocolate, and has raspberries. It's really a win-win situation - I satisfy my cravings for chocolate and I get the health benefits of the dark chocolate and raspberries. ;-)


What I liked:

• It is the perfect balance of bitter and sweet.
• The chocolate is very smooth.
• The raspberries provide a bit of tang and sweetness that goes well with the bitter dark chocolate.
• The texture of the raspberries is quite unique - it is similar to the "crunch" in a Nestle Crunch bar.
• 2 big blocks (portions) of the bar are just 100 calories. Hurray!

What I didn't like:

• Like real raspberries, the crunch gets stuck in your teeth.
• Quite pricey. $4 for a 3.5oz bar. Although you probably won't eat it in one sitting.
  

The Verdict:

The Godiva Dark Chocolate Raspberry is really very good. It is the perfect bar to finish dinner off, paired with an espresso or dark roast coffee (ah, chocolate and coffee - my two favorite things). The 50% cacao content is perfect for this variety, as the fruit lends its sweetness to balance the bitter dark chocolate. Would I recommend this to a friend? Absolutely. Would I buy this product again? Yes. But maybe I'll wait for it to go on sale. ;-)

P.S. Hubby ate most of it. I couldn't fend him off.

Read more »

Bear Paws

I got this Bear Paws recipe from the Duncan Hines website, and I thought it looked fairly easy and fun to make. An interesting thing is that it uses brownie mix instead of cookie dough. It is fast and delicious, a perfect treat to make with your kids on a lazy summer day.


What you need:

• 1 box Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons water
• 60 peanuts split into halves
• 30 chocolate candy Kisses (I used dark)

What to do:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl combine brownie mix, butter and egg; stir with a fork to combine into a stiff dough. Or better yet, use your (clean) hands and knead gently.

Working with 1 even tablespoon of dough at a time, roll dough into balls and place on ungreased cookie sheets.

Even and uneven tablespoons

Press candy pieces, points down so that the flat surface is up, into the center of the uncooked cookies. Press four peanut halves, split sides down, into the edge of each cookie to form claws.

Yes, I painstakingly picked the peanuts from the rest of the other nuts in the can.

Bake at 350°F for 11 minutes or just until the edges are set. The cookies may appear slightly undercooked, but do not over bake. Cool 1 minute on pans. Transfer to wire racks with a thin metal spatula and cool completely.


Tips, Tricks and Tweaks:

1. For those with peanut allergy (or those who just doesn't like the taste of it), use white chocolate for the claws.
2. I used the dark chocolate variety of Kisses, but you can use any kind that you like!
3. Cover the remaining dough in between batches to prevent drying.
4. You can use unsalted nuts instead of salted.

Read more »

Watch out!

Watch out... rhinos crossing!

Read more »

Product Review: Ben & Jerry's S'mores

This was probably one of the (very few) flavors of Ben & Jerry's that missed the mark for me. Not that it wasn't good, but I just couldn't taste S'mores in the flavor. It was also very similar to the "Marsha Marsha Marshmallows" flavor, but the latter was already pulled out and is probably resting right now at the Ben & Jerry's Flavor Graveyard.

Ben & Jerry's S'mores is chocolate ice cream with fudge chunks, toasted marshmallow and graham cracker swirls. Sounds good if you're reading it from the label, but the taste failed to deliver.

Anyway, when you say "S'mores," a campfire pops into mind, and that gooey hot marshmallow sandwiched between two graham crackers and chocolate squares. I just didn't have those happy thoughts while devouring this flavor from Ben & Jerry's.

Me making S'mores. This is probably the most you'll ever see of me. ;-)

What I liked:

• It has a very profound (for lack of a better word to use) chocolate flavor.
• I like the crunchy grainy texture of the "graham crackers."

What I didn't like:

• The marshmallows were not as prominent in this flavor. I couldn't even tell that they were "toasted." (I like the marshmallow swirl in Phish Food better)
• The graham crackers were lost in the hodge-podge of ingredients. I can only surmise that they were the grainy texture that I felt in my mouth.
• Half a cup is a staggering 260 calories. That's probably 4 licks if you eat ice cream like I do.

The Verdict:

I wouldn't say that this flavor was a failure, but it just didn't taste like S'mores to me. The chocolate taste was very rich, but I felt that the ice cream flavor as a whole lacked the charm of the campfire. Would I recommend this to a friend? Hmmm... I'd recommend other flavors before S'mores. Would I buy it again? I think I'm open to giving it another shot.

Read more »