At Home With MrsC

Raising a family, making a home.

MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan

Busy Week, Late Meal Plan

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Hey, guys! What’s everyone been up to lately?

I’ve had a pretty busy week. There has been a lot of writing going on my life, but, obviously, it hasn’t been for this blog. Well, what’s important is that I’m back today (naks, important) and with a new (sorry it’s late) meal plan, too.

Confession: I only got to accomplish half of my chore list last week, and I wasn’t able to make it to the market when I planned to go. I finally ended up food shopping just this past Tuesday, which is also one of the reasons why I’m posting my meal plan late.

The husbandry says that I’m really bad at assessing my time, and figuring out whether or not I can actually accomplish all that I’ve set out to do in a day. It looks like he may be right, unfortunately. Oh, well. One more thing to work on, in my eternal quest towards self-improvement.

But enough about me, let’s move on to this meal plan. So, I’m super excited about it because I got to buy a lot of fun stuff at the market. I have a nice rack of pork ribs. I also got a nice pork loin that I had the butcher roll up for roasting. There’s tapa marinating in my freezer now, too. I used Michelle’s (Momma N Manila) tapa recipe again, because we really, really love it.

 

You’ll see in my meal plan that our family gets a double treat this week, which is/was something to look forward to. Was because one of them is over – My mom’s birthday was yesterday. We had dinner at Neil’s Kitchen, and or course I ordered the arroz caldo and tokwa’t baboy. Then, this weekend it Father’s Day, and we usually celebrate that three times – Once with my grandfather, then with my dad, and finally with MrC. Fun!

Plus, the husbandry and I get a movie and lunch date this weekend, since the kiddo will be sleeping over at my parents’ house. Woohoooo! Me Before You, here we come!

So, yeah, I include these “eating out” days when I plot our meals for the week because they give me something extra

to look forward to. I can’t say, though, if it’s the eating out, or the fact that we don’t need to prepare and clean up, that excites me more.

weekly meal plan
Meal plan for the week of June 13-19

 

There you go. Just a short and sweet post for today. 

One final note. I’ve been seriously thinking about a reboot for this blog, because of course I want it to grow and move forward as I grow and move forward in life. This past year of living in our own home has seen our family change in so many ways. I can say for sure that my ideas, and even my interests are so different now from when I started this blog.

The change of blog name, and other little adjustments that I’ve made over the last few months were only the start. Now I have a better idea of where I want things to go as far as my writing here is concerned. I’m at this analysis-paralysis phase, though, and I really don’t know where to start. I’ll get there. Hopefully soon. Hopefully, you’ll be there when I do.

 

So, what’s cooking in your kitchen this week?

PS In case you wanna cook along with me, here are some of the recipes I’ll be using this week:

Back to School, Back to Meal Planning

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It’s official – This is the last weekend before classes resume. Ang bilis!! I feel like I was just starting to enjoy summer, and now it’s over and done.

 

My favorite summer view. ? #summervacation #makeitblissful

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on

To be honest, though, I am looking forward to having more structured days again. I think I say this each time the start of the school year draws near. Then, a few days in, I long for my easy days and lazy mornings to return. Lol. Same thoughts, different school year lang.

This year, I’m starting to shift myself into back-to-school mode earlier than usual. It’s something I always hope to do, but never actually do. I guess I’ve been at this long enough for me to already know what works and what doesn’t. And yes, I know that it pays to plan and prepare ahead.

I’m so prepared that I already have a set menu plan for the first week (or half-week since we start on a Wednesday) of classes. I’ve also already stocked my fridge, freezer, and pantry with what I need to prepare these meals. O, diba???

White Adobo
My white adobo makes an appearance in this new meal plan. Haven’t made this in a while!

As always, this plan is made up of a few tried and tested dishes plus new recipes that I want to try. I also chose lunchbox fillers that I’m sure the kiddo would like to eat. This is so we can avoid the unfinished food drama that comes when I experiment with baon. I’m not ready for that just yet!

So, I know I keep saying that I hope to become more consistent with my meal plan posts, then I never do it, but this time I promise to try harder. Not just for you guys, but for me, too.

Meal planning helps me at home in so many ways. I get to stick to my budget when I know exactly what I should be buying. I don’t have to spend so much time thinking about what meals to prepare. I get to manage the contents of the fridge well, and make sure that leftovers are eaten up. I also am able to vary what we eat and make sure it’s some sort of healthy.

Meal plan for June 6-12, 2016. Yay!
Meal plan for June 6-12, 2016. Yay!

So there, more meal plans from me. Hopefully. Yes. I’m already off to a good start with this one.

P.S. In case you wanna cook along with me, here are some of the recipes I’ll be using this week:

Recipe: Chicken Tinola

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I haven’t been sharing as many recipes as I would like, and to be honest it’s because I’m usually too lazy to take photos of my cooking process. There, I said it. Lol.

Yesterday, though, for some reason, I decided to post a sorta step-by-step cooking demo on Snapchat. Yep, this app has me completely hooked. I love how it helps me deal with my camera shyness (which doesn’t necessarily mean that I’m any less awkward on-camera.)

So, about yesterday’s Snapchat cooking session – I had one chicken and I made two dishes out of it. Chicken Tinola  was the first. This dish is great because it’s easy to make, it freezes well, it pairs well with other viands, and you can make it really healthy.

Truth: I’m not a fan of tinola. But my boys seem to like it (the husbandry actually loves it,) so I make it anyway. 

For my tinola, I used the breast, back and neck portions of the chicken. I opted to keep the skin on because it really just makes the dish a million and one times more delicious, but if you are more health-conscious than I am, then I recommend you go skinless. 

Start by cutting your chicken up into proper-sized pieces. While you’re at it, get your onions, garlic and ginger ready, too.

Heat some oil in a big enough pot. I use canola oil when I cook at home.

When the oil is hot enough, saute your onions, garlic and ginger (in that order) for a few minutes until fragrant, aka super sarap-smelling.

Next, arrange your chicken pieces in your pot. Cook, and turn, until they are brown on all sides. I don’t like eating pale, soggy chicken skin, so this step of browning is a must for me whenever I prepare chicken dishes.

Once the chicken is nicely browned, add enough water into the pot to cover all the pieces. And then, boil, boil, boil.

Some people choose to season the dish before adding water, but I like to season towards the end of the cooking process. I honestly don’t know if it makes a difference if you season before or after adding water. If anyone knows, could you please tell me?

Moving on… While waiting for the tinola to boil, wash your leafy greens and slice up your green papaya into wedges. Yesterday’s tinola had no papaya because there wasn’t any at the grocery when I went shopping. 

Once you reach a rolling boil, lower the heat and allow the chicken pieces to cook. Add the papaya wedges into the pot. When the papaya is tender, add a chicken broth cube into the pot, then season the dish with patis and pepper. 

Finally, put in your greens – typically it’s dahon ng sili but I didn’t have that either, so I used kangkong leaves – stir, then remove the pot from the heat. And you’re done cooking!

Tinola is best served with steamed rice, plus, in my opinion, fried or grilled meat or fish. Yummers.

Chicken Tinola
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 small red onion, chopped
  2. 6 cloves of garlic, sliced into slivers (I like biting into big pieces of garlic. If you don't, you can mince yours)
  3. 1 thumb of ginger, cut into strips
  4. 1kg chicken pieces (I used the breast and back portions)
  5. 6 cups water
  6. 1 small green papaya, cut into wedges
  7. 1 chicken broth cube (I used Knorr)
  8. Patis and pepper, to taste
  9. 1 pack of dahon ng sili, or 1 bundle kangkong, leaves only
Instructions
  1. Heat cooking oil in a medium-sized pot. Saute onions, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
  2. Arrange chicken pieces into the pot. Cook and turn until nicely browned on all sides.
  3. Pour enough water into the pot to cover all of the chicken pieces. Bring to a boil.
  4. Once it has reached a rolling boil, lower the heat and allow the chicken to cook.
  5. Add the papaya pieces and cook until tender.
  6. Add the chicken broth cube, and season the dish with pepper and patis.
  7. Finally, add the dahon ng sili or kangkong, and stir the pot. Remove from the heat.
Notes
  1. For a healthier pot of tinola, remove the skin from the chicken before you start cooking.
  2. This will keep for up to a month in the freezer. It's better if you freeze tinola without the veggies so they don't get soggy. You can always add the papaya and leaves when you reheat the dish anyway.
Adapted from Yummy
Adapted from Yummy
At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

So what do you think of my Snapchat cooking session? Should I do this again? And guys, let me know if you try this recipe at home okay? Hope you enjoy it! 🙂

Birthday Noodles for the Birthday Boy

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Birthdays are a big deal in my family. We actually celebrate for a whole week sometimes, and there is always food involved. Lots and lots of food. 

I’ve made sure to carry over this long-drawn birthday celebration tradition into my own home, though I know that at times MrC finds it overwhelming. It’s just that I really enjoy treating loved ones on their birthdays, and also being the center of all the fun when it’s my turn to celebrate. I guess that I will always be a kid at heart that way.

This year’s round of birthdays was extra special for my boys and I because it was the first time that we all celebrated in our house. I felt the need to fuss over the husbandry, in particular, on his special day, just because.

 

We kicked off his weekend-long (weekend lang because he is at the office on weekdays) celebration with a simple Birthday Noodle dinner at home. Typically, I’d go for a pasta dish over a pancit dish because honestly I don’t know how to make pancit. Luckily I had a few packs of McCormick Noodle and Seasoning Mix at home, which I got at a recent event.

The event, McCormick Flavor Nation, happened a few weeks ago at Bonifacio High Street. It was a fun day filled with food booths, music, and games. The boys and I braved the Saturday afternoon traffic to be there that day, driven by the promise of La Lola Churros and McCormick goodies.

 

In case you were wondering, yes, I really do use McCormick products in my kitchen. It’s my brand of choice for dried herbs and spices, and I also love their Grill Mates, Buffalo Wings and Korean Chicken ready mixes. 

After getting some churros (yes, that was my first order of business for the day,) I headed straight for the McCormick Avenue booth to see what I could buy. Lol, shopping agad!

I was super curious to try the different noodle variants, which were being given out for free at the event, but the lines were long and I’m not very patient. True story. So instead, I opted to buy a few to take home.

 

I have yet to try the other two, but like I said earlier, I cooked the Birthday Noodle pack for MrC’s birthday weekend. I have to admit that I didn’t read the directions beforehand, so I wasn’t prepared with meat and veggies to add to my pancit. I’m so galing.

I know for a fact that it would have been so much better with a little pork, some Chinese chorizo and cabbage but, nevertheless, it was still yummy with just carrots. Actually, MrC and I agree that this tasted a lot like the noodles served at the breakfast buffet in the hotel that we stayed at in Hong Kong last year. 

McCormick Flavor Nation
Birthday noodles, freshly cooked in my favorite wok!

 

The best part about it? This dish was so easy to prepare. I swear, it was done in no time at all, in only one pot, and with very little effort. It’s great for busy moms on days when we barely have time to get food on the table. For me, kulang nalang ay pandesal and a cold glass of Coke. Yummers!

I’m excited to try the Chap Chae and Pad Thai mixes, and yes, I will make sure that I have all the ingredients I need next time lol!

Now, can someone please teach me how to make pancit from scratch, too?

Food, Fun, and my Favorite Ketchup

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Realization: We only have a little over two weeks left of summer vacation.

What?! The weeks seem to have gone by so quickly! Before you know it, I’ll be back to my usual morning routine of packing baon. 

Heinz
Chicken nuggets + ketchup. Yes, you’ll definitely see that in my son’s lunch box.

I know that a lot of moms, especially those with younger kids, are gearing up for another school year of bento baon fun. I, personally, don’t do the whole bento lunch box thing because my kiddo is big already. He prefers to have simple, straightforward packed meals. Still, I love learning new techniques and designs, coz you’ll never know when these may come in handy!

I’ve attended bento classes before, and last month I was given the chance to sit in at another one. This time, it was a class by Kat Maderazo of Bento by Kat, in partnership with Heinz, my all-time favorite ketchup brand! Trivia: Kat is a Japanese-certified bento box maker. Galing, right?

Heinz
Kat Maderazo of Bento by Kat, and Heinz Brand Manager, Rae Guinto

Before I show you guys what we made at the event, I think that I need to tell you about my relationship with ketchup. Ketchup will always and forever be my condiment of choice.

Ever since I was little, I have been putting ketchup on my food, whenever possible. Fries, burgers, fried chicken, and even adobo would not be the same for me without my little dish of ketchup on the side for dipping. It’s a love affair like no other.

Okay, now I’m ready to talk bento.

Friends, I present to you, my Kelly Ketchup. 


It only takes a few easy steps to make this cute baon box. Start by getting some cooked rice and smothering it in ketchup. My Kelly Ketchup looks a little pale, so I think I could have added a little more Heinz.

 

Next, shape the rice into body parts. Use cling wrap, a plastic bag or plastic gloves when you mold the rice to keep the food and your hands clean. Then, assemble inside your lunchbox. Kat taught us to use bits of spaghetti to connect the body parts to one another so that they won’t come apart. 

Once the body is formed, make a dress for Kelly using thin sheets of scrambled eggs. Then, add face and hair details using nori and cheese.Finally, use more ketchup to decorate the dress so that it’s extra pretty. Don’t forget to give her shoes, too! 

Heinz
I did my best with this one! As you can see, I’m not very artistic.

Add some fillers like chicken nuggets, veggies and fruits, and you are done. Ta-da! The finished product. Mine may not be as cute as the other moms’ bento boxes, but I love it all the same. 

Heinz
Expectation vs reality

I love activities that allow me to have more fun in the kitchen, specially since I’m always in the kitchen. I totally agree with the Heinz team that meal time so important in most Filipino homes. It brings the family together, and gives homecooks like me an opportunity to share love through food. 

Food is my love language, and, as they said at the event, #YourFoodDeservesBetter. Heinz makes every dish extra special. I can’t wait to play with the amazing Heinz products I took home from the event. Especially the ketchup. Ketchup is love.

Heinz
Class picture! (Photo by Heinz Philippines)

This Big Baby Loves Belo Baby!

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Fun fact: MrC calls me the biggest baby ever. Sometimes it’s because I act like one (and I’m not ashamed to admit it,) but most of the time it’s because I smell like one.

I kid you not, guys, amoy baby ako, especially when I’m fresh from a shower. The truth is, I don’t own a single bottle of perfume, and most of the products that I use are for kids. Hello, sensitive skin!

It’s not easy being allergic to sweat, especially on hot summer days. Unfortunately, my son suffers from the same fate, so, it’s really not uncommon for me to be seen sniffing bottles of baby cologne and reading labels on kid-friendly soap boxes and shampoo bottles when I’m out shopping.

Whenever I buy bath and body products, my brain is already wired to look for key phrases like safe, all-natural, gentle, and alcohol-free. It’s funny that even my shopping involves search words, but that’s really what it takes to keep our skin healthy and happy.

When I was growing up, I didn’t have that many product options to choose from, and most of what was available back then was either super expensive or not so nice. These days, I feel so lucky because I get my pick of whatever I need, from soap and shampoo to lotion and cologne. 

Belo Baby
I cannot get over how cute this package is. Wouldn’t it make such an amazing baby shower gift?

Trying out new products that won’t harm my skin is always fun for me, so you can imagine my excitement when this bundle of goodness from Belo Baby arrived at my doorstep. This, for me, is a hundred million times better than receiving a box of designer bath products because this works for my son and I. 

Safe. Natural. Gentle. These three words describe the Belo Baby product line. It is great for baby’s skin, and is clinically proven to be gentle enough for everyday use. These work super well for bigger kids (and even big babies like myself), too, who have sensitive skin.

The Belo Baby guarantee says it all: 100% certified natural ingredients” and “0% harmful ingredients. These are ingredients that were meticulously selected to ensure that they are safe for even the most delicate skin. 

Belo Baby
Check out these amazing ingredients, which are all great for delicate, sensitive skin.

So ok, Iet’s talk about the Belo Baby bath products. I didn’t hoard them all for myself, ha. I used the hair and body wash, and lotion. I gave the bar soap to Little MrC.

Now this kid, he gets itchy immediately after taking a shower with certain brands of soap. As soon as he got out of the bathroom, post-Belo Baby bath, he said, “Mom, it’s so nice. So smooth, so soft, and not itchy.” He meant his skin, of course, and I super agree with his feedback.

I’m so happy because it has been a while since I’ve found soap that works for him. He is a growing boy, so the baby soap we used to use now leaves him smelling like a growing boy after a couple of hours. So far so good with Belo Baby, though. No itchiness, and he stays nice-smelling longer. 

Belo Baby
Bath time with Belo Baby!

I think that the smell is really my favorite thing about these products. I don’t even know how to describe it, other than they smell just like the skin of a freshly washed baby. Promise, yun talaga ang description ko.

Speaking of smell, the Belo Baby cologne is something I really cannot stop raving about. I just ran out of the (rather expensive) baby cologne I’ve been using, and have been desperately seeking a replacement.

My search is over! Belo Baby Cool Drizzle is now, officially, my signature scent. Lol. It’s so fresh! Reminds me a lot of a baby cologne from my childhood that no longer exists, so not only does this make me smell good, it makes me feel happy, too. Winner, winner!

Belo Baby
I love how yummy these colognes smell. It’s like sticking your nose into the soft, fluffy skin of a baby.

The Sweet Snuggle scent comes in second for me. I love how it smells sweet and girly. I find the Happy Tickle variant to be a little more strong-smelling than the other two. This one naman is amoy bagong ligo.I love that these colognes are so gentle, and don’t sting the skin. They also contain glycerin that moisturizes, and a chamomile-derived ingredient that soothes the skin.

Everything in the Belo Baby product line holds true to its promise of being crafted with care for the most delicate skin, for the most meticulous moms. I’m so glad we got to try them.

To learn more, check out the Belo Baby website, as well as their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.

If you want to experience Belo Baby goodness, too, you can find these products in all leading supermarkets, groceries and department stores. They are also available online via Lazada, Cudsly, and Zalora.