At Home With MrsC

Recipe: Crunchy Biscoff Muffins

October 16, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 9 Comments

Fact: I’ve been enjoying spending quiet weekend afternoons in my kitchen, baking muffins.

If I remember right, muffins were the first things I ever baked, ever. Granted they were instant muffins from a box, but at least they helped me conquer my fear of the kitchen.

I love eating these bite-sized treats as snacks or a quick breakfasts with coffee. The boys have been enjoying having freshly baked muffins at home, too. One batch doesn’t last more than a few days in our house.

My latest muffin experiment involved Crunchy Biscoff Spread, simply because I had a jar of the stuff that was expiring soon. I couldn’t imagine having to eat Biscoff sandwiches all day every day for a week, so I thought I’d be creative and mix some into my muffins.

The result was a nice, cinammon-y insta-breakfast with just the tiniest bit of crunch in it.

Crunchy Biscoff Muffins

2015-10-11 03:29:17

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Ingredients

3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup crunchy Biscoff spread, microwaved for a few seconds until it becomes melt-y

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line your muffin tin with the cutest paper muffin liners you have.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and egg. Add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Mix until combined.
Add the vegetable oil, milk and vanilla.
Pour the melt-y Biscoff into the bowl and stir to combine. Do not overmix. It's okay if your batter is lumpy, and if the Biscoff isn't completely mixed in. Swirling is a good thing.
Using an ice cream scoop or a spoon, fill each muffin cup about 3/4 full with batter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes (or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean,) rotating your pan half way through.
Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Notes

Super yummy with a cold glass of milk or a hot mug of coffee!

By MrsC

Adapted from Biscoff Swirl Muffins by bakerstreet.tv

At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

If you decide to try this recipe out, let me know how it goes, alrightie? 🙂

Mothers Who Brunch Spooky Edition

October 14, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

What’s better than taking time off on a Saturday to hang out with friends? Taking time off on a Saturday to hang out with friends while your kid hangs out with their kids. Oh what fun! That was exactly the scene at the Viking Range Showroom in Westgate Alabang at this weekend’s Mothers Who Brunch Spooky Edition.

Mothers Who Brunch — The gang’s all here!

Mish and Sab throw the best brunches, which is why nothing and no one could have stopped me from attending the event. The same goes for Little MrC, who, upon finding out that his buddies Miguel (of Mish) and Sancho (of Sab) would be there, gave one big YES! with matching fist pump.

This Mothers Who Brunch was quite different from the first one I attended (read about the first one here!) I think that having the kids around created such a fun, chaotic vibe, which matched the event’s Halloween theme perfectly.

You could tell right away that it would be an interesting morning when the kids were asked to introduce their moms and share the most fun moment that they spent with us. I was pleasantly surprised when Little MrC said he enjoyed our trip to the strawberry fields in La Trinidad the most. Yay for fun vacations and lasting memories. This is why I choose to spend on trips with the family.

After the introductions, the kids were asked to go up to the second level of the showroom so they could make ice cream with the amazing Engineering for Kids team. I couldn’t see what they were doing, but I could hear a lot of laughing and chatting and shaking. I knew right away that the kiddo had fun when he came downstairs, all smiles, and proudly asked me to taste the ice cream he made. It was actually pretty good!

While the kids were upstairs, the mommies gathered around the couches downstairs for some crafting time with Ants Pocket. We were asked to sew Halloween bags out of felt, and of course I jumped right in. You guys know how much I love anything to do with thread!

I had a really fun time sewing, and the end product was super cute! Plus, I’m really happy to have discovered another fun thing that I can do with felt. The possibilities are endless, from Halloween and Christmas themed loot bags, to party giveaways, treat bags, and personalized gift bags.

Of course, no Mothers Who Brunch event is complete without having our portraits taken. I really love that Mish and Sab thought to add a photo session as one of the activities during the event. I think it’s brilliant because it’s not every day that moms (or at least that I) get dressed up, with makeup and all, and it’s just so great to be able to have a professional capture the moment. And now the kid and I have a couple of nice mom and me photos together.

When you come to Mothers Who Brunch, you come for the food. It’s true. The amazing company is the icing on the cake, but it’s the food, prepared and served with love, that’s the real star of this show. Not only did everything look amazeballs, but from appetizers to desserts, every bite was heavenly.

We also had Cheesy Spinach Soup to start with, Baked Chicken Wings, Truffle Mac & Cheese, and yummy Jam Foods Ribs. I remember telling my friend, Pam, who was seated next to me at the table, that I wish I could eat more coz everything was just so good, but I was already too full to function.

At the end of an insanely enjoyable morning, you get sent home with bags of goodies. Yes, bags. Plural. More than one. I was so happy to receive another Glad goodie bag, and just in time too, because I just ran out of Nonstick Aluminum Foil. I swear, that foil makes life in the kitchen so much easier.

Meanwhile, MrC flashed a winning smile when he saw the Clorox Wipes and the Zin Triple Pepper Blend in my swag bag. I’m also excited about the stash of kale, lemons and oranges from Lemons and Greens that were given to us.

THANK YOU so much, Mish and Sab, for inviting Little MrC and I to this event. We had a really great time. Thank you for bringing us all together, and congratulations on another unforgettable Mothers Who Brunch.

*All photos used in this post are by Jay Santos Photography.

What’s cooking this week #1

October 12, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 17 Comments

Fact: I usually browse the internet on Sundays in search of new recipes to try in the coming week.

Trying out new dishes helps me keep my family interested in the food that I serve them. While I do have my staples like adobo, sinigang and nilaga, I also like to experiment with new dishes, and different versions of old favorites.

The dish that has the honor of being the first thing I cooked in my new kitchen is this pork #sinigang with lotsa veggies. #InstaFood #Instakaw #yummy #onmytable #lipatbahaychronicles #MadeByMrsC

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Jul 1, 2015 at 5:25am PDT

I have so many recipe links bookmarked on my computer and phone, pinned on Pinterest, and liked on Facebook and Instagram that it’s getting harder to keep track of them all. So I figured I’d start sharing them here so that it’s easier for me to find them, and so you guys also get to try any good recipes I might stumble upon.

For this week’s meal plan, I’ve chosen four new dishes to try. Three are from my blogger friends, and one is from my favorite, Yummy Magazine.

This first one isn’t actually new to me – Momma ‘N Manila’s Homemade Beef Tapa. I’ve tried this recipe by Michelle before, and the boys and I super loved it. The nice thing about this recipe is that you can marinate and freeze it, making it a great baon option.

I didn’t make adobo last week, so I plan on cooking some this week. I saw a post on Peachy’s Instagram page of Adobong Manok sa Gata. This is something I’ve always wanted to try making, but I was never able to find a recipe that looked good to me. The Peach Kitchen’s version looks good, so I’m trying that.

I prepare chicken several times a week because we like chicken, it’s inexpensive, and you can do so much with it. I’ve been meaning to try Joey’s Lemon Butter Chicken from her 80 Breakfasts blog, and I think this is the best time to do it. I’ve been looking for a nice recipe involving lemons since I have a nice big bag of gorgeous yellow fruit from the last Mothers Who Brunch event, so there.

Lemon Butter Chicken — Image borrowed from 80breakfasts.com

The last recipe on my must-try list for the week is Yummy’s Beef Pares. MrC loves pares, and I don’t think that we have any here in the south. I remember going out for pares a few times with friends during the short time that I was living in QC, and I haven’t had the stuff since. I’m already looking forward to it.

That’s it, pancit!

Have you guys tried any good recipes from the internet lately? I’d love it if you could share them with me so I can add them to my growing list of dishes to try!

What do you want to be when you grow up?

October 10, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 8 Comments

Question: When you were young, how often would you get asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”

I noticed recently that Little MrC would get asked that question a lot. I think it could be because he is getting older. When he was younger he said that he wanted to become a fire fighter. Now he says he wants to teach.

When I was a kid, I’d get asked that quite often, too. I recently had a conversation about my childhood ambitions with my mom and cousin, and they reminded me about some funny things I said I wanted to become when I was a little girl.

I think that my earliest answer was that I wanted to be Little Miss Philippines. Like Aiza Seguerra. No kidding. That was in 1987 (yes, I Googled it,) which would have made me 4 years old at the time.

This little baby wanted to become a kiddie pageant queen! — This little baby wanted to be a kiddie pageant queen!

Honestly, I completely forgot about this until my mom brought it up. Looking back, I remember practicing my introduction using our bedroom doorknob as my microphone. I never joined Little Miss Philippines (thank goodness!) and I eventually stopped watching noon time shows. And with that, the dream thankfully died.

My cousin says that she remembers me saying that I wanted to become a Ginebra Super Angel like my mom. I’m not sure how to explain what the Super Angels were, but they were sort of a girl group that performed during Ginebra events, and on TV to promote the brand and the basketball team. You had to be able to sing and dance to join, and from my mom’s old photos I could see that they were all tall, slim and pretty.

I don’t remember actually saying that I wanted to be a Super Angel, but I remember wanting to be a dancer like my mom. After her stint with Ginebra, she worked for a while as a VIP dancer in Vilma Santos’ Vilma In Person TV show. Alas, I eventually learned that I have really bad stage fright, so that dream died, too.

Yes, I once was some sort of pompom girl. I think that I was in the fourth grade in this picture.

When I was eight years old I fell in love with Sweet Valley Kids, and that was the moment that I decided I wanted to become I writer. I went on to read Sweet Valley Twins, High and University, Sweet Dreams, and Love Stories, as well as classics like Little Women and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

I grew up loving books, and writing letters and journal entries. I would exchange short stories with friends. Writing was something that came naturally to me. I knew that I had found an ambition that could actually work for me. So far, it has been working out well.

Truth: I still dream of writing fiction someday. I don’t know if I’m ready for it yet because, to me, writing fiction feels like baring your soul, except that you are using made up characters and scenarios. Then again, I guess all forms of writing requires some sort of soul-baring. Right?

I’m not giving up on that dream just yet. If someday I do complete a book, you guys buy it okay?

What did you want to be when you grew up? Is that what you are now?

On Frogs and Other Fears

September 22, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

Fact: I am a worrywart and a scaredy-cat.

A lot of things freak me out. I’m easily startled by strange noises and sudden movements. I jump like a cat when someone sneaks up on me. I worry all the time about a lot of things, and I’m a worst-case scenario thinker.

You’d never think this about me because I’m generally a cheerful person, but it’s true. I spend 50% of my day lost inside my own head. If it sounds like I’m kinda crazy, that’s okay. I think the best people are all a little bit nutty anyway.

mrspcuyugan — No, this doesn’t look like a worrywart’s face.

My greatest physical fear is most definitely frogs, and I’ve said this several times before (like here, here and here.) I’m also scared of the idea of ghosts and I never want to see, feel, hear or smell one, ever. Same goes for demons, and stuff or people possessed by them.

Just as I typed that, my mom’s phone rang and I literally jumped. See what I mean? I really am a scaredy cat. It doesn’t help that her alert is The Count’s laugh with matching thunder in the background.

More than these seemingly silly fears, I also worry about bigger, more serious, meaning of life things. I worry about MrC during his daily commute to and from the office.

I think about Little MrC while he’s in school, whether or not he had enough time to finish his lunch, and if his immune system is strong enough to battle the germs and viruses that live on campus.

I think about myself and my own health, wonder if I am getting enough sleep, and scold myself over my lack of daily exercise. I worry about oncoming and overtaking cars while driving. I am scared that my gas oven might explode when I light it.

I guess it really is a mom’s nature to worry, and my own personal nature to have these fears.

Oh, I could go on and on with these things but I know that I shouldn’t. Worrying, fretting and fearing wastes a lot of time. At the same time, I know that every once in a while it’s important to think about them and acknowledge these fears.

I believe that, as long as they don’t paralyze you, fears will keep you on your toes, careful and cautious with every step. Then again, I could just be fooling myself. A result of watching too much Divergent.

I only hope that I don’t pass my own fears on to my son. There was a point where it looked like I would. I’d see him panic at the sight of lizards. I’d hear him run across the hall to our room at night because he didn’t want to be alone in the dark.

Then he did something that made me feel like he’ll be okay, and that I’m not such a bad role model after all.

The other night, it was rainy when we drove home after dinner. We all got out of the car and I went straight for the front door, which was locked.

I tried digging through my bag for my keys but MrC stopped me and walked quickly to the door to unlock it himself, which was unusual. The entire time, the kiddo quietly stood behind me, which was unusual. Of course I’m only realizing these strange things now!

The husbandry finally unlocked the door and I took a step towards it. Then of course a little frog just had to cross my path! It was really small, only about the size of my big toe, and dark. I thought it was a bug. Then I realized it was hopping and the freak out ensued.

When we were safely inside, the kiddo told me that he had seen the frog right away but chose not to say anything because he didn’t want me to get scared.

The following day, he checked around the car before I got out to make sure that Froggy Friend wasn’t back to get me. He unlocked the house for me, closed the gate, and brought his own stuff inside.

I went straight in because I could hear a chorus of frogs croaking all around us. Oh the joys of being surrounded by empty lots in the rain.

All of a sudden my son is braver than I am. All of a sudden I see more of that big boy and less of the baby that used to live in his skin. I know that he has his own set of fears, too, but I see that he is learning to face them.

I suppose I should take a cue from my little one and learn to be braver in the face of all my fears, too. I guess it would do me good to lighten up and step outside of my head more often.

It’s times like these that make me think that I learn more from my son than he does from me. More than anything it makes me feel happy and proud to know that I’ve somehow done something right with that little guy.

Still, I dread the day when he will come home and say, “Mom, I need to bring a frog to school for Biology class.” Oh, kamote.

What are your worries and fears, and how do you handle them?

Recipe: White Adobo

September 12, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 30 Comments

Fact: Meal planning ain’t easy!

Call me spoiled, but I’m not the type who can eat the same food three meals straight. I know some people cook a big batch of something, then that will be lunch and dinner today, and lunch again tomorrow. That just won’t work for me. It’s a good thing that I’m the one in charge of food at home.

I really make an effort to plan our meals out at the start of the week because it makes life so much easier. I know what I need to get when I visit the supermarket, and I am able to make the most out of whatever space I have in our small refrigerator and freezer.

Because I like variety in my meals, I make sure that I have small portions of food ready in the fridge in case my plan for lunch and dinner doesn’t work out. Like today. Adobo saved me again today. I was going to cook something new but I wasn’t able to thaw the meat in time. So leftover adobo it was.

I like adobo because it doesn’t spoil easily, and it actually gets better the longer it stays in the fridge. It’s great for last minute lunchbox packing, too, on mornings when I don’t wake up early enough to cook.

I already shared my chicken adobo recipe before, which has quickly become a family favorite. Last night, I decided to change things up a bit with a version that doesn’t call for soy sauce based on an Adobong Puti recipe by Nancy Reyes-Lumen that I found in The Adobo Book.

White Adobo

2015-09-12 01:18:15

Adobo, but not the usual.