Bolinao Fish: Cleaning and Cooking

Fishes and other sea foods are expensive in our town because I have heard most of the fishes caught are brought to Manila. It was only seldom that a kilo of fish cost less than a dollar, they mostly cost over $4.

The other day, while we are in the wet market we found out that the small fishes only cost Php20.00 per kilo which is less than a dollar, it seldom happened so we bought 2 kilos right away, our cats will have a feast on these fishes.

When we reached home, I cleaned them one by one by removing the intestines and gills, they are pretty big than normal. Normally when they are a bit smaller, we have to take out the whole head because it has bitter taste. It took me a long time to finish cleaning them, it was quite tiring standing for a long time eh. We ended up frying small portion with frying mix and the rest were cooked in vinegar with water for our cats

Avocado Season: Cheap Avocados in the Local Market

Avocado was in seasoned in the Philippines so there are plenty of avocados in our local market, prices range from P15.00 – P30.00 per kilo. A kilo consists of 3-5 avocados it depends on the size and variety.

When I was young I remember not liking avocado that much maybe because my taste bud was different that time or I was already used eating them since there is two avocado trees in our backyard, and when they are too ripe in top of a tree or a typhoon they just fell in the ground.

The avocado tree was long gone, they were cut down when the church nearby was expanded, so now we want to eat avocado we have to buy in the local market which we did a few days ago. I plainly ate it with brown sugar while my sister ate her avocado refrigerated mixed with powder milk and sugar.

Chicken Barbecue in the Street

It is already summer months in Philippines and barbecue and such are becoming popular in the streets. It was been a week ago since a neighbour sells barbecue, it was hit among everybody. We bought few sticks the other day since we are craving for something savoury.

We had neck and head barbecue, it cost P10.00 per stick. She also has some other stuff like chicken feet, pork belly, hot dogs and etc. But when I showed my husband a pic of what we have bought and eaten, he said it was the food they feed to dogs and cats (lol). It must be to Western countries but to Asia they are the type of foods that are gastronomically delicious to empty stomach.

Barbecues sold in the stick are most like by Filipinos when they are drinking with friends, or eating them in the streets.

Turkish Delight Fresh from Turkey

One of the food I enjoyed in Turkey is their sweet treats Turkish delight, a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar which are often packaged and eaten in small cubes dusted with icing sugar, copra, or powdered cream of tartar, to prevent clinging.

I enjoyed the most eating the turkish delight that are soft and dust with sugar, when I bought this second package I thought it was the same variety of what I have just eaten a few days ago but I was wrong, this one is a bit hard and chewy.

New York Hot Dogs and Pizza

Last night my husband asked me to get him a pepperoni pizza but when I went to Pizza school they are already closing so I went to 59 Pizza which is about 5-10 minutes away but the latter was already closed. It seems both pizza place closed early because of the Lunar New Year which is celebrated in Korea.

Going home I passed by the new shops around the street and I have seen that GS25 sells New York Hot Dog, so I went inside to give it a try and to look for pizza as well. I took picture of the banner so I can show it to the sales clerk but it still took long time before she could understand that I want to order each kind.  I have waited for my order but I was surprised to received the hot dogs without a wrapper just  a piece of cartoon to hold them. The hot dogs comes with free can of Pepsi and when it was handed to me I let the sales clerk to put it on my cross bag as my hands are holding the hot dogs.

When I reached home I can't open the door so I called for my husband and he was disappointed that I was not able to buy pepperoni pizza and he didn't like the hot dog as well. So I went to GS25 where we usually buy snacks to look for pizza, and gladly I was able to find pizza for him.

Instant Bibimbap from GS25

A few days ago I went to the nearby convenience store to buy for electrical tape, but  before I went to the counter to pay, I look around the aisles for items that I can afford to buy.  I found few but the instant Bibimbap caught my attention, this Korean food can only be found in Korean restaurant, but today if you are craving for Bibimbap you can eat it anytime and anywhere as long as you see them in any convenience store around you.

Bibimbap is a signature Korean dish. The word literally means "mixed rice". Bibimbap is served as a bowl of warm white rice topped with namul (sautéed and seasoned vegetables) and gochujang (chili pepper paste). A raw or fried egg and sliced meat (usually beef) are common additions. The ingredients are stirred together thoroughly just before eating. It can be served either cold or hot. (Source Wikipedia)

The instant Bibimbap was sold with free beef noodles, I think it is marketing strategy so more people will buy and try this product. The box contains 3 packages and a spoon, the packages contain puff rice, dry garnishes and sauce. I cook the rice mixed with the dry garnishes within 1 cup of water for 3 minutes and mixed the sauce afterwards and voila my Bibimbap is ready to eat. This item cost 2,800 won per small box.

Jin Ramen (Mild) Noodles

When I sent balikbayan box at home I included noodles, I saw them on sale in the supermarket and I have thought of buying and when my family received the box I sent home. My sister told me that the noodles was not that spicy and it taste good and flavorful so they asked me to sent more whenever I sent a new box.

Wanting to try it I also bought Jin Ramen noodles for me to try at home, it was not really that spicy like I have thought when you use the exact water of 550ml.

Christmas Donuts from Dunkin Donuts

Donuts are considered as one of the comfort food by most individuals, the glazed the chocolate flavor is very appetizing.  They mostly come in different color, size, shape and flavors. When I went to Dunkin Donuts few weeks ago I was overwhelmed seeing different flavors and color in the display case, so I shopped one each design and flavor.

What attracts me the most is the Christmas design donuts (photo above), they are very colorful and attractive. They cost a bit more than the normal design donuts.

Ottogi Hot Cake Mix

We've been wanting to eat hot cake since the last 4 years but looking in the hot cake mix in every Korean supermarket we are just left in a corner wishing for the day we can finally buy a hot cake mix. It is not about the price it is about the product description and how to cook it, my husband and I can't read or speak Hangul.

Well few days ago my friend in Korea who now resides in the US shared the photo of hot cake she just cooked for late night snacks.  I've told her about our ordeal and she happily shared her recipes, so when my husband came home from work I opened up of having hot cake on our Friday cheat day, he is a little unwilling because he said it is a different mix but I insisted that I can translate the description written in the package by using virtual Korean keyboard.

So when we shopped for groceries we scanned the hot cake mix for a good deal, Ottogi Hot Cake Mix is the best deal we could get so we bought one package which is 500g and two bottle of Ottogi Cake Syrup.  When we reached home, I carefully copied the procedure at the back using the virtual Korean keyboard and translate it  using Google.  It helps but the translation is not well translated, it is not easy to understand it is such a headache!

Oh well, when I got tired understanding the English translation I opted on searching in the internet and voila in just few key strokes I found what I need about Ottogi Hot Cake Mix.

▶ Product Description

•  Avoid direct sunlight, store in cool place.
• After opening, reseal and store it in the refrigerator.

▶ To Prepare

1. Mix 2 egg with 270cc of milk or water.
2. Pour 500g of hotcake mix and mix well with 1 egg.
3. Fry it in a low heat the dough for 2-3 minutes and turn it upside down and heat it again for 2 minutes.

So when Friday came we followed the instruction above and we are able to make our how hot cake as Friday treat. Having no whisk to mix the ingredients didn't stop us.

Baked Spaghetti from Pizza School

Spaghetti is everyone's favorite, a dish that has many variants. In the Philippines, spaghetti is sweet and meaty with cheese toppings. So when I first ate spaghetti from Italianni's I can't even finish one serving, since then I vowed not to eat on Italianni's again but when I arrived in Korea there spaghetti is not also the spaghetti my tongue used to know.

So when my husband and I decided to cook spaghetti at home, it doesn't attract me at all. Spaghetti is my favorite but eating sour  salty taste spaghetti killed my appetite. My husband educates me that's how spaghetti taste like, savory with tomato sauce and the sweet spaghetti I am talking is  a crap.  As day goes by I have been used to eat spaghetti with a sour salty taste as I named it, I can even eat two servings with black olives in it, so I think I am ready to eat in Italianni's restaurant again.

Well, when we craved for spaghetti and cooking is impossible we run to 59 Pizza or Pizza school to order spaghetti. The photo above is cheese oven spaghetti from Pizza School, it cost ₩4, 000 while the white cream oven spaghetti cost ₩4, 500.  It is chewy, a little bit salty and meaty goodness.

Korean Roasted Pork

When my husband came home from his work he immediately informed me that there's  a truck selling roasted pork  along the curve, and giving me a hint if I like treating him for something. Of course I know I have too so I dressed up and went down to buy roasted pork for ₩5,000 but when I reached the truck the guy asked me if I want to buy "ocheonon or manon" I told him "ocheonon" but he wants me to buy "manon" as it was bigger than my choice.

Oh well, I decided to buy "manon" ₩10,000 because the latter one is quite small and it is probably not enough for my husband's appetite. The pork is quite ok but not that great as "lechong baboy" in the Philippines or what we called roasted pig. The sauce is a bit salty and read in color, at first I thought it was spicy but it was not.

Chicken Fillet Pizza from Pizza School

It is the weekend and we are craving for something good, pizza is on my husband's mind and fried chicken is on mine. But my husband doesn't want to buy fried chicken because it is a bit expensive and he doesn't want to eat chicken, so when I went to pizza school I have ordered the pizza he like and I have ordered my chicken, my chicken fillet pizza exactly!

Great choice isn't it? I am not only going to have a chicken but also a pizza, I have enjoyed it so much with chili sauce toppings and fickles at the side.  Yum!

Premium Meal from GS25

Eating the same meal every day is becoming boring so I have asked my husband if we can get an instant soup, he agreed with a plus what I mean to get pizza and chips as well. While at the convenience store I forgot about pizza, I walk repeatedly in the aisle and stay longer in the built-in open fridge where the sandwiches and pizza are. I know it was not sandwiched, without getting a hint what is it I took one of the premium meals at the bottom of the fridge.

The premium meal cost ₩4, 000 or $3.72, it was a bit more expensive than the usual meal of meat, rice and kimchi. The premium meal has rice, pasta, vegetables, steak, chicken, mashed potato, sausage, pickles and corn salad, it is a complete package actually.

Packed Meals from Hansot (한솥)

It was raining hard today and we are bored and hungry so I went to 한솥 near the HBC Chicken, we've been wishing to try their meal and this is the right time because it is still early and the restaurant might still open unlike those times we crave it is already wee hours. They have no English menu, but their menu board has image on them so I just point the food I want to order.

I am expecting to wait longer but within five minutes my order was already handed to me, super quick huh? I went to Paris Baguette nearby after I got my order to buy brownies but I ended up buying another baked good as well.

The meal was superb, they tasted good and better than the meal I used to buy in convenience store probably because they are fresh and not refrigerated.  Their meals are good for students who are bringing a lunch box at school and even packed meals, picnic, lunch and dinner.

Instant Meal and Free Carbonated Juice

Eating instant meal became our past time these past few days.  My husband is craving for energy chocolate and  instant meal so I went to the nearby GS25,  the meal has free carbonated drinks which is lime and peach.

The meal was quite different from the other meal because it has complete package from salad to meat, mashed potato and chicken, pasta to rice.

Chicken Burger Cravings

After two weeks vacation in Russia we finally came home the other night. Anyway last night my husband requested me to treat him, he is craving for chicken burger and instant meal. So I went to the nearby convenient store to buy the food he likes. It's a treat so I'll pay for it, as I don't know which one is chicken burger I bought the 3 burgers I saw in the food shelf.

Aside from burgers I also bought a meal and energy chocolates he requested too upon seeing them near the counter I am already thinking of going to other convenient store if I didn't see them. For the last minute I run to the fridge shelf to take chocolate drink, I didn't buy anything for myself aside from the chocolate drink because I am thinking that I can any of the burger if my husband doesn't like them or there's no chicken burger on three of them.

Macaroons Mocha Cake from Paris Baguette

After watching the season finale of The American Baking Competition we agreed to have a cake last weekend, we've been watching the tv show since it started and we always end up craving for sweets and pastries. Originally I would like to buy chocolate cake but my husband tired of me always buying chocolate cake requested me to have something new so I choose macaroons mocha cake it was bit expensive because it is larger than the others. When my husband saw the cake his first impression is we already have that, well I have no choice because he doesn't like chocolate cake and I am pretty sure he will not like white chocolate cake, blueberry yoghurt cake or strawberry yoghurt cake and other fruity cake and I didn't mention anymore that there's cheese cake.

Well I am the first one who eat the cake, to enjoy it I also prepare a cup of coffee while watching a local show. The cake was good and the mocha taste was great, love the macaroons as well.

After hours I felt hungry again but I doesn't like eating cake again because too much sugar already so I ate the left over Bulgogi pizza we had on Friday.  Within just few minutes I had a terrible headache with nausea and I ended up throwing out the food I have eaten. I first believed that my food intolerance strike again, I experience this when I eat food which is not freshly cook or meat that is not fresh.

Bulgogi and Super Combination Pizza

Eating comfort food on the weekend is our routine after a long week work-out in the gym. This week we tried something new because we've been eating fried chicken from BHC a month already. We had 59 pizza this week, bulgogi and super combination pizza to be exact, when I ordered the girl didn't know that I am going to order two pizza so she charged me for one order only so I have to do sign language.

My husband loves pizza so much that he can eat one large pizza in just one sitting so one pizza is not really enough for the two of us.

How to Serve Up Savings in the Kitchen

When you’re looking for ways to cut down on household expenses, you may not expect to start in the kitchen. However you’d be surprised just how much you can do to cut your costs and see a significant change in your weekly budget. Here are some of the top ways to serve up savings in the kitchen.

Market Shopping

A great way to save money and get the freshest local produce is to check out your closest farmers market. From organic fruit and veggies to delicious home-made relishes and spreads, you’ll be surprised at just how much of your weekly groceries you can pick up from the market. Not only is it usually cheaper than the large grocery stores, but the food is fresher, tastier and is bound to be a hit with your family.

Buy in Bulk

Recently, there has been an increase in the popularity of buying meat in bulk from bargain butchers, and it’s easy to see why. A monthly trip to one of these huge refrigerated warehouses will see your fridge and freezer stocked with prime cuts of meat at unbeatable prices. A large family can literally save hundreds on their monthly bill simply by taking the time to buy in bulk.

Online Savings

If you’re too busy to spend time at the market or shopping around for the best prices, you can take advantage of the increasing prevalence of online grocery shopping. Many sites offer weekly baskets, which include a range of the freshest seasonal fruits and vegies, and will deliver to your door for less than buying through a supermarket. You can also purchase spices, spreads, jams, conserves and more from the comfort of your computer chair.

Internet Tips and Tricks

For the best recipes on creating delicious budget meals, simply jump online. From foodie blogs to active forums, the internet provides an endless resource of how you can create amazing meals on a budget. There are discussions on the best places to shop, innovative recipe ideas and even reviews of bargain kitchen goods and appliances.

Still Struggling?

If it feels like you’re still struggling to make ends meet, consider getting professional help. Whether you’re looking for ways to reduce your debts, need some budgeting assistance or are looking for general financial advice to get you back on track, a reputable agency will be able to tailor solutions to suit your needs. If you want the very best help, you can’t beat Fox Symes debt assistance. As the leading debt solutions specialists in Australia, you will be dealing with an experienced team of professionals who are committed to helping you through difficult financial situations.

With these simple and easy tips, you can make a huge impact on the amount that you save in the kitchen. From checking out the markets to finding great value recipes online, these great ideas aren’t just good for your budget, they’re fun at the same time! Remember that if you feel like you need some help and support to get your finances back on track, you aren’t alone. Call the team at Fox Symes for a free, no obligation confidential discussion about your financial situation today.

Cheese Sticks and Korean Pepper Street Food

The other day my husband craves for the cheese stick I bought from the canteen in the corner so he asked me to buy few and pepper twigim as well. When I went there it was a little busy it seems most of the Korean felt cold from the rain and decided to have street food to feel warm. I waited for my turn, when I ordered I just point the food I want and used hand sign for how many do I want to order.

I bought ten sticks of cheese sticks, I think is merely for a kid but we'd like it than the factory cheese sticks in the supermarket, they taste better and cheesy as well.

My husband asked me to buy five pieces gochu (pepper) twigim but I bought ten pieces,  the other five is for me. Hehe,