Sun, Sand and a Minute Maid: Instant Refreshment!

When Noemi of Pinoy Food and Other Cuisine posed the question about how you can best enjoy Minute Maid, I thought long and hard about it. It would be great on a picnic, as she so aptly wrote in her blog. It would make a fabulous punch with some chopped fruits for a little soiree. It could also be a fun drink for a tea party for little girls to enjoy! A Minute Maid Pulpy Orange drink could also be enjoyed after a long, hard days work or as a picker-upper when your mood starts to droop. It would be great to fight off colds and as a soothing and refreshing quencher when you are feeling feverish as the icy cool juice slides down your hot throat. There definitely are so many ways to enjoy Minute Maid but for me, the best way is to take a half-frozen bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange (or Mango Orange if you prefer) down to the beach for some well-deserved R&R.

With a Minute Maid on hand, I get to cool down after lounging in the sun and soaking up the beauty of nature! It's fresh taste and pulpy bits helps quench my thirst plus keeps my well hydrated. What's great about Minute Maid Pulpy Orange is that it's flavor is as close to nature as you can get. It doesn't have that fake orange-y taste at all. The pulp bits are plump and juicy and in abundance throughout the entire bottle.
 

There's something, in my opinion, very primal about sitting in the sand. It's kinda like going to the very core of my soul. The Minute Maid I am drinking is kind of like that, I'd like to think. It's like going back to the very core of nature. Why? Because of the freshly squeezed taste of that natural orange goodness plus all the refreshing and juicy pulpy bits. Every gulp is definitely cools you down, inside and out! That's how I best enjoy my Minute Maid Pulpy Orange!

I Got Sango-ed!

I've read many a Plurk, Tweet and status message about how people are craving for Sango burgers but I never really had a chance to try it because it's kinda hard to access. There are only a few branches and those were only in the malls I never really frequented. However, this morning after work at Shangri-La mall, I was walking towards Starbucks when I saw in the corner of my eye the newly opened Sango restaurant. I wasted no time getting Sango-ed!

I asked the waitress what the Sango specialty was and she said it was the Sango Master Burger (Php 125.00) and the Yakiniku Rice Burger (Php 125.00). It was hard to decide what to try today because both looked good, and they've both been given positive reviews by people I know. For some reason, despite my strong craving for a good burger, I ordered the Yakiniku Rice Burger. 

I was slightly disappointed with my choice, not because it wasn't good, but because I had not satisfied the burger craving! Nonetheless, the Yakiniku Rice Burger was good and very filling. The meat was tender and had just the right amount of fat that I like when I eat beef. It was also very flavorful: sweet and slightly salty but not not overwhelming. The rice was not as sticky as I wanted it, but had the typical Japanese rice quality to it.

Over all my first Sango experience was a pleasant one. The waitress was accommodating and took the time explaining the differences between their specialties. Despite having this for take-out, my burger was still pretty good even after the forty-five minute car ride. It smelled so good it took every ounce of effort on my part not to eat it while stuck in traffic!!!


Sango The Burger Master can be found at the following locations:
Rockwell Power Plant Mall, 1st Level, Makati City
Creekside Mall, Ground Floor, Amorsolo cor Herrera Sts., Makati City
Alabang South Supermarket, Alabang Zapote Road
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, 6th Level (near the Cineplex), EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

Ensuring Clean Tablecloths with Cheap Tumble Dryers

If there is one thing I cannot stand, it's seeing crumby food stains in my tablecloth. While this cannot be avoided, I always tell my companions that we should all take responsibility for ourselves and clean up after we eat. Some suggestions I've made are as follows:

1. Pick of the dropped food item with a paper table napkin or paper towel as soon as it happens.
2. If sauces or dips spill, wipe with a dampened paper towel asap.
3. Use one of the plastic placemats we have so we can avoid the hassle of having to clean up the table cloth after every meal.

To be fair, when it's daily dining, we are able to keep this in check most of the time. However, during parties or our weekly family day, there always seems to be some kinda mishap. I know it's difficult to wash and dry our tablecloths since we have a large 12-seater table so I promised to check out some Cheap Tumble Dryers to make cleaning up easier and quicker for all.

Cucumber with Yogurt Dressing

Inspired by the Greek appetizer tzatziki, this cucumber with yogurt salad is an very refreshing and nutritious alternative to a green salad. There are many variations of tzatziki. Some add dill to it or even grated cucumbers but being the lazy cook that I am, I enjoy just making a simple yogurt dressing to throw over fresh cucumbers. It is also a good variation to the typical cucumber salad with vinaigrette that we Filipinos serve. Making the yogurt dressing is the simplest thing: just mix the unsweetened natural yogurt with crushed garlic, season with salt and pepper and viola, instant dressing. I sprinkle it with a little bit of sugar just to give it a sweet-sour taste. It is best to peel and remove the seeds of the cucumber before mixing this together because the seeds and the center of the cucumber kinda water down the dressing a lot. I love serving this with fried fish because the flavors mix so well. It also goes well with pork chops and inihaw na liempo or grilled pork belly. But to be honest: even on it's own, it's wonderful. An added bonus: great for weight watchers!

Scrambled Tofu: A New Way to Enjoy an Old Favorite.

I have to give credit to my colleague L's mother for introducing me to the idea of scrambled tofu. The first time I heard it, I was a bit skeptical. I had never thought of cooking tofu this way. However, after trying it once, I was hooked! I can honestly eat this for days on end. What I like best about it, besides the fact that it is uber healthy, is that cooking it is so easy and flexible.It can be prepared totally vegetarian or mixed with meats or hams for those who want the added flavor. I have mixed this up with so many different ingredients and I have yet to find one that does not sit with me well. My favorite add-on to this is fresh shitake mushrooms.

This is how I prepare my scrambled tofu:


Ingredients: 

• 2-4 squares (or 1 big block) of tokwa (I prefer the local tofu compared to the Japanese kind because it is firmer), crumbled
  
• half of a large white onion, chopped
  
• tomatoes (amount depends on you. I like lots of tomatoes in my dish), chopped
  
• 2 tablespoons butter (may be
  
• spring onions (optional)
  

Procedure:

1. In a pan, melt butter and sauté onions and tomatoes.
2. Add in crumbled tofu. Mix until tofu is cooked, about 5 minutes.
3. Add in spring onions and whatever add-on you prefer. 

Possible add-ons:

• strips of Spam (I love the hot and spicy kind!)
• fresh mushrooms, Shitake being my favorite!
• cooked shrimps
• ham or bacon bits
• whatever floats your boat!