Wifely Steps

Queso de Bola is one of the good foodie things about the holidays. But what happens when the holidays are over and there’s still so much cheese left over? You think of other ways to enjoy it aside from its regular sliced version. We didn’t want the cheese to go to waste so we enjoyed it as much as we could.

1. Queso de Bola Sticks. Instead of it sliced crosswise as shown in the picture, slice them lengthwise, in strips. Like french fries. They made for great nibbles while we watched TV.

2. Olive and caper appetizers. Cubed queso de bola speared on a toothpick with olives or capers. It made for great pica-pica during our New Year’s Eve dinner. H munched on them while I was still preparing our pasta.

3. Fruit bowl with cubed queso de bola. Every night, H and I have a bowl of fruits each. I tried throwing in some of the diced cheese. Yum! I have my fruit bowl with yogurt and honey, and the cheese added a saltiness that complemented the sweetness of our healthy snack.

4. Egg in a hole with grated queso de bola. This one’s my fave! In a pan, melt a pat of butter. While that’s melting, grab a slice of bread. Fold it in half and bite the middle, so there’s a little hole at the center. Now place it on the pan till toasted. Flip over. Crack an egg in the hole. Top with grated queso de bola. You can flip it over again if you like your egg over-easy. If you’re making this for others, use a knife to make the hole of course!

You can enjoy the examples using regular cheese too. I just had to deal with leftover queso de bola. Mission accomplished! We’ve polished it off and won’t be tasting another queso de bola till Christmas 2009. Haha!

What do you do with leftover queso de bola? Or what do you think can be done with it? Share your recipes and ideas!

“Wifey, will you cook pasta?,” asked my husband as we were planning our New Year’s eve dinner. My lazy bones wanted to scream “No!”, my clogged nose wanted to say “Uh-uh!”, but my heart won over those two sickly body parts and said, “Of course!” Cooking took a huge backseat for me in ‘08, going against that year’s resolution of cooking more. I plan to make that resolution come to life this ‘09, so New Year’s Eve was a good way to rekindle my cooking mojo.

So out of the cupboard came the spaghetti and ingredients for my sauce. The sauce I made was very simple.

I sauteed half a white onion until it almost caramelized, threw in about five cloves of chopped garlic, stirred in two cans of tuna. I let the flavors simmer for awhile, let them get to know each other, la dee dah. Then I mixed in some olives and capers, followed by a can of tomato and basil spaghetti sauce, and a sprinkle of sugar, salt and pepper. Stir, simmer, stir, simmer. I simmered the sauce for about twenty minutes total so all the flavors could really blend together.

The pasta was a success, much to my relief. I couldn’t smell anything during the cooking process (clogged nose, right!) so I had to ask H to taste the sauce twice. Apparently I did something right because it tasted great. Maybe I should cook with a clogged nose more often.

And what’s pasta without garlic bread? In a pan, melt butter. Throw in as much chopped garlic as you want. When almost golden, throw in sliced bread. Turn over when buttered side is toasted to your liking. Toast some more. I could have used a toaster oven, but I found more joy doing this. H enjoyed the toasted garlic bread a lot, a lot more than if I had used my toaster oven I’m sure.

We brought the extra pasta and sauce to my in-laws the next day. My Mom-in-law said she and my brother-in-law enjoyed it. Since they’re both pasta lovers, that was a fabulous compliment that made my heart soar.

So yeah, that lost cooking mojo is slowly finding its way back. A home-cooked meal, heart trumping sick bones and a clogged nose, affirmation for a dish I enjoyed preparing — what a good way to welcome the new year!

This is Cujo, my cousin Maxine’s dog. Cujo is a wee one, but always full of energy and good spirits. I used to hate dogs, but this little one changed that. He’s the darling of the whole clan, melting hearts and always putting everyone in a good mood. I’m still scared of dogs, but thanks to Cujo, I’m warming up to them bit by bit. He never fails to make me feel lighter and make me giggle with his antics.

In 2009, enjoy new experiences, share discoveries and celebrate your blessings. Keep looking at the world with childlike wonder. Say yes more. And always be open to the new thrills life brings.

Happy new year!

Happy Holidays everyone! How is the season going for you? I hope you still have that cheerful holiday spirit. I’m having a very restful vacation, with Christmas Eve as the biggest highlight. True to tradition, our little clan got together for the evening and had Noche Buena together.

One of our Christmas Eve traditions is holding a raffle. The prizes range from basic (seasoning and salt, shampoo) to lots of fun (chocolates and chips galore!). There are a lot of prizes to go around so everyone always wins!

Everyone picks a raffle stub. Instead of plain numbers on cardboard, my sister P made the stubs fun. She scanned and printed pictures of the two youngest in the brood. Then we both drew pretty borders to personalize each raffle stub. Notice that there’s a blank space at the center of each card. That’s where we scribble in the numbers.

After we were done with the stubs, my cousin Maxine put them all in a box. Then she went to each one of us so we can pick a raffle stub, any raffle stub.

Everyone won two prizes. It was so much fun. My husband hosted the raffle and made silly remarks about each prize, making us laugh till our bellies hurt. I won Chocolate Crunchies and milk tea. Nice!

The raffle doesn’t end yet though! After everyone had claimed their prizes, the swapping began! My Mom traded her candies for the household help’s salt and liquid seasoning (booby prize!). My husband the health buff traded his bag of chips with the fruit cups my uncle the junkfood addict won. Perfect swap! My sister and I swapped too.

And oh, what happened to the raffle stubs? My Dad put them on the Christmas tree!

Our Christmas Raffle is always fun. We look forward to this every year. I hope you had fun looking at some of the pictures too!

Now look at the raffle spread again… what would you have wanted to win?

Linus knows what Christmas is all about. Sharing with you some of my favorite characters and one of my favorite Christmas songs: “Christmas Time is Here” from “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”

Christmas Time Is Here,
happiness and cheer,
fun for all that children
call their favorite time of year.

Snowflakes in the air,
carols everywhere,
olden times and ancient rhymes
and love and dreams to share.

Sleigh bells in the air;
beauty every where;
yuletide by the fireside
and joyful memories there.

Christmas time is here;
we’ll be drawing near;
oh that we could always see
such spirit through the year,
such spirit through the year.

Merry Christmas to you and your families.

Ants are fierce where I live, and they sure love my honey. So I put my bottle of honey in a little water bath. The water keeps the ants away and there’s more honey for me! It’s simple and effective. Good thing there aren’t any bees. I wouldn’t know how to deal with that!

Honey in a foot bath

I had my first taste of Hot Toddy a few nights ago. New things are always good to try, so I went for it. This Toddy was hot, fierce and soothing. My senses were offended at first, but after giving this Toddy several chances, I began to fall in love with… it. Lest you think I’m getting into an extra-marital romance, this Hot Toddy is no less than a mixed drink that serves me well with my sniffles.

Sha gave me the idea when I was running out of ideas for treating my darn cold. Try a Hot Toddy, she advised. Hot tea with whiskey and honey was all it was. Eh?, I wondered. I decided to give it a whirl. After some searching on Google, I learned that a Hot Toddy is a comforting drink. It’s great for those with colds and a slight fever.

Here’s how you make a Hot Toddy:
1. Grab your favorite mug, put in a teabag and pour in hot water.
2. Steep tea for 5 minutes, then take the teabag out.
3. Put in two shots of brandy or whiskey.
4. Put in a tablespoon of honey.
5. Add juice of half a lemon in. Note: I didn’t have any lemons at home, so used lemon tea instead. It tasted good.
6. Mix well.

The aroma will be a little bit fierce if you’re not used to alcohol, but it is very soothing to that clogged nose. Best enjoyed when in your pajamas, wrapped in a cozy blanket while watching your favorite DVD.

There are many variations to a Hot Toddy. Some slide in cloves, butter; others use rum as the alcohol. Whatever combination you choose, it is best to enjoy this steaming hot. As delicious as it may be, don’t forget that alcohol dehydrates your body. Enjoy in moderation.

Now I’m off for another date with hot, hot Toddy. And yes, my husband’s fully aware of our nightly trysts.

A story in three pictures.

Off with its head! It tasted yummy. The Snowman donut was from Krispy Kreme.

Veronika Decides to Die is one of my favorite books. This novel by Paulo Coelho is about a woman who seems like she has the world, but decides to takes her own life. The story follows her fall into madness and the beauty she discovers in it.

The book has now been turned into a film. Based on IMBD, it is scheduled to come out in March 2009. The film version of Veronika Decides to Die stars Sarah Michelle Gellar as Veronika. The movie also features Jonathan Tucker, David Thewlis, Melissa Leo and Erika Christensen. Take a peek at the trailer. It looks very promising!

On the menu, it is called Amato. Perhaps it is an homage to a town in Italy? I’m not sure. But I do know that when I was craving for something light and filling, this slice of cheesecake hit the spot.

My eyes gravitated to “low fat” before “cheesecake.” Can this taste good?, I wondered. I took a chance and ordered it, along with some hot tea.

I’d call the flavor refreshing. Tart and light, but still savory enough to be filling. I liked that their crust was a bit oaty, not the usual graham cracker crust one finds at the bottom of cheesecakes. I would’ve preferred that the cheesecake were slightly chilled before serving, but it was good nonetheless.

Felix, Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila. (02) 729-9062