Pineapple cake

It's my best friend's birthday, so what should I get her? What should I buy for her? Today, when we think of presents, we often resort to what to 'buy'. Oh, let's get an iPhone for her birthday or let's just treat her to brunch and the worst (in my opinion)? The extremely impersonal gift card. It's almost as thoughtless as cash, but a step up because at least it takes efforts to purchase the gift card.

I prefer to create things for special occasions. Not because I'm cheap (although I'm on a budget) or I've nothing better to do, but I find joy in making things, especially with baking. When I was little, I used to make cute, little stationery gadgets for my elementary school teachers. Thought they could make good use of them. I also enjoyed knitting friendship bracelets for my BFFs. You remember those jewelries, right? However, I was never into folding roses. Too 'typical' you may say.

So for my best friend's birthday, as always, I made her baked goods. Previously, I've done banana bread (one of her all-time favorites), molasses cookies (quite easy to make!), and pumpkin pie. This time, I've got canned pineapple in hand, so I thought I could give pineapple cake a try.

Not too difficult to make. Just got to make the batter, pour it with the fruits and then bake it. This one isn't hers. The one I gave her is actually more presentable. This one is for my mom. No, not Mother's Day present, since I'll be treating her to brunch. Hey! I always make her things, so I'm not eating my words. :)

Enjoy your weekend everyone. Finally, some sun!

Nature's Candies

What's your favorite candy? Mine? That wold be nature's candies - fruits.

Yes, I never thought of fruits adn a sugary addiction, but ever since I weaned myself away from HFCS-invested candies, my cravings for Now & Later, M & M or Skittles also got banished. Now, when I'm craving for something sweet and tart, I grab a piece of fruit, but my very very favorite would have to be apple. Why? I love...

*texture - crisp, crunchy, and a bite to it

*taste: sweet, moist, and tart

*nutritious

*fulfilling

There are so many variety of apples, but I prefer Red Delicious and Fuji, but when it comes to cooking with this amazing fruits, different type yield better results. For example:

Red Delicious: salad

Granny Smith: baking pie, sauce

Braeburn: baking

Honeycrisp: baking

And of course, apples are great by themselves. So munch or crunch away!

"How do you like them apple?"

Check out this great website for more apple information.

A Must each day

Besides the usual suspects of water and air, what's one food and one task you tend to repeat day after day? I just realized what a routine I've been carrying recently and no matter what happens, I'd get a craving for a specific food at a certain time on any given day (4:01pm) or had to complete a certain task before the day ends (for me, that's 10:30pm).

I get an 'almond' craving in the late afternoon. I may be full, but without this nutty goodness, I'm just not satisfied. Also, I HAVE to check my blog...even though nobody comments on my posts. @_@

What are your MUSTs of each day?

Organic Shopping List

With all the recent bacteria outbreak and now the ominous H1N1 (aka swine flu) scare, you can't help it but wonder what should we put into our mouth nowadays. Recent studies have shown that some produce items are more subjected to pesticide contamination than others. These 'dirty' produces are actually some of my favorite food in the whole wide world, so knowing that I shouldn't be eating them just really saddens me. However, by going organic, you can avoid the germs and chemical residues and safely consume the fruit of the looms. But I understand that not everyone can afford to buy organics items, but if possible, do buy these organic because really, if we literally see the germs on the skin of these produces, that would surely convince us to splurge a little to keep our health.



Fruits: Peaches Vegetables: Celery

Apples Lettuce

Nectarines Spinach

Strawberries Pepper

Nectarines Potatoes



Check out http://www.foodnews.org/ for a complete report.

Are You An Adventurous Eater?

When it comes to the food you put into your mouth, are you game for anything? This question can be applied to different scenarios, such as your willingness to experiment other ethnic food, to taste a different flavor, or to brave the fusion world.

However, does your adventures disappoint you at times that you eventually crawl back to your good ol' place and beg for forgiveness?

I used to be an adventurous eater, whether it's a trip for Indian, French, or Africa, I was game. I loved to discover and try out new restaurants, especially those hold in the wall joints. Well, it was also much easier when I was an omnivore. Now, I realized a lot of places disappoint me - price/quality/service wised. Sometimes the size and quality of a dish doesn't justify its price or the flavor is really off. Furthermore, bad service can really ruin an appetite and a good dining experience. Now of course I don't expect 5 star service at a take-out place, but respect and courtesy are keys to build a regular customer basis and I've been to cheap sandwich shops with wonderful staff who are always kind enough to accommodate my gastric needs.

It's great to leave one's comfort zone, but at times, going back to the ol' place that's guaranteed good food and service just makes life so much easier. I agree with the expression that more choices means more complication. What's your take? And is there any cuisine you're hoping to try but maybe too afraid to?

My Favorite Part...of a Loaf of Bread

We generally like things that come in a package, but thanks to human nature, favortism drives us to single out certain things. Case in point. You may love your significant other's particular sense of humor, wealth, or just the bright smile. At your home, you may feel the most comfortable in the kitchen where you can carry out a culinary therapy session.

Now that we're talking about food, well, a 'food' has its own personality as well. Whether it's crunchy, sweet, savory, mushy, hard, smooth...the descriptions can go on and on. Food critics like to 'dissect' flavors and texture and I like to 'physically' dissect my bread. Now I'm not going to do a surgery, but there are certain elements of the bread that I prefer. Some people like the doughy, soft innard, while others favor the ends. I love the ends too, but I particular love the crust. I always look for a hard exterior so I can 'skin' the crust and leave the soft portion for my family. It's a selfish deed. :)

So what's your favorite part of the bread and what kind of bread do you buy/bake/like?

Organic Hemp Clothings

This is non-food related writing.

I know we hear a lot of the benefits of hemp seeds, but aside from eating organic, people are starting to pay more attention to going organic with their clothings.

Today, I was at the Go Green Expo NY. It was really cool. Lots of exhibitors were there to promote their go green products and services. Many samples were given, such as organic chocolate (!), organic drinks, organic vitamins, enviromental organization messages were provided...the word of choice is...ORGANIC.

I stopped by one booth that featured a shop that sells organic clothings. I couldn't afford the more expensive items, but I did spot the $10 piles and got a deal on a half hemp/half organic cotton T-shirt. I've never bought a hemp shirt before because it's always very expensive, so I'm glad I got this special deal.

So what IS hemp when it's tied in with the clothes you wear? Well, here's a little background...

Hemp is an extraordinary fiber because:

- It is lightweight, absorbant and, with three times the tensile strength of cotton, strong and longlasting.
- It is UV and mold-resistant.
- I can be blended with other fibers, such as cotton and silk, so it is very compliable.
- it is less expensive to farm because of its minimal growth requirements.

And last, but not the least...

Hemp farming uses very little water and requires almost no pesticide, so it's good for the environment, which benefits us in the long run.

So? Have you gotten your hemp shirt today?