Lemax Collector

Christmas may still be far away but I have a friend who is always looking for Christmas decors and stuffs year round. This time she is looking for a lemax Santa's Wonderland Village. You see, she is an avid Lemax collector and she already owns a few items but this time, she is looking for this particular item. I told her she should just look for it online because I'm sure she can find it there. So she did! Now she's got a new addition to her collection and she's very happy with it.

Cassava Suman

Car Covers

Most people here in the US have car garages or carports in their homes. But in big cities, people often park their cars on the streets or in their driveways. If you are in the same situation with the latter, I think it is very important to have car covers. That way, your car will be protected from the elements. After all, cars nowadays are getting pricey so taking care of what you have is still the best thing to do.

Pork Binagoongan Recipe

Here's another tried & tested, yummy recipe I want to share with you all. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

*1-1/2 lbs pork belly, cut lengthwise into 2-inch thick slabs
*6 cloves garlic, chopped
*1 small onion, chopped
*6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
*5-6 pieces green beans, sliced thinly; sideways
*1/4 - 1/2 cup bagoong alamang (salted, fermented shrimp paste), depending on your taste and how salty you like it to be
*cooking oil for deep frying and sauteing

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:

1) Place the pork belly in a pot and add water enough to just cover the pork. Bring to a boil and reduce to simmer. Continue to cook until the pork is tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.

2) Drain the pork. Measure 1/2 cup of pork stock and reserve the rest for future use. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and cut into 2-inch pieces.

3) Fill a wok or a pot with at least 2 inches deep of oil and heat the oil. Deep fry pork  until brown. Once browned, drain using a strainer and put in a plate lined with paper towel.

4) Heat a little bit of oil in a pan over medium heat. Saute garlic and onions until fragrant, softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and green beans and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the fried pork belly pieces, bagoong alamang and 1/2 cup pork stock. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes or until liquid is reduced. Enjoy with a plateful of rice. Happy eating!

Wine Glass Wedding Gift

In the Philippines, one of the most common wedding gifts is dining ware and/or glassware. You won't see a wedding without a gift or two (even more) that contains plates, glasses, forks and spoons. I think it has something to do with helping the newlyweds on their new life by giving them their needs and necessities of their wedding day. So in line with this Filipino "tradition", I am thinking I will give him some glassware as a gift for his upcoming wedding this year. I already found some very nice dinner plates with matching forks and spoons. All I need now is some wine glasses to complete the whole set. When I saw this BB Plastics Wine Glass online, I really liked it.

 

(Photo Source)

I love that it's Glass washer-friendly and "virtually unbreakable". It's made from elite polycarbonate material and it's reusable and recyclable too. Plus it is custom printable so it's really a perfect gift. So that's just one of my choices. There are still so many to choose from at Crosby's so I will keep looking around for more gift item ideas. I know wine glasses is not enough to give to my one and only brother for his wedding so I will have to find some more.