day 1 | 100 happy days

im taking part in the 100 happy days challenge & thought id document it on my blog.

today i was able to cook dinner for the hubby & i. while this isn't anything out of the ordinary i hadn't expected to be home until midnight from work. i unexpectedly got canceled which allowed me do more spring cleaning & cook dinner. filipino bistek was on the menu for tonight. happiness is in filipino comfort food.

compost cookie

last week i tried my hand at baking compost cookies inspired by momofuku milkbars recipe. i stopped by spun sugar to pick up the glucose powder it called for & got to baking. 

given that i gave up my processed & artificial sugar for the month of february, i couldn't taste the final product. however, i was assured by the compliments that this recipe is a keeper. i made the cookies smaller than what the recipe called for so instead of baking it for 18 minutes, i changed the baking time to 8 minutes. 

recipe:

• 225 grams (16 Tbsp. or 2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 150 grams (2⁄3 cup, tightly packed) light brown sugar
• 50 grams (2 Tbsp.) glucose
• 1 egg
• 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) vanilla extract
• 225 grams (1 1/3 cups) flour
• 2 grams (1/2 tsp.) baking powder
• 1 1/2 grams (1/4 tsp.) baking soda
• 4 grams (1 tsp.) kosher salt
• 150 grams (3/4 cup) mini chocolate chips
• 100 grams (1/2 cup) mini butterscotch chips
• 1/4 recipe Graham Crust (85 grams or 1/2 cup; see separate recipe)
• 40 grams (1/3 cup) old-fashioned rolled oats
• 5 grams (2 1/2 tsp.) ground coffee
• 50 grams (2 cups) potato chips
• 50 grams (1 cup) mini pretzels

directions:

Combine the butter, sugars and glucose in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the egg and vanilla, and beat for 7 to 8 minutes. 

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix just until the dough comes together, no longer than 1 minute. (Do not walk away from the machine during this step, or you will risk overmixing the dough.) Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. 

Still on low speed, add the chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, graham crust, oats and coffee, and mix just until incorporated, about 30 seconds. Add the potato chips and pretzels, and paddle, still on low speed, until just incorporated. Be careful not to overmix or break too many of the pretzels or potato chips. (You deserve a pat on the back if one of your cookies bakes off with a whole pretzel standing up in the center.) 

Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop (or a 1⁄3-cup measure), portion out the dough onto a parchment-lined sheet pan. Pat the tops of the cookie dough domes flat. Wrap the sheet pan tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 1 week. Do not bake your cookies from room temperature—they will not bake properly. 

Heat the oven to 375°. 

Arrange the chilled dough a minimum of 4 inches apart on parchment- or Silpat-lined sheet pans. Bake for 18 minutes. The cookies will puff, crackle and spread. After 18 minutes, they should be very faintly browned on the edges yet still bright yellow in the center. Give them an extra minute or so if that's not the case. 

Cool the cookies completely on the sheet pans before transferring to a plate or an airtight container for storage. At room temp, cookies will keep fresh for 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month.

score!

as with most teenage girls shopping & clothes use to excite me. i would say the same claim can be said during my college years & life in my early to mid twenties. it was after graduation & having way more time on my hands that i started to learn how to cook. it was around my late twenties that the thrill of shopping for clothes deflated. perhaps, it's realizing i have way more than i need with the combination of being a completely broke & struggling young adult post grad searching for any job to bring some sort of income that i actually started loathing shopping. i go through a series of questions (need vs. want, how functional is it, etc) before i buy anything these days. a huge majority of the time i put what i "think" i need back & walk out empty handed. ive learned to make do with what i have & loving the simplicity in not overindulging where i don't need to.

however, if their is one thing that excites me it is the acquisition of new cookware/bakeware! tell take signs of growing up..im sure. i had been hoping to stumble on a le cruset piece for years but alas no lucks during thrift store visit while hunting for vintage pyrex. this week after much patience I lucked out on a le cruset griddle pan! it's in excellent condition & instead of paying $150, I only paid $30! what a sweet deal! 

i was also gifted a new vintage pyrex to add to my collection from my sissy! it's been awhile since ive hunted since my collection is huge but it sure did feel nice to add something to my collection that i don't already own.

i couldn't wait to give my two new babies a bath & admire them after. grilled cheese sanwiches & tomato soup for the hubby next week! perfect for this rainy, cold, & gloomy weather we've been having in drought stricken california!

kielbasa skillet recipe

today, i finally got started on the laundry, unpacking, & cleaning that i needed to start. i have been putting off everything that needs to be tackled, since coming back, due to crazy times of waking up & sleeping, only to have a difficult time going back to sleep. major jet lag. yesterday, i decided that it was time to use an over the counter sleep aid to help me re-adjust back to normal sleeping times. i slept early & woke up at a decent time. hooray!

anyhow, today's lunch was a savory homemade kielbasa dish. the recipe is as follows. 

1 onion (diced)

1 pack of smoked kielbasa (cut diagonally)

2 red potatoes (diced)

1 yellow potato (diced)

handful of baby spinach leaves

2 tbsp dijon mustard 

2 tbsp cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1) chop potatos & fry in oil 

2) set fried potatos aside & add in sliced keilbasa & onions. cook until brown.

3) add in dijon mustard, cider vinegar, & brown sugar to onions & keilbasa. add in potato. stir everything together. add in spinach until it reduces in size & wilts. 

enjoy with rice or eat as is! 

brown apple betty

i made my first brown apple betty last fall & it's something that i knew would become tradition every autumn & winter season. 

it's one of those "i don't have anything in my fridge or pantry" desserts that's so easy to throw together. after tearing/slicing apart pieces of bread (any bread works wonderfully) & slicing up some fruit (any seasonal fruit works from apples, pears, or peaches) you're not to far from a comforting dessert that's just as delicious as a traditional fruit pie or cobbler. it's so easy to make using only five ingredients! after layering the bottom of my pyrex with apple slices (i used 3 apples) i sprinkled one cup of brown sugar on top of the fruit slices. then i lay the sliced pieces of bread at the top. i add i cup of melted butter, sprinkle a bit of cinnamon, & bake in oven for 45 minutes at 350 degrees. 

no need to worry about making the  crust. the crunch of the bread gives this dessert a nice texture. it takes me about 20 minutes to make & its easier than pie! add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or dalop of whip cream & you've got a delicious & comforting all american dessert!

thanksgiving 2013

my efforts to sleep are proving to be futile as im up an hour after since my last post. i got to scrolling through my photos & noticed most of my home cooking photos are absent. i had hoped to catch up my blog with my cooking adventures but alas those photos are long gone. i made the terrible mistake of switching out of an iphone after the hubs accidentally placed my phone in the washer. thought it might be time to switch to a phone with a bigger screen for my korean dramas. lesson learned to never switch out of the intuitive smartness & simplicity of an iphone for customizable features (i hardly used them). i came across several problems with my samsung S4 after having had it only for only 4 months. i switched back. 

while aimlessly scrolling through my photos i came across thanksgiving pictures. my contribution this year was a cambodian noodle dish i learned from a friends sister. i had it at their family party & couldn't enough of it. it was my second time making it & it proved to be a success based on opinions at our thanksgiving gathering. 

i started by soaking peppers in water to soften them for the dressing. it looks like it may cause high levels of spiciness but on the contrary it only adds flavor. those who weren't fond of spicy foods couldn't detect it, so it was safe for all to eat.

 i transported the different elements of my crispy noodle cambodian salad separately so that it remained crunchy until it was ready for serving. 

arrived & everyone had a huge feast! so very thankful to be able to eat an abundance good food with good people! we feasted on the traditional turkey, honeybaked ham, cranberry sauce, pancit, lumpia, & crabs to name a few of the deliciousness that lay before my eyes. a filipino/american menu is always a winner in my book during the holidays! 

Eggplant Omelette

tortang talong (eggplant omelette) is one of my favorite filipino dishes. it's easy to make & comforting to eat. with lots of ketchup of course!  it transports me back to lunches sitting around the table with my tita's & cousins.

BIG 30!

a few days ago the fiancé celebrated his 30th birthday. on the actual day of we kept it low key & his mom, sister, & i cooked a huge dinner. he even had 2 cakes..30 is huge after all. :) we were all so stuffed afterwards!

it was also another good excuse to craft a few things. i made him cake toppers. one was a banner. another were glitter stars from a previous project & sparkly pom poms to mimic candles since i forgot to buy some at the store.

banana fana fo fana

ive been craving banana bread lately so i decided to make good use of my recent vintage pyrex acquisition & make some banana bread this morning. warm banana bread is so comforting & with a slither of butter, its perfect for breakfast.

dinner for two

tonight's dinner consisted of eggplant parmesan & clams in linguine pasta. i find that these divided pyrex dishes are just the perfect size for home cooked meals between the fiancé & i.

when it rains, it pours

ive been on a winning streak as of late with my vintage pyrex finds! when it rains, it pours & in this case i couldn't be more thankful. i scored these spring blossom refrigerator sets & casserole dishes for one dollar each from a seller who wanted to get rid of them since she was moving out of state. it was in mint condition & some were even unused! what an amazing deal!

one week later i got the coveted primary refrigerator set! a complete set for the price of one dish! what sweet deals ive been scoring lately!

lucky finds

ive had quite the luck these past two weeks with my pyrex finds. i found these duplicate pieces that i already own & thought what perfect timing since my girlfriend wanted a few. a casserole dish in my favorite size, a divided dish, & the spring blossom pattern i started out with..i say that's a great start!

Brrrrr..It's Cold In Here

cold winter nights are a great excuse for me to keep on tweaking my hot chocolate recipe until im happy with the balance of cocoa & spices. hot cocoa from scratch + freshly made whip cream is such a lovely combination during these cold cold months.

brown apple betty

next to an apple crisp, my favorite apple dessert is a brown apple betty. it's a no fuss warm & comforting dessert that tastes such little prep time. its easy to throw together as their is little mixing & even less mess! i absolutely love the crispness of the bread & much prefer it to the crust of an apple pie. topped with whip cream or vanilla ice cream & you're not to far away from a wholesome goodie at your fingertips.

pyrex hunting

sissy first took a liking to my vintage pyrex's when she came over for dessert. since then ive managed to convince her to come along for the hunt & start her own collection. luckily, her mom had a few in storage including a yellow loaf pan & a few bowls. i was also able to find her two more pieces to add to her collection both of which were excellent condition. i was tempted to keep the ombré bowl for myself as i had never seen anything like it but i parted with it knowing id find luck elsewhere & that she was just building her little pyrex family. happiness tastes much sweeter when shared!

next thing you know, just a few minutes later...karma blessed me with a divided dish in the pattern i had been searching for. score!

thanksgiving

part of thanksgiving day fun is the traditional pre-celebration with the bf that i always look forward to. this year we visited a place both he & i haven't been to since high school. we picked up iced mint mojitos & climbed our way up the rock to enjoy this breath taking view.

after, we got a bit of exercise before heading to have dinner. it was a small celebration with tons of yummy food. I made jalepeno cheddar bacon corn bread & bacon deviled eggs.

Paying It Forward With Pyrex

after a drought from thrifting & leaving empty handed, last month (my birth month) the pyrex gods were surely with me. they brought upon massive luck & an abundance of vintage pyrex pieces were added to my small & humble family. i stumbled upon this spring blossom butter dish on an impromptu visit to good will & for the whopping price of $1.99, who wouldn't pick up this cutie?! although i already had this, i couldnt resist and knew i wanted to give it to someone as a gift. spring blossom print evokes a sense of happiness with its retro feel. or thats atleast thats how it makes me feel, so i wanted to pass those happy feelings to someone else.