You start to realize the prices of vegetables are going up it is time to be practical in growing vegetables in your garden and every summer we usually start planting more vegetables in our garden and by the time it start growing we have more vegetables to eat. In the Philippines we also have a farm that is planted by our employee that has a green thumb and every week we have a person bringing it to our home. We have the following vegetables that we no longer need to buy at the public market and can be consumed at home and to give the family members. Eggplant                                                  Ampalaya (bitter gourd) Petchay String Beans Malunggay Pandan Leaves Okra Tomato Upo Chayote Bok Choy Patola Langka (jack fruit) We get our seeds from a  nursery  where you can purchase it as well we ask people who tra...

I learned how to sew when I was in high school when I needed to take up a course that was required during my time for home economics. I had decided to pick sewing as I always saw my mom sew our clothes when we're young during that time we had no money to buy clothes that was bought from a department store. We lived off from only one income which my mom was only a housewife who took care of us and she also started taking care of other children who became our friends as we had grown up. The benefit of knowing how to sew now that we are unable to go shopping and buy new set of clothes as my clothes are falling off my waist I have been sewing my clothes to adjust it back to my size. When you know how to sew you can make a lot of things to keep yourself busy as my friends are making homemade facial mask for their personal needs as well giving or selling it to their friends. The benefit we can put our time and creation when we are sewing and time flies fast as we are sew somethin...

Many of us like to think of a way how to protect our phone when dropping to prevent it from breaking as we are using it every day. The trend is to make sure our phone is cleaned from bacteria and often we are cleaning it with alcohol so many of us are worried it can be catch on as we leave it on the table or having it brought out when we use it. There are so many phone cases to use to protect our phone but there are so many selections and styles to pick out for what kind of model your phone may be as for me I have tried putting a screen guard on my phone but it doesn't seem to work on any Samsung Galaxy because for some reason when you type it doesn't allow you too. In order to protect my phone I would buy a case that has a screen cover attached this way it protects my phone from dropping and I can still manage to type from it.

Mc Donald's in the Philippines has a new item spicy chicken nuggets the taste of hot chili peppers gives a hot spice in your mouth dipped with barbecue sauce or sweet and sour sauce to choose from when you order your food. Finally get to go back to American drink a milk shake now available in flavors chocolate and strawberry for an 16 oz. I had missed this the most back home in California. Too bad you cannot order the milk shake in a meal need to order it as ala carte only available one size for PHP 94.00 ($1.88)

Merienda is a snack often served from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Everyone always looks forward eating merienda that also comes before dinner is served. Pair Up Your Merienda Together Filipino Pancit  with pandesal with butter spread or puto with coffee Dinuguan  with puto (steam sweet rice cake) with soft drink Chicken Arroz Caldo  with  takwat baboy Turon  with vanilla ice cream Palabok with puto Champorado with dried tuyo Chicharon (pork skin) with vinegar Halo halo  with palabok Pandesal with ice cream  The drinks for merienda is always served with coffee, tea or soft drinks but other people recommend drinking fresh buko juice in a coconut shell. To get my recipe click on the pink highlighted and it will direct you to it.

Every time we have visitors who come and visit us they end up complaining toward the end of their vacation telling us they have gained so much weight. Everyone has a passion to eat and when you come to the Philippines make sure you always have room for dessert that comes along with each meal. When you come to the Philippines you are not on a diet because when you are on vacation diet no longer exists in our world you can go back on a diet when you return back in your hometown. This is how it is when you are going on a road trip with me no diet exist might as well enjoy your vacation by trying new food when you return back there is no food like our food located in your area or you may also have it but the food is not exactly the same like food made in the Philippines. All my recipes are highlighted pink just click and it will directly you to it. Filipino Dishes for Lunch or Dinner That Is Often Match Up  The secret is if the dish is cooked with fish there it is always matched with f...

In the future when you come and visit the Philippines when you decide to order beef tapa in the menu it is often called tapsilog often it is cooked with sinangag garlic fried rice ,  sunny side up egg and sliced tomatoes or  achara (papaya relish). For your reference you may find my recipe  Filipino Beef Tapa  the homemade way. In our home we prefer to slice up the tapa in smaller pieces this way it is easily to be cooked and once it is done it is a bite a way when it is time to eat less hassle to slice it up when time to eat. Cooking Instructions: In a frying pan add some cooking oil when oil is hot enough add beef tapa pieces to the pan cook both sides set aside on a strainer have a plate underneath to let the remaining oil drip off. You can decide if you want it well done or medium well done all depends how you like your meat cooked. Cleaning Frying Pan: Transfer remaining cooked oil in a bottle add water to frying pan to remove the residue and it will be easier t...

There are four ways to make out of your seafood sandwich spread by making it in a lazy sushi by adding rice, garden salad, pasta and bread all in one dish. For so many years I have worked at Subway Sandwich when I had mange and co-owned it when I was young I had learned to make a lot of sandwich spread and learn to make it at home in the Philippines. As you learn from all job experience you end up catering it at your home by experimenting on other things that can be useful in a dish you normally being served in a sandwich or lazy sushi. Experiment is the key or cooking and exploring to make new dishes that can be consider your own creation by sharing it other people becomes a great advantage. The main ingredient is imitation crab and mayonnaise of any brand it is easy to make just separate the imitation crab and mix with mayonnaise until it sticks together some people like with less mayonnaise and others like with a lot. For your reference here are the recipe Kani Garden Salad ...

No matter if you are a simple person but you use an expensive product in what you wear or what you drive or bike people will notice you more because it represents how much money you are worth and you never know one day you will be kidnap from it. People living any where try to dress to impress or drive or ride to impress by bragging what they have and what money they can buy to show the world what they can afford by the way you look, the car you drive or the bike you have upgraded. No matter who you are you are driving people for attention and also drives people to stare, look and see who you and what kind of person you are who like to show what you can afford. You will come across people who will be envious of you or you will trigger those who want to steal from you. In every life we come across this type of people who flaunt what they have by telling people out of the blue or they take a picture and post it in social media or use it in public area no matter how you do it you ...

Every time Manang V will tell me she is cooking dalag (mud fish) I will joke with her I don't eat alien fish because I am allergic to it. There are certain kinds of fish I cannot eat in the Philippines.  In this sarciado dalag Manang V added black beans to this recipe and can use any other type of fish if dalag fish is not available in your area. Sarciado Dalag with Black Beans Recipe Ingredients: 1 - Dalag (clean and slice 3 pieces head, body and tail) 2 Tsp - Garlic (minced) 3 Pieces - Onion (chopped) 3 Pieces - Ripe Tomato (chopped) 1/2 Tsp - Black Pepper 1 Cup – Black Beans 3 Eggs - (beaten) 2 Tbsp - Patis (fish sauce) 1 3/4 Cup -Water 2 Tbsp - cooking oil Cooking Instructions Step 1: Clean Dalag Fry fish on cooking oil in a pan on both sides. Strain fish Set aside Step 2: Heat frying pan heat oil adds garlic, onion and tomato sauté together. Add patis, black pepper than stir. Add black beans and water...

From a supportive friend he would like me to share his recipe how he is cooking his Korean Barbecue from his home across the miles as I wake up the next day since we live in a different time zone he has sent me a picture with his recipe and a picture how everything looks like from my advantages if I cannot try his food but I can see it through his pictures and read all his  description  just like how you are doing it with me so this time I will share you his recipe. Korean Barbecue Recipe Ingredients: 1 - Package Short Ribs 1 - Wang Korean Beef Barbecue Sauce Marinate: Marinate beef ribs for one hour place in Tupperware Cooking Instructions: On your stove top using a frying pan pour some cooking oil when hot place the short ribs cook on both sides until cooked your Korean barbecue is ready to eat. NOT SPONSORED. Subscribe @ Carmina Lifestyle YouTube Channel  a place to look, discover and share. Thank you for your support.

I remember when I was young while growing up my mom had so many fruit trees from persimmon, apple, pear, calamansi, banana and so many more just growing in our backyard. By the time it was in season to eat them we had a lot of fruits to eat from our own home as each time we couldn't eat all of them my mom would give them away to her family friends free of charge. The benefit of having a fruit tree in your home you get to enjoy the fruits and make it into baked goods such as lemon bar, cakes and pies. You can also make it into a fresh juice by using a juicier. I use to dehydrate our fruits to make it into dried fruits and it became our snack at home. Now you have more time to spend time in your own home and you have room to grow fruit trees in your home by the time your fruits have grown out in your backyard you have your own fruits coming from your own garden.

Every now and then we miss what our parents are cooking for us when we’re young as growing up and when we have parents who are no longer living next to us we tend to look for the taste. Sometimes we can find the same taste from a different person how they cook their food or we have family members who we’re taught by our parents the way the use to cook for us when we’re young. As we get older we learn new things and we adapt our learning skills to teach those next to us to bring it to the next generation when we’re not with them as we get older. If you have parents still alive and living with you it is best to get their recipes from them and learn from based their own experiences so you too can learn and cook the way your parents use to cook. So often when we are younger and still growing up we don't want to learn how to cook or we find cooking is not our thing but when your parents are no longer living next to you later you will regret that you should of have learned the wa...

Being an alien where ever you travel the reason I say this when you travel and you look different from someone else from the way you look, talk and dress people identify as you being different from them. No matter if you don't mean well to attract people from both gender it just happens because to you look different from them no matter what nationality they may be who lives in that country to them you are a new face a person that make you who you are from being different to them. No matter if you don't try these people become magnets from you from the appearance that they don't see normally becomes new to you what happens when you are in a public area and whomever you have a relationship develops insecurities from people checking out your friends or partner. Other people get affected by their relationship strangers who you don't know sorry I don't mean it being so different from you and they way I look you cannot not compare ourselves because everyone has their own ...

Ever since I found out what dinuguan was made of I never ate it again when I was a child it use to be my favorite dish when I was a little kid. One day my mom and I went to the grocery store in California where I grew up, she had shopped at Magat an Asian Grocery Store in Union City and my mom decided to buy the ingredients of the dinuguan. My mom began cooking the dinuguan in the kitchen as I was watching her cook the dish, I saw my mom pour something that look like blood. I questioned my mom what was that she was pouring, and she said it was pork blood.  Ever since I saw the pork blood, she had poured into the dish I had told my mom you are a vampire and ever since that moment I never went back to eat it until I grew older. During the time I had celebrated my birthday, and I had friends come over at my house my mom would cook dinuguan as one of the main dishes and during that time we had called it chocolate meat. My friend loves my mom's cooking and ask me what it was m...

You have leftover bread that is about to expire why not make it into homemade French toast this way you're not wasting any food. You have an option to add fruits for your topping for example Carmina used ripe banana on her French Toast. Some people use honey rather using maple syrup which ever works for you is fine. Homemade French Toast Recipe Ingredients: 4 - Eggs 1 Tsp - Vanilla Extract 1 Tbsp - Maple Flavored Syrup 1/4 Cup - Milk Butter Cinnamon Powder  Preparing Homemade French Toast In a bowl you will combine beaten egg with milk, vanilla extract and cinnamon mix well and place slices of bread until it is well coated. Cooking Instructions: In a frying pan small amount of butter place slices of French toast cook both sides ready to serve by adding any type of fruits for your topping and maple syrup on how much you would like to add. NOTE: Carmina is not selling or advertising ingredients to make French Toast in your home. Subscribe & follow @ Carmina Lifestyle  a...

Cassava Dessert Recipe Ingredients: 1 1/2 Package - Cassava 1/4 Cup - Sugar 1 - Condensed Milk 1 - Evaporated Milk 1 - Coconut Milk 1/4 Stick - Butter (melted) 1 Tsp - Lemon Extract 4 - Eggs Preheat Oven 350 Preparating Cassava Combine cassava, sugar, condensed milk, evaporated milk. coconut milk, melted butter, egg and lemon extract mix together. Bake Pour in flat casserole dish bake for at 350 for 50 to 1 hour.

When I was a kid my mom had always made this dessert when she love having friends over to eat at our home. My mom loved to cook and I remember she had girl friends come over and they would eat and run as my dad would come home from work.  You can say our house was like a restaurant only difference there is no tip other than food given by her friends that came over and washed their own dishes as they leave our home. Almond Jello with Lychees Dessert Recipe Ingredients: 4 Packs - Knox Gelatin 2 - Cups Milk 2 Tsp - Almond Extract 1 - Cup - Lychees (peel, remove seed and slice) 3 - Cups - Sugar 1/2 Cup - Water Optional: You can use canned lychees just drain the syrup found in the Asian Grocery Store. Cooking Instructions: In a pot with boil water add Knox gelatin and melt it add milk, almond extract and sugar mix together add lychee place on flat casserole. Place in the refrigerator until harden ready to serve with shaved ice. NOT SPONSORED. Subscribe @ Carmina Lifestyle YouTube Channe...

Just like any household we also make soup that is also instant, but we add something different to make our soup look and taste different by adding quail egg added to our soup. Crab and Corn Soup with Quail Egg Recipe Ingredients: 1 - Crab and Corn Soup Packet 6 - Pieces Quail Egg  1 - Egg (beaten) Prepare Quail Egg: In a pot add water let the water boil add quail egg cook for 2 minutes remove quail egg place under cold water to remove the skin off on the quail egg set aside. Cooking Instructions: In a pot pour 4 cups of water and pour crab and corn soup let it dissolve inside and mix well place on stove top let it boil and continue to mix it until it is smooth add the beaten egg and quail egg cook for 5 minutes. NOT SPONSORED. Subscribe @ Carmina Lifestyle YouTube Channel  a place to look, discover and share. Thank you for your support.

Lychee is in season in the Philippines it can be eaten by itself or make into a juice or dessert from this fruit and the most common it is made as well into a smoothie or milk tea either way how you want to eat it is my favorite fruit. It comes with a branch when you buy it tied up together and when you open it the inside looks like this shown in the picture. Lychee is a sweet fruit and it is juicy as you open it with your hands but it doesn't last long because later the skin becomes hard, rough and start to turn slightly brown as you can see in this picture compare to the first one when it is red. My tip is you can open each one and place it in the fridge by removing its seeds you can also place in the freezer for long life when you plan to make a smoothie out of it in a Tupperware or Ziploc. Lychee is in season from the month of June and July.