Yesterday afternoon, while doing some errands I received a text from an unregistered contact which reads:

Good Afternoon. This is Goya from Virtusio PR. We would like to invite HungryNez to a
Thanksgiving Dinner. May we have your email add so we can send you the invitation. Thank You.

It was a nice and neat text invitation. Since I was not at home, very eager I was, I asked my friend to check if the company is legit, and he said yes, it is legit. Unless the text is not. Whew!

This is my very first to receive an invitation through my blog and I do not know much about media and public relation companies so I immediately went back home to check my email. Yup, I have a very pretty and elegant invitation attached to a letter from virtusio.com, a public relations and marketing company.

Deliciously tempting! But I haven’t decided yet if I am to attend to a once in a lifetime dinner experience or drop the invitation knowing not much of the event to be held. I don’t know. I will keep you posted.

We all love fruits! Aside from nutritional benefits fruits give us, they also promote beauty and wellness. Among the hundreds of fruits we have, the following fruits are commonly known and available in the Philippines for our tummy and skin.

APPLES
A is for apple! Everybody loves apples. Not only delicious but nutritious too. Just as what they say, an apple a day, keeps the doctor away. Apples are rich in alpha-hydroxy acids which are best in removing off old skin and helps reveal fresh new skin. It also contains pectins that firms and tightens saggy skin like fine wrinkles. Apples are not only great on skin but also for your teeth and breath. To fight breath problems, you can eat apples before going to bed. It also helps you lessen the oil on your skin.

For an Apple Mask, grate fresh apple and add honey. Apply on your washed face and leave for 10 minutes. Then, rinse with water.

LEMONS or CALAMANSI
You can use either lemons or calamansi if you want a fairer skin. Lemons or calamansi contains enzymes that helps you rub of the dead skin cells. It also helps your freckes disappear. Rather than getting a whitening soap, rub about 2 or 3 calamansi on your body for a natural whiter and fairer complexion. If you have underarm odor problem, you can also rub them on your underarms while showering and leave them for about 1-2 minutes and rinse well. This also works if you have smelly feet. You can also make a lemon scrub by mixing 1/2 cup milk, 1 fresh lemon juice or 5 calamansi juice and 3 tablespoon of oatmeal. Gently rub on skin and rinse off with water. Lemons or calamansi can also help your dandruff problems. Just add lemon juice or calamansi on a water in your dipper, use it as last rinse after washing your hair.

Do not use large amounts of lemon juice or calamansi juice if you have a very sensitive skin. It will cause irritation and redness. Make sure not to expose your body to sun for few hours after using lemon juice or calamansi juice.

BANANA
One of the most nutritious fruits in the world is the Banana. It contains vitamins A, B and E , potassium, iron, iodine and magnesium. For dry and aging skin, try making a Banana Mask. Get a large banana, peel them with the back of the fork then add a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of oatmeal. Apply on washed face. Leave on for 20 minutes and wash face thoroughly with water. It will nourish your face and helps you to have a supple and hydrated skin. Banana mask leftover can also be used on your feet if yours are dry.

STRAWBERRIES
Eating fresh strawberries will not only help whiten your teeth but it can also make your breath fresh. While eating them, leave a handful of straberries for your face. Strawberries are packed with tons of antioxidants that helps prevent premature aging. It contains natural source of salicylic acid which is the most effective cure in fighting acne or pimples. Strawberries are great natural toner and moisturizer to for skin.

Blend together 1 cup of fresh strawberries and 1 tablespoon of sour cream or yoghurt.. Apply the strawberry mask evenly on your skin and leave it to dry for at least 20 minutes. When the mask dries up, wash your fash with water. Do this 3 -5 times a week. You can also use the remaining mask on your feet as a foot scrub. Just add about 3 tablespoon kosher salt and rub on your feet and rinse.

PINEAPPLES
Pineapples are rich in bromelain, which is a natural enzyme that removes dead skin cells, dirt and oil on skin surface. It is also a great as anti-oxidants. It contains vitamin C, B1 and manganese. For Pineapple exfoliating mask, blend 4 slices of fresh pineapples, 2 tbsp honey and 2 tbsp. oatmeal. Apply on skin and rinse well after 20 minutes. Like apples, it helps lessen the plaque on your teeth, and also prevents gum diseases.

PAPAYA
No need to use soaps, shampoos and creams with Papaya. Why not just use fresh papaya for you to have an instant whitening glow on your skin? Papaya is one of the most common beauty remedy for several problems on skin. Like the rest of fruits, it can also be used in minimizing wrinkles and age spots. It is also be used as a remedy on pimples of acne. For your papaya mask, slice a medium piece of papaya, mash them with fork and massage gently on your face and neck. Leave for 10-15 minutes and wash fash with water.

WATERMELON
Loaded with vitamin A that helps minimize the the size of pores on your face. It also helps helps control oil. It promotes collagen production for a younger looking skin. It can also exfoliate your skin to make it radiant and fresh. It also decreases dullness and prevents pimples and acne. For your watermelon skincare, mash pieces of watermelon the apply on face. Leave for 10-12 minutes and wash with water. You can also freeze cubed watermelon and rub them on your skin for a refreshing and cooling effect.

ORANGE
Oranges are rich in vitamin C which are best known for is toning and exfolilating properties. It helps improve the texture and color of skin. It also helps restore the collagen to make your skin firm and to prevent from early eaging. As simply as rubbing a fresh orange on your skin with help tighten and lighten. You can also use it as body scrub. You may also 2 tablespoons of milk with a half cup of orange juice and apply on face for radiant and blemish-free skin.

You may also combine any fruit, mash them, add a little honey and apply on face as mask. Leave for 5-10 minutes and wash with water.

More beauty tips? Let me know.

Mang Inasal is now open in Dagupan City!

Royce and I were so excited we can barely delay to be at Mang Inasal on opening day. Not because we craved for Mang Inasal’s specialty which is the Chicken Inasal, but we just wanted to check how Dagupeños responded to one of the many food stores that opened recently in the city.

Mang Inasal is truly surprising. Though several Chicken Inasal with Unlimited Rice local stores already emerged in the city, still Mang Inasal caught people’s attention as over hundred of people came to dine. As we arrived, we were welcomed with a Dinagyang Festival Dance of Ilo-ilo where the first store was opened. The store was jam-packed and it took us about 20 minutes to be at the counter and have our orders taken. Crowded as it was, the store managed to cope with the flow of the customers as they placed extra tables and chairs outside the store. Again we waited another 20 minutes to grab a table. An added 15 minutes for our meals to be on our tables. It seemed it was a disastrous experience but it surely was a great and successful opening day for Mang Inasal here in Dagupan City.

So if you are tired of gobbling burgers and fries, why not try eating something healthy like Mang Inasal’s charcoal grilled chicken marinated in local spices and herbs with rice wrapped in banana leaves and served with steaming Sinigang Soup. Mang Inasal also offers Bangus Sinigang, Beef Sinigang, Bangus Sisig, Pork Sisig, Pork Barbecue, Boneless Bangus, Lumpia Sardines, Mais Con Yelo, Saging Melt, Sago’t Gulaman and many more. Mang Inasal in Dagupan City is located at Metro Plaza, AB Fernandez Avenue, just infront of Dagupan City Hall.

Last night’s news featured a Filipino couple in the United States selling rock salt they are importing from the Philippines. The news said that this kind of salt is highly sought for by chefs of high-end restaurants because it leaves a distinct flavor to the dish compared to the ordinary table salt we buy at the grocery. Rock salt, the cheapest kind we buy here locally, is in demand by top-rated restaurants because it makes food a lot tastier than the usual salt.

I also use rock salt when cooking. I have found out that it indeed does make foods tastier. There is something in rock salt that makes food more flavorful and delicious. Ordinary table salt passes through different stages of processing and refining which may cause it to lose some of its natural properties and minerals. Rock salt is obtained through simple yet out-dated process involving solar evaporation. Seawater is allowed to flood into a baked clay field lined with bricks. Under the heat of the sun the water evaporates and leaves its residue, salt. The chuncks of salt are harvested and purified by boiling water. Then the rock salt is suspended in baskets to allow water to drip and when dry, the result is a medium grain rock salt that is clean and flavorful .

One of Pangasinan’s main product is rock salt or in tagalog “asin.” In fact the name Pangasinan means ‘a place where salt is made’. Small salt manufacturers dot the province’s coastline. Last night’s feature must be good news to them. Suprisingly, the common rock salt, a source of income for many self-employed individuals in the province is getting popular and receiving good worldwide attention and reputation.

photos courtesy of bustria salt farm

I happen to see the Yahoo news this morning which features NEW YORK CHEF DANIEL ANGERER’S BREASTMILK CHEESE. Yup, you read it right! Cheese made out of his wife’s breastmilk. This really caught my attention.

So, I asked my friends, “Would you like to try breastmilk cheese?”

Some would say, yummy! Why not? Breastmilk is better than cow’s milk.

Some would say, eeewww! Breastmilk is best for babies up to two years of age. So just give the milk to the babies.

How about you? Would you like to try Breastmilk Cheese?

I saw once in an SM Department Store a device you stick to a knife to make even slices of vegetables and fruits like if your making french fries. I was amazed how a very simple device can make slicing of fruits and vegetables so quick and efficient. Gone were the days of firewood and ‘pugon’, they were replaced with the stove and the oven, though some people still cook the old fashion way, using modern equipments and kitchenware makes cooking a more convenient and a fun activity. Easy cooking will never be possible without kitchen aids. There are hundreds of equipments and apparatuses and listing all of them would be close to impossible.

Kitchenware includes utensils, dishes, appliances, cookware and many more. Cookwares are containers like frying pans and saucepans usually used on a stove, and bakewares are also same vessels but used inside an oven. Dishwares or dinnerwares are for serving and eating food like plate and bowls. Drinkware are of course are containers for drinking.  Eating and serving utensils include fork, knife, spoon, drinking straw, spork, tongs and many more.

I was browsing the internet and saw a bunch of pictures of different kitchenware. Some of the things I saw had the pretty usual design, but there are few that quickly caught my attention. So I decide to make a picture wish list of the ones I liked but probably wont spend so much money just to have.  Anyway here’s my list:

This elegant dining ware set is from CorningWares.  CorningWares has been in the business for more than 50 years providing wide array of premium designs made to fit to the different tastes of their consumers. These wares can be used for everyday and even during occasions.

Celebrity chef Rachel Ray with legendary Australian knife maker Fur joined together for this modern design set of knives. I never thought knives would be so trendy.

These I saw from homechoice.com.za. Aren’t they lovely? Can’t wait to do a massive cooking of spaghetti sauce, macaroni soup and more with these pots.

Again, these are from CorningWares by kitforkitchen.com. What is nice with CorningWare is that the material they use is of glass ceramic material which is durable enough to be used on the stove, in an oven, broiler, or microwave oven. And another thing – they never go out of style

I hate loving this. If I ever got one like this, I don’t think I can fry fish or sautee something in it. It is too lovely to be under fire. This pan of Scanpan Fusion of peppercorn.net costs about £46, which is about P4000 in out currency – I can buy dozen of pans in a local store. This is far beyond comparison though. This is just for keeps, I guess.

I think I better go back to my kitchen now. Just like what I mentioned earlier, I won’t be spending too much for wares, or I should say, I can’t afford splurging thousand bucks for those. I rather buy microwave oven and a juicer and a food processor and an outdoor griller and a…..

hi! my name is nez.

i am a mother of my 3 year old son, colby, who is extremely fidgety, always on the game and very choosy with his food to eat. i am always on the experiment of foods to give him. he loves the taste of pasta, pizza, anything that has tomatoes. he is not into sweets, no ice creams, no cakes. he loves veggies which i am so very well pleased. he doesnt like meats except for fish meat like bangus, tilapia, tanguigue, blue marlin and the like. he is into junk foods. i cant blame him for we, royce and i, are into chips and snacks.

i am the wife of royce, an entrepreneur, who is very loving, patient, has a passion to achieve his goals. he loves to eat, does experiments, always tries new restos, new food offers. he is not into sweets either. he would rather have a full meal than having small snacks.

as a couple, royce and i love to eat out especially if we get tired and stressed from the day’s work. when at home, i just prepare simple food on our table but make sure something special during weekends. i get my recipes from the trainings i had from programs our church offers, i am a Latter-day Saint by the way www.lds.org and also from the mothers who i love especially their cooking. i usually browse the net for new recipes like www.pinoycook.net, whom i got the inspiration of creating my own food blog, cooks.com, kitchenomics.com and many more.

i want to share my experiences in eating, cooking, baking, which i know, i am not a pro but just by creating this blog and making myself be read, i hope to give an inspiration to those who wanted to travel with me in journey of living with food with families and friends.