My Weekend Journal

A cup of tea contains 2 to 3 times more antioxidants called polyphenols compared to one apple. Make this a fresh fruit punch high in fiber and antioxidants by adding cubed apples, sliced grapes, and strawberries into the mixture.  SPARKLING TEA PUNCH Ingredients: 1/2 cup NESTEA Lemon 4 cans white soda drink 3 cups ice cold water 1 cup orange juice juice of 2 lemons 1 pc medium orange, sliced 24 pcs ice cubes Mint leaves to garnish Procedure: In a punch bowl, dissolve NESTEA in cold water. Stir in the next five ingredients. Float orange slices and mint leaves if desired. Add ice cubes just before serving.

This is a one-dish meal with fish and vegetables. This meal is a practical way of providing good nutrition for the whole family. The fish in this dish is a good source of protein, while the upo is a natural source of iron, calcium and B vitamins. This is so easy to prepare and it is light for my pockets. :) Sinabawang Upo and Salted Fish Ingredients: 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 thumb ginger, sliced 1 tbsp crushed garlic 1/4 cup sliced onion 2 cups shredded salted fish (whole salted fish, soaked in water for 2 hours then shredded) 3 cups cubed, seeded upo 1 liter water 1 11g chicken broth cube 2 cups malunggay leaves Procedure: Heat oil. Sauté ginger, garlic and onion until limp and fragrant. Stir in salted fish and cook for 2 minutes. Add in upo and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour in water and bring to a boil. Add chicken broth cube. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Stir-in malunggay leaves. Serve hot.

Most of the time, we just throw our leftover foods or feed them to a neighbor's dog, but this time I made some cooking experiment. There's a plate of leftover pancit canton on the table and it's such a waste if we just throw it away. I was thinking about turning it to a different dish. Hmmm, how about Tortang Pancit Canton? Have you tried it? I prepared two beaten eggs to serve as binder, no flour, no condiments, just plain eggs. Cooking was as easy as basic frying. When the oil was hot, I put a spoonful of pancit canton in the skillet, poured beaten eggs just enough to cover its size, and cook it until it's golden brown. That's it! The Verdict: The kids liked it, and I like it too! It's crunchy outside and soft inside. However, the dish did not pass hubby's taste. He did not even like how it looks! :(

I have saved 50% for my baby's food. Cerelac Wheat Banana & Milk is on sale and it's BUY ONE TAKE ONE! For only Php51.25, I got two of my baby's favorite. Most commonly, products on this kind of sale are a few weeks short their expiration date. I checked the product label and, to my surprise, its expiration date is on February 2011! The selling clerk told us that the product is on sale because it will have a new packaging soon. I bought them at La Nueva Supermart in Opon. I am not sure if other grocery stores offer the same sale. As of the store's closing time, there are a few packs left on their display. So Moms, and retailers as well, grab this rare opportunity before their stocks last!

Our body needs oxygen to function properly. When our body uses oxygen, it produces toxic by-products called "free-radicals". These "free radicals" cause damaging effects on our healthy cells and cause inflammation and infections, aging, alterations in immunity, degenerative arthritis, diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease. Antioxidants prevent and repair the cell damage caused by free radicals and may also enhance immune defense and therefore lower the risk of cancer and infection. Normally, our bodies can supply its own antioxidants. However, when there is rapid production of free radicals, our bodies will need an additional supply of antioxidants from external sources. A recent study conducted by researchers from London found that 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily can reduce the risk of stroke by 25 percent. Boost your body’s antioxidant level by consuming these foods: Antioxidants Antioxidant Sources Carotenoids broccoli, spinach, squash, m...

I made biko on Good Friday. I did not follow any recipe and made my own measurements. I was short of latik so I made two kakanin - biko and puto maya , lol! The cooked malagkit rice without the latik eventually turned puto maya , hahaha. Here are the ingredients I used on my biko : 1 kilo malagkit rice 1 medium size coconut (grated) 3 cups water 1/4 kilo moscovado sugar (you may use brown sugar if you want a lighter color for your biko) 1 cup white (or brown) sugar 1 small box raisins I was short of latik with this number so, the next time I'll do biko I'll have twice the number of coconut, sugar and water. I also forgot to buy kalamansi and butong (young coconut). These are great additions to the contemporary biko . The kalamansi rind adds a certain kick to the flavor and the grated butong adds texture. This is how I normally prepare my biko - with raisins, kalamansi rind and butong . Here's how to prepare the biko. 1. Put the grated coconut in...

[photo: ruudvisser.com] Watermelon is a good source of vitamins A and C. It also contains potassium and fiber. Watermelon contains high levels of antioxidant called lycopene. Lycopene is very effective at trapping cancer-promoting agents called free-oxygen radicals. Now that summer is here, we have more reasons to enjoy the taste of this sweet fruit and its health benefits. An easy way to savor its flavor is the Watermelon shake! We only need to combine the following ingredients in a blender: [photo: nestle] 3 cups watermelon, cubed 2 cups ice, crushed 1/2 cup milk 2 tbsp honey or sugar This tastes great if chilled for about 15 minutes! Enjoy the summer!

Corn is the second staple food of Filipinos and has always been an important food for centuries. Eating corn has a lot of health benefits. Depending on the variety, corn is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Yellow corn has pro-vitamin A and has almost twice as much iron than white corn. White corn does not have any pro-vitamin A but it has more thiamin and niacin than the yellow variety. The protein content of white corn is slightly more than that found in the yellow corn. Both varieties contain the same amount of calcium. White corn is considered as a low glycemic index (GI) food. Glycemic index is the glucose response of an individual to a food as compared to a reference food, like white bread. It is the ranking of food that tells whether a food will raise blood sugar levels dramatically, moderately or just a little. Low GI food, like white corn, helps in the proper control and management of diabetes mellitus. It delays hunger pangs and promotes weight loss in overweight people. ...

Our minds often are cluttered with lists of things to do, challenges in the home or workplace, relationship issues, and many more. To keep memory loss at bay, remember to make healthy food choices, do regular exercise and stay active. Eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables . These contain antioxidants called flavonoids that protect and nourish brain cells. Flavonoids can reduce damage to the brain and improve cognitive impairment. Although recent research supports that an intake of flavonoid-rich foods plays a vital role in reducing the risk of developing dementia, researchers feel more studies are required to make any sort of nutritional recommendation. Exercise your mind . Keep the mind healthy by learning new things. If you continue to challenge yourself, your brain continues to grow. Challenging the brain with mental exercises can maintain and stimulate increased cognitive ability. Reduce stress . Stress contributes to memory lapses. Regular moderate exercise, like walk...

My brain is not working! Maybe it is still asleep. A coffee break would ( I think ) wake it from its slumber. I got a cup, put sugar, cream and coffee and headed to the water dispenser for hot water. While the water was flowing to the cup, I noticed my coffee did not mix well. Ooops, I forgot to turn on the water dispenser! I turned it on, discarded the cold coffee and waited for the water to become hot, hot, hot. Tick, tack, tick, tack. Finally, I got my hot coffee. I consumed it until its last drop and waited for some time to feel its effect. It has been an hour now and I still have the clouds on my brain. Drinking hot coffee did not have any effect on my sleepy head. Maybe it would do wonders if I have poured it on my face instead. ;) The luck arches the closing ozone.

We tend to deviate from our diet plans during Christmas season. We overeat during the holiday because there is so much tempting food around. We engage ourselves in "emotional eating" due to holiday stress; and we lower our discipline in anticipation of the new weight loss diet and exercise plans we intend to start as part of our New Year's resolution. Whatever the reason, here are some diet tips that would help you adhere to your diet plans while enjoying the holiday feast. First, focus on weight maintenance, not weight loss. Weight maintenance is a big enough challenge during the holiday season and this is not a good time to try to lose weight. You only set yourself up for failure by making unrealistic goals for yourself. Plan on " not dieting " after the New Year; instead, work on your wellness eating disciplines: portion control, more fiber, less fat and consistent exercise. Eat a light snack before the party. It is not a good idea to arrive at the party...