Even before i went to work in China, i have already loved some chinese food particularly Siopao and fried noodles.  Even all noodles stuff i love them – just minus the water.  Am not a soup fun so id rather have my noodles dry and fried noodles is my best choice.

Yesterday, i found a new place to eat incase i will be going to Cagayan de Oro City and am at Lim Kit Kai area.  As ive mentioned in my Dancing blog, i was out with friends to Cdo yesterday but i did not mention there that we had our lunch at Mandarin Restaurant (LKK branch).    The prices are very affordable and for sure they are tasty.  I am in a Chinese resto but i did not eat anything chinese except for the wanton noodle soup as i was not feelng very well. 

We did not experience a superb service (there were 17 of us to be served) I will still pick the place if i will eat there alone or maybe 2 or 3 persons will do.  It’s the best place for big group of people if you think of the food price but the place is not designed for big groups.   Their service men and women can’t efficiently handle big groups.  And when inefficiency happen to hungry people, it won’t end up nice.  Usually customers get angry just like what happened to my friend.  She was really mad. Our neighbor table also got a big number of people but they brush the anger reaction and just laugh at the situation – because they were almost done eating yet their ordered noodles and their drinks were not yet served.  At our end, we are done with our food but our drinks were not yet served, and the other table (the table where my angry friend was) their rice was not served with the order so they have to wait another 15 minutes for their ordered food) hahaha am sure she can be mad as hell.  I was only smiling to myself coz i already had warm soup in my tummy.

I would say customer service is bad but i know that the food tastes good.  Am still going back.

Am cooking now and am trying to think on how to cook without giving it the right taste but just put in moderate amount of salt rock.  Luckily i found this on magazine last night, entitled HERBS FOR SALT.  It tells that there are herbs that will give a natural salty taste to the food we are going to cool.  So by doing so we can be able to have a betetr health. 

According to diet health professionals, they encourage the use of hers instead of salt.  Seasoning with herbs is very important skill for the health-conscious cook to master.  Here aer some suggestions on how to spice up your meals:

• Use no more than one-fourth teaspoon of dried herbs, or three fourths teaspoon of fresh herbs, for a dish that serves for people. 
• To soups and stews that are cooked a long time, add herbs during the last 15 minutes of cooking.
• Whe cooking vegetables or making sauces and gravies, cook herbs along with them.
• To cold foods, such as tomato juice, salad dressings, and cottage cheese, add herbs serveral hours before serving.  Storing these foods in the refrigerator for three to four hours deepens the flavor.
• Remember thatt the correct combination of herbs and spices is the one that tastes best to you.
• A very versatile seasoning is Mrs. Dash.  Use the one witout salt and low in pepper.
• Don’t over season.  Vegetables have wonderful flavors in their own right.

SALT “BOMBS”

Condiments                                  – Amount                           – Salt (mg)

Ketchup                                       3 tsp                                  1,100
Italian dressing                           3 tsp                                   2,500
Soy Sauce                                     1 tsp                                  2,500
Dill pickle                                     1 large                               3,000
Garlic Saslt                                    1 tsp                                 4,500
SAlt                                               1 tsp                                  5.000

source: Health and Home 2006

Yesterday i was not able to stick to my shopping list.  I carried a few hundred with me for an errand that will cost me a couple of hundred pesos.  But guess what?  I ended up spending the 5 pcs hundred pesos i was carrying.  This is the bad thing in not sticking to budget or the shopping list.

On my shopping list are a can of corn kernels, 1 small corn starch powder. and 1 big can of evaporated milk.  It was a quick shopping because my preggy sis called up that she likes to eat Maja Blanca for the Christmas dinner. Oh well…i did not stick to my list.  I went home with more like 2 dozens of clothes hangers, dispo forks, dispo salad cups, and oranges.  Oh well the oranges was in the list but have to buy it outside the big grocery for a better bargain but thinking of the safety 6 pesos for an orange inside the Gaisano mall was not bad.  I picked 20 pcs. 

When i got home my wallet is almost bare. hahahaha.  So in short, one should stick the shopping list, to the budget and don’t go out shopping too when you are hungry.

Am having that now and i have already gobbled 3 Panadol @ 500 mg but yet i can still feel the pain.  Really really bad pain.  So my mom decided to go natural.  She scraped the skin of the Malunggay plant and pressed it.  The it is pasted on the gums covering the aching tooth.  And guess what?  It worked!  The pain subsides and i still dunno how long will it cover the pain.

Just for this week, i was able to attend 3 parties and that includes the big lunch we had at the office yesterday.  Many years back and even last year, at work, when we plan for parties, the first food recipe in mind are meaty foods but guess what this year? or lately, they opt for healthier foods.

Yesterday there were lots of fruits and vege recipes although we also serve goat’s meat in a yummy recipe.  Everyone enjoyed everyone was full but it was a different fullness compared to just rice and meat dishes.

This holiday, i won’t be buying any chicken in the market.  I would just be using meat substitute for my spaghetti recipe and will make some fruit salad.  I dunno if i can buy fish but if i will i would cook it fat free.

So what will you be cooking this holiday season?  I wish everyone a healthy choice of food during the holidays.

What is Mangosteen

It is a purple reddish brown fruit that is smaller than a tennis ball.  I love Mangosteen and according to wikipedia it was originally from Sunda Islands and Moluccas.  For me it is one of the naturally sweet fruits i have ever tasted.

How does it look like -

check it out HERE.

What good we can get from it -

Scientist have found the juice to contain xanthones, a biologically active, natural chemical substances that have extremely potent antioxidants that can fight inflammation, bacteria, fungus infection, allergies, and even cancer.

Medical practicioners approves the use of the juice for therapeutic purposes for some health conditions.   Personally i agree because a 65 year old aunt who has been diagnosed of a certain ailment was taking the juice and even eating the fruits faithfully find it as metabolism booster.  She is not totally healed from the ailment because she is not taking it as a medicine.  She said she is very gratefulthat this kind of lowly fruit exist coz it made her still alive and kicking 2 years after she is being diagnosed.

I’d like to quote the author of the artcle, Health Benefits of Queen Mangosteen, Dr. H. Ladion, “Mangosteen juice should not be taken as medication but as food supplement to enhance and strengthen the immune system of the body.”

I totally agree on that.

Now am off to check this diet pills and let’s see if it can be taken with the mangosteen juice. i wonder if the diet pills can fully work when one will be taking other supplements.

I took this quiz of where should i live and the result is -

You Should Live in a Big City

You don’t want anything in particular out of life… you want it all. You crave new and exciting experiences. And you get bored fairly easily. Only very big cities can keep you entertained and stimulated.

And i dunno how did they evaluate my answer why my result came up to the decision that i should live in the big city. Oh well i really don’t like it. I love city life but if given the chance i would love to have semi laid back life.  I like an environment that have plenty or trees, fresh air, and clear skies.

But if my work calls me to stay for many years in a big big city, then i am sure i would not have a hard time adjusting.

i was just at home whole day Saturday and evening of Sunday.  I did not eat out except for a light snacks I had yesterday.  What i observed was, in every meal at home we had fresh fresh green vegetables that my mom at times commented we were like cows.   I love it although last Friday night i experienced a gnawing pain in my tummy at around midnight.   I was thinking maybe I had too much of the greens with the lemon juice.  Saturday evening with had boiled sweet potato and sunday morning i had quaker oats.  I ate rice during lunch time only.  How i wish i can totally avoid transfatty foods and unhealthy carb foods.

Oh well, my aim to lose weight is really a challenge for me.  I dunno when i would be back to the gym but i know that i should – the soonest.

Body mass index is a guidline for how much you should weigh.  Multiply how much you weigh in pounds by 703.  Divide that answer by how many inches tall you are.  Divide that answer by your height in inches again.  If your BMI 25-30, you’re overweight – or you are a muscle-bound bodybuilder.  I am sure you know which category you’re in.  If your BMI is 30 or more, you’re morbidly obese, and at serious risk for many health problems.  Most weight loss surgery patients have a BMI above 40.

I have read that from the Health Home magazine (2007) and i can just imagine how abnormal my BMI is. hehehehee I’ve known that last year yet and i have not done any serious effort in improving it.  I have tried exercising but was not deligent in doing it.  I wonder if this new diet pills will work for me. My friend said it worked well for her. She did not experience any side effects like being dizzy or contantly thirsty.  Her visit to the comfort room is still regular and my her new figure amazes me.  So am thinking of trying it.    But will do it after the holidays.

I shed a tear when i happen to this blog for an EC drop.

THANKS TOBACCO, YOU KILLED MY MOM!

I dunno if i would go through same experience as this son is having in the video. My father is a smoker until now and i dunno when and i can say am a 2nd hand smoker because of the environment. I have many different thoughts watching the video.

May this video will create an impact to change while they still can after they can see this video.