Internet at Home

Thanks to Erasmo CortezI’ve got to rush out of here on my lunch break to go home and meet the guys from clear internet at my house. They said they would be there between 12 and 1 to install our new internet system. I am really excited to have internet at home now. I’ve always had to wait until I got in to work to use the internet to email, etc, but now I will be able to do it right from home. It seems like more and more these days, people are relying on email as the primary way of communicating and sending information. It was just becoming to stressful to have to wait to get that information until I got into the office. It was really tough on the weekends. The final straw was when my son’s teacher emailed everyone on Friday with some information regarding an assignment that was due on Monday. I left work before she had sent that email, and we didn’t have that bit of information that would have made the assignment much easier for us.

Simple Shell Casserole

Here's a shell recipe that is easy to make. My husband and son love pasta so any dish that I prepare with pasta sauce of any kind, they like it. This one is one of my favorites since it is baked and tastes really good too! I got the recipe from the package of Anthony's brand large shells.

1 (16-ounce) package Anthony’s® Large Shells
¾ pound bulk Italian sausage, cooked and drained
1 (32-ounce) jar pasta sauce, any flavor
2½ cups (12 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
Chopped parsley
Directions
Cook shells as package directs; drain. Preheat oven to 350˚. In large bowl, combine shells, sausage, sauce and 11/2 cup cheese; mix well. Turn into lightly greased 21/2-quart shallow baking dish; cover. Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Uncover; top with remaining 1 cup cheese and parsley. Bake 10 minutes or until cheese melts.

Gift Baskets

Graduation time is here!

It has been a while that I haven't heard from my friends and previous students in Philippines and I was surprised when I saw their pictures. They were wearing togas or graduation robes. I was so proud of them. If I were there, I would love to give them a gift basket from www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com/. I bet they would love it! The website offers a variety of gift baskets perfect for any occasion. Check out their website if you are interested. How I wish I could give them all as a graduation gift!

Time indeed really flies fast. I hope to see you guys soon and as for now, congratulations on your graduation day! Aim high!

Colorful Magic Cookie Bars

It's really magic because they disappear in no time! These bars are easy to make--just layer, bake and cut into squares--and they're so delicious. They taste like coconut candies that I loved when I was a kid. We called it "bukayo" in our dialect. It's fattening but it's a good treat once in a while. Kids will surely enjoy this as much as the adults! I got the recipe from Kellogg's package.

1 1/2 cups Kellogg's® Corn Flake Crumbs
--or--
6 cups Kellogg's Corn Flakes® cereal
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1 package (6 oz,. 1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 1/3 cups (3 1/2 oz.) flaked coconut
1 can (15 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

1. Measure KELLOGG'S Corn Flake Crumbs, sugar and margarine into
13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. Mix thoroughly. With back of spoon, press mixture evenly and firmly in bottom of pan to form crust.

2. Sprinkle walnuts, chocolate morsels and coconut evenly over crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.

3. Bake at 350° F about 25 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely before cutting into bars. Store in airtight container in refrigerator.


MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:

1. Microwave margarine in 12 x 7 1/2 x 2-inch glass baking dish on HIGH until melted. Add KELLOGG'S CORN FLAKES Crumbs and sugar. Mix thoroughly. Press lightly in bottom of dish to form crust.

2. Sprinkle walnuts, chocolate chips, and coconut evenly over KELLOGG'S CORN FLAKE Crumbs crust. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over top.

3. Microwave on HIGH about 7 minutes or until lightly browned around edges. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

Giving Back

This guest post from Doris Dillon
I was very lucky to have supportive parents who made sure I was able to go to college. Now that I have graduated and found a job, I’d love to do something special for them. Because they live in a rural area, they’ve never had internet access at their house. Boy was it hard on those long weekends home from school to be completely off line! I always felt so out of touch with my friends when I returned. Last week while online shopping I came across some wildbluedeals. I’m thinking about springing for internet service for their house. I’m not sure how much they would use it but I think if I could get them set up with an e-mail account and showed them how to search for things they were interested in, they might enjoy it! If nothing else it would give me another way to keep in touchh without having to call every day since they seem to think we need to talk daily. It actually might save me a little time!

Sauteed Mushrooms With Eggs

Here's a healthy breakfast that you will love! It's actually our favorite egg and mushroom breakfast. With toast and a glass of milk, this fills up you tummy but you will find yourself asking for more. I only use salt and pepper to taste but the mushroom and eggs give out a taste that is really good. My son loves it! Looking for a new breakfast meal ideas? Try this one. Easy and quick to prepare!

Fine Wine and Champagne

Brought To By Wine.com, Purveyors of Fine Wine and Champagne

If you are looking for good wine, Wine.com can help you. They offer a variety of wine and gift ideas. Grab wine basket for your family and friends to enjoy. Celebrate with wine a champagne to make the moment more memorable. Nothing beats a glass of wine to heat up the occasion. So visit the site now and get the wine you like. Oh how i wish to have a glass now!

Instant Noodle and Garlic Butter Shrimp

Yummy! It does look and taste good. This is a chicken flavored instant noodle topped with left-over shrimp sauteed in butter and garlic. Smelled good and so tasty! The shrimp was not a left-over anymore. I don't eat much instant noodle but with this, I finished a full bowl. My husband liked it too. The delicious shrimp made it tastier and seemed like I was eating a fresh cooked noodle soup. Look for my butter garlic shrimp recipe on my site.

Chicken Green Bean Casserole

I love stuffing! So this stuffing and green bean dish was one of the food I prepared on my son's 2nd birthday. It's for everybody especially to our guests who don't eat Filipino food. I prepared food for the kids and dishes that both Filipinos and Americans will like. Below is the recipe from Allrecipe.com. This is easy to make and yummy!


2 cups cooked, cubed chicken breast meat
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 (14.5 ounce) can green beans, drained
salt and pepper to taste
1 (12 ounce) package unseasoned dry bread stuffing mix
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1.In a medium bowl combine the chicken, soup, beans, salt and pepper; mix well and set aside. Prepare stuffing according to package directions.
2.Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
3.Spoon chicken mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish, top with prepared stuffing and sprinkle with cheese.
4.Bake, covered, for 25 minutes; remove cover and bake another 5 minutes to brown the cheese.

Princess Cake

I found a new hobby-baking cake and desserts! I don't know why but one thing for sure, I was so lazy to bake! I only bake cake when there's an occasion but lately, I find myself enjoying it. I started it last Christmas. I found a recipe which was so challenging and really looked good and I tried it. It was successful and the cake tasted really good. Then I tried another one then another until I found myself loving doing it. I feel pride and happiness when my love ones like the dish I prepare and compliment me. That serves as a motivation to continue doing what I love. So I told myself that I keep on baking and accept projects for my self's improvement. When I saw my friend's child's cake, the Princess cake, I told myself that I will try making it. It was really pretty and tasted good too. Well, any cake for me tastes yummy! That's the assurance for baking cake and dessert, it will always be good if prepared according to directions. With this one, I wish I can do it well so I can say that I can be a good cake maker. It will be a good business huh? We will see. It will be a new project at Inday's Kitchen.

Baked Bologna

Breakfast menu for today: Baked Bologna and Ham slices, eggs with toasted whole wheat bread slices. I told my husband before that I have never eaten bologna so I kept asking him, "how does it taste?" So hubby bought me a pack and I tried it. I told him it tasted like Filipino sausage in a can which we call beef loaf. So I tried frying it and made sandwiches out of it, it was good. Then I baked it for 350 deg for 8-10 minutes and the more it tasted good because there was no oil on it. It became a morning meal once in a while. Easy and quick to prepare and I like the taste. My son loves bologna. He even sneak a piece when I am not around. So this is bologna!

How I Met Your Mother

Content by Mitch Osborne
I have been a huge fan of sitcoms for a very long time. Friends is probably
my all time favorite but How I Met Your Mother is probably a pretty close second
if I were to rank them all. How I Met Your Mother is similar to Friends in that
it is about a group of twenty somethings most of whom are not married and who
all like to gather together at a local restaurant. How I Met Your Mother is also
set in New York as is Friends. Ted Mosby is considered the main character in
this show because he is the one narrating each episode. The show is told like a
story where Ted is much older and is relating his life back to his children.
Each story is supposed to lead the children closer to how he me their mother
which is, of course, how they chose to name the show. This show has stayed on
the air for so many seasons because of the clever writing. You never really know
what to expect each time you watch a new episode. Check out directtv
chicago online to find out when to catch How I Met Your Mother.

Chocolate-Covered OREO Cookie Cake

Oh this is really yummy! I made this on my son's 2nd birthday party and they loved it! The cream cheese here can't even be tasted and the taste of whipped cream and oreo cookies? Delicious! I will be making it again and would love to have all my friends try it. It is so easy to make and it made me easier to prepare it because I used ready-made chocolate fudge frosting. I have semi-chocolate squares but I didn't use it. I tried it before and it was good. The problem is that I didn't have time to make the frosting, instead I just bought a can from the store. It was still good that it will satisfy your sweet tooth. I tried to use non or low fat, less or sugar-free ingredients. You better try making it, I am sure, everyone will love it and you will be praised! I got the recipe from dessert.com. Here it is!

1 pkg. (2-layer size) devil's food cake mix
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/4 cup butter
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
12 OREO Cookies, coarsely crushed


HEAT oven to 350ºF.

PREPARE cake batter and bake in 2 (9-inch) round pans as directed on package. Cool cakes in pans 10 min. Invert onto wire racks; gently remove pans. Cool cakes completely.

MICROWAVE chocolate and butter in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted. Cool 5 min. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until blended. Gently stir in COOL WHIP and crushed cookies.

PLACE 1 cake layer on plate, spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread top with chocolate glaze; let stand 10 min. or until firm. Keep refrigerated.


Kraft Kitchens Tips

Family Fun

This great-tasting cake looks like a giant OREO Cookie.

Cooking Know-How

If chocolate glaze becomes too thick, microwave on HIGH 20 to 30 sec. or until desired consistency.

Size-Wise

Enjoy a serving of this indulgent cake on occasion, but keep portion size in mind. One cake makes enough for 16 servings.

My Son's CAR Birthday Cake

Hooray for this car cake! I got the idea from dessert.com and I created my own version of a car. It was supposed to be a race car but it was easier for me to create any car. I wasn't aiming for a race car but any car that my cake will be formed. It turned up pretty for children's eyes and they even want to eat it right away. They wanted the part with M&Ms chocolate. It really played a trick. Try making this cheap cake and everyone will appreciate the effort you exerted on making it plus, it's not expensive and it's attractive for kids. Below is the recipe by Kraft. By the way, I used ready-to-use vanilla frosting.

1 pkg. (12 oz.) prepared pound cake
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
1/2 tsp. food coloring, any color
1 piece chewy fruit snack roll (5 inch), cut into 4 lengthwise strips
4 OREO Cookies
4 yellow candy-coated chocolate pieces
2 Tbsp. decorating icing, multiple colors

PLACE cake on cutting board; cut into pieces to resemble a race car.

TINT whipped topping with food coloring; spread evenly over cake.

DECORATE top of cake with fruit roll strips to resemble racing stripes and front grille of the car. Place 2 cookies on each side of car for the wheels. Place yellow chocolate pieces on front and back of car to resemble headlights and taillights. Draw windows on car and write the child's age on top of cake with icing. Use remaining icing to decorate cake as desired. Store in refrigerator.

Kraft Kitchens Tips
Size-Wise

Celebrate a special occasion with the kids by making this colorful cake. For added fun, invite the kids to help decorate this special treat.

How to Frost A Cake

If the cake is very soft and crumbly, apply a “crumb coating” to prevent cake crumbs from mixing with the frosting. Spread a thin layer of frosting over the entire cake, then let stand 5 to 10 min. or until frosting is set. Spread remaining frosting over cake.