Gone for a while

"And I'm back like I never left."

I found the quote from google.com. Feels like I've been away for ages! I realize two months of silence could make so much of a difference... as if going some places without saying goodbye to friends and loved ones :( 

I'm so sorry for that... I really am... I miss you all and doing this terribly!!!! The truth is, the spirit has always been willing, but the flesh just felt so weak. Physically and mentally tired with office work for the past weeks, I still am, but somehow the one week respite from office work has given me a renewed ray of "hello-welcome-back-to-reality" perspective to finish targets before the year ends. Work goes on in never-ending cyclical routines... so vacationing from bloggerdome because of work just doesn't seem to be a valid reason at all! Oh, how I miss everybody, link parties and everything! 

So now, here I am, taking double strides and multitasking once again... with quite a number of surprises! :)) Yes, so stay tuned!!!! Meanwhile, have a great weekend, everyone!

Taken in Uluwatu Temple, Bali, Indonesia

I'm back to doing everything I used to, loving life as ever. - Donna Mills

A Hearty Duo on a Rainy Day: Fried Danggit and Tuna-Veggie Scrambled Egg

"Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain...," goes the lyrics of the song played on air on our way to church today (sssshhhh.... this is a late post). Sounds familiar? The DJ must have played the song popularized by the Cascades as the rain literally been pouring on and off for several days now. The weather has been so unpredictable after tropical depressions one by one visited our country.

On such a weather like this, I'm sure all my fellow Filipinos all around the globe who are fond of dried danggit (rabbit fish) dipped in vinegar wouldn't be able to resist having this on their breakfast table.

Served with Tuna-Veggie Scrambled Egg, the two made a perfect duo!

There was really nothing special about the scrambled egg except that I mixed some veggies (before they get spoiled in the veggie bin) with the canned tuna.   

Tuna-Veggie Scrambled Egg
Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced and diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 small tomato, sliced
1 can Century Tuna flakes in oil
2 medium eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/2 small carrot, sliced
1/3 green bell pepper, cut into strips
pinch of salt and ground pepper 
1 tbsp leeks

Steps:

1. Using the oil from the canned tuna, saute garlic, onion and tomato. 
2. Add tuna flakes. Simmer for 1 minute.
3. Add eggs and milk. Simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add carrots and bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Scramble the mixture in pan.
5. Add leeks and serve hot.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention the brewed coffee, without which, my hubby wouldn't have enjoyed his hearty breakfast meal!

"...Oh, listen to the falling rain

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter

Oh, listen, listen to the falling rain

Pitter-patter, pitter-patter..."

============

Linking to:

Tuna-Mango Dip for Nachos on a Lazy Day

Happy Saturday, everyone! Feeling weak after going home very late from work last night. Just had so much work to do anticipating that I wouldn't be able to continue working at home as my laptop is out for repair!!! Woke up late and groggy, went to the market just to buy some veggies and fruits. Good there were still left-overs from the simple birthday dinner my kids and I had two days ago. That saved me from cooking for lunch. Feeling relieved! 

My husband and I had late afternoon snacks with the kids. He said he will just end the day with fruits. So I prepared some mangoes and kiwi on the serving dish. While doing so, I remembered the pack of nachos I bought the previous week. Ayana Grace, my elder daughter, had been prodding me several times to open it but I told her I'm reserving it for some dips I planned to try. With my laptop out today, I don't have the luxury of time to retrieve the dip recipe I wanted to try from my FB page and Pinterest. Not much choice? What now? 

 

Okay, get ready... here we go... open the cupboard--- Take out the can of Century Tuna Flakes in Oil. Remove the tuna flakes out of the oil, slice half of the small piece of cucumber (I bought a piece from the market today). Dice the tomatoes and onions. I was about to mix them when I noticed that the mangoes I prepared earlier looked so inviting! Slice them further. Mix them all together. Oh yes, add a dash of salt, ground pepper, cumin and cayenne powder. 

Here's my DIY Tuna-Mango Dip for Nachos

Hmmm... sorry, I should have diced everything much smaller. But it seems nobody even noticed! :))

Here's a recap of what I just did.

Ingredients:
1 small can of tuna flakes
2 pieces tomato, diced
1/2 medium-sized onion, diced thinly
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
salt
ground pepper
cumin
cayenne powder
1 pack of nachos

Steps:
1. Drain tuna flakes.
2. Mix together tuna, tomatoes, onions and mango slices.
3. Season with salt, ground pepper, cumin, cayenne powder.
4. Serve with nachos and additional slices of mango and kiwi.



Now you may enjoy your movie marathon!
================
Linking to:

Singing God's Faithfulness

"He placed me in a little cage,
Away from gardens fair;
But I must sing the sweetest songs
Because He placed me there.
Not beat my wings against the cage
If it's my Maker's will,
But raise my voice to heaven's gate
And sing the louder still!"

-Streams in the Desert March 23

Photo from google

I am no singer. I mean, I don't have a golden voice. I don't sing solo (except when I was in gradeschool when my teachers in Grade 1 and Grade 4 made me sing in front of the class, and once for a graded activity in high school). I can read notes, though, and can very well recognize off tunes. And yes, I do like classical music!

Today, as I celebrate God's goodness in my life, I post this poem I read from my favorite devotional. As I write this, in my heart and in my mind, like the bird in the poem, I sing of God's faithfulness all through the 53 years He has blessed me with.

My husband posted a photo in Facebook with the birthday cake they gave me in advance last Sunday, and wrote this in the caption: 

"Count your blessings, name them one by one, 

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
INFINITE BLESSINGS IN THE PRIME OF YOUR LIFE!"

Let me do just that. Count my blessings...

I sing for joy at the life He gave me through my parents

 

I sing of fond memories with family and friends

 I sing because of all the good things I learned in school

I sing for how He saved me,

I sing because I'm happy... I sing because He has set me free

I sing because His eye is on the sparrow, and that sparrow is ME!!!

Photo from google

Just like the bird in the cage I raise my voice to heaven's gate and sing the louder still. Not just today, but tomorrow, oh yes, by His grace, I always will!

Zucchini Bread Cups

Zucchini, zucchini, zucchini... I was introduced to zucchini by the famous movie, Ratatouille. I have already tried several zucchini dishes in the past which I have featured in my previous posts, Sunday's Cram, The Zucchini Magic and Go Green with Zucchini Carpaccio.

Today's feature is inspired by the Zucchini Tots originally posted in Easy Recipes, Healthy Eating Ideas, which I also shared in my Garden Chef's Needle and Pen Facebook page. 

See how I made these Zucchini Bread Cups for breakfast last Sunday. Instead of adding bread crumbs in the zucchini mixture, I used wheat bread slices as base.

Ingredients:

Olive oil
12 slices of wheat bread
1 cup grated zucchini
2 large eggs
1/4 medium onion, diced
Salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup grated quickmelt cheese

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray muffin cup cake pan with olive oil. 
2. Grate zucchini. Squeeze off the excess water out of the zucchini. 
3. In a medium bowl, combine zucchini, egg and onion. Season with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
4. Remove the crust from all sides of the wheat bread slices. Flatten each piece using a rolling pin.
5. Place a slice of bread into each cup cake slot, pressing each slice firmly down. 
6. Fill each bread cup with a tablespoonful of the zucchini mixture. 
7. Top with grated cheese.
8. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops become golden brown.

Before loading the bread cups into the oven

Straight from the oven

Take a cup

So this is what hubby and I enjoyed for breakfast---

Zucchini Bread Cups for breakfast with kiwi and mango as side dish

Very easy, I dare you try it! I love the crunchy edges!

============
Linking to: