All-Around Pinay Mama

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October 26, 2014

My Hasty Bistek Tagalog

October 15, 2014

I consider Beef Steak or Bistek Tagalog as one of the best Filipino cuisines. The sourness of Kalamansi juice, the sweetness of onions, the spiciness of pepper, and saltiness of soy sauce are perfect for the strong taste of beef. Kids and adults find this dish very irresistible especially when being served with hot rice.

I've tasted so many versions of Bistek Tagalog and I admire the ones who cook it perfectly. It requires less ingredients and easy cooking procedure. The outcome tastes really, really good. It's a very simple dish actually. Ironic as it seems but honestly, I can't cook it perfectly.

Yesterday, I thought of cooking this again and see if I would be able to get the exact taste that I was looking for. I was really surprised because adding Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce made a lot of difference. Cooking Bistek Tagalog would never be the same without Lea & Perrins.

This is how to do it:

Ingredients

1/2 kilo beef tenderloin or sirloin, sliced thinly (Tapa slice)

1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground pepper
2 large onions, cut into rings

2 tablespoons cooking oil

2 teaspoons garlic powder or minced garlic

7 tablespoons Kalamansi juice (use 7 pcs. regular Kalamansi)
1/2 cup soy sauce (I prefer Marca Pina.)

approximately 1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

Procedure

1. Mix Kalamansi juice, soy sauce, Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce, and garlic powder/minced garlic in a bowl.

2. Slice the beef thinly. Rub the meat with the ground pepper before adding it into the marinade. Stir and let sit for at least 30 minutes. To make the meat more flavorful, you may do this overnight.

3. Heat the pan and add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Stir fry the onion rings until translucent. Don't overcook. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan, heat one tablespoon of oil. Fry the beef until both sides are golden brown. Then pour the marinade into the pan, bring to boil in low heat, and simmer for a few minutes or until it is reduced. Adjust the sauce with more soy sauce, water, Kalamansi juice, depending on your taste preference.

5. Serve beef slices with onion rings on top and hot rice on the side. Enjoy!

"The night before I compete, I like to have steak. Meat is especially important for female athletes because it provides them with the nutrients they need to perform at their best."

- Sasha Cohen, American Figure Skater (Silver Medalist, 2006 Olympics)

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My Realizations on Blogapalooza 2014

October 13, 2014

When Blogapalooza 2014 was set on October 11 due to bad weather on September 20, it coincided with Kuya's Scouting Investiture in the morning and drum practice until 1:00 PM. But it didn't stop me to go to SM Aura and attend the event for the very first time. I prepared for it and I told myself that by hook or by crook, I should be there.

Blogapalooza is a much awaited event for newbie and seasoned bloggers because it brings bloggers and businesses together for partnership. The businesses introduce their products and services to the bloggers and bloggers blog about them. In return, the businesses feature the bloggers on their social media sites or websites. Both parties get more exposure on the world wide web which means greater opportunities are in store for both of them. The event is being organized by Mr. Vince Golangco of www.wheninmanila.com and Mr. Anton Diaz of www.ourawesomeplanet.com.

I arrived in the venue at exactly 4:00 PM and I was overwhelmed with the presence of huge crowd! It was jam-packed! To maximize my time, I took photos of the booths first and did booth hopping on products and services of my interest. There were so many people and the exhibitors were too busy accommodating all of us. All I thought about was next time I should come 30 minutes before or on the exact opening time.

REALIZATION 1: Being early or on time gives us more chances to learn about ALL the exhibitors/sponsors and their products; get press kits, perks, and product samples; to play games; and to have ample time introducing ourselves and our blog. The talk starts after lunch so there's more time talking to other bloggers, meet new friends, and take photos.

I came all by myself. I was able to see other mommy bloggers but they were done doing all the activities and booth hopping. That was the advantage of arriving early. They were able to bond together.

REALIZATION 2: Being with our blogger friends is more fun! We can play and have more photo opportunities together!

Everybody was busy and some exhibitors were almost tired already to entertain late comers. Bloggers waiting on the line signing up the guest book was piling up. Good thing I brought calling cards with me!

REALIZATION 3: Bringing at least 100 calling cards really helps. Exhibitors have fish bowls where we can shoot our calling cards. It saves time in filling in guest books.

I chose to wear comfortable clothes and flat jelly shoes due to the rainy weather. It was much easier to move around and join games.

REALIZATION 4: Wearing comfortable and decent clothing gives exhibitors an impression that we are serious with what we are doing, and of course more photo opportunities are in store so might as well look good. It doesn't necessarily mean that we should wear formal clothes. Smart casual is fine.

After my brief booth hopping, I stopped by the food sponsors to quench my thirst and fill my hungry tummy. Imagine I traveled for two hours, walked in the rain, did booth hopping, took photos, played games immediately after arriving at the venue. I was also overwhelmed by seeing so many people and for me alone it was exhausting. After eating, I felt better. When Marie of Mamanee's Nest told me that she was going home, I decided to go home too.

REALIZATION 5: We don't need to bring our own snacks or food because sponsors have food in store for us. Bringing our own water can save us from being tired easily due to so much socialization and participation in many fun activities.

May of Fully Housewifed told me that I already went home when my name was called during the raffle. Sayang talaga!

REALIZATION 6: It pays to be on the venue from start to finish. There are series of talks in the afternoon where we can gain more knowledge about blogging and business. There are raffle draws and games where fabulous prizes are at stake.

Marie was carrying five big ecobags. She told me that she arrived during the opening so she got more freebies. That was the advantage of being early!

REALIZATION 7: Bring big ecobags to place freebies and loots. The organizers and exhibitors have lots of freebies in store for us especially during the first five hours of the event. Vince is giving away more prizes until the end.

I stayed for an hour only and my tablet and phone's batteries didn't get discharged. I also brought with me a back-up camera phone just in case.

REALIZATION 8: Cameras and phones are must be fully charged. Bringing extra battery is a must too. Most of the raffles and games require us to register online or there are apps needed to be downloaded to join.

Despite staying just for a while, I enjoyed my first Blogapalooza experience. It could have been more fruitful if I came early.

I hope and pray that there will be no other family activities that will fall on the same schedule as Blogapalooza 2015. I will sleep, wake-up, and go to the venue early to enjoy the event to the fullest.

Nevertheless, I am so excited to blog about most of these brands.

Guess what, guys? I received an invite from one of the exhibitors yesterday. See how influencial Blogapalooza is!

I'll definitely join again next year. To all my fellow bloggers out there, I encourage you to do so.

For more updates, you may like Blogapalooza's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/blogapalooza.

You may also visit http://blogapalooza.wheninmanila.com.

For more tips on how to maximize your Blogapalooza experience next year, visit this link: http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2014/10/blogapalooza-10-blogger-power-tips-to-maximize-your-blogapalooza-experience.html.

Photos of Blogapalooza's logos and sponsors courtesy of Blogapalooza Facebook Page.

Ten Four Cassava Cake

October 09, 2014

I grew up in Nueva Ecija and I had a luxury of time indulging to different native cakes or "kakanin". Eating those was part of my fondest memories as a child. Eating native cakes gave me a satisfying and happy feeling. One of my favorites then was Cassava Cake.

Eating Cassava Cake was an ordinary part of living in the province. We had lots of good Cassava Cake makers and ingredients were abundant. We were very blessed indeed.

When I started living here in Metro Manila, I missed everything about native cakes especially Cassava Cake- the aroma, texture, color, and flavor. Establishments selling different sorts with their own innovations sometimes lose the authenticity of the delicacy. Some were not flavorful due to under-portioning of ingredients.

For bargain hunter and budget conscious person like me, "kuripot" for short, I discovered Ten Four Cassava Cake. Its taste and quality were at par with the expensive ones available in the Metro.

For only Php195.00, this big Ten Four Cassava Cake is perfect for group sharing. So nutritious and delicious yet very affordable.

Ten Four Cassava Cake has big and small sizes. The former costs Php195.00 while the latter costs Php95.00. For me the prices are very reasonable because the big size can feed 10 to 12 persons while the small one can feed 5 to 6 persons.

This is the small Ten Four Cassava Cake that costs only Php95.00.

It's soft, creamy, milky, and not too sweet. It has generous amounts of macapuno and cassava. I can attest that it has no extender, only pure cassava. The cheese balances the sweetness of the cake. Its texture is very fine and melts in the mouth. Once I start eating it, I can't stop. It's super yummy!

If you are craving for Cassava Cake like I always do or thinking of bringing home delicious treats for family and friends, Ten Four Cassava Cake has the following strategically located stores to drop by:

*97 C. Kamuning Road, Quezon City | Contact Number: 411-9401

*Kamias, Brgy. Pinahan, Quezon City | Contact Number: 433-3796

*278 E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon | Contact Number: 741-5030

*Shaw Blvd. cor. 29 de Augusto St., Mandaluyong City | Contact Number: 407-3345

*174 N.S. Amoranto Sr. Ave. cor. Isarog St., Quezon City | Contact Number: 413-0321

*Araneta Ave. along Puregold E. Rodriguez Sr., Quezon City | Contact Number: 712-1244

*221-C N. Domingo St. cor. Pinaglabanan St., San Juan City | Contact Number: 721-7344

The Citizen Services Call Center for Filipino Citizens by Filipinos

My Hasty Bistek Tagalog

My Realizations on Blogapalooza 2014

Ten Four Cassava Cake

SJ Valdez

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