Cheddar Buttermilk Biscuits

The other day I was trying to figure out how I would use up the buttermilk from my red velvet cupcakes and I came across a recipe for Bacon Cheddar Drop Biscuits. Marlon absolutely loves bacon so he was on board with the idea as soon as the words came out of my mouth haha. We didn't have green onions, so we used some garlic seasoning that I had laying around in my house. Also, we did prepare the bacon, but it didn't last long enough to make it into the biscuits haha. I was already halfway through the mixture and didn't have enough patience to wait for it to cool down.

It's a fairly simple recipe, you just have to really watch the biscuits. They were already golden brown with 6 minutes left, but I thought they wouldn't be cooked if I took them out early. Turns out, if I had taken them out early they would have come out perfect. Instead, they were burnt at the bottom. They were a little hard on top, but once you reached the inside they were perfect, so I'm happy about that.

the (Red) Velvet Rope

In my quest for domestication, I've been loading up on recipes that I find online; baking recipes or cooking recipes, it doesn't matter. These are recipes that I've been saving for months now, so you can imagine how backed up my bookmark folder is haha.

The first recipe I tried was for Red Velvet Cupcakes. Red Velvet is my absolute favourite type of cake/cupcakes, so I was really anxious to try it out. I've tried making red velvet before, but I didn't use buttermilk...and it wasn't pretty. So this time, with the correct ingredients, I set out on making my first ever batch of cupcakes from scratch.

I don't really know if I can classify my baking skills as actual "skills", seeing as I can only make cupcakes when they come in that red Betty Crocker box. The only thing I've made from scratch is chocolate chip cookies, and even then I mess up sometimes. So of course making these cupcakes from scratch was a bit nerve wracking. Every time I added an ingredient I would look at Marlon with hesitation. I even went as far as buying a few cake mixes just in case these didn't turn out. After all, I had promised my younger cousin a night of cupcake decorating and devouring and I wasn't about to fall back on my promise!!!

The cupcakes turned out nicely; not too sweet but not bland, either. We used cream cheese frosting to finish them off, which was a nice compliment to the subtle cocoa flavour. I'd say it was a success for my first ever cupcakes baked from scratch!!!

Next up on the list? Mango Cupcakes

"I'm not superstitious, I'm just a little stitious"

Today was such an odd day. First there was that completely random earthquake, followed by a barrage of peculiar customers at work.

Actually...the rest of the day was pretty normal haha. My boyfriend spent the day with me because my parents are out of town and I didn't want to be home alone. We made dinner, he rescued me from moths, the usual.

But what happened next was a little weird. We were sitting on the stairs waiting for his dad to come pick him up. I was already upset that he wasn't spending the night. For some reason I really didn't want to be alone, so I was sulking. Suddenly I noticed the reflection of his shoes in the screen door window was a little distorted. And then I saw those shining eyes. A black cat had made its way up the steps and was watching me from the top step in front of my door. Now, usually when I'm faced with a strange animal I get scared or jump in surprise, but for some reason I felt at peace when I saw this cat. I was more excited than scared. Unfortunately when I got up I was a little more excited than I should have been, because I scared him off. It was weird though because when Marlon came up and shooed the cat away, it suddenly turned around and stared back at us as if it was making sure everything was alright.

After that happened I was kind of obsessing over it. I googled it (of course) and although black cats are synonymous with bad luck, they can also be signs of good luck. I also learned that cats are signs of protection (though some believe that black cats are familiars with witches and demons). I like to think that this cat was protecting me because it knew I would be home alone. So now, even though Marlon felt like it was a bad omen, we have decided to "adopt" this cat. For all I know I was reading too much into it and he was just hungry and noticed the open doorway at 11pm. Cats get lonely sometimes too. Anyway, we've decided to name him Ninja. I hope I see him again tomorrow.

Tonight I'm going to go to sleep feeling protected, rather than afraid.

Lately I've been reading this cooking blog called Cheeky Kitchen. I absolutely love the way it's written, and it kind of makes me wish I had the eloquence of a "professional blogger". I used to be able to write really long paragraphs, full of adjectives and excitement. Now, it's more like simple sentence fragments. I'm pretty sure twitter killed my blogging ability.

I've also been really inspired to learn how to cook. Baking, I can do. Cooking is a different story. I can't cook to save my life. The most I know is throwing everything in a big pot and making sinigang, a sort of Filipino stew. I'd like to be the kind of mom who can whip up a steak dinner or a Quiche Lorraine if my children and husband desire it. I suppose one of the problems is expensive groceries (my future as an Extreme Coupon-er will help me with this). Plus the quality of ingredients in my area. Unfortunately I don't live close to any farmer's markets, nor do I have the vehicle (or license to drive said vehicle) that will get me to any farmer's markets in any surrounding areas. Another problem is my inability to read instructions. I learn by doing. Or by having someone bark orders at me. But reading recipes....sometimes I skim out of boredom and leave out a crucial part. I don't know. All I know is that I'm making it my personal project to learn how to cook those lovely dishes from those lovely cooking blogs. Dessert included. I don't think I can resist baking.

Anyway, my boyfriend is telling me to go to bed. We don't even live together yet and he's already such a bossypants haha.

Lately anything and everything has been getting on my nerves. Certain people, certain things. I don't know how to explain it. I'm pretty sure it's a case of PMS, seeing as I'm supposed to get my rag next week, but still...I feel like people are being extra stupid lately.

Baby, baby, baby, ooohhh!

Well the past few days have been quite exciting, if I do say so myself! On April 17th, my sister gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Jamie Melia. We all had a feeling she was coming because of the zany weather (my sister got engaged on a rainy day, and it rained on the day of her wedding as well). It was only right that little Jamie made her debut on the day of the April rain/snow/hailstorm!!

Vee had an amazing delivery, she did it

completely natural, no epidural!! Such a strong woman! It was actually really quick, she said she felt contractions at 6am and by 4:17pm Jamie was here! 4:17 on 4/17.....that's how we know our little girl is someone special :)

restaurant review - Max's of Manila

First of all, let me just say that I love food. I think my tummy is solid proof of that haha. Anyway, on April 11th it was my eldest sister's birthday so we decided to celebrate at Max's of Manila on Steeles and Dufferin. It was a bit of a drive, seeing as we come from the heart of Scarborough, but it was definitely worth it!!!

We weren't able to make any reservations but since it was a Monday the staff told us that it wouldn't be a busy night. I guess since the place is new their definition of "busy" is a little different, because the place was still pretty packed! That's always a good sign though, everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves. I liked the ambiance of the restaurant, it took me back to the Philippines; the tagalog songs were a nice touch haha. The only problems were that the tables are placed so close to each other so waiters were squeezing through and knocking things over when they passed by and I could clearly hear the conversations of the families around us. (Filipinos are very loud people. VERY LOUD. )


We ordered the Per Table Menu C (this is the menu in the Philippines btw), minus the roasted nuts, bangus and sinigang na hipon (wasn't offered) and with buko pandan replaced with vanilla ice cream (I wanted buko pandan but what can ya do) and we added crispy pata (of course). Now, before I go on about how marvelous the meal was, I'm going to break it down for all the non-Filipino people reading my blog. (All one of you).




The Per Table Menu C consists of the soup of the day, plain rice, Max's fried chicken, lechon kawali, pancit bihon, kare-kare, and a cup of vanilla ice cream for dessert.


The soup of a day was a creamy blend that tasted like potatos with a little sprinkle of ground meat (bacon I believe). It was sooo yummy and it was like the perfect comfort food, if only I had figured out exactly what it was haha.


The pancit bihon (noodles, basically) was delicious, but it wasn't exactly anything new. You can get pancit of pretty much the same quality from other Filipino restaurants.

Max's fried chicken was amazing as always. Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, but cooked without batter or any extra oil. This is the kind of chicken that can make everyone happy haha.

Lechon Kawali is pan-roasted pork. This dish isn't for the faint-hearted (literally). One bite is full of flavour and juices, but also full of fat. Of course true Filipinos (myself included) love it and it just wouldn't be a birthday celebration without it. But this one should be eaten in moderation, folks.








The kare-kare was definitely one of my favourite parts of the meal. It's a stew made with vegetables and ox-tail in a yummy peanut sauce. It's usually eaten with bagoong (shrimp paste) but can be eaten without it. I'd say it's the best kare-kare I've ever tasted, hands down. But of course, my Tita Purita's kare-kare is a close second haha.


As for our add-on, the crispy pata (pork leg), I didn't try a large piece as I had the lechon right beside me and I kept sneaking pieces onto my plate haha. From what I did try, it was cooked to perfection, nice and juicy with the skin perfectly crisp, just like what you'd expect from one of the best Filipino restaurants!

For dessert the birthday girl ordered the halo-halo (crushed ice in milk with a mix of sweet beans, fruits, and other things topped with a scoop of ube (purple yam) ice cream and leche flan (custard)). I tried a little bit and loved it! I just wish they had put more ube ice cream haha.








All in all the food was amazing and the service was alright. The meal itself was a little pricey ($208 CAD from what I saw from the cheque) but we had enough food to last for a few days and everyone was satisfied with the meal. I suppose when more chains open or they add a few more staff members the service will be a lot better. All of the employees were very polite and gave us that feeling of true Filipino hospitality. I will definitely come back someday and bring a lot of friends with me!!!