Foodie Goodie | Minions Cupcakes.

Bello! :)
(That's the Minions' way of saying 'Hello'.)
We're a little Minion-crazy right now (and by 'we' I mean my little man and I, and his friends from school and their moms, too), all the more after watching the prequel to the 'Despicable Me' franchise. We just got home from the cinema and my son is still reeling from all that yellow cuteness. Haha!

And because we can't get enough of these banana-loving creatures, here's a recipe to celebrate the Minions' very own full-length movie!

Minions Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ cake mix (any flavor)
Water, oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
1 container Betty Crocker™ Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
Yellow liquid or gel food color
16 large marshmallows
32 brown candy-coated milk chocolate candies
Betty Crocker™ black decorating gel

Procedure:

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 24 cupcakes.
2. Cool cupcakes completely on cooling rack, about 15 minutes.
3. Reserve 2 tablespoons frosting. Place remaining frosting in medium bowl; tint with yellow food color. Frost cupcakes with yellow frosting.
4. Use kitchen scissors to cut 1/4-inch circles off both ends of 16 marshmallows to make 32 total rounds.
5. Use reserved frosting to stick milk chocolate candies to marshmallows. Place marshmallow eyes on cupcakes, placing two eyes on some cupcakes and one eye on others.
6. Use black decorating gel to draw the the bands on each side of the eye, and to pipe a mouth on to each cupcake.

As seen on Betty Crocker.

Foodie Goodie | Red Velvet Cupcakes in a Jar.

Cupcakes in a jar are all the rave these days. They're so popular that I see them every so often on social media sites - on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Especially Instagram. And with Christmas just around the corner, these bottled desserts are ubiquitous now more than ever. They're a sure-fire hit at any party - especially with the kids, and they make great gifts and giveaways, too.

If you'd like to take a shot at making these 'mashed confections', here is a quick and easy recipe that you can follow.

Red Velvet Cupcakes in a Jar

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Unfrosted red velvet cupcakes (made from your preferred mix) 

Procedure:

1. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.

2. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, the milk, and vanilla. Beat until smooth. 

3. Add remaining powdered sugar and beat until combined.

4. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. 

5. Place frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip or in a zip-top bag with one corner cut; set aside.

6. Cut cupcakes in half horizontally.

7. Place bottom half of cupcakes, cut side up, in half-pint canning jars. Pipe frosting on top of each.

8. Add cupcake tops, cut sides down. Pipe frosting on top of each.

9. Add lids to jars and decorate as desired.

As seen on Recipe.com.

Foodie Goodie | Morning Muffins.

It's been awhile since I last posted a recipe on this blog! Wouldn't have realized it if not for one of my  dear readers who dropped me a line saying that she misses my food photos and home-cooked meals. Thanks for the kind words, Sarah! :)

And so today, I'll be sharing with you this muffin recipe. We call this 'Morning Muffins' since we almost always have muffins (or bread, for that matter) for breakfast.

Morning Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sour milk*
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oat flour**
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup instant oats
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

*To make sour milk, add a tablespoon of vinegar to a one cup measure and fill to the top with milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.
**To make oat flour, puree instant oatmeal in the blender until a fine dry powder is formed.

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Combine sour milk, butter, vanilla extract, egg and brown sugar and blend well.
3. Stir together oat flour, wheat flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
4. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and blend well.
5. Fold in oats, and almonds.
6. Fill muffin tins. These do not rise very high, so a full muffin cup is fine.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

As seen on Spoonful.

More food photos? Follow me on Instagram! :)

Foodie Goodie | Le Manays.

You know how those hole-in-the-wall restaurants often turn out to serve surprisingly good food? That is exactly the case with Le Manays, a fairly new snack shop nicely tucked in the busy streets of San Pablo City.

I've been to this place several times before, and have called for delivery twice or thrice. (Yes, they do deliveries!) Guess that goes to show their food is worth coming back for, and merits a spot on my blog.

Last week, the little man and I came back to Le Manays, where we had lunch to celebrate his Dad's birthday. It was actually the little man who suggested dining at this place, saying that he wanted to eat their 'crazy spaghetti'.

Little man at Le Manays.

That's spaghetti threaded through hotdog bites, with a slightly sweet sauce that kids will surely love. It's written on the menu as 'Grasya's Crazy Spaghetti'.

Grasya's Crazy Spaghetti, Php 60.

It comes in a pretty generous serving, too.

Eating heartily!

As for me, I had their Dencio de Mare Tuna Pesto Spaghetti. Served with tuna, green pesto, herbs and spices, and Romano cheese, this dish is quite flavorful though it's not as 'green' as you'd expect a pesto pasta to be.

Dencio de Mare Tuna Pesto Spaghetti, Php 60.

We also ordered their Kajo's Beef Nacho Platter for sharing. This is one of my favorites in Le Manays menu. Crunchy nacho chips, a medley of fresh veggies, lots of cheese, plus ground beef that's seasoned just right - this dish is definitely a must-try.

Kajo's Beef Nacho Platter, Php 100.

Little man ready to pounce! :)

Aside from pasta and sandwiches, Le Manays also have an array of desserts on their menu. This includes Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cake (yes, that's the famous chocolate cake from UP Los Banos) which we ordered for take away.

Mer-Nel's Chocolate Cake, Php 190.

Other note-worthy dishes on Le Manay's menu are the Pancit Wrap (spring rolls filled with pancit bihon), Halo-Halo While Walking (creamy halo-halo served with a straw and tastes as good, if not better, than Razon's), and Brazo de Mercedes cupcakes (an original by Bake it Away, these are Brazo cakes conveniently served in to-go cups).

Brazo de Mercedes cupcakes, Php 40 each.

If ever you're in San Pablo City and don't mind worming your way through the traffic, then you should visit Le Manays and give their food a try. Their simple, straight-forward dishes, affordable price, as well as the quirky yet homey ambiance makes going out of your way worth it. Just don't visit on a Monday as it's their 'rest day'. :)

Le Manays 

Col. Lauro Dizon St.,

San Pablo City, Laguna

(049) 5211544

(0917) 3865669

Human Heart Nature Mammome Event.

Last Saturday, I had the chance to swing by the Human Heart Nature Laguna branch and witness the unveiling of the June-July magalogue (it's a magazine and catalogue all in one) plus the launching of new and exciting products from the brand.

All-new, all-organic products from Human Heart Nature.

Headlining the event was the Mammome Natural Body Wash - a paraben-free and phtalate-free body wash that cares not only for your skin, but also for your health. Illustrated in the bottle is a step-by-step procedure on how to to do a breast self-exam (hence the name 'Mammome') - a gentle reminder that can help in detecting the early signs of breast cancer. In addition, a portion of this product's proceeds will go to the Philippine Foundation for Breast Care, Inc. (Kasuso Foundation) which helps provide treatment for indigent women with breast cancer.

Mammome Natural Body Wash.

Another bath and body product introduced to us was the Vanilla Exfoliating Bar. It contains loofah exfoliants, so it's like a body scrub in soap form. The scent reminds me of their Bamboo Body Scrub, one of my all-time favorite products from Human Heart Nature.

Vanilla Exfoliating Bar.

Now I bet you didn't know Human Heart Nature has its own line of men's care products. Well, they do. :) Their men's care line is called 'Pure Strength' - with new products to boot.

There's the Black Diamond Natural Shampoo,  made with nature’s powerful deep cleansing ingredients, Bamboo Charcoal. Known in East Asia as the 'Black Diamond', it acts like a magnet to help rid the scalp of dirt and impurities that may cause dry scalp and itchiness. Then there's the Black Diamond Cleansing Bar that's charged with all-natural ingredients - including the powerful cleansing agent, Bamboo Charcoal.

Pure Strength for men.

Also launched that day was the Mineral ColorShine Lip Gloss, with three different shades to choose from. The latest addition to the Mineral Makeup Line, this lip gloss features enhanced color and spreadability, a creamier finish, and a sleek and classy leak-resistant tube.

Lip gloss love! :)

If you're following me on Instagram, then you may recall seeing these swatches. That's Summer Sunrise on the left, Candy Treat in the middle, and Sweet Heart on the right. I'll be doing a review of these lip glosses soon. :)

Swatches!

Now aside from the opportunity to get first dibs on the latest Human Heart Nature products, we were also served some tasty treats during the event. We had Pancit Wrap, which as the name implies, are spring rolls filled with pancit bihon (sauteed noodle dish). This quirky yet filling snack is a signature dish of Le Manays, a fairly new restaurant that's gaining popularity here in San Pablo City.

Pancit wrap from Le Manays.

There's the pancit inside. :)

And for dessert, we had chocolate and red velvet cupcakes with whipped cream frosting. I tried both flavors, and while both of them were yummy, I find the red velvet ones more to my liking. Oh, the calories. Haha!

Pink cupcakes! :)

Yummy cupcake + the all-new magalogue.

I'd like to thank the lovely ladies of Human Heart Nature Laguna for inviting me to the event. Until the next magalogue turnover! :)

Wordless Wednesday #84 | Cupcake!

Keep calm and have a cupcake. :)

Foodie Goodie | Jack Skellington Cupcakes.

With the Day of the Dead just around the corner, I'm sure there are lots of Halloween parties happening left and right. If you're hosting one, here's an idea. Spice up (or should I say 'spook up'?) your dessert table with this quirky treat inspired by the king of Halloween himself - Jack Skellington! They make great giveaways for the kids (and kids at heart), too!

Jack Skellington Cupcakes

Ingredients:
For the cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter softened
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vinegar

For the frosting
White buttercream frosting
2 toothpicks
Tube of black decorator's icing

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside.
2. In a bowl. combine flour, sugar, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt. Mix on low speed until blended for about 3 minutes.
3. Add in butter, vinegar and eggs 1 at a time until combined. Slowly add milk to batter until completely mixed, scraping down the bowl as you mix.
4. Scoop batter into baking cups filling about 2/3 full. Bake until a toothpick  inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 to 20 minutes.
5. Frost the cupcakes using the white buttercream.
6. For each cupcake, use the tip of a toothpick to lightly etch the outline of two large Jack Skellington eyes in the frosting.
7. Slowly pipe black decorator's icing onto the etched lines and then fill in the inner circles. Use another toothpick to spread and smooth the icing.
8. Pipe on two short lines for a nose. Next, pipe a long line across the bottom of the cupcake for the mouth. 9. For the finishing spooky touch, randomly top the mouth with a bunch of short icing barbs.

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Foodie Goodie | Carrot Cupcakes.

Who's in the mood for carrot cupcakes? I am! I even dreamt of them last night, haha!

And so for this week's edition of Foodie Goodie, I'll be featuring - yep, you guessed it right - this carrot cupcake recipe which is a fusion (or should I say my tweaking) of the recipes I learned from both Martha Stewart and the Food Network. Enjoy! :)

Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups finely shredded carrots (about 2 medium carrots, peeled)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts
4 ounces low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons orange juice
1/4 cup shredded coconut, for garnishing

Procedure:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with paper cupcake liners.
2. Sift together the flours, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. In a large stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the brown sugar, oil and eggs until well combined.
4. Add the carrots and vanilla.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
6. Stir in 1/4 cup of the chopped walnuts.
7. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
8. With an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and orange juice until smooth and creamy.
9. Frost the cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with the shredded coconut.

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Foodie Goodie | Cakes by Issa Aguilar.

So this food post is going live a little bit late, because my internet connection and phone line went berserk. I was excommunicated for the past 36 hours! Anyhoo, my DSL is up and running, and we're back to regular programming. :)

The little man's Mickey Mouse birthday cake received quite a handful of compliments, and I've been asked where I had the cake made.

Photo credit: Bubbles Cristobal

They were created by none other than my friend Issa Aguilar, whose family owns Golden Wheat Bakery - one of the popular and long-running bakeries in San Pablo City. Issa, whom I fondly call Baker Queen (with reference to Baker King Kim Tak Gu since we're both Kdrama/Kpop addicts) is actually a CPA by profession. She ventured into the cake business not too long ago, after discovering the joy and fulfillment in creating cakes.

And her creations are as good as it looks, I tell you. Those Mickey Mouse cupcakes are the most divine butter cream cupcakes I've ever tasted, and they have walnuts, to boot!

Best butter cream cupcakes ever. :)

The cake, on the other hand, is a yummy chocolate chiffon adorned with Mickey's smiling face plus uber cute lettering.

Cutie patootie font!

And yes, they're edible, too.

Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse!

Thank you for the lovely cake and cupcakes, Issa! Love love! :)

Check out Issa's cake creations here! For orders and inquiries, you may call Golden Wheat Bakery at (049) 5626693 or 09175016694 or send a DM on their Facebook page.

Golden Wheat Bakery - Main
71 A. Bonifacio St., San Pablo City

Golden Wheat Bakery - Los Banos Branch
9568 Batong Malake, Los Banos, Laguna

Shared with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, and Heavenly Treats Sunday.