About Man's Best Friend - Dogs..... I Love 'em (part 1)

Hmmn, here's another topic that you can talk to me about and i wouldn't tire of.  I love dogs so much.   It's one thing I didn't forget to teach my kid, to love animals especially dogs..... why? coz they're man's best friend silly!  I really can't count how many I've had since I was a kid but I still remember the names of those who I really shared life with, there was Whitey, Boomer, George, Darna, Wonder (Darna's daughter) & the last was my most loved "Beauty", raised from a pup the size of my palm but then, that's another story.  So watch out for that in my future blogs.  For now, I'll start by giving some information about popular dogs, those I would really love to have but couldn't afford.
Here are the dogs of my dreams:

Let's start with the Golden Retriever:

GOLDEN RETRIEVER

The Golden Retriever   were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties.   As such they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love of water. The breed's intelligence and versatility suit the dogs well for a variety of roles including guide dog for the blind, hearing dog for deaf people, hunting dog, illegal drug detector, and search and rescue participant. Because of their loyal and gentle temperament, golden retrievers are also popular family pets. 

Life Expectancy:  About 10 – 12 years  

Litter Size:  average 6 – 8 pups

 Appearance:

The Golden Retriever is a sturdy, medium-large sized dog. The skull is broad and the muzzle is straight, tapering slightly with a well defined stop. The nose is black or a brownish black. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. The medium to large eyes are dark brown. The relatively short ears hang down close to the cheeks. When pulled forward the tip of the ear should just cover the eye. The tail is thick at the base with feathering along the underside. Dewclaws may be removed. The golden retriever has a dense inner coat that provides them with adequate warmth. The outer coat is sleek and water repellent, and lays flat against the body. There is an untrimmed feathering on the underbelly, back of the legs, front of the neck and underside of the tail. Coat color comes in cream to a rich golden. The official colour of the breed is the varying shades of gold that are most often seen.

Characteristics & Temperament:

These are lovable, well-mannered, intelligent dogs with a great charm. They are easily trained, and always patient and gentle with children. Golden Retrievers possess a friendly, eager-to-please demeanour Charming, devoted and self-assured, they are a popular family dog. Energetic and loving, Golden Retrievers enjoy pleasing their masters, so obedience training can be very rewarding. They excel in competitions. Friendly with everyone, including other dogs, the Golden Retriever has very little, if any, guarding instincts. While unlikely to attack, Goldens make good watchdogs, loudly signaling a stranger's approach. This breed needs to be around people who display leadership to be happy. The Golden Retriever may become destructive and/or high-strung, over-exuberant and distractible if he is lacking in daily mental and physical exercise. Be sure to remain this dogs firm, but calm, confident, consistent pack leader to avoid behavioral issues. Some of the Golden's talents are hunting, tracking, retrieving, narcotics detection, agility, competitive obedience, and performing tricks. These dogs also love to swim.

Grooming:

The smooth, medium-haired double coat is easy to groom. Comb and brush with a firm bristle brush, paying particular attention to the dense undercoat. Dry shampoo regularly, but bathe only when necessary. This breed is an average shedder.

Information & pic lifted from Google & Yahoo

Recipe: Fruit Salad

Recently, my son had a practicum for his class in school.  Their lesson was about cooking.  Grouped into 5's, they were tasked to prepare a dessert.  They chose to make the most simple & basic dessert, "Fruit Salad".


Having experienced working as a kiddie crew at McDonald's, he suggested that they were aprons & hairnets and to use plastic gloves during the preparation.  I knew that they will be graded not only for the taste but also for the preparation & presentation.


I helped out by preparing the ingredients and utensils they will use. We removed them from the cans and placed it in plastic containers.  I chilled all the ingredients the night before, thinking that when they bring it to school, it is best that the ingredients remain cold. Then i gave them instructions on how to prepare the dessert.


We printed out a procedure to be given to the teacher for added presentation.
The rest was upto them.


Luckily, they received the perfect score.


So, i thought of sharing with you the simple recipe which was their winning dessert.  here goes:

FRUIT SALAD


Ingredients:
1 medium can Fruit Cocktail, drained or diced fresh assorted fruits
1 pack Nestle All-purpose Cream chilled
1 small can Condensed Milk
1 Fresh Coconut (Buko) meat, shredded
1 small can Corn Kernels, drained (optional)


Preparation:
1.  In a bowl, combine drained fruit cocktail, fresh coconut meat and corn kernels.
2.  Add the all purpose cream and condensed milk. Pour just enough milk to coat the fruits. Adjust the measurement as you mix it.  (Make sure that the milk is not too runny or your salad will become soggy.)
3.  Mix together. 
4.  Chill and serve.


for better presentation:  Use the shell of the shredded coconut as bowl.

photo lifted from: google images (sorry my son was not able to take pictures of their finished product)

Recipe: Chelo's Bread & Butter Pudding

Here's an easy dessert recipe:

BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING

 

INGREDIENTS:
1 loaf of white sliced bread, edges trimmed
1 pack unsalted butter, melted at room temperature

3 whole eggs, beaten

1 can evaporated milk                           1 can condensed milk           

1 pack all purpose cream                      2 tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup orange zest                               1 pack dried raisins

cinnamon powder                                  confectioner's sugar

whipped cream (optional)

PROCEDURE:
In a bowl, combine beaten eggs, evap milk, condensed milk,
all purpose cream, and orange juice.
Mix in lemon zest. Add butter and mix well.
On a rectangular baking pan, brush bottom and sides with butter.
Arrange the bread slices side by side, leaving no space in between the slices.
Pour the liquid and make sure all slices have been soaked by the liquid.
Add raisins on top and dash the top with cinnamon powder.
Add another layer and repeat procedure.
Preheat oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cover baking pan with aluminum foil.
Place the baking pan with the pudding on top of a baking tray and fill tray with water. Bake for 25 minutes.
To check if pudding is cooked, get a toothpick and stick in the middle of the pudding. If toothpick comes out clean, then pudding is done.
Sprinkle confectioner's sugar on top of the pudding.
Slice pudding and serve with whipped cream.

This is a specialty of my good friend, Chelo Galang, that's why I named it after her.  

You should try and see if you'll like it.

lifted from her Facebook account: The Heart of Chel

Halloween: Vampires, Witches, Monsters & more

Hey guys!  Happy Halloween!  It's the season for witches, ghosts, ghoules, monsters, vampires & more....
Every year this is a day that my son really looks forward to.  It's when my creativity is called to duty..... ha ha ha. However, due to our cramped schedule (periodic exams, weekly quizzes, school activities & the like), we had no time to prepare this year. No fancy, weird or one-of-a-kind creation this year.  But then, as always, it landed them again on the front page of one of the Philippines' leading newspapers, The Manila Times.

That's my kid in Dracula Attire at the left side of the picture (beside the zombie).

So, as a last resort, we had to wake up Count Dracula to attend the school parade and the annual Nickelodeon Halloween (This year the theme was:  Nickelodeon Scarenival)

at the Nickelodeon Scarenival Halloween

How to become Count Dracula/Vampire:
1.  Prepare the Dracula/Vampire Costume.  You can buy this at the mall.  For those who want to be original, you can make your own.  Ask a seamstress to make one for you.  Get ideas from the internet, there are a lot of those.  For those who want to save on money, you can make use of some of your existing clothes (a white long sleeved polo, black pants, bow tie, and a black coat will do).

Lastly, put some fake blood at the sides of the mouth.  You can buy this at specialty shops or if you can't find one, you can use a little red liquid lipstick smeared downwards.

3. For a finishing touch, apply a generous amount of gel on wet hair. Brush the hair up using a small thin bristled comb following the Dracula fashion.

Let me share with you some more Halloween pics taken at my son's school & at the Nickelodeon Scarenival:

Recipe: Carbonara

Here's a Carbonara Recipe that I would like to share with all you pasta lovers out there... 

A carbonara sauce is typically made with bacon, eggs, and cheese. We've added a little half-and-half for a silky texture.

Spaghetti Carbonara

  

Ingredients : Serves 4

·         1 pound spaghetti

·         8 ounces (8 slices) bacon, cut 1 inch thick crosswise

·         Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

·         3 large eggs

·         3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

·         1/2 cup half-and-half

Directions

1.     Set a large pot of water to boil (for pasta). In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, 8 to 12 minutes; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.

2.     Salt boiling water generously; add pasta and cook until al dente, according to package instructions.

3.     Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together eggs, Parmesan, and half-and-half. Set aside.

4.     Drain pasta, leaving some water clinging to it. Working quickly add hot pasta to egg mixture. Add bacon; season with salt and pepper, and toss all to combine (heat from pasta will cook eggs). Serve immediately, sprinkled with additional Parmesan cheese.

Thanks to my dear friend Chelo for this recipe.

Lifted from: The Heart of Chel

Baguio City, Summer Capital of the Philippines

My son Ien and Nephews Josh & Wacki in front of Baguio Cathedral

Baguio Cathedral

The City of Baguio (Ilokano: Ciudad ti Baguio; Filipino: Lungsod ng Baguio) is a highly urbanized city in northern Luzon in the Philippines. Baguio City was established by Americans in 1900 at the site of an Ibaloi village known as Kafagway. Baguio City was designated by the Philippine Commission as the Summer Capital of the Philippines on June 1, 1903 and incorporated as a city by the Philippine Assembly on September 1, 1909. Baguio is the seat of government of the Cordillera Administrative Region. The name of the city is derived from the word bagiw in Ibaloi, the indigenous language of the Benguet Region, meaning 'moss'. The city is at an altitude of approximately 1500 meters (5100 ft) in the Luzon tropical pine forests ecoregion conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids. Baguio City has become the center of business and commerce as well as the center of education in the entire Northern Luzon.

Lion's Head, Kennon Road

^{some information/photos lifted from: Google&Yahoo}