Sunflower power?

I never really noticed it until we started planting and growing sunflowers - but these guys have a knack of tracking and following sunlight (or artificial light of the same wavelength I guess).

The flowers themselves behave like radio/satellite dishes that look up and actually follow the sun. As if it were trying to get the 'best signal' :-)

And what amazed us more was this little gem that we harvested from our backyard. When we got it in, the thing was looking downwards, but we didn't pay too much attention to that detail, and we placed it in a vase and on the dining table.

And just the other night, we were surprised to see the flower was not in the 'nodded' position but has reared up its 'head' and was 'looking' towards our dining lamp/light! So even with the flower already cut from the main stem, this behavior still exhibits.

Nature sure is quite impressive!

'Bowling'

Do you like eating meals from a bowl? I think that the bowl is the most versatile eating 'platform' ever devised.

A bowl can hold both dry and soupy foods. One can drink from a bowl. Hey, you can even use it to take a bath with!

There's just something about eating from a bowl that makes it enjoyable. For me, it brings back memories of my childhood when I would be doing my midnight snacks - rice and whatever leftover dinner. And specially if it was sauteed mung beans with pork and shrimp! In the picture, I had beef picadillo. I did start eating from a plate but when I saw the bowl of picadillo, something kicked in and I put all my rice on it.

Some people say that eating from a bowl 'masks' the amount of food you eat. Unless of course you're eating from a bowl the size of a helmet...

Speaking of more pancit...

Jollibee's pancit palabok (also known as fiesta noodles here in the US) is something that I would crave for when I visit home.

It is fast food stuff, but good nonetheless. And pairing it with the 'Champ' burger makes it good x 2!

More to come!

'Simple' pancit

This has got to be the simplest pancit bihon back home. Barely any meat or veggies. But does it taste soooo gooood!! And amazingly priced too!

My sister would buy this in the wet market if time permits, and I would request for her to buy more than usual. It is neat that such a simple dish can pack such a wallop. I know that it subjective, but in my books, this is 'The Pancit' - provided it is not made with MSG....

Hot weather drink

My hot weather drink of choice while visiting back home. Good 'ol Gatorade!

Water would still be primary, but Gatorade is a close second. I think I bought a couple of dozens back then. Also found out that Gatorade goes well with Goldilock's cakes - nice! :-D

Tilapia

Fried tilapia. Some tomatoes and a little 'patis' or salt. Perfect!

Ma Mon Luk

It has been a while since my last update. Out n' about, you know. Anyways, time for some new posts! ;-)

Visited our hometown a couple of months back and had a great time bonding with family and friends. And that also includes food tripping!

I was recovering from a bad case of indigestion when we arrivef and didn't eat too well during the trip. Thankfully, I got better after a day or two and good thing as my sister in law brought over some yummy special siopao from Ma Mon Luk.

This siopao is classic. And everytime I visit, I just got to have one. Or two. Or three...

Paired with some good chicken mami (ramen-like noodle soup) and a soda on the side - that's one awesome combo meal!

B&W

Black and white Wii units. The black one being the current version and the white my 1st Gen.

The newer gen Wii has all the backward compatibilty hardware for the Nintendo Gamecube. This may not be much for the common folk gamer, but Nintendo fanboys look on this with disdain.

I bought this unit for my family and it is still amazing how this console manages to pull in everybody and join the fun.

It doesn't have full HD, audio is just regular composite audio, and doesn't even have large mass storage. Games are simple, nothing visually astonishing.

But that simplicity is what draws what would be non-gamers to pick up the controller to join the fray. Lots of gaming titles that the average folk can relate and easily interact with. That's the Nintendo approach for you.

Of course audio and video setbacks of the Wii will soon be addressed - once the all new Wii U comes out ;-)

Qdoba time?

Qdoba's pulled-pork quesadillas definitely beat Taco Time's. Price-wise, the latter has got the edge though, but Qdoba's version makes up in heft for the price difference.

And you get a scoop of guacamole and/or sour cream to go with it too.

Dancing Tree?

Sure looks like some sort of dance pose...

Veggie run!

We dropped by the local 'healthy buffet' place. It's not 100% vegan, which is good news for us.

And despite having a healthy lineup, one could still easily tip the scales and go overboard with food. Too much of anything is bad, regardless.

But it does give a 'good' feeling eating the greens and having 'no meat' foccacia bread. Kinda like a break from a routine.

So if you still want to go eat up, but get that guilty feeling roiling inside - why not visit Sweet Tomatoes to get those cravings answered. And while you're at it, grab a couple of those freshly baked cookies that the servers pass around - definitely a must!!

Noche Buena (Christmas Dinner)

Celebrated 'noche buena' with a combination of Asian and Western cuisine.

Pancit Canton and Meat Loaf - classics indeed!

Needless to say the food didn't last a week... ;-)

Peacock Lane

Every year, there's this neighborhood block that sets up an awesome array of lights.

I think it just started as a tradition, and since then they kept it going, and SE Peacock Lane in Portland is always a nice spot to visit and enjoy the amazing display of Christmas lights. Kudos to the homeowners and their creativity and for sharing their displays to the public.

And I thought we had enough lights on the porch... ;-)

Christmas Tree 2011!

Here's our Christmas tree from 2011.

It's was Grand Fir and it smelled so nice (gotta love fresh pine scent)!

The nice thing too is we were lucky to pick such a healthy tree. It stayed very fresh all the entire December and 1 week in January.

We even felt bad when the time came to recycle the tree, as it was still so green and fresh (and still smells good too).

One of the best, if not the best live Christmas tree that we got to date. Hope we get lucky next Christmas!

Ribbing it

Oh yeah! Half slab pork ribs @ Dave's Famous BBQ!

Bring it!

Whoa 2012!

Ok, where did 2011 go? We got so caught up with the holidays that I forgot to blog stuff!

The holidays bring both smiles and 'headaches' - it's a double-edged sword.

On one end, there's that innate joy ine feels. Christmas presents, Christmas trees, parties, the food and drinks. Don't we all look forward to that?

But hey, these things just won't drop out of the sky and land in perfect order on your lap. You got to prep and work for them - and here comes the other edge of the sword.

Figuring out/buying presents, setting up the tree and decors, scheduling this and that, last minute gifts - these things can get really stressful.

But I guess in the end, it's all worth it, as you sit back and relax and look back on it with a positive attitude.

And as you pack up your decors and trinkets... deep inside there's this yearning and anticipation for next year's holiday.

Happy 2012 everyone and may this year bring peace, joy, and prosperity to all!

Note: Yes, I love Klondike bars and thanks to my sweet and loving girlfriend who gave them to me as part of her 10-stage Christmas gift! ;-)

Ooo... steak! Or is it?

My girlfriend was able to snag one of those 'free steaks' that the Outback Steak House had a promo on.

So we get to have a good excuse to grab some food and see how good (or bad) it is.

I personally didn't expect too much, and it was a good thing too. The steak I got looked better than it tasted. It was ok, but nothing more. The brown bread was good though, and we had a couple of those. But alas, the steaks themselves gave a mediocre performance.

I remember the last time I went to an Outback, the steak was good. It could be that mine wasn't prepped well I guess. Based on my current experience, there are other and better steak houses out there to try.

Aside from one of our steaks being free, and the good bread, I couldn't think of anything else food-wise that was above 'ho-hum'.

Everything on it... please!

There's always room in one's heart for a good 'ol classic cheeseburger/hamburger (except for vegetarians, that is).

Some like it plain, but for others, it's what you pile on it that makes it even better!

We checked out the Five Guys burger joint to see what all the fuss is. Ever since they opened here, we've been hearing good feedback about them.

Upon entering, you get that classic burger resto feel (and smell) - nothing fancy. Menu is simple. Pick a burger size, then throw in your toppings. As much as you like. And while waiting for your order, one can grab some peanuts and munch on them like appetizers.

The burgers are nicely done. I can't remember if you can specify how the meat is done, but I think you can. What I like about hand made patties is that irregular shape it gets. It adds to the novelty of the burger and the feel of it being like 'the ones made at home'.

Overall, Five Guys is definitely a recommendation, and a very good one at that.

So if you are a true burger fan, you'll do yourself a favor to head out and grab some burgers at Five Guys. You won't be disappointed.

Nice boat :-D

Did a sailing tour with my love a few months back and we managed to avoid nasty weather.

The tour was along the Willamette river and our captain took us around the bridges and even gave us an opportunity to 'pilot' the boat. When my girlfriend manned the boat, she did it quite nicely and managed to keep us on course.

The boat we rode on was a classic Norwegian fishing boat. Aside from the normal sail, it also had a small diesel inboard engine to help it move along when wind is unavailable and for maneuvering.

Once the captain unfurled the sails and shut off the engine, it was so calming and peaceful. I didn't get that feeling about folks talking about 'sailing in the wind' and how relaxing it is, but after this, I believe I get their point now.

I got it enough that for a few minutes I contemplated and wondered what it would take to get my own boat :-D

But I guess I'll leave the seafaring to them - I'm still a 'landlubber' at heart.

Wonton goodness...

What's good to eat during these cold fall/winter nights?

Nothing beats a warm bowl of wonton noodle soup with roast pork! Yummy specialty at the Good Taste restaurant.

Come get some while they're hot! Oishii desu!!!