I'm happy to report that I now weigh 215 pounds.  My goal is to be out of the 200s come my birthday in late November.  I feel very encouraged!!!!

(July 06, 2011 - 240 pounds). 

Last week, as I cleaned my makeup drawers, I found some empty MAC containers.  Today, I went to the mall to exchanged 6 of the containers for a lipstick through the Back to Mac recycling program.  Since I don't wear lipstick, my goal was to pick a red lipstick for my sister. I'll admit, I don't know much about make up and how different colours and shades compliment different skin tones.  Thus, I chose the first red that caught my attention, MAC Red.  I also picked up a Dazzle Lash Mascara in Star Brunette (CA $18.00) and a Mineralized All-Over Lotion (CA $38.50).  I have very oily skin and every once in a while I have small dry patches on my cheekbone.  I found this lotion best for my skin. Which reminds me....just recently, my sister and I argued about how she uses this lotion. It ended with me begging her to stop using the lotion on her feet.

Along with the big box office supply store’s back to school theme song, I too am singing, “it’s the most wonderful time of the year”.  With Labour Day just around the corner, like mine, many families are making the most of the last leg of summer.   Today, we took a trip to a beach in Cottage County.  We swam, feasted, sat on the dock to take in the breeze and just before heading home, my sister and I made banana boats (bananas, split in half, stuffed with marshmallows, Hershey’s chocolate and peanuts, wrapped in foil then tossed into the fire).

During our day trip to Niagara Falls earlier this month, my parents recalled their first date where they ate Mami (Beef Noodle Soup) and Siopao.  Their story inspired me to make some siopao.

Ingredients

Filling:

1 whole chicken, shredded
2 tbsp shortening
1 large onion, roughly chopped
1 head of garlic, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp cornstarch
6 tbsp soy sauce
5 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp sugar

7 boiled eggs

Dough:

3 tbsp sugar

2 cups warm water

1 pouch quick rise dry yeast

5 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tbsp baking powder

1/2 cup shortening

Method:

Make the dough
In a bowl, dilute 3 tbsp sugar and yeast with warm waterset aside for 15 mins

Sieve the flour, 1/4 cup sugar and baking powder into a mixing bowl
Add the shortening and mix
Add the yeast mixture into the mixing bowl and mix with a fork until the dough is formed
kneed the dough in the mixing bowl - 2 mins
cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and set aside for 1 hour 115 mins

While waiting for the dough to rise, cook the filling
Boil the chicken in a pot for 30 mins then shred
In the same pot hard boil the eggs, deshell, cut into quarters and set aside
In a pan, heat the shortening
Saute the onions, the garlic and then the shredded chicken - 10 mins
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar, then add to the pan
Mix for 5 mins
In a bowl, dilute the cornstarch with water, then add to the pan
Mix for 5 minsScoop filling into a large bowl and set aside

By now, the dough should have doubled in size

Sprinkle flour on the counter top

Kneed the dough on the counter top - 1 min

Cut the dough into 20 individual pieces

Kneed each individual piece to form a sphere

Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle - the diameter approx. the length from your wrist to the tip of your index finger

Place a piece of egg at the centre and then add 2 spoon fulls of the chicken asado filling

Pull and pinch the circumference of the dough to seal your filling inside

set aside for 15 mins

place the siopao in the steamer and steam for 17 mins

Here are some photos from our day trip to Niagara

This morning, I was awaken by the aroma of sweet Filipino goodness.  Longanisa is the staple Filipino breakfast sausage. It's juicy, sweet, tangy and is infused with garlic.

Longanisa brings me back to wonderful childhood memories of early mornings when my Papa and I would accompany my lola (grandmother) to the wet market. There, I would carefully listen as lola haggled with her meat suki (vendor she has been buying from for years)  who's stall was adorned with strings of longanisa hung like streamers from ceiling racks.

I love taking a long stroll around the zoo and then taking a short break at this makeshift tent. I adore this spot, so much so that I might bring my books with me one day and study there for a couple of hours.

I'm a nursing student.

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night gasping for air?

July 06, 2011

2:55 am : GASP....panth.....

Later that morning, I stepped on the scale, looked down and saw 240 pounds.