Heaven's Grocery Store

I was walking down life's highway a long time ago.
I saw a sign that read "Heaven's Grocery Store"
As I got a little closer, the door came open wide
And when I came to myself, I was standing inside
I saw a host of angels; they were standing everywhere
One handed me a basket and said, "My child, stock with care"
Everything that a Christian needs was in that store;
And if there was some that you could not carry, you could come back the next day for more

Double Chocolate Cookies

All I can say is...WOW!!! I'm so proud of myself! For the first time I was able to bake cookies!!! yeheeyyyy.....other's may find this crazy but for me this is one of my accomplishment...I have been making, looking, trying and baking cookies for a long time..well not too long because I am always frustrated with the outcome..and finally, I baked one recipe that I am so proud of(",)

Yield: 2 dozen

11.5 oz Bittersweet chocolate chips or bar

6 tbsp butter

3 eggs (room temp)

1/3 c all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

12 oz Semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c chopped walnuts (you can use your all time favorite nuts)

Melt the bittersweet chocolate chips and butter in a double broiler. I used a small pan over the big pan w/ boiling water. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Mix until thick. Add in the melted chocolate. Scrape the bowl until combined. Mix in flour and baking powder. Add the semi-sweet chocolate chips and nuts. Mix until a thick dough forms.

NOTE: If you have a mixer bowl, you can mix the eggs and sugar using the flat beater, using speed 4-mix it for 5 mins. then add the rest of the ingredients except the ice cream(",)

Divide the dough in two logs by placing it on the plastic wrap. Roll like a log. Wrap tightly. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it. You can also freeze one of the dough logs if you are not going to use both. 

READY TO BAKE(",)

Preheat oven to 375F. Unwrap dough and cut into 3/4 inch. Place the dough slices 1" apart. Bake for 14 mins. Let cool on the counter.

Cooks' tip: You can make a cookie sandwich w/ this recipe, too! Scoop ice cream on 1 of the cookies and place the other cookie on top of it(",)

Leche Flan (Custard)

I finally came out with this perfect leche flan (custard) after searching and experimenting different recipes. I remember the one that my grandmother (god bless her soul) always made in an open fire whenever there was an occassion. This is like hers. Not too rich, not to sweet..mouth watering!

Yields : 8 ramekins

caramel syrup
1 c white sugar
1/4 c water

Put the water then the sugar on a non stick sauce pan. Do not mix. Let it boil until it is caramelized. Put syrup in each ramekin immediately bec. the sugar gets hard fast. Be careful.

Flan/Custard

4 large eggs
1 can condensed
1 can evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp of orange rind

Preheat oven to 350F. Put hot water in the pan and place your ramekins in it.
Beat the eggs first. Add the rest of the ingredients, then tap bowl once to release some of the bubbles. Put 1/2 cup of the mixture in each ramekin and place it in the pan. Bake it for 40 mins. Best serve if cooled

Goin' Bananas

Bananas help us keep fit and healthy! Not only that, it keeps our shoes shiny too! Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose & glucose combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained & substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout.

Depression : According to a recent survey, many people felt much better after eating banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood & generally make you feel happier.

PMS : Ladies, forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anemia : High iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood & so helps in cases of anemia. Blood Pressure : This tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. The US Food and Drug Administration hast just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

A Second Chance

Hold on to me, mommy! These are the words I will never forget the time I gained my consciousness. It was January 16, 2006, Martin Luther Day, about 4:00 in the afternoon. My husband left for work around 2:30 that afternoon. I was wearing my thick brown Carter coat to protect me from the cold wind. John, our son, 5 yrs old then, was playing outside. I was washing barn 4 (one of the grow-outs barn) when something went wrong to the high pressure pump. I rolled the hose and drove the tractor to the well house to fix it. Fortunately, we have a spare parts for it and so I began to fix it. I started taking the damage part off when suddenly I couldn't take the other bolt off. Luckily, our older son, Richard, came home from work and stopped by the well house and see what I was doing. He helped me take the other bolt off and replace the parts. I turned on the tractor (M4700), run the PTO (power take off) to check if the pump is still leaking. And no doubt it's still leaking! I tighten the bolts to fix the problem, got closer to the PTO and there you go... guess what happened! My coat got caught in the spinning PTO shaft and started to pin me on the other side. I saw darkness! How it happened? It was so fast and nobody knew how it happened, why it happened and what happened. I went black out! The scary thing... I saw myself stucked in between the pump and the bar of the spray rig, my coat around my neck. After seeing myself, I said "Ayoko pa mamatay" ("I don't want to die yet"). Seconds later, (I guess) I'm back!!!. I saw Richard at the well house and called him. He rushed towards me and said he will call for help. He run to our neighbor, John approached me, held my hand, and said, "Mommy, hold on to me, ok, Richard is going to call for help".