KFC's Baked Dishes -- Try Them Now!

I've long since lost my faith in "quality" fast food. Besides Burger King (dee-effing-licious), there's hardly ever a restaurant that really draws my attention. KFC was no different, especially because of the huge disappointment that was the Cheesetop Burger. --And then they came up with their BAKED menu offerings.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Baked Pasta: (L) Marinara, (R) Creamy Chicken[/caption]

This particular variety features baked versions of pasta (around PHP 125) , supreme rice bowls (around PHP 135), and egg tarts. Both pasta and rice bowl can come with your choice of either marinara or creamy sauce.

Okay, so even if the plating is so-so, the ooey-gooey melted cheese on top looks inviting to cheese-lovers of all ages. And what's more, the taste is actually pretty darn good. The firmness of the pasta is fast-food quality, but the sauces are well-seasoned. I'm talking about the herbs and spices bit here, and I think it matches KFC's 11 herbs and spices distinction. And speaking of chicken, I got some tender, moist morsels in my order and I loved it!

The marinara sauce is zesty, while the creamy sauce is rich (as it should be). --A far cry from their runny, starchy Alfredo sauce. And the "homemade gourmet" taste is not lost on me.

Here the kicker: These products aren't available (yet) in other KFC branches. I was told that they're still in the market research stage. If you want to drop by for a taste, it's available in their Shopwise, Araneta Center branch and in Market Market, Fort Bonifacio. The items are on the menu for a limited trial period only. If the market test flops, kiss these tasty treats goodbye.

It's a carbfest for certain, but does the word "baked" lessen any of the guilt?... I guess that part's up to you.

 

 

Quick Fix: Buko-Lychee Galore

For those who crave a diet-friendly kitchen, it's a must to have some healthy pantry (and fridge) staples to avoid reaching for the junk food. I'm a self-confessed smoothie junkie, so my stash includes fruits, low-fat milk, tofu (the ones that are packed tightly in plastic to form cylindrical tubes), and honey. I always crave an ice-cold glass right after a workout, because it seems like the quickest cool-down I can think of.

Ingredient-wise, tofu is my current obsession. I've always been a fan of soy milk, and tofu gives my smoothies a velvety texture. Plus, I get full much faster from the burst of protein. Yay!

After recently trying out a bunch of smoothie flavors, I'd like to share my own twist on the delightful Buko-Lychee Shake. Coconut cream adds a pleasant "Virgin Piña Colada" touch.

Ingredients:

• 6 big cubes of ice


• 1/2 cup of milk


• 1/4 tube of tofu


• 5-6 pieces of lychee from the can (drained and washed)


• 2 Tbs coconut cream


• 1 Tbs of honey

Procedure:

Whirl everything in a blender. Enjoy. :)

Ellana Lip Gloss Review

I haven't fully gotten into the mineral makeup trend yet, but I am for natural-ingredient cosmetics. I've replaced my old lip balms with ones that contain natural oils, and I'm a big fan of argan oil. It helps put my mind at ease, knowing that I'm skipping all the nasty chemicals whenever there's a chance.

Last week, while I was in SM Megamall's grocery store (the old one), I stumbled upon the makeshift bazaar just beyond the cashier counters. There was a tiny area devoted to non-food items, and that's where I found Ellana Mineral Cosmetics.

Because of their reasonable prices and simple packaging, I decided to check their testers out. The lip palettes seem to have a good amount of coverage and are, obviously, convenient to lug around, but I didn't like the color combinations much. I'd love to try the loose powder next, since I get such a nice, natural look from using that vs. the pressed variety. But that day, I settled on their lip gloss (PHP 150) instead.

The tubes look simple yet classy with their clean packaging (no box) and their gold lids. I definitely prefer that to those over-the-top labeling schemes where you can barely see the actual product inside.

The color I chose is called Snuggle, a vibrant raspberry-magenta with some slight shimmer.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="553"] On the tube[/caption]

When I picked up a tube from the display, I noticed some oily residue leaking from the tube and onto my fingers. The salesperson assured me that the glosses tend to leak naturally, so I should keep the tube upright when possible. She also said that the leaking only happens in the beginning, so I shrugged it off and paid for my gloss.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="196"] Color Swatch on the Ellana website[/caption]

Smeared on my hand, the color looks bright but comes on quite sheer. Personally, I prefer a lip gloss with high pigmentation/thick coverage. I'm talking about the kind that can pass off as an ultra creamy lipstick. But for the "everygirl", sheer gloss is foolproof for a touch of color to the pout. It's a no-brainer option and a quick way to alter your look, even if you don't want to use a lot of makeup.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Almost perfect[/caption]

However, I do have Cons for this:

First, the leaking never stopped. The tube made a mess whenever it got tilted. Formulation-wise, I'm happy that the gloss isn't sticky on the mouth. Alas, that same runny factor has caused it to leak from the container and bleed when on the lips. You can't over apply, or you stand to make a mess. Second, I'm not sure if perhaps the product just isn't right for me (in Filipino: Hindi hiyang sa akin.), but I've been having a reaction to it. My lips get a bit itchy after a couple of minutes. Though I haven't suffered a bad irritation, the itching has made me wary of using this.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="323"] Leaking away[/caption]

After all the leaking though, what remained was a thickly pigmented paste that more resembled liquid lipstick. The newly concentrated color resulted in this:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="491"] A darker magenta color[/caption]

Um, perhaps the leaking was a bid to improve it?

The Verdict: Personally, maybe the product just isn't compatible with my skin. I wouldn't swear off this brand just yet as I want to give mineral cosmetics a chance. Hopefully, my next purchase will yield better results.

Call It Spring Rolls!

Taking a page from my recent trip to Vietnam, I decided to try and adapt the Saigonese food philosophy. They seem to have the healthiest staples to their diets, what with all those greens and herbs. It's a health buff's fantasy.

I've purchased spring roll wrappers and some lettuce, and I've been wrapping most anything in them for some quick and healthy snacks. I guess it makes me feel less guilty than if I had settled on a bowl of rice. (Doesn't make much sense, I know, seeing as spring roll wrappers are made of rice... Humor me.)

Pork barbecue was prepared for today's lunch, so I decided to get a little creative. Ta-dah!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Dinner is served[/caption]

Easy-peasy! All it takes are some hydrated spring roll sheets, some well-seasoned pork barbecue, some fresh lettuce, and some special sauce. The secret is:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="461"] All hail the tasty sauce[/caption]

I tell you, Peri-peri sauce is a great find! I got mine for PHP 75 from Peri-Peri Grillhouse in SM Megamall. It adds so much flavor to anything because of all the spices they mix in. This is coming from a "spice girl" who doesn't use hot sauce for the heat alone. The explosion of flavor that comes from this bottle is not exaggerated. Plus, the Mild variety packs just the right punch.

Those on an I-Can'-Eat-Anything! diet may want to try this out. I read that chili is good for speeding up the metabolism. Here's to hoping that it's true...

 

A Tonic for the Arteries

My mom's big on herbal remedies. She'll read something on the internet or the papers and will insist on trying out said healthy solutions. She's done the apple cider gallstone cleanse, noni juice, and a variety of weird-tasting herbal teas. Frankly, I'm not on the bandwagon, but I don't mind sampling them if they don't taste particularly nasty.

After reading the newspaper, she approached me with a request to concoct this heart tonic for her and my grandmother. And since I've done the labor, why not share it for those who are up for an all-natural remedy.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Mise en place: Ginger, garlic, lemons, apple cider vinegar, and honey.[/caption]

Tools-wise, you will need a juicer, a saucepan that can accommodate 4 cups of liquid, a whisk, and a measuring cup.

For the ingredients, you will need lots of ginger and garlic, about 4-5 lemons, some apple cider vinegar (preferably Bragg because it's organic), and some honey.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Juicer magic[/caption]

1. Peel the ginger and cut into small slices. Juice until you have 1 cup.


2. Peel the garlic and remove the the stems. (If you have sensitive hands, wear gloves. I find that handling garlic for a prolonged period will cause your fingers to start to sting.) Again, juice until you get 1 cup.


3. Squeeze out the lemons to achieve 1 cup.


4. Mix all of those in your saucepan with 1 cup of apple cider vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it reduce to three-quarters, whisking occasionally to avoid any burnt parts. Let it cool.


5. Mix in 3 cups of honey and store in a container.

The instruction was to drink 1 tbs daily before breakfast to unblock the heart.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Turns greenish while cooking[/caption]

Tips:

Don't know if it's perhaps because my juicer is inefficient, but I find that you can re-juice the garlic and ginger pulp to produce quite a bit more liquid. In fact, I got to re-juice the pulp about 3 times until the juices were sufficiently extracted.

I zested the lemons and boiled the peels in hot water for a tasty lemon tea. I'd hate for that to go to waste.