Fourth of July Experiments =)

I had a wonderful 4th of July this year! It was like no other 4th of July that I've had the last 3 years. This time around it was full of love, food, cuddles and giggles=)

My husband and I did a Barbeque and I decided I'd make the hotdog buns from scratch this time. The picture shows how my hot dog buns turned out.

I love making bread! Such a work of art, easy to make and oh fills your home with such homey feelings! ** Bread recipe below =) **

The top picture is me piping meringue cookies. My husband and I experimented on making calorie free cookies utilizing meringue cookie recipe. We figured that if we can use sugar substitute to make the meringue cookies and flavor it with some vanilla or liquor successfully we'd happily enjoy cookies without the guilt of putting in bazillion unnecessary calories in our bodies!

Anyhow, our experiment was not very successful. We did yield meringue cookies but they were very airy and they disintegrate in your mouth like right that moment you pop them in your mouth! However it was worth the try. It was an exciting yet not very traditional activity for 4th of July.

At some point my husband asked me if I want us to start a tradition for 4th of July and if so what would it be? I blurted out make meringue cookies?! Boy I think of it now and I am not sure that that's the most sensible answer or the most exciting thing to do for us every year or for when we have kids but oh well I was thinking of room for improvement for our airy meringue cookies this year! I just hope that this tradition I picked to do for fourth of July doesn't fire back on me later on. hahaahaha! Or we can change it anytime =) I love that my husband and I can work on things together and put our heads together to make things better.



Hot Dog Bun Recipe:

1/2 C warm water (about 110 C)
2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp butter, melted
2-3 cups Bread Flour
dash of salt

Preheat oven at 400 C.

Combine the first 3 ingredients, stir with fork and let stand for 5 minutes. The mixture will be frothy and bubbly. This is called proofing your yeast. If it's not frothy or bubbly do it again as the yeast was not activated either because it's dead or water temperature was not right. Add the egg and butter and dash of salt. Work in a cup of flour using a fork. Add 1/2 of flour at a time after the first cup has been added. The dough will start to form. Use your hands and knead the dough for about 5-10 minutes until the dough is nice and smooth. Divide into 4 and roll into logs. Pinch the ends and tuck them underneath. Imagine how a hot dog bun looks like. You can also make burger buns by shaping them into circles and flattening them a little bit. Lay them in a baking non-stick baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap or damp towel for about 3o minutes to let it rise. Bake at 400 C for about 10 minutes then take it out and brush with egg wash to make it glossy and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Put back in the oven and bake until the tops are golden brown about 10-15 minutes more.

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water mixed together.


Enjoy! =)

Company Picnic =)

Today was my husband's company picnic at work and boy I must say this was my first "American" picnic.

The food was very different from the picnics I've attended back home in the Philippines. Picnics in the Philippines are loaded with serious foods like rice and chicken adobo and inihaw (Barbeque) and fruits (usually pineapple, watermelon, banana, papaya, mangoes and cantaloupe are the common ones). American picnic defined by this one we went to has burgers and hotdogs as the star, some fruits and salad on the side and some finger foods like nachos, popcorn, pretzels and ice cream bars.

There were lots of kids which is about the same in the Philippines as it is mostly a family thing. Games play part of both American and Filipino picnics.

I was a little iffy at first because I had this feeling I might get alienated or something but there were lots of different nationalities, lots of Asians and to my relief even some Filipinos =) I didn't get into conversations with anyone but I was very happy with my husband. He just held my hand for most part and although there were lots of pretty girls around, he never forgot to reassure me how much he loves me, give me kisses and hugs and tell me how pretty I am in his eyes =)

My husband just tops all husbands for me because he is very reassuring and supporting. There was never a time where I felt unloved by him. There were times when I'd wake up feeling ugly but that was just me self pitying myself or well I guess it's cyclic to anyone. We all get our ugly days and what's important is to have someone remind us that we are foolish to think so!

I really had a blast today! My husband even taught me how to fish. We didn't caught any fish but we did get some branches reeled in! lol! I have never done fishing in my life and this is very memorable for me because I shared two firsts in my life with my husband today - First American picnic and First fishing experience =)

I am really happy and grateful for my husband. He makes me feel special, loved, important and pretty! =)

Husbands reading this, learn how to make your wives happy. My husband always tells me "HAPPY WIFE, HAPPY LIFE!" =)

However, I am not just putting the stress on husbands... Wives, make your husbands happy as much as you can too.

REMEMBER: IT TAKES TWO TO TANGO =)

The Best Hamburger Ever!!

The BEST HAMBURGER I've ever eaten in my life!!!

Bias aside, this is the hamburger that my husband made for me for during Memorial Day weekend. We did a barbeque last Sunday, just the two of us and it was so much fun!

I can hardly remember when I last had an outdoor barbeque but I remember for sure that my dad used to do that almost every weekend some years ago. I never got to do barbeque from start to finish myself, I've always been a helper though! =)

My excitement for the barbeque experience was just so high last Sunday that I posted shout out on my Facebook and it was funny how two of my closest friends in high school commented back:

Myra, my friend in London said that people in London are crazy about BBQ's as well when back in the Philippines it was just an ordinary everyday food / activity.

Nadj, my best friend in the Philippines, commented that even the people in the Philippines looks like BBQ because it's very hot back there!

I laughed my ass off for awhile with these comments but I sure did enjoy my weekend with my husband! =)

At the end of the weekend I thanked my husband and verbalized how much I liked that we did the BBQ and he asked me what I liked about it.. was it that he cooked for me or the hamburger that he made for me???

My response was that I liked everything about it!

I loved the hamburger, in fact the BEST HAMBURGER I'VE EVER EATEN IN MY LIFE!

I loved the effort he put into making everything happen from grocery shopping to picking up the charcoal and lighter fluid, to lighting the charcoal to cooking and platting my food to eating together and just enjoying the whole experience! =)