QUEEN VICTORIA'S GARLIC ROASTED CHICKEN

 by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I like eating delish meat!

Cooking food at home is my magic wand and they all appreciate everything about it; from the preparation of ingredients to eating together. This is one great reason why I don't buy processed food or indulge myself in buying instant products at the supermarket. It doesn't mean I dislike them!

I have eaten Roasted Chicken that was cooked and bought from the supermarket, in particular, Garlic Roasted Chicken. The taste was really finger licking good; scrumptious!

When I was at the supermarket last time, I bought a whole chicken and challenged myself to cook my own recipe version of Garlic Roasted Chicken.

Sauce Ingredients: 

• 5 cloves of garlic, crashed 
• 2 slices of onion, chopped 
• 3 tbsps. of Wine Vinegar 
•  ½ tsp. Ground pepper 
• 2 tsps. of honey 
• a pinch of mixed herbs 
• 3 stalks of lemon grass, cut each into 2 (ginger is an option) 
• salt to taste

Sauce Preparation:

1. Mix the garlic, onion, vinegar and honey in a saucepan. Stir well.
2. Add the pepper and mixed herbs. Stir well again. 
3. Add and soak the lemon grass in the mixture. 
4. Once all mixed, bring it to the boil for 3 minutes on a moderate heat. 
5. Let it cool for 5 minutes before adding it to your chicken.

Main Ingredient:

• A whole chicken (free range, if possible as the extra flavour is worth the money)

Marinating Procedure:

1. Wash and rinse the chicken. 
2. Prepare a container and lay the meat in it. 
3. Use a spoon to pour the sauce mixture over the meat. Turn-over and do the same. 
4. Cover the container and leave it for a night (marinating process). 
5. After marinating the chicken, don't throw the sauce mixture. Bring it to the boil and use it as a greasing ingredient when roasting the chicken.

Roasting Procedure:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. 
2. Prepare a roasting tray with rack on it and lay the marinated chicken. As we are using an oven, the tray will hold the excess oil while roasting. 
3. Roast it for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown. 
4. Check it every 25-30 minutes and turning it occasionally. Brush the chicken with the boiled sauce mixture.

This is a flavoursome way of roasting a whole chicken and an addtional recipe to be served on the table for your loving family and closests friends this Christmas season as well as the New Year!

MY ANTIPOLO, PHILIPPINES CLIQUE

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

It wasn't in my top most plans to visit Philippines last year but I'm glad I pursued it!

I purchased my return flights weeks before my arrival day and happily managed to send a balikbayan box, too. Flying over to my beloved country wasn't a plain vacation to relax as I had special reasons at the back of my mind. These reasons were successful and went well. Nowadays, I feel incredibly complete and a woman full with joie de vivre.

  

Year 2015 wasn't the best year of my life but it has given me a few things to remember and treasure. Such as my cheerful memories with my Antipolo Clique. They were beside me when I needed extra hands and showed love when I was down and almost losing hope. 

My charismatic sister BABANG who truly believes that I can do most things in life. You witnessed my struggles when I was in Manila like getting up at 21:00 or 22:00 in order to go to work on time. Thank you for forcefully pushing Tatay that I should stay with you when Kuya Boyet had to go back on board the ship. I treasure all the memories we shared especially the flood days at Cainta, Rizal and our 'love & hate' bonding as sisters. 

KUYA GODFREY who is now taller than me and was my helping hand from the day of my operation until my last day in the Philippines. I have to say that you have become smarter as shown in your grades and sturdier for withstanding the test of commuting, for hours, the busy metropolis. I was once a commuter in Metro Manila and you need to have a strong sense of yourself aside from your stamina in order to survive. Kuya, Thank You so much and I'm very proud of your achievements at school. 

You are my cousin and we didn't talk much when we were in General Santos City. Were you scared of me? You must have been but I was completely different all those years ago. Thank you ATE MAICA for helping me too, like when I needed your presence to change my bandages in the toilet. I remembered that we weren't talking much for a few days but our bloodline taught us how to become closer. You have to stay strong as being away from your parents will never be easy but it will yield something good for your inner self. I enjoyed and loved our Makati day/night out, especially our friendly yet flirty smile and hand waves to passers-by from Starbucks' glass window. 

The over-eager and loquacious Kate who was a bit aloof towards me for a few days and who later called me, MOMMY. You called me Mommy with your cute voice with a very warm hug too that made me closer to you. You have an advance brain and always made me smile when you conversed with me in English. I was very amazed how you correctly used each English word in a sentence. I have to say that I could even see myself in you when I was at your age. I love you articulate ATE KATE! 

I was able to breastfed you when you were a baby as you couldn't stop from crying. Can you believe it? You stopped, slept and I think that was the reason why we are so bonded until now ATE NICOLE. I arrived there a week after you were born and it was a very delightful feeling to see you grow. I will forever treasure your annoying behaviour (at the age of 3) every time you tried to wake me up in my room at Cainta, Rizal. You are no longer a baby but you will always be my baby and I will forever be your MOMMY. 

  

 

I traveled alone in reluctance and when I stayed there with you all, we shared memories of laughter, aloofness and even got very closer than years before. Then, the day I traveled back again to England you all made me cry but I was left with elated tearful eyes. The worst part was, you ruined my applied eyeliner (LOL!).

SAY CAMEMBERT!

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

When I was growing-up, I thought cheese had one shape and taste only. What a foolish child I was to have assumed that milk-based food products like cheese did not have wide-ranging flavours, textures, and forms too. This was during my school years or before the internet was launched in the world. Sad to say, my intuition really misguided me so much!

For the past weeks, I have been trying to regain my sexy weight as I added 5 klgs. or so after eating too much last Christmas and New Year's Eve. I was not just enjoying but also indulging myself, it was a case of 'eat as much as you can'.

I tried hard to get my weight back or even to lose a few klgs. of that chubbiness. It wasn't that difficult to lose weight but delicious meals are very tempting and hard to avoid. So, instead of gaining more weight or starve myself to death I decided to accustom myself to only eat at lunchtimes with fibre rich fruits like apples, bananas, oranges and pears. My fruit diet helped a lot and as a matter of fact, I just regained my weight without experiencing nausea etc.

Last week, I put on hold for awhile my fruit-diet regime and try buns with slices of Camembert cheese. I thought I would have it for a few days only, but my new luncheon is more than a week old now! Perhaps the soft and flavoursome spiced buns with juicy orange soaked sultanas and raisins as well as the scrumptious full fat soft cheese made from pasteurised cow's milk were the reasons why my choosy taste buds are so delighted.

My fruit-diet and my new luncheon have huge differences, in particular, health benefits. Bu on the other hand, I have found and tasted the cheese I prefer most while I'm on Earth.

It may be fattening as they say but I know it won't affect me as I can control the amount I eat. Hmmmmmmmm...I'm a little 'devil' sometimes.