REDUCED SODIUM SALT (WE'RE NOT COMMON)

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

We do use salt in our dishes but not the common one, to be specific, salt with less sodium content!

One of the ingredients in cooking that we usually sprinkle to balance the taste of our dishes is the oldest food seasoning called, salt. A mineral that is composed primarily of sodium chloride which is very important in the preservation of food. However, the reduced sodium salt consists of potassium chloride which does not increase blood pressure as with the common salt.

We all know for a fact that salt is produced in three forms such as unrefined salt (sea salt), refined salt (table salt) and iodized salt. But now there is also reduced sodium salt, so which of the four are you using in your kitchen?

QUEEN VICTORIA'S BAKED/GRILLED BONED PORK LEG

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

 

As an old saying goes, “A way to a man’s heart is to fill his empty stomach.”

Sistahs, it is time for you to prepare your kitchen and check the needed ingredients for this scrumptiously meaty recipe. It gives a succulent cooking experience and also, warms up your kitchen in this type of weather. More importantly, it will truly indulge your man’s appetite... STOP HIS AGONY!!!

Ingredients:

• Boned Pork Leg 
• 3 cloves of garlic; crashed/sliced
• ginger; crashed/sliced
• mixed herbs
• 2 tbsps. of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp. of Sunflower Oil
• 1 tbsp. of Lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. of Worcester sauce
• salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules to taste
•  1 medium cooking onion; slice into 4 and separate each layer 
• 4 medium-sized mushrooms; cut each into 2 

Cooking Procedure:

1. Thaw your meat, if needed.
2. Prepare the chopping board and place your meat on it. Use a sharp knife to scar on top and turn-over to do the same. Just set it aside.
3. Prepare your crashed/sliced garlic and ginger, then insert most of the slices in the created scars of the meat. Dont throw away the excess garlic and ginger, just scatter and arrange evenly in the bottom of the pyrex glass.
4. Rub the whole meat with mixed herbs. 
5. Prepare your cooking dish (Pyrex-glass cooking dish is good) and lay the prepared meat in the centre to create an art. Just set it aside.
6. Mix and whisk the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Sunflower Oil, Lemon juice and Worcester sauce in a bowl. After that, add the condiments for additional flavours and make sure they are all well blended.
7. Gradually, pour the mixture you made from cooking procedure 6. Just make sure it is distributed evenly over the meat.
8. Design it with layers of onions and slices of mushrooms around it (Be Imaginative!) Then, cover the pyrex either with foil or its lid.
9. Place it in a safe area and marinate it for 1 hour before placing it in the oven.
10. Preheat the oven to 150ºC under bake mode (electric). 
11. Place the cooking dish (with the marinated meat) in the preheated oven, then bake it for 30 minutes. In 15 minutes time, glaze the meat with its own sauce and turn it over for the other side to be soaked in its sauce, too. 
12. After that, remove the foil or lid and change the Bake to Grill as well as adjust the temperature down to 120ºC. 
13. Place and grill it for 30 minutes. Check it every 10 minutes and glaze the meat using its own sauce.

Eat it with joy in your heart and share your dish with loved-ones as the scrumptiousness will be revealed when all are together around the table.

I miss my loving Tatay because of this Filipino inspired cuisine of mine.

MY HOMEMADE LEFTOVER FACE AND BODY SCRUB

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I love drinking filtered coffee because its yumyumyumyumyum...

The ground coffee beans have a rich full-flavour which brings out the intense secret aroma. However, the addition of steamed and frothy milk smooths its distinctive strong taste. Shall I say, it’s simply delicious every time I sip it from my mug. This mighty hot shot drink always gives me a delightful morning and more importantly, keeping me vigorous the whole day! 

Many years ago, I would just throw the leftover brewed coffee granules in the sink before washing up my handy cafetiere and the rest of the utensils. Why would I save the leftover granules? Was it worth re-using them like I do with the traditional tea bags? I don't think so, as there would be very little strength in the used granules and would be innocuously bland for my palate. In those years once brewed and drank, the coffee granules would just be thrown and washed away. 

I visited a close friend who was just fresh from his Latin America Road Trip and he was very eager to show me his captured photos. While we were happily scanning all of his collected images onto his desktop, he also showed me the souvenirs he bought from one state to another. Surprisingly, one souvenir really caught my eyes and it's a personalised ceramic container with my engraved nickname in it. Weird to have read it but it was indeed my nickname! Aside from my engraved nickname, it contained clay mud mask with coffee granules ideal for the face and body. Actually, it was meant for me as a special gift for being a trustworthy and loving friend. It was a very touching idea of his and didn't know I was that special. He handed over it to me but with a very amusing reminder in his deep tonal voice, "You have to use the content, Vicky!". 

The clay mud mask lasted roughly for a month and after that, I was unable to find one of the same quality. That is why, I experimented and came up of the idea of utilising the leftover granules from my brewed coffee. I spooned the leftover out of the cafetiere and placed them in a shot glass with the additional nourishing ingredients, 2 tsps. of table salt and a tbsp. of honey. I mixed them using a teaspoon first before using a milk frother in order to coalesce the 3 ingredients into one. 

 

This homemade face and body scrub of mine acts like an exfoliation when you rub it into your skin. During the application, you are getting rid off the dead skin through a process called microdermabrasion. The coffee granules, as a major ingredient, has a natural chemical that achieves a gradual brown skin tone or for myself, it maintains my glowing brown skin without the need of a tanning salon. Moreover, the other two ingredients have benefits too. Such as honey which has antibacterial properties and hefty serving of skin-saving antioxidants while salt can reduce inflammation and flush out toxins- removes bacteria from the skin and unclog pores. 

Apply it all over your body and on your face too either with your hair down or pulled up. Leave it for 12-15 minutes but within that time, abrasive action is essential as it invigorates the skin and helps to improve circulation. If I were you, play your list of favourite music before you apply this regenerating face and body scrub. Music will help you become excitedly suffuse and makes the time run fast while enjoying the healing application all over you. 

Nowadays, my coffee granules are no longer wasted as the leftovers are very effective for maintaining the radiance in my face and the smoothness of my body. It is indeed a mighty hot shot drink in the morning which is both very practical and efficient!