Shopping

My favorite form of shopping is at the grocery. :D It is where I am most relaxed. At other shopping areas, I can be quite tense... almost always afraid to make the wrong choices. But at the grocery-wow! I can be quite thorough and at the same time relaxed. :D

So anyway, I chanced upon Mr. Marketman and was inspired by his post on buying produce. I used to buy at Waltermart when we were still living at Pasong Tamo, until I discovered Landmark. I loved the wider selection, and cheaper products there. I still prefer this grocery for their vegetables and fruits. However- since we moved to Taguig, I frequent Market Market more. I have yet to compare the prices of the produce from here and the other groceries.

So, inspired by Marketman's post, the top 10 produce on my list would be:

1. Bananas

2. Garlic

3. Lettuce

4. Cucumber

5. Tomatoes

6. Ampalaya (Bitter gourd)

7. Apples

8. Carrots

9. Ginger

10. Sweet Peas

So, this is weekly top 10 produce. Sometimes, I sneak in some really good grapes or citrus or strawberries, or whatever is fresh and in season. For meat, I usually buy some ground lean beef and pork steak cuts and some good fish fillet if I can't find any other fresh fish. For the good-but-bad-stuff, I buy some corned beef or hotdogs for breakfast. For healthy breakfast fare staples, I try to stock up on organic eggs and rolled oats. I've learned to like the taste of organic eggs, although they do have a slightly game-y aftertaste. As for oatmeal, I never liked it any other way but the old-fashioned rolled oats type. Also, I buy only the 2kilo bags of organic rice which can last for 2 weeks, so I get a fresh bag every 2 weeks.

And that's what usually fills up the grocery cart. :) What's yours?

High Heat

Not all good eats should be cooked slowly. :P

Sometimes, quick, high heat is best. And some people should listen! Hehe

Trying to Eat Healthy

The past few months, I've been trying to eat healthy. I've been skipping a lot of canned goods and noodles, as well as cookies. Lately, I see myself wolfing down the bad stuff. I blame the weather, stress, whatever. All bad stuff.

The good news is that I was able to take a couple of shots of my good food stuff. This should keep me inspired.

I love fresh ampalaya (bitter gourd). My Mommy forced me to eat them raw when I was a kid, and it seems that this notorious vegetable has crept its way into my heart. I especially love it sliced thinly and tossed with fresh tomatoes, onions and seasoned with vinegar, salt and pepper. It's such a palate cleanser. Refreshing and very, very healthy.

The ampalaya is packed with loads of iron, and the tomatoes are full of vitamin C. It's a powerful combination of vitamins. Cheap, too.

I got lucky with this bunch.

They were the freshest that I've gotten in my three years stay in the metro.

I tossed in some fresh, cubed cucumbers too. Yumm.

I also tried to substitute some good ol' gulaman as dessert. It's not so bad, but they are not as sweet. The good thing about gulaman is, they're made of seaweed, and not of crushed bones of whatever animal. Yes. Check out the labels of your favorite jellies, and Google them.

I used some red gulaman and poured in some strawberry Kool-Aid.

A good ratio to use would be 3 cups of water to 1 bar of gulaman. This should get it firm and jiggley.

I should try other flavors.

What's your healthy food? :)