#199_Bake Sale

Today is Saturday, 28th of November. I better finish doing this entry and post it before it becomes too old as this has been sitting in the draft file for a few days. Sorry folks, I have been terribly busy these past few weeks that I had neglected this blog.

Well, the proceeds from my bake sale went to a friend in my home town of Dagupan City whose house was flooded by the typhoon Ondoy back in September. I didn't raise very much money from the bake sale but with the generous hearts of a couple of friends here in Salt Lake, Aida and Bobbi who had given me some cash money out of their own pockets I was able to send my friend in Dagupan a generous amount. Bless your hearts! I also appreciate those who supported my bake sale at the event. Thank you everyone!

the atcara was the #1 best seller. There were only 8 jars available, so they were gone fast....they were all gone within 30 minutes after I set up my table. I had to ask the customers to leave them on the table for a while after they had paid for it with their names on the jars, so my table won't look too bare. Others still said, can I buy this?! Too bad, I didn't make enough.

The polvorons were the #2 best seller. They were sold out within an hour.

the Ensaymadas were the #3 best seller along with the Crema de Frutas.


Most of the cupcakes and cookies were unsold.....
inisnab ng mga Pinoy ang dessert pang Americano.

The Bake Sale was a lot of work with low returns, but in a way it was fun specially when I saw people enjoying what I had to sell. It was all worth my efforts. Naalis ang aking pagod at ginanahan pa tuloy ako! Maraming salamat sa mga kababayan ko!!!

#198_Crema de Fruta or Fruit Cocktail Cream Cake

Crema de Frutas "to go"

Crema de Frutas or Fruit Cocktail Cake
For the fundraising Event

For recipe, click here.

#197_Kiddie KupKakes

CUPCAKES FOR THE FUNDRAISING TOMORROW

I hope there will be lots of kids to show up at the Luncheon
and Bake Sale so they can enjoy these cupcakes.

#196_Brazo de Mercedes with a Big Twist

Brazo de Mercedes turned into a pie!

I still need to come up with a good name for this dessert. It is kind of a heinz 57 thing where I put everything I love in one pie, i.e. mangoes, custard, coconut cream and meringue.

The idea is taken from Brazo de Mercedes, but instead of rolled, the meringue is baked in a pie tin then filled with custard cream filling, hence a Pie. The cream filling, click here, has coconut cream and home made mango jam, then mounded some shaved fresh mangoes on top. Sorry, I don't have time to write down the recipe right now. I'm making this for our Fundraising Event on Saturday.

For Custard Cream filling recipe, click here.

#195_Special Polvoron

Candy Bars Polvoron for the Fundraising

These are not just polvoron...
they are Almond Joy Polvoron
and Reese's Peanut Butter Polvoron.
Chopped real candy bars are mixed in to flavor the polvoron
and that's what make them so special.

#194_ Atcharang Papaya

Atcharang Papaya
to be sold at the fund raising

We're having a food bazaar/bake sale on Nov. 14th to raise funds to help some typhoon victims in my province of Pangasinan. Every night after I come home from work I will make an item or two or whatever I can do that night. I started with the Atcharang Papaya yesterday. Next on my list will be polvoron. I'll make them tomorrow.

The Prize-Winning Fluffiest Pancake Recipe

UPDATE: Nov. 9, '09 (Tuesday 10th, New Zealand time)

From: mail@nzfavouriterecipe.co.nz
Subject: Congratulations
Date: Tue, 10 Nov 2009 11:16:21 +1300
To: melitamasagnay@hotmail.com

Congratulations you're a winner in The Search for New Zealand’s Favourite recipe with FreshChoice and SuperValue Supermarkets. We hope you enjoyed the competition as much as we did.

You've won a prize of $1,000 cash. We will direct credit this into your bank account early December, just in time for Christmas.

Please email back your full name, bank account details and also your postal address.

Media may want to contact you with a few questions. If you are happy to be contacted please email back your contact phone details.

Once again congratulations on your win.

The contest has ended with these winners below. Thank you very much to all of you who voted for Melita's entry. She appreciates all your support!!!!
MaMely

Overall Winner
The Ultimate Chocolate Brownie ... With Raspberries If You're Feeling Extra Flashy - 2145 votes

Category Winners
Snacks & Light Meals - John's Ultimate Protein Post Workout Shake - 691 votes
Main Meals - Chicken Italiano - 408 votes
Starters & Extras - The Fluffiest Pancake Ever - 333 votes

UPDATE:
Deadline to vote is Nov. 8th! Please go to the link below to vote for her recipe. Be aware though, that after you voted you'll receive an e-mail from the organizers asking you to confirm your vote. Hope you don't mind doing that. Thank you so much!!!

The Fluffiest Pancakes Ever!

This is my sister, Melita's entry to a recipe contest in New Zealand. With less than 2 weeks left before the contest deadline, she has 295 votes and 9th place overall and 1st place in her category. It is a popularity contest, so anyone with an e-mail address can vote.

May I invite you, beloved readers of this blog to vote for her recipe. It will mean a lot to her.

Please click here to cast your vote and to see the recipe...you don't need to try and cook it!


Your vote will surely make a difference.
Thank you very MUCH.

Another update:Nov. 2, '09

Melita received this e-mail today!

From: mail@nzfavouriterecipe.co.nz
Subject: Media
Date: Tue, 3 Nov 2009 11:41:26 +1300
CC: kathy.cunningham@ogilvy.co.nz
To: melitamasagnay@hotmail.com

Thanks for entering your recipe for The Search for New Zealand's Favourite Recipe.

Your recipe has been selected to promote to the media.

Can you please provide your contact phone number(s) for one of the Ogilvy PR team to discuss this with you.

You may or may not be interviewed in the media. Please let us know that you are comfortable with this.

#193_Roast Turkey/Gravy

I was going to post this entry last year but things got so crazy and hectic and chaotic that I never got to doing it. November this year for me looks like it is going to be more hectic than last year as my calendar is already getting filled up with different events. Aside from Thanksgiving Day, there's baby shower, farewell, birthdays, baptism, bake sale for fund raising. So I better get this in before it will be buried once again.


What I'm going to share is not really a recipe but rather a method of roasting turkey that I picked up from Martha Stewart many years ago. Aside from stuffing the cavity of the turkey with seasoned veggies, she placed some of the vegetables on the bottom of the roasting pan before putting the turkey in the oven.

When the turkey is done, put these veggies in a blender or food processor then mix it in with the drippings to make gravy.
Here's a link to making basic gravy:
http://www.soulfoodandsoutherncooking.com/how-to-make-gravy.html

Hope you all have a nice Thanksgiving Day!!!

#192_Pumpkin Dinner Rolls

Classic Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Baked in a 9x13 baking pan

This was inspired by a bread (pan de sal) they make in the Philippines where they incorporate squash in the ingredients. So I thought I'd make some using pumpkin since pumpkins here are pretty inexpensive and are always available. In the Fall season, the fresh ones are found every where even in backyards, while canned pumpkins are always available in grocery stores.

Look at the texture! a good sign of soft and fluffy roll.

I only used 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree to the recipe and it made the texture of the rolls so incredibly soft and the color is fabulous, but I was a bit disappointed because the taste of pumpkin is not there. Maybe I should add more pumpkin puree next time I make it.

Arrange dough close together to get a classic roll look.
You can make 48 rolls with this recipe

The recipe is pretty much like the Basic Sweet Dough,
recipe #178, with a few modifications.

Here's the recipe:

1-3/4 cups milk, warm

1/2 cup pureed pumpkin ( I used canned)
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
6 cups bread flour
1 tbsp. instant SAF yeast
1 tsp. dough enhancer
1 tsp. vital wheat gluten
1 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten

Put all the ingredients in the bread machine pan starting with the milk and set the the machine on "dough" cycle. Let the bread machine do the mixing and kneading. When cycle is finished, let the dough rise in the bread machine pan until doubled in size. Take the dough out onto a floured surface and cut it in half, then cut each half into 24 pieces. Form each piece into balls and arrange them in a 9x13 baking pan lined with parchment papers. Let them rise until double in size. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degrees oven for 18 to 20 minutes.

A tip from MaMely: For the second rising or proofing, place the baking pan with the dough in the oven and turn it on for 1 minute at 350 degrees. After 1 minute, turn oven off and let dough rise until doubled in size, about 20 minutes. Take the pan out. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 18 to 20 minutes. Do the same thing with the second pan with the dough.

Enjoy!

#191_Learning to Braid Bread

I was just fascinated by the way a FoodBuzz friend, Laura braids her breads. Her Braided breads are works of art, so I decided to give it a try. I used my Basic Sweet Dough recipe #178 to make this bread. Hers look a lot better, but I think mine is not that bad for a first-timer, (patting own back!) Click here to go to her site.

I hope to do a better job next time.