Eating healthy is important, especially these days when we need to boost our immunity against sickness.  This is why I make sure to include vegetables in our daily dishes that the whole family will enjoy eating.  When it comes to veggies that kids surely love, it’s got to be potatoes.  I’ve collected a number of recipes using U.S. potatoes that’s perfect for starters, appetizers, main course, snack, and even as dessert. 

Today, I’m sharing with you my German Potato Salad recipe using U.S. Russet potatoes and other simple ingredients you could find at home.

You might think, why potatoes?  Did you know that potatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals that help keep us stronger and healthier?

Benefits of Potatoes:

●        It's an excellent source of vitamin C

●        It's a good source of potassium (more than a banana!)

●        It's a good source of vitamin B6

●        Fat-free

●        Sodium-free

●        Cholesterol-free

●        Gluten-free

●        Only 110 calories per serving

I consider potatoes a superfood, they’re great for the body especially these times!  If it says it's an excellent source of Vitamin C, then I'm ALL IN!

German Potato Salad Recipe

German Potato Salad is a tasty and healthy starter or side dish that kids and adults would enjoy at home or during parties.  This recipe is easy to double depending on the number of people you want to serve. 

Ingredients:

●        2 large U.S. Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed

●        1/2 cup mayonnaise

●        1 tablespoon mustard

●        1 teaspoon honey

●        salt and pepper to taste

●        1 teaspoon dill or onion leeks (optional)

●        2 slices ham or bacon, cooked

Preparation: 

1. Wash, peel and cube the potatoes.
2. Boil the potatoes for 5 minutes then simmer until tender.
3. Cook the bacon or ham separately. Then cut in small pieces.
4. In a large bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, and honey. 
5. Add the potatoes then toss altogether.  Make sure the dressing is just enough to coat the potatoes.
6. Add the bacon or ham bits, then add salt and pepper to taste.

 

Serve to your family with a smile and enjoy your meal!

I love this recipe because it does not require a lot of effort to prepare and cook.  Ingredients are simple and easy to find at home.  It's also economical and best of all – healthy!  The whole family loves it and I love that I’m able to serve them nutritious dishes that they truly enjoy.

Try this healthy potato recipe for yourself!  U.S. potato products are available in supermarkets, baking supply stores, and membership shopping outlets nationwide. For more information, visit www.potatogoodness.ph  or like and follow Potatoes USA-Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.

When you order a kit, you'll receive the complete set of ingredients to be able to make Quaker Oats Cream Pie Recipe except butter and egg.  The recipe card is even easy to follow!  The result is even better!  Instructions said to use a mixer, but I don't have one so I mixed it by hand.   Make sure that while you're mixing all the ingredients, you're pre-heating the oven to get ready for baking.
Look at that!

Our family loves cooking.  To be honest, my husband is a better cook than I am and for that I am grateful.  I do the regular menu cooking on weekdays and he does the weekend special menu for the family.
A few weekends ago, I shared on my social media accounts some photos of the Turbo Buttered Garlic Salmon using Seaking Wild Alaskan Keta Salmon Slab packs my husband specially cooked one beautiful lunch day.

Seaking sent us Salmon packs to try which are Keta Salmon Chunks, Pink Salmon Steak, and Keta Salmon Slab.  These packs cost around Php200 - Php 300 in the market so it's really practically affordable.
 What you'll need:

• 2 packs of 200gram Seaking Keta Salmon Slab
• 1 whole garlic head
• 1 whole lemon
• 1/4 cup melted butter (margarine could be an alternative)
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Vegetables (your choice, for this recipe we used broccoli and Baguio beans)

7.  Put the chopped vegetables under the fish.
8.  Set the turbo oven to 250 degrees and cook for 30 - 45 mins.  It's easy to cook there's no need to turn the fish.  The vegetables are also cooked nicely underneath.
9.  Serve with steamed rice or thick soup or devour it as it is.

It's so easy to prepare and cook!  You may place the beautifully cooked Seaking Salmon Slabs on a large plate with the veggies on the side.  You may enjoy it as it is or dip it soy sauce or Japanese mayo.  This meal serves 5 - 7 persons.

It's back to school time and it's one of the most exciting part of the year for the kids because they will see their classmates and friends again, wear their crisp uniforms, bring their new bags and also share what's in their lunch boxes.

It also means, it's time for parents to brace themselves and create a baon plan for their kids that's nutritious, easy to prepare, and of course delicious as well!  When creating a baon plan, I think of the food pyramid or the Go, Grow, and Glow chart which they study in their Science subjects.  You may find this amusing, but yes, I am always reminded that they need Go food for energy (Fats and Carbohydrates), Grow food to help them grow tall and strong (Protein), and Glow food to keep their bodies well (Multivitamins and minerals).  It's easy for me to think of what to give them based on their need.

My growing and energetic boys need a lot of Grow foods because they are into sports.  My eldest is a basketball varsity player and he really needs protein-rich food to help him with his muscle development and keep him growing taller and taller.  He needs to because of the sport he's into.  When you think of protein, you think of milk, cheese, yogurt, seafood, and meats, to name a few.  Now, let me share with you a protein-rich baon idea which they will surely love!

GRILLED CHEESY SAUSAGE SANDWICH (Pinoy Style)
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pcs monay or pan de sal
• 3 to 4 pcs vienna sausages
• 2 pcs tomatoes, sliced
• California Yanni Grilling Cheese (Jalapeno or Regular)

1. Slice the buns and sausages into halves.
2. Prepare sliced Yanni Grilling Cheese.
3. Pan-fry or grill the ingredients.
4. Put the grilled/pan-fried sausages, tomato slices and Grilling Cheese on top of the bun.  Enjoy!

Here are other Dairy Products with Real California Cheese or Milk Seal which you could consider grabbing on your next grocery trip (they all have THE seal mommies!)
You may purchase dairy products which has the Real California Milk or Cheese seal from these membership shopping outlets and groceries:

S&R Membership Shopping

• California Sunshine Milk (homogenized, reduced-fat, low-fat and chocolate milk)
• A wide selection of California Cheeses
• Yogurt

Landers Superstore

• Coolhaus pints and sammies
• A wide selection of California Cheeses

Robinsons Supermarket

• A wide selection of California Cheeses

SM Hypermarket

• A wide selection of California Cheeses

Merkado Supermarket

• Coolhaus pints and sammies

Unimart Supermarket

• Coolhaus pints and sammies

To know more about great dairy products, check out www.RealCaliforniaMilk.com or Facebook.com/RCMph/. You may also follow their stories by using these hashtags #LookForTheSeal and #RealCaliforniaMilkPhilippines.

It's June alright but still we can all feel the summery heat deep down our skins right?  It's still humid and the best way to beat the heat is to be in an air-conditioned room (but sayang electricity if it's open all day) or go to a mall (but mapapagastos ka rin with all the sales around) or bathe as much as you can in a day or eat and drink something cold.

One good idea is to buy halo-halo, banana con yelo or ice candy or mais con yelo from our seasonal neighbor entrepreneurs.  They, together with the residential sari-sari stores, pop-up tiangges belong to the huge population of Filipino microenterprises.
“Every summer, we see the Filipino entrepreneur spirit thrive to turn the summer heat into an opportunity. With the right mindset, tools, and ingredients, microentrepreneurs can grow their business and take it to another level,” says Marilou Acuña, Fly Ace Corporation Group Product Manager for Jolly.

I remember when I was younger, my mom and my cousins also had a pop-up halo-halo and mais con yelo stand right in front of our driveway facing the street.  I had good memories back then when they allowed me to experience being a tindera for a day or two or more!  We sold a number of glasses back then but looking back, I know that that small business could have been bigger if we did these 5 tips from Jolly Corn.

Location, location, location
We had a small stall in front of our house because of logistical convenience, but foot traffic wasn't that good.  We could have sold in front of schools near our place.  For sure potential income would have doubled or even tripled.

Leverage on influencers
Entrepreneurs should identify who the influencers are within the community. By inviting these key individuals to try the product, entrepreneurs encourage good word of mouth from credible persons within the neighborhood.

Microentrepreneurs can then support this good word of mouth through easy-to-do promotional activities such as community bulletin board, flyering, and social media.

Sell during community events, cater to groups
Microentrepreneurs can hold pop-up stalls during community events such as the annual basketball game and Santacruzan. Another opportunity is catering private groups, such as prayer meetings or the birthday of a neighbor. If all goes well, these events will provide a great platform for referrals and exposure for the business.

Avoid too much credit
Cash is the lifeblood of the business. Microentrepreneurs should avoid allowing too much credit since they still need cash to buy supplies and sustain operations. If offering credit cannot be avoided, microentrepreneurs should find the right balance and understand its limitation.

Find the right partner to perfect the product
Product quality is integral to the success of microenterprises. If the product is excellent, people will follow. Quality also includes the health benefits of the product. These days, even microentrepreneurs venture into the healthy food segment as more people become conscious of what they eat.

In the case of mais con yelo, Jolly Corn provides microentrepreneurs with cream corn packed with the same wholesome sweet goodness of freshly harvested corn.

What if I just want a Mais Con Yelo Now?
Now, if you don't plan to have a small business selling mais con yelo or halo halo or banana con yelo, then you can simply make it at home!
Sharing with you how to make MAIS CON YELO:
Ingredients:
1        425g             Jolly Cream Corn, partitioned
1        can               Jolly Cow Condensada, partitioned
6        cups             shaved ice, partitioned
1        cup               corn flakes, partitioned or waffle strips

Procedure:

1.    Scoop 3 tablespoons Jolly Cream Corn in a tall glass.
2.    Add 1 ½ cups shaved ice. Leave an empty space on top for the toppings, about half an inch.
3.    Top shaved ice with 3 tablespoons of Jolly Cream Corn, 2-3 tablespoons condensada, and corn flakes or waffle strips. Serve immediately.
Easy peasy right?

But again, since it's already June and it also rains sometimes, we can't have Mais Con Yelo right?  Well, that's what's so versatile about Jolly Sweet Corn!  It can be with Team Sunny or Team Rainy!  What comfort food could you think of during rainy season?  Hot soup or any hot food right?

Jolly Corn could also be your partner in bringing you this comfort food with this easy recipe:

CORN SOUP RECIPE:
Ingredients:
1        425g            Jolly Cream Corn
1        can              water
6        pc                egg
1        dash             salt and pepper
Procedure:
1.   In a pot, put together 1 can of Jolly Cream Corn and water.  Bring it to boil.
2.   Add egg when boiling and stir soup.
3.  Add dash of salt and pepper to season.  Serve hot in a bowl on a rainy day!

So whether it's summer or rainy season, Jolly Cream Corn is our partner in bringing us quality food ingredients which we could use at home.  For more recipes visit their website http://jolly.com.ph or follow them on Facebook: @JollyFoods

Second Potato Meal: Breakfast Potatoes (Hash Corned Beef and Hash Browns)

Whenever we host a gathering of family or friends, one topic never fails to come up, home-cooked meals.  Well, I do cook the usual family favorites, but my husband cooks the meanest special meals which his family and friends applaud him for!  I admit to that fact, even on our wedding vows, that he's a better cook than I am.  One example was his special recipe last weekend which I am going to share with you today, his healthy Chili Cheesy Pork Lumpia Pesto.
How could a Lumpia be so healthy?  It was fried using Filippo Berio Olive Oil.  And wait a minute, did I hear Pesto?  Yes you're correct, that's the twist to this recipe, a different variety of Pork Lumpia.  We used Filippo Berio Pesto for this new Lumpia recipe.  Wait, there's more, did you also say Chili and Cheesy?  YES I did.. it may seem like a confusing mix of ingredients but I tell you, not that I'm being biased, it's bursting with flavor which you'd need extra rice to go with it.  Now, let me share with you our special recipe.

Chili Cheesy Pork Lumpia Pesto

On rainy days and Mondays, we always crave for comfort food, particularly a soup-based dish.  And in our family, that will always be Sinigang na Liempo with Knorr sa Sampaloc with Gabi.  Ang sarap ng mainit na sabaw .during colder days in our country.  That's why Sinigang will always be perfect no matter what.  So as part of my life goals as a mom, I want to be more hands-on by providing the kids (and the kid at heart, referring to my husband) a Lutong Nanay experience as much as I can because that's what they will remember when they grow up.  It's how I remember my mom too.

I admit, I'm not a contender to the Most Valuable Domesticated Mommy award.  Because as a full-time working mom, I rarely have time to cook or bake anything.  But like any other working mom, I'm kind of sure of this, I wish I could stay more at home and fulfill the domesticated roles like, first and foremost, take care of the kids, next cook all meals for the family and maybe sometimes bake or prepare dessert for them.   But don't get me wrong, I do cook, and my family says I cook well (they're a fan or they must really love me that much).  Unfortunately, I only get to cook real meal on weekends and desserts occasionally.

Such as this one time.

I checked the refrigerator, found two packs of all purpose cream and a can of condensed milk.  So I said why not whip up something my kids love, Mango Float!  It's very easy to do and no baking needed, only the ingredients, a good piling mechanism, and refrigerator.

So here's my Simple Mango Float Recipe!

What you'll need:

• 2 cups of Ripe Mangoes
• 2 tetra packs of All Purpose Cream
• 3/4 cup of Condensed Milk
• 1 pack of Grahams Cracker