Saving and budgetting tips

It is hard to live today, almost all the products, bills, rents, mortgage, transportation, food are rising..though salary wage are not..sadly true :(

So What better ways to make the means meet the ends is to save up!
Find ways to budget wisely and as sayings in filipino goes "Kung maiksi ang kumot matutong mamaluktot"

I've listed some of the practical ways to better help me in saving...

1. Save electricty by unplugging all unused appliances or every after use. 

Yeah, it is turned off, but still the socket plugged will still consume electricty. by doing so this may help you reduce your electricity bill.
   

Now, I trained our household keeper to always unplug unused appliances or after use. I also teach this to my children, that for this early stage they will learn how to save. And believe me my electricity bills now lower.
 

2. Save water, instead of plugging in or turning on the flash why not recycle your water.  

When taking a bath catch the dripping water using a pail then you may use it as a flush for your toilet. the slops of rice may also be use to water the plants. And the water with soap (used for washing the clothes) may also be used to clean the toilet. This may look like an elementary education, but however this will help you save up water (help save the mother earth) and reduce water bill.
 

3. Save up on transportaion. How about walking instead of riding a tricycle when going to a not so distant places. 

You can save up the cost of riding one and at the same time you can have exercise. Walking is good for the heart and to your health. Or if your used to riding taxi, why not wake up earlier to avoid rush hours and commute.
 

4. Buy in wholesale. 

Buying in wholesale will help u save more, supermarkets give more discounts & free items to bulk orders. If you will try to calculate, those items that are sold in retail costs hgher than in wholesale.
 

5. Always haggle. 

When buying from a Supermarket or bazaars I always tried to haggle. There's no harm in trying this, if the seller will agree to yor asking price then lucky you..And always canvass first before deciding to purchase.
 

6. Limit your gimmicks and dining out. 

Allocate a time for your gimmick or dining out with family. example you will schedule family dinner date every 2weeks. Or just simply cook some delicious meals at home and have a delightful family dinner without hurting much of your wallet.
 

7. Before going to grocery or supermarket list all what you need to buy so that you will lessen impulsive buying. 

Always think of prioritizing "The needs before wants". Because wants can wait.
 

8. Reuse and recycle. 

I kept some of the bottles from our cooking oil and when its Environmental day (kalakal day) in our village I sell this. There are also many things you can make out of the beverages or sandwich spread bottles. I used some of the sandwich spread bottles as a table centerpiece for our candy buffet. I just covered it with a nice wrapping and some ribbons and thats it, its all set for candy buffet.
   

I also used to recycle clothes, like for example, my son needs a halloween costume, so I just paired some of his moving up (graduaton clothes) along with his Linggo ng wika scarfs and an old belt from his dad and added some accessories which I bought (not costy accessories) and tadaaa...a pirate costume for him.
 

9. Shop after holidays. 

Stalls and malls held clearance sale after the holidays that ranges between 20-50% off. You'll save up almost half of the price.
 

10.Buy or pay in cash. Limit the use of credit card.  

When buying always pay it in cash. why, it is your hard earned money so you will think twice before spending it. Unlike paying in credit card, you will be tempted to buy un necessarry things.
 

11. Always allocate a part of your salary for your savings and emergency fund. 

You should set your financial goal. So always save up for the future.


Money that are saved from following this tips can be allocated to other important things or
you can save it for emergency/future funds or even you can treat your children to a small family bonding. Its a little things to do and a little sacrifice to make to make your salary or income meet the ends.
Its a matter of good budgeting, planning and spending wisely your hard earned money.

UBE MACAPUNO CAKE

I've been busy that I had no time to try baking new cake flavors.
Its the time of the year where me and my husband celebrates our birthday, yes "our birthday" my husband's birthday is on 19th while my birthday is on 21st just a day interval.
So we always have a one combined celebration at home. So we invited just some of our relatives for a lunch birthday celebration.

Though I can buy ready made cake of any flavors to any leading bakeshop at the mall, but I chose to bake my own coz its been long that I've been wanting and plaaning to try this "Ube Macapuno Cake" but I can't find time to make one. So now, I dont have excuses..



here's my recipe for my ube macapuno cake

for the cake:
1 bottle of ube jam
3 cups of cake flour
9 egg yolks
9 egg whites
3/4 tsp of cream of tartar
1 cup of milk
3 cups of sugar
6 tsp of baking powder
3/4 cup of vegetable oil
3/4 tsp of salt

for the frosting
1 small box (200g) of whipping cream
macapuno
confectioner sugar
1/3 cup of water

Baking:
1. Combine all the dry ingredients (cake flour, sugar, baking powder and milk). And then the wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
2. Then mix the dry and the wet ingredients.
3. To make meringue, add the cream of tartar to the white eggs and mix on high speed using the electric hand mixer until you reach soft peak.
4. Fold gently the batter to the meringue.
5. line parchment paper to the baking pan and pour the batter to it.
6. Bake for 20minutes or until the stick inserted comes out clean.

For the icing: mix all the ingredients & whip it in a high speed using electric hand mixer and add the confectioner sugar to taste.
Then decorate.

Kaldereta sa Gata

Kaldereta sa gata


This recipe is from my dad. Who is half kapampangan and half Ilocano. He's really good in cooking.
I grew up watching him cooked for us our meal everyday and even in all our occassions & gatherings.
Every dishes he made is a sure hit. And it gains so much compliments.
He tought me some of his recipes and some I learned by just watching him.

And now as I become a mother I'm in charge for budgetting and cooking for my own family.
Mostly, during my leisure time (during weekends) I found myself in the kitchen cooking the whole day.
Coz I make it a point that during weekend we can sit down for a meal have a chit-chat while enjoying the home cooked meals I prepared. I always get compliments from my eldest son "Mommy, ang sarap ng luto mo. Thank you mommy" and a kiss of appreciation from hubby.
Simple gesture that means to me a lot. That inspire me to cook for them everyday.

Now, I'm sharing you our recipe for kaldereta sa gata which is one of my favorite viand.

Ingredients:
1/2 kilo of Pork/Beef/Buto-Buto/Chicken (whichever you prefer)
1 Gata (pure no water mixed and pls dont use instant gata coz the taste differs)
1pack of Tomato Sauce
1 small can of Liver spread
1pc Red bell pepper
Siling Labuyo (depends on how spicy you want it)
4 pcs potatos cut into halves
4 pcs carrots cut into halves
1/4 of butter
onion
garlic
pepper
salt to taste
1 cup of water



Procedure:
1. Saute onion, garlic, your choice of meat, potato and carrots using butter. Then add the pepper and salt to taste.
2. Add the water, tomato sauce, gata, bell pepper and liver spread. Then let it simmer and wait until the meat becomes tender and the sauce become thick.
3. Add siling labuyo if you prefer it spicy.
4. Serve and enjoy!

My home made beef burger patty

As a mom it is my most important task every week,  budgeting , planning for everyday meal and baon of my son at school. As much as possible I don't want him to eat processed foods with more of preservatives. So instead of buying those processed meats or ready to cook patties etc.
I make it a point to personally prepare and make this patty so he can enjoy fresh, healthy and real beef patty.

I'm sharing you my beef burger patty recipe.

The beef burger patty (taste like jollibee burger patty)


1/4kilo of ground beef.
2tablespoon of flour
1 finely chopped onion
salt, pepper, soy sauce to taste (it is up to you how much you will put)
1pc egg


combine all ingredients, then flat it on your palm and fry. 


note: do not add too much flour coz it will overpower the taste of beef.
 
servings: 6 patties
 
We also had this for our snack baon as well (me and hubby) I just added some dressing, and vegetables (tomato & lettuce) and cheese.


enjoy!

whipping cream

Frosty boy whipping cream review

I wanted to explore, know and taste all different kinds of icing. I already know how to make buttercream, boiled icing (which I'm currently using) and choco fudge. It's now time to try the whipping cream for the cake of my youngest son.

I bought a Frosty boy whipping cream powder icing days before.

 
It is stated at the back of the box that for every 1kg of powder you will add 1 liter of water. I only bought 200g of frosty boy.
So I just added 3/4 cups of cold water and whip it with my electric hand mixer in full speed. just whip it until you reach your desired fluffiness. Then you may add food color or flavor if you want. 

Add caption

The 200g frosty boy is just enough to cover an 8x4in cake and also it is also the filling I've used for this cake.



 

The taste: It has buttery taste, creamy and a little bland, maybe because it is upto you if you want to add flavor to it. You may add confectioner sugar if you prefer it sweet, or add chocolate to make it a chocolate ganache or add fruits or jam. Whichever you like.
 
For me, I added a little confectioner sugar coz we dont want bland icing nor too sweet as well. Taste like Goldilocks icing.


It doesn't melt easily. I tried leaving the cake on top of our table for quite some hours and it doesn't melt easily.

update:

I also tried the other brand of whipping cream which I will not mention the brand name. The verdict: It is not that delicious, it doesn't have that creamy taste. Taste so Bland. At first it set's firm after few minutes it became so runny. Just a waste of time, money and energy.



note: This is not a paid advertisement, this is based from my experience.

HOW TO MAKE A YEMA CAKE

Yeah its weekend again, time to try new things in my kitchen..So what's for this weekend? I found something on the net that makes me really curious...Yema cake, seems so easy to make and since I've got all the ingredients in my kitchen, why not give it a try.

I will share with you the procedures and ingredients I used in making this luscious yema cake.

INGREDIENTS:

CAKE BATTER (I got this thru searching the google, sorry I forgot the link and what site it is)    

1 and 1/4 cup of sifted flour
    3/4 cup sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 a teaspoon of salt
    1/4 cup corn oil or peanut oil
    1/3 cup water
    1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
    3 egg whites
    3 egg yolks


YEMA FROSTING/FILLING (Adapted from BAKE HAPPY blog)

8 egg yolks, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup cornstarch
300 ml condesnsed milk
300 ml water (just use the condensed milk can to measure this  :) )

FOR CAKE

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

 

2. Combine all the dry ingredients : cake flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder in a large bowl. Make a little well in the center and pour in the oil, water egg yolks and flavoring. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth.

3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar. This is what will make the cupcake so fluffy, so it's very important to make very stiff peaks.

4. Gently fold the eggs into the first mix. Beware to not stir, but rather fold them together. Do this until it's well blended together.

5. Cut a round parchment paper and make it as same size of your baking pan and put it into the bottom of the baking pan and then pour the batter unto it.
 
6. Put in oven for about 20 minutes. Or until cake springs back when lightly touched with fingers.



Yema or Milk Custard frosting:
     

Pour condensed milk into a small pan.

In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch together. Add to the condensed milk and start heating up the pan.

 

While still not too hot, whisk in the yolks. Don’t add in one go, do it slowly, we don’t want sweetened scrambled eggs. Please whisk continously, until thick.

Whisk, whisk, whisk until the texture is of piping consistency. Set aside to cool down. No need to cover, just whisk once in a while so a skin won’t form.

Cake decoration:   

Slice the chiffon cake in half horizontally, to make two rectangular cake. Spread part of Yema frosting at the top of 1st half of Chiffon cake. Put back the half of the cake and cover the whole cake with the custard. Garnish with grated cheese and serve with hot or cold drinks.

Choco chiffon cupcake/cake recipe

I googled for recipe of chiffon cake but after trying many, this one is the best I have tried. I just made the flavor into chocolate and even chocolatier by adding cocoa and coffee... yumyum...

And now I'm sharing you guys my recipe for my choco chiffon cupcake.


Ingredients

    1 cup of cake flour
    1/4 cup of unsweetend cocoa (high grade cocoa is adviceable)
    1 1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee (this will deepen the taste of chocolate)
    3/4 cup sugar
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 a teaspoon of salt
    1/4 cup oil
    1/3 cup water
    1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
    3 egg whites
    3 egg yolks

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients : cake flour, salt, sugar, cofee and baking powder in a large bowl. Make a little well in the center and pour in the oil, water egg yolks and flavoring. Beat for 2 minutes until smooth.
3. In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar. This is what will make the cupcake so fluffy, so it's very important to make very stiff peaks.
4. Gently fold the eggs into the first mix. Beware to not stir, but rather fold them together. Do this until it's well blended together.
5. Put batter into your cupcake liner lined in cupcake baking pan.
6. Put in oven for about 20 minutes. Or until cake springs back when lightly touched with fingers.

-This will make 1 dozen 3oz cupcakes. 
-if your going to use this recipe for cake you need to triple the measurements. It will make a 8x4" round cake.

for 7 minute boiled icing recipe click the link to view the recipe.