A Filipino Foodie goes to A Filipino Party!

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Hello friends! I hope you’ve all had a wonderful weekend doing something fun and delicious. This past weekend I had the pleasure of coming back to my hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama to celebrate my aunt’s 70th birthday. Many friends and family including my mom and dad worked hard to create a special surprise event for a landmark occasion. Though I only live two hours away from my family, I’ve found that I don’t get to visit as often as I’d like so having an opportunity to see so many friends and family PLUS chow down on some Filipino favorites was incredibly exciting. The color theme for this party was white and khaki:women in all white, men in khaki and white…we had a black and white party a year ago for my other aunt during her 50th birthday (our family LOVES birthdays!). My mom had been working diligently to create the perfect centerpieces and overall decor for the party. Below is one of her creations using coffee filters, painted branches, and a revamped vase. What do you think?

vase

My aunt was definitely surprised upon entering the house full of old friends and family!

photo by Jesar Quizon photography

photo by Jesar Quizon PhotographyWe thought an “07” would look much cuter on the cake than “70” 🙂

On top of the excitement of my husband and I getting to see so many of our Filipino friends and relatives, we got to enjoy some of my favorite childhood dishes. Between an hors d’oeuvres table, a dessert table, and a buffet of various Filipino delicacies, we had quite the spread. My photographer cousin Jesar Quizon took some gorgeous pictures of our food selection…check it out!

Photo by Jesar Quizon PhotographyAh fruit!

10538064_10152678281337927_8790287291428846717_oA creamy Alfredo pasta with sun-dried tomatoes and roasted chicken

10838259_10152678279522927_3551597531357317356_oMy cousin Happy made these puto flan cakes…OH MY LANTA…delicious.

10854465_10152678278422927_5509912970962003008_oMy talented Aunt Gayle who also made my delicious wedding cake created these delectable caramel maracons.

10927862_10152678279367927_4851310331995055826_o

10955015_10152678280942927_2214983393392635779_oGorgeous butter lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps with the ground chicken and mushrooms seen below.

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11008813_10152678280757927_8524095545649533705_oIt’s not a party without fried rice!

11016793_10152678279087927_1957488489216933595_oMy Aunt Gayle’s famous carrot cake

11021330_10152678281742927_8597322713573752558_o

11033069_10152678277932927_4336291857299983686_oMy cousin Ashley made some incredibly tasty white chocolate bars (worth every calorie!)

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11038109_10152678280042927_4715430861833728115_oOne of my favorite Filipino dishes…ASADO!!

11038696_10152678280327927_4586791690413506870_oBaby cucumbers in a rice wine vinegar and sesame seed mix.

11041925_10152678278922927_6127576121760501219_oUbe cake!

11043135_10152678281847927_7913378980796966555_o

11043412_10152678282397927_9103019565826316596_o

11043433_10152678277817927_818920416459381166_o

11044584_10152678278792927_5991039727298948241_o

10955015_10152678280457927_784410524930748753_oAnd last but not least…pancit: the pinnacle and definition of all Filipino get together foods.

 As you can see, we’re all about food in my family. It’s actually inspired me to make some pancit and asado here in Tuscaloosa soon (future post ALERT!).  However, no Filipino party is complete without some singing and line dancing!

11016130_10152678299047927_2539784957184882014_oMy dad rocking out!

11063809_10203278859885969_72576554953388386_oA little cha-cha slide

Until next time!

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Me and my hubby with my mom, dad, and little brother

100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die

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This week I’ve had the pleasure of visiting with my parents in my hometown of Fort Payne, Alabama while off of work for spring break (trust me, I am fully aware of this luxury!). One thing that I always look forward to while in Fort Payne is having a barbecue salad from a restaurant called The Bar-B-Q Place. Growing up in the South and especially now living in a city such as Tuscaloosa, barbecue is not an uncommon find. However, the thing that makes The Bar-B-Q Place such a treat is a side dish called Jo Jo Potatoes that I always order alongside my salad (everything in moderation!). In fact, these little potatoes are so yummy, they have been listed as an item on the 100 Dishes to Eat in Alabama Before You Die.

ImageNow, I cannot claim these little potato slices are the healthiest option on the menu, but The Barbecue Place’s secret blend of spices and method of breading makes them a yummy but greasy treat. If you’re not preparing your potatoes via deep frying all the time, potatoes can actually be a wonderful staple to your diet! Though we often prepare our potatoes by deep frying them or adding copious amounts of butter, cheese, and bacon, potatoes in their more natural state by simple cooking methods (roasting with olive oil, boiling, grilling, etc.) can provide great nutrition! Potatoes are a rich source of carbohydrate to fuel our body and are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and zinc!

barbq

Hopefully during the rest of my trip here I can maintain some balance to my diet, but I look forward to sharing more yummy finds along the way!

P.S. If you happen to be local to Alabama, particularly Fort Payne, and know the recipe that The Bar-B-Q Place uses, please share! It would definitely make for a great recipe redux 😉