Thursday, January 26, 2012

Bitsu-Bitsu Dabao


Bitsu-Bitsu

Oh the good ol' days as a child.. My Lolo Jorge would always take me to the "palengke" on his bicycle every after siesta so he could shop for the night's meal. Without fail, he would always buy me bitsu-bitsu or palitaw as a reward for going with him (as if it was against my will to go, I enjoyed riding on the bike with him.. Hah!). Growing up, less and less people are selling these snacks. Maybe because the prices of the rice shoots so high up they could no longer afford it? Or maybe because the latter generations of kids prefer fast food. Whatever it is, when I came to America I have been craving for my comfort foods like this one and I have never made this in my entire life. So I "googled" it and found a recipe. The next time I googled it, I can no longer find it. What always appeared on my search were other types of snacks that were also named Bitsu-Bitsu. Probably from the other islands or ethnicity like the Tagalogs or Ilocanos. Hence, I made my very own Bitsu-Bitsu Dabao. :) Five simple recipes in 5 easy steps in less than 30 minutes! Happy cooking!



You will need:

1     c glutinous rice flour
1/2  c coconut milk - add more to reach desired consistency
1     c brown sugar
1/2  c water
Oil for frying

Substitution: In case you do not have coconut milk, make use of the regular milk - in my case, I used Prairie Farms Vitamin D Milk. It works just as good.

Instruction:

  1. Mix glutinous rice flour and milk. You may add a little more milk until thick and sticky.
  2. Combine water and brown sugar in a sauce pan and boil until caramelized.
  3. In a frying pan, heat oil and fry the bitsu-bitsu mixture using a spoon or a small ice cream scooper. Fry until golden brown. Then pat dry with a paper towel.
  4. Dump each bitsu-bitsu in the caramel one by one and carefully coat them.
  5. Serve it warm or chill for later snacks.






Enjoy Happy Muffins! ;)

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A Morning Storm of Great Ideas

While some say, "Don't talk to me before I've had my coffee.", I say "Get the groove on!". Mornings are the best part of my day. This is when I feel most revived. I could attribute this to a lifestyle that I was brought upon. I was born and raised in my beautiful Philippines, where everything is fresh, bright and green. Where the weather is warm and dandy. Where people consider each other neighbors even living 5 blocks away from each other's houses. Most importantly, where values and traditions are upheld up to this day - good family ties, respect to elders, religiousness - and the list goes on.


I made this blog mainly for Filipinos abroad, especially the younger age population. Although, older ones and baby boomers are also welcome to join in our discussions. With age comes wisdom, right?


I will be posting very simple recipes on here. Hair/Nail Tutorials and the like. I do not consider myself a "guro" or a pro on any of the above mentioned topics. That is why I need other people to storm in some ideas, too. I would also like to create a "Balitang Pinas" time where we can all pitch in news from back home. I personally don't have TFC and I loved the Star Patrol! Bahaha! Heck I was surprised to learn that Tintin and Oyo got married! Jolina and Rivermaya front man Mark Escueta? WTH? In other words, we need updates!


So tell me what you think.  Do you wanna be a happy muffin? :)