Mommy Plannerista

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5 Easy Potato Lunch Ideas for Busy Moms

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As a busy work-at-home mom with no household help, I rely on easy, quick yet healthy recipes that I can cook for myself and my family. Lately, I’ve been experimenting on cooking with US Potatoes (you’ve probably seen my cooking through my IG stories) and found that their products really do help make cooking a lot easier and faster.

US Potatoes are known for their maximum quality, consistency, and variety. They are carefully grown by family farms and follow strict guidelines set by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). I love cooking with these products knowing that they meet high industry standards and are so easy to cook with.

Oftentimes, I find myself struggling with juggling time for work, family and chores. I had to create a plan and a strategy so that I can do everything in my to-do list and still have time to cook a healthy meal for my family even if I’m having a hectic work week.

My 5-Day Meal Plan for Lunch (or Dinner)

Today, I’d like to share with you a 5-day meal plan for lunch (or dinner), using US Potatoes, that can help you get through a busy week.

Monday – Curried Potato Salad

Regular potato salad can get boring! Try it with curry instead. Also, you can make a big batch of this ahead of time and just store it in the ref. Then, when it’s time to eat, just get some. It’s such a time-saver. I blogged about this last week. Click here if you want to see the recipe.

Tuesday – Potato Pancakes

For your kids who love pancakes, this will be a sure hit (although it’s great for us adults too!). It just involves making pancakes the usual way. The only thing different is that you need to add a mixture of grated potatoes and onions for a healthier and more filling version.

The ingredients include 5 lbs of grated US Potatoes, 1 grated onion, 3 pcs beaten eggs, 2 ½ cups dry pancake mix, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, salt and pepper to taste. Combine the grated US Potatoes and grated onion in a colander and squeeze off excess liquid. Then, in a bowl, combine them with the eggs, pancake mix, salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan over medium high. Take a spoonful of the potato mixture and cook it like you would regular pancakes, for about 5 minutes on each side. That’s it!

Wednesday – Potato and Bacon Skillet

If you also love breakfast food all day, then try this yummy dish. It includes bacon, potatoes, cheese and eggs – a combination everyone is sure to love. I cooked this a couple of weeks ago. See full recipe below.

Thursday – Cheese and Potato Bacon Rounds

Need a meal that you can just pop in your mouth? Try this recipe of mine inspired by my favorite baked potato halves from a popular pizza place. This involves just baking potato slices topped with bacon, cheese and green onions.

You’ll need 5 pcs US Potatoes cut into ½ rounds, 6 slices of cooked bacon (crumbled), 1 cup grated cheddar cheese, ½ cup chopped green onions, ¼ cup melted butter and sour cream.

To make, preheat the oven to 200 degrees C. Brush each side of the sliced potatoes with butter and place them on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes, turning once, until lightly brown. When done, top the potatoes with bacon, cheese and green onions, then bake again until the cheese has melted. Serve with some sour cream. Easy peasy!

Friday – Waffle Cut Potato Nachos

Who doesn’t love to snack on nachos? But it doesn’t have to be just a snack. Add beef and swap the chips with potatoes to make this a healthier and more filling version.

These recipes only take 30 minutes to an hour to make. They are also good to eat on their own. No rice necessary!

Below, let me share with you how to cook in detail the Potato and Bacon Skillet and the Waffle Cut Potato Nachos.

 

Potato Bacon Skillet

Ingredients:

4 pcs. medium size US potatoes, cut into cubes
5 slices bacon
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
1/4 cup spring onions, diced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

  1. Cook bacon on a pan until crispy. Reserve the bacon grease. Crumble bacon and set aside.
  2. Cook the potatoes on the same pan with the bacon grease until soft. Season with salt and pepper.
  3. When the potatoes are ready, sprinkle the bacon bits and pour the eggs over.
  4. Top with the cheddar cheese and spring onions.
  5. Cover the pan and cook until the cheese has melted.
  6. Enjoy eating!

 

Waffle Cut Potato Nachos

Ingredients:

1/2 kg US Potatoes waffle cut fries
1/2 kg ground beef
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup Cheddar Cheese, grated
Pico de gallo
Salt and Pepper, to taste

For the pico de gallo:

6 pcs medium tomatoes, diced
1 pc medium onion, diced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped
1 pc lemon
1 cup sliced black olives
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Fry the waffle cut fries on a pan with a little oil. Make sure to fry with just one layer of fries to make sure they are all cooked evenly. Drain excess oil and set aside in a large bowl.
  2. Saute the ground beef on the same pan. Season with salt and pepper. When the ground beef is cooked, set aside.
  3. While still frying the potatoes and ground beef, you can start preparing the pico de gallo. Combine the diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro and olives in a bowl. Squeeze the juice of one lemon on top. Season with salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.
  4. Add the cooked ground beef on top of the cooked waffle cut fries. Add the pico de gallo. Sprinkle with the grated cheese and add a dallop of sour cream.
  5. Enjoy eating!

I really love cooking with US Potatoes. Especially with the waffle cut fries, you don’t even need to wash, peel or cut anymore. It’s all ready to cook!

For more of my recipe ideas using US Potatoes, click here. For more info about US Potatoes, visit the Potatoes USA Philippines Facebook page.

Curried Potato Salad Recipe Using US Potatoes

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A few months ago, I shared with you how much our family loves using US Potatoes in our meals. I also shared with you 5 unique kid-friendly potato baon ideas. This time around, let me share with you a potato salad recipe that we recently tried called Curried Potato Salad.

Potato salad is so yummy and so easy to make. But did you know that there are so many ways to make it? I was scouring for unique potato salad recipes and saw several ones that used curry powder. I combined a few of them and came up with my own version.

US Potatoes

For this recipe, I used US potatoes because they stand out from the competition. Some of the reasons they stand out are:

Quality

US potatoes are grown in the most ideal environment- fertile soil, ideal growing seasons and temperatures, and plentiful amounts of water. Generations of experiene by the family farms also contribute to the special care they take with their crops.

Variety

There’s a wide variety of US potatoes that you can use for all occasions, including breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. US potato types are classified as russets, reds, whites, yellows, blue/purple, fingerling and petite.

Convenience

A lot of us are busy individuals, so if we can cut down on cooking time, why not, right? US potatoes have fresh, dehydrated and frozen varieties for you to choose from. The frozen and dehydrated potato varieties can be used right out of the package- dehydrated ones by simply rehydrating it with water or milk and frozen ones which you can just toss in the fryer or bake in the oven. As a busy mom, I find cooking with them a lot faster. I can save time for family or work instead.

Availability

US Potatoes are not hard to find. You can find them in leading supermarkets nationwide such as Rustan’s, S&R, and SM.

Curried Potato Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

2 1/2 pounds diced US Potatoes

4 pcs large eggs

2 cups mayonnaise

2 cups low fat, plain yogurt

1 small, onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Mustard

3 tablespoons Curry Powder

2 pcs small Red Bell Pepper, diced

1 small pack, frozen peas, thawed

Salt and Pepper, to taste

 Directions:

  1. Boil the potatoes for a few minutes over medium heat in a large pot. Add a tablespoon of salt. Cook until potatoes are tender and drain. Set aside to cool.
  2. Boil eggs in a small pan over medium-high heat. After boiling, let it stand for a few minutes, drain and place in a bowl with cold water. When cold, peel the eggs and cut into quarters.
  3. Whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, curry powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add the potatoes, eggs, onions, and peas. Stir to combine. Chill for a few hours until ready to serve.

The combined prep and cook time is roughly only 45 minutes. This makes 10 servings.

This is such a nice twist to the usual potato salad. I think this is how I’m going to make potato salad from now on.

To learn more about US Potatoes, visit their Facebook page or their website now.

Healthy Sweetness with Sugar Blend (Plus, a Deconstructed Banana Float in a Cup recipe!)

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This is such a delayed post. I received a couple of packs of Sugar Blend months ago but I’ve been so busy with the new baby that I really didn’t have the time to come up with a unique recipe using this alternative sweetener.

I finally got a chance to whip something up yesterday. It’s not really original. It’s based on my mango float recipe but I changed it a bit and used bananas instead because that’s the only fruit we had at home. But before that, let me introduce you guys to Sugar Blend.

Sugar Blend

Sugar Blend is one of the many products of Merisant Company, a global leader for table-top sweeteners. Merisant also manufactures some of the world’s most loved sweetener brands such Equal, Canderel, and Pure Via.

I learned from the company that sugar ranks #5 in the top 20 most commonly consumed food products in Filipino households based on the 2013 Food Consumption Survey by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST). With this in mind and along with the conscious effort to deliver more value to consumers, Merisant has come up with a versatile and affordable sweetener product that can go a long way in terms of providing healthy sweetness to your everyday food and drinks. This is especially important to us because my hubby is borderline diabetic and so we really need to regulate our sugar usage at home.

Sugar Blend can be used for baking, cooking, and sweetening, but uses half the amount (vs. equivalent sweetness of sugar) and even has half the calories! It is made with sugar and a high-intensity sweetener called sucralose and for One (1) teaspoon only, it can provide sweetness that is equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar Blend works well with all types of desserts as well as other everyday dishes where sweetness is needed. It can also be used to replace sugar in beverages such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate and all kinds of juices and refreshments.

Because I’m breastfeeding, I also have to be extra careful with my sugar intake. I love using Sugar Blend in my nursing mama coffee and tea. I’ve also used Sugar Blend in cooking different types of food such as champorado and even on chili con carne. Honestly, we have already stopped buying regular white sugar and prefer to use Sugar Blend instead.

Deconstructed Banana Float in a Cup

But today I’m sharing with you how I used Sugar Blend in a dessert, specifically this Deconstructed Banana Float in a Cup.

As mentioned earlier, this one is a play on my Mango Float recipe, which is a family favorite. I usually make mango float in an aluminum tray. I used glass cups for this one because I wanted to try a deconstructed version that’s easier to serve. I also substituted condensed milk in favor of Sugar Blend to make this a healthier dessert or snack. 1/4 cup of Sugar Blend was more than enough compared to a can of condensed milk, which is what we normally use.

This was such a hit with our family too! I love that we still get that yummy, sweet taste of the cream mixture plus the bananas even without using condensed milk. That’s all because of Sugar Blend! Try it and you’ll love it too, for sure!

Deconstructed Banana Float in a Cup
Print Recipe
Easy to prepare banana and cream dessert using Sugar Blend.
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 20 mins
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 20 mins
Deconstructed Banana Float in a Cup
Print Recipe
Easy to prepare banana and cream dessert using Sugar Blend.
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 20 mins
Servings Prep Time
4 cups 20 mins
Ingredients
Servings: cups
Instructions
  1. Mix the all-purpose cream and the Sugar Blend in a bowl. Set aside.
  2. Break the graham crackers into small pieces and place some inside the cup, just enough to cover the bottom.
  3. Cover the graham cracker layer with a few spoonfuls of the cream and Sugar Blend mixture.
  4. Place several banana slices on top of the cream mixture.
  5. Repeat steps 2 - 4, making several layers until you reach 3/4 of the height of your cup.
  6. Cover the last layer with ground graham crackers and top with a few slices of bananas to decorate.
  7. Cover the glass cup and place it inside the freezer until frozen. Enjoy eating!
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My Kids and I Bond Over MILO Chocomaltee Goodness (Plus Recipes!)

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Some of my best childhood memories involve MILO, the world’s leading chocolate malt beverage. I remember, I used to be a MILO Club member when I was a kid and that gave me access to exciting events and other privileges. That goes to show how long MILO has been in the country. 2014 actually marked their 50th year in the Philippines.

MILO drink

Even now as an adult, I still love MILO’s Chocomaltee goodness. Even my hubby and kids share the same love for the drink. In fact, we always buy a huge pack at the grocery every two weeks. It’s a drink we love to take not just for breakfast but at any time of the day. We love it hot or cold.

But did you know what makes MILO taste so good?

“MILO’s distinct Chocomaltee flavor from a combination of malted barley, milk powder, sugar and cocoa, coupled with the goodness of ACTIGEN-E, a unique combination of vitamins and minerals which help to optimize release of sustained energy from food, is what makes it special. Children love the goodness of the Chocomaltee taste from a glass of MILO that gives them the energy essential in an active lifestyle.”

It’s this energy-giving attribute that makes MILO a great partner for kids, most especially to those who are active in sports. I’m sure most of you already know about MILO’s participation in sports through its Summer Sports Clinics, MILO-B.E.S.T. Center Training Program, MILO Marathon, and MILO Little Olympics. The leading beverage brand believes that these contribute to the holistic development of Filipino champions in sports and in life.

I remember that as a MILO Club member, I was given a small recipe book that contained a lot of different ways to prepare MILO. The ones I remember now include MILO ice candy, which we even used to sell to the neighborhood kids. It was a hit!

At our house now, we love to drink MILO on its own, or with just a teaspoon of sugar or with some milk. But recently our friends over at the MILO headquarters shared a couple of delicious recipes that parents can try with their kids. Here they are.

MILO Dino

 MILO Dino

 

No. of Servings: 1

Ingredients:

  • 1 piece MILO 22g
  • ½ cup cold water
  • sugar to taste
  • ½ cup NESTLÉ Fresh
  • Ice as needed
  • MILO powder as needed for topping
  • crushed chocolate pieces (optional)
  • crushed KOKO KRUNCH (optional)
  • candy sprinkle

Procedure:

  1. Dissolve 1 22g pack MILO in water. Add sugar if desired.
  2. Pour in NESTLÉ Fresh. Add ice as needed.
  3. Top with desired amount of MILO powder on top.
  4. To add more color and fun, decorate with chocolate pieces, KOKO KRUNCH and candy sprinkle if desired.

 

This next recipe is something really apt for the summer season!

 MILO Scramble

 MILO Scramble

 

No. of Servings:  2-4

Ingredients:

  • 1-2 tbsp chopped mango jelly
  • ½ cup MILO
  • 1-2 cups crushed ice
  • 1 tbsp sugar or to taste
  • ¼ cup BEAR BRAND Powdered Milk Drink

Procedure:

  1. Put mango jelly on 2-3 glasses. Blend MILO, ice and sugar together in a blender jar.
  2. Pour prepared mixture in glasses. Top with BEAR BRAND Powdered Milk Drink before serving.

Why not try out these recipes with your kids? I’m definitely going to soon!

For more information, log on to the MILO Philippines official website or the MILO Philippines Facebook page. Follow MILO on Twitter and Instagram.

 

 

How Do You Like Your Pasta? Al Dente! (Plus a pasta recipe!)

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Our entire family LOVES pasta so when I got an invite to attend an event by Dona Elena Al Dente Pasta of course I said “yes”! Dona Elena Al Dente pasta invited a lot of bloggers to help them celebrate National Pasta Month this October at The Blackboard, Podium Mall last October 25.

 

DonaElena3

 

Before anything else let me tell you some important stuff about the brand.

 

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Doña Elena Al Dente is the only Artisan Quality Italian Pasta. It is made using high quality, 100% durum wheat semolina or hard wheat. ONLY pasta made from Durum Wheat can be considered al dente. Doña Elena Al Dente was made through the artisan way of making pasta – slow drying process and not subjected to high heat. It uses special bronze dies which leaves a rough surface that create ridges on the pasta. These ridges help sauces stick to the pasta better, making every bite simply delicious. Unlike other pasta with only 6% protein content, Doña Elena Al Dente has 13% protein, a result of the slow-cooking process which preserves its nutrients. Doña Elena Al Dente is also GMO-free, 100% certified all natural.

I learned so many things about pasta during the event. For instance, do you know what “Al Dente” means? It means “firm to the bite”, which is exactly what pasta should be like, not mushy or soggy. It was definitely surprising to find out that not all kinds of pasta can be al dente, only those made from Durum Wheat.

Want to test the quality of your pasta? Don’t put oil on it while boiling. Dona Elena Al Dente pasta don’t need oil because they don’t stick together. That’s al dente for you!

Here are the types of pasta that Dona Elena Al Dente has to offer.

 

DonaElena11

 

These are the Spaghetti (500g), Fettuccine (500g), Lasagna (500g), Penne Rigate (500g and 250g) and Fusilli (500g and 250g).

There were several talks that day from pasta experts from Fly Ace Corporation (the distributor of Dona Elena Al Dente), as well as  nutritionist, Professor Luchie Collanta, who talked about the nutritional benefits of pasta.

 

DonaElena4

 

 

I also learned that the kind of pasta you should use depends on the type of sauce you’re going to use. The chunkier sauces work best with penne rigate and fusili because the shape of the pasta helps the sauce to cling to it. The lighter sauces are more often used with spaghetti and fettuccine. Some pasta recipes were shared with us c/o The Blackboard’s chef, Chef Michel Cottabaren, who’s here in this photo with RJ Ledesma, who also came to share about his pasta experience.

 

DonaElena6

 

Just look at the food that Chef Michel prepared for us. It was pasta heaven! I was seriously so full by the end of the event.

 

 

There were some fun contests too just like this cook off participated by some of the mommy bloggers.

 

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It was truly a fun event! Now let me share with you this pasta recipe from Dona Elena Al Dente. Doesn’t this look absolutely delish?

 

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This is called the Shrimp Pasta Salad with Creamy Sesame Dressing with Dona Elena Al Dente Fusilli. Here’s how it’s made.

Ingredients:
500g Doña Elena AL DENTE Fusilli, cooked according to package instructions
9 pcs prawns, deveined, peeled and blanched
9 pcs cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves
150g assorted lettuce, sliced into bite size pieces
sesame seeds, for garnish

For the dressing:
½ cup Japanese mayonnaise
½ cup teriyaki sauce
4 tbsp Good Life Sesame Oil
1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted and chopped
To taste ground black pepper

Procedure:
1. Combine all the dressing ingredients. Store in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator.
2. Place the cooked Doña Elena AL DENTE Fusilli noodles in a bowl together with the sliced lettuce then drizzle some of the dressing until all the ingredients are well coated.
3. Arrange the prawns and tomatoes on top of the salad and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
4. Serve chilled.

I love that it’s so easy to make and it looks so colorful and appetizing too. I want to cook this as part of our Noche Buena meal this Christmas! I hope you guys also get to try this recipe.

For more info about Dona Elena Al Dente, like them on Facebook or visit their website at http://www.flyacecorp.com/.

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