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Blogoversary Blowout!

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In less than a couple of months, this blog is turning 4! Funny how time flies.

ISKAndals.com's Blogoversary Blowout!

Despite being busy, even going semi-hiatus as a result of so much personal adventures that include moving to a new country of residence, ISKAndals moving from kitchen to kitchen and a time without a kitchen of my own!… I’ve come to realize that keeping this blog is a big part of what makes me tick. Cooking for my family definitely makes me happy and the precious time I spent in the kitchen plus the joy of reading your emails and comments… that takes out all the pressures and stress of work, the worries of everyday life and the gloomy mood of global recession.

Enough said. This year, I feel it’s time for a blogoversary blowout! ISKAndals.com’s first time. I just want to celebrate this blog’s birthday with you.

How to join? It’s easy. Tell me something about your comfort food.

The term comfort food refers to a variety of familiar, simple foods that are usually home-cooked or eaten at informal restaurants.

Comfort food is typically inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to prepare. Many people turn to comfort food for familiarity, emotional security, or as a special reward. The reasons a dish becomes comfort food are diverse but often include pleasant associations of childhood. Small children often seem to latch on to a specific food or drink (in a way similar to a security blanket) and will repeatedly request it in high stress situations. Adults eat comfort food for a sense of continuity. – Wikipedia: Comfort Food

Sinigang na Baboy
Mine is sinigang na baboy. Warm summer days. Cold rainy nights. Bonding with either mom or dad when I was sick kid. Definitely a trip down memory lane.
What’s yours?

Tell me by leaving your answers in the comments section below. If you’re a blogger, do the same or you may wish to post about it in your blog. Link back to this entry for me to get the pingback or alternatively leave a comment below to let me know. You may also wish to email me at edxperimentsATgmailDOTcom.

I haven’t decided yet on what to give away to the lucky 1st placer but will be announcing it here soon. (Too excited to announce the blowout hahaha!) Please stay tuned, hopefully I won’t disappoint. I am giving away a Toshiba 2GB thumb drive together with a cookbook featuring essential healthy dishes for everyday cooking – recipes from drinks and muffins to stir-fry and noodles.

For consolation prizes, these are ready to go. Little kitchen designer items that I don’t normally buy for myself but would love to give away as gifts or memento.

Skinny notepad with matching pen and magnetic bookmark from swedish Kikki.K. The 90-sheet notepad is handy with a sturdy card cover and elastic band for pen at front.


Shown above is the bookmark on a page of the Pasta Recipe book I got from Cafe Munchkin. You’ll never lose your favorite page by using this stylish and practical magnetic bookmark.

You may be one of those people who have piles of recipe clippings and notes from magazines and all. Get them organized with these A4 size recipe inserts. Matched with a 60-page magnetic shopping list you could place on your fridge and practical recipe sticky notes. All from Kikki.K.



With these sticky notes, wouldn’t it be easier to track down your favorite recipes?

Of course, something from New Zealand. Felt Koru (green) and Tiki (red) coasters from Living & Giving. Each color a set of six.

Because we still have almost 2 months to go before my actual blog anniversary, there may be a long list of responses (or NOT). I’ll see how it goes and may end up giving away more!

You may start leaving comments below or blog about it… now!

You have until 8 am on 27 May, regardless of your time zone. Like everyone else, I would be using Randomizer to pick the winner/s after midday on the 29th of May, and announce the results later that day. That’s a Friday. Don’t forget to leave a valid email addy because you might be one!

Celebrate with me and have fun!

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Iska
I am not a professional cook. My only claim to having a culinary background is a short stint as my dad’s teen ‘sous chef’ in his carinderia ages ago. Dad ran small eateries since I was a young kid - serving standard ‘turo-turo’ food ranging from the likes of menudo, adobo, pritong isda, dinuguan, binagoongan, bopis, munggo, pinakbet and giniling to merienda fares like goto, ginataan, pancit bihon, halu-halo and saging con yelo.

My father, a farmer in his hometown before working his way to becoming an accountant, definitely influenced my cooking in a lot of ways than I thought. My siblings and I were raised in a backyard full of fruit trees and vegetable garden. We spent weekends and the summer breaks running around with ducks, chickens, goats and pigs. I had wonderful memories of gathering eggs, butchering chickens, selling vegetables and the sweet aroma of preserved fruits. But my love for art led me to a degree in Architecture. Just few months after getting my license, I went abroad and lived independently at age 23. Definitely no maid, no cook, and a totally different food culture. Along the way I met lots of friends and spent what seemed a lifetime learning new tricks and recipes.

Now living in Auckland, I am a work-from-home mum who juggles time between work, fun and family - in pursuit of work-life balance. No matter how busy I am, I love the idea of cooking for my family. My blog chronicles home cooking greatly influenced by life outside my home country from Southeast Asia to Beijing and Auckland. And most of the time, being busy also means easy (sometimes quick), affordable meals.

47 thoughts on “Blogoversary Blowout!”

  4. wow Iska! 4 years na?! Wow! hehehe I’ll join…but I still haven’t thought about what I’ll write yet…hehehe I’ll link back when I do!

    Zriz´s last blog post..Do You Meme?

  7. Of course, I’m in with this happy, “iskandal-ous” anniversary gimmick!

    Happy, happy blog anniversary, Iska! More yummy and visually appealing posts to come.

    Pinky´s last blog post..The Return of the Okoy

  8. I have posted about my comfort food months ago. I will repost and enhance it and will join your blogoversary blowout.

    Parang ang creamy ng sinigang mo. I have not cooked sinigang for months. I’ll include that in this week’s menu.

    Lynn´s last blog post..Grilled Ensaymada

    1. yey! the first blogger entry! thanks for participating :-)

      Pork bbq indeed is one reason i love fiesta and reunion back home!

  11. Happy blogversary (advanced!). What awesome prizes. You’re so generous! And I shall join this contest. Will try my luck!

    My favorite comfort food is a steaming bowl of pork ribs sinigang with LOTS of kang kong, sliced radishes and okra. Whether the weather is rainy or sunny, this comforting soupy dish never fails to uplift me. It’s especially comforting when spoonfuls of rice are mixed into the soup bowl! Ah, bliss. It’s the dish I look forward to after a trip abroad. Very Filipino, very homey.

    Toni´s last blog post..Ginisang ampalaya at tokwa (sauteed bitter gourd with tofu)

    Toni´s last blog post..Weekend Soiree #60: A game of comment interaction

    1. Haha! It’s been a while since I started this food blog. Thought it’s time to give something back :-) Sinigang, indeed! Pareho tayo, love it with kangkong, okra and gabi :-)

  14. Pingback: Comfort Food: Spaghetti Pinoy Style | Z Dark Room

    1. Thanks for joining and goodluck!

      True comfort food, Zriz! Pinoy spaghetti is the best. Unfortunately my son likes it better when white. Kainis! So I seldom cook pasta that’s tomato-based.

    1. YUM! You remind me of my son hahaha! He likes choco ice cream and pasta. Only difference is he likes pasta with white sauce :-)

      Thanks for joining and goodluck!

  19. Pingback: Cafe Munchkin » Hershey’s “Perfectly Chocolate” Chocolate Cake

  21. Hello Jescel, abangan ko yan ha :-)

    Hi Munchkin Mummy, thanks for joining. Oo nga naman, chocolate! I’m sure a lot of people out there gets comfort from eating chunks and chunks of chocolate. :-)

  22. my comfort food is…….chicken sopas!!! mouthwatering soup that tastes almost like milk with bits of hotdog and lots of shredded chicken and a tinge of butter!! so yuummmmmyyyyyyy on a rainy day!

  23. I have always been an Adobo fan. No pretentions. I’m a plain adobo junkie. I loved the Tagalog version but I digg on the Visayan version more. I love the taste of oozing melted pork fat on my tongue and how the excess (read: burnt sauteed garlic, onion, oil, soy sauce and vinegar) make my kaning lamig taste oh so heavenly! But until now I am still wondering why this viand goes “sumasarap habang tumatagal.”

    Entrepremom´s last blog post..SpitzTunes — Boyle-n’ Over!

    1. I didn’t know adobo oozing with pork fat is Visayan. My mom (Batanguena) and hubby (Ilocano) cook it that way. But yummy indeed! Love it too!

    1. Yeah, I remember as a child having this for breakfast. Sarap! We write our names on a bowl of champorado using evap milk hehehe

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  26. Iska, I decided to post another one for your blogoversary.. I already did my monggo a long time ago like I mentioned before.. so check out my latest post on Puto Maya.

    Jescel´s last blog post..Puto Maya, Sushi-Style

    1. Thanks, Jescel!
      I think your puto-maya is so original! Even the presentation looks cool. I miss Philippine mangoes, too. And yup, peeling it and eating by hand is the best. Gawain ko yan habang nasa taas pa ng puno mismo! :-)

  27. It looks like sinigang na baboy is winning this race :) It’s my comfort food too and I’m actually getting set to make some more this week. I have some spareribs in the freezer and when I cook it, I plan to set some aside for my sinigang fix.

    I’ll post something for your blogversary too… Just gotta think of something else other than sinigang. lol!

  28. Pingback: ISKAndals.com » ISKAndals.com turns 4!

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