FOODIES

We normally only have two major celebrations on Christmas weekend: Christmas Eve with the Alonsos and Christmas Day with the Brubakers. This year Jen and Armando invited us to their house on Christmas Day also. It provided another opportunity to eat more Filipino food.

I didn’t get to take pictures of all of the dishes (and there were several) because we arrived late. It was seafood central at the Teves-Allison residence that day, though. Jen served the prawns pictured above, mussels, and at least two different fish dishes. Ferj made humba, which I loved because it had a ton of sabaw. Arvin made his signature dish lauya, which is like nilaga only a dozen times better. Instead of being somewhat bland like nilaga, it actually had really great flavor. I didn’t have it on Christmas Day, but I had some the day after when we came over to Jen and Armando’s for leftovers. It was super delicious! Both Ferj and Arvin did a fabulous job on their dishes.

Jen also had a pineapple chicken dish that was yummy and green beans and corn and a carrot salad. I’m sure there are several other dishes that I’m missing here. There was so much food at Jen and Armando’s, you’d think they were feeding all of Bel Aire. Anyway, I was so stuffed from all the eating I did on Christmas Eve and on Christmas morning that I didn’t really have room for any more food. I couldn’t pass up the prawns, though. I think I had six or seven of them. They were so good!

I also had the strawberry shortcake dessert and more mimosas. As though I hadn’t had enough from earlier that day. LOL. There was some really good eatin’ that took place over Christmas weekend. I can’t wait until next year to do it all over again!

Breakfast on Christmas morning consisted of baked eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls and fruit. Yum! I’d never had baked eggs before. We’ll have to try and make some because I really liked it.

Mom totally outdid herself this year. She even made biko macapuno!

Lumpia is a staple at our gatherings.

Mom’s menudo. She did it differently this year. She used sausage instead of red hotdog. It was good, but I prefer the red hotdog version.

Humba. Yum!

Guisantes, which Brian and I call “el cheapo” when we make it because it’s really cheap and easy to make. LOL.

Mom’s is better, though, because I usually make it too salty.

Mom makes awesome pancit. Not to much veggies and a lot of chicken, just the way I like it.

Sinigang is my favorite!

The best part is we got to take a bunch of food home. Except for the sinigang because everyone loved it and there was nothing left. LOL.

It worked out great because Brian, Chad and I got to eat our leftovers after watching True Grit last night. We couldn’t decide where to go for dinner.

My original plan was to take Chad out to Noodles (he loves that place) and then take him to the movies as his Christmas present from Brian and me, but Noodles being closed on Christmas Day nixed that idea. So we just took him to the movies. Excellent movie choice, by the way, Chad!

After poring over the Kansas.com list, and not being able to agree on a place (Fox & Hound down the street was open, but Brian hates it), the three of us just decided to stay in and eat leftovers. Good thing that Chad is a great sport and was open to eating Christmas Eve leftovers.

P.S. The leftover deviled eggs from our Christmas Day lunch at the Brubakers’ was an added bonus!