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12 Recipes to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2011

My husband is part Chinese and so we usually celebrate that side of his family during Chinese New Year. This year, Chinese New Year falls on February 4, 2011. But you don't have to be Chinese to get in on the fun! Have your own celebration by preparing something Chinese inspired, whether it's an authentic recipe or inspired by one. To help you out, here are 12 Recipes to Celebrate Chinese New Year 2011 with along with other entertaining ideas to ring in the year of the rabbit!...


Make Chinese New Year 2011, the year of the rabbit, a fun one by gathering friends and family. Aside from trying out one of the recipes below, here are some other food fun ways to celebrate:







 

The Realities of Severe Adult Autism Challenges: Out of the Spotlight and Out of Mind




Dr. Temple Grandin has accomplished much in business, and on the lecture circuit, and deserves applause for her accomplishments.I do not doubt that Dr. Temple Grandin has done much for autism awareness generally over the past 12 years since my son was diagnosed with Autistic Disorder. But awareness of the realities faced by severely autistic adults has not increased noticeably over that time and to some extent has been obscured by Dr. Grandin's accomplishments.  Dr. Grandin is an exceptional person of exceptional accomplishment.  The key word is exceptional.

Claire Danes is receiving acclaim for portraying Dr. Grandin.  And there ends public knowledge of adults with autism disorders.  For many in the public Dr. Grandin, as represented by the beautiful Ms. Danes is the face of autism.  Ms Danes is a talented and beautiful woman, by any measure, but the reality of autism is not so beautiful and the reality of severe adult autism is in fact brutally ugly with many  severely autistic adults living their lives in institutional care and ignored, except for brief flashes, by media and public.
The media gets involved, as it did recently,  in the case of the Nova Scotia autistic man who was kept locked in his room for weeks where he was, despite camera surveillance, left by staff to urinate in a corner. 6 years ago an autistic New Brunswick youth was kept on the grounds of a youth correctional facility despite not having committed an offense or not having been charged with an offense because there was simply no where else to keep him.  He was shipped out of the country to a US facility. Years before that an adult New Brunswick man was kept in a psychiatric  facility before being shipped out of the country to the Spurwink facility in neighboring Maine in the US. The headlines fade, as they usually do, and there is no movie or book industry or interest group lobby to keep the ugly realities of life for severely challenged autistic adults in the public mind. And little, very little, changes for those autistic adults for whom even one of the  most basic of decencies,  a pot in which to pee, is not always assured.

Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cookies

It's been awhile since I've made some cookies. Toffee bits have been in my pantry for a week or so and I was looking for something interesting to make with them. When I stumbled on a recipe for Toffee Crunch Cookies on Food Network, I decided to adapt a bit and made these Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cookies. These cookies are chock full of toffee bits, oatmeal, shredded coconuts and chunks of chocolate almond candy bars. It's a great mix of textures and flavors!...

The only changes I made to the original recipe include omitting almonds and adding chopped chocolate almond candy bars which I had sitting in my pantry. You can certainly use chocolate chips or whatever chocolate bars you prefer. Aside from that, this recipe is one you can certainly play around with by adding other baking chips and/or nuts.

I really liked this cookie's mix of textures. The sweet bits of toffee, chewiness from the shredded coconut and oatmeal, and the bursts of melted chocolate from the chocolate chunks swirled in really worked so well together. At this point, I'm craving ice cream and think these cookies would be great as ice cream cookie sandwiches!

Chocolate Toffee Crunch Cookies
recipe adapted from Food Network

1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup toffee candy bits
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or chopped bittersweet chocolate bar)
1 cup oatmeal
1 cup sweetened flake coconut


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Beat the eggs slightly; then add to the butter mixture and mix well. Sift flour, salt and baking soda; then add slowly to the moist ingredients and mix thoroughly. Mix in the toffee bits, oatmeal, coconut and nuts.

Drop dough by the teaspoonful onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING

A LITTLE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION


I don’t remember any of my childhood or teen birthdays. There were no parties, not a one, no streamers, no pointed cone party hats, no cakes piled high with gaudy neon-colored roses with Jamie written elegantly across glossy white icing. No surprise parties as far back as I can remember, no friends hiding in darkened rooms behind sofas and armchairs smothering giggles, no gifts piled high awaiting the astonished scream tumbling into laughter from the lips of this birthday girl. No teen dances in the back room of my parents’ house, pouring over the boys’ names on the invitation list with a best girlfriend, wondering which would want to dance with me. No memories of spin the bottle or sneaking mouthfuls of liqueur from behind the bar dot my adolescence, no snapshots of those unforgiving gawkiest of years. No, birthdays were always simple and low key, maybe a family celebration at a favorite restaurant, a gift or two, and a day like any other. Nothing at all to mark the event from one year to the next, so nothing special stands out in my memories.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, one year older...and?

I remember the first birthday party that I was invited to, memories tinged with the old jealousy I felt back then. She was the prettiest girl in both my Sunday School and my kindergarten class, a princess who lived in what to my 5-year-old eyes was a castle fitting her beauty and grace; she had her very own bedroom despite having sisters, a bedroom full of feminine ruffles, a fairytale canopied bed and life-sized stuffed animals. And her birthday party was everything I had always dreamed of out by the pool. Yes, even at that tender age I had gone to that party accompanied by the green-eyed monster wondering why I didn’t have it all as well?

I remember Shay’s birthday party somewhere around the 4th grade, lovely Shay, the middle of three very glamorous sisters, my best friend. I remember her mom leading the games in the front yard as we all kneeled and bowed down to an imaginary King, shouting “Owa taygoo Siam” over and over again, faster and faster, louder and louder until, one by one, with much embarrassment and 4th-grade giggles, we realized that we had been shouting “Oh what a goose I am!” and the joke was on us! I remember Willie’s birthday party in that poor little corner house near where my brother now lives and my very first game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey and my wonder that if his parents could give him a party then why couldn’t mine? I remember my friend Chris’ older sister Julie’s (my brother’s friend) birthday party in the oh so cool house across the street with the piñata strung up on a tree in their backyard and the kids whacking at that brightly-colored paper maché horse until it burst open, candy flying everywhere, kids diving to gather it up. And how I wanted a birthday party like that!


But I still never had a birthday party. Year after year, that shy, nervous schoolgirl that I was accepted the quiet celebrations and jealously dreamed of parties. So it would seem strange, then, that I simply adore my birthdays. But now I am surrounded by men who, although they don’t organize parties for me, surprise or otherwise, spoil and pamper me with wonderful restaurants and utterly impractical, fabulously girly gifts. This year was no different – except that Simon was not here with us. JP and Clem whisked me off to the best restaurant in town and, as we were waiting for our first course, slipped my lovely, perfect gift discreetly into my hand.


And every year I make my own birthday cake. Yes, I could ask my men to pop into any pastry shop and choose one for me, or I could do that myself. How easy to bring home a luscious tart or bavaroise, some creamy concoction that the French know how to create with such perfection, beautifully, elegantly layered and decorated with swirls and curls and sugar gewgaws. But I love to make it myself, creating a dense American-style layer cake in whatever flavors I crave. No, it is never as pretty or as perfect in shape and form as those found in the pastry shops, but every single year I make myself my perfect cake. Usually, I make a fabulous Chestnut Layer Cake with rich Chocolate Buttercream Frosting but lately I’ve changed the tradition. Last year I simply made decadent chocolate brownies and wonderful Lemon Soufflé Puddings, a complete break from the usual cake. Two years ago I made a favorite Chocolate Cake, dense, moist and very chocolaty, filled with Coffee-flavored Whipped Cream and slathered rather haphazardly with a thick layer of Chocolate Buttercream. And this year, the Coffee and Chocolate theme was continued with an entirely new concoction, an Espresso-Chocolate Layer Cake with a Mocha Mascarpone Frosting.


Two years ago, I flew to New York where I spent 3 tiring, sad weeks with my elder brother, helping him, taking care of him, the last I spent time with him. As I waited for my flight at JFK airport, the flight that would take me away from my beloved brother and back into the arms of husband and sons, I decided to splurge and treat myself to an armful of cooking magazines, an expensive luxury during more normal times. I selected, among others, an issue of bon appétit and as I flipped through the pages, my attention was arrested by a fabulous, mouthwatering array of cakes spread out over page after page. And I longed to make one or the other. Over the past two years, I have pulled out the magazine several times and each time I find myself staring at, ogling, dreaming of this gorgeous selection of cakes. I stumbled across the magazine once again, quite by accident, a couple weeks before my birthday and the photograph of a stunning dark chocolate and coffee layer cake jumped out at me and this time it had BIRTHDAY written all over it. And as I ran my hand across the glossy page, caressing the beauty of this confection, I happened to catch a glimpse of the artist who created the recipes in this spread and I excitedly realized that I know her! My lovely friend Abby Dodge, author of Desserts 4 Today that I recently reviewed. That sealed it and this wonderful, rich, dense, gorgeous chocolate cake with the perfect hint of espresso and the delicious mocha frosting was the crowning glory of this year’s birthday festivities.

You don't have to wait for a birthday to make and enjoy this fabulous cake. Everyone: me, JP, Clem and all the young dudes, absolutely went wild for this dessert! A rather easy recipe to put together, the Espresso Chocolate Layer Cake is so chocolatey, the coffee infusing a warm richness and highlighting the chocolate without drowning it out and the luxurious whipped frosting was one of the best I've ever tasted: creamy smooth, a perfect mocha flavor. This cake got a double thumbs up all around and it has moved onto the list of our favorite desserts, birthday, holiday, any day.

I would love to submit this to Magazine Mondays created and hosted by Ivonne of Cream Puffs in Venice!


ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE with MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING
Recipe created by Abigail Johnson Dodge for the April 2009 issue of bon appétit magazine

ESPRESSO CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

2 cups cake flour
¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
¾ tsp salt
¾ cup (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2 cups packed golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 ½ tsps vanilla
1 cup buttermilk
4 tsps instant espresso powder dissolved in ¾ cup hot water

Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C) and position the rack in the middle of the oven. Generously butter two 9-inch round x 2-inch high cake pans, dust with flour, shake out the excess and then line the bottoms with parchment paper.

Sift the 2 cups cake flour, the cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl. Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and, using electric beaters, beat the butter until smooth. Add the brown sugar and beat until well blended and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Blend in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Beat in the dry ingredients on low speed in 3 additions alternating with the buttermilk in 2 additions, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add the hot water espresso, beating until smooth. Increase beater speed to medium and just whip very briefly until smooth and fluffy.

Divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans and bake for about 40 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center of the layers comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes on cooling racks. Run a knife around the edges of the pans to loosen the cakes, invert the cakes onto the racks, lift off the pans and peel off the parchment paper. Invert the layers again so the top sides are up and allow to cool completely.

You can make the cake layers a day ahead; simply wrap each layer individually in plastic wrap and leave at room temperature.

MOCHA MASCARPONE FROSTING
Must be prepared ahead to allow for chilling

1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs instant espresso powder
1 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 8-oz containers chilled mascarpone

Sift the cocoa powder into a large bowl. Add the espresso powder. Bring 1 cup of the heavy cream just to a boil in a small saucepan then slowly pour over the cocoa and espresso, whisking until the cocoa is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Add the remaining cold ½ cup cream and the sugar and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Chill in the refrigerator until cold, at least 2 hours. Or do this the day before and chill overnight.

Place the mascarpone in a large mixing bowl and beat until loosened and fluffy. Add the chilled cocoa mixture and, on low speed, beat until blended and smooth. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is thick and medium-firm peaks hold, about 2 minutes. Do not overbeat or the frosting may curdle.

Assemble the cake:

Using a pastry brush, brush off crumbs from the cake layers. Place one cake layer, top side up, on the serving platter. Spoon 1 ¾ cup frosting on the cake and spread evenly over the layer all the way to the edges. Top with the second cake layer, top side up, pressing to adhere. Spread thin layer of frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill for 10 minutes. Spread the remaining frosting over the sides and top of the cake, swirling decoratively.


Φεουδάρχες και δουλοπάροικοι στη ( σημερινή) Ευρώπη.


Φεουδάρχες και δουλοπάροικοι στη (σημερινή) Ευρώπη

Του ΡΟΥΣΣΟΥ ΒΡΑΝΑ Από τα «ΝΕΑ»


«Αυτός θα είναι φέτος ο μαγικός αριθμός στην Ευρώπη: 3,3%, η ανάπτυξη που προβλέπεται να έχει η οικονομία της Λετονίας.
Γι' αυτό το λετονικό μοντέλο λιτότητας και εσωτερικής υποτίμησης προβάλλεται σήμερα σαν μια μεγάλη επιτυχία. Οι τραπεζίτες και οι εφημερίδες τους προτρέπουν και τις άλλες ευρωπαϊκές χώρες: "Γιατί δεν κάνετε κι εσείς όπως η Λετονία, να θυσιάσετε την οικονομία σας για να πληρώσετε τα χρέη σας"; (...)
Πόσο όμως αυτός ο αριθμός είναι πράγματι μαγικός; Η ανάπτυξη της Λετονίας θα συνοδεύεται από διψήφια ανεργία. Και δεν θα αφορά τους δεκάδες χιλιάδες μετανάστες που έχουν εγκαταλείψει τη χώρα, αφήνοντας πίσω τους γυναίκες και παιδιά. Με δεδομένο πως το ακαθάριστο εγχώριο προϊόν της Λετονίας μειώθηκε κατά 25% στα δύο χρόνια της κρίσης, αν από εδώ και πέρα αρχίσει να αναπτύσσεται με 3,3% ετησίως, θα χρειαστεί τουλάχιστον μια δεκαετία ώσπου να αποκατασταθεί στο επίπεδο που βρισκόταν το 2007. Είναι άραγε αυτό ικανό κίνητρο για να πείσει και άλλες χώρες να ακολουθήσουν τον ίδιο δρόμο με τη Λετονία;
Οι καθηγητές των Οικονομικών στα Πανεπιστήμια του Μιζούρι και του Ουισκόνσιν Μάικλ Χάντσον και Τζέφρι Σόμερς, που εργάστηκαν χρόνια στη Λετονία, είδαν με τα μάτια τους πόσο αποτυχημένο είναι στην πραγματικότητα το λετονικό μοντέλο. Και σήμερα πια εργάζονται για να αποθαρρύνουν την εφαρμογή του. "Κατανοούν άραγε η Ελλάδα και η Ιρλανδία, και ίσως και η Ισπανία και η Πορτογαλία τι τους ζητούν να μιμηθούν;" λένε οι δύο καθηγητές.
"Η ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική βάζει τους μισθωτούς και τους συνταξιούχους να πληρώνουν τις ζημιές των τραπεζιτών. Πόσο 'λετονικό φάρμακο' θα μπορέσουν να αντέξουν αυτές οι χώρες; Πού θα μεταναστεύσουν οι εργαζόμενοί τους; Πώς θα γίνουν ανταγωνιστικές χωρίς δημόσιες επενδύσεις; Αν ξεπουλήσουν τις υποδομές τους, οι οικονομίες τους θα ξεπέσουν ακόμη πιο πίσω και οι καθυστερούμενες δόσεις θα σωρεύουν αστρονομικά πανωτόκια". Θέλουν πράγματι οι λαοί αυτών των χωρών να θυσιάσουν την ανάπτυξή τους, να υποστούν μια μακροχρόνια ύφεση και να δουν το βιοτικό τους επίπεδο να ξεπέφτει, μόνο και μόνο για το καλό των πιστωτών τους;
Η μόνη λύση, λένε οι δύο καθηγητές, είναι να δεχτούν να χάσουν ένα μέρος από τα λεφτά τους οι κυριότεροι πιστωτές τους. Αλλιώς, η λιτότητα θα επιστρέψει την Ευρώπη χίλια χρόνια πίσω, με οικονομικές και πολιτικές ελίτ που θα ζουν σαν φεουδάρχες και εργαζόμενους δουλοπαροίκους».

Severity Levels in the DSM-5's New Autism Spectrum Disorder: Requiring Support, Substantial Support and Very Substantial Support


The DSM-5 will merge the disorders now commonly referred to  as Autism Spectrum Disorders into one diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder and will divide that spectrum by severity levels.  The severity levels are Level 1 - Requiring Support, Level 2 - Requiring Substantial Support, and Level 3 - Requiring Very Substantial Support.  Intellectual Disability, as expected,  is not mentioned in this classification scheme even though it is obvious that Intellectual Disability will be common amongst persons with Level 3 Autism Spectrum Disorder and non-existent in the Level 1 ASD where most persons currently diagnosed with Aspergers will be reclassified.

I believe that the failure to acknowledge fully the relationship between Intellectual Disability and Autism Disorders is a form of Intellectual Dishonesty. As long as we continue to ignore the ID Pink Elephant in the Autism Spectrum we will never conduct the research necessary to fully understand autism disorders.  The Intellectual Dishonesty of omitting express reference to Intellectual Disability aside though, the division of the New Autism Spectrum Disorder into severity levels based on the levels of support required to function should at least help remove some of the romantic veneer with which autism disorders have been coated by various Neurodiversity and purported autism self advocates over the last two decades.  There is no reason to take joy in discovering that you, or your child, have an impaired functioning level requiring support, substantial support or very substantial support.  It is hard to glorify autism disorders in those terms.  

Despite my misgivings about  the New Autism Spectrum Disorder, I have to acknowledge that  the New ASD may at least be a  start toward a more realistic approach to public discussion of autism disorders. It is hard to tell at this time though whether it will be a substantial start or a very substantial start towards a reality based approach to autism disorders.

A Weekly Serving - 1/29/2011

It's been a great week and I'm glad it's the weekend! Before I type away with some personal musings...

Here's what I cooked up in the kitchen this past week...


A great dish for Valentine’s Day or just to surprise that special someone… 

If you’re a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, this Peanut Butter Brownie Pie is for you!… 


Here are the recipe collections I've posted this past week...

Here are some some of the tasty recipes for the big game to check out…

Some of the tastiest things come in small packages… 

Serve up portable sweets like brownies for the Superbowl! 


My weekly musings on Family, Food and Fun...

Family -
  I should make a movie called, 'The Fast & The Curious,' featuring my little munchkin, Joel. Just last week we were in the in-between stage where he needed some prodding to crawl and encouragement to reach and climb up on things. This week was a whole different ball game. Joel is all over the place and quick! One minute, he's in his designated play area content with his toys...and then the next minute he's on the other side of the room checking out whatever he can get his hands on. All his moving around has got me and Louis exhausted. I can't even imagine how much more energy it will be to keep up with Joel when he's walking around! Here's our little cutie pie's weekly pic, where he's now 38 weeks old...

Food/Restaurant News - This week major renovation started on our kitchen and dining area. I'm hopeful the work will be done in a month so we're all crossing our fingers. In the meantime, we're all keeping busy somehow. I've been working on scheduling public events to keep our momentum up. In fact, next week Friday we will be doing a special presentation and tasting preview at a local Whole Foods store. The following day, we're attending a big event within the Filipino community called Pin@ypalooza where we will have a booth and provide samples of our restaurant menu. So with those events lined up, we're anxious to share what's soon to come!

If you've read my "About Joelen" page, you may have noticed how I have plans to open up a gastro truck. I'm not the only one as my partners would love to open up one as well. Later today, my partners and I will be checking out a food truck to get some information and also familiarize ourselves with the food truck business, since it's much different that a stand alone business. I'm looking forward to it, since the owner of the food truck is also selling her truck... and was previously seen on Food Network's Diners, Drive Ins & Dives. Her name is Grace and is/was the owner of Galewood Cookshack.

So amidst the restaurant renovations, special preview events for the public and even a food truck viewing, another thing to add to the list of food/restaurant news is my new venture - Joely Cakes. In short, Joely Cakes is my independent cake and cupcake line, highlighting Filipino tropical flavors (as well as others). I've been baking for years and even had a side business back in 2002-2005 filling custom cake orders for private and commercial clientele. I stepped away from filling baking orders for a few years but got back into it within the last year after receiving quite a few special occasion cake and cupcake orders. The best feeling this week was having my Joely Cakes hit the retail market! They're currently being sold at Three R Filipino Cafe & Grocery with other local Filipino grocery stores soon to follow. Yay!

Fun - As for fun this past week, I've been enjoying the time at home with my boys. I did some considerable baking this week for Joely Cakes but also for the family... so stay tuned to find out what I've been baking up!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend and have a great week ahead!

Criteria D in the DSM-5's New Autism Spectrum Disorder: Limited and Impaired Everyday Functioning


With the  January 26, 2011, revision of the  new Autism Spectrum Disorder category in the DSM-5 will some high functioning persons who currently have an Autism or Aspergers diagnosis  actually lose their autism diagnosis because they do not meet  criteria D,"limited and impaired daily functioning", of the 4 ASD mandatory criteria?


"299.00 Autistic Disorder                   Revised January 26, 2011


Autism Spectrum Disorder
Must meet criteria A, B, C, and D:
A.    Persistent deficits in social communication and social interaction across contexts, not accounted for by general developmental delays, and manifest by all 3 of the following:
1.     Deficits in social-emotional reciprocity; ranging from abnormal social approach and failure of normal back and forth conversation through reduced sharing of interests, emotions, and affect and response to total lack of initiation of social interaction,
2.     Deficits in nonverbal communicative behaviors used for social interaction; ranging from poorly integrated- verbal and nonverbal communication, through abnormalities in eye contact and body-language, or deficits in understanding and use of nonverbal communication, to total lack of facial expression or gestures.
3.     Deficits in developing and maintaining relationships, appropriate to developmental level (beyond those with caregivers); ranging from difficulties adjusting behavior to suit different social contexts through difficulties in sharing imaginative play and  in making friends  to an apparent absence of interest in people
B.    Restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities as manifested by at least two of  the following:
1.     Stereotyped or repetitive speech, motor movements, or use of objects; (such as simple motor stereotypies, echolalia, repetitive use of objects, or idiosyncratic phrases). 
2.     Excessive adherence to routines, ritualized patterns of verbal or nonverbal behavior, or excessive resistance to change; (such as motoric rituals, insistence on same route or food, repetitive questioning or extreme distress at small changes).
3.     Highly restricted, fixated interests that are abnormal in intensity or focus; (such as strong attachment to or preoccupation with unusual objects, excessively circumscribed or perseverative interests).
4.     Hyper-or hypo-reactivity to sensory input or unusual interest in sensory aspects of environment; (such as apparent indifference to pain/heat/cold, adverse response to specific sounds or textures, excessive smelling or touching of objects, fascination with lights or spinning objects).
C.    Symptoms must be present in early childhood (but may not become fully manifest until social demands exceed limited capacities)
D.         Symptoms together limit and impair everyday functioning."

Will some well known, self described, autism self advocates lose their autism diagnosis when the DSM-5 is published?  Can persons capable of raising a family, performing in rock bands,  driving land rovers, running  successful businesses, serving on the boards and committees of organizations such as ASAN, Autism Speaks and the IACC, graduating with university degrees, appearing before high appellate courts and government committees, publishing books, conducting research, and appearing in print and broadcast media interviews truly be considered to be limited and impaired in their everyday functioning? Will ANY members of the ASAN Board of Directors be considered to be limited and impaired in their everyday functioning?

Look for some intense reaction to the limited and impaired everyday functioning requirement.  Do not be surprised to see a high pressure campaign to eliminate criteria D.

Joely Cakes... now available at retail stores!

So the recent grease fire we had at the restaurant has left us out of commission for a bit while everything gets renovated. Before the fire, one of the projects I started working on was developing my 'tropical cupcake' line highlighting Filipino flavors. Not only were my cupcakes going to be on our restaurant dinner menu, but also sold in our retail grocery store. Going even further, the cupcakes would also be sold at wholesale to local Filipino grocery stores. The idea was to have my retail cupcake line separate from the restaurant.

As for the name, Joely Cakes, I named my baked goods line after my son
since our nickname for him is "Joely Joel." It made sense to name it after him somehow since he was what encouraged me to really pursue what I've always wanted to do. Another reason was to tie him closer to his Filipino culture and food.

And now it's finally happened! I
made my first batch of Joely Cakes for retail sale and they're now available for purchase at Three R's Grocery with other local stores in line soon to sell them too!  Although for the retail stores I'm highlighting tropical Filipino flavors, I can certainly do other flavors as well. Right now, I'm supplying the store with my Joely Cakes in time for the weekends since that's when there's the most traffic. If all goes well and they take off, I'll slowly start supplying the store with them to carry through the week. I hope to offer more flavors in the future and I'm happy to take private orders too. At least this is keeping me busy and in the kitchen while we're waiting for our kitchen and dining room renovation to finish. So stay tuned... this sweet culinary adventure is just starting!


You can find my Joely Cakes at:
Three R Filipino Grocery & Cafe
2712 W. Montrose Ave.
Chicago, IL 60618


Here's my 'Tropical Trio' featuring
Ube (purple yam), Mango, & Buko Pandan (coconut screwpine) cupcakes...

8 Batches of Brownie Recipes

For the upcoming Superbowl, I've found dessert bars to be a great choice to serve up. While friends and family are gathering around the tv watching the game, it's a good idea to offer food that is portable and doesn't require any utensils. With this in mind, my dessert bar of choice would have to be brownies of course! There are so many brownie recipes out there with quite a few variations. It can be hard to choose but here are 8 Batches of Brownie Recipes that I've made myself and highly recommend!...


Best Brownies
These are from Cook's Illustrated - my go-to cooking source!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Brownies
Who knew cookies and brownies would taste so good together?!

Palmer House Brownies
Named after the Palmer House Hilton hotel, it's one of their most popular desserts...

Hazelnut Caramel Brownies
This is where hazelnuts and caramel meet ever so deliciously!

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Swirl Brownies
If you like red velvet cake, try it in brownie form...

Triple Chocolate & Mint Brownies
Mint goes so well with chocolate, especially with 3 kinds of chocolate...

Outrageous Salted Carmella Brownies
Thanks to Ina, these brownies are a spin of her recipe & include Nutella...

Double Chocolate Mocha Brownies
Coffee really brings out the chocolate in brownies and this is no exception...

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