Gardening: Produce more tomato or pepper fruits using epsom salt (magnesium sulfate)

- When the first bloom of tomato or pepper appears, blend 1 tablespoon of epsom salt to a gallon of water.- Spray the mixture on plants.
- After 10 days, spray another mixture on the same plants.



- Do it again and again after 10 days until the plants bear more flowers.
- The magnesium content of epsom salt boosted the production of more flowers and fruits.

Organic Food: Salad - Arosep Salad (Arosep or Ar-arosep is Ilokano term for Sea Grapes/Green Caviar)

Arosep is a juicy green seaweed with sour taste. It is perfect to be consumed during sunny day or hot/warm season no wonder why it is one of the favorite foods in the tropical islands during summer time.

After buying it from the market, it is advisable to consume it immediately because it continues to lose water content when stocked for more hours.

Ingredients:

- 1/4 kilo of arosep seaweed
- 1 medium size onion
- 1 medium size tomato
- 2 medium size leeks
- 3/4 teaspoon of salt
- 2 calamansi or 1 medium lemon
- 2 tablespoons of fish sauce (optional)

Arosep, Green Caviar, Sea Grapes

Materials:

- 1 bowl to contain the seaweed and other ingredients
- kitchen knife and chopping board
- mixing spoon

Procedure:

1. Wash the seaweed.
2. Dice onion, tomato and leeks and then put them into the bowl.

3. Sprinkle the salt, pour the fish sauce, and squeeze out the juice of the calamansi over the seaweed salad.
4. Mix all the ingredients inside the bowl and serve in two.

Consume with rice during meal time.

Arosep Salad

Food: Soup - Green Beans & Meat Loaf Soup

Ingredients:

10 pieces of standard-sized green beans (Sliced into half-inch pieces)
1 small can of meat loaf (alt. sausage) (Sliced into half-inch cubes)
5 standard-sized leeks (Sliced into half-inch pieces)
10 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon of pounded or diced ginger
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 liter of water
culinary herbs (optional)
other soup seasonings







Materials:

Cooking container
Knife
Chopping board
4 soup bowls
Ladle

Procedure:

1. Cut green beans into half-inch pieces and cook in a liter of water.



2. When cooked, add all other ingredients except the leeks.
3. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the leeks and mix.
5. Serve in four bowls.



It can be eaten alone or with rice during meal time.

Traditional Food: Pancit Bihon (QHMix Recipe)

Pancit Bihon is one of the traditional dishes that Filipino gatherings, occasions, celebrations, parties, events, etc. must be present on the feast tables. But with so many approaches and different ingredients used by the different cook themselves, I will present the QHMix way of cooking Pancit Bihon for the snack of about 100 persons.

Ingredients:
- 1/2 bale Pancit Bihon
- 2 kl Baguio (Green) Beans
- 1 kl Carrots
- 1/2 kl Celery
- 1 liter Soy Sauce
- 1 1/2 kl Pork (or Chicken Meat)
- 2 liters Chicken Soup (use Pinikpikan broth if you are also cooking Pinikpikan). Alternative: Pork Soup or any meat soup.
- Vegetable Oil

Materials:
- 1 large cooking ware (preferably "Silyasi") to contain Pancit Bihon
- 1 big container enough to contain the 1/2 bale of Pancit Bihon
- another 1 big container for all the fried vegetable and meat ingredients
- 1 small container for the chopped Celery
- 4 containers for each of the ingredients and the soup/broth
- 1 outside burner or cooking tripod to set the "Silyasi".
- 1 big ladle
- 1 knife
- 1 chopping board

Liters of pinikpikan broth can be taken out for the pancit bihon recipe and
then just add water again to the pinikpikan as replacement.

Procedure:
1. Break each Pancit Bihon brick into quarters and soak with water inside the big container #1 to make them soft.

2. Chop the meat into 1 cm x 1 cm x 1 inch rough cuts. Fry them with vegetable oil, then toss them into the big container #2.

3. Peel carrots and julienne them. Fry and add into the big container #2.

4. Slice the Green Beans into 1-inch cuts. Fry them and put into the big container #2.

5. Mix all the ingredients inside the big container #2.

6. Cut crosswise the Celery from stems to the leaves with 1 cm slices and put them into a separate container.

7. Prepare to cook: light the burner into medium only. Then place the "Silyasi" on it to be heated for few minutes. Then, pour the Chicken Soup (meat soup) into the "Silyasi" followed by the Soy Sauce.

8. Drain the container #1 and take out the Pancit Bihon, add them into the "Silyasi" and mix using the big ladle. Mix, mix and mix until you notice the coloration of the Pancit Bihon.

9. If you want to make the noddles look darker, you may add more Soy Sauce and then mix again. But adding more Soy Sauce may also increase the salty taste of the Pancit Bihon.

10. As the noodles were already cooked, pour into the "Silyasi" the mixed ingredients from the container #2.

10. Then, just urn off the burner. Sprinkle the chopped Celery over the food, and once again, mix them all again until properly mixed.

Serve it to 100 persons during snack time with sandwiches and juice drinks.

Organic Food: Vegetable Adobo Sauté - String Beans

Ingredients:

- 1 bundle of string beans
- 1 large size of onion
- soy sauce
- vegetable oil

Materials:

- frying pan
- knife
- chopping board
- small bowl
- big bowl
- serving plate

Procedure:

1. Cut string beans into about 3 inches long and put them into the bigger bowl.
2. Slice the onion lengthwise with about 3 mm thickness and place them in the smaller bowl.
3. Heat the vegetable oil in the frying pan, pour the sliced onion and the string beans.

4. Apply soy sauce according to your preference, I prefer just a little to make it have just a bit taste of salt.



5. Mix and cover, visit it in a short while to mix and check if cooked. If it became tender, mix and then put it into the serving plate.

It can be served with rice for meal.

Organic Food: Classic Dish - Camote (Sweet Potato) Tops and Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1 bundle of Camote tops
2 standard size Tomatoes, each cut into quarts
3 crushed cloves of Garlic
1 cup of water
Salt or 2 tablespoons of Fish Sauce (preferably)
1 teaspoon of Vegetable oil

Materials:

Bowl
Frying pan
Ladle

Procedure:

1. Separate the edible parts of the camote tops (shoots and young leaves) and discard the remaining parts.
2. Put oil on the frying pan and heat it.
3. Fry the crushed garlic, stir until it became brown in color.

4. Pour the cup of water, followed by the camote tops and tomatoes.
5. Cover. Camote tops can be easily cooked, so check it after few moments. When cooked, apply salt or fish sauce, mix then stop the heat.



6. Serve.

It can be eaten with rice during meal time. Pour some of the broth over the rice, and then enjoy a good country meal.

Organic Food: Vegetable Salad - Ampalaya & Pechay (Chinese Cabbage)

Ingredients:

1 bundle of Pechay
1 standard size Ampalaya
Salt or Fish Sauce or Honey
Seasoning (Optional)

Materials:

Bowl
Spoon for mixing
Knife
Chopping Board

Procedure:

1. Chop the ampalaya into small cubes.
2. Slice the Pechay into thin slices.
3. Mix the two ingredients in the bowl.



4. Apply either the salt or fish sauce or honey and mix well.



5. (Optional) add seasoning and mix.
6. Serve.

It can be eaten plain during meal or add with rice.