PASSION, VISION and COURAGE

Photo Credit: bp.blogspot.com

“Just do what you love"- we hear this ALL the time!
A career mantra commonly shared in the 21st century...
But, is this really the formula for success? 
Maybe, as many success stories have sworn on it, 
But, have you ever wondered what happened otherwise?

Personally, I believe the overly used advice "follow your passion" is quite opaque. Coz, believe me, its not all clear blue skies and rainbows out there. A person's persistency and dedication would be pushed to the limits. Nevertheless, It's the BEST way to start.

Remember: The road towards success is unique for every individual. 
                    Some may walk through a smoothly paved road, 
                    while others experience rocks and sand.
                    Regardless, just make sure to pick yourself up after every fall.

Despite my experiences, I'm far from being an expert on this topic. 
But, for those out there who yearn for success, fret not!
As I've compiled some tips and advices that have braced me through my own journey
Hope it'll inspire and enlighten you, as it did to me...

-
Without ambition, one starts nothing. Without work, one finishes nothing. The prize will not be sent to you. You have to win it. The man who knows how will always have job. The man who knows why will always be his boss. 
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Throughout our journeys toward success, there will be days when we would be greatly overwhelmed, uncertain if we should still persist on doing what we love, or just give up. Under any circumstance, however, it is far better to give our dreams a chance to exist in reality than leave it as a spec of thought.

Question to ask yourself before attempting to live out your dreams:

"Do you sincerely believe that your dream is your life's purpose?"
  
If your still uncertain of such, be patient and explore other possibilities. As sometimes, passion comes from mastery and time.

If you do believe that your dream is your heart's deepest desire, your life's purpose, consider living it out a 'little' , day after day, while still being able to fulfill your life's duties and responsibilities- flexibility is key! This way, you'd get to a chance to live out your dream and your family's dream for you!

Notes:

• Once a life's passion is determined, keep it in your heart and mind! Then, adopt a craftsman’s mindset. To eliminate future doubts, on whether or not you've made the right choice, the craftsman’s mindset would acknowledge that no matter what you do, Success is always about quality- so always focus on the quality of what you do!
• Following your dream with utmost perseverance and patience already sets you apart from the rest! The dream you have is a treasure, hold on to it... Learn it, Experience it, Master it! With deliberate practice, coupled with faith in God, anything could be accomplished.
• Create a niche with your skill.
• Always challenge yourself to break the boundaries of your comfort zone. Take "informed" risks.

“Life is a daring adventure or nothing” – Helen Keller.

Thank you #CDOBloggers for inspiring me to write again. #CDOBlogWorkshop.

written by: Shobe

Press Release: JIA CHA CAFÉ - FACING THE GIANTS

Taiwan has been acknowledged as the source of the very popular Milk Tea. It gained its popularity after it was featured in a Japanese show. Though less popular than coffee, the milk tea market has been a rising trend, with a promising future in the Philippines. New stores are coming up every now and then, leading to a more intense competition in the industry. In particular, within the city of Cagayan de Oro, new entrants face the challenge of gaining recognition behind big industry players and locally grown brands.

Challenging start

In July 2013, Jia Cha Café was born. Most people may think that making milk tea is easy because it requires less work in comparison with other business ventures. However, pioneers in the milk tea industry know that the road to opening a new milk tea shop isn’t easy. As unlike previous years, numerous milk tea shops have already been operating in the metro; with global brands also beginning its entry in Cagayan de Oro City. Thus, Jia Cha Café pioneers decided to face these challenges, start from scratch and work harder just to make the business work.

“We personally sourced for authentic quality ingredients, designed the interiors of the cafe and developed home made recipes to provide Jia Cha customers a pleasurable dining experience”

Jia Cha Café –Food Tea Fusion

To make Jia Cha Café a brand, it focused on the concept of- breaking down the “just tea” boundaries- providing a perfect balance of good food and good tea. “We continuously develop variants of delicious teas to complement with our hearty dishes, providing customers with the highest satisfaction”.

Jia Cha Café –Food Tea Fusion

To make Jia Cha Café a brand, it focused on the concept of- breaking down the “just tea” boundaries- providing a perfect balance of good food and good tea. “We continuously develop variants of delicious teas to complement with our hearty dishes, providing customers with the highest satisfaction”.

To date, Jia Cha Café continues to develop new products in an effort to expand their offerings to give consumers the best gastronomic experience.

Jia Cha Café is open Mondays-Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM and is located on the Ground Level of Divisoria Arcade, R.N. Abejuela St., Cagayan de Oro City

Get connected and updated from Jia Cha Café via:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JiaChaCafe

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JiaChaCafe

Homemade Fudgies - Chocolate Fudge Brownies

What's your favorite brownie?
Where can we buy them?

Well, mine's easy. KFC. Yup! I sure love those KFC Signature Brownies - chewy base brownies with chocolate glaze and choco chip toppings.  Definitely, a choco overloaded goodness!

If you like them as much as I do, you are in sheer luck cause I just bumped into a recipe, which with little bits of modification, tastes as good as KFC's brownies. Now, we can make as many of our favorite brownies at home >:)

Baked Brownie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder (Bensdorp)
• 275 grams bitter-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Nova)
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tsp instant coffee powder (NESCAFÉ Classic)
• 1 1/2 cups + 2 Tbsp white sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 5 eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line 9x13 inch baking pan.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and cocoa powder. Set aside.
3. Put the chocolate, butter, and instant coffee powder in a large bowl and set it over a saucepan of simmering water (you may opt to use a double boiler for this), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth. Turn off heat, but keep the bowl over the water and add the white and brown sugar. Whisk until completely combined, then remove bowl from the pan. Mixture should be at room temperature.
4. Add 3 eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Add remaining eggs and whisk until combined. Add the vanilla and stir until combined.
5. Sprinkle flour mixture over the chocolate mixture. Use a rubber spatula, fold the flour mixture into the chocolate until just a bit of the flour mixture is visible.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake for 30 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
7. Let the brownies cool completely. Remove from pan. cut into squares and chill.

Foodnotes:

> For step 4, do not over-beat the batter as this may result to a cakey textured brownies.

> For step 5, remember to use a spatula (not a whisk) to fold the flour mixture into the chocolate mixture.

> You may add some nuts in the recipe.

written by: Shobe

Summer Delight: Deep Fried Oreos

Deep-Fried Oreos, a carnival favorite,  is a tasty treat that surfaced few years back. Oreos get dipped in funnel cake batter and fried to perfection.

"Witness the magic of Oreo cookies being deep fried!"  

"So so so bad, yet so so so good." 

Easy and Simple Deep-Fried Oreo Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup water
• Magnolia waffle mix (small pack)
• Oil - for deep frying
• 1 pack original Oreos

• Powdered sugar - for dusting

 Procedure:

1. Heat oil for deep frying. Have 3 inches of oil hot and ready.
2. Whisk together egg and water in a bowl until smooth. Stir in waffle mix until no dry lumps remain.
3. When oil is hot enough, dip each Oreo into batter one at a time, then carefully place into hot frying oil. Fry only 4 or 5 at a time to avoid overcrowding. Cook until golden brown on each side.
4. Remove from oil, drain, then dust with powdered sugar.

Foodnotes: 

> For proper deep-frying technique, maintain the oil's temperature between 325°F and 400°F. Keeping the oil hot is critical to producing a quality product. The key is to fry items in small batches, because putting too much food in the oil all at once will lower the oil's temperature.

written by: Shobe

Sun, Sea, and Shrimp! - Shrimp Dynamite

Checklist:
- Sun (check!)
- Sea (check!)
- Fabulous Shrimp Appetizer (you could actually check it now, as we're sharing an easy tangy shrimp recipe ;) - see below)

Shrimp Dynamite Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1/4 kg shelled and deveined medium-sized shrimp
• Oil - for deep-frying

Batter:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg white
• 50 ml water
• 1 Tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Dressing:

• 3 Tbsp mayo
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tsp hot sauce (preferred: Tobasco) 
• Squirt of lemon juice (appox. 1 tsp)

Procedure:

1. Clean and rinse shrimp with cold running water. Pat dry, then set aside.
2. Prepare batter - mix all ingredients together.
3. Prepare dressing - mix all ingredients together.
4. Add shrimp into the batter and coat evenly.
5. Heat up a deep-fryer or a pot with oil for deep-frying. When the oil is heated, drop each shrimp gently. Deep fry until golden brown. Transfer fried shrimps out, drain excess oil or transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels.
6. Remove paper towels and add Dressing into the bowl and toss around until all the shrimp are nicely coated.
7. Serve!

Foodnotes:

> For a summer twist, you could actually add a can of fruit cocktail to the recipe. Drain fruit cocktail and mix with these dynamites. Whala! a Shrimp Dynamite Salad.

written by: Shobe

Quick Chocolate Fix: Tipsy Chocolate Cherries

When the craving hits hard, these should do the trick.

Tipsy Chocolate Cherries

Ingredients:

• 1 jar (240 grams) maraschino cherries with stems, drained
• brandy, enough to cover cherries in the jar
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Procedure:

1. Fill drained jar of cherries with brandy. Screw on cap and refrigerate. (For cherries with more kick, steep in brandy for a week.)
2. Drain cherries for 2 hours. Gently pat cherries dry with paper towels. 
3. When ready to dip, place chocolate and vegetable oil in a small bowl. Melt over warm water and stir until smooth. Holding each by the stem, dip cherries one at a time until cherries are completely covered in melted chocolate.
4. Place on a tray lined with plastic wrap.
5. Freeze until chocolate is set, about 10 minutes

Recipe by: Tina C. Diaz

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Competition for the title of Best Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe is steep. Cookbooks, blogs, food sites claim they have the best recipe. But, are they certain? From the ones we've tried, by far this one's the winner.

"These are the cookies that appeared in the July 9, 2008 edition of the New York Times, the very same cookies that set off an explosion of baking across the Internet to see if, indeed, they are the perfect specimen. The consensus is yes." –David Leite

Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 cups minus 2 Tbsp ( 8 1/2 ounces) cake flour
• 1 2/3 cups (8 1/2 ounces) bread flour
• 1 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 1/2 sticks (1 1/4 cups) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups (10 ounces) light brown sugar
• 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp (8 ounces) granulated sugar
• 2 pcs large eggs
• 2 tsp natural vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 pounds bittersweet chocolate disks or fèves, at least 60% cacao content
• Sea salt

Procedure:

1. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt into a bowl. Set aside.
2. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars together until very light, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add dry ingredients and mix until just combined, 5 to 10 seconds. Drop chocolate pieces in and incorporate them without breaking them. Press plastic wrap against dough and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. Dough may be used in batches, and can be refrigerated for up to 72 hours.
3. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350° (176°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat. Set aside.
4. Scoop six 3 1/2-ounce mounds of dough (the size of generous golf balls) onto baking sheet, making sure to turn horizontally any chocolate pieces that are poking up; it will make for a more attractive cookie. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and bake until golden brown but still soft, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer sheet to a wire rack for 10 minutes, then slip cookies onto another rack to cool a bit more. Repeat with remaining dough, or reserve dough, refrigerated, for baking remaining batches the next day. Eat warm.

Foodnotes:

>  For step 2, allowing the cookie dough to rest for 36 hours in the fridge is more recommended. The longer the dough stays in the fridge, the richer the taste.

> If your cookies are small in diameter and completely crispy after baking, then the dough was too cold and the cookies were over-baked. As per David, you could let the dough sit for 10 or even 15 minutes on the cookie sheet, and bake them for just the minimum time stated in the recipe.

Recipe by: David Leite | Photo by:  Francisco Tonelli