Easy Banana Cake

Some days ago I bought a lot of really nice bananas down on our street and since they start to become overripe, I decided to make a banana cake with a very easy recipe from my grandmother. So when you feel like having an afternoon snack, this banana cake is just perfect with coffee or hot chocolate.

Hope you enjoy!

Easy Banana Cake

Ingredients:

2 ripe Bananas (crushed)

2 cups All Purpose Flour

3 tsp Baking Powder

1 cup Sugar

1 cup Milk 

3/4 cup Melted Butter

1 tsp Salt

1 Egg (beaten)

Method:

1) Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

2) In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, salt. Mix them well.

3) Add egg, milk and melted butter. Mix thoroughly.

4) Then add the crushed bananas and stir the batter for 5 minutes until it's thin.

5) Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30-45 minutes.

5 Most Beautiful Castles in Europe

Coming from a country where we have no grand castles and royalties, it was a great opportunity for me to see the beautiful castles in Europe. Whenever I travel to somewhere in Europe, I always check if there's a castle nearby to visit.

Below are the 5 most beautiful castles I've been.



5) Trollenäs Castle in Eslöv, Sweden.

Trollenäs Castle is known since the 14th century and has been owned by only two families, Thott and Trolle. It was originally called as Näs castle and was then changed to Trollenäs castle in the 18th century. It was renovated by architect Ferdinand Meldahl in the 19th century to resemble a French renaissance castle.

This beautiful castle has a big garden and a chapel.

4) Hohenwerfen Castle in Werfen, Austria.

Built as a fortress during the 11th century by Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg to protect the Salzburg Archbishopric against the forces of King Henry IV. 

Hohenwerfen was used as a castle 'Schloss Adler' in the 1968 film ''Where Eagles Dare'' and part of the castle were used in the mini-series ''The 10th Kingdom'' and the movie ''Just Married''.

3) Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria, Germany.

A 19th century Romanesque Revival Palace built by Ludwig II of Bavaria dubbed also as ''the Fairytale King''. 

Neuschwanstein Castle also inspired Disneyland's Sleeping Beauty Castle. 

2) El Castell de Guadalest in Marina Baixa, Spain.

Eventhough the castle is now in ruins, El Castell de Guadalest is one of the most beautiful attractions I have ever seen.

1) Lichtenstein Castle in Lichtenstein, Germany.

Built in 1802 by King Fredirick I of Württemberg , the castle was used a hunting lodge located on a cliff in the Swabian Alb, Baden-Württemberg (Germany).

The castle now, which has large collections of historic weapons and armors, is owned by the Dukes of Urach.

Cycling in Con Dao

Con Dao is a group of islands and islets situated in the southeast region of Vietnam. The largest island of Con Dao archipelago is Con Son. Con Dao is the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of Ho Chi Minh City.

With it's well-preserved natural forests, powdery white sand beaches and magnificent rocky shores, you will surely be awed by the beauty of the islands.

There are a lot of things to do in Con Dao like scuba diving, snorkeling, hiking, cycling, sightseeing, etc. And cycling is an activity definitely not to be missed, you will not only see the wonders of the island but also it's wildlife. Although there's a lot of challenging uphills but you will surely enjoy the scenic views.

You can rent the bicycles at some of the resorts or Dive! Dive! Dive! for 3USD/day.

Getting There. (From Ho Chi Minh City)
Vietnam Airlines
VASCO

Hotels in Con Dao. (Or check Agoda.com or Booking.com)
Six Senses Resort
Con Dao Resort
Con Dao Sea Travel Resort
Con Dao Camping Hotel

Ubud Monkey Forest

One of Bali, Indonesia's popular nature attraction is Ubud Monkey Forest. A sanctuary, owned by the village of Padangtegal, that houses four different types of monkeys and contains more than one hundred different types of trees. The hindu temple Pura Dalem Agung Padangtegal and Holy Spring bathing temple are also found in the Monkey forest.

The Ubud Monkey Forest is a remarkable place to observe the monkey's behavior and the way they live.


Ubud Monkey Forest
Adress: Jalan Wenara Wana, Ubud, Bali 80571, Indonesia
Opening Times: Monday- Sunday 0830-1800H
Admission: 20,000 Indonesian Rupiah about 2 USD

CAUTION: Some of the monkeys are aggressive and they bite!

Camiguin Island

If you ask me about my top destinations on my travel bucket list, it would be an exotic island anywhere.

One of my favorite island destinations in the Philippines is Camiguin.  A pear-shaped volcanic island in the northern tip of Mindanao with an abundant nature and picturesque view of the ocean. Divided into 5 municipalities with a population of less than 90,000, the island's resources are well- preserved or unexploited that makes it out of the ordinary.

The island provides a tranquil retreat to those who simply wants to relax and enjoy the scenery. The active volcano can be an exciting experience for mountain climbers and hikers. Beach lovers will surely fall in love with the powdery sand and crystal blue water of White island. And it is also perfect destination for scuba divers since its rich marine sanctuaries offers an amazing variety of marine wildlife.

Tours around the island like a visit to the sunken cemetery, hot springs, waterfalls, Spanish churches, White island are available at the local tourism office or the hotel tourist information.

How to get to Camiguin Island

By Air:
Direct flights from Manila- Cagayan de Oro or Cebu- Cagayan de Oro via Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines or Air Asia Zest.

By Boat:
Travel by sea from Manila- Cagayan de Oro or Cebu- Cagayan de Oro via Superferry 2Go or Negros Navigation.

Option 1: From Cagayan de Oro to Camiguin via fastcraft
From the airport you can take a taxi to Macabalan port (CDOC seaport) then take a fastcraft (Ocean Jet) direct trip to Benoni port in Camiguin.

Option 2: From Cagayan de Oro to Camiguin via Balingoan
From the airport or Macabalan port take a taxi to Agora Bus Terminal. Take a bus or van to go Balingoan and from Balingoan port, take an hourly ferry boat to Benoni port in Camiguin.

Oprtion 3: From Jagna Bohol to Camiguin via fastcraft or ferry boat.
From port of Tagbilaran, you can take a bus to Dao Integrated Bus Terminal. Then take another bus to Jagna Bohol Port, take a fastcraft or ferry to Balbagon Port, Camiguin.

Our resort

Fishermen's village

Sunken Cemetery

Spanish Church Ruins

Ruins

Nature

Waterfalls

Sunset

White Island

Benoni Port

Shrimp Salad with Salsa Sauce

Yes, I know I'm a shrimp lover. Most of my shared recipes here are shrimp dishes. Anyway just came back from an exotic island holiday and guess what I have been eating? Shrimps!!!

Today, will share my Shrimp Salad with Salsa Sauce recipe. Well the truth is, the other night, my husband and I had Mexican take out. Since I really liked the salsa sauce so I experimented, made my own salsa sauce and used it as a dressing on my Shrimp Salad. Why not?!? And believe me, it tastes really good. Hope you enjoy! ;)

Shrimp Salad with Salsa Sauce

Ingredients:

12- 15 pieces Tiger Prawns

2 Tbsp Salt

2 Tbsp Pepper
1 Tbsp McCormick Perfect Pinch Garlic and Herb (optional)

2 Cups All Purpose Flour (or other coating flour) 

Cooking Oil

Lettuce Leaves

1/2 Cup Olives chopped

1 cup Salsa Sauce

3 Tbsp Sour Cream

2 Tbsp Crushed Avocado

Method:

1) Wash and clean the Prawns. Remove the Prawn's head and skin but keep the tail.
    Slice at the back of the prawn, remove intestine.

    Mix McCormick perfect pinch garlic and herb, salt and pepper together with the prawn.     Set aside for 15 minutes.

2) In a large bowl, pour flour.
    Roll prawn one by one in the flour mixture until they are covered.
    Place them on a clean plate.

3) A pan with oil, turn heat to medium-high, until the oil begins to bubble.

4) Place the prawn on the pan, make sure they have enough spaces from each other.
    Fry until golden brown.

5) When done frying, remove from the oil and place on a paper towel to drain.

6) Prepare salad, chop the lettuce leaves and olives and place salad in a bowl. 

    Put the fried shrimps on top of the salad then pour Salsa sauce, add sour cream

    And crushed avocado on top. Makes about 2 servings.

Homemade Salsa Sauce Ingredients:

3 Tomatoes chopped

2 Tbsp Onion

2 Cloves Garlic minced

1 Jalapeno chopped

2 Tbsp Lime Juice

Salt 

Pepper

Method:

1) Combine onions and garlic with chopped tomatoes, peppers, lime juice, 

    Salt, and pepper. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours to blend flavors. 

    Makes about 2 cups of salsa.

Food Diary: Vietnamese Cuisine

Living in Vietnam for 3 and a half years, I must admit I'm quite bad at trying out the local cuisine. My husband and I only go to Vietnamese restaurants when we have guests coming over to visit us in the lovely city of Saigon. My favorite Vietnamese dishes are made of seafood and vegetables like Vietnamese spring rolls and seafood noodles. Our favorite Vietnamese restaurants here in HCMC serves good and authentic Vietnamese food. So when you travel to Ho Chi Minh City, here are some of the restaurants that serves appetizing Vietnamese favorites.


Barbeque Garden
135A Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Bến Thành, HCMC

Vietnam House
93 Đồng Khởi, Bến Nghé, District 1, HCMC

Tau Ben Nghe
Bến Du Lịch Bạch Đằng, Tôn Đức Thắng, District 1, HCMC