I love challenges. It's part of what makes life worth living. It's exciting and you can get creative juices flowing plenty. So when +human heart nature announced their 7-Day challenge and called out to every Filipina to be part of it, I was definitely in before one can say, "Pro-Philippines, Pro-Poor, Pro-Environment"!

I dared myself to cook all Filipino meals for the entire week. I especially highlighted lunch viands because that's my biggest meal of the day, contrary to having a king's breakfast. So I cooked... BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE! I added in creative eye makeup looks to match my meal!!! O diba? It's fab and fun to eat with matching makeup! Pinoys love to cook and they love to eat. I am not an exception and I picked foods which are low-calorie to treat myself at the same time not worrying about gaining weight. These are also foods that consist mainly of vegetables bought at the market to support of Filipino farmers. Besides, it's really cheaper buying there than at the supermarket or grocery stores. Wa-is si Misis!

So without further ado, may I present to you my #HUMANNATURE7DAYCHALLENGE!

DAY 1:  "PANCIT BIHON GUISADO" 

Serving Size: 2 1/2 cups cooked, Calories: 254.8, Fat: 1.6g, Carbs: 41.4g, Protein: 18.1g

• Ingredients: Cooking oil, minced garlic, sliced onion, fish/soy sauce, meat strips, carrots, green/baguio beans, cabbage, rice sticks (bihon), salt & pepper/Magic Sarap, lemon or calamansi 
• Directions: Sauté garlic in cooking oil. Add onions and meat strips with fish/soy sauce ad cook for 3 minutes. Add carrots, green/baguio beans, cabbage, and rice sticks. Sprinkle some salt & pepper/Magic Sarap to taste. Cook until the rice sticks are tender. Serve with lemon/calamansi.

DAY 2:  "TORTANG TALONG" (Eggplant Omelette)

Serving Size: 1 1/4 cup cooked, Calories: 147, Fat: 9.4g, Carbs: 13.2g, Protein: 5g

• Ingredients: Eggplants, eggs, flour, cooking oil, salt & pepper 
• Directions: Broil eggplants until tender. When cooled, peel off the skin of the eggplant and retain its crown and stem. Gently flatten its meat with a fork. Combine eggs, flour, and salt/pepper and whisk until frothy. Place one of the flattened eggplant into the mixture and make sure that it is covered well. Heat some oil in your non stick frying pan and once your oil is hot enough, reduce the heat into medium or medium-high. Gently transfer the eggplant with meat into the pan. Flip the eggplant after 2-3 minutes or until you have notice that the bottom side of egg mixture have that golden brown parts. Cook the other side. Serve hot. Best eaten with tomato sauce or banana ketchup and steamed rice! Optional: Like any other omelette, you can add tomatoes, meat, potatoes, and cheese to it.

DAY 3:  "ADOBONG MANOK" (Chicken Adobo)


Serving Size: 2 Drumsticks, Calories: 175, Fat: 4.3g, Carbs: 5g, Protein: 27.2g

• Ingredients: Chicken cuts, white vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, onion, bay leaves, calamansi 
• Directions: Sauté garlic and onion in cooking oil. Add chicken cuts then pour in vinegar and soy sauce. Add calamansi and bay leaves. Cover and let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Uncover and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickened, and chicken is tender, about 20 more minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

DAY 4:  "DINUGUAN" (Pork Blood Stew) 


Serving Size: 1 cup, Calories: 255, Fat: 10.3g, Carbs: 5.2g, Protein: 33.6g

• Ingredients: Pork head meat, pig's blood, vinegar/sinigang mix, fish/soy sauce, salt, sugar or black pepper.
• Directions: Store pig's blood in the fridge until needed. Sauté garlic, ginger, onion in cooking oil. Add the pork head meat and sauté for another 3-5 minutes. Pour in water just enough to cover the meat. Bring to a boil and simmer until meat is tender. Add the vinegar or sinigang mix. Add the fish/soy sauce. Add salt to taste. Then take the pig's blood out of the fridge and put in a clean bowl and mash out or squeeze with your hands the jelly-like blood you see. Pour the mashed blood into the pot then bring to a boil. Simmer in medium heat for about 5 minutes while stirring. Season with sugar, salt, black pepper to taste. 

DAY 5: "DABONG/LABONG" (Bamboo Shoots)

Serving Size: 1 cup (1/2" slices), Calories: 14.4, Fat: 0.3g, Carbs: 2.3g, Protein: 1.8g

• Ingredients: Dabong/Labong, water, oil, soy sauce and Magic Sarap to taste, minced garlic 
• Directions: Sauté garlic in cooking oil until light brown. Add dabong/labong, soy sauce and Magic Sarap. Be careful not to put too much Magic Sarap .Stir for 10 minutes and serve.

DAY 6:  "KARE KARE" 


Serving Size: 1/2 cup, Calories: 239, Fat: 21g, Carbs: 10g, Protein: 7g

• Ingredients: Pork or Beef hocks or Ox tail , sitaw or long beans, bokchoy, garlic, onion, achuete powder or Kare-Kare mix, eggplant, fish/soy sauce, bagoong or shrimp paste 
• Directions: Boil the pork hocks until soft. Then in a separate wok, saute garlic and onion. Add pork hocks and fish/soy sauce. Cook for few minutes. Add in achuete powder or kare-kare mix. Simmer for 5 mins. Add the vegetables and cook until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Serve with bagoong or shrimp paste.

DAY 7:  "GINISANG AMPALAYA" (Bitter Gourd/Melon with Fermented Shrimp Paste and Egg) 

Serving Size: 1 cup, Calories: 131, Fat: 9.6g, Carbs: 13.9g, Protein: 6.5g

• Ingredients: Ampalaya, cleaned and cut into thin slices; bagoong (fermented shrimp paste), minced garlic, black pepper, salt, eggs, water, cooking oil 
• Directions: In a pan over medium flame, heat oil and saute garlic. Add the ampalaya as well as the bagoong and saute for at least 2 minutes. Pour in the beaten egg and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Don't overcook the ampalaya, preserve its fresh green color and crunchiness. Remove from heat and put in a serving plate with plain rice. Enjoy!

About my 7-day challenge posts: I love food and I love makeup. I also believe that beauty comes from within and a beautiful face and body can be achieved when you eat right and take care of your health. That is why I took part of the #HumanNature7DayChallenge. We view so many photos of meals posted every day (most of them extremely fattening!) but not so many that highlight our native cooking. Where's our Pinoy Pride? ✌❤

I am so happy to report that my challenge is a major SUCCESS!!! I did it! I even kissed my mañana habit goodbye. Indeed, it was a wonderful week. I learned and inspired people so I feel I ought to do more challenges like this maybe for a month or so because really, it was so fulfilling and at the same time very stimulating. Nevertheless, as a true blue Filipino, I know I have the perseverance and the determination ingrained in my core just like our forebears who have shown and even bled for the country to show their love for the Philippines. I sure am proud to be a Filipino and even if my looks changed and I don't even look Pinay sometimes at all, I know deep down that I am #ProudToBePinoy!

Thank you Human Heart Nature for the opportunity to take this challenge and showed me that I can be a strong, modern, and committed Pinay capable of doing anything by doing this dare. More power!


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