I spent Holy Week baking for my son Diego and finding tasty ways to beat the summer heat. I also enjoyed my mom
Amparing’s hard-boiled eggs in tomato sauce with onions and garlic.

As far back as I can remember, this simple yet delicious dish has been a staple in our home on the meatless Fridays of Lent. As a very young girl, I recall my maternal grandmother, Luz Mendoza, serving the same thing.

I had forgotten all about this egg dish these past few years; at 89, mom has not been cooking as much she used to. But by some stroke of luck—or the lack of it—we found ourselves without a cook this Holy Week.

Mom was frantic and worried that her children, now all grown, might have nothing to eat. We told her not to panic and reassured her that food would be served at the appointed time without her having to bother with it.

However, as all doting mothers do, she insisted on cooking, and before we knew it, she was in the kitchen, cooking her Good Friday specialties—her bacalao, which was my dad’s favorite, and the hard-boiled eggs in tomato sauce.

Each year, come Good Friday, I wondered how abstinence was considered a big sacrifice when mom would come up with such delectable dishes. I even wondered why she had to prepare them when she would call our attention to remind us that it was also a day of fasting—especially since we would help ourselves to seconds.

Sometimes, I am glad that mom is the way she is, unstoppable. Though none of us wanted her to overexert herself, deep inside, we were so pleased to see her cook again. There is, after all, nothing more delicious than savoring the simple pleasures of mommy’s food!

Here is her hard-boiled eggs in tomato sauce recipe. Mom’s bacalao I had featured in this space before.

I also included three interesting and very easy to do ice cream sandwich and vanilla coffee smoothie recipes to beat the heat. I would like to thank my Magnolia family for sharing these with me.

Mom’s Hard-boiled eggs
in Tomato Sauce
3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled
6 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 cup of onions
1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped
1 c tomato sauce
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 teaspoon sugar

1. Heat oil and sauté onions.
2. Add garlic.
3. Sauté until onions are soft and translucent.
4. Add tomato sauce and simmer over low heat for 8 minutes.
5. Add the hard-boiled eggs.
6. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, pepper and 1 tsp sugar.

If I were to cook the eggs, I would add (for variety) a tablespoon of fresh herbs, a combination of parsley, tarragon, basil.
I would put the herbs after the onions are translucent and just before adding the tomato sauce. I would also use olive oil instead of vegetable oil, and maybe finish it with a teaspoon of butter.

Chocolate Crinkle Ice Cream
Sandwich with Candied Bacon

6 scoops Magnolia’s Best of the Philippines Caramel Cashew Fudge Ice Cream
12 pieces chocolate crinkles

For the candied bacon:
1 (250 grams) pack Purefoods Honey Cured Bacon, chopped
1/4 c brown sugar

1. Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between 2 pieces of crinkles. Store in the freezer.
2. To make candied bacon: Cook bacon in pan over medium heat. Add sugar and mix. Allow to caramelize.
3. Transfer bacon to a plate and let it cool completely.
4. Roll each ice cream sandwich on candied bacon.
4. Serve and eat immediately.

Gooey Choco-butterscotch Ice Cream Sandwich

8 pcs chocolate chip cookies
1 c chocolate spread
4 scoops Magnolia’s Best of the Philippines Butterscotch Ice Cream
1/2 c sprinkles or nuts

Procedure:
1. Arrange 4 pcs of cookies on a tray.
2. Spread chocolate at the bottom of each cookie.
3. Sandwich a scoop of ice cream between 2 cookies.
4. Roll the sides of the sandwich (the exposed ice cream) on sprinkles or nuts.
Coffee Peanut Butter
Ice Cream Sandwich

10 pcs graham crackers
1 c peanut butter
10 scoops Magnolia’s Best of the Philippines Coffee Crumble Ice Cream
2 c potato chips, crushed coarsely
1. Arrange 5 pieces of graham crackers on a tray.
2. Spread peanut butter on one side of the cracker.
3. Put 2 scoops of ice cream on each Graham cracker.
4. Sandwich with another cracker.
5. Dip the sides of the sandwich (the exposed ice cream) on a plate with the crushed potato chips.

Vanilla Coffee Smoothie

4 c Magnolia Vanilla Ice Cream
2 (15 g each) packs of San Mig Strong Coffee
2 c Magnolia Fresh Milk

Procedure:
1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Blend until smooth. Transfer in a glass and serve. Consume immediately.
3. Variation: 1/2 c mint leaves—blend the leaves with the coffee, ice cream and fresh milk.