Kalderetang Baka (Beef Caldereta) and Avery® See Through Sticky Notes Giveaway

I love jotting down notes as well as to-do and to-buy lists. Maybe I got it from my father or I just find it helpful in not forgetting things that I have to do. I was really excited when self-adhesive notes came to the market. I don't exactly remember when that was (I guess I was in college) but I must say that the person behind it is a genius! It is such a simple idea that made my life easier. Even in this smartphone world where we are now, I still prefer writing notes that I can readily see to remind me of upcoming events, or what the girls need to bring to school, or what pantry supplies I need to get. You may think I'm old fashioned but I must admit that I'm a big fan of sticky notes and even though I love using my iPhone notes and reminders apps, sticky notes are still so handy for me.

When I was asked by Avery® to make a review and hold a giveaway of their see through sticky notes, I just couldn't say no! How can I when I'm a big fan??! When Avery® took these sticky notes a step further by developing a See-Through Sticky Note, I was like telling myself that whoever thought of it was so cool!

I just love the idea of having  transparent writable surface that will stand out without covering the information underneath. I can place these right on my recipe books, write recipe adjustments and still see the recipe!

I can write reminders on calendars without covering important texts!

The best thing about Avery® See Through Sticky Notes is that it has a good adhesive that sticks well on paper and other flat surfaces whether rough or smooth, but it removes cleanly without leaving sticky residue or ruining the paper. Its neon color (yellow and magenta) really helped the notes stand out from the page and even if these sticky notes have a plastic texture, you can use a simple ballpoint pen or even pencil! I am really impressed and for that, I give it 5 stars!

Honestly, I like how cool and innovative Avery's products are! But there's more to that! Avery® is part of Box tops for Education - a nationwide fundraising program dedicated to helping America's schools get the things they need—from books and school supplies to playground equipment to computers. Every packaging of Avery products include Box Tops for Education coupon, and for each Box Tops coupon redeemed from Avery products, Avery will donate 10 cents. I find it so great that Avery® is focusing on helping raise money for our local schools! And last Oct. 3, Avery  launched  its Sticky Notes Mark The Spot Sweepstakes wherein 20,000 winners will be selected at random to receive one (1) pack of Avery Sticky Notes, valued at $2.88, and  (5) schools from among those nominated by the 20,000 preliminary contest winners will each win 100,000 Box Tops For Education Coupons, valued at $10,000 each. The estimated retail value of the 20,000 Avery Sticky Notes is $57,600 and the estimated retail value of the 5 school prizes is $50,000. It's really so generous of Avery, don't you think???

If you want to try your luck of helping your school, just like Avery's Facebook page, sign up  and then choose the school you’d like the money to go to should you win. Pretty simple, and you're doing it for a great cause! Imagine what you can do with Avery Sticky Notes and what your school can do with 100,000 Box Tops coupons!

And if you want a chance to win some packs of sticky notes, I am happy to tell you that the generous people from Avery are offering my US readers the chance to win 6 packs Avery® See Through Sticky Notes.
 
To enter, simply leave a comment on this post telling me what you want to use these cool see through sticky notes for. It's that simple! The giveaway will close on Sunday, Oct. 23, 9PM CDT. One winner will be chosen via random.org and will be announced on Monday!

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It's such a wonderful day, and aside from the awesome giveaway from Avery®, I want to share with you a very awesome Filipino dish called KALDERETANG BAKA (Beef Caldereta)...

Kaldereta which came from the Spanish word "caldereta" simply means stew. It is a favorite Filipino dish especially in the Luzon area, which is originally goat stew and is cooked with tomato sauce, potatoes, liver spread, olives, bell peppers and hot peppers. It is another one of those Spanish-influenced dishes that came to be a favorite among Filipinos. It became so popular that many versions have been made, and other meat like beef, chicken, pork and even fish have been used. Beef is the most popular though.

Some cook their kaldereta with coconut milk and some cook it really hot...but I grew up loving the original version which is cooked in tomato sauce but is not too spicy. Kaldereta is a truly scrumptious dish that is served during fiestas, birthday parties, and other special occasions in the Philippines. It has lots of ingredients that all contribute to the goodness of this dish. But don't get intimidated...as long as you have beef (or even pork), tomato sauce, liver paste, potatoes and bell pepper, you're good to cook a simple version of kaldereta. That's how I do it most of the time! :)

But this version of Kaldereta that I'm going to share with you is the one that is usually served during special Filipino gatherings. It has all the ingredients that make it so festive and so delicious that you just can't stop asking for more!

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef (chuck roast), cubed
• 1 medium-sized onion, sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ cup banana ketchup
• 2 large potatoes, cubed
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into strips
• ½ green bell pepper, cut into strips
• ½ cup green olives
• 1 cup garbanzos (chickpeas)
• 1 small can liver paste (4oz.)
• ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp pickle relish
• 2 pcs Thai chili, sliced and seeds removed (or more if you want it more spicy)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 Tbsp olive oil for sauteing

For Marinade:

• ½ cup pineapple juice
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 pc bay leaf
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp salt

Procedure:

1. In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, garlic, bay leaf, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Marinate beef in mixture for at least one hour. Drain, saving the marinade.

2. In a large pan over medium heat, saute garlic and onion in olive oil until onion is translucent. 

3. Add beef and saute until juice starts to come out. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. 

4. Add saved marinade, tomato sauce, ketchup, liver spread, pickle relish and half of the bell pepper (I love the crisp of bell pepper while eating my kaldereta but I also want the beef to absorb the flavor of the bell pepper, so I divide it into two and cook the first half with the beef and add the other half when the beef is already cooked). Mix well. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer with occasional stirring for 30-45 minutes or until beef is almost tender.

5. Add peanut butter, potatoes and the rest of the bell pepper. Simmer until potatoes are almost tender. 

6. Add garbanzos, green olives and Thai chili. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to suit your taste. Simmer for another 5 minutes.

 7. Remove from heat. Serve with hot rice.