| Unofficial Website of Ms. Janice de Belen |
| Janice de Belen stars in a kitchen drama |
| We stood by her when she was mistreated by her stepmother in Flor de Luna, we cried a bucket when we watched her with Julie Vega in Mga Basang Sisiw, and were regaled when Mother Lily took Janice under her wing as a Regal baby. Ever in the public eye, Janice de Belen was fodder for the gossip mills � particularly her romantic relationships with showbiz lookers Gabby Concepcion, Aga Muhlach and the tall, dark and handsome John Estrada, whom she married, but not happily ever after. Janice de Belen is a survivor, indeed. Having been in the business for more than two decades � and counting � what is it that makes Janice de Belen tick? High in emotional intelligence, Janice is a darling of the press. When we interviewed her, she was warm, hospitable and very open. She refused to give showbiz answers, much to our delight. Clearly, she is at peace. "Before, I was always careful with my actions and I�d always think what would people say? But now, I enjoy life. I enjoy it and go out. Life is really what you make it. I have no regrets," she declares. Janice does not believe in anything half-baked. Loving, to her, is a gift and she wants the people whom she loves to experience this gift. She adds, "In loving, you have to give your all unselfishly. You do not say sayang because later, you will not regret that you gave your all." It is no secret that she�s gone through some heartbreaking moments in her life. But she faces the future head on. "Life is going to be okay. I have always had a good disposition," she says. Her positive thinking might have been the key in keeping her afloat in this cut-throat industry. It must be her tenacity, strength and enduring faith that keep her going. At present, she has a daily talk show with sister Gelli de Belen, and is seen every Sunday at the high-rating show S Files. She is also seen endorsing brands in print and on television. To top it all, she�s in love. But she didn�t elaborate, saying her main priority is her family. She confesses that she loves being domesticated. "I take cooking and baking lessons. I think I was born for domestic life!" she laughs. Proud of her new pad in Greenhills, she asserts that everything you see in her place she worked hard for. There in her pad that afternoon when we interviewed her were John and her kids. Both an accomplished actress and mom, she considers as her best achievement yet raising level-headed children. Inah, the eldest at 11 years old, is quite a head-turner who looks a lot like her dad. A very eloquent young lady who speaks with a British accent, she is simply amazing. Moira, nine years old, is the Janice junior. She looks like her mother and loves to sing. Kyla, seven years old and the youngest of the three girls, is very much an extrovert. Apparently, she inherited her mother�s public relations skill. Very high in emotional intelligence, she makes you feel as if she�s known you for a long time. A small girl with huge talents like her parents, she sings, speaks Jamaican, dances and does solo comedy skits! Last but not the least is Yuan, a handsome boy who just turned five, and is a camera buff. He is very malambing � you can�t pry him loose from his mother. That afternoon we visited Janice and her kids, we witnessed a different kind of drama. It was lights, camera, action in the kitchen for the multi-talented once-upon-a-soapbox queen. Together with her lovely girls, Janice taught us how to bake chocolate oatmeal cookies for Christmas. Another recipe Janice is sharing with STAR readers is her callos, her trademark dish. She always cooks this for friends and visitors and will be the highlight of her noche buena table this Christmas. The three girls, their mom�s little kitchen helpers, are already learning how to cook. Only seven, Kyla can already cook pancakes and make omelettes. Inah can grill hotdogs, and Moira can make some pizza pan de sal. So, what happened to our chocolate oatmeal cookies? Oh, they were simply delicious � thanks to four pairs of hands who helped bake them! Here, let Janice share her no-fuss (no-tears) recipes. Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies 1 cup butter or margarine 1-1/2 cup sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. baking soda 3 ozs. unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooked 1 egg 1 tsp. vanilla 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour 1-1/2 cups quick cooking rolled oats 16-oz. package (1 cup) semi-sweet chocolate pieces. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter or margarine with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Beat till combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in the melted chocoate, egg and vanilla till combined. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in remaining flour. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate pieces. Drop dough by slightly rounded teaspoons about 3 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake in 375� oven for 8-10 minutes or till edges are firm. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. * * * Callos 1/2 kilo tripe 1/2 kilo tuhod ng baka 1/4 kilo ox tail I big can of tomato paste 20 pieces sliced olives 8 strips chopped bacon 1 can Spanish chorizo, sliced 1 small can garbanzos salt and pepper to taste 1 chicken cube 1 tsp. paprika hot pepper flakes to taste 2 green or red pepper, sliced Boil the tripe, tuhod ng baka and tail together. After the first boil, throw the water. Then boil all meat again for about two hours. Add the bacon, chorizo, and chicken cube. Add the paprika. Add the tomato paste, olives and the green or red pepper and garbanzos. Sprinkle hot pepper flakes, salt and pepper to taste. Boil for another 30 minutes. |
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