Nap Time Rocks!

roasted love [LP]

naging tradisyon na namin ng kapatid kong lalaki na maging assigned sa pagluluto tuwing bisperas ng pasko. isa sa mga deadly ingredients namin? secret.

it’s been the tradition of my brother and i to cook on Christmas eve. one of our deadly ingredients? that’s a secret.

don’t you just love the taste of roasted marshmallows? =)

—

Litratong Pinoy theme this week: Magustuhan o maibigan… (to like or to love)

Dec 2009 | QC | Photoscape

Oh Spinach!

i love you, i love you, i love you!

one of the joys in life is spinach dip. especially when you start from scratch and actually end up getting the taste that you’ve wanted. i’d have to say credits go to Nestle’s recipes online. hehe.

and Mia actually likes it! not to mention my brothers and my cousins (one of which, by the way, had the most brilliant idea to put it as a topping to fresh tacos) too. definitely a must try.

here’s my brother savoring the dip even before we were supposed to be having our traditional Christmas eve dinner.

you can say he doesn’t like it. so here’s how to make it:

• Ingredients:
  • Sour cream (substitute for light)
  • Spinach
  • Chicken broth cubes (optional; i only used half a cube to taste)
  • Medium onion
  • Cottage cheese (optional; i wasn’t able to find one so there was none in my recipe)
• Combine all ingredients in a bowl. CHILL. best served with plain salted (or not) potato chips. trust me on that one =)

our roasted marshmallow-hotdog-lemon basted chicken kabobs were also a hit. though it really ended up almost like normal chicken barbecue with marshmallow and hotdogs, it was the fun of making it that’s worth it.

how was your noche buena and what are your favorite holiday food/recipes?

Three (a post-Nov20 birthday post)

the (Dairy Queen) birthday cake that was. note to self: never put an ice cream cake in the chiller. unless you fancy eating it right out of the box, dripping.

if you’re a kid, though, that’s more fun.

at least Mia got to blow her candle.

thank you titas and titos who came (and for the gifts!). Play Doh, the holy grail of childhood playstuff — at least in our time — was such a hit with Mia and Clarice. while poor Mr. Potato Head lost a hand.

more than anything, i’m really happy God blessed us another year for Mia.  Christmas naman!

it’s a sign! [lp]

…na gutom ka na. pag lumalabo na ang mata mo dahil sa gutom. at heaven-sent ang sign na to. =)

–

post-edit. na-realize ko lang, na imbis na mag-recycle ng litrato ngayong Huwebes, ay maglagay naman ako ng bago na mas makabuluhan.

para sa marami, sign lang ‘to ng isa sa mga sikat ng fastfood chains sa Pinas. pero para sa ibang bata, parang langit yan na dating tinitingala lang mula sa Binondo plaza. nakakapasok lang tuwing makikiinom or makiki-CR. nung dinala namin sila doon isang Sabado, di mo ma-imagine ang tuwa nila. simpleng burger, fries, spaghetti at sundae lang, akala mo piyesta talaga.

nakakaantig ng damdamin, lalo sa akin na may sariling anak. di ko matiis na ganoon ang buhay nila. ikaw, kung gusto mo tumulong, pwedeng pwede. nandito sila. naisulat ko na rin ang tungkol sa kanila.

—

Litratong Pinoy challenge this week: hudyat (signal, sign). and it’s back! 1 month din nagpahinga itong photo meme, but it’s back, bigger and better. sali na!

nifty sites

ever had to search for stuff online such as what route to take going somewhere or what transportation mode to take? or what gift to give your bookworm friend or which restaurant serves vegetarian food and accepts credit cards?

i have. and i’m sharing some of the pretty useful sites i’ve come across:

• Munchpunch (food) – what differentiates this from other online directories is the menu that you can find per restaurant (if available of course, but most have it) and the average budget per meal. there’s also a tab for looking up caterers. writing reviews are also quick and easy, plus the site loads faster

• ParaSaTabi (travel/transpo)- galing. if you ever needed to go to Ayala Ave. in Makati from Cubao, go look it up and you can choose from 44 different routes to get there

• Lucky Marias (gift suggestions/accessories) – polymer rules! need nifty little trinkets shaped like a starbucks frappe drink as bracelet charms?

• Fully Booked (event venues) – no, no, this isn’t just because I love FB. but i also find that their Bonifacio High Street branch also has venues for mini-movie screenings, meetings, and sales launches. that is, if your budget is in the P30k and above range.

• Powertips at The Podium (event venues) – this saved my behind big time, when we had to hold a meeting outside the office at such short notice. the staff who assisted me was really very helpful and considerate (i was short of b**ching then because the Ayala triangle then was going to be closed to traffic and it was hard to book a venue at that time). the place has one big conference room (classroom type) and several other smaller ones that can be used as training rooms. every table row had their own sockets, and believe me for laptop junkies like we are that’s such a plus; and free wifi access. oh and did i mention it’s inside the mall?

• Yugatech (technology)- now who hasn’t heard about this one? i found good reviews for a cellphone i planned to buy. pretty good reviews for anything tech related.

• POBox.ph (online shopping) – sure you can pay for purchases via Paypal now wherever it is in the world, but not all US merchants ship to the Philippines. POBox solves that problem (check out their website for details) by letting you address deliveries to their delivery point and when they’ve gathered enough stuff to fill a scheduled shipment, they send it home. it’s just a bit pricey, but you be the judge.

this list too, i’ll update from time to time. for questions, leave me a message!

Palawan, part 2

i’m all the more convinced how blessed the our country is with natural wonders. if what i saw in puerto princessa are some of nature’s 7 wonders, then the world hasn’t really seen much of what we have.

grabe, sa busuanga lang, the islands there are.. hmm. i don’t even have words for it! that’s in busuanga (at Club Paradise in march). walang sinabi ang Hunda Bay. no,  didn’t misspell that. basta, Unda ang root word niya pala. well, at least that’s what it says on the tourist board at the port.

Brgy. Sabang beach front, lunch stop over

like i always say, nothing beats traveling with good company. my trip to palawan wasn’t exactly all r&r. but one thing i like about this group is we all have the same philosophy: all work and no play makes a dull employee! hehe.

ang buko, bow. lunch at Brgy. Sabang stop over

if i gained another pound, blame it on the seafoods. hay, i love the food there. fresh, big servings, and mura! we had beach front buffet lunch on the way, and that was such a good way to start the week.

a natural rock outcropping found on the way to the underground river cove

i promised myself that i will take pictures of the scenery in palawan, even if cliche or how many times it’s been photographed by a million other people. i still had to have them too.

i won’t post much of what i saw inside the caves of the subterranean river; i’ll save that for later.  it’s enough to say that it deserves to be on the 7 wonders list.

the mouth of the underground river caves

the ‘cathedral’ formations inside will actually have full impact when, you’re standing at the wharf (before boarding the boat going to the underground river), you see 2 lumps of mountain looming starboard of the wharf. it’s almost impossible to believe that they’re almost completely hollow inside. our guide said that of all 8.2km of the river, there’s a dome area as big as Makati City. sort of like the grand finale of the river tour. unfortunately though, only 4.2km is navigable for tourists so we only got to see 2 of the highest peaks of the caves. even then, it’s such an overwhelming experience.

an authentic Vietnamese meal, w/ homemade rice noodles and the best garlic toasted bread

tired and appetites worked up, never mind the stench of the river all thanks to bat crap and urine, we stopped over at the Vietnamese Village. it used to be a settlement site for Vietnamese refugees and now there’s just 2 families living there making a living out of making rice noodles for Pho Hoa. trivia but they do have a restaurant there that make the best noodle soups.

the king crab, the biggest crab i’ve seen by far

also a must try is The Legend’s Tours package, which brings you to all of Puerto Princessa’s must see places, and a side trip of buffet lunch (food will always, always be part of our itinerary) at the Pandan Island beach front (again). fishermen there offer the fresh catch of the day like rock lobsters and king crabs.

unfortunately though, some of their catch include momma lobsters and momma crabs that still have their (millions of) eggs attached to them. the locals usually set them free.

so there you go for now. if you plan to visit puerto princessa (or busuanga, that’s why this is my Palawan, part 2), and you want to know what the best things to do there are, ask me.

Sale! [lp]

The Great Singapore Sale 2009, dito lang yan sa Singapore (san pa nga ba?)

lahat halos ng mga establishments na pinuntahan ko sa Sg ay may placard ng sale. kasi panahon ng GSS, hanggang July yata.

excited ako nung una pero nung nanghinayang nakong bilin yung isang pakay ko sa Sg, wala na. hehe. pagod lang kakalakad. pero ilang tips sa mga may balak pumunta anytime soon:

• must try ang cereal shrimps and pepper crab. sa No Signboard Seafood ko lang nakain yan, pero malamang sa ibang restaurants meron din. yaan lang orderin mo at rice, pwede na
• kailangan mo din kumain sa Makansutra or Gluttons Bay sa tabi ng Esplanade Mall. nandun lahat ng streetfood na masarap. must try and carrot cake at chicken wings
• mukhang favorite nila talaga ang chicken wings kasi lahat ng food establishments meron nun sa menu. masarap naman talaga
• IKEA! kailangan mo puntahan yun (bus 33, 64, o 195 depende kung san ka galing)
• bumili ng metro card kung walang tour guide at balak mo mag-ikot. 1 card lang for both train and bus rides. mas madali pagsakay-sakay
• at kailangan mo sakyan yung attraction rides sa Clark Quay

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EOS 400D, cross-process. Sg, Jun2009.

all for the love of the Italian

in the guise of work-related supermarket-hopping, i began the search for that elusive spinach dip. (well i really really needed to do a trade check anyway so what other way to excite myself; besides, i love going around supermarkets )

i’ve been craving for Pasto’s crostini served with spinach artichoke dip and the only way i could get my hands on them is if i go to one of their branches which are usually out of my way. and besides, i wanted to stock up for the day when world war III happens. :p

and then we ate at Galileo Enoteca and Deli in Mandaluyong. this is why i looove Italian food. though i’m not a wine drinker and wine is a huge part of the cuisine, you’d still appreciate the Italian taste and their reverence for their food. they just know how to please the taste buds and just how much to savor it.

we ordered spaghetti with 3 different sauces, one aglia-olio (or just olive oil), one with shrimp scampi in olive oil, and one with tomato sauce. heaven. (click here to see their menu).

ok, back to the treasure hunt. i just had to find the spinach dip. and then someone brilliantly suggests that Bravo! actually made them. (why hadn’t i thought of that?) i started looking in Rustans Gateway, but the products did not have a barcode and it took forever before they could fix it, and besides the single spinach and artichoke dip left expires on June 19 so wth, so i left hoping to find it anyway in Shopwise.

so near yet so far. Shopwise Cubao did not have them either. but a lead — a helpful store supervisor said Robinsons had them and even had island displays of Bravo! — took me to Rustans Terrazas along T. Morato Ave. still hoping they have fresher stocks there. alas, i was to be disappointed.

and then i drove to Robinsons Timog Ave. where they were supposed to be. when i laid eyes on the free-standing unit of Bravo! products the moment i stepped into the brightly lit grocery, i could hear angels sing. there they were, all fresh and waiting to be bought.

and this is why i’d love to go to Italy and live there someday, where pesto sauces and spaghettis and crostinis and spinach dips and cappuccinos and arrabiatas and gelatto and antipastis (oh great i’m murdering the language already) are in every corner.

All rice

a matter that’s close to filipino hearts. quite frankly, who prefers GMOs?

sign the petition against genetically modified rice.

Choco-Late de Batirol [lp]

Sa maniwala ka’t sa hindi, last year lang ako nakakain sa Choco-late de Batirol. Yung sikat na kainan sa Baguio sa loob ng Camp John Hay. Ang sarap ng chocolate nila doon kasi ibang klase siya ginagawa at hinahain.

Nakakain ka na ba doon?

Hay, gusto ko sana magkaron ng photo story para sa theme ngayong buwan pero mukhang wala na akong oras talaga. Puro recycled nalang lahat ng entries ko. *sniff*.

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Canon EOS 400D. Baguio 2008.

Traffic

Imagine yourself driving home from work tired, hungry, and quite irritable. Your legs are aching from the traffic jam along Buendia which started right from the time you exited the carpark until you reached The Fort. It’s about 8pm already and the last meal you had was lunch, so you decide to drive through the nearest possible fast food, which happened to be Jollibee at The Fort.

The line of vehicles had reached the main street but thinking it would be fast since it was, after all a drive-thru, you quickly signal to the right and queued up.

5 minutes later, the car in front hasn’t moved and the stop light ahead had already let through 2 batches of traffic. Your tummy complains and you see if the car ordering at the window is getting anywhere anytime soon. It wasn’t. You wait for two more minutes.

3 minutes pass and finally you inch forward. Yey, one down, 3 more vehicles to go.

You did not realize that the 3 vehicles ahead of you would take another 15 minutes but you were sandwiched in the line. It was too late to get out now. And besides you had set your mind on Yum Burger with cheese and crispy fries. What the hell, you thought. You’ve waited 20 minutes, what’s another 5?

Whatthfff—? 10 minutes na, wala pa rin! (It’s been 10 minutes already, and still nothing!) This was even worse than EDSA traffic.

Finally, after 10 long years, the cashier waves at you and greets you a pleasant evening. You wanted to give her the steeliest of stares and demand a free meal for wasting your time. But you hold your tongue and realize that wasn’t going to get the burger any faster. You gave your order and paid for it in 3 minutes flat. You scratch your head what took the others ahead of you so long.,

You rub your hands in anticipation for the hand that will reach out of the proverbial window to give you eternal (well at least for the moment until you get home) bliss: your Jollibee burger meal.

But what’s this? You had put your gear on first and you nearly crash into the back of a white Toyota SUV. Everything was at a stop — again!

Somehow the universe, bent on conspiring against letting you have a peaceful and hunger-free journey home, has managed to cause traffic inside the drive-thru. It was unbelievable.

When finally (after another 5 minutes) you drove out of the twilight zone (where all time stops), you swear never to buy from that Jollibee branch again.

Voglio mangiare ala Cucina Tegola

During my recent trip to Cagayan de Oro (just for work unfortunately), my officemates and I made sure we sampled the best of CDO. We were not to let go of a great opportunity to try out the food there, of course. Hay, Filipinos talaga and their love of food.

One of the best is a cozy little Italian bistro along Hayes street in the CDO town proper called, La Tegola Cucina Italiana. More »

I love my Caramel Machiatto

It’s the highlight of my day. And especially if you get it for free!

Starbucks had a survey promo where you get a free tall drink of your choice just by filling out an online questionnaire. When you buy at Starbucks, they give you a printed out code on the receipt which you use to log on a site. After completing the survey, you get a code which you write on your receipt and show to any Starbucks branch. Then you get your free drink, that’s it.

Anyway I’m not sure if it’s still ongoing. But what I like really about getting coffee from Starbucks than the office pantry, is that the staff is really great. They remember my name and my drink, which is pretty cool.

This is not a sponsored post. I just feel like I need to make up for not having a Litratong Pinoy entry this week because of my workload. And writing about happy thoughts is the only thing that gets me through. I guess this is right for this weeks “Wish” theme anyway.

I wish I was in Oz.

Banana Chocolate Fondue

This is how you enjoy a chocolate fondue without shelling out at least three hundred bucks and while satisfying your craving for dessert.

First, buy chocolate spread at the supermarket. The more cost effective the brand (read: cheaper), the better. As for me, I settle for Finetti. It costs about P20 cheaper than the leading brand but the taste differs little. Just don’t go chocolate connoisseur on me.

More »

Ooh momma, it’s Cocorama! [weekend snapshot]

 

So it wasn’t Saturday yet, but almost! More »