Sweet Delight

Despite the odds we encountered on a holiday night e.g. being trapped in horrendous EDSA traffic, & being caught by the ever relentless "vultures" of the city streets ... we arrived in Timog Avenue to where our sweet taste buds got really excited!

Iceberg's never fails to amaze us sweet lovers. Jimmy ordered the Classic Halo-Halo, with all the good ingredients you can think of! Bo and I got to try their Caramel Flan Halo-Halo ... crushed ice, topped with luscious macapuno balls, sweet saba bananas and generous slices of leche flan, plus a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Oh I miss my Mom even more! Abbu and Badz got the Godzilla Grandslammer ... 6 scoops of ice cream (mango, avocado, strawberry, cookies and cream, cheese and ube), loaded with peaches, marshmallows, chocolate wafer sticks and whipped cream. Heaven! Nes had the Strawberry Parfait (I know you can just imagine how it looks like ... and how it tastes too!). Haaay! Dessert mania indeed. T'was worth the trip. :-P

Mother's Day with Friends

Mother's Day came by and went so fast! I can't believe it's been 2 years since the last time I spent that precious day with my Mommy. How time flies! I can vividly recall those moments when Mommy was here. I just miss her. Good thing I was able to celebrate it with my good friends. That night, we had dinner at Big Buddha in Greenbelt 3 Makati ...

Oh yes, we sat down the table, feasting on good food! That included our favorite Lemon Chicken... crispy, breaded chicken breast fillets, smothered with tart yet refreshing lemon sauce. We also had Stir-Fried Beef with Broccoli and Honey-Glazed Pork Ribs plus 2 platters of Yang Chow Fried Rice. That was really filling!

Indeed, I had a great dinner with my friends during Mother's Day. Though my Mommy's on the other side of the world, that night made me realize more that I still have a family here. Better late than never ... Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! :-P

Memorable Easter

Easter essentially marks the rebirth of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Alongside one of the greatest holidays in the Christian world was the resurrection of our barkada from the dark pit of miscommunication and losing in touch.

I'm glad we were able to overcome these difficult times. There was never any doubt, in my heart and in my mind, that these problems shall pass.

Easter was the perfect time for us to celebrate ... sort things out ... solve them with passionate effort.

Indeed, Easter of 2009 was one of the most memorable events for our group. Friends forever! :-P

Holy Week Food Trip

During Holy Week, I had a spur-of-the-moment dinner date with friends in the Makati Avenue area. Surprisingly, a lot of the restaurants within the vicinity were jam-packed so we opted to try this generic -sounding place along Jupiter called ...

Thank God for internet ... I found out that BBQ stands for "Best of the Best Quality". I'm absolutely convinced with the acronym. Their Chicken Wings taste so good ... crunchy, light-to-the-bite crust and delectable, slightly hot meat. What's good about their fried chicken? They use extra-virgin olive oil. That explains why they're yummy! Their Grilled Chicken is tender and very tasty. The Seafood Fried Rice has lots of flavor, with generous amounts of shrimp ... I can finish one whole bowl of that! I give 2 thumbs up for the ambiance ... very nice and colorful yet cozy. The prices are pretty steep as compared to the local chicken food places like KFC or Jollibee but I can say it's reasonable because of the quality of the food they serve.
After dinner, we went on a joy ride to some parts of the metro. I don't know why, but we felt bitin with what we ate in BBQ Chicken. That's why we had this to go ...

We definitely have voracious appetites! Who says Holy Week is boring? :-P

Canyon Cove ... Again ...

In a few hours, we'll be leaving the hustle and bustle of the big city ... on our way to a place we keep coming back to. It's a 2 ½ hour drive to where our barkada's heart belongs to. It's a haven for us ... a worry and stress-free world where we can be ourselves and forget our personal troubles. It's Canyon Cove in Nasugbu, Batangas. :-)

I know we'll definitely have a grand time there, as usual. I just hope in the near future, when we visit again this resort, more of our friends will join. I just miss the group. :-P

A Yummy Toned-Down Dessert!

With this dessert, I got inspiration from Giada De Laurentiis' Toasted Pound Cake with Mascarpone & Amaretto. Of course, with the present world financial crisis, I need to "tone down" with regards to the ingredients used (what-ever, Vic!). I used the more spreadable Kraft whipped cream cheese and I stuck with the apricot preserves. The butter cake loaf I got was from Red Ribbon, which was good and tasty. Besides the mascarpone, I also had to omit the almond flavored liqueur and the almonds ... these are pretty lavish, hahaha!

Just toast the butter cake slices in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes, until they turn golden brown. Then, spread a generous amount of the whipped cream cheese atop the cake slices, then follow with the apricot preserves. Put another cake slice atop the bottom cake. Mmmm! Even without the luxurious components that Giada used in her recipe, I still loved it! :-P

The 3 F's for Jimmy

Jimmy celebrated his birthday last March 5 and during his post-birthday bash at their house in Dasmarinas Village , we just couldn't think of anything to give him but the 3 essential F's we know he'd much appreciate ...

Jimmy has always been an extremely misunderstood person, most especially by people who really don't know him, or more aptly, who judge him without giving him the benefit of the doubt. One thing's for sure, all his friends say NO. Quoting his Facebook profile, Jimmy is a hard nut to crack but one with a gooey center, and I absolutely believe this. He loves his friends so much that he considers them his own family. That's why the gift of true friendship definitely makes his day!

Do I have to explain this? Jimmy bonds with his friends a lot of times and food has always been in the scenario. Doing the potluck thing during this party was a sure hit, with lots of good stuff prepared by the barkada, including Edward's sushi and pork bbq, Rhedd and Mel's chicken-pork adobo, Dave's pasta and my potato salad, among others. We totally filled ourselves to the brim!

Of course, fun has always been one key factor to our long-lasting friendship. And during this celebration, we enjoyed surprising Jimmy with our special gifts ... including a personalized framed artwork (consisting of our 1-word descriptions of him in comic balloons, labeled with our names), and a big, fluffy teddy bear! He always initiates in giving gifts to any birthday celebrant from our barkada so it was our turn to say "Thank you & Happy Birthday!"
This may be a li'l late but to Jimmy, may you have more birthdays to come. I'm wishing you the best of everything life has to offer ... because you deserve it. For the rest of our days ... :-P

A New Entry & A New Toy

I know, I know ... I haven't posted a thing here for more than a week now. Pretty surprising , I suppose. Been busy the past days ... Jimmy celebrated his birthday last March 5 and had his post-birthday bash last Saturday. It's also a critical week for me at work. Haay! But now I have the reason for me to log in to Blogspot and write a new entry ...

The new iPhone syncing with iBook

Jimmy and I got the new Black iPhone 3G 16GB at the Glorietta Globe Hub last Wednesday. I'm so loving it! I've been hooked to the internet for the past 2 nights, enjoying the thrills of having a new toy and facing an enormous amount of free apps in iTunes. Haha!
I hope I can now go back to blogging on a more regular basis. Enough of those excuses ... :-P

Mac&Cheese, Anyone?

Two words: comfort food. Yup, Mac and Cheese has always been in my list. The idea of having two of my favorites, cheese and pasta in one dish is just brilliant! So whoever invented this one, I salute you! Here's my modified version of this classic ...

You might ask "Why Cheez Whiz?". Simply because it's way much cheaper than the other sharp cheeses like Gruyere or Bleu cheese. I added some smoked sausages from Earle's for that meaty flavor. Now for the procedure ...

1. Cook 1/2 kg macaroni according to package directions (should be al dente).
   
2. Saute your sliced sausages in olive oil until brown. Set aside.
3. Heat the evaporated milk (do not boil).
4. Make a roux out of 2 tbsps of butter and 2 tbsps of flour.
   
5. Add the hot milk slowly to the roux and continuously stir the mixture until smooth and thick. Remove from heat.
   
6. Add the grated cheddar cheese.
7. Add the Cheez Whiz. Stir well.
8. Season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg.
9. Add the sauce to the prepared pasta.
10. Add the sausage to the pasta mixture.
11. Blend in some grated mozzarella cheese.
12. Put the pasta in a baking pan.
13. Pop into a 350° oven and bake until the surface turns golden brown.
14. Voila!
15. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Best served with Chicken Feuillete from Le Couer de France.
    
16. Let your family and friends enjoy your dish (right, Paupau?!). :-P

Try this recipe! :-P

Crazy About Crepes N' Cream

Being an ice cream enthusiast, I've always been keen in venturing into something prepared differently from the usual scoop-in-cone or scoop-in-cup ... something that can tickle my fancy as well my taste buds. Thus, this one ...

It's by Crepes N' Cream, a sister company of UCC, which offers not just sweet dessert crepes but also savory ones. You can also create your own crepe, depending on what ingredients you like. I personally chose avocado flavor ... luscious, yellow-green colored ice cream base with subtle nutty flavor and oh-so-creamy consistency, wrapped in deliciously thin crepe, topped with whipped cream then sprinkled with crunchy almond flakes. Haaay can I just stop blogging about food?! I know I can't ... :-)

The "It Still Feels Like Xmas" Sandwich

You might ask "Why such a title?" I coined this mainly because the jamon de bola I used for this sandwich was from the previous Holiday season's office giveaways. Sorry if you think I wasn't creative enough. Anyway, what's more important is the end product. :-D
What we need:

For the glaze, I used 1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice, 2/3 cup brown sugar and 1 tbsp of prepared mustard. The corn bread loaf was from French Baker (crusty outer layer and grainy soft main bread). I bought Washington bright red apples and green lettuce for that Christmas feel. Light mayo compensated for the overflowing calories coming from the other ingredients. :-)

1. For the glaze, whisk the juice, brown sugar and mustard in a bowl. Brush the sliced jamon de bola with the mixture. Then cook the remaining glaze under low heat until thickened.
2. Put the sliced ham inside a 350° preheated oven. Bake the ham, basting frequently with the reserved thickened glaze, for about 30 minutes.
3. Assemble the sandwich by spreading some light mayo on the toasted corn bread, then followed by the lettuce and the apple slices.
4. Put 1 or 2 slices of the baked ham then top with a cheddar cheese slice.
   
5. ENJOY! This goes best with ice cold Coke Zero!

Now, doesn't that feel like it's still Christmas? :-P

V-day with Friends

Valentine's Day has always been an ordinary day for me. Why? I absolutely abhor the horrendous traffic, the jam-packed restaurants, the huddled shopping centers ... sigh. But this year, I had a different kind of V-day. It started out with ...

Meeting up with these friends of mine, despite going through the busy crowd of Greenbelt 3, was worth it. After some coffee and chit-chats, we went to Edward's in Greenhills. It was a potluck Valentine's dinner, so more than anything else, we bonded over good ...

After the sumptuous feast, we continued with our kwentuhan and other stuff. The whole night 'til almost the break of dawn, some of the guys were happily drinking and chatting, while some of us were dead tired and were snoring to the max!

As early as 6:30 in the morning, we went to the penthouse for a cold dip in the pool. Abbu was so hilarious, as usual. We definitely warmed ourselves with laughter and harutan. After breakfast, it was time for me to go to work. :-(

I definitely had a grand V-day with these guys. Now I'm looking forward to next year's celebration! :-P

The Just-Killing-Time Post

The other day, I woke up pretty late than usual. I had no work so I spent the whole night just bumming around. That time, I felt the hunger pangs gnawing me and I was so craving for McDonald's Big Breakfast. Me, being such lazy bones, didn't wanna drag myself to Makati Cinema Square, where the nearest McDo is located. So, I opened my fridge and luckily found the items I needed to please the insatiable me.

Some juicy and yummy Hormel Breakfast Sausage Patties (@S&R, Php 225 per 10 patties in a box), cheesy scrambled eggs with spring onions and garlicky fried rice ... that made my day! Pardon me for writing such a post, just a spur of the moment thing while killing time. I'm meeting my friends in a while to celebrate Valentine's night. Happy Valentine's everybody! :-P

Earle's Deli-ciozo!

If you're looking for delectable but reasonably priced deli products, then Earle's Delicatessen is the one to go to. When I have that desire for sausages, I always go to their branch at The Columns. They sell different cold cuts and sausages, like Beef Pastrami, Maple Smoked Ham, Kielbasa, Pepperoni, Cheese Frankfurter, among others. What's cool is that they're sold by weight ... I can buy 1 of each item, thus they are easy on the pocket. They also offer a variety of sandwiches, like Capicollo Ham Sandwich ... generous slices of spicy chili pepper-coated Italian ham, topped with onions, tomatoes and lettuce and sandwiched in what seems like a 6 inch (or more) crusty bread. At Php 117, that's quite a steal! My favorite?

This sandwich consists of just the crisp bread and the best-selling smoked sausage, bursting with cheese and spices. I like it drizzled with lots of ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard. You can enjoy this with a bottle of apple or lemon iced tea and potato chips for only Php129! Haay! I just can't get enough of writing about delish food! :-P

My Obsession with Coffee Bun!

Ever since coffee buns made an impact here in Manila, I became an instant fan! I've tried different variants like Delifrance's and Roti Mum's ... and they were both awesome! This time, I'll give praise to one of the best ...

The Kopiroti Cafe at The Columns along Buendia corner Ayala is one homey hang-out for office workers and the condominium residents alike. Their black coffee (they call it Kopi) is robust and full of flavor! Added with sweet milk and sugar, that goes really well with The Kaya Toast ... toasted bread with butter and Kaya spread, which reminds me of my late Lola's coco jam. The Soft Boiled Eggs (seasoned with soya sauce and white pepper) make an interesting twist to egg preparation, which works for me. The star of the cafe is the Kopi Bun (Php40) ... nice and soft bun, oozing with butter filling and covered with a delicious and crunchy coffee crust. I can finish 3 buns in one sitting! I've purchased the Coffee Custard Bun from French Baker (Php42) and was not at all at par with Kopiroti's, in terms of the crunchiness and the filling. I prefer the Kopi Bun's rich butter filling rather than the French Baker's bland coffee custard. I love the location ... it's one cartwheel away from RCBC Plaza! Oh well, you can't blame me if I won't get tired of these coffee buns. :-P