Sweet Nothings

Manila Ocean Park

2012-02-01T12:27:00.219+08:00

Date of visit: January 3, 2012

Was down with headache and fever but still managed to enjoy my special day by having a fun adventure with Mark at the Manila Ocean Park.

We arrived at the Manila Ocean Park around half past 11AM and went straight to the tickets section. We availed of the Ultimate Experience (Php1120) plus the Trails to Antarctica (Penguin Exhibit-Php300) at a discounted price of Php900 instead of Php1420. The Ultimate Experience included the following attractions: Oceanarium, Jellies, Fish Spa, Marine Life Show (Sea Lion Show), and Musical Fountain Show. Aside from the Oceanarium, Manila Ocean Park still doesn't have these new attractions when Mark and I first went here in 2008, and so we were both very excited with this adventure.

Ultimate Experience and Trails to Antarctica for only Php 900.00 :D

The Marine Life and Musical Fountain shows have schedules while the rest of the attractions may be visited anytime during the park's operating hours. We didn't make it to the 11AM schedule of the Marine Life show so we opted for the 2PM show.

It was already lunch time so we headed to Gerry's Grill for lunch. I had their Pork Sisig while Mark went for their Grilled Chicken.

We chose to be seated outside the restaurant. Mark and I both enjoyed our lunch which we thought was made more delectable with the cool sea breeze and this great view. :)

After lunch, we roamed around the area and did some picture taking to kill time.

We were lucky to have a decent photo of us together, courtesy of Manong guard :p

Marine Life Show (Sea Lion Show)
We then headed to the stadium to get ready for the Marine Life show. Here's a photo of us (I mean, our shoes) while waiting for the sea lions to come out. :p

pink shoes ^_^

Everyone was cheering when the sea lions came out. They were just so adorable! So cute and very intelligent!

Clapping her flippers

Shy sea lion

Sticking out her tongue :p

Dancing sea lion

After the show, we had the chance to have some close encounters with the sea lions. For Php500, Mark and I were able to have our photos taken with the sea lion. The photo package includes 6 poses with the sea lion with unlimited shots (well the number of shots really depends on the photographer, Mark and I actually had a total of 20shots :p) and a soft copy of all the shots in a CD.

Mark and I had 2 poses each with the sea lion..

Birthday kiss from a sea lion :-*

Kiss!

Flipper shake :)

and another 2 poses of us together with the sea lion.

Jellies, Dancing Sea Fairies
The next scheduled show, the Musical Fountain show, was still at 7PM, so we had all the time and liberty to explore the park's other attractions. And so we decided to check out some jellyfish. A wall with an illustration of the life cycle of a jellyfish was what welcomed us as we walked inside.

But as we entered, I started to feel a little disappointed (or maybe I was just expecting too much?). There were only 2 small rooms, 1 with a few aquariums,

and another with a few tanks which were just made to look like they were many because of the mirrors as walls of the room.

But I must say that I loved the changing lights and its effects on the jellyfish. I get so excited each time the lights change to pink! :D

Trails to Antarctica
We headed next to the Trails to Antarctica and took some photos along the way. :)

This one's another new attraction, which again was another disappointment. :| Mark and I both haven't seen penguins and were very much excited with this attraction, but were just disappointed when we saw only a few and little penguins. The bigger penguins were just not real.

We entered a room with snow and were expecting some close encounters with the penguins, but there were none. We just took some photos but went out after a few minutes. We would have wanted to stay longer, but we just can't take the coldness even with our thick coats on, since I was just wearing a dress and Mark was just wearing shorts. :p

Oceanarium
We were still feeling cold so we decided to head straight to the Oceanarium for a warmer temperature. :) Nothing much has changed in the Oceanarium but we were still amazed with all the underwater creatures that we saw.

Fish Spa

After the long walk inside the Oceanarium, our feet got a little tired. A perfect time for Fish Spa! Mark and I both enjoyed this 30-minute fish spa. I am a ticklish type so I was giggling and trying to hold my scream each time the fish nibbles on my foot.

Doctor fish nibbling on the dead skins of our feet :p

These little fishes are called doctor fish. They gently nibble away the dead skin on the feet, leaving the healthy skin to grow. Their nibbles are not painful at all, though you'll also experience a little tingling sensation.

Musical Fountain Show
We then headed to the last destination of our adventure, the Musical Fountain show. Some pictures on our way back to the stadium...

Mark and I both enjoyed this one. The display of fire, music, laser lights, and animated marine characters projected on the water screen were just so awesome!

They also have these marine creature mascots who do skits about how to take care of the marine life.

A perfect way to end a fun adventure! We also still have yet to try Manila Ocean Park's Aquanaut Voyage and Glass Bottome Boat Ride. Will definitely get back and try them soon! ^_^

More photos HERE :)

MANILA OCEAN PARK
www.manilaoceanpark.com

Disney on Ice 2012: Let's Celebrate!

2012-01-31T18:15:00.004+08:00

Mark and I, together with his mom and his cousin, celebrated the New Year like little kids. :p Last January 1, 2012, we went to the Smart Araneta Coliseum to watch the Disney on Ice "Let's Celebrate!" show.

And just like in the previous Disney on Ice show, I, again, got so thrilled the moment we entered the coliseum.

I made sure that I capture every scene. :p Here are some of the shots from the show. :)

...and a few highlights. :)

Aside from the Disney characters, what Mark and I were most excited about were the souvenirs. Mark got the Buzz Lightyear headpiece with cotton candy, while I got the Minnie Mouse headband.

Mark's mom also bought a Mickey Mouse headband. :D

And as before, Mark and I both enjoyed the show. It just felt so good to be like kids again! ^_^

More photos HERE :)

Swimming Party at Loreland Farm Resort

2012-01-30T12:48:00.107+08:00

Date of visit: January 2, 2012

Was off from work on the first working day of 2012, because I was nursing a sprained ankle and lower back pains from a minor accident on New Year's Eve. But that didn't stop me from having some fun with my family on my special day. :)

We still had lots of food from the New Year celebration plus the weather was really good so we decided to have a pre-birthday celebration by having a swimming party. After preparing all our stuff and food for the swimming party, we went off and searched for a nice resort in Antipolo.

We didn't think that we'll be having a hard time in searching for a place since we thought that most of the people were at their provinces to celebrate the holidays. But we were surprised when the resorts that we eyed were all packed. Even the private pool resorts that we usually frequent were already booked.

Since a lot of our time were already wasted, we all agreed to have the celebration at Loreland Farm Resort. We don't really frequent this resort because of one reason: the place is always packed! But then again, we still decided to give it a try. We were supposed to get the floating nipa hut, unfortunately it was already booked. We roamed around the place to search for a nice spot until we finally saw Phase 3 which was vacant, perfect for our swimming party!

Here's a photo of the Phase 3 pool. I was really tired from the long walk around the area so I didn't have the energy to take photos of the rest of the pools.

We went back to the admin office just to be told that Phase 3 was closed for the day. Ugh! We were told that most of their pools were closed for maintenance, and all the open pools were already booked. We were walking around the place under the scorching sun and were already losing hope until we came across the lifeguard of the Phase 3 pool who confirmed that the pool was open for the day. So we had to go back to admin office (which was really far from the pool area) to book Phase 3, but the personnel just won't allow us. My dad and I also had an argument with the personnel as she was insisting that Phase 3 was closed! Until finally she was able to talk to the lifeguard and confirmed that we can book the place.

It was already past lunch so after we settled the fees for the cottage and entrance, we prepped up for lunch,

while the kids started to have fun!

We then started with the lunch feast.

Since we were just there for day swimming, we just rented one cottage which is just right across the pool area.

Cottage

Capacity: 8

Day Tour: Php 700

Night Tour: Php 850

After a few picture taking...

Jomel and Jaoey

Gia and Joyce

My Birthday Cake: Home-made Peach Float :D

...the swimming party started!!! :) Aside from the kiddie pool with fountain at the center,

Phase 3 also includes a larger pool, about 6ft deep, with 2 slides.

But we were just left with one slide, the longer and higher one, since the shorter one was closed. I was really shaking as I was taking (even just) a few steps up the slide so I went down. Haha! But the rest of them were really brave and they really enjoyed sliding down to the pool.

The slide was long and high and I am afraid of heights so I was already screaming as I was climbing up. I gave the slide a try for just one time and never tried it again. I thought I was the only one that was scared, but I was laughing non-stop (hence, the blurred photo below) because Jeff was screaming to death as he was sliding down!

If there's someone who enjoyed the slide the most, it was Jaoey!

He just had his floaters with him as he kept on sliding down to the pool.

Even though we had a glitch earlier that day, we still enjoyed the swimming party. Nothing really compares to a fun celebration with the whole family. ♥

LORELAND FARM RESORT
Sitio Loreland, Barangay San Roque, Antipolo City
Telephone Nos.: 696-0101 to 03
Fax No.: 696-0106

Welcoming the Year of the Dragon

2012-01-19T21:57:00.001+08:00

I know this post is way too late, but January still hasn't ended so I guess I can still squeeze this in. :p

Another simple yet super fun celebration with the family transpired on New Year's Eve which started out on merienda. :) I was craving for pizza so I ordered from Shakey's.

Belly Buster

Classic Cheese

Mojos

Jeff also came in time for merienda and brought some donuts.

Gonuts Donuts

We also didn't prepare much for Media Noche. Just like during Christmas Eves, we also usually have New Year's Eve dinners. Here are what we feasted on during our New Year's Eve dinner:

Tuna Carbonara

Pork Barbecue

Cream Dory

Beef Caldereta

Peach Float

Puto Cake

Chicken Macaroni Salad

Fruit Salad

Chestnuts

Fruits

After dinner, we had some drinks and chitchat while waiting for midnight.

Jaoey's drink

Cheers!

We also started to light the firecrackers and sparklers that daddy bought.

The Mastermind :p

We also thought of creating a 2012 sign out of the sparklers. :D I took charge of taking the photos while Gia, Jeff, Jaoey, and daddy made the sign. After a few practices,

they finally made it. :)

Hello 2012!

Come midnight we all welcomed the new year as we enjoyed watching the fountains.

We went out on the streets and rejoiced as sounds of firecrackers and cheers filled the air and colorful lights wrapped the skies.

On New Year's day, we started the day by thanking the Lord for the past year

and praying for more blessings, love, and a prosperous year ahead. :)

Monasterio de Santa Clara

May we all have a blessed and prosperous year ahead!!!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-06T23:34:00.004+08:00

Had three simple yet super meaningful, memorable, and fun celebrations last Christmas 2011.

Christmas with TamTam
Weeks before Christmas, I was already telling Mark about how I wanted to start with a yearly "Christmas Project" just like what my good friend Je usually does. And I was very glad when she asked me if I can be part of her "Christmas with TamTam" project. And so during the morning of Christmas Eve, we made Christmas happen for TamTam. :) It was really a memorable experience for me. No words can explain how happy we all were knowing that we made TamTam happy. :) I just can't wait for our next project!

Photo grabbed from jE's AnAtOmY
Read full story HERE

Christmas Eve at Home
We don't usually prepare for Noche Buena on Christmas Eve, since our boys (mine and Gia's) come over during Christmas Eve and leave at around 9pm to celebrate Christmas Eve with their own families, what we usually do is have Christmas Eve dinner together. Here are what we feasted on during our Christmas Eve dinner:

Spaghetti

Fried Chicken

Lechon Kawali

Embotido

Kare-kare

Adobong Pusit

Grapes and Kiat-kiat

Fruit Salad

Chicken Macaroni Salad

Potato Salad

Hizon's Chocolate Cake

Mark was down with sore throat and fever, so he had no choice but to stay for the night. I was a bit sad since he was sick but happy as well because it was the first time that we will be welcoming Christmas together. :p

Sick on Christmas Eve :(

Good thing Mark felt better a few hours after I took care of him. :) While waiting for midnight, we killed time by having some videoke. Come midnight, we just had some snacks after the opening of gifts. :)

Christmas Lunch at Project 4
After hearing mass, we went to Project 4 for our Christmas lunch. :) We brought some of the food from our Christmas Eve dinner and daddy added a few dishes more.

Adobong Pusit

Chicken Macaroni Salad

Fresh Lumpia

Dolora's Pancit Malabon

Bopis

Lumpiang Shanghai

Pipian

Roasted Chicken

Tita Tess also prepared some food for our Christmas feast.

Caldereta

Kare-kare

After lunch, we had some gift giving and some more rounds of videoke. :) Though not too extravagant, I really enjoyed our Christmas celebration because one, I know I was able to make someone happy, and two, I got to celebrate this special occasion with the ones I love. :)

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas. ~ Peg Bracken

Hello 2012! :)

2012-01-01T01:45:00.002+08:00

Wishing everyone a blessed and prosperous year ahead!!!

Family Lunch at Yakimix

2011-12-09T23:21:00.001+08:00

Date of visit: November 27, 2011

After hearing mass with the family, we went to SM City Masinag for lunch. On our way, we already decided that we'll be having our lunch at Yakimix. We've actually been wanting to dine at Yakimix, but the long waiting list would always make us let go of our cravings and try out other restaurants.

We got to the mall around 10am, a few hours ahead of Yakimix's opening time. Good thing their manager allowed us to reserve a table for lunch. We strolled around to kill time and Jaoey got this new pair as an early Christmas gift from my dad.

Jaoey trying on his new pair

Perfect fit! :D

After a few shopping and strolling, we went back to Yakimix in time for lunch. It was just half an hour past their opening time but the place was already packed, not to mention the long queue of people waiting outside. Good thing we had a reservation. :p

Daddy, Mommy, and Chino went to the buffet first. Most of the food that they got were from the side of the buffet table with raw food ready for grilling.

Daddy, Mommy, and Chino

Gia, Jaoey, and I went next to get our food. We went to the other side of the buffet table.

Jaoey got white rice and a lot of the lechon kawali, while Gia and I indulged in dumplings, maki, tempura, and all the Cantonese, Japanese, and Korean food that got us drooling. :p

Gia's Plate

My Plate :p

If there's one thing in the buffet table that Jaoey enjoyed the most, it's the desserts section! They have a variety of cakes, pastries, and ice creams to choose from. Aside from these they also have fresh fruits (which my mom got as her dessert but I forgot to take a photo of :p).

Gia's dessert plate :p

Daddy's dessert

Jaoey's dessert

My desserts :D

I must say that the food was not really something to die for, though we were not able to taste everything from the buffet table. There are still a lot of dishes that we have yet to try. I think what makes people crave for Yakimix is the actual dining experience. The excitement of having to see a lot of food to choose from...

the fun of having to cook your own food...

and the delight and joy of sharing a feast with family and friends are what I think are the things that keep people coming back. :)

We love to eat! :D

YAKIMIX, SM City Masinag
G/F, SM City Masinag, Marcos Highway, Brgy. Mayamot
Antipolo City, Rizal
Philippines
(02) 781-4182

Pizza Hut Bistro

2011-11-27T18:18:00.004+08:00

When out on another 'Saturdate' with Mark yesterday. :) I was very excited on my way to meet him, as always, but at the same time I was also feeling a little sad knowing that it will be our last 'Saturdate'. Mark already started working and I am really happy for him, even though his work schedule would mean lesser quality times for us and no more Saturday dates.

We decided to make the most out of our last Saturday together, by doing what we both love to do the most...EAT! Well that's if he's not on a diet. :p I was a bit late and so Mark was already hungry when I arrived. He chose to have our lunch at Pizza Hut Bistro.

Mark and I both had a quick glance at the menu before finally placing our orders. We were busy talking about how lovely the waiting staff were so we didn't quite feel that our orders were taking so long. Everyone was just so adorable with their smiles.

We were first served with these complimentary garlic sticks. :p I didn't have my digicam with me so the following photos were taken using my ever reliable camera phone. :D

Complimentary Garlic Sticks

Mark's order was served next. He was supposed to have their cream of chicken soup, unfortunately they didn't have any that day, so Mark just settled for their cream of mushroom soup. I insisted that he get the one with puffed pastry instead of just the croutons.

Cream of Mushroom Soup - Php 49.00

The pastry didn't really look that appetizing as it did in the photo in the menu. It also didn't taste well, it actually tasted like it was dipped/baked/fried in old oil. Good thing the complimentary garlic sticks tasted well with the soup. :p

Cream of Mushroom Soup - Php 49.00

I suddenly missed their Waldorf salad so I got an order of it. This is my favorite among Pizza Hut's salads. The sweet red apples, grapes, glazed walnuts, and crunchy celery on a bed of mixed greens, drizzled with honey cream dressing were a heaven for me. I was raving about how good this salad tastes and I'm glad Mark agreed with me. :)

Waldorf Chopped Salad - Php 139.00

I also got their Fresh Grape Smoothie which was a perfect pair for my salad. :)

Fresh Grape Smoothie - Php 79.00

The lovely waiting staff also got us ordering their Tuscani 4-Cheese Lasagna Pizza. The pizza has 4 cheese in it: Parmesan, mozzarella, cheddar, and cream cheese. Aside from the layer and blobs of cheese, this pizza is actually a lasagna, with flat pasta, meat, tomato sauce, and herbs. Very satisfying for a cheese lover or a lasagna fanatic! A must try I must say! :)

Tuscani 4-Cheese Lasagna Pizza - Php 349.00 (medium: 10"), Php 549.00 (super family: 14")

We both enjoyed our lunch. Apart from our Saturday food trips and movie dates, I know I will surely miss how Saturdays has always become more fun, enjoyable, and memorable when shared and spent with the one I love. :)

PIZZA HUT BISTRO, GATEWAY MALL
Ground Level, Gourmet Tower
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: (+63 2) 912-9601
Delivery: 911-1111

Pig-out Saturday with Mark

2011-11-25T13:33:00.000+08:00

Mark and I went out last Saturday to watch Breaking Dawn. It was around lunch time when we got to the Gateway mall, and so after we got our tickets for the 2:10pm showing, we headed straight to the coliseum grounds to find something to eat.

We were too lazy to walk (or I guess too hungry :p) so we settled for the first restaurant that we saw. We were greeted by the friendly waiting staff when we entered Gloria Maris, who handed us the menu as we were seated. I can't remember having dined at Gloria Maris, so I'm considering this as my first time. :)

Our drinks were served a few minutes after we placed our orders. I wasn't able to bring my digicam, good thing my camera phone come in handy. :)

Watermelon Shake and Fresh Orange Juice - Php 78.00 each

Mark wasn't that hungry so he settled for noodles and some siomai, while I wanted to have rice so I had a rice meal and dumplings. :p Mark's beef brisket with tendon noodle soup was served first. The soup looked appetizing. The soup has a generous amount of beef and some white chunks, which I initially thought were slabs of fat. :p

Beef Brisket with Tendon Noodle Soup - Php 198.00

Mark enjoyed his dish. He said that he can actually taste the beef just by merely sipping the soup. He also loved the tendons. He said that eating tendons are like eating fat without actually having to worry about the those extra bulges.

Beef Brisket with Tendon Noodle Soup - Php 198.00

My roast duck was served next. The duck was served with steamed white rice, some steamed pechay, and slices of century egg. The roast duck was yummy and I thought was a lot tastier than roast chickens. Its skin was crispy and the duck meat was tender and juicy. The sauce, which I also loved, had this distinct Chinese taste which I'm guessing was from star anis. It also came with a sweet and tangy dip which I also enjoyed. :)

Roast Duck with Rice - Php 248.00

We were almost done with our main dishes when we figured that our dimsums were still not served. The waiting staff went straight to the kitchen when we called his attention. And yes, I guessed it right, he actually forgot about the dimsums. I just found it kinda weird how he forgot that dimsums are usually served first. :p

We didn't want the usual pork siomai and hakaw dimsums so we went adventurous that time and tried their Japanese siomai and sharksfin dumpling.

Japanese Siomai - Php 98.00

The Japanese siomai had crab meat, pork, and some tuna wrapped in nori and topped with minced carrots. I would have enjoyed this dish if not for the nori wrapper which made the siomai taste a little fishy. That steamed nori was just not a hit for me. With the gooey feel and fishy taste, I nearly puked on my first bite!

Sharksfin Dumpling - Php 98.00

The sharksfin dumpling wasn't also a show stopper as it was kind of dry. But I preferred it more than the Japanese siomai. :p I was not that satisfied with my dumplings so I only had one and gave the rest to Mark.

GLORIA MARIS, ARANETA CENTER
Coliseum Circle, Araneta Colesium, Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 421-7362

Since we were still early for the movie, I thought of buying some Christmas gifts first. On our way, I thought of checking the movie tickets and was shocked to see that our tickets were for the 12:10pm showing, and it was already past 1pm, oh great! So there, we just decided to buy tickets for a later schedule and just have some desserts to kill time. :)

I insisted that we have our desserts at Starbucks since I was also collecting some stickers for their planner. I got two stickers for these frappes. Yay! :p

Venti Java Chip Frappuccino - Php 175.00 and Venti Dark Mocha Frappuccino - Php 185.00

Mark was still choosing among the tasty treats, while I already knew what I want--the triple decker cheesecake with snickers! *drools* The cheesecake was loaded with chunks of Snickers in a chocolate cookie crust. Each layer has its distinct taste, the bottom layer was the usual cream cheese, the second layer has caramel and cream cheese, and the top layer has chocolate and cream cheese. It was also topped with a chocolate fudge icing and roasted chopped peanuts.

Triple Decker Cheesecake with Snickers - Php 130.00

I know my health condition requires me to cut down on my sweets intake, but this cheesecake just has all the good things which I so love: peanuts, caramel, and chocolate. Really something to die for! :p

Mark still can't decide what to have so I suggested that he try the butterscotch twirl. I've already tried this before and fell in love with it. The pastry was light and flaky and stuffed with cinnamon and creamy vanilla. It was also topped with roasted pecans and drizzles of butterscotch sauce and white chocolate. I know how high Mark's standards are when it comes to pastries and breads, and I'm sure that this will definitely meet his standards. And yes, he also loved it as I did. :p

Pecan Butterscotch Twirl - Php 85.00

STARBUCKS COFFEE, GATEWAY
Gateway Mall A, Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 421-1076

The movie ended around early evening and got us all hungry so we decided to have dinner as well. Mark wanted grilled chicken but knew that I was not into World Chicken that time because I just had one the day before, so he suggested that we dine at Reyes Barbecue. :)

Boneless Quarter Chicken Barbecue Meal - 109.00

Mark got their chicken barbecue while I had pork. :p As always, we were again satisfied by Reyes Barbecue meals. Aside from the delicious grilled delicacies, their java rice, atchara, and their famous peanut sauce were also a hit for both of us. :)

2-pc Pork Barbecue Meal - Php 98.00

The service in Gateway's branch was not impeccable though. Yes it's good that they serve their dishes fresh from the grill which roughly takes around 5-10 minutes, but their staff should be more attentive in getting the correct orders and relaying them to the cooks. The server actually gave me the wrong chicken part and still argued that it was what I ordered, even if the receipt says she's wrong. :| Good thing she apologized but I still hate that I had to wait for my food for 15 minutes more.

REYES BARBECUE, GATEWAY
3/F Gateway Mall, Araneta Center
Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 913-1951

Kangaroo Jack

2011-11-11T23:27:00.000+08:00

One of the food trips that Mark and I had since he came home was at Kangaroo Jack at the Araneta Center. We've been passing by this restaurant for quite some time and have been seeing a lot of diners piling up over their buffet.

I'm just not sure if they also have buffet dinner but there was none during that time. But then again, there were a number of diners who seemed to be enjoying so we decided to give Kangaroo Jack a try.

Mark wanted something hot for his stomach so he ordered for their mushroom soup. His hot soup was served a few minutes after we got our drinks.

Iced Tea (Php 45.00) and Pineapple Juice (Php 55.00)

There was nothing really special with this soup. Mark even said that it tasted like the ones that are taken right out from the can. :p

Mushroom Soup - Php 50.00

Mark's order was served next. The sirloin steak comes with java rice, corn, and veggies. Unlike the very appetizing picture on the menu, the actual thing wasn't that appealing. I think what ruined the look was the pool of gravy. :p Taste-wise, Mark said that it was just so-so. The steak was tender yes, but unlike high-end steak houses with steaks that are to die for, Kangaroo Jack's was just ordinary-tasting.

Sirloin Steak - Php 145.00

I was craving for sausage that time so I went for their Hungarian Sausage Sizzler. Aside from the egg, the dish also came with java rice and veggies. This one got me drooling the moment it was served, but the spicy sausage killed the deal. I wasn't even able to savor the sausage's taste because the spiciness was overpowering.

I don't know but I'm just not really into spicy dishes. I just had a spoonful or two of the dish, and then Mark finished the rest. And Mark's verdict? It was just another so-so dish. :p

Hungarian Sausage Sizzler - Php 135.00

Although the food was not that good (or at least the ones that we had), their service was still commendable. Our orders were served a few minutes after we placed them. They also have a live band which is perfect for the diners who were also having some rounds of alcoholic drinks.

Though not a perfect place for some gastronomic treats, I think it would be heaven for those who just want to unwind and chill while being serenaded by a live band with old time favorites. :p

KANGAROO JACK, Araneta Center
Araneta Center, Gen. McArthur Ave.
Cubao, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 352-6838

Mario D'boro Sandals

2011-11-09T19:24:00.000+08:00

I bought this pair of Mario D'boro sandals along with the Parisian Comfy Flats. Buying this sandals wasn't really planned at all. :p I wasn't really supposed to buy anything except for a pair of flats, but as I looked around I remembered that I still don't have any pair to go with my black and gold getup. :p

Mario D'boro Sandals - Php 899.00

A few months back, I bought a black sleeveless dress and some golden bronze accessories as part of my retail therapy. :p I still haven't figured when to wear these until Mark told me that he's coming home.

A photo I took while wearing the dress, as per Mark's request. :p

Bangles and necklace from Pink Box

I didn't want to go very chic so I decided to do away with black pumps. I just wanted to be casual but sexy and so a cute pair of flat sandals were what I thought would be the perfect match. I already have a pair of black sandals, but when I checked on it, I forgot that it had silver details!!!! Noooo!!!

I am not a fashionista but I always stick to the shoes-bag-belt-and-accessories-must-match rule. And so having a black and silver sandals would definitely not go with my black and gold getup.

Good thing I came across Mario D'boro's stall which is right beside Parisian's stall. I would have wanted a new stock but the displayed pair was the only pair left. Good thing the display was a perfect fit.

I immediately fell in love the moment I saw this pair. The flower pattern around the straps were really cute and girly, and the golden button details were just the perfect details that I was looking for!

I also love how comfortable these sandals are. The straps are soft and flexible. I think the material used was authentic leather since it was not hard like other synthetic leathers.

I usually wear this sandals when I'm wearing a black casual dress. I also pair it with shorts or skinny jeans. I already wore it in the office a couple of times during washday Fridays, and one of my officemates noticed it and expressed how she loves my sandals and how she finds it so cute! :D

DQ Addict!!!

2011-11-08T12:01:00.004+08:00

This is what my baby brother has become when he got to taste Dairy Queen's Chocolate Dipped Cone, a DQ addict! :p

His addiction started more than a year ago, when I, together with Gia and Jaoey, went to have some bonding time with Mark's mom when Mark left for Qatar.

I would usually take them along with me on Sunday's to visit Mark's mom. We would usually drop by first at a photo shop in Ali Mall to have Mark's photos developed for his mom. The photo developing takes around 45 minutes, and so chillin' at Dairy Queen has been our way to kill time.

Gia and I would always try different DQ Blizzard flavors, while Jaoey would always stick to his favorite DQ Chocolate Dipped Cone. Jaoey loves the chocolate coating so much that he always saves it and eats it last. He would just nibble the tip of the dipped cone to poke a small hole and then sip the soft serve ice cream through the hole.

His style of eating makes him so messy and so I would always have to order another plain DQ Blizzard for him just to have a cup that would hold his dipped cone. :p

Since then, whenever we would go to malls, Dairy Queen stalls would definitely catch Jaoey's eyes and he would always have me buy him a chocolate dipped cone and a plain blizzard. :p

Daddy's Golden Day

2011-11-06T16:34:00.001+08:00

My dad celebrated his golden day last Sunday, October 30, 2011. The night before, we had a pre-birthday family dinner at Hap Chan. Jeff and Mark were also invited over for dinner.

Mommy and Gia took charge of the orders. I just made sure that they get Hap Chan's Shrimp Siomai. :p I also wanted some hakaw, but I just decided to do away with my cravings since the dimsum they ordered were already too much. :)

Dimsum galore!!!

Shrimp Siomai - Php 80.00

We also had chicken feet and Mark also requested for asado siopao. :p

Chicken Feet - Php 75.00

Asado Siopao - Php 75.00

Jaoey took hold of the menu and chose the crispy fried chicken.

Hap Chan Crispy Fried Chicken
- Php 240.00

Yang Chow Fried Rice - Php 190.00

We usually frequent Hap Chan because we love their food. I just wasn't able to enjoy the food that time because of my uncooperative stomach.

Nido Sweet Corn Soup - Php 130.00

Sweet Corn with Crab Meat Soup
- Php 130.00

Mixed Meat Canton - Php 185.00

Fried Squid with Salt and Pepper
- Php 240.00

Plus our appetites went low and our cravings were lessened because of their very slow service.

Fish Fillet with Tofu Hotpot
- Php 270.00

Hap Chan Special Hotpot - Php 270.00

But then again, we still had a fun dinner and managed to devour everything on the table! :p

HAP CHAN TEA HOUSE
Circumferential Road, Antipolo City

~~~~~

The big day came and Jaoey and I were up early to hand our gifts to the golden boy. :)

Each of us also helped in the preparations for daddy's birthday feast. Gia and Jeff did all the slicing and preparation of ingredients and I was the one in charged in cooking the spaghetti and frying the chicken and shanghai. But of course as always, it was again my dad who cooked almost everything. :)

The Golden Boy

On the table:

Maki and Sushi

Homemade Pork Siomai

Fresh Lumpia

Homemade Pork Empanada

Fried Chicken

Spaghetti

Garden Fresh Salad

Chicken Feet

Beef Caldereta

Lumpiang Shanghai

Bagnet

Homemade Pork Embutido

Lechon Paksiw

Shrimps

Adobong Pusit

Crabs

Grilled Bangus and Tilapia

Grilled Oysters

Fruit Salad

Leche Flan

Cake from Tita Ching

Cakes from Mark

We started the celebration late in the afternoon with a prayer which was led by Tita Tess.

And then the feast began!!!

Aside from our relatives, Daddy's friends also came and they had some rounds of drinks after dinner.

Daddy's Friends

Photo from Tito Francis

Tito Francis and Daddy

Photo from Tito Francis

Everyone enjoyed the feast. Every food in the table was a hit! And I guess the best part was when the visitors got to take home some of my daddy's specialties. :p

Thank you daddy for all the delicious food!
Happy birthday!!! We love you!!!

More photos HERE :)

Spaghetti Factory

2011-11-01T21:50:00.000+08:00

Date of visit: September 30, 2011

One of the many things that I missed during Mark's absence is our Friday dinner and movie dates. He would pick me up from the office after work on Fridays and then we'll head to a place for our dinner and movie date. So when he got back, after a week's worth of vacation from work, I was very much looking forward to our first Friday dinner and movie date. :)

We both wanted to dine in a restaurant we haven't tried before so we chose to dine at the Spaghetti Factory. We had a hard time in choosing what to order because their menu was very inviting--the dishes look so delectable and the prices were very affordable. But having pastas as their specialty, Mark and I decided to just do away with rice and the rest of their menu and just have pastas instead.

Mark and I, on our first Friday dinner date after more than a year :)

Mark went on the safe side and ordered their Alfredo Fettuccine, while I was a bit adventurous that time and chose their Homemade Ravioli Ricotta Spinach. We both were frustrated at the sight of our plates when our orders were served. We were expecting something that is but enough to fill our tummies, but we were served with the opposite. Their servings weren't really that generous, not even reasonable for their price.

Alfredo Fettuccine - Php 179.00

We tried to be optimistic and gave their food a chance but we, once again, failed. Mark's Alfredo was just plain tasting. The garlic toast was rock hard and the sauce was not enough to even coat the fettuccine.

My Ravioli Spinach wasn't also a hit. I don't know about the fettuccine, but my raviolis were not al dente and were a bit hard to chew. My dish was overflowing with sauce, though not so tasty. I'm not sure if I was just frustrated with the serving and all, but I didn't really find mine delicious.

Homemade Ravioli Ricotta Spinach - Php 239.00

Their service wasn't also impeccable. Their staff were inattentive. We had a hard time calling their attention just to follow up our orders. :|

With food that is not something to die for and service that is not so good, our first time at Spaghetti Factory will also definitely be our last.

Mark didn't really enjoy our dinner so we decided to take out some food before our movie date. He didn't want to play safe this time, so he had burgers at Taters. :p

Here's Mark eating burger before No Other Woman starts

Our first Friday dinner date was a disaster, good thing our movie date was definitely awesome!

SPAGHETTI FACTORY, Glorietta 5

2/F Glorietta 5, Ayala Center

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 501-3176

Kanin Club

2011-10-19T22:52:00.002+08:00

Date of visit: September 29, 2011

Mark paid me a surprise visit at work one Thursday afternoon. We were actually supposed to have lunch but something came up on his side so it didn't push through. I was really feeling sad about it, until I got a text message from Mark around half past 3pm asking me out for some snacks. I initially thought it was just one of his practical jokes when he instructed me to come down to the lobby to meet with him. Though very hesitant, I still went down and when I got to the ground floor, there he was, at the building entrance, smiling sweetly as I approach him. :p

We both wanted to try out some new restaurants and I thought the Ayala Triangle Gardens would be the perfect place. We walked around the area and this Filipino-home-style ambiance caught our attention the most.

It was late in the afternoon and there were only a few people dining in so we had the liberty to choose our seats. We chose the seats at the leftmost side of the restaurant, which gave us an ample view of the whole place.

Mark and I both loved Kanin Club's simple yet homey interior. Everything was just so Pinoy. The colorful stained glasses and the sliding windows and dividers were what I loved the most. The place actually reminded me of the houses and structures in Vigan.

Okay, so much with the restaurant's interior, let's now go to what we really came here for...the food! :D Our drinks were served a few minutes after we placed our orders. I had sago't gulaman while Mark had dalandan juice.

Dalandan Juice (Php 67.00) and Sago't Gulaman (Php 90.00)

We were in a Filipino restaurant so I already knew what Mark would have---his all-time favorite Kare-Kare. Unlike other kare-kare dishes that are just overflowing with veggies, Kanin Club's kare-kare had a generous amount of tender beef tripe and pork leg chunks. The veggies were also cooked just right, not too soggy and just had the right crunch. It's rich peanut sauce was also perfect as is but was made more delectable when paired with bagoong. There's actually no surprise that this was a hit for Mark (even if eaten with sour rice). :p

Kare-Kare - Php 358.00

It actually took me a while to finally decide what to have. I've been hearing raves and been reading a lot of good reviews about Kanin Club's Crispy Dinuguan and Sinangag na Sinigang. I don't eat dinuguan but I was a little curious about how the Crispy Dinuguan was proven to have convinced non-dinuguan eaters to actually love the dish, but I guess I still wasn't adventurous enough so I opted for Sinangag na Sinigang.

Sinangag na Sinigang - Php 224.00

It was actually my first time to see a dry sinigang. I was still trying to contemplate on how this dish would be like, and was amazed on my first spoonful. It really tasted like the sinigang that I grew up with. And that distinct sour taste that I really love was really captured by the dish. To whoever is behind the birth of this dish--the sinigang-inspired fried rice, the pork liempo, and the vegetable tempura--you are such a genius! Some of the veggies were a bit hard though, but there's no denying how innovative this dish is! :D I just wish they were not a little carried away when adding in green chili. :p

By the way, here's another photo of Mark and I. I'm still not convinced that Mark's photo from my previous posts increased my blog traffic, but I'm still posting another photo of him anyway haha! :p

Mark and I in our very late lunch/super early dinner at Kanin Club :p

With a restaurant with an ambiance that is so cozy and relaxing and with food that is perfectly delicious, who would have thought that a very bad service would come with it? Yup, I would love to give them a perfect 10 but because of their unresponsive waiting staff and not so good service, I don't think they deserve such rating. :p

We had to follow up our orders many times. You would also hardly see a waiting staff roaming around to check for customers request because they were all busy stamping those paper place mats, and to think that it wasn't even lunch/dinner time. *sigh*

But then again, I think there are still a lot of good food here that we have yet to try so we'll still be coming back. I just do hope their service would improve on our next visit. :)

KANIN CLUB, Ayala Triangle Gardens
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Ave., Bel-Air
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 621-6109

Pigging Out at Burgoo

2011-10-13T00:01:00.002+08:00

Date of Visit: September 22, 2011

We dined at Burgoo on Mark's 5th day of being back home. After flipping the pages of the menu for a little while, Mark finally knew what he wanted to eat. I guess he still had his Qatari culture in him that's why he ordered Burgoo's Ultimate Fajitas--choice of char-grilled chicken, steak, prawns, or combo with buttered potato wedges, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers; with tortilla wrappers and sour cream, grated cheese, and salsa.

Ultimate Fajitas - Php 595.00

When the dish was served, I was surprised at how very different it was from the photo in the menu. It actually didn't look that appetizing and with all that oil, oh my! Mark also got surprised that it was served on a sizzling plate.

This dish is usually eaten by having all the meat, veggies, and dressings wrapped in the tortilla; but since Mark is still on a diet, he just decided to do away with the tortilla and dressings. He didn't seem to be liking his dish, mainly because it was swimming in oil. But even so, I still decided to give it a try.

Tortilla Wrappers

I tried eating the fajitas the traditional way. Honestly I didn't like it too. I was expecting a pungent dish, but the dish was just plainly bland. The dressings didn't even help. And the tortilla was a little hard to chew.

Grated Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, Salsa

Good thing this mashed potato saved Mark's day. :p I wasn't able to get to taste it because it was gone the moment I finished taking a photo of the rest of the dishes. :p I'll just take Mark's word that their mashed potato is good. :)

Mashed Potato Mexicano - Php 175.00 (Regular), Php 295.00 (Large)

After a quick glance at the menu, I already knew what to have...Chicken Diane!!! I've tried this before and immediately fell in love with it. :) The generous serving of grilled chicken fillet was very tender and juicy. The sautéed onions and tomatoes, and the pool of creamy Diane sauce made the chicken even tastier. The garlic spaghetti and garlic bread were also a hit as they balance out the flavors of the chicken fillets.

Chicken Diane - Php 375.00 (Regular), Php 525.00 (Large)

I sensed a hint of envy from Mark when he saw my dish. :p And since I knew he wasn't loving his dish, I just let him have mine since I was already full.

Aside from the food here in the Philippines, Mark must have missed me a lot that he always wants our picture taken whenever we dine out. :p

Mark and I in one of the many pig out sessions that we have since he came back :p

Okay fine, he just actually wants to have more of his photo posted in my blog because according to him, his photos will make the readers come back for more! Haha!

BURGOO, Gateway Mall
2/F Gateway Mall, Aurora Blvd.
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 913-6112

Parisian Comfy Flats

2011-10-11T00:01:00.000+08:00

I got some cheap but cute find on a Wednesday a couple of weeks back. It's usually a long day for me during Wednesdays because of the number coding scheme. I went off from work at 5pm and totally forgot that it was a Wednesday. Since I still can't go home and drive, I decided to do some window shopping to kill time.

After window shopping for around an hour with my black pumps on, my feet began to ache. I was already at the SM Department Store in Makati so I decided to buy some flip-flops there. I was looking for a certain brand which unfortunately was not available at the department store. Good thing I came across the Parisian shoe stall. And viola! I got this Parisian Comfy Flats!

Parisian Comfy Flats - Php 299.00

I immediately fell in love with these shoes when I tried them on. Its soft cushion inner sole was heaven for my feet. The same material was also used for the shoe itself. I took a few steps with these comfy pair on and every step really felt good. I love its simple design and that little bow, oh don't they just look so cute?

Parisian Comfy Flats - Php 299.00

I actually wore this pair during my 1 week stay with Mark when he arrived from Qatar. My feet didn't even feel a hint of discomfort with them on even if we took long walks. The shoes truly lived up to its name. I so love my Parisian Comfy Flats! ♥♥♥

I also liked how versatile these shoes can get. You can go casual with it and pair it with shorts and a tank top, go girly with it and pair it with some summer dress, go sexy with it and pair it with skinny jeans and a sexy top, or even use it at work with some business casual dress or pair it with slacks and blouse.

The Parisian Comfy flats also come in other shades like gray, denim, brown, and black. I will definitely buy the other shades when I get back at SM! :p

PARISIAN Shoes
SM Department Store

One Year Later...

2011-10-09T00:01:00.000+08:00

Date of visit: September 21, 2011

...Mark and World Chicken finally got to meet again! :p

Mark and I went to the Gateway mall for another movie date. And when he got hungry after the movie, there was no food that he wanted to have other than World Chicken. :p

Mark and World Chicken: reunited ♥♥♥

Mark was still a little strict on his diet but he still managed to enjoy his favorites. He ordered grilled chicken with 2 mashed potatoes as sidings, minus the sauce and gravy. :)

Grilled Chicken Fillet (without sauce) and 2 Mashed Potatoes (without gravy)
Grilled Chicken + 2 Sidings - Php 159.00

And I, not being able to get to dine at World Chicken when Mark was still abroad, gave in to my cravings and ordered my all-time favorites! Unfortunately they ran out of potato salad so I settled for mashed potato. :D

Grilled Chicken Fillet with Gravy, Fettuccine Al Tono and Mashed Potato
Grilled Chicken + 2 Sidings - Php 159.00

WORLD CHICKEN, Gateway Mall
Level 3, Food Express, Gateway Mall
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Philippines
(02) 440-4286

Midnight Snack at Yam Cha

2011-10-07T18:32:00.000+08:00

Date of visit: September 20, 2011

The following day, after our seafood feast, we spent the wholde day at Mark's house to rest and recharge since we stayed up late the night before, fixing his things. After dinner, Mark and I went to the Trinoma mall in QC for a last full show movie date.

The movie ended past midnight and Mark got hungry so we searched for a place to eat. There were only a few bars in Trinoma that were open that time and there were also no establishments open at the the nearby mall, so I suggested we drive around the Timog area. After a few minutes of resto-hunting, we ended up at Yam Cha.

We were greeted by two of their waiting staff who were at the entrance and accompanied us to our seats. Another staff went to turn on the aircon, and still another handed us their menu. Another staff went to us to take our orders, and a few minutes later, our orders were served.

First to arrive were the drinks. I got their Guyabano Shake while Mark had their Dalandan Juice. I wasn't able to get the receipt from Mark, so I'm not sure about the prices. :p

Guyabano Shake and Dalandan Juice

I was craving for Pork Siomai so I got an order of it. Their Pork Siomai was a bit bland. I think there was more flour than pork in it. I wasn't really loving it, the calamansi, soy and chili sauce didn't also help, and I finally gave up on my second piece, so I just gave the rest to Mark. I usually like siomais in general, but not Yam Cha's. Theirs didn't even come close to Mongkok's. :p

Pork Siomai

I'm not that hungry so I went for their Beef Wanton Noodles. Although there's nothing really special with this dish, this one I liked (at least more than the siomai). :) The soup was served hot and was seasoned just right, the wantons were good and the beef was tender. The noodles were also perfectly cooked.

Beef Wanton Noodles

Same is true with their Chicken Wanton Noodles, which was Mark's order. Instead of beef, slices of chicken were added with the noodles, wantons, and hot soup. :)

Chicken Wanton Noodles

Mark also ordered their Tuna Sashimi. I'm not a fan of sashimis or raw food in general, so it really didn't get me drooling when this dish was served. Mark said it was fine and he insisted that I taste it. He got one slice, dipped it into the soy sauce and then directed the fork to my mouth. I still felt the crunchy but jelly-like texture of the raw fish when I chewed it and then swallowed it immediately and followed it with a sip of my guyabano shake. :p But it must have tasted good that Mark finished the dish in no time.

Tuna Sashimi

Mark must have been very hungry that he still ordered another dish. The tofu slices were fried but was still soft and tender inside. I can taste the oyster sauce's and garlic bits' flavors which were greatly absorbed by the tofu slices. This Garlic Tofu was good but not really something to crave for.

Garlic Tofu

Although Yam Cha's food, or at least the ones that we've tried, were okay but not really something to drool over, I still liked our dining experience because of the waiting staff. All of them were very attentive and were always ready to grant our requests. Just like one of the staff who gladly obliged when we asked her to take a photo of us. She even directed us to come closer together and she even arranged their tabletop sign so that it will be included in the photo. :p

Mark and I

But then again I also thought that they might have been very attentive since Mark and I were the only ones dining that time. :p Well I just hope they maintain that good service even during regular hours to at least compensate for their so-so dishes. :p

YAM CHA
Seafood & Dimsum Restaurant
44 Timog Ave. cor. Scout Tuazon
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: (63 2) 373-1359, (63 2) 372-8136

Seafood Feast at Aling Tonya's

2011-10-02T20:24:00.002+08:00

Date of visit: September 18, 2011

The boyfriend is back! I can now get to post about food other than my daddy's specialties! Haha!

He actually came home two weeks ago and we spent most of the time together. We've been dining in a lot of restaurants for the past few weeks and it's just now that I got the time to write about our very first food trip together, after 1 year and a month of being apart. :)

After hearing mass last Sunday, September 18, and after having lunch with my family, I headed next to Mark's house at Caloocan to fetch his mom. We then went straight to the airport to catch Mark's arrival at 4:25PM. We were caught up in traffic and got a little late so Mark was already at the waiting area when we arrived. Mark was so hungry and requested that we have our dinner at the seaside restaurants in Macapagal boulevard.

We arrived at the area after around a 15-minute drive. We headed immediately to the wet market to shop for our food. Mark wanted to have fish so his mom bought a kilo of blue marlin steak slices. She also bought a kilo of clams, a kilo of squid, 2 kilo of prawns.

We went around the area to look for a restaurant who can cook for us and we ended up at Aling Tonya's.

with Mark and his mom while waiting for our food

We had all our seafood cooked and then our seafood feast began. :) The clam soup was served first. This dish was just like my dad's. The soup was really yummy and the clams were cooked just right. A perfect starter for our hungry stomachs.

Clam Soup

Seashells: Sinabawan - Php 120.00 (1 kilo), Php 80.00 (1/2 kilo)

Mark was still conscious about his figure so he decided to have his fish grilled. Mark started devouring it the moment it was served. This dish was so delish!

Grilled Blue Marlin

Fish: Inihaw - Php 120.00 (1 kilo), Php 80.00 (1/2 kilo)

The squids were made into Calamares. There's nothing really special with this dish. I commend Aling Tonya's though because the calamares were tender. The dish also came with a mayo-garlic dip.

Calamares

Squid: Calamares - Php 180.00 (1 kilo), Php 120.00 (1/2 kilo)

A kilo of prawns were made into Shrimp Tempura and the other kilo was cooked in butter with garlic. The grilled fish and tempura were what I ate the most because I just had my braces adjusted. I so love the shrimp tempura! The dip that came with it made the dish more delectable.

Shrimp Tempura

Shrimp: Tempura - Php 250.00 (1 kilo), Php 180.00 (1/2 kilo)

This next dish was also okay. The shrimps were a little overcooked though because it was hard to peel off the shells.

Shrimps in Butter with Garlic

Sugpo/Hipon/Swahe: Php 180.00 (1 kilo), Php 140.00 (1/2 kilo)

Overall, we enjoyed our seafood feast. The fish and tempura were a hit for us.

Here's our seafood feast! Another set of these dishes were also on the other side of our table :p

But of course, we weren't able to consume everything so we had the left overs wrapped.

Mark with his uncle and cousin

Mark's mom must have missed his son so much that she ordered a lot of food! She even got this chocolate cake for his baby boy. :) We then went to Duty Free Fiesta Mall to shop for some stuff and chocolates.

Hizon's Chocolate Cake

Welcome home Mark! I'm really glad that you're back! :D

ALING TONYA'S
Seaside Macapagal, D. Macapagal Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 556-1782

Happy Grandparent's Day!

2011-09-11T21:11:00.003+08:00

Today is a special day for all grandparents, well at least here in the Philippines, as we celebrate the Grandparent's Day. :)

So earlier today, after hearing mass, we went to our lola's house in Quezon City. Daddy bought some crabs and we had a little crab feast. :)

Glad to see that lola enjoyed the feast. :) Well actually all of us did! *burp*

Happy Grandparent's Day Lola Tere!!!

Thanksgiving Lunch

2011-09-03T15:15:00.001+08:00

A lot of things had been picking on me lately especially for the past month. But God is still so good that He didn't let my August to just pass like that. Just before the month ended, last August 20, He gave my family two new blessings that made us all remember that no problem can't be solved when we entrust everything to Him.

Mommy went through an operation and she is now safe from harm and is recovering very fast; and my sister's hard work has paid off as she is now a Registered Nurse. :)

And there's no better way to celebrate all these blessing than having a thanksgiving feast. And so after hearing mass the Sunday after, daddy prepared a scrumptious lunch which our family feasted on.

Thanksgiving Lunch - August 21, 2011

Crabs

Adobong Pusit

Clam Soup

Lechon Paksiw

Lechon

The weekend after, we again had another thanksgiving lunch at Tita Tessa's house.

Thanksgiving Lunch - August 28, 2011

Tita Tessa prepared these:

Beef Caldereta

Pork and Chicken Embutido

Leche Flan

Garden Fresh Salad

And daddy added on some of these:

Kobe Chicken

Fish Sarsiado

Ginataang Hipon

We also bought Pancit Malabon and Lechon to add to the feast.

Pancit Malabon

Lechon

Thank you Lord for all the blessings!

Wishing you good health Mommy! Glad you're safe from harm! :-*

Congratulations Nurse Gia! :)

Stop, Look, and Listen!

2011-08-30T16:25:00.003+08:00

My friend can attest to how ill-tempered I was over a lot of things for the past few weeks. I've been ranting about a lot of things lately. I get easily irritated with even the littlest imperfections of the things and people around me. And just this morning, I had an argument with my significant other. *sigh*

And then I came across this article about dealing with ones temper and found some inspiring words:

"Stop, Look, and Listen!"

"Never make decisions when you're angry."

"Don’t obey your anger. Don’t send that angry email. Don’t send that angry text. Don’t shout that angry word."

"Believe me, if you do, you’ll regret it forever."

"Next time you want to say angry words, remember its consequences. Remember that even if you apologize later, angry words leave scars in the hearts of people. Even if you’re forgiven, that scar remains for a long time."
Read full article here...

I know things have been picking on me lately, most of which I don't have control over, but I guess it's my fault that I didn't respond the right way. Thanks Bo for making me enlightened. :)

Seven Love-Filled Years

2011-08-27T00:07:00.003+08:00

On August 27, 2004, Mark and I fell in love with each other. Today, seven years later, the love is still the same. Well, even better. So much better. :)

Happy 7th anniversary, my love!

Even after all these years, amidst all this distance, you still manage to make me fall in love over and over and make my heart skip a beat. :D

Thank you! I love you! I miss you!!! See you soon! ♥♥♥

Pizza Hut Delivery

2011-08-22T21:25:00.001+08:00

It is very seldom that we get to dine at or order from Pizza Hut because: 1-we're not really so much into pan pizzas, 2-they're thin crust pizzas do not even come close to that of Shakey's (well at least for me), and 3: in the very few times that we opted for Pizza Hut delivery or even during dine-ins, their poor service is always what gets into our nerves.

But I don't know what got into me last Saturday afternoon, after my mom got discharged from the hospital, when I insisted on ordering from Pizza Hut using my Palm Card when daddy handed me his Shakey's Super Card and tasked me to order pizzas for merienda. Well Gia and Jaoey also wanted some stuffed crust pizzas too so I guess I did a right choice. :p

Not until we got a call a few minutes after we placed our orders, saying that we have to expect our pizzas to arrive after an hour, which was supposedly just within 30 minutes. I guess my dad got really pissed that he told them that we should have just ordered at Shakey's. He also stressed that wouldn't be paying for the pizzas since they have this Hate Late offer wherein they guarantee on time delivery or the pizzas will be for free.

They were very apologetic and explained that they were just having system issues that time and that they really wanted to make it up to us so they would just give us one Super Supreme Family Pan Pizza for free.

3 Family Pizzas for just Php 673.25 ^_^

I ordered one Family Supreme Stuffed Crust Pizza and, using my Palm Card, had another free Family Hawaiian Pan Pizza. You need to buy a 1.5L Pepsi to avail of the free pizza though.

The stuffed crust pizza wasn't really an eye candy. It was soggy and not that hot, good thing the cheese stuffing was satisfying.

Family Supreme Stuffed Crust Pizza

This one was more pleasing to the eyes, but since I don't really enjoy pan pizzas, I just had to try to finish the 'bread' after I munched on all the toppings haha!

Family Super Supreme Pan Pizza for free! :D

I guess we really don't have an appetite for pan pizzas which is why this box was still intact and each of us just got a slice or two (at the most) of the other pizzas.

Family Hawaiian Pan Pizza

We really appreciated how the manager tried to iron out things by being so apologetic and offering us some free treats, but I guess this still wouldn't change our bad impressions on Pizza Hut. :p

PIZZA HUT Delivery
911-11-11