Norbest Turkey with Tender Timer

After more than 20 years in Chicago, my husband's grandparents came home to Manila.  So for the past few years that we've been celebrating Christmas and New Years with them, we've always had turkey.

McCormick Classic Buffalo Wings

Here's another great grocery find that's always in our pantry - the McCormick Classic Buffalo Wings Seasoning Mix.  This is the mildest in terms of spiciness. We tried the Screamer once and even my spice loving family threw in the towel.

Three Sisters

I have the habit of browsing through the whole menu before deciding on what to eat but at Three Sisters I already know what I want even before I step through these doors.

It's comforting how the pork bbq has remained the same throughout the years-soft, flavorful and very filling.  I prefer dipping the pork in vinegar instead of the peanuty sauce.  The java rice and atchara are perfect companions too.  

Zubuchon Pasalubong

My sister never fails to bring something home for us on each of her trips.  I was super excited when I spotted this on the kitchen counter!  

Haagen-Dazs

Thanks to an ongoing promo of our credit card, I was able to indulge in some cool treats from Haagen-Dazs.  The bitterness of the Cappucino Truffle balanced out the sweetness of the Cookies N Cream.  My love for dark or bittersweet chocolate and mocha or coffee flavored ice cream moved Haagen Dazs Cappucino Truffle to the top of my list of favorite ice cream flavors. These two heavenly scoops were exactly what I needed after several hours of last minute Christmas shopping. 


And check out my view.

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Haagen-Dazs
Level 2 Edsa Shangri-la Plaza Mall
Shaw Boulevard cor. EDSA
Mandaluyong City

Ma Po Tofu

Sick and tired of that crunchy breaded tofu?  Try this spicy meaty tofu dish.  

Red Black and White Baby Shower

My cousin's siblings threw her a red black and white themed baby shower.  I thought these were her favorite colors but apparently these colors stimulate the baby's brain.  

Le Ching Too

Each shopping trip at greenhills means a visit to Le Ching Too for my favorite Spareribs Rice.

Spareribs Rice P128

Mang Larry's Isawan

I'm craving for some pork barbecue from Mang Larry's Isawan in U.P.

Laguna Food Trip Part 3: Rose & Grace Restaurant

After lunch at Patis Tito and dessert at Si Christina in San Pablo City, we headed to Paseo de Sta Rosa for some shopping.  In every out of town trip, we try to eat at restaurants that don't have branches in Manila.  We drove around Nuvali and Solenad but ended up in Rose & Grace across Paseo de Sta Rosa.

There was a steady stream of customers when we were there.  It was a Sunday night on a long weekend.  

We went up to the canteen style setting and ordered our food from the servers who later delivered them to our table.

Laguna Food Trip Part 2: Si Christina Gateau Sans Rival

After circling the general area where Si Christina Gateau Sans Rival was supposed to be, we finally found the cozy cafe across the market.  Our group of 10 filled up the shop which could squeeze in maybe 15 diners at a time.

We ordered up a storm of desserts, hot chocolate and coffee.  We instructed the servers to give us one of each dessert item that was available.  First up, were the Frozen Brazo which came in original, strawberry and ube.  I only tried the original flavor which was just ok for me.  The rest of the gang enjoyed the Frozen Brazo and took a few pieces home.  Good thing we had a small cooler with us.

Laguna Food Trip Part 1: Patis Tito Garden Cafe

We had another impromptu celebration for lola by going on a Laguna food trip the Sunday after her real birthday.  We trooped to Patis Tito Garden Cafe for lunch where we met none other than Ms. Patis Tesoro herself.  She spent a couple of minutes chatting with us and even posed for some souveneir photos.

Cream Dory in Tartar Sauce

Coming up with different tasting dishes is always challenging.  We still had a pack of cream dory fillets and I didn't want to just fry them.  I stumbled upon this recipe and decided to try it.

I adjusted the recipe a bit.  I used a kilo of dory and seasoned the fish with McCormick Grill Mates Lemon Pepper with Herbs.  I used store bought tartar sauce and added some capers too.

This is how my version looked.

The photo looked so bland and unappetizing so I added some of the broccoli and cauliflower which I stir fried in oil and seasoned with Knorr chicken cubes.

My husband and mother in law loved it.  I enjoyed it too but was overwhelmed with the richness of the sauce.    

Candy Themed 1st Birthday

Just wanted to share some pictures from my niece's 1st birthday a few months ago.

Trinoma Date

My husband has been swamped with work for the past couple of months.  One Sunday in October, we took advantage of his rare day off and spent the whole day combing the stores of Trinoma.

My Little Mermaid Experience

I was lucky enough to attend the opening night of Atlantis Productions' Little Mermaid last Friday.  My family was there to support my sister and her friend who were selling tickets for the musical.

Patis Tito Garden Cafe

My sister convinced my dad to drive all the way to San Pablo Laguna for her birthday lunch last September.  She's been to Patis Tito Garden Cafe once or twice because of work.  At that time the place was still called Kusina Salud.  She enjoyed the food so much that she wanted to share the experience with us.

We reached the restaurant at around 1pm.  Our stomachs were already grumbling since we skipped out on breakfast.  We immediately scanned the menu and gave our choices to the waiter.

We dug into our Ensaladang Pako as soon as we were done taking photos.  It was fresh and crisp.  I loved the cheese and the crunchy bits that were sprinkled on top.

Ensaladang Pako P190
classic pako salad with tomato slices, onion tossed in patis kalamansi dressing topped with shredded salted red egg and cheese 

Johnny Rockets

We usually spend All Saints Day going around Manila visiting my husband's relatives then my relatives.  And at each stop, there's always so much food.  We end the day with dinner with my family.

We headed to the Timog/Tomas Morato area and were quite disappointed that some of our restaurant picks were closed for the day.  So we pulled into Johnny Rockets, the first place we saw with available parking slots.

I was immediately drawn to the Mocha Fudge Shake which my mom and I shared.  It was extra thick and creamy that I had a hard time sipping from the straw.  I may have looked like a fish sucking in my cheeks so hard.  No wonder they served it with a spoon.  The milk shake was a great experience but I'm not so sure it's worth the P275 price tag.

Mocha Fudge P275
Hot fudge and the flavor of rich cappuccino are perfectly orchestrated w/ premium vanilla ice cream to compose this symphony of flavors

While waiting, they served us with complimentary fries and smiley ketchup which I really appreciated.

Cajun Chicken Leg Quarters

I test drove the roasting pan we purchased at Gourdo's by baking some chicken leg quarters and veggies.

The Cheese Steak Shop Manila

My husband and I were driving around Makati in search of a dinner spot that we have never tried.  As we were cruising along Pasay Road, we saw this well lit red and white restaurant that seemed laid back and casual.  We immediately pulled into the empty parking slot but hesitantly got out of the car.  We threw caution to the wind and bravely walked in.

Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Breading Mix

The Ajinomoto Crispy Fry Breading Mix is a constant staple in our pantry.  We always stock up on all 3 flavors -  Original, Garlic and Spicy.  

A quick and easy way to prepare crispy fried chicken.  All you have to do is wash and drain the chicken, coat evenly with Crispy Fry and then deep fry until golden brown.  For best results, you can put the chicken and breading mix in a container and shake them well.  Sometimes I dip the chicken in a bowl with a beaten egg, then roll it in the breading mix before deep frying.     

Although the photo on the sachet is of chicken drumsticks, it also works well with tofu, pork chops, fish fillets and chicken fillets.  It packs in a lot of flavor that you don't need to add anything else.          

Last week we had some crispy garlic pork chops served with a salad on the side and a bowl of creamy instant soup.

Industry Restaurant & Bar

Although we were blessed with great weather and clear blue skies, we spent most of the trip indoors playing monopoly deal and mahjong and eating our hearts out.

Paseo de Sta. Rosa was our last stop for this road trip.   Our main objective was to check out the area where Debenhams and Marks & Spencer are located.  For dinner, we decided on Industry Restaurant & Bar since they don't have branches anywhere else.

Tootsie's Tagaytay

We took advantage of the Halloween/All Saints Day long weekend and celebrated my lola's (grandmother) birthday with an overnight trip to Tagaytay.  First stop was lunch at Tootsie's.

We started off with this eggplant dish.  Think ensaladang talong wrapped in flavorful breading served with a garlicky mayo dip on the side.

The all too familiar taste of the Pancit Molo was comforting.  I remember having this every New Years Eve in Kawi.  The serving is huge and perfect for the cool Tagaytay weather.  

McCormick Grill Mates

I just wanted to share 2 great seasoning finds - McCormick Grill Mates Lemon Pepper with Herbs and Roasted Garlic and Herb.

I have used the Lemon Pepper with Herbs for oatmeal crusted cream dory and fish fillet with hoisin sauce.  I've tried the Roasted Garlic and Herb on chicken fillet which I pan fried in some olive oil and butter.

I love how just a little seasoning goes a long way.  These are great for quick meal fixes for people who are always on the go.    

Pacquiao vs Marquez - The Big Buffet Event

If you're the type of person who loves a good deal, enjoys great tasting food and is a huge fan of boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, go grab your phone and reserve now!

Photo from the DADS Ultimate Buffet Facebook page

Burgers with Mushroom Gravy

I whipped up some burgers to go with some instant mashed potatoes and asparagus fried in olive oil with salt and pepper.

Pork Kare Kare

A great way to enjoy kare kare minus the oxtail (my least favorite part of this dish).  I can eat rice with sauce and just bagoong (shrimp paste).    

Fish Fillet with Hoisin Sauce

I prepared this fish dish a few months ago so I can't recall the exact measurements anymore.  I should start writing in real time or at least the same day.

Veggies with Crispy Pork

Here's a not so healthy vegetable dish that uses simple ingredients.

Stovetop Chicken Pastel

I have always thought of Chicken Pastel as a party dish.  Something that's served only on special occasions.  After cooking this twice in my lifetime, I realized that a budget conscious family may find this a bit pricey for an ordinary meal.  This won't be in our weekly menu but we could splurge every couple months or so.  Who knows, I may even try to make the pie crust someday.

Tuna Burgers

I saw this a few years back on an episode of QTV channel 11's Sarap at Home which was hosted by Sam Oh. I lost my copy so I just improvised.

Angel Hair with Tuna and Pesto

We tried some store bought pasta sauce a few months ago.  I made a few alterations to the Tuna Pesto Linguine recipe at the back of the pack.

Yoshinoya

Yoshinoya is our go to place for affordable japanese fastfood.  We usually get the Gyudon and Chicken Teriyaki jumbo plate because of the vegetables.  They are crisp and tastes like a toned done version of chopsuey.  The chicken is soft and a bit on the sweet side.  The gyudon is tender but usually needs a dash of soy sauce or spices.

Ma Mon Luk

Last Sunday, we drove mom and lola to Dapitan Arcade.  Hubby and I didn't have the chance to go down and window shop because the intersection was flooded and we couldn't find a parking space.  While circling the Banawe area in search for a merienda spot, we suddenly remembered our craving for Ma Mon Luk.

We feasted on 4 servings of the Original MAMI (Small Bowl), 3 of the Siopao Regular (Asado) and 2 of the Siomai (2pcs/order)

Tofu and Veggies in Oyster Sauce

The expiry on the tofu I fried was coming up so we had to finish them before they spoiled.  

Chicken and Cheese Stuffed Nuggets

Preparing my husband's packed lunch is quite challenging.  Due to the nature of his work, he doesn't have access to a microwave or toaster to heat up his food.  He's a rice eater so sandwiches, salads and pasta are out of the question.  I try to avoid viands that might spoil right away or those that get too oily that it is too yucky to stomach.

I discovered these stuffed chicken and cheese nuggets last week.  One 200 gram pack contains 9 pieces which you can either toast or fry.  I opted to fry them since the package directions said that they would be done in 1-2 minutes.  

Sinangag Express

I wish there were more accessible branches of Sinangag Express in our area.  We've been to the Better Living branch several times these past few months but it's too far from home or my parents house.      

Hands down our favorite is the Tapsilog (beef, fried rice and fried egg) which I can eat almost every day.  The shredded beef is full of flavor and tastes even better with vinegar.  I love the garlic rice too.

Domino's Pizza

I grew up in a compound where most of our neighbors were our relatives.  Most summers and weekends were spent with my cousins in each others houses, swimming in 21, playing kickball or dodge ball in the basketball court or plaza or playing other street games which I don't know how to translate in English.  Brownouts were an adventure. We all converged together in number 6 and scared ourselves to death sharing ghost stories or playing cards via candlelight.

We chanced upon the Domino's pizza branch near tiendesitas and it made me reminisce about the good old instant pizza parties at the plaza.  We would bring out our plastic tables and chairs.  The kids could stay out way past curfew because the adults were there too.

Yang Chow Dimsum & Teahouse

Our monthly grocery run usually ends with a quick meal at Yang Chow.  Service is a hit and miss but prices are very affordable.  No major disappointments on the food but nothing has really made a mark for me except for the Wanton Beef Noodle Soup and Fried Seafood Noodles.