Cheesy Goodness!

Out of all the movie theatres here in Manila, the ones at Powerplant Mall are not exactly the ones with the cushiest seats or the best surround sound. There are other cinemas with much bigger screens too. And frankly, we find the PowerPlant Cinemas to be too cold! I always have to make sure to bring a shawl to keep myself warm! But regardless of all these, Jojo and I have vowed to watch our movies there every time from now on. So you must be wondering, what's the draw?

Well, it's all in the popcorn, really. ;-) The concessionaire there has THE best cheese popcorn ever! Not only are they ever so generous with the cheese powder, but I also love how the popcorn is more "chewable." You know, without the annoying hard kernels that get stuck between your teeth. ;-) It also has a slight buttery taste that complements the cheese. Jojo and I are absolutely loving the popcorn! Between the two of us, we get the large bucket(105 pesos). We go to the theatre early to see the trailers and previews. And just before the movie starts, we've usually wolfed down half of the bucket already! It's sooo good and really very addicting. It's a real treat for all cheese lovers. But of course, without the guilt! Loooove it!

We just saw the "Surrogates" last night. And now, I'm looking forward to dragging my husband to see "The Ugly Truth." It's a chick flick. But with PowerPlant's cheese popcorn as a bribe, I don't think it'll be such a feat to ask him to accompany me! ;-) Hahaha!

On the Subject of Grocery Store-Bought Bread...

One thing to know about Jojo and I is this: We both love our bread! ;-) Admittedly though, Jojo's tastes are very different from mine. Jojo likes white bread and steers away from whole wheat, rye, and the like. I, on the other hand, prefer bread that is out of the ordinary. The only similarity we have is that we both like our bread soft. So we're really not too big on baguettes.

With varying tastes, it's very rare to find bread that we both like. When we go grocery shopping, we'd have to buy 2 different loaves of bread to suit our individual tastes. With our latest finds, we don't have to do that anymore. Now we just buy one loaf of bread and fight over it! ;-) Hahaha! ;-) Let us share with you three of our latest finds. I think you'll love them too! ;-)

Elsie's Garlic Bread (78 pesos)

We were at Shopwise Libis and Jojo happened to be craving for garlic bread. He remembered buying this garlic bread from Makro which he absolutely loved. He had been looking for it for a long time but couldn't find it anywhere else. We decided to just check the aisles at Shopwise and just get any garlic bread from there, all the while crossing our fingers that it's the same garlic bread that he bought from Makro! He didn't remember the brand so he just picked out the one that we saw -- Elsie's Garlic Bread.

When we got home, we excitedly opened the package and tried it out. Since we like our bread soft, we just popped a few slices of it in the microwave as opposed to the oven toaster. It only needed to be heated for about 20 seconds. Jojo took one bite and from the expression on his face, I knew. It was the same Garlic Bread from Makro! Each slice had a generous spread of butter. I'm not entirely sure where the garlic taste comes from since there are no visible garlic slices anywhere. But the bread is soooo soft with just the right kunat (or ductility??!??) from the crust. Good stuff, I tell ya! And trust me. It's impossible to eat just one or two slices at a time! ;-)

Marby's Cheese Loaf (40 pesos)
Why are the good ones hard to find?!?? We had the same problem with this. We bought a loaf of Marby's Cheese Loaf from the Metro Grocery Store at Market, Market. We just wanted to try it out. After all, I'm a sucker for anything with cheese. And each slice had huge swirls of cheese! Jojo liked the fact that the bread was so soft too. It seemed like it was just taken out from the oven! Between the two of us, that loaf of bread lasted us less than a day! It was that good!

Since then, we've been keeping an eye out for it everytime we go grocery shopping. And everytime, we always end up being disappointed. Marby's Cheese Loaf is always "out of stock," as the salesladies at Metro Grocery Store always say. We checked out other grocery stores too and they never have it, either. That is, until we chanced upon it at the Waltermart Makati Grocery Store. There were only two loaves of it left. So of course we grabbed them both! ;-)

We love Marby's Cheese Loaf because it's a great breakfast if you're on the go. Just eat it as it is. No need to heat it up or spread anything on it. It's tasty as it is. Kind of like Spanish Bread in "sliced bread" form. ;-) Loooove it! ;-)

*Sorry I don't have a photo of this. Jojo and I wolfed it down before I could take a picture . ;-) I'll be sure to update this post with a picture after another trip to Waltermart Makati. ;-)

Pan-a-Cup Malunggay Bread (32 pesos)

Malunggay or "Moringa" is the new fad. It used to be virgin coconut oil on everything! Now it's malunggay -- on everything. ;-) In our home though, I doubt that our love for malunggay bread will just be a fad. I love it and contrary to what people may think, it is NOT gross. Sure, the bread may have specks of green in it, but despite that, it's very good! Just don't mind how it looks. ;-)

I have to admit though, I had the same reaction when we had malunggay bread the first time. We were at Kape Isla at Bonifacio High Street. They serve malunggay bread there with different fillings. I took a bite and I instantly loved it! It has a very very slight bitter taste which is similar to rye bread. I don't think I would like it on its own. But it goes well with a chicken salad filling, BLT, cold cuts and cheese, and lately, I discovered -- with Kaya jam and butter! Its slight bitter taste, for some reason, complements everything! The bread is soft as well but I enjoy it better when its toasted.

Wanting to create the same sandwich experience from Kape Isla, we bought Pan-a-Cup's Malunggay Bread at Metro Grocery at Market, Market. It had the same taste as the one at Kape Isla except that it's in pan-de-sal form. It's been about three weeks now and I've been eating it everyday for breakfast! And I still can't get enough of it! ;-) What I do everyday is I slice it in half, then toast it in our panini grill. After about a minute in there, I take it out and spread some Kaya jam (Nonya Kaya from Bread Talk -- 120 pesos/jar) and spread butter on top of that. Wow! They go soooo well together! And it's a healthy breakfast that's easy to make! Just make sure though that your butter is the fat-free kind. I use Magnolia Gold Lite spreadables.

So there you go...We love our bread so for sure, Jojo and I will be trying out all other different kinds too. We'll add more to this list if we discover a few other interesting ones. Keep posted! ;-)

Your 45 Pesos Can Go a Long Way (Literally!)

I often go to the bookstore when I need to while away my time. It's the perfect meeting place, or in my case, the perfect place to be while waiting for my ride (ie: husband). ;-) Traffic can be unpredictable and oftentimes, I end up waiting longer than the expected pick-up time. Yesterday was one of those days. I was at Fully Booked browsing and there was one particular magazine that caught my eye. I had to do a double take because I couldn't believe the price. It was a magazine sold for only 45 pesos!

I'm talking about the Sidetrip Travel Magazine. This is different from all the other travel magazines in the market, not only for its price, but also because its articles focus mainly on travel within the Philippines. It's about time we have one of those, isn't it? The only downside is that this magazine is only published quarterly. So the one they have in stores now covers July to October 2009. It said that it's their 7th issue. So they must have been around for about a year and a half now. I really hope that we can support this magazine. It would just break my heart if this magazine is discontinued. In fact, Sidetrip Travel should be published monthly!

I haven't read the magazine cover-to-cover yet. But so far, my favorite articles include: Old Restos in the Metro (A review of 2 restaurants that have been favorites for half a century now!), Great Weekend Escapes (covers 4 weekend destinations for Manilenos including suggestions on where to go, what to do, where to stay, what to buy, where to eat, and what to order!), and a special on Laguna as a tourist destination (explains how Laguna can be enjoyed by all kinds of people and all interests). Add to this a number of restaurant reviews, travel tips, shopping finds (this quarter, they have an article talking about ukay-ukay), event calendars, "People, Arts, and Culture" articles, directories, and even bus schedules! It's a small magazine (just a little bigger than Reader's Digest in size) but it's packed with soooo much information! Jojo's ever "enlightening" comment to me when he read the magazine is this: "This magazine is perfect for going to the loo!" Hahaha! ;-) Oh, MEN...;-) But you know he's absolutely right. It's not only for its sheer size but there's so many interesting articles in there that can amuse you and entertain for however long it takes you to do your business! ;-)

We're now in the beginning stages of planning our weekend getaway -- taking in suggestions from their "Great Weekend Escapes" article. Grab a copy of this magazine and plan your trip as well! There are sooo many beautiful places here in the Philippines. It's too bad that we, as a country, are not given due credit and exposure internationally as a travel destination. Let's explore the country ourselves and spread the word...

Going Healthy Ain't So Bad...

We just got the results from my husband's executive medical check-up. Everything looks good except that his cholesterol level increased and he needs to stay within average weight range. Vowing to be healthier, Jojo and I decided to make some changes at home. We understand that it needs to be a lifestyle so we're making the changes sloooowly but surely. Just teeny tiny steps to a healthy lifestyle. ;-) We're focusing on the food choices first. The "exercise" part will come in later. As we all know, that is one that's harder to commit to. ;-)

As for the baby steps, I started by making a balanced and healthy meal for our dinner last night. I didn't want to get us turned off of being healthy. So I knew that it couldn't be a drastic change. Taking a cue from one of Jojo's comfort food, I decided to make a bangus belly dish for our dinner. After all, I know that Jojo can't seem to get enough of the grilled milkfish at Reyes Barbecue. And fish oil, just like olive oil, has soooo many health benefits too. It was going to be bangus belly but I planned to cook it a different way.

To find a great recipe, I relied on this gem of a website: Connie Veneracion's Pinoy Cook. So far, I've already used five of her recipes for Korean Beef Stew, Fish in Chili and Garlic Sauce, Chinese Sausages with Kangkong and Sweet Soy Sauce, Chicken 1-2-3, and now, for Bangus Belly Steak. I mean, I followed each recipe to a tee and none of them did disappoint.
They surpassed all expectations and now, my husband thinks I'm an amazing cook! ;-) I served the Bangus Belly Steak last night for dinner. It was soooo good that we forgot we were eating healthy! ;-) Hahaha! ;-) The dish is ridiculously easy to cook too. When you follow the recipe, you'll be wondering why you'll have to fry and then bake afterwards. Why not just fry the fish and top it with the sauce right? Well, there's a science to it. The sauce seeps better into the fish when it's baked. This whole procedure enhances the flavor. Just follow it through. But you might want to add more onions. Maybe 2 more? The onions go soooo well with the bangus and the sauce. Everything is so tasty! Just make sure to keep basting until all the sauce is gone. And use Knorr Seasoning for the light soy sauce ingredient. It turned out great! Yes, even for an amateur cook like me! ;-)

Now allow me to brag about my kitchen "prowess." ;-) Feast your eyes on my Bangus Belly Steak. Yum!
If Jojo has that cholesterol level to be mindful of, for me, it's more of my circulation. I have a history of cancer on my mother's side too so I really have to work hard on prevention. Another friend suggested that I drink cranberry juice. I researched on it and found out that cranberry juice does not only help cure UTI, but it also acts as an anti-carcinogen, anti-oxidant, and prevents the formation of dental plaque??!?? We are sold! ;-) We rushed off to our favorite grocery store -- Metro at Market, Market. We were a little hesitant to buy just pure cranberry juice. It might be too tart and bitter for our taste. So we thought we'd try out cranberry juice mixed with something else. We found one. We got Ocean Spray's Cran-cherry juice. It's natural, fat-free, cholesterol-free, and very low in sodium! Yay! And the bottle promised that it would taste good too.

So what's the verdict? It did taste good! I know it's a weird comparison. But to me, it tasted like red wine! ;-) I love it! We try to drink one glass a day. Jojo is surprised when I even remind him about it. It just says how much I truly like it. Not just because we have to be healthy and all. But because it's really good! ;-)

Well, so far, it seems like Jojo and I are not making too many sacrifices for the sake of healthy-living. I guess you really don't have to. It's time that we disassociate healthy with "yucky" food. You can have the best of both worlds, can't you? ;-)

A Food Find at Makati Cinema Square??!???

Apart from purchasing pirated DVDs and CDs, who knew that there's something else worth going to Makati Cinema Square for? I can still remember my first time at Makati Cinema Square. The place was dark and it was screaming for a renovation. It looked so "underground" and frankly, it got me scared. It felt "illegal" to be in such a place. ;-) Well, fast forward to a few years later and the place still looks the same. Nothing has changed. The only difference is that I've been there too many times that it doesn't scare me anymore. ;-) I've noticed that there's a lot more foreigners there too -- all wanting their fill of pirated DVDs.

Yes, I might as well let it out in the open. Buying pirated DVDs is indeed, a guilty pleasure of mine. I often go there for the movies and lately, for this new food discovery SLASH constant craving of mine. ;-) I'm talking about the cuapao at Emer's Food Center.

Emer's is located in the first basement of Makati Cinema Square. You know that little dance studio there? Just go up those set of stairs, turn right, walk further, and Emer's will be on your right side. For only P45 per piece, you can't get a better deal than this! With it comes sweetly-marinated pork, sauce, Chinese celery, and a topping of crushed peanuts in this soft, steamed white bun (man thao). We never leave Makati Cinema Square without it. And when I'm not there, I'm often craving for it. ;-) It's too bad that they don't deliver.

Emer's, apparently, has been around for 28 years now. When you see the restaurant, you would wonder at first, why people would even bother going in there. Nothing appealing about the place. Somehow, even without the snazzy interiors, people still flock there. You'll have to wonder. Must be the food. And it is! ;-) I haven't tried their Pata Tim yet. But I've been told that they're known for that. We have tried their rice topping meals before though. The one in the picture below is the Pork Rice one, I think. All this for only P108! Very yummy food! And soooo cheap! Kinda reminds me of those Chinese restaurants in Banaue or Binondo. The only difference is: It's located in Makati!!! ;-) A big YAY for us who live in this part of town! ;-)

Cellphone Makeover!!!

Are you getting bored with your cell phone? Want to spruce it up for free? Just click on this link and have your choice from THOUSANDS of themes, wall papers, ring tones, and games for your phone! Or you can even choose to personalize it yourself by creating your own voice tone, effects, and background! It's a great website and I can guarantee that you'll be amused for hours! ;-)

We learned about this website from my husband's officemate. I'm not one to enjoy fiddling with my phone. In fact, I've never read a manual for anything in my life! ;-) I just don't have the patience. ;-) But I was honestly getting soooo bored with my phone. So sick of the "built-in" ring tone choices (Sony Ericsson greeting) and the same theme (Clarity) which I see and hear day in and day out! My husband, Jojo, came to the rescue and explored this website for me. All he had to was choose the type of phone to upload to and pick from the choices that will automatically come up. The hard part, really, is in making the choice. There's just too many to choose from! But once you have made your choice, you can easily transfer the file through bluetooth. Turn on the bluetooth on your laptop and on your cell phone and you're good to go!

Now I have about 20 themes saved on my phone. For today -- Monday, I chose the Animated Butterfly theme. I'll change the theme depending on my mood tomorrow. ;-) The games saved on my phone include Same Colors, Othello, Quiz for Fun, Rollercoaster Rush 3D, and Speed Machine. I haven't gotten to it yet but I plan to get a Virtual Dog too. ;-)

The "ber" months are officially here!

To be exact, the "ber" month started 12 days ago. ;-) You can tell that the holiday season is coming up by the number of events to look forward to. There's soooo many things going on! So if you're looking for something to do and a place to go, have a look at the list below. Click on the headings to be directed to a website which will give you more info on the event. These are mostly shopping events intended to prepare us for Christmas. But there are events there too to cover other interests. Have fun and hopefully I'll see you at one of these! You know I'll be there. ;-)

1.) Negros Trade Fair
Date: September 11-16, 2009
Location: Rockwell Tent, Makati City




2.) Mall of Asia Midnight Madness
Date: September 18-20, 2009
Location: Mall of Asia, Pasay City



3.) Manila International Book Fair
Date: September 16-20, 2009, 10 am-8 pm
Location: SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia, Pasay City




4.) Hobbes and LandesWarehouse Sale
Date: September 17-19, 2009, 9 am-5 pm
Location: Unit 3, Topy's Building, 3 Economia St., Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City



5.) New Balance Power Run
Date: September 27, 2009, 5:30 am
Location: Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig




6.) 8th Spanish Film Festival
Date: October 1-14, 2009
Location: Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, Makati City

Going Provincial at Hacienda Escudero

Through the years, a number of our balikbayan relatives have been to Hacienda Escudero -- commonly known as Villa Escudero. It felt like we were the only ones who hadn't been there.

The perfect opportunity for us to go there was when my Dad visited us from Calgary last July. It was also my birthday weekend. Knowing how packed they get during weekends, I immediately called Hacienda Escudero to make the necessary reservations. To secure the reservation, we just had to make a 1,000-peso deposit in a bank account, and then call them back after a day or so. It all went very smoothly.

We went to Hacienda Escudero on a Saturday. From our place here in Taguig, Hacienda Escudero is just a 90-minute ride away. We got there at around 9:30 in the morning. The four of us -- my Dad, my husband, my uncle, and myself checked in and decided on just going for the day trip (P1,250/adult and P625/child below 4 feet during weekends; P1,105/adult and P550/child from Mon-Thurs). While waiting, we were given welcome drinks by the staff. We each got a refreshing glass of Sago't Gulaman (a cold drink with grass jelly and tapioca).

The staff at Hacienda Escudero were very attentive. They were stationed at certain spots so you're not bound to get lost. From the lobby, we had the option of going to the museum first or to get on a carabao cart-ride to the actual resort. We decided to go to the musem first.

From the outside, the museum looked like a grand cathedral! It was very picturesque. The down side is that as soon as you step inside the museum, you're told of their strict rule. That is, no pictures allowed! I was very disappointed with that. The museum was beautiful on the inside. They have these beautiful chandeliers and the religious relics they have there are quite unique. The museum had a variety of items that were sort of just put together. There were dried insects, old coins and bills, dioramas, silverware, antique furniture, paintings, and many others. I really enjoyed the collection of Filipino wear -- showing how it had evolved through the years. The museum even had on display some of the clothes worn by Filipino presidents during pivotal events. I had a good time at the museum. But honestly, I would have enjoyed it ten thousand times more if the museum number 1.) was lit better; 2.) was less dusty; 3.) had taken better care and maintenance of their collection; and 4.) had allowed us to take pictures!!!! I think you can tell I'm still bitter about that. ;-) I don't think pictures (even with the flash) would do any harm. The harm is in the fact that the museum hasn't been taking care of their collection. Most of the items had dust all over it or were affected by the moisture in the place. I understand that the museum is open 7 days a week. But really, they should find the time to clean everything up. It would be such a waste. The place seemed too dusty that I was scratching all over upon leaving the museum. I think I have an allergy to dust. And the museum certainly did not help my condition.

We finished touring the museum in about 40 minutes. From there, we took some pictures of the little garden, the square, a few monuments, and the Escudero home. Of course, no one is allowed to go in so we just took pictures from the gate. ;-)

Before we knew it, we were already on our way to the carabao-ride "station." ;-) We got on the cart and chuckled when we saw the name of our carabao. She's named Mutya. ;-) The carabao that just left before us was named "Sexy." ;-) Hahaha! ;-) Filipinos are very silly. ;-)

We were accompanied by live music on our carabao ride. At the back sat a female singer and her guitarist slash back-up singer. ;-) They sang folk songs which put smiles on my Dad and Uncle's faces. I'm sure the songs brought a lot of memories. ;-) It was a very relaxing ride. The air was fresh and we could see open fields and trees everywhere. We secretly hoped the resort was farther! ;-) Sadly, after 5 minutes, we had already reached the resort.

Getting off, we saw all these signs pointing to the different activities that you could do. Let's see. During your stay at the resort, you can do any of the following: go swimming, fishing (you have to buy your fishing line and bait), go rafting, hang out at their restaurant by the river, have lunch at the Labasin Falls (buffet lunch included with the entrance fee), go shopping at their tiiiiiiiiny souvenir shop, have a buko juice drink from one of their stalls, play badminton (you have to rent the equipment), or "cam-whore" it with the numerous photo-op locations available in the area. ;-)

It was just a few minutes before lunch so we decided to just walk around and you guessed it -- "cam-whore" instead! ;-) Truly a Filipino thing to do in a Filipino hacienda, hey? ;-) Hahaha! ;-) We walked to the pool, their restaurant, that area by the river, and even took a peek at the nipa huts that you could book for overnight stays! Wow. We saw the suite and they even have a hammock there with a good view of the river. We were told they go for around P10,000 a night. Not bad considering that you can easily pack 20 small Filipino bodies in there...;-) Hahaha. ;-)

They started serving lunch at 11. At 10:55, we were already at the Labasin Falls. I got all excited seeing the waterfalls and the tables position right beside it. The water was cold and it's so much fun to eat with your feet submerged in the water! You'll have to be extra careful though because some areas are pretty slippery. Anyway, as for the food, I'm not sure if the choices change every week or they have a set menu. But our choices for that Saturday included a healthy ensalada, various grilled items (tilapia, pork barbecue, other seafoods), fried chicken, afritada (a stew with meat, potatoes, and tomato sauce), guinataang kalabasa (squash and string beans in coconut milk), pancit (noodles), kangkong (water spinach), caramelized bananas, and tapioca in sweetened coconut milk. Everything was good and tasty! They all went well together. We enjoyed eating with our hands (their plastic utensils were pretty weak) and on banana leaves too! Not the best Filipino food but simple enough and the flavors were straightforward. Nothing fancy, really. Just like homecooking! ;-)

We were told about the 3:30 cultural show at their restaurant by the river. We headed there after eating to reserve a nice table. My Dad and uncle had San Miguel beer while Jojo and I walked around to explore. We didn't bring our bathing suits so couldn't go swimming. I wanted to go water rafting but there was a slight drizzle so we opted against that too. Fishing was an option but we didn't see too many fishes. I thought it would be a waste of time. So Jojo and I just went to their tiiiiiny souvenir shop. That was another waste of time too. There wasn't a lot to see! Apart from taking better care of their museum, I think that Hacienda Escudero should focus on adding more activities for their guests. There should be activities to represent all interests. Maybe it's the "city girl" in me but I got bored easily. I needed something to divert my attention but there wasn't a lot of that. I guess I'm just not used to this much peace and quiet. ;-) But my Dad and uncle really enjoyed it though. They liked the serenity of the place. ;-) I was going to give Hacienda Escudero a "thumbs down." But something changed my mind.

At 3:30, we were ready to watch the 75-minute cultural show. Wow! I was EXTREMELY blown away! It was amazing. There was a lot of folk dancing, singing (rondalla as accompaniment), and even martial arts (Kali). The choreography represented the various dance forms and styles in each region. It was well-rehearsed and I was amazed with the precision of the dancers. I particularly liked the all-male segment where every other dancer had to jump from one person's shoulder to another in full speed and then balancing. My jaw dropped at the end when we were told that the dancers in the show were the trained staff of the resort. They were the janitors, waiters, drivers, cashiers, cooks, and what-not of Hacienda Escudero! Amazing. They all did a wonderful job. The show made me all giddy afterwards because I had an even better appreciation of the Filipino talent and the beauty in our art form.

At around 4:30, we were ready to go back home. Instead of a carabao ride, we opted for a jeepney to take us back to the entrance. We bought a few souvenirs from their more decent shop there. Overall, it was a wonderful experience. Sure, some of their facilities were worn out and unkept. But all of this is forgivable, really. I would still recommend this to Filipinos looking for something to do during weekends or balikbayans/tourists wanting to get a glimpse of provincial life here in the Philippines. It's a real treat for 1,250 pesos. I would pay 1,25o pesos for the show alone! ;-) Everything else is just an added bonus. ;-)