Company Christmas party @ Tramway

Okay so I will be doing this post without any pictures because the pictures were accidentally deleted from my camera and whenever I would post those that are in my facebook page, it would just be flipped...Like WTH?!?!?!? 

Food Finds Under 100 pesos

I usually wake up at around 10am on weekdays which ends up on me not eating breakfast or lunch at home. I know that is bad but I actually eat when I get to work.I usually multitask when I'm at work and that includes eating. 

My Rainy Saturday with Michelle

Ola!

So how's your weekend? mine?...hmmm... it was great since I was able to shop for some items and get to spend some time with my friend Michelle. It was supposed to be me, Michelle and 2 of our friends but something came up so they weren't able to come. 

Pig out moment: At the office and il mercanti

Last week was one heck of a week if you ask me since we just found out one of my office mates passed the board exams for teachers! woohoo! Congrats Jewel!

So as part of the celebration we had a mini potluck at the office for the October celebrants and also as a congratulations for our Jewel ^^, 

Look what I got in the mail!

Look what I got in the mail? yeehee! 

Where Have I been up to???

Sorry I have not been updating this page as much as I want to. 

I have been pretty busy lately so I can't really do a lot of things to update my food blog.

I have been having this cycle of eating my first meal of the day past 2pm every single day, I don't know if this is bad but currently I haven't felt bad.

 

So during the weekend I was able to attend 2 events. The first event was for Diana Stalder in Tutuban Mall. 

I was not expecting much on Tutuban Mall since I think the last time was there was October of 2010. It has improved and I honestly like it since its much more roomy now...or maybe its roomy because there is not much people? haha! I don't know. 

I wasn't able to buy anything since I was just there for the event of Diana Stalder, if you want to know more about it click here for the details. 

 I also got a picture with Diana Meneses which was really nice! 

Ang taba ko talaga pag katabi sya! LOL 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Enjoying a Big Uhaw won't kill you

I have a friend who once criticized me about drinking 711's Big Gulp that it would kill me. 

I know where she is coming from, but lets set things straight-

 

I DON'T DRINK BIG GULP ON A DAILY BASIS.

I know that too much of something can kill you. I would enjoy a big gulp on a day before or on my payday which comes only twice a month, so why judge me in indulging on something I only get twice a month? 

I am not ranting if you are wondering, but there are things in life that we cannot have all the time, and when people judge you for at least enjoying it once in a while, just ignore them. 

Food is there to nourish and to comfort us. Enjoying some once in a while is okay, just don't make it your only way to comfort yourself. 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Same old Same old

I'm not trying to bitch out here about my job but more of the people. 

I'm really friendly if you ask me but I really don't like those people that would literally just push your fucking buttons just because you don't say anything about it. 

In the first place other people have nothing to say about my life and what I do with it because it is MY life. 

You would only have a thing to say to it if:

1. You were the one that gave birth to me. (my mother)

2. You are the one that raised me. (my parents)

3. You are the one that made me. ( God )

If you don't fit those three just shut the fuck up and live you own fucking life. 

I don't really care what people think of me, but when people talk shit about me and what I do 

ITS PERSONAL. 

Don't mess with me because I can kick the crap out of you.

I am fucking sure with that. 

-- Alice

Enderun Colleges Pastry Demo Experience

Ola ladies! 

Okay so I went to Enderun Colleges last Saturday to see their free pastry demo. 

It was actually really cool to visit this school since I have seen this every time I am in Venice Piazza. I actually thought it was an art school than a culinary school.

The call time for the event was 10am but of course transportation within the Quezon City area was not cooperating with me so I had to leave at around 8am. 

When I got there I met up with a new blogger friend named Tin ^^, She is gorgeous! and we just chatted for a couple of minutes when we were told that the event was about to start. 

The chef that was doing the demo for that day was chef Jasmine Magallanes, and she made 3 pastries which are from the easiest to the more advanced ones. I think the hardest that she made was the lower left picture at the start of this blog. 

We were also toured around the school. I was really impressed with the architectural work of the schools, especially the one for the management courses because the facade is like the ones in a hotel. The pastry that we tried is also amazing. I was really impressed with the facilities and their curriculum. 

I also like their curriculum because it showcases the art of making great food and also the business side of it too. They have extension courses which run for 3 months and also they have 15 month courses.

I am thinking of entering this school in the future, but for now I will just have to wait for the right moment since I have more things to do now. I will just have to learn by my own I guess. 

One thing I learned from the pastry demo is that its better to measure your ingredients by grams than cups and tablespoons, because in that way it is more precise. And their is also a scientific side in cooking in which I will have to learn in the future. 

By the way all pictures of the event would be posted on my Facebook page.  

Well that is my post for today! 

Thank you so much for reading my post, If you do have any thing to say please comment below on the comment box and I'll talk to you soon! 

Much love! 

-- Alice

Philippine Snacks: Turon

wacky pose with my turon LOL

Being Filipino, I was exposed to all the tasty food that we have, From the appetizers, entrees and of course snacks and desserts. 

Turon is one of my favorite since its crunchy, sweet and good to eat whenever you want to. 

Flat tops and my childhood

picture from google

I remember when I was a kid, I'm still a kid (at heart), that I would snack on to one of these after dinner. Its either this or chocknut. Me and my dad had those mannerisms after we eat we will have to eat something sweet to at least lessen the umay.  Don't ask me what that is, I don't know the english term LOL.

My dad's diabetic so I usually get 70% of the chocolate he has then I would have another one on the fridge waiting to be eaten haha!

Flat tops is a chocolate here in the Philippines which has been around for a long time. Most kid of the 90's would know this chocolate and its other variant which is the curly tops. 

I preferred flat tops over curly tops is you ask me.  I like the creaminess of flat tops, its not like the ones from Hershey's or other chocolate brands out there. 

picture from google

I admit I can finish 5 of these in 5 minutes or less so usually I would share this with my nephew and niece. 

What I love about this is its a Philippine made product so that means that we are able to enjoy what is here in our country. This is also very cheap. You can buy one pack for at least 30 pesos (approx .69 USD)

Flat tops actually melt quite fast so I suggest you put them in a cold dry place so you won't have melted chocolate. 

I actually use flat tops when I make chocolate icing, but that is for another post.

Have you tried this chocolate? What is your most fond memory with this chocolate? 

Share it on the comment box below and I will talk to you soon.

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Afternoon Snacks: 7-11's Daily Bread Brownies

 

I seriously love chocolate. I love any kind of food that has chocolate. Usually when I'm at the office and I have extra time, I would drop by the convenience stores here in the vicinity of our office, one of them is 711,

711 has a lot in store. From food to personal stuff they have it here. 

The 711 in our area is always packed with people since it is surrounded by offices. 

They also have their own line of pastries called the daily bread. Honestly I haven't tried all of the bread it has. I also haven't tried this so might as well I do a review about it. 

In price its reasonable for 28 pesos (approximately .68 USD). They also have variants in rocky road, chocolate with white icing and of course the original brownies. Taste-wise its pretty much okay if you just need a quick chocolate rush. 

My overall verdict for this one is its okay but needs to improve more. I think one reason why people don't buy this is simply because it doesn't have that "chocolate touch" You know the taste that is creamy yet not overwhelming and the sweetness of chocolate is just there...that is what I am looking for.

You can buy this at any 711 store. 

Hope you enjoyed my food review for today.

I'll have more in store! 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Walking is my way of life.

picture from google

I love walking. Ever since I found out that it can help you slim down I've always loved it. 

Haha! echusera lang! 

Pero honestly I love walking since it helps me release stress and also release fats (haha!).

I have friends who actually run when they feel stressed. I've tried running, back then I was really good at it but since I gained weight, running ain't an option I would try. Try being 155 lbs then you run an incline path tignan naten tibay mo! LOL

I started walking to slim down back when I was in High school. I think that was sophomore year or junior year. I did those things mainly for 2 reasons:

1. To slim down.

2. To save some money. 

It actually made my life a little easier when I started walking since most of the time back then my mom would ask me to run some errands and to save money I would just walk to the store. Extra allowance for me! haha!

I think it was up until I was in senior year in college I have loved walking. 

The results may not show immediately but its a working progress. 

One of the weirdest things I think I did was I walked from Quiapo, Manila to Roxas Blvd. Not that I was a cheapskate, but I just wanted to enjoy the sounds and sights of Manila. I live in Quezon City so cut some slack for me okay? haha! 

I've also walked from my office, which is in Ortigas to my house in Quezon City. When I checked online how long that was I was shocked to see that I walked for 4 miles. Of coursed I was exhausted when I got home, but I feel refreshed. 

 

Walking is something people took advantage. For me walking is not just a means for me to get somewhere but to also enjoy the sights, sounds and the people I see. People think I'm weird because of that but I don't care.

You can also try walking to give you a better health. Try walking your dog or even just walking to the store. The thing with this is your not thinking where you are going. You just let your feet bring you there.


And also when walking, do not EVER drag your feet because it will tire you. I've done that so many times and its not a pretty picture if you ask me. It makes me look like I am in a death march.

Have you tried walking as a way to relax? 

Tell me what you think on the comment box and I'll talk to you soon. 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

How to make Teoppokki (Korean Spicy Rice Cakes)

Ola! I'm back with another post! 

This time though it will be to teach you how to make Ddubokki or Teoppokki.

It basically means spicy rice cakes in Korean. I may speak a little Korean but I don't speak the language fluently so don't ask me anything further than that ok? haha! 

I will be teaching you the instant version of the spicy rice cakes so you can make this within 15 minutes or less. 

Teoppoki / Ddukbokki is composed of fish cakes, rice cakes, some veggies and of course its sweet and spicy...well more on the spicy sauce.

I originally made this because my mom bought the ingredients already and she is too scared to over cook it. I am not a good cook, but I know how to follow instructions well so I did it for her. 

Since Korean groceries have been popping up like mushrooms your ingredients are fairly easy to get. 

You'll need: 

1 pack of rice cakes

1 pack of fish cakes

1 sachet instant teoppokki sauce

water

I did not add veggies in this one because I am not sure what veggies I should add. And quite honestly the only veggie in our refrigerator is ampalaya.. Ick! 

so let's go with the procedure first. 

1. Wash the rice cakes first.

2. Cut the fish cakes in smaller bite-size portions. 

3. Add water to a pan. I would prefer to use a pan than a pot but either way they work. 

4. Put the rice cake and fish cake into the pan and cover the pan. Wait for it to simmer. 

5. Once that it is simmering, add the ddukbokki sauce and stir until the sauce has become a watery-thick texture. If you like it to be more on the watery side you can add more water. 

6. Also check if the sauce is just right for you. If it is too spicy, just add sugar to lessen the spiciness. 

And that's it! There's not a lot to do with this recipe since it is an instant meal. 

I actually like to enjoy eating this hot since one the sauce cools down it will have a jelly-like texture. 

Try this out and I'm sure you'll like it! 

Much Love! 

--- Alice 

Things to expect

Ola! 

I have been thinking of doing a series in this blog. 

One of the things that you guys would have to expect is my daily food intake. I know its weird that you have to read what I ate today, but its for the purpose of your opinion about certain Filipino cuisines. I'll also have more food reviews too. 

I'll also start doing daily blogs here because I don't want this part of my blog be left behind. I'll be posting a lot of general thoughts and also my daily rants about the public transportation here in the Philippines. I'll have that one of the way don't worry. 

I will also try to hone my photography skills - through my phone that is. Haha! I'll post random photos here of certain places or people I've met. If you're picture is here you're in luck! 

Well that's is for now! I will definitely go back here to update you ^^, 

Much Love! 

-- Alice 

Mini stop's Promos and Quick food review! ^^,

Ola! 

Happy Friday! 

When you are in a hurry where do you buy your food? 

Mcdonalds? Jollibee? or any convenience store?

I mostly go to Ministop or 7-11 to buy food since I don't really eat a lot...well maybe if I haven't eaten breakfast. 

On that note, most commonly I go to ministop because of their friendly cashiers. I'll do another post about the cashiers on my other blog ^^, 

I am the type of person that usually talks to the cashiers if they are friendly. Its by chance that the ladies at ministop Pearl Dr here in Ortigas were really nice to tell me about some of their promos at the moment. 

 

First promo they have is the cool treats at mini stop. Basically if you buy a 5 giant sundae cones the 6th giant sundae cone is free! and to prove that you will be given a loyalty card the one I have. I'm not really sure though if all branches of ministop has this. 

Quick Review about their giant sundae cone. 

Things that I Like: 

-- Really Cheap! Only 15 php each. 

-- The flavors are awesome. Although it changes from time to time. I am currently loving their chocolate strawberry. 

-- 1 cone is just enough to fill your ice cream craving

Things that I Don't Like:
-- You have to eat this quickly because it melts quickly.

Verdict??

A winner! I love ice creams and this is one of my favorites! ^^, 

Will I purchase again? 

No questions ask....YES! 

Lets go the the next promo that they have. They have this promo on their fried chickens that if you buy either 1 piece or 2 piece chickens you get a 500ml pepsi! 

I actually don't eat lunch at home because I have to go to work at around 12nn. When I say their fried chicken I was like  

"teh anlaki naman nyan!" (That's so big!) 

I actually though this has more flour for breading than the actual meat, but it was actually not that! haha! The gravy and rice though were a bit of a let down because the rice is not that hot while the grave was a tad watery and has a lot of black pepper. 

Quick review again! 

What I like: 

- Great buy for 120!

- Really yummy chicken. 

- The 2 piece chicken is actually good for four if you look at the size of the chicken. 

What I don't like:

- Gravy was a bit watery and has a lot of pepper. 

- Rice was not hot :(

Verdict? 

I still like it! even though the rice and gravy was a let down, the chicken was superb. You could honestly go on a food coma after this if you like the food haha! joking aside though this is an awesome meal if you are on a budget! 

I know its not THAT healthy to eat this everyday. I suggest to eat this at least twice a week and have a friend to share the big chicken okay? 

That's it for my blog post today! I hope you like it! If you have questions or suggestions of good restaurants I can try out here in Manila please do comment down below and I will talk to you soon ok? 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Philippine Transportation: its Types and A Commuter's Frustration Part 1

credits to the owner

Manila is legendary for its major traffic situation. 

I could honestly say that even on weekends you could raise the middle finger if its really bothering you.

I have been a commuter almost all my life. I have actually managed to even calculate my traveling time in a certain day of the week! 

There are many types of public utility transportation you can use to get around the metro. I will just tell you 2 of the major types of transportation for now.

credits to the owner

Lets start with the Public Bus. There are 2 forms of that - The AC (air con) or the Ordinary (no aircon). 

In terms of names there are lots I can give you to choose from. If you want a little comfort and also you are not so much in a hurry, you can go for the AC bus. 

One thing about AC buses that I like is they provide entertainment while you are on the road. Some AC buses would feature a movie or local television shows. 

The downside though is the fare. Most probably there will be like a 3 to 5 php difference. But that is mainly because you have AC. 

The other form of the public bus is the ordinary bus. 

Most of these buses are a little reckless on the road if you ask me. But they do that because they want to reach their boundary immediately, or they are just hungry for some action with other buses LOL. Ordinary buses is more common and I would opt for when I want to get home early. These buses don't have AC so I suggest you hold on to your precious hair and life. Some ordinary buses have entertainment too. Mostly it would just be radio playing some music from Love FM.

Price wise, its pretty cheap. From my office to a block away from my house is just 10 php. The downside is that most ordinary buses are cramped and sometimes these buses are reckless, you have to hold on tightly so you won't get hurt. I've gotten some bruises before riding these and IT HURTS.

 

Besides from buses, there are also trains which are MRT, LRT and LRT2. MRT mainly runs along EDSA which is the main road here in Manila. LRT is within Manila and its other districts while LRT 2 runs from Manila, San Juan, Quezon City, Marikina and Pasig area. Out of the three railways, I am a frequent rider of the MRT. 

MRT or Metro Rail Transit runs through the major districts of the metro. It has 13 stations in total. 3 of its main stations are: Cubao, Ayala and Taft Station. The travel time in MRT has actually cut in half if you ask me. My usual travel time when I ride the MRT is between 15 to 30 minutes tops compared when I would ride a bus. Its also much cheaper to buy a SVC or store value card because there is a specific amount stated in the card and even if the card just have 1 peso, you can still ride the MRT. The downside though is it gets a little crowded at times, Usually on rush hours. 

When riding the MRT, patience is your partner to get over this. I have seen women slapping each other because they were just pushed. My 2 cents for this? Well just shut up and don't complain ladies! haha!

Much like the MRT, The LRT and LRT2 both cuts your travel time in half.

The LRT runs from Monumento to Baclaran Taft station. This basically is the train you can use if you want to go to some of the most important places in Manila.

LRT 3 on the other hand goes between 5 cities: Manila, San Juan, Pasig, Marikina and Quezon City. LRT 3 is actually the train that most students within the University Belt ride to go to school.

That is it for this blog post for today. I hope I didn't bore you with all the information I got.

Credits by the way to wikipedia.org for some information about the MRT and LRT.

I'll be back for the part 2 post of this so watch out!

Much Love!

-- Alice 

Dinner with my sister and the family at Banapple

Duane, me, Joyce, and baby Jezriel

Ola! I am now starting to update this blog more. 

It may be a little late (blame it on my schedule) but I will update this what ever it takes.

If you read my beauty blog, you would already have seen the first part of my Saturday last September 24. I was able to attend this event by Dollface cosmetics held in Purebeauty in Serendra. 

I had a great time and I was able to meet Noe, Janah, Teena and also Pearl, the owner of Dollface Cosmetics. 

If you want to see more of this event you can click here

So I actually stayed in my sister's house the rest of the weekend and one highlight of this weekend is the party and what we did on Sunday evening. 

Sunday evening we went out and had dinner in Banapple in Katipunan. I haven't actually ate there before but whenever I pass by on the way to my dad's I would be so curious because their place is highly recommended. The place was always packed but there were some things that kind of turned me off. 

look at that serving! ^^

The interior is great, it has this homey feel. The lighting has a romantic feel to it. There were a lot of couples, and also families that ate there. 

I ordered fettuccine jacinta which costs 170 per serving. When it was served to me, I was shocked to see that the serving is actually good for two! 

Here are some things I was a bit off about the place. For one is that we have to wait for like 10 mins or more to get a seat. Not all of their employees were approachable and some of them didn't even smile. It was okay for me  because I think they were having a lot of people to serve but honestly, at least show some courtesy. Even I would still force a smile when I'm stressed. 

But no biggie, I was there for the food and the ambiance, not really much on the staff. There were a bit fast but were a bit lacking in smiles. 

Would I eat again in Banapple? Of course! I would try their other specialties next time but not on a weekend. 

Have you been to Banapple? 

How was your experience? 

Tell me on the comment box and I'll talk to you soon! 

Much Love! 

-- Alice 

I wanna learn how to make macarons!

 Macarons or macaroons as we know it has changed throughout the years. 

I remember that only Macaroon I know is coconut. That's it.

This delectable treat actually came from France. The French pastry shop called Laduree first made these. These treats actually made a cameo on a film entitled Marie Antoinette. Yep you guessed it, its about Marie Antoinette. 

And one of the tasks I would have to accomplish is actually make these precious treats. 

I am not really sure where to start but I will find a way to make one ^_^

A macaroon is actually made from almond powder, powdered sugar and among others. 

I will try to make more blogs about my cooking experience! :) 

I miss cooking and I want to learn more cuisines as I grow older :) 

Wish me luck! 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Night Out with my College Friends

From L to R: Marica, Danica, Michelle, Kathy, Gracie, and Joan

Last Saturday I was able to hang out with my college friends in Michelle's house. 

If you are one of my readers Michelle is one of my biggest supporter and my uber best friend.

We actually started at around 5pm because some of us came a little later than the time that was set up haha! Sorry Filipino time again LOL 

Of course since it has been a while since we got together there were a lot of catching up to do. And also a lot of gossiping, its a normal thing since WE are girls you know! haha! 

The initial plan was actually a night out in Eastwood, then it became Madison's then Padi's Cubao. But the final decision was in Michelle's house. You should have seen the thread we made on Facebook, it was like a week's worth! 

Random moment.

 Hanging out with my college girl friends is actually much fun than those with my High school friends. There I said it. Because I can't connect with their likes to what I like. I'm fairly a girly girl in person if you ask me. And I was a different person when I was in High school, Its nowhere near what I am right now. 

Going back to the topic. 

It was actually a bit awkward when we started, it was like when we were in Freshman year in college all over again haha! but later on we were able to get comfortable. 

bottle number 1.

We started the evening with a bottle of red wine from Italy. We also got a lesson about wine from Michelle's tito Arnold :) 

The second bottle that we had was a bit harder to finish than the first one. The second wine actually didn't tasted that good. ick!

We also had pizza! haha! we were actually planning on ordering Big Guy's Pizza but when we were informed that it will be delivered at 10 pm we just said THANK YOU! 

The ever so known "Dyahe" piece. And for some reason I was the one who ate this piece. 

We also had Pancit Palabok from.... I forgot! sorry haha! but it tasted really good. ^_^

Here are some of the pictures of what happened. 

Enjoy! :) 

I am really sorry for the exaggerated pose. WE WERE HUNGRY!

 And now I leave you with a picture of one of my friends who got first serving of the pancit palabok

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Dinner out with my office mates!

Ola Chicas! I'm back in this part of my blog. 

I'm really sorry I haven't been updating since I haven't gone out and enjoy some good food in a while. 

So last Friday I went out with my friends to Metrowalk to eat dinner and also so celebrate 3 of my co-workers birthday! We had a very hearty dinner courtesy of Jay-J's Inasal ^_^

These are what we had for appetizers

These were amazing I tell you, even the breaded spinach taste so good. 

For our entree we had crispy sisig which is good for beer, but not with rice. I actually had a hard time eating this, I had to gulp down some iced tea to soothe my throat 

We also ordered crispy pata, unfortunately I wasn't able to taste this because it was at the farthest part of our uber long table. 

Can you see it? I can still remember how yummy Jay-J's Kare Kare is! Omg it just tastes soooo good! :D 

        

We also had some soup, as far as I can remember this is sinigang na bangus. very yummy too!

       

We actually ordered lots of food, I just wasn't able to eat them all. I actually got used in only 1 serving of rice due to my diet. haha! 

We also have cake courtesy of Goldilocks! Love this one! 

Here are other pictures of what happened that night! Enjoy! 

 

Jay-J's Inasal is located at Metrowalk. You can also visit their Meralco Avenue branch only 10 minutes from Metrowalk Ortigas. 

Much Love! 

Alice