Road To Tagaytay with my girlfriends!

This is a food and travel blog, but the only thing is.. I rarely travel which makes this blog more of a food blog. I know. I have failed as a travel blogger... BUT that doesn't mean I have to give up right? 

Luckily I was able to go to Tagaytay a couple of weeks ago with my friends. This post is a little late because I was terribly busy with a lot of things but all the memories are still fresh in my mind.. wow may ganun talaga? LOL 

Okay lets begin. To start off I traveled to Tagaytay on a private vehicle so I'm not sure how much money you have to shell out to get there but you can easily ride some buses. I suggest going to Tagaytay before the weekend starts, around Thursday to Saturday? Traffic is less hassle and going around is much easier - Trust me enjoying the view without other tourists will be a much blissful experience. 

We went there Sunday morning and we stopped over Nuvali which I heard has a wave park. Unfortunately we weren't able to see that. the only one that we saw is their clubhouse which actually looks more of like a convention center.

Of course in the tradition of me and my friends, we had a jumpshot.. but almost all the pictures are FAIL. either my face is not ok or their faces are not ok. Oh well.. 

Then of course we went to Tagaytay! We went first to the overlooking.. the weather was not really cooperating with us since it was drizzling but still we were able to take pictures. We also went on a hike from the overlooking to the picnic grove. Originally we were planning to eat there. But then all the cottages were occupied.. and we were not in the mood to wait for a cottage to eat.. 

And now on to the food porn! haha! 

We ate at ATS Green restaurant. I will do another post for this but for now.. 

FOOD PORN!

 

 

Next we went to Calaruega. Calaruega is a church in Nasugbu, Batangas.. around at least an hours worth of drive from Tagaytay. This was my first time to be there and I was in awe of it. You can also visit the church which is small but is exquisite. It will remind you of those small chapels in Italy.. if only you have been there..

Over all I had a great time having this road trip with my girlfriends. It was a bit tiring but it was all worth it. Quite honestly I fell asleep on the way home because the trip was super tiring so better bring your travel pillow so you can take a nap in between.

So.. when was the last time you went on a road trip?

I'd like to know! Comment below ^0^

Much Love!

xx Alice 

Afternoon Thirst Quenchers

On afternoons such as this one I really feel the urge to drink something cold even if I'm having a cold. Don't get me wrong, I know its bad to drink cold stuff when your sick but based on my experience its more of an indulgence since you can't have these everyday. 

First on my afternoon thirst quencher is Buko Shake (see picture above) 

Buko or coconut water has become a popular drink because its sweet even without sugar. I have been a coconut water drinker ever since I was a kid since my dad loves them. Buko is also known to keep the body cool and raises your metabolism to promote weight loss. 

But ever since the hype about this drink, there had been variations like buko shake. I like my buko shake with milk only - no added sugar since milk also has its sweeteners added to the coconut water and coconut bits. 

You can actually buy buko shake anywhere at affordable prices. I suggest you buy one from Buko Express or Buko Republic. But if there is none in your area you can also go for Fruitas. 

If you are not a coconut water person, you can go for tea! Iced tea for the least. Ever since my call center days I have been loving Lipton's Green Tea Japanese Tea and Lemon drink which is really nice and mild.

Trust me on this - This drink is a lifesaver if you are on the verge of screaming your guts out, drink this instead and you will feel much better. This is also really cheap since its around 20 - 25php on Ministop and other stores.

If you are out and about and you need to cool down, try this two drinks so your day will be okay.

That rhymed didn't it? haha! but I hope you got what I was talking about.

What is your hot afternoon thirst quenching drink? I would love to know your favorites.

Much Love!

xx Alice

Indulgence Item of the Week: McDonald's Choco dipped sundae with oreo overload

Happy Monday! It is such a sweet Monday don't you think? 

Ayyiii! For some reason this Monday is not a bad on for me ^^, 

Of course on today's post will be Indulgence Item of the Week! I do indulge every time I think I need to - For example would be the other week. I was quite stressed with work last weekend that me and my officemates Tyna, Mami LJ and Mami Erlyn decided to have a Mcdo session. 

I wasn't really that hungry but I was craving for a sweet treat so I decided to try the latest offering of McDonald's - The Choco dipped sundae with oreo overload! This is priced at around 35PHP or about .85USD. 

I like to try sweet treats since those are my weakness lol! 

Taste wise? Its okay. I like that the balance between the first layer of ice cream to the second layer. You can actually take your time in eating this thing! The choco dip is a tad sweet for me na medyo naumay ako after a while but the oreo bits at the middle got me back up again haha! maka comeback lang!

Over all its a great sweet treat for the young ones and the young at heart. I wouldn't recommend this if you are look for a quick treat since its a little hard to get over the choco dip once it hardens. 

Have you tried this new treat from McDonald's? What do you think about it? 

Let me know below! ^^, 

You can order one now at www.mcdelivery.com.ph  or visit any McDonald's near you! ^^,

Much Love and Happy Monday! 

Much Love! 

xx Alice 

How to Prepare for Office Celebrations

Hello everyone!

Problem with birthday celebrations with your co workers? Or you just want to celebrate for a job welll done with your co workers? Here are some things you can do. 

1. Plan ahead of time. 

If planning for a party to celebrate a co workers or your friend's birthday it is best to plan ahead of time what is needed to be bought or assign who's going to bring the food. 

2. Finger food is the way to go. 

If you have limited budget and also you don't have a lot of time to prepare I would suggest to get some finger foods like chips and dip, fondue dip and other food that you can easily prepare before you head out to work.

3. Think about the budget. 

One of the things that I really consider when I handle get together is the budget that each person has to give out. If you don't have enough budget, just work with what you have. If you work with a team, having a team fund is best, but don't splurge too much if you have a team celebration.

4. Pot luck is never old 

I know most people can't afford to wake up extra early just to prepare food for 30+ people for a pot luck party. If you can't prepare it you can buy it at a restaurant. 

5. Don't feel too burdened in bringing what you have. 

Sometimes people I know feel burdened in this kind of situation because its stressful sometimes since there will be side comments about what you brought. My only advise is don't mind them since you still made an effort to prepare for this celebration. 

And lastly, not everyone are in favor in company celebrations but don't be put off by them, its their personal preference to be like that so just enjoy the party and have fun! 

Any suggestions you have when having a company celebrations? Let me know below! 

Much Love! 

xx Alice

Night out with my friends at Penpen's

Having a night out with my friends is a bit of a luxury if you ask me since I don't go out a lot. I may look like I party a lot but in reality I don't go out a lot since I was raised that way. 

I was really glad I was able to have a night out with my friends a week ago and we tried to check out PenPen's in Cubao Expo. I remember the last time I was in Cubao Expo PenPen's was not there yet. I think that was around a year ago if my memory serves me right. 

Penpen's is a restaurant owned by actor Pen Medina. I haven't met the guy personally, but from the stories I heard from my friends who are in the film and theater they said he is a nice guy. 

Penpen specializes in Filipino cuisines which is really cool since there are not a lot of Filipino restaurants in the market. They had a pasta all you can promo a couple of months back, unfortunately I wasn't able to try them. 

Their interior is very simple but you'll notice that their pillar has posters of old Filipino movies. Some of the posters were actually produced around 70's and 80's. I didn't spot any 90's film unfortunately. 

I felt a bit nostalgic looking at them because I was able to watch some of them, especially Oro, Plata, Mata which I watched 5 times when I was in Highschool. I'm a movie junkie so old film are one of my weaknesses.

When we got there at around 8pm or 9pm the place was packed with people in red shirts. There was I think a basketball game that day so most of their customers then came from Araneta Coliseum. Most of their regulars are college students since the prices of their food are cheap. You can say around 70php up till 300 php which is definitely a great score for college students that frequently go out.

But we weren't able to eat there since it was almost closing, we only tried their alcoholic drink called Malanding Margarita. I was quite curious with the name actually because why would you call a margarita malandi in the first place. Malandi in English is a flirt so meaning this margarita is a flirty one?

napaisip lang 

Malanding margarita consists of Triple Sec, Rhum, Gin, Tequila, and some fruit juices. Its a definite ladies drink although it does contain high proof alcohol the taste of the juice over empowers it. There are also other drinks such as the Asiong Salonga and other drinks.

We also ordered their Gabi chips which is around 70 php. We didn't order any other pulutan since I think the place was closing already when we got there. The chips were cut like the ones from Piatos but the taste is quite different. I like the taste but for some reason its not that crunchy as I like my chips to me.

Over all I liked our little night cap at Penpen's. I think I will definitely be back for more of their dishes instead so watch out for that.

Have you tried Penpen's before? What is your favorite dish from them?

Let me know on the comment box below!

Much Love!

Alice

Dinner at Happy 6 days Korean Restaurant

Last Friday night, I was able to have dinner with my friends at a restaurant here in Ortigas called Happy 6 Days. This is a Korean restaurant that serves authentic Korean food. 

I had been here a couple of times but I am just able to blog about this today since I wanted to see the consistency of the taste of their food and also the service. I love Korean food ever since I got introduced to it. I particularly love Ttokbokki!

Food Finds: Toasted Siopao

Hello ladies! I am back with another food find! 

If you live within Teacher's Village, you would probably know this place already. Last Sunday, my friend's Grandmother offered us this small bread that actually looks like siopao but its brown in color. 

it was actually called toasted siopao. 

I was surprised since I haven't tasted one and when I did, it tastes so different compared to the original siopao. 

Siopao or steamed bun is white in appearance and its quite fluffy which is its distinct trademark. 

This is what a toasted siopao looks like on the outside, You can definitely see that it has that bun shape but its brown in color with come dark contrasts.

It contains meat and a slice of egg on the inside. There isn't a special sauce that would be given to you to add with the toasted siopao since the filling inside has sauce which is savory. 

One thing that I like about this is two or three of these would make you full already so if you are watching your weight, you can eat this without the guilt. 

I would just like to remind you that eating too much is unhealthy so make sure to watch what you eat. 

My mom and my nephew actually likes this so I'm planning on buying again next time when I go to my friend's house. 

You can buy this at TatyStar Bakery located at Madasalin St., Teacher's Village in Quezon City. 

Much Love! 

xx Alice 

Yakult: Another Definite Reminder of my younger days

When I was younger, Yakult is actually the drink that I have whenever I want something for my tummy. 

I have been drinking Yakult for a very long time and I think this has that nostalgic feel to it because it brings back lots of memories of my childhood. 

One such memory I have of it is when me and my family would go to Uniwide which was in Libis back then, and we would buy not one but 3 packs of these and drink it on our way home. As being the youngest, My older brothers would snatch my stash of Yakult on the way home and they would drink mine. I would eventually cry and whine but then they would give me two from their stash as a 'I'm sorry'. My brothers do that as a form of love - I know its weird.

The taste is quite sweet but not something that will overwhelm your taste buds. It is  mild and great when you put it in the freezer to refresh yourself on a hot day.

It is recommended to drink Yakult only once a day since it has live microorganisms. And too much of something is definitely bad for you.

I definitely love drinking Yakult during lunch time since its so hot and usually I drink it on my way to work to ward off the bad vibes that will come in the day. Trust me even if how much I love my work, there are still times I will have the urgency to smash... HULK mode lang teh? LOL

But anyway I really recommend Yakult for everyone for a great tummy.

Yakult is retailed at around 40 PHP per pack and around 8php to 11php for only 1 bottle.You can buy this at any supermarket and stores nationwide.

What is your fondest memory with Yakult?

Let me know on the comment box.

Much Love!

xx Alice

Indulgence Item of the week: KFC Krushers Coffee Jelly

Hello ladies! I am back with another indulgent item of the week! 

I like to indulge with little stuff because I believe taking advantage of little simple joys is like wasting your life. That is why I do enjoy everything even food and drinks! 

Food Finds under 50php: Midnight Hunger Pangs+Mang juan pancit in Tuyo and Kalamansi???

Hello ladies! I am back with another food find! 

I usually get hunger pangs in the middle of the night whenever I shoot new videos or edit new videos and photos for my lovelies ^^, luckily there is a lot of convenience stores in our neighborhood that I can go to in case I get hungry. 

Drink Find: Roots Ginger Brew

Hey Everyone! Sorry again for not updating this blog but I have just been quite busy with everything and didn't really had much time to blog about food finds and all. But expect a lot of food-related posts soon since I have been out and about so I will let you know what is the latest finds in the market. 

On today's blog it would be about Roots Ginger Brew. I have been seeing this drink in Mini stop in our office for the longest time that I didn't really give enough thought of trying it. But because of sheer curiosity I was able to buy and try one of these.

Retails for about 19.50 - 20++. I forgot the exact price though. This is a carbonated drink so expect a lot of fizz when you open this. According to the packaging this is 100% ginger. We will just have to see it. 

Ingredients:

Carbonated water, sugar, brewed ginger, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate.

The taste is actually new to me. Its zesty but mild. The flavor is quite smooth that you can actually have a second serving of this. 

In terms of the taste, it is good but if you are not used to ginger you might want to go with the regular kind of soda. Personally this is a great drink since its not the ordinary carbonated drink. 

Will I repurchase it? 

Sure, maybe when I am going out with my niece and my nephew so they can try this out. 

Will you try this drink for yourself? 

Let me know on the comments box! 

Happy Sunday! 

Much Love! 

-- Alice

Dining out with my girls at Don Day

Hello ladies!

I would just like to share to you my experience eating at Don Day restaurant.

I came to know this restaurant from an office colleague since she went there with her friend and her friend's boyfriend. I was a bit surprised when I got there because it was not as I expected it to be, but not in the bad way of course.

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