At the rate that Ruy and I are eating out, we'll have to take out some Secured Loans pretty soon. Of course with all the cyber crimes and hacking going on, it's pretty hard determining where to get these loans. I saw this site which offers Secured Loans and it looks pretty interesting.
They actually alow you to compute your cost and offer repayment of up to 30 years. Not bad huh? And if you go to their site and look at the picture of the happy family there...you'd realize that this loan might be something to make you happy.
10/31/2007
Will Blog for Food
10/30/2007
Half Moon Crazy
Flip the other half of the bibingka over to complete the Half Moon. Cut into six parts for easy handling.
The result: An ingenious dessert that's quite heavy and amazingly good. The chocolate pellets melt and meld with the the cheese and condensed milk resulting in a flavor that is bitter and sweet with an undertone of saltiness. Sensations that are conveyed to the mouth via the soft and moist bibingka followed by a rich, warm ooze. An Indonesian specialty I believe, called Martabak.
Liv and I usually find ourselves eating this in the car, on the way home after a long, busy but fun day together. A fitting finale to cap another blessed moment in our married life. Another beautiful day spent until it yields itself to an equally beautiful evening under the shining half moon.
The Half Moon stall we frequent is at SM The Block beside the escalators on the 2nd or 3rd floor. Unfortunately, this is the only Half Moon branch I know of. Half Moon/Martabak is also served (where else) in Martabak Indonesian resto at the top floor of The Block. I like them both but for take out dessert, the Half Moon is quicker and more accessible (I'd love to talk about the other authentic Indonesian offerings in Martabak but I'll save that for another post).
Metal Cabinets
A friend of mine decorated her condo in a very industrial style. The floors were bare cement, the beams and pipes on the ceiling were exposed. She also decked her kitchen with metal cabinets for storage. Imagine that? It's actually a very logical choice as metal cabinets are very easy to clean. I can't imagine having those for my home though as it lends a very cold feel to the house. It also doesn't go well with the Zen theme we're trying to achieve.
Labels: house furnishings, money
Blogging Difficulty
The most difficult thing about blogging about food is the wait. We have to wait until Ruy is able to take pictures of the food before I can eat it. This is incredibly tough. If you would look at Ruy's food pictures, you can see that I've already attacked the food before he was able to take a shot. Then Ruy would panic and try to reconstruct how it looked ...this would of course be a very difficult taks considering I already ate parts of it.
Labels: food
Christmas Gifts from Blog Earnings
"Chestnuts, roasting on an open fire. Jackfrost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carole being sang by a choir..." Can you feel the Christmas air about you? Well I can't. It's quite hard feeling the Christmas spirit when you don't have much money to spend on gifts. I know that Christmas is not about the gifts but it sure makes Christmas so much better.
It's not like I can't buy anything for anyone, it's just that I feel like the gift I can give the people I care about is not proportional to the love I have for them. Do any of you feel that?
One gift that is always appreciated is food. I have some ideas on what to give people based on their interests and I'd list them down here:
1. Mom - buffet in Circles, Heat, Market Cafe. This woman LOVES to eat and I'm telling you she can eat twice her weight in kilos.
2. Aunt - Red Crab gift certificate, she loved their Schezuan Crabs.
3. Lola - my lola is easy, she likes a lot of things. Alba's Cochinillo, Special Tamarind Candies, Yummy ensaymada from Valle Verde, etc.
4. QA - yummy food from different sources, Salmon Cheese Ball, Caviar Pie both from Delicioso. Foie Gras from Je Suis Gourmand. Cheese platter from Santi's.
Now, the question is, where do I get the money to pay for all of these? =) I can tell you that these things are not cheap. Luckily I have just joined the pack of hungry wolves (hello Jane and Jen) who are crazy over pay per post. So far Pay Per Post has the most steady stream of ads which makes it lucrative. They also have a wonderful support crew who are very patient in dealing with inquisitive Liv. =)
Ruy and I enjoy blogging and we do it anyway so why not get paid to blog?
Labels: blog earnings, money
10/28/2007
Ruy's Itchogoood Nacho
More than a year later, he's still preparing them and I'm still obsessed with them. Yes, it's another one of those unhealthy things Ruy and I are crazy over. Let me give you an idea of how Itchogoood Nachos are prepared.
Ingredients:
Mexicorn Barbecue Flavored Tortilla Chips
Tomato
Cheez Whiz
Cream
Ground Beef
Cumin
Chili Powder
(other things Ruy refuses to divulge)
1. Layer your container with Chips
2. Chiz Mixture (combination of chiz and cream and other secret spices)
3. Ground Beef (seasoned with cumin, chili powder and magical spices)
4. Tomato
5. OPTIONAL: Olivia likes having another layer of the Chiz mixture at this point
6. Second Layer of chips
7. Chiz Mixture
8. Ground Beef
9. Tomato
10. OPTIONAL: Olivia wants another layer of Chiz mixture here as well... =)
This is best enjoyed with other unhealthy things. You have a variety of drinks to choose from: iced tea, soft drinks (preferably a huge bottle) or our drink of choice last time:
Labels: choco drink, nachos, snacks
Pardon Us
We're remodelling our blog so it might be looking a bit strange for the next couple of days. Please bear with us. =)
...BUSINESS AS USUAL
10/27/2007
My New Favorites in Teriyaki Boy
or Kani Salad + Asupara Bacon Maki or Sukiyaki (with Liv).
10/24/2007
Green Tea Craze at Starbucks
So many dishes, so little stomach space. Ahhh our ever-present dilemma. Ruy and I always find ourselves faced with interesting dishes we would LOVE to try except of course our arteries can only take so much cholesterol and calories. =)
We thought it would be great if we could feature some new items we see during our trips even if we haven't really tried them. Please please let us know if you guys have and tell us what you think.
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Green tea has been an ongoing obsession of Filipinos. It started out simple...with Green Tea Bags being sold in specialty shops, then later on in commonplace groceries. This obsession has gotten insane so much so that we are now swimming in everything green tea, from perfumes, drinks, candles, scrubs --and yes, even entire restaurants.
Starbucks has decided to add more products to this list. Here are their latest green tea products:
Some people adore green tea while some can't stand it's taste claiming that it tastes like tobacco. What about you? Are you ready to go green?
10/23/2007
Luzon: Sites, Thoughts and Tinola
All journeys have a beginning and I would like to say that thanks to the new NLEX, north Luzon journeys now start with a pleasant cruise.
Mt. Arayat as seen from Nueva Ecija.
Every trip is an opportunity for pleasant discoveries. This is what I am constantly reminded of. No matter how many times I've passed these roads I realize that if I open my eyes, there will always be something beautiful and new that I've never seen before. And if life was a journey and we're all here to adventure, I'd love to be a hunter, stalking life's beauty like a prey, keeping my eyes wide open so that I never miss any golden opportunity to be awed and be thankful. (at least I really try my best to)
I can just imagine these plants being tiny paintbrushes reaching up to paint the beautiful heavens.
The rainy season brings to life these secret streams that are nowhere to be seen during the hot, dry, summer. A reminder that no matter what drought life may bring, in time, it's bounties will surely come rushing in. No matter how you try to mask beauty, its splendor will definitely be revealed with unabashed glory.
Famished and tired from a long drive, this sight made me excited about the coming meal.
My favorite sili comes in stalks. Wooohooo!
Having taken care of the sili and bagoong, we then proceeded to the main course --Tinola of native chicken (served piping hot from the pugon). Basically an Ilocano soup cooked with chicken, ginger, green papaya, patis and sili leaves. This particular tinola however was made extra special by the egg inside the native chicken which made the broth slightly yellow and very tasty. The meat of native chicken is a bit more dense than the broiler kind and a lot more flavorful. The freshness of the veggies (harvested right before cooking) was very evident specially in the green papaya which was sweet, crisp and juicy. I couldn't help but exclaim praises with every mouthful.
Dripping with food induced sweat, we concluded our authentic Ilocano lunch, with freshly plucked bananas which just seemed like the perfect way to end the feast.
Labels: banana, North Luzon, tinola
10/22/2007
Ruy and Liv's Disclosure Policy
This policy is valid from 22 October 2007
This blog is a collaborative blog written by a group of individuals. For questions about this blog, please contact Ruy and Liv.
This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.
The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.
The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.
This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.
To get your own policy, go to http://www.disclosurepolicy.org
10/19/2007
Orange Shake -- TWL
Second on our Tastes We Love series..."Fruitas Orange Shake". I must admit that I only got to try this yesterday but I'm already addicted. So addicted that I had some again today....and was thisclose to buying another glass before going home.
I love the interplay of the sweetness of the sugar syrup together with the tang of the orange. It's unbelievably refreshing and very affordable. It costs only 55 for their grande sized glass.
Labels: drinks, food, fruit, fruit shake, orange shake, shake
Musical Chairs (Tagged by Liv)
I got tagged by someone named Liv:
1)Di Na Natuto-- My first favorite song (at around 6 or 7 yrs old). Probably irritated the heck out of my mom with my non stop singing and wrong lyrics (which I'm still notorious for now if you ask Liv) which is probably why my mom eventually bought me a "Song Hits" song book for me to use as I belted my heart out. "Nandyan ka na naman, tinutukso tukso, ang aking puso...."
2)Forever (Martin and Regine)-- Another song Liv and I happened to be obssessing about when we met (let it now be known that I'm not the only cheesy person inhabiting this web space).
3) Pilgrim's Theme - who doesn't want to heed the inner call?
4)It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday (BoyzIIMen)-- hearing this song being sung by BoyzIIMen in the background of a burial scene in Lethal Weapon 3 (I think) totally opened my awareness to the world of a cappella and R&B.
5)Everlasting Love (The Company)-- of course my song with Liv is the most meaningful of all.
6.)Somewhere Out There-- My childhood "kilig song". This was the theme song that played in my head when I was around 8 or 9 yrs old whenever I thought of my childhood crushes (which included Star Wars' Princess Leia of course).
10/17/2007
Where Should We Go Next?
It's funny how people have been giving us more and more suggestions as to where we should go next. Thank you for all your tips, we will definitely take them into consideration. As it is, we're already booked for the whole year. Going place to place is quite uncomfortable now cause of the weather. Why is it sooo hot? It's already October and in the past this period is already quite chilly. I'm hoping we get to visit a cool-er place soon.
Options would of course be: 1. Baguio, 2. Tagaytay, 3. Anywhere up North. The thing is, Ruy and I have already visited all these places together and so this is really nothing new for us. Haaaay if we only had enough budget (and less work here) we'd love to go to another country this year. Hmmmm, maybe we can go with Nuni and Nunu to Japan? Or visit Jen in the US? or Che in UK?
If we would have the chance to go to UK we'd definitely go to Cardiff. We've already found this site with great info for tourists and with a line-up of their activities. I'm quite excited over this Activity they have called Iris Prize. They will be showcasing 30 short films on Gay/Lesbian Pride...although I don't think Ruy would appreciate that so much...I wish Loi, Patric and I can see that. They also have a winter wonderland...this is something I'm sure Ruy would love. Ruy adores cold climates and so he'd have so much fun here. The best part about this entire thing is their affordable hotel rates. With the affordable rates in Cardiff Hotels and Birmingham Hotels, you'd end up spending less than you would if you went to I Love Boutique in Tagaytay...IMAGINE THAT!!
Come to think of it, that's all I can do. IMAGINE. Leaving the country is out of the question for us this year. Hmmm...maybe next year?
10/13/2007
Kozui
Divisoria sometime in September 2007-
and Green Tea Cheesecake
Takoyaki: Dumplings made from seafood bits and shavings mixed in a batter.--- Again another piece to behold. Unfortunately, I was looking forward to a sweetness which I didn't get from their version of the dish so I didn't enjoy eating it too much (an expectation probably influenced by my familiarity with the "Samurai Balls" takoyaki which has a really sweet sauce).
10/10/2007
Ruy's Joining the Blogsvertise Bandwagon
Blogsvertise is just too tempting, Ruy couldn't resist. We just registered this blog under blogsvertise and we are hoping that it would be approved as well. You know how we blog regularly anyway, might as well earn money of it by getting some paid ads from blogsvertise.
We hope we get approved ASAP, in time for us to buy furniture for our house...wahahah
10/09/2007
Chowking's Nai Cha - TWL
One thing Ruy and I both love is the NAI CHA from Chowking. My aunt and Ruy were both fans and they made me try it. I would have to admit that I initially found the taste weird but I eventually ended up craving for it.
What is it exactly? It's black tea with sweetened evap milk mixed with jelly. The put a whole lot of ice on the glass, pour steaming tea on top of it, pour cold milk, and lastly they add jelly. I thought they just put black gulaman on it, but others have told me that it's actually coffee jelly. Can anyone enlighten me on this?
I love looking at a freshly made glass and seeing the marbling created by the slow fusion of milk and tea. What I love more though is drinking it. =)
If I could complain about something it would be about the serving size...I think they should have a double XL eheheh.
Tastes We Love - The Series
Together with our restaurant reviews, we thought it would be fun to give you random food items we like either individually, or something we both like. =)
From this point on, I will attach the initials TWL to the title of such posts. Stay tuned
10/08/2007
Ruy Bits
While having dinner last night...
"I've had better. The cold noodles I had in Paseo Uno was so much better. It tasted like spring dancing in my mouth..."
HUWAT? Who the hell talks that way...my husband =)
Tips for those Going to Arkansas
When I went to France, my friend Avril and I had a few days spent just going around on our own. It was unbelievably fun but at the same time, it's frustrating as we didn't know exactly where to go. We would just enter a restaurant and hope that the food's good. It would have been nice if we had a list of resto-s which the locals considered good and not those which are just tourist traps.
I came across this website which gives a list of Hot Springs, Arkansas Best restaurants. The best part about this site is it's not commercialized. It's not paid for by the restaurants found on their list, rather it's a compilation of the local's opinion's on the restaurants in their area. No more hit and miss when it comes to eating out while on a trip. You wouldn't want to waste your money on awful food right?
On top of their restaurant list, this site also offers a list of Free Things to do in Hot Springs. FREE, FREE, FREE....wahahaha...I'm sold!!
10/07/2007
O Kitchen
Details -- I believe these make everything extra special. It's those little nuances which turn the ordinary to extraordinary. O Kitchen seems to have mastered the art of details. Every single item seems to have been well thought off. I have taken some pictures of these noteworthy details both in their utensils and in their dishes.
Simply put, they serve Filipino food. No, it can't be described as fusion or avante garde. It's simple, classic pinoy dishes cooked well...very well.
Our dinner consisted of the following: Kare-kare, Binagoongang Lechon Kawali, Chicken Wrapped in red egg. We had pomelo shake, mango shake and dessert too.
Kare-kare. I am still trying to decide if this is my favorite commercial karekare right now.(Serye is the other one I'm considering) Needless to say I really really loved this dish. I initially thought it was extremely cheap at 180 pesos for a reasonably sized bowl of karekare (for 2) but upon seeing that there's only one chunk of beef in the bowl...I changed my mind. I would say that the price is similar to the other restos serving kare-kare
Binagoongang Lechon Kawali. Whoever first concocted this dish deserves a nobel price. Lechon Kawali on anything actually tastes wonderful right? Given that simple fact...this dish is once again...great!!
Chicken Breast Rolled in Red Egg. The name of this dish is actually very misleading. I imagined a dish covered in red egg or covered in some sort of batter made with red egg. Apparently, it's rolled chicken with red egg inside. This is probably our least favorite among the dishes we ate here...it's basically fried chicken with a little extra taste brought on by the egg. You dip the chicken in a sweet chili sauce with thin slices of cucumber.
Turon with Leche Flan. Instead of having bananas inside their turon, they filled it with leche flan...I was asking Ruy while eating this "Why haven't we done this before?" Why don't we go about wrapping everything in lumpia wrappers and deep frying them...tomorrow I will try to wrap a Krispy Kreme donut in lumpia and deep fry it...weheheh. This dish was a fun dish and though it wasn't AMAZING...it was good enough to make me want to have it again in the future.
The food was good and affordable, the venue nice and comfortable. I love how this place is not commercialized like the other establishments in Libis. I'm sure the other people working in the area would appreciate knowing that they have one more option for their dinner dates.Oh oh oh...they give free kamote-cues as well!!
O Kitchen is located at the back of the floor center. Just turn right at the alley immediately before the Floor Center in Libis. They are open from 11am-230pm and from 6pm-10pm.
10/05/2007
Teamwork
I'm keeping my fingers crossed. It's our daughter Andrea's Christening on Sunday and there seems to be a lot of holes to patch up. My Superwoman wife Liv is apparently experiencing a bout with her "kryptonite". Only in this case it is not over the presence of some radioactive element which causes her to shrivel up in weakness but just the simple limitation enforced upon us by nature that is, we only have one body. As much as our boundless energy and vision can soar free with plans, dreams, goals and other well-meaning intentions, the great fact of life is that, more often than not, we cannot do everything alone. I believe it is in this fact which is where life gets better as we are then led to the next logical progression which is PARTNERSHIP. I wish Liv would learn to stop her automatic "It's my job to do everything" and "I can do everything myself" default mode when it comes to family.
Being her number one fan, of course I know and believe that she can do ANYTHING given all the talent and intelligence and seamless work ethic that she possesses. However, I pray that she realizes that when it comes to family matters, I am in it with her too. That way she wouldn't be too busy staring at all the things she's juggling in front of her and she'd also start to see the things that I try to do to help (like the map I made and sent out using my unpolished but undeniably promising microsoft excel skills.. and a lot more really). More importantly, that my wife would realize that she has someone who is waiting to give her a hand. As much as it's very convenient to have my wife do every family task by herself which would then leave her husband (me) free to watch dvds or play computer games and relax, I would not put such momentary comforts over my wife's happiness and sanity...
Which makes me realize that on my part, I should really try to be more assertive with my intention to be my wife's knight in shining armor.
I guess these situations lead to realizations that provide a food that is different from the ones we usually cover here but nonetheless a part of the married life we continue to share and partake in. Food which we should continuously seek for our lives as much as the food we seek for our tummies (like the chicharon I'm wishing I had right now).