Guilty pleasures

Surprise surprise! This was a "thank you" gift that came last night

I'd never tried it before so I had to google...

It's the TOBLERONE OVERLOAD cake from Cake 2 Go

3 layers inside, very much like ice cream or mousse

And thin chocolate slices all around

I was impressed! The only downside is that you can't travel around with this in the car.

You need to eat it right away because otherwise, the insides will melt.

Perfect with a hot cup of brewed coffee!

Still on food ... my kids are avid fans of McDonald's

Last night, we drove through for the one millionth time

This is something they truly can't live without

Super Value Meal #8

6 piece Chicken Nuggets

Regular French Fries

Regular Coke

On our way home, I spotted this

I don't know if their Pearl Milk Tea is any good

I've heard that the meals are worth a try

I don't like the "soft opening" stage, though

I'll give it a week or two

P.S. Happy Thursday to all! The work week is again about to end.

Pistachio Sansrival

From PRESS @ Power Plant Mall (Cinema level)

Neal had this one afternoon while we were waiting to watch Kung Fu Panda 2
I tried it and it was good! But not as good as the original Sansrival. The Pistachio twist makes it too sour for my taste. I have a sweet tooth. Nope ... I have sweet TEETH.

The best Sansrival for me is still the one from House of Sansrival (Shang Mall, Glorietta)
Their Sylvannas are to die for too!

I miss Taho!

Photo credit : Clickthecity.com

I wish I could have Taho every single morning, or for merienda whenever I feel like it. Unfortunately, we haven't had a vendor pass by in ages. We live in a guarded compound, so vendors are not allowed inside. There used to be a Taho vendor who was allowed to enter the premises every morning. That was years ago. I heard he's retired and has gone home to the province. Since then, I haven't seen one.

The ones you can order in restaurants don't taste the same. Also, there's no excitement in having it served to you the way restaurants do. I always ask the Taho vendor for extra "arnibal" (caramel syrup) and "sago" (tapioca pearls).

For a more sophisticated version, I would definitely go for the famous Gloria Maris Taho

Photo credit: Clickthecity.com

Lately, I've been buying from Power Plant Mall because they have an authentic Taho vendor on site. Yes, INSIDE the mall. But for more than what you would normally pay for on the street.

Should head to Power Plant soon to satisfy this craving!

One more sleep!

My girls have been counting down to June 30. Finally, we're just one night away from watching one of the greatest shows ever to be invented (this is what Anissa thinks, t00). We purchased our tickets as early as April to make sure we don't regret dilly dallying. This is Anissa's dream, after all, to see Cirque Du Soleil live. Better than travelling to nearby Macau or all the way to Vegas, this was a chance we just couldn't pass up.

The numerous online raves, Tweets and shoutouts on Facebook have gotten me all the more excited to see this show. It's raining quite hard right now though. So I guess I have to pray extra hard for good weather tomorrow.

Watch out for a detailed entry about our Varekai experience, which, I don't doubt will be something we'll remember for a very long time.

I'm blessed

To me, this is not just a message from Sabine
It's a message from a higher power
Reminding me to be thankful for where I am and WHY I'm here

Thank you, my dearest baby girl for the reassurance
Thank you, dear God, for the non-stop reminders

Only for the lazy

Pamper day today! I'm lucky that Neal shares my love for massages and home service pampering. We always call on Nails At Home to get our regular mani-pedi service and we always throw in a 30-minute tension release massage on the legs and feet for each of us.
I used to go to Nail Loft in San Juan every 2 weeks but sometimes, I really would rather be in the comfort of my own home and not have to get dressed.

I'm happy that my favorite nail technician, Flor, was available this afternoon. I can really just drift off to sleep when she does my nails because I don't have to fear anything. She's so used to me and knows how I want things done. After my pedi, she gave me the 30-minute tension release massage on my legs and feet. I was instantly transported to another plane, like I always am when she massages me.


She also knows the right amount of pressure to apply on me. I can't stand the hard kind.

As soon as we were done, Sabine walked into the room straight from school. As expected, she insisted on getting her own "mani-pedi". The girls from Nails At Home know that Sabine is basically a copycat and doesn't need a real manicure or pedicure. She just wants to sit there, massaged a little with lotion then have her nails painted.


This time, I chose a light shade for my hands

From Orly's French Manicure line, two coats of Sheer Peche (Peach)
On my toes, Orly's Liquid Vinyl which is a glossy black (but no photo)

Sabine also chose this pretty lilac shade from Orly


Already looking forward to my next appointment!

Meantime, two more sleeps and we're off to see Varekai!

Revisited : Som's Noodle House

Yesterday, we were invited to an intimate celebration over lunch. Mom's good friend threw this small party to celebrate her son's graduation from college. I normally like staying home on Sunday mornings/afternoons because this is our usual routine. But I wouldn't miss this, especially since I haven't eaten in Som's for quite sometime.

The place (Rockwell branch) is a far cry from what it looked like years ago when they were just starting out. But please don't expect a 5-star environment. This is a no-frills restaurant. However, it's CLEAN and well-kept. The servers are also very attentive and alert!

I was too busy catching up with old friends, I totally forgot to take note of the exact names of the dishes. You'll figure it out :)

Bagoong Fried Rice

Som Tam (Papaya Salad)

Curried Crabs

Pad Siew (flat rice noodles with beef and vegetables)

Okay this one I totally did not get the name
But we had 2 orders of it and although it was spicier than the other orders, this was really good!

The vegetables look really crispy and fresh in the photo right?
They really were!

Finally, talk about saving the best for last
Sticky Rice with Mango

Suffice it to say, the long wait to eat at Som's again was well worth it. The food quality hasn't changed at all. I'm glad there's a 2nd branch that's a 5-10 minute drive from the house.

Som's Makati : 5921 Alger St. Poblacion, Makati City (near Rockwell)
Som's Mandaluyong : Maysilo Circle (rotonda) near the Mandaluyong City Hall

If you want a bang for your buck and authentic Thai food, go!

Lovely afternoon with "old" friends

High school batchmates gathered at Kookie's house today for another one of our post-homecoming get togethers. Kookie had her birthday recently so she opened up her home to us for this intimate gathering of "old" friends

The food was heavenly!
(I think Kookie still has a major hangover from her recent European vacation ... look!)

Tower Salad
Mesclun leaves, raspberry vinaigrette, raspberry on top
(I didn't bother to get details on the wine because I didn't have any)

Spaghetti with Basil and Tomatoes

Buffalo Wings w/ Blue Cheese Dip

Baguette w/ Ham Lyoner, Mushroom Lyoner and Gruyere

Aperitif - Cherry Tomatoes, Mini Mozzarella, Olives with Anchovy

French Macarons : Chocolat, Raspberry, Citron
Citron is my favorite!
I'm going to order these soon (from somewhere in Forbes Park, will update contact info later)

The small group that gathered in Kookie's dining area and talked non-stop
(as usual)

Left to right : Bea, Winnie, Genny and our gracious host, Kookie

Foreground left to right : Kookie, AC, Cristyne
Back : ME :))

So nice to be able to see one another every now and then
This is what I call KULASA power!

Hoping to see more faces next time!

I'm seriously thinking of selling this

Thinking...

Rockwell on a Friday (Part 3)

This 3rd entry in this series is all about a shoe discovery. Don't be too quick to judge now. It was Sabine who spotted NATIVE Shoes right outside Payless Shoe Source. I interviewed the very attentive sales person who told me that this is a Canadian brand.

The shoes are made of anti-microbial material, ventilated and are water-proof.

Sabine immediately went straight for this style

Jefferson Kids

They remind me of Superga sneakers

She first chose the red one. Didn't fit her well, she said. Then she tried on the hot pink one. Same story. She finally ended up with ... surprise surprise, BLACK! I didn't quite expect her to go for this color because she's such a girly girl. But I like black for a change because most of her shoes are in pink or purple. They'll look great when she's wearing jeans or shorts.

I like the Kraft peek-a-boo box

I tried one of this same style in my size and I think I'm gonna lose sleep over the fact that I didn't buy one for myself yet. I wanted to first research on what it's made of. Don't wanna end up with stinky feet haha! I forgot to take a photo while trying them on but this is what I had my eye on. If I decide to go back and buy a pair for myself, this is the color I want.

Heads up : these are handmade so you have to try them on before buying because the sizing is slightly erratic. Sabine tried on several pairs in the same size but the others were a bit snug, she said. She ended up with the black because it had a bit more allowance compared to the other size 8/9's she tried on. For the adult styles, a size up is recommended.

Kids' styles are at Php 1,500

Adult styles start at Php 2,500

Should I get them? They're so cute, I swear.

Check out their website to see the other styles and colors. Unfortunately, there are many yummy colors in their website that I didn't see in the store. I hope they eventually introduce them here.

And that wraps up the Rockwell Friday series. Did we spend our time productively?

Take a look

Sabine on her favorite ride, the Skater

That's my Mom who would seriously do anything for her, including go on a kiddie ride

She also tried one of these mechanical thingies under my watchful eye because I didn't want her to run over any of the other kids who were running around the place.

Then it was time to go home because we were afraid of getting caught in the rush hour in such bad weather. We were lucky to have gotten home in less than an hour.

How did you spend your very rainy Friday?