Our Noche Buena Feast 2015

Every year, my mom prepares for a really delicious Noche Buena dinner for us. That's her way of showing her love for us and we really do appreciate it very much by eating all of her dishes ^_^ We love you, mom! This year, this is what she prepared for us: 

 

Reimagine your Christmas with Biscoff Cookie Minibon

Manila, Philippines- Share the joy of Christmas with the sweetest gift for your holiday indulgence. Cinnabon, the world’s famous cinnamon roll, together with Lotus Biscoff, the original caramelized biscuit, is offering a fascinating treat that’s going to fire up this season!

Biscoff Cookie Minibon is a yummy cinnamon roll fused together with Lotus Biscoff spread and biscuits that is baked freshly and perfectly that no one would ever resist to taste. Biscoff Cookie Minibon is a combination of the signature Cinnabon dough filled with the best, creamy, irresistible Biscoff spread inside, and topped with a unique biscoff frosting, caramel and Biscoff Cookie pieces.

Give the gift of Biscoff Cookie Minibon CinnaPack, available in sets of 4 and 9 as the sweetest gift treat to brighten someone else’s day.

Biscoff Cookie Minibon is available in all Cinnabon Philippines Stores Nationwide this Christmas Season.

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About Cinnabon

Founded in Seattle in 1985 and now based in Atlanta, Cinnabon, Inc. is the market leader among cinnamon roll bakeries. The company serves fresh, aromatic, oven-hot cinnamon rolls, as well as a variety of other baked goods and specialty beverages. Cinnabon Philippines is under the exclusive franchise of Canelle Food Corporation which opened the very first Cinnabon bakery in Asia. To date, there are 16 Cinnabon bakeries serving the indulging signature Cinnabon rolls.

To get the latest updates, follow Cinnabon Philippines on Facebook and Instagram.

Auntie Anne’s Makes Your Christmas Shopping Merry and Bright

Manila Philippines-  ‘Tis the season to satisfy your sweet tooth with our pretzel-perfect snack. Auntie Anne’s brings to you the nuttiest holiday treat that makes gift shopping more fun. Be delighted as Auntie Anne’s delicious pretzels are conveniently handy that you can eat it while looking for the best Christmas presents for your family and friends.

Auntie Anne’s Red Almond Crunch Nuggets

Color your cravings with this red almond crunch nugget that is crispy outside and baked to perfection inside with a distinct sweetness. This moist little nugget is sprinkled with almonds that will dazzle your Christmas shopping.  Auntie Anne’s Red Almond Crunch Nuggets is hitting the stores starting December 1, 2015.

Rush to the nearest Auntie Anne’s branches nationwide. Join the conversation at Auntie Anne’s Philippines on Facebook and @AuntieAnnesPHL on Instagram and Twitter. 

Indulge your Gastronomic Cravings with QUEZON (PR)

After the success of their first concept buffet-Guevarras, Gruppo Guevarras Inc. (GGI) has opened its doors in Quezon City aptly named Quezon buffet. 

Carrying GGI’s vision, Quezon Buffet undoubtedly exudes with high caliber dishes at very affordable rates. Quezon showcased variety of gastronomic fares that will surely suit everyone’s palates. It merges the comforts of home and gourmet delicacies by catering our country’s cuisines.

Nestled in the heart of Quezon Avenue, Quezon buffet carries an ambiance of an old-world charm and rustic appeal.  GGI upholds their commitment in reminding the general public especially the younger generations about our county’s greatest heroes; as well as preserving our culture through local cuisines.

Savour your appetite

Quezon is being developed as haven for delectable cuisines that every Filipino would crave for.Highlighting Filipino-Spanish heritage that embodies classic food that includes roasting stations, various meat dishes, seafood, grains and noodles, fresh salads, flavorful soups and dessert selections.  

Much of the inspiration behind this effort came from their collective ideas to acknowledge the deep historical connection during President Quezon’s era, and this is through sustainable cooking of exquisite dishes. 

Celebrity Chef behind Quezon

Corporate chef Kalel Chan is the chef behind various fine-dining and high-end restaurants. Considered as one of the Top 10 good-looking chef, Kalel is surprisingly charming and down to earth. He goes for innovative fusion cooking that adds creativeness to his masterpieces. 

Chef Kalel is always eager to discover new trends in culinary industry and 
adapts them in his food creations.

Quezon Buffet, a place like home

Exuding with elegant ambiance, Quezon buffet incorporates classic lines and Art Deco pieces into its interior, creating a classic touch. The backdrops are great for photo-taking which is a known Filipino past –time in every family gatherings, an intimate date with your special someone or the perfect bonding tick with your friends.

Quezon exudes a classy vibe, from its spacious façade, soft lightings, to minimalist interiors of black and white tones. The woodworks and sparkling chandeliers – blends the antiquated with cosmopolitan and classic, as well as the convenience of modern life. 

The walls are well-themed with photos of President Quezon through the years, giving customers a nostalgic ambiance.

Quezon gives a convenient and cozy vibe as the dishes are arranged per station and are neatly presented.

The whole place can accommodate close to 200 pax with spacious function rooms that can accommodate 30-35 persons, respectively.

Complementing the dishes, the place is satisfying as the service is generally noble. Their service staff are nice and friendly, accompanying customers from the front lobby up to their seats. They depict one of the good traits of every Filipino, which is being hospitable to guests. 

Resembling President Manuel Quezon whose name will always be in the hearts of every Filipino, Quezon Buffet is the epitome of this man by serving finest and mouthwatering dishes and yet very affordable price across the board. The extraordinary experience of tasting distinct local flavors will surely worth a visit. 

Just like in any traditional fiesta or festivity, Quezon truly offers a mixed dining experience for all ages!

Christmas Gift Idea 2015: Amada's Leche Flan and Desserts

The Yuletide season is fast approaching and one question lingers in our heads before December comes:  "What gift will I give to my family and friends?" One common answer is...well... a fruit cake. Sorry, but I'm just not the kind of person who looks forward to eating fruit cakes every Christmas. My taste buds just don't agree with them since childhood. Of course, it's a different case when your family and friends do love fruit cakes. But if you have the same taste buds as I have, how about some leche flans? They taste good, kids love them,  and they're actually perfect for all occasions. 

I was lucky to come across Amada's Leche Flan & Desserts' booth during this year's Blogapalooza and I was able to taste their yummy leche flan made all the way from Bicol. It had a sweet, creamy, and thick texture that I love.

Just recently, I received an email from them offering their new Christmas packaging. I'm happy to share the news for you, guys, to take a look and see because you might be interested:

Classic Oval (P200 per piece)

Leche Flan in a Jar (P80 per piece)

Box of 3 Jars (P270 per box)

If you wish to order, please take note of their terms: 

For us to meet all demands, we will only accept orders until December 20, 2015. Please let us know your requirements before then. Please also give us at least 3 days lead time. Our schedule for meet ups are as follows:

• November 21-23
• November 27-30
• December 4-7
• December 11-14
• December 18-23
• December 29

We will be happy to hand over your orders at the following meet up points:

• Gateway Mall, Cubao
• Glorietta, Makati
• Megamall, Ortigas
• Trinoma, Quezon City

Deliveries outside the areas stated above are subject to additional charges. Payments may be made through bank deposit or cash-on-delivery.

For orders and inquiries you may contact us at amadasdesserts@gmail.com or at 0917-714-6737. 

REDUCIN: Weigh Your Options

Aging is frequently the reason cited as to why people gain weight and have their body shape deteriorate. This is certainly true. Physically, when we age, our metabolism slows down. Behaviorally, our habits change as well. We become busier with various aspects in life - work, family and friends. How can we fit in time to work on ourselves?

Is that a valid excuse? No. You can’t let your health go into disarray just because you can’t properly manage your schedule. Living, just like any activity, has to be managed. Prioritization must be embedded in making life choices. Reduce time spent on less important activities. After all, what could be more important than staying healthy to gain more time living?

Start practicing addition by subtraction with Reducin. Reducin is a 120mg capsule of Orlistat, a gastric and pancreatic lipase inhibitor for obesity management. It works by preventing some of the fat in foods eaten from being absorbed in the intestines then excreting these fat through the stool. Along with a low-calorie diet and proper exercise, Reducin can help you get back on track and lose all those extra pounds. With Reducin, you may get to break free from obesity, diabetes, triglycerides, cholesterol, other health risks and high costs. With proper diet and exercise, plus the help of Orlistat, you can truly reduce as in!

Reducin is sold in 120mg capsules. It is to be taken 3 times a day before every meal, or as instructed by your doctor. If a meal is missed or contains no fat, the dose should be omitted.

At SRP P29.50 per capsule, get on the right track in weight loss. Reduce as in everyday with the help of Reducin. Reducin is available at Mercury Drug and other leading drugstores nationwide.

S&R New York Style Hawaiian Pizza and Birthday Cakes

My sister, me and my kids went to S&R Alabang last night to grab a few groceries. My son was quite hungry so we ate at the food station first. Hawaiian pizza is his favorite so I was quite worried about whether he would like the S&R pizza because I know they don't have Hawaiian. But alas! By some miracle, there is now!

We were so excited to try it and so we ordered a whole box for take out & a slice for my son for dine-in.
Price: P589 for the whole box /  P99 per slice

New York pizza indeed with pineapples and quite a generous amount of bacon strips (not bits). The only difference between the typical Hawaiian pizza and this one is that this doesn't have ham. They used bacon instead of ham which is all right with me. The whole pizza did not last until midnight when we went home. It's really good. 

We also ordered a strawberry smoothie worth P99.
 Big serving and very yummy, too.  

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Now, that we're stuffed, we decided to finally do some groceries. While we were strolling around, I found these cute ready-made birthday cakes at reasonable prizes! I just thought I'd share it for you to see.

Birthday cakes on the go! :D

I like this fiesta-themed birthday cake :) 

This multi colored air balloon looks so nice, too :) 

Only P419.95!

My kids enjoying the fake snow made of Styrofoam  ^_^
S&R has lovely Christmas decors and gifts already available for sale. 

So that's the highlight of our trip to S&R Alabang. They also have some imported candies, chocolates, and even cookies specially made for Halloween! So I do recommend you visit the place if you have the time. If you're from the south and if you only want to eat their pizza, their food store is also available in Festival Mall, Alabang so you can order their delicious New York style pizzas there.  

Reminder: S&R requires membership before doing any groceries so you need to become a member and pay the P700 membership fee.

Beautiful Wigs for Halloween and All Occasions

I've always had a thing for wigs most especially the ones used in cosplays (costume play) because they really look stunning for boys and girls of any age. Another reason why is probably because I'm also an anime fan which is why I appreciate anime costumes. 

Two years ago, my son wore a Naruto costume during Halloween and his blonde wig really made the difference and made him stood out from the rest of the kids. That's how powerful wigs can do to your look. Well, hair is indeed your crowning glory :) 

My son  at 4 years old

A good wig is really hard to find those days. But now, I'm so thrilled to see lots of wigs in various colors and in great quality that they also caught the exact hairstyle of most anime characters I know. I found these wigs from SAMMY Dress ( http://www.sammydress.com/ - currently closed ).

Here are some of my personal favorite wigs that I found in their site: 

Cosplay Lolita Style 100CM Fluffy Fancy Color Long Wavy With Bunches Stylish Costume Wig

I love the color combination, the length and the wave of the synthetic hair in this picture. it really brings out the kawaii-ness or the cuteness of the person who wears it :D 

Sakata Gintoki Charming Short Straight Fluffy Stylish Silvery White Cosplay Wig
Price: $10.75 

This is a real head-turner when a guy uses it. This is a very nice wig for those who want to do a cosplay of Kakashi from the anime, Naruto, or other white-haired anime characters. I like the spiky ends at the top. 

Gorgeous Blue Splicing Pink Long With Bunches Synthetic Fluffy Wavy Suicide Squad Cosplay Wig
Price: $17.58

I was ecstatic to see Harlequinn (from the movie, Suicide Squad)'s wig in their collection so I'm sharing it here! Looks nice, don't you think? A great Halloween look for this year definitely!

Didn't find the wig that you're looking for? No need to worry! There are countless of wig choices from Sammy Dress with reasonable prices that can be found in this link:   http://www.sammydress.com/Wholesale-Cosplay-Wigs-c-11190.html. They also have hair extensions, human hair wigs, hair accessories, and more! They also ship worldwide! 

Simple Yet Delightful Treats from Pan de Manila

Just recently, while I was walking along Legaspi Village in Makati, I came across two Pan de Manila branches. The store's facade really was quite inviting so I was lured inside to see what's new. :) I think it's been 4 years since I last visited one of their stores. 

Here are some items that I bought that are worth mentioning:

1. Pan de Manila's Salted Yema Spread (Price: P85)

 What I like about it is it really does taste like our old favorite yema and it's really spreadable or should I say it's easy to spread on a bread using a spoon. The price is quite reasonable, too! 

I like its not too sweet yema flavor. If you want it to be sweeter, then simply stuff some more yema spread on to your bread :D 
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2. Pan de Manila Cinnamon Pan (Price: P15.00 )

It's simply a soft and huge pandesal smothered in lots and lots of cinnamon and let me tell you, it really works! My son ( a picky eater) who loves cinnamon rolls would sometimes complain how the cinnamon rolls were too thick in texture and he also doesn't like raisins. Well, when he tasted this cinnamon pan, he really loved it and finished the whole bread! 

 

Like I said, it's simply pandesal with cinnamon, but it really does taste good. Perfect for coffee. 

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3. Chocolate con Nueces (3-in-1 Chocolate with Roasted Peanuts)

Price: P18.00 per sachet.

It's like drinking choc-nut and I love it! I was actually expecting some little bits of nuts to chew on while drinking it, but there's none. The taste of chocolate and nuts really blended well, thus, giving me a nice hot cup of eccentric chocolate.

Note: Just be sure to use just a small coffee cup when you drink one for maximum satisfaction. Before, I used a big mug for it thinking that it would be enough, but it tasted bland because there was too much water used.

Well, that's just about it. Of course, the usual bestsellers are still there such as the Pesto Cheese Sticks, Ensaymada, and I was also delighted to see some donuts displayed in their shop which I failed to take a picture because I left my phone at home. T_T

Well, a short stop at Pan de Manila was really nice & pleasant, and I do recommend that you do visit them when you have the time because they might have something that you want in terms of bread, bread spreads, and beyond :D They're open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 

Pan de Manila

http://www.pandemanila.com.ph/

Extraordinary Coffee Experience in Caffe Bene SM BF (Closed)

Every afternoon, I usually treat myself with coffee and bread. I just dip the bread in coffee and voila! It's a simple, but satisfying afternoon snack for me in years. I would buy a whole loaf of bread just for that and five pieces of 3-in-1 coffee sachets good for 1 week already. Although some people eat them during breakfast, I eat them for snacks.

But since it's payday, I would like to treat myself with the same set of snack, but a more unique and special one meaning I would like a special kind of coffee and a special kind of bread. The only problem is...  where? 

So I used my OpenSnap application on my mobile phone, canvassed a few coffee shops listed nearby and found out about Caffe Bene. I honestly got captivated by the Choco Banana Toast picture sent by one of OpenSnap's users. 

Add me when you sign up! My account name is "timeassasin"  :) 

As I opened OpenSnap, I canvassed through their labels and chose coffee shops since I want to have coffee.

I noticed they had a lot listed so I filtered it down. I clicked the "Filter" button (the orange one) and chose "Nearby" because I don't want to go too far from our residence just to have a cup of coffee.  When the filtered list came up, there I saw Caffe Bene  and I was just captivated with its pictures.

So I went to Caffe Bene in SM BF Paranaque yesterday afternoon to see what's in store for a coffee + bread lover like me. 

Note: Caffe Bene originated in Eastern Seoul, Korea and opened its first shop last April of 2008. 

Very nice and inviting facade. 

A definite eye candy for me! Those breads are humongous! 

Sandwiches and more desserts!

Korea's version of halo-halo according to their staff  :)
Note: Bingsu means iced parfait. 

Gelato!
So other than coffee and tea, you can also enjoy some yummy Gelato here! :) Great for kids, too. 

They also have gourmet sandwiches! Looks yummy!

I waited for about 5 minutes for my order to arrive. 

This is my table where I stayed :

Very relaxing ambiance (spacious + good music + nice interiors)
They also have a nice lounge at the back. I noticed that youngsters loved to hang out in that area more :D

My Order:

Caramel Cinnamon Honey Bread ( P175 ) + Hot White Mocha  (P160 ) = Divine Coffee Experience

Another picture of the star of my afternoon. *wink*
Note: This is big enough for sharing. 

The external part of the toast is super crunchy and then it's so soft on the inside.
The toast + the whipped cream + caramel syrup + generous amount of cinnamon = My kind of  treat.
I loved how the cinnamon balanced the sweetness of the caramel and the whipped cream combined together.

Did you know? According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cinnamon is used to help treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction (ED). Cinnamon may lower blood sugar in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK

Before I left, I ordered the Iced Misugaru Latte (Roasted Multi-grain Based Beverage) for take out out of curiosity. It has some healthy benefits as listed on the pic below 

(P 170)

My tummy was so full so I just took a sip of it and gave it to my mom when I got home. As I tasted it, I could actually taste the brown rice and sesame seed flavors. It's perfect for health buffs. 

Thank you, John, Justin, and Clarisse for being so nice and accommodating! 

So there you have it! Thanks Caffe Bene for making my coffee time an extraordinary one! Maybe next time, I will bring my family because they just have everything for everyone like coffee for me, gelato and waffles for the kids, and a gourmet sandwich for my husband :D  They also have free WIFI so that's good enough reason to stay *evil laugh*.  Special thanks to OpenSnap for helping people like me find what where we want to eat. 


Caffe Bene (Closed)
Ground Floor, SM BF Paranaque 
Website: http://www.caffebene.com.ph/

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ATC Coenzyme Q10 Takes Care of Your Heart

Don’t Wait. Life isn’t easy. Choosing the right answer is not as simple as selecting “A” or “B”. Sometimes we don’t even know when we are already making choices. At every moment in our lives, we make decisions. We are who are based on the sum of all our decisions. Consistent affirmation of who we are and who we want to be is key.

Do you want to be healthy? Yes, of course. But, surely you have time to turn it around. Next week, you’ll join a gym. Eat healthier. Don’t fool yourself. You are already choosing to be unhealthy. It is that simple. Change that now. Start with ATC Coenzyme Q10.

ATC Coenzyme Q10 is great for the heart, it improves the hearts ability to pump more blood and lowers the viscosity of blood, making it even easier for the heart to function normally. Don’t wait for a heart attack, always keep in mind that you are what you eat, take ATC Coenzyme Q10 for a healthier heart!
ATC Coenzyme Q10 is available at Mercury Drug and all leading drugstores nationwide for P18.00 per capsule.
#ATCCoenzymeQ10 #YoureInGoodHeart #ATChealthcare

The Little Tycoons Playhouse Experience

I heard about Little Tycoons playhouse in Alabang, but I also heard that it's pretty expensive. But thanks to Beeconomic (now closed), I was able to purchase tickets at half the price so I paid P199 only for an unlimited play for each child instead of P400.

So this afternoon, we decided to visit the place and see what's in store for my little ones.