Palawan Pasalubong: Baker's Hill Deli

Baker's Hill pastries

My brother toured Palawan recently along with his High School friends. Also excited for my first Palawan visit  early next year, I have searched the web for some things to do, sites to see, and must bring pasalubong. Other than being one of the most visited tourist spots, pastries from Baker's Hill has been consistently earning some good reviews for their baked products. So I requested my brother to give it a try and bring home some of their goodies. He bought a box of Hopia Baboy, his all time favorite crinkles, a box of brownies and pieces of chocolate minicakes. I just wished he bought a set of some real local delicacies from Palawan. Anyway, I for sure will share more Baker's Hill goodies after my trip :)

KFC Streetwise Spoonfuls: Mango Cheescake

KFC Spoonful: Mango Cheesecake

I've written on my previous post that I am planning to get a taste of KFC's Streetwise Spoonful specifically aiming for the Mango Cheesecake flavor since both tv and print ads reminds me of my all time favorite dessert, the mango float. Got the chance to get outside the house this week for some banking errands and when I finally set foot at the KFC branch in Robinsons Sta. Rosa, I immediately ordered one along with the snackbox for a short merienda treat. I am huge KFC fan since time immemorial, and I've written a couple of KFC related posts in this blog but sadly this dessert was quite a disappointment for me :(

I am aware that print ads will always look better than how a product actually looks, but damn, the size of the cup is too freakin' small! I didn't mind at first because I expected that the taste would be exceptional, but nah, it's not! I know it wouldn't be tasting like an African Mango, but still,  it doesn't have that fresh mango zest, I tasted the cream more than the mango. It was not that addicting so to speak. Will I try it again? Probably not with another mango cheesecake, but I will still try out their other spoonful offerings, Choco Banana Cream perhaps?

Snack of the Week: Bukayo

Sharing yet another fave old time sweet Filipino dessert, bukayo. To my Ate Inday, how I wish you can see my blog...I would like to reach out my heartful gratitude not just for your recent padala but also for the loyalty and long years of service you have extended to my family. This sweet bukayo indeed brought back some good childhood memories.

Bukayo

Snack of the Week: Starbucks Squirrel Brand

Starbucks Squirrel brand
Expresso Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nuts

Snack of the Week time! Here's another yummy treat my brother's friends gifted to him - Starbucks Squirrel Brand Expresso Milk Chocolate Macadamia Nuts. They probably don't know that he's not into chocolates with nuts, bad news for him, good news for me! Mom and I loved this ultimate indulgence treat.

The Intruiging Fried Ice Cream?

What makes for an intriguing ice cream? Is it the flavor? The toppings? Or the way it is cooked, like fried?

Last week, me and a friend scouted a series of malls to basically do some research on possible food cart business. It was just about lunch time when we passed by this food cart selling fried ice cream. Yes, a fried ice cream!!! This treat wasn't really new to me but it was only that time where I got to take a closer look at how this intriguing treat is actually done.

 Frying the ice cream

Okay, it's not actually the traditional frying method that we'd first imagine. But it's probably the inspiration for using this intriguing cooking technique. A thin layer of blended cream mixture is spread on this round ice cold pan and when it freezes, it will then be scraped one portion at a time each forming into rolls. Miguelitos FIC1 which is their cheapest for only Php25 is a combination of  your desired coating dip or syrup and a choice of candy topping. We decided to try the chocolate syrup with milk chocolate toppings. Try this! It's a fun foodie experience that is worth your curiosity :)

Ice Scramble Nag Level Up Na!

When I was a kid, I loved to buy ice scramble that can be bought from a portable food cart (the ones that can literally go anywhere) usually seen right beside our local basketball court. The ice scramble back then is simply a flavored crushed ice topped with powdered milk and hershey's syrup served in a little yellow plastic cup. It's a refreshing affordable treat that long ruled Manila streets. Fast forward, today this popular yummy treat has completely glamed up - nag level up na!

Php17 Ice Scramble from Icebreaker

Now it is more attractive and sanitary looking, still cheap but even more delicious. Customers are also given the option to choose from an array of colorful toppings being served along with powdered skimmed milk and syrup. Back then, I would munch over this during school events and in between my afternoon play time outside. Now I'm enjoying this when malling. You see, it does not only sell comfort food but also happy childhood memories. How about you, have you ever been a fan of ice scramble? 

Affordable Oatmeal Cookies

Days back, I was able to buy another of my favorite treats - Oatmeal Cookies from Armi's! Rarely do I get to eat this healthy snack as I still don't know how to bake one. (But I promised myself before the year ends, that I'll learn to bake delicious oatmeal cookies I can share with my family and friends)  These cookies from Armi's are really enjoyable to eat since it comes in bigger sizes plus it's really affordable too! You can actually buy one with just P12 compared to ones I saw in malls in Manila/Makati area selling for P30 a piece! So this one is definitely a steal!

P12 Oatmeal Cookies from Armi's Cakes and Pastries
Festival Mall, Alabang

Coffee Crunch Cake - My Favorite Red Ribbon Birthday Cake!

This Coffee Crunch Cake from Red Ribbon is one of our family's all time favorite cake flavors. Tempting layers of cream cake with delightful coffee crunch in between and topped with delicious honeycomb crunch. I like eating it alongside their palabok meal. Furthermore, this cake has always been a familiar treat for every family member's birthday. Last January 18 was my sister's birthday, she's now 20. A special child of God like her with special needs deserved to be gifted with a special treat.

Coffee Crunch cake is priced at Php340 (Junior) - Php540 (Regular) and can serve 6-8 persons.

Truly whatever the celebration, it's more beautiful with a Red Ribbon!

My Free Brownies from BDO

As part of BDO's holiday treat to its credit card users, they're giving away free one value 12-Pak of pre-assorted brownies from Brownies Unlimited worth Php142 for each single BDO credit card slip worth P3,000 or for accumulated BDO credit card slips worth P3,000 of at least P1,000 per charge slip.

Brownies Unlimited 12 Pak

Was able to get this free pack last Wednesday. So far, I feel good owning a credit card. While some people may prefer to stay away from it, scared of being drown to debt, I guess I've learned a lot of pros and cons from my mom's long love-and-hate relationship with her credit card back then. I'm enjoying lots of perks but I also make sure to pay everything in full before my payment due. And it's great they're giving away brownies for free cause we love munching these guys especially the rocky road flavor.

Recipe: Potato Salad

Here's another family recipe, I wish to share.

Ingredients:
1 k potatoes
1 big chicken breast
3 pcs medium sized carrots
500ml mayonnaise
1 can pineapple tidbits or chunks
1/2 c sweet pickle relish
1 c cheddar cheese, diced
3 tbsp chopped spring onions
iodized salt to taste
pepper (optional)

Procedure:
1. Boil potatoes and peel
      How to peel potatoes fast? Here's a 10 seconds tip - Scoop out boiled potato and submerge in iced water. Wait for five seconds before removing potato and gently pull at both ends, it will slide effortlessly. See video here 
2. Dice potatoes
3. Boil chicken with salt then shred
4. Drain Pineapple
5. Combine all ingredients

Holiday Treat from Cinnabon

What I love most about the holidays is we all have the perfect guilt free excuse to treat and surrender ourselves with delicious holiday treats, just like Cinnabon's cinnamon rolls. After all, our life needs frosting!


Remember to heat the rolls before serving!
Want to know its nutritional facts? visit their website at www.cinnabon.com

holiday package of cinnamon rolls from Cinnabon

Recipe: Leche Flan

Here's an easy budget friendly dessert recipe for all - Leche Flan.

A good friend gave us 3 llaneras of Lecha Flan last New Year's day, a very nice gift for my brother who's been craving for it on the New Year's eve.

Here's a recipe I found online courtesy of hubpages.


Ingredients: (makes 4-5 llanera of Leche Flan)

12 egg yolks
2 cans condensed milk (14 oz.)
5 cans small evaporated milk
2 cups fine white sugar
2 tablespoon vanilla

Procedure
In a stainless steel pan, dissolve 3/4 cups of sugar, add 1/4 cup water over medium heat, do not stir, just swirl the pan gently, caramelize in low heat if you don't want it burnt.

How to make the Custard:

1. In a mixing bowl, beat all the egg yolks then add condensed milk, evaporated milk, sugar and vanilla. Use a whisk to mix thoroughly but gently to prevent bubbles from forming. Remove any solids by using a strainer.
2. Pour the mixture in the llanera and cover it with an aluminum foil, so that the moisture from the steam won't come in the pan as it will become watery.
3. Steam Cook for 40-45 minutes, or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Remove the llanera and let it cool at room temperature. Then refrigerate for several hours before serving.
5. To unmold the leche flan- run a sharp knife around the edge and carefully invert it unto a platter or serving dish, let the caramelized sugar flow over the leche flan.

Sweetest Chinese Gold Coins

Chocolate Gold Coins

Few days ago, I got really excited to see a bundle of Chinese Gold Coins Chocolate in our ref. A good OFW neighbor handed us this sweet gift. Gosh, it's been more than 10 years since I last saw and actually consume this treat. It brings back some sweet childhood memories. Sweet Holidays everyone! And don't forget to watch your diet! Haha!

Italian Dinner: Amici on Pizza, Pasta and Gelato

Amici is an Italian restaurant best for those who are craving for good quality pizza, pasta and gelato. Scouting for a resto serving Italian dishes, my friend MC and I decided to take our dinner at Amici. That was actually our first time to try their food and we loved it!

Linguine al Prosciutto e Tartufo

Being a pasta lover that I am, I tried their newest offering called Linguine al Prosciutto e Tartufo, a flavorful combination of prosciutto, truffle oil, porcini and shitake mushroom priced at P240. The smell was heaven and so was the dish! That was the first time I have actually tasted prosciutto (Italian word for ham) and I've been hearing it a thousand times from Giada's "Everyday Italian" show, kind of taste just like bacon but in subtle way. I can eat the whole plate but since we still ordered some pizza, I shared the serving with my friend.

Other pasta servings include all time favorite spaghetti meat sauce, lasagna, carbonara, puttanesca, pesto and other tomato, cream and olive oil based pastas with price ranging from P175 to P260. 

Capricciosa

We chose Capricciosa, priced at P280 with a combination of cooked ham, italian sausage and black olives. It's 8 slices of pizza good for 4 people. Pizza price ranges from P280 to P320.

The pasta and pizza we ate were satisfying. My friend Ava who was able to join us just few minutes after we've finished started telling us how delicious their gelato are. And so she ordered mocha while MC and I  tried on the Pistachio.

Pistachio

Other Gelato dessert flavor includes sans rival, strawberry supreme, cioccolato, mango jubilee, straciatella, mint with chocolate and espresso.

This season of hope, share a feast with a street child.

With every purchase from the Tuloy Speciali Menu, Amici Foodservice Ventures Inc. will donate P10 to Tuloy Foundation

check out more photos: Night of Food Tripping at Alabang Town Center


Amici, Alabang Town Center
2nd Level Alabang Town Center, Alabang - Zapote Rd., Alabang
Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 747-1111

Recipe: Yema

Ingredients:
4 eggs
1 can condensed milk
2 tbsp. butter
grated lemon peel

Procedure:
1. Cook egg yolks, condensed milk, lemon peel and butter until it turns into a thick paste on top of double boiler.
2. Form into balls.
3. Make s syrup of:

1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp butter

Let it brown. Dip each yema ball into the syrup and let cool in buttered cookies sheet. Wrap in colored cellophane.

Chocolate is the world's perfect food!

Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food.

Michael Levine, nutrition researcher, as quoted in The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars

Chocolate Gold Coins, Snickers, 100 Gram, Crunch

Dine in: Red Ribbon Cakes and Palabok Meal

Mom and I has always been a Red Ribbon fan. We love their cakes because of their richness and moisture which I really prefer compared to Goldilocks. When the cravings sets in, I know very much what to order. 

Red Ribbon: Sansrival

Way back 2004 when I first ordered their Palabok plus cake meal, they just have this simple presentation, very plain. We would always order that because, oh well, it's budget friendly :) Then yesterday, mom and I were actually amazed to see how it is now presented! These cakes rock!

Red Ribbon: Mocha Caramel Cake

Palabok is an old time favorite. And Red Ribbon's palabok never fails to satisfy my hunger :)

Red Ribbon: Palabok

Most of the time, I order their coffee crunch cake but it's not one of their "cake slices for the day", so I chose another favorite, sansrival and mocha caramel cake for mom. For Php120, you can have a plate of palabok, your choice of cake (you can choose from 3-4 cakes depending on availability) and a drink.

Recipe: Mango Float

Has any of you seen the commercial of M.Y. San Grahams aired way back where a fun mother shows how easy a dessert can be made using the company's product? That was my inspiration kasi! I saw how easy it was to prepare a dessert without the gruelling process of baking. Thus the birth of my own Mango Float version...tadah!

Mango Float

This is probably one of the very few recipes that would make everyone in our house go gaga over this treat! It's simple, very easy to do and it's a blockbuster hit!

Ingredients:
M.Y. San Graham Crackers
1 250ml condensed milk (make it 1 and 1/2 if you like it really sweet)
2 250ml all purpose cream
3 ripe mangoes

Procedure:
1. Slice mangoes according to your desired "design"
2. Mix the cream and condensed milk together (for the cream, follow package instruction - they should be chilled to get that thick consistency)
3. Put the graham at the bottom of the dish evenly
4. Pour the condensed milk and cream mixture on top
5. Lay the sliced mangoes
6. Repeat the same process up to the 3rd layer
7. Sprinkle crushed grahams
8. Chill and serve cold

3 layered Mango Float

Smart tip to avoid ice cream drippings

SMART TIP: How to avoid ice cream drippings?

We can’t help it! Come on, admit it, it doesn’t just happen on kids. We, sometimes have this sloppy tendency to stain our much loved dress with some mean ice cream drippings. Uhm, chocolate ice cream anyone? :) Bad day right?

So what are we going to do about it? Here’s a great idea I found from a magazine – the solution to our dip-free cones. To keep ice cream from dripping from the bottom of the cone, drop some mini marshmallows before scooping in the cold treat and viola! Genius, right?! It doesn’t just prevent that unwanted drippings, it’s also a yummy welcome surprise at the end of your total ice cream experience!