Triple Double Oreos

Triple Double Oreos supposedly in the test phase.

*Buy Double Stuff Oreos at Amazon.

Wasabi Muffins

As far as I can tell, this an ad for dishwashing liquid and not a genuine wasabi muffin mix. The very thought of wasabi muffins sounds insanely stupid, but there are various recipes.

PushCakes and Butterbeer Cupcakes

"PushCake: cake layers kept moist between generous, almost mini trifle-esque layers of buttercream."




Butterbeer cupcakes recipe. The final step: "Then pipe your buttercream onto your cupcakes and top with a drizzle of butterscotch ganache!" Via.

3 Simple Ways to Celebrate Chinese New Year

Are you celebrating Chinese New Year? I will! And even if you are not Chinese, it's a good way to gather friends and family! Here are some simple ideas on how to have a Kung Hei Fat Choi party at home.



1. Table Staples - tikoy, dumplings, fish, shrimps, and sweets. I got mine yesterday at Powerplant Mall where they are having a Chinese food fair. Just for fun, I think I'll use instant noodles (Lucky Me!) too.



2. Decorate - don't overdo this, I just want a Chinese lantern with a drawing of a boy and girl. Hopefully, this would make me and my husband get along more (lol)

3. Wave your wishes - I recently saw on TV how you can get these sticks with flowers on its end. There's a small envelope on it too, where you can insert your wish. Wave this on February 3 12AM towards the moon.

Some luck wouldn't hurt. I am going to check out another Feng Shui shop today at Shangrila Hotel. I did visit another one yesterday and had an unpleasant experience. I bet they had an unpleasant experience with me too! I am not giving up on Chinese New Year though ;)

Lola Maria's Fried Suman at Tsokolate, Ensaymada Pudding, and More

Every time I have a new foodie discovery, I am filled with a sense of pride. Though I am sure many have discovered Lola Maria's fried suman at tsokolate, ensaymada pudding, and fish pinipig. Maybe, they kept it to themselves because eating at Lola Maria's is a treasure of experience.



Lola Maria's is located inside The Legend Villas along Pioneer in Mandaluyong. It surely feels like a little secret getaway complete with a modest gastronomic adventure. Lola Maria's serves Filipino dishes from traditional recipes that have been passed on to generations of hoteliers.

I only have a few go-to restaurants when it comes to Filipino food, one of them is Kuse. Lola Maria's is making it to my list because they serve exciting albeit unknown versions of Pinoy food. Must-try starters include vegetable quiche and fish pinipig.



Vegetable Quiche. Baked tender pastry crust with fresh vegetables. Served with a dollop of sour cream.



Fish Pinipig - this is awesome and I never knew pinipig could be this exciting, and it made me eat fish.

Both starters were really tasty, especially after enduring traffic. They were full of texture but light on the stomach. Unlike other Filipino restaurants, Lola Maria's starters were one of a kind. I would have loved to eat these with a cup of coffee but I was sure dessert will be even greater.



On my first visit, I also got to taste two main dishes. My husband loved the Cocido while I am all for the sinful Garlic and Rosemary Rib Eye.

Cocido are beef ribs stewed in rich tomato sauce with chorizo and fresh vegetables. Served with eggplant dip.



Garlic and Rosemary Rib Eye made use of the best beef cut, marinated and seared with fresh garlic and rosemary.

The Cocido is an orchestra with different elements making a beautiful symphony to the taste buds. The fresh vegetables are not swimming in sauce, retaining their crispiness and goodness. The ribs are flavorful with the tomato sauce and the eggplant dip is another first experience. It had a charred taste, with sweet and sour flavor.

My rib eye was sinful. It was overflowing with natural beefy juice and glazed with some natural beef fat. Delicious but if I was mindful of my health, I'd suggest you ask for a leaner cut. Noted that Lola Maria's is not a steak joint yet their steak was tender with a good smoked garlicky flavor. I didn't remember tasting rosemary which is great because I don't like my beef to taste like grass.



If I may recommend one dessert it would be Lola Maria's Fried Suman at Tsokolate. Upon a bite, I immediately made a plan to fry suman on my own and melt some chocolate to dip it in. If you do not like the hassle of doing so then you know where to find Lola Maria's.



Another new and first, is Lola Maria's Ensaymada pudding. Made of day old ensaymada with custard, baked and topped with queso de bola. Each is served in a ramekin and the marriage of ensaymada and leche flan is a win-win.

I was given a box of these and any homemaker would be delighted to see the reusable ramekins.

I also tried Ube & Langka Panna Cotta but my taste buds were still thinking of the Fried Suman at Tsokolate.



Where can you find a restaurant and staff where they give you a chair for your bag immediately? Like I didn't even had to ask for it! Little things make the huge difference. Much love from me to Lola Maria's.

I've decided to spend my birthday here at The Legend Villas, and with Lola Maria. I am sincerely fascinated with their service and I wish to experience the same when I come back with my brady bunch.

After that I shall write my stay-in experience :)

10 Craziest Food Tattoos

This tattoo is an entire full breakfast plate with eggs, bacon and potatoes, including the knife and fork. Yummy!
Strawberry ice cream cone with chocolate on top please! Melons not included!
This magical ham fairy would be cute if doodled in the margins of a high school text book, but is less than adorable as a sprawling tramp stamp.
What would be better than a delicious triple layered slice of lemon pie?
Are you on a diet? This evil potato will make you lose your appetite every time you stare at him.
"It's Totally Taco Time."
I hope he doesn't forget the can opener.
Leave it to beaver.
Who doesn't love a good bag of "poporn"?
The forbidden fruit which appears to be a strawberry when it actually is a human heart with a serpent wrapped around it.

Source

First Bite: Bon Chon Chicken at Ayala Triangle

When a lot of people are talking about a certain restaurant, I don't get my hopes high because most of the time, it's just a fad.



Or so I thought.

Surely you've heard about Bon Chon, the latest "it" chicken in the metro, next to KFC's Double Down burger.

They say Bon Chon is Singapore's KFC. I took the chicken by its wing and ravaged it for the first bite. It is different from all the fried chickens I ever ate.

It's a wonder to me how Bon Chon's chickens have caramelized crusts. This separates it from the rest of the poultry. While eating, I completely forgot about the gravy. It wasn't served, I doubt if they have it, and I doubt if I need it.



Bon Chon's chickens (wings, thighs, legs - you can choose what parts you like) are tasty by themselves and in their crusty crispy glory. My mates tried the spicy wings but I chickened out. I could see how red their faces were turning.




Though Bon Chon is much more expensive than the usual, say Php 125 for 6 pieces of chicken wings, I can vouch that the taste and experience are worth the price. Next time, I'm ordering rice.

What I also like about Bon Chon is how you can order by parts, like wings are cheaper than legs, and you can also get some chicken breasts. It's also located at Ayala Triangle where the Holiday Lights Show is ongoing.



I am going back to Bon Chon tomorrow because my taste buds tell me so.

Even Celebrities Love Freebies - Dove Chocolate

I received this pack of Dove Chocolates yesterday while being hypnotized by the Internet. Of course, I couldn't help but rip open a bar of the Milk Chocolate which is Dove Chocolate's best seller.



While munching, I thought I'd search for celebrities who receive freebies like this one. Just for fun and to make issues on schwags even funnier.

Here are celebrities caught in the act of getting Dove Chocolate freebies.



Becki Newton from Ugly Betty poses with her loot bag




Neil Patrick Harris who plays the infamous Barney Stinson in "How I Met Your Mother" TV Show.

Look oh, he even got an extra piece from the back!



Chandra Wilson who plays Doctor Miranda Bailey on "Grey's Anatomy" TV Show.

I'm going to stop now before this turns into a crazy wicked blogger post but this is how I spend my me time. Good thing this Dove Chocolate comes in a bar which is just the right size, or else I can finish a whole block of it and hate it for making my thighs big.

Now I order you to try Dove Chocolate and spend your me time moment with the silkiest, smoothest, and highest quality chocolate. Stare at how they look like so you can recognize them on the shelves!

And in case you want to see more celebs with schwags: http://www.facebook.com/dovechocolate

Lola Maria takes over your Christmas Table

I am seriously thinking of just ordering Noche Buena for the family this Christmas. Every year, I am sweaty and smell like spaghetti because I am the assigned cook.

One of the places offering holiday take outs is Lola Maria's, located at Legend Villas. I'd love for my holiday dishes and table to be stylish like this!



Choose from a wide variety of mouth-watering yuletide specialties from appetizer to dessert and enjoy them at the comfort of your own home.



Available to go are dishes like canapes (crabstick, tuna or egg salad), tomato soup with tortellini, chicken relleno, beef morcon, cocido, beef salpicao, baked fish with garlic mayo, home-baked ham, and brazo de mercedes.



Stylishly packed and easy-to-carry, Lola Maria Restaurant’s holiday take-out dishes are also ideal for potluck events and gatherings on few days notice. Just call Lola Maria Restaurant’s hotline and order away.

Visit Lola Maria Restaurant at The Legend Villas located at #60 Pioneer corner Madison Streets, Mandaluyong City.

My Seattle's Best Coffee Slam Book

Like Cristalle Belo, my favorite cup at Seattle's Best is their Chai Tea Latte.

When I saw Cristalle's Seattle's Best Coffee tarp at The Philippine Stock Exchange Building, I gave Chai Tea Latte in the Philippines another chance.



Joyce's SBC tarpaulin.

I've been desperate in finding hot milk tea that compares to the one I had at Chulalongkorn Uni.



Eric, Alvin with Doz.

I just think that tea, mixed with a little milk won't make me fat and even help me burn some.



Joyce with Alvin and Eric.

I've been a fan ever since and can only wish I can have my own SBC tarp too!



"Hi I am Lace, 25 years old. Been drinking SBC for (can't remember). My favorite drink is Chai Tea Latte, served hot. When I am bored and need a break.

For a quick snack/break I eat Big Breakfast number 3!"



Soft scrambled eggs, meaty sausages, crispy bacon, wheat bread, and pancakes served with butter and marmalade.



Continuing my Seattle's Best Slam Book now, when I want to talk I ask my husband and/or fellow mommy bloggers to come along.



I actually ate 2 Breakfasts at SBC that morning with them, I can't remember what number this is except for it has two sunny side up eggs. That's all that matters.



Brought our flip along to document the commotion. I forgot to have my SBC Christmas card stamped though.



Love how coffee shops know how to dust some holiday spirit.

Check out Seattle's Best Coffee on Facebook.

The People vs. Pizza Hut's Lechon Pizza

Surely you've heard about the Lechon Pizza from Pizza Hut. But have you conquered it yet?



Don trying to conquer Pizza Hut's lechon pizza with a smile

This is us trying to find out who gets a stroke first.

Kidding aside, this Lechon Pizza is seriously mind-blowing and 100% Flip as in Pinoy!



Me pretending I am not thinking of how much calories this pizza haz!

Topping off Pizza Hut's Classic Crust is layer after layer of traditional lechon sauce, premium lechon meat, delectable cheese, and garlic roasted to sweetness.



Azrael puts his life on the line with 4 slices of lechon pizza!



Each pizza is finished off with a generous portion of that wonderfully crispy balat ng lechon.



Choose your weapon, authentic lechon sauce by Pizza Hut or the classic Tabasco pepper sauce. I recommend Tabasco, so you can eat more lechon pizza :)



Until January 2011 only. Order na! 911-1111 or www.pizzahut.com.ph