My Blog Has Moved

There are new things coming up for this blog. And in preparation for the exciting times ahead, the blog will be moving to a new home!  While I will still be writing about our phenomenal life, it will now have a new name. 

From now on, I will be doing all of my posting at the phenomenal mama

I hope you could all bookmark the new site and follow me there!


I will still be keeping this blog open so you can read all of my old posts.  But you won't miss a thing with the new blog as it will have all of the old posts, as well. 

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Phenomenal Tip: Eco-bags and Grocery Shopping

There are new things coming up for this blog. And in preparation for the exciting times ahead, the blog will be moving to a new home!  While I will still be writing about our phenomenal life, it will now have a new name. 

From now on, I will be doing all of my posting at the phenomenal mama

I hope you could all bookmark the new site and follow me there!

I will still be keeping this blog open so you can read all of my old posts.  But you won't miss a thing with the new blog as it will have all of the old posts, as well. 

* * * * *

The city where I live in has implemented the Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance since September of 2012.  All business establishments are instructed to encourage the use reusable bags instead of plastic bags.  As stipulated, the city shall be imposing a  fee of P2 to consumers who insist on using plastic bags. 

It took me some time to get used to doing my grocery shopping using eco-bags.  There were days then when I had to ask the bagger to put everything in a box for me because I forgot my eco-bags at home. In the early days of using eco-bags, one of the problems I encountered was how the bagger would just dump everything I bought in the 2 large reusable bags that I brought along, without any regard for grouping items together.  Thus, the toiletries would be mixed with the pantry items, cleaning supplies and vegetables.  This makes packing away at home a major headache also, since everything is topsy-turvy.  I just couldn't stand the disorderly way of bagging that I have since always placed 5 reusable bags in all of the cars so I am never caught empty handed, just in case grocery shopping is an errand I have to do for the day.

 

My MO as soon as I step in the grocery is to place five eco-bags inside my cart: 1.  fruits and vegetables; 2.  dry goods (pasta, bread, dairy, and other pantry items); 3.  toiletries and personal effects; 4.  cleaning essentials (laundry detergent, etc); 5.  frozen meats.  As I start to shop, I place the items in the corresponding eco-bag.

When the time comes for me to pay at the counter, I simply just load the 5 bags onto the counter and inform the cashier and bagger to return all the items to the bag where they came from.   This new system has saved me from putting each and every single item onto the counter.  Whereas before, I would go back and forth between my cart and the counter multiple times to ferry each grocery item, I now only have to do that in the same number of times as I have reusable bags.  Not only have I put order in the bagging of my groceries, I have also saved my back! :)

 

I have a dedicated bag for frozen meat, which is washed after every use. Just to make sure that the meat drippings and food bacteria from raw meat do not contaminate other surfaces.  If we are not careful, these reusable bags could be a cause for bacteria to transfer from the grocery cart to our kitchen and pantry.

And because I have this new system, grocery shopping is now tolerable... slightly therapeutic, even.:)  Sharing a photo which I posted earlier in my Instagram account.   Belated Happy Mother's Day to all the moms!

Excuse the dressy outfit, I just came from a blogger event.  Such is the life of a mom!

  















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2013 Palarong Pambansa

There are new things coming up for this blog. And in preparation for the exciting times ahead, the blog will be moving to a new home!  While I will still be writing about our phenomenal life, it will now have a new name. 

From now on, I will be doing all of my posting at The Phenomenal Mama

I hope you could all bookmark the new site and follow me there!

I will still be keeping this blog open so you can read all of my old posts.  But you won't miss a thing with the new blog as it will have all of the old posts, as well. 

* * * * *

I just came back from Dumaguete after doing chaperone duties accompanying my eldest as she participated in the swimming event for the recently concluded Palarong Pambansa which was held in the city of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental from April 21 to April 27, 2013.  The Palaro, which has been held annually since 1948, is the biggest sporting event in the country, composed of elementary and secondary school students from public and private schools from all the 17 regions of the Philippines.
 
We landed in Dumaguete just in time to witness the colorful parade of athletes, joined by a marching band and marjorettes, as they passed by the streets of Dumaguete; a thick throng of people crowding the streets cheering for the student-athletes.  It was a festive and lively display which I enjoyed, in spite of the blaring afternoon sun. 

For the uninitiated, the Palarong Pambansa is actually a series of meets, starting at the school level,followed by provincial, then regional, and finally culminates in the national games known as Palarong Pambansa.  The process of selection starts in the first semester of the school year, wherein preliminary meets are undertaken by the individual or team athletes, and the top two winners in each school are selected to represent the school in the district meet.  The process of getting the top two victors is repeated in the regional level until the final two athletes/team qualify to move up to the national level of competition. 

Delegates were assigned billeting quarters in the different public schools of Negros Oriental.  For the delegates of NCR, the Dumaguete City High School served as the temporary housing for all the NCR athletes, coaches and support staff.  In addition shuttle buses were also provided to shuttle the athletes and coaches from the billeting quarters to the playing venues.
 
Food is served for breakfast, lunch, merienda and dinner - for free, ha!  Moreover, fresh fruits, bottled water, juices and Gatorade were also provided for free everyday during the entire duration of the games.  The DepEd of Dumaguete also made sure that the sleeping areas for the athletes were comfortable as the rooms were provided with padded mattresses for sleeping.  I have heard that some of the previous sleeping accommodations for the past games were not so comfortable, with the athletes being made to sleep on top of school tables, or worse on the cold floor with just a banig .

 

But most of the NCR athletes, like us, did not stay at the assigned biletting quarters, and instead each booked their own hotel rooms.  But there are a lot of other student-athletes who slept at the public school, and most of them came unchaperoned.  The athletes who stayed at the quarters had to contend with doing their own chores such as washing their own clothes and cleaning up their dishes after every meal.  It would have been a very educational experience for J if she also had the chance to sleep at the headquarters, even just for a night. 

The girl in the photo below is a member of the NCR-girls baseball  team.  I chanced upon a group of them inside the girls' room cubicles washing their jerseys.  I took a photo with the intention of showing my own daughter how washing her own suit after every meet is not a chore that should be met with dread, but should be viewed as an opportunity - a chance to develop larger life skills like independence, industriousness and self-reliance.  

 

Here are the NCR girls being briefed by their coach on the first day of the meet.  A total of 8 girls to represent the elementary division, and another 10 to represent the secondary division.

 

This is my daughter’s first Palaro experience, and the entire episode is nothing but wonderful for her.  She was able to muster mental strength as she overcame her jitters in her first event, the 100-meter butterfly, to qualify for the finals, placing seventh in the morning prelims with a time of 1:17.  After prevailing over her struggle to calm her nerves, she finally clocked in her personal best time of 1:14 during the finals in the afternoon, shaving off 3 seconds from her prelims time.  She was gunning for a third place finish, but actually placed fourth overall in the 100-meter butterfly. Still, even without the podium finish, we are both satisfied with how she performed.

She went on to win silver in her two other events:  the 4x50 freestyle and the 4x100 freestyle.

On our last competition day, the parents of one of the NCR swimmers hosted a thanksgiving party for all of the NCR swimmers.  It was a delightful change to see the swimmers have the chance to talk to each other outside of the pool for a change... wearing clothes other than swim suits, and their feet fitted with shoes other than the usual flipflops.  The NCR coaches took on the task of hosting the program and providing entertainment.

Dumaguete lived up to their promise that this year’s games would be "clean, green and high-tech."  We are impressed with our Palaro experience as we got timely results and photo updates via various social media sites.  Even the Phenomenal Papa, who was left behind in Manila, got the game results a few minutes after they happened.  Kudos to the Dumaguete provincial government for one of the most organized Palaro games! 

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Nihonbashi Tei

We had our usual Sunday lunch at Nihonbashi Tei in Makati.  I can't remember the last time I ate here, but I know it was a long time ago, maybe around 3 years back.  The place looks exactly the way it did the last time we visited.  The place was already packed with diners by the time we got there at close to 12 noon, and it's a good thing we were able to get a function room, away from all the diners.

Whenever we eat at Japanese restaurants, my kids always order the california maki.  This plate is already half-eaten as the kids devoured the sushi rolls as soon as it was placed on the table.

The spicy salmon sashimi is not really that spicy. It's thinly-slivered marinated salmon on a bed of sushi rolls, topped with crunchy tempura crumbs. 

 

The takoyaki is forgettable. I found the bits of minced octopus rubbery and hard to chew.  

The salmon onigiri came with the bento lunch set; and while not spectacular, was able to satiate hungry tummies.

We ordered the chasho shoyu ramen (shown below) for the kids to share and the shrimp tempura ramen for C and I to share, (no photo of the shrimp tempura ramen because C finished off before I could take a photo.)  He saved some for me in a small bowl; but I thought the tempura batter was overwhelmingly thick, and made the shrimp look smaller that it already is.

C loves sashimis, and he usually orders salmon and hamachi.  We were initially happy to see that the price of the hamachi sashimi was not as high as other Japanese restaurants; but we were disappointed when the hamachi came, for it was not as fresh as we would've wanted it.  Probably because it was not a very fast moving item because of its price point.  

The Asari clams could be better.  The buttery sauce was a bit bland, but nothing that fresh clams couldn't make up for.

 

The kids love the beef teppan, but I didn't get to taste it.

There's a wall full of Japanese beers and liquors right in front of our private room, but surprisingly C didn't order any.

I found the quality of the food suffered compared to the last time we ate here.  While the food was not bad, it failed to impress.  Maybe it was because it was a busy Sunday lunch, and the kitchen found itself overwhelmed.  Still, everything on the menu is affordable and the staff is efficient and friendly.
Overall, a place to go if you want fast service, affordable and decent food.

Nihonbashi-tei Makati
806 Arnaiz Avenue, Pasay Road, Makati City, Metro Manila. Philippines. 
Tel: +632-818-8893

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Iloilo: Where To Eat & What Pasalubong To Buy

My blog has moved.  Please read more post at the phenomenal mama.   I hope you follow me there to read NEW posts!

lloilo sits on the southern shores of Panay Island; and the city itself is just across the Guimaras Island,  so naturally, fresh seafood is in abundance.  I've been to Iloilo before, a very long time ago; but I still remember those seaside restaurants serving fresh seafoods with fondness. Coming to Iloilo this time around, I was expectedly looking forward to reliving those memories.  And this trip had a lot of those deja vu moments of food glory.

Just a few hours after our plane landed, a swimming co-parent who hails from Iloilo whisked us off for an early lunch at Tatoy's Manokan.  It is an unassuming and rustic-looking restaurant, but is one of Iloilo's best seafood restaurant.

 

Ordering is easy, just point to whatever is on the display stand.

We had our lunch in one of the nipa huts across the street, which offered us a wonderful view of the sea and Guimaras Island further across.

At Tatoy's, I simply can't get enough of the fresh oysters dipped in spiced vinegar, the baked scallops, lechon baboy, lechon manok (house specialty... it's Tatoy's Manokan, after all), and the best grilled Managat.  The Grilled Managat is one of the best tasting dish I have ever come across during my visit to Iloilo.  The fish is very meaty and sweet.  Their Baked Scallops is among the best I've ever tasted.  A lot of restaurants have these on the menu, but the seasoning of Tatoy's is different; the mixture of calamansi, butter, garlic and cheese is just so yummy my plate was full of scallop shells when the meal was over.

The kids were amazed that fresh buko juice is served with the husk, and so a flurry to take instagram photos ensued.

Still, another seaside restaurant that is one every visitor's must-visit list is Breakthrough.  This restuarant is similar to Tatoy's, but the seashore is more conducive to walking around and the view  more scenic.

 I had another taste of my favorite, Grilled Managat.

 
Another dinner was hosted for us at Bauhinia, located within the complex of Smallville.  The family of one of our swim co-parents own the strip of restaurants located at The Avenue, within the lively Smallville complex.  We were able to sample an array of specialty dishes in the buffet dinner prepared for us that night.  We got to taste the ribs that Mojave Grill & Steak House is known for.   Dessert that night was from Tinapayan Bakeshop.  The Banana Cream Pie and Mango Pavlova was a worthy excuse to pile on extra calories. 

The Smallville complex also has a hotel within the vicinity, the Smallville 21 Hotel.  Some of the swimmers who stayed in this hotel liked the accomodation.  While I haven't seen the interiors, the hotel is relatively new so I am sure the rooms are very comfortable.  It is located in an area that is known for being the premier entertainment and dining center in the city.   I can safely assume that because of its proximity to the dance clubs and KTV family bars, hotel guest can expect some noise especially on weekends. 

 

Of course, no visit to Iloilo will be complete without having the Lapaz Batchoy.  We ate at Deco's Lapaz Batchoy because it was also conveniently beside the pasalubong store.  Just to be honest, I did not find anything spectacular to rave about, but maybe it's just me.

I did all of my pasalubong shopping at Deco's Pasalubong Shop.  After the group had lunch at Deco's Lapaz Batchoy, we went next door to buy our pasalubongs.  It made shopping for pasalubongs so convenient since all of Iloilo's most famous delicacies are now housed in one store.  

The products include the famous butterscotch, barquillos, biscocho, crispy squid rings, preserved foods and pinasugbo from Biscocho Haus, Panaderia de Molo, and Trappist Monastery Food Products, Wewins, JD Bakeshop, Rosy's Delicacies, PJ Delicacies, Deocampo Barquillos Mama's Kitchen and Mrs. Fudge. 

They can even put it all in a box for you to make sure that all the yummy treats stay in its original condition and can withstand the airplane transport.

Tatoy's Manokan and Seafood Restaurant

Villa Beach, Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo City
BREAKTHROUGH Iloilo
Villa Beach, Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, Arevalo, Iloilo, Philippines

Bauhinia Filipino Cuisine and Mojave Grill and Steak House
Smallville Complex, Diversion Road, Mandurriao District, Iloilo City

DECO'S Lapaz Batchoy
La Sallette Bldg. Valeria St. Iloilo City

 My blog has moved.  Please read more post at the phenomenal mama.   I hope you follow me there to read NEW posts!

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Iloilo: Where To Stay

My blog has moved.  Please read more post at the phenomenal mama.   I hope you follow me there to read NEW posts!

I initially planned to do a travelogue on the province, thinking that our 5 day stay there for the Batang Pinoy National Championship would provide sufficient time to squeeze in a city tour; but quickly realized after having spent half-day cheering my daughter on by the poolside, under the humid Iloilo sun, I was too pooped to actually go around the city.  Nevertheless, I was lucky to be in the company of some great people who managed to make our stay there fun and super-comfortable.  So even if I can't share city sights with you, you will still be getting the dish on Iloilo's must-visit restaurants in my next post.  

We took PAL's first flight out, and got to the province at the first crack of day.  Typhoon Sendong was making its arrival the same day, and expected to make landfall early evening.  While, it did spare Iloilo from its wrath, the other provinces were not as lucky.  News reports days later tagged Typhoon Sendong as among the deadliest cyclones to hit the Philippines.  So lucky for us that the typhoon's path spared Iloilo!  Look at the flooded streets of the nearby province of Cagayan de Oro.

Anyway, to move along...  For now, I will post about where we stayed.

We stayed at the Days Hotel, and booked the classic deluxe room, which we found roomy for its class.  Our room had two double beds, which could easily have accommodated a family of four. 

This is how the classic deluxe room looks like

image source

This is how the modern deluxe room looks like.

image source

The classic deluxe room wasn't as pretty as the refurbished room, which they called modern deluxe room, but I figured if I took out the tacky green duvet, the room won't look as bad.  And I am right!  Save for the headboard, lamps, duvet cover and the outdated upholstery, the rooms are seemingly identical.

look at the difference it made to the room with the tacky duvet half-drawn down

While the rooms are clean and well-maintained, the lighting could be improved on.  If you've read my blog post about Swissotel @ The Stamford when we celebrated the holidays last 2011 in Singapore right here, you'd know my preference for a bright room. Nothing that a request to housekeeping can't fix.  The true gem of Days Hotel is clearly the wonderful and accommodating hotel staff, all armed with that distinct Ilonggo hospitality.  The housekeeping staff quickly provided my room with bulbs of higher wattage and even added a floor lamp.  It also has a sitting corner and an office desk, which we found very useful as J needed to review/ do advance study after the day's competition to make up for the long absence from school.

Our room came without window views; I opened up the curtain to a blank wall.  But the lack of view did not really matter to me.  The bathroom is adequately sized, with the toiletries being refilled everyday.  We brought our own body gels and shampoos, and just used up the hotel's hand soap, but the staff kept refilling the hand soap each day with a new one. The open closet was provisioned with several hangers. And there was even a safe where to put one's valuables in the comfort of the room, though I did no bother to use this amenity.  They claim to offer free wi-fi, but the signal was choppy, at best.  

Our hotel stay came with daily complimentary breakfast.  There are a lot of food choices, but I am a creature of habit;  if available, I usually start my breakfast buffet with congee.   One of my best Iloilo memories is having authentic Filipino/Ilonggo breakfast while watching the early morning traffic from the window across my table.

Days Hotel is right at the heart of a very busy commercial area.  This three-star hotel's layout can be confusing initially as it sits on top of the Atrium Mall, with the hotel lobby at the fourth level of the mall, and the guest rooms on the fifth level.  The first to third level house a mini mall which includes a grocery, and food court.  

The hotel lobby.  image source

If I would go back to Iloilo next time, I would definitely stay here again.  The room rates are very affordable, and the hotel's location makes for convenient travel for everyone:  the grocery store on the first floor, the steady stream of cabs on the street fronting the hotel, the free breakfast buffet, the food court on the lower level.  And not to mention that SM Delgado is just a few walks away. 

Days Hotel Iloilo
Address: :  4F The Atrium Mall, Gen Luna St., Iloilo City
Phone:  63-33-3373297




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Christmas Eve Dinner 2012

For the last several years, we have been out of the country during Christmas.  But since we stayed home this year, I was able to personally prepare our Christmas eve dinner.  

I remember a few years back we had a Christmas eve buffet dinner in Hong Kong, I didn't fully appreciate the food spread because of the limited time available.  Add to the fact the two younger ones were so much younger then, and needed more assistance.  Eating at home is so much more relaxed.  It is made more enjoyable if, like me, you also enjoy cooking and trying new recipes.

Since I decided that ALL the food are going to be home-made, I started prep work in the kitchen mid-afternoon to make sure that I won't be hurried.  I wanted to enjoy the process since I was going to make it for my family for Christmas Eve. after all.  

Pardon the photos since they were all just taken with my daughter's iPhone cam.  As you know, my hands are tied in the kitchen.... So anyway, here's what we had for our simple celebration:

Caprese Salad on Skewers.  Grape tomatoes, basil leaves, truffle noir cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, generous sprinkle of freshly ground peppercorns and sea salt.  This is a family staple, even on ordinary days as this is so easy to prepare, and the flavors just pop in one mouthful.

 

Baked Brie with Truffle Mushroom, topped with Roasted Honey Almonds. You cannot see it here but underneath those roasted almonds is a layer of crusted brown sugar.  This is hands down the favorite dish of the night.  So easy to prepare, but it made my family think the world of me.

Baked pears with caramelized balamic vinegar topped with crumbled stilton cheese and pistachios.  The kids usually refuse to eat any kind of blue cheese, but somehow this one was tolerated somewhat... or they were just being cooperative and grateful.

 

Roasted chicken with garlic and lemons.  This roasted chicken is another family favorite, and on the few occasions that there are leftovers, I find that they taste even better the next day.

And I just love the roasted garlic... I simply press at the ends and all the garlicky goodness slides out easily.  Mash and eat with the chicken.

 

Grilled rib-eye steak on a bed of arugula and strawberry salad, drizzled with balsamic vinegar dressing.  My carniverous family could not let a meal pass us without red meat, so I grilled a few slabs of rib-eye and placed them on top of the salad.  Hate to admit, but I prepared the salad to find a way to limit their consumption of red meat.

 

Linguinie with mushrooms and garilic with truffle cream sauce.  This is a special request from C, and I made sure to make the sauce generously cover the pasta as everyone loves the cream sauce... no fighting over food because it's Christmas Eve.:)

You might notice that I was very generous with using truffle oil, using it even in several dishes; and that is because I bought it at Bacchus Epicerie over at PowerPlant Mall the day before Christmas for 20% off.  I bought a small bottle of black truffle oil (about 25ml if I am not mistaken) from them about six months ago for P1,200.  And for this recent purchase, I just paid less than a thousand only.  

I did not prepare desserts anymore, but I want to share with you that the red velvet cake from Karen's Kitchen is such a stand out that it will soon be a staple on every celebration!  It's so good, so moist and just the right amount of sweet.  

That's about it.  Leaving you all as I celebrate the New Year with a staycation.  See you all 2013!



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