Surya Fitness & Yoga

I know I should carry my lazy self off to the gym while the kids are doing laps in the pool... but sitting poolside and chatting away is just so tempting.:)   The past few years, I have found that my body is less able to fight off the unwanted pounds.  I admit defeat; but what the mind desperately wants to do, the uncooperative body is (yet)  not willing to yield.:)

For those of you with more discipline than I do, I urge you to try out Surya Fitness & Yoga. Surya Fitness & Yoga is located on the 4th floor of the Medicard Lifestyle Center in Makati – a wellness center designed with health related concerns in mind and presented in a homey and inviting atmosphere.  The studio is a spacious and welcoming space with lots of beautiful natural light, pleasant breezes and relaxing views. They offer a variety of fitness classes for all levels of experience. Their qualified and nurturing teachers are committed to offering you guidance in the practice of yoga in order to help you achieve better health and well being.

 BASIC YOGA with Corey Wills, every Wednesday at 7am

Puja Fire offering

the locker and shower room

this is the lobby, with a Sugarleaf mini mart offering lavazza coffee
the spacious parking

*Surya offers several yoga classes:  Basic Yoga,Hatha, Vinyasa, Beginner's Ashtanga, and Yin Yang Yoga. 
*Moms looking for a way to nudge their children towards a life of health and fitness, will be delighted to know that the center also offers Stretch & Grow.  Stretch & Grow is a program designed by child development experts that promotes exercise and wellness for children. Helps develop good eating and fitness habits in order to give kids a healthy foundation to build their future habits, confidence and self esteem.

all photos are from Surya Fitness & Yoga

Surya Fitness & Yoga
Medicard Lifestyle Center
51 Senator Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City, Philippines
Tel. 02 994 0744 /  878 5122
Mobile 0908 886 4793
Surya Fitness & Yoga on Facebook
suryafitnessyoga@gmail.com 



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Mother-Daughter Date at Manos Nail Lounge

I have a pre-teen who just loves having her toe nails done; so when there was a lot of long weekend breaks last August, I decided to take my two girls out on a date, just the three of us.  The boys had their own movie date.

Manos Nail Lounge had a promo at one of the group buying sites; and when I saw the serene-looking photos of the place, I knew it was a good deal for the price.   I bought the Mother-Daughter Pampering Package, (package inclusions:  spa pedicure for the mom, and a Las Manitas (for kids 13 years old and below) mani-pedi with specialty top coat upgrade for the daughters).  

Unlike other nail spas with feminine touches all over, Manos is decorated in a classy Filipino minimalist manner.  Taupe and coffee, with accents of mint decorate the place.   What sets Manos Nail Lounge apart from other nail spas is that it promotes locally sourced products while allowing customers to enjoy ultimate pampering.  There is a small nook near the entrance which displays various eco-friendly local enterprises. 

After J's birthday spa-celebration, this is just B's second time at a nail spa.  Here she is deciding on whether she'd rather have glossy, matte, shatter or glitter for her top-coat.  You have to love how she meticulously pored over her choices!:) seryosong-seryoso!

She finally settles for the glittery one.

this is the cozy seating arrangement directly in front of where we were seated

Our toe nails looking happy!

Manos Nail Lounge
Unit 2-I Crescent Park Residences, 30th St. corner 2nd Ave., Bonifacio Global City
(02) 4784057
Business Hours: M-F 11am to 8pm, Sat & Sun 10:30am to 7pm


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Phenomenal Tip: How to Wear Animal Prints

I’ve always had a fascination with animal prints that I have accumulated a few dresses, and more than a handful of  accessories; all of which have stood the test of time.  It seems to me like animal print comes in and out of style every couple of years; which, in my book, makes it a style-staple that is here to stay!  

I’ve had a cheetah-print fabric band which I’ve used as a headband when I was in my twenties, that I’ve now transformed into a scarf.  My zebra-print dress has been with me from the early years of my marriage, and has gone on several trips with me.  My leopard-print bag instantly brings personality to an otherwise plain outfit.

Animal print can seem daunting to wear; but if you find the right way to wear it, and what to wear it with,you will find it to be the easiest way to level up an otherwise plain outfit. 

1.  Stick to one.  If you are wearing an animal print dress, then keep the rest of your outfit in plain neutral color.  Keep it simple with the rest of your accessories because you don't want to overpower the rest of the look. Subtlety is the key word when it comes to stylish ways of wearing animal prints. 

 

2.  Keep the look true to yourself.  The way you wear it can be as unique as you want it to be – classy, glamorous, wild, punk.  It just depends on what you wear with it and how you wear it. 

I’ve always been drawn to classic, conservative lines, so I pair animal prints with neutrals (black, khaki, cream, white).  I limit mixing and matching the animal print with solid, basic colors only. Black and khaki, in my opinion, seem to be the best combination.   

But, red looks good with animal prints also.

But if you are the adventurous dresser, then you can pair your animal print with bold colors like fuchsia and green. 

3.   Indulge yourself in animal-print loungewear.  If you've always wanted to wear animal prints, but are too bashful to do so in public, then try to wear them in the privacy of your own bedroom.  Unleash your "roar" in the confines of your bedroom.

4. Do look for animal prints in classic shapes. Clean, simple lines are a great canvass for the loud prints. 

5.  Wear minimal accessories with animal prints. Wear simple accessory like a black pair of simple shoes or a simple black belt around a dress.

6.  Do try animal prints in small doses. You'll never go wrong trying animal prints in smaller pieces like a handbag, scarf or shoe. Even a tiny belt can add some spice to the outfit.

How do you wear yours?

click on the images for sources

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I Choose MARCA LEON Corn Oil

Because we, wives and moms, always try to make discerning and informed choices for our family, we make sure to serve our family healthy food and try to give them a balanced diet; we encourage the family to engage in fun sports activities……But did you all realize that good health essentially starts with the kind of oil that we use to cook in our kitchen? 

What are the most commonly used cooking oils?

• Canola Oil is the most widely used oil by consumers and has the reputation of being the “healthiest oil” because it has the lowest saturated fat level.  But what people don’t know is that canola oil is made from rapeseed, a genetically modified substance (read:  artificially created).  And in my book, anything that has been genetically modified is a potential threat to my family’s good health.
• Corn Oil  is a healthy oil because it helps lower cholesterol with its naturally occurring omega 3 and 6.  Check the label to make sure the corn oil you are buying is non-GMO.  I always use Marca Leon Corn Oil to grease my grill pan when we cook steak at home.  
• Vegetable oil is usually coconut or palm oil. This type of oil is ideally best used for frying.
• Coconut oil is great for frying, taste good. Its healthier than palm oil since even though high on saturated fat, it is medium chain fatty acid, which means burns faster compared to  palm has long chain
• Olive oil is great for sauteeing, as a salad dressing; but it is not the oil to use if cooking on high heat because olive oil turns bitter if exposed to high heat.

There are a lot of options available that it can get confusing… vegetable oil, corn oil, olive oil, canola oil, palm oil, soya oil, etc.  How do we decide what's best to choose for our family?  

There is no singular correct answer to that.  I choose the oil that I use depending on the cooking process,  but I prefer to use "traditional fats" from animals and plants.  Olive oil, coconut oil, corn oil... for the simple reason that they have been used for centuries. 

Personally, my preferred corn oil brand is Marca Leon because the Quality and Freshness of their products are guaranteed because the company has direct control from start to finish.  It is the only edible oil producer in the Philippines who grows its own corn in its own plantation.  The good corns are chosen, and goes straight to production. 


According to Marca Leon, their Corn Oil is winterized; this simply means that the oil is subjected to a temperature to harden all the unwanted waxes and impurities.  These are then filtered out, so the final product does not solidify even in cold temperature.  For us consumers, this means no "sebo", making it ideal to use with salad dressing, marinades, and when used on cakes, they remain soft up to 5 days.

If you want to know more about the nitty-gritty on oil, read this info-brochure from Marca Leon.  

To know more about Marca Leon and the right oil to choose for your family's kitchen, visit their webpage right here.  

Fro product updates and promos, like Marca Leon on Facebook.

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Baked Eggs on Avocado

We just happen to be the very lucky recipients of a basketful of avocados harvested from the tree of C's aunt.  Wonderful, because avocados happen to be a favorite ingredient in my kitchen.  My kids wouldn't mind having this everyday.  They're delicious as a power-packed dessert smoothie - blended with milk and sugar; but, they are also a scrumptious vitamin-packed savory treat.  

Avocados have a lot of healthy fats, dietary fibers, and vitamins.  The avocados' high protein content also makes it a good meat substitute; and unlike animal fat, the fat of the avocado is not saturated.  And when you scoop out that buttery and creamy flesh, make sure to scoop out right to the skin because research has shown that the greatest concentration of carotenoids in avocado occurs in the dark green flesh that lies just beneath the skin.

I have shared with you in this previous post how I made yogurt and avocado iced-popsicles...

and in this previous post, I also shared with you my recipe for making home-made avocado ice cream.

But for now, let me tell you how I enjoy it as a heart-healthy and appetite-stoking breakfast provision.  This is a new and delicious way to enjoy avocados for breakfast. An easy-to-make,  protein and vitamin-packed breakfast treat that's filling enough to keep you going all morning!

Baked Eggs in Avocado 
ripe avocado, split in half
2 eggs
freshly cracked pepper
sea salt flakes
freshly grated cheese of your choice 

1. preheat oven to 175c/350f
2. with a small kitchen knife, slice avocado in half and take out the pit
3. take out some of the avocado flesh to make space for the egg, estimating how much to take out depending on how large your egg is.
4. crack egg open in small bowl, and carefully pour egg in the cavity.
5. put in a generous sprinkle of pepper and salt. Top with grated cheese.
6. place in pre-heated oven and cook till your eggs are done in the level you desire, 7-10 minutes, more if you want your yolk set.

I just also have to share how much I am loving Lock & Lock's new Boroseal line for its kitchen versatility.  This bakeware easily transitions to a serving plate.  No mittens needed to handle the hot plate; simply add/clip on the red silicone handle once you take the plate out of the oven.

Enjoy!

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BRITMANIA ROCKS MANILA! {Lee Cooper Premier Launch}

The hip and legendary British brand, Lee Cooper has finally arrived in the Philippines; rock-and-rolling its way to the closets of Manila's fashion-forward set.  It promises to provide Manila's fashion scene a fresh way to cutting-edge styles.

The iconic British fashion brand started operations in East London in 1908, it didn't take long before the company gained the distinction of being the first and oldest authentic denim brand of jeans in Europe.  Since then, it has expanded to over 88 countries, including Spain,  France, Italy, Switzerland, Singapore, Malaysia.  

The brand had its premier  launch last August 29, 2012 at the Grand Ballroom of the Marriott Hotel - Resorts World.  The British invasion that night included a display of three mini-coopers in the hotel's lobby, right before the entrance to the show. Here's one of the three:

 My date to this event is none other than my daughter; who, since attending last year's Philippine Fashion Week, has shown an interest in all things fashion. Here's our only souvenir photo of the event:

 

Personalities chosen as the brand's ambassadors all exemplified the brand's commitment to workmanship of the highest quality.

It is only a matter of time before Lee Cooper invades our closet with its collection of soft denim.    Lee Cooper carries a complete line and collection for both men and women, including denim jeans, colored pants, denim shorts, capri, cargo pants and shorts, knits, blouses and jackets. Here are some of my favorite images from the fashion show: 

Some of the celebrities who graced the product launch:

 Congratulations to the management of Lee Cooper, Philippines for the successful launch!

Lee Cooper is available at SM North EDSA, SM Megamall, SM Makati, SM Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, SM Pampanga, Robinson's Magnolia, Gaisano Metro Alabang.
To know more about Lee Cooper Philippines, and to get product updates, like them on Facebook.


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Phenomenal Tip: How To Cook the Perfect Steak At Home

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. 

* * * * *

We love eating out at restaurants that serve good steaks such as Mamou, Bistecca, etc; but more often, we enjoy having our steaks along with the experience of cooking it right in our own kitchen - on the stovetop.  Yes, restaurant-quality steak can be done right on top of your stove.  Because really, taking out the grill and flaming the charcoal is just too much work.  My entire family looks forward to steak dinners, and we have it often enough with the minimum of effort and with good results - and of course, the much coveted grill marks to show for, too. :)

When it comes to buying good quality steaks, it is usually C's territory. There are three places we buy our steaks from, depending on who does the buying.

C goes to Santis's for the U.S. Black Angus rib-eye, and if he finds like-minded friends, he also orders American Wagyu rib-eye from Snake River Farm, enough to fill the entire freezer with nothing else but.  Snake River Farms is exclusively distributed in the Philippines by Alternatives Food Corp.  They supply to premium commercial food outlets, but they also sell to individuals, you just have to purchase one slab and find like-minded friends to share the huge slab with.  Call their Ortigas sales office for your orders and they also accommodate free deliveries.

As for me, I am a different story.  I find the prices of the 2 previous mentioned suppliers absurd, ridiculous, over the top expensive.  Although I cook the slabs for him, I cannot bring myself to buy for him.  Because if it were all entirely up to me, I would rather take one of the cheaper alternatives and buy the Australian brand, Meltique.  At S&R, a box of five steaks only costs P1,599.95, so roughly about P320 for a slice.

Cooking steaks at home is one of the easiest thing to do, just follow these easy tips for cooking perfect steaks on the stove-top:

1.  Buy a good quality steak.  This is the most important of ALL the steps.  There is nothing you can do for a steak that is not great to begin with.  Our favorite cut is the rib-eye because it has have large pockets of fat, which add flavor and give the steak a moist, juicy texture.

Be willing to spend a little more for a premium cut, and I assure you it will be worth it when you take the first bite.  And if you think of how much restaurants charge for a U.S. Black Angus rib-eye of Wagyu rib-eye, buying your own slab looks downright reasonable.

2.  Bring the meat to room temperature prior to cooking. Bring your steak to the fridge one day before you cook it, and take it out to room temp about two hours before you cook it.  This is really important because you will be cooking the meat for a very short time on very high heat.  You don’t want to cook a steak that is still frozen in the middle and burnt on the outside.

3. Season your steak - generously.  A really good piece of meat only needs two things: sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.  Pat the meat dry and sprinkle both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper.   Seasoning your steak will help you get that great brown crust.

4. Prep the pan.  Place the grill pan ( if you care for the grill marks) onto the stove top on high heat to preheat. You will know it is hot enough by placing a drop of water on the pan.  If the water sizzles violently and evaporates, the pan is ready. Olive oil is not really a good oil to use when grilling steaks as it turns bitter at high heat; instead, it is better to use a non-GMO corn oil.  I use the Marca Leon brand.

5. Sear the Steak.  Cooking steak without overcooking it is all about putting the steak with a lot of heat very quickly.  Consider the size of your pan and do not crowd your grill pan with too much cuts as this will considerably change the pan temperature and make the meat steam, and not sear. 

Let the steak cook on one side without moving it for 3 minutes until the underside has those highly coveted grill marks and a deep golden brown crust.  After searing, adjust the heat to medium to avoid charring or overcooking the meat.  Do not cook the steaks at the super high heat the entire time, the outside will be burnt by the time the center cooks.

 

Be sure to time how long you cook your steak, You should flip a steak one time only.  In addition, use tongs to move your meat around, not a big fork.  Using a fork will puncture the surface of the steak and let the juices run out and cause them to be dry and tough. I usually cook mine 7-10 minutes each side, depending on the thcikness of the cut.  You will have to experiment to find the cooking time that works for you.

6.  Let the steak rest.  Take the steak off the pan just before it gets to the desired stage (medium well, medium rare - depends on your preference)  and let it "rest" on a plate for 3 to 5 minutes before cutting it up and serving it.  Steaks need to rest so the juices can redistribute.

7.  Savor the steak!

That's all there is to it. 

BUT, if you are still not convinced, read what Alain Ducasse has to say about Cooking Steak With Style:  Easy Does It.

Alternative Foods Corp : +63-2-631-7228

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