Since tomorrow is a big day for me, A and I decided to celebrate today my acceptance in my dream firm. Though it really doesn't differ much from our regular day since just being able to spend time together is a form of celebration for us.

I made corned tuna omelette for breakfast. I just sprinkled crispy garlic and parsley on it to give it a gourmet look. I couldn't really spend a lot of time cooking breakfast today because we have a full day ahead.

Snuz got to watch Jamie Oliver on TLC. I really couldn't explain it, but she does have her preference when it comes to TV shows. When she wants to watch TV, she would sit in front of it and try to get our attention. Then we would turn on the TV for her.  She's got her own thing going.

Since it's a Thurday, we were able to avail of Bo's Coffee's promo. 15 bucks for a small cup of brewed coffee. I actually had to leave A there for a while because I had to swing by the office to have my ID processed for tomorrow.

When I got back, I wanted to relax for a while. A got me some magazines to read. Off all the ones he can give to me, he handed me this. I started thinking about work immediately as a pavlovian response.  Old habits die hard I guess. I don't know why, but although I didn't report directly to MVP, i get this get-back-to-work feeling whenever I see his picture everytime I see it on my moments of relaxation.

I did get to to relax when we reached Bejewelled Spa in Meralco Ave. I booked A for a 1.5-hour massage. I'm not a massage fan, so I just brought the handbook that I'm supposed to study for work. The spa staff was nice enough to let me use their mani-pedi room as my reading room. A spa ambience doesn't exactly complement a heavy-reading material =)

A enjoyed his trip to the spa. I guess being able to take a shower before having a massage sealed the deal for him.

After our trip to the spa,  A and I took a stroll going to Megamall. Since it rained earlier, there was this cool breeze blowing on our faces. Really nice to have as we walked for a few blocks.

It was a tiring day, but I'm looking forward for the next one with A.

I've been going to Kitchen for more than a decade for it's cozy ambiance and delicious food. A and I have made this our resto of choice for comfort food in Greenbelt.

Tonight, we have something to celebrate about as I'm about to embark a new journey in my dream firm after a rigorous recruitment process.

Not much of a celebration on what we ordered. We couldn't eat much as we still have some leftover Bolognese pasta that I made for lunch at home. Plus, I have a bad case of cough that I need to get rid of quick. So, no pandan iced tea for me for today's trip to Kitchen.

This was the first time we tried their pizza. We had the Knot of Four, their 4-cheese pizza. It's a thin crust served we a plate of arugula and alfalfa (which we used as a topping). The pizza tastes good, but the crust is quite soggy. It wasn't worth the 20-minute wait. 

We'd still visit despite the memorable service today. I hope this isn't a sign that Kitchen's quality on food and service is degrading.

I got these this morning over breakfast. Gifts for past occasions that have accumulated over time has eventually reached the recipient. Nostalgic, though unintentional as it is, but very much appreciated. If it weren't for the expiration dates on them, I wouldn't consume them. Well, the phone doesn't have an expiration date, but I'm sure A would like the new toy.

Thank you very much gift-giver!

I've had my Melissa shoes for about a year now. I bought it because I wanted a red shoe. 

I got to appreciate them more when the strong rains started kicking in. I didn't have to go through the icky, squishy feeling of wearing shoes in the rain. Well, I had to pat the insole with a tissue first of course, but it dries up easily because of the hole design of the shoes. Although Melissa's serving me well, I thought I still need something that would keep the water out while under the pouring rain (plus, I need an alternative for the red shoe).

So, I started my search for a pair of rain boots. This isn't actually an easy thing to find if one intends to be fashionable about it. Reason being that most of the rain boots usually have rounds ends. I'm in search of the slim, pointed-ended ones. I found some on Loeffler Randall.

These boots sell for $195, but are currently on sale for $136.

Jeffrey Campbell's Marsha Rain Boots looks promising also. It's on sale also at What A Pair! for $68.99.

JC's Voom Rain Boot is also a contender though it's the glossy type. I like it because of the wedge heel like LF's. This one sells for $69.

Cheapest one that I found is this Capelli New York Matte Solid Knee High Body Rubber Rain Boot. It used to sell for $42, but there's an entry in Amazon that sells it for $29.99.

With these options and the rainy season officially starting, it may be a good idea to invest in one.

How about you, what's your rain gear?

Remember my last chocolate entry? A's been looking for his cheap, chocolate dollar treat in Rustan's. I passed by the supermarket when I was doing my malling exercise and found some new stocks on hand. I sort of hoarded a few pieces for A. Anything for A =)

I've been searching for another pair of dark denims for a while, but my cheap switch has been on lately and opted to just wait for a good find. 

I was killing time at Robinson's Place Ermita. There was a Rustan's outlet there and decided to check out the store, see if I can find something for a friend's wedding. Unfortunately, I didn't find one, but found these instead:

Some tems were on a red tag sale up to 80% off! I was able to get myself my denim pants for just Php399 (original price Php1,350). I'm not a fan of the ribbon detail on the back pocket, but I think I can pull off the style (I was looking at the discount price more that time hehe). I found a pair of slacks for A for the same price too.
My sister got a dark denim pair also, but a different model. I tried to get one for myself, but I didn't fit the pants hehe. She got a better deal that I have because the pair that she bought used to sell for Php2,450 and she got it for Php499. She even managed to get a pink leather belt for Php99 from Php499.

Now who wouldn't love those price drops?

I found several on-sale items that would expire end July at Rustan's Supermarket in Glorietta. I just picked the ones that I know will be consumed at home before expiry date. One of those I grabbed was Lawry's Garlic Spread. 

It originally sells for almost Php200, Rustan's was offering it as Php96. Should be easy for A to finish since he likes garlic in almost everything. Today, I'm using it to marinade local wagyu beef and make salpicao.


Salpicao is one of the easiest meals to prepare. For the marinade, I just blended worcestershire sauce, garlic spread, and freshly ground black pepper. Rub over the beef and chill. Allow for the flavors to sink in overnight.

When ready to cook, heat up the pan and pour some olive oil. When the pan is hot, add in the meat and let it brown. Add some butter and mushrooms. That's it! Simple and easy to make, but rich in flavor.

After searching high and low with our geomancer master of the universe, we've finally ended up finding a place (I'll post pictures when my sister returns my camera). Yesterday, A and I strolled in the vicinity to see if we can call the area home. Strolling aimlessly and enjoying it (I've always enjoyed A's company, of course), we found that the area's very convenient to be in.  A hospital just 3 blocks away, bus station on the opposite side of the road,  and cabs don't seem to run out. Even the e-tricycles pass by the area.

Food is definitely not a problem as the area ranges from convenience stores to fine dining. There's even a Korean convenience store nearby. Of course I wouldn't fail to mentioned a 24-hour McDonald's a block away =)

I may not have my golf course view anymore (it's on the other side of the condo tower, which I can easily go to if there's an itch to view one), but we do have our share of the morning sun. Lots of parks in the area too. I remember passing by one of them before on a Sunday morning. There are groups there who do Tai Chi or dance exercises, plus the area itself if friendly to runners. Time for A, Snuz, and myself to get back into shape!

Giddy, giddy, giddy =)

A and I were in Rustan's Shangri-la checking out the grocery as he was in search of his dollar chocolate. Unfortunately, there was only one left. 

I was going to meet someone in Glorietta earlier and I thought of passing by Rustan's Supermarket to kill time and try to search for A's chocolate. They didn't have them also, but what I did find are these:

Galler Chocolate Mini-Bars originally sells for Php130 for a 70g mini-bar, it's on sale for just Php32! Expiry is still 23 July, so lots of time to consume the chocolate mini-bar. Plus, chocolates are still good for about 3 months after the indicated expiry date (should be a useful info to sweet-tooths out there).

There are 3 variants on sale:

café liégois 
dark chocolate filled with a coffee-flavored light mousse

praliné lait
milk chocolate filled with dried fruits

manon
white chocolate filled with coffee mousse and roasted hazelnuts

It still doesn't beat A's chocolate dollar based on weight and price, but this is definitely a good treat!

A and I have always been picky of pesto blends. This is one aspects wherein I can definitely say that not all brands are created equal. Some may find it expensive (Filippo costs Php133 for a 190g bottle. Clara Ole, if I remember it correctly, pops at about Php120. Only down side is that it comes in a foil pack. Bravo costs about Php 200, but I find the blend too strong). Having said that, this is just one reason that makes Filippo Berio my pesto of choice. Thing about pesto is that it has many applications and you don't need to use much. It's literally one of my cooking saviors and a must have in the pantry.

To those who are unfamiliar with pesto, it's a sauce that consists of basil, olive oil, and, pine nuts. Looking at the pesto flavors above, it means that they all contain these basic ingredients. Each flavor has been mixed with an additional ingredient for variety. And I'm glad Filippo Berio has expanded their pesto range: Classic, Sun-dried Tomato, Tomato and Ricotta Cheese,  and Hot Chilli.

The classic pesto (the green pesto) is what most of us are familiar with. I'd usually use it over pasta - just mixed a couple of tablespoons with cooked pasta. I also use it when I'm faced with a recipe that calls for basil and I don't have one in the kitchen.

I use all of them to marinade meat. Again, I don't use a lot as you have to remember that basil has a strong flavor.

Sun-dried tomato pesto is a good addition to tomato-based sauces as it gives you this mediterranean feel to the dish. It's also makes a good spread. I've tried it over pita before toasting the bread. It was more of a discovery when we had some surprise Indian vegetarian visitors before and I can only work with what I had in the kitchen that time. I tried doing the same thing using classic pesto, but it didn't make the cut.

The tomato and ricotta pesto can be used as is as featured on a previous post. It would also make a good addition to tomato-based sauces for a creamy, Italian feel to it.

I have yet to open the bottle of the hot chilli pesto, but I think it should go well with the basic pesto applications.

So for a 133-peso investment that has a long shelf life and can offer various food uses, as Martha Stewart would say, it's a good thing!