Thank You, Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno

When I learned that Isko Moreno has a twitter account, I followed him. I was delighted when he sent me a message thanking me for following him. I am not a resident of Manila. The only time I was regularly been going to Manila was when I was studying Accountancy at the University of Santo Tomas. But I love Manila because I see it as a representation of the Philippines. I've been dreaming of it to be a place as clean as my hometown Marikina and as progressive as Makati. And I believe it will happen soon.

The life story of Isko Moreno is an inspiring one. He is a living proof that poverty is not a hindrance to success. I admire how he got to where he is now. From a 10 year old child trying to help his parents earn a living by pushing cart and collecting old newspapers and used bottles, he is now the Vice Mayor of Manila. It is also worth mentioning that he was former three-term councilor of the city.

I've been reading his tweets, mostly about his daily activities as Vice Mayor, projects for the City and sometimes inspiring quotes. I am sometimes amazed by how hardworking a public servant he is. He makes me believe that my dream for Manila will come true.

Last month, I started a campaign to help Bien Louis raise funds for a liver transplant. This baby is the first born of my goddaughter. I've been taking advantage of the social networks to spread the story and get help with the fundraising.

Recently, we launched a T-shirt campaign. I did not think twice asking help from Vice Mayor Isko Moreno to retweet to his followers the campaign. 

This came as a surprise. He did not just retweet the message, he ordered 5 shirts. People like him keeps my hope alive. That I'll be able to raise the funds needed by Bien Louis.

In behalf of Bien's family, our heartfelt gratitude Vice Mayor Isko!

Sweet Moments

I got this Lindt Lindor from my cousin, Cherrie. I'm so lucky to have people showering me with stuff I want. Honestly, the last time I ate a Lindor was 2 years ago. And I also got it from someone. Hmm, I actually ate lots of Lindor while I was at someone's house and then brought some home ^_^

Yum.. yum.. yummy!

Shakey's

A decade ago, me and my husband were really voracious eaters. We would go to Shakey's and order a Buddy Pack (5 pieces chicken with mojos), a regular size Belly Buster Pizza (toppings of beef, italian sausage, pepperoni, ham, salami, cheese, mushrooms, bellpepper, onion and olives) and a pitcher of soda.

Now that we are older, we would still indulge once in a while but not like the way we used to. We really love almost everything in the menu of Shakey's. It's great that after all these years, they still have the wholesome combos. Everything we want in just one plate.

Bunch of lunch for my husband. The most famous of all combos!  For only P138, you'll have on your plate a slice of hawaiian pizza, 1-piece chicken and mojos, spaghetti and garlic bread.

Can you guess what's my favorite combo? 

Dairy Queen

After having a sumptuous feast at Dampa sa Libis, we headed to Eastwood City to... eat again!

Dessert time :D

Can you guess what we're having at Dairy Queen?

I've eaten lots of crabs. My stomach can only accommodate a dilly bar.

My youngest sister still with enough space for a blizzard. ^_^

Dampa Sa Libis

Dampa sa Libis is a restaurant wherein you have to buy first from the market the food you want to eat and then have them cooked the way you want it. This is where we go if we want to eat fresh seafood. Located in E Rodriguez Ave, Libis Quezon City (near Eastwood and Greenmeadows), Dampa sa Libis is very accessible accessible by public transportation. For those with private cars, there is an ample parking space within the compound.

There are two dining areas available. The airconditioned dining area has a function room on the 2nd floor available for private gatherings. The larger dining area outside is where the different cooking stations are also located.

Depending on how you wanted your food cooked, waiting time is around 30 minutes to 1 hour. During peak hours, waiting time could go as long as 2 hours.

We arrived before 11am so we were able to get a table in the airconditioned area. It's better to eat here inside during summer (March to April) especially at lunch time because the temperature outside is really hot.

Having fun with my sisters while waiting for the food

You can request for the drinks to be served right away. But have the rice served later when the food arrives. You don't want to eat a cold cup of rice.

500 grams Green mangoes served with shrimp paste

500 grams Baked tahong with garlic, butter and cheese (this is really delicious!)

500 grams Grilled pork belly marinated in bbq sauce ( must try!)

500 grams Prawn Tempura

1 kilo crabs cooked in coconut milk and chili (heavenly!!!)

My dad enjoying his lunch

We met up with baby Bien's uncle who brought our order of the fundraising t-shirt for Bien's liver transplant campaign.

Posing for the camera after having a very satisfying lunch

Me and hubby

Stomach in everybody :D

==

Dampa sa Libis
107 E Rodriguez Jr Avenue
Libis, Quezon City
(02) 637.3301
(02) 395.5050

Rice Noodles

Pancit Bihon is my mom's favorite. I never learned how to cook it because my mom's tastes so good I'd rather leave the cooking to the expert. Last Sunday, I got a free Rice Noodle from Robinson's Metro East Supermarket because of the Value Card. 

My friend Carla must have sensed that I'll be needing a recipe. I regularly read her blog and voila... there's a Pancit Bihon entry.

Here's my first attempt in cooking Pancit Bihon. I checked my refrigerator for available ingredients. I came up with a variation from Carla's recipe.

Garlic, Onion, Cabbage, Carrots, Chinese Chorizo, pork broth cube, water

I sauteed the garlic, onion, chinese chorizo, carrots and cabbage. Seasoned with black pepper.  I set aside the veggies. I then bring to a boil 3 cups of water and dropped the pork broth cube. Then I added in the rice noodles. Simmered until there's not much liquid. I mixed the veggies and seasoned with soy sauce. Yup no salt. I never use salt at home :)

So there's dinner. Cooking time was fifteen minutes.

Paired with leftover pan de sal from breakfast. I actually love eating my pancit with rice. Carbohydrates overload!

Could It Be That I Am The Mockingjay?

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Buy A Shirt. Save A Life.

Bien Louis is born with Biliary Atresia. It is a congenital disease of the liver wherein his bile duct between the liver and the small intestine is missing. A liver transplantation will save Bien's life. As part of the fundraising campaign, they are selling t-shirt for P350.

You can place your order by sending an email to: bienfermin@gmail.com or text Jobelle (mother) at 0918.334.1580

They are saving as much money as possible. Meet-ups can be arranged provided not much additional cost will be incurred. You can also opt to have the t-shirt shipped via courier. Shipping cost to be shouldered by the buyer.

Yummy Indulgence

We went to Robinson's Metro East to have my husband's tennis racquet restrung.  We need to wait for an hour before we can claim it. It's a work week so watching movie is not an option to pass the time. We decided we'll eat instead and just chat.

First stop, Fruitas. We used to buy Summer, Orange juice or Mango shake when Fruitas was just a small cart located on the 2nd floor. It transferred at the cinema level and now occupies a bigger kiosk. I'm glad Fruitas now sells Buko.

Buko shake!

Takoyaki. Spicy sauce. Shredded beef. No mayonnaise. That's how I like it. I was surprised it now costs P27. While my husband doesn't like Takoyaki, I can actually eat two servings of this.

We usually buy the Mega Fries but since we won't be sharing snacks, my husband only bought Potato Corner's Jumbo Fries. Favorite flavor: Sour Cream and Onion. It's been raining here in Antipolo. Thank God for Jeremy Lin, hubby's New York Knicks jacket  is so "in" again.

For dessert, yummy pastillas from Red Ribbon.

Celeteque Dermoscience +

I have been procrastinating my visit to my dermatologist because... well, I do not have any worrisome skin problem as of the moment. I'm supposed to have my monthly facial last January 27 but the traffic really makes me dread leaving the house. I live in Antipolo and I have to pass through Marcos Highway which has been undergoing road repair since June 2011 so the traffic is really bad. Another option is via Valley Golf & Country Club. Of course, no traffic inside Valley Golf but after the gate I'll be passing through Ortigas Extension which is always traffic. Add the fact that Manila Waters has been digging near Ever making the traffic worse than hmmm... ever! OK, I'm just too lazy to go to Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

I'm out of toner and moisturizer. The cold weather here in Antipolo this past two weeks is making my skin dry. I was with my sister last Saturday at Watsons and decided to give Celeteque a try. My sisters have been using this product and they've got good feedbacks.

Celeteque Dermoscience is a product of United Laboratories. The skincare lines include Acne Solution, Advanced Anti-Aging, Brightening, Hydration,  Sun Care and Restorative.

I bought the facial wash, alcohol free-toner and facial moisturizer from the Hydration line. According to the website, this is the skin solution for dry skin caused by frequent washing of the face, environmental conditions, sunburn, medication and other factors.

I purchased the facial moisturizer last Saturday and been using it for 3 days already. I like that it is fragrance free. It feels light on the skin, not greasy. It addressed my problem of having dry flaky skin after washing. No allergic reaction.

Then I purchased the facial wash and the toner this afternoon. The facial was is also fragrance free and non comedogenic. My face felt clean and soft after washing. The toner is alcohol free. It is said to contain Witch Hazel Extract that helps soothe the skin. 

It was the first time I used all the three products this night. Surprisingly, after an hour my skin feels hot. I looked at the mirror and noticed the reddening of my skin on the cheeks area.

I now wonder what went wrong. :( I sense a visit to my dermatologist soon.

Leisurely Monday

The best cure for insomnia is a rainy Monday morning.

Sunday Dinner

Sunday is grocery day. Grocery day means take out dinner. Tonight, we're having Tokyo Tokyo. I bought beef misono. I want to take a picture of what's inside but it doesn't look appealing at all. Yummy nevertheless.

Wish Upon A Hero

 

My dear friend Carla introduced me to this site almost a year ago. I checked it out but never thought that I'll be wishing upon a hero someday. This is a wonderful site. You can either make a wish or grant a wish. I joined to ask for help with the fundraising for the liver transplant of Baby Bien. It's just great that some wishes of other people are really simple that I can also make them come true.

The Untouchables

 

 Woman must not accept; 

 

 she must challenge.

 She must not be awed by that which has been built up around her;

she must reverence that woman in her which struggles for expression.

                                

                                                                                    -Margaret Sanger

photos courtesy of

Jons Nerecina

Rue's Lullaby

Deep in the meadow, under the willow
A bed of grass, a soft green pillow
Lay down your head, and close your eyes
And when they open, the sun will rise

Here it’s safe, and here it’s warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet–
–and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Deep in the meadow, hidden far away
A cloak of leaves, a moonbeam ray
Forget your woes and let your troubles lay
And when again it’s morning, they’ll wash away

Here it’s safe, and here it’s warm
Here the daisies guard you from every harm
Here your dreams are sweet–
– and tomorrow brings them true
Here is the place where I love you.

Katniss Everdeen. The Hunger Games.

Max's Restaurant

One of the setbacks of living outside Metro Manila is the limited available restaurants willing to deliver food.  Today is Valentine's Day and being a country with romantic people, I am very sure that if ever me and hubby attempt to dine elsewhere we'll be having problems -- traffic, parking and overcrowded restaurants.

I've been craving for chicken. Not just any chicken. I'm ALWAYS craving for Max's. We are actually a regular of Max's Robinson's Metro East. I am a registered user of Max's Restaurant Online. I have ordered last June 2011 but had the food for pick-up at Max's SM Masinag. I was not sure if they will deliver to my place but still gave it a try.

Yey! Max's delivers to my place! I received a call after five minutes. I was told the nearest branches that can deliver are Sta Lucia and Antipolo. I was told that it might take a little longer than the usual delivery time. NO PROBLEM! I can wait. I'm simply glad enough that they will deliver to my place. And I'm very impressed with the customer service who called me up. She sounded cheerful and very accommodating. Not the usual robotic customer service I encounter.

I ordered  Kare-kare (not in picture) and two Platter Meal. I upgraded my Pepsi (add 26.25 if you prefer in can). I think the food arrived earlier than expected because the delivery originated from Circumferential Rd in Antipolo. This branch is nearer compared to Sta Lucia. The delivery man is also very personable. It was unfortunate I was not able to get their names. They are highly commendable.

I did not notice that there is something special with the caramel bar until hubby pointed it out.

Heart shaped caramel bar. I like it! 

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!

Mockingjay

"What I need is the dandelion in the spring. 

The bright yellow that means rebirth instead of destruction. 

The promise that life can go on no matter how bad our losses. 

That it can be good again..."

I'm done reading the last installment of the trilogy. I was at first afraid that Katniss's choice will disappoint me. Surprisingly, not. I had a realization. I will make the same choice as hers.