Monthly Archives: July 2014

Torta from Zamboanguita

By | Proud to be Pinoy!, Travel, Yummy! | No Comments

We arrived in Dumaguete at around 10 am, checked in out hotel and immediately left to have lunch at Malatapay.  On the way there, we stopped by this place to try Torta which is only made here.  This was not in the itinerary but our tour guide Jac knows a lot about food 🙂  So he recommended this and I made sure we stopped.  There is no address, it is on the left side of the road on the way to Malatapay Market – it is a few minuted before the market  

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Gloria’s is the original 🙂

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Baked in a Clay oven/horno

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 Here is Gloria! Smile!! 🙂

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 Freshly baked  

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Torta is made out of tuba as a dough riser.  They say you keep the bread overnight and eat it the next day.  But we prefer it hot and fresh! YUMMY!!!  We ate it the day after, it was still okay but it was a bit rubbery already 🙂  They like it that way 🙂

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Only P 10.00 a pack or a bunch of 8 pcs

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Art in Florentina Homes

By | Accomodations, Arts and Culture, Travel | 6 Comments

It’s so colourful at Florentina Homes 🙂  Many nice signs and artwork all around the place

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Terracota by Carmen del Prado

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The walls are painted by Tita Wing del Prado, the mother of the family and the artist 🙂  Previous entry:  Miniatures and Textures December 3, 2013 

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If you stay on the third floor, you will see miniature hand painted chairs on the wall 🙂  LOVE:-)  Also by Tita Wing

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Outdoor garbage cans each hand painted in different designs

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Florentina Homes Dumaguete

By | Accomodations, Travel | 2 Comments

We were so happy to arrive in our home in Dumaguete, Florentina Homes.  It’s like we are in a fairytale castle 🙂  We used this as our base to go around Negros Oriental

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It’s owned by the del Prado family 🙂  Mig mentioned this to me before when they first opened in 2010 and I am so happy we finally got here.  We love it in Florentina Homes, it fits so well the adventurous and rustic province of Negros Oriental.  We feel so at home and cozy here  

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 Map of the place 🙂

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There are three floors in the castle

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I like the third floor 🙂 though we stayed in the second floor which is easier to get to since you have to climb stairs 🙂  haha

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The beds are two twin beds.  We got two rooms and we were so happy it was connecting 🙂

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Each room has a balcony 🙂

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There are two special rooms in this place – The Tower Room and the Garden Room

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We visited the Tower Room which has two floors

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As you enter

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Turn left and you have an outdoor living room

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Kitchenette

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And the outdoor bathroom of the room 🙂

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Then you go up the stairs to go to the bedroom which is air-conditioned 

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From the Tower room you can look down at the Garden room.  It’s the only room in the place that has its own garden.  We could not see it because it was booked.  Someone had booked it long term.  Tita Georgia told us this is the best room in the place 

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photo of the room from the garden

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Aside from the castle area, there are 3 cottages which is good for families 

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Tudor – This is the cottage nearest to the pool ( The Oasis )   

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Swiss 

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Mediterranean

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The Oasis 

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Function room

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 Click below to go to their website

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Checklist for Our Negros Oriental and Southern Cebu Adventure

By | Household Tips, Travel | One Comment

Going to Negros Oriental and Southern Cebu is an adventure.  Though I expected it and thought I was so ready with all the things we needed, there were still a few things I missed.  So here is my checklist of things to prepare.  I am a city girl with kids so whatever it is I want to have a few simple things and pampering stuff which we might need.    I will try to be as complete as possible.  Then again, if you just want to be adventurous, you do not really need to bring anything and you will still survive 🙂  

1.)  Since we were a big group with 5 families, I pulled out our matching bags which we got from one of our family events.  I was so happy I found a reason to use them.  It’s easier for the porters to spot de Jesus family – all red bags! 🙂   

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2.)  Aqua shoes – it’s safer to use these when walking around the islands and waterfalls.  Many still used flip flops but this is the safer one since many of the island are still rustic and rough with plenty stones – slippery too

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3.)  If you are a city girl like me 🙂 you need to bring this!!  I need to charge all my gadgets – camera, phone, laptop, external battery.  Thats just mine, my hubby’s gadgets still 🙂  So you rely need a strip – whether in the Philippines or just anywhere you are travelling.  Not many hotels provide these and not many provide plenty outlets to plug your gadgets

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and an external battery charger that can charge my iPhone 4 times

 Previous entry: External Battery Charger Feb 24, 2014  

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4.)  Since we were roughing it out, I really made sure I had every medicine possible in case anything happened in the middle of the ocean 🙂  I took this from Florentina Homes, in case you forget, they have and you can buy easily too 🙂 But any special medicines or ointments, it’s best to bring.  Anti itch ointments, allergy medicines, etc etc

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5.)  Towels – this is in Bluewater which is a resort so they provided lots of towels.  But in the other areas where we went to, no one will provide you with any towel!  🙂  So make sure to bring lots.  Especially during our trip, it was drizzling or raining at times, aside from getting wet from swimming

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6.) Snacks – just in case you get hungry in between meals – it is always handy.  Thanks to my friend Mish we had homemade brownies which we were able to eat for dessert in one of our meals 🙂  You can choose healthy snacks of course 🙂  It’s just always handy  

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7.)  Bottled Water – in some of the vans we rent abroad, they provide bottled water but here they do not.  So it is best to have your own – you can just buy this probably in a supermarket when you arrive to avoid being charge for overweight.   They will also have this for sale in the places you go to.   But it is a must to have water in the car or in the boat, you might get thirsty so you have to have this and also to rehydrate.   

 

8.)  Clothes change – This may be common sense but we were not ready.  We thought we would just remove our clothes, swim, then put them back, but since we rode boats and it rained at times, everything was wet.  So it’s just always good to have spare clothes to use to avoid getting soaked and risking getting sick.  Some of you might like to bring rash guards so I am advertising Swordfish Philippines 🙂  the company of my friend’s sister – Jennie Bautista.  Swordfish makes for many of the big brands

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9.)  snorkelling gear- They have many for rent in most of the places you will go to but you might want to bring your own.  Though you have to consideration weight on the plane

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10.)  Lots of Sunblock- I like the ones that you can just spray

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11.) Wet wipes  and hand sanitiser – You will need lots of this – it’s an unnecessary luxury but if you can bring some, you will use a lot 🙂

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Ramen Nagi Opens It’s 3rd Branch in SM North Edsa

By | Foodie | One Comment

Congratulations to Ramen Nagi on the opening of their 3rd branch which is in SM North Edsa!  They just opened their first branch last December in SM Aura then their second in Mall of Asia.  Soon they will open their 4th branch in Robinson’s Magnolia and in December in Greenbelt 3

Congratulations to the successful partners of Ramen Nagi!!  Paolo Pineda, Roxanne and Ericson Farillas, Avi Chua and Mike Kho

Everytime they open a branch, Ramen Nagi gives them a Daruma for good luck.  They colour one eye during the opening and colour the other eye when they reach their targets.  I am sure those eyes are coloured in a short period of time 🙂

If there is one thing I have in common with Senator Sonny Angara, it’s our kids love for Ramen Nagi.  It’s an honour to have cut the ribbon with him and for a successful restaurant

 My Ramen boys of course had their ramen fix 🙂

I am so happy that there are many side dishes to choose from.  We tried 4 and they were all good!!

Chicken Karaage

Gyoza

Chasu Rice

Nagi Star Ramen Salad

Click below to go to their Facebook page

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Revival of Il Ponticello

By | Foodie | One Comment

I am sure many of you know this place from 1998.  It’s now been sold to a new owner and it’s been revived

Everything including the logo

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the interiors is new and interior designed by one of the owners, Imee Magdaraog who apparently used to work for Rustan Home for awhile.  No wonder it’s beautiful

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One of the owners, Steve Magdaraog.  He told me that he was in the Information Technology ( IT ) field and he wanted to do something different for a change.  He studied culinary in ISCAHM and now owning and running his very own restaurant

Il Ponti was known for their night time bar and entertainment.  According to Steve, they are still polishing this for now but they have a beautiful bar lounge which can be used for private events as well 

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Run by a true Italian from Genoa ( the home of pesto 🙂  ) , Giulio Gongarini, Restaurant manager.  He recently came from Finestra of Solaire and now opened Il Ponticello

The talents behind the wonderful food!! Chef  Panky Lopez, Executive Chef and Chef Frankie Patricio,  Chef De Partie who trained in Italy for 3 years

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We had a nice lunch with my friends Alexis and Bambi Javelosa together with Bambi’s brother,  Ren-Ren Oscar Reyes Jr, General Manager of L’Oreal Philippines Consumer Products

We have been twice already in a span of one week and enjoyed all the dishes we had.  Truly delicious and good quality Italian food!

Mixed antipasti

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Grilled Portobello Alla Griglia – YUM!

Gnocchi Gorgonzola – YUM!

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The pizza is amazing!!  

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Rotolo

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Main dishes

Herbed Crusted Rack of Lamb – Yum!

Poached Chilean Seabass

There are three desserts and they are all very good!!  They have a pastry chef,

Vesuvius Bodino Al Cioccolato 

oozing chocolate sauce just like Mt Vesuvius 🙂

 Cheesecake Panna Cotta – it’s not just a flavour, there’s real yummy cheesecake with it 

Tiramisu – YUM!  Very moist and very yummy!!!

 Nutellino! YUM!!  Nutella with Vodka.  I don’t drink, but I can drink these type

We were there for lunch time and it was jam packed!!  Many diners are office people around the area and they availed of the Executive lunch which is good value for money and very good

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Promo

They are on soft opening.  Il Ponticello U203 Antel Corporate Centre 121 Valero st. Salcedo Village, Makati.  Cell #:  0949-760-8731

Click below to go to their Facebook page

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You Don’t Have To Try So Hard to Be Beautiful

By | Beauty, Today's Quote | No Comments

The only make up tutorial women should watch before they leave the house

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Beauty does not mean you will not put make up and not beautify yourself.  Many people tell me to photoshop their photos and I always tell them that it is not necessary.  I am sure many of you will agree with me that my photos of people are beautiful and those are not photoshopped.  I use photoshop only to brighten a photo but not to change the natural beauty of a person

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San Agustin Church Intramuros

By | Arts and Culture, Proud to be Pinoy!, Travel | No Comments

Heart2Heart loves this church! I wish our country would build more cultural buildings  san-agustin-church1.jpeg

I did this tour with Carlos Celdran before but loved going back again and appreciating it more  

Previous entry:  Carlos Celdran Tour March 11, 2008

Private crypt for the Zobel de Ayala family

Going up to the second floor.  The choir practices here because it has good architectural acoustics

Entering the museum area

Beautiful courtyard

Beautiful hallways

 

Relatable by Juan delos Santos made in the 17th century

Gigantic wooden cabinet

Beautiful collection

There is a room with all ivory santos – priceless!!

Library

Click below to go to their website

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