Category Archives: Green

Messy Bessy Christmas Catalogue 2012

By | Christmas, Green | No Comments

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Available at Rustan’s Flower Shop outlets: Makati, Rockwell, Shangri-la, and Alabang Town Center

IT’S FINALLY HERE!!! You got to try it, to believe it!

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You can now purchase the Messy Bessy All-Natural Liquid Detergent in Lavender or Grapefruit scent for only P168! It’s making a debut at the following Rustan’s Flower Shop outlets: Makati, Rockwell, Shangri-la, and Alabang Town Center

PS: Did we mention the Liquid Detergent has a matching Room & Linen Spray, which you can also use as ironing spray? 🙂

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Hardin ng Lunas by Dok Isa Cojuangco Suntay

By | Giving Back, Green | One Comment

I am an avid fan of my friend, Isa!  I will follow her wherever she goes and will support her in whatever she does.  After her very successful Belenismo

Previous Entries:  Belenismo sa Tarlac December 12, 2007 

Belenismo sa Tarlac 2008 December 31, 2008 

Belenismo sa Tarlac 2010 December 27, 2010 

The 4th Belenismo sa Tarlac 2010 January 23, 2011 

Judging For Belenismo December 3, 2011 

she recently launched a new project called Hardin ng Lunas.  I would also like to Congratulate Isa as it is now official that she is running for governor of Tarlac!!!!!!!  We will support you all the way Isa!!

I know my friend will do good for the city as she has a very good heart.  She is very energetic together with her Mom and they are  so active and always ready to help others.  GOOD LUCK MY FRIEND!!

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Earth First

By | Green | One Comment

Still yet another nice booth in the DVA bazaar – Recyclable bags in beautiful colors!  

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Made by beautiful sisters Dada Banzhaf -Lanza and Yammy Banzhaf! 🙂

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Makes very nice christmas gifts!  

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Air Purifying House Plants

By | Green, Health and Fitness, Household Tips | No Comments

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6 Air Purifing house plants

1. Bamboo Palm: According to NASA, it removes formaldahyde and is also said to act as a natural humidifier.

2. Snake Plant: Found by NASA to absorb nitrogen oxides and formaldahyde.

3. Areca Palm: One of the best air purifying plants for general air cleanliness.

4. Spider Plant: Great indoor plant for removing carbon monoxide and other toxins or impurities. Spider plants are one of three plants NASA deems best at removing formaldahyde from the air.

5. Peace Lily: Peace lilies could be called the “clean-all.” They’re often placed in bathrooms or laundry rooms because they’re known for removing mold spores. Also know to remove formaldahyde and trichloroethylene.

6. Gerbera Daisy: Not only do these gorgeous flowers remove benzene from the air, they’re known to improve sleep by absorbing carbon dioxide and giving off more oxygen over night.

 

 

 

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Monotheme

By | Green, What's New at Rustan's | No Comments

Designed for an audience that chooses to be natural, who prefer an approach that is more environmentally friendly and less superficial, thus privileging the essence of products without excessive packaging nor harmful to them and to environment.

Monotheme is available exclusively at Rustan’s

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Coming Home to Bistro Filipino

By | Foodie, Green, Proud to be Pinoy! | No Comments

Heart2Heart was so happy to be back at Bistro Filipino.  And no miss, Chef Laudico and Jackie are always there!  What a hard working couple! 

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They prepared a degustation meal for us.  Chef Laudico and Jackie explained to us that they have changed their ingredients to focus on patronizing our local suppliers 

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Of course pinoy bread – pandesal 

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We call this “floating butter”  because it looked like it was floating 🙂  Jackie said that they use carabao’s milk for all their dairy requirements.  They get it from Pia Lim who distributes for the Philippine Carabao Center in Laguna 

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My favorite among the three was the ubod lumpia with the vinegar granite.  As Chef Laudico described it, it’s a Filipino sushi cone 😉 

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Love the soup! 

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Even their plates are Philippine made by Glass Sculptor – Bobby Gastillo and they are engraved individually with the logo of the place 

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Super delicious panga and even more with the sauce 

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I was not able to stay for dessert but I am sure it was delicious!!  

Jackie showed me their new menu and I was able to take photos of the pages.  Please bear with me as I find it most difficult when it comes to taking photos of menus 🙂 

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At the back pages they reveal their suppliers as they want you to also patronize them.  Chef Laudico and Jackie are good friends with my cousin, Hindy, which explains why they are very similar in their ways – organic and healthy 🙂 

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In this day and age when the modern day Filipino have uprooted themselves from the traditional, moving up and into spaces so far away from home seem like the new norm.  There are countless Filipinos who have removed themselves from the comfort zone and getting a taste of what the world could offer, yet finding themselves empty if not seeking for satisfaction that ironically the familiar can suffice.

Amidst the growing metropolis that is Bonifacio Global City is Bistro Filipino. Situated at the ground floor of the modern Net 2 Building, part of the restaurant’s facade bears the name “Chef Laudico”. This in itself already gives it a stamp of approval for those who are familiar with the chef, or a boost of confidence to a first-timer that a known chef resides in the house. 

What welcomes you behind the glass building doors is an opulent interior using native materials.  The ornate center dining area is a burst of fine dining elegance complete with its meticulous table settings and mood lighting.  Initially it could be intimidating for a Filipino restaurant when the usual fare of local cuisine are set in a typical fast food or laid back ambience.

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Owners and Chefs Jackie and Roland Laudico attest that the experience in their fine dining restaurant will give one a renewed respect for the local cuisine.    

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Pritong Lumpia is a familiar pedestrian food fare that every Filipino is familiar with.  But an order of Ubod Lumpia is definitely an enjoyable experience here.  Freshly chopped vegetables are nestled in a cone-shaped wrapper which in itself is a conversation piece.  Add to more conversation is the frozen vinegar which you can generously toss in with so much ease to get that perfect lumpia taste.  It’s the same familiar lumpia taste in an ingenious presentation.   

The crispy Pigeon Salad looked divinely grand with its careful plating of fresh vegetables and pigeon flakes with just the right hint of vinaigrette on the side.  Pigeon on salad greens may not exactly be familiar to the average Filipino, but a forkful of this salad will hit you with that homegrown feeling because of the adobo vinaigrette which brings the whole dish together.   

The Prito Trio looks too beautiful to eat and doesn’t look anything familiar but makes you wonder what Filipino dish this is.    One big bite and you know that this is the local okoy but using succulent seafood which excites your palette because of the soft hint of crunch and the mix of the vinegar soy glaze.

 

 The Kare Kare served sans the clay pot (palayok) surprisingly tasted really well.  The tender wagyu beef and ox tripe sat magnificently on top of the whole dish.  Again, you eat this in forkfuls—-meat, veggies, hint of sauce, and you’re up for a different kare-kare experience.  Hands down, it was the Wagyu Bistek that topped all of the dishes.  This work of art has a grand kitayama flat iron steak on top of sweet potato croquette and organic vegetables.  The bistek sauce in the form of a calamansi butter glaze locked in round onion slices are both a delight to look at and a pleasure to dip the meat in.  

There is a nook called Patisserie Filipino and Chef Jackie is in charge of all the desserts and specialty chocolates.

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Some of the dessert bestsellers are Calamansi Tart (calamansi curd in butter cookie crust served with meringue , vanilla ice cream, honey and cashew nuts) and Suman Panacotta (sticky rice cake topped with coconut cream panacotta served with latik glaze, toasted coconut and fresh mangoes). The chocolates are delectable in Philippine flavors like sili, calamansi and mango, among others. 

Everything served was what Filipino cuisine could be and more.  Chefs Jackie and Roland Laudico proudly use local produce and none of the shortcuts most restaurants have resorted to.  While Filipino cuisine takes a long and arduous process to prepare and cook, innovation has only helped the Laudicos in their cause of bringing the seemingly ordinary dishes from the house into the fine dining environment and thus, elevating the Filipino cuisine.  There is definitely no talk of fusion in this restaurant as every dish is distinctly Filipino.  It may be served differently, but each dish has an interesting story to back it up.

Bistro Filipino is definitely a validation that Filipino cuisine can be transformed using modern techniques while preserving its traditional flavors.  More than that, this food experience leaves one with renewed pride enough to make certain that this is proudly Filipino.

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Krie Lopez: Woman for Others

By | Giving Back, Green | 4 Comments

 It’s been five years since Messy Bessy started in 2007.  Watch this video!   

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And while this looks like a fashion photo for a magazine and you see how beautiful Krie is 🙂  You have also seen that she also has a beautiful HEART  

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Heart2Heart is happy to be have been part of this in a small way and I hope all of you can continue to support Krie and her project.  Please contact her for donations 0917 830 3003 

From Krie

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Balik Bukid

By | Animals and Pets, For kids, Giving Back, Green, Nature | 4 Comments

Congratulations to my cousins, Gippy and Hindy Tantoco for a super wonderful Balik Bukid fair!!!!  Heart2Heart enjoyed so much!!!!!  It was really a very nice event for the family.  We arrived at around 830am and there were already many people there.  The booths were really nice and unique!! and the food as well!!!  I wish I could have stayed all day. I could not put all 500 photos of mine so I compiled them into a video so you won’t miss most of the details of the event.  I am looking forward to PART 2 which I hope will be before Christmas!! and Part 3 and Part 4 and Part 5…..

Previous Entry:  A Family Affair At Balik Bukid Country Fair May 20, 2012 

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A Family Affair at Balik Bukid Country Fair

By | Green, Shopping, Travel | 4 Comments

You are all invited to Sta. Elena’s first Country Fair. Please help us spread the word!

On May 27, experience an incomparable family day amidst the wonders of the countryside and embrace a holistic way of life with Sta. Elena’s first-ever Balik Bukid Country Fair.

SHOP from a wide array of unique, handcrafted and artful products from our select merchants

FEAST in our selections of homemade, organic, artisan, natural food varieties

PLAY and let loose in our fun farm activities and interactive outdoor recreation for the whole family

UNWIND and let loose in our fun farm activities and interactive outdoor recreation for the whole family

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A Family Affair at Balik Bukid Country Fair

 

Discover the simple joys of country living with the entire family.

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On May 27, Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate, a world-class golf course and residential community, will continue to live up to its core essence of creating a community for families who Live with Soul, with its 1st Balik Bukid Country Fair.

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This event allows modern Filipino families to experience the nurturing beauty of country living and discover the innate longing of bringing more soul into their lives. 

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With its array of holistic fun and interesting activities, a combination of recreation and entertainment will surely be felt by the family, strengthening family ties along the way. The 1st Balik Bukid Country Fair enables families to have fun in a back-to-basics way. 

 

Saddling up a horse, horseback riding, fishing, feeding the cows, carabao-cart riding,  climbing trees, and chasing chickens are only a few of the many activities set by the 1st Balik Bukid Country Fair at Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate. 

 

More so, for family members seeking more thrilling activities, off-road biking, interactive trekking, an outdoor obstacle course, rope courses, a big trampoline, a sprinkler playground, and other bukid games can also be experienced.

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The 1st Balik Bukid Country Fair will also feature local craftsmen and hip designers selling their earth-friendly creations for apparel, accessories and home decor.

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And to cap off the country-style festivity, guest artists are invited to serenade families with acoustic vibes and the country’s finest cooks are sent to delight in healthy and organic cuisines.

 

May 27, 2012 (Sunday) at Sta. Elena Golf & Country Estate will undeniably be a one-of-a-kind family funventure day. 

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