Special treat

Italianni's Ceasar salad. Almost P700. Quite pricey, but yummy. Save for special occasions like your mother's birthday ;-)

Matabungkay

Never really been on a balsa before until last Wednesday. My toes really enjoyed walking on the water, so to speak. Tiny creatures lived in the bamboo raft's nooks and crannies. 

When the day was done, it's back to the pine trees and flowers of Tagaytay. Life is good.

Sour + sour + sour = great soup!

Tasted a delicious sinigang last Monday at Pig Out in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. It's a tri-flavored sinigang with sampaloc (tamarind), kamias and guava. The soup is slightly thicker than most sinigang soups I've tried and the flavors are strong and savory.

Three-Fold Yumminess!

Just a mere week after my first visit, we were back with friends at Casetta del Divino Zelo. Our companions were already regular customers and recommended the lemon cake and coffee granita.

At P15 a slice, what more could you ask for? You get a yummy cake, help out a single mother in crisis and it's light on the budget. Three-fold yumminess!
 

I thought I liked the buko shake but this coffee granita (P50) is my new favorite drink here. Extra thick with just the right strength of flavor, you beat the summer heat while doing a good deed. Yay!

 I love coffee shake!

Our compliments to the chef!

Yummy Day with Le Chink

One of the blessings I can count in my life is having the nicest ex-boyfriend a girl can have. Let's call him "Le Chink." From time to time, he will take me out and treat me to good food, sometimes a movie or maybe dessert. Last Saturday, it was all three. 

Dinner began with a broccoli chowder soup. This was my penultimate favorite dish of the night. Best consumed while hot!

Next came a platter with drunken calamari, onion rings, chicken and veggies.  The calamari was on the bland side; the onion rings were okay; and the chicken was a bit dry. But the salad at the center of the plate refreshed and cleansed the palate--I saved a portion of that for my last bite.

Finally, the main course--salmon marinated in miso. Slightly too salty for my taste but the rice was lovely and reminded me of Japanese rice. The carrots were nice and sweet.

All in all, a good dinner. You can get these dishes at Wicked Kitchen.

After dinner, we watched G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation. I'm glad my sister told me about Channing Tatum--it took the sting out during the movie. Also, I had some questions afterwards, such as: how could the US President still be president after the stunt Zartan just pulled? And what about Snowstorm? (Le Chink answers: he's neutral evil. Ah, that helps explain it.) Rating: two and a half stars out of five.

On a side note, I tremendously enjoyed the movie It Takes a Man and a Woman featuring John Lloyd and Sarah Geronimo. There were many kilig and funny moments. Rating: Four and a half stars. If you have to choose between G.I. Joe and this movie, go see It Takes... better value for your money.

Now back to the yummy day with Le Chink. It was topped off by dessert!!!

The P72 tiramisu cup by Bread Talk was a yummy, yummy way to end the day. I liked the dark chocolate on top (too bad the "Bread Talk" label was plain chocolate) but Le Chink found the flavor too strong. So he ate more of the cake at the bottom while I took more of the upper half. Choco bliss!

Organic Beauty

Ilog Maria is one of my favorite organic products. I became sold when I started using their shampoo maybe about nine years ago. My white hairs were only beginning to show back then. One day, while combing, a hair fell out. That would have been a mundane thing except it was black at the root and white at the tip. Yup, the white hair became black again. Not sure anymore how soon it had happened after I started using it but there it was.

Of course, even the best organic products can't stop the ticking of time, but I'd like to think it's helped keep the white hairs at bay. 

The liniment in the picture is enjoyed by my father. 

Try a virtual or actual visit. You might find a product you'll like tremendously.

Only in Silang

Summertime! I have half of Saturdays off during the summer break, so I take advantage of the time and visit Ilog Maria to buy liniment for my Tatay and a few products for myself.

I make a new discovery... Italian food served in a little hut across the farm run by a few nuns... Casetta del Divino Zelo (my guess is that it means "Little House of the Divine Zeal").

I was initially intrigued by the P35 fresh buko shake advertised at Ilog Maria, especially since I walked to the farm from the highway under the noonday sun. But the pizza looked promising. Sadly, a little too expensive (P250) for a solo diner like me. Maybe there'll be a next time with friends!

I think the Sister at the counter realized my predicament and immediately suggested the pasta. Definitely more affordable at P75. The marinara cost more but... must... remember... our... budget. This food foray was already a splurge!

But if we are going to splurge, we might as well do it for a worthy cause. We not only fill our tummy, we might be helping someone out as well. Win-win!

The ambiance is cozy and relaxing. There are two little huts nearby if you want more privacy.

The food is good and the serving size is generous. I split it to save the other half for later (to make the most of my budget splurge), although this results in a smaller portion that might not satisfy if you're ravenous. 

The buko shake was refreshing! I think I might have to make this one a habit whenever I get the chance to drop by Ilog Maria (which is roughly twice a year).

This little nook of a store has been open for only a year. Why not visit? They're open on Wednesdays and weekends.