Isdaan Getaway

Just before the summer kicks in, I am sure that it will be helpful for me to fill you in with an idea of where and how you can spend yours with bounty servings of food and priceless moments with family or your barkada. 

I know all of you are planning for vacations or trips out of town, but wouldn't it be more practical if we go places nearby and be refreshed with lovely people who share the same culture? Hand in hand we rediscover the Philippines. Lets get lost in the north.

Isdaan is a restaurant located at the heart of Gerona,Tarlac. It is a place not just for dining but it is also ideal for sight seeing. Your tummies will not be the only ones to get fueled up but your own thine eyes too. Really, the place has something to offer. Only it is indescribable for words, you have to see it for yourself. 

With floating huts to eat in, gimmicks everywhere, the infamous 'tacsiyapo' where you can put all your anger off and even a haven for kids, I only have one word - Amazing.

Its amazing how a place can pool in everything at once. I am in awe. 

Now, now, lets get into my favorite part - eating. 

Isdaan floating restaurant serves authentic Filipino dishes that are sure to get your mouth watering. Everything they serve speaks edible. 

And here are examples of the dishes they serve. 

Tinupig na manok, my favorite, also their best-seller. 

Bulalo

Garlic rice

Chopsuey

Spare ribs

Pinapaitang baka

And finally, the Seafood platter!

I'm telling you, everything is delicious. Need I say more?

Overall, my only comment is that the way they serve is kind of disappointing. THe employees move too slow. You may starve yourself really bad if you go there around lunch time because it is also the time when a lot of people are pooling in to dine. Take it from our experience. 

Still, kudos to Isdaan floating restaurant! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies Without Vanilla Extract (Baked on Oven Toaster)

Hello there readers!

Creativity bleeded again from me this time, who wants some cookie time away from tons of work here? ME!

Clap for me, yeah?

Today, I'm going to show you my recipe for Chocolate  Chip cookies baked with an oven toaster (mind you, I'm really gonna use a toaster) , whithout the use of Vanilla Extract (due to forgetting buying one from a grocery store)

I may have lacked resources  with this one, but the finished product actually tastes good and it is easy to make. Quite suited for the ones who wants to take little time for a delectable snack at home :)

Here we go guys!

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups -  All purpose flour
2/3 cup - White Sugar
2/3 cup -  Brown Sugar
1 tsp.  - Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. - Iodized Salt
2 sticks - Butter (Unsalted)
2/3 cup - Chocolate Chip cookies
1 - Egg

Procedure:

1. Mix white sugar, brown sugar, egg and Butter on a bowl using a wooden spoon until light and heavy.

2. Add All purpose flour, baking soda (careful not to put too much to prevent the mixture from tasting bitter) and salt. Fervently mix everything together to form a dough.

3. Blend in the Chocolate chip cookies.

4. On a baking sheet, drop a spoonful of the mixture and form a circle shape (add in more chocolate chips if you prefer). Careful not to put the cookie dough too close to one another, as they expand inside the oven.

5. Bake the cookies for 6-8 minutes (I prefer 6 minutes though) and let it cool for 5 minutes after.

Enjoy mates!

Yesterday was Friday, Today is Saturday

It's Friday, Friday,

Gotta get down on Friday,

Everyone's looking forward to the weekend...

It was 2011 when we started hearing the so-called 'awful' Friday song, which caught massive media attention - a lot of bashing, really.

But that was merely three years ago. Now, the then poor girl Rebecca Black, has a comeback...

Can you guess it?

Of Course, it's 'Saturday'.

Bridge:

Yesterday was Friday, 

Today is Saturday, 

We're gonna live like there's no tomorrow,

Wouldn't have it any other way...

With the same old narrative approach on the lyrics, and frenzied beat, plus the brand new and improved singing voice - which actually, isn't brand new at all because the girl has a nice voice...try to listen to some of her songs except for 'Friday' for proof - all in all, Saturday, is a song that deserves attention. A 'nice' attention. Give the girl a chance!

Saturday is basically, a song about what happened after Friday, and repeating the same things over again because it's fun, but if you look at it closely - and yeah, i'm not even too poetic to say that, it's about living life to the fullest, because as they say, You Only Live Once.

Whatever say we might have against her, is not important anymore. Her negative impression on the media, made her who she is today, not as good, but she got famous anyway. Well, who's laughing now?

 Behind those bashing and the not so nice comments about her voice and the lyrics, there is something that we didn't know about her; she's actually a nice girl with a big heart - El Rancho Charter School (her former school) and Japan's 2011 earthquake survivors were recipients of her donation from the sales of that 'Friday' song.

And yes, i'm posting this because Yesterday was Friday, Today is Saturday...

Have a good one!

The Cara Mia Gelateria Experience

So...

It was a busy Friday for the three of us, as all of our two (supposedly three) classes for the day had just ended, and it was the type with really long interval in between. Truth be told, it was oddly tiring, sitting hours long inside a compressed room and getting your head twisted for a couple of moments by answering random academic queries. The weather didn't help that much too, it was so erratic; one moment rain is pouring, the next, sun scorches so hot that it gets underneath our skin. And yeah, that pretty much summarizes what a freaky day it has been. 

But it didn't end there...

You see, me - along with two of my friends went through a little adventure at Robinson's Place Manila after school. We had a small encounter with a thing I call - curiosity; as to oppose the old saying, the cat didn't die out of it, it died out of too much foodgasm.

Armed with strong knees, happy hearts and money on our pockets, we went for a journey to search for a place to eat the best comfort food that we can find. After going around for a few rounds of  here and there on escalators and alleys, our feet landed on the the pleasing ambiance of Cara Mia Gelateria.

Located at the Second floor, Midtown Wing of Robinson's Place, Cara Mia is a house full of hearty Gelato desserts - a kind of ice cream, traditionally made the Italian way, with  small amount of air. The product line ranges from Affogato , Gelato shakes, puffs and cakes and of course we did not miss any opportunity of tasting the mouthwatering Italian treat!

And by the way, the term Cara Mia, according to caramia.ph, means 'my dear'. It was given by Fr. Gianluigi Colombo; a salesian priest who started an Italian Gelato craze in Makati back in the year 2001.

Find out more about them here:  Cara Mia Gelateria's Web Page

So much for my seemingly unending blabbing, we now turn our attention to my actual Cara Mia experience.

1, 2, 3...

This is what a Cara Mia Menu looks like, inside is of course a huge selection of ice cream and other sweet things. Take your pick and get your tummy rollin',

This is the Gelato Cake Section - sure it was a pleasing sight, as all of the cakes lined there seeming oblivious as I take them in my eyes and drool. The most inviting thing about them is that they actually look like edible toys, but no, they're not.

  

This is the Gelato Section, awesome uniquely mouthwatering flavors with the right amount of cream, milk and coldness.

Price starts from Php. 60.00 depending on the number of flavors and scoops you're going to take; a reasonable price for a heavenly delight.

And here goes my favorite part: EATING TIME!

The first item that came to our table was this cup of Gelato in Macadamia and Chocolate Therapy Flavor.

Macadamia has this nutty taste, with actual bits of Macadamia nuts, this too has, a hint of salty and sweet at the same time, while Chocolate Therapy - actually what i prefer among the two, has this super chocolate-y wonder that can't keep my mouth from watering. It's not sickeningly sweet but enough for satisfying your chocolate craving tongue.

***

This one here is my friend's pick - Banana Blast, Php. 138.00 per slice

It has a fruity taste of Banana, Strawberry and Chocolate with real Strawberry Slices, atop of  chocolate crust. It is, as what Cara Mia, likes to describe it, they're own cute version of banana split. 

***

This is another of my friend's pick - Mango Passion, Php 145.00 per slice.

A nice serving of Mango Flavored Gelato Cake, topped with humble slices of Mangoes and Grapes. It has a satisfyingly light taste of rich fruity sweetness. One of the best seller items of Cara Mia.

***

And this one right here is my baby - the Di Lusso, Php. 148.00 per slice.

The first thing that attracted me about this is the way that it was presented as a whole, and because I am a self proclaimed chocolate addict, it immediately got me. The cake was fully covered in rich brown chocolate with swirling design of a rose on top and something like a maze pattern with tinge of green on the side. From there, the idea of tasting what's inside never crossed my mind. For a moment, I was consumed by the fact that it is shielded with chocolate and that was all that mattered. 

And then it finally came unto my table, and my eyes almost literally fell out of my face, as i stare at the beauty right in front of me...finally.

 I carefully examined what I had on my plate; by the time it reached me,  I realized that it wasn't thoroughly chocolate flavored inside out, what I had was a layer of Pistachio and Strawberry with a little Chocolate gelato on a bed of crushed graham. it didn't disappoint me though, as I take in a bite, It was cloud nine all over again. the taste was equally deserving as the way it was initially presented. 

Honestly, it was my first time to taste a Pistachio ice cream, and strawberry isn't on top of my list either, but Di Lusso, challenged my senses. It deserved a thumbs up after all. 

With the impressive combination of unique flavors, no wonder it is one of the best sellers too.

***

I suggest though that you should just drink water after, because really, they are quite heavy meals to take. 

After our eating session. This was the result:

CLEAN PLATES!

With happy tummies and equally smiling faces :) 

Conclusion: Not a bad Friday after all. 

The Chronicles of a Bored Person

Chronicle

noun

: a description of events in order of time without analysis on how they happened.

Boredom

noun

: a state experienced when one has nothing left to do.

The two words above doesn't seem to complement each other, though in this article, the two would be best friends.

When does one person lack of things to do? And when it happens, does he really record it or time just passes without his will?

Apparently, a person doesn't really becomes unoccupied. He has a natural reflex to get something done so as not to consider himself bored. Eventually, he will find a way to do some random stuff just to escape the state of being idle. Living in a 21st century gives you an advantage to a whole lot of options to keep yourself busy during a free time.

Here are top 5 things you can do to escape BOREDOM.

1. Browse the Internet!

Look up for Social media updates on your facebook, twitter, instagram - so on and so forth, connect with old friends by leaving them a message, like posts on your feed and feel free to give nice comments to the ones that really got your attention. Voila! You did not just got your way out of staring at the ceiling for long hours, you've also reconnected old ties, strengthen the present and built new ones.

There's also some websites we call Youtube, Google and 9gag, you can go there and keep yourself entertained with videos, articles and awesome funny memes, if in some case you feel tired of seeing same old stories in your newsfeed. Yeah, i get that a lot too. 

2. Listen to music.

Hearing your favorite tune doesn't just relax you - this you might wanna know - that it also has a variety of health benefits.

A research in Austria's General Hospital of Salzburg found out that listening to music helps you relieve back pain, "Listening to music for about 25 minutes everyday, for at least ten days can help prevent back pains and makes you sleep better." Says Clinical Psychologist Franz Wendtner, the leader of the study. It can also improve your workout; as it increases your endurance and puts you in a good mood, and lastly, it is a means to boost your memory.

Find out more in: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-137116/Why-listening-music-key-good-health.html

3. Watch Movies.

Catch up with what's missing on your life by watching new film releases, there are a lot of options that are made available for viewers, be it a horror or romance flick, but be sure to select the ones that really gets your interest so you wouldn't end up being trapped in a place you thought would help you escape boredom but actually made you feel even more annoyed, personally speaking, it happened to me once - trust me, it's awful. 

It's always better to do a little research about a movie before hitting the cinema with your friends. 

If in any chance, nothing interests you, just go and watch a movie at home by yourself using what powers internet bestows upon you - download a movie or go for a free movie streaming. 

Here's a tip: to prevent yourself from overthinking, pick a movie that you've already watched which is worth watching again. Throwbacking not-so-old films, gives you that sweet nostalgic feeling from a childhood that you've always wanted to get back to. 

4. Go for a walk.

Stretching some muscles by taking a few steps away from the comforts of your house doesn't hurt - trust me, it's so much better than sitting in front of your computer or laying on your bed staring at the ceiling.

Go to the nearest park or a friend's house and take in all the positive energy you could get from everything that surrounds you. Smile at people occasionally, without looking like an idiot of course, but do it in the most friendly way. 

Society is not as bad when you think of all the beautiful things that comes with it, like how your friendly neighbor gives you nice compliments every once in a while; how cars courteously stop to help you pass the other side of the road and how that stranger gives you back your hanky when you drop it elsewhere.

5. Do that Assignment!

Who says your idle? You actually have that 10 pages long essay to do and you're head is just messing around with you by telling you that you've still got tomorrow to do that.

Of course you don't, tomorrow's the deadline and you're just giving yourself a ticket to procrastination since you don't want to do what needs to be done. 

Now, get you butt out in the internet, pause that movie and get back to your house - we're going to leave the music on since it doesn't do any harm here - and start doing your home work this instant.

If you can be productive tomorrow, why not today?

And yes, you're getting this advice straight from a certified procrastinator herself. Kidding!

So now, we've reached the end of it, in conclusion, the 21st century may have given us the opportunity to do a lot of things, in contrast, it also gave us all the reasons to be more careless about our priorities. Let's not be one of those though, be responsible enough of managing what little time we got and improve ourselves for the better.

Now, next time someone asks you about what you did - don't tell them nothing, say 'everything'.

Those are my top 5, Sure you all have something else better, feel free to share whatever you have in mind :)

The Chicken Kitchen Adventure

I know I'm not the best cook there is, but I believe that there is no harm in trying.

Yesterday, I had a little kitchen adventure that i'd like to share about. Do you know anything about the all-time favorite Singaporean Chicken Rice?

If you do and if you don't, just stick around and see my story unfold...

Hainanese Chicken Rice

- as they call it, is a dish originated form China, often associated with Hainanese
(People from the province of Hainan, China), Malaysian, Thai and Vietnamese cuisine and due to it's delightful taste, it became a national dish for the Singaporeans, and a comfort food too.

Hainanese Chicken rice, basically comes with a serving of light chicken broth, cucumber and tomatoes on the side, and I wouldn't be too obvious if I  tell you that the best part of it is the Chicken - soaked for hours long in a boiling pot of flavors; the green onion, ginger and garlic - and of course the Rice, meticulously cooked with spices that can sure bring out the best in a food; the shallots, ginger, garlic and parsley.

The above photo, however, is not mine, but how I wish that i could do it someday as presentable as that.

 As for my version, which, went through with the same procedures as the above photo, is here below...

I really tried hard on this :) NO hate :)

Well, Hello There!

Welcome to my blog!

People of all ages, races...faces? 

It's cool enough that you've made your way here to see whatever I've got in store. So far, I've got nothing to tell you about, but - in the coming days - oh i know you should hold on, because you'll be seeing a lot of my nonsense blabbing (that is, if you're still interested, but don't worry i'll keep the magic torch burning as much as I can). 

Just put your faith in my stomach...

Yeah, sure that one's from Ed Sheeran - my forever-all-time-voice crush, I don't care if there's one hell of a word, but I wanna use it, just to emphasize on how I love to hear him sing.

By the way, the song is entitled 'I'm A Mess', from his new album, the one with the 'X' on the cover. If you have time, please DO, listen to him. The guy has talent in putting people to sleep, pun intended in the most positive way!!! I love Ed Sheeran HEY!

He's a one man band that can make every girls and maybe some guys - knees' go jello.

As a closing remark, I'd just like to add that you should listen to The Cab's Endlessly and Daughtry's Waiting for Superman...and once again from Ed Sheeran, ladies and gentleman, One. 

Endlessly - The Cab

Waiting for Superman - Daughtry

One - Ed Sheeran

The Reasons for you to listen to the above songs: I don't know. I just think that It would be cool :) because those are really great songs that I love and it just makes me happy to share. Truth is, they've been bugging my head for months long. 


So there you go, you've been reading some hints about the things that I'd share and I'm glad you made it to this very last part.

 - May the odds be ever in you favor.

(c) Suzette Collins
(c) Joey Graceffa