Wordless Wednesday #79 | Summer Blooms.

Aside from the sweltering heat, these lovely blooms in our garden
are also tell-tale signs that summer has come.

Foodie Goodie | Brazo de Mercedes.

Today's edition of Foodie Goodie will be different. I won't be sharing the recipe. Instead, I will shamelessly promote these uber yummy Brazo de Mercedes that my sister April makes.

Yummy! :)

They're being sold at Php 400 per box of 10. (Do the Math that's Php 40 per piece.)

She delivers within the San Pablo City area, and you may reach her at 09178133016. For those in neighboring towns here in Laguna (Alaminos, Nagcarlan, Calauan, Los Banos, etc...) you can arrange a pick-up/meet-up schedule with her should you wish to order. :)

Shared with Food Trip Friday and Food Friday.

Wordless Wednesday #54 | Butterfly Waltz.

"Hundreds of butterflies flitted in and out of sight

 like short-lived punctuation marks in a stream of consciousness 

without beginning or end.” 

― Haruki Murakami, 1Q84

Wordless Wednesday #48 | Tummy-fill!

One last hurrah before I began my HCG Diet.

I'm on my sixth day, and surviving somehow. Haha!

Sharing with Food Trip Friday and Food Friday. :)

Foodie Goodie | Simple Treats by CDC.

Remember last week's spa-turdate with my friend Sylvia? That was just the first half of our weekend girl bonding. The second half was dinner at Simple Treats by CDC, a new and upscale restaurant located in the heart of San Pablo City.

Photo credit: PlayPolkaMusic

Our original plan was to feast on Mediterranean cuisine at Middle Eats, but my dream of eating shawarma rice was foiled as the place was reserved for the night. We settled for Simple Treats instead. It's the best option since the restaurant is just next door.

This was actually my second time to dine at Simple Treats. The first was sometime last February, but I hardly had the chance to enjoy the dining experience as I had my rowdy little man in tow. This time, I had the opportunity to savor the food, and snap photos of them as well.

Sylvia wanted pizza that night, but the waiter told us that they was no longer available that time. They had nine different pizzas on the menu, and not one of them was available. Too bad. And so for starters, we ordered Cheesy Fries with Bacon (Php 215) instead.

Cheesy Fries with Bacon, Php 215.

The fries were pretty good - non-greasy, crispy, and the serving was good for two. No wonder my little man loved them the first time we ate here.

Oh, and I find it miraculous that these were served right away. Simple Treats has earned a reputation (based on Sylvia, who dines here quite often plus my first visit, where it took half an hour before we got served) for being so slow when it comes to service, so I was quite surprised that we got our appetizer in less than ten minutes, and the entrees came shortly after.

For the main course, Sylvia had Herb Roasted Chicken, while I had Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Herb Roasted Chicken, Php 195.

The Roasted Chicken was huge! We were expecting something like a quarter, but this one was half of a chicken. The serving is actually good enough for two! You're bound to order an extra cup of rice for a portion this huge, but Sylvia opted for an extra serving of mashed potatoes instead.

Mashed Potatoes.

I can't remember the price of the Mashed Potatoes. They weren't on the menu, but I presume they're within the Php 50 price range. I scooped half a tablespoon of it, just to see how it tasted. One word - blah. It's a bit sour, a bit lumpy, and the presentation leaves much to be desired.

Chicken Cordon Bleu, Php 195.

As for my Chicken Cordon Bleu, I had no complaints about it. It tastes as great as it looks in the photo, though I wish their servings had more sauce. I just can't get enough of that creamy sauce, which according to the menu, is based on a secret recipe. (KFC, is that you?)

Now for our drinks, I had a can of cola (Php 45), while Sylvia just had a water. So yeah, no photos for that part. But they do have a variety of espresso, frappes, and smoothies on the menu, with prices ranging from Php 55 - Php 125.

They also have cakes, which are served per slice. I ordered a slice of Marshmallow Cake for takeaway, but turns out, one slice was not enough for the little man. 

Marshmallow Cake, Php 85.

He loved the ooey goey, uber moist Marshmallow Cake and kept on asking why I bought only one piece and not a whole cake. Haha! I guess I need to visit Simple Treats again just for this.

Marshmallow Cake, Php 85.

Simple Treats by CDC
Zulueta cor. Azucena St., San Pablo City
049.503.0364
Open daily, 7am til midnight

Shared with Food Friday and Food Trip Friday.

Wordless Wednesday #10 | Chasing Butterflies.

Last Monday, the little man's Kindergarten class, together with the Nursery and Preparatory students of The Learners Academy, went on a day trip to Dioko Garden Resort and Butterfly Farm. The kids had a blast as they had a chance to see not just the butterflies, but also the animals at the mini zoo located within the resort grounds.

I'll let the photos do the rest of the talking. :)

Foodie Goodie | Red Ribbon Leche Flan Roll.

The husband may not have been around to celebrate our anniversary with me

But I gotta have my cake

and eat it, too!

Shared with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Yummy Sunday, i Heart Macro, Oh! Snap, and Simple Things.

Sunday Shuttering | Go Green!

My 'Sunday Shuttering' post from last week gained a lot of favorable responses (I even got featured on Lauren's blog!) that I might actually do this on a weekly basis. You know - flowers, a good perspective, a snapshot. Perhaps even a linky party in the near future.

In the meantime, here are some gorgeous greens.

I'm in a pretty good mood today because the Boston Celtics now advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.  And in case you're living under the rock all these time, we all know green is the Celtics' color. So yeah, even if I'm not a huge fan of green, that color becomes my favorite once the NBA Playoffs begin.

Let's go Boston! Beat the Heat! :)

Shared with Oh! Snap, Scenic Sunday, i Heart Macro, Green Monday.

Sunday Shuttering!

I haven't posted some scenic shots in awhile and thought you might be missing the flowers in our garden.

This pretty hibiscus says 'hi' to all of you.
Happy Sunday! :)

Photos were taken using a point-and-shot Fuji FinePix J150W. Shot in macro mode. 

Shared with Pink Saturday, i Heart Macro, Sunday Snapshot, Scenic Sunday, Oh! Snap and Simple as That.

Foodie Goodie | Cozy at Cafe Arabela.

Here in the South (or in the Philippines, for that matter) whenever we say 'tsinelas' (slippers), we think of Liliw. About 45 minutes away from the city where I live, Liliw is a small, highland town best known for its native delicacies and world-class shoe industry.

These days, whenever 'Liliw' is mentioned, 'Arabela' also comes to mind.

Photo credit: Chewy of EatPrayMakeLove

It's a cozy little corner cafe, with a menu that boasts of pizza, pasta, steaks, and the most sinful desserts ever.

Arabela gets a little too cozy at times (read: cramped) most of the time, because of the steady flow of diners. Patrons from all ages (kids, teens, adults, babies even!), and groups of all sorts (families, friends, officemates, lovebirds) all hie off to enjoy the great food that Arabela has to offer.

Little Miss Margaret at Arabela. :)

We went to Liliw last Saturday, and because it's the weekend, Arabela was at its busiest. It took about 10- minutes for us to be seated, and around 10 more minutes before our orders were served.

Fixated at this lamp while waiting for my pasta.

But when you're having food as great as theirs, it was worth the wait.

Pancetta Magretta, Php 220.

We had a hearty breakfast at the resort hotel earlier that day, so I opted for pasta this time. I had Pancetta Magretta - pasta with Italian bacon, lemon, and olive oil. For Php 220, you get a hefty serving that's good enough for sharing. (Or perhaps my tummy was still reeling from the breakfast that we had, lol.)

Chicken Roll, Php 190.

Yue wanted chicken so I got him this Chicken Roll. As described on the menu: Rolled chicken breast fillet with ham, carrots, and pickles served with mixed vegetables and rice.

In short, it's Chicken Cordon Bleu - one of my favorite dishes when I was still pregnant with the little man. Or in Tagalog, nung ako ay naglilihi. :)

No complaints about this dish. Everything was perfect from the chicken, to the dipping, even to how the rice was cooked. And the buttered vegetables were too tasty to be true! They must have been cooked in loads and loads of butter. And no, I'm not complaining.

T-bone Steak, Php 260.

The T-Bone Steak is the restaurant's best seller, which is what my siblings had. I wasn't able to taste it for myself, but my brother - who wolfed it down leisurely - vouches for the taste.

Dulce de Leche cheesecake, Php 85.

Desserts are a must-try at Arabela's. Never leave Liliw without having a bite of these sumptuous and sinful treats. This Dulce de Leche cheesecake was the first thing I noticed when we entered the restaurant, and from there, I was dead-set on ending my meal with this.

On the other side of the table, Maggie was frustrated because no one wanted to give her a sip of this ripe mango shake. LOL.

Ripe Mango Shake, Php 95.

If you're going to Liliw make sure to stop by at this cozy little cafe. It's a dining experience you surely wouldn't want to miss.

Cafe Arabela is located at 503 Rizal Street, Liliw, Laguna. 
Contact number: +63(917) 2041447


Sharing with Food Friday, Food Trip Friday, Yummy Sunday, i Heart Macro, Oh Snap!, Sunday Snapshot.