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.

Is Buying Home Insurance From Your Mortgage Provider A Good Idea?

Protecting your property with home insurance, especially when you’ve got a big estate, or the contents of your home are very valuable, is essential. When taking out a mortgage, most providers try to sell home insurance with the package, and the majority of people tend to take this option – mortgage providers insist that your home is covered one way or another. Sadly however, homeowners could be paying well over the odds for their home insurance.

It may seem like the most hassle-free way at the time, taking out home insurance with your mortgage, but that doesn’t mean that you’re getting the best deal. In fact, it’s highly that you won’t be, compared to surfing the web and the rest of the home insurance market.

Insurance From Your Mortgage Provider
No matter what your mortgage provider tells you, it’s entirely your choice whether or not to take the home insurance policy they’re offering you. They may insist that you have one, but that doesn’t mean that you have to have one with them. The chances are that you’ll find a much cheaper policy elsewhere.

According to recent statistics, people that take out mortgages with home insurance policies lose around £600m every year, and that’s in the UK alone. Instead, these people should not be renewing their home insurance with their bank – they should be comparing the market for all the best deals for their homes!

Some homeowners who have realised they’ve been paying over the odds for their combined home insurance and mortgage have even tried to get compensation. One lady in particular, who paid £30 a month over 30 years, discovered she could get the same amount of benefits with her home insurance for £14 per month. Unfortunately, banks are under no obligation to tell you about the better deals in the market – it’s your job to compare the policies you’re offered.

15 years ago, the Office of Fair Trading outlawed mortgages that had to be sold with home insurance, however before that it was just considered the norm. Nowadays, customers are encouraged to shop around, whether it’s for the best mobile phone packages, home computers or holiday insurance. Don’t settle for anything less than the best home insurance deals.

Getting Insurance Elsewhere
In the midst of a recession, everyone is looking to save money where they can – and this applies to home insurance too. Shopping around for a better deal will not only educate you about the new benefits that are being offered with home insurance, but it could also help you to reduce many of your other utility bills.

Price comparison websites are the best tool you have to save money on your home insurance. In just a few clicks, you’ll be able to compare hundreds of policies from a diverse range of insurers, and many will instantly offer you better deal. Once you have your new policy, make sure you provide a copy to your mortgage providers, as they’ll want to see proof that your home is protected.

Wordless Wednesday #34 | Maggie Boo!

My niece, with rice on her face. Haha!

DIY Projects for the Bedroom.

There are a lot of easy DIY projects for the bedroom that you can do to make your space look great while giving it a nice personalized touch.

Making your own headboard by utilizing that space above your bed can really do wonders to make your designer comforter sets stand out and really draw the eye to the bedding. There are a lot of ways you can design your own headboard on the wall depending on what you want your theme to be. You can buy stick-on decals for the wall to mimic the look of a headboard, which have the benefit of being able to be used more than once, or you can do something more permanent. Try painting your own design above the bed or using wall decorations.

Photo credit: Bed Bath Store

If you’re looking to get some new furniture in your bedroom, consider using what you’ve already got and revamping it. Painting your dresser or nightstand to give it an updated look is always a good idea but that isn’t your only option. Most wallpaper can be used on furniture without issue, which can be used as accent pieces on the sides or the fronts of the drawers. Also consider buying new handles to give an old piece of furniture a great new look.

Lighting should always be one of your top priorities when you’re looking to revamp any room in the house. You don’t need to install an entirely new lighting system to get updated lighting though. Floor lamps in the corners of the room can do a lot for giving the space a cozy feel or try string lights. Placing string lights strategically in the hidden areas of the room can provide a lot of ambiance without making it obvious where the lighting is coming from.

Additionally, consider using different types of lights than you’d normally use. Light bulbs are available in a wide variety of colors and it’s an extremely inexpensive fix for a room that’s gone stale or stagnant. Bulbs with pink hues can help with giving the space a little bit of romance while blues or purples make the room feel much more relaxing. You’d be surprised how different a room can look just by changing the lights.

Photo credit: Apartment Therapy.

It might take an afternoon or two, but you can easily transform your dresser into a bookshelf if you’ve got a few tools handy. Remove the drawers inside and replace them with sturdy pieces of wood. Placing them on the hooks that are already inside the dresser can give it a nice look or you can easily just grab new screws and hooks from the hardware store and install them yourself. Just make sure to sand everything well enough to get rid of the “seams” before you paint or stain the wood.

If you’ve got a sewing machine, or a pair of steady hands, you can take pretty much any old piece of fabric you have and make it into pillow covers. This works great if you’re looking for a new breakfast pillow or just something to give your bedding a little extra something and it doesn’t take very long to achieve.

The bedroom is a very personal space for most people so it makes sense that there should be a great number of ways to personalize the room. Most DIY projects are easy and they don’t take a lot of money or time to make the entire room look amazing.

Join | Pre-Mother's Day Giveaway!

Welcome to the Pre-Mother’s Day Giveaway! 

This giveaway is sponsored and hosted by Bay Area Mommy and Embracing Beauty. 

Special thanks to Buy Blue Steel, Thermapen and 31 Gifts for providing some of our prizes, 

and to our cohosts I’m a full-time mummy, Finger Click Saver, and Rocky Mountain Savings!

Our Mother’s Day prize pack includes the following:
Silver Rope Blue Steel Ring ($170)
1 Thermapen ($90)
1 Thirty-One Tote ($70)
$50 MacCosmetics.com GC
$50 Amazon.com GC
1 Coupon Clutch ($30+)

One lucky winner will win all these prizes! Giveaway runs from April 16 at 12am EST through May 9 at 11:59pm EST. Open to US residents only. Void where prohibited. Must be at least 18 years old to be eligible. No purchase necessary.

To enter, simply use the GiveawayTools widget below. Good luck!

Entry-Form

Disclaimer: No compensation was received for this post. This blog is not responsible for prize fulfillment. For questions regarding this giveaway, please contact Bay Area Mommy at isis@bayareamommy.net.