Let Your Business Thrive Online

Early this evening, I was talked to my mom about our plans on putting up a food business. I know, I've been mentioning this several times for years now. Well, there's one thing that's holding us back... that's acquiring a certain amount that will fund our goal business. With the talk we had, we finally gave up and instead of putting up our "dream food business" we decided to stick with something smaller. As we went through the whole process, it is going to be easier if start with a simpler concept then later on expand. Since my mom and I are both stay at home moms, realistically speaking, the savings we have, combined, will not cover for everything that we need. To cut on other expenses, we thought that one way to be able to sell is making use of the internet.

There are several entrepreneurs in the food industry who sell their products directly online. Online business makes it more convenient. It's easy as looking for a cabbage online. Not only locally, but a certain product can become famous worldwide.

Fast Flexible Funding At Your Fingertips 

Money When You Need It For What you Need 

Known Online Sellers 

Safe & Secure Funds 

There are companies who are available to give online business loans for those who wants their business to grow. Every transaction is guaranteed safe and secure. Not only they provide funds it also aims to provide selling tips fit for a particular business.

Me Time: Sisterly Bonding With Our Favorite Food

Me Time doesn't always have to be spent alone. For me, as long as I'm occupied with the things I love , anything that I love to do, and I love to see, me time will always be me time even if I spend it with someone else. Over last weekend, a supposedly "family getaway" to Subic became a father and son bonding time for my boys. I just thought that I needed a break and spend my Sunday in the house. It was actually the first time that I chose not to go out of town. Anyway, my husband and my son Franky deserves that bonding time. Since I was home alone with the baby,  I asked my younger sister Les to accompany me while the rest of the family was away. It was a peaceful morning, relaxing... I've let go of my chores for the day, I stayed in the room with the aircon running and my iPad for some entertainment.

But other than that, food will always be there. After my boys left for Subic, I went back to bed and woke up around 12nn. Instead of cooking, I decided to get some goodies from Banapple to-go and share it with my sister. I must admit, I was feeling kinda lazy that day, it was perfect to get a hold of my favorite food.

Penne Bolognese, Banapple House Salad, Creamy Chicken Pie that came with Banapple's Potato Salad.

This is not our first time to bond. We do it all the time and with our other sister Ella. We love to eat and share a good conversation. Sometimes, we watch our favorite series or movie while we stuff ourselves with our favorite food. One thing we haven't done though... we haven't taken any pictures of this sisterly bonding I'm talking about. This is our first shot throughout the years of chatting and spending time together and this blog entry is the first to document this fun activity I share with my girls.

Green Events

Villa Verano - Santa Barbara, California

Fleur de Sel - Laguna Beach, California

Villa Verano and Fleur de Sel,  these are just 2 included in the long list of amazing wedding venues found in California. The West Coast is gifted with a well-balanced weather, destinations close to nature and places that might just fulfill your dream wedding. One unique package is an Underwater Wedding Ceremony. The green events is highly known for arranging a one of a kind wedding ceremonies that will surely be remembered. When a couple is up for a grand weeding, it's best to consider wedding organizers that has the knowledge of the best places to get married. The location alone serves as the one of main key to a memorable wedding.

Calc Zero

Oh yes! apps are very addicting. Especially Apple apps for the iPad and the iPhone.

But since the iPhone is more of an all-around- gadget, I went and searched for free iphone apps that's going to be for kitchen purposes. I often find myself ransacking through things when I'm in desperate need to covert kitchen measurements. It's very important for me to be able to get accurate digits, especially if I'm to share a particular recipe in this food blog.

Sometimes, I go online just to look for a conversion table. This free application I found is very handy and convenient, especially when I'm in the middle of a busy day in the kitchen and I want to check on something.I always turn to Calc Zero.  

It supports twenty different units used in cooking, including teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups (US and metric); pints, quarts, gallons; liters and milliliters, fluid ounces; pounds, ounces, grams, and kilograms; and Celsius and Fahrenheit. It's one of the useful free apps for iPhone.

Beef Knuckles With Adobo Sauce and Coconut Milk

Source: F&B World Make A Living With Food

Recipe by: Chef Noel Logdat 

I've been out of the Food and Beverage World since I got married. In college, I saw myself in this industry thriving. Though I wasn't able to reach that goal or let's say that point in my life. At home, I still feed my mind and eyes with the latest from the Food and Beverage industry. Especially when it comes to getting tips on running my own food business. I was browsing through an old issue of  F&B World magazine when I came across this extraordinary beef recipe: Beef Knuckles With Adobo Sauce and Coconut Milk. I thought of adding this dish to our Mother's Day menu.

Original Recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1.2 kg beef knuckles 
• salt and pepper to taste
• 200g garlic, minced
• 30g onions, chopped
• 1 3/4 cups vinegar
• 2 cups soy sauce
• 5 pcs. bay leaves
• 100ml coconut milk
• 100g sugar
• 1 pc. egg, boiled 

Procedure:

• Season beef with salt and pepper and sear both sides.
• In a casserole, saute garlic and onions.
• Add vinegar, soy sauce and bay leaves
• Bring to boil.
• Add beef knuckles. Cover with aluminum foil and place in an oven with a temperature of 160°C for 1 1/2 hours or until tender.
• Add coconut milk, seasoning and sugar.
• To serve, add boiled eggs and papaya relish on the side.

Adjustments made: 

Obviously my version didn't turn out exactly like the original finished product of Chef Noel Logdat. Few adjustments were made according to our family's preference.

1. Beef knuckles were boiled to goodness until tender.
2. No sugar was added.
3. Green vegetables was considered to make it more enticing. We used asparagus.
4. Added a little "sabaw" or soup for the kids.

The mixture of coconut milk with the adobo sauce was out of this world. This is a very good beef recipe. I suggest you try it yourself and serve something unique to your guests. It doesn't end here because I want to achieve something with the original recipe.

Thank you Chef Noel Logdat and the F&B World Magazine for sharing one of a kind dishes like this.

Mother's Day 2012 Food Blast!

My original plan was to treat my family in one of my favorite restaurants and after, maybe a stroll in a mall or in a park. I started my day early. Woke up around 6am and decided to have a breakfast celebration in Banapple. 

Banapple Katipunan has always been my favorite. But this time, I wanted to go to a different Banapple location.

BREAKFAST: Banapple Connecticut Greenhills

Salpicao Rafael

Garlic Beef Tapa with Creamed Parsley Egg

Awesome Blueberry Pancakes

As we were about to start with our delicious meal, the nice people of Banapple approached me and handed me their Mother's Day treat. A goodie bag from Good Housekeeping and a box of Nestle Fresh Milk. There was also a short photo op as they handed me their Mother's Day gifts.

The content of the bag was composed of Surf Products, Domex, Maggie, Nestea Iced Tea and a Good Housekeeping Magazine. These products were really meant for us Stay at Home Moms.

My Mother's Day plan for a breakfast celebration was too amazing. Breakfast in my favorite restaurant on a very special day with the people I love... Thank you Lord for this gift and Thank You Banapple for being part of it too.

LUNCH: Pinoy Toppings SM Megamall

After breakfast, we decided to roam around Greenhills then we drove to SM Megamall for some errands. When we got there, it was almost lunch time. But prior to this story I'm about to share, the day before, I had an interesting talk with my siblings. Part of our conversation went around our childhood and teenage years. One of the things that we will never forget is Pinoy Toppings.

To continue... so we're already in Megamall around 11:30am. Then my husband gave me an idea what to have for lunch. Pinoy Toppings!

We went to the Sm Foodcourt hoping to find the very same, old Pinoy Toppings I loved for years. I ordered my usual Arroz ala Cubana. Being able to experience Pinoy Toppings once again brought out the kid in me.

DINNER: CITYBUFFET Restaurant Robinsons Galleria 

My mind was set to cook dinner for the family when we get home from Megamall.  Dinner was a surprise from my husband. He knows how much I wanted to try the newly opened CITYBUFFET Restaurant.

The whole set- up of CITYBUFFET was enticing, it made me feel like I'm in a 5 star hotel. Only better, because you get 5 Star service, cuisine and dining experience for a reasonable price of php600 per head. Drinks are bottomless for php60.

Citybuffet offers a mixture of cuisines. Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Mediterranean etc... We also requested for some Wagyu Steak which was cooked upon our request. Freshly done, it was very good, juicy and tender. Everything was delicious.

Mother's Day 2012 was uniquely layed out for me. It was one of my best Mother's Day experiences. I didn't get any flowers but enjoyed the whole occasion with my favorite food and of course with my family to share it with.

Meat Plus Restaurant Subic Bay

Meat Plus is famous for their steaks like American Angus steak. Way back in the 90's Meat Plus opened to cater to the US Forces operating in a US Naval base in Subic.There's a saying "nobody leaves Subic without visiting Meat Plus".

Before heading back to Manila, we decided to have lunch at Meat Plus to make our Subic vacation complete. The night before, Bryan and Khams had tables reserved for us. We were able to get best seats in the house.

Meat Plus reminded me of Tender Bob's. They offer the same line of dishes. Well, I just discovered that Meat Plus is Tender Bob's. Tender Bob's is the expansion restaurant of Meat Plus in Metro Manila. Only, in Tender Bob's they've created a more formal atmosphere.

Angus steak customers can choose the size of the steak direct from the freezer. A steak costs php500-up depends on the kind and size. There's a certain amount for cooking the chosen steak which includes the side dish of buttered veggies and rice. The steak is char-grilled and the customer has options on the way they want it done. 

Medium well

Medium rare 

Well done 

  Here are "some" of the dishes we ordered.

Meat Plus Burger

Double Patty with Cheese, Grilled Onion and Tomato

Barbecue Beef Short Ribs

200g short ribs

Grilled Angus Tapa

Served with Rice, Fried Eggs and Atsara

Hamburger Steak

2 Patties with Mushroom and Gravy

 The Happy Eaters!!!

A visit at Meat Plus is perfect for the family and spending time with friends. 

Prices range from php200-400 Steaks in different cuts and sizes: porterhouse, t-bone, rib-eye and ground round, Fixed Meals, Pizza, Soups and even Pasta Dishes.

Location: Sampson Road, Subic Freeport

My Bag of Junk

After all the healthy eating habits, here's one bag that I couldn't get rid of. I got to set things straight first, this Bag of Junk, it can last for about a month or even more. So don't panic, in- take is still regulated.It just so happen that sometimes I crave for chips, especially the barbecue flavored ones. The Doritos Smokin' BBQ? that's for me alone. I always tell my husband that he can touch everything else inside the bag except for my Doritos.

Not only you will find chips, but we also have some crackers and packs of peanuts. In a way, this also serves as our emergency bag in case something happens. It's just there in a particular corner of our room, waiting.

My latest find are these Wonka Gobstoppers. In case you watched Willy Wonka or Charlie and The Chocolate Factory, I guess you know what I'm pertaining to.

It's very unusual to find such thing in a local supermarket, so I made sure to grab some and try it myself. And yes, the Everlasting Gobstopper is definitely not for chewing. Though it came in small pieces, for the little ones, I will still not advise it. But no worries, there are 2 boxes in the  image above... the other one is the Chewy Gobstopper.

Reliving My Life

Have you ever thought of planning about your passing? Hey, it's one of the things that we need to face. It's one reality in life we need to accept. Everyone will have their time. To be honest, I did had a moment when I planned on my own funeral. From the availability of casket prices, everything that will make up one's death. 

Now, let's find the lighter side of this post. I for one, will come to the point when I have to leave the world, and when that comes, I do want a memorable and unforgettable memorial. 

I want to have flowers everywhere. I want my loved ones to wear pastel color of different shades, my favorite songs playing in the background. I want guests to be served with gourmet food. I want my memorial to actually re-live the life I lived. But that's not going to happen now, in God's time.

Travel Diary Gogobot

One of my goals each year is to be able to travel. Destination? anywhere outside the city where I live at. But traveling out of the country is more adventurous because of the fact that new things such as culture, food and lifestyle is being discovered. Local or foreign, travel will always mean exploration and sharing these new finds with friends and relatives. One of the easiest way it through gogobot. 

-photo source-

Gogobot is the perfect venue for travel enthusiasts. You can instantly access places and meet friends who are very fond of traveling. Share your photos and get tips from fellow Gogobot user. It is also a good source to find travel essentials such as accommodations like some hotels in boston . Food and other tips that will make one's travel experience easy and fun. It sure is a new way to make food discoveries too. As I was browsing, some entries are reviews of various restaurants from other countries. One of the nice thing about Gogobot? You can connect your Facebook and Twitter accounts so you can share your travel moments in an instant.

It's free, just sign up with an email address.