The Cheesecake Factory

Father's Day 2016 was extra special because my husband celebrated it with us and our dear ones in America. We arrived in Atlanta a day before Father's Day. Even with jet lag and with much excitement, we welcomed this special day with lunch at The Cheesecake Factory.

I've never tried anything from The Cheesecake Factory even though I see some of their pastries in S&R. I've always thought that it was all about cheesecakes and pastries, but I was surprised when I saw the menu. It was the perfect place to celebrate my husband's first Father's Day in America.

The Cheesecake Factory offers a fine dining appeal for customers ordering scrumptious dishes from their menu and they also have a bar for those who just want to have a drink or two. The ambiance of the whole restaurant is family- friendly and caters large groups especially those on tour. We're glad the queue wasn't that long considering that it was a weekend, there's an occasion and it's lunchtime. We were welcomed with a warm greeting and seated in a cozy corner of the restaurant.

Our food went around with orders of Filet Mignon, Grilled Rib- Eye Steak, Fettuccini Alfredo, Spaghetti and Meat Balls and tall glasses of sweet tea (not pictured).

My Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo

Orange Chicken

All served in satisfying big portions.

Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake for dessert.

My main dish (Shrimp and Chicken Gumbo) is a house specialty. It's always best to try house specialties when in a new restaurant. It was also my first time to try Godiva's  Chocolate Cheesecake and so far, the richest I've tasted.

The Keurig Corner

 A coffee machine and a coffee corner are the ones missing in our new home. I've searched for nice, affordable coffee makers but most of the time I end up with nothing because some are too expensive, some are too "complicated" in terms of maintenance, and others may be cheap but the taste and the availability of the capsules are compromised and difficult to find.

With our recent trip to America, one of the travel finds we made was a Keurig coffee machine. It's in every household we've visited. We stayed in the US for months and making coffee with my mom-in-law's Keurig was enough to say that it's worth our humble coffee corner. It didn't end there. Once we've decided that it's the machine we wanted, we needed to look for the right Keurig model with the best deal. From Walmart to Target and even Kroger all 3 had their own offers, but it was Costco that gave us the best option.

For $99 we got the ff: (sale price in Lazada: 17,000php updated 9/2018)

Keurig 2.0 K525C Plus Series

12 K-Cup pods Variety Pack

K- Cup reusable coffee filter (which we intend to use for our Kape Barako)

Water filter

We take that it was meant for us because with the no. of times we've been to Costco, it was only when we were about to leave for Manila that this Keurig model was made available, and without hesitation, we took it.

Finally, a coffee corner.

Coffee Wood Decor (Hobby Lobby)

The K- Cups was in our list of concerns when we got the Keurig. Aside from the reusable coffee filter that came with the machine, we made sure we have enough K- Cups. Aside from that, we discovered stores like S&R sell K- Cups.

I personally found Keurig as the most flexible coffee machine. It's affordable and at the same time, it can make your cuppa moment extraordinary with the wide variety of K-Cups both for coffee and tea. Most of the capsules contain fresh ground coffee. (see: http://coffeegearathome.com/is-keurig-instant-coffee-heres-whats-inside-your-k-cup/ ) I like the breakfast blend (any brand) then I mix it with a little cocoa, sugar and frothed milk. Plus, freshly brewed Tazo Peach Black tea.

I'm not a hardcore coffee drinker, a cup or two makes me happy. For me, having a coffee corner whether you're a coffee lover or not is a must in every household, at least something to serve your guests. Nowadays, coffee plays a big part in ones daily grind. A coffee break with co-workers, a relaxing and cozy afternoon with friends and just for the simple reason it completes us both inside and out.