Deep Fried Bean Curd with Savoury Sauce

Just cooked this tonight and was a big hit with Edgar! The ginger and sesame oil makes this dish so tasty. Try it!

Ingredients:
4 pcs. bean curd
1/8 kg. ground beef
2 small stalk spring onion
1/4 cup ginger
2 dried shitake mushrooms
2 oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup corn starch

Marinade:
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

Seasoning:
1/2 cup stock
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsps. soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce

1. Cut bean curd into 4 thin layers. Dry with paper towels.
2. Soak mushrooms.
3. Using the marinade mixture, marinade the ground beef for 20 minutes
3. Mince the ginger, spring onions and mushrooms
4. Combine minced ingredients with ground beef.
5. Coat bean curd with corn starch.
6. With 4 tbsp. oil, fry the beef mixture until brown.
7. Fry bean curd until both sides are golden brown in the same pan you fried the beef.
8. Remove bean curd from pan and put the beef mixture on top
9. Return the bean curd with beef to the same pan. Add Seasoning and bring to a boil.
10. Dish up and serve.

3 Amazing days in Bohol

Bohol - Alona beach area, has a certain charm that not a lot of beaches have. It's quiet and a chilled, laid back kind of fun.

Ed and I spent a weekend in Alona Vida resort along the Alona Beach area. We took the 8:00 am flight out of Manila via Cebu Pacific so we got there on time at 9:15 am. I must say that we did not encounter any problems in our flight to Tagbilaran and since we opted not to check-in anything (also it takes off P200 from your airfrare if you don't have any check-in luggage), we breezed through the check-in counter and was by the gate in 20 to 25 minutes of arriving at the airport. We had a lot of time to buy some breakfast at the food stalls at the departure area. They have Jamaican Patties, Delifrance, Cinnabon and a couple of other coffee shops there.

The flight going back to Manila was delayed for about 20 minutes which is not so bad but if you are flying for business I suggest taking a more reliable airline.

NAIA Terminal 3 has the makings of a nice presentable airport for Manila. It's sad though that some parts of it is obviously unfinished. I hope that the government can get its act together and complete this project. Since the airports are the first area the foreign visitors see, it leaves quite a big impression on them.

Since we booked a pick-up from Alona Vida, our driver, Ronnie, was waiting for us already by the exit of the Tagbilaran airport. The 35 minute drive from the airport to Alona Beach was a breeze since the car is well-maintained and the aircondition of the car was working perfectly well. I suggest that you book an airport pick-up with your resort since there are no (or rare) cabs that go all the way from the city to the beach area.


ALONA VIDA RESORT
Boy, am I glad that we chose this resort and this area. It's situated in the middle of a row of resorts fronting the beach. The fine white sand greeted us as we checked in to our hotel. Alona Vida's room is cozy and perfect for a couple of nights stay. They have a bar, diving school, swimming pool and a restaurant that serves good food.


The beds are wide and the bathrooms are clean. They provide for towels but not soap or shampoo so bring your own. They have hot/ cold water for showering and cable tv. The water pressure is also strong so you can wash off the sand from your body pretty well.


The staff was great too... except that there was a glitch in their credit card payment system as we checked out and Rachel was not able to provide a better alternative for us. (On a side note, I think this is one of the weakness of filipino service... for the staff to be more proactive in providing their clients options when its their system that does not work.) The people in the restaurant were all friendly and corteous. If you want to have a good person to coordinate with in that resort, look for Fatima. She's fantastic!

ALONA BEACH DIVING HAVEN

Alona Beach is a haven for divers but since I did not dive on this trip, I enjoyed the quiet mornings just lounging around and enjoying the sun. If I had one more day though, I would have sneaked in a dive to Balicasag. I actually felt a little sad leaving Alona Beach on our second day to tour the city. Hahaha! That's how badly I wanted to just lounge around.

BOHOL CITY TOUR

The city tour was nice but not something I would want to do the second time around. Ronnie offered us his service of touring us around the city. The tour includes 7 spots but if you don't want to hit some of the spots, its fine too. The areas are:

a. The Blood Compact Shrine- This is a monument where the ritual sealing the friendship of Sikatuna and Legaspi.
b. Baclayon church - One of the oldest churches in Asia with coral stoned walls run by Jesuits. It was started in the 1500's so the old feel is so prominent. It's interesting too how they are able to preserve the walls.

c. Man-made Forest - This is Edgar's favorite area. This you should not miss! It's on the way to Chocolate Hills so you really won't miss it. Make sure though that you go out of the car and feel the cool and crisp air that these trees create. This project was started during the Marcos administration where they planted mahogany trees to 300 hectares of land spanning a couple of baranggays in the area. Great idea, Mr. Marcos! I hope there are more of these done in every area of the Philippines.

d. Chocolate Hills - Not to be missed since we've been studying this since we were in grade 3. You have to climb about 50 steps to get to the top but the view is worth it. There will also be camera men offering their services for souvenir photos.


e. Loboc River Cruise lunch - Honestly, I would've skipped this since the food was just ok (compared to the food in Alona restos) and the cruise is nothing great but it was a new thing so might as well. The most popular of the floating restos is the Riverwatch. I loved their puto so if you go on the buffet, please get more than 1. I was surprised that everything was gone when I wanted to go for the second round. You eat on the boat and they take you on a breezy 20 minute cruise and stopping for a few minutes for a show prepared by the locals. It was nice to see the lolos and the lolas dancing their traditional dances. All the river cruises costs P300/ per person including lunch and entrance at the Tarsier Farm.


f. Tarsier Farm - These creatures are so cute I want to bring them home. Don't touch them, ok? They get suicidal when stressed. We also saw flying lemurs on a mango tree. I was surprised though that it was only a small farm. I thought it was bigger but the few minutes with the tarsiers was a nice experience.

g. Hanging Bridge - We were too anxious to go back to the beach that we didn't go to this spot anymore.

You can rent a car for P2,000 for the tour. They said that you might be able to find cheaper ones being offered around but they are not part of a cooperative which can provide assistance just in case your car breaks down in the middle of the tour.

There are also tours being offered by the resort but they are often more expensive at P1,800 per person.

DINING ON ALONA BEACH

Now comes the part that I enjoy talking about. THE FOOD EXPERIENCE!!! :-)

We didn't get to eat at the city where they say the food is cheap and good... but I was so satisfied with my gastronomical experience on Alona Beach that I did not mind.

There are a number of restaurants by the beach to choose from! When its not raining, the restaurants set up tables and chairs closer to the water for a more relaxing and beach-like dining experience. Here are some of the restos that we've tried and loved. Most of these are recommendations of our friends Melody and Bing who went there a couple of weeks before us.

A. Coco Vida in Alona Vida Resort - What to order:
- Try their Banana choco shake - its good and refreshing! - P110.00
- Mixed fruits pancake - they serve two huge pieces so its really good to share
- Garlic rice - They use fresh garlic!!! - between P35- P50.00
- Pancit Canton - Its tasty but oily...
- Omelette - This is also good for two.
- Chopsuey - they used fresh vegetables and is also good for two people
Just like most of the restos in the area, they offer freshly grilled seafood at night. We liked their variety best and we ordered freshly caught tangigue which was served with a nice presentation.

B. Hayahay Pizza - We had a snack here ordering Margherita pizza with extra garlic. Boy! They did not scrimp on the garlic at all! The whole pizza was filled with toppings from the side to the center! YUMMY! - P230

C. ISIS Restaurant - THE BEST SEAFOOD TOM YUM SOUP!!!
Melody was right. If only for the Seafood Tom Yum Soup with big noodles, I would go back to Bohol!!! This is the tastiest Seafood Tom Yum Soup I have ever had! Be careful with the lemon grass and herbs though since there a lot which makes the soup really good. This dish is meant to be shared. Big serving.

We also tried their Egg in Tamarind Sauce which for me is another to die for dish!!!



The chef is Thai so no wonder their food is delicous and tastes authentic thai!!! :-)

Also one thing I noticed in this resto is they have nice dishes and serving plates. Not the plastic types that you normally see in beach restos. Interesting!

D. Pyramid - This restaurant is about two restaurants away from Alona Vida. They serve the yummiest Bam-i!!! Its so good and plenty that I brought them back to Manila and had them for lunch at the office!

What we kept on going back to is their Split-up Banana with Ice Cream. The first night we went there they served it with Chippy all around. I loved it but Ed didn't so the next time we went, we requested to have it topped in cereals. It was heavenly! The warm banana with cold ice cream topping... Fantastic!!!

Break down of costs:

1. Airfare - Cebu Pacific P1.00 promo, bought two seats and insurance - Total cost: P3,150.00 roundtrip
2. Hotel - Alona Vida (they just increased their rates) - P3,200 per night
3. Airport pick-up and drop-off - P500 one way- Total of P1,000 per car
4. City Tour - P2,000 a day for 7 spots
5. Loboc River Cruise - P300/ person with lunch
6. Food - P2,000/ head for 3D/ 2N - that's if you're super matakaw :-)

We were sorry to leave Bohol but we know we will be back! If you have questions on Bohol, feel free to email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com.

Hope this helps!!

Turning 32 with friends!!!

On the night of my birthday, I was in for a treat. We had a special dinner with Bing and Melody in this new restaurant in A. Venue call Artina Gallery Cafe. The food is delicous. I tried the mushroom risotto and really enjoyed it. They really did not scrimp on the truffle oil which is great! :-) It's taste is too rich though so you might want to have a side dish.

The owner of the restaurant was so gracious that he even gave us wine. Fantastic birthday dinner!

We are (for sure) going back to Artina Gallery and Cafe. There are a few more items in the menu worth trying. The ambiance is somewhat fine dining but not stiff which is a good venue to have a quiet dinner with friends. The food is delicious and the price is reasonable for the food that they serve.

Pam also followed after dinner which was great! :-) Her birthday gift to me is priceless! Thank you, Pammy! You'll see it on my wall pretty soon!

Location: Ground Floor, A. Venue Mall, Makati Ave.
Price Range: P400 to P600 per person

2008 Birthday Trip - Bohol

Yes, yes, one more year! Yes, yes, a year older! I hope a year wiser too! :-) This year, I didn't join my friends in their trip to Italy. Made me a bit sad that I can't be with them but we're meeting up in Hong Kong anyway so that makes it less sad for me. :-)

I have two trips for my birthday that I'm looking forward to. The first is my Bohol trip with my Edgar :-), the second one, a week with Melody and Jacky in HK and Macau. :-)

It's my first time to go to Bohol so I'm really excited. It's also the first time I'm riding the plane with Edgar. Should be very interesting. :-) We're staying in this resort called Alona Vida. My friends Bing and Melody went there two weeks ago and they loved the place. We've also been given a list of places to eat at. I'm looking forward to eating the Tom Yum soup with flat noodles in Isys. Melody's been raving about it.

Anyway, I'll let you know about my Cebu Pacific experience and the whole Bohol trip with costs, reviews and contact numbers when I get back.

Twilight - a 32 year old View

As the craze of the movie premiere has begun, I have succumbed to the fad and started listening to the audiobook of Twilight. I suddenly saw myself wanting to walk to the office every morning rather than taking a cab (my car's in the shop). It gave me more time to listen to the story of Eduard and Bella. Yes, the story is cheesy... yes, it actually is for teens and tweens but who can resist the soft and enchanting voice of Ilyana Kadushin. You should listen to her when she reads the time in the forest and while they were doing question and answer in Bella's room. Too enchanting... to0 breath taking...

I find Eduard's looks and description too unreal, too beautiful that I am not sure if any human being can actually portray his character. I can imagine the "kilig" of Bella everytime she would look at Eduard but its so "teenish". I'm not against it and I don't think it changes the whole experience of listening to Twilight for me though.

I'm only on chapter 15 as I write this but I can't wait to listen and finish this audiobook. I wonder if the movie can depict the sultriness of Ilyana Kadushin's reading.

I might be too old for the cheesiness of the story but the enchantment of the vampire world has definitely bit me.

Mushroom Patties

Since I have not eaten a burger for a year now, I've been wanting to make my own mushroom patty so I have searched the web for a recipe that will suit my liking. Unfortunately, nothing came close. So, I've decided to make my own and I'm loving it... of course Edgar loved it too. :-) It's healthy and yummy! What more can you ask for?

Ingredients:
3 cups of different kinds of mushrooms (shitake, oysters and button mushrooms) chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 tsps mushroom seasoning
1 medium sized carrots diced to small pieces
3 tbsps spring onions chopped
1 medium sized onions chopped
8 cloves of garlic diced
1 cup of spinach leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 tsps of soy sauce
2 large eggs
1 cup of breadcrumbs
salt and pepper


Procedure:
1. Saute the chopped mushrooms in melted butter until tender. Add mushroom seasoning for flavor.
2. Remove from fire and let cool.
3. Combine carrots, onions, spring onions, garlic, spinach and parmesan cheese in one bowl. Mix well.
4. Pour in the mushrooms to your carrots mixture.
4. Add in the soy sauce, eggs and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until the mixture is thick enough to be made into a patty.
5. Form into burger patties. Fry or grill and enjoy with your favorite hamburger buns. :-)

I made a lot already so I can just put them in the freezer and grill or fry as I want them.

My life... NOW! :-)

Two months ago, I was on a crossroad. I had to make a decision that would affect a number of things in my life. In my 31 years in this world, this is one of the pain staking decisions I had to make.

When I realized that I was not happy and that means, I will make the people around me miserable, I had to do something to re-align my life. I had to find a deeper meaning and reason in everything that I am doing.

Now, two months have passed and admittedly, I still have not found the deeper meaning I am looking. I still am trying to find my passion in life but I have come to accept that its ok not to know... It's fine to be in this situation... for "Now". In this present moment, life is teaching me something and I have to be open to. I'm trying not to fight it. I really am. It's not easy but I feel I'm learning a lot of things at this moment.

I am an eager beaver. When I want something, I want it now. That works well for some parts of my life but not always. If I ask God that I want to find a deeper meaning in what I do, I don't think He will give it to me as soon as I close my eyes and go into prayer. I accept it more than ever that this is a journey I have to take.

I'm so blessed to have this time to be by myself and enjoy the free time. I have a hard time just staying put and not planning my activities but now, I am learning to be in the "Now". When I am at home and just reading a book, I enjoy it. When I am just sitting down and watching tv, I feel the breeze or the surroundings that I have and i love it. Everyday is a different experience, not the type that I am accustomed to but I need to accept this, before I move on the next chapter of my life. I have to go through it with acceptance and the openness to learn.

People who know me would wonder why I have not lined up my days one activity, class or event after the other. That's who I am. I don't like idleness but being alone and spending time with my family is enough for me for now. I will have time again for all of those but now I am happy spending time alone and in my parents' house.

This free time is not forever! I will miss these times very much when I start working again but I think God knew what I needed at this time in my life and He gave it to me... the purpose, passion and meaning will come as long as I have once again regain and reminded of who I am inside.

Eat Pray Love

I've put off buying an ipod until now. I didn't think I needed it. I was in the office all the time and I can use my computer anyway to listen to music. But now, I don't think I can leave the house alone without it.

Yes, the music keeps me company but what I found as my new companions are the audiobooks! I love reading books but I can't seem find the time to sit down and read. Now, where ever I go, I read (or listen!) as the case maybe.

My walking companion these past few days is Elizabeth Gilbert. In her new book Eat, Pray, Love, she narrates her year of travel all around Italy, India and Indonesia. Her voice is so soothing that I get sucked into the experience that she's telling me about. The way she described the pizza she ate in Naples, Italy made me melt into pieces and wished I was there eating the double cheese margherita pizza with fresh tomato sauce on a thin but gooey crust that just melts in your mouth. Ohhhhh.... That's heaven in a pan!

Her journey from being an unhappy wife to self-discovery enchants me. Her depression and sadness was described beautifully but I still can't fathom how such pain, feeling and thoughts can happen to one person... I get bits and pieces of it from experience but I really am praying I don't experience that much helplessness. I love her adventures though and how she's trying to get out of that rut.

Some of my favorite lines from the book:
SO LOVE HIM. SO MISS HIM.
Stop putting your wishbone where you backbone ought to be.
** I understand this as accepting how you feel at the moment. You don't have to act on everything that you feel but you can acknowledge them.

There are so many more that I can't remember right now but this book is something I would keep on my ipod and keep listening to over and over again.

Ed and Johann's birthday dinner

After listening to The Five Love Languages for Singles, I realized that one of my love languages is Time. Yes, time spent with my loved ones. No matter what we are doing. I really do appreciate the time and effort they extend in spending time with me and the people I love. Now that puts all my feelings into perspective. hahaha! I was confused for a while.

Last Saturday, our friends took time to buy Ed and Johann's gifts all the way in Marikina and they gave them a really fun, nice and memorable dinner in Amalia's Magallanes (yes! They have opened a branch there!).

The food was good... we ordered all three kinds of paella and finished them all. :-)

After dinner, we had dessert as Ms. Melody treated us to everything that we saw in the ref! Hahaha! Too bad there was no Banofee Pie that night. I guess that's why we ordered every cake that we saw. It was one of those nights when the laughter just won't die down, at least for Ed, Johann and Meggy. hahaha!

Pam was there too... She was tired and sleepy after staying out all night in Capone's and going to work early the next day... Despite that, she spent time with us and I appreciate that very much. Drinks followed in Kublai's that night... Relaxed drinking but fun!

Thanks, guys! I know it wasn't my birthday but that night was fun! Thank you!

Ed's birthday dinner

It's my Love's birthday yesterday. Yahoo! :-) For his birthday dinner, we tried the amazing buffet in Spirals Softitel. It was eating non-stop and filling our tummies to the hilt. hahaha!

We got there right before sunset but the dark clouds were looming so we were not able to try the Sunset Bar near the pool area. It's nice to just sit down and enjoy the bay. The waves were pretty strong that day and it was a bit on the rainy side so we were not able to stay outside for a long time.

Nonetheless, my honey enjoyed the sound of the waves and the nice breeze by the bay and pool side.

The buffet is so varied from Italian, spanish, chinese, japanese and korean dishes. Super yummy! Ed's favorite though is the long dessert table. He can't stop feasting on the chocolate fountain and everything chocolate there. He even placed chocolate on his puto bumbong! hahaha! Yes! That's how much he loved it.

His smile alone when he started eating his dessert plate was enough to make me smile the whole night.

Mixed Vegetables with Japanese Dressing

If you feel like having vegetables with a Japanese dish taste, try this really appetizing recipe. It's healthy and very tasty.

Got this recipe from Asian Vegetarian Recipes Periplus Mini Cookbooks (of course, I've tweaked it a bit). :-)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: around 20 minutes
For 4 people

Ingredients:
10 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup Kikkoman
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup mirin - available in japanese groceries or in the Asian section of your favorite supermarkets
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic (add more if you love a more garlic taste)
1 tbsp mushroom seasoning - available in the Asian section of the supermarkets
1 c. of oyster mushrooms
2 pcs. medium carrots
1/2 cup cauliflower
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch spinach
salt and pepper

1. Soak shitake mushrooms in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain but leave 1/4 c. of used mushroom water.
2. Cut the mushrooms in quarters.
3. Mix Kikkoman, ginger, mirin, white sugar and reserved mushroom water.
4. Add the mushrooms and stir well.
5. In a wok, sautee garlic and add the oyster mushrooms and mushroom seasoning.
6. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Add carrots, cauliflower and bell pepper
8. Pour prepared liquid and bring to a boil.
9. Add spinach and simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Serve hot with steam rice.

Enjoy!

Avenue Q High

Braving the winds and the rains, my friends and I trooped to RCBC Building to watch the Farewell Run of Avenue Q in Manila. It was so worth it! Every scene had us laughing and yet thinking at the same time. It's not often that you come out of a theater with a lot of learning and a need for introspection. It was fantastic how points raised in the play became major topics of conversation over dinner.

I think I was hooked from the first song, "It Sucks to Be Me!" and it went on to "Everyone's A Little Bit Racist" to "For Now".

The play dabbles on different touchy subjects that people can easily relate to. Yes, we all are a little bit racist sometimes and if we do accept that it is there, then we can probably live with a little bit more harmony.

Also, the idea that everyone looks for their purpose in life is noble and fantastic, but sometimes it does not come easy and you just have to ride through it... or, it does not come at all but it does not make your life any cheaper or sadder. It just is, at least "For Now". :-)

It also is true that we do experience "Schadenfreude" in our lives. We do find happiness in the misery of others. Don't deny! :-) There are very few people who are spared.

Aiza Seguerra, playing the role of Gary Coleman is a revelation to me. I know she can sing but she was really good in this play. I think she has chosen one venue for her talent where she can really shine. Her voice is fantastic. I never realized how good her singing voice is until I saw this play.

Carla Guevarra- Laforteza, playing Kate Monster and Lucy Slut has a very strong voice. She can rock the place anytime. I was amazed at how she managed to change voice characters and I think she has one of the strongest voices in the cast. Great work!

Kudos the cast and production members of this play. Hope that you stage more of these so that we, who can't go to Broadway all the time, can experience the beauty of these plays and musicals in our own country. Good luck on your Singapore run! :-)

100 Things that make me happy

1. Seeing the ocean
2. Sitting on a beach
3. Sunsets
4. Catching an episode of my favorite tv series on cable. One that I haven’t seen before
5. The first sip of a really good cup of coffee in the morning
6. A hand holing mine
7. Hearing a song on the radio that I haven’t heard in a long time
8. Anticipation of a trip
9. taking a nice photograph
10. Mornings that you just wake up with a smile… with no apparent reason
11. Driving without much traffic
12. A comforting hug
13. A genuine smile
14. A phone call from an old friend
15. Non-stop laughter
16. Soft bed sheets
17. Staying in bed with my boyfriend
18. Finding a lost item
19. A good sweat after a work out
20. A sip of water after a long work out
21. Really tasty adobo
22. Getting a surprise bouquet of flowers
23. Watching my boyfriend wash dishes. Imagine a big guy hunched over a small sink washing the breakfast dishes.
24. A kiss and a gentle touch to wake you up in the morning
25. Walking under the rain
26. Being quiet for a few minutes in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel
27. Writing on my journal
28. Having a chat with my mom. After the craziness of teenage years, I appreciate my relationship with my mom more and more.
29. A phone call from my Dad
30. Practicing patience. God knows I’m not the most patient person in the world.
31. Doing a favor for my sister
32. Listening to a good homily during mass. It takes a smart and non-traditional priest for this to happen. Yes, I am catholic but I don’t go to mass since there’s not much to get from the priests’ homilies. When I hear a good one, its a gold in a mine.
33. Smell of a good dish that I cooked

See more progress on: identify 100 things that make me happy (besides money)

Virgin Beach Resort- Laiya, Batangas

For the first time in years, I have decided to stay in Manila during Holy Week. I needed to relax completely and rid my mind of the stress (well, that includes the stress of a long vacation too!). It was a great experience doing absolutely nothing! I haven't done that in a while and I didn't realize it was that liberating! :-)

On my fourth vacation day though, my feet were itching to go out of town so I agreed to join my family to a trip to Batangas.

After a two and a half hour ride, we found Virgin Beach Resort in San Juan, Laiya, Batangas. White sand, clear waters and a wonderful cloudless sky made me smile. The water had some jellyfish but not enough to scare me.

We only went there for a day trip and Virgin Beach Resort is very accommodating to day trippers like us. They have cottages and grills all around the area. The day trippers area is a bit far from the private area of the overnighters but our area is not bad for a few hours stay. It gets packed though so make sure that your ears are ready to hear the different kinds of music coming from every cottage.

The smoke of the grills can either annoy you or can remind you of the good old days. BRING LOTS OF FOOD AND COOK IT BY THE BEACH! :-) That means, marinated chicken, liempo, bangus, kamatis at bagoong and salted egg! UMM!!! YUMMY!!! Oh... and fruits like watermelon, mangoes and turnips (singkamas)!

You can rent a cottage for P1,000 a day. The grill has been set up so you can share it with other people within your area. I guess that's fine since there are a lot of grills all around. They also keep the grounds clean all the time with two posts of trash bins in every cottage and care takers changing the bags every hour.

Parasols can be rented with a mattress and a wooden bed. You can sleep here the whole day for P1,200.

Bathrooms. They have showers and toilet areas. Not the best that you can find in the world but clean enough. I wished though that they have a space where you can place your toiletries inside the shower.

If you don't have food with you, you can avail of their set meal for P600/head. They have a nice restaurant that serves good mango shake and mais con hielo. The restaurant is fronting the beach so just sitting down there on a hot summer day and sipping your shake is like being in paradise!

For those who wants to go on an overnight trip, they have airconditioned casitas (P6,600.00 a night) for 4 people and fan rooms called Bamboo cabanas (P4,400.00 a night) for 6 people. Check in time is 1:00 pm and Check out time is 11:30 am. Additional P1,100/ head for packaged dinner, breakfast and lunch.

If you stay overnight, the area where the lounge chairs are --by the beach-- is perfect if you want to just relax and watch the sunset.

The staff seems to be very nice and accommodating. I've read an article online with the nasty email and I was worried about their service. It turns out that they are very friendly and always ready to help you out.

I can't wait to go back and enjoy the beach and the resort! :-)

Check out additional photos at http://www.pbase.com/lysh/virginbeach.
For reservations, you can call them at +632 815-2584 or 815-2587 or visit their website at http://www.virginbeachresort.com/.

Here's the breakdown of the cost for the day-trippers:
a. Entrance fee: P100/ head
b. Corkage fee if you have food and drinks: P70/ head or Php600.00/head if you're eating at the restaurant
c. Cottage fee: P1000.00 for a whole day
d. Parking fee: P50/ car

For overnighters:
a. Airconditioned casitas: P6,600 for 4 people - (P1650/ head)
b. Food: P1,100/ head (lunch, dinner, breakfast)

*** Add around P500/ head for gas and toll fee in SLEX and Star Toll Way.

Helping the Environment In Our Small Ways

Take care of the environment, print only if necessary ...

My friend Bel sent me this line in her email. She found it in someone else's email. I'm thinking of using it in mine too.

Now a days the push to help the environment due to global warming has been increasing as they use different forms of media to educate us.

Last Friday, over coffee, my friends and I started to think of different ways to help the environment. Small things that can eventually make a difference if everyone takes it on. So, let me share with you some of my friends small efforts to save the earth.

1. Melody - Collecting plastic bottles of water that you use. Don't throw them away. You can sell them (or give it to) groups or people who knows how to recycle them properly.
2. Meggy - gets the trash that she sees underwater every time she dives
3. Pam - stopped using the escalator and uses the stairs to go to work (saves on electricity and exercise pa!)
4. Bel - no more printing of emails
5. Bel - no unnecessary use of facial tissues. If towels can be used, that will be better.
6. Lyshiel - use cloth bag as often as possible. Get the foldable ones that you can put in your purse or use the cloth bags you can buy in the supermarkets
7. Edgar - refusing flyers distributed on the street or in the malls. Save trees everytime you say no.

What's your small way of helping the environment? Add it as a comment so we can have a longer list.

Photography, anyone?

The timelessness of a photograph is what has pushed me to take photos where ever I go. Taking it one step further, I purchased a digital SLR. My little baby, a Nikon D40. Now, what is an instrument if I don't fully understand how it is used, right?

After 6 months, I have enrolled myself in the Basic Photography class of Jay Alonzo. It was convenient for me since the classes are held in the Filipino Heritage Library across Manila Peninsula Hotel. It runs for 3 Saturdays and I just finished my second class last weekend.

I love that I can actually understand the use of my camera and the basic techniques in taking good photos. I enjoy our exercises and assignments. It is not just taking photos now. It's taking photos that matters to me. It's capturing moments in a manner that touches my heart.

It is not a cheap hobby though. The equipment are expensive but making use of what I have at the moment is the biggest challenge I want to take on.

I'll be posting more and more photos on my pbase account (www.pbase.com/lysh)

Non-stop Christmas Cheers

Nothing beats the festivities of a Filipino Christmas. Food, Family, Friends and non-stop laughter and gifts make this season merry.

This year is no exception. Ed and I have been going to different dinners, lunches and get togethers to celebrate the season with people closest to our hearts.

Christmas eve was spent with my family. Having all the people I love in roof, enjoying a good meal and laughing our hearts out while giving gifts to each other is my greatest joy!

I wish I can spend Christmas day with Ed's family but I had to go to Batangas to fulfill an annual tradition which is kind of getting old for me. Its a gift-giving, raffle and games thing that my Dad has started so I had to go.

Dinner with the SE 5 people in Tagaytay was also one of the best Christmas dinners I had this year. It's great to see all of them again especially Jo who I have not seen in forever. I think the best part of the dinner for me though was the girl talk that Jo and I had in the car on the way to Tagaytay. Women can REALLY talk! It's unbelievable!

The dinner with Patty, Jimmy, Ron , Kimmy, Patrice and Carol on Christmas night was also something new. Food, drinks and non-stop talking abound.

Last night's get together with the Friday night group has proved to be loud and crazy as we always are. Too bad I didn't get to take photos of this night but I'm sure Bing will have some.

Of course, in addition to my family's Christmas eve dinner, the highlight of my Christmas is when Ed surprised me with two huge boxes in my room when I got home. His gifts were all well thought off! He gave me all the stuff that I've been wanting to buy for myself but never really got around to getting. The two big boxes is a lamp that looks so perfect in my room! I super love this guy talaga!!!

Merry Christmas, everyone and I hope that you enjoy every get together too. Its the best time to catch up and show the people we care about how much they mean to us.

Heny Sison's Culinary School in Makati

Update: As of November 2008, Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) took over the Henny Sison School in Waltermart Makati. I saw the sign outside. I'll try to call or go there get more info on their classes. I'll probably take a baking class there soon. I'll keep you posted.

For those looking for cooking classes around the Makati area, try The Maya Kitchen. Here's their website, http://www.themayakitchen.com. They also have short and weekend classes.

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Henny Sison just openned her newest culinary school on the 5th level of Waltermart Makati.

I saw the schedule of classes on my way to the grocery so I decided to pay them a visit yesterday. Since I got there around 7 and there were no more classes for the day, I just looked around for someone to ask. To my surprise I met Heny Sison herself and Chef Vicky... very pleasant surprise.

They have their December 2007 schedule already and its very interesting. I can't wait to take the Brownie Collection class, The Pasta Workshop and the Introduction to Japanese Cooking. They have weeknights and weeekend classes.

Two more classes I found interesting are the Quick Classic Cafe Food for those who are thinking of starting their own cafes and their Cupcakelicious where they teach how to make different flavored cupcakes. :-)

Their school is pretty big with two fully equipped classrooms. The fees range from Php1,500 to Php3,000 per leisure class (these are the ones that last for 4 hours each class). They aslo have the Special Essential Cooking classes for those who want to become chefs.

Since they just set up an office, they still don't have a fax machine. The website is also under development. I can share with you mine. Email me at lyshiel@yahoo.com and I can fax you a copy. You can also call them at +632 3862210 to 11.

31st Birthday Treats

I turned a year older last week! :-) I am a fabulous 31 year old now.


My birthday celebration started when we left for Paris in October 27. Since that's my birthday gift to myself, I indulged myself to a month long birthday celebration. My friends and I went to Prague, Vienna, Reims, Versailles and Paris for two weeks. There are so many stories about this trip and I promise to put some more blogs about it later on.

Three days before my birthday, I had the chance to have lunch with DJ and Meine. We had a 3 hour lunch just catching up in CPK Shangri-la Mall. Girl bonding always gives me a good perspective on things.

On my birthdate, my office mates gave me a cake. It was so sweet of them to do that. :-)

And for dinner, of course I was with Edgar. :-) He gave me a bouquet of flowers and we had a simple dinner in La Grotta, followed by dessert in Bizu. It was a relaxed and no worry birthday celebration that I really enjoyed just being pampered and loved by Ed. Just when I thought that the date's over, he gave me my gift. Aerosoles boots! :-) hahaha! Why? Because I had a breakdown the weekend before... none of my shoes matches any of my clothes -- even though I have boxes of shoes lined up in front of me (of course any girl who's been through a wardrobe breakdown can understand my dilemma). hahaha! It's a super nice ankle high boots. I can't wait to wear them.



Last Friday, my friends treated me to a great dinner in Queens on Jupiter St. Since Melody figured out that I am so worried about my skin aging (hahaha!), they got me the Clarins Lift Visage. It was really really sweet of them.

I wonder what's in store this year. I'm sure it's fun, fantastic and fabulous. Just like me. :-)

Racks Restaurant, Magallanes

Racks... The Best Ribs In Town. Or so they claim...

Since Racks Pasay Road closed down, I have always wondered when it will open a branch within the Makati area again. When I used to eat pork, I can not get enough of their ribs, and their sauce... oh... their sauce. YUM!

So, when we saw that the Racks branch in Paseo de Magallanes was open, we were all excited to have the Racks Ribs for my brother's birthday. Well, whatever they served did not match our expectations at all.

My family is a huge meat eating group. So, when we saw the menu and all its delicously photographed food, they could not stop themselves from ordering the baby back ribs. Check out the photo on their menu. It looks really good. Big portions with a good helping of those sidings. It was really presented well and it looked like something you cannot resist.

Imagine our disappointment when they served this to my parents.

Maybe its the presentation or maybe its the dryness of the meat but the dining experience I had in this particular branch of Racks was a big disappointment. It's false advertising.

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, maybe the food stylist of the menu is really good (kudos to you!) but the presentation of the chef in the house is not even close to acceptable. The meat was even drier than I remembered it to be. The chicken was the same. Smaller than in the photo and the meat was drier.

It might also because they just opened a month or two before we dined but then again, there should be standards that should be followed, right? If the menu displayed a scrumptous dish, you don't serve one that's not been plated well nor has been cooked within the Racks standards.

I really hope they improve or the excitement of having the Best Ribs in Town is going to fade really quickly.