Culinary Escapades: Nilasing na Hipon

We had shrimp lying around the fridge. There was an opened bottle of white wine in the cupboard. Solution: Put them together to make a delicious dinner for my mom and uncle!

Ingredients (for the marinade):

• Half a kilo of fresh shrimp
• 3 tbsp. of white wine (gin, tequila, or vodka will do, but amount and length of marinade time will vary)
• A tbsp. of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• Sliced ginger (little)
• A small red onion, sliced
• A medium tomato, sliced into small pieces
• A chili or two, sliced
• Seasoning (optional)

Other ingredients:

• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• A small block of butter (for frying)
• Olive oil
• Red bell pepper (optional)

Process:

• Mix the wine/alcohol with the tablespoon of olive oil in a mixing bowl. Add in all the ingredients for the marinade, except the seasoning.
• Throw in the shrimp. Sprinkle the seasoning on top of the shrimp.
• Mix them all together. Make sure to coat every bad boy in the bowl with the marinade.
• Leave for about an hour. Let the flavors get to know each other a little better.
• Prepare the pan. Let it warm up, but don't allow it to get too hot.
• Chuck in a small block of butter. Let it melt.
• Add in a small amount of olive oil. Eyeball the amount at this point. You have to consider the amount of shrimp that will go into the pan.
• Let the oil and butter warm up.
• Throw in the garlic. Let it brown.
• Drain or strain the marinade from the shrimp concoction. You can leave the solid ingredients in with the shrimp.
• Slowly introduce the shrimp to the pan. Be careful. The oil might react with the water in the shrimp.
• Lightly saute the shrimp until it gets a rich, orange hue, then you'll know it's ready.
• Enjoy!

How easy was that? Here's my very first take on the Pinoy hit, Nilasing na Hipon or Shrimp Cooked in Wine. 

It may not look pretty but trust me, it will taste phenomenal! The shrimp meat will suck in all the sweetness of the wine, combined with its own juices. You can dip it in ketchup if you want that extra sweetness and tang or enjoy it as it is. :)

Again, feel free to adjust the ingredients according to your own preferences. This is just my own formulation. 

Love,

SGT <3

Culinary Escapades: Aglio Olio with GG Flakes

When I'm not in front of the computer, writing or just randomly browsing, I'm either in front of the telly, watching a TV series I recently got hooked into, or I'm eating-slash-cooking-slash-eating some more. This is why my weight loss goals never progress, at least for now. But when I do cook, I try my best to come up with recipes that are not only healthy but are jam-packed with nutrients and of course, flavor as well!

My love for food started way, way back. But my mom always cooked. It wasn't until recently that I became quite conscious with what I eat (check out my previous post, My Sexy Revolution Starts Now). I love cooking for my family because well, they eat what I serve them and they seem to really like it! I'll be on my own pretty soon so it's practical and quite necessary for me to learn these kinds of things.

This goes without saying, but even in my cooking, I try to be as economical as possible. I believe that making do with what you have is pretty handy. I just don't get the splurge-all-the-time attitude, I find it wasteful. So, whenever I cook, I try to improvise and use whatever ingredients we have lying around at home (of course if I need something else, I'm gonna have to run to the grocery, but you get the point.)

Expect to see food stuff here on my blog every now and then. Check out my recipe of Aglio Olio with GG Flakes.

Ingredients:

• About half a cup of Olive Oil
• About 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• A medium-size chili, finely chopped
• Galunggong flakes (My mom pre-made these, I used the left overs from the galunggong lumpia she made over the weekend)

For the Galunggong Flakes:

• Cook the fish paksiw style (cook it in vinegar, onion, and ginger)
• Corn (hand-pick into smaller portions and bits) the meat of the fish, let the flesh crumble, the bones will separate from the meat easily, according to my Mom.
• Lightly saute it with chopped onions and chopped ginger
• Sprinkle a small amount of Magic Sarap and toss it while sauteing

Process:

• Boil water to cook spaghetti in, add a little oil and salt into the boiling pot of water first before putting in the pasta
• Heat another pan for the sauce, prepare the ingredients
• Pour in the olive oil into the pan. Let it warm up
• Throw in the chopped garlic, let them brown for a while.
• Incorporate the fish flakes and the chili.
• Toss and let them all get to know each other a little better.
• After about 8 minutes, your pasta should be ready (or until it's al dente)
• Strain your pasta.
• Serve the flakes and olive oil mixture on top of the pasta.
• Toss and enjoy!

* You may add salt, depending on your taste preference. I like it a little bland because the fish already has enough flavor, but feel free to sprinkle a little salt on the pasta before you devour it. ;)

This is just my own formulation. Feel free to adjust anything to suit your own taste and preference. :)

Love,

SGT <3

Weekday Warriors

Happy rainy Thursday, everyone! On days like these, staying at home and enjoying the comforts of your bed with a good book in hand and a warm cup of tea sounds like the perfect idea, right? Well, since I have all day to kick it back and take it easy, I might as well share with you my whereabouts yesterday. My best friend and I decided to hang out in Nuvali (which is about 15 minutes away from my house).

All photos were taken with my new baby, Bunny. She's a day-old Sony Cybershot S5000 in rosy pink. :)

Because Serenitea was too crowded, we decided to give Bo's Coffee a shot.
I ordered my standard - an Iced White Chocolate Mocha. Yummy!
Chammy got a chocolate chip frappe. She says it's very good too!
We both ate bread from Breadtalk. 

Simple days like these call for a no-fuss look. :)

Cool lamps!

There weren't a lot of people there so we decided to settle in. :)

Not-so-affordable bread but very delicious indeed!

Chammy models her iPod Touch. :P

That's me, 48019817839298 pounds heavier from all the
eating and chilling out I've been doing.

Macho says hello! :)

We moved to Solenad to explore dining options. We ended up getting pampered at Indulgence Day Spa, just below the Convergys  building. They're open from Monday to Sunday. If you're in Nuvali, make sure to drop by for some much-needed relaxation and stress-relief. Contact (049) 502-5885 / (049)576-7328 / 0917-892-2882 / 0908-886-7328 and look for Joel for inquiries and reservations.

They have an interesting Southeast Asian vibe.

Chammy inquires about their services.

Namaste. :)

Very homey.

Goofing off before the treatment started.

Brrt-brrt-brrt! We availed of the foot spa service. 'Twas very refreshing
and relaxing indeed!

Happy customers!

We hopped on to Paseo for dinner at Kenny Rogers Roasters. (broke my vegetarian pact again, ugh!)

Meals fit for two mad hungry girls!

Sending you all the good vibes all the way from Santa Rosa! :)

Love,

SGT <3

Cavi-trip!

Happy Saturday, loves! How's your weekend so far? Mine's been pretty busy! It actually started last Thursday when I watched Sipat Lawin Ensemble's Battalia Royale in Cubao with my Tanghalang Pilipino classmate and friend, Agnes. I was lucky enough to score a slot in the guest list to watch their technical dress rehearsal, or as we lovingly call it in theater, the TDR. I also ran into my friend Kiko Miranda who was part of the cast where he played Lakhi Yoo. I'll write all about the play and show you some of the action in a separate post.

After the show, Agnes and I trooped to Cubao to grab a late dinner and a few rounds of drinks at Uncle Cheffy (side note: Try their East Meets West pizza and Mojito!). We met up with Aerol and Tootoots (friends from Dakila) for more drinks in Cubao Expo.

Then the next day, I travelled halfway across Luzon to Los Banos to get my transcript and meet up with a few friends as well. It was fruitful, to say the least. ;)

Anyway, so here we are now, and today we went to Cavite to visit a few family friends from Bacolod. We were served empanada (yum!), iced tea, laing (my favorite!), rice, palabok, and fried fish. It really pays to sit down  and have a few laughs while eating. It makes the meal that much more enjoyable, even if you only have bagoong for viand. Also, I learned a lot of tips and tricks in terms of beauty and other practical advice from an Occupational Therapy professor from DLSU Manila. The house owner's husband was from UP and he was telling us about his time at his fraternity. It made me want to join a sorority again. Okay, maybe in grad school.

Also, I had the chance to pet and play with cats! I love cats but my mom won't let me take care of one because  she has allergies. You should really meet Darky, a fat, lazy, and vain kitty cat. He loves posing for pictures!

Here's a visual run-down of today's events:

Inside-the-car-with-nothing-much-to-do shot.

Who says you can't wear black on a summer day?
Random top, Multi-layered electric-pleated skirt (Php80/$2),
 Happy Feet bakya (got these on sale for Php750), Creato bag (Php150/$4)

I have big feet. And they are happy. :)

Meet Dougar (meaning: duling na Garfield). He walks with a limp and has epileptic episodes. Poor baby.

Ang saya-saya lang ni Mommy!

Forgot to ask for his name! He's the well-informed professor who we're very happy to meet!

Lunch is ready!

Laing! My fave!

The prettiest girls are the happiest girls!

Lola Cil. She's a really joyful person. I admire her dedication to her Catholic faith.

And then there's Darky. See? Told you he's fierce! ;)

I'm sorry I can't write decently right now. These past few days have been really hectic! I always come home just wanting to crawl into bed and stay there. I'll make it up to you, I promise! ;)

Love,

SGT <3

Hot Fuss: Boracay Sands Spa and Faustina's

Hello, friends! As I promised, here's the rundown of yesterday's full day of fun with friends.

For the first order of business, I picked up my buddy Chammy at the town mall near our village and we sped off to UP Los Banos so I can get my official transcript of records (which, unfortunately got my birthday so wrong so I'm gonna have to ask for another one.) Anyway, I took Chammy to one of my favorite restaurants in  LB, Faustina's. Check out what we had for lunch (photos were borrowed from the Faustina's fan page on Facebook):

Tomato and white cheese pasta. This is an absolute must-try in their wide selection of great eats! A junior plate will keep you satisfied (Php 85/ $2), but if you're really hungry, they have a regular serving (I think it's around Php 145 or around $4) that will keep you stuffed! I always order this whenever I eat at Faustina's. :)

Banana and choco-hazelnut crepe. What can I say? It's simply heavenly! I think this costs somewhere between Php 100 to Php 120 and there are lots of flavor combinations to choose from!

Chammy tried the New York Iced Tea. Another great choice and an alternative to soda, nonetheless! A glass of this is priced at Php 45 or a little over $1. 

After a hearty meal, we walked a little around campus, visited the Department of Humanities, and met a few friends and former professors along the way. Then we decided to hit the road because I've been itching to visit Chammy's spa in Batangas. Yes, she owns her own little piece of heaven in Santo Tomas, Batangas. It's called Boracay Sands Spa, and they offer affordable services for members and non-members alike. Gone are the days when you need at least Php 500 to get a decent massage. Thanks to Boracay Sands Spa, girls on a budget like us can kick back, relax, and let their amazing therapists work their magic!

To get there, just take the southbound road of the South Luzon Expressway going to Calamba, then just go past the Calamba exit, just go straight, enter the Batangas toll gate, and you will see a sign that says To Sto. Tomas, take that right and you'll end up in the national road. Just keep going straight, and about five minutes away from the Sto. Tomas exit, just a little past the intersection (not the little rotunda), you'll see a small sign that says "Boracay Sands Spa". You won't have a hard time finding it. It's right along the main road and across McDonalds and Petron. In any case, you can contact 0917-4970640 or 0933-4757605 if you have any queries or concerns. The staff are more than willing to help. :)

I tried out their Full Body Massage, which is really a combination of Swedish, Shiatsu, and Thai Massage. All you have to do is lay there and let all your worries melt away. I even drifted off to a nice nap during the treatment. It was THAT relaxing! They use a non-scented massage oil, so you won't have to worry about reeking of perfumed oils after the massage. The entire place was clean and definitely serene. The therapists were helpful and courteous. Plus, after your session, you can opt to have a warm cup of tea and a hot towel for further stress relief. That's not all they offer, they also have:

• Chinese Ventusa
• Boracay Hot Back Therapy
• Hot Stone Massage
• Skin Whitening
• Body Sands Scrub
• Hair spa
• Foot spa
• Hand spa
• Cranio sacral
• Foot reflex
• Kiddie Massage

When you purchase a membership card, you are entitled to a free full body massage and lots of other goodies, including lower rates of all the services. For example, a full body massage costs Php 249 (9 AM to 4 PM, and Php 299 from 4 PM onwards) for non-members and Php 149 for members (9AM to 4PM only; otherwise, it's priced at Php 199). That's a lot of savings! Plus, the card is transferable so your entire family or barkada can take advantage of their perks! There are packages and sets of services you can opt to have for a great steal, as well. There's definitely a treatment to cater to your every need, and it won't cost you an arm and a leg (pun intended). ;)

Take a look inside their Santo Tomas, Batangas branch. (photos courtesy of my friend, Chammy)

Their reception area. You can instantly scan the services and prices, including the packages and special offerings right here!

Guest seating area. You relax while you wait. :)

The view from the inside. Talk about cozy!

I feel like I'm in Boracay! Just the retreat I need!

They have 6 private "villas" to accommodate guests. Privacy and security is guaranteed.

Zen decor everywhere. Definitely felt at ease and completely at peace during my visit.

If you happen to be anywhere in Batangas or Laguna, I definitely recommend checking both places out. Great eats at Faustina's and the ultimate relaxation at Boracay Sands Spa. Two thumbs up! No, wait! Make that four! ;)

I'm one happy customer! That's me to the right, and that's Chammy beside me. :)

More on the (mis)adventures later!

Love,

SGT <3