Food tripping in Tagaytay

On the last week of May, our unit this time (coz the last one at Ocean Park was my husband’s unit outing) had our team-building or maybe I should say 'food tripping' in Tagaytay. It was originally planned to be held in Boracay, in consonance with the office working trip to Bacolod but there were problems with the scheduled return flight from Boracay to Manila… well, I wasn’t really too keen on going after I learned that we had to take a one-hour ferry to Iloilo, a three hour road trip (by van or bus) to Aklan and another 30-minute boat ride to Kalibo; and besides, I didn’t want to go if my husband wasn’t coming with me so I opted not to join the outing. But when plans for the return flight became awry, they decided to just scrap it altogether.

And so a week after we got back from Bacolod, we decided to just have our outing at Tagaytay. Still, the hubby wasn’t able to go with me because they had an important basketball game to win that day so I took my son, Keith. Besides, I knew it would all be just one big food trip and who better to take with me than someone who has an appetite big enough for the two of us… and so off we went that rainy Wednesday morning for a trip to that cool city which proudly boasts the smallest active volcano in the world.

First stop was coffee and breakfast at Bag of Beans. We left the office at around 8 and I offered that we take the shortcut via the Southwoods route since it is what we usually take when our family goes to Tagaytay. But our driver apparently did not know the way so we ended up not taking the shortcut but the regular route even passing by the towns of Dasma and Silang; oh, well I guess it’s my fault for not remembering the exact directions…

We reached Tagaytay at around 11, a bit late for breakfast but still way too early for lunch so we decided to just eat light. We only ordered bottomless kapeng barako and a few kids’ meals like pancakes and kiddie cheeseburger. While the others, including me, just ordered pie (shepherd’s pie, beef and mushroom pie and apple pie) Little did we know that their servings would turn out to be quite humongous or that the pie (even if a bit on the small side) – was totally filling and delish! (just check out the pics!) Even the place was so cool – the resto was set in a garden and there were wooden tables and metal ones with an umbrella canopy. There were also huts/cottages for diners who may opt for a little privacy. There was also a completely covered and screened dining area that can be closed off for gatherings/seminars when the need arises. We left the resto after a few pic taking, totally satiated and raring to walk off all the gorgeous food we just consumed.

I recommended the trip to Paradizoo – after having visited the place just last March, it was truly a sight to behold, one I wouldn’t mind going to again. Besides, the one-hour tour would surely be enough for us to shake off all the fat and carbs from our previous meal and make enough room for the next scrumptious lunch we had planned. And so off we went to the sleepy town of Mendez. We only paid a hundred each for the Paradizoo tour since we decided to forego a visit to their other zoo, at the Residence Inn.

We had a different tour guide this time – a girl and she seemed a bit tame or not so energetic like our last tour guide (whose name I completely forgot!) Or maybe she just got so overwhelmed by the kind of questions the guys in our group asked --- you know the totally inane ones that guys just ask for the sake of asking… I guess she may be a bit pissed but just didn’t show it.

Well, anyway the tour started with the dromedary camels with single humps and we took pics feeding the camels. There were also some deer, sheep, ostriches and the five-legged bull (Bulltes five, I think it’s name was) in nearby cages. There was also a funny-looking zebra – a brown one with white stripes… turns out to be a horse they painted with white! Next stop was the goat/sheep cage where the last time the kids were able to bottle-feed baby kids and try for themselves how to milk a goat but the guide told us that this time this wasn’t allowed – only during weekends… tough luck huh? They should have given us a discount if some parts of the zoo were not totally functional…well, at least we got to see some goats though not all because some of them, even the big one named Sid was out at pasture.

Next were the llamas and alpacas which the guide warned us not to get too near to because they tend to spit on people whenever they’re angry. So we kept our distance and moved on to the gardens. There were lotsa pretty flowers and organic vegetables, enough to make a salad but as always we didn’t get to buy any (budgetary constraints!) We also saw some pretty orchids before going down to the fishing pond… I remember also visiting a mushroom growing facility near the gardens (the last time I was here) so I knew our guide didn’t really take us to all the areas we needed to see but I didn’t push her na…maybe she has her reasons for not taking us there, I also didn’t want the others to know we were shortchanged…

After the ponds, we passed by a campsite (which they rent out to those who want to stay overnight) on our way to the butterfly farm. There were only a few butterflies, the guide said because it was already rainy season. We also got to visit the honey factory with many bees. This time around they were offering us honey but at 120per bottle so we declined. Anyway, I still have some honey left from our trip to Abra just last month. Next stop was the pet cemetery then the piggery. Once again, we took another shortcut because the guide said we can’t go see the racing dogs because some of them got exposed to viruses and may in turn cause other people it comes in contact with to acquire the said virus. I’m not sure if she was just pulling our leg or truly wanted to cut our field trip short so off we went to the canteen to rest and have some drinks. The kids bought some trinkets at the souvenir shop but I didn’t buy any because the prices were a bit steep and I was still mad at the guide for taking shortcuts and not giving us the entire tour.

We left after a while to eat lunch at Leslie’s Diner. The place was nice and it had a breathtaking view of Taal volcano. The interiors of the resto were quite inviting and made of native materials and they also had small huts for small groups who want to eat and drink in private. We feasted on bulalo, sisig, ensaladang talong, and fried tawilis. The fish was fried so crisply that we were able to eat almost everything even heads and bones. The sisig wasn’t so spectacular but it was spicy and had a nice zing to it that would remove the ‘sawa’ or ‘umay’ that one would get from eating too much bulalo. But the bulalo wasn’t also all that magnificent. It tasted pretty much like the regular bulalo we have tasted the last few times we were in Tagaytay so it’s not something I would rave about. If you would notice the soup leftover was a bit brown as if too much patis was already added to the dish which made it a tad salty. Still and all, we had a satisfying lunch.

Next on our itinerary was a visit to Mahogany market to buy beef and pineapples. After that we visited Mushroomburger… no! not to eat again but to take out some burgers for pasalubong… and also eat as snacks on our way back home. It was 5 pm already and I wanted to go home na but the group said it was still too early. So off we went to visit the People’s Park in the Sky… yeah it’s someplace I’ve already been to also but what the heck! I took the hike with them, bought some souvenirs for my boy and posed for pics. It was almost 6 when we finally made the return trip back to Manila and though we didn’t encounter much traffic, we were still able to get home at past 9…I’m glad I brought my son with me. Not only was he a big help when it came to carrying our pasalubongs, it also gave us a chance to bond - just the two of us – no whining little sister or a bully of a big brother grabbing my attention away from this moment with him. I just hope he enjoyed it as much as I did…

Bacolod: The City of Smiles

Around the third week of May, the office embarked on another working trip to the City of Smiles – Bacolod City in Negros Oriental. Thankfully, our flight this time wasn’t very early so we weren’t pressed to get up in the wee hours of the morning like in our previous ‘working trips’. Office meet-up was set at around 7 am, we had time to eat Mcdo muffins and coffee for breakfast before leaving for the airport some 30 minutes later. We boarded the PAL Airbus 320 Flight PR 133 in Manila at around 9:30 am and landed in Silay City airport an hour later at 10:30 am. First impression of the city was that it was so hot…well, considering that it was summer – it was to be expected, but I am glad when we finally entered the hotel which was to be our home for the next four days… Planta Centro Hotel, located right at the heart of Bacolod city.

The hotel itself was quite a sight to behold – recently inaugurated in March of this year – the place was sparkling clean and the staff very friendly…after all, that’s why they’re called the city of smiles – because of the friendly people. And so for the next few days, we got busy and stayed mostly inside the cool comfort of Planta Hotel. Even the food they served was great!!! It seems they had an Italian chef and so each day we were served a different kind of pasta dish – so I am able to gorge on my fave food much to my heart’s content…Even their breakfast spread was superb because they offered so much variety even if their space was a bit too cramped. Well, anyway one can always choose to dine al fresco by the poolside although I never did try because even in the morning, the temperature was already quite sizzling!!!

But after three straight days of hotel food (no matter how good!) one would still feel quite bored with such type of fare so it was quite a welcome treat for all of us to finally be able to step out of the hotel (when our two-day workshop was finally finished) and eat their famous chicken inasal. But first we had a city tour with a guide from the city government to take us around. First stop was to buy another Bacolod famous delicacy – napoleones… the resto (Pendy’s, I think) offered free taste and we all bought many boxes for pasalubong. Then we visited a museum which featured their very colorful history…just too bad we weren’t allowed to take photos inside…they also had a toy museum that had so many toys (wish my kids could see it! but alas still no pics...) Then we visited another souvenir shop where we were able to buy many trinkets like masskara keychains and ref magnets, bracelets, others bought colorful bags and even tshirts. Then, we visited another food shop – Mercy’s where we bought still more food delights for pasalubongs – it seems Bacolod had so many treats for foodies like me! When we finally satiated our pasalubong shopping spree (and when our money ran out already), it was already time for our dinner!

The same local contact recommended that we eat at IMAY’s and we were rewarded with their delicious array of specialties including Bacolod’s famous inihaw na manok. We also had their seafood kare-kare, tofu veggie, sisig, and so much more… we felt so full after eating so when we returned to the hotel we didn’t sleep all at once but decided to hang out and eat (some more!) but only chips and soda this time while the boys had beer at the presidential suite which the madam did not use… check out the pics --- it’s just so cool and fun to be President!

The next day we had originally planned to visit this other famed Bacolod tourist site - the Mambukal Mountain Resort but based on our discussion last night with the group that went there ahead of us, it wasn’t so spectacular and even a bit overrated… and so we decided to just stay inside the comforts of our room and sleep a wee bit later than usual. We all took our sweet time having breakfast, some went across the street for some more last minute shopping --- that’s another beauty of Planta hotel, there were also souvenir shops just across the street so one can really do all the shopping without venturing too far from the hotel…we wanted to take in a little bit more sana of the city but we were unable to go anywhere else but the church, SM and the pier so by 11 we decided to have our lunch at another recommended resto – ABOY’s which is near the old Bacolod airport.

Sated and quite drowsy with all the good food we just ate, we lazily trudged back to the hotel to finish packing so we could proceed to the airport. As our plane prepared to taxi out of the runway, I looked down wistfully at the City of Smiles and as with other ‘working trips’ we had, made a vow to return once again – to fully savor all the city had to offer – maybe a visit to their famous sugar plantations, their sugar beach in Sipalay, the Masskara festival, mountain resorts, waterfalls, and so much more... truly one can never get tired of visiting the numerous beautiful islands of our country ...

Kitchen misadventures 4

Okay…okay…I admit I have been remiss lately in posting my kitchen/cooking adventures. But it just seems so hot to cook nowadays and all throughout this summer our house seemed like a (bahay-ampunan) of sorts because eight of my husband’s nieces and nephews had their vacation here at our house (so including our family of five plus my sister-in-law that makes us fourteen people altogether) I found it quite tedious to cook some fancy meal for such a big number of eaters. And besides I wouldn’t really know if the food will come out okay or even if they will eat it so rather than risk having food go to waste, I opted to let them just cook and eat regular fare like tinola, fried chicken, pork adobo and at times veggies like ampalaya, steamed kangkong and okra and whatever my sister-in-law wants to cook for us.

RHUM CAKE

It was only during my youngest daughter’s birthday that I once again decided to venture into the kitchen because it was a Sunday and our place was too far away from bakeshops like Goldilocks or Red Ribbon so I decided to just bake her a cake – with the only cake recipe I know - rum cake. I remember getting the recipe from the internet, I just can’t remember from which site… but suffice it to say that it was a recipe that called for loaf pans but since I wanted it to be a birthday cake I decided to just place it in a rectangular pan and followed the same basic procedures for the rum cake.

See the finished product below… I wanted to put some icing in it but alas, I didn’t know how to do so. I just decided to make some pink-colored chocolates for décor and let my daughter design her cake… well, at least all her guests liked it even if the icing contained just a little bit of rum in it and they all got the chance to partake of the chocolates which also served as her giveaways. Maybe next time I’ll try to learn how to make some icing so that it would look more like a cake…

OATMEAL IN MY PANCAKES

Here’s another recipe which I found easy and necessary to do because I wanted the kids to have more fiber in their diets and since I could not get them to eat oatmeal as it is and I found it too hot to bake cookies (maybe when the rains come and the kitchen would not be so hot with the oven turned on) I decided to put oatmeal in their pancakes. I followed the basic pancake recipes found at the back of pancake boxes. I just added a cup of oatmeal, 3 mashed bananas, and some cinnamon. And voila!... My daughter truly loved it, not knowing there was oatmeal in it…

A tribute to my mother on Mother's Day

Today is Mother’s Day and yesterday I had planned to write a tribute to my mother – well, this piece is still about her and still pays tribute to her somehow…but I just want to insert a short piece about my brother. You see last night, my mom suddenly texted me to inform me about the doctor’s preliminary findings on the painful lump that has been bothering him for quite some time already. She told me that it may be stage 2 cancer…I was a bit shocked and it made me cry. My mom said her knees trembled and her stomach made flipflops when she heard the news so I did not let on how I felt. Instead, I told her to be calm and to allow Puloy to undergo biopsy just to make sure… I was afraid that she might get affected too much by the distressing news and may suffer an anxiety attack or something. After all she is already over 60 and news like this has the tendency to trigger an attack even if just last week she was still up and about and feeling iffy about her last trip to Pagadian.

Despite her age, my mom has never really felt the stresses of her years. The last time she was hospitalized was for an asthma attack about five or more years ago and she has not been back to the hospital since. Sure, there were the usual aches and pains that come with age but I am quite surprised that she still can travel all the way to Pampanga twice or even thrice every week just to teach classes at Assumption. She is also a consultant in a number of other firms and her job in these companies allows her to travel to a number of different places all over the country. But still she manages her time and energy well. Well, I guess its partly because it’s the kind of life she has been accustomed to and making her just sit down in some quiet little corner and brood will probably be the one that will kill her.

I remember the days when we were growing up… she is often away traveling to some exotic country or distant province. This is why we grew up at the hands of the different yayas… but we have no reason to complain. Because during the times when she is home, she makes it a point that we are well-fed and that even if she leaves us for a week, we’d still be able to savor her home-cooked meals (coz she cooks food for a week and stores them in the fridge for us to reheat)

What’s more during the times that she is home, she supervises our homework, attends all our homeroom meetings and field demonstrations in school and makes sure that all our needs are provided for. Her work demands that she leave her family periodically and so we make do with what precious time we had with her. But apparently, this was not enough for our father. After all, as kids who were we to complain and demand much of her time… but as a wife and partner to my dad, he found her absence as an excuse to stray and find someone else to take her place.

I am not really sure who’s to blame in this case…maybe it’s my dad’s fault because he should have understood my mother’s job and not seek solace somewhere else. Or maybe it was my mom’s fault because she should have prioritized her family more… Or maybe they just weren’t meant to be…

More than ten years (I really can’t remember when…) have passed since they separated… their marriage has since been annulled, my dad has a new wife now… but there are moments when I feel that my mom is still bitter over their parting. No, I don’t think she still loves him or that she’s still hoping they’ll still get back together… but I feel that she still hasn’t found her closure… she still hasn’t moved on. So many times whenever we bring up some talk about my father she would often retort with bitterness and wonder why during the time they were together, he never did that for her… In his way, I guess my dad also loved her, I guess he just had a different way of showing it.

I am still not sure what my mother really wants to hear or get from my dad – I don’t think it’s really about the money. She has too much pride to ask for that… she can still work for her keep so I guess it’s not really her beef. I guess she just really wants for him to apologize – for hurting her…for deceiving her all these years. And I don’t know how to do that for her (make him apologize that is…) I never really knew what was wrong with their marriage… I was too young to see and understand what was happening between them. But I knew something was different about them as a couple. Sometimes, when my mom gets into a certain mood… she shares me snippets about her life with my father – and they were all mostly bad memories, sometimes I can’t even remember if these things indeed happened, but I’ll take her word for it… she has so much pain pent up inside her, I don’t think she can afford to make up even more.

And so during moments like this, I wish I knew how to comfort her … because I know no matter how much I tell her that I love her, it will never suffice…after all I’m just her daughter. But I’ll find a way to make her happy somehow…it’s the least I can do for that special someone who has sacrificed most of her life for us, her family. It’s about time I show her how much I appreciate her as my mother… HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!