A&K @ the ilang-ilang cafe.♥

hello!

here is another entry about me and A eating. :P hahahaha! we really love to eat, as you can see in my previous entries that most of the things we do together (aside from taking photos of each other) is eat in different restaurants and food hubs.

last saturday, we ventured all the way to the Manila Hotel to eat at the Ilang-ilang Cafe. :) i haven't read any reviews nor blogs about it so i really didn't know what to expect. plus this entry is not about critique. its just a simple write up from a foodie like me!

we arrived at the hotel at around a quarter pass 11. the cafe opens at 11:30 for lunch. so we took the extra time in looking around the lobby. A told me about the Roma Salon that served as their holding area when they performed at the same hotel last december. 

the lobby feels really Pinoy. :) it is filled with four enormous capiz chandeliers and smaller versions of it in the sitting area. we also loved the uniforms of the employees, yellows and blues. perfect hues during the summer!

it was time to eat! we entered the cafe and were assisted to our seats. it only took us about 5 minutes to get our selves ready! :)))) of course we started with a prayer. and then *BOOM! headed on to the different buffet stations!

our seats! :)

there was a wide variety of choices! middle eastern, chinese, korean, itaian, french, and filipino cuisines! 

lechon and peking duck! *yum!

one of the biggest chocolate fountain that i have ever seen, plus the OMG delicious breads!

let's not elaborate...DESSERTS are ♥.

A spotted! :)

A&K.♥♫

WHAT I WORE:

TOP- sailboat and anchor printed white polo from ukay

BOTTOM- blue high waist pants from SM

SHOES- Sperry Top-Siders

ACCESSORIES- belt gift from ate jhing

Goody hair elastics hahaha that i consider as an accessory!

we spent almost 2 hours eating and enjoying ourselves in each other's company when we spotted CARDINAL CHITO TAGLE!!!! :)

and to put the cherry on to of it all, we got the chance to kiss the hand of our beloved cardinal and exchange a couple of words. 

we have no picture to prove it because the cardinal was still in the middle of his lunch...our intrusion has already too much. :)

this experience with A was a sure delight! i can't wait for the next eating trip with him. :)

*shine!

holy week 2013

Gloria in Excelcis Deo!

Happy Easter! Christ has risen! :)

for this past week we have celebrated and remembered Jesus' sacrifice to save us from our sins and to give us everlasting life. as server in Our Lady of Fatima Parish Youth Ministry we have been very busy in preparing for the annual Way of the Cross. 

the WOTC is a street play where in we, the youth of the parish, rein act the passion of our Lord Jesus Christ that is divided into 14 Stations. in coordination with the other ministries of the parish as well as the barangay/local government we were able to successfully justify our cost in doing this esteemed project.

here are some of the photos of the event taken by Frances Pelacio and Jacqueline Tolome. :)

STATION 1: THE LAST SUPPER

STATION 2: THE AGONY IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE 

STATION 3: JESUS IN FRONT OF THE SANHEDRIN 

STATION 4: THE CROWNING OF THORNS AND SCOURGING AT THE PILLAR

STATION 5: THE CARRYING OF THE CROSS

STATION 6: JESUS FALLS (SEES HIS MOTHER, MARY)

STATION 7: SIMON OF CYRENE

STATION 8: JESUS MEETS THE WOMEN OF JERUSALEM

STATION 9: JESUS IS NAILED TO THE CROSS

STATIONS 10-12: JESUS AND THE REPENTING THIEF, MARY AND JOHN AT THE FOOT OF THE CROSS, DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST.

STATION 13: JESUS IN THE TOMB

STATION 14: JESUS HAS RISEN

let us not forget our Lord's ultimate sacrifice. :) and always remember John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

i hope you guys had a meaningful celebration of this Lenten season!

*shine!

5thingsi♥: March

hello!

it's me once again posting the things i LOVE for this month!

1. XIAN GABRIEL PADILLA PONTANARES

-the long wait for baby Gab is finally over! by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, he arrived on March 15.

here's a first look.

2. THESE PEOPLE

-first are Gab's parents, ate Joyce and kuya Uly. :)

-my still dashing lolo!

-meeting JayJay Lucas of Chestknots Studios! *yey!!!!!

3. FOOD TRIPS

-dirty ice cream! look at those lovely colors!!!

-Subway, tuna sandwich because its Lent. no meat please!

-Jollibee Flip Float

-Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares!

4. WEDDING DETAILS

-this vintage Paris box from OLI & JM's wedding!

-yet another beautiful Vatel bouquets from JOSEPH & FATIMA's wedding.

-plus these boutonnieres from ETC. handmade goodness

5. AARON'S SPERRY KNOTS

-A's own version of a Sperry knot!

always find something that you'll be awed. :) for everything is a blessing from God. try to look around and be thankful for the things you have!

this week is our Holy Week, let us give ourselves to Him. and in turn He will never ever leave nor forsake us!

REPENT AND BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL.

*shine!

color obsession: MINT

hello!

good morning everyone! its almost 3 am here and i'm still drinking a glass of cold soda while my vocal chords are in total recoil. yes. i did (again) over used my voice and now nothing is coming out. :P

you might say stop! but really i can't help it. the temperature here has totally reached the "summer heat wave"   criteria of my heat tolerance. meaning SUMMER is HERE!

when i think of summer outfits i could immediately imagine me in dresses, tank tops and shorts. :) cotton and eyelets are my

 best friends. its this time of the year when we can explore new vibrant colors! 

for this season, i have developed a crush on MINT! :)  so when i went out shopping yesterday @ SM Makati, department store. i got 2 dresses of the same color! 

here are they! :)

this is the 1st one from Betty. :)

what i love about this dress is the cut outs on the neck. and the material is light and breezy! perfect for a hot summer day.

this next one was serendipity!

from Apple & Eve.

i was just passing by the endless rows of clothes and this one completed my check list of a vintage dress i have always loved!

aside from these dresses i have also tried on these other 2 below but i opted not to get them because i'm not comfortable wearing those and i only love a part of it and hated the other. haha!

this one i love because of the print but the shoulder area is way too busy for my frame, this makes me more broader. :(

love the skirt! but i didn't agree with the top too much, and the skirt is too short!

what's your color crush? :) let me know!

*shine!

HOW TO COOK: b-day boy's packed dinner

hello!

how is everyone doing? i'm good and real happy. i hope you do too. :)

yesterday was my brother, Ken's 21st birthday! yeah!!!!! he finally reached the age of his manhood, this is also the year that his epiphysis stops growing. 

NOTE: epiphysis- growth centers in bones, responsible for your height.

i was tasked by mom to cook one of his favorite dishes.

these are pork steak, buttered vegetables, and fries plus home made gravy.

INGREDIENTS:

(for pork steak)

-pork, you can ask your local meat shops to cut the pork well..ahmm..pork steaks. i believe they you it already!

-salt and pepper for seasoning.

(for buttered veggies)

-2 carrots, diced

-green beans, diced

-1 can of kernel corn

-butter

(gravy from scratch)

-flour

-water

-Knorr Beef Cubes

-butter

PROCEDURE:

(for veggies)

1. i started with seasoning the pork steak with salt and pepper. 
2. leave it to marinate for about 15-20 minutes, this time will be enough to cook the veggies.
3. dice and cube the washed/pealed carrots and green beans.
4. heat the pan. add a little oil, then put in the butter. i love butter so i did put in a lot! its about a quarter of a small block.
5. drop in the carrots first.
6. after 5 minutes add the green beans and corn.
7. saute for a couple of more minutes.
8. serve.

(for pork steak)

1. heat a pan.
2. add oil and add butter. (adding butter is optional)
3. if the pan is already hot, lay down the pork steak.
4. cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
5. my lolo's technique is too turn the sides every 2-3 minutes until golden brown.
6. don't over cook the steak. it will be hard as a rock!

(gravy)

1. i used a sauce pan and heated 1 1/2 cups of water.
2. i added 1 tbsp of flour and stir.
3. once the miture has thickened add 2 beef cubes. stir.
4. add butter! :)
5. stir. it depends upon the consistency that you like to achieve. add more water if you like it viscous. add more flour if you liked it thick.
6. add salt and pepper to taste.
7. add a dash of Worcestershire sauce.

so far the meal was great! my brothers and cousin approved of it. mom said it was yummy! even my lolo who is really hard to please said it was good! :)

yey for me!

try to make this simple course. 

let me know what you think!

*shine!

china! china! *boom! *boom! *boom!

hello!

when i was a kid my lolo and lola used to tell me stories about their famous hang outs when they were in their prime. they would narrate the story so vividly that i though i was with them all the time! 

their ultimate favorite was China Town in Binondo. :) 

my lola (grandma) is partly Chinese while my lolo loves Chinese cuisine so i could definitely conclude that they spent hours walking, shopping and getting lost in the busy streets of China Town. 

and when we were born, we spent gatherings in authentic Chinese restos in the same area.

  

last monday, my aunt and i went to Manila to buy stuff for my lolo. we decided to drop by Binondo to shop and eat miryenda plus meeting A halfway. 

we 1st entered Sta. Cruz church and prayed for the Papal Conclave. :) this church was one of the earliest buildings found in Manila, right now it is undergoing renovation. 

then we walked from Sta. Cruz to Binondo a couple of blocks away. we visited one of our favorite shops, SHIN TON YON. this is located along Salazar St. just in case you guys wanna visit here the next time. :)

i took the liberty of snapping some pictures of the delicacies they are selling. :)

the top photo: these are different kinds of Kikyam that they are selling. i believe that this store also makes those. we often buy pork kikyam but the varieties ranges from chicken kikyam to a seafood one. 

the bottom photo: these are a wide variants of viands that they cater. they have veggies, beef, pork, chicken and seafood balls.

that's not the only thing they are selling...they have their own cured meat and sausages.

what gave me the goosebumps are these!!!!

NOTE: not the chicken BUT THE ORANGE THINGS ON THE LEFT!

according to the expert, who is by the way my grandfather, these are octopuses. STUFFED octopuses. don't ask me what they taste like 'coz i haven't tried them before. maybe next time i will.

along Ongpin St., we bought fresh vegetables from side walk vendors. the vegetables here are green, crisp and did i mention cheap? haha. perfect for a seafood hotpot! the sidewalks are also filled with vendors selling rare dried fish! 

finally, eating miryenda at ENG BEE TIN. :) a small fast food stall that is budget friendly! value meals starts from 65php-95php. specialty soups are from 130-250php. 

my taste buds are  enticed with that bona fide Chinese authenticity zing. two thumbs up!

one afternoon isn't enough to scurry the streets of China Town. we have only been on 2 streets but we did a lot, imagine going to more! maybe next time i'll feature Alonzo St. home to the famous noodle place, LING NAM. :) 

wherever food is; we came, we saw and we conquer! 

*shine!

5thingsi♥: Mark & Irene's Wedding

hello!

just had a very nice and beautiful wedding last saturday. the couple's names were 

Mark & Irene. :) 

here are the things that i love during their wedding!

hope you could find inspiration in them for your big day!

PREPS:

1. THE GOWN! by Ms. Gretchen Pitchay- omg. the gown is just to die for. promise! its simplicity is equal to perfection! :) its skirt is (i think) an A line and the bodice is ordained with beads and pearls. i love it because of the meekness and simplicity of it. partnered with Irene's birdcage veil instead of the usual long veil gives this look a chic vintage feel. 
2. THE WEDDING BANDS AND ENGAGEMENT RING- again, i love this couple because of their understated elegance. :) nothing too flashy or over the top. really simply perfect.
3. THE COLOR SCHEME- its pink, gray, and white! love it! :)

   4. K BY CUNANAN CATERING- never fails to impress! from the table set up and especially the food! :) notable for that night's delicious meal was the prawns, bbq salad, and the dessert choices!
   5. THE VOWS- will post their SDE by Wang soon :) you'll know why.♥

thanks for reading!

*shine!