Cookie Butter Craze is Overrated

Finally, I was able to personally experience the "Cookie Butter Fever." While walking past the Gonuts Donuts store window for the nth time this month, I was able to persuade myself to drop PHP 36 on a Cookie Butter Donut.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Cookie Butter Donut[/caption]

The verdict? Cookie Butter is 100% what its name makes you think of. Basically peanut butter, but with crushed shortbread cookies instead of, well, peanuts. Throw in there some spices for some European flare, and there have it. That said, I'm not sure I understand the big Philippine reaction to this spread. From what I've tasted, Almond Butter surely trumps Cookie Butter. Heck, good ol' Peanut Butter (with nicely roasted nuts) trumps Cookie Butter. Don't even get me started on Nutella.

I hardly think that I'll soon be begging to have Cookie Butter Ice Cream/Cake/Cupcake. At this point, I'm simply awaiting the next big ingredient fad that'll come along.

BBQ Chicken: Chicken & Beer

As many of my friends know, I'm not much into beer but I am a huge chicken eater, so it's not completely out of character that I found myself at BBQ Chicken, Eastwood City. I've passed by this establishment many times while I was still an active member of Fitness First (teehee!), but now was the time to finally come in and try.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Here, they promote the beer[/caption]

A little background info: BBQ Chicken is a worldwide chain that specializes in Korean-style spicy chicken, but they also have Western-style food in the menu.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Stairs[/caption]

The biggest "issue" I can think of is the location of the restaurant. While It is smack in the middle of the outdoor activity area (where all the bazaars are held), you have to climb a set of stairs to get there. That basically makes it not-so-friendly to the senior citizens or the disabled. The view, however, is good.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] You can dine inside or outside[/caption]

We started with a 6-piece chicken platter with two different sauces, Yang Nyum (sweet and spicy) and Honey Chicken. I find spicy Korean food so breathtakingly hot that this is more than enough for me. No crushed chilies please!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] 6-piece combination[/caption]

I always say that cream sauce pasta is hit or miss. This one happens to be a hit, but it could do with a little more salt. It's a simple dish, but you can easily taste the good quality of the cream.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Cream Chicken Pasta[/caption]

Dad had the Grilled Chicken Bulgalbi Set, which is their rendition of chicken barbecue. Dad loves his chicken barbeque. The side salad was absolutely plain.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Grilled Chicken Bulgalbi Set[/caption]

Lastly, we ordered Smoked Chicken Pizza. It had a thin but bread-like crust vs. the traditional crispy thin crust. There was an ample amount of smoked chicken. Very satisfying.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Smoked Chicken Pizza[/caption]

The ambiance was nice and quiet for our Sunday night dinner. No rowdy beer drinkers, so it could be an ideal date place. The chicken alone is enough to come back for more. Expect to spend PHP 1,000 - 1,500 for 3 people.

 

BBQ Chicken - Eastwood City, Libis

Free Comic Book Day 2013

It's fabulous to wake up early on special weekends to do a random bonding activity with your significant other. Try it. It's great.

Last Saturday, a sleepy M and I woke up at some ungodly hour to get ourselves ready for FCBD (Free Comic Book Day) 2013. It's a geek convention, and I mean that in a positive way. Every year, hundreds of comic book fans line up in various Fully Booked branches to get up to 3 free comics. (Well, 3 if you go to Fort Bonifacio. Everywhere else only gives out 1.) It's a promotional move from the comic book companies to get "non-believers" started on the addiction and also a way to thank their loyal customers for continued patronage. Let's face it, your favorite childhood comic given to you for free sounds like nostalgia on ice.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="351"] FCBD Poster[/caption]

As is customary in Manila, there was a nefarious line on the Southbound MRT platforms because of train delays. I was packed into the "Lady Train" tighter than a sardine. (Think sweat and loose strands of hair clinging to your skin from some lady you don't know. Try not to vomit.) What's worse, I got to the venue late. It was past 8 am when we finally reached Fully Booked, Fort Bonifacio. By then, there was a line that literally went around the building.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] A crowd of kids, teens, and adults[/caption]

It wasn't so bad. We got in line and waited for about an hour, but at least it was early enough that the sun didn't beat down on us. Fully Booked staff started accommodating people before 10 am, so we were on the way to an IHOP brunch by 11. Behold, my stash:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="614"] 3 comics + free gift pack to early birds[/caption]

While I don't expect to become a regular at these events, I had a lot of fun and thought it was well worth the waiting time. Just look at all the comic books I got to take home. There were even some Pinoy comic artists signing away on free copies of Ang Pilipino Komiks sa Kasalukuyan. And really, what better way to catch up on some quality talking than to be stuck in a line with M. :)

Giddy for Big Scoop Ice Cream

Hot summer weather seems to be persisting into May, so regular ice cream runs are still crucial to sanity. Thank the lucky stars above that we partook in a promotion by Big Scoop Ice Cream Parlor. Our summer savior came in the form of Ensogo vouchers offering 9 scoops of ice cream for only PHP 100 (valued at PHP 200), aptly called The Mount Everest. My super excited ice cream fan dad quickly got 3 vouchers.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="717"] Our custom 9-scoop Mount Everest featuring flavors like (from top to bottom, left to right): Banana Nut, Orange, Langka, Dark Chocolate, Midnight Cookies & Cream, and Avocado[/caption]

To my knowledge, Big Scoop has but one main branch located along N. Domingo. (several blocks past Savory Chicken when you're coming from the Robinson's Magnolia area). We've already been there before, and I always leave happy. They have the best ice cream flavors. It doesn't hurt that the prices are really reasonable. Every time we visit, we end up buying a gallon or half-gallon of ice cream to take home.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Tables reminiscent of the good old ice cream parlor[/caption]

My favorite flavors are Green Tea, Dark Chocolate, and Mocha. All of which have flavors that are true to their names. Mom prefers their Avocado, Sweet Corn, and Midnight Cookies & Cream. They've also got Bubble Gum with Mallows, which I sometimes crave because it reminds me of an ice cream cone from "Tivoli?/Coney Island?" that had an actual gumball at the very bottom. (It's a 90's thing.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="616"] Delightful "Dark Chocolate"[/caption]

How I wish they had another branch closer to home, but for the meantime I'm still looking forward to the next N. Domingo ice cream run. With a collection of special flavors that are not usually found in grocery store ice cream brands, Big Scoop easily endears budget-conscious ice cream aficionados into its icy, sweet embrace.

 

*Photo Credit: Photo of booth seating from Big Scoop FB page.

Time Traveling

Perhaps the fastest way to "time travel" is through music. These last few weeks have been spent combing Youtube for songs that I reveled in at a time when things were much simpler. I'm already building a playlist as I'm writing this down.

If I could time travel for real, I would go back to the optimistic high school student who could just enjoy the moment without being too pressured to succeed. Back then, there was just pure potential and the infinite possibilities of what I could become if I wanted to. Now, it feels like either "You made your bed, now lie in it." or "You ought to have figured it out at this point." Maybe 17 Again really is a thing...

Don't get me wrong. This isn't a rant about regrets as I'm simply not that kind of person. I prefer to move ever forward, but it doesn't hurt to look back once in a while because there were some wonderful and positive things back there that I don't mind taking with me to the present. Primarily, I would love to have the sense of confidence that I had before. Thinking, "Okay, I can do this! It'll be fun." As an adult, it's a bit harder to psyche myself up that way. There always seems to be this sense of urgency hovering above me every waking second.

No time like the present.

Instant Brush Cleaner

From years of old hoards, I've unintentionally collected about 5 bottles of makeup remover in my closet. As I said, I don't stock them on purpose. My reason for having so much is simply because I've bought products that I ended up feeling ambivalent towards. Some formulas stung or caused cloudy vision, while others simply couldn't strip off waterproof makeup. What a waste to throw them out though, so why not use them to clean my brushes?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Ponds, Eskinol, and Sara Lee.[/caption]

I've just started to do it recently, and it's worked quite well so far. Though I have to say that I don't possess sensitive skin, so I don't know if it'll work for others. I've used just about anything to clean my soiled makeup brushes: body wash, face soap, and bath soap to name a few. Obviously, some soaps contain harsh formulas that tend to dry out or stiffen the brush hairs, so pick and choose carefully.

As of late, I've been using Body Shop's Cocoa Butter because it's creamy enough to leave the brush soft afterwards. One day, I accidentally reached for the wrong bottle and ended up holding onto Sara Lee's Beauty Touch makeup remover. I debated whether to throw it out or not, but ended up pouring some on my cupped palm to loosen up the long-wearing gel liner from my brush. It worked like a charm, despite having sat on bathroom counter for over 2 years!

I know it sounds icky, but it really does the trick. Plus, I didn't just wash it with makeup remover alone. After most of the color had come off, I lathered the fibers with moisturizing soap twice to really get out the oils. (Regardless of what soap, I always lather twice. It's just cleaner that way.)

If you want to skip buying the brush cleaner solution, old makeup remover is a really good substitute. Just don't forget to wash it with the right kind of soap afterwards.

Merry Month of May Beauty Routine: Night Edition

This month, I'm on a quest to eliminate all the old jars/bottles/containers of beauty products that have been in my shelf for far too long. I have to make room for future hauls, don't I? And I'm not the type to waste perfectly good products just because I get new ones. I'm nothing if not practical, after all. Here are my May staples:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="819"] Clockwise from orange pot: Body Shop lip balm, Celeteque mist, Watsons hand lotion, Sewame eye gel, Instant argan oil, and Garnier night cream[/caption]

1. Body Shop lip balm - This is ANCIENT, but there's only a few uses left on this pot. The thing I don't like about Body Shop balm is the texture. I find it too sticky, and the scent/flavor is a bit strong. Next to a waxy-tasting lipstick, an overpowering lip balm really annoys me.

2. Celeteque DermoScience Hydration Hydrolized Moisturizing Mist - The newest member of my collection, Celeteque mist is easy to incorporate into any beauty routine. All you have to do is shut your eyes and spritz 2-3 times. Once dry, layer on your favorite serum, moisturizer, etc.

3. Watsons Grape Bella Nourishing Hand & Nail Cream - Cheapo, but good! At PHP 60+, this hand cream is non-sticky (a must for me!), smells nice, and is handy enough to pop into any bag.

4. Sewame Eye Skin Essence - Gotten from a trip to China, this is a clear gel formula that skin absorbs fast. These days, I'm enjoying gel formulas more and more. I have combination skin, and I don't like sticky, greasy creams.

5. Instant Glow Moroccan Argan Oil - I dab this on when I feel like my skin needs a little extra TLC. It's a non-greasy oil, so I make an exception for this product. I'm still sold on the wondrous effects of argan oil, so I fully intend to stock up on this again.

6. Garnier Nutritionist Night Cream - Again, ancient history, but only a few uses left. It smells nice, but has a very basic moisturizing function. Not bad though.

I've got new stuff coming in this May, so I'll be posting about them soon. :)