Cebu Heritage Walk ( Part 2)

After a sumptuous breakfast at Chowking, me and hubby continued our Heritage Walk and this time, we went to look for the not too famous monument of Rajah Humabon. Why did I say not too famous? Because while we're looking for it, we happened to asked a local if where can we find this monument, he told me that he's a police officer in Cebu but he did not know where it is located. From our place I saw a small park with a monument and told him if that's the monument of Rajah Humabon, he is very unsure with his answer that's why we just went to the area and thank him anyway.

Whoa! I'm right! Just a few meters away is the monument of Rajah Humabon. How come some locals in Cebu doesn't know about him?

Rajah Humabon

The first Filipino Chieftain to embrace Christianity. He is said to be the wisest and bravest man in the Island when Magellan landed in Cebu on April 7, 1521. He became friends with Magellan and was captivated with his noble teaching that's why he and his wife were converted to Christianity.

Next is the Colon Street (also in Parian) said to be the oldest street in the country. It was built by the Spaniards who arrived at Cebu in 1565.

This street is said to be named after Cristobal Colon,
also known as Christopher Columbus.

Below is the Cebu Heritage Monument.

Located also in Plaza Parian, this monument showcases a lot of historical and significant events that take place in Cebu. From the time of Rajah Humabon up to the Beatification of Blessed Pedro Calungsod, a Cebuano martyr. The monument is a work of national artist Edgardo Castrillo and was inaugurated in December 8, 2000. I was in awe when I saw this because it is really a masterpiece!

Next stop is the Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House. One of the oldest houses in the Philippines. Said to be built in the 17th century by Chinese merchants residing in Parian. We were not able to see the interior of the house because we came at around 8:00 am and the house which was converted into a museum opens at 9:00 am.

Yap-Sandiego Ancestral House

This doesn't end our Cebu Heritage Walk ... up next is Fort San Pedro :)

Cebu Heritage Walk (Part 1)

I still remember until now the feeling that I've felt when I first saw the Magellan's Cross. I was ecstatic to see it in person! I only see it in history books and now I've come to see this famous tourist spot of Cebu. It is actually one of Cebu's famous landmarks just in front of Cebu City Hall and I've noticed that it is included in the city hall's logo.

My hubby having a souvenir photo :)

It is said that the original cross was encased in this Tindalo wood to protect it from being damaged and for people who chipped parts of it for some believed that it can cure some illness and others for souvenir purpose only :(

In front of it is the Cebu City Hall

We also got the chance to see Cebu's La Fortuna Bakery
also along Magallanes Street

Our next stop is the Basilica Minore del Sto. Niño

It is the most popular church in Cebu and tourists flock the Basilica every January and I remember a friend of mine who is a devotee of the Sto. Nino goes there with his whole family every year to celebrate.

The original church is said to be built on 16th century at the actual spot where the image of the Sto. Nino where found by the Spanish explorer in 1565. But the original church was damaged by the fire and so was the second church that built in the same place. The present basilica was said to be constructed in 1740. I hope that there won't be any more fire to damage or ruin this beautiful church.

The image of the Child Jesus - Sto. Niño the patron of Cebu is housed in this side of the chapel so that devotees can have a closer look and say a prayer to the Sto. Niño.

We also visited the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral

Though not as popular as the Basilica Manore del Sto. Niño, this is the capital church of the Archdiocese of Cebu. I love the facade of the church because of its barouqe architecture.

The altar of the cathedral highlight the image of Jesus on the cross. On the left is the image of San Lorenzo Ruiz the first Filipino saint and right is the image of Blessed Pedro Calungsod a Visayan martyr.

After visiting those places, it's time for our breakfast in Cebu. We went to a nearby Chowking restaurant because we were really hungry already.

My hubby holding a copy of Cebu Daily News :)

He had this Emperor's Beef Noodles

I had my fave beef tapa :)

After our breakfast, we went back to our hotel (Sampaguita Suites) which is just a walking distance from those places above. The room is cheap and the service is good.

Sampaguita Suites - Plaza Garcia Branch

Our first time in Cebu!

Yes, you read it right folks, it was our first time to visit the queen city of the south. Me and hubby had the chance to explore Cebu City in one and a half day, hahaha! The experience is awesome that we wanted to go back with our kids next time.

So many stories to tell about our quick Cebu trip. But for now just a glimpse of our hectic day in Cebu.

The Marcelo Fernan Bridge

This 1.2 km bridge was named after one of the famous political figure in Cebu, Sen. Marcelo B. Fernan. I remember my grandfather says lots of good things about this man. Maybe he's such a great man that's why this bridge was named after him. This bridge connect the islands of Mactan and Cebu City.

More entries coming.... enjoy reading :)

Cinnabon and me

I am a big fan of cinnamon rolls! After college, my good friend (who was hired at Cinnabon) introduced me to the world of cinnamon rolls. I, who was hired then at a famous coffee shop did not even try our own cinnamon swirl, hehehe ... I am so much addicted to Cinnabon only! Hubby and our eldest son love it too, every payday expect that I always have a box of cinnamon rolls for them :)

But six years ago, my hubby was diagnosed to have a diabetes ... and so, much had been change with our eating habits. Preventing almost all our favorite cakes, sweet breads and the likes. Would you believe that after all those years, I only had the chance to eat one at the airport! Our flight schedule is 5:00 in the morning so we were at the terminal at exactly 3:00 am. I felt hungry while waiting so I asked hubby if we can look around for something to eat. Alas! theres a small Cinnabon store inside the terminal. I first asked for the approval of my hubby if it's okay to buy a cinnamon roll, since he's now a healthy diabetic (controlled blood sugar) he allowed me to buy one for us to share and a Cafe Latte too. Yiheee!!!

I tell you, the smell of this bread drives me crazy... I super love it when it is very warm... Before eating it, I closed my eyes and smile... it was like reconnecting to an old friend... a very dear friend.

It was then that I realized.....

How I terribly miss you ... my Cinnabon!

Me at 3:00 in the morning :)


It's nice to be back!!!

Bonding with Jeffrey, HP7 Part 2 and a Playdate too!

Yesterday was Jeffrey's last day of exam, so even if i'm not feeling well yesterday I decided to treat him for being good and patient while we were reviewing his notes before and during his exams days. I am very happy for we are blessed with sons (Justine and Jeff) who are very diligent when it comes to their studies. I could not ask for more, they always give their best!

After lunch me and Jeffrey went to SM North to watch the part two of Harry Potter's The Deathly Hollows. Before buying our tickets, we strolled first and look for some things inside the department store. I asked Jeff if he wanted to buy some bread at Beadtalk but he declined, he just wanted a big tumbler of popcorn to munch on inside the cinema. While watching the movie, he kept on asking me about the characters in the movie ( it's his first time to watch a HP movie) he seems very curious about the wizarding world. Good thing is that I know all the characters in the book and in the movie of course so I willingly answer all his questions :) After the movie, he asked me if we could eat at his favorite burger house (Wham Burger)and I said "of course my dear" I ordered our usual favorite which is Wham Burger with Cheese, Fries and his fave soda... Royal!

See how happy he was enjoying his fave burger :)

Well, it was like hitting two birds with one stone yesterday. I treated Jeff and I treated myself too! I've been wanting to watch HP 7 Part 2 since the opening day but I couldn't because I was busy making reviewers for Jeffrey. I'm super excited and sad at the same time for I know that this is the last installment of the HP movies. I've come to love the characters especially the trio :) Anyway, I know that they'll be remembered for they made history! Congrats to JK Rowling for writing such great books and congrats to all who were involved in all the HP movies!!!

While on our way home, I remember that my friend Cheryl Diaz invited me too attend an event organized by them. It's called Mommy Rs (Relax, Rekindle, Rave and Reward) it's actually a "playdate" for moms and their kids. I'm sure there will be lots of fun here and what I like most is that there will be another bonding moment for me and Jeffrey. Bonus is that, I'm sure we can meet new friends, moms like me and new playmates for Jeffrey too! He can interact freely to children of his age by playing and joining different activities. I'm so excited and looking forward to this event.

How about you? Do you want to attend this event too? Well, check this out for details ;)

See you there!!!

Park 'N Fly Service

Two weeks ago, me and hubby went for a three-day break in Cebu and Bohol. Our flight schedule was 4:30 am so we had to leave our home at around 1:30 am to allot 2 hours for check-in prior to the flight. Since waiting for a taxi cab in the wee hour of the morning in our area is very difficult, we decided to get the service of Park 'N Fly located at Ptt gas station in cor of Mia Road and Domestic Road.

I liked their service, because all you have to do is leave your car there, and they will drive your car in their carpark area.

You'll need to register in this area and fill out an information sheet. They will ask of course for your ID's and some car documents such as a photocopy of your OR and CR. Then, they'll give you a stub wherein you have to present it upon claiming your car.

You don't need to pay immediately. They will compute the hours of the stay of the vehicle. It's P380.00 for the first 24 hours and P16.00 per succeeding hours. We paid a total of P 1,142 for the 3 day stay of our vehicle.

They are open 24 hours ...

When we were there, I've noticed lots of customers were availing their service too.

No worries because they have a free shuttle service to the airport upon your departure and arrival. So next time, try not to worry anymore if no one will drive you in the wee hours of the morning because there's Park 'N Fly, just leave your car there and they'll take care of it ;)

Nameplates and Notebook Labels

Well, these are the things that kept us busy in the past weeks. Me and hubby are making nameplates and notebooks labels for so many years now. We are the only shop in our area who are into these that's why every opening of school, expect that our shop is jam-pack with parents who wants to have a new nameplate for their kids.

We only made a standard size nameplates
( kids will become uncomfortable if their nameplates are too big)

Ooooopppsss!

we also make notebook labels with characters
we use sticker paper for this :)

cool isn't it?

Explanation...

Hello friends! Sorry for my long absence. The month of June is always been a busy month for me, Preparing for the opening of classes for my two kids and our small computer shop is kinda busy too for we have a sideline during the first two weeks (making notebook labels and nameplates). I'll try my best to share with you guys our detailed trip in Cebu and Bohol respectively. Till my next post :)

Tapella by Gaudi

Sigh…. I should have posted this entry 3 weeks ago, but my computer was having a trouble that time that I couldn’t see my personal folder that contains pics of this event. Thanks to my good friend Peachy who provided me extra pictures so that I can blog about this truly exciting food bloggers event.

I was one of the few bloggers who were invited in a cooking demo by Chef Alexandra Cacho of Tapella by Gaudi. It’s a restaurant located at Greenbelt 5 that specialize in serving Tapas and paellas. Chef Alexandra thought us how to cook Paella Manchego, Cojonudos and mix some sangria on the side. I am very eager to learn how to cook a paella because my husband loves this dish so much.

Chef Alexandra showing us how to cook Paella Manchego and she happily shared us some trivia and tips too about cooking paella :)

Paella Manchego

This paella is extra special because it's Chef's personal creation. It was perfectlty cook and heavenly good for it has Manchego cheese from Spain that gives the paella a more unique taste.

Cojonudos
The 2nd dish that she prepared was the Cojonudos, it's very simple to prepare, Chef just put a sliced Serrano ham on top, fried quail eggs, a strip of pimiento and a drop of olive oil and that's it!

White Garlic and Almond Soup

After the demo cooking, we were seated already when they served us this shooter. It really tasted garlicky as the name suggest. It's served cold and I didn't like the taste coz i'm not used to it.

Camembert with Caramelized Onions on Fluted Bread
I really really like this ! It's a must try when you visited the store.

Octopus with paprika, salt and virgin olive oil
It's an exotic dish but it tasted good too.

"el Bulli"

(Calamari w/ black ink batter)
It's actually a calamari with a twist for they used the black ink of the squid in the batter that's why the color is extremely black

Chorizo stewed in red wine
(this dish was another favorite of mine)

Beef tenderloin Salpicado w/ White Beans

The taste is good, everybody love this dish in the glass :)

Last to be served was a platter of desserts :)

Everything on it was good!

I would suggest that you go to Tapella by Gaudi on Greenbelt 5 if ever you're thinking of some good Spanish restaurant. You'll never go wrong with them, that I assure you :)

Tapella by Gaudi

Open from 11:00 am to 12 mn

G/F Greenbelt 5 Ayala Center

Makati City

Tel Nos. 7572710 and 7572711

Kesong Puti (White Cheese) & Salted Eggs

Whoa! I woke up because of the heavy downpour of rains due to typhoon Chedeng. I am thinking of a good breakfast to prepare for my hubby and kids... I opened the refrigerator and smiled when I saw that I have a stock of salted eggs and kesong puti (soft white cheese) that I bought the other day in the market. I bought some hot pandesal in a bakery nearby and we feasted on those this morning. My breakfast wouldn't be complete without a black coffee to go with it :)

Happy morning everyone!

Lunch for today :)

I told you guys that I'm going to give feedback once I tasted the Chicharon (pork cracklings) from Daboy's. It was great! It's very crunchy and you can really tell that it's new. Actually, I like it better than Jennies and it can equal the quality and the goodness of Lapid's. Now, I can say that my hubby will visit their store often because we all liked it :)

Anyway, just sharing our lunch for today...

Fried Sliced Bangus, Oyster Omelette cooked by Justine (my eldest son) and the crispy chicharon from Daboy's :)

Hayyyy.... sarap kumain!!!

My Soulmate and his Chicharon

What is a soulmate? According to Google ... A soulmate is the twin to your soul. It is your perfect partner, one whom you feel a deeper connection to than anyone else. In our case, hubby and I like almost the same things and always have the same interests. Sometimes we were surprised to know that we're thinking of the same ideas, thinking of the same place, and thinking of the same food...hahaha... When he was in Quiapo yesterday, I just wished that he bought some Lumpia, and he did. This morning... I know that he'll have a ride to Sta. Maria Bulacan and I quietly hope that he'll buy some good chicharon and there was a pack for me when he got home. Most of the times, we laughed at ourselves because of some petty things that comes into our mind surprised that we were thinking the same things (hahaha!)

Hubby is fond of biking up north, he's more relax there than in the south. Their group usually headed by Mang Danny goes every Saturday in Bulacan or Antipolo. I'm excited always if they'll be heading to Bulacan because of my love for Chicharon, hehehe... I believe that the best chicharon comes from that province and I think hubby is trying to find where is the best store selling the best chicharon. This is his 4th try in finding one, this time it's from Daboy. The first one is from Jennies that taste exactly like Lapid's, the 2nd and 3rd try was from Malolos (i forgot the names) but it was not good as the ones from Jennies... Hmmm... I'm going to try Daboy's this time...

Hahaha! Noticed that my screensaver are picture of chicharon?

Daboy's Store in Poblacion, Sta. Maria, Bulacan

Whoa! If only hubby can bring home all those sinful backfat chicharon...

Grab one! :)

I have yet to open this one... I'll wait for lunch time :)



I'll give feedback this afternoon... hehehe!!!