Coleen's Recipes: Yellow Chicken Curry

I've been cooking a lot lately.  Experimenting, feeding myself, rediscovering our kitchen.  Since I will be leaving tomorrow evening, I decided to cook something today and just pack it in the freezer for later consumption, in case anyone in the house gets hungry.  Let me present to you, my version of Yellow Chicken Curry.  I had help, care of McCormick Philippines but I still think this is my original recipe since there's a twist to it.  Read on to find out what. :)

#DoItAllBella: Pantene Pro-V's 3-Minute Miracle

I may be months late but it's because I really want to sample and see the results of products I try.  A couple of months ago, BDJ (Belle de Jour) sent me a trial pack of Pantene's newest product – the 3-Minute Miracle.  The pack had a small bottle of shampoo, conditioner, and the 3-Minute Miracle conditioner.  According to its packaging, the 3-Minute Miracle Conditioner will make your hair "stronger, shinier, and smoother in just three minutes."  Sounds impossible and kinda unbelievable, right?  Yes, but with Pantene, not really.

Coleen's Recipes: Sinampalukang Manok

I think I've mentioned it a couple times before that I really, really love soups, especially sinigang.  I learned this recipe more than a decade ago from my aunt and I've considered it as one of my specialties ever since.  This version has been modified according to my taste so beware. :)

Coleen's Recipes: Sinigang na Sardines

It's been a while since I last posted a recipe on my blog.  I guess I was a bit overwhelmed with all the good food, beauty products and new places that have been popping up the past 2-3 years that I completely forgot about posting my own recipes (or maybe I wish to keep them secret haha).  Anyway, tonight will be different.  I've been sick the past week (since Monday, if you constantly read my blog).  I was bedridden for about three days, including New Year's Eve AND day.  I was able to walk around a bit today but I still tire easily.  Since it was only Nan, the kids, and me tonight, she didn't cook anymore.  But I was craving for some sinigang – something hot and sour to relax my tired body (and soul).  So the kids had some chicken sopas from lunch, while I decided to hit the kitchen and concoct something for myself.

I originally planned on opening a can of fried sardines and cooking sinigang soup for dinner.  But as I was rummaging through our fridge, looking for some vegetables I could add to the soup, I got tired.  I don't eat sardines straight from the can.  I always have them sautéed in garlic and onions before eating them but my body was not ready to get tired just yet.  I had to think fast.  I want hot sinigang soup and I want to try this hot and spicy fried sardines but my body is telling me to just lie down.  What to do?  What to do?  

Bam.  Why don't you cook Sinigang na Sardinas (Sardines Sinigang)?  

Old School Finds: Vinyl x Batchoy

Wake up call at 7 in the morning? Check.

Friend actually arrives at 7:30 in the morning? Check.

LTO sends us on a complete wild goose chase? Check.

Ending up a winner after all the (mis)adventures of the morning? DOUBLE CHECK.

One of my law school friends asked me to accompany her as she ran some errands yesterday.  After a couple of (mis)adventures along the way, she asked me if I could still accompany her to Cubao Expo to look for some vinyl discs for her new turntable.  I didn't have any plans so I decided to come with even if I wouldn't really find anything interesting in the shop.

Surprisingly, I did find something in the store that caught my attention.  The Vinyl Dump, a vinyl records store located in the middle of Cubao Expo, was home to a hundred and more vinyl records.  This is what my friend came here for but what caught my eye was that the same store offered La Paz Batchoy for sale.  Yup, an old records store selling original la paz batchoy for only P45.  Since I wasn't feeling well, I decided to give it a try because 1) hot soup is good for a sick person, and 2) I wouldn't have anything to do for the next hour or so (while my dear friend searches every nook and cranny of that store for something she might like).

La Paz Batchoy

P45 (regular)

All in a Day's Work: SxP Steak and Paella

After a really exhausting day compiling term papers for our labor class, one of my law school friends said she wanted some buffalo wings for dinner.  I gladly obliged since I was also feeling very hungry at the time (imagine carrying around 25 bound term papers around the mall hahaha).  When we got to Frankie's Buffalo Wings, I was surprised to find that it was located in the food court area of the new Fashion Hall of SM Megamall.  The other food choices quickly caught my attention and I forgot about the buffalo wings and started checking out the new food stalls.

Cakes Made with Love: Love Cakes by Ann and Gan

I actually don't remember how I stumbled upon the Instagram account of siblings Ann and Gan, but the next thing I knew, I was already salivating over the photos of their gorgeous and delicious-looking cakes. I wanted to buy all of them and just taste how good they really are. Since mom's birthday was coming up anyway, I asked our uncles and aunts for financial help and decided to buy one of their cakes for her 52nd birthday.

I decided to get their 10x10 Fresh Fruit Cake since this seemed like the perfect cake for mom's age group (no offense, momma). I wanted to get the Strawberry Shortcake since I love strawberries, but I thought, this isn't for me. Their Naked Chocolate Cake and Heavenly Chocolate Cake looked tempting too, especially with the additional strawberries you could request, but the chocolate cake seemed more like for kids than mom and her amigas. The Mocha Cake was equally tempting but I wanted to try something different. We could get mocha cake from Hizon's anyway. 

They require at least a 2-day lead time when ordering any of their fabulous cakes. I ordered mom's cake a week before just to be sure. When we got the cake, it was just perfect! It was such a heavenly sight – white frosting with a ton of fresh, colorful fruits on top. It was also heavy so we all assumed this cake was siksik.

12 Days of Christmas

Nothing can describe the past two weeks. Hours and hours of studying, comprehensive exams, plus feelings of failure and defeat. Eating just isn't enough anymore.Thankfully, I found a wonderful surprise waiting for me in my inbox.

There's a 12.12 Sale going on right now featuring the biggest and best online shops and establishments offering the ultimate deals! ShopBackPh is also offering increased cashback from 10 to 15 December 2015!

Calyxta, Ticketworld, Powerplant Cinemas, and Luxola are just some of the brands and establishments offering the best deals this weekend! Click on the link to check them out. 

Powerplant Cinema is offering two (2) cinemas passes with a purchase of four (4) tickets. Just in time for the end of finals!

ShopBack PH is also offering P100 for every referral and P999 for three. Isn't this just the perfect destresser? Online shopping while getting rebates. It's like a sale on a sale! 

So for all of you who are still crying over that torts exam by THE Atty. J. Lo, why don't you take a break, go online and indulge! 

Daily Digest: Stuffed Wings at the Best Food Forward 2015

Who could resist buffalo wings? I mean really. If there's a non-Filipino food I would never say no to, it would be buffalo wings. The spicy, New York-style buffalo wings with bleu cheese dip. During the Best Food Forward 2015 weekend, I chanced upon this new buffalo wings stall. It looked like your typical buffalo wings but I just had to stop and ask about it because I found the price a bit too expensive -- P120 for two, TWO wings.

My bad. Apparently, I wasn't reading their price list in its entirety. The reason why it was expensive was because the buffalo wings were 1) deboned, and 2) it was STUFFED.

Buffed Wings

Buffed Wings is new in town. They introduced their Stuffed Buffalo Wings a couple of weeks back. Their buffalo wings are deboned and stuffed with a mix of rice, meat, vegetables and spices. Think buffalo wings stuffed with fried rice. It's like a meal on its own.

 Stuffed Buffalo Wings

You can choose one from three chicken flavors: Buffalo, Buffalo Wings Original BBQ Sauce, or Sweet Chili; and one from two dips: Ranch or Bleu Cheese. I went for the original buffalo sauce with bleu cheese dressing.

P120 for two stuffed wings, your choice of dip and flavor

It was a unique experience. Interesting concept and good choice of flavors. I liked how spicy their buffalo sauce was and how the bleu cheese dip complemented it (some "bleu cheese dips" claim to be such, but only taste like sweet mayo with bits of cheese).

Here's the however. However, I feel like there's something missing in their rice blend. I think they should either add or change their spice blend mixed in the rice. It doesn't go well with the buffalo wings. I'm not saying it doesn't taste good. What I'm saying is, they could improve the flavor of the rice blend so it could really complement the buffalo wings. They could also do away with the meat in the rice. The chicken wing itself is enough. The addition of the meat mixed with the rice inside the chicken just confuses one's tongue.

Either way, this is still a must try. It's a new concept plus, it's easy to eat. You have a complete meal with just one order. According to the owners, they still don't have a stall or permanent fixed location since it was their first time joining a bazaar. For more information, you can reach them in the number below.

Price: P120/serving (One Serving = Two Stuffed Wings)

4 out of 5 for Buffed Wings Stuffed Wings (the rice mix could be better)

Buffed Wings
0917 865 0801
0917 809 0516

MNL Creamery at the Best Food Forward 2015

Finally got to try MNL Creamery's delicious gelato yesterday at the Best Food Forward in Rockwell Tent. Their unique take on some of their gelato flavors, especially the Manga't Suman, caught my attention and I've been wanting to try it since then. I have always been a fan of classic/traditional types of food (not a big fan of fusion) but I just couldn't resist not trying this unusual concoction.

MNL Creamery offers familiar flavors with a bit of a twist. These are just some of the flavors they have. Small, single scoop cups are sold at P120, while small, double scoop cups are sold at P150. I wanted to try their other flavors so I got the double scoop -- Manga't Suman and Ricotta Cheese with Orange. I was so tempted to get the more classic flavors like chocolate and strawberries and cream but I was able to resist the temptation. Thankfully, I did not give in.

The Manga't Suman was not as I imagined it to be. Or maybe I was just enjoying it too much that I did not notice the latik that was supposed to be in the mix. But I loved the sticky rice and the somewhat sweet-sour taste of the mangoes combination. As for the Ricotta Cheese with Orange, I was just influenced by the owner because he kept sharing that it was his personal favorite, and now I understand why. The saltiness of the cheese plus the surprising burst of orange pulp was just a joy waiting to be experienced. These weren't my usual gelato flavors but I loved every spoonful. I have yet to try their other flavors but so far, with this experience, I have a feeling the others will be just as unique and flavorful as the these two.

They don't have a standalone stall yet but according to the owner, they will be opening one in UP Town Center sometime next year. Check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts for their next pop-up stall/bazaar participation.

Price: P120 to P150/cup

4.5 out of 5 for MNL Creamery (a bit too pricey for "ice cream" on my kuripot days)

Manila Creamery (MNL Creamery)
Facebook
Instagram

Daily Digest: Wooden Spoon's Pancit Lang Lang

The past two weeks have been really stressful so food became our best friend. On the last day of midterms week, we decided to have merienda (mid-afternoon snack) in Wooden Spoon because I told my friend Pearl that I wanted pancit. Traditional pancit with the works. She suggested Wooden Spoon's afternoon menu because she swears their pancit (lang lang) is good.

Pancit Lang Lang

P175

I thought the noodles were a bit too overcooked because it looked and felt too soft. Whether or not it was overcooked became irrelevant because once I took a forkful of the pancit, the texture of the noodles mixed with the crisp adobo flakes on top and the poppy shrimp was just perfect! Add a squeeze of calamansi and you have the perfect afternoon snack post-exam. I had no complaints because she was right. It was good. Really good.

Price: P175

5 out of 5 for Wooden Spoon's Pancit Lang Lang

Wooden Spoon

Basement Level Powerplant Mall

Rockwell Center, Makati City

Uh-oh! beauty & BUTTER.. Not so Beautiful.

I had to look for another waxing salon today because Lay Bare in SM Jazz Mall was already fully booked for the day (yes, fully booked at 3 PM). I could have rescheduled but since I already spent taxi fare just to have myself waxed, not to mention the hassle of going back and the wasted time if I don't proceed as planned, I decided to walk around and check if there was another waxing salon or any spa offering wax treatments. That's how I found beauty & BUTTER.

beauty & BUTTER

SM Jazz Mall

Sephora Lipstick Remover

Being in law school means you need to have excellent time management skills. You must know how many hours you need in a day to study everything you have to study. You need to know how many hours you can spare idling or daydreaming or thinking about studying but not really studying. You need to plan when you're going to sleep or when you're going to nap and how many hours you can allot for each. You have to plan every hour of your 24 hours. You get the picture.

Since I already have problems trying to balance my life, I try to spend less time on other things I have complete control of like getting ready and dressed for school. But more importantly, I try to spend less time getting ready for bed after a long day (because sometimes I feel so tired that I just want to collapse in bed the moment I get home), which is why I was so happy when I discovered Sephora's Ultimate Oil-in-Gel Lipstick Remover!

Shawarma Bros.

This has been a long overdue post. During our pre-midterms week, Pearl and I decided to try this new shawarma place in BGC. I've always complained about not having enough shawarma places in the Rockwell-BGC area so I was pretty excited when I saw Shawarma Bros. open in BGC.

I went for my traditional Beef Shawarma Rice plate while Madam Pearl decided to get the Big Bro Plate, which is also a Beef Shawarma Plate but it comes with a side of Keema and a glass of iced tea. The Beef Shawarma Plate costs P159. It comes with a LOT of rice (which was a big plus for me), the beef, and a side of tomato-cucumber salad. 

Beef Shawarma Plate ala Carte

P159

Revlon's 24-Hour Foundation

Introducing my latest make-up discovery – Revlon's Colorstay Foundation.

This came as a bit of a surprise since I'm a BB Cream person but when I got back from my first US trip, I had no choice but to buy liquid foundations because my skin had darkened so badly that all my BB creams made my face look like a floating mask. I had to buy several kinds to test and see which one had a shade that matched my complexion perfectly. One of the best ones I found was Revlon's Colorstay in 240 Medium Beige.

What the label says:

• Wears up to 24 hours
• Flawless look
• Lightweight

What their website says:

• Moisture balance formula with up to 24-hour wear
• Satin finish
• 12 beautiful, long-wearing shades
• Buildable to full coverage

Daily Digest: Family Mart's Chicken Cheesedog Meal

Those who know me know that I cannot live without rice. I can eat a full cup of rice with just one tomato and be fully satisfied. Since I've been camping out in coffee shops recently because of midterms, I learned to take any rice meal come lunch/dinner time. As long as it had rice and some decent viand with it. 

So here's my recent rice meal discovery. It's inexpensive, filling, and surprisingly good. At P45, you get a cup of rice and a good chicken cheesedog with the usual condiments -- ketchup, mayo and mustard. Just make sure you get them hot. The hotdog becomes a bit chewy when cold (this is somewhat important when you use their utensils, given that they provide you with plastic utensils.)

Price: P45

4.5 out of 5 for Family Mart's Chicken Cheesedog Meal (sometimes they serve the hotdog cold :/)

Family Mart
Branches across Metro Manila

Daily Digest: More Adobo Flakes

Last week, I stayed up for 17 hours studying for our first ever midterm exam this semester. I was able to leave the coffee shop at around 2:30 AM but not without getting something on my way home. I know it was too late to eat a rice meal but knowing me, I would still grab something with rice over a sandwich or some snack. Since Army Navy was beside the coffee shop I just left, I decided to finally try one of their new breakfast items: Adobo Flakes.

I read good reviews about it but I'm very particular when it comes to certain types of food like sinigang and this -- adobo, so I was a bit hesitant. I eventually gave in and thankfully, I liked their version.

Army Navy's Adobo Flakes

P165

It tasted like adobo (not too salty, not too sour, and definitely not like beef pares), it was crisp (just how adobo flakes should be -- ALWAYS), and it came with garlic rice, sunny side up egg, and atsara. Forgive me for the photo. I was really hungry I couldn't wait to try it. This is one of the few adobos out there that I really liked, and for P165, this was definitely worth it.

Price: P165

5 out of 5 for Army Navy's Adobo Flakes

Army Navy

G/F Crossroads Building,

32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City

Daily Digest: For the Love of Soup

The rainy season is the perfect weather for everything hot. Hot chocolate, champorado, soup, you name it. The recent class suspension brought my blockmate and I to Wooden Spoon in Powerplant Mall. We were supposed to have a pre-agreed lunch but because of the weather, and me insisting that we have soup the day before, eventually led us to this: Beef Sinigang sa Bayabas (Guava).

Beef Sinigang sa Bayabas

P275

Guavas are supposed to taste a bit sour, right? Well, that's what we actually expected given that sinigang is supposed to be sour. However, (I think) the guavas they used in making this dish were a bit overripe already because the soup tasted so sweet! In the words of my friend Pearl, "Para kang kumain ng candy!" (It's like eating candy.) 

The only good thing about this dish was that it had generous slices of tender beef and vegetables. Too bad we weren't able to enjoy the hot soup. :( It was unbearably sweet. We already added fish sauce with crushed red chilies but it just couldn't overcome the sweetness.

Price: P275

1 out of 5 for Wooden Spoon's Beef Sinigang sa Bayabas

Wooden Spoon
Basement Level Powerplant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati City

Bringing Back the 90s: 9.OH THIS IS HOW WE DO IT

If you guys need a break from a stressful work week or from midterms (like me), grab a drink or two this coming Saturday at Ocean's Tel. Co. located on the 2/F of Frank & Dean and destress the week away.

THE WOMEN OF ALEITHEIA 

Globe 

and

Honda Cars Global City 

Present 

9.OH: THIS IS HOW WE DO IT 

Let us show you how the kids of the 90s have a good time 

on 

OCTOBER 10, 2015, Saturday 

at 

Ocean's Telephone Co. 

(by the red telephone booth, 2nd Floor Frank & Dean). 

Doors open at 8PM 

Open Bar from 10PM to 12AM 

Tickets are priced Php 350 

Avail of our table packages:
Couch (15 pax) -- Php8,500
- 15 tickets with open bar
- 2 bottles (choice of: Jager/Don Papa/Bacardi 151)
- soda

Table (8 pax) -- Php4,500
- 8 tickets with open bar
- 1 bottle (choice of: Jager/Don Papa/Bacardi 151)
- soda

This event is in cooperation with: 

Uratex 

Bewell-C

Mt. Carmel Print House 

Media Partner: 

ClickTheCity 

For tickets and table reservation, kindly message The Women of Aleitheia through their Facebook page by clicking here.

L'oreal Tint Caresse: First Powder Lipstick

A couple of weeks back, I received my occasional newsletter from Beauty MNL. They were introducing a new product -- the FIRST ever powder lipstick. Naturally, I was curious. How can lipstick work if it's in powder form? Is it like your powder foundation or your eyeshadow palette? 

Introducing L'oreal Paris Tint Caresse -- the first powder lipstick. It comes in eight (8) shades: Peony, Plum, Peach, Tulip, Sakura, Orchid, Rose, and Lily Blossom. Aside from it being the first powder lipstick, another claim that caught my attention was its transfer-proof and long wearing formula. I bought two shades from Beauty MNL: Peony Blossom and Peach Blossom. 

Peony Blossom is the lighter shade between the two, Peach Blossom looking more like a darker shade of Barbie pink. 

Quick facts about this product (from Beauty MNL's website):

• transfer-proof
• long wearing
• matte finish
• highly pigmented
• lightweight
• sponge tip for easy application

Top: Peony Blossom

Bottom: Peach Blossom

Based on the product information, L'oreal's Tint Caresse Powder Lipstick delivers. It is lightweight on the lips, has a matte finish, and is long-lasting. You don't have to worry about consciously avoiding licking your lips to avoid licking off your lipstick. This one stays almost the whole day (I can't really say the whole day since I remove my make-up when I get home after class, so that's about 10-12 hours only). The sponge tip also makes the gliding and lining easier so you have better control of the application.

Top: Bare

Middle: Initial application

Bottom: Full application

If the product delivers, are there any cons? Personally, yes. My lips are almost always dry. I need a lipbalm by my side 24/7 because my lips are always chapped. The reason why I had a couple of applications was because I had to remove the dry skin on my lips after the first application. Since this is literally made of powder, it absorbs the excess moisture on my lips, exposing the little bits of dry skin. If I apply lip balm after, the matte effect disappears. 

This product requires prior lip exfoliation for better results. If you have naturally soft and supple lips without the need for lip balm, this would be perfect for you. It looks great on the lips and is transfer-proof. No worries about lipstick stains or pale lips.

Price: P500 each

4.5 out of 5 for L'oreal Tint Caresse Powder Lipstick

Beauty MNL