It’s all yours!

Out of the handful, valid entries for my first-ever blog giveaway, the box of Classic Belgian cookies goes to..

Congratulations, Sabrina Gayo! You’re taking home these scrumptious, baked goodies from Kate Bakes! I am envious! I’ll be contacting you via e-mail today for the arrangements.

Thanks to all those who joined! I’m probably giving away another one soon. I kinda felt bad about my other close friends that didn’t get one. They’ve been expressing (even claiming it!) their desire for these cookies. And I fully understand them. But hey, there’s always next time, right?

Happy Monday, everyall!

KATE BAKES | Facebook | Twitter| E-mail: iamkatebakes@yahoo.com | Mobile Number: +639087729930 | Price list

First-Ever Blog Giveaway: Cookies from Kate Bakes

I have totally gone insane over cookies–and I’m passing this insanity to you.

For the past week or so, I’ve been dabbling on the idea of giving away a little something for the readers of this blog. And since it’s my first time doing this, I wanted it to be special. Something that I would love to have for myself but would rather give to others.

And when I say “I would love to have this for myself,”  I mean it. I was even at the verge of calling off this giveaway and have these cookies ALL to myself. Do you know how hard it is to open my refrigerator at home and be greeted by a box of unopened Kate Bakes cookies? Excruciating.

Classic Belgian

King Callebaut

Butter Pecan

Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut

Sugar-free King Callebaut

One lucky reader (drawn randomly via Random.org) will get a dozen Classic Belgian cookies from Kate Bakes. I only have a handful yet loyal readers  (naks) so if there’s any comfort to that, there’s less competition. Even joining is easy. Just:

1. ‘Like’ Kate Bakes Facebook page here.
2. Leave a comment on this post to count in your entry.
3. Plus points if you click on the Facebook and Twitter share buttons below.

Deadline is on December 17, 2011 at 11:59 PM. This is open to Metro Manila residents only. The winner will be announced the next day and will be contacted via e-mail. Good luck, fellow cookie freaks!

KATE BAKES | Facebook | Twitter| E-mail: iamkatebakes@yahoo.com | Mobile Number: +639087729930 | Price list

The Kate Bakes Cookie Cult

I’ve been staring at my laptop screen for the past 2 hours and I cannot think of a way on how to jump-start this post. All I know is that I want you folks to know that the photo below is THE BEST COOKIE I’VE EVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF EATING IN MY LIFE.

And no, I am not exaggerating. Just look at that beauty. LOOK AT IT!

Hi, sexy.

Before I formally introduce my new-found cookie addiction, allow me give you a back story on how my passionate and not-so-secret affair for these baked goodies started. I’m going make this short, I promise. I just think that all great love stories should always kick off on the right foot. And this, my friends, is a love that will last forever. I guarantee it.

November 6, 2011 – It all began on an impulsive decision to troop to the Global Pinoy Bazaar 2011 held at the Rockwell Tent in Makati. I wasn’t planning on buying anything, really. No goal in particular. But after ending up with a pair of wedge sandals (and accumulating a bag-full of brochures, calling cards, and stickers), I hurriedly headed to the nearest exit before I wipe out the remains of my wallet.

Then I spotted Kate Bakes‘ booth. I stopped on my tracks. It was something so difficult to pass out on. The woman manning the booth stretched out a tin can–it was filled with cookie bits. I reached inside and the next thing I know, I was buying two more cookies for the road. Win!

I was excited to have the boyfriend taste this inexplicable goodness. So excited, I was skipping back to our meeting place. Everything was a blur–all I remember now is that we sat there together by the fountain, wolfing down our cookies. And the rest was history.

The person behind Kate Bakes deserve a pat in the back, I thought. So I sent her a text, thanking her for baking such exquisite treats. I also asked her if she could send  in the photos and a price list so I could share it on my blog.

Imagine my delight when I received this text message last Friday:

Wow. What an awesome way to to end a tiring work week! Thanks so much, Kate. This was so unexpectedly delightful!

After meeting up with Kate so she can hand me the “goods,” I opened the parcel and shared it to three of my closest office friends. Me saying that they loved it is an understatement. Kesi even said that she have “never been this emotional about a cookie before.” Hah. Beat that, Chips Ahoy!

Kate Bakes’ Heavenly Cookies are especially made with only the finest premium ingredients. Trust me, it has everything you’ll ever want on your cookie. You’ll understand this insanity once you’ve sunk your teeth into it.

To Kate: You have created something really, REALLY special here. I hope you don’t mind if I have unintentionally put together a cookie cult of some sort.

Guys, I think one of you good souls out there deserve a piece of heaven this Christmas, so I’m giving away a box of Classic Belgian cookies on my next post. (What am I thinking?!). Stay tuned.

KATE BAKES | Facebook | Twitter | E-mail: iamkatebakes@yahoo.com | Mobile Number: +639087729930 | Price list

Afternoon breakfast at Milky & Sunny

“How would you like to retire at 40?” My friend, J, sent me via BBM a month ago. I said yes, of course. Prior to her invitation, I’ve never gave much thought about getting a life insurance. I want to, I swear. I just didn’t know where to start. But thanks to her, I had a clearer picture.

We arranged a meeting and realized that we were both busy on the following weekends. So we had to make do; I’ll get out of at work mid-day and then she’ll sneak out from her office (hehe). I also suggested that we go to this breakfast place I’ve been wanting to try called Milky & Sunny in Kapitolyo.

I rarely take half days off. Such a hassle, don’t you think? That’s why it’s either I just stay in, magnetized in my bed (or off someplace better) or I get my lazy butt on my office chair. Black or white. Yin or Yang. This day, however, made my decision to leave work early, worth it.

Good morning 27/7! 

It was a particularly lucky Friday, actually. Good news just kept pouring in! Happy, happy, happy! And the restaurant seemed to match our sunny moods.

Entering Milky & Sunny is like going inside a little girl’s room. It’s small, cute, and soothing. These lovely wall hangings are my favorite. Next to the food, of course. 😛

Together forever and ever

And to prep me for our hearty meal, I asked for a tall glass of cold milk which I downed within minutes.

Ta-da! Behold the star of my afternoon: the Breakfast Big Plate! Garlic rice, sausages, bacon, hash browns, corned beef, and scrambled eggs in one, gigantic plate. Sigh. I am drooling as I type this.

On the other hand, J got the tomatoes-mozzarella-pepperoni omelette. The parsley gave it a fine dining-ish touch.

She also got this Choco Hazelnut French Toast for dessert, which we shared. It was oozing with Nutella. NUTELLA! My god.

My date was exhausted as I am. Tired but definitely happy. It was indeed an afternoon well-spent.

Good friends and good food really make a great combo.

MILKY & SUNNY | 9 Briggy Hall, East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, 1603 Pasig, Philippines | Facebook | Twitter | Downloadable Menu

The Nerd Herd at Burger Project

No offense to those who live in Quezon City but I seriously dread going to that place. The hideous traffic and inaccessibility to most sites make it ten times worse for non-car owners like me. Those and the scorching heat do not make a great combo, I tell you.

However, if the purpose of going to QC involves trying out good food, well.. I’ll have to make an exception–even if it’s as sinful as Burger Project.

Make your own burger here!

Ever since I’ve read about Patty’s post, I was up and raring to drag the boyfriend to this new burger joint. Maginhawa Street was alien to us so it was a good thing Pixie, who knew the the ins and outs of the place, tagged along and shared this little food trip with us.

Can I just say? I’m totally digging Pixie’s robot pendant she got from Forever 21. I kept gushing about it while waiting for our other friend, Kesi, to arrive.

A quick and bumpy tricycle ride from after, we finally reached our destination. We were greeted by the staff, who handed us a clipboard with a checklist to fill out. I like clipboards, by the way. They remind me of  fun college days.

What fun it is to fill this out! You can also name your burger, if you wish. I christened mine, “Bacon Love Burger” because I was too hungry to think of a creative name. 😛

The Bacon Love Burger Essentials

Patty – 1 pc. 100% beef | Bun – Poppyseed | Cheese – Bleu | Premium topping – Bacon | Basic toppings – Lettuce, tomatoes | Sauce – Special BRGR Sauce

Once done, we took our filled-out checklists to the counter..

..And got them burgers within minutes! I was so confident that I would scarf my burger in seconds because I was starving. Didn’t happen. These burgers are huge!

Carlo loved Pino’s iced tea just as much as I did. We got another round when we finished our first glass.

Oh, there are fries, too. Though I suspect they are really potato wedges, judging from the fat cuts. One tray of these is good for two already.

Kesi just successfully hurdled her first semester in law school. I believe she’s just relieved to get out of the house and soak in the exquisite sunshine that’s why she came with us (haha, blog pun!). Good job, Kesi dear! Your crazy little circle here at the office is proud of you.

Can’t wait to try out the rest of Maginhawa with you guys!

BRGR: THE BURGER PROJECT  | 122 Maginhawa St., Teacher’s Village, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines | Facebook

Meeting OpenRicers over Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Drinks

Backposting: One of the hardest caveats when writing about an event that happened ages ago. This post, together with my other pending entries, has been sitting in my draft queue for more than a month now. Boo!

Anyhoots, today’s story is about my accidental experience on meeting ‘OpenRicers’ or the people behind the online dining guide, OpenRice. My blogger friend, Fedhz, sent me an SMS inviting me to this food event at Cheesesteaks, Burers, & Drinks (CBD) along Ayala Triangle Gardens in Makati City. Since I didn’t have any plans for that night, I readily agreed. Besides, who can say no to free good food?

Now, I’ve been to several blog events before–fashion- and beauty-related, to be exact—and I’ve always had this feeling of detachment during such gatherings. But this Eat’s A Date event last September 29, 2011 was different. Everyone was all warm, friendly, and chatty! I was instantly put at ease. It was an intimate affair, kind of like a huge barkada dinner because we just occupied one side of the room.

Because I came unprepared, I didn’t have my camera with me. It’s a good thing Fedhz brought hers. I was very impressed with her digital camera, by the way. It took really sharp images, almost DSLR-like. I kept raving about it. Thanks for letting me use it, dear!

Drinks were served first. This was Fedhz’s cappucino, I think.

Appetizers were next. We had onion rings, potato wedges, and twisted fries.

We were asked to jot down what we wanted off the menu. Check out my cheesesteak sandwich. Doesn’t it look sinful??

Others went for the rice variety. Everyone had such a trip trying out each other’s picks! So fun! Remember when your elementary teacher would say, “Pass your papers counter-clockwise”? It was a similar scenario only this time, food was passed on.

By the time dessert came, I was already too full to take another bite. I didn’t try them out but the pastries looked yummy, nevertheless!

Essel taking photos with his Nikon.

These are Shake and Bakes. You should try it, it’ll make you insane! I especially loved the blueberry flavor.

Met chef consultant, Chiloy Santos. Such an inspiring, down-to-earth guy. We talked about his passion for cooking and how he came up with CBD’s food lineup. His family are part-owners of Tender Bobs Group, as well as Meat Plus (MP) at Subic. I think I was begging him to open a MP branch in Manila prior to this photo. LOL.

Overall, I had a really lovely time with these people. Great food, great restaurant, great service, and great company! I’ll definitely come back here.

Thank you, OpenRice! See you guys soon!

CHEESESTEAKS, BURGER & DRINKS | Restaurants at the Ayala Triangle, Makati Avenue, Makati City | Facebook

Pancakes are served

I don’t know why I always get lost at Ortigas. Okay, maybe not just at Ortigas. It’s mainly because I’m such a dweeb at directions. You shouldve seen me a while ago, braving a Signal No. 1 typhoon and wandering like a lost, wet puppy (my umbrella turned inside-out). Pity.

Despite the stormy weather, I like how it mimicked my mood. A week has just went by since my lola passed away so the wounds are still fresh. I’m okay but I’m still coping.

The winds are still strong outside the mall I’m currently staying at. Pancakes, I thought. Pancakes and a mug of hot chocolate will keep me sane.

Ahh. Sane is me. It’s the small and simple things that could get us by.

Happy afternoon!

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Sweet nibbles in the afternoon

Meet my friend-slash-colleague, Kesi. I like her because she’s nice and silly. She likes me because I’m funny and silly. We get along really well, especially when it comes to chocolate (we have very strong views on that subject!), candy,desserts, pancakes, Post-Its, Disney, and funny stuff on Tumblr. Sometimes, she hands me a bar of Snickers or Mars. On other days, a lollipop or a bag of Skittles.

Today, she reached out on my desk and extended a mixed bowl of M&M’s and Gummy Bears. It’s so sweet–literally!

I love this girl! We’re like kids who refuse to grow up. I could go on and on what we do on a daily work day but for now, I’ll just content you by sending happy and sugary vibes this chilly Friday afternoon. Brr..

Mary Grace now on Greenbelt 3

One of the things I love about my workplace is that I’m just a stone’s throw away from Greenbelt. My colleagues and I–if there’s still money left on our wallets–sometimes troop to the mall to grab a bite to eat or simply kill time.

Today’s afternoon itinerary was at the newly opened Mary Grace just along the Greenbelt 3 strip. Two of my closest officemates got apple pies and brownies. I, on the other hand, just wandered around this corner:

The sign reads, “Women’s CAN DO corner.” It’s pretty neat that an arts and crafts corner has been set up to keep diners amused while waiting for their pastries. This wooden stall sells hand-made trinkets, books, and perfumes.

Hold up–perfumes?

What made me curious about these bottled scents is that they are named in Filipino words! This, in particular, is named, ‘Ulan‘. It’s the only scent I found interesting. Others are (the ones I remember) Ngiti, Lambing, Tiwala, Dalisay, and Sulyap. Each bottle is closed in a crocheted cap and sealed in a zip-lock bag, similar to a medium-size tetra pak. Know more about them at  http://simoyngharaya.multiply.com/.

These lovely hand-written notes from customers are plastered on every table.  On my next visit, I’m gonna add mine. I’ll scribble something like, “Ara was here and wolfed down a whole cheesecake in one minute! Beat that, punk!” No? Oh, alright.

MARY GRACE CAFE | G/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines | Website | Facebook |