MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan

Snacking Away At South Diner

April 3, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Last December, the boys and I went to check out a house we’re considering in Muntinlupa. Afterwards, we decided to grab a snack at South Diner in BF. Mr C tried the food already with some friends a few days before our visit, and he wanted us to eat there as well.

I really like the interiors of the place. I think it was fairly new when we visited so everything was still clean and fresh.

Inside South Diner


Diner with a Pinoy twist – a Sto Nino behind the counter

Hungry boy

Cute napkin holder

Savor the flavor

Watching TV


Mr C and the Kiddo

Utensils and condiments

Mr C and I split an order Baked Potato Skins with cheese and bacon, a Monte Cristo sandwich and Buffalo Wings. The little guy ordered Cheesy Pancakes. I got to take a photo of everything but the wings. By the time they arrived, I was already too busy eating.

Monte Cristo with a side of Fries

Cheesy Pancakes

Baked Potato Skins

Got an order of Serenitea on our way to the restaurant

See how pogi my BB is? Christmas gift from Mr C!

Cuyugans at Nuvali

April 2, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I’ve been sorting my files and photos lately, and so I’ve been discovering all these folders of trips and activities from late last year that I have yet to post!

Last November, Mr C, the Kiddo and I spent the day in Tagaytay and Sta Rosa with my sister in law, Ate Baban. We had lunch in Cliffhouse, then we visited Residence Inn. On our way back to Manila, we passed by Paseo Sta Rosa and Nuvali for a little bit of retail therapy and more eating. Yes, this all took place last November. So yes, this post is five months overdue.

Nuvali

Run, Kiddo, run!


Chasing after Ninang Baban

The little guy had some Frutti Froyo for meryenda, while the rest of us had Serenitea.

This was peanut butter frozen yogurt, i think

Playing Angry Birds while waiting for our food

Yay!

Okinawa with Black Bricks and Hokkaido with Black Pearls

Yummy Serenitea

Chicken Chops

Ate Baban and Me

We also had Hash Browns. Yum, yum, yum!

While Ate Baban and I were shopping, the little boy and his dad explored the area and took some really cute photos until we eventually got hungry again (yes, this is why I’m fat). We ended our day trip with dinner at Old Spaghetti House in Paseo Sta Rosa..

Laguna for Lunch

April 1, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Welcome to part two of my family roadtrip post! It was one of those days where we all thought it would just be nice to get away for the day, since we were all gonna be home on holiday. So on this day in November, we decided to drive all the way to Calauan, Laguna for lunch. The food was great, we got to go fishing, caught nothing, threw some plates and cups against a wall, and got stuck in the rain. It was a great afternoon. I’m glad my family enjoys doing things like this.

Boiling and barbecuing huge batches of chicken, pork and beef. Yum!

And were entertained by three of the funniest singers we’ve ever listened to.

It was too hot to get out of the hut after we placed our orders, so we just took some photos of each other while waiting for our food to arrive.

The little kid who wanted to go out and run around.

We had steamed rice, snails in coconut milk, lechon manok, grilled liempo, fried calamari, red egg and tomatoes, and shrimp sinigang. Because we were so hungry, we were only able to take photos of the first few dishes that arrived. We were too busy eating already to pull out our cameras once the rest of the food came. Everything was really good. And I mean EVERYTHING!

Shrimp sinigang (sour tamarind broth), my super favorite!

One of the things I like most about Isdaan is there are a hundred and one spots to take a photo op. Silly as it sounds, our family loves taking pictures with statues, monuments and figurines. At Isdaan, they have huge mermaid statues, statues of celebrities and politicians, and a lot of random stuff all over the property.

We finally got to try the Tacsiyapo Wall where you throw plates, cups, bowls, even old clocks and TV sets against a wall to release your anger. My friends and I keep trying to plan a trip up north to try this in the Tarlac branch, but we’ve never pushed through. It was fun, but a little expensive because you have to pay for the stuff that you break.

While the kiddo was fishing with his grandparents, it started to rain. Mr C and I got stuck waiting it out at the pasalubong area. There were a lot of native goodies for sale like garlic chips, peanuts, yema, polvoron, candies, tarts and a lot more. Prices were reasonable. I got to take home two pairs of platform wedges for only 700 Pesos! Apparently, shoe shopping is more fun in Laguna.

I love peanuts with toasted garlic chips!

When the rain finally stopped, we were all extremely stuffed and quite tired from our morning adventure. The drive home was just as pleasant as our drive to Laguna. That trip definitely gave us some much needed, and well-deserved family bonding time. The best part is kids who come to Isdaan get a free balloon and bag of goodies.

Yup, I felt like a little kid right there

Our family summer outing is coming up real soon, and I can’t wait! That’s gonna be a fun vacation for sure.

Roadtripping with the FamBam!

March 21, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Last November, we finally had a holiday where everyone got the day off from work/school, dad decided we should go on a road trip. He led the way in his car with half of the family, and we followed in ours with our own set of passengers. It was a really fun an memorable day, as these photos will tell you. First stop, Rizal Shrine in Calamba, Laguna

My dad, sister, Mr C and the Kiddo actually climbed to the top

Too lazy to climb (Photo by Mr C)

My brother and my mommy

Rocky

My sister

Boyong

After visiting Rizal, daddy led us to Los Banos, and we took a short nature trip around Pook Ni Maria Makiling. I’m pretty open about not being an outdoorsy person, and you can just imagine how anxious I was during this stop. I kept expecting some creature to jump out at me from the jungle.

Mom and Kiddo about to get out of the car

Not my idea of a perfect morning getaway, but what could I do?

At the parking lot, we were greeted by a duck. Notice mom’s face.

Quack quack

Mr C

My sister, with the tree boys in the background

Lolo, Daddy, Baby

Brother in douche-y pose

Rocky

More Rocky

The Kid and I

Husband

Husband again

Climbing up the steep slope

They found these giant kamias-looking things while walking around

Mom and Boyong being goofballs

Tired from all the walking

Donya in the Jungle

For some reason, Rocky thought it would be nice to take a photo in this spot

Copycat


Happy to be heading back to the car!!!

After the Maria Makiling adventure, we were all hungry and excited for lunch. We’ve all been wanting to try out the tacsiyapo wall in Isdaan Restaurant in Gerona, Tarlac. On a recent visit there, dad discovered that they had put up a branch in Calauan, Laguna. Since he couldn’t get over how good the lechon manok in Tarlac was, he thought we should all drive down to Calauan for lunch. More about our Isdaan lunch experience in my next post!

Remembering Karl Roy

March 17, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

Hanging out with Karl Roy, for me, was a form of initiation into the world of events management.

I met Karl during my first job at the now defunct Station_01 Inc events company. My then boss, Ricci, often asked me to keep an eye on Karl during shows to make sure I knew where to find him when it was time for Kapatid to go onstage. Little did I know back then that this would be a true test of my abilities, as Karl had a habit of wandering off. He, apparently, knew everyone around, and was easily herded off somewhere.

Luckily, I am pretty diligent, and I managed to keep track of him, at least for the most part.

One unforgettable night in Baguio.

I did lose Karl once, though. It was during a Chippy Gimikada show in Baguio for the Panagbenga Festival in 2005. Our stage was set up at the top of Session Road, and the whole street was jampacked with people. I think Imago or Chicosci on stage, with ten minutes left in their set. Then, Ricci turned to me and asked, “Where’s Karl?”

To my bewilderment, I turned around and he wasn’t there.Of course, I got screamed at for losing Karl with only ten minutes to go before he had to be onstage.

I enlisted the help of some of our other group mates and we went on a mad hunt for Karl on that super cold night. He was eventually located, i think it was by Patman our sound guy. He was happily hanging out with a group of people, smoking, or was it eating grilled corn on the cob?

That memory is something that has stuck with me ever since. Now, whenever I have to attend to artists during a show, I remember that night in Baguio, and it always brings a smile to my face.

Massage Therapy: Kapatid Style (La Union, 2005)

Mementos and memorabilia.

The other night, by chance, my husband was wearing that Chippy Panagbenga t-shirt to bed. It reminded me of my sorta hide and seek game with Karl that night. It was at that moment when I realized that I could never be given the task of keeping an eye on him ever again because he was already gone. And that realization made me very sad.

Karl recently performed in Festival Mall, where I now work, and I regret not making time to drop by and say hello during his gig.

I may not have spent as much time with Karl as some of my other friends have, and our friendship didn’t go beyond good times during events. Come to think of it, I don’t even have a single photo with him! I never imagined I would be so deeply affected by his passing, but surprisingly, I am. Over the past few days, memories have been springing up, music, moments and conversations remembered. Good times from a not-so-long-time-ago with Karl and the rest of Kapatid.

Another “Where’s Karl?” Moment. We thought he had drifted off somewhere on the beach after sunset. We eventually found him sleeping under our rented hut, bottle of Red Horse in hand. (La Union, 2005)

One final memory.

The last time I saw Karl Roy was at the Music Museum in 2008. It was a benefit show for him after he had stroke. It broke my heart seeing Karl dragging his leg while walking, but I found the fight in him completely admirable. Fight the good fight he did, many, many times. And now he can finally rest.

Tonight’s the last night of his wake, and I’m really hoping I can pass by (UPDATE: I actually got to go, yay). I know many people will be there for his final send-off. He touched many hearts in his brief lifetime, and even in death, he continues to do so. To simply have been in the same room as Karl Roy was an intense experience. I’m glad I got to know what that was like.

Karl, I’ll see you when I see you. This prayer’s for you.

Sugarcoated

March 11, 2012 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 2 Comments

Because my (mom’s) beloved electric oven is now back from the dead and functioning like new again, I’ve been able to rekindle my love for baking. While some (like my mom) find it boring, baking, for me, is a relaxing way to spend an afternoon or evening at home. I love how the house smells so yummy whenever I pop something into the oven. Baking is such an exact science that it helped me get over my fear of the kitchen. Since I had to carefully time and measure everything, I could rely on my recipe not to fail me, and that helped me gain confidence in my culinary skills. After pleasing everyone’s palettes with one sweet treat after the next, I started to experiment with cooking, and I can proudly say that I am now able to feed my family, although my selection is still pretty limited. But at least I’m trying, and I’m eager to learn, and it looks as if this cooking thing looks promising for me.

Over the past week, since I’ve been spending more time at home, I’ve been able to make my first batch of Red Velvet Cupcakes, Vanilla Cupcakes, and really yummy Cream Cheese Frosting. As I write this, I’m surrounded by the smell of freshly baked Banana Bread, something that’s been a hit for me every time I serve it. I’m seriously thinking about turning this hobby into a business. I enjoy it, and (I’d like to think) I’m good at it, so why not right? Of course, I’d like to take some baking and pastry courses , decorating classes, and whatever other learning opportunities I can get my hands on. Earlier this year I met a home baker in Cavite City who’s only been in the business for a couple of years, but has already accomplished so much. The best part is she got to do all that while being able to spend time with her family. And she’s never attended a baking class in her life. Sounds like I can do it then, if you ask me. As always, I’m over thinking and over analyzing everything, but then if I didn’t then I wouldn’t be me. *Sigh*

I’m excited for the future. Something tells me mine is gonna be sweet and sugarcoated.