At Home With MrsC

Food, Friends and Fun at Sweet Bella Molito

May 29, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 26 Comments

It has happened. I am becoming old(er) and forgetful. Those of you who are my friends and followers on Facebook know that, earlier this month, I went to a restaurant to do a food review and forgot to bring a camera. That would have been okay if my phone was nice and high tech, but no. I have a BlackBerry and a very, very, very, VERY low-end Samsung. Basically, I sat down and realized that I was toast.

But, because I was with amazing friends that day, this post won’t be a boring, wordy account of what the food looked and tasted like. My new-found friend Jane of Sugar & Spice, and my neighborly neighbor Michelle of Momma ‘N Manila decided to save me by sharing their photos with me. Thank God for these two, because trust me, one look at the photos and you will want to come to Sweet Bella for lunch or dinner.

With wonderful friends at Sweet Bella - Michelle, Kathi, Patty, Cai, Jane, and owner, Veron — With wonderful friends at Sweet Bella – Michelle, Kathi, Patty, Cai, Jane, and one of the owners, Veron

All the other ladies were there when I arrived. I was really rushing that day because we had football in the morning, and then I was scheduled to enroll Little MrC at school in the afternoon. Yes, that’s my excuse for forgetting my camera at home. The other mommies actually brought their kids with them, but mine was too tired to go out for lunch. It was too bad, because they served all of his favorite things at the kids’ table.

Four Cheese and Rustica Pizzas, and Penne Carbonara

I got to try some of the Rustica Pizza (Php395), which is topped with Italian sausage, Hungarian sausage, frankfurter, pepperoni, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Yum. I could even eat this for breakfast. There was also a Four Cheese Pizza (Php395) with fontina, mozzarella, bleu and parmesan cheeses, and Penne Carbonara (Php350) served to the kids. Like I said, all of my little boy’s favorites.

Now that I think about it, a lot of the dishes served to us mommies are faves of my kiddo as well. I swear, I need to take the boys here real soon. For sure, MrC would love the Seafood Chowder (Php250), which is one of the super winner dishes in my opinion. It’s loaded bits of seafood, a definite plus considering that most restaurants have more soup than meat in their chowder. The zigzag bread stick that comes with it is a perfect complement. I also truly enjoyed the HUGE Rockefeller Oysters (Php395) served to us.

Beef Salpicao, Rockefeller Oysters and Seafood Chowder

One dish that deserves special mention is the USDA Beef Salpicao (Php450), which is served with steak rice. The rice has bits of crispy beef and bits of crispy fat in it. So, so, so good. This is perfectly flavored, very garlicky, and an absolute must-try. You won’t regret it, I promise. So worth the calorie splurge.

Gambas with Foccaccia Bread, Grilled Salmon Steak and Capellini Pomodore e Salsa Verde Pasta

Michelle says that she likes to order the salpicao, plus an order of Gambas al Ajillo (Php270) for an instant surf n turf meal. Sounds like a good idea, for sure! The best way to eat the gambas is to pop a piece of shrimp in your mouth, whole if you can, then soak up some of the oil with your bread and pop that into your mouth right after. Mmm, good.

If you’re craving for pasta, you need to try the Capellini Pomodore e Salsa Verde (Php395). It has truffle oil, pomodoro sauce AND pesto sauce, plus crunchy balsamic-glazed eggplant on the side. This goes really well with the Grilled Salmon with Lemon Butter Sauce (Php495). I have to tell you, I don’t normally like cooked salmon. I don’t like the rubbery texture that comes from overcooking the fish. Sweet Bella’s though was cooked perfectly. It was tender, flaky and just melts in your mouth.

Actually, everything we ate that day was perfectly cooked. Even the salpicao cubes were a little bit pink inside, imagine that? Now, if the beef cubes were perfect, you can just imagine how amazingly perfect this piece of wagyu beef was.

Sweet Bella is actually the pretty, pink sister of Melo’s and House of Wagyu, so you can be sure that the steaks they serve are superior-grade. I can totally eat an entire Rib-eye Steak (Php995) all by myself, coz I’m takaw like that. But, I was smart enough to only have a small piece because the best part of our meal was yet to come – DESSERT!

As you walk into Sweet Bella, you are greeted by a display of gorgeous cakes. I was so happy when I heard that we were going to be given six different mini cakes to try. I love cake! Oh, note that the prices for the cakes below are for the personal size.

First, there’s the Mangotier (Php275), an oven-baked cheesecake with mango mousse and fresh mango coulis. The Chocolata (Php220), which has been voted as best dessert, is a chocolate cake layered with ganache and topped with chocolate glass and butterflies. So pretty! They warmed this for us before serving, making it all melty and delicious. The chocoholic in me is happy.

Just when I thought that it couldn’t get any better, I had a bite of the Trio (Ph275). It has layers of coffee mousse, and dark and white chocolate mousse, and just literally melts in your mouth. This, along with the Mi Camille (Php295) are my favorites. The Mi Camille dome is made of a delicate Belgian milk chocolate mousse on top of hazelnut praline on top of French biscuit on top of an almond praline crust. Chocolate plus nuts, for the win.

These last two cakes win simply because they are pink. The Strawberry Shortcake (Php275) is a tower of vanilla cake layered with strawberry cream. This is so good with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. And oh, the Hot Chocolate at Sweet Bella is a must-try, too. If you want something unique, try the Pearl (Php295), a pink guava mousse filled with flambeed mango. This one was voted best dessert as well.

I’m really so glad that I got to borrow photos for this post! It wouldn’t be the same without them, right? I’m even happier that I actually made it to this lunch. I almost missed it because of my nutty summer schedule, and I’m glad I made an effort to be there. I know what I would have been missing, and really, it would have been a lot.

Oh, one last thing. Sweet Bella has AMAZING sugar free ensaymadas and cheese rolls. We recently got some for my lola, and she loved them. She had them as a snack, as dessert, as breakfast, and I think as lunch also, once. You have to order these in advance, though, and it takes 2-3 days before they are delivered to the branch.

Thank you, thank you, Michelle for inviting me, Michelle and Jane for sharing your photos, and, of course, Veron for having us. I will definitely be back soon with the family!

SWEET BELLA CAFE
Cluster II, Unit IIB
Molito, Alabang
(02) 556-4247
sweetbella_alabang@yahoo.com
sweetbellacakes@yahoo.com
#/sweetbellacafe

Summer Crochet Roundup

May 28, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 13 Comments

In the middle of summer in hot and humid Manila, I decided to crochet a scarf. Weird, yes. But someone wanted it, and so I finished the project.

I actually started working on this piece because I read in one of the crochet groups on Facebook that Baguio yarn is good to use for scarves. I bought a whole lot of those yarns during my last trip up north, and I haven’t been able to make that many things with them, actually, so I was eager to try. I think this was a success. In case you wanna make something similar, I followed this pattern, with some slight modifications.

Over the summer, I also joined a craft swap. This was the first time that I’ve actually made something to be given away to someone who isn’t a friend or a family member. The pressure was on, big time. It took me a while to decide what to make, and to decide which yarn and colors to use. Eventually, I started on it and completed the project in just a few days. I’m really happy with the end result.

My craft swap partner lives on the beach so I decided to make her a bag she can use, well, on the beach. What do you guys think? I got the pattern from a Japanese book I bought on sale at National bookstore. It actually calls for a totally different yarn, hook and gauge, but I thought it would be nice to experiment. Thank goodness it turned out okay.

Last but not least, I made something without a pattern for the first time, ever. Happy dance! It’s just a headband, nothing much, really, but I still feel pretty accomplished. Plus, lots of people who have seen photos of it online have said that it’s really nice, so yay for me. I made one as a sort of trial piece, and another a couple of hours later, my sister-in-law’s request.

There you go. I should get started on a phone pouch that I owe another friend, soon. I feel like making more headbands also, and maybe a scarf and a bag for myself. So much to do, so much yarn, so little time! Do you crochet? What have you been working on?

Summer Is Ending + What’s Blogging This Week

May 26, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

While we were having dinner earlier tonight, I heard the familiar croaks of Froggy Friend, the frog who lives in our garden and keeps us safe from Dengue-carrying mosquitoes. I am scared of frogs, in case you don’t remember, so I have tried to paint a friendly picture of Froggy Friend in my mind, for my own sanity and peace of mind.

Thing is, Froggy Friend has been silent all summer. His loud croaking tonight is a not-so-subtle reminder that summer is officially coming to a close. As is the super strong rain that’s falling outside as I write this. In exactly two weeks, we are all shifting back to school mode. Time to say goodbye to late nights and lazy mornings.

This has been a spectacular summer. I was chatting with my friend Martine on Facebook a few days ago, and I told her how I really enjoyed being a soccer mom and spending time with the little boy. I love that the boys and I got to spend two amazing days at Pico de Loro Cove. We’ve been watching more movies and TV shows, reading more books, and I’ve been crocheting more, too. I am loving the slowness of this summer, and on some days I actually feel like I, too, am on a 2-month break. It’s a really nice change from last year, when I had to overload on work.

The downside is that there have really been a number of lazy, unproductive summer days for me, at least as far as writing and blogging is concerned. It’s nothing that I can’t make up for, though, so I suppose it isn’t THAT bad, right? So, for this week, here’s a peek at what I’ve got lined up:

My immensely fun and yummy lunch with fellow mommy bloggers at Sweet Bella Cafe in Molito
A review of a fairly new restaurant here in Alabang called Lasa, which we tried during MrC’s birthday weekend
The super mega delayed post about my #BetterMe experience with the SoMoms about investing in yourself
And a quick showcase of the pretty things that have come off of my crochet hook this summer

I’m excited to share all of these stories with you. I am also looking forward to making the most out of thee last two weeks of summer vacation with the little boy. How about you guys, any last-minute plans for the summer?

Oh hey, don’t forget to join my ongoing giveaways if you haven’t yet. Win a pair of shoes here, and win a 3-month subscription to any Summit Media magazine of your choice on Buqo here.

Yes, Marky’s Chicken Deserves A Space On This Blog

May 24, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 12 Comments

I like junk food. I like fried chicken. I like friend chicken that tastes like junk food. Actually, I believe that fried chicken should taste like junk food. Not saying that it’s junk food, just that fried chicken has this magical way of warming the heart while warming the tummy. Am I making sense, or am I the only one who feels this way about chicken?

Fried chicken makes me happy.

Yes, it does. And last April, I got to try a new friend chicken brand, Marky’s Chicken. Honestly, I don’t know how new Marky’s is, but it is most definitely new to me. It is also a new addition to the food stalls within Savemore Supermarket in Festival Mall. Oh my goodness, it is so good. The pieces are really big, juicy and perfectly cooked. The classic fried chicken is crispy, and the soy garlic variant is bursting with flavor.

I have actually put Marky’s Chicken to the test three times, just to make sure that it’s not just me and my friend-chicken loving taste buds that find their offerings awesome. When they had just opened, Mitz, my mommy blogger friend, and the mompreneur behind Marky’s, offered to bring some over to the house for us to try. That first lunch, I was home with Little MrC, my mom (Lola Terry aka LT, from now on) and my brother (who will, from now on be known at TN or Tito Ninong). Yes, codenames.

De Castro-Cuyugan seal of approval.

All four of us who got to try Marky’s that first time agreed that it was really yummy. The three adults loved the soy garlic variant. I personally liked that you could actually bite into little bits of garlic stuck to the chicken skin and the sweet-salty sauce. Meanwhile, my brother who does not eat chicken breast because he finds it dry, actually ate white meat portions that day and said he enjoyed them because they were moist and juicy. Little MrC loved the crispy, classic friend chicken, as I’d expected. He is a kid after all.

Because our trial was such a hit, we decided to order a second batch on the weekend of Little MrC’s birthday. There was also a Pacquiao match that day, and MrC’s sister and her hubby were coming over for lunch. We ordered a dozen each of the two variants. Not only was it super super affordable, but the taste and quality was exactly the same as the first time. Some of the guests at home that day aren’t really big eaters, but I think everyone had at least two pieces of chicken.

Perfect for Parties

We ordered Marky’s Chicken again on Mother’s Day weekend. This time we requested for 30 pieces. Now, mind you, we had them delivered to the house by 5:30 PM. Mom transferred the pieces to an aluminum tray, in preparation for a supposed 6PM dinner. We ended up eating at a little past 7PM. Guess what? The chicken was still juicy and tender. So yes, Marky’s is perfect for parties, too!

And that, my friends, is why Marky’s Chicken deserves this blog post. Bow. For more info, check out Marky’s Chicken on Facebook or call +632 949 9869. For franchise inquiries, email franchise@markyschicken.com.

This Bookworm Loves Buqo + A Giveaway

May 23, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 24 Comments

I am a proud bookworm. I mean, the fact that I’m part of a book club says that loud and clear, right?

I’ve only just recently discovered the joys of digital reading. Ever since MrC gifted me with my Kindle a couple of mother’s days ago, it’s had a permanent space in my purse. I remember, during the first few weeks, how happy I was that my bag was lighter without a book in it, and yet I had so many titles with me all at once. The one downside to the reader that I have is that I can’t read magazines or picture books on it because the display is not in color.

And then came Buqo.

I recently received this amazing opportunity to try out a new app called Buqo . I jumped at the chance because it meant that I could finally see my favorite Yummy Magazine in digital format. Haha, yes, that is really my primary reason for doing the review! Now, as you know, I don’t own a tablet and my phone is super low tech. I actually had to borrow my dad’s iPad just so I could install the app. Boy, was it worth it!

As I was browsing through Buqo, I discovered one other advantage it has over my current reader – LOCAL TITLES. There are a few books that I have been wanting to read that I just couldn’t get on Amazon. Lo and behold, I found them all on Buqo! That’s because Buqo is basically an online Filipino bookstore. They even have Adarna Children’s Books, Precious Hearts Romances and Pugad Baboy ! It’s Pinoy bookworm heaven, I tell you.

Buqo – the premier Filipino digital bookstore

Easy Purchases + Easy Navigation

Now, I have to tell you that I am an iDummy. I don’t really know how to use an iPad,simply because I’ve never tried to before. Surprisingly though, Buqo was simple to install, and registering an account was easy also. After browsing for a bit, I found what I wanted and added them to my account.

Now here’s a perk for Android app users, and for those of you who are buying books through the website. If you don’t have a credit card, you can actually pay for your book or magazine purchases through online banking or over the counter bank payments. Isn’t that so convenient? Plus, with just one account, you can use Buqo and access your entire library on up to 7 devices.

Early Bird Freebies

Since Buqo is still relatively new, there are still a lot of freebies being offered when you sign up, such as certain magazine titles. Also, when you sign up, you are given access to the Buqo newsletter. You then get informed first about new content, upcoming promos and special offers.

PLUS, since I am also super happy with my Buqo experience, I want to share the happiness with you guys. I am giving away a 3-month subscription of any summit media magazine to 5 blog readers. Note that there are three mandatory steps that you absolutely, positively MUST accomplish in order for your entry to be considered valid.

Download the app.
Register a Buqo account – this is necessary for you to claim your prize
Follow Buqo on Facebook and Twitter

Of course, there are a few more things that you can do to gain additional points, but I’m sure you know that already. Everything you need to do to join ca be found in the Rafflecopter widget below. Giveaway runs from May 23 to June 5, 2014. Winners will be announced on June 7.

FINE PRINT: The winners will be forwarded to the Buqo team and they will be in charge of sending you your prizes. Kk?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, and happy reading everyone!

Dinner By the Beach and a Pico de Loro Morning

May 15, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 23 Comments

Before you start reading this post, please read my first Pico de Loro entry, just so you’re up to date. 🙂 Indulge me. Thank you.

Okay. After our property tour around the super big Pico de Loro Cove, Celine suggested that we grab some cold drinks at the Sun Coral Cafe, the Beach Club’s Filipino restaurant. Our dinner was to be served by the chef and servers of Sun Coral Cafe at a beautiful table set up right on the sand, so it was a good idea to hang around the area at cocktail hour. Plus, I was never one to say no to mojitos by the beach.

Mojitos and MIlo dinosaurs at cocktail hour

It was here that Tim and Little MrC really started chatting and bonding. After about ten minutes, they were BFFs already. Of course, no one was happier about their new-found friendship than their two mamas! While the boys were bonding, I took the time to chat with Tina and play with my favorite little girl, Baby Anne. I started talking to this little one when she was still in the tummy, and I was so happy that she instantly took to me, played with me, held my hand and let me carry her! I love this baby, I really do.

Dinner on the Beach

After only a few minutes, we were invited to head out onto the beach and get settled in for dinner. The setup was so romantic, just like the al fresco garden dinner we had last September at Taal Vista Hotel. In fact, a few feet away from our long table was a table for two all set up with candles and tiki torches. Yep, they can do this for you at Pico de Loro, so if you are celebrating an anniversary or planning a romantic proposal, keep them in mind!

Because Sun Coral Cafe specializes in Filipino food, we had a Pinoy feast with a twist for dinner. It was a little dark, so you’re gonna have to forgive my blurry photos. We started off with a lightly-dressed salad with apples, arugula and walnuts. I absolutely loved this. We were also served soup, a Batangas-style tinola that had squash in it instead of papaya. The soup was actually orange from the squash. MrC loved this one, and so did the kids. They ate mostly soup and rice for dinner.

Salad and soup, and a really lovely lantern

My favorite part of the entire meal was the rice. It was as if the rice was cooked in nilagang baka broth and topped with bulalo! So bad, but so, so good. There was also pancit habhab topped with egg, lechon kawali, crispy binagoongan, bistek-style fish and gising gising. I hope I didn’t forget anything! Dessert was a warm, gooey chocolate cake cooked on a skillet with vanilla ice cream, vanilla sauce and strawberry sauce that you could smother onto the chocolate. Just thinking about it is making my mouth water.

Fish bistek, pancit habhab with egg, our sinful dessert and the yummy gising-gising

The kids were served their own special dinner set. They had pizza, mac and cheese, mini burgers and huge scoops of ice cream for dessert. We were all so stuffed after this meal that we ordered pots of TWG tea to sip on as we chatted and digested.

Time to Say Goodnight!

Before long, we all started to get sleepy and it was time to head home to Pico Sands Hotel. The boys and I were pleasantly surprised with the good night “notes” and sweet treats we found in the room when we entered. The turn down service at this hotel is superb. Shades now covered the big windows, the bed was ready for us, and the room was super cold. While the little boy cleaned up, MrC and I ate some of the cookies and pastillas. Yes, more eating!

I was more than excited to take a shower after being outdoors all afternoon. The fluffy bath robe and bedroom slippers were calling out to me!

It’s important to note that the water at Pico Sands Hotel is not potable. They actually provide guests with bottled water in the bathrooms to use for tooth brushing. I was really happy about that. I usually make sure that we gargle with bottled water when we’re out of town just so I can be sure that we don’t end up with upset tummies.

We set an early alarm for May 1, so that we could be sure to make the most out of our one full day at Pico de Loro. The view outside our window was so beautiful that I literally had to take a photo from bed. We eventually managed to get ourselves off that cozy bed and out of room 627, so we could go grab breakfast at Pico Restaurant.

View from my pillow, and the boys from across the hall

Breakfast buffet, yay!

The breakfast buffet at Pico Restaurant was simple, hearty and filling. The usual pancake and egg stations were located in the garden, each within their own nipa huts. Super cute.

They served both steamed and garlic fried rice, plus a mountain of bacon, fried fish, beef tapa, and sausages. There was a small bread selection with peanut butter and jam, a cereal station, soup and salad. The juices were nice and refreshing and the fresh fruits at the buffet were really juicy and sweet.

We enjoyed breakfast. Yes we did. The only thing I didn’t like was the barako coffee, but that’s just because I really don’t like barako. I prefer arabica from the mountains, thankyouverymuch.

After breakfast, it was time to hit the pool! Unfortunately I was hormonal during our visit and so I had absolutely no pool action whatsoever. Argh. I really need to plan our return to Pico de Loro soon, just so I get to swim there. I’m still not over it.

Here you see the face of impatience as I slowly walked back to our room, slowly applied sunblock and then had him pose for a photo before swimming. I was stalling so that he could digest his breakfast!

Since I was stuck sunning by the pool, I took the opportunity to catch up on my reading. A few chapters in, and it started to get too hot for my rash-y skin, so I decided to order a watermelon shake to cool off.

Cooling off with a drink while they cooled off in the water

I like that the water depth in the pool of the Pico de Loro Country Cub is clearly marked, so the kiddo knows where he can and cannot go. The pool is also divided into sections, so kids can be confined in the shallower areas while adults and bigger kids are free to do their thing in the deeper areas. It makes for less paranoid parents, really. Plus, there are a lot of lifeguards around the area, and they are easy to spot in their red outfits. Safety first!

The boys took a break from swimming so that Little MrC and Tim could play in the video game room. After sitting by the pool for a couple of hours, I was also really looking forward to staying in a cold place for a bit and so I said yes to the digital distraction. I thought that after the game the kids would agree to just go to our rooms, shower and then have lunch, but I was so wrong. Tim and this little boy asked for more pool time, and of course us mommies had to say yes. Tina, Anne and I hung around and bonded instead while the two big boys swam with little Rysse.

We were all so tired after that second swim. We said our goodbyes to the Rodriguez family before we went to our rooms, because Tina and I were worried that the two little boys might ask to do more activities. Unfortunately, it was almost time to get ready to leave. We decided to order room service for lunch instead of going down to the restaurant because we were lazy (lol), and also so that we could have a little more time to pack and clean up.

Our trip to Pico de Loro was just what this little family needed this summer. We were really looking forward to a nice vacation, and I am so grateful that we were granted one. I overheard my mom telling my cousin, actually, that I have a good thing going on with this blog (her exact words were “Ang gand ng raket nya“). I may not earn much from it as far as money goes, but the things we get to see and do together as a family, all thanks to blogging, are simply irreplaceable.

This, my favorite smile, is the ultimate reward

Thank you so very much to the wonderful staff of Pico Sands Hotel, Pico de Loro Beach and Country Club, and to Celine and the team. It’s always a pleasure spending time with you guys. We are so excited to comeback to Pico and to Taal Vista real soon.

Pico de Loro Cove is located in Nasugbu, Batangas. For inquiries, please call Pico Sands Hotel at + 632 46478888. Visit their website at http://www.picodelorocove.com and stay connected at facebook.com/picosandshotel and instagram.com/picodeloroclub.