At Home With MrsC

Perfect Pico de Loro

May 13, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 19 Comments

May has always been a month to look forward to in our family. MrC celebrates his birthday in May, and I also get my celebration on Mother’s Day. It’s the middle of summer, so the little boy is often in high spirits, and, best of all, the month begins with a holiday. What’s not to love about May?

Well, this year our wonderful friends from Pico de Loro (who happen to be our same wonderful friends from Taal Vista Hotel) gave us one more reason to love May. I had been wishing, hoping and dreaming about a summer getaway ever since school closed at the end of March. Finally, sometime mid-April, I received an invite from Celine Arenillo, Area Marketing Communications Manager for Pico de Loro and Taal Vista, for an overnight stay at Pico Sands Hotel. Happy, happy, joy, joy! Even better, we were scheduled to visit the place at the same time as my bloggy mommy friend, fellow WMB contributor, seatmate, group mate and dance partner, Tina Rodriguez and her family.

The Cuyugan and Rodriguez families with our super gracious host, Celine.

We left Alabang at a little past 2pm on April 30, a Wednesday. MrC had to report to work in the morning, and that’s why we weren’t able to head out until after lunch. It was a quick and easy drive along familiar roads. While most people take Cavitex on the way to Pico de Loro, that route is actually out of the way for us. Luckily, Pico is only a cove away from Patungan, home of Lolo’s Fishville, and we know how to get there via Imus, Trece Martires, General Trias, Ternate and Maragondon. Yup, it’s a tour of Cavite!

Pico Sands Hotel

We arrived at Pico Sands Hotel at just after 4pm. Celine greeted us at the reception area and explained our 2-day itinerary as we checked in. Of course, my curious little boy asked question after question about the food, the amenities and the activities available to us.

Check in was super quick and easy. We were given our key cards, a map of the grounds, a checklist of activities that we can do while at Pico, breakfast and beach towel coupons, and waterproof wrist tags that we had to wear in order to access all of the amenities. See, some areas are exclusive for members, and so non-member guests are given a different color tag from members and sponsored guests.

Everything we need to find our way around the hotel and country club

We were booked in a Corner Deluxe Room, which was really big and super cozy. Little MrC is at that age where he can still squeeze into a big bed with his dad and I, and we were happy that the bed was roomy, the pillows soft and the blanket fluffy. I knew right away that I would sleep like a baby at Pico Sands, just like I did at Taal Vista Hotel.

I love how light from the big windows flow into the room

Because we were in a corner room, we had a huge balcony. It was actually wrapped around two sides of the room. We also had lots of windows so the room was always bathed in light. The windows and balcony also gave us access to the gorgeous view of the man-made lagoon and the country club grounds.

I find that balconies are the best places to read or write, especially when the weather is pleasant. Because this summer is scorching, though, I hardly spent time outside. I opted to use the large writing desk inside the airconditioned room instead. I also didn’t bring my laptop on this trip because I just wanted to go on vacation so badly and so I decided to leave work at home. I think that was a super good move.

The perfect blogging spot + more photos inside the room

After we got settled and unpacked, I had to leave the boys for a bit to go on a property tour with Celine and the other bloggers in our group. They said they would go and explore on their own too, then sent me off. Back at the ground floor of the hotel, I saw Pico Restaurant where we would be having breakfast the next morning, and Pico Bar where I would have loved to grab a cocktail if we were staying longer.

Pico de Loro Country Club

Our first stop on the tour was Pico de Loro Country Club, which is only a short walking distance from the hotel. Guests staying at Pico Sands have access to the pool at the club, as well as the locker rooms, which are big, clean and nice smelling. Yay for that!

The Country Club also has bowling lanes and billiard tables, and it super reminded me of the resorts and country clubs I visited during my childhood. For the little kiddos, there’s Club Pico, a play place with tunnels, a ball pit and other fun activities. My kid is too big for this already, but Tina’s girls had the best time playing inside Club Pico.

For older kids who aren’t big enough for billiards or bowling yet, there’s always the Game Lounge, or, as Little MrC calls it, the video game room. At the beginning of our mini-vacation I declared that there would be no video games on the trip. But then on day two, something about the mid-day heat made me say yes to an hour of Plants vs Zombies on the PS3. I guess I was just really happy that my little boy and Tina’s son, Tim, really hit it off. They were so in-sync, it was as if they had already known each other for years.

I really would have wanted to try the videoke rooms, but later on decided that I would just save that experience for another visit. The Country Club has a restaurant called Lagoa, a Cafe Lounge and a Lanai Bar. There is also a large ballroom for corporate or social functions. In the same complex, there’s a really nice sports area with tennis and badminton courts, a basketball court, ping-pong tables, and even a squash/pelota area. This is really perfect for company team building or sportsfest activities. HR friends, take note!

There is also a convenience store at the lobby of the country club where members and hotel guests can buy things like food, sunglasses, and various other things. If you are looking to buy flip flops, beach bags, swimwear or cover-ups, though, you can actually visit the Kultura boutiques, which are located at the lobby of Pico Sands Hotel and the lobby of the Beach Club. I only got to take a quick peek at the convenience store before the shuttle arrived at the Country Club driveway, and it was time for us to go and check out the chapel.

Wouldn’t you want to get married here???

I love this chapel! It gives you a beautiful ocean sunset backdrop, just like what we had during my sister-in-law’s Bohol wedding, only with the added perk of airconditioning! It’s the best of both worlds, if you ask me. Celine said that this chapel has been used for a celebrity wedding, and also for the wedding of one of Henry Sy’s grandsons.

See that beautiful view? (Photo belongs to Tina!)

Meanwhile, in MrC land…

We caught up with the boys on our way to the Beach Club from the church. They were trying to catch a shuttle and ours just happened to drive by. I was so curious to know what they did while I was on the property tour. The photos I found in the camera were just so cute that I thought I’d share them here, too!

They checked out the country club, the beach and the grounds around the lagoon during the afternoon. That’s a lot of walking! No wonder they both looked tired when we picked them up.

Imagine, we did all of that in only a couple of hours, and day 1 of our vacation wasn’t over yet. After the property tour, we had cocktails and then dinner on the beach. And then day 2 was filled with lots of family fun and bonding with the Rodriguez’s! So much to write about and so many photos to share, but I will save the rest of the story for another post.

Have you been to Pico de Loro? If you haven’t yet, you really should add it to your list of vacation prospects. Honestly, I can’t wait to go back!

PICO SANDS HOTEL
Pico de Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast,
Barangay Papaya, Nasugbu, Batangas
+632 2147800 / +632 2147888 / +639178091289
reservations@picosandshotel.com
http://www.picodelorocove.com/
http://www.hamilocoast.com/
#/picosandshotel

For membership inquiries, call +632 9458000

Summer Gift Baskets

May 12, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Great go-to gift ideas for this summer

Whether they’re still in school or graduated ages ago, everyone looks forward to the summer break. Family outings are planned and beaches are swarmed; resorts are overbooked, and all of a sudden, everyone is posting “Summer 2014!” albums on Facebook.

You can expect that anyone having a birthday during the summer months will be having a party designed to help the guests cool off. Be it a pool party or a trip out of town, friends and families all appreciate being given the chance to wade in some cool water to let off some steam. These summer parties are perfect, because not only are they a joy to attend, but they make picking the gift for the celebrant so much easier.

Deciding on a gift can be extremely stressful; especially when 1) you don’t know the celebrant well enough to know what they’ll really like, or 2) you love the celebrant too much and want to get them something they’ll really be able to use. For both of problems, though, a gift basket can save you so much trouble. Gift baskets are usually seen in the Christmas season, but that doesn’t mean that they’re not adaptable. In fact, they’re probably the easiest to assemble, and they’re always appreciated, no matter the occasion.

In fact, you could even create gift baskets for Christenings and birthdays, just as the community on NetMums.com has suggested. A few days ago, the Worksop Guardian announced that it would be giving away a Marks and Spencer hamper of baby care products to lucky parents too, so the idea isn’t all too novel. Everyone loves a good gift basket, and this summer, you can be sure that the lucky recipient will appreciate a gift basket full of summer essentials.

When building a gift basket, it’s always important to think of what the recipient will need, thus giving more value to your gift. It should be easy to come up with a list of things that can go in a Summer Gift Basket, but here are some ideas:

A great beach towel

These are relatively inexpensive and shouldn’t set you back by more than 200-250php if you know where to look.

Some sunblock, or suntan

Depending on whether your friend is going for a tan or trying to avoid getting too tan, you can get them a bottle of sunscreen or tanning lotion. This alone should make the gift basket a welcome sight to the celebrant!

A summer hat

Extremely whimsical and great for relaxing at the poolside or on the beach, everyone loves summer hats! Save your friend the trouble of going to the department store to look for one and get her one in her favorite color.

Some fashionable sunglasses

Oversized sunglasses are always in fashion, and the summer look isn’t complete without a pair! There are many discount sunglasses available online, but your friend probably wouldn’t mind a pair of fake sunglasses either, as long as they do the job!

A Summer Gift Basket is a great idea, because you can be sure that the recipient can put it to good use. In fact, if you choose just the right items, you might see them being used right then and there at the party!

This entry is an original guest post submitted to Mrs C’s Sugarcoated Life.

Our Spiderman Movie Date with PLDT Home DSL

May 11, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 15 Comments

The boys and I rarely catch a movie on opening week because I don’t like crowds, and I’m not fond of crowded movie theaters. I was more than happy to make an exception for The Amazing Spiderman 2, though, when my friends Millie and Janice asked if the boys and I would like to attend a special screening that PLDT Home DSL was setting up. Of course our whole family said yes to that! I love family-oriented events like this one, and I love how PLDT Home DSL is an enabler of family-sized connections.

I was so happy about being invited to this event that I actually made the super mega effort of driving to Makati with the kiddo on a post-football afternoon, and with a fussy stomach, to pick up MrC from work so that we could make it to Eastwood Mall by 7pm. Oh, and I forgot to mention that we were really pooped because we had just arrived home from our Pico de Loro escapade the night before.

One of the highlights for me was seeing little Diego and his mom Lara, members of the Ledesma family who are featured in the PLDT Home DSL TVC. My son loves watching families and kids on TV, and I noticed that he really is influenced by them. He picks up jokes, shows an interest in things that they have and do, and even wants to try out the activities that he sees them engage in onscreen.

I like that Little MrC sees Diego interact with people online in these commercials through his Ask Diego Fan Page. See, we have a lot of family members who are abroad, and it’s only through the internet that they get to watch him grow. We’re on Skype often, and we make an effort to share photos and stories on Facebook also. I share stories here on the blog. MrC and the little boy like to shoot short videos that they share on a secret YouTube page that family members can access. Yep, we like to keep our kiddo’s videos private as a sort of protective measure.

Similarly, Daddy Paolo and Mommy Lara screen Diego’s page to be sure that the stuff he gets to see are all age-appropriate. Before he sees the questions, Paolo and Lara delete offensive content, and sometimes answer the more difficult questions themselves. Then they help him type out answers, especially when he asks about how to spell words. On occasion, Diego also gets ideas for answers from his Ate Trisha. I think that monitoring the age and answering the questions also provides their family with a fun bonding activity online.

In this sense, we can totally relate to the Ledesmas, who are a tight-knit family that enjoys doing things together online using multiple gadgets simultaneously to help one another out. And for us to be able to keep up with our online lives, we need limitless sharing with the strong reliable family-sized connection, exactly what PLDT Home DSL provides.

To sign up for your own strong, reliable family-sized connection of PLDT HOME DSL, visit pldthome.com.

Oh, and no, I’m not posting about the movie because I don’t want to be a spoiler in case any of you haven’t seen it yet. Just know that we LOVED it, and we are so glad we came to the event. Since you won’t get any movie info from me, #letsaskdiego about it on Facebook if you really wanna know!

Recipe: Chicken Menudo Made With Love

May 8, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 22 Comments

I went to the kitchen mid-morning to get water, and I saw ingredients laid out. I asked my mom what she was planning to make and she said Chicken Menudo. I stopped her right there and said that I was gonna take care of preparing lunch.

No one, and I mean no one loves menudo in this house more than I do. I believe that the most important ingredient that goes into any successful dish is love. Because I have lotsa love to give for this dish, I knew that it had to be me in that kitchen. I mean, I don’t think that you could look at the finished product and tell me that I’m not right. I know you can’t because the love just totally shows.

It’s actually a really easy recipe to make, and I can say that because to tell you the truth, today was the first time that I ever made menudo. I asked my mom how she used to make it, then I looked for other recipes online. I saw this one, and sort of just combined it with my moms, made a few adjustments on my own, and the rest is tasty history.

I started out with a kilo and a half of cubed chicken breast, plus 1/4 kilo of chicken liver. Even if you don’t like liver, add some. It does wonders for the sauce. Marinate the meat for at least half an hour in soy sauce, vinegar, tomato paste and black pepper.

Chicken pieces that have been chilling in the fridge

While the chicken is marinading, you might want to start sauteing the cubed potatoes and carrots in a little bit of oil. Cook them just enough so that they begin to become tender, but not too much that they get too soft and fall apart in the sauce later on. This significantly cuts the cooking time of the menudo so that you don’t overcook the chicken.

After 30 minutes in the fridge, the chicken is good to go. So you saute garlic and onions in the same pot or wok you used to precook the other veggies. Add in the chicken and the marinade and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until all the pieces are completely cooked. Stir this occasionally.

Lots of garlic and onions – a must for me when cooking

Add carrots, potatoes, bell peppers and peas. Mix, mix. Throw in some red hotdogs, sliced so that they look like coins. This is optional, but in my world menudo makes no sense without hotdogs in it. Then, add the tomato sauce and water. Finally, add 2 tablespoons of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir up everything in the pot and simmer until the sauce thickens.

Once the sauce is as thick as you like, which is most likely around the time that the chicken liver starts to melt into it, you are done. All you need now is some fluffy steamed rice.

I’m so glad I made a big batch coz that means that we can have this again for lunch tomorrow. Yay!

MrsC's Chicken Menudo

2014-05-08 07:22:18

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Ingredients

1.5 kilos chicken, cubed
1/5 kilo chicken liver
1/4 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp white vinegar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 tbsp black pepper
1 onion, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 large carrot, cubed
1 large potato, cubed
1 red bell pepper, sliced into squares
1/2 cup green peas
3 jumbo sized red hotdogs, cut into circles
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking oil

Instructions

Combine tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce and pepper. Pour over chicken cubes and liver, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
Fry cubed potatoes and carrots in a little bit of oil until tender, but still firm.
In the same pot or wok, saute garlic and onions.
Add the marinaded chicken and liver pieces, as well as the marinade. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are completely cooked. Stir occasionally.
Add potatoes, carrots, peas, and bell peppers. After a few minutes, add the hotdog slices.
Pour in the tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of water. Add sugar.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Then, allow to simmer until the sauce thickens.
Serve menudo over steamed rice.

Notes

You can also opt to add raisins for a little bit of sweetness, but I would rather not have them in this dish.

By MrsC

Adapted from Lucky Mom's Recipe

At Home With MrsC https://blissbysam.com/

I would love to hear how this recipe turns out for you, in case you decide to try making it at home! Hope your family loves it as much as mine did.

SBC’s April and May BOMs

May 6, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 23 Comments

Before we begin, let’s have a definition of terms. SBC stands for Secret Book Club, which is the name of our book club. It just started out that way, and none of us felt the need to change the name. BOM means Book of the Month. In our book club, we have two to read each month. I think I explained this already when I posted about our first book club meet-up, but I just thought I’d do it again. And now that that’s clear, we can move on.

Meeting up to discuss our March BOMs! L-R: Me, Liz, Russ, Balot and Joei (who owns this photo) — Meet-up #2 to discuss our March BOMs!
L-R: Me, Liz, Russ, Balot and Joei (who owns this photo)

April’s books were polar opposites. Balot suggested Arabian Nights by Sir Richard Burton. Honestly, I didn’t go very far with this one because I got sidetracked by Book Four of A Song of Fire and Ice. Had to catch up on my reading because the Game of Thrones series started up again on HBO. Feedback from those who actually got to read Arabian Nights was that it’s a pretty long book. I’m definitely keeping this on my to-read list, even though it’s been decided that we will forego the discussion for it because it’s so lengthy.

I was in charge of suggesting the second April book. I chose Losing It by Cora Carmack. Oh my gosh this book was so funny. I would choose this over Fifty Shades of Grey any day because unlike 50 Shades, this book doesn’t take itself too seriously. The characters are a lot more endearing, not at all annoying, and a lot more real. Sorry Fifty Shades fans. Hehe. I actually read all three books in that series and, well, I wasn’t as swept away by it as the rest of the universe. I would recommend Losing It, though.It’s a really easy read, super light, and a great “breather” book, if you’re looking for something to read in between heavy novels.

It’s Janice’s turn to suggest a book this month, and I love that she picked a Filipino author. Liz is also suggesting a book this month, and her recommendation is pretty interesting.

I’ve just finished downloading our two May BOMs into my Kindle, Belong To Me by Marissa delos Santos and This is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E. Smith, and I am excited to start reading them both.

First, I need to finish A Feast For Crows. And of course, the only way I’m gonna be able to do that is if I get off this computer and start reading. Right? Right.

What’s on your reading list this month?

Gourdo’s Scrapbooking Yard Sale

May 5, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Wait, oh my gosh I should have posted this a week ago. Haynako, momnesia strikes again. Anyway…

Gourdo’s is inviting everyone to come and shop at their Scrapbooking Yard Sale, which actually started last May 1, and will go on until May 18. This is happening at the Gourdo’s Fort Bonifacio store. They’re offering a lot of great scrapbooking items at 50% off. Crafty friends, I think that you guys would totally go nuts here.

Gourdo's Scrapbooking Yard Sale — Gourdo’s Scrapbooking Yard Sale

Apart from great deals, there are also exciting activities lined up on the weekends. Bonus: There are gonna be lots of freebies, too! On Mother’s Day weekend, May 10-11, they will be having the I Love Mom Because… A Mother’s Day Craft Weekend. This is perfect for you guys who have no plans yet for mom’s day.

There’s going to be a mom and kid crafting activity, the Make n’ Take Activity by Mom and Me. The mom and me pair gets a free photo from Fuji Instax, which they can use to create a card or a scrapbook layout when they purchase a Make n’ Take kit.

If you do visit, don’t forget to check out the free demos from 1-5pm on May 10-11. There’s Calligraphy by Imma Frias, Punchers and Stamps by Ime Oranga, and other demos on Paper Flowers, Project Life and Smash Books.

Sounds like a lot of crafty fun!

For more details, visit the Gourdo’s website or Facebook Page.