Mothers Who Brunch

In The Mood Food Crawl at Evia Lifestyle Center

February 13, 2018 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 3 Comments

Confession: It’s the day before Valentine’s Day and we have not made any plans. No special menu, no restaurant reservation for dinner, nothing. And our Christmas tree is still up. To say that we are unprepared is the understatement of the century.

I do have an idea of where it would be nice to go for a romantic V-day dinner, though, thanks to the recent In The Mood Food Crawl that Evia Lifestyle Center hosted together with my lovely Mothers Who Brunch friends, Mish and Sab.

This is what it really looks like when the three of us get together. Lots and lots of laugh-til-we-cry moments.

If, like me, you are not ready for Valentine’s, read on! If you just want to discover some awesome new places to eat with your boyfriend, girlfriend, spouse, family or friends, read on, too!

There was only one item on my agenda for today, and that was the #inthemoodfoodcrawl, which my lovely @motherswhobrunch friends hosted with the wonderful people of @evialifestylecenter. My schedule is usually crazy or full or both, but when @mommanmanila and @sinfullysabrina say “Save the date!” I save the date. And it’s always worth it, each and every time. I’m completely stuffed from our eating tour of #evialifestylecenter (we went to 7 different places!!!). Can’t wait to take MrC and the ManChild there to try everything. And I’m in a really great mood from all the chatting and laughing. Plus, my sister who brunches (not yet a mother though) got to come, too! Thanks for having us, Mish and Sab! See you again soon. And Evia, I’ll be back! May mga babalikan pa ako sa My Mother’s Cupboard. Lol! 😚😚😚 #valentinesatevia #motherswhobrunch

A post shared by Patricia 🌸 At Home With MrsC (@mrspcuyugan) on Feb 6, 2018 at 2:06am PST

Bright and early on a Tuesday morning, I drove to Evia with my sister, Rocky, in tow. Her plan was just to check out the mall since she’d never been there before. Sab and Mish graciously invited her to join us, though, and of course she said yes. Who says no to brunch anyway?

There were 7 stops mapped out for our food crawl. 7! That’s a lot of eating. And so, off we were, appetites ready, forks in hand, ready to feast with friends.

First stop: Tigerleaf

It’s not easy to find great Thai food in Manila. We only got to try two dishes from the Tigerleaf menu, but man oh man were they amazing. My sister and I had more than one serving of the Catfish Salad and Chicken Satay, each. We were both well aware that there were 6 more stops ahead, but the food was so good that we just couldn’t help ourselves!

I love that the Chicken Satay is served over hot coals. Keeps the skewers nice and warm.

Crunchy catfish. Tart green mangoes. Crisp lettuce. And an amazing sweet and salty fish sauce dressing. Oh the joy.

Second stop: Mama Lou’s Italian Kitchen

Second stop, and we’re already starting to get full!

I’m no stranger to Mama Lou’s. We’ve eaten at their BF Homes branch many times. I have to say, though, that I was still completely blown away by the spread they prepared for us during the food crawl. Theirs was an Italian antipasto buffet to die for.

I particularly loved the Spinach and Honey Goat Cheese with Truffle Pizza. Actually, there was nothing on that table that I didn’t like. If we didn’t have to move on to the next restaurant, I might have just stayed in Mama Lou’s all day. No kidding.

All I want for Valentine’s Day is this spread from Mama Lou’s

Third stop: Merlion’s Cuisine

I thought that was a carved carrot, but it’s actually made of salt!

I confess, Singaporean cuisine isn’t one of my faves. But I did enjoy the Meat Platters and Mango-Sago Pomelo dessert that we got to try at Merlion’s.

Fourth stop: Mesa

While it’s been around for years, I’ve never actually eaten at Mesa before. Now I know that I’ve been missing out. I cannot stop thinking about their Crispchon and the soft homemade malunggay crepe they wrap it in. Then there’s the super fresh shrimp cooked over hot rocks in a clay pot. And sarap! Their kamias shake is a must-try, too!

You won’t believe how crispy the skin on this little piggy is

Fifth stop: Another Story

This salmon was perfectly flakey, and was so yummy paired with the creamy mashed potatoes

I’ve eaten at Another Story before, so I knew to expect good food. We had an Angus Prime Ribeye Steak and a Grilled Salmon, and I loved them both. This is definitely on my list of places to eat with the boys. And I definitely want to order the steak and salmon again. At the same time, maybe. Is that too much? Lol!

I would totally drive to Evia again just for this steak!

Sixth stop: Teppanya

The whole cooking process at Teppanya would be so much fun for kids to watch

I have never had A5 Wagyu before, and let me tell you, I was not prepared for how melt-in-your-mouth it was. So good! It’s the kind of meat that needs barely any seasoning. Or teeth. You can chew on it even if you don’t have teeth. I’m not kidding! The meat paired perfectly well with the giant Hokkaido Salt Crusted Oysters we were served as well. This stop in our food crawl was really such a treat!

Each oyster was literally a mouthful, and so, so delicious

Seventh stop: The Cheesecake Fairy

It was such a treat spending time with Mike and Millie that day!

If there’s one rule in life that I totally live by, it’s always make room for dessert. My blood sugar may not be my friend, but I threw caution to the wind and indulged in the different cheesecakes laid out for us at The Cheesecake Fairy. I expected to like the Oreo one best, but surprise, surprise, it was the Salted Caramel Cheesecake that won my heart.

I absolutely love anything and everything cookies and cream

Dear @thecheesecakefairyph Salted Caramel Cheesecake, Know that I’m thinking about you today. And I will see you again very, very soon. Love, Me 📷@motherswhobrunch #willyoubemyvalentine #loveletterstofood #inarelationshipwithfood #inthemoodfoodcrawl #valentinesatevia #evialifestylecenter #motherswhobrunch

A post shared by Patricia 🌸 At Home With MrsC (@mrspcuyugan) on Feb 7, 2018 at 10:32pm PST

Bonus: My Mother’s Cupboard

Before we said our goodbyes, we made one last stop at My Mother’s Cupboard. Oh my goodness, this place is a housewife’s dream come true. (Tip: Guys, it’s a great place to shop for a Valentine’s Day gift for your wifey!)

This is just perfect for those of us who don’t usually go out on Valentine’s Day

In true Mothers Who Brunch fashion, Mish and Sab taught us how to make some magic in the kitchen, which was perfect for Valentine’s Day – A dessert board! I’m definitely excited to try making one at home (coz we all know how much I love sweets) as soon as my blood sugar cooperates. Hopefully, it will be in time for V-day!

Thank you, Mish and Sab, for having us! Rocky and I really had the best time. Til the next one!

*All photos without watermark courtesy of Mothers Who Brunch

Mothers Who Brunch x Uashmama

November 22, 2017 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 1 Comment

Fact: I love bringing like-minded friends together so they can make magic. Mm-hmm, I take my role of matchmaker seriously! One of my greatest successes so far is the Mish + Sab tandem popularly known as Mothers Who Brunch.

Just to be clear, I do not take credit for them because, really, it is their amazing talent, hospitality, and shared love for food and entertaining that makes their collaboration a success. But I do take credit for introducing them to one another. And I couldn’t be happier about this match made in kitchen heaven. They really are so fantastic together!

Just recently, I had the pleasure of being invited to yet another Mothers Who Brunch get-together, one which they co-hosted with Uashmama.

Side story: Uashmama, an Italian brand, was brought to Manila by my high school friend, Fiddy Ganzon-Ofrecio, and her sisters. One morning, she messaged me to ask if I thought the Mothers Who Brunch ladies would be interested in partnering for an event. Obviously, the rest is history!

MWBxUashmama — Sab and Mish of MWB + Fiddy, Tina and Che of Uashmama PH

Until I spoke to Fiddy about it, I had never heard about Uashmama. I haven’t been shopping (or even browsing) so I’ve pretty much been under a rock as far as nice new things goes. At the event, she told us more about the brand and the products, and wow, they are super amazing.

As I mentioned earlier, Uashmama is an Italian brand, and they make washable paper products. They have paper bags, place mats, lunch boxes and even purses and backpacks. These are all made in Italy using eco-friendly processes and practices. For example, the dye that they use is vegetable-based and food grade, making the products totally safe to use in the kitchen and on the dining table.

I’ve been to a number of MWB gatherings before (thank you, Mish and Sab for always inviting me!) and it’s safe to say that there are three things you can always look forward to when you’re there: Food, fun with friends, and frizes and giveaways.

Of course, I meant prizes, and of course that was a joke!

Anyway…

This time around, the food was a delicious Italian spread prepared by Joy of YogiBrunch, along with a few other treats made by Mish and Sab.

Before we could sit and enjoy the feast, we were given a little activity to do. After being split into groups, we were tasked to style an assigned area of the Viking Range Showroom featuring the Uashmama products.

Styling has never been, and will never be a strength of mine, which is why I was super happy to have been grouped with Michelle and Maget who knew what to do. I was there for moral support, mainly, and also to find little pieces to add to our display.

Here’s our styled table! Isn’t it pretty? With matching light/shadow effect for added drama. Lol. Maganda?

Our styled table at the #mwbxuashmama event today! What would I do without you @mymomfriday? (She did all the work. The rest of us just cheered her on!) 😂💕

A post shared by Patricia 🌸 At Home With MrsC (@mrspcuyugan) on Nov 14, 2017 at 10:36pm PST

So, food – check! Fun with friends – check!

As for prizes and giveaways, we were all in for a treat. There were a lot of goodies. And I mean A LOT.

We each went home with a cute Mothers Who Bruch bag filled with wonderful goodies. There was a box of organic salad from EarthOrigins, a new cafe and organic store in Westgate. I happily gobbled it up before I remembered to take a photo, though. Sorry! But I’ll tell you, I’ve eaten at EarthOrigins, and their turmeric ice cream is so good, and also dairy-free!

There was a box of plant-based laundry detergent from Amala Naturals in the bag, too. I used it for the first time today, and I hope it does wonders for my spotty skin. I will keep you posted. I was also happy to see a bottle of my favorite Cusina Home dishwashing soap there. It’s so good for sensitive skin!

Uashmama sent us off with some place mats (one of my favorite things in the world!) and our own washable paper bags. I’m so excited to use them at home.

Our friends from Severin were there, too, armed with fantastic raffle prizes – Yogurt makers, crepe makers, and even a couple of Mr. Twister spiralizers!

There were so many prizes that everyone had a chance to win! This was really lucky for me because I never win. Now that I finally did, it was a huge prize! I actually took home a Severin Mr. Twister! What a perfect addition to my (already) Severin-filled kitchen!

So, remember that pretty salad photo from earlier? The carrots and zucchini on top were prepared using the Mr. Twister. Mish and Sab showed us how to do it before we started eating, and it really looked super easy to do. I am now dreaming about the different salads and zoodles that I can prepare!

This was my first holiday get together for this year, and what an amazing one it was. Thank you so much, Mothers Who Brunch, for having me. And thank you, also, to the fantastic sponsors who made the day extra wonderful for all of us there.

All photos provided by Mothers Who Bruch. I took some of my own but I can’t find my camera cable, so there. Haha!

P.S. You can read about my past MWB experiences here and here. And I’ll be writing about two more real soon!

P.P.S. Read more about this fun gathering from the other lovely moms in attendance:

Mothers Who Brunch Spooky Edition

October 14, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 4 Comments

What’s better than taking time off on a Saturday to hang out with friends? Taking time off on a Saturday to hang out with friends while your kid hangs out with their kids. Oh what fun! That was exactly the scene at the Viking Range Showroom in Westgate Alabang at this weekend’s Mothers Who Brunch Spooky Edition.

Mothers Who Brunch — The gang’s all here!

Mish and Sab throw the best brunches, which is why nothing and no one could have stopped me from attending the event. The same goes for Little MrC, who, upon finding out that his buddies Miguel (of Mish) and Sancho (of Sab) would be there, gave one big YES! with matching fist pump.

This Mothers Who Brunch was quite different from the first one I attended (read about the first one here!) I think that having the kids around created such a fun, chaotic vibe, which matched the event’s Halloween theme perfectly.

You could tell right away that it would be an interesting morning when the kids were asked to introduce their moms and share the most fun moment that they spent with us. I was pleasantly surprised when Little MrC said he enjoyed our trip to the strawberry fields in La Trinidad the most. Yay for fun vacations and lasting memories. This is why I choose to spend on trips with the family.

After the introductions, the kids were asked to go up to the second level of the showroom so they could make ice cream with the amazing Engineering for Kids team. I couldn’t see what they were doing, but I could hear a lot of laughing and chatting and shaking. I knew right away that the kiddo had fun when he came downstairs, all smiles, and proudly asked me to taste the ice cream he made. It was actually pretty good!

While the kids were upstairs, the mommies gathered around the couches downstairs for some crafting time with Ants Pocket. We were asked to sew Halloween bags out of felt, and of course I jumped right in. You guys know how much I love anything to do with thread!

I had a really fun time sewing, and the end product was super cute! Plus, I’m really happy to have discovered another fun thing that I can do with felt. The possibilities are endless, from Halloween and Christmas themed loot bags, to party giveaways, treat bags, and personalized gift bags.

Of course, no Mothers Who Brunch event is complete without having our portraits taken. I really love that Mish and Sab thought to add a photo session as one of the activities during the event. I think it’s brilliant because it’s not every day that moms (or at least that I) get dressed up, with makeup and all, and it’s just so great to be able to have a professional capture the moment. And now the kid and I have a couple of nice mom and me photos together.

When you come to Mothers Who Brunch, you come for the food. It’s true. The amazing company is the icing on the cake, but it’s the food, prepared and served with love, that’s the real star of this show. Not only did everything look amazeballs, but from appetizers to desserts, every bite was heavenly.

We also had Cheesy Spinach Soup to start with, Baked Chicken Wings, Truffle Mac & Cheese, and yummy Jam Foods Ribs. I remember telling my friend, Pam, who was seated next to me at the table, that I wish I could eat more coz everything was just so good, but I was already too full to function.

At the end of an insanely enjoyable morning, you get sent home with bags of goodies. Yes, bags. Plural. More than one. I was so happy to receive another Glad goodie bag, and just in time too, because I just ran out of Nonstick Aluminum Foil. I swear, that foil makes life in the kitchen so much easier.

Meanwhile, MrC flashed a winning smile when he saw the Clorox Wipes and the Zin Triple Pepper Blend in my swag bag. I’m also excited about the stash of kale, lemons and oranges from Lemons and Greens that were given to us.

THANK YOU so much, Mish and Sab, for inviting Little MrC and I to this event. We had a really great time. Thank you for bringing us all together, and congratulations on another unforgettable Mothers Who Brunch.

*All photos used in this post are by Jay Santos Photography.

Mothers Who Brunch

September 8, 2015 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 15 Comments

Fact: I love it when other people cook for me.

I think that most moms will agree that it’s so nice when someone prepares a meal for us. Most of us are the executive chefs of our households, and so being able to sit and enjoy a home cooked meal that we didn’t have to make ourselves is just awesome. Right?

I also think that I totally won the lottery when it comes to having friends who cook well. See, I have Mish and Sab in my life. Imagine, Sab once had another friend, Marge, and I over for a wala lang lunch, and she served us no less than a bagoong paella with bagnet!

And then one time, when Mish and I were getting some work done at her house, she had a tray of truffle mac and cheese ready for us for lunch! I feel so spoiled.

I love the fact that these two brilliant cooks decided that it was time to collaborate so that they could share their amazing kitchen delights with other moms. And so Mothers Who Brunch was born.

I wish I could say that the photos I’m using for this post are mine. But I can’t. Because this little genius came to the event with a camera that was super duper lowbatt! Blame it on the crazy summer we had (the event happened in May, I know, so long ago) shuttling back and forth between Alabang and Cainta while my father in law was in town.

So before anything, I wanna credit Gilbert Gutierrez for the photos. Thank goodness Sab and Mish thought to hire a photographer for the event! I think it’s a nice touch, and a great way to make sure that the moms who were there got to really relax and just enjoy without any worries.

Bonus: We all got head shots, too! Yay, I finally have a photo that I can use (that isn’t from my wedding lol) when people ask me to send one.

I arrived pretty early and said my hellos to the moms I already knew. And then the lady standing next to me turned around, and all I could do was stutter and stammer like the true fan girl that I am of Joey of 80breakfasts.com.

Her blog and her column on Yummy Magazine were some of my go-to places for help and advice when I first started learning how to cook! Now we are friends, and I still feel kilig over it.

We started off with a quick tour of the Viking Kitchen showroom. Someday, when I get the chance to build my dream kitchen, I would love to have a Viking range. And fridge. And oven. And microwave. Even a Viking knife.

The whole place was basically every cooking mom’s dream come true, and I was as excited to try the equipment as I was about meeting Joey. Lol, fan girl overload.

Getting into the kitchen with the Mothers Who Brunch moms was so much fun, and everything that Mish and Sab picked for that morning’s menu was amazeballs. I had a little bit of everything, twice!

To be honest, I’m not yet super confident when it comes to my cooking, so I rarely cook for anyone other than family. When Sab and Mish first asked me to share a recipe for the booklet that they were making as part of the giveaways, I was thisclose to backing out. True story.

I decided to woman-up anyway and share my recipe for Banana Swiss Miss Muffins. I’m glad that I did because I’ve gotten positive feedback about it, which was a huge confidence booster.

The recipe booklet (printed by Imagemax Digital Printing) was only one of the many, many, MANY goodies that we got to take home that day. Nothing can compare the the Mothers Who Brunch swag bag. It really felt like Christmas in May.

Inside basket number two were gorgeous coasters from Boqueria Lifestyle Market (who also styled the venue beautifully), gift certificates from Bikram Yoga Alabang, Coco Nail Studio and House of Monogram, yummy stuff for the kitchen from A Vanilla Story, The Vanilla Co and Lucky Merchant Salt, pralines and a cake from Choco La Bella, a beautiful little cactus from Sombra Verde, and Hurraw Chai Spice Lip Balm from Cutieverse. Wow.

Like I said at the beginning of this post, I feel like I won the jackpot with Mish and Sab. And no, I don’t mean that only because they feed me and make me happy.

These two are amazing women that I am proud and honored to call my friends. Through them and Mothers Who Brunch I’ve been able to meet more wonderful moms, and so I can say that they definitely make my life richer.

I can’t wait til the next one!

Cheers, mommas! ??@mommanmanila x @sinfullysabrina x @vikingrangeph #motherswhobrunch

A photo posted by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan (@mrspcuyugan) on Jun 1, 2015 at 2:03am PDT