buffalo wings recipe

Cakes and Unlimited Coffee

My sister rarely travels to our paternal hometown in La Union, so whenever I come home from my La Union trip and I would share them stories and pictures from Thunderbird Resorts, she would always feel a little jealous about it, so when the her time to travel there finally arrived, she really wanted to check out the place.

Coming from the OTOP Fair, it was still very early when we arrived at the Thunderbird Resorts. I mentioned to sister that the last time I was there, Olives Restaurant was offering a slice of cake + a cup of coffee for p150. Weighing all things, we thought it was a good deal and seeing that they are still having the promo (this food trip was five months after my last visit at the resort), we decided to go for it.

Rocky Road Cake
Among the available cakes that time, I chose to go for this cake, mainly because of how good it looked. I truly am not that big of a chocolate fan, but there are times that I go for food that visually appeals to me, and this was one of those times.

The cake was moist and had the right amount of sweetness. The height of the cake also added points (as well as the frosting in between layers of cake), but there was a little lacking in the chocolate department. Sure, it tasted chocolate-y good, but not as rich as the other chocolate cakes I've tried.

Coco-Almond Cake
The combination of Coconut and Almond piqued my sister's curiosity, so she chose this cake. It tasted good... again, it had the right amount of sweetness, but what I personally didn't like was that the cake was a little dry and coarse.

We were happy to learn that our cakes came with refillable coffee. I didn't have that much expectations about it as I know all brewed coffee tasted the same, but this one was really delicious! It was served with milk and assortment of sugar on the side (white and brown), but the coffee itself tasted better than the typical brewed coffee I tasted. However, I only went with one cup because a cup of brewed coffee always make me go for two packets of white sugar, and I felt guilty about it. Sister went for two cups of coffee, because she, too, loved it.

The cakes and coffee was something to be thankful about - that even if this didn't really count as a food trip at Olive's Restaurant (because what we ate were cakes and not the restaurant's other offerings), we were glad that we discovered a place to have great coffee. Best reward for the day? Seeing the sunset from the restaurant's balcony.

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Olives Restaurant
Thunderbird Resorts – Poro Point
VOA Compound, Pennsylvania Avenue
San Fernando City, La Union
Tel No: +63 (72) 888 7777

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McDonald's McSpicy

I spent my afternoon yesterday with my favorite girls - my sister and my mom. Sister had to do an errand, mom had to buy a replacement closet handle, and I... well, I just wanted to come with them. I got to see a kiosk selling second hand books and thought of buying a copy of "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey, but I couldn't find another interesting book (it was buy one, take one at 99 pesos).

After doing everything they had to do, it was still early for sister to travel to work. Mom suggested we just use the time eating some snacks, and sister and I only had one place in mind to go - McDonald's. We don't eat there that often (although took part of the Despicable Me Minions happy meal craze), so we still haven't tasted the new burgers on the menu - Big & Tasty and McSpicy.

I chose to eat the McSpicy. I was amazed at how thick the chicken meat was... though I was a little disappointed at how small it was, compared to the patty in my sister's Big & Tasty burger that was bigger (in circumference) than the bun. Anyway, the McSpicy wasn't as hot and spicy compared to KFC Zinger, but it did have a good amount of spice that made me like my sandwich. There weren't much dressing, which was just fine with me, but I didn't like the shredded lettuce that seemed to fall off every time I take a bite of my sandwich.

If you expect a very spicy burger, you might not like this. As for me, I liked it because it had a kick of spice without burning my mouth. For 80 pesos, it was priced reasonably because the sandwich was able to make me full that I didn't have the need to eat dinner that night.

After the Minions, it is now the Smurfs taking the spotlight... and aside from the Happy Meal toys, which you can collect, McDonald's is also offering two Smurfs related food items - the Blueberry Mcfloat and the Blueberry McSundae. I loved the subtle taste of the blueberry mixed with Sprite, and I also liked how the sundae had a slight tangy taste.

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My First Taste of the Civet Coffee

Alamid Coffee, also known as the Civet Coffee has had such a reputation for many years now. It was through my brother that I learned how and why this coffee is considered one of the most expensive, but the idea that this kind of coffee comes from the Civet Cat's poop sounded a little icky and weird. However, knowing that the cats would only eat the freshest and sweetest coffee cherries, the beans they excrete along with their poop meant that it was of high quality.

I am not a big coffee drinker, but it is one of my foodie wishes to taste the Civet Coffee, but the price tag that comes with made me feel this would remain but a wish... until I visited Green Bean Organic Coffee Company. For a very affordable price of 130 pesos a cup, I think this is the cheapest Civet Coffee you will find, considering some coffee shops offer this at 300 pesos a cup.

The secret? The company went straight to the coffee farmers and by not going through the middlemen, not only did they get to buy the beans at a lower price, they also got it fresh.

How did it taste compared to the typical brewed coffee? I found this richer and stronger, which has a surprisingly very mellow hint of sweetness, even if you drink the pure black blend. Even without cream or milk and sugar, I was able to enjoy the coffee.

Green Bean Organic Coffee Company started years ago when Dr. Gary Bunagan went to New York to practice medicine. Being a "promdi," he learned his ways around New York and offered to get his boss' coffee. Soon, he also started appreciating the unique blend of the organic coffee and upon seeing a contact information about Irving Farm - the supplier of the coffee, he set up a meeting and thought of bringing this coffee here in the Philippines, knowing that even if there are a lot of coffee shops here, there is nothing (or very few, if there are) that offers organic coffee. He learned the ins and outs of coffee - from growing it, harvesting, to brewing it - even trained to become a barista, and this new found coffee passion, coupled with help from family and friends is where Green Bean Organic Coffee Company was born.

Last Saturday, I was able to tour different Green Bean branches around the Metro with fellow blogger friends...

...starting with their branch at the lobby of Hotel H2O in Manila, where we had breakfast.

Here, we learned the secrets of what makes a good cup of coffee, as well as the different kinds of coffee. They take pride of their organic coffee... and although they acknowledge that there is an existing organic coffee farming in the Philippines, none is is certified organic yet, so in all of their shops, they serve coffee from Irving Farm, which is USDA certified organic.

Green Bean Organic Chai Tea with Dalandan

Next stop was at this branch inside the NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport) Terminal 3. Co-owned by celebrities Jeffrey Hidalgo and William Thio, this branch has been existing for two years. In this branch, we got to taste their Organic Chai Tea with Dalandan, which was refreshingly good!

Along Pasong Tamo Extension, we got to see the soon to be opened branch inside the Tow & Stow Industries in the YMC Building. This branch is going to open sometime in August or September, and aside from serving drinks, they will also serve sandwiches, using organic meat. Here, we got to taste the Gangnam Cooler, which uses the Honey Citron Tea, made from Yujae Fruit. Another refreshing drink, but I think I prefer this with hot water.

The rain started pouring by the time we had our lunch... which was a little blessing in disguise, because we got to taste a very rich and comforting cup of Hot Chocolate at this cute branch located inside the St. Luke's Medical Center. Just like their coffee, they also got their chocolate tablets straight from the farmers.

Last stop for the day was at this homey branch in New Manila, which is basically a long walking distance from St. Luke's. This isn't just a coffee shop, but an art gallery as well - and all of the art pieces inside this shop is up for sale.

Green Bean Organic Coffee Company serves drinks, but they also serve snacks and pastries. Must try are their Banana Chips - which is one of the best I have tasted because it wasn't so sweet - and their Panini Pressed Ensaymada. The heat created by the panini press caused the sugar and queso de bola toppings to melt, providing a different taste to the ensaymada.

My coffee experience at Green Bean Organic Coffee Company was very pleasant. At breakfast, I was served with a cup of coffee with cream and sugar - just like I love my coffee, but I was told that customers have the option to tell the barista how they want their coffee to be done. One of the things I didn't like about brewed coffee in general is that I tend to add a lot of sugar and not getting the right mix of flavors I wanted, and I was surprised that them serving me a cup of coffee with cream and sugar hit the kind of flavors I want in my coffee - rich, creamy, and slightly sweet. Although customers have the option to have the cream and/or sugar served on the side, they do recommend you let them mix the coffee for you. They also offer muscovado sugar, which I learned that doesn't change flavor even with hot water.

Also, knowing that their coffee is sourced from New York, they don't overstock and that they grind and brew the coffee beans in little batches to ensure that each cup of coffee served has all the elements - smell and flavors.

One of the things I loved about this coffee company aside from their drinks and food is their sense of social responsibility. By promoting organic coffee, they offer people a healthier way of drinking coffee, but they also help the environment and small groups of people. A good example was their coffee cup sleeve - which was made from recycled paper, hand cut and hand stamped with food grade ink. Costing is a little more expensive, but this created a small way of people to earn money - by cutting and stamping the paper.

If you are seeking some comfort from a good cup of coffee, I recommend you try Green Bean Organic Coffee.

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Menu Plan Monday: Week of July 29th, 2013

Good Morning Bloggy family. It's the second week back to school and my son is really grumpy this morning. He definitely does not want to go. Monday's in the real world are definitely difficult. This week is still summer session for him. He had a good week! A teacher wanted to know what those noodles were he was eating every day so today I think I will send her in a pack. We love our Thai Kitchen Instant Noodles for lunch!!!

I have a few new items on the menu this week. Check it out!

Sunday: