The One About Maple

Aaaaaaaaannnnddd the breakfast adventures continue!  :)  This is actually a late post as I had totally forgotten to blog about our dinner at Maple restaurant.  Maple restaurant, located in San Antonio Plaza and Shangri-La Plaza Mall, is the high-end all-day breakfast restaurant of the Pancake House group.  Once we learned about the new restaurant, we knew right away that we just had to dine there.  It was like the restaurant was built for people like us who love breakfast food but are looking for innovative recipes and imaginative breakfast menus.

 The place was almost packed on a Tuesday night.

 The restaurant offers the signature Pancake House fluffy pancakes but I really wanted something that I had never seen in a breakfast menu before so I opted to try the Chilean Mussels.

 I thanked my lucky stars that night for my choice!  It was soooo good!  Fresh Chilean mussels cooked in premium beer and saffron sauce.  I tasted white wine as well and it was heaven in my mouth.  It was served with large slices of crostini.

I downed all (yes, all!) the mussels with their yummy and refreshing Country Iced Tea.

Hon-some is a tapa lover so naturally, his taste buds gravitated toward the Prime Rib Tapa.  A marinated prime rib that rests on garlic rice and two eggs with tomato-onion salsa and atchara.  He's very particular about tapa marinades and this one was right on the mark.  The serving was good for two but telling us that would get you a good slap on your face.  Haha!

After our meal, I arrived at the following conclusions:

1.  Brinner (breakfast for dinner) rocks.  Really rocks.

2.  Breakfast food may be the easiest to prepare of all meals but not everyone gets it right.  Maple does.  Big time!

3.  A weeknight dinner date is so much more fun than one in a weekend.  :)

Here's to happy tummies!

Wednesday Nugget

I have to keep reminding myself this as I succumb to the holiday stress. :)

Happy midweek!  Lovelies, amidst the stress, don't forget to do something wonderful for yourselves.  :)

Weekend Tidbits

Spent Saturday evening at Shangri-La Mall and caught the holiday showcase of the ABS-CBN Philharmonic Orchestra under the conductorship of Gerard Salonga.  We were one floor above but were lucky enough to score seats.  Magical evening. :)

Have a great week ahead, lovelies. :)

The One About the Parol

My co-teacher's recent trip to downtown Manila led to a serendipitous craft moment...

We -- including me -- all learned how to make a parol!  An almost-lost heritage craft, in my opinion, but I'm very thankful to have learned it nonetheless.  They have been bringing cheers to our classroom. :)

Happy crafting!

Wednesday Nugget

...through the last few days of school, that is!  Hahaha!  I can hardly wait for the holiday break! :)

Happy midweek! :)

The One About the TSM Class

Last November 12th, I held a washi tape crafts class for Trade School Manila at the Midnight Owl Snack Cafe in Teacher's Village, QC.  It was a small class but I still made sure that it was loaded with opportunities for the students to let their creative juices flow.  I also made it a point to provide crafts that made relatively new purposes for washi tapes aside from simply sticking it onto notebooks or cellphones.

 My students at work

 I taught them two ways to use washi tapes for giftwrapping considering the holidays were upon us.  We made washi tape bows!

 

 Washi gift wrap #2!

We also made washi tape pendants. :)

Since Trade School Manila operates using the barter trade system, instead of receiving cash, I got barter items in exchange for the crafty knowledge that I imparted to the participants.  I received MRT stored value cards, calligraphy inks, teas, and a few small surprises too.

I prepared a lot for this class and now that it's over, I'm devoting the rest of December to my personal craft projects and I have never felt more serene and calm as far as crafting is concerned.  I now have regular dates with my sewing machine (Hon-some watches me with an amused look on his face every time I - as he puts it - "unbox my toy.") and I can't wait to pick up my knitting needles again soon.  

Before I go, class picture muna!

Happy crafting! :)

Wednesday Nugget

Today, this has made my heart sing...

Photo from here.

Happy midweek!  Create a life you love! :)

Weekend Tidbits: Breakfast and Lights

I had been looking forward to the opening of a new breakfast place in Maginhawa Street.  Days before the official (soft) opening, I had already placed reservations for two (talk about being excited!!!).  Last Saturday, Hon-some and I woke up early to enjoy our favorite meal of the day at The Breakfast Table.

We were charmed by the lovely rustic country interiors done in a palette of blue, beige, and white.  We also loved the small details like the shovel and bucket lighting fixtures and placemats made from old denims with the back pocket used for tucking in the cutlery.

Here's how breakfast works at The Breakfast Table.  On weekdays, they offer their a la carte menu.  Since we visited on a weekend, we were able to avail of their breakfast buffet which was done rodizio-style.  Taking inspiration from Brazilians, waiters at The Breakfast Table will keep serving you food until you signal them to stop.

"Keep this side up to signify that our waiters will continue to serve you your breakfast."

"Having this side up means you are done with your breakfast."

 And here's the breakfast parade that made our tummies happy:  an appetizer of bread chips and kesong puti...

 

My messy plate with all the breakfast fare:  three kinds of longganiza (Batutay, Recado, Tuguegarao), ensaladang itlog na maalat and kamatis, danggit.

Glorious garlic rice

Choco banana bread

 I washed all the food down with their taho shake.  A must-try!!!

Eating at The Breakfast Table was a pleasurable experience.  The ambiance is wonderful, the food is really good especially if you are craving good ol' Filipino fare, and the waiters are attentive and they really know the food they are serving.  :)  Can't wait to go back.  I hear their a la carte menu is just as good. 

And just to show that I did not just gorge all weekend, we went to see the lights at Ayala Triangle Gardens.  The best one yet in all these years, in our opinion. :)

The weekend that was. :)