Pre-Med students will not survive without Coffee! I honestly do not know how I will stay up studying without coffee. I am a certified coffee lover. All my friends are becoming concerned about my coffee intake O.O hahaha but don’t worry, I’m not THAT obssessed :>

Here’s the brand of coffee that I gulped down for this semester’s load:

Ta

Taster’s Choice, House Blend. Trust me guys, it tastes like Starbucks Coffee even though it’s only instant coffee. My mom even liked it! And trust me, she knows coffee! And the thing next to the coffee is my favorite giraffe mug, by the way :> had it since first day of college! hahaha sorta like a good like charm for me, i guess :> Thank you Lord for giving me the willpower to stay up late. Thank you coffee for tweaking my willpower to stay up late :))

I didn’t know other people from my class were also addicted to this delicious drink!

It’s called Mogu Mogu and they come in these cute bottles. Flavors include Lychee, Strawberry, Mango, and Grape (which is the best). It’s just yummy fruit juice with Nata de Coco (Coconut Jelly Cubes) in them. Perfect on a hot day! Or when you’re bored. hahaha

You can get them from any 7-11 branch or at the supermarket! :>

Everytime I study, I always have something to eat beside me. My mom got me these peanuts and they tasted great! Sweet with a little kick of salt :> I think they call it beer nuts because they should go with beer. You know, as pulutan. But beer and Microbiology Notes do not mix! hahaha

The Ensaïmada (Catalan pronunciation: [ənsə.iˈmaðə]) is a pastry product from Majorca, Spain. It is a common cuisine eaten in most former Spanish territories in Latin America and the Philippines, which has been continuously made and eaten for a very long time. The first written references to the Majorcan ensaïmada date back to the 17th century. At that time, although wheat flour was mainly used for making bread, there is evidence that this typical pastry product was made for festivals and celebrations.

The ensaïmada de Mallorca is made with strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard named saïm. The handmade character of the product makes it difficult to give an exact formula, so scales have been established defining the proportion of each ingredient, giving rise to an excellent quality traditional product. The name comes from the Mallorquí word “saïm” (pronounced [səˈim]), which means “pork lard” (from Latin SAGIMEN, meaning fat). (wikipedia.org)

This one is from Bizu too! I really loved this! Sweetness was just right, and the candied almonds added a crunchy texture. It’s perfect when paired with coffee!

I have been very busy with school lately and it’s only now that I’ve decided to create a new post. Teehee :>

So when my mom went to Greenbelt, I asked her to stop by Bizu, a patisserie known for their French Macaroons (which are my favorite). A macaron is a sweet confectionery made with egg whites, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powderor ground almond, and food coloring. The macaron is commonly filled with buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two cookies. Its name is derived from an Italian word “maccarone” or “maccherone”. 

Here some of the stuff she got me:

The best French Macaroons in the Metro. Flavors range from Rose to Chocolate. I don’t really know the flavors my mom got me, but they were all awesome!

The pink one is Rose. And that’s the only flavor I can decipher, besides chocolate. haha.

The texture of the cookie was perfect. Not too grainy and it gives you that melt-in-your-mouth feeling :> The flavors were distinct and each macaroon tasted different. I’ve tasted other macaroons before and they all tasted the same!

It’s pretty expensive though, but definitely worth it! I think it costs around P35-45 per piece.

I think this one is Mint Chocolate :>

This one’s coffee.

Hmmm. Blueberry? :D

These little bite-sized pieces of happiness can definitely make anyone’s day. So why not try one? hahaha :> They look like the Pretty Patties from Spongebob Squarepants, eh? haha

Ah, the very famous Filipino dish. Adobo is sort of like a stew (only less watery) made with chicken, pork, or both. The meat is usually marinated with vinegar, patis and garlic. Then it is boiled with sort of the same ingredients as with the marinade only laurel leaves and other spices are added. Adobo has different versions around the Philippines. In Bacolod, it is sort of cooked in the same way as how it is cooked traditionally. Some people add a little secret ingredient here and there. I’m not sure if my mom add something unique to this dish, though. I know that she adds brown sugar to make the dish a bit sweeter, but aside from that, it’s just the normal home style Adobo:) It’s very delicious, sort of like a rollercoaster of flavors. It’s sweet, tangy and sour at the same time. Some people like to preserve half-cooked Adobo in large jar containers with a lot of fat. In the rainy season, they would open these jars and cook the adobo. 

Mom’s dish again. Smoked on our own backyard. The added tomatoes, garlic and onions made the fish taste sweet. It was marinated just right. The fish by the way is Bangus or Bangrus in our native tongue. In English, it’s called Milkfish. It’s quite popular in the Philippines and is very common. My mom likes to smoke the fish or when she’s in hurry, just fry it with oil. On special occasions, sometimes she makes Rellenong Bangus—Bangus stuffed with its own meat but the flavor is enhanced by adding spices, carrots and other stuff. Smoked fish is still okay and yummy too :) Especially with langgaw (vinegar) and patis(soy sauce) and bellpeppers—all mixed in what we call sawsawan or relish. :)

My mom is THE BEST COOK IN THE WORLD. I’d giver her five Michelin Stars right away! hahaha. Mom knows I love shrimps and prawns, so when I came home last weekend she cooked up some good Bacolod food. These stir-fried shrimps have just the right blend of onions and garlic. Very simple, but it’s a family favorite! It reminds me of Sunday lunches with the family—the thing I miss most when I’m here in Manila :)

Chantilly dish again. Tasted very ordinary. Nothing special, but it’s good for the pocket! Php50 only! FTW!! I mean if you work nearby, this is a great place for lunch and snacks since it won’t cost you a fortune to get good food :)

To go with my afternoon snacks, I washed down my throat with some yummy Frozen Iced Tea from Chantilly. Chantilly is one of the many pastry shops found in Bacolod. Their original store is found in Dumaguete, which is located in the South. The food is okay, but not the best. The prices are a good deal though:> This one costs only Php30 I think? :>:>