Our 4E Bonding was a blast even though we only had dinner at San Miguel by the Bay along Macapagal... XD which by the way made me feel that the most successful outings only happen when friends eat out... that's about it. Forget ice-skating, time zone, shopping... whatever! We were so busy catching up on each others' lives that we didn't even notice time flew by quickly. It was also a surprise on how all of us changed a lot these past 2 months yet remained our same old selves at the same time. Labo noh? I can't really explain the feeling pero... malaki nagbago sa aming lahat pero parang dati lang din, nagchichikahan lang sa classroom etc etc yung feeling. We were all so senti and everyone was like "magbabago na ang lahat pag pasukan na." Maybe a part of me agrees, but I would like to believe that the bond we shared would last for a lifetime. Love yah super 4E *mwah*


I'll post more pics in my Multiply. <3 Love love.

A cute cow shirt and a blue-green strappy shirt

My fave buys: A green sequined shirt and a Little Miss Sunshine from David and Goliath

My School Bag. Yay!

Flats XD

Saturdays have been what we (fam) call our family day out as long as I can remember, which is why I get frustrated whenever my Dad throws tantrums and refuses to drive us to the nearest shopping haven. Fortunately, he was in his better moods yesterday and willingly (imagine that!) accompanied us to the Triangle North of Manila... which is better known as TriNoMa. (in sounds better saying that)

It wasn't my first time to TNM. In fact, it's one of the malls I frequent especially during lazy weekdays. (aside from my personal favorite, Robinson's Place Ermita with the Recent Expansion of its Pedro Gil and Padre Faura Wings with Midtown... whew! a mouthful!) TNM never fails to surprise me though. Maybe it's because unlike other Ayala Malls (which by the way are notoriously known for being too high-end that it clashes with the idea "Philippines" [which is stereotyped as a third world country {but it is true}]), TNM doesn't have too much of those you're-out-of-the-price-range stores. Let's face it - we are a poor country. Filipinos buy expensive LV bags out of impulse (just go to 168 for a cheaper find *wink*) even though our smarter HK dealers already practiced the art of imitation. (go to Divi XD) But don't get me wrong, I don't hate the stores, it's just a bit impractical... a bag for 34k??? Mas okay kung sa pagkain nalang... hahaha!!!!

I bought a pair of jeans fron NafNaf and a red puffy-sleeved (watdyoocallit) shirt from Debenhams. The jeans were a size 4, American Size... imagine that! All the while, I thought I was a size 6. Guess I still belong to the top of the food group. The shirt was from the kid's section! I'm not surprised though. The way Americans scarf down those humungous burgers and manage to fit in clothes are one of the mysteries of the world.

By 5pm, My mom, sis and I were a bit hungry and so we stopped by the foodcourt to grab some pikka-pikka or whatever to eat. There was a huge selection of restos but only a handful were fit for a light snack. As usual, I opted for something with glucose in it to satisfy my very sweet tooth. Hello Gonuts Donuts Cupcake! XD Examining the glass casing, I decided I wanted to do away with the frosting so I didn't order the chocolate and peanut butter ones (as they were loaded with the buttercream). I purchased the scream cheese flavor instead coz it looked ravishing with the moderate amount of icing. One bite though, and I was a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, the cupcake itself was great with the frosting. The frosting was just not authentic. You see, buttercream MUST be made of well, butter. From the taste of the GD cupcake, I could sense they used shortening... vegetable shortening to be exact. Since butter has a low melting temperature, it would melt once you get it into your mouth. But the frosting left a very runny texture on mine (tongue)... which complemented the cupcake very much but wasn't the texture I was looking for. From this, I could probably think of reasons why they use shortening... 1.) To cut down on cost because butter is too expensive and 2.) To prolong shelf life of the cupcakes. But for P38, I guess it's worth it if you're unable to get a hand on Sonja's cupcakes. Haha.

I was too absorbed with the cupcake that I ultimately forgot what my Mom and Sis ordered! I guess it was ice cream from FIC.

We had dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. My first visit here was actually in their Glorietta Branch, I like CPK but not so much as to come here often.... but my younger brother ADORES it haha... difference in tastes you could say. When we have dinner in fancy restos like this, believe it or not, only 2 people do the ordering - my younger brother and I. I could spell out a few reasons for this. 1. My parents hate reading menus 2. I've been to almost all the restos in the Metro and am a certified foodie so they trust as to what I order all the time 3. I am picky when it comes to taste and texture 4. Contrary to #3, my younger brother loves anything rustic (which is so unlike me) In the end, what do you get? "A play of flavor" says my Sis. I couldn't have said it better.

I wanted a light meal so I steered clear of the rice and opted to order Caesar Salad and Cajun Thin Crust Pizza. Now that's a healthy meal. Like I said, my younger brother orders the rustic ones... so we also had the Jambalaya Pasta, Sun-Dried Tomato and Brocolli Pasta and Kung Pao Spaghetti. I was like "hoy carbs!" and he was "dibale mag-gym nalang ule!" My Lil Sis loves squid so I asked for some Bangkok Calamari.

The verdict. Haha! (here's the food writer in me XD)

The Bangkok Calamari had a really thin ad crunchy coating and wasn't dreched in flour so much which I loved. The squid wasn't overcooked and it came with two sauces - tartar and chili sauce (which I thought, at first was marinara sauce). The tartar sauce was made with sour cream coz I could really taste it!

The Caesar Salad was really good. I specifically asked for the dressing on the side and I was happy they complied to my request. This is what I love about CPK... they don't just tell you "Ma'am nakahalo na po talaga ang dressing eh" like some restos out there. They offer you the ability of specification! Corny! While the salad was good, it didn't outshine my favorite, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Caesar Salad.

The Cajun Thin Crust was a reminiscent of my Old Spaghetti House experience. They both have amazing potato-chip-like crusts that I could eat a whole if given the chance. I guess this was achieved because of the use of Coal Ovens. (like the ones in the US)

Among the pastas, the Sun-Dried Tomato and Brocolli Pasta was my absolute fave. The Jambalaya was too spicy for me (I have 0 tolerance when it comes to spicy food) but my sibling adored it. The Kung Pao Spaghetti was like Yellow Cab's Charlie Chan sans the oil. Here in CPK, they use nothing but olive oil. (you can taste it in the food... I was able to)

Dessert! I love love sweets so I just had to have dessert! Chocolate Souflle Cake it is. Just saying it made angels float above my head singing songs of melacholic... okay that's enough. But you get the point right?

When the waitress set the cake on the table... my initial thought was "ang liit ng serving!!!!" It really was. It was a cake as big as a glass coaster and half inch tall in a bed of (what I guessed was) vanilla bean frothie. But after taking a bite, I realized it was so worth the money!!!! The Souffle Cake was really dense and moist and the chocolate just OMG! burts in your mouth like a hundred music notes (DUH weird). The vanilla bean frothie was a light contrast to the chocolate-y flavor of the cake. I like to guess the ingredients of the food I eat, so I think they used Callebaut chocolate. It was YUM, but it doesn't beat my fave - Virginity by Sucree LOL.

I'm thinking of becoming a food writer. XD