BookSale

I am simply grateful this “thrift” bookstore exists in our place. You do not have to buy expensive books just to keep up with the hobby. My husband and I value reading… Both of us are bookworms (I hate that term) or “book lover/s”. In fact, I’m a bibliophile.

Flavored Coffee Beans

I am a self-confessed coffee lover. I have several blog articles with this subject… and even if I have palpitation issues, I still haggle, bargain, bluff, blackmail my husband who is strictly guarding my coffee intake… Most of the time I succeed in rigging him to my want, besides what’s that coffee-maker for (take note it was his 2009 wedding anniversary gift).

Anyway…my best local coffee bean product is the Monk’s Blend. Nothing comes close with its taste. It tastes heavenly. I am so glad we have that product here in our place – oh well, technically, “here” means in the Philippines, but I have to order it from home… my current geographic location is somehow 8 hours drive from our hometown.

Anyway, I tried other brands too. I tasted the Folgers when my husband’s tita came home from the US. That was her present for me. I liked its taste… It was strong plus the aroma is certainly enthralling and euphoric.

So whattabout this flavored coffee beans? Today, Tita Marvie is home again for a short vacation…and she brings me Godiva flavored coffee bean (Hazelnut flavor, and mind you it’s a decaf – so I am safe from palpitation *LOL*) and Godiva Chocolatier Hot Choco (Caramel Flavor). Sure, I have several servings of flavored coffee whenever I am in a coffee shop with Torani syrups… or sometimes at home, I have  coffeemate with flavors. But not flavored coffee beans. The smell of the hazelnut is really in the coffee beans. While brewing the coffee, the aroma is sooooooooooooo delightful, mouth-watering and savory (I know the adjectives in my last statement are all synonymous – that’s how triply good this stuff is)

Obviously, I am so excited to try it. I am very swashbuckling when it comes to trying out new flavors (in the context of coffee of course!). Right now while blogging about this new love, I am also sipping this freshly brewed coffee. The verdict? Terrific! That 10 oz (284 grams) of foil-pack Godiva coffee is only $12.00 … if we have the 1:1 ratio of currency, that’s cheap for a delicious coffee (don’t start converting the USD to PHP, because that is not fair and certainly it’s ridiculous)

Godiva VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

The Romantics

I have written my mini-review of this movie in my other blog… I talked about the characters and how I think of them… My observation was not pleasant because, the personalities of these characters are certainly beastly, not literally though.

Since, I said my piece about the characters in my other blogs… you can click it here if you wish to know what I think about the three lead characters…

Anyway, let’s talk about the movie as a whole. If you are from a conservative culture, you would detest the theme of the story. But the plot is good… the revelation of every scene hooks you from beginning to end, at least in my end… of course the effect is different if you read more reviews prior to watching it…because many critics are spoilers to some degree… So I tried very hard not to do that to my readers… So like I said, reading reviews could make you a sour viewer because you know too much about the movie already…

At any rate, the whole time I was watching the movie, I was really on the edge of my seat…-- anticipative of what might happen next. I had my moments of criticizing aloud the responses of certain characters. Oh yeah! I truly forgot about movie etiquette, good thing I was watching alone so nobody was pissed off with me being a bit blatant (in the sense that I was thinking aloud)

Now, going back to the theme… It is not something that you would appreciate, especially women, because we enjoy or prefer the typical love story—we expect that the lead female character gets what she hopes and or deserves because she is the cool “jeune fille”. In the case of Katie Holmes, she used to be the “girl Friday” of Anna Paquin in the movie, and she has somehow been stepped on… But reality check, Life is somehow like that – not fair (as always)… and it is not bad if we do watch movies that depict what’s REALLY happening with the relationships of some people… Not everybody gets a happy ending…Somehow we learn lessons from watching films that realistically reflect unpleasant events… though the ending of this movie is somehow cliffhanged. So you get to decide the ending… oh, that’s how I understand it. Go watch it but take this unsolicited advice--- rent the DVD rather than watching it in the theater.  

Sketch

today is our 13th year wedding anniversary… my husband gave me this gift… this is another masterpiece of Dopong Evidente, a local artist here in out place who is very skillful in a lot of art works including wood carving!

Sketch VIEW SLIDE SHOW DOWNLOAD ALL

Adjudicator

This week is the intramural of our school… One of the activities is the Debate… and today, I am one of the adjudicator since one judge could not make it… The debate follows the Oregon Oxford type…

I personally like this type of debate because it preserves order in the presentation and is more formal than parliamentary style..

Oregon Oxford Debate

It was in 5th Century B.C. in Syracuse a city from Ancient Greece has gone through war and revolution. People struggled for peace and order. A particular concern for them was land ownership for lands were claimed through memory.

Case-building

BURDEN OF EACH TEAM

Affirmative – Burden of Proof

• Must establish a prima facie case
• Must prove all aspects of their case to win
• Can not win based on the inability of the negative to prove its case.

Negative – Burden of Rebuttal

• Must destroy either the P, N, or b of the affirmative’s case

Can not discuss anything that the affirmative did not bring up

ASPECTS OF THE CASE

o Practicability – feasibility of a proposition, includes matter of:

*law *clamor *finance

o Necessity – need for the proposition, discusses the presence or absence of an inherent flaw in the status quo.

o Beneficiality – advantages or disadvantages of adopting or rejecting the resolution, includes;

* specific beneficiaries *specific benefits

Speaker Roles

• 3 Speakers

Practicability speaker

Necessity Speaker

Beneficiality

• 1 Scribe

***

The perks of being an adjudicator are the snacks (of course), the certificate, and the token… oh! not to mention you get to have a constructive arguments with fellow adjudicators too.

 

The Token

VAPUR

Since I’ll be going back to school (as a student), I thought of buying a water bottle since I’ll be travelling to Davao for my grad school…I’m trying to be frugal or economical with my expenses…bringing my own water is one way of saving… commercial bottled water is pricey these days, especially when you buy in bus stations…

But of course, I try not to buy water bottle like that of my daughter… so I found this anti-bottle called VAPUR.

Here’s what I found about this amazing water container:

The Anti-Bottle: A Foldable Water Bottle?

Reusable

Vapur Anti-Bottles are completely BPA-free and are constructed of three layers of ultra-durable plastic. The innermost layer is made from FDA-approved polyethythene, which is then bonded to two layers of nylon for strength and durability. Every Anti-Bottle is designed to withstand everyday use and regular cleaning. The inner layer is odor, taste and stain resistant, so it can safely be reused again and again! Vapur is also proudly made in the USA.

Foldable

The Anti-Bottle is designed to stand when full and can be rolled, folded or flattened when empty, making it easy to use and carry everywhere you go. Unlike rigid water bottles, that are bulky when empty, the Anti-Bottle can be easily tucked away, conveniently fitting into pockets, purses and packs. The Vapur Anti-Bottle is quite simply the most portable, reusable water bottle on the planet.

Washable

We often get asked, what is the best way to clean an Anti-Bottle? Well, good news! The Vapur Anti-Bottle is dishwasher safe and cleans easily on the top rack of most dishwashers. First, remove the cap and carabiner, blow a little air into the bottle to inflate, then simply turn upside down and insert the spout over the prongs on the top rack of your dishwasher. It's that easy!

If you put any liquid other than water in your bottle, we recommend that you hand wash, using a few drops of dish soap and a bottle brush to completely remove any residue.

Freezable

You can freeze your Anti-Bottle for nice cold water or use it as an icepack! Fill your Anti-Bottle half-way, place it in the freezer overnight and then fill it the rest of the way with water in the morning. You'll have an icy-cold beverage for hours!

Attachable

It comes with a convenient carabiner, making it easy to clip to your purse, belt-loop or pack. Vapur Anti-Bottles also do not crack or dent, so there's not as much worry as with traditional rigid bottles. Just clip it and go.

Identifiable

Flip the bottle over and write your name in permanent ink on the white space on the back of your bottle. If you have multiple bottles, this is a perfect way to keep track of them or even just to personalize your own!

Asian Tongue

A new restaurant has opened in our city… and yeah! It’s called “Asian Tongue”… Obviously, from the name itself…the place offers the best Asian cuisine… they got the best chef who can do the haute cuisine… that by the looks of the food alone… you will simply drool… all the more when you get to taste it.
Although the food is the main attraction but you can not help but love the ambience of the place. While you dine, you also get to be serenaded by a band who performs live.

Asian Tongue: A View from the parking lot

Banana and Lychee In Sweet Coco Milk

My Share for:

Beauty Regimen

Vanity is not the word for taking care of one’s skin. This habit should come innate like taking care of your teeth or bathing every day. Hygiene should be the generic term for all of these, though not everyone agrees with it… nevertheless, I insist that it (skincare) is necessary.
Beauty regimen should not be expensive, simple washing of the face and eating the right kind of food will suffice. However, in this fast-paced world, everyone is in a hurry and everybody is dead tired by the time we get home. In that sense, a good lifestyle is compromised. Some people resolve in eating fast-food, which most often than not lacks the nutrient that our body needs- talk about flavonoids, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals. Obviously, as a result when our body (as a whole) gets bombarded by stress, environmental factors, and stuff---our  skin cells (just one of the many effects of beaten-up body)  go bad because they are not fortified by the nutrients that the body needs.
So that’s where skin care products come in… I have found an excellent brand that truly works so well and is not pricey at all. For sure you heard about Garnier. Yeah that sister company of L’Oreal that produces “mass market cosmetics”… though the market niche is for the hoi polloi, it doesn’t mean that the products are ineffective. As the vision of this brand says:

Garnier offers women skincare solutions that safeguard the long-term health and vitality of their skin. Your skin is a reflection of your inner vitality. For your skin to be the best it can be, it needs natural nutrients to stimulate cellular activity and to protect against external aggressors. Garnier always gives preference to active natural ingredients which perform for the skin's maximum benefit. Garnier's skincare products are developed using cutting-edge Bioscreening technology which has been proven to promote healthy skin. With Garnier, taking care of your skin reveals your inner beauty.

I am not working for this company, I am not earning anything from them… I am just one of the customers who finds their products good for the skin. It contains the vitamins that your skin needs.
Vitamin C proves to arrest ageing and protects your skin from cancer. Applying it topically using skin care products that contain Vit. C is a good way of supplementing the vitamin into your system. The vitamin acts as an antioxidant that fights off the free radicals present in your skin.
Having vitamin E in a skin care is magnificent because vitamin E protects your cell membrane from skin disorders like acne. It also works in synergy with vitamin C as antioxidant. Thus, the duo protect the skin from photo damage.

Siam Yoko

I am not working for this company neither I get paid for endorsing their products. I learned about salt spa products back in 2004. My good friend aka sister aka godmom of my younger son introduced it to me. I liked that green tea salt spa then. That was what I had been using.

This year, I discovered another brand with varied selection. So far I tried the milk and the cucumber. What is so nice about these products is that the effect is long-lasting. The “silklike” feeling stays for hours. Truthfully, I have not paid attention really as to how long my skin stayed satiny since I’m not using the product for a paid review, but as I am blogging this, I am trying to recall how long the effect lasted… and I think it is safe to say that it dragged on roughly 8-12 hours. I normally used it in my morning shower, and I could still feel my smooth skin in the afternoon. Since I use it once a day, I apply skin moisturizer at night to maintain a supple skin after bathing.

Puttanesca

A few weeks back… I was craving for pasta. Actually, the appetence for something (normally food) happens every month. It’s a periodic appetency that women who are challenged with their hormones must satisfy, otherwise you get (speaking for myself) depressed over this trivial matter.

So, I was hopping from one café/fastfood chain to another… I ate three pasta dishes that week, not three days in a row.


Here are my ratings of the three pasta dishes:


The Shrimp Aglio Olio of Greenwich really sucked! The dish sounds nice but the food itself??? NOT! T’was like eating some kind of rubber than eating a juicy tasty shrimps ( that’s how I imagine the looks of its poster)… False advertising, right? I just got that picture from google for representation. But the Aglio Olio they served me here was way too lapsed. For this one, considering the worth of the meal, I gave 0.5 over 5 stars.


The Puttanesca of Fagioli’s was commendable.
Considering that there was no meat in it and not a sight of a single anchovy fillet in it , still I was able to raven the whole serving. I saw a shiny empty plate when I left… with a tummy fully satisfied. The food was worth every cent, but I can only give 4 over 5 stars because of the missing anchovy fillets.


The Pasta Perfetto of Pizza Hut topped and satisfied my appetence. I ordered their Spaghetti Shrimp Garlic and Mushroom dish. All I can say was YUMMY! T’was not only affordable but it did meet my craving! I must give 5 stars for this one. Perfetto indeed!




Since this blog entry is all about Puttanesca… here’s the recipe I got from Rachel Ray’s Food network site. The recipe was rated 5 stars. But course!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons (2 turns around the pan) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tin flat anchovy fillets, drained
• 1 /2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 20 oil-cured black olives, cracked away from pit and coarsely chopped
• 3 tablespoons capers
• 1 (32-ounce) can chunky style crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• A few grinds black pepper
• 1/4 cup (a couple of handfuls) flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked to al dente (with a bite)
• Crusty bread, for mopping
• Grated Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano, for passing, optional

Directions

Serving suggestions: a simple salad of mixed bitter greens dressed with oil and vinegar, salt, and pepper, recipe follows
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add oil, garlic, anchovies, and crushed pepper. Saute mixture until anchovies melt into oil and completely dissolve and garlic is tender, about 3 minutes: your kitchen never smelled so good! Add olives, capers, tomatoes, black pepper, and parsley. Bring sauce to a bubble, reduce heat, and simmer 8 to 10 minutes.
Toss sauce with cooked pasta. Pass bread and cheese at the table and serve with a simple salad of mixed bitter greens dressed with oil and vinegar, salt, and pepper.
Cook's Note: Get your olives from the bulk bins in the market, rather than buying a jar. The unit price is always much less per pound and you can get just what you need for each recipe.