Cocktails Anyone?

I ain’t a beer drinker but I sure love a good cocktail. Who wouldn’t? It is delicious yet lethal and can definitely fire up a party. A cocktail could be any drink mixed with spirits. It may contain one or more variety of liquor such as gin, vodka, rum, tequila, whiskey, or brandy which may be combined with soda, fruit juices, sugar, cream, milk, herbs, ice, and many more.

Let me share with you 2 cocktails I have mastered. Well, these are just my own concoctions but I hope you will like them as much as I do.

“Southern Lemon Comfort”

What you need

Southern Comfort, lemon, 7-Up, plenty of ice

How to mix

On a tall glass, I pour half a jigger of southern comfort and load it up with lots of ice. Then, I add a few drops of lemon juice and fill up the glass with 7-UP. Finally, I garnish with a slice of lemon. Of course, you can adjust the amount of liquor depending on how potent you would like the drink to be. You, too, can use Sprite if you prefer it, although I find it a little too sweet for this cocktail.

“Gin-Straw Cooler"

What you need

Gilbey’s London Dry Gin, Kool-Aid strawberry; plenty of ice, sprig of mint (optional)

How to mix

This is actually a variation of the usual “Gin-Pomelo”. To start with, I dissolve 250 grams of Kool-Aid in 1L of water. Then I add only half of the contents of a 357mL Gilbey’s bottle. Mix well and pour on glasses which are filled to the brim with ice. Sometimes, I let a few leaves of mint float on the drink to make it even more refreshing. Again, you can adjust the amount of gin depending on the strength you like. There is no substitute to Kool-aid though. By far, it has the most concentrated strawberry flavour among all the other instant juices I have tried.

Remember, these are just my versions. I provided the basic elements; varying the taste is entirely up to you. Don’t forget, too, that drinking should only be done OCCASSIONALLY and MODERATELY.

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Betty Crocker

Cooking is one of my passions. Similar to my favorite cooking guru, Rachel Ray, I like to eyeball the amount of ingredients with the use of my hands. They are my best kitchen tools. That is why I hate baking because it entails precise measurements of all necessary components. Just miss one and everything will fall apart. For me, cooking should be a free flowing form of expression. Exact measurements take all the fun away. What if I want my food sweeter or saltier? Am I to be bound by rules? Hey, it’s my kitchen and I make my own rules!

My mother must have thought that an instant cake mix would cure my dislike for baking. So, she bought me 3 boxes of Betty Crocker. I hid these well, though, at the back side of the cupboard hoping that I can completely ignore them. But by the time that the cupboard was almost empty of goodies, the cake mixes came to full view again. My husband also started to incessantly nag about telling my mother how I was deliberately letting Betty Crocker waste away.

Hence after almost 2 months, I finally decided to open the first box. Well to tell you the truth, my first try was not so bad. My taste buds, however, told me that there was something missing.  This then inspired me to experiment on the second box.

You know, being a Food Network fanatic has its perks. If there is one thing I learned, it is to make any kind of dish taste uniquely by jazzing up the ingredients. So I tried to make the cake recipe my own. On my second attempt, I added a tablespoon of vanilla extract and half a teaspoon of coffee. It’s very surprising that coffee spikes the flavor of chocolate. I also used milk instead of water to dissolve the mixture and make the cake moist. The batter was poured on a rectangular glass dish and was popped inside the oven. Although it was cooked after 35 minutes, it was not completely done yet.

To compliment the variations I have already made, I cut the cooled cake horizontally in half and spread a generous amount of raspberry preserve on one side. Next, I put the two halves back together and pressed them lightly. I also whisked a carton of Nestle cream, vanilla, and sugar for a light and fluffy whipped cream. Finally, I topped this on the cake together with some dark chocolate shavings. Voila! After less than an hour of no sweat work, the outcome was phenomenon!

Our household is composed of 4 young adults... and in less than a day the glass dish was empty. I guess you know what that means!

Praises to the makers of Betty Crocker. I can’t be a connoisseur in less than 2 hours but now I can melt anybody’s heart for sure.

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Colasa's

Even before the chicken inasal craze boomed in the entire metropolitan, Colasa’s has already been established in offering the best chicken barbeque which is prepared and served the "Davaoenyos" way. Situated in Quezon City along Timog Avenue and also along Visayas Avenue, you will be surprised by the very modest facade of the restaurant given the fact that they are pretty well known.  

Here, chicken barbeque is traditionally served on large bamboo skewers with piping hot rice. It’s a must to create your own dipping sauce... a concoction of soy sauce, calamansi, vinegar, and chillies. Of course, the more chillies... the better. And the best way to enjoy is to eat with your hands!

I also love their version of kinilaw, an indigenous recipe of fresh uncooked fish soaked in vinegar, onion, and ginger. They have dished it up with crunchy cucumber and white radish making it uniquely refreshing. My goodness! Writing this blog makes my mouth water already!!!

The last time I visited this place was probably about 3 years ago. My old friends and I frequented this restaurant because here we can eat good food, chat, and laugh our hearts out all at the same time! The venue is open air, so a smoky aroma will definitely cling on you after pigging out on their comforting meals.

I badly miss Colasa’s. Ahhh... this certainly brings back good old memories of my U.P. days!

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La Luz Summer Getaway

Summer of 2008 was a memorable one for me and my family. My parents have been staying in the UAE for more than 20 years and it has been their yearly ritual to visit us during summer. When they visit, we normally just hang around at home, visit a few relatives, go to malls, and dine out... nothing really extraordinary. Last summer, however, we broke this tradition.

A month before my parents’ scheduled flight, my siblings and I planned to do something special that my parents would surely remember. My sister proposed we surprise our mom and pop by heading to the beach. We were having doubts at first, knowing that my father hates long distance drives. In the end though, it turned out to be the most brilliant idea after all.

We searched the internet for places of retreat around the outskirts of Metro Manila and found La Luz in Laia, Batangas. Their website was pretty much convincing so we immediately decided to stay here. Mom and Pop loved the idea and conceded on going out of town. They did not need much persuasion. Probably, they too, want to do something different.

The trip was roughly 5 hours from where we live. Once we arrived, we got a little disappointed. The entrance right beside the road was not a pretty sight. The parking area was not even paved. In fact, it looked like an entrance to a forest trail, not a resort. There was not a slight indication of the haven we saw on the internet.

I really got worried because my parents were showing signs of dismay. A man then led us down a concrete stairway beside the parking area. To our surprise, at the bottom emerged our paradise! The scenery was simply spectacular.  We almost instantly forgot the tiring long trip.

We stayed overnight inside one of their loft style villas. The room was very clean and spacious for the 9 of us. The resort usually assigns this room for groups of 10, but I say it can accommodate up to 14. Food here in La Luz was delicious, too. We were expecting more seafood viands, though, since we were near the sea. Nevertheless, the food was satisfying. They served eat all you can lunch, dinner, breakfast, and snack buffets.

We all adored the beach. There was not so much activity to do except for kayaking and snorkelling. But hey, relaxing and enjoying the view were already delightful enough.

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Fabulous Wrap

While my 12 year old daughter, Mikhaela, was watching her favourite MYX TV show, she saw FabWrap being featured. She immediately searched this on the internet and introduced it to me because I have been hunting for a sleeve to fit my mini notebook for the longest time. I own a Dell Mini 9 and most of the laptop sleeves available in the market are either too small or too big. Almost all of them, too, are very plain for my taste.

FabWrap tailors fashionable “garments” for various gadgets. You will be amazed by their collection of designs! All of them look lovely making it rather difficult to choose only one! Their sleeves and bags come in small and large sizes that fit 13.5x11 inch and 15.5x13 inch laptops, respectively. They can, however, customize their merchandise to suit the buyer’s preferences for a minimal fee.

My daughter gladly helped in picking the design. In the end, we both opted for the Rockstar Fab. This sleeve, basically, has a snake skin print and a purple denim flap... really chic! We also had the size custom-made to fit my Dell.

The result was terrific! I fell in love with the sleeve the moment I received it. It camouflages my laptop really well and also looks so posh when I carry it around. I liked the snug fit, too. Likewise, the lining used was thick enough to give my notebook protection. I just wish I asked for a Velcro or a ribbon on the flap to give it added security. I am guilty of being a bit clumsy sometimes.

I must say FabWrap is indeed a fabulous wrap! If you want to know more about this product, you can go to http://myfavoritestore.multiply.com/

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The Cake Company Personalized

My husband and I love to eat. More often than not, we make sure we are one of the first in line whenever there are newly opened food stores or restaurants. Luckily, the two of us were assigned to bring cake to my mother-in-law’s surprise birthday party, thus, giving us a very good reason to try out the recently opened Cake Company, Inc. along Marcos Highway, Antipolo City.

The cafe was very neat, although, not too cozy as I imagined it to be. Their colourful, comfortable sofas were not just enough. I think more dramatic lights and brightly painted walls all around the cafe might just do the trick though. 

Anyway, we came here for the cake. There were only a few varieties available during our visit... I wish they had more. At any rate, this made it easier for us to choose. The cafe’s barista later explained that they create cakes in small batches to ensure freshness and quality.

While my husband and I selected, the friendly barista suggested we try a slice of each of their best sellers, the Mississippi Mud Cake and the Carrot Cake.  We first tried the Mississippi Mud Cake with much delight. It was heavenly! Its pure chocolate goodness literally melts in your mouth! It’s simply delicious.

On the other hand, I was not too keen about trying the Carrot Cake. I really do not like this particular kind of cake in general. Don’t get me wrong... I love vegetables. But vegetables and sweets together just do not work for me. My husband insisted we taste it. So, with much hesitation I complied. My first bite changed my perspective instantly. Cake Company’s version of carrot cake was truly exceptional! It was dense, super moist, and had a generous amount of crunchy walnuts. I never had any regrets trying it... and I am sure to come back for more!

We finally decided to order an 8” round Carrot Cake for my husband’s mom. Cake Company’s prices are very reasonable. They are comparable, if not cheaper, to cake prices of major commercial bakeshops. Not bad at all considering the fact that Cake Company’s personalized creations are so much better!!!

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