It is the first time we saw and tried this one there  while we have been to Cafe Laguna more than a few times. Curious at first at what it was since we honestly don’t know what dessert it was. It was their birthday treat for the little boy actually when we had a post birthday dinner there last Monday. They came to know about the little boy’s birthday and so they sang him a birthday song while they had this for their version of a birthday “cake” treat. It is a sweet and delicious version of maja blanca and we liked it. It costs P60 each and is said to be a best seller among their Filipino desserts. We will order this next time. Try it!

A blessing-filled and delicious food tripping all year long for 2012 to all!

Here is what we had for our Media Noche  for the New Year 2012 …

The ham that hubby cooked just about an hour before midnight was a PF jamon de bola which he baked and cooked with pineapple tidbits plus the juice. The pic was taken as we took it out of the oven. We forgot to use the Sprite which we bought for the purpose of cooking it. Ham is a regular giveaway by their company to all the employees. It literally saves us in our budget because we know we always have a free supply of ham for Christmas and/or New Year. Over the years it was usually Papat’s ham. This year for the first time since we remember, it was different – PF. Thanks to hubby’s company!

As for the cake, I seem to have no choice but choose this one since the stock of other cakes at Red Ribbon and Goldilocks were limited and literally selling fast that time we went out to buy a cake at Abreeza. I wish I had ordered from Tiny Kitchen a day before that just like when we did have their Square Indulgence for Christmas. We did not have much time too then as we were rather in a hurry to get something else before we travel to my parents house for that early dinner. So we settled for a chocolate mousse cake from Red Ribbon. My little boy and I are still indulging in it right now. We still got three more days to consume it. Hubby is not much of a cake person but I hope he pitches in eating it. Wanna help? *wink*

The spaghetti was cooked by my SIL. This is often our request from her whenever we have family gatherings. We brought home a little coming home from that dinner we had at my parents’ home. Our little boy loved it.

Our little boy loves grapes since we also bought some for Christmas. So we had some grapes although we wanted to have wine originally but had to forego of that plan. Next time! A kilo of this seedless grapes costs P335 at Robinsons Supermarket in Abreeza. My sis got hers for P200/kilo. Hahaha had I known! Next time. *wink* The cupcake was from Tricel’s bought by my eldest sister. We took one home for the little boy who loved what seems to be macapuno topping.

The simple macaroni salad from my mom’s where we had an earlier New Year’s eve dinner with my family and it was mixed by my SIL this time. We were complete except for my dear elder sister and family who are abroad and could not come home during the holidays due to super busy work schedule. We truly missed her and my nephew during the holiday family gatherings! My sister and I had the same appetite and we both love my mom’s mac salad which is our fave and a tradition in the family being ever present in the noche buena and media noche ever since I can remember!

Oh the baked spaghetti from EPR! It was delicious and yummy with that melted cheese as topping! Fortunately we got the baked spag an hour ahead before they screwed up on our baked macaroni order which we had to come back again an hour after. We were late actually the first time we went to get this. They probably just had too many orders that came in that very day though we had already ordered a day ahead to be sure. They probably could not keep up with the orders which I think should have been avoided had there been a more systematic way like not giving still coming customers’ orders to other peeps. Last Christmas, there was one customer who was in that situation when I came to get our order. I knew her from HS. When that is done many times they ended up with a few unsatisfied customers who waited and waited. Unfortunately for us, we ended up with an order where the mac pasta was overcooked almost burned maybe while we waited for more than an hour after the agreed time. Nasayang lang po kasi ang baked mac! Pinagtiisan pero di po naubos. Good thing their baked spag was still yummy and delicious even if I think the pasta was about close to being overcooked as well. It may take awhile before we’d order again. We have been loyal customers of E’s over the years ordering from them for Christmas, New Year and special occasions in the family. So I am hoping it won’t ever happen again next time if we come back to order again. Dami silang suki so sayang di ba if mawawala over something like this? Consistency of quality for loyal customers is always the key. Yun lang yun! *wink*

Last but not the least, the thirteen kinds of fruits which is a tradition for new year well we went for it. We shopped for these still at Robinsons Supermarket in Abreeza. Until now it remains untouched on display at the dining table! We have to eat them soon!

There is our simple media noche as we greeted 2012 eating these delicious food like as if we were having our own food trip at our simple home to start the year with tummy filled with yummy food. Hope you had a delicious media noche as well!

To more food trips this 2012 hopefully though more important is that we stay healthy and happy! Thank you LORD for the blessings of our food tripping in 2011 and those that we will have in 2012!

We got this extra gift certificate from TGI Friday’s that we actually bought as a gift supposedly but since we were not able to make use of it for that purpose until Christmas day, I decided to use it as a gift to my boys and experience Christmas day dinner at Friday’s using this GC. Indeed it can be the right gift every time you dine at TGI Friday’s. That’s P250 off our bill instead of the usual 20% discount when we use our The Bistro Circle (TBC) card. That’s the nice thing of having gift certificates and coupons, you get to save more!

Yoh Froz Davao Merry Hour Promo for the month of December 2011 with one free refill for every cup that one would purchase makes me want to visit them again and make use of the Treat Card they gave us.I could use one now if only we still have enough time to catch up before fetching our lil kid at school.

I hope we can drop by soon to avail of this promo. I remember the first time we were there with my boys was almost two months ago. We sure indeed enjoyed their yogurt. We  then ordered their mango parfait and plain froz yogurt with one top-in choice of our lil guy which is the mini-mallows.

I wish we had won a gift certificate from Yoh Froz during the Davao Blogger’s Black & White Christmas Ball but no we didn’t. Maybe next time.

Image credit: Yoh Froz

Anyway, I know that they like Max’s and I even saw them twice dining there with her office mates so I thought I should suggest she gets these Gift Certificates Available at Max’s Restaurant in Abreeza Mall Davao. It is available in P500 and P100 denominations. I would be willing to get these certificates if someone would give it to me since the boys and I sometimes dine there when we feel like eating chicken.

I would also be glad to accept any kind of gift this Christmas being a foodie that we are. Or maybe if you would buy those bulk morgan dollars for sale which I was browsing earlier or various other coins since I am some sort of a coin collector as well, as a gift for me this Christmas, well I would gladly accept them as well wholeheartedly. I was actually looking into them when I decided to think more seriously of investing and trading. Maybe I could save more from having less food trips this 2012 and save for something that I can invest in for the future.

But I am still open to accept gift certificates even if it is not from a restaurant as long as I can practically use them.

Finally able to check out the Mochi Creme Japanese Ice Cream at SM City Davao. I have been hearing and reading about it at Facebook sthat made me really curious as to how this Japanese ice cream tastes like. These are the flavors of their ice cream with the Azuki Red Bean as being their best seller. I liked the Azuki best  among the three  flavors I have tried during our first visit. We were able to try their new flavor Blue Vanilla which our lil guy and I both liked! The third flavor we tried which hubby chose is their mango flavor. I’ll check out the other flavors next time.

Speaking of things to check, I remembered I have another thing on my list to check on. My dear sister asked a favor for me to canvass for desk name plates around town. When I checked online while we were waiting for something while we were still at SM then, I found the custom engraved name plates and tags as well as office signs that you can order with no minimum orders required. Now am done with two things in my list that I have to check. There are a few more plus am adding – check out the other flavors of Mochi Creme the next time we go back there.

Greenwich Macaroni Salad

My craving for macaroni salad, which used to be a holiday fave food of mine growing up thanks to my mommy, led me to recently find out about Greenwich Macaroni Salad. It may have been in their menu all along but it never crossed my mind until we tried their pizza offering of 2 pizzas for P299 recently also. Good thing hubby treated me to their barkada size macaroni salad for take out since we were in a hurry that time. It tasted good enough for me, not too sweet nor too bland, just to satisfy my craving for mac salad. I am more for the sweet tasting mac salad. My say, this will do and our lil kid liked it coz he ate about a third of this serving. Their barkada size though can be as good as a serving for only one with a big appetite for macaroni salad! *wink*

I have actually been looking for macaroni salad from restos and fast food stores in Abreeza or wherever I would go if and when I would remember that I am craving for it. I know I can always cook a simple white macaroni salad at home using penne pasta but I often end up cooking too many of it since the boys don’t eat it with gusto as much as I do. So I try to avoid cooking it at home because I end up eating almost all of it before it spoils and that spoils my attempt to diet this Christmas season. If ever I crave again for a mac salad, I can always get one of this when I am near any Greenwich outlet.

This barkada size Greenwich macaroni salad by the way costs P45.

Yes delicious memories of those food trips to various restos around Davao that we have been to. If plans pushes through I asked hubby when he has time to make a subdomain - Davao Food Trip Photos at http://photos.davaofoodtrip.com. That’s coming soon!!! *wink*

*** Hubby refused to do this favor so I am scrapping this for now until further positive action from my tech admin. Will post food photos here when this busy work at home mom has more free time in her hands.

The good thing is that I have learned to appreciate the food trips we have instead with our little guy as a gift and blessing. It has been our favorite bonding activity to eat out and have food trips with my boys. Food offers comfort from stress and the daily grind. Not many people get to eat out as often for food trips so I consider it a gift and a blessing to enjoy food with my boys.