Healthy Red Velvet Cheesecake Smoothie

What? NOT another smoothie! 

Is she on a smoothie marathon or something? 

Well, don't worry. The next one will be a NON-smoothie recipe. It's just I couldn't resist it when I came across it online. 

HEALTHY RED VELVET CHEESECAKE SMOOTHIE

Could it be possible? It looked so promising and tempting!

Plus it's all natural.

Paris, Je t'aime (part1)

 

"We'll always have Paris."
                                             - Casablanca

I have this little obsession with anything French. The husband doesn't approve but what can he do?  French language, french music, movies, french food, the Soiree Beaujoulais at Marco Polo (thus burning a sizable hole in my pocket), Gaspard Ulliel (does this man ever have a bad angle?!), the list goes on and on...

So Paris had always been my ultimate dream.

Seattle's Best Coffee Makes the Best French Toast I've Ever Had

Herb Omelette with French Toast at Seattle's Best

I've never even heard of the group, Imagine Dragons, until I watched The Host the other day. Since then, I haven't been able to get their song, Radioactive, out of my head. Um, let's see. No. of times I've listened to it on youtube: 20 and still going up. It's such  an awesome song! Ironically it talks about the apocalypse and the new age. It sounds a lot like The Walking Dead to me.

Get Your Dimsum Fix at Tsim Sha Tsui

Chinese dumplings have been around for a long time and these little whimsical pockets have been fully embraced by all over the globe. I love dumplings, whether they're steamed, boiled or fried. They're cute and easy to eat. I love the idea that these delectable bite-sized dumplings are mostly served in threes in small plates or in bamboo steamers. That way, you can try a whole variety. 

Dong Juan

This was obviously one of those days when I do something on the spur of the moment. I originally planned to eat the healthy lunch I packed the night before but at the last minute decided to grab some lunch at Dong Juan today. That's what you get for checking out Foodpick.me just before lunch break!

Neo Neo Grill House Restaurant

Some of you might have noticed that I've been posting more restaurant reviews than recipes lately. It's just something I had to do for work, a project we've been working on for the past few months that has something to do with food. I don't normally bring my baby (canon cam) when I eat out but I thought that it would also be nice to change things up a bit around here. This still counts as food porn, right? Plus it gives you a glimpse of the good and cheap eats around my city.

Cafe George

Greek Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette (PHP 210)

THE RESTAURANT 
Let me just start this off by saying that Cafe George is THE BEST PLACE to go to for a salad or a light healthy lunch in Cebu City. What started as a small coffee and dessert shop has expanded over the years into a successful restaurant that offers a good assortment of salads, sandwiches, entrees and desserts. 

The restaurant interior has a flair of modern French country design with a neutral color palette that looks clean and elegant. The atmosphere feels chic, comfortable and inviting. The design oozes of French country charm.

Manila Foodshoppe Restaurant

Review:

One of my colleagues celebrated his birthday today and decided to treat us all for lunch.(So generous of him! Thanks, Chris!) We ordered delivery from Manila Foodshoppe. I have to say, I was quite impressed with the delivery service. We asked them to deliver the food to our office at 12 noon and the food arrived early. They earned plus points for that!

Tropical Smoothie with Chia Seeds

Lazy bum, that's what I am. I just spent a four-day holiday doing absolutely nothing. Except watching the movie, Something Borrowed. Twice. Maybe even three times. Yes, I LOVE watching Colin Egglesfied! He is almost as yum as this Tropical Smoothie. But that's hardly anything worthwhile of my time...then there's Fifty Shades of Grey. After reading a few pages, I could barely go on since the book was written so badly. Seriously. I am so glad I didn't spend money on any of the books and just read a copy online. That would have been a waste. Yet it is hugely popular these days. Mommy porn must be the newest trend. Hollywood is even making a movie adaptation.  

Strawberry Basil Yogurt Smoothie

While the hubby complains about the almost freezing temperature in the Netherlands and  that he can't wait for spring to come, I'm melting as I write this post in the evening here. I have a fan blowing on my face and yet I can still feel the sweat trickle down the sides of my face, down my neck, down my back. Can you imagine if it was midday then? My room literally turns into a big oven without an air-conditioner. It is so hot and humid! With a weather like this, you definitely need a cold shower twice to three times a day. Even ten minutes after that, you're already sweating like crazy.

Biting More Than You Can Swallow

I know I've been MIA for a while. I started off really excited, strong and dedicated to  my blog and it was beginning to grow like I wanted it to. And then...nothing. for almost 4 months. It's the dreaded blogger's burnout. I know I should make time for my blog after all that trouble of building it but it came to a point where I felt like I needed a break. A long holiday.

The 80-20 Diet

I have been making an effort to stay healthy (or at least eat healthy things). Trying to follow that 80 - 20 rule where you eat healthy 80% of the time and then eat whatever you want in the other 20% is easier said than done. But I'm making baby steps and taking it day by day. There are still days when I pass by Auntie Anne's kiosk at the mall and I take one look at those soft pretzels coated in cinnamon sugar and I'm like, "Pfft what diet are you talking about? Come to momma!"

Tropical Paradise

Nalusuan Island and Marine Sanctuary

Ahh how wonderful to get away from your daily routine to spend a nice, peaceful day in a small island with a long powdery sand bar upfront, surrounded by crystal clear sea water and abundant marine sanctuary at the back. 

Exciting News!

I had been hiding the past few months. My last post was still around November! Can you believe it?! But I had been busy, studying Dutch and also preparing some stuff for something life-changing. 

Enchilada Chicken Parmesan Pizza

Did you enjoy that tasty, super cheesy, spicy Baked Enchilada Chicken Parmesan in my last post?

 I sure did. Me and my happy belly.

Chicken Parmesan, the Mexican Way

This has been on my mind for quite some time. The thing is, you have probably seen a lot of Chicken Parmesan recipes out there. I want to do something that is a little different from the rest. That's the beauty of cooking. You can always experiment with the flavors and spices. It may turn out bad. It may turn out great. But I'm willing to take risks. 

Pucker Up!

Remember the sweet, smoky, cheesy, spicy Raspberry Chipotle BBQ Chicken Grilled Cheese Sandwiches I made? I must have changed my mind about a million times before deciding on that recipe. Then I ran into some trouble making it.

Pizza in a Sandwich

I'm always on the look out for new things, new flavors and new places. I probably spend half of my free time surfing for new recipes online and I never get bored of it. I like to be different when everyone else is doing the same dish. 

I stumbled upon a recipe for a Raspberry Chipotle Barbeque pizza on Pillsbury. It was a very interesting mix of hickory flavored bbq sauce, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and raspberry jam. 

Sweet, smoky, cheesy and a little tangy with an extra spicy kick, just like your favorite Chicken Barbeque Pizza!

Stuffed Cheesy Bread on Crack

This is Cheesy-Melty-Onion-Garlic-Love weekend.  

Stuffed Italian Bread is like onion-garlic bread on crack.

Highly snackable, highly addictive, you find yourself unable to stop pulling those cheesy bread pieces

 and licking your fingers good after devouring each piece. 

Trust me. Your friends will go crazy over it.

Dinner in 15 Minutes or Less

After enduring endless jokes from my colleagues about the name of my blog and the irony that it doesn't have a SINGLE Asian recipe (Hey, I strongly object! That Shrimp Paste Fried Rice with Green Mangoes and Caramelized Pork counts!), I decided to do more Asian dishes from now on. 

Let's start with rice! Just my favorite subject! 

Kimchi Fried Rice with Bacon and Egg

Ever wonder how Koreans stay so slim? According to Health.com, obesity is not common in Korea due to the fact that Koreans eat a lot of Kimchi. 

 But just what is Kimchi? Kimchi is spicy fermented cabbages, sort of like the Asian version of Sauerkraut.