Online buys: Bag Organizer vs Kangaroo Keeper

I recently bought two bag organizers on ebay to keep all my things in place when I carry them in my bag. This is ideal especially if you have a large bag that doesn't have many compartments like Longchamp. The first one I bought is the "Kangaroo Keeper". This only costs P100 and it already comes in set of 2 (one is bigger than the other). You can place the small one inside the bigger one in order to have more storage space. The fabric is same as the one used in umbrellas. It indeed has a lot of compartments but what I didn't like is that the size of each compartment is too small, it can hardly fit my phone. Because of that, I have a hard time pulling out my things.

So I decided to purchase another one. I found this also on ebay. It didn't have a brand name, the seller simply calls it "Bag Organizer".  It costs higher than KK at P495 but the quality is so much better. The material is sturdy enough to stand on its own. It has 16 compartments and can easily fit two cellphones, tablet, wallet, IDs,  keys, small documents, pens, hand sanitizer, etc! I so love it!

Kangaroo Keeper (Left); Bag Organizer (Right)

Outbreak BGC. Run For Your Life

For running aficionados out there, here's a unique run that you will surely enjoy. Outbreak Manila gives you - "Outbreak BGC". It is unique because you will be chased by scary ZOMBIES! I've seen the news about this when it was held in Nuvali and UP (I think) and it looks like so much fun. They really put "FUN" in the word fun run! Even a non-runner like me wants to try it. :)

Outbreak BGC will be held on July 28, 2012 at Bonifacio Global City. Head on over at selected Toby Sports (Shangri-la, SM North Edsa and Mall of Asia) and Runnr branches (Alabang Town Center and Bonifacio High Street) to register. Registration fee is P800.

See you there!

Fathers' Day Celebration at Zong, The Fort

We celebrated fathers' day at Zong, The Fort. I've always heard good praises for this restaurant that's why we decided to try it out.

Zong offers Chinese cuisines but you'll be surprised that the interior doesn't have the usual red walls or red table cloths you would usually find in a Chinese resto. They are trying to exude a modern ambiance which i believed they achieved.

We ordered Yang Chow Fried Rice, wanton soup, stir fried cuttlefish, fried chicken in salted egg yolk and roast platter. Price ranges from P300-P400+ which is reasonable considering the serving size. One dish is enough for 3 persons.

We started off with wanton soup which is absolutely yummy! everyone loved it including my 1 year old baby. If the soup is this good, we cannot wait to try the main dishes.

 Wanton Soup

All the dishes we ordered did not disappoint as well. The stir fried cuttlefish which is tender and tasty came with my fave broccoli.

 Stir fried cuttlefish

The fried chicken in salted egg yolk served with prawn crackers is so crunchy and juicy it tastes like chicharon. Although i didn't notice the salted egg batter, the chicken still came out delicious.

 Fried chicken in salted egg yolk

Roast platter is a combination of roast chicken, duck, pork and century egg.

 Roast Platter

The only thing i didn't like is their iced tea because it's too sweet for my taste.

By the way, we're lucky because since it's fathers' day, all dads that dined were given a free golf umbrella! Yay!

Overall, we have added zong on the list of our favorite restaurants. Go ahead and try their delectable dishes. I can't wait to go back.

DROPBOX

For a person who loves  to take pictures from her phone, transferring it to different devices such as laptops without Bluetooth can be a drag. That's why I was ecstatic when I learned about an App called DROPBOX. It let's you access photos and videos stored  on your phone to any device with internet - be it desktop PC,  laptops or tablets! It was such  a life saver!

How about you? Have you used dropbox? Are there other  apps you'd like to recommend?

BELL PEPPER PIZZA

Ingredients:
- 8pcs medium sized bell pepper cut in half
- 1pack bacon chopped
- 1can mushroom chopped
- Onion chopped
- 4oz  cream cheese softened
- Mozarella grated

How  to cook:

1. Saute onion,  bacon and mushroom until cooked. Add a few salt
2. Transfer to a bowl and let cool
3. Mix cream cheese  and 2/3 of  mozarella. Blend well.
4. Stuffed mixture inside bell pepper
5. Put remaining mozzarella cheese on top
6. Bake for 15mins in 350 degrees until cheese is melted 

You may also use pizza crust instead of bell peppers as it base.  Just put some pizza sauce before placing the bacon mixture and add chopped bell peppers on top.

Enjoy!

ONLINE BUYS: HANGING JEWELRY ORGANIZER

I found a multiple jewelry organizer at Forever On Sale. It only costs P100 and it can house up to 36 items! Check it out:

You can hang it at the back of your door, walls, cabinets, etc!  It has 4 big compartments at the bottom to accommodate larger items like necklaces although I wish they added another layer for that because 4 is not enough. ;) But it's still a great product overall.

NKOTBSB live in Manila June 3, 2012

I grew up listening to Backstreet Boys when I was in high school. I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a huge fan. That's why I couldn't pass up the chance to see them again when I heard they will be coming over to Manila for a one night concert with New Kids On The Block.

The show was amazing! It was one of the most fun concerts I've watched. I'm not too familiar with NKOTB songs but it doesn't matter, because watching the audience sing along with them are so much fun. BSB on the other hand have more recognizable songs and the crowd went crazy everytime they appear and perform. :)

Here are some of the photos I've taken last June 3, 2012 at the SM MOA Arena. I only used my cellphone camera, hence the low res poor pictures. :)

OREO TRUFFLES

I whipped up something new in the kitchen today. I was looking for a no-bake dessert that can also be served on parties since Mikeila's 2nd b-day is in a few months. Here's the recipe for Oreo Truffles (also called Oreo Balls)

Ingredients:
30pcs Oreo Cookies
8oz cream cheese, softened (for this recipe, I used Philadelphia cream cheese 1/3 less fat)
360g white chocolate chips used for baking

How to cook:

1. Crush the Oreos real good until you get a powdery consistency. You may do so by putting it in a blender or by placing it in a ziplock bag and manually crushing it with a baking pin.
2. Transfer to a bowl and put the softened cream cheese. Blend well with the Oreos until smooth. Refrigerate for 30mins.
3. While waiting, melt the white chocolate chips using a double boiler method or microwave. For the former, get a saucepan and fill a quarter of it with water. Simmer in low heat. When the water gets hot (not boiling), place another bowl on top of the saucepan uncovered. Make sure that the bowl is dry and that it does not touch the water below it. Put the chocolate chips and stir occasionally until chocolate is melted. Remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Take out the Oreo mixture from the fridge and form little balls the size of a lollipop. Dip each ball in the melted chocolate making sure that it is completely covered. Place the balls in a baking tray lined with baking sheet. Put a cocktail pick in each ball so that it will be easy and fun to eat
5. Refrigerate and let it set.

My husband loved this. Try this and it will surely be a hit especially to those with sweet tooth!
Enjoy!

How to Renew Your Philippine Passport

Husband and I went to DFA to have our passport renewed. We scheduled an appointment online thru this link.

You have to be at the DFA at least 30mins prior to your appointment. Be sure to bring all requirements both original and photocopy to avoid delays. Here are the requirements for passport renewal:

• Printed application form
• 1st three pages and last page of your existing passport
• NSO authenticated copy of birth certificate
• Valid government-issued ID

For the list of complete requirements (new application, lost passport) click here.

Those who have an appointment, proceed to Gate 2 then head straight to appointment verification. Present your application form to the staff then he/she will scan the barcode located at the form and return it to you. Then you will be instructed to wait at the tent area.

The seats in the tent are divided to different appointment schedules with a 30-minute interval. Just go to the line specific to your appointment and wait. There's a lot of staffs to assist you and they make the whole procedure organized despite the huge crowd. It took as an hour before we were able to come inside the DFA for the Step 1.

Step 1 Data Validation - Once inside, another long but organized line awaits. This is where you submit the application form and requirements. Upon validation, the staff will ask you if you'd like regular or rush processing. Then he will give you an unvalidated receipt corresponding the amount you need to pay at Step 2. Step 1 took about 45 minutes.

• Regular Processing (15 working days) - P950
• Rush Processing (7 working days) - P1,200
• Additional fee for lost valid passports: Green/MRP Passport - P200; E-Passport - P350

Step 2 Payment - Go to the 2nd floor and pay at the cashier. You only need to present the cash and official receipt.

Step 3 Data encoding and capture - After payment, get a queue number from the staff at Step 3. Look at the screen and wait until your number appears. The screen will show you what computer number you need to go for data encoding and image capture. Once you're on that station, the staff will ask for your application form and she will start to encode your data in the system. Review it very carefully and inform them of any corrections. After that, you will be asked to sign on their electronic pad and then pose at the camera for picture taking. Be reminded that no earrings are allowed and that you should wear a plain collared colored shirt.

Step 4 Delivery - you may wish to have your passport delivered so that you won't have to return to DFA upon release. Just pay P120 per document. DFA partnered with Air 21 and LBC.


Then that's it! Just wait until your passport is delivered at your doorstep!

PIG OUT! AT NUVALI

We celebrated my father's 64th birthday by dining out at Nuvali. There are a number of restaurants at Solenad that you can choose from (check out the list here) but we decided to go to Pig Out!

 
The interiors are cozy and clean. The staffs are friendly. We ordered Chicharon Fried Rice, Trio Sinigang, Inihaw na Spare Ribs Adobo and Seafood Platter.

EVERYTHING IS ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!

 

Trio Sinigang
This is really good. The soup is made of tamarind, guava and kamias. We thought it would be too sour but the combination is just right.

Inihaw na Spare Ribs in Adobo Sauce

The meat is so tender and very tasty. This dish is highly recommended especially if you're a meat lover.

Chicharon Fried Rice

Pig Out!'s best seller. And I totally understand why. "Kanin pa lang, ulam na!"

Seafood Platter

A combination of grilled tilapia, bangus, calamares, prawns and mussels. Perfect for groups.

The kids had fun playing at the cut outs!

The staff are customer friendly but one thing we didn't quite like is that they are so eager to clean our table. I don't mind if they want to take out the empty plates immediately but what's weird is that they clean out our "mumu" while we're still eating! I hope they change that though.

Overall, we highly recommend Pig Out! when you visit Nuvali. We'll definitely be back here again.

DEVILED EGGS

Hi there! Here's a tasty twist to hard boiled eggs. This is so easy to make so hope you can try this yourself.

Deviled Eggs

Ingredients:
2pcs hard boiled eggs
1 dash refined black pepper
pinch of Maggi magic sarap or iodized salt
mayonnaise
paprika (optional)

How to cook:

1. Cut the hard boiled eggs in half
2. Take the yolks out and mash up. 
3. Add pepper, Maggi magic sarap or salt and mayonnaise then mash it up again. Be careful not to make it too salty.
4. Put a spoonful of yolk mixture in each egg
5. Sprinkle a little bit of paprika on top (optional)

 Without Paprika

 With Paprika

Chicken & Tuna Pesto Pasta

I love to cook on my spare time. Here's a simple pasta recipe that you can whip up for merienda or parties.

Chicken & Tuna Pesto Pasta

Ingredients:
500g fusilli pasta (cooked as directed)
3 cans tuna flakes (i like to combine two variants - in vegetable oil and hot & spicy)
1 small pouch Clara Ole Cheesy Pesto Sauce
1/4kg boneless chicken cut into cubes 
Olive oil or butter
garlic
garlic powder
pepper
Maggi magic sarap

How to cook:

1. Marinate chicken cubes in pepper, garlic powder and magic sarap for 15-20mins
2. In a skillet, saute garlic and chicken until brown. Mix in the tuna but drain and reserve the oil. Add some pepper
3. After several minutes, put the pesto sauce and the rest of the oil from the canned tuna.
4. Salt to taste. Let it simmer for 10 minutes. 
5. Pour the pasta and serve while hot

Try this at home and let me know what you think. :)

Turf BGC Booking Procedures

Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation opened the first ever publicly-accessible artificial football turf last February 2, 2012 at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Here are the booking procedures in case you need to rent the area:

1. Only one authorized representative from each team-applicant is allowed to participate in the booking process. One representation is only valid to select one schedule; the representative shall stand for one team for one specific schedule only. Using or creating dummy or false teams for a chance to have more booking slots is prohibited and if proven, corresponding penalty applies.
2. "Draw Lot System" shall be used. The team that gets "No. 1" or the lowest number will be given first priority to choose their desired schedule to be followed by "No.2" or second lowest and so forth. In case of arbitration, the decision of BESC General Manager is considered final.
3. There will be drawing of lots for the following categories: Football Academies and Academic Institutions (1:00PM – 3:00PM); General Public & Clubs (3:00PM – 5:00PM); Tournaments (5:00PM - 6:00PM)
4. A maximum of two (2) hours per day or a maximum of six (6) hours per week will be given to all team-applicants except for tournaments which have different time allocation.
5. Registration starts at exactly 10:00 AM of 01 June 2012 at BESC office, to be followed by drawing of lots at 10:30 AM.
6. Based on the results of the drawing of lots, schedule selection follows at 1:00 PM. Please refer to No. 2 above for the chronology of schedule selection.
7. Book and pay policy shall be followed. It is understood that the schedule selected is deemed final when payment is received. Please take note that a refundable security deposit equivalent to 10% of the total booked amount is required. Payment acceptance starts at 1:00 PM of 01 June 2012 until 12:00 noon of 04 June 2012.
8. Henceforth, every first Monday of October shall be the booking day for the next calendar year.
9. Management has the sole right to revise, amend, update this rules and regulations and issue supplemental policy as needed.
   
10. For inquiries, please call Bonifacio Estate Services Corporation (BESC) at 816-2372.