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!