Casa Armas

Calvin's folks come home every summer for a month so we make sure we make the most of our kainan, pasyal and weekends. So, as early as January, the search for a nice but sulit dining was on.

While there are several online group buying sites, I am always reluctant in availing deals due to the negative feedback I read in the reviews. However, Deal Grocer is an exception. I've been a loyal customer ever since my first purchase because you are assured to have the best value for your money. Deal Grocer does not sell just anything; rather, only quality products and services can be found in the site. Kumbaga, if you are going to give the coupon as a gift to someone, hindi ka mapapahiya.

Casa Armas' 4-Course Meal for 2 was one of the good deals I availed for a Saturday triple date. With Calvin, his folks and sister, we headed to Casa Armas in Greenbelt 2 for a gastronomic evening. 




Casa Armas 4-Course Meal for 2 Menu (c/o Deal Grocer)

Sopa de Ajo reminded me of my grandmother's version, while the tangy dressing of Ensalada Verde prepped my buds for more mouthwatering offerings. For the entrees, Calvin and I ordered the Salpicado and Salmon Al Horno. When I saw the food, I thought the serving was a tad small for our appetite; but only when we stood to leave the resto did I realize that it was filling after all.

Salpicado was certainly delicious! I've been skipping rice for dinner in the past month but that night I wiped out my plate. Only thing that didn't sit well with me was that it was too oily. On the other hand, Salmon Al Horno was good but wasn't the best I've tasted.

Dessert serving was also small but it should be just like that. Two or three teaspoons of this creamy and luscious caramel flan is all you need to cap off the dining extravaganza. One thing I'm truly proud about my folks in Bulacan is that their Leche Flan remains to be unparalleled in my taste buds. Casa Armas' Flan Al Caramelo, though, is one unforgettable sweet delight!

For about PhP300++ spent for each person (and comparing it to the resto's regular menu prices), it was super sulit!




Photo credit: sissy Dette Magtanong

And while our dear Seth was playing at Timezone, we segued to Serenitea. I'm a wintermelon milk tea fan, but this night I tried their seasonal featured drink, Swiss Miss Dark Choco. :)

Photo credit: sissy Dette Magtanong

Easter Break Happenings

March 22 marked the end of second term (in the school where I work) and the start of Easter break!! The first stop: Nuvali Sta. Rosa and Tagaytay with Manong's (Calvin, the boyfriend) family :)

Before heading to Tagaytay one fine Sunday, we stopped by Nuvali first. Calvin has been doing mini trainings for his upcoming Cobra Ironman 70.3 feat in August, and this day he did biking. At nakisali ako hehe! With all the sunblock and long sleeves, I mustered the courage to face Mr. Golden Sun for the sake of burning some calories! :)




Photo credit: Serge Leorna

And then...off we went to Bag of Beans in Tagaytay. I felt I had all the right in the world to go buffet because of the biking I did earlier, so this indulgence was totally guilt-free haha! Seriously, our tummies were already grumbling when we arrived at Bag of Beans. So when we saw the buffet spread, it elated us to some kind of heaven :)




main dish area, salad bar, pasta and desserts section

Since we availed the brunch buffet, I couldn't pass up the "breakfast" part even though it was already past 12 o'clock. I wasn't disappointed with their buttermilk waffle as it was fluffy and tasty. Being a sweety toothy, I must admit I loved the buttermilk more than the waffle hehe.

To formally start the meal, I had pumpkin soup and fresh green salad. I liked how the soup was sweet and creamy yet still had the distinct taste of pumpkin. I paired this with a piece of whole wheat bread. I also jumped with glee inside when I saw olives in the salad bar!

My continental fare: roast pork loin with mashed potatoes, roast chicken, breaded fish fillet and two kinds of pasta - pesto and puttanesca. In this combination, the mashed potato stood out. Although the fish fillet was nothing extraordinary, I loved its cream sauce with tiny bits of sweet mangoes (I think) in it. While I may say the pesto was superb, don't take my word for it. I'm all biased when it comes to pesto as it is mi ultimo favorito!

I was already 3/4 full when I finished my plate, but I wanted to taste their Filipino entrees. Save for a few dishes, I managed to taste a bit of almost everything.




steamed okra with bagoong and salted egg, kare-kare, 2 kinds of longganisa, inihaw na liempo, tocino, tapa and dinuguan at the center

At last, the desserts! My love for sweets is timeless, but I was really full this time. I didn't want to feel bad about eating too much so I just picked (and shared with Manong) a few panghimagas: carrot cake, fresh fruits, buko pandan and choco mousse.

For less than PhP500, buffet experience was good. It wasn't the best buffet fare I've been to but with its location and food quality, the price was reasonable enough. Considering it was very hot and humid (tanghaling tapat on a sunny summer Sunday!), we still enjoyed it. Bag of Beans also has a homey and relaxing ambiance, so it's definitely perfect for family weekend dining.




Photo credit: Serge Leorna



Photo credit: Serge Leorna



5 Things to Thank for Today

1. DEVELOPMENTS IN MY THESIS. Thesis, thesis, thesis. This painstaking endeavor has kept me afloat in a sea of worries for months already. And this morning when I opened my email, the first mail I got was one from a test author I've emailed a week or two ago. It was just a matter of sheer luck if I could get a correspondence from this valuable source for my research. And thank God I did!! And it doesn't end there; when I opened my other account, an email from my adviser brought so much enlightenment as to how I should go about my research design. As days pass, my worries are slowly turning into excitement. The engines have started roaring; I'm glad I have the propellers ready to move :-)

2. HEALTH and FITNESS. Not just for me, but for my man as well! Yesterday, "manong" (the term my friends and I call my beau -- it's not the sweetest endearment, I know!!) raced in the sprint category of TRI United 1 in Subic. I have always been his fan for his hardwork and dedication in triathlon. I wish I could do that, too! But the biking part really scares me to death. I know how to bike, but the the fact that most race accidents happen during the bike leg really brings out the coward in me. So, thank God for a safe race and good finish yesterday, honey!




3. LIFE and ITS FUN BEGINNINGS. Yesterday was also the christening of my 20th inaanak, Samantha Gail Magtanong. Yes, this adorable and kikay baby girl is the 20th on the list! Just imagine how old this is making me feel haha! Anyway, I just rationalize by believing I was chosen because I was seen as the greatest lover of children! :) That's true. I love children because they make me see life in a positive, carefree and 'no-worries' perspective. Yesterday's occasion also gave me the opportunity to catch-up with my teacher-friends, and another good news was revealed: one of them is carrying a new bundle of joy inside! Indeed, thank God for life and its fun beginnings!



photo credit: icliquephoto

4. FAMILY. This needs no explanation. Who wouldn't wake up each day thanking for that? Manong's parents arrived yesterday from abroad. And this only means one thing: lotsa get-togethers and family days! Thank God for the insurmountable happiness and contentment a family brings!

5. WORK. I know how most people, myself included, whine on Sunday nights about getting up early for work the following day. Yes, we all have times like that. But once I'm on my way to work and see this poor family on the Guadalupe-EDSA sidewalk, I can't help but feel pity for them. The parents are apparently jobless and just try to make a meager source of income by hailing cabs for passengers. And of course, that's not even enough to sustain three sqare meals a day. They may not even be eating three meals a day, while I get to enjoy not just three meals but desserts and merienda as well. I kind of feel guilty for not being able to do something for them because, like most of us, I'm in a hurry and busy solving my own problems. Not ranting about work is the least thing I could do. So, thank God for the provision of my needs through work. I am a lucky human being for all the blessings You have showered me with!

Talking to myself....

I knew had to stop this. I have to stop NOT WRITING my thoughts! Since mom died, I kind of lost the drive to write; hence the demise of my "potential blogging career" (naks haha). More importantly than that, I knew it would be the death of me - who have always practiced introspection every now and then, and who have always needed an outlet to vent out my discombobulating idealizations. How could I forget the many times I told myself that writing was my therapy?

Anyway, I knew I could contain myself with my thoughts but I didn't know until when I could hold up. What I knew was that I would, at some point, reach a peak. That "at some point" is now. In the past years, there was an instance or two when I TRIED writing again, but I just couldn't finish and thus gave up midpage. Pero ngayon, hindi ko na kaya! I will burst if I don't stop this internal hibernation!!!

I kept telling myself, "I will write again after I finish my thesis," so I decided to drown myself in academic waters. Heck, I literally drowned with overwhelming information! And just last night, I found myself breaking down into tears not because I was sad or miserable, but because I was WAY TOO OVERLOADED with info. In short, focusing on just one task (thesis) got me out of focus. Hindi ko keribels itetch! I need something else, an outlet, to balance my life! So I realized, I have to PAUSE, make SELF-CHECKS, and write down what I think and feel. I can't keep them inside anymore because they now mix up with all those thesis-related stuff. As a result, I get disoriented, disorganized, confused, and CRAZY! That's why I'm writing now to shed off some thoughts (on a side note, I wish I could also shed off some pounds! haha). Aba, nakakaloka ha. Hindi madaling mag-analyze ng sarili! Hindi ko alam kung anong uunahin kong i-figure out: 'yong thesis ba o 'yong sarili kong utak!

So what is the point of all this? I'm stressed out! What should I do???

1. I'm stressed out because I'm too OC with my thesis. I want everything to be flawless, so I keep looking for loopholes; and since NOTHING is ever perfect, I end up finding more and more flaws which I then try to iron out. But then, the cycle never ends, so I just keep on expounding and expanding....hanggang nawala na ako sa focus. What should I do? Don't be too OC! Wag akuin ang lahat ng problema. I think I should just focus on one issue and let future researches tackle the others.

2. I'm stressed out because I am in a rush. Now, this does not mean na apurado akong tao. I think ganito kasi yun: whenever I have to do something, that "task" doesn't leave my mind. It's just there hovering around my hippocampus. And I'm bothered by that. I don't want anything lurking in my brain, so my compulsion is to get it done right away. I find it amusing when some people compliment my being "efficient," when in fact I just can't stand to-do's lingering in my list so I get rid of them ASAP. Anong konek sa thesis? Thesis, unfortunately, doesn't get done overnight, in a week, or in a month. :-( So I have to put up with something transiently yet indefinitely residing in my cortex. And that bothers me a lot. What should I do? I don't know. That's me and that's how I've always dealt with things like that. I know there are ways to help me: calm down, focus on the 'now,' time management, etcetera, etcetera. I've read about them and I swear I tried applying them. But after that, what? The fact still remains that this to-do needs to get done but it is still here because it has to wait some time 'til it gets hatched. Hay...this is one thing I am really not good at.

3. Lastly, I'm stressed out because I am not dancing! I need to brain-balance myself. I just can't let my left brain do all the thinking; my right brain has to move, too! Ok I know the motor cortex is present in the prefrontal sections of both hemispheres, but dancing is not all movement, you know! It's an art!! It requires creativity, which happens to belong to the right fellow in the crown (pun intended). So what should I do? DANCE. Or since TIME is a fiendish entity at this point, at least try to do something creative. Any suggestions?

So there <big sigh>. Thank you pen and paper, keyboard, computer and internet for hearing my thoughts. I just needed to let that all out of my mind! Yey, I was able to shed off some thoughts! Time to fill-in again. Back to thesis mode. :)

Hola!

I am Annabelle Trono, known as "Jay-Ar" by many (I may have a boy's name, and I may be "one of the boys" most of the time, but trust me I'm a girl!). I'm currently coming out of internal hibernation since my mom's passing in 2009. Honestly, I don't know where and how to start re-organizing my journal entries. I practically have my thoughts inked everywhere - my old school diary, computer, scratch papers, Multiply, Tumblr, Facebook, and now, Blogger! It seems I can't decide where to actually migrate my haven - it's that or I just simply can't decide whether it's time to re-organize myself or not after the dreadful loss I went through.

But I'm trying! And this is my nth time. I hope to add more to this soon! :)