THE SWEETEST THINGS =D

I'm reverting back to a food post. Some of my avid blog fans (actually, only one, haha) have been wondering why I have not written about food in quite a while.

Today I will. As some sort of valedictory address. Haha! My OB told me I'd have to work with her. I have to lose 10-11 lbs. (Yes, Marts. The T&T personal Marinduque pics I posted recently are old. Hahaha! 'D) So, I will. I have joined The Hubby in eating nothing but steamed or oven-baked fish and brown rice during weekdays. I also bought new running shoes earlier this week because the soles of my old rubber shoes hilariously turned to powder as I did the running rounds with Hubby Sweet at Boni High last week. HAHAHA!!! 'D

So, anyway! Today, I say good-bye to some of the sweetest things I've ever come across. (These have actually been milling about in my blog photo sub-folder, and thought this would be the perfect time to mark them off as "done". =))

SWEET SURRENDER / The Sweet Life by Ange, SanLo Village. I have previously raved about this sweet dessert (click here if you want to backtrack). It has become the cake present of choice for the Hubby and me. Translation: everytime we feel we need to bring something to a get-together, we take a side trip to SanLo to get one. =) Sadly, these days, my slice has to be significantly reduced. Waaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!

So, goodbye fluffy merengue!

Goodbye, yummy yema!

Goodbye, mantecado ice cream!

Goodbye, graham crust!

I would sadly need to give you all up for now. =(

COLD ROCK / The Fort Strip, Greenbelt 3. The Hubby and I scream for ice cream. If we could, every meal out would be capped with a scoop (or two) of delicious, frozen cream. If we're in Rockwell, we automatically end up walking around after dinner with a cup of FIC pistachio ice cream. If we're "budget-mealing" (haha) @ Market, Market, we always end up with an ube and queso cup from Mamang Iskoopero (yes, the one owned by Tintin Bersola and Julisus Babao). Still, when we're in a splurging mood (or if we're particularly stressed, haha), meals @ Hossein's will always be followed by a trip to the shop next door. COLD ROCK. Never mind that a KIDDIE cup keeps setting us back P160.00 to P190.00 (pre-price increase) PER PERSON. Ack! Never mind. It's all worth it. =)

The Hubby usually just lets me pick his mix. He does not want to be bothered with having to work through a million and one possible permutations. After a disastrous first-ever combination c/o the then 2-year old Patita (blue bubblegum ice cream with M&Ms, gummy bears, and marshmallows), I have since learned that (1) frozen marshmallow and gummy bears don't taste good (haha), and (2) that I should learn to trust in the following mix instead:

FOR T&T - peanut butter ice cream, fudge brownie, COOKIE DOUGH.

FOR HUBBY SWEET - banana cream pie ice cream, Reese's peanut butter cups, COOKIE DOUGH.

Anything with cookie dough, I suppose, will be good. Haha!

I tried the cheesecake & boysenberry combination once. It's actually pretty unique AND good, and it is a combination I would also readily recommend to anyone. Still, everytime I try a new combination, I only find myself wishing for my peanut-butter-fudge-brownie-cookie-dough-combo. No more. No more. I must give Cold Rock up.

With the nearest outlet only a block away from the office, however, may the Good Lord above and everyone else in heaven help me. Ack! =(

PASTILLAS DE LECHE / Iya Guingona, Market Market. Out of curiousity I bought these during one of those Baker's Fairs @ Rockwell. I've been told they're also sold in one of the fruit stands in Market, Market, although I admittedly don't know which one. Now, I love pastillas, and the fact that these are gigantic make them even more special. The unique selling proposition aside from the size, I've been told, is that they're made with carabao's milk. I don't know how true that is, but I'm inclined to believe (yes, I'm a fool for these things, haha). The thought of carabao's milk instantly takes me back to my childhood. Back then, Mother used to buy from this elderly lady who would occasionally pass by House Better to peddle carabao's milk in softdrink bottles sealed with rolled-up-banana-leaf "corks". Mother used to buy it for Noni (my fave grandma) who, back then, still lived in House Makati. House Better was still practically provincial then; House Makati no longer was. In any case...I once again digressed. Ngyah. =)

Back to the topic at hand! P250 per box (which, BTW, is sooooooooo much better and cuter than the generic carton boxes of the traditional pastillas, don't you think? =)). At 24 pieces per box, that roughly comes up to a little more than P10 per piece. Is it worth it? Pwede nang pang-Christmas gift. Hahaha! 'D I know, I wouldn't mind receiving one. Hopefully, by the time Christmas comes around, I would have lost enough pounds to sneak in a few bites. Haha! =D

DULCELIN MANGO TORTE / Food Court - Market, Market (Sandwiched between Marina and the fruit stands). I've been in love with Mango Torte for most of my adult years, and to this day I have to say that, in my opinion, the Cuerva version is still tops. I just hate the fact that you have to pre-order (when they were still in SanLo) or that they decided to place their "to-go bakeshop" at the Petron Station outside the Dasma Gate (which would require me to drive through EDSA, take a U-turn somewhere and drive back). Since I am a modern woman (naks, haha!) who places convenience among my top 3 purchase drivers (the other 2 being taste and value-for-money), I have since fixed my mango torte cravings by trooping to the Dulcelin Booth in Market, Market instead (no more than 3 blocks away from the office =)).

The other good thing about Dulcelin @ Market 2x is that you don't have to pre-order the Mango Torte. You can go anytime and a box of frozen, yummy, sinful mango torte will be made available for you. At P900 per box, some will consider it pricey though. Still, you have to tell yourself this is not some run-of-the-mill sponge cake you can get from Red Ribbon or Goldilocks. It has a nutty-graham-butter base, a gigantic-plateful-worth of mango balls, and, yes, enough whipped cream to block one of your arteries. Despite the fact that it is deceptively light to eat, it is definitely not one for the faint-hearted. No matter how tempting it is, one must also learn NOT to think that Sweetened-Mango-Balls = Fruit = Healthy, and that Cream-&-Butter = Dairy = Calcium, and therefore good for me. Haha! 'D

There are others, of course, among them Mrs. Yulo's Strawberry Shortcake and her Turtle Pie. I don't have pics because everytime I get them as gifts, I get too excited, I automatically devour them without taking pics. Hahaha! Patay. =)

So, sya! Goodbye muna sa kanilang lahat!

I gotta go and work now (and work-out later).

Happy weekend, everyone! =D