The Way We Ate- Bamba Bistro

I woke up early on Saturday morning to go to nearby Paranaque, for a meeting I had with some core members of YMAGINE,  my youth-made art organization.  And while I loved being there, brainstorming ideas for future projects and plotting out the rest of our 2014 calendar, I regretfully say that all the finger food we had to eat along with our planning session was all junk food - chips, M&Ms, popcorn, and more popcorn. By the time mom and my tita  picked me up, I was starting to have a bit of a weird stomachache from consuming too much unhealthy food. But they were both set on eating out, so I reluctantly agreed, thinking I'd just have a cup of tea and a light sandwich wherever we would end up having a late lunch.

We went up and down Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes, Paranaque, looking for a place to eat. I used to take ballet and piano lessons in the area so the streets were familiar to me.  I saw that a lot of new establishments had opened,  and it was fun spotting out new restaurants and remembering the old ones too!

We ended up at a quaint and super cute cafe called Bamba Bistro. The first thing I ordered was a cup of tea to calm my stomach. And as I sipped on my hot drink, I tried to keep the mental images of all the Baked Ruffles chips and Chef Tony's popcorn I ate out of my head. I was so glad that I did, because their dishes were so yummy that as soon as our orders arrived, I couldn't stop stuffing food into my face!

Mesclun Salad- assorted fruits, feta, grilled chicken, papadom chips, house vinaigrette.

Fabada de Beatrice- rich bean stew, chorizo.

Bamba Burger- 100% pure beef burger, cheddar cheese, bacon, peppercorn mayo, tomato jam. Served with crispy string onions.

Le Cochon Sliders- crispy pork belly, red cabbage slaw, fried wonton, eel sauce. Must try!

Pizzookie- "Fresh from the oven" chocolate chip cookie, served ala mode. Salted caramel, walnuts.

What's my name again?!- delicious chocolate, cream and crunch, graham cinnamon crust.

I'm still thinking about the food at Bamba Bistro. I've missed trying new restaurants! It's almost summer, so in between college reviews, mom and I will definitely take lots and lots of food trips, just like last time. I can't wait : )


Bamba Bistro
55 Aguirre Avenue corner Arsenio Luz
BF Homes, Paranaque City
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A Grateful Heart

Last January 2014, we launched our blog's new design and logo. The design conceptualization and process to rebrand our blog was an important learning experience for both Bianca and I. We learned that creating a new site for our stories was not as simple as choosing a blog design and going live.

Months of planning and consultation were dedicated into creating a better, brighter site and taking this blog to the next level. We were not spared from a few minor glitches along the way but we are thankful to have had the support of these three ladies, two of whom we've written about previously here.

We can't say thank you enough to our blog coach, Martine De Luna for guiding us every step of the way. From getting back to the roots of the story behind our blog, crafting our About page, and to creating an editorial plan, Martine was there to lend us her expert advice, making us better editors-in-chief of our blog. She thoroughly analyzed our blog and helped us organize our thoughts so we could successfully implement the She Said, she said brand into the website you see now.

Talented Visual Artist and Illustrator, Nikki Valenzuela, created our logo with our personalities in mind. We asked her to design a new logo that best describes us. I think the challenge of having a shared blog is how to let each of our unique identities shine through. As co-authors of this blog, we wanted to both have an equal voice. Nikki did a great job in capturing our similarities and differences into a cohesive design that is a true reflection of our individual styles.

And lastly, our heartfelt thanks goes to our dear friend Leslie Severino, our appointed life coach, who has made it her mission to be a true source of love, support and inspiration for our mother & daughter team. As Managing Director of her own successful training company, PowerSkills, Inc., Leslie has taught us that the values of  hard work, focus & determination and living a God-centered life are the keys to success.

Thank you, ladies! I thought it was only fitting to show our gratitude to all of you today. We are blessed to have you with us on our blog's journey.

Happy Hearts Day!

Valentine's Day Party Ideas

My mom and I are having a simple dinner at home to celebrate Valentine's, and I'm hoping we'll have time to decorate our house a bit! Found some inspiration online and thought I'd share it with everyone : )

1. Floating Heart Backdrop / Looks really fun to make, and I think they'd look good with the lanterns in our living room!

2. Four Cheese Pepperoni Pizza / Two of my favorite pizza flavors in one. Plus points for heart-shaped pepperoni.

3. Je t'aime Colorblock Sweater / Still hoping the cold weather will come back - I just love cozy sweaters.

4. Carnation Cones / And of course, we need to have some flowers. Carnations are really pretty!

I can't wait to spread some love to my family and friends this Valentine's! Have a lovely Sunday : )

A Happy Home

I always feel flattered every time our friends and house guests compliment me on how cheery & inviting and how light & airy our home is.

Creating a place that you'd always like to come home to, in my opinion, should be every homeowner's goal. Whether home for you means a rented apartment, a small one bedroom affair, or a sprawling three-story high abode, your home should be a place where you and your family are comfortable and at your happiest.

We've been living in the south of Metro Manila for over 20 years now and currently staying in an old townhouse that needs its fair share of repairs.

The wall in our living room needs repainting because of the water stains caused by the previous occupant's air conditioning unit.

 The concrete floor leading up to our front door have obvious signs of wear and tear.

The wall on one side of the house is in dire need of a paint job.

The room under the stairs.

The storage room under the stairs needs constant organizing. This is one of the things I dread doing most because I am the only one in the house who is remotely interested in tidying up. The mess you see here is from the recent Christmas holidays which I've been finding all sorts of excuses not to get to : )

But, despite the clutter and repairs, I wouldn't trade our home for any other. Maybe I'm quite attached to it because of the happy memories made here. Familiarity breeds comfort and security that I can't imagine myself living anywhere else.

A dream renovation is of course always on my mind, but since it's not possible for now, I try to make do with the house I've been blessed to live in with my family and strive to make it a happy home for all of us.

My mom's beautiful furniture was passed down to me and I take good care of it by regular cleaning and polishing. I also inherited lovely linens, silverware and dinnerware that I try to use as often as possible even if there's no special occasion because using them makes me feel pretty and happy.

Flowers and plants brighten up any home and keep things looking fresh and welcoming, even if it's just one or two gumamela blooms from the garden.

I have learned to love our home for its charmingly (well, to me at least) perfect imperfections. A leaking roof however, and problems with plumbing, should be reserved for another story. Haha : )

Just keeping it real and sharing my thoughts. I'd love it if you would share your thoughts about your home too.

Kitchen Stories- Mango Crepes

I was having an early morning conversation about food with a friend a few days ago. She was telling me about a 50% discount currently ongoing at the Cafe Jeepney at Intercontinental Hotel, Manila.

At the mention of Cafe Jeepney, I was immediately transported back to the days when the cafe had real jeepneys with tables set up in the passenger side, and where diners could sit while enjoying their famous Crepes Samurai. I haven't been to Intercon in ages but I heard that their Crepes Samurai is still a consistent favorite.

I've only brought Bianca to Cafe Jeepney once when she was around 7 years old, and I was sad that no more of the iconic jeepneys were to be found. Instead, paintings, and a miniature Sarao jeepney were on display.

I couldn't get the Crepes Samurai out of my head after that conversation. Crepes Samurai is a sweet souffle like dessert made with mangoes, custard and with a delicate crepe topping. I can imagine this would be a challenge to make, so with the average kitchen skills that I have, I set out to make something simpler but close to the taste of the crepes I was craving for. 

I got Bianca to help me out in the kitchen to make this easy dessert and we're both happy with the results. 

For this recipe, we used store bought crepes. You can make your own crepes if you prefer, but my sister came home one day with these Village Gourmet ready made Sweet Crepes and it definitely makes things easier for me.

Recipe for Mango Crepes

Village Gourmet Sweet Crepes (1 pack contains 6 pieces)

2 cups diced mangoes or any fruit of choice

butter

Custard Cream

2 eggs

1/2 c granulated white sugar

1/4 c flour

1/4 c butter, softened

2 c fresh milk

Combine eggs, sugar, flour, butter and milk in a heat proof bowl. Mix well. Put bowl on top of a pot with 2 inches high of boiling water. Keep flame on medium high heat. Use a wire whisk and mix continuously to prevent from curdling. Cook until thick and creamy. Custard will coat back of a spoon when done.

Heat crepes on a non stick pan, brush with a little butter. Transfer to a plate and fill with mangoes and 2-3 tablespoons of custard. Fold crepes and drizzle with more cream, garnish with mangoes if you like.

Delicious!

Village Gourmet
breads & other gourmet products are
available in leading supermarkets.
website