Hi Loves, 

As we all know, Lenten season will be next week. We are all aware that most Catholics won't be eating meat and will practice abstinence during this time until Easter. For me, I would like to refrain from eating meat and monitor my working hours to pray, repent and reconcile with our good Lord. 

But of course, we don't want to stress ourselves with eating 'boring' meals. I want to make sure that every meal that I eat and prepare for my son, Edmund is fun, interactive, and definitely tasty. 

I really love eating salads- it's my go-to snack in between stressful times. I incorporate chicken with it, sometimes port but because it's the Lenten Season, I found this great recipe that can help you abstain from eating pork, beef, and chicken. 

Tuna Salad Nicoise

Here's what you will be needing: 

• 2 (185 g) cans SAN MIGUEL DEL MAR TUNA CHUNKS IN WATER, drained
• 1 (230 g) pack lettuce, pre-washed
• 3 pc MAGNOLIA BROWN EGGS, boiled, peeled, sliced into quarters
• 1/4 kg marble potatoes, boiled
• 1/4 cup French beans, blanched
• 3 pc tomatoes, sliced
• 1/4 cup pitted whole black olives
• 1/4 cup store-bought Italian or French dressing

Take note that all ingredients that I mentioned are not mandatory, you can incorporate your own salad dressing preference or add and deduct ingredients as needed.

If you have been a follower on my Instagram, you would probably take a chance to see my post that I was hospitalized due to fatigue.

Back Story

I came from an errand and I was riding the Angkas as I normally would, after an hour of riding the motorcycle, I suddenly felt sleepy -- to me it was normal because I tend to feel sleepy but not to the point that I will sleep; take note, I have been riding motocycle ever since I was a teenager so I am always used to this feeling but I NEVER sleep while riding it. Suddenly, along Commonwealth Highway, I felt a little dizzy (thinking that it was because of the feeling of sleepiness I felt earlier, I didn't mind it at first) next thing I knew, I was sitting on the curbs of the Commonwealth Avenue becuase I couldn't ride the motorcycle anymore.

View this post on Instagram

Yesterday's turning point I was going home from an errand. I was riding angkas (as I normally would). Heading Commonwealth Ave. I suddently felt sleepy then turned dizzy. The last words I remembered saying to my angkas rider is "Kuya itabi mo, nahihilo po ako" next thing I knew I was sitting in the side of the sidewalk along Commonwealth. When I felt a little better I decided to wear the helmet again and try to ride the bicycle, however, I felt worse. God was just so great that I was near Diliman Doctor's Hospital so I told the angkas driver that I couldn't ride the motorcycle anymore and please rush me to the ER. I then realized that I need to give myself time to rest and recharge my batteries and most importantly, achieve a healthier lifestyle. Stay healthy, folks #notyourordinarygirlbymhow

A post shared by Ramona Jessica ✨ (@mhownai_) on Oct 4, 2019 at 5:10pm PDT

The Switch

After several minutes, as I regained my sanity, I asked my Angkas rider to rush me to Diliman Doctor's Hospital because I am not feeling well. I rushed myself to the Emergency room, the hospital personell did the necessary procedures and assisted me to lie down on one of the hospital beds.

I then said to myself "Mhow, you need to be healthy"

After that, I then decided to stop smoking and now reducing my cups of coffee and switching to tea whenever I need a hot beverage while working.

Now, I'm trying to cut down my cholesterol level and carbohydrate intake in order to lose weight.


The Hearty Bread

This is not your ordinary bakestore that sells bread with too much sugar or glutten or preservatives.

Hearty Bread is your one stop shop for breads that are Gluten, Sugar, Butter FREE and Water Friendly. Added to that, they don't have any preservatives or margarine which makes it healthier than other loaves of bread available in the market.

What makes it different from other brands is they cater specifically to different needs of patients with diabetes, renal failure and cancer.

Diabetic Cases
The Philippines is considered one of the diabetes “hot spots” in the Western Pacific region. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 Filipinos are diabetic. This statistic is very alarming and calls for attention of the general public. Several cause-oriented group has already started campaigns to spread awareness in the hope to help hinder the growth.
It was noted that unhealthy lifestyle habits of Filipinos is the main cause of diabetes. This was also tackled by World Health Organization and they also included sedentary lifestyles as major lifestyle risk factors, stating that 1 in 3 is overweight and 1 in 10 is obese.

Obesity 
Obesity cases is another red flag in the country. Those who consume excess of sugar and carbohydrate lead to accumulating that excess weight overtime. Per record, Philippines has estimated a staggering 18 million citizens who are either Obese or Overweight.

Cancer Cells feed on Sugar
To clarify, consuming sugar does not cause cancer. Studies have been conducted which proves that sugar essentially feeds tumors and encourages cancer growth. Hence, starving these cells from sugar may help cancer patients.

Photo Courtesy of Hearty Bread

What's on the menu?

Hearty Bread has 4 variants in their menu: Almond Loaf, Probiotic Loaf, Fruit Loaf and Specialties

Prices are as follows

Almond Loaf
Their Almond Loaves are made with pure raw materials that is sugar free, preservative free and margarine free.

• Ezekiel Almond Loaf - 100
• Cheesy Charcoal Almond Loaf - 180
• Coffee Cheesy Almond Loaf - 250
• Garlic Almond Bread Sticks - 90

Probiotic Loaf 
Their Probiotic Loaf are made with gluten-free flour fortified with lactobacillus protectus for optimum digestion

• Premium Sourdough Pandesal - 40
• Premium Sourdough Loaf - 105
• Multigrain Sourdough Loaf - 115
• Garlic Sourdough Bread Sticks - 80

Fruit Loaf
These loaves are made from real fruit such as their banana loaves are made in Saba which has lower sugar content and has more fiber, meanwhile, their pumpkin carrot loaves is a perfect source of Vitamin A that protects our eyes

• Banana (Saba) Sourdough Loaf - 200
• Bannoffee Walnut Sourdough Loaf - 280
• Pumpkin Carrot Sourdough Loaf - 280

Specialties 
Their Coconut Brownies are made with coconut flour with stevia as sugar substitute and you can enjoy the brownies with lactobacillus protectus and walnuts with Stevia as sugar

• Coconut Brownies - 50/piece or 300/box
• Walnut Sourdough Brownies - 50/piece or 300/box

I am not an avid fan of breakfast but when I got a chance to try these loaves, I immensely enjoy it. I fills my empty stomach, it makes me feel full and energized before I start my morning. Even if I only eat one to two pieces of breads every morning, I don't feel hungry immediately-- good for weight loss. The Probiotic Loaves are not my cup of tea because to me, they taste bland but you can easily spice it up with jams that would really improve the overall taste.


To me, this is a pefect alternative for people who wants to cut down their weight and my mom who was a Type 2 diabetic really enjoys it most especially the Banana Sourdough Loaf because she can enjoy the sweet taste of the banana without worrying about her sugar level.

Realizing that eating healthy is not a challenge if you have the perfect mindset and perfect partner.

You may get Hearty Bread on these following markets:

Rustan's Marketplace or Supermarket

• Santolan Town Plaza
• Shangrila Plaza Mall
• Glorietta 
• Paseo de Magallanes

Weekend Market (Friday to Sunday) 

• U.P. Town Center Acacia Lanes
• Eastwood Mall 2/F

Pharmacy Partners Hub

• Mediscount Del Monte
• Mediscount E. Rodriguez

Delivery Hub

• Alabang 
• Paranaque BF Homes
• Bonifacio Global City

You may also check Hearty Bread's website for more information www.heartybreadph.com
Or check their social media platforms
Instagram: https://instagram.com/heartybreadph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heartybreadph

Finger foods has always been my companion during late night writing or studying. I have always been a fan of crisps to be exact, Nachos. I love Nachos because of it's aroma taste and savory cheese and salty beef.

Nacho King is one of my go-to places whenever I hang out with my friends or just want to lounge and do whatever-- reading, listening to music or watch a movie.


History

The birth of Nacho King started when Mike Singh and highschool friend Teddy Manotoc decided to bring Mexican dish in the Philippines as they launched their first outlet in April 1995 in SM North EDSA after returning home from college in the US in 1994.

Since then, their business flourished by expanding different branches. Currently, they have several hundred outlets nationwide. They have catered department stores, supermarkets and schools. Now, they even handle parties as we all know nachos can be a great party favor. Right?

My Favorite

The Nacho  King has a variation of nachos that you can choose from different size to different side dishes. My favorite has to be the Jumbo Loaded which retails for only 156 pesos. This variant has Jumbo Cheesy Nachos with 4 toppings- mushrooms, jalapeneos, salsa, signature beef, and cheese.



I can finish it with one seat. I don't even mind getting my fingers dirty with it's delicious cheese! and even though I'm not a big fan of spices, I can even eat the jalapeneos; it gives me a strong kick of spiciness that I can absolutely tolerate.

Nacho King is continuously growing and now offers franchise- Cart, Kisosk and Outlet Store at a very affordable price with guaranteed Return of Investment (ROI). To be honest, this is a great business idea most especially if you can find a good spot such as schools or locations that are heavily loaded with people.


If you are craving for Nachos at home and have no time to visit them, fear not because you can buy their nachos to go! They have various flavors- plain, cheese, barbeque and sour cream. Also for you to get the awesome savory cheese, you can also buy the powdered version, all you have to do is dissolve it in warm water, bring it to boil and simmer for a few minutes.

What's good about this is that you can choose whatever toppings you want to include! Awesome, right?

Drop by Nacho King now and experience #nachorap with #ilovenachoking

Joliant Restaurant is a Filipino- Contemporary Family Restaurant located in BF Homes, Parañaque. My partner and I were invited last weekend to try and taste their cuisines and to be honest, we were thrilled to have a taste in their local cuisines. Not to mention, their restaurant's location is quite near to where Jerico leaves and since I do not go to South often, I've been dying to try different restaurants located there.



Joliant Restaurant has been in the business for over 12 years with a common goal- to make the people happy as per their name "Joliant" which derives from the word 'jolly'.

Now, I'll be diving in the 5 reasons why you need to try out their fabulous family restaurant:

1. Location and ambiance was PERFECT

To be honest, the restaurant isn't found in Waze or Grab, however, their landmark (Nuat Thai) can be found that's why we were able to ride a Grab to arrive there. The restaurant was seen easily upon arriving at our destination since there is a huge name of their restaurant there, plus, it's a corner lot so their location is easily visible.


Upon entering their restaurant, I immediately noticed how well lit the restaurant. In fact, we need to pull down some covers to take good photos with proper exposure because it's too bright. The place was so roomy with a numerous number of tables, chair, and couches so if the place will be full of people, I don't think people would feel crowded or irritable since just like I told you - there's room for everyone.


2. Their dishes were made to perfection

During our stay, we were served with two (2) appetizers, seven (7) main course, and one (1) dessert.

For starters, we were served with Nachos and Chicken Skin. I was in awe of these dishes. The salsa was not so tangy in my liking, the nachos, although taste quite normal, nothing fancy but it works really well with the salsa dip but, I much prefer the Chicken Skin. I have been a huge fan of Chicken Skins and I  always love to buy them on streets, however, Joliant's chicken skin was very tasty, it is not pure chicken since I can taste some fat in it but the cherry on top was a buttery flavor on the Chicken Skin itself. It's not too salty or bland, it's just right the dip was quite spicy for my liking but still,  you can enjoy a lovely Chicken Skin with or without dipping it into their vinegar dipping.

Nachos: 175 pesos

Chicken Skin: 120 pesos

Next was the viands, I was so amazed by how big the serving was. To be honest, it cannot be consumed by 2 people, I think it can be consumed by a maximum of 4 people. My favorite was the Patatim, the Buttered Chicken, Pinaputok na Tilapia and Chopseuy. The Patatim was very sweet and the meat was really juicy, tasty and it just melts into my mouth. The Buttered Chicken was very buttery (of course) the flavor sinks into the chicken's skin and the gravy works really well with it. The Pinaputok na Tilapia was a first for me and the owner and chef mentioned that it was Joliant was the very first one to concept a dish like this. It was smokey, savory and the flesh was very juicy. Chopseuy's flavor was so delighting, you can really taste the sauce inside the vegetables. However, the chopseuy's ingredients were cut too big from what I have accustomed, still, I'm impressed by the dish.

Patatim: 500 pesos

Buttered Chicken: 280 pesos Pinaputok na Tilapia: 220 pesos

Chopsuey: 220 pesos

My least favorite would be the Spicy Garlic Chicken, the Kare-kare and the Sinigang sa Miso (Tanigue) for the reason that, first, I am not a huge fan of spicy dishes and the Spicy Garlic Chicken and the Bagoong Alamang of Kare-kare was just over my league. I even ate a chunk of chili which made me panic because I don't know what to do or what to drink. I just wish that they were able to adjust the spiciness depending on their customer's liking. The Sinigang sa Miso, on one hand, was just not my cup of tea, don't get me wrong, the taste of their Sinigang was so good, it's not too sour and it's not bland at all but it's my own personal preference-- I'm just not fond of fish soup and I don't know why. 

Food has always been my comfort food and I always eat, a lot whether it would be a healthy snack or fast food, I always make sure that I am equipped with enough food to alleviate my mood as what other people would say "Eat your feelings out".

This year I have been very addicted to eating ramen for the reason that my friends love noodles and even though some of the ramen houses nearby costs a fortune, I still tend to follow them through somehow but this time, I am very happy to experience a very affordable yet yummy authentic Japanese Ramen that recently purchased here in Fairview Terraces - Tomochan Ramen Express


History

Tomochan Ramen Express was founded by Akiko Okamoto with a vision to share what authentic Japanese delight to Filipinos and all over the world without spending so much money on quality and taste. She took a big step when she opened its first ever store located in Angeles City, Pampanga in July 2017. Since then her business flourished with other four flagship stores all over the Philippines.


Tomochan Ramen Express was considered as "Solid Friendship" with its two Japanese words "Tomo" and "Chan" combined. "Tomo" was derived from the word "Tomodachi" which the Japanese term for 'a friend' meanwhile "Chan" is typically used for 'miss/little children/close friends' Hence, Tomochan is a solid friendship that promotes love, loyalty, and dedication.

First Ever Experience

As I arrived there in the Food Choices at Ayala Terraces, I immediately saw the stall which is a positive impression for me since I am always looking for a restaurant that is accessible. I immediately noticed how clean their counter is and how organized their condiments section at the right side of the counter.


The staffs are very much courteous and assist me to order which ones would I like to taste. To be honest, I am very much impressed by how Tomochan provided 2 types of ramen: Tokyo Shoyu and Miso Basic with 4 different ramen on each category. Looking at them on the menu, it looks mouthwatering but I still opted for a Miso Special which is my favorite type of ramen. Also, they have Rice meals available they have Chicken Karage, Katsu and Gyoza. For me, I opt for Katsu.


The overall ambiance of the place is nothing spectacular since it is located in a food section of the mall wherein there are lots of stalls beside it but what's good is that you can easily see if your ramen is ready to be picked up and the counter is really spacious so that people will have a comfortable experience without the feeling of being queued up while waiting for your order.


As soon as I received my order I was surprised to see how big their serving is for the ramen. It is so worth it for 169 pesos. Meanwhile, the katsu's a little bit small for the cup of rice but I personally didn't mind since I didn't eat the rice during the moment.


Taste

The taste was amazing! It looks and tastes delicious I have nothing to say, the noodles are firm and the miso broth was spectacular although compared to other ramen houses that I've been in wherein they placed corn in the ramen, Tomochan doesn't have any corn but that's okay still I can taste the umami flavor and the miso combined! It tastes a little bit spicy for my liking but still, I was able to manage to finish the entire bowl.



For the Katsu, the meat was tender and juicy and it fits well with the Japanese mayo which is one of the basic element in Japanese cuisine. The rice was okay though I know that it's not the authentic Japanese rice still, I didn't mind is because the Katsu suits my liking really well.

Price

Just like what I have mentioned a while back Tomochan has 8 variety of ramens over all that ranges from 99 pesos to 169 pesos and for me, it's really worth it! This suits well for people who are on a tight budget but famished and really need to have an on-the-go ramen asap.


The Tomochan provided a 3 rice meal which is priced for only 79 pesos only. From my experience, it is just so-so I hope by the time I ordered Katsu again it would be bigger.


They also have 2 Set Meals available for everyone who would like to check out their menu which is perfect because of its affordability plus you get everything you would want to taste in their menu.

Overall

I highly recommend it to everyone especially those who love Japanese Ramen but on a tight budget. The service was very quick, courteous staff and the most important thing: you get your money's worth! Check them out!

Other Branches

Marquee Mall
Food Choice, Level 2, Marquee Mall, Angeles City

New Point Mall
Lower Ground, New Point Mall, Angeles City

Solenad Mall
Fiesta Market, Solenad 3, Nuvali, Santa Rosa, Laguna

Fairview Terraces
Food Choices, Second Floor, Ayala Fairview Terraces, Quezon City

LKG Tower Branch
Food Odyssey, 11th Floor, LKG Tower, Makati City

Stay tuned for their other branches!

Check their website at www.tomochan.com.ph for more information

We all love pizza, I mean who doesn't? It's perfect on the go food and not only that, it can be your partner through stress-eating and break-ups (believe me, I tried this method and it worked).

For those who want to taste a well-known pizza chain in the UK named PizzaExpress who opened their very first store in Soho, London over 50 years ago. I'm very happy to inform you that they are now available in the Philippines at Uptown Mall.

Image from clickthecity

This casual diner offers Italian-inspired dishes that are stylish, creative, and relevant. Although it serves the same great food across all it’s branches, each store has a distinctive style. The store in BGC boasts a map of London on the feature wall and the neutral tones used throughout are warm and inviting, perfect for a shared meal.

Baked Dough Balls are a great way to get introduced to their pizzas. These bite-sized pizza doughs are served with Garlic Butter, Pesto Rosso, and pesto Genovese. Sweet-tooths can get this round treat as a dessert, too. Check out the Dough Balls with Nutella.

Romana Pizza, Classic Pizza, or Pasta; one thing these carbs have in common are how consistently good they taste. Using the same dough recipe that they’ve had since the beginning, they were able to create pizzas that are both traditional and innovative. Most people keep coming back for the Lava Pizza, that’s topped with chunks of melt-in-your-mouth Burrata mozzarella, and the Spaghetti Fruitti de Mare, which is a seafood pasta in a spiced Pomodoro sauce.

come and taste their Italian cuisine made from locally sourced ingredients together with imported products, handmade pizzas and be amazed at how chefs worked their magic as they create your dough from scratch at their open kitchen.

Check them out at https://megaworld-lifestylemalls.com/

I always love butter to my bread whether it's toasted or just filling, I would consider myself as a butter junkie.

Usually, I always put the plain butter on my toast but when I found out that there are other flavors of butter in the market we tried the garlic flavored butter because of course, who doesn't want garlic bread, right? But the thing is, the flavor was so artificial, you can't feel the garlic at all at the same time, some butter is kind of blunt because I love a creamy butter on my toast paired with a hot creamy coffee.


You probably have read my Butter Up Experience 

But I haven't talked much about the butter itself so I made a separate post dedicated to the product and my thoughts about it.

Butter Up PH has a variety of flavored butter hand-made from compound butter. Compound butter is made by mixing the butter base with supplementary ingredients like garlic, parmesan cheese, white truffle oil, parsley, chives bacon to elevate the flavor so consumers may devour to this exquisite flavors after they incorporate the butter to any dishes their butter base, on the other hand, is made from French butter.

Shelf Life

Butter Up lasts longer if you keep it refrigerated but it's usually good for 3 months. But I'm sure that when you get a chance to taste its flavor, you would surely come back for more.



Butter Up's Versatility

Butter Up Ph can not only be used for spreads but you can incorporate it with other ingredients like steaks, mashed potatoes, and sunny side eggs, furthermore, you can also drizzle it on your popcorn for added flavor but for me, I still like the traditional butter on toast but better.


Aside from spreading it on my toast, I also tried to incoporate it in my pancake, and who would have thought that garlic works really well with sweet breakfast, right? It added another layer of flavor in my meal, wow!


Pricing

Butter Up has two flavors available in the market: Garlic and Parmasean (150 php) and Bacon and Chili (175 php)


Taste

Compared to the other flavored butter that I've tried, with Butter Up Ph, you can taste the butter and the garlic, in fact, there's garlic bits that was added in the butter. Though the garlic was so strong with this but since I love garlic, I didn't mind having a garlic breath after (though it's not a good idea to eat this without brushing your teeth). Oh did I mentioned that I personally tried their Garlic and Parmasean variant because I am still scared to try their Bacon and Chili- I'm hate spicy food so I don't think I have the courage to try it *haha* but I would love to, just let me grab some courage.


Speaking with the Garlic and Parmasean, I thought it will be somehow salty because butter and cheese, right? But I was wrong, it was simply savoury and the layer of flavors really burst in my mouth every after bite! Highly recommended!

The price was really worth it. So if you want to try it, you may go and grab one through their Facebook page 

I love butter on my toast that's why when I got the chance to try #ButterUpPH homemade butter, I was thrilled to try it.


Looking at their packaging, you would immediately feel the homey touch of the product and who would have thought that this spoon is plastic?


One thing I've noticed as soon as I opened the lid is the garlic bits, it would immediately give you an idea that you would taste real garlic rather than other garlic-flavored spreads who will just go for garlic seasoning. The butter took some time to soften but that is not an issue, I can say that it's worth the wait.


The garlic flavor was strong but I loved the flavor, the parsley also adds an additional layer of flavor that bursts into my mouth. I usually pair my toast with coffee which was absolutely perfect.

Go ahead and grab your very own Butter Up PH!

For more information, go to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ButterUpPH/