Remember this?

In one of my  posts, I mentioned that I was so looking  forward to something.

The photo (above ) was a teaser to my blog’s image header courtesy of one of my dearest BFFs,  Isel M who owns and manages Work Area in Cagayan de Oro City  ( click the link and check it out for your printing needs).  We tweaked the original design a little bit ( after countless exchange of e-mails ) and now, it’s finally showing!  

Thank you, dearest bff, for your love and patience!

Dangwa Flower Market: Oasis of colorful blooms

I've always wanted to visit Dangwa Flower Market and walk about its alleys at a leisurely pace to admire and enjoy the sight of colorful blooms: roses, gerberas, chrystantemums, tulips, etc. I've been  there a few times, always rushing and would drop by only to buy a bunch of white roses or  fresh poinsettias during the Christmas season. Over the weekend, I finally had the chance to see those pretty blooms up close, smell the scents and have a little chat with vendors selling diverse and exciting varieties of fresh-cut blooms all year-round. 

Potted orchids for orchid lovers:  Php 700

Roses rule in this market!

  

A bouquet of lovely roses can fetch up to Php 300 and Php 100-120 for a dozen (loose). Haggling is allowed.

Freshly-delivered floral produce.

.... more blooms

Asters and greens (above) to spruce up your flower arrangements.

Since this is the wholesale flower market resource for event planners, distributors and florists, the whole stretch of the market  gets very busy on special occasions and buying frenzy starts really early.

The market sits in  close proximity to the Dangwa Bus Terminal in Dos Castillas Street in  Sampaloc, Manila ( very near the University of Santo Tomas along Espana, Manila ).

The Great Wall .... ( of Chocolate Cake )

I  heard about Pf Chang's Great of Wall of Chocolate Cake and my brood could only gasp in

disbelief when I described it:  Six layers ( yes, six! ) of rich chocolate cake  with chocolate frosting, finished  with semi-sweet chocolate chips and served with raspberry sauce.

To see ( and to try it ) is to believe!

Rich and moist:: A slice may be shared by five to six persons.  

 \

Sinful frosting with pea-sized chocolate chips .

Best enjoyed with black coffee or hot tea.

Now, I hope you have saved room for dessert!

Whooo but you!

 I went to Dapitan Arcade in Sampaloc, Manila early this week to work on an article for a new online magazine and guess what I found!

Owls to make my day!

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Hello world! I  know it was too long a hiatus ... but yes, I'm back in the saddle! I'll talk about why I had that long  break in the coming posts but meantime, Gong Xi Fa Cai!

I have a stash of Tikoy or Nián gāo, that popular Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour, sugar and water, given by friends for Chinese New Year. Like  most of you, I  cook tikoy the easiest way possible-  dipped in beaten egg then fried  and served with sugar.  Today, I thought why not make tikoy rolls? For a twist, I added jackfruit ( much like a banana turon ) and need I say it was a hit for  merienda? Needs a little improvement, I must say. I should use  thicker lumpia wrappers next time to avoid the gooey delicacy from spilling out from its wrap while frying the rolls. 

Tikoy rolls anyone?

Serve those holiday desserts in style!

For a refreshing change, serve those irresistible desserts for Noche Buena in vibrant dessert serving plates like these ...

Maximize table space with two-tier dessert plates.

Found these fab holiday finds at  Color it Christmas by Tamilee Industries, Inc.

It's November! already?

I can’t believe it’s November already. It’s just weeks before Christmas and I’m officially in a panic mode! But as one of my (George) friends say we must remind ourselves : “ I am a stress-free zone! ” And so, I’ll try ( again) to be just that …

For starters,  I’ll think happy thoughts, family, friends, sunny smiles and good weather. And I'll think about what’s coming … like this one:

Can you guess?