Great Home-style Meals at Lola Maria Restaurant of The Legend Villas

We spent the weekend of our 11th wedding anniversary at The Legend Villas in Mandaluyong City. We stayed in a premier suite which Rap aptly called, his "home for the weekend." Our unit had an electric stove, a microwave oven, and a rice cooker which I could have used to cook. But since we were there to relax and enjoy the weekend, the boys did not let me cook. We ordered in food instead.

The following morning, we headed to the Breakfast Buffet served at Lola Maria. The food did not disappoint us. In fact, my boy had second helpings of their tapa which he ate heartily with fried garlic rice. Seeing how he enjoyed eating at Lola Maria made me happy. We promised to check-in again at the hotel, probably during his birthday.


The Legend Villas gave us another reason to come back and eat at Lola Maria Restaurant. Last Friday, I attended their food tasting event where they introduced these eight new dishes which are specialties shared by the owners' celebrity friends:

Vegetable Quiche - Baked tender pastry crust with fresh vegetables. A recipe shared by fashion designer, Randy Ortiz.



Fish Pinipig - Cream dory fillet covered with crispy pinipig flakes, dipped in tartar sauce. A recipe shared by actress/host/endorser Iza Calzado:



Prawn Cakes - Oriental style minced shrimps coated with bread crumbs, served with hoisin sauce. A recipe shared by show car maker Atoy Llave.




Cocido - A favorite of food blogger Anton Diaz. Beef ribs stewed in rich tomato sauce with chorizo and fresh vegetables.



Rosemary and Garlic Rib-eye - Best cut of beef seared and marinated with fresh garlic and rosemary. Recipe shared by actress Ara Mina.



Ube and Langka Panna Cotta by actress Sherilyn Reyes-Tan. Light Italian dessert of fresh cream, flavored with vanilla.

Ensaymada Pudding by Ford supermodel grand winner Danica Magpantay. It's day-old ensaymada with custard, baked and topped with queso de bola.

Fried Suman at Tsokolate by actress/host/model Wilma Doesnt. Fried suman sa ibos dipped in creamy tsokolate which very much resembles churros.



Lola Maria Restaurant is named after the late Doña Maria Villanueva Rosario who is the great-grandmother of The Legend Villas Chief Operating Officer, Ginger King-Villavicencio. Since Lola Maria was from Vigan, the owners of The Legend Villas designed the restaurant with furnishing and interior decoration that are truly Filipiniana. Nevertheless, the restaurant serves Filipino food with delightful twists, as you can see in the new dishes featured above. The restaurant can seat 80 guests at a time and has free WiFi.

Lola Maria Restaurant serves breakfast buffets daily from 6 am to 10 am and lunch buffets from 11 am to 2 pm. During dinner, guests can order from their ala carte menu which includes their best-selling Kare-kare, Lechon Kawali, Beef Steak, and Chicken Gallantina.

The Legend Villas is located along Pioneer corner Madison Streets, Mandaluyong City. For inquiries, interested parties may call Lola Maria Restaurant at (632) 702-2793 or visit www.legendvillas.com.ph.


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Know the secrets of Singapore Math

Of all the jobs in the world, being a mother is one of the most challenging. Just imagine, having to raise a child, take care of a husband, and manage a household every single day! Not to mention that we also have to supervise our kids' schooling. Moms of today are a wee bit luckier since there are learning centers, like the Galileo Enrichment Learning Program, where they can bring their kids after school for supplemental learning.

Honestly, my waterloo is Math. Being a teacher/tutor myself, I admit that I'm not that confident with my Math skills so I only tutor grade school Math and let my siblings (my co-tutors) teach the older kids. My boy is still in 4th grade so I can still tutor him in his Math homeworks. Thinking that it'll only be three years till he's in high school gives me the creeps! Uh-oh, I think there's no escaping Algebra and Geometry this time!

On February 12, 2011, from 10AM to 12NN, Galileo Enrichment Learning Program will hold its second round of Unlocking the Secrets to Singapore Math which I am thinking of attending. No less than Mathematician, Dr. Queena Lee-Chua and her son Scott will facilitate the event which will be held at the Bestsellers, 4th Level, Robinson's Galleria. Mother and son tandem will showcase the Model Approach in solving Math problems which makes Math problems more understandable. Instead of just focusing on the numbers, students are taught to visualize the problem by translating it into models such as boxes and brackets.

The workshop is open to teachers, parents, and students in the 2nd to 4th grades. Should you also be interested in attending, you can call the Galileo Head Office at 898-1234 or email events@galileoenrichment.com.


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SM Baby Company: Grand Baby Fair 2011

Hey, moms and dads! You might be interested in attending SM Baby Company's Grand Baby Fair 2011. Top baby brands and baby and child care experts will come together at the SM Mega Trade Hall 2 & 3 from January 28 to 30, 2011. From 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., activities such as symposiums, meet and greet with celebrity moms, workshops, and mini-concerts will be held non-stop.

Over 80 booths will showcase their latest and best baby care products. There will also be a play area for your kids and a breastfeeding area for breastfeeding moms. Don't miss this chance to find all the things you need for you and your baby available in just one roof. See you there!

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White Chocolate Chip Cookies by Rap

I'm sharing with you my boy's baking video which is his Work Education project this term. Actually, the class was asked to cook a nutritious snack with the family, take pictures of the activity, and report about it. My boy, however, was asked by his teacher to tape a video of what he'll be doing.



We had so much baking and taping this video. My son was giggling all the time. My mother-in-law and I helped him with the preparation of the ingredients but he did almost all of the work himself. The cookies were a hit in class that we were asked to bake a new batch as my boy's blowout for the whole class. (He's Top 1 for this term.)

These cookies taste yummy even after a few days. Just keep them in a container inside the refrigerator and it can last until two weeks. In our household, 2 dozens of cookies are only good for a week, haha! Nope, I don't eat too much of these because they're loaded with butter and sugar. You better look for the most effective weight loss diet pills if you plan on munching a dozen of these.

Easy 'no? Hope you try baking these with your kids soon!


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PNoy buys a Porsche

There was quite an uproar among some Filipinos both here and abroad about President Noynoy Aquino's recent purchase of a "third-hand," entry level, white Porsche. Apparently, PNoy sold his BMW to provide funds for this 4.5 million peso purchase.

I'm kinda feeling 50/50 on the issue. I think that it is the President's right to buy anything as long as he can afford it and he uses his own personal money to pay for it. My personal financial rule is to never spend beyond my means. He defends himself by saying that he wants to relax at times and driving a Porsche could be relaxing for him.

When I splurge on something for myself or for my family, it either means I actually saved up for it or I got it on a monthly installment plan which I can afford. And when I buy or spend on something, I go all the way because I know I worked hard and prepared for it. If I had money to spare, then, I wouldn't think twice of buying the 2011 Chevrolet Silverado I saw online.

Then again, unlike me, the President is not a private individual at least until 2016. I would have cared less if he bought a luxury car after his term ends. Although he is not expected to provide for the poor in the country using his personal money, he could have shown sympathy for the poor by living a more simple and practical lifestyle.

In the meantime, I better go back to my projects so I can finally afford the brake job that I think my Honda needs. Now I'm wondering if Dallas auto repairs are cheaper than ours here because I know of a friend in that area who maintains three trucks. Well, at least I know he can afford to keep them all.

Now back to the President... What's your take on this? Do you share my sentiments about PNoy's new toy?

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11 Years

At exactly 1:00 p.m. tomorrow, my husband and I will be celebrating our 11th wedding anniversary. Since we'll be spending the weekend away from home, I'm taking this chance to tell the world how grateful and contended I am that the Lord has given me the perfect partner.


I haven't run out of my "thank you's" yet because, everyday, he always gives me something to be thankful for. This is despite me being not perfect in all ways. Honestly, my husband is the more affectionate one. He never fails to give me hugs, kisses, and "I love you's" even when I am at my grumpiest. He never runs out of praises for me and he tells me I'm beautiful even when I know that I look like an elephant in house clothes.

I have so many plans of paying back all the great things that my husband does for me and my boy. I even plan to buy him the huge LED TV of his dreams or a sporty ATV with cool polaris rzr accessories for his newly-regained work-free weekends. But for now, I hope my love and gratitude would be enough.

I love you more, Dadijun. I'm still glad it was you.


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What's your sign?

Early this morning, I've seen people in my social networks posting about their supposedly "new" zodiac signs. I thought that it was just a new Facebook application that's been causing the buzz. Much to my surprise, it's all over the Internet and even on the local news.

From 12 zodiac signs, the new zodiac signs are now 13 which are:

• Capricorn: Jan. 20 - Feb. 16
• Aquarius: Feb. 16 - March 11
• Pisces: March 11- April 18
• Aries: April 18 - May 13
• Taurus: May 13 - June 21
• Gemini: June 21 - July 20
• Cancer: July 20 - Aug. 10
• Leo: Aug. 10 - Sept. 16
• Virgo: Sept. 16 - Oct. 30
• Libra: Oct. 30 - Nov. 23
• Scorpio: Nov. 23 - Nov. 29
• Ophiuchus: Nov. 29 - Dec. 17
• Sagittarius: Dec. 17 - Jan. 20

Apparently, the "old" zodiac sign was based on the position of the sun and the Earth 2,200 years ago. The Minneapolis Planetarium explains that the slow and continuous moving of the Earth and the sun has adjusted the alignment of the constellations. Meanwhile, the additional sign Opiuchus was allegedly deleted by the Babylonians because they only wanted 12 zodiac signs. Then again, Western astrological experts say that there should be no change at all since the current zodiac signs are fixed to the seasons and not to the constellations.

It's kinda confusing 'no? As far as I know, I'm a true-blue Gemini and not a Taurean. Gemini traits fit me to a T. My moods are simultaneously like different sides of a coin and I am one very curious cat. I think I can even disassemble and assemble
underwater metal detectors if given the chance. That is, if I can stay put and focus for more than an hour.

What's your "new" sign? Do you like it more than your "old" one?


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PAREF Woodrose School, Ayala Alabang Open School Event

PAREF Woodrose School is opening its doors to parents who are looking for a good school for their daughter within South of Manila.

Parents can visit PAREF Woodrose School from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. all Tuesdays of January and February 2011. The Open School Event offers them the chance to be oriented of PAREF Woodrose School's Academic and Mentoring Program. They will also be able to tour the school and view its facilities.

Interested? Please visit the PAREF Woodrose School Open School Event Facebook page or call8506380 to 83 local 120 or 152.

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Drixine Nasal Spray relieves stuffy noses

Have you noticed how cold the weather has become lately? My husband and I have been sleeping without the aircon on because it's cold already especially during the wee hours of the morning. Unknown to us, our boy still sleeps with the aircon in his room switched on. I don't know why but he's such a warm-blooded body. I reminded him that he'll have his nose clogged up in no time if he continues making his room's temperature equal to that of our refrigerator's. Well, waddaya know, he did get his nose clogged up!

A stuffy nose is bothersome during sleeping time. I found Drixine Nasal Spray to be the faster way to relieve stuffy nose compared to taking an oral decongestant. In less than an hour, my boy's nose was decongested and he was able to sleep soundly after that. Drixine contains 0.05% Oxymetazoline which, when sprayed inside the nostrils, decreases inflammation and swelling of the nasal passages. Just 2 sprays were all that was needed and no more stuffy nose even when he woke up the morning after.

Drixine Nasal Spray can be administered to kids 6 years and above. There's also no need for a prescription from your doctor since it's an over-the-counter medication. Although it is recommended to spray 3 times per nostril, I just sprayed it once. Excess solution went down his throat and mouth through the nasal passages and my boy found it to be salty.

Just a word of caution, though. Drixine Nasal Spray may not be used longer than 3 days. Users should also not exceed the recommended dosage which is 2-3 sprays in each nostril in the morning and in the evening.


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