Crimson's Firehouse Pizza in Alabang

Crimson Hotel located in Filinvest, Alabang has just opened its very own pizza place named Firehouse Pizza. Using the "pugon" system, they are able to serve brick oven pizza made of sourdough cream guaranteed to fill your stomach.

I was able to try their appetizers, pizza, and drinks.

This is their Burrata Salad. I first heard about Burrata from the IG Stories of Heart Evangelista and it made me curious why she posted about it with a caption of "no regrets." Was it really that good? I had to give it a try.

The Burrata Salad was refreshing and the cheese was absolutely perfect paired with the mesclun leaves and garden tomato.  I didn't even mind the balsamic oil dressing because it was just so good.

I was also able to try the Antipasti Platter which consisted of Assorted Cheese, Mushroom, Olives, Artichoke, Pepperoni, and Prosciutto.

I loved the assorted cheese as well as the bread that came with it.

Another favorite of mine was the Mini Calzone Salad which had a lot of baby spinach, dried tomato, pesto sauce, and parmesan cheese. This was just pure heaven.

Their brick oven pizza, however, is the real star of the night. I was able to try 4 out of 10 which means I'll need to come back to try the others.

The Garish Gravlax (I know it's a mouthful) contains vodka cured beetroot salmon. This is the first time I've ever tired having salmon as toppings on pizza and I absolutely loved it. This also came with spinach, capers, and zucchini. This was definitely my favorite but Times Square comes in a close second. The Times Square comes with eggs on top and you need to try it to believe that egg topping on pizza actually works.

What makes Crimson's Firehouse Pizza different from other pizza places is the fact that you can choose which type of cheese will go on your pizza and pay accordingly. They also have a clear description of what the different cheeses are and how they differ from each other. As they say, no two cheese are alike.

Want some pizza?

Crimson Firehouse Pizza

Ground Floor beside Crimson Hotel, Alabang



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at the end of the 2nd trimester ...

Becoming a parent for the second time was NEVER part of my list. I dreaded the idea and did not welcome it at all so when I found out that I was pregnant, AGAIN, after 14 years, the world felt like it crumbled around me.

Don't get me wrong. I am thankful for this blessing. I just wasn't prepared for it nor was I praying for it. To say that it came as a mild shock would be a major understatement. 

6 months in and sometimes, I still feel surprised that there's a baby inside me. When it moves, I still get shocked at times like "what in God's name was that?" Then I remember, oh I have a baby growing inside me and the world calms down once more.

The pregnancy is more pronounced now than ever. My belly is seriously protruding and it's harder to mistake it as just fat. The constant movement of the baby is also a no-brainer. It's a good sign as well that the baby is doing very well. Sometimes, I just wish that the baby would swim gently rather than having a karate fit inside.

Yesterday, we went to SM to do our Baby Gift Registry. It was actually very exciting choosing things for the baby and at the same time praying that the guests actually buys something off the list haha. We really did our best to choose just the ones that the baby woud need.

Here's the Dad to be excitedly trying out this babywear thing. It was so funny when he seriously asked the staff if the baby won't be squished when placed in this thing.

I feel so grateful that he's very hands-on in this whole pregnancy ride. Every night, he puts oil in my tummy and more often than not, he would massage my back, arms, and legs because he knows that I feel sore from carrying the baby.

3.5 more months and we get to see our little bundle of joy. I know that God has plans for this baby and our family so I welcome it with open arms now. I may have been unprepared for this new journey but with my family and M with me, I know that we'll weather through with flying colors. 

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Lifestyle Review of the ASUS Zenbook

I've owned an ASUS Zenbook since December 2016. 3 years later, it's still in mint condition and functioning very well.

This time around, I got the chance to try the new Zenbook UX334. This is the world's most compact laptop series with a screenpad 2.0.

This one is a little heavier than my own Zenbook but it's still lighter than most laptops. The Zenbook line has always been the lightest, most beautiful, and elegant amongst the ASUS line since it's inception and what makes it even better is that it does not compromise on performance.

This newest line from the Zenbook series comes with a four-sided frameless NanoEdge display that features an ultraslim bezel on all four sides which gives is an unrivaled 95% screen to body ratio for a near borderless viewing experience. This means you get to watch your movies or series with a theater-like experience on a smaller scale.

Despite the thin new bezels, the webcam is still optimally positioned at the top edge of the display and now, it even has 3D IR capability for fast face log-in as well as a new four-element lens for sharper images.

The speakers are still made with Harman Kardon which guarantees listening pleasure for anyone who will be listening via the laptop.

Though fragile looking, the Zenbook has been torture tested to military-grade reliability standards. Tests included environmental extreme of altitude, temperature, and humidity as well as extensive drop, shock, and vibration testing.

The things that I loved about the Zenbook is the fact that it has high speed memory and the graphics are really great. It also comes with high speed storage and fast connectivity.

There are many ports as well so you won't have to worry about connections and cables. Lastly, battery life is simply amazing because it ranges from 12 - 14 hours depending on usage.

One other thing I've noticed and truly love is that it doesn't heat up even when I watch videos nonstop. This matters a lot because laptops who heat up can expire faster as well.

This is the charger that comes with the newest model. For my own Zenbook, it came with a type C plug. I think this one is better because it's more common and should there be problems, it will be easier to replace.

I could go on and on about the Zenbook but the truth is, there's only one thing that matter and it's all about longevity. The fact that I have had my Zenbook for 3 years now and it has weathered all sorts of drops, bang, and overuse is a testament to how reliable this model is. If that's not a good enough reason for you to get one, I don't know what is.

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Ponce: Your newest Spanish Place

In the heart of the North, a new Spanish place has risen and if the taste of their food is any indication, they won't be gone anytime soon.

The Ensalada de Mars is a new take on seafood salad. It's pretty enticing how they presented this and as long as the seafood is fresh, it is definitely a must try.

The Risetti de Fruta-Setas is a rice shaped pasta cooked with garlic, mushrooms, truffle paste, and manchego cheese.

The Pollo Organico is another great option for those looking for a healthier option. It is made of organic chicken in cauliflower puree served with roasted vegetables.

The Paella Verduras is also another must try. After all, what's a Spanish place without paella. This is also a great option for vegetarians because it is made of shitake mushrooms, young corn, carrots, fresh beans, and cherry tomatoes. This is served with truffle aioli.

Lastly, you can top it off with Sangria because wine makes anything better.

Ponce is located at 124 Scout. Dr. Lazcano Street, Tomas Morato Ave, Quezon City, 1103 Metro Manila.

Photos by: Captured by Mark Balmores
Facebook 

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SM Woman's Pink Escape

Back then, when you say think pink, people would normally associate it with Barbie Dolls and cotton candy ... basically anything girly.

Now, pink has become the symbol for Breast Cancer Awareness. It's still girly but it is also powerful, strong, and speaks of resilience and survival.

Last October, SM Woman advocated Breast Cancer Awareness Month by celebrating women of different life journeys with self-care talks, fashion and beauty workshops, as well as a well-celebrated fashion show featuring women who have survived breast cancer.

The Pink Escape happened 30th of  October at the SM Mall of Asia atrium and it was an afternoon filled with educational talks that gave more insight and light about Breast Cancer. SM also invited a doctor to shed more light and destroy myths surrounding breast cancer.

They also held a fashion and beauty workshop to inspire hope and encouragement for women. After all, women need to be reminded that they are still beautiful even if they may no longer have certain parts of their bodies.

The one thing I loved most was the tree of hope they had where people could write messages to women afflicted with breast cancer.

Reality is, every woman needs to know what breast cancer is, how to spot it early, and what can be done soon as you are diagnosed with having it. Early detection and awareness is the best prevention and the only way to ensure that this does not stop a woman from enjoying and living life to the fullest.

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Renucci: Quality Rice

Rice is a staple food of Filipinos. There is no going about it. Most Filipinos can manage with a really small portion of viand as long as they have their rice. I've personally seen it where one piece of lumpiang shanghai was enough to cover 2-3 cups of rice.

The fact that there is even unlirice being offered in a lot of fast food restaurants should be a testament to this statement. Rice is one of the most important cereal products worldwide, and is grown in more than 100 countries.

So, what makes rice a quality type of rice?

There are 3 ways to check for the quality of rice: Smell, Wash, and Feel.

SMELL 

Quality rice should smell like it was just freshly harvested. It should not have any artificial fragrance.
If your rice smells like it has cologne or any artificial fragrance in it, that's never a good sign because it means that they are trying to mask something, most likely, the fact that it has been in storage for so long or the rice is no longer fresh.

WASH 

When you wash your rice before cooking it, it should not still be milky. If it's milky, it means that there are impurities and is unclean. After 3 washes, it should show that there's clean water which would then indicate that it is fresh and pure.

FEEL

Quality rice feels naturally coarse. It should also be long and full, not broken or yellowish.

Dalisay Ultra-Premium Rice passed all these tests which makes it one quality rice. My Mom who is a stickler for these things loved the rice. She only has one note about it which is that you need to ensure that if you have 4 cups of rice for cooking, instead of the standard 5.5 cups of water, make it 6.

My Mom says that this rice is best for making rice in a box or fried rice which is what we are having tonight so I'm really excited about that.

Does your rice pass the quality test?

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October Recap: Events, Raket, and More

September was all about new beginnings. October passed by in a flash because I went back to events and doing freelance work.

I had two events for clients and thankfully, both events worked out pretty well.

I also had a truly wonderful event with Brother Philippines where they gave us labelers which made me so happy coz I loved labeling and it would truly help with my scrapbooking.

One of the biggest physical surprises of October though was the Garmin watch that I won during the launch of the Garmin lifestyle watches. I initially thought that I'd give it away or sell it but it turns out, I would fall in love with it. It's become a part of my daily life now and I would check it daily for my sleep and stress.

I also made my freelance business legitimate because I was able to get myself a personal receipt. Yey me! Hopefully, this will lead to more freelance work because I am now legit.

 The last event of the month that got me all giddy was the Starbucks Planner launch. This is the one event that I look forward to yearly and I'm glad that this year was no exception.

Lastly, I covered two food reviews: Friends and Family's Taste of Chinatown and Fat Smoke. I'm really happy that both restaurants were a delight to review and the only hardship I had was the fact that they served really good food, I couldn't say anything bad.

We also had our 6th month checkup. Thankfully the baby is doing very well and healthy. The baby is a bit too big so I need to watch what I eat especially when it comes to rice and bread.

B had two school events and I'm really happy that I was able to support him on both. I watched the first one where they did an ARNIS demonstration while I did his makeup for the Masquerade event. I think Edward Cullen might be shaking in his boots now right?

I also celebrated my 39th birthday and though the family is getting smaller because the twins are in Singapore, my older sister is in Boracay, and my younger sister had to stay in school, I'm still very thankful.

M surprised me with flowers which I haven't received from him in over a year. It really made me smile.

I also received two cakes, one from Starbucks and the other from EON.

Here I am with people who matter most to me: M, my Mom, and B.

The most precious moment of October for me though was when B and M hugged. You see, it was my birthday but M gave B a really precious gift: a laptop he needed for school for which I was truly thankful for because I was still thinking of a way to come up with the money. 

October was overall a good month and I'm hoping that though November opened with a bit of bad news, it will lead the way to better things. I truly believe in that.

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Review of Sukhumvit Thai Resto

I initially thought that it was Erawan that was the only Thai restaurant inside BF Resort in Las Pinas. It seems I was wrong.

M and I recently passed by Gloria Diaz and we saw this little nook called Sukhumvit. What really got my attention was that they serve Thai Milk Tea that was selling for only Php50. My interest was piqued.

The first impression wasn't so good though because the aircon was turned off and it was hot. The staff was also not prepared to welcome customers which was a bit weird in my opinion because it was already past noon when we got there.

This is the place. The tables were colorful but the place felt a bit cramped.

They served candies and cookies while we were waiting for our orders. I thought that was a bit of a nice touch. It helps keep your mind off the waiting time.

The Pad Thai wasn't appealing to the eyes but it was actually pretty good. I love that though it's not instagrammable, it was more than palatable.

The satay was the least bit impressive for me. Since I've tasted the real thing in Malaysia and Kota Kinabalu, I have higher standards now when it comes to satay.

This is their Tom Yang. Now, this was hands down a WINNER. Tangy, sour, and a bit spicy, it was the perfect blend and truly hits the spot. I also love their container.

It was actually a pretty cheap eat. If we hadn't ordered the extra milk tea to bring home, our meal would have cost Php720 and we managed to try almost everything already.

M and I enjoyed this lunch date and the food we had. I'm glad that there's an alternative for us to choose should we crave Thai Food.

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