Father's day is Max's Chickenall-you-can day!

Last Father's day. I went home to Pampanga after a busy day at work. It's not unusual for me to sleep while riding the bus whether I'm exhausted or not. For months of being fetched at the mall, this is the first time I got a message from mommy that they are already eating and they asked me to proceed directly to Max's the moment I arrive. I wonder what's up with them not waiting for me for dinner. When I went to the second floor of SM Pampanga, I was surprised to see several people waiting at Max's. Then I saw the answer. The CHICKEN ALL-YOU-CAN is back!!! It's my first time to experience it and it's so cool! Too bad I have some things to buy and the mall is about to close so I went to national bookstore first to buy myself a copy of the PPD then I joined my family in eating!!! Nom nom nom... I felt really full that night although I only ate 3 quarters of fried chicken. This promo starts at 6:00pm until 10:00pm daily. Hurry coz this is until July 10 only!!!

Dinner @ Racks with my family

Every Sunday night, I go home to Pampanga to be with my parents and the rest of my family... They fetch me at SM Pampanga, but before we go home, we usually eat together. That Sunday, they decided to eat at Racks. Good thing my cravings for steaks is not yet done.

Racks says that they have the best ribs in town. Their branch in Pampanga is just new, but I've never seen it empty. There are always lots of people dining or falling in line. Aside from having good food, I think the major reason for this is that their foods are very affordable and SULIT NA SULIT!

I like their warm garlic bread a lot. It's crispy and toasted to perfection. It's not greasy and not too salty. I like it paired with their Carbonara.

The White Spaghetti or Carbonara is one of my favorites. There's nothing much in it but the taste is outstanding. I can live with this alone:)) hehe,,

Then we prepared ourselves for the main dishes. I got their famous barbeque sauces and placed them in front of me. HAHAHA maduga ako...

and then TSARAAAANNNN the Ribs are served!!! The meat is juicy, tender and perfect! Jusko kahit maghapon akong umupo para kumain nito papayag ako:)) hehe

I also like their fish fillet served with fries., it's best to eat while still hot

For our side dish, mommy ordered three coleslaw, but sadly I'm not a fan of veggies. I did not bother to taste it :) bad me

This is their classic fried chicken served with fries. I like to eat this with rice since I find it salty already even if I did not use any dip. 

The gravy is also good!

For dessert, we had Mudpie. The warmness of the brownie is in contrast yet goes good with the cold vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate syrup...

When we were about to leave, I saw a saucer container with honey in it. I asked mommy what it is for. She told me to try it by putting a small amount in the pandesal. It's something new for me and I admit that I like it so much.

Here are the girls of the family: my mom, my cousin chai and my bitchy sister cris (hehe peace kapatid)

I am looking forward for the upcoming Sundays when I go home:)

Dinner @ Tender Bob's, The Block

After our medical mission at North Harbour, I went home with Jeremy of Manila Mall 2... I left my things and went to Ate Aljane's place to see her and Fritz.. dahil nga naunsyame ang last week ko pang plano ay isinakatuparan ko ito ngayon... We went to SM North Edsa as fast as we can since napagsarhan kami last week nung babaeng mukhang tuwang tuwa pa nung sinabi samin na sarado na sila,,, hahaha

Hindi nakasama ang butihing si Mia sapagkat sya ay nag-aaral at kakabalik lang ng kanyang braces...

Tender Bob's is a American themed steak house which offers not only steaks but burgers, pastas, salads, sandwiches and a lot more. The place looks like a ranch but with a modern feeling. What I noticed is that the one being shown in the screen is not related to the sound at all... It bothers ate a lot...

The staff is attentive, but what irritates me is that I'm having a hard time to decide what to order, not because I don't like the food but because the waitress keeps on pressuring us and she did not gave us ample time to scan the menu. 

The place is full of people of all ages... from children up to our grannies, they surely have something good to offer to them.

The bitchy waitress served our drinks first.. There is nothing special when it comes to their iced tea and lemonade. But I really appreciate their attentiveness to refill our glasses even if we are not asking for it.

For our appetizer, we had Chicken Tenders. We prefer to have the original recipe rather than the Buffalo style. The tenders are good plus the fries are to die for!!! I love it

The chicken is juicy and not dry. I love the dip for the fingers:))

This is Fritz' order, Chicken Steak since he does not eat beef.

This is mine, US Short Ribs. The sauce is really good and gives this dish a different flavor. It reminds me of the one that mom used to cook when I'm home. WAPAK NA WAPAK! try this one

Ate chose Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Bacon. She made me taste it and I love the cheese on top. It matches the meat perfectly.

Hindi ako nagsisisi sa byahe at pagpupumilit ko na abutan ang Tender Bob's... It's absolutely better than the ones which are more expensive. The servings are more than enough to satisfy your hunger... The food selection is okay and I recommend that you have to try their steaks yourself:)

Pharma Tips: The Benefits of Cranberry Juice

Ehem,ehem! Ito marahil ang pinaka-unang entry ko na naaayon sa aking propesyon bilang isang Parmasyutiko. Since napapadalas ang pagbili ko at lumalala ang pagka-adik ko sa fruit juices, naisipan kong gumawa ng blog entry tungkol dito. 

While on work, hindi na bago ang mga taong walang pakundangan kung bumili ng Antibiotics. Merong gagamit sa ubo, sa sugat, UTI at ang pinakamalala marahil ay ang nagsabing VITAMINS nya ang amoxicillin. Lingid sa kaalaman ng nakararami, hindi nirerekomenda ang madalas na paggamit ng mga gamot na ito since there is a possibility of developing resistance. This is worsened by our improper use of these drugs through self-medication. Dahil dito, tumataas ang bilang ng mga Bacteria na hindi na tinatablan ng Antibiotics o ang tinatawag na SUPERBUG. Dahil dito, naki-isa kami sa malawakang kampanya sa wastong paggamit nito sa pamamagitan ng pangunguna sa pagbibigay alam sa publiko hinggil sa importansya ng Antibiotic Compliance. Kasabay nito ang pagbibigay ng mga alternatibong pamamaraan to treat certain diseases which does not require antibacterial drugs at all dahil hindi naman sila bacterial infection.

As Filipinos, the use of plants or herbal alternatives are very common. Isa marahil sa pinakasikat na alternative mula sa bansang banyaga ang paggamit ng Juice mula sa Cranberry bilang panlaban sa infection lalo na sa urinary tract.

Cranberries are fruits of a plant native to North America. It is scientifically known as Vaccinium macrocarpon and belongs to family Ericaceae. Ito ay mayaman pagdating sa chemical composition. They are formed chemically of triterpinoids, a range of acids ( tulad ng benzoic acid, citric acid, malic acid, quinic acid, ascorbic acid at glucuornic acid), as well as alkaloids and anthocyanin dyes. Ito  ay nagporpoduce ng hippuric acid which makes the urine acidic and prevents bacteria from sticking to the walls of the bladder. Recently, napag-alamang ito ay nagtataglay ng isang Tannin na kung tawagin ay proanthocyanidin na pumipigil sa pagdami ng mga bacteria na siyang sanhi ng Urinary Tract Infection.  

ang ilan pa sa mga pinaniniwalaang benepisyo mula dito ay ang mga sumusunod:

• Cardiovascular: ang cranberry ay isang malakas na anti-oxidant na pumipigil sa mapanirang epekto ng mga free radicals. Pinapataas din nito ang level ng good cholesterol habang pinapababa naman ang bad cholesterol na dahil sa taglay nitong polyphenols.
• Cancer: dahil pa rin sa proanthocyanidins, pinaniniwalaang pinipigilan nito ang pagdami ng cancer cells gaya ng sa breast cancer, at ang paglaki ng mga tumor.
• Colds and sore throat: dahil nga sa acidic na nature nito, pinipigilan nito ang infection at pinapalakas sa pamamagitan ng vitamin C ang resistensya ng tao.
• Ulcer: ang regular na intake ng juice may prevent Helicobacter pylori, the causative agent of some stomach ulcers sa pamamagitan ng pagsira dito.
• Obesity: ang juice na ito ay sagana sa mga organic acids na may emulsifying effect sa mga fat deposits ng ating body .

Bukod sa mga benepisyong ito, natural na masarap ang cranberry juice kaya naman ako ay napabili ng marami at nakaugalian kong uminom nito ng madalas:)

abangan ang susunod na mga pharma tips:)

Dinner @ The Real Thing Diner

One night, Ate Aljane agreed to go with me to Tender Bob's to eat steak... We went to SM North Edsa, The Block after my work and Mia, her sister, joined us. When we got there, the mall is about to close. Ang funny na nakakabwisit kasi the lady receptionist, in full smile, happily greeted us good evening followed by sorry closed na po,, I don't know if natutuwa sya o ano.. hahaha.. anyway, we went out of the mall since all the others are closing as well. We went to Tomas Morato and find a place para mairaos ang paghihikahos ng aming kalamnan! Chos!

We went to Terrazzo to check Banapple but the placed is crowded. Then something caught our attention, it's a place of red and white, it's named The Real Thing Diner. We went to check the menu and the lady in grass skirt(I think she is one of the owners or so) greeted us delightedly and asked us what aare we looking for. So we went in and ordered.

The Real Thing Diner features dishes which includes Coca Cola Products. The place is full of Coca Cola collectibles and the color is a war between red and white. 

They have nice music which is matched with the place's ambiance. The staff is attentive and courteous.

Since the famous dishes here have Coca cola products with them, we decided to have iced tea for our beverages.

We ordered a platter composed of their signature dishes. It has Coca-cola Baby Back Ribs, Tru-orange Porkchop and Eight O'clock Chicken. Among the three, Tru-orange porkchop is my favorite. These are really must try dishes when you go here!

We were so full already but our order of their Shrimp & Zucchini Linguini was served. It's quite good but there are portions that are too salty. I guessed I should have mixed it well on a bigger plate. Reminder, it is better to eat it at once when served.

For our desserts, I had Happily Appley, Swedish apple pie, served a la mode

Mia got, Choc a la mode, it's a warm chocolate cake served with vanilla ice cream

Ate Aljane chose to have their Sundae composed of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, accompanied by coca-cola syrup and topped with cherry

The food here is good and the price is very reasonable. One thing that I did not like is that the crew seemed to rush us when it was almost 11pm. I suggest you have to come early if you don't want to be in a hurry:)

Lunch @ Five Cows with Barn Buddies! Chos!

Isang umaga, nagising akong masakit ang aking likuran.. ayoko pa sanang bumangon ngunit nakatakda ang aming pag-alis noong araw na iyon... I was pissed with my brother who keeps on telling me to prepare myself  na eh ang aga aga pa,,, 8 am! ahaha,, mabilis pa naman ako mainis pag di maganda pakiramdam ko,,

Since few days na lang pasukan na ulit, mom set this day to shop for the things WE need,, inuulit ko, WE kasama talaga ako,, nakiki-epal lang,, hehe:) We went to Trinoma after Cris' enrollment at UST then the shopping starts...

Dahil nga masakit ang likod ko gustong gusto ko na umupo gawa na rin ng pagbagsak ko sa floor... So when mommy said that she is starving na I immediately second the motion for us to have lunch (take note 3pm na to).

Cris said that she wants Flamming Alaska, the famous ice cream of Five Cows... So we went there and the lafangan started!!!

I love their tables and chairs here. Aside from the country feeling it give, they made me remember my favorite games, harvest moon and barn buddy:))

So we picked our orders and after 5 minutes or so, they first served our beverages. They have these really cute glasses with a small handle. My cousin did not like their iced tea.

My sister and cousin played safe.. They ordered Grilled pork. I had this before and it is really good. Not to mention that they have big servings for this. The meat is tender and rich in flavor.

Mom had Fish Salpicao. She said it has too much garlic and she does not like it. I tasted it and I definitely agree with her, The dish is too salty and I don't like it as well.

I ate breakfast so don't want to have rice again for lunch.. I had Creamy Beef and Wild Mushrooms... It's good and mom wants it as well... It's rich in flavor and the cream is just enough so hindi talaga naakaka-umay!

We chose Jethroe's dish, Beef Salpicao... and like the other Salpicao, it's salty... no more comments

Marvin's was chosen by mommy since she knows na pihikan ang maarte kong kapatid,,, She ordered Beef Tapa,,, and it's good but not great! A safe meal

And for our dessert, the famous Flaming Alaska! You will not fail to notice it once someone ordered this,, they will dim the lights when the flame starts to glow,,, they will shout AWOOOO in chorus after the bell rang...

and what's interesting is the ice cream inside the burnt porcupine like icing...

I enjoyed this lunch with my family,,, too bad dad is not there with us thaat time:(

oh well, until next time:)) try Five Cows yourself! They have varieties of food to choose from:))

It is located at the 4th floor of Trinoma Mall near the cinemas:)

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's with friends:))

After our dinner at the Kitchen, napagdesisyunan namin nila deah and tracy na tumambay muna sa GB and to share stories. Since first year college, these two ladies were two of the closest friends that i have... We have this connection na parang walang nagbabago though we have different friends din. We shared stories na para kaming mga batang patweetums pa rin sa mga bagay bagay lalo na sa punto ng pag-ibig.. pero kasabay ng paglalim ng gabi ay lumutang kung gaano na karami ang aming mga pinagdaanan..

Nanjan yung mga uber seryosong topics about career, love and issues... pero syempre hindi pa rin mawawala ang WALANG HANGGANG PAGDADALAGA ni Tracy as if na parang lagi syang nasa kanyang sweet 16!

We managed to stay calm kahit naeexcite na kami sa aming pinagkukwentuhan... Sinusulit kasi namin dahil kinabukasan babalik na si Tracy sa kanyang tribo. Mejo talo kami sa ingay nung grupo ng mga conyong kalelekihan sa tabi namin na rinig na rinig ko ang makamundong topic,, hehe

Kasabay nito ang pagsipsip ng paborito kong ice blended drink ng CBTL,,, ang white chocolate dream:)

Pagkatapos ng aming talakan sumama kami kay tracy sa kanyang bahay at duon na lumabas ang aming mga mature side. 

  It's good to know how people get matured in their points of view in life, 

but it's amazing how some friendships seem to be timeless:)