Give L-O-V-E on Valentine's Day

Valentine's day is just around the corner.  Have you thought about what present to get your special someone?  Have you decided what restaurant you'll call for reservation for your date?  Have you booked your weekend getaway to celebrate Valentine's?  Worry no more as Yummy Ramblings will give you suggestions on what to give and where you can go this coming LOVE month.  Let's stray away from the usual bouquet of flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, hotels, and crowded malls and restaurants, I listed down unique finds I would like to share with you.

• FruiQuet

Express your love in a unique way by sending your special someone with this delightful and healthy FruiQuet.  She/He will surely be the envy of her/his friends.  It is made with real fruits that are cut, shaped, carved, and nicely arranged into a bouquet.  You can also customized it by adding fondue dip, wine, Mylar foil balloon, plush teddy bear, and personalized message card.  For more info visit their website http://www.fruiquet.com/

FruiQuet Shop

221-D Katipunan Avenue,

Project 4, Quezon City

Landline: +632 794 5999

Mobile Phone: +63915 451 9999

•  Pastillas Flowers by Sweet Blooms

Send your lovey-dovey this mouthwatering flowers made of pastillas.  It's a sweet, sweet way to show how special she/he is to you.  They have branches in SM North Edsa and Trinoma or visit their multiply store at http://sweetblooms.multiply.com/

Sweet Blooms - Head Office

#20 Timog Avenue Quezon City

Landline: +632 502 0497

Mobile Phone: +63917 5139300

• Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates

Give your honeybunch Theo and Philo chocolates, not your ordinary chocolates, it has a twist in it.  I would confidently say one of the best locally made chocolates I tasted.  Their dark chocolate with calamansi is one of a kind.  It has a very interesting flavor, somewhat citrus-y and complimented the chocolate very well.  The main ingredient cacao is locally source in Davao and the sugar is from Bacolod.  The packaging is also eye catching, with colors of red, blue, white, and gold somewhat exuding a makabayan feel.  Flavors available are 70% dark chocolate, milk chocolate, dark chocolate with chili, dark chocolate with barako, dark chocolate with dried green mango and salt, dark chocolate with candied ginger, dark chocolate with candied calamansi, milk chocolate with glazed pili nuts and toasted pinipig, and milk chocolate with toffee.  These chocolates will make an excellent gift for your significant other.  You can get them at ECHO stores in Podium and Serendra, Team Manila Store in Rockwell, Shangri-La Hotel Gift Shop, JojiBerry in Mother Ignacia, QC.  Visit their website for other stores http://theoandphilo.com/

Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates
Mobile Phone: +63920 431 5650
Fax: +632 242 4093

• Heart-Shaped Scented Soap by Ameer's Touch

These cute mini heart-shaped soaps are made from natural ingredients.  No chemicals are added.  The mini heart soaps have various scents from vanilla, choco caramel, powdery fresh, chocolate, angel’s breath and strawberry.  For more info, visit their website http://ameerstouchexecutif.weebly.com/index.html

Ameer's Touch

Mobile Phone: +63921 737 7650

                              +63927 561 0308

• Mrs Fields Heart-Shaped Cookie Cake

Who couldn't resist a moist and chewy cookie cake made with real butter, whole eggs, and pure vanilla. I sure can't!  Say your sweetest "I Love You" and hand her/him out this delicious treat.  For sure you'll get lots of hugs and kisses for this.  Visit your nearest store now.

Mrs. Fields Philippines
http://www.mrsfields.com.ph/

• Heart-Shaped chicharon

Last Valentine's day, an office mate(Pipai) got this unique chicharon shaped like a heart from her boyfriend(Pat).  He bought it near his place in Evangelista Makati but unfortunately, the store is closed now so I'm just sharing this instead.  Sayang!

• Heart-Shaped places

If you got some spare time and of course money and want to impress your date, why not bring her/him for a visit to one of the many heart-shaped places around the world.

Tavarua Island, Fiji

Heart-Shaped Mangrove, Voh, New Caledonia

Galesnjak, Croatia

Heart Reef, Great Barrier Reef of the Whitsundays

Heart-Shaped Forest, Cantabria, Spain

Heart-Shaped Island, Gutierrez Lake, Patagonia

Heart-Shaped Lake, Ohio

Heart-Shaped Lake, Chembra, India

Heart-Shaped Wetland, Guandu Nature Park, Taiwan

Go on a helicopter ride and profess your love ala Goo Joon Pyo and Geum Jan Di of Boys Over Flowers over one of these heart-shaped places.  I'll guarantee you will have one of the best date ever!

OR maybe sing her/him a love song... the cheesier the better lol!

Kiong hee huat tsai

Kiong hee!  I wish everyone a happy, happy chinese new year... I'm sending my love through this YUMMY as in YUMMY pancit bihon my mama mia cooked.  Enjoy your day!

XOXO :)

Dance with the Dragon

Chinese New Year is the most important festivity in the Chinese calendar.  This begins on the first day of the first month in the traditional Chinese calendar and ends with lantern festival, which is on the 15th day.  Chinese New Year falls on a different date each year because it is based on a combination of lunar and solar movements; hence, it is referred to as the Lunar New Year.  In 2012, Chinese New Year is celebrated on January 23.

photo grabbed from http://ivisitnewyork.com

According to tales and legends, the beginning of Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called  the Nian.  Nian would come on the first day of New Year to eat livestock, crops, and even villagers, especially children.  To protect themselves, the villagers would put food in front of their doors at the beginning of every year.  It was believed that after the Nian ate the food they prepared, it wouldn’t attack any more people.  One time, people saw that the Nian was scared away by a little child wearing red.  The villagers then understood that the Nian was afraid of the colour red.  Hence, every time when the New Year was about to come, the villagers would hang red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors.  People also used firecrackers to frighten away the Nian.  From then on, Nian never came to the village again.

Year 2012 is the Year of the Dragon.  It is believe that the dragon is the mightiest of all the signs in the Chinese zodiac.  The Dragon is in fact the major symbol of good fortune in Chinese Astrology.  According to tradition, the Dragon brings in the Four Blessings of the East: wealth, virtue, harmony and longevity.  Thus, we can expect grand things happening this year.  There will be spectacular successes as well as crash and burn failures.  Good luck and opportunities to make money could come very soon after the Lunar New Year.

Photo grabbed from nugglepurl.blogspot.com

There will be fireworks when it comes to love and romance in the year of the Dragon.  New love can blossom or an old one rekindle on the spur of the moment.  It is relevant to note the Dragon is closely associated with festivals and celebrations, as exemplified by its status as the star of New Year’s parades.  That makes 2012 the perfect year for engagements, weddings and baptisms.

Here are some of Chinese New Year traditions and customs:

Images from web

• Cleaning the house and decorating it: On Chinese New Year's Eve, people clean their homes with the belief that it will help them get rid of bad luck and get the house ready to accept good luck in the year ahead.  They decorate their doors and windows with signs and posters having the word 福(fu) upside down, which means "Good luck arrives."  Every household should also have live blooming plants to symbolize rebirth and new growth.  Flowers are believed to be symbolic of wealth and high positions in one's career.  There must also be oranges, tangerines, and circular candy tray in the house.  Tangerines with leaves intact assure that one's relationship with the other remains secure.  Oranges and tangerines are symbols for abundant happiness.  The candy tray arranged in either a circle or octagon is called "The Tray of Togetherness," which comes with an assortment of foods like candies, chocolates, sugared fruits, coconut, winter melon, water chestnut, and lotus seeds.  The purpose is to wish for a sweet beginning in the year ahead.

Image from web

• Giving good luck presents: One of the popular Chinese New Year traditions is to present your love ones gifts that are symbols of good luck and prosperity.  Most adults gift red envelopes filled with money to their younger family members, relatives, and friends.

Images from web

• Purchasing new clothing, shoes, and getting a hair-cut.  These symbolize a fresh start.  Wear red clothes, as it is believed that the color helps in getting rid of evil spirits.  A haircut before New Year's is a must to cut away the bad luck of the preceding year, as getting a haircut in the first lunar month puts a curse on maternal uncles. 

Images from web

• Family gatherings and feasting:  Visiting relatives' houses and having a grand feast with eight to nine dishes, as these are considered to be lucky numbers.  Some dishes eaten normally during this festival are Chinese dumplings, long noodles, and oranges.  Dumplings, which are called 餃子(jiaozi), symbolize wealth and prosperity because of their resemblance to ancient Chinese money.  It comprises of ginkgo nut, black moss, dried bean curd, bamboo shoots, vermicelli, and scallion.  The noodles should not be cut as it symbolize long life and oranges are a sign of completeness.  It is also customary to make a glutinous new year cake, 年糕 (niangao) and send pieces of it as gifts to relatives and friends, as it means "increasingly prosperous year in year out."  Its sweetness symbolizes a rich and sweet life.  Other foods include fish to represent togetherness and abundance and chicken to represent prosperity.  Always present the fish and chicken as a whole.  Do not cut them in pieces.  The head, tail, and feet (for chicken) must be presented to symbolize completeness.  Clams, egg rolls, and spring rolls.  All of these resemble gold or silver bullion and symbolize wealth.

Image from web

• Dragon dance:  Chinese New Year dragon dance symbolizes the bringing of good luck and success in the coming year for all the human beings on earth.

Image from web

• Fireworks:  A common belief is that firecrackers are meant to scare away the evil spirits and misfortunes right at the start of the year.

As you prepare for this important holiday, keep in mind that what matter most is that this day is spent with family, friends, and love ones.  Also, it is a time to reflect about the changes you want to make in your life.  To ensure a prosperous and healthy year, you should enhance and stimulate positive energy at home, at your business and at work.  POSITIVITY PEOPLE!  SPICE IT UP!  Kung hei fat choi everyone!

When you're feelin' sad and low 

We will take you where you gotta go 

Smiling dancing everything is free 

All you need is positivity
Colors of the world 

Spice up your life 

Every boy and every girl 

Spice up your life 

People of the world 

Spice up your life

Tugs tugs @ The Creamery

The IQWesters invaded The Creamery at SM Mall of Asia last Saturday for the 1st birthday of ate Trixie's unica hija, Mc Aeona Phyllis, how bonggacious the name!  The party had a princess theme.

 

Aeona had a tower of cupcakes surrounded by gift bags for the guests.

A closer look of the cupcakes by Sonja...yum!

Here's a peek of the place :)

The party started with some dance number by the staff of the creamery.

A birthday party isn't a party without kiddie games

I said kiddie right?!?

Now my favorite part of the party...the FOOD

• Classic spaghetti

•  Pork barbeque

• Grilled chicken with mushroom sauce

• Fish and vegetable curry

 

• Korean beef stew (errr...nasan???)

• The ice cream bar

 

My plate...surprisingly that's all i ate...I got exhausted from all the games...yun pala ang teknik lol!

The birthday girl nibbling on her tiara 

Imitating Aeona's famous pose

Now the blowing of cake

 

Who blew it???

The kids at heart

The take home...

Red velvet vixen, which i ate in two bites :D

Vanilla sunshine, which Moxie and I shared

It was a fun, fun, fun day at The Creamery.  The company was great, food was good, and of course we enjoyed the games we played!  It was nice being a kid again.  I had headache from all the chaos haha!  Happy happy birthday my dearest Aeona!

THE CREAMERY resto and ice cream bar

Ground Floor, Selecta Kids Universe

South Veranda, Bay Boulevard, SM Mall of Asia

Near the MOA eye