Totally Unique Thoughts: The Note from The Universe

Have you discovered the Note from THE UNIVERSE?

I was intrigued when I came about a twitter exchange about person A reading similar messages all over twitterverse and person B said that she got it from TUT.. A Note from the Universe. So i went to search on what this is about.... The website explains that TUT (Totally Unique Thoughts) believes that everyone's special, that every life is meaningful, and that we're all here to learn that dreams do come true. We also believe that "thoughts become things," and that imagination is the gift that can bring love, health, abundance, and happiness into our lives. 

Hmmmm.. thoughts become things... reminds me of Henry Ford: 'If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right.'

Look at this photo and tell me what is the first feeling that comes to your mind?

Everyone needs to be motivated and words are more powerful than actions...right? I have been receiving, my inspirational TUT for almost 2 weeks now and it has given me quite a good perspective. I've always describe myself as positive and optimistic.. I am Miss Bright Side as I wrote on my twitter Bio and i think it has greatly help me, not masking my true feelings, but dealing with the challenges in my life. 

In the past 12 months, I have learned that I have an immune-mediated disease called Psoriasis which is a lifelong condition without cure. (oh my gee!! NO CURE! wouldn't that devastate you? ) I lost my father on his birthday at the beginning of this year (He was only 67 years old, too young to die right?)  But I was able to cope up with it because of my attitude towards life. I choose to compartmentalize my emotions and not dwell on the negative but look at the positive side of things. Its  hard (of course it is) but you just have to think that life has to go on and these events in your life does not have to define who you are. It's how you deal with them that defines you. So what am i saying here? I'm saying that your attitude towards a thing or an event will have an effect on how you decide. It may be positive or negative. And we are given our own will to choose. Its up to us to choose the right one. 

And these weekly reminder of how I should look at life helps gain back that positive perspective that sometimes I forget because of the numerous things you have to think about to survive life...

Sharing with you my TUT for the week:

Usually, the best way to find the yellow brick road of your life, Shenski, is to start out on the dusty, dirt one.

And then let yourself become so preoccupied in making the best of it, having fun, and challenging yourself that you actually stop paying attention to the path.

Until, one day, not so long from now, with a new best friend, wearing cool clothes, feeling awesome, a teeny tiny bit taller, fresh from a WOW vacation, looking for the path you just left, you'll notice that it's 24 carats... baby.

And you'll wonder for a long, long time, sipping on some exotic fruit drink, when the transformation actually took place... 

Tripping,    The Universe

Learn more about the TUT, visit their website and subscribe to get a doze of positive juice in your life. everyday. (http://www.tut.com/)

xoxo,

S

TWG Tea Salon Experience

As Tea Lovers, Keevee and I often exchange notes on our different tea experience. Once we did a Mini- Tea -Party at the office, where I brought my Japanese Tea Set and had tea during an afternoon break at our pantry with matching pastry (i think its Dew Berry if I'm not mistaken). She had mention to me about the TWG Tea Salon at Greenbelt Makati which I always passby whenever i'm in the area but never really got myself to enter the store... maybe because I was intimidated by the crowd. But agreed we'll try it out someday. And that someday came sooner when I had to join a meeting with her client for a possible long term contract deal. And so it was planned that we will stop by Rockwell, where they have another branch, before going back to the office.

The meeting went smoothly than we have expected... (we expected the worst!) and to our delight, the possible long term deal became a reality and so i was more than fitting to celebrate our closed deal with tea-time. It was Lunch time and I was expecting the place to be crowded just like in their Greenbelt branch, but it was almost empty except for 3 tables that were occupied.

A display of mouth watering french macarons greeted us at the entrance, they look so delicious that I felt like I was in a trance (reliving that first bite of a Laduree macaron). Keevee and I are just so excited when we were greeted by the hostess and was escorted in our table. I was impressed with the customer service (offered to get another chair for our bags to sit, pulling of the chair and the table attendants are very courteous) which I should expect since they are selling "world’s finest luxury tea brand".

French Macarons lined up at the entrance

The Wellness Group Tea Company, usually shortened to TWG Tea, is a Singapore-based tea company. It began in 2008 and primarily sells tea and light snacks.

And so we were given the menu and i was overwhelmed with the choices... they're could have been 1000 different flavors of tea in that menu. So we asked for the best seller... we were give a lot of choices and had the chance to smell the tea leaves as our attendant patiently explain to us what constitutes that particular tea... So I settled for the Happy Hour Tea ( P195 ) and Keevee got the Happy Birthday Tea (P195) .. which i guess was just appropriate being this is what our state of mind was at that time (HAPPY!).

Way toooooo many to Teas to choose from

Keevee and her Happy Birthday Tea

Me, waiting for my Happy Hour Tea

Can I take you home Mrs. Potts?

And then we ordered the macarons (P55 a piece), we chose Napoleon Tea & Caramel, Camelot Tea & Praline, Vanilla Bourbon Tea & Kaya and the Earl Grey Fortune & Chocolate. And to my horror, the Earl Grey Fortune & Chocolate was not just as hard as a cookie that my knife can't even cut it without flying to the next table (i had to use fork and force to slice it) but it tasted like a bark (maybe because it smelled like dried leaves too so I immediately associated it with a tree). The Napoleon Tea & Caramel wasn't as bad (maybe because of the caramel) but its as hard as a cookie as well. Vanilla Bourbon Tea & Kaya was not as hard as the first two but it didn't have a distinct taste either, it was okay. The only one that we liked was the Camelot Tea & Praline it was not hard but it was not soft either, it was again okay. I think the Praline saved this one.

Looks can be deceiving.. This is true even to a French Macaron

Over-all, I had to say, the Tea tastes good but the price its just too much for commoners like me. And I was expecting that when additional hot water is added to the pot, we'll be able to enjoy a second round but I was wrong. No second round here... you need to order another pot. And try other pastries, they might taste better that the stone-like french macaron.

xoxo,
S

The Burger Bar

I was invited to join a dinner with the hubby and his former boss + friends and the IT wives (being married to IT geeks). There's a place in Greenbelt 2 where they serve big burger single/double patties where you can make your own which they call "you're the Boss" or choose from the variety of their signature burgers which they call "The Tributes".

With its small space and laid back interiors, it has a friendly feel and easy going ambiance. And what surprises me is that they use DIY painted cans as condiments and tissue organizer/holder. How cute! (and eco friendly not to mention!)  They also use old jars as drinking glasses (see what I mean?) It was different and I'm loving the uniqueness of it all.

I ordered something safe. The one with garlic aioli  and bacon strip called the Piggy. But while we wait we ordered Onion Rings with Garlic powder as appetizer. (Don't forget to order Sauce #3 on the side, its good with the onion rings).

And about 15- 20 minutes the patties arrived... And we are all in awe and excited to taste our burgers..but we have to resist for a few more minutes (and keep our drooling saliva to ourselves) so take a snap at each other's orders.... so we can share them all to you.

The verdict is Satisfactory. Everyone agreed that this hobby of ours is a very expensive one but it was worth every bite and penny. Just need to watch out for your cholesterol level. (a friendly warning).

The Bleu

Onion-griddled double patty steak cut blend of sirloin and chuck, blue cheese sauce, fried crispy leeks, blue cheese crumble, caramelized onions, lollo rossa greens all on a brioche bun

Single Patty P 235.00 Double Patty P 345.00

The Cheeseburger

A single quarter-pounder house blend all-beef patty with American cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and sauce no. 3 on a sesame seed bun 

serving price: P195.00

The Double Cheeseburger

The house blend all-beef double patty on freshly cut toppings of lollo rossa greens, American cheddar, sliced tomatoes, onions, and sauce no. 3 all on a sesame seed bun

serving price P285.00

The Hangover Burger

Onion-griddled double patty big game blend of hanger and brisket, yellow cheddar, crisp prosciutto, fried egg, arugula, caramelized onions, BBQ sauce and house aioli all on a sesame seed bun

Single Patty P 285.00 Double Patty P 370.00

Double Patty

Single Patty

The Lamb Burger

A 6.5oz. house-ground lamb shoulder patty, feta cheese, harissa, sliced cucumber, yoghurt, pickled red onions, house-made aioli all on a bricohe bun 

serving price P 385.00

The Piggy

Double patty beef bomb blend of chuck and short rib, mozzarella, fried bacon strips, house-made bacon jam, lollo rossa greens, garlic aioli all on a sesame seed bun

Single Patty 245.00 Double Patty 345.00

For combo meals (Add on Fries & Drinks) are Rated GP (P85) and Rated 18 (P105 or P190) 

The Rising Shroom

Mustard-fried double patty steak cut blend of sirloin and chuck, fried oyster mushroom tempura, white truffle creamed cheese and sauteed mushrooms all on a kaiser roll 

Single Patty 280.00 Double Patty 375.00

The Bar Burger

A double patty big game blend of hanger and brisket, smoked scamorza and gorgonzola cheeses, fresh prosciutto, watercress spiked with sriracha aioli, crowned with crispy onions rings all on a brioche bun -

Single Patty 290.00 Double Patty 395.00

TIP:

Call to make reservations if its a planned dinner/lunch to save time on waiting in line.

BurgerBarGreenbelt 2
G/F Greenbelt 2, Esperanza St cor Greenbelt Dr Ayala Center, Makati 

(02) 625-2792

Bon Appetit!

xoxo,
S

RenaiXance

Ever since I had that relaxing experience at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney nearly a year ago, I want to go to galleries (which are more accessible to me than museums) when time and opportunity permits. For me, its the cheapest way to relax, especially if entrance is free.

And the opportunity came when I went to Megamall for a Jobfair and saw the gallery featuring the  RenaiXance art exhibit. I recall, Jim Paredes (1/3 of the APO Hiking Society) mention his work will be featured in this exhibit so I was intrigued and wanted to see them. So I planned to drop by after my spying duties at the job fair :-)

The RenaiXance Exhibit is on going until June 29, 2013 at Megamall 4th Level. So do drop by when you are in the area.

 

I was greeted by a huge sculpture of a sitting child, where there are chalks on the side, which implies you can write on it. And so I did wrote my twitter handle.

@mumshens was here

Scrap is art when you are creative enough to re-create something out of it... Like the airplane that I thought my 7year old son would love to have like a chandelier inside his room.

The photographs by singer Jim Paredes were displayed at the left corner of the gallery which I felt very personal and was captured beautifully. That little girl is her grand daughter.

Photographs by Jim Paredes

Below are other photos from the exhibit that  caught my interest too. I don't think i have the talent for making art... but i sure do have the talent to appreciate them.

This art is brought to you by Letters A-Z and Numbers 0-9. Look closely and you know why. 

This is used to be a part of a door. now its art. and who would have thought it could be one? only a true artist can.

The full view of the child sculpture. Can you see the chalks around it? Its was my opportunity to vandalize an art so i did what everybody did :) it was fun!

 

 So Relax.... Don't watch a movie but instead go and appreciate ART!

XOXO,
S

My Ladurée Experience

My curiosity about macarons, specifically the Ladurée brand started with that bathtub scene with Blair Waldorf where she was munching a green macaron. It was the one thing that can keep her mind off Chuck and her heavenly satisfying "no-care-in-the-world"  look that made me want to try what she was having (or maybe Leighton Meester is really a good actor).  The search was on! I blogged that back in 2010.

Fast Forward to 2012... While on a 9-day visit to Sydney, I passed by the Ladurée shop at Westfield... And boy i was too tempted to buy but I'm on a budget and a $3.20AUD per macaron (PhP134.40 each)  was just not part of the plan. So i settled with $1.20 worth of Bon Bon Truffles (which was good btw).

Feeling Blair Waldorf, noticed my headband?

But this year, when Hubby was called to go back to Sydney for the third time, I've only have one thing in mind... the Ladurée Macarons...Unfortunately, they only have 12 flavors available... No Lime & Basil and Rose Petals...however, The Strawberry poppy tastes and smells floral enough to  pass as Rose. The black macaron Liquorice was scary to eat because it was the fear of what will a black macaron will taste like.. But it was delicious! just the right amount of sweetness. The Raspberry was like eating the fruit itself.. a mix of sweet and sour. The Salted Caramel is sweet and gooey.. as its should be. Any caramel lover would love it. The Chocolate macaron has a classic taste of cocoa, that rich cacao taste that when it leaves your taste buds, you end up wanting for more. The Almond Marshmallows didn't leave that much of an impression on me except that its nutty. I've never been a fan of Vanilla but the  Ladurée macaron was as classic as it is. you will never go wrong with Vanilla if you want to play safe. The Coconut was just like as the name it implies the filling is coconut so it was like a "sosyal na macaroons" (with the double O that we Pinoys are familiar to). Coffee was just too plain for me it was like a cookie with a mocha filling.The Blackcurrant Violet, aside from its my favorite color, its berry taste is natural and just like the raspberry, its like eating the real fruit, but with chewy, gooey texture. Strawberry marshmallows like the other berries tasted the sweetsour flavor of the berry but the marshmallows kept the sweetness intact. It was subtly sweet. And a unanimous winner (feeling foodie expert) is the truest purest flavor of Pistacio we have ever tasted in a macaron. Now I know why this is Blair's favorite... its Love at first taste.

Overall, what i love about Ladurée macarons is the filling. So many shops might have replicate the crust and might even have perfected them too to taste the same as Ladurée but the one thing that sets Ladurée apart is the filling. They stay true to the flavor (especially pistachio and the fruit flavors) and it does not harden even if you put it in the refrigerator... it stays chewy and gooey. 

perfectly boxed up

Ladurée box of 15

Ladurée Macarons & Tea Party

eat only with tea

Bucket list checked for Keevee

Shenski's Top Laduree Favorites (in no particular order):

1. Liquorise

2. Pistachio

3. Chocolate

4. Fruit Flavors (you'll never go wrong with these)

And don't forget to have your favorite hot tea with your Laduree Macarons.

xoxo,

Shenski