Coffee / Tea Archives - Certified Foodies

Shed Off Your Holiday Weight with Healthy Foodie Manila

The Christmas and New Year season is the time of year when everyone can eat all the food that they want and gain a few pounds (or even 10) without receiving judgment from family and friends. But after all these festivities, when weâ€™re back to living our regular lives, that is when the pangs of guilt and regret come to haunt us with the horrific sights of our puffy cheeks and jiggly muffin tops. We immediately subject ourselves to crazy fad diets like water therapy and fasting. But whereâ€™s the fun in that, right? What if we tell you that you can shed all that holiday weight off but still get to eat delicious food and enjoy 4 meals a day? Yes, you can, and itâ€™s with the help of Healthy Foodie Manila. 🙂

What is Healthy Foodie Manila?

Healthy Foodie Manila is one of the best diet food delivery services in the Metro that provides calorie-counted and portion-controlled meals according to their customersâ€™ specific health needs, whether it be to lose or to gain weight. Itâ€™s important to note that they can cater special kinds of diets like vegetarian, pescatarian, and paleo. You may also avail the services of their registered nutritionist / dietician for a free nutrition consultation to help you determine the type of program you can most benefit from.

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Have a Merry Cremas with Alaska Crema!

All year round, especially during the cold months of December and January, we find ourselves longing for some good ol’ comfort food. But not just any kind of comfort food, we crave for something rich, hearty, delectable and, most of the time, creamy. That’s why, they say, calories don’t count during the holidays. 😉

We were invited as judges at the Merry Cremas Food Bazaar in Eastwood last month. Good thing it was a Sunday so Ken and I were able to go together.

We know, from personal experience, that there’s a wide range of dishes you can prepare using Alaska Crema all-purpose cream. We knew there’ll be a ton of desserts and pastries there, but we were really hoping to see more savory dishes. There were only a few who did. Thankfully, they were all quite successful with their dishes too along with the food purveyors who served desserts.

With that said, let’s begin with our top favorites from the Merry Cremas Food Bazaar in Eastwood. These might help you with recipe ideas for your celebrations or any holiday, especially for Noche Buena and Media Noche.

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Harry Potter Fans, Get Your Butterbeer Fix at Starbucks!

Having read all 7 books, I could pretty much say I grew up with Harry Potter. It didn’t really bother me that I just borrowed all the books from my classmates and never really owned a single copy until I finally got into college. What frustrated me the most is the fact that there are a lot of magical food in Harry Potter I could never get a taste of in real life, and one of them is Butterbeer!

There’s no way I can rub elbows with witches and wizards at Hogsmeade while downing a glass of authentic Butterbeer, and the same thing goes to my chances of heading to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando to get a knockoff version of the drink any time soon. But I’ve recently discovered a secret that would finally put my Butterbeer cravings to rest! Baristas from Starbucks cracked the code to a perfectly yummy Butterbeer. It’s a secret recipe and they don’t have it on their menu, but they will be more than willing to whip it up for you if you just give them this recipe. Take note that this is only available during the holiday season because of the toffee nut syrup, so you still have time! 🙂

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Moonleaf Tea Shop and Sweet Studio

Who would’ve thought that Filipinos, young and old, would become as addicted to tea as we are now? Credits to the introduction of milk teas to our Pinoy tastebuds, we started to appreciate the wondrous flavors of various teas. We were no longer limited to tea bags as we began to venture out to other tea variants and blends. And if you’re a fan of milk teas, I’m sure you’ve heard about Moonleaf Tea Shop.

I have to admit, I’ve been loyal to one milk tea shop for the longest time. Ken and I have tried other milk tea shops and we see ourselves returning to that familiar place all the time. So it was definitely about time I found Moonleaf.

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Xin Tian Di Chinese Restaurant at Crowne Plaza Manila

It’s been awhile since Ken and I last ate at a Chinese restaurant together. I think the last time was when we went on our DIY Binondo food tour (which we’ll be blogging about very soon!) last year. So when we were invited to check out Xin Tian Di restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, we gladly accepted.

Located on the fourth floor of the hotel, Xin Tian Di is Crowne Plaza’s signature Chinese restaurant. Aside from a menu of Chinese dishes, they also offer various Asian cuisines such as Indonesian, Singaporean, Szechuan and Nonya (Peranakan). Upon entering the restaurant, you’d feel the welcoming ambiance of the whole place, from their friendly staff up until their comfy chairs and tables.

I love the colors and the interiors altogether, offering a very warm atmosphere and good acoustics, making Xin Tian Di a perfect venue for business meetings or get-together with your friends or family.

Xin Tian Di Dim Sum Unlimited and Yum Cha

Before we go to what we had for dinner, let me tell you first about one of their famous offerings: unlimited dim sum.

Xin Tian Di’s Dim Sum Unlimited is available now during lunch (11:30am-2:30pm) where you get to choose from over fifty (50) dim sum for only Php 1,188 nett per person. The Dim Sum Unlimited menu includes appetizers, entrees and desserts, so you can enjoy a complete meal for that price.

And good news for all you morning people! Starting on July 14, 2013, that’s this Sunday, Xin Tian Di will start offering a breakfast edition of their unlimited dim sum – their Yum Cha promo, which will be available from 7am til 10am. For the price of Php 588++, you’d get to choose among 36 varieties of dim sum, and even includes rice, congee, noodle, dessert and house tea.

These are awesome deals you shouldn’t miss, especially if you feel like hoarding some dim sum over breakfast or lunch. 😉 Oh, and make sure to check out Deal Grocer since I’ve seen them offering deals there. A few months ago, I bought vouchers for dinner at 7 Corners (will blog soon!), Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila’s other restaurant.

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The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel at Bonifacio High Street Central

2012 was a delicious year for us as we discovered new restaurants deserving of a feature here on our humble food blog. However, we neglected to share them because of many things. Though our features of these restaurants will be a few months to a year late, we still believe our dining experiences were worth writing about, more so because Â the flavors still linger in our minds. Without further ado, first up is Diamond Hotel’s The Cake Club located at Bonifacio High Street Central.

By the restaurant’s name itself, you’d think The Cake Club specializes in cakes or desserts. Well, yes, they do. However, they serve delectable dishes that we’re sure you’ll enjoy too.

We were invited for dinner at this cozy restaurant in BGC. I remember walking past the restaurant one time after having lunch with the family at a different resto, and Ken was telling me he wants to return to find out what The Cake Club is all about. So it was definitely an invite we simply canâ€™t refuse. 🙂

As soon as you walk in, you’ll be welcomed by The Cake Clubâ€™s abundant display of their yummy desserts, which made us look forward to that part of our dinner even more.

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Quench Your Thirst with J.CO Beverages + New Donuts to Love!

We gushed and told you how much we love J.CO donuts. It’s not just about how yummy their donuts are, but it’s more on the creativity behind each flavor they offer. So, it was not surprising that they’re maintaining this level of uniqueness with their beverage concoctions. J.CO Donuts and Coffee is here to prove that, truly, they’re not your usual donut place. 🙂

Excited to try their beverages and the other donut flavors I haven’t tasted yet, my nanay and I trooped to their nearest branch – Trinoma. There was a long line of people inside, which, quite frankly, discouraged me. There were about 15 people in front of me and it took about 45 minutes to an hour before I finally got my turn. Everyone was ordering like 2-3 dozens each! 😀

Sadly, many of the donut flavors and the beverages I wanted initially were no longer available when I got to the counter. So, I opted to order their Iced Thai Tea. Good thing I was able to convince my nanay to try the Cafe Avocado. I wanted the Cappuccino Avocado, but for some reason, it wasn’t available.

Anyway, if you think that the combination of avocado, coffee and chocolate is plain weird, you’d be surprised. It was delightful! Made me wish they were still serving Cappuccino Avocado when we were there ’cause I’m sure it’ll have a more intense kick of avocado. We’ll come back next time for that, probably on a weekday when there’s a shorter queue.

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A Sweet Start to My Day, Thanks to Splenda

I work full time at night and one of the many things I enjoy is a cup (or two) of coffee to perk me up so I can fulfill all my tasks more efficiently. Since I work online and I’m in front of the computer for 7-8 hours straight, even with my current routine of exercising 30-45 minutes per day before my shift, I know I have to control my calorie and carbohydrate intake because I don’t get to move as often as other people who work in an actual office and commute on a daily basis.

I used to like my coffee black and bitter, but lately, I see myself adding at least a tablespoon of sugar to a regular cup of coffee, and about 2-3 teaspoons when I opt for the 3-in-1 blends. If you add that up in a week, that’s a lot of sugar, which is not good for my low calorie, less carbohydrate diet (I’m trying to eat healthier at home).

Thankfully, there’s Splenda No Calorie Sweetener. The content of each packet of Splenda is equivalent to 2 teaspoons of sugar, but it has none of the calories. On the box, there’s a conversion chart that should guide you. Yes, you read that right. The good thing about using Splenda is it sweetens my coffee without the calories and carbohydrates I usually get from sugar, making me enjoy my cup of coffee, even twice a day, with less guilt. 😉

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Twinings Diamond Jubilee Tea Blend : A Taste of Royalty

As one grow older, it’s expected that many aspects of ourselves – personality, outlook in life and even our palate – mature as we come of age. In my case, last year, when I decided to shift from drinking coffee everyday to enjoying tea instead, I found myself wanting to taste all sorts of tea out there aside from the tea bags I’m so used to. So, when Twinings sent over this Diamond Jubilee Loose Leaf Tea Blend in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign, I didn’t waste any time to have a taste of royalty at the comforts of our home.

Twinings has been the official tea of the British Royal Family since 1837. In fact, they were granted the Royal Warrant for tea by Queen Victoria 175 years ago and has been marking very important celebration in the royal family with new blends, tin cases, caddies, etc.

This Twinings Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Blend is as special as the significant event it’s celebrating. The limited edition tin case itself is already worth buying this.

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Our New Yummy Favorites from Jollibee

Jollibee has been a part of our lives since we were really young kids. I know we’re not alone in this. Throughout the years, their menu has evolved and almost every year, we get to taste their new offerings that have proven to tickle the Pinoy’s fancy, young and adult alike. We love their Chickenjoy,Â Jolly Hotdog and spaghetti, but let us share with you the most recent additions to our Jollibee favorites:

The Jollibee Hash Brown Burger is the ultimate comfort food. Potatoes and the tasty beef patty Jollibee is known for – it’s like a complete meal rolled into one. 🙂

The Jolly Crispy Fries that come in Cheese and Sour Cream flavors. Ken prefers the latter, while I like the salty-sweetness of the cheesy fries.

Jollibee Chicken and Mushroom Pasta – I swear, when I found out about this new pasta offering from them, I couldn’t wait to try it. My nanay and I share a common liking for it. 🙂

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