Ripe Jackfruit

I found this at the korean store where we buy our fish and some filipino groceries. First time to see a ripe jackfruit on display. Sometimes they also have durian fruit from bangkok but frozen.

A slice of this jackfruit is around $5 to $6 each.

I miss you jack!

How Do Your Call Your Country?

When we signed up for our phone service at home, the company also offered international calling where you can call anywhere in the world through your home phone. You get 300 minutes for a flat rate of $20.00 but the only downside is that whether you use the minutes or not every month, you have to pay the monthly fee. This set up was ongoing for months then i realized we do not make international calls that much every month. It seems that we are paying minutes that we did not even use. Sometimes not even half of the monthly minutes allowed have been used. I told my husband about that and we decided to give up the monthly international calling plan. All we need is a low cost international calling to the Philippines where the minutes do not expire every month.

I searched online on how to make low cost international calls through your cell phone without paying too much money and i found Pure Minutes Long distance. With Pure Minutes I can call my country anytime anywhere just like calling my friends through my cell phone. There are no hidden fees, I pay only for the minutes i used and the unused minutes do not expire. I like pure minutes a lot. I do not have to be home to call Philippines. I also signed up for the auto-recharge to get $3.00 free service. Try Pure Minutes and you will like it right away.

Pinoy Goodies

Hubby's brother went home to the philippines and he came back with all these goodies for us. I personally ordered for chocnut (my favorite) and hubby he likes the crab and corn soup mix. There are tamarind candies, polvoron, sweet potato chips (something new), delicacies from pampanga, shrimp kropek and a lot more. Thank you so much guys.

More Goodies From Philippines

When i got home yesterday, i saw more philippine goodies at the dining table. My favorite dried mangoes from cebu, holand hopia in different flavors (my favorites are ube and mongo) and box of pastillas from carreon's sweets and pastries in pampanga.

Thanks again to the sponsors.

Banana Chips From Philippines

I'm munching on some banana chips from philippines. The taste is so much different from the one i buy from the oriental store here. The brand is baby juan monkey, pugon cooked banana chips. I think i can finish this whole bag.

Thanks ateng for this one.

Max Inside Out

This is Max from the outside. It's a two storey building. They don't have their own parking for customers but there is a meter parking very close to the area or park on the street if you are lucky to get one.

The lobby, i mean, the first floor/waiting area. When I first saw this, it seems that it is so quiet, like nobody was dining at all. This is where you pick up your to go orders.

No it is not quiet at all when you go to the second floor. It is a madhouse actually. It was packed (probably because we went on a Saturday). The waiters are very apologetic naman. This shows how the pinoys miss the max fried chicken in the philippines.

Philippines Dried Mangoes

This pack of dried mangoes is being sold here in the U.S. at Costco. It carries the Philippine brand and these are mangoes from cebu. A trip to costco is never complete without buying dried mangoes. I have introduced this to my friends here and they all love our product.

Proud to be Pinoy.

Thanks to Philippine brand for bringing cebu's dried mangoes to Costco.

Price: $10+

I Miss Balatong

At first, I did not get it. I mean, I was not sure what my husband means when he said, I want balatong. In our dialect, we don't call it balatong but mongo. Balatong to us is long beans. We have cooked mongo but we ran out of the mongo seeds for a while now so we kinda miss it. I usually cooked it with shrimps, malunggay and chicharon. I'm going to the filipino store this weekend to buy several bags of mongo seeds.

Choc Nut

There is nothing like having a choc nut melting in your mouth. It brings so much of yesteryears. It is still the same taste choc nut I used to buy from the sari-sari store when I was small. I know the price is too much comparing to how much it is back home but to be munching on choc nut once again is priceless.

I Miss You Shakey's

How I wish we have Shakey's here. I miss their thin crust pizza ( I know there's thin crust pizzas here too but Shakey's is the best to me), mojos and chick n chips. Last time I had shakey's pizza was in 2007 when we were in the Philippines. When hubby was there last May, he took this picture for me. This Shakey's branch is at one of the new malls in Pampanga.

So Yummy

I am not really sure what this is called but this is from Pampanga. It is a favorite pasalubong from Philippines. I got two boxes and I almost did not share it to anybody except to my daughter who does not really like nuts. I brought one box to my friends at work ( they are not Pinoys) and how they liked it. They said it is tasty but not sweet, good to be eaten with coffee. I wish I have ordered more.

Charice

The new Charice Pempengco album entitled "Charice" is at Target's Weekly Ad for this week. Her album which was released last Tuesday is now available at any Target stores starting today for $11.98. Also, you can buy her album from itunes or download per song for $1.29.

These are the 14 songs in the album : 1. pyramid 2. reset 3. in this song 4. nobody's singin' to me 5. thank you 6. i love you 7. in love so deep 8. all that i need to survive 9. nothing 10. the truth is 11. i did it for you 12. note to god 13. breathe you out 14. are we over.

Congratulations Charice and Happy 18th birthday!

Pacman Fever

After the Manny Pacquiao win, all of a sudden I got associated with the Pacman here at my job. I am the only pinoy here, oh correction dalawa pala kami pero yung isa dito parang ayaw umamin na pinoy sya porke ‘ala ng accent mag-english pero please sa kulay pala di maitago…nway, for those who have watched the fight or heard about it, when they see me, they are like..”that pacquiao from Philippines was unbelievable and super fast!” There was even one Puerto Rican yesterday and he was super bilib kay many. Even my husband told me that people will yell at him “pacquiao!!!” (pero slang) as they see him along the corridor.

It’s the Pacman fever. Congrats again Manny.

photo from espn.com

In My Life

I can’t wait to see this movie. No way can I go to a cinema here in the U.S. Meron ba dito sa jersey anyway? And also, my husband has announced his intention of not coming with me if I go anyway, so I guess I just have to wait for the DVD. I have a lot of lovely gay friends and I think I can pretty much relate to their lives.

The story revolves around Mark (Luis Manzano) and Noel (John Lloyd Cruz), a gay couple who lives in New York. Mark’s mom, Shirley (Vilma Santos) came from Philippines, lived with her gay son (Mark) and his partner, an illegal immigrant. If Mark is at work, it is Noel that takes care of his mom, touring her around NY. Let us see how the lives of these three people would bring us to laughter and tears. Tip: bring a tissue when you go watch this movie. This is also vilma’s comeback after a long absence from making movies.

credit: star cinema website

Red Ribbon in New Jersey

This is the second Red Ribbon store that opened in New Jersey. It is open now along Washington St in Bergenfield, NJ. The first red ribbon that opened few years ago is in Jersey City, NJ.

I took a photo of the new store in Bergenfield this morning. It is a little bit smaller that the one in Jersey City but there are few tables outside for outdoor eating. Now I can have my chicken empanada, ube cake, arroz caldo, palabok and siopao more frequent since this new store is closer to our house than the one in Jersey City.

Where is Willie?

I don't watch wowowee everyday but since Willie Revillame got in trouble again for the comment he made on air about President Cory's procession last Monday, I have been checking the show for two days now. He was not there at the show yesterday and today. I don't think I am watching a replay but what happened to him? Did he decide not to show up pending any investigation the authority is doing regarding his case? Hmmm... Now, it is interesting to know.

President Cory Aquino Dies

We just saw on TV via TFC that the former President Cory passed away this afternoon eastern time at 3:18 p.m. (3:18 a.m. Saturday early morning Philippine time). Her family and close friends were at her bedside on her last breath praying the sorrowful mystery of the holy rosary. She lost her battle to stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 76.

Our prayers to the Aquino family. May her soul rest in peace.

credit: inquirer.net

John Lloyd and Ruffa

If there's smoke there's fire. The latest lovebirds to watch is John Lloyd and Ruffa? Is it true???
I'm posting here what I have read at Maurice Archache's article at inquirer.net (Without Bashing An Eyelash):

Without Batting An Eyelash : John Lloyd is Ruffa’s special guest at b-day
By Maurice ArcacheColumnistPhilippine Daily Inquirer
Posted date: June 23, 2009

IT WAS definitely one of the hottest tickets of the week, dahlings, when
statuesque beauty queen, TV and movie actress Ruffa Gutierrez celebrated her
birthday. She was stunningly divine in a black and white outfit and
eye-catching shoes both by Chanel no less, dahlings.
Ruffa’s close pal, multifaceted businessman Noel Oñate, hosted the party held in a posh village. The invitation requested everyone to “please come in white.”
Everyone did, except for three men who came in black, would you
believe?
Anyway, that happening gathered tons of the most gorgeous faces and
handsome men under one roof, palanggas.
But, the big question on everyone’s
mind was about the celebrant’s man of the moment. And before you could even bat
an eyelash, handsome, dashing John Lloyd Cruz gallantly walked in and went
straight to the celebrant, giving her a big hug, while the women and men swooned
and turned green with envy, dahlings.

Anne and ErwanIn another corner was another gorgeous lady, Anne Curtis, with her man of the moment, good-looking French-Filipino entrepreneur Erwan Heussaff, who shuffles to Manila and Paris for his work. They keep a low profile of togetherness, palanggas.
Ruffa then sang a song for her guests and later blew out one candle each from the three cakes as we sang “Happy birthday.”The after-dinner affair had a full buffet
table, catered by La Tasca, one of Oñate’s favorite caterers.
The sky was full of stars but the brightest twinkle was in those beautiful eyes of our
Princess for a Day, Ruffa Gutierrez, dahlings, who stayed on ’til the last guest
left, with John Lloyd by her side.

All’s well again at the Gutierrez home, which makes our darling Ruffa even happier than ever.

Ahh, love is definitely in the air, dahlings, at least for this beautiful couple, Ruffa and John Lloyd.
And here’s a scoop! A super reliable source whispered that the newest
endorser for the popular Swatch watch is—yes, palanggas—no less than John Lloyd
Cruz. I tell you, when the sun shines, it really shines, di bala, palanggas?

source: inquirer.net

I like showbiz news when it's about love, walang sabit, kaka-kilig, no hidden cameras - between two beautiful people. I sure be watching The Buzz this weekend. I bet you too!.

Hayden Kho & Katrina Halili Scandal

I am sure you already heard /saw the Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili, etc. sex scandal. It has been in the news almost everyday for about a week now. This is the talk of the town, senate, carinderia, ym’s texts, emails, etc after Manny Pacquiao’s win and Mommy Dionesia’s birthday bash. What do you think is the next controversy? All I can say is that if Hayden Kho and Katrina Halili can dance to Careless Whispers, I can blog them on My Careless Whispers too!

The Sisig

A sisig is a kapampangan food, usually a pulutan or something to be eaten when you drink beer. We purchased it from the new Filipino restaurant next to our town. Hubby who is from Pampanga knows how the sisig is supposed to taste and its ingredients. He can cook it when he likes to that’s why we have a sizzling plate at home. At the house, he had a taste test of the sisig we bought – it does not have the pig’s cheeks, ear or whatever as ingredients. It is not chili too. So, to make the taste a little bit close to the original sisig, hubby added more chili and lemon (we don’t have kalamansi) to it, put it on the sizzling plate to make it look like the authentic ones.