Energen Healthy Breakfast Movement 2016

We know for a fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but we often neglect it because of many reasons - getting up late, worried about being stuck in traffic, not having the "time" to prepare breakfast... and even if we do have the time, we sometimes prepare or eat whatever is available, therefore, we don't get the right amount of nutrition, and this makes us undernourished or in some instances malnourished. According to DOST-FNRI, 6 of 10 Filipino households suffer from poor nutrition as a result of our skipping meals and unbalanced diet.

I admit, I am guilty of such poor diet. We don't skip breakfast, but our meals throughout the day is often fried food and meaty viands (like Adobo and Dinugan, which don't have any vegetables). We do eat vegetables, yes, but not as usual as we should have. I think we need to plan meals as soon as possible.


Energen has been a good way to bridge the gap. At times when I couldn't sit down and eat breakfast, I would just fix myself a cup and it would be enough to calm my hungry tummy until I could finally have a proper breakfast. It tastes good, and it has a good amount of cereals, and it has essential vitamins and minerals.


Not a while ago, Energen launched its first leg of Healthy Breakfast movement at Brgy. Commonwealth in Quezon City, where people got to learn about the importance of starting the day right with proper breakfast, as good nutrition starts at home. I learned so much from attending the event. As what Greg Anonas (Energen Marketing manager) said, "Breakfast is the most important meal. Studies have shown that consuming a nutritious  breakfast helps ensure that children and adults will have the energy that can sustain their productivity throughout the day. It also helps contribute to the development of mental and physical abilities."



People sampled a cup of Energen paired with Pinoys's favorite breakfast - Pandesal. Did you know that even if you eat a lot for breakfast...if you don't pair it with B vitamins, energy from your breakfast will not be released? One more good reason to drink Energen at breakfast.



Energen will promote The Healthy Breakfast Movement throughout the year with its series of community-based events nationwide to educate families, and for them to have free one-on-one consultations with licensed nutritionists and from nutrition education talks as well as enjoy a fresh cup of Energen together with some fun activities.

Energen HEALTHY BREAKFAST MOVEMENT is a series of community-based events nationwide to educate families about the importance of eating a healthy and nutritious breakfast. In the Energen HEALTHY BREAKFAST MOVEMENT, families can have free one-on-one consultations with licensed nutritionists and learn from nutrition education talks, as well as enjoy a fresh cup of Energen together with some fun activities.

Read more at: http://www.girlandboything.com/events/energen-healthy-breakfast-movement/

Speaking of fun activities, attendees had the chance to win prizes (Motorcycle, TV, and cash), while bride-to-be Rochelle Pangilinan led a series of Zumba dance routines. She herself testifies that Energen has helped her feeling energized despite her hectic training and schedule for her upcoming teleserye.

Next round of Energen Healthy Breakfast Movement will travel to Cebu City (Tinago Sports Complex) on May 21 and in Davao City (Davao City Recreational Center - Almendras Gym) on May 28.

Make Energen a part of your daily morning routine. Available in three flavors - Vanilla, Chocolate, and Ginger, it is available in leading supermarkets and sari-sari stores nationwide at 6 pesos SRP per sachet.

Starbucks-ing in Tagaytay

Eons ago, I saw a picture of Starbucks Tagaytay on Facebook and absolutely fell in love with it even if I am not a big Starbucks consumer. When the girls and I traveled to Tagaytay last weekend, one of the things on my "places to see" list is this Starbucks branch. However, the problem was... where? The thing is, there are three Starbucks branches in Tagaytay that we know of, but because I have only been in Tagaytay twice (mid 90s and 2009), so I have no idea which one to visit.

On our first day, we checked out the branch near Cliffhouse and Leslie's. It was in a good location, but not the branch I was looking for. Since the other branch is located in Summit Ridge, my sister said maybe it was along the road going to Picnic Grove, and after our stroll to the place the day after, I finally got to see it!


This truly is the most beautiful Starbucks branch we have seen!


This branch has two floors - ground and lower ground floor, and there are also tables available outside for smokers and those who would like to have pictures with the view of Taal Lake. None of us smokes, but of course we went for the table at the balcony so we can have a good view while we sip our drinks.


Us three girls shared this piece of Cheese Ensaymada, which tasted so heavenly! They warmed the bread before serving, so the cheese melted a little, and it made the taste better, in our opinion. My sister chose to go with Green Tea Frappuccino, while my mom and I shared a medium glass of Apple Berry Freeze, because we weren't really thirsty, we just wanted to soothe our dry throats after walking around Picnic Grove. I also took the time to catch up on reading.

The balcony sure has a great view of the lake, and the volcano can be seen from here, too...


...but if you want a better view of the volcano, I suggest you visit the Starbucks branch near Leslie's. Unfortunately, the view couldn't be directly seen... you need to walk a little, but it did offer a good view - perfect for selfies and food pictures. This picture above is zoomed, but even from the view deck, you can get a clear and good view of the volcano.

Divine Sweets Bakery and Cafe (Puerto Princesa, Palawan)

Today marks the first death anniversary of my cousin Gie, and because her real name is Divina and she married a man from Puerto Princesa, I decided to unearth these pictures from my files and make this post as my way of remembering her.

April last year, my mother attended a conference for Handmaids of the Lord, a branch of the Couples for Christ group of ministries. She is more active to her household in CFC, but she also wanted to attend this conference, and asked me to travel with her, so we both could set foot in Puerto Princesa. She attended the conference that entire weekend, so whole day of Saturday, I found myself alone in the inn. That afternoon, I decided to go out and check their museum, and after, I took a jeep going to Robinson's Place Palawan to check if they have a Booksale branch, as well as wait for my mom so we could eat dinner together.

I couldn't eat a meal or a heavy snack at 5 in the afternoon because it might ruin my appetite for dinner, so walking around the mall, I saw Divine Sweets Bakery and Café, and thought this would be a great place to try.


For some reason, I wasn't able to take pictures of the café. I guess I truly am not used to solitary dining, but the place had a good dining space - it promotes closeness without being crowded, and they set tables good for families, big groups, as well as for those who are couples, or alone (like me).

The café offers rice meals and sandwiches, but because I didn't see any bake shops or pastry shops nearby, I felt the need to try their pastries instead. After all, I only wanted a "light" snack, let me eat my desserts first, so to speak.


Amnesia Cake
Of all the cakes available that day, I chose their Amnesia Cake, based solely on the name of the cake. I am not sure why they call this "amnesia," but while it didn't really make me forget my name or where I was, it was definitely delicious! The cake itself was dense but moist - just the way I want my chocolate cake, and the caramel icing provided a contrasting yet complimenting flavor. I also liked the shaved nuts, but the most interesting about this cake was that it was so rich, it was quite addicting, but a mouthful was already enough. I know it was contradicting, but I do hope you get what I mean - this cake made me crave for more, but it was also able to satisfy me.

When I finally met my mom for dinner, I still couldn't get over this cake that I was hoping she could try it, too. Unfortunately, she told me the organizers of the conference gave them a take out dinner rice meal and that they were already full.


Iced Coffee Latte
As much as I love hot coffee with my pastries (at home), I am always drawn to ordering iced coffee drinks. In my years of food blogging, I truly believe that people eat with their eyes first, and with the age of social media, people would definitely get interested with a certain food place or food item if it looks good in pictures or videos. Eating with my eyes, I am very satisfied at the ombre look of my drink (I usually order hot coffee latte, so this was my first time to see that ombre latte look, my apologies for fangirling a little). The taste? Even better. It was rich, it was creamy, it had a good balance between sweetness and bitterness... that even if my tummy couldn't really tolerate a big amount of cold creamy/milky drinks, I drank up all my latte.


It was definitely unfortunate that this trip to Puerto Princesa was short and that my mom and I didn't really have the time to explore more of the city. My mom is the kind of person who doesn't really travel to a place twice (unless needed), but as soon as we got home from Puerto Princesa, she was already longing for that time for us to travel back - hoping that next time it will be us three girls traveling together.

*** Jenn ***

Café Yagam (Baguio City)

The day we arrived in Baguio City for the After Summer Group Getaway organized by Azalea Residences, the afternoon was actually a little humid despite the rainshowers. I didn't actually pack any jackets and sweatshirts, and it felt okay that way... but when we were called for dinner, spending time at Azalea Residences Baguio's lobby made me feel the very cold Baguio weather. It made me crave for something warm.




Thankfully, the Azalea Baguio team took us to Café Yagam. By the time we disembarked the vans, the rain was pouring hard so I wasn't able to capture some needed images, but entering the café, I instantly fell in love. I don't have the pictures to back it up, but it felt homey inside, and I just love the overall aesthetics and of course, the books! Oh man, the books!

For this dinner, we were served traditional Cordilleran dishes:


Rice
If I am correct, this is called pirurutong rice; I remember a family friend once gave us this kind of rice and we would mix a handful of this to our usual rice upon cooking. Anyway, this rice is soft and a pleasure to eat; cooked just right.


Binungor
A mix of different vegetables such as string beans, eggplants, legumes, mushrooms, shellfish, and banana blossoms, this dish is delicious but very... and I mean very spicy! Unlike other vegetable dishes that are usually half-cooked, the veggies in this dish are very soft and tender, and it felt like eating "Laing." I actually liked this dish, but I just couldn't take its heat. I'd either eat more rice or drink more water if I eat this.


Pinikpikan
Of all the Cordilleran dishes, this should be the most popular dish, and yes, this is a soup dish - kinda like the tinola, but for this dinner, they served the broth separately - we just had to get a bowl and fill it with broth, chicken, and vegetables.

Pinikpikan is chicken prepared by beating a live chicken with stick before properly dressing it for cooking. This process bruises the chicken meat, hence the blackish tones on its skin, and such process makes the meat more flavorful.

It tasted like Tinola, but this one is richer, and more flavorful. The broth calms the body, but I suggest you add tapuy (rice wine) on the broth for additional flavor.


Kini-ing
The Pinikpikan in Café Yagam is served with "Etag," which is how they called their cured meat. Although Kini-ing is also a form of cured meat, this is definitely different from Etag. Preparing this dish is quite complicated, and the process gave the meat its very distinct flavor and smell.

This has been the richest (flavor-wise) dish I ate that night. It paired well with tomatoes and onions, but even if I am a big fatty pork lover (I love pork fat, I won't deny it), each meat piece was so flavorful and so strong that I could only take a few pieces.


Pinuneg
Pinuneg is the Cordilleran Blood Sausage, but this is not made entirely of blood - it also has minced meat. Dinuguan is my top most favorite Filipino dish, so of all the dishes for this dinner, this was my favorite. I loved it with the spicy vinegar dip, but as is, it is still delicious!


Kiniwar
Our dessert. "Kiniwar" in Ilocano dialect means "stir," which was the main process in making the sticky rice dessert. Not too sweet, but it provided a much needed change of feel in the mouth after eating the very spicy Binungor.

Café Yagam takes pride of their coffee. In partnership with the CGN or the Cordillera Green Network, a non-profit organization, they source their coffee from the highlands of the Cordillera region. To ensure freshness of coffee, they only grind beans upon order and is available in different variations:

Brew - Paper drip or French press
Roast - Light, Medium, or Dark
Strength - Light, Medium, or Strong


Coffee in French Press
I wasn't able to ask the components of this coffee, but I kinda liked it as is - black. One thing we noticed, coffee served in this French press tend to retain its heat longer.


Tapuy (Rice Wine)
Made from fermented rice, this alcoholic drink is often served at many Cordilleran celebrations. I first learned about this wine through my late father, who used to stock this wine when I was younger, but it was my first time to taste Tapuy here in Café Yagam (I am not really wine drinker actually). At first I was a little hesitant, but... I am in Baguio, I am served authentic Cordilleran drink, would I still decline?

The taste? It was a little sour, but it was smooth. It instantly warmed my throat and tummy, but despite the sour flavor, there is something in this wine that would make you want to take another shot.

The traditional Cordilleran dishes are good, but I admit it was an acquired taste. Still, I highly recommend this place if you are in Baguio City. Like they say, "When in Rome, do or eat as they eat," in the same principle, when in Baguio, might as well try their traditional dishes. It's not only a about having a food trip, each dish and drink has history and culture to offer.

Café Yagam
25 J. Felipe Street, corner Gibraltar Road, Baguio City
+63 948 958 5157, +63 921 256 5677, +63 946 455 0364
Business hours: 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. (Monday – Sunday)
Facebook Page


*** Jenn ***

Light Baguio Shopping

I try to travel light as much as possible. Since Baguio City is accessible to us, I told myself I would only buy items that we usually bring home whenever we travel to the City of Pines.


Lengua de Gato
by Tartland Baguio Pasarabo

Like I said on my old post, fellow bloggers and I were given the chance to visit the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory. Lengua de Gato has been our usual choice of pasalubong from Baguio, but I admit we never really took note of the brand or label. While we were at the factory, we were able to try Tartland's lengua de gato, and I really liked it. I bought three small containers and Azalea Residences Baguio placed another small container in their gift box for us, so two small containers we ate here at home, the other two we gave to our neighbors.

(Please stay tuned for an in-depth post about our visit to the Tartland Baguio Pasarabo factory.)


Banana Chips
by Baguio Bites

I love banana chips that are crunchy but not really hard to chew. This had the right crunch, the right sweetness, and the right price tag, so I bought three. I consumed them all within days after coming home.


Ube Jam
by Mountain Maid Training Center

My very first taste of the Ube Jam from Baguio wasn't a good experience. Since then, our family didn't dare buy another bottle, but when my parents went to Baguio for a church org conference, their group went to Mountain Maid Training Center, or more commonly known as the Good Shelpherd Convent, and my (late) father then learned the difference between this Ube Jam and those being sold in pasalubong shops. At first taste the family fell in love with it, that no Baguio trip is complete without buying this product.

Just a word of advice - only buy this product at Good Shepherd and not anywhere else, if you want to make sure of its freshness.

Turmeric Tea
by Yamang Bukid

March of this year - during the Session Road in Bloom - mom, sis, and I were walking along the famed road to check different products for sale when a vendor asked if we wanted to taste their turmeric tea. We liked the taste, bought a pack, and it gave mom health wonders. While on the road home from Baler (two weeks before this Baguio trip), we told our companions about the health benefits of this tea that some of my mom's former colleagues asked me if I could buy some for them.

Just at the foot of the Good Shepherd Convent, there were vendors selling different fruits. Seeing a stall selling this tea, I bought three bags, which my mom delivered the day after I got home, hence this old picture.

(Our full testimonial about this product will be on a separate post)


Fresh Lemons

After our group finished shopping at the Good Shepherd Convent, the BnB team asked our driver Lem to take us to the Baguio Public Market. I truly have no intention to buy anything, but when I saw an abundance of lemons, I thought I might as well ask for its price. Actually, prices vary depending on the quality of the fruit, but when a vendor sold these lemons for fifty pesos per half kilo (some sold it for 70 pesos), I decided to buy. Well, just a few days before traveling to Baguio, I bought a piece of lemon at a supermarket for 40 pesos (imagine that), so there was no hesitations anymore.



Choc'O and Milk'O Flakes
by Mikasan

The BnB team also spent time buying well loved Baguio food products, and when I saw this, I remembered fond memories with this products. I knew my sister loves the Choc'O Flakes, while I love the Milk O'Flakes, so I bought the container that contained both products.

Despite the short list of products bought, I was super happy with my purchase. Hopefully, the next time I travel to Baguio I can buy other products. I kinda regret not buying a kilo of fresh lychees for my mom because I knew it would be difficult to carry. Well, priorities will change next time.

*** Jenn ***