Celebrating my 36th at Microtel by Wyndham (Mall of Asia)

This year, I had no intentions of celebrating my birthday at all. I am grateful to turn another year older, yes... but at this point, I am more of being thankful than actually celebrating it, if you get what I mean. On the day of birthday, it was pretty much an ordinary day, but I gotta give it to my mom and sister for making it more special. My mom cooked Pansit Bihon and my sister brought home KFC and a small single serve slice of cake from Bread Talk.

I guess my sister truly is into not following requests as far as birthdays is concerned. For me, spending the day with the people dear to my heart would have been enough, but I was surprised to know my sister was cooking up a surprise. I would have never known about it if my sister had to ask me something about Agoda.

That's how I found out she was trying to book a room at Microtel by Wyndham - Mall of Asia. She asked me if I liked it, and instead of answering her, I asked if mom would agree to it. I was surprised when she told me she already talked to mom and brother. Ah huh... so I was the last one to know? Hahahaha. With the help of brother, sister was able to book hassle free.


I am not sure where sister got the idea of staying here, but I loved it instantly!


It was a little sad that only available rooms were those for smokers. We could definitely smell the cigarette smoke residue along the halls and inside the room, but it wasn't a big problem at all.

The room had two double-sized beds (as pictured), so of course mom and sister shared and I had the bed all for myself. Yipee! Since this is mainly a food blog, I decided not to share a picture of the bathroom and toilet anymore. It was nothing special, but fully functional. :)


They didn't have electric kettle, but they do have a steady supply of clean, drinking water and ice. Though guests had to get water and ice near the elevator, not having to buy bottles of water was a great relief.


The (zoomed) view from our room. So pretty!

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.

McCormick Noodle and Seasoning Mix: Real Flavors for Real Moments

The noodles has always been a Filipino favorite. Old Filipino movies often have a scene of someone carrying a paper bag or plastic of pansit as pasalubong, and then and now, we Filipinos associate the pansit as our comfort food, the instant kind a staple in most tables during breakfast, or something to serve during study sessions.

It is true, that people love expanding their horizons. Now, we don't just settle for something convenient, we want convenient, delicious... and yes, social media sites worthy. Innovations and fusion between cuisines are aplenty, but for some (like me), the taste of the classic noodle dish is still the best of all.


Taking all of these into consideration, McCormick, the brand synonymous to flavor is now offering a new innovation - the Noodle and Seasoning Mix. These new product, takes away the pressures of cooking, as it already had half of the things needed to create that "instant" noodles with the "authentic" flavor.

Each pack contains noodles and a separate pack for seasoning. All we have to do now is prepare the fresh ingredients as needed, follow the easy steps, and then eat. Or maybe take a picture of it first and share it on social media sites. :)

McCormick Noodle and Seasoning Mix offers five different variants -


Birthday Noodles
Chinese noodle dish usually served during birthdays to represent long life. Usually uses wheat noodles seasoned with savory soy based sauce, with leafy greens, meat, and quail noodles.


Chap Chae
Korean noodle dish using sweet potato noodles, stir fried with beef, mushrooms and leafy greens, and is usually flavored with sesame oil, soy sauce and sugar.


Laksa
Peranakan noodle soup dish (a combination of Malay and Chinese), that is popular in Malaysia and Singapore. It uses rice noodles, coconut cream, tofu, shrimps, and bean sprouts, and spiced up by sambal paste.


Palabok
Filipino noodle dish using vermicelli noodles, topped with an orange sauce made from shrimp broth, fish sauce and annatto seeds, garnished with boiled eggs, smoked fish, shrimps, and garlic.


Pad Thai
Thai noodle dish using rice noodles, stir fried in sauce made with tamarind pulp, palm sugar, and fish sauce, and garnished with greens, bean sprouts, shrimps, chicken, peanuts, and chilies.

It really is surprising how something instant could turn out to be a winning dish your family or friends would surely love. Of course, it is recommended you use fresh ingredients, which you can prepare while boiling the noodles, to maximize your time. Each pack serves 4 people, perfect to serve when you have unexpected guests coming over.

For innovative offerings and meal inspirations, visit http://www.mccormick.com.ph and follow McCormick Philippines on Facebook http://facebook.com/friendsandflavor.