Choosing A Holiday Ham: The Premium-Cut Ham

One of the most important food of the Noche Buena table is the holiday ham. While there are a number of meat brands everyone is familiar with, there are three things that makes the the premium-cut ham a cut above the rest.

First, the Holiday Ham should be made from one whole boneless meat from the hind leg, the best cut of pork for hams. Hind leg ham is tastier and meatier compared to the more common shaped hams. Shaped hams are already processed and although brands would use meat from the other parts of the pork, nothing can beat the goodness found only on the hind leg of pork.

Second, the net marks attests to a high-quality smoked ham. Only whole-meat hams can be smoked in ham nets because if it isn’t, pieces would fall off.

Lastly, no extenders. The appearance, taste and texture tell the truth. The ham is meat, juicy, and flavorful, and consumers really get the best value for money.

Learn more about Holiday Ham on http://holidayham.com.ph/ and ‘Like’ it on Facebook http://goo.gl/CAqCv.


Apple iPad up for grabs

To make the holidays a cut above the rest, Holiday Ham will be giving out an Apple iPad tablet computer. Interested parties need only to register with their name, Facebook page URL, mobile phone number, and email address. It’s that easy!

The registration is on the Holiday Ham website http://holidayham.com.ph/subpages/promo.aspx and is open until December 20, 2010.

Precious Moments Showroom, Gift Shop and Tea House

Do you guys remember those little tear-drop eyed dolls and illustrations of our childhood? Those distinctive faces that are both so innocent and a touch sad?

From the face of a beloved child, the famous features of the Precious Moments dolls and drawings were born in 1974. Samuel Butcher is the American artist who created the brand based on American-Christian themes. They were first seen as drawings in greeting cards, then as porcelain figurines and vinyl dolls. It was when Sam's company J&D outsourced the dolls in Asia that Sam fell in love with the Philippines. Being a Christian missionary as well, he visited the Philippines often and was able to set up a hotel resort in Aklan to provide employment and training opportunities for the Aklanon and students from other provinces in Western Visayas.

Today, Sam shuttles between his resort in Aklan and his Precious Moments Showroom, Gift Shop and Teahouse in Palanan, Makati City.

Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main thoroughfares, this place is DEFINITELY well worth the trip!

Happily Lost



Tucked away in a quiet little street
is an awesome surprise waiting to be discovered!
4227 Laredo Street, Palanan, Makati City



My mother and I were driving around with the girls one late afternoon after dropping off RF at his office and my Dad at a presentation in Makati. We were trying to make our way to Cash and Carry for much needed food near the highway when I made a wrong turn. Keeping my eyes on the road, my mom was the one who was able to catch a glimpse of the showroom's tarp. They had just opened so there wasn't a signboard up yet. I told my mom that under no circumstances was she to let me buy anything! I loved Precious Moments and I am a confirmed shopadiva. So driving around the block and parking on the quiet, residential street, we entered the unassuming red brick house. I was intrigued though, to see that the tarp advertised a teahouse as well as a gift shop (I was hungry and breastfeeding Olly).

In the foyer, we saw people snipping away at doll hairs and packing them into boxes. I really wasn't expecting much since most showrooms I've seen were quiet, stuffy little places crammed with products and boxes. And the teahouse? I was expecting little pastries, cakes, coffee and overpriced tea.

But then, with a beaming smile, the waitress led us into the main area and I walked into the amazing Christmas mornings of my childhood.

And the food? Well...I'm getting ahead of myself.

First, I felt like I was in my grandmother's house on Christmas when my grandfather was alive. The place was bright with warm lights and there was christmas decor every where. There were amazing dolls of all shapes and sizes, display cabinets of figurines and christmas trees hung with glittery baubles. Tables were set as if they've been waiting just for you all this time. It's really hard to dress up an entire floor with the Christmas theme without overwhelming and intimidating people, but this place drew you in and embraced you. It was beautiful without being tacky and comforting without being cloying. It was exactly like *your* grandparents' sala and dining room, all set for the Christmas festivities and your entire clan would be coming in any minute bearing gifts, greetings, laughter and joy!

And let's not forget the food! REAL FOOD. Freshly cooked, served piping hot. In servings you could feed a battalion with, and soup in a bowl you can swim in. Okay, so maybe I exaggerate a little, but really, the servings are big enough for more than two people.

With the cooking expertise garnered from their hotel resort in Aklan, the Teahouse boasts of a killer menu that doesn't kill your budget. I'M NOT KIDDING. You can bring a date and impress her. You can bring your entire clan plus your out of town relatives and impress them. And I promise you, your wallet won't run away screaming.

Spareribs! Juicy!

Their full menu boasts of a huge variety of appetizers, entrees, hot pots, noodles and the Teahouse Specials consisting of mouth-watering seafood. Vegetarians will have no problems choosing what to eat as their vegetables are also very good.

 

Their famous Spinach Seafood Soup!
This is just 1/5th of their usual serving.
One order of any soup serves at least four people!



My mom and I ordered for hototay since we were thinking of a light snack and I was lactating (hence the soup). Their specialty is actually the heavenly Seafood Spinach Soup which we ordered on another day (when that picture was taken). 

We added a burger meal with chips and a drink, just in case the soup wasn't enough. It wasn't much, we thought then too...BUT when our order came out, my jaw literally dropped. I asked the waiter, "How are we supposed to finish all that?!" For the price I was paying for, I was expecting a bowl, not the whole potful! Thank god Oona had an appetite and she was able to finish half a serving, but my mom and I were hard pressed to finish because it was such a shame not to finish it all up, such wonderful soup! It was the best hototay I've ever had in a long long time! It reminded me of the hototay we had in Chinatown when I was a child and sadly, nobody makes hototay like that anymore. We were able to finish it only after two heaping bowls each and one bowl for Dad (who caught up with us after his presentation was done).

  

Don't be fooled! This plate is huge.

The burger feeds at least two people.



Oh, and they didn't stint on the juicy burger either! It was as large as my face, with real, crisp potato chips sliced paper thin! We quartered the burger and one slice was enough for one person. After the soup though, I had to struggle with my slice :) Mom too, so we had to have the rest of the burger wrapped. But Dad attacked it and demolished it when he arrived. After all, he just had one bowl of hototay :D

While I was feeding Oona and myself, my mom carried Olly around and chatted with Warren, the store manager. It turns out that they were the ones selected to make the limited edition P-Noy inaugural dolls! So those were the dolls we saw being packed in the foyer!



The P-Noy Inaugural Doll


And why they were snipping away at the hair of the male dolls? The staff shared that the dolls had to look like P-Noy and since the dolls had long hair...they had to match his hairline! LOLZ :D It turns out that Sam Butcher gave then-President Cory Aquino a special look-alike doll many years ago. So now that her son was being inaugurated, Precious Moments was given the privilege to make a special doll for him. :D

The Cory Aquino Doll



We were also able to meet Jojo, Sam's honorary son :) He filled us in on the Precious Moments history, the artist's background and how he came to be in the Philippines.

He told us that they were able to put up a Christmas town in Aklan where the resort was. Now, along with this showroom, tea house and gift shop, they want to be able to put up a Doll Museum too! They are currently looking for a place large enough to house the extensive doll and figurine collection just waiting to be seen and loved by everyone. They will be opening it to the public, especially to children and for school tours. Whoever wants to feel like it's Christmas any day they wish, only have to walk through their doors!

All in all, the venue is awesome, the food is incredible and won't break the bank! Lovely serviceware, linens and yes, good, clean washrooms your kid can use! They are able to host parties, gatherings and the casual walk-ins like us. They also deliver and cater as long as you call in your orders beforehand.

The staff are very efficient, warm and accomodating. They will go out of their way to make you feel welcome, as if you are truly a member of the family coming to visit.

Olly and Ate Jinky

Plus, VERY CHILD-FRIENDLY. To think that it's a gift shop, they were not afraid of Oona looking around and occasionally touching things (she's been taught to be very careful so, hooray for that!). As a mom, knowing that they're child-friendly automatically puts them in my most loved places to be! One of the waitresses, Ate Jinky, even took care of Olly for awhile! She confessed to a love of children even if she didn't have her own yet :)

Okay, details! :)

  

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

SHOWROOM, GIFTSHOP AND TEAHOUSE

Open Daily 9AM to 10PM

Address: 4227 Laredo St., Palanan, Makati City

Contact Numbers: 856-6615 and 387-1092

Landmarks: Near Cash & Carry Makati

Food: Pork, Beef, Chicken, Seafood, Pasta, Hotpot, Noodles, Vegetables

Drinks: Softdrinks, Iced Tea, Coffee, Juices, Water

Budget: Affordable! Value for your money!

Available for: Dine-In, Take-Out, Delivery & Catering

SO GO VISIT THEM! It's fast becoming popular among the Makati lunch crowds so you might want to go early if you plan on lunching there on a week day! :D Whether you're going to eat, shop or just enjoy the beautiful dolls while having coffee, I'm sure you'll enjoy the experience as much as we did.

++Some pictures of us on our other visits :) 

 

Oona hams it up!




Mommyluscious, Oona and Dad

 

Having a precious moment: Oona and Dad :D



that's a real painting by the artist Sam Butcher!

Lola and Olly



yummy spaghetti, chips and chicken fingers snack trio with drink!

Another beautiful painting by the Precious Moments artist!







Pagbabago

Somebody said that changes in our lives are perceived differently by those around us. To others it may seem to be the death of your loved one or a triumphant event that changes you. However, the significant moment for you could be the simple shutting of a door, the glimpse of a small, secret smile or a leaf falling. For me it was a small strip changing color that rendered my universe virtually unrecognizable to me.

Oona!

This is Oona, my first born daughter. She celebrated her 3rd birthday last August 15 and as she blew out her candles, I couldn't help feeling that my baby seems to be growing up too fast for me.

Was it only a few years ago that I was “Boss Laya”, driven workaholic, weekend wanderer and tough bar regular?

With kindred free spirits!

My life has never been the same the moment I found out she was coming. I always felt I was too much of a free spirit until I met my husband, but it was only in 2007 when the home pregnancy-kit showed two pink strips did my world totally turn upside down. I actually never thought I'd get married, let alone have a child!

At first I felt numb, shell-shocked as I heard it to be. Then, nervous and not just a little afraid. Suddenly all these questions, insecurities and issues started popping out from nowhere! Would I be a good mother? Am I ready to be a parent? What do I DO now? I started to reach for a cigarette but caught myself in time. I quit right then and there, cold-turkey and sucked on a mint instead. Drinking booze and coffee went out the window too. Sooo many things to consider, adjust, change!

For pretty much the whole 9 months, I was in a state of mental and emotional upheaval. Not to mention the physical changes that terribly upset me. I felt that I lost all sense of control. My world had spun off its axis, I was at such odds with myself and my body had betrayed me: the dizziness, the mood swings, the bloating, the aches and pains, ad infinitum, ad nauseatum.  My morning sickness did not just attack in the mornings, by the way, nor did it limit itself to just a month. Bleh.

surprise baby shower at the office

My beloved hubby RF and I had been married two years, living on our own in a small apartment in Makati. Life had a hectic regularity of work, home, occasional breaks and more work from our BPO jobs. It was an awakening for me how sharply the feelings of isolation this new state of being could bring me. At work I was surrounded by kids just out of college and most friends my age were like me, worked hard and partied even harder. All self-possession and confidence deserted me as I could not find anyone to relate to and I felt so alone even as I felt the tiny being grow inside me. I think it would have helped if I was closer to family but it was impractical given my delicate condition and unforgiving working hours to be commuting everyday.

Make no mistake, though, we were really happy to find out we were pregnant. It was all just so unexpected for me, so unforeseen that I, the girl scout, was caught unawares.

I was also so very hungry and thirsty all the time! It was horrible when the food cravings or paglilihi started because not only was I very picky, the mood swings coincided with whether or not I got what I was craving for at the moment. Blame it on the hormones and the intense feelings these new changes brought about, but I truly craved the wholesome, home made comfort food of my childhood. You know how it is at times of uncertainty when you hark back to a simpler, uncomplicated, secure time, right? Home, childhood, the warm womb of family...What I remember was that I craved Dinuguan like my granduncle in Mindoro made, the Sinigang Na Baboy only my mother makes and the Nilaga my grandfather used to cook when he was still alive. Tall order for my poor hubby or the Kuya I asked to find me lunch everyday! They would try to find these in the nearby restaurants or eateries but it wasn’t everyday that any of these choices would be available.

Goldilock's Pasong Tamo, my saviour!

Strolling home one evening I was pleasantly surprised to find that there was a nearby Goldilocks branch. I remembered their Mamon and decided to buy some. When I entered, I found out that Goldilocks not only served cakes, pastries and breads, they had also begun serving full meals! At first I was skeptical but I couldn't resist when I saw right up there among the food choices were the meals I had been hungering for. Sinigang! Nilaga! Dinuguan! There was even Kare-kare! Oh, I was so very HAPPY! I couldn’t make up my mind what to try first!

Nilagang Baka

After what seemed like forever, I went with the Pork Sinigang, being pregnant and wanting something sour! I was happy with how much their servings were and my first spoonful of that soup sent me reeling back to a warm, happy place! Happy me! Happy belly! Happy baby! I ordered Dinuguan and puto (and extra rice) next (yes, I pigged out!) and for my take home baon, I had Nilaga wrapped up. Perfect for when I woke up at 3am, hungry for something warm and soupy!

I went home with a bellyful of happiness. I know, I sound unbelievably shallow when I say that food stabilized my teetering world! But it did, that night. All was right again. Imagine, I could have a taste of home any time I wanted to now! Apparently, on a deep psychological and emotional level, I equate food with comfort and security (like every other creature! Haha!). How the universe provides for us, doesn't it? It was a big bonus for me too that this branch in Pasong Tamo closed late so every time I was on night shift, I'd buy enough food to last me until the wee hours of the morning! 

Dinuguan

Of course, it was still different when it was my mom's cooking or my grandparents', but Goldilocks gave me a sense of what a home away from home is like, giving you comfort, a sense of security and that everything will be alright through all the changes you may go through. 

Oona, Olly and Daddy

So all throughout my pregnancy, Goldilocks nourished not only my baby, that little girl Oona, but also nurtured my sense of well-being and reminded me of family. The family that surrounded me, reaching through time and distance and the family I was about to have, assuring me that I wasn't alone, I would be fine and that these changes are part and parcel of the celebration of life.

My beautiful, intelligent, spunky little daughter is the spice of our lives! (She's now a doting Ate, by the way!) She's got as much personality as the Sinigang, warms your heart up like the Nilaga with her sweet ways and is as incredibly interesting as the Dinuguan is to a foreigner who's never had that dish. Hahahahaha! :) 


Thank you, Goldilocks! We probably should have named our daughter after you! :D