Four years ago, we had a Day Trip at Acuaverde Resort and we enjoyed our experience so when my husband was looking for a resort last year, this is one of his choices. We liked Acuaverde Resort because of the full board meals so we were surprised when we inquired; the food is no longer included in their rate. Despite that, my husband still booked the resort because it’s been three years since our last beach getaway. We stayed in Acuaverde Resort for three days so I’m sharing the food that we ate during our stay. The resort has two dining options, one is Cocina Restaurant and the other one is Al Fresco Bar but during our stay, all meals were served at Al Fresco Bar. The printed menu has an Acuatico Beach Resort logo so I'm not sure if same menu lang yung 2 resorts for a la carte? We had buffet dinner and breakfast kasi sa Acuatico Beach Resort so wala akong menu na nakita before. Since this is a pet-friendly resort, there is also a special menu for your pets. Dinner Time For our first night, we ordered Crispy Pork Kare-Kare PHP475, Calamares Fritos PHP300, Rice and Ripe Mango Shake PHP170. We enjoyed our meal and we liked the peanut sauce of Kare-Kare and the calamares is tender so hindi makunat kainin. Crispy Pork Kare-Kare - Thrice cooked pork belly with special Acuatico peanut sauce, vegetables and bagoong guisado. Calamares Fritos with Roasted Garlic Mayo Buffet Breakfast For breakfast, meals are served buffet-style or a la carte, it depends on resort occupancy so on our first breakfast, it is a managed-buffet style. We had chicken sotanghon, omelet, pancake, bread, salad, fruits, potato, rice (fried and steamed) and different viands like giniling guisado, hotdog, bacon, adobo, fish fillet, and scrambled egg. Lunch Time There are meals that are not available during our stay so naging limited tuloy yung mga options namin. For lunch, we ordered Bangus Al Ajillo PHP450, Pinakbet Laiya PHP350, Rice and Noli’s Special Halo-Halo PHP200. Masarap yung halo-halo and good for sharing din kasi malaki naman. Bangus Al Ajillo - deep-fried bangus topped with garlic sauce. Pinakbet Laiya - a melange of vegetables, stewed in shrimp paste topped with white shrimp and tinapa floss. Noli’s Special Halo-Halo - creamy snow-shaved ice with sweetened banana, macapuno, leche flan topped with ube ice cream. Dinner Time For our dinner, medyo nahihirapan na kami mag-order kasi wala na kami mapili sa mga available so we just ordered Sizzing Sisig PHP275, Rice and Meat Overload Pizza PHP495. We liked all our previous meals but this meal, “okay lang” so hindi namin naubos. Take-out na lang namin pizza kasi sayang naman ang leftover. Breakfast Time Our second breakfast is no longer buffet, you can choose from Breakfast Bowls Filipino Favorites or American Breakfast. Each dish is served with soup of the day, fresh fruits, bread, coffee/tea and juice. Filipino Favorites: Batangas Tapa, Lucban Longganisa, San Juan Tocino, and Laiya Fried Bangus American Breakfast: Sausage & Toast, Bacon & Pancake, and Sausage & Waffle We ordered Batangas Tapa, Lucban Longganisa and Laiya Fried Bangus. The meal includes garlic rice, fried egg, grilled tomato, and pickled papaya and radish. So even though it is not a buffet, ang dami pa rin food and we had a hard time finishing our bowl breakfast, ang dami kasi rice. Ang sarap nung soup nila, bulalo yata. Nakadalawang soup (dahil ayaw ng anak ko) ako kaya nabusog agad bago dumating rice bowl. :)
Everything about Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson screams manly, including his sensitive and loving opinion of his family. On Wednesday he spoke about what it's like to only have daughters.
O universo das maquiagens finalmente ganhou variedade, performance e qualidade dentro do nicho natural e orgânico. Demorou, mas nos últimos cinco anos o Brasil ganhou marcas ecológicas – certificadas* – que concorrem diretamente com outras convencionais e profissionais, seja em qualidade, seja em oferecer tendência.Sorte de qualquer pessoa que usa, ao menos, um pouco de maquiagem no dia a dia. Se as fórmulas convencionais são repletas de ativos já considerados nocivos (pensem em parabenos, conv
This might be the best way to pamper your loved ones.
Dave Meurer said, “A great marriage is not when the perfect couple comes together. It is when an imperfect couple learns to enjoy their differences”. My husband and I have been married for 16 years and I’m thankful that we are still together despite our differences. So totoo siguro na opposites attract. This pandemic proves na hindi naman kami nagsasawa sa isa’t isa. I will miss him if everything is back to normal because hindi na ko sanay na may business trip siya. Sabi ko din sa kanya “I love you more than I’m annoyed by you, which is a lot”, I love my husband kahit may mga times na naiinis ako sa kanya and I’m sure vice versa. But despite our disagreements and arguments, at the end of the day, we still love each other. “A perfect marriage is just two imperfect people who refuse to give up on each other” - Kate Stewart Anyway, we recently celebrated our wedding anniversary so I made cards, a cake topper and we had a quick getaway at Chateau Hestia. “I Like You a Hole a Lot” Donut Card I used to make printable cards but since December, I enjoy making cards using my Cricut Maker so I started making cards for different occasions and my husband is my number one customer. Lol! One of the cards that I made for February is the “I like you a hole lot” donut card and my husband gave it to me. :) Anniversary Cake Topper I told my husband that I will make a “Sweet and Sour 16” cake topper and he thought that I was joking kaya nagulat siya na ito talaga yung ginawa ko. Because this is the reality, sometimes we are sweet, sometimes we are sour and sometimes may toyo. Hehehe! This is a layered cake topper using glitter and metallic cardstock. Font is Loving Hollydate. Rustic Chocolate Torte of Purple Oven Celebration is not complete without cake so last week before hubby went home, he dropped by at Purple Oven Sta Rosa. We already tried different Purple Oven cakes and so far masarap lahat. I suggested White Chocolate Sansrival but it is not available so my husband sent me pictures and I chose Rustic Chocolate Torte. It was a good decision because it became an instant favorite cake. This cake is a layer of sansrival, whipped cream, with lots of cashew, almonds and pecan nuts, and chocolate shavings. We finished half of this cake in one sitting. ;) White Chocolate Sansrival Classic Sansrival Pistachio Stardust Cake Grandma’s Chocolate Cake Staycation at Chateau Hestia My husband likes the beach so after our Acuaverde Resort Trip, he was already planning for our anniversary getaway. Unfortunately, fully booked na naman sa mga gusto niya, it is really hard to book kapag anniversary namin kasi love month ito so maraming nag-outing. I suggested a food trip at Chateau Hestia so he contacted them but unfortunately, fully booked sila sa dates na gusto namin because Valentine’s Day and may wedding event din. My husband checked the website and he found out that Chateau Hestia is also a Bed & Breakfast so he booked a room instead kahit delayed celebration na lang. We’re glad that we were able to go out this year kasi last year, nacancel yung anniversary beach trip namin so food trip na lang kami sa Alba and Chef RV Manabat Cafe. But this time, we both enjoyed our food trip and staycation at Chateau Hestia, this deserves a separate post. Note: This post contains affiliate links.
Apartment 1B is one of the pioneers when it comes to the comfort food concept in the Philippines. It started in the year 2006 in Salcedo Village, Makati City and you can also find this restaurant at The Henry Hotel in Pasay and The Henry Resort in Laiya, Batangas. I worked in Makati before but I haven’t heard of nor tried this restaurant so it took me more than a decade to finally taste their gourmet comfort food. It just so happened that we had my Birthday Getaway at The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya. We were in the resort for three days so I’m sharing the food that we tried during our stay. Prior to our trip, I already knew what food to order because the resort sent a PDF menu but when we got there, they have two menus pala, yung Filipino Menu and the Apt 1B menu that you can find online. Dinner at Apt 1B For our first meal, we ordered Crispy Pork Kare Kare PHP580, Apartment 1B Pork Sisig PHP360 and Rice PHP50/cup. Crispy Pork Kare-Kare Bagnet Pork belly, peanut sauce, bagoong, and seasonal vegetables Apartment 1B Pork Sisig Citrus, soy, onions, and chilies I remembered that I also ordered Crispy Pork Kare-Kare on our first night at Acuaverde Resort several months ago. Hindi naman obvious na gusto ko ng Kare-Kare. Hehehe! The Pork Sisig is so spicy for our taste, pawis na pawis si hubby kasi siya ang kumain nito. I tried it pero hindi ko kaya. Nakalimutan ko ipatanggal yung chili kasi. Toink. Breakfast at Apt 1B Our room package includes breakfast, you can choose American or Filipino Breakfast. I chose American breakfast while my husband and son chose Filipino breakfast. My initial plan is to order American Breakfast on our first breakfast then Filipino on our second breakfast para lahat matry namin, pero mas gusto nila Filipino breakfast so ako lang nag-American. American Breakfast: 2 eggs, home fries, bacon, bread, and salad plus orange juice Filipino Breakfast: 2 eggs, garlic rice, homemade tapa, bread, and salad plus coffee 2 eggs, garlic rice, and homemade chorizo plus, bread, and salad plus pineapple juice If you choose a room without breakfast, the breakfast meal rate ranges from PHP320 to PHP400 without drinks. So may konti ka lang na masesave kung room + breakfast na yung ibook mo. Lunch at Apt 1B For lunch, we ordered Apartment 1B Bulalo PHP950, Vegetable of the Day PHP240 and Rice PHP50/cup. I think this is the most expensive bulalo that I ordered, good for three naman yung serving, Sana pala hindi na kami nag-order ng vegetable, hehehe! For vegetable of the day, it is a choice of pinakbet or chopsuey and I chose the latter. Apartment 1B Bulalo Batangas beef shanks, special broth, and seasonal vegetables Dinner at Apt 1B Our last night in the resort so we splurged a little bit, doon na kami nag-order sa mas mahal na menu. We ordered Grilled Pork Chops PHP740, Buffalo Wings PHP520, Rice PHP50/per cup, Soda in Can PHP90 and White Toblerone Cheesecake PHP290. Grilled Pork Chops with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Homemade Apple Sauce Buffalo Wings with Crudite and Cheese Dressing White Toblerone Cheesecake Among the foods that we ordered, we liked the Buffalo Wings, nirequest namin na hindi spicy so parang soy chicken. We also enjoyed the White Toblerone Cheesecake, may toblerone talaga sa loob, bitin nga lang kami sa isang slice. Hehehe! No doubt that it is their signature dessert. Breakfast at Apt 1B Nainggit ako sa garlic rice ng mag-ama ko so for our second breakfast, I also chose Filipino breakfast, there are only 3 choices so we ordered all three; Homemade Tapa, Homemade Chorizo and Daing na Bangus. Hindi ko lang natikman yung chorizo kasi 2 pieces lang yung serving and maliit pa. So far, happy naman kami sa brekfast meal, big serving so nakakabusog talaga. Natetempt nga ako na yung na rin for lunch and dinner namin since all-day breakfast naman so available kahit hindi breakfast time. Hehehe! Read: Birthday Getaway at The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya Watch the video here Apartment 1B The Henry Resort Taramindu Laiya Laiya Aplaya, San Juan, Batangas, Philippine
We did not plan anything for our Christmas Break because we have so many “things to do” that we put off since we were so busy for the past ber months. But after our Christmas celebration, we decided to welcome 2023 in other places but obviously, it was too late for us to plan. Most of the resorts that my husband checked were already fully booked. Good thing, my husband is still on vacation and my son has no face-to-face class yet, so we were able to have a staycation after the holiday. Last year, we were in Acuaverde Beach Resort so for a change, gusto namin sa cold places. Baguio is out of the option because it is too far and yung Tagaytay naman, lagi na kami doon. Upon searching, my husband discovered “The Sanctuary Batulao” which is just located in Nasugbu, Batangas so malapit and it is situated in a high place so malamig. Unfortunately, it was fully booked on our preferred date but fortunately, dahil nagchange kami ng date, naavail namin yung New Year Promo (January 1-31, 2023) which is 40% off. Monday to Thurs, holidays and breakfast are not included. The Sanctuary Batulao has 5 different villas which cater to couples, families, and big groups. Since we are a family of three, our options are Bahay Kubo and Bunker Room; we chose the Bahay Kubo because we prefer the location and it is much cheaper. The regular rate is PHP5,000 for two persons but because of the promo, we got it for PHP3,000 + VAT. Additional person is PHP1,000 + VAT, inclusive of extra bed and free breakfast. My husband booked on their website but in order to confirm the reservation we need to pay the full amount within 48 hours after we received the pending booking confirmation via email. My husband paid the reservation via online bank transfer and sent the screenshot. It will take 1 to 2 business days daw to confirm. Based on our experience, matagal sila magconfirm ng payment. Sat: husband booked on their website Sun: paid and sent the proof of payment via email. Tues: we received a reminder that we need to pay, even though we already paid. Wed: we received our booking confirmation Staycation at The Sanctuary Batulao Since we live in the South Luzon area, Nasugbu, Batangas is not that far so we don’t need to leave early. We left before 12NN after eating our lunch and we arrived before 1:30PM. There is a PHP1,500 incidental fee that we need to pay upon check-in and they only accept cash so make sure you have enough cash for your stay. Checking in is easy but check-in time is still 2:30PM so we need to wait. While waiting, we explored the place and we just received a call informing us that our room is ready. This is the Bahay Kubo. It has its own parking space and we have one Queen Bed, Toilet and Bath, Desk and Fridge. Since we are a group of 3 people, we requested for extra bed and towel. Sanctuary Batulao is not a resort so don’t forget to bring your own toiletries. They only provide towels and tissue rolls. Bringing food is allowed but limited to snacks and desserts so for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we ate at their restaurant. You can pre-book your meals so by the time you go to the restaurant, iseserve na lang nila yung meals niyo. Sharing some of the foods that we ate during our three days staycation. For breakfast, here are the options: Tapa, Hotdog, Daing na Bangus, Cornbeef and Garlic Longganisa for PHP238. This includes egg, rice, and coffee or hot chocolate. Favorite namin yung Tapa, kakaiba version nila Roast Beef. For lunch and dinner, we ordered Garlic Butter Tanigue PHP360, Grilled Liempo PHP420, Nilagang Baka PHP480, Soy Garlic Chicken Wings PHP385, Pinakbet PHP265, Lechon Kawali PHP540, Leche Flan PHP250, Cup of Rice PHP40, Soda PHP50 and Juice PHP60. favorite namin yung Garlic Butter Tanigue, Lechon Kawali and Grilled Liempo. We enjoyed our food trip here, so kahit isa lang ang restaurant nila, hindi ka magugutom kasi marami dishes and masarap din. Medyo late lang start ng breakfast, 7:30AM and my son’s online classes start at 7AM so hindi siya makababa ng restaurant. I’m thankful na inallow naman nila dalhin namin yung breakfast meal ng anak ko sa room. We just returned the plate and utensils after. There is nothing much to do in Sanctuary Batulao so if you are looking for activities, this place is not for you. There is only a swimming pool and ATV for rent, we were not able to experience ATV kasi not safe, dahil maulan during our stay. In addition, there is no television and no wifi but if you want to disconnect, I can recommend this place. Sabi nga nila, “Being offline is a new luxury”. Hmmm, I guess it is a sign of aging na rin because despite that we did not do anything during our stay dahil maulan, we still enjoyed our holistay. All we wanted was to eat, relax and rest before we go back to reality. “A vacation is having nothing to do and all day to do it". - Robert Orben Notes: *Even though there is no wifi, okay naman ang data signal so my son was able to attend online classes. *Be careful sa swimming pool, slippery talaga. *Downside ng Bahay Kubo, rinig mo talaga yung raindrops sa bubong. *Good customer service din. Since maulan, the staff even went to our kubo to give us an umbrella so we can go to the restaurant. *Upon check-out, they will check your room first before they will return the PHP1,500. Watch the video here
