{cherry} EVERYDAY

When visiting friends in their new place it’s always nice to bring a gift and if it’s a housewarming party you’d like to give something that will be appreciated and used for years to come. Cutlery is an often overlooked gift idea – something like cheese knives accompanied by a nice selection of exotic cheeses and a box of crackers can be made up into a gift basket; long after the cheese and crackers are gone the knives will be used again and again. Chef’s knife or cutlery sets are another great gift which will be treasured for years to come.

Every home needs paring knives – it’s the sort of food preparation tool you can always find a use for so a good set of paring knives is a thoughtful gift as well. For a shower or wedding gift you may wish to offer something more formal such as a carving set which will be used on holidays and special occasions and serve as a lasting reminder of your thoughtfulness. Steak knives are another appropriate gift with more significant meaning than everyday knives and cutlery.

There are some superstitions related to giving knives and cutlery as a gift so it’s often said a penny should be taped to each knife so the recipient can use the penny to “buy’ the knives from you; should you be concerned but still wish to give something useful a knife sharpener or a knife block is a great gift idea. The Kapoosh® knife block is an innovative twist on the standard knife block – instead of having specific slots designated for certain knives the entire unit is filled with flexible plastic rods which resemble blades of grass. Knives and cutlery of all shapes and sizes cam be stored in the dishwasher-safe insert.

I’m loving my new iPad. And I’m blogging using it now. I got the WordPress app and I can now access all my blogs in one site. Yep, all my 7 blogs. Now I just have to figure out how to insert pictures on this thing. That’s it. Otherwise it’s the best thing so far after discovering foursquare too late in the game. Yes after everyone I know has grown tired of it.

We were on our way to Eastwood, our minds set on eating at Chuck’s Deli, when my sister happened to spot Wooden Spoon by Sandy Daza along Katipunan Avenue. Sandy Daza!!! We changed our mind that instant. And it was the best decision of the day.

The resto just opened , the reason for this temporary menu. I’m sure they have a new one now.

Crab Pancit…one of the first things we saw on the menu. I love the light crispy noodles and the crab sauce. This must have less than 5 ingredients but it’s oozing with flavor.

The thing with our family is that we love our vegetables so we didn’t hesistate ordering this Sitaw sa Gata. So simple yet so delicious.

Fish Fillet with Wansoy Sauce. I didn’t care much about the fish and I felt that the serving size was too small even for one. But the Wansoy Sauce is addicting. I hope they bottle the sauce so I can stash a bottle at home. Great with any meat.

Crispy Pork Dinakdakan. The dish tasted similar to Sisig only the slices of meat were bigger. I loved that the dish had plenty of onions.

Limited seating but there’s a second floor.

Of course, lunching with my favorite dining partner.

How lucky to live in Baguio City.  To eat fresh vegetables all the time.  To stroll along Session Road everyday and buy one of Vizco’s cakes.  To have brunch at Cafe by the Ruins and finish it off with Ruins Coffee.  To sit on one of the benches at Burnham Park and watch tourists enjoy the weather. To walk the streets at night with your loved one then cuddle up in front of an electric fireplace at SoothingFirePlaces.com. How lucky to have a life filled with so many beautiful things.  To live in a place so close to the sky.  To love there.  To die there.

I didn’t know that Baguio City is one of the Philippines’ foodie havens.  The only provinces or tours I know that showcase local food and restaurants are Pampanga and Viaje Del Sol of Quezon  (these two are in the north as there are also Cebu and Bacolod in the south).  A weekend is not enough to cover the best of Baguio food and restaurants.  In our case, it took us 2 consecutive weekends to cover most of it.  Yep, we didn’t get to go to all of them.  We can if we wanted to but our stomachs couldn’t keep up with our mouths.  So we had to choose and I believe, we chose well.  But not well enough because we forgot all about The Hill Station.  Tsk Tsk.

Of course, a visit to Baguio is never complete without dining at Cafe By the Ruins.  And this time I had the courage to try the Pinikpikan which tasted great.  It’s very similar to Tinolang Manok but with that kind of rustic or native taste.  The chicken is a bit chewy, too.  Try it and get your own opinion. =)

Crispy Tapa @ Cafe By the Ruins

 Pinikpikan @ Cafe By the Ruins

 a closer look at the chicken…I don’t know if you can see the coagulated blood there.

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I had a hard time finding Rose Bowl the first weekend we were there. The reason was it already closed down and it’s relocated at General Luna Road. Best decision ever as parking along Session and Harrison roads is generally impossible.

 Hototay soup @ Rose Bowl

 Crispy Chicken for the little girl

 Chinese dishes like the basic Beef with Broccoli and Fish & Tofu in Taosi Sauce

 Rose Bowl, an institution in Baguio City

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Baguio City offers very affordable dining. When I say affordable, it’s eating out with a P500 budget already feeding 4 people. And you can do that at 50′s Diner and Good Taste. But mind you, the food may be cheap but they don’t scrimp on the ingredients nor taste.

 Chicken Sandwich at 50′s Diner. This is huge. The photo doesn’t do any justice in showing its enormity.

 Chicken Cordon Bleu with lots of cheese.

 Burger Steak Meal for 99pesos. Comes with 2 big burger patties, a side of vegetables and iced tea.

 Good Taste

 A must try is the Garlic Buttered Chicken and an order is less than 150 pesos.

 Of course, you’re in Baguio. Vegetables here are fresh so order Chopsuey.

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I read a couple of blogs recommending Wood Nymph when in Baguio and we were lucky that it was just a short walking distance from our hotel, as in a house away.

 Banchan. I love the Kamote Tops and the Bean Sprouts. The resto serves huge bean sprouts which is alien to me. But I liked it.

 This is also good. The noodles are firm and chewy and the sweet and salty combination is just right.

 Seafood Soup. I didn’t like this mainly because it had a whole fish in it. I was kinda expecting more clams, shrimps and other type of seafood. But if you like fish then you’ll love this dish.

More Baguio Food here.