I love fried chicken!  Who doesn't?  It's crispy, crunchy, and oh so flavorful!  Special thanks to the magic wonders of cooking oil and deep pan frying, which also happens to be the main culprit for having that extra pounds and higher cholesterol level.  It's a no brainer, anything deep fried is very delicious.  Anyone who would not agree with that statement is a big liar.  The only sad truth is, it is NEVER healthy.

Honestly, I never really thought that I will be able to cook fried chicken ever again the moment I decided to eat healthy.  So just imagine my excitement and overflowing happiness when I stumbled upon Gina's oven fried chicken recipe.  

I've made it a try last week and guess what?  It did not disappoint!  

So, if in case you want to cook your loved ones a savory fried chicken, maybe you can also give this recipe a try.  It's bursting with flavor, you won't even mind eating it without gravy or ketchup!  And the best thing above all?  It's healthier!

4 skinless and boneless chicken breast, halves (8 chicken pieces)

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, ground (original recipe used bran flakes)

3 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp fresh black pepper

1/2 tsp chili pepper flakes or chili powder (can be adjusted depending on your choice)

5 tbsp light mayonnaise

1 tsp mustard

Oil spray (I used homemade spray made up of 1 part olive oil & 2 parts distilled water)

Preheat oven to 200°C.  Line a baking tray with foil and set a rack above. Spray rack with oil. 

Crush rolled oats in a food processor or chopper. In a bowl mix crushed oats with salt, paprika, garlic powder, black pepper and chili pepper flakes.  Place in a shallow dish or ziplock bag. 

Combine light mayonnaise and mustard. Coat chicken with the mayo-mustard mixture then place over crushed oats mixture until well covered.  Place chicken on wire rack and spray with oil. Bake 35-40 minutes.

This pancake recipe is perfect for those people who are on a diet and are trying to cut on extra calories.  The only issue that I have with this recipe is that the pancakes didn't taste sweet at all.  Maybe because I used the regular ripe bananas.  (We ended up adding pure maple syrup to our pancakes to bring happiness into this dish!)  So if in case you are planning to cook this recipe, please make sure to use an over ripe banana or just top the pancakes with a syrup instead, just like what we did!

How about you?  Any healthy recipe that you can suggest for our next weekend's meatless breakfast?

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

2 large bananas, over ripe, mashed

1 cup skim milk

3 egg whites

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp vanilla powder (2 tsp if using vanilla extract)

4 tsp olive oil for cooking

2 tbsp chopped walnuts (add more if you wish)

1 medium apple, sliced

1 pc cherry

Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl. Combine skim milk, egg whites, olive oil, and mashed bananas in a bowl until smooth. Combine wet ingredients with the dry ingredients and mix until well blended.

Put a skillet over low heat. Make sure that it is very hot before adding a bit of olive oil (for greasing) so as to avoid the mixture from sticking.  Pour 1/3 cup of pancake batter into the skillet. When the pancake starts to bubble and the edges begin to set, flip the pancakes. Repeat with the remainder of the batter.

Add toppings and serve!

If you have been following this blog, perhaps you have already noticed that majority of my recent posts were actually food related.  It is not because I'm trying to be a culinary expert nor a kitchen guru (that's way too impossible to happen), but because I have been working a lot on my cooking/baking skills, trying to find delicious yet healthy kitchen recipes.

I was not health conscious like this when I was younger, but my perspective on food and diet changed the moment I started to have a family of my own.  I felt that as a mom and wife, it is my responsibility to feed my family nutritious food to keep them healthy so they may enjoy and live a long life.

Currently, I am obsessed with preparing healthy dishes and desserts, but not so much to the point of becoming a vegan.  My goal is to serve mains that are low in fat and cholesterol (since my husband and my sister have high LDL) and desserts/snacks that are low calorie, low fat, and sugar free as much as possible.

So today, let me share with you my banana bread recipe.  For me, this recipe is perfect not because it is the MOST delicious banana bread you'll ever taste but because it is low in calorie, fat free, and sugar free, yet yummy enough to be enjoyed by the whole family.  (Believe me when I say the MOST delicious dessert you'll ever taste is also the MOST sinful one because what makes it tastes so heavenly is actually MORE fat and MORE sugar -- say hello to hyperlipidemia and diabetes!)

2 cups over ripe bananas, mashed

1/4 cup skim milk

1/3 cup pure maple syrup

1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

1 1/4 tsp vanilla powder

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 cup chocolate chips or chopped walnuts (optional for topping)

Preheat oven to 180C and prepare loaf pan (preferably oven safe glass pan). In a large mixing bowl, whisk first three ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients and stir well. Pour dry into wet, and stir until evenly combined. Transfer to the loaf pan and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top and press down.  Bake for 35 minutes, then turn off the oven but DO NOT open the door!   Let it sit for 10 more minutes before removing and slicing.

It was my first time to bake a cake and I was a little bit worried of failing on this first attempt.  I've been baking (cupcakes, cookies, and banana bread) for several weeks already, but sometimes I still tend to mess up on a few recipes.  I admit, I am still on the learning curve and there are still a lot of things that I have to learn.  I just hope I won't have to learn from disastrous kitchen experiences because that would be really, really, really sad (and embarrassing)!

Anyway, I got this recipe from Deliciously Ella's Triple Layered Chocolate Cake with Thick Frosting and Fresh Raspberries.  I just replaced the raspberries with strawberries because they're my husband's favorite.  And I wasn't able to source the exact ingredients required so I ended up making a few alterations with the original recipe like:  

(1) I fell short of avocados so I used banana as a substitute; 

(2) I didn't have vanilla bean paste so I used the commercially available vanilla extract;

(3) I used cocoa powder in lieu of the raw cacao powder (which has more anti-oxidant content) because I wasn't able to find one in the supermarket; and

(4) I used only 2 cups of sweet potatoes instead of the recommended 4 cups because I decided to make only two layers of cake instead of three.

Aside from the few alterations with the recipe I mentioned above, the other challenge I had to face in making this cake is the non-availability of a food processor.  We didn't have a food processor at home, so I had to use the chopper as an alternative.  The chopper actually worked well and the end result went exactly just fine.  The only thing is, it's a little too small to hold the entire mixture so I had to make everything by batch.  In short, it was too time consuming!  It actually took me four hours in the kitchen to finish this strawberry chocolate cake.  It was tedious but definitely worth every effort because I made it for the most special person in my life.  That's what you call "labor of love."  (Ewww... I'm getting cheesy!  Pardon my ka-cornihan.)

This cake is super healthy and nutritious!  It's loaded with vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber -- making it a super perfect dessert for your loved ones.  Honestly, I never have imagined that such vegan dessert can actually taste this good.  Try it and you'll never have to feel guilty indulging over a sweet dessert ever again!

2 cups sweet potatoes, mashed

1 cup almonds, ground

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup dates

3/4 cup water

1/4 cup of maple syrup or honey

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

4 avocados

2 ripe bananas

1 cup dates

3 tablespoons cocoa

3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey

1 cup of strawberries

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice them into chunks.  Steam for twenty minutes or until soft.

Place all dry ingredients – ground almonds, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, cocoa powder and salt into a large bowl and mix well. Set aside.

Make the icing.  Peel the avocado and banana.  Remove the avocado and date stones.  Place all ingredients into food processor and blend for a few minutes until a smooth, thick, creamy mix forms. Place into a new bowl and store in the fridge.

Transfer sweet potatoes into the (empty) food processor with the dates, vanilla extract, water and maple syrup and blend until smooth.  Mix this into the bowl of dry ingredients until well blended.  Pour cake mixture into two separate cake tins and bake for twenty minutes or until you can put a fork in and pull it out clean. 

Once cool, assemble the cake. Put the thickest cake on the bottom and spread a layer of icing over it before placing a circle of strawberries around the edge and a few in the centre for balance. Then place the second layer on top and do exactly the same thing. 

Serve and enjoy!

My husband and my sister have high cholesterol levels. I was actually surprised when I first learned about it (two years ago).  They were just 32 and 29 years old then.  I was thinking, we were living in the same house and we eat the same food, how come both of them have high cholesterol levels while mine was perfectly normal?  Then I realized there's one food I religiously eat everyday that they don't -- OATS.

I love oats.  Everyday, I eat oatmeal for breakfast and dinner.  It's my comfort food.  But my husband and my sister hate it and I can't understand why.  Oats is considered one of the world's healthiest food.  It helps lower cholesterol, reduces risk of cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes, stabilizes sugar, etc.  I mean, if it's that healthy, why wouldn't they want to eat it?  Please, help me understand!

I've been trying to convince them to eat oats ever since to help lower their cholesterol levels, but they won't.  (They're sooo stubborn, I know!)  Sometimes I would even prepare it as their 'baon' in the office but they will just go home with the oats left untouched.  It was disappointing!

I was upset but I can't quit trying and just watch their cholesterol levels shoot up, leading to a more serious health condition.  I can't do that and I won't let that happen.  So we ditched all the unhealthy fat sources in the kitchen and replaced them with healthier alternatives; we became more cautious in preparing our meals, staying away from anything fried as much as possible; and we always take a one hour walk every afternoon for our exercise routine (except during summer when the temperature in the middle east can rise up to 44C or even higher).  Those efforts somehow helped to lower their LDL and triglycerides, but not enough to reach the normal levels.

It was disheartening.  For two years, I've been trying my best to lower their cholesterol levels but I always fail.  It's hard especially when the people you're trying to help is very stubborn -- hates eating healthy and loves to secretly snack on junk foods (especially behind my back).  What to do yanni?  

To tell you honestly, I feel like I've got two more extra kids (my husband + my sister) to look after to, aside from Rafa.  That makes me an instant mother of three!  So whenever I cook, I have to always take into consideration not only the nutritional content of the food, but its ability to please my audience as well (just to make sure they're going to eat it).  And since my two extra kids hate oatmeal, unlike Rafa who loves it as much as I do, I decided to look for recipes where I can incorporate oats without being too obvious just so I can make them eat it (minus the element of force).

So for my first oat recipe, I will be sharing with you a remake of  Deliciously Ella's vegan banana pancakes. The original recipe had a problem though in making the pancakes set.  The first time I cooked it was a disaster because the pancakes kept on sticking to the pan and won't hold together, making it impossible to flip without breaking.  I checked on the comments section of the post and saw that most people who followed the recipe encountered the same problem.  So I made a few alterations with the original recipe and fortunately came up with better results.

This banana, oat, and almond pancake is perfect if you're looking for a deliciously healthy breakfast.  The combination of oats and almonds in this recipe make it ideal for people who want to lower their cholesterol levels.  In addition, this hearty meal is technically and literally good for the heart for having a nutrition grade of A.  Meaning, it's super healthy, minimally processed, and rich in essential vitamins and minerals.  And the taste?  Delicioso!  I'm proud to say that this recipe passed a toddler's taste test.  Actually, my one and a half year old son loved it so much (compared to the commercially available pancake mix he doesn't even want to taste) he kept asking for more!

 BANANA, OAT, AND ALMOND PANCAKES

1/2 cup rolled oats

2/3 cup almonds

3/4 cup all purpose flour (use spelt or whole wheat flour if you want higher fiber content)

1 cup water

2 ripe bananas

2 tbsp honey (use maple syrup to make this dish vegan)

2 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

olive oil for cooking

For the topping (optional):

1 ripe banana

1 ripe mango

almond pieces

Start by placing the oats into a chopper or food processor, blend for about a minute or two until they form a smooth dusty flour.  Do the same with the almonds and banana. Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) into a large bowl, mix until well blended. The mixture should turn quite thick, not too runny.

Place a frying pan on the heat.  Once it is really hot, add a teaspoon of olive oil to grease it.  Put about 1/4 cup of the mixture to the middle of the pan and cover.  After about a minute check the bottom of the pancake.  If it is cooked, flip it over and allow the other side to cook for another minute. 

Garnish the stack with fresh fruits and nuts of your choice and serve!

I have once read somewhere over the internet:

"Everybody thinks that every girl's dream is to find the perfect guy.. but in reality, every girl's dream is to eat without getting fat."

I agree!  I'm sure a lot of women out there can totally relate.

Wouldn't it be nice to enjoy a plate of delicious dish or dessert without having to worry about the calories?

I guess the only way to have the best of both worlds is to prepare your own food.  Nothing beats home made dishes and desserts!  That way, you can take control of the nutrient content of the food you're eating by choosing only the healthiest and finest ingredients available in the market.  It will be a little costly though but just think of it as investing in your own health.  After all, health is wealth!

In the past few weeks, I had been busy working on the kitchen trying out several recipes.  I was really trying my best to learn how to cook.  Fortunately, I was able to deliver good tasting dishes and desserts (as per my husband and my sister).  That's when I realized I should not just learn how to cook but I should learn how to prepare HEALTHY food as much as I can.

I was actually thinking of becoming a vegetarian, but I guess that I, as well as everybody in the house, am not yet ready for such radical change.  Maybe, I can start by preparing more veggie dishes and healthier desserts (aside from fruits).

To start this "Oplan Healthy Eating Program" that I have in mind, let me share with you the healthiest carrot cupcake recipe I found online.  With minimal amount of sugar and oil in it, you will find it surprising how such dessert can still taste sweet enough to satisfy your palate.  Thus, you won't feel guilty indulging over a piece or two of this deliciously healthy carrot cupcake!

Preheat oven to 180C and place 9 cupcake liners in a muffin tin. Combine all dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, then set aside. In a large measuring cup, combine all liquid ingredients (including carrot). Mix wet ingredients into dry, and immediately portion into the baking cups and place in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, then allow the healthy carrot cake cupcakes to cool before frosting.

Although I had a little issue with the cupcake's texture, I must say that this recipe is still a lot better in terms of nutrient content.  Imagine those commercial carrot cupcakes loaded with too much sugar and oil having 300+ calories compared to this recipe that will give you only <200 calories per serving.  Indeed, snacking on a sweet dessert need not to be sinful!

It's my first time to bake.  Actually, I really wanted to learn how to make irresistible desserts ever since but whenever I watch youtube on how these sensational cakes and cupcakes are being made, I just cannot imagine how so much sugar and butter are being put into the recipe.  No wonder desserts are sometimes described as "devilishly" or "sinfully" delicious treats because you really have to forgive yourself for consuming too much sugar and calories.

When I was younger, I never really prioritized nutrition.  I would always choose what's more delicious and what's going to make me enjoy and satisfy my cravings.  But after getting married and having thought of me and my husband's five years age gap plus having kids, I just suddenly changed into a more mature or should I say, a "kill joy" wife who would almost always choose the healthier option when it comes to food.  So don't get surprised once you see our kitchen and find most grocery items labeled as non-fat, no cholesterol, or light/er.  That's me!  So imagine how much hesitation it took me before I finally decided to bake.  I just told myself, "Alright, learning how to bake doesn't mean I'm going to do it everyday.  I'm gonna give this thing a try."  Of course, the healthy geek in me still made a compromise to make my baked creation a little less sinful by using olive oil instead of canola and by excluding the frosting/icing of my cupcake topping.  Yeah, I know.  A cupcake without frosting is boring.  I am boring.  I admit!  Maybe next time, I can consider adding a frosting to my cupcake but for now, allow me to just learn first how to make a moist cupcake.

If you want to ask how my first baking experience went, well, I must say that it was a success (although I got a little burn injury during the process)!  Everyone in the house loved my cupcakes, especially my little Rafa.  My husband didn't like how it tasted at first but after chilling it in the ref overnight, he said that the cupcakes improved and tasted way better than when it just came out fresh from the oven. 

Since my first attempt in baking had been successful, I will be sharing with you the recipe that I used to make my yummy cupcakes!  If you want to get the recipe for the frosting of this moist chocolate cupcake, you may visit this website.  Happy baking!  

1/2 cup Chelsea White Sugar

1/2 cup Chelsea Soft Brown Sugar

3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp plain flour

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 cup of milk

1/4 cup of Simply Pure Canola Oil

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup boiling water

Preheat the oven to 180°C conventional 

Line a 12 hole muffin tray with paper cases. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Add the egg, milk, oil and vanilla then beat with a mixer until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl then add the boiling water and mix until just combined (the batter will be runny). Pour the batter into a measuring cup and pour evenly into each paper case until ¾ filled (don’t over fill or the mixture will overflow).

Place into the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes or until a tester inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Today, I will be sharing with you my Chicken Parmigiana recipe.  Wow!  This is the very first time I will be writing a blogpost about a dish I prepared.  Honestly, I've always wanted to do this ever since but my kitchen skills are just horrible.  I can even remember the time when I was still in high school and I tried to cook "palabok" which became a total epic fail because even our dog didn't care to eat it.  I don't want to elaborate further but the bottom line is, it was a disaster!  I was disappointed.  I felt embarrassed.  And I never tried cooking again since then.

I'm also scared of using knives (because of my unpleasant experience of having cuts) that's why chopping, mincing, dicing, or anything that has something to do with knives will take me forever to have it done.  I cannot tell when a meat is cooked, half cooked or if it still needs more time on the stove.  So whenever I cook, I just make it sure to get it well done (maybe a little bit over cooked but not to the point of tasting burnt).  And I have terrible tastebuds that cannot discern which spices or seasoning should be used to adjust the taste of my dish.  I am one clueless woman when it comes to cooking and the kitchen is my least favorite part of the house to stay in. 

I know exactly what's running on your mind right now:  "ang malas naman ng napangasawa nito."  I cannot agree more.  While I may have been the luckiest woman on earth for marrying my husband, I think it must have been unfortunate for him to have me as his wife.  And it hurts.  Truth hurts.  Cooking is one of my biggest frustrations in life.  I cannot even think how my husband can be so patient and understanding of my terrible cooking skills.  He must really love me that much!  And I wanted to be the woman who deserves that love that's why I am doing my best to learn how to cook.  So last friday, I asked for the Heavenly Father's divine intervention that I may not screw up with my dish and include this in my long list of failed kitchen attempts.  And my prayer was answered!  My dearest husband loved my first-ever Chicken Parmigiana and I was sooo happy I couldn't help smiling from ear to ear.  So I am going to gladly share with you below the recipe I used for this dish.

If there's one thing I realized about my terrible kitchen experiences in the past, perhaps it would be that cooking is a lot like love.  No matter how bad the food you cooked tasted, how embarrassed you felt, and how awful the experience was which made you swear you're never going to do it again, a day will come when someone special is going to inspire you to become a better version of yourself and will give you the courage to try it once more.  And seeing that person happy because he knew you have done a great job in something you're too scared to do, will make you tell yourself that he is definitely worth the try.

3 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

3 cups full cream milk

3 tbsp vinegar

4 medium cloves garlic, minced

salt and ground black pepper

Bread crumbs

Mozerella cheese

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 medium sized eggs

1/2 cup olive oil

500gm Tomato Sauce Guisado

10 ounces mozzarella cheese

2 tbsp basil

1 -  Split chicken breasts in half horizontally, place inside a plastic zipper-lock bag and pound with a meat pounder or the bottom of a skillet to an even 1/4-inch thickness. 

2 -  Prepare buttermilk mixture:  Add 3 cups full cream milk into a bowl with 3 tbsp vinegar and set aside for 5 minutes inside the refrigerator; do not mix.  After 5 mins, remove bowl from the ref and mix.  Add minced garlic and season with 1/2 tbsp salt and 1 tsp ground black pepper.  Put chicken into the bowl of buttermilk mixture making sure all chicken are well coated and refrigerate overnight.

3 -  The next day, combine breadcrumbs, mozzarella cheese, and ground black pepper into a large shallow bowl.

4 -  Place flour in a second shallow bowl.  Whisk eggs in a third bowl.

5 - Working one piece at a time, remove chicken from buttermilk mixture and add to flour. Turn to coat, shake off excess, and add to egg mixture. Turn to coat, letting excess drip off, and add to breadcrumb mixture. Turn to coat, piling crumbs on top and pressing down firmly so a thick layer adheres. Transfer coated chicken to the wire rack and repeat with remaining chicken breasts.

6 -  Preheat oven to 200°C.  Place sauce in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, until barely simmering. Remove from heat and set aside.

7 -  Heat oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Working in batches, carefully add chicken by lowering the cutlets away from you into the oil. 

8 -  Cook until chicken is golden-brown and crisp on both sides. Transfer chicken to a paper-towel lined plate to drain and repeat with remaining chicken.

9 -  Spoon 1/3 of sauce onto the bottom of an oven-safe serving dish. Shingle chicken pieces on top of sauce. Top with more sauce, forming a line down the center and add mozzarella cheese.

10 -  Transfer to the oven and cook until cheese is melted and bubbly.  Remove from oven and allow to rest for 3 minutes, top with chopped herbs, and serve immediately.

This is going to be the fourth and final part of my review of The Farm at San Benito.  For the first three parts of my travel review, here are the following links:

1.  A Sneak Peek of The Farm at San Benito

2.  The Farm Accommodations:  Anahaw Family Villa and Sulu Terraces

3.  The Farm's Facilities and Activities

4.  The Farm's ALIVE! Restaurant

ALIVE! is an award winning vegan gourmet restaurant of The Farm at San Benito specializing in "living" cuisine perfectly prepared by their living food chefs.  It is so called "living" because instead of cooking the food, they actually use specially designed dehydrators to give raw food a variety of textures.  This process would prevent the nutritional properties and enzymes of the food from getting destroyed by heat.  In addition, they also have their own organic garden where they harvest their fresh produce daily and an extensive Kitchen Garden which produces a wide variety of sprouts used in their menu preparation.  So basically, you can be rest assured that what you eat is fresh, healthy, nutritious, and organic.

The Farm's ALIVE! Restaurant is a tropical inspired bungalow which is located just a few meters away from the reception area.  It has both indoor and outdoor seating areas, so you can choose which ambiance you prefer to have while dining.  If you wanted to enjoy the beauty of nature while having a delicious, healthy meal, you may opt for their outdoor area.  However, since we have my son with us, who is not used to an air continuous environment (problem with kids born and raised abroad where air conditioning unit seems to be a part of their Maslow's hierarchy of basic needs), we decided to just stay indoors.  The indoor seating area is not air conditioned but they do have ceiling fans and stand fans which help to make the area somewhat cooler in order to keep their guests more comfortable.  In addition, it is also noticeable that the restaurant's windows and doors have screens to keep the mosquitoes and other insects from entering the dining place.  By the way, since The Farm is a huge well-manicured garden where there are plenty of plants, trees, flowers, lagoons, and several different types of animals, expect the insects that comes along with this natural environment.  So if you are planning to visit this place, do bring an insect repellant with you.  It is definitely a must!

Our breakfast is a three course gourmet set meal which is complementary if you booked a room with them overnight.  Their menu comes in a set of two different plates for each course.  My husband and I decided to get one of each kind so we could just share and basically have a taste of everything.  As I have mentioned earlier, ALIVE! is strictly a vegan restaurant. Meaning, no meat, eggs, and dairy products.  Please be advised also that The farm is a healing sanctuary, therefore, the food that they serve here is balanced not only in terms of its nutrient content but the amount of serving as well.  So basically, the fiesta buffet or eat-all-you-can type of meal is NEVER applicable here.  In addition, bringing in of outside food is not advisable because they do charge a corkage fee.

Being the carnivore that I am, I was a little bit worried that I may not be able to enjoy the food in The Farm.  To be more accurate, I was actually anxious of not just enjoying the food, but starving myself as well since I am also breastfeeding my one year old son.  To my surprise, I found myself enjoying every bite of food on my plate!  Yes, everything that they served on our table was delicious!  In addition, I also found myself feeling full after finishing my breakfast.  The serving of each course may look like small in size, but it was definitely heavy on stomach.  Not only did my tongue enjoyed their tasteful meal, my eyes were also fed well with the beautiful presentation of each plate.  It was certainly gourmet!

Before we left the restaurant, we were given a complementary cake by their staff since Rafael is about to celebrate his first birthday the following day.  We then sung him a birthday song (which he really loves) and their stand fan was in perfect timing to blow off the candle just in time when I was about blow it for Rafa.  Anyway, their cake was truly irresistible as well!  Imagine eating a slice of dessert without having the guilt of taking in too much calories.  My mind can't think of a way how they were able to come up with such dessert without using eggs or dairy products.  Their chefs must be really talented and well educated of preparing "living" food.

It was indeed one of the most memorable breakfasts I had.  Never have I imagined that there will come a point in my life that I would love a vegan diet.  Kudos to all the living food chefs of The Farm at San Benito!  ALIVE! Restaurant is definitely a must try!

119 Barangay Tipakan Lipa City, Batangas, Philippines

Reservations:  +632 884 8074

Fax:  +632 889 1150

Mobile (6am - 10pm):  +63 918 884 8078

Website:  http://www.thefarmatsanbenito.com

Image source:  www.groupon.ae

I've been here in Abu Dhabi for almost two years already but this was the only time I got the chance to dine in the famous Tiara Restaurant of the Burj Al Marina.  Actually, it just took me a long time to convince my husband for us to try it.  He was very hesitant in the beginning because this place is pretty expensive.  However, since he knew how much it would make me happy to experience dining in a revolving restaurant, he finally agreed to take the whole family here for dinner.  And I was like, "Is that for real???"  I can't believe my uber kuripot husband will take us to a one-of-a-kind fine dining restaurant!  I was in shock but I managed to dress up immediately before he changed his mind.  Lol.

In order to get to the restaurant, we had to take a few meters walk inside the Marina Mall and take a lift.  The glass elevator will allow you to see the view of Abu Dhabi as it goes up to a height which is approximately 55 floors.  The elevator ride may have been enjoyed by some but not me.  My heart was pounding I could almost hear it.  I was scared.  I even told myself, "What was I thinking to have the idea of dining in a revolving restaurant?"  I totally forgot, I have fear of heights!  But worry not because I survived the night.

Overall, my first encounter with Tiara Restaurant was absolutely fantastic!  I enjoyed everything!  The ambiance, the food, the service, and most specially the people I shared the night with.  (I just didn't know if my husband enjoyed it as well after paying the bill.  Lol.)  It's really one for the books!  I would definitely recommend this as a "must try" for all the tourists who wish to visit Abu Dhabi.  It's just really expensive though but believe me, it's totally worth it.

Burj Al Marina, Marina Mall, Marina Village, Abu Dhabi

Contact number:  02 6819090

Lips Cafe stands at the heart of Marina Mall with a casual outdoor seating theme.  Its classic couches are usually occupied with diners of different races which makes it crowded.  Yes, this cafe is really popular and loved by many.  And no matter how I hate dining in crowded places, I just can't help but fall in love with this cafe too.  Let me tell you why.

2.  They have a generous serving of main and they serve lean meat.  As I have mentioned earlier, I eat a lot.  So it's obvious that I would love any meal that has a big serving.  Also,  I love that this cafe serves vegetable omelet because other cafes just don't.  I know, this plate is just screaming too much protein!  (I hope they used olive oil for frying.)  The good thing about this dish is that they have added a thick slice of grilled tomatoes on the plate to somehow keep it balanced.

3.  They serve fresh fruits.  To compensate for the very oily main, you get to enjoy a bowl of fresh slices of bananas, apples, and strawberries for dessert.  Somehow, it helps to lessen that feeling of guilt for taking in too much protein.

4.  For drinks, you not only get your choice of coffee or hot chocolate, but a glass of fresh orange juice as well.  Nothing beats a plate of breakfast with a cup of hot chocolate!  But having an extra glass of fresh juice for your daily dose of vitamin C, isn't that just awesome?
Having all these for breakfast will definitely leave you feeling full.  The best part of it is, it only costs AED 48.  Aside from their food, I must say that I also love their service!  The staff were friendly, accommodating, and sensitive to their customer's needs.  They also serve food fast, so waiting isn't going to be a problem.  Indeed, Lips Cafe's American Breakfast is the most sulit breakfast meal that you can ever find in the city!

Ground Level, Marina Mall, Marina Village, Abu Dhabi

Contact Number:  02 6818191