Viva Chocolato
Last Friday, after browsing through book after book after book at Borders (at least, I did!), Hubby, Abby and I had dessert at what I’d describe as a “posh” dessert cafe cum wine bar cum chocolate shoppe. It’s called Viva Chocolato.
This pic was lifted from Viva Chocolato’s website. The rest are mine. :)
The photo above was obviously taken during the day and I have to say that the place comes alive at night, when the air is filled with the laughter of wine and chocolate lovers and live music is played by a guitarist/singer. Notice that brightly lit little room at the far end? It’s where private parties are held! A chocolat party! That’s my kind of party! ;) Viva Chocolato hosts parties for kids and adults alike.
We sat at a quiet corner on a high table with matching bar stools. I love the red and white thing going on with the lamps. 
Abby, as usual, had strawberry ice cream!
Hubby and I shared a slice of Ebony and Ivory cake ($6.95 a slice!!!). The “ivory” frosting tasted like cheesecake and the “ebony” was rich and moist. I loved it! At that price, I was determined to make myself love it! Hahaha!
I would love to come back to this place for a sampling of their truffles. I just found out that they have happy hour everyday from 4-7pm and one can pair a glass of wine with a truffle for 4.95. ;) How chic is that?!
Desserts/Sweets/Baked Goodies, Restaurants | Comment (0)
What’s Your Bills IQ?
I did something on a whim. I took a Bills IQ test. Hee hee. I got a score of 87%. Being the nerd that I am, of course, I’m not happy with my score! I was shooting for at least a 90. The test was divided into 5 sections: credit, debt, budget, wealth and life plan. My highest score was on credit and the lowest, life plan. But I do have a life plan! WE have a life plan! Hee hee.
Moving to the US is like starting life with a clean slate for Hubby, Abby and me. We swore that we will keep our credit card spending to a minimum because you know how credit cards give one the illusion of wealth. We’ve seen how Credit card debt ruined the life of one too many people living in the US. Debt consolidation, Debt relief, and Debt help were things we continue to hope to steer clear of. And so far, we’ve been very successful and we hope to be so…forever, if we can help it!
Taking that short Bills IQ Test made me realize that there are a few things that we may have overlooked and should now give utmost attention if we want to ensure a better future for Abby and a comfortable retirement, like if we have enough insurance coverage, a college plan for Abby, investments, etc. We will definitely have to re-think our battle plan for the future.
You see? Good things come out of these on-line tests after all. ;)
Milk & Honey | Comment (0)
TMA #19: Buh Bye July
What are your final words for the month of July?
Dear July, thank you for being the awesome month that you’ve been. You totally rocked! :) Then again, you’ve always been special to me because you’re my birth month. This month has been filled with wonderful memories, and that’s speaking for my entire family. I could only look forward to an equally awesome if not better July in 2009. Cheers!
That's My Answer | Comment (0)
Business Cards
Have you ever found yourself out of Business Cards just when somebody important, or at least, seemingly important asks you for one? Isn’t that embarrassing? I’m usually on the other side of the fence though, the one asking for a business card. When I used to actively participate in the family business, I attended trade fairs with my Mom and she leaves me to talk to potential buyers. In trade fairs, potential buyers and suppliers are expected to trade business cards. I always found it very annoying when I’m told that the cards were left it in the hotel, in the card, or they just ran out. *rolls eyes*
If you want to avoid facing such a dilemma, then I suggest you stock up on business cards. My Mom always keeps a stock of at least 3-4 small boxes that have 100 pieces of business cards each. For a start, you might want to check out Vista Print. You can choose from among their designs or use your own design and logo. I even got hold of a coupon code for a 50% discount: BizCard08. Coupons do come in handy specially these days when prices of practically everything are going nowhere but up. So stock up and avoid some embarrassing situations! :)
Milk & Honey | Comment (0)
La.Pi.S. #7: Porridge with Century Egg
The theme for week #7 of Lasang Pinoy, Sundays is “Soup”. I love soup, but I’m a bit partial to one that is already a meal in itself, like noodle soup and porridge (or congee as it is commonly referred to in the Philippines).
Last Sunday, we had dinner at TC Noodle House and I realized it’s been ages since I’ve had congee. I thought I ought to give it a try. I ordered something really simple, but something I’ve always liked: Porridge with Centruy Egg (Hundred Year Old egg is what it’s called here)…
I had very high expectations because we like TC Noodle House and their food. But, the porridge, while OK, wasn’t exactly what I had hoped it would be. It was bordering on bland. I’m used to tastier, well-seasoned ones from Chinese restaurants in the Philippines. This porridge reminded me of lugaw (Filipino term for porridge) that my Nanay (maternal grandma) would make for my Lolo (grandfather) when he’s sick. I had to use lots of soy sauce! And the century egg?! They were cut into very small pieces! I doubt if they even used a whole egg for the porridge. Hmp!
After everything I’ve said, I still haven’t decided if I’ll have porridge in that place again. Seafood porridge next time perhaps? We’ll see. You’ll definitely hear read about it when it happens.
La.Pi.S., Rice, Soups | Comment (1)
Wear Your Humor
At first glance, I bet you thought the shirt says “Salvatore Ferragamo”. Well, you’re wrong. Hee hee. What’s printed is a line in Filipino, which should properly read this way: “Suot mo ito pare, para guwapo!“ In English, it’s like saying, “Wear this bro, so you’ll look handsome!” This is a “spoof” shirt. I used to own one which says “Goodrear” instead of “Goodyear”. Shirts like these are a favorite give-away of ours when we visit relatives in the US. Now that we’re in the US, we’d very much love to bring funny shirts (Texas style!) with us when we come home for a visit. ;) I hope finding a few wouldn’t be such a great feat.
Milk & Honey | Comment (0)
WW #20: Cocktail Hour Chow
We spent one night at the Residence Inn Marriott in Arlington, TX about two weeks ago. I was happy with the fact that the hotel has cocktail hour everyday except weekends. Naturally, we took advantage!
Abby had a hotdog sandwich and fries…
I opted for a chicken breast sandwich with cheese…
I know, I should have put a bit of veggies. My bad! :D There were also grilled hamburgers and tacos.
For dessert, Abby and I had caramel popcorn…
…a few Snickers (they’re Minis anyway!)…
…a chocolate chip cookie…
…and some peanuts…
Abby loves peanuts, to think that for a time, she was allergic to these. I didn’t eat too much of the stuff for fear they might trigger, uhm, acne. :) I don’t have any intention of using acne scars cream anytime soon. 
To wash down all the food, we had lemonade. There was freeflowing coffee, hot chocolate (instant) and tea (available in several flavors).
This is my kind of cocktail hour. I’m not so much of a cocktail person anyway. I tend to gravitate towards the bar chow, embarassing as that may sound.
Food Etcetera, Guilt Snacks, Wordless Wednesday | Comments (5)
