A Veggie Good Breakfast from Starbucks

I discovered this veggie sandwich from Starbucks 2 weeks ago and I’ve had this as breakfast/lunch at home and at work for more than 3x already.

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The Ratatouille and Mozarella Cheese on Multigrain Bread is so flavorful and filling that it’s enough to tide me over until lunch.   It’s also my meal of choice in observance of fasting (from meat) this lenten season.

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It may look expensive for a sandwich at P115.00 but to me it’s not because a good  Ratatouille is not simple to make.  I read that you need to cook the vegetables separately and that the best method of cooking it is through casserole baking.    So I better enjoy this sandwich now which, am sure, will be available for a limited time only -  like most sandwiches in Starbucks are.

Another thing to love about this Ratatouille  sandwich is that it is low in fats and calories but high in nutrition.  So dieters, make this a part of your meal plan.

I love having my Ratatouille sandwich over coffee and when I’m lazy to brew fresh coffee at home, I just have my Starbucks VIA Ready Brew coffee.   I always stock on these instant coffee sachets, which costs P130 for a pack of 3 sachets or about P43.33 each.    A bit expensive for an instant coffee, but way cheaper than a freshly brewed one at Starbucks!

 

Sweet Birthday Gifts

It’s been a week since my birthday and I am still feeling high over the (almost) week-long celebration I had!    Not to mention the sweet gifts I got from my family and friends =)

From AJ, I got this FitFlop pair in perfect pewter color.  I’ve been eyeing this pair for some time and I’m so happy I now have it!

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I prefer these slide Fitflop sandals over thongs.   It’s more suited to my flat feet.   The thongs are also good but they make my feet look bigger hehe.

This new pair brings my collection of Fitflop sandals to 3 (actually there’s 5 but I’ve retired  the other 2 after more than 3 years of walking on them).

Here are the stock photos I’ve kept of the other 2 in my collection:   I have another pair of  slide sandals in black …

…and thong sandals in brown:

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It’s pretty obvious that I love Fitflop, noh?   They’re my casual, outdoor and shopping shoes all at the same time!

Meanwhile, I received these cute cupcakes with the letters of my name from my colleagues at my former department.  Aren’t they sweet?  I miss them all!

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Then my former Manager (who became a very good friend of mine) gave me this lilliputian Nina Ricci L’Elixir perfume.  It’s so small (containing 4ml perfume) you can mistake it for a candy!

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From Pia – Trung Nguyen coffee beans + country mug from Starbucks Vietnam!

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And from Denise – TWG Tea Bags!   The flavor will remind me of Christmas everyday   =)

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And because AJ and I now cook, Denise gave us a bottle of Himalayan Salt and Bourbon Vanilla.   The himalayan salt will be perfect for grilled steaks or porkchops, while the dried vanilla fruits is an excellent addition to AJ’s homemade custard!

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And last, but not the least, there is Liam’s gift which is equally thoughtful and sweet – a letter to his Ninang Tita!   Read it here!

A big thanks and hugs to all who remembered me on my natal day.   It’s your thoughtfulness that made the my special day extra special!

 

Starbucks finally opened in Vietnam!

Starbucks opened its FIRST store in Vietnam – the country with a unique coffee drinking culture – last February 1, 2013.

My friend Pia, who works there, braved the long line of people who waited for the store’s opening   =)

Pia is in Manila right now and we met up yesterday at TWG Tea Salon for a belated birthday celebration and she handed me these as birthday gifts:  Starbucks country mug(!!!) and Trung Nguyen coffee beans(!!!!).

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I LOVE Starbucks and all their signature coffee beans, but the Trung Nguyen coffee challenged my coffee taste buds when I tried it, coffee-drip style, last year.   It’s a bit too strong for a coffee but that’s it charm, I guess.

And in case you haven’t noticed, I already have affiliate links to the Starbucks products at the sidebar.  Check them out!  It thrilled me to find my application (through Linkshare) approved because I really am a Starbucks addict =)

Read more about the Starbucks opening in Vietnam at the VietnamNet Bridge (article here).

Have a good Sunday, everyone!  It’s the first day of the Chinese New Year so start it right and with a positive vibe to attract all good blessings!

 

It’s that time of the year again!

December is here and it’s finally beginning to feel like Christmas!   My Instagram is now teeming with photos of our preparations and anything Christmas-y, and here are some of them:

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Decorating our apartment for Christmas.  I used the same decors from last year’s. Cannot think of other Christmas colors except red-and-green hehe!

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Santa already made a guest appearance at our tea party last week.

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Finished wrapping my Christmas gifts to office mates. I used Christmas-themed party bags from Wilton and left-over ribbons from last year.

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Will recycle the shopping bags we have accumulated this year to wrap my Christmas gifts to friends and relatives.

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One of my recycled paper bags. Laking tipid sa Christmas gift wrappers!!

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Cute Christmas gift tags at National Bookstore. 50pcs with 10 designs (that’s 5 gift cards per design) for only P69.75!

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Starbucks Bearistas dressed as soldiers from The Nutcracker. So cute! I’d love to take one home but I find them too expensive at P895.00 each.

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Christmas balls at my parents’ home.

The happiest season of the year is indeed here   =)

New Discoveries at Starbucks

After introducing the sinful Whoopie Pie which AJ and I love to bits, Starbucks has introduced a new dessert that is just as sinful as the Whoopie Pie, only this one is an instant favorite: the Mocha Silvana.   What’s not to love about this one?  Unlike your typical silvana which is made of very rich buttercream sandwiched between two cashew meringue wafers, this one has a layer of mocha buttercream sandwiched by thick and chewy meringue wafers.   The best part about this one is that it’s covered by lots and lots of crushed almonds!

Starbucks’ Mocha Silvana is surprisingly not too sweet, and the mocha buttercream is really good; I didn’t feel like I’m eating raw butter.   I also like the thicker and chewy meringue wafers which I savor in each bite.

Priced at only P95.00 per piece (and it’s good for sharing too), this dessert is a runaway winner.

Very recently too, Starbucks introduced the Starbucks Refreshers which comes in 2 flavors:  Cool Lime and Very Berry Hibiscus.   The Refreshers are made with green coffee extract, which is said to boost natural energy.    Perfect for those who love cold drinks but are conscious about its calories.

AJ and I sampled the 2 flavors earlier after doing our weekly grocery.  AJ had the Cool Lime while I went for the Very Berry Hibiscus.    We both found them to be okey, but are not exactly the drinks we would order again.   I guess we’re really coffee persons, and are better off sticking with hot caffeine drinks hehe.

One thing I loved about these drinks though is that they’re really refreshing.  They have this cooling effect that relaxed me.   I guess if I’m a gym person I will choose to recharge with this after every work out   =)

Starbucks Refreshers are available in these sizes:  Tall (P115.00), Grande (P125.00) and Venti (P135.00).