A shot of Blueberry Cheescake...or rather, Tart

I love cheesecakes. No other dessert could be better for me, especially in my cheesecake-craving moods, which happen an awful lot.

A colleague recently made my day by bringing a box of Rowena's Blueberry Cheese Tarts to the office this morning, and offered one to me. 

sneaking a bite during office hours

Rowena's is a popular cafe-slash-pasalubong shop in Tagaytay, and is often one of the must stop-overs for city folks on their way back to Manila for take-home surprises for family and friends. The shop features mostly miniature sweets like bags of nuts and tarts of all flavors and sizes. 

I never tried most of their products so these Blueberry Cheese Tarts were new to me. It was a delightfully different kind of 'cheesecake' than what I'm used to - the base was a soft pastry instead of the crumbly Graham cracker crust, followed by a dollop of creamy cheese frosting and topped with some blueberry filling (with whole blueberries).

What I liked about this was that it wasn't too tasty like most cheesecakes. Don't get me wrong, I love a full-bodied, in-your-face cheesecake flavor like anyone else, but too much of the taste can be exhausting to the palate from time to time. I appreciated the tart's modestly flavored crust and barely-there cheese frosting, letting me enjoy the blueberry goodness on its own. The miniature portions didn't hurt either, letting me have my dose of much-desired cheesecake without over-indulging. 

Note to self: drop by Rowena's the next time I'm in Tagaytay. I'm dying to to try out their Cherry Cheese Tarts!

The (Intro) Dive Experience - Part I

Being a self-confessed beach-bunny/water-baby, I always jump at the chance to be at sea. From swimming, snorkeling, surfing - you name it, I've done it. One thing I have never tried, though, was scuba diving. 

I've been curious of scuba diving ever since my cousin kept putting "scuba diver" in the "What is your ambition" portion of my slum book. I've tried a bit of snorkeling as a child and found it immensely fascinating and enjoyable - there were dozens of colorful fishes and forests of seaweed to explore under the water! Granted, I never went deeper than 3 feet, but it was something I appreciated all the same.

My chance at diving came when a dear friend, who was a seasoned diver herself, offered us a chance to try an Intro Dive, a sort-of basic lesson and 'first taste' of what it's like to go scuba diving, via Scuba One. 

Apple Strudel Ice Cream

My dad chanced upon a new ice cream flavor last weekend while doing the groceries for my  late grandfather's birthday celebration. Mom asked him to buy the halo-halo flavor because chocolate was a little overdone; dad couldn't find halo-halo, but he did find a Limited Edition Apple Strudel Ice Cream from Magnolia. 

refreshingly different

This was when I realized I have never tasted apple-flavored ice cream before, and it was surprisingly good.

Taking inspiration from a popular Austrian pastry, Apple Strudel ice cream has red and green apple-flavored swirls, bits of apple cinnamon and crushed chocolate-covered pretzels. The ice cream base has a very mild taste, allowing the apple flavors to shine through. And shine through, they did. 

I found this one a very refreshing respite from the usual rich and creamy ice cream flavors out there,  not too heavy on the palate or the stomach. It's perfect for the summer, which was why we went ahead and bought another tub. Too bad it's a limited edition piece only, so we might as well enjoy it while we can.

Yummy Goat's Milk

I heard from the office grapevine that a colleague was selling fresh goat's milk, but never really bothered to find out more. Everyday I'd see these unmarked, sealed bottles filled with pale pink, brown or milky, peach-colored liquid in the pantry fridge, most of them with the owners' names scrawled on the plastic (it's a shared fridge, you can never be too sure) and can't being curious as to why this particular product did such a roaring trade.

I eventually plucked up the courage to ask my colleague (casually), about his goat's milk business, and he was nice enough to give my boyfriend and I a free taste - a small bottle each of strawberry and chocolate-flavored goat's milk.

 

 

chocolate, plain, strawberry and melon!

Well now, I'm wondering why I never bothered to ask or buy the stuff before. The milk was simply delicious, rich and smooth, and arguably more tasty than the usual carton-milk we find at groceries. It was easy to understand my officemates' fondness for the drink, it being a healthier alternative to soda and all, and it has  already become the latest food fad at the office.

At Php35 for the small bottle, and Php65 for a 500ml one, it was also quiet a deal, especially since this was honest-to-goodness goat's milk, fresh from the farm and pasteurized and bottled by the family business. 

On a health issue side-note, goat's milk is also considered to be closer in composition to human milk, making it a more compatible source of nutrients for us growing kids. It also contains more potent amounts of protein, calcium, and a lot LESS fat than cow's milk. 

What I like about it the most though, was that drinking  the milk felt less like a chore, and was something I really enjoyed. I like mine cold from the freezer, shaken and enjoyed with some cinnamon toast for breakfast and oatmeal cookies in the afternoon for that daily shot of calcium. They come in 4 'flavors - plain, chocolate, melon and strawberry. The chocolate milk was thick and creamy, and very tasty without being too sweet. The strawberry milk tasted a lot like melted ice cream; very lightly flavored, so it didn't have that in-your-face, synthetic strawberry taste. I haven't tried the Melon and Plain Milk yet, though based on their aroma I'm sure they taste just as good.

Best Thing I Ever Ate: Casa Xocolat's Aztec Xocolat

This is such a no-brainer, after my endless fawning over this particular drink from a chocolate cafe on one of my earlier posts. After such a long day, that's not likely to end anytime soon, one could do with a favorite comfort drink. Mine would usually be hot chocolate, and finest being a cup of Aztec Xocolat from the one and only Casa Xocolat. 

hello, old friend

Simmered in milk until it's thick and velvety, this concoction goes an extra mile by being 'hot' in more ways than one, as an infusion of spices gives it an exotic kick you wont find in store-brought mixes. Don't be alarmed by the presence of 'spices' in this hot chocolate - their flavors are very mild and wont over-power the base, chocolate flavor.

You can buy a tin can of the powdered Aztec Xocolat to whip up your own version at home, though I personally prefer going to the cafe to have a cup, mostly because I don't believe I can duplicate the exact spiced chocolate experience. It'll take a little effort and time to go to Casa Xocolat just for this, but absolutely worth it.