How sweet it is

Nope, this isn't a James Taylor post.

It's about Toni's latest creation.

I'm amazed at the creativity and work ethic of my niece. Since she introduced her Sweet Tones brand, she's been working non-stop, taking orders, making cakes and chocolates, all while continuing her content creation.

Her latest product - her chewy cookies - are a hit. Heard that it sells out quite fast, so I'm lucky to have gotten a few pieces for the house and to give to a student.

After trying it, I'm not surprised why it's popular. It's really, really good!

Here's to more sweet, successful products like this!

Sweet Memories

Seeing this photo on-line just gave me so much feels.

These are the sweets that I grew up with. 

We'd either buy them at Unimart, at the Camp Crame commissary, and some of them were available at our neighbourhood sari-sari stores owned by Mommy Gallegos and Aling Ensa & Aling Leony.

Luckily, a lot of these are still available now. My super faves aren't available anymore, though. That's Bensons eclairs, Big Boy bubble gum, Bazzoka Joe with the free comic, and Eisbon Cola.

Hopefully, some company will bring them back.

Sweet Cebu

The last time I was in Cebu, I heard of Abaca Baking Company.

Talk is that they've got awesome cakes and pastries. But I was never able to try any of them.

Since I'm back in Cebu this weekend, I made sure not to make the same mistake.

My eyes immediately went to the Whoopie Pie and the Daily Cupcake. Which I bought of course.

The talk is real. Very real.

Sweet read

A good book is an essential item on my bedside table. It's what I do to wind down and fall asleep.

And here's the book I'm reading now.

I wouldn't be surprised if I have sweet dreams.

Taking the cake

Knowing that my students are learning and progressing is enough reward for teaching.

So a treat such as this gift from my Copywriting class just makes it a bit sweeter. Literally.

As we were wrapping up yesterday's lesson, they came up to me and gave me this cake in a bottle. It was Oreo Cheesecake, which is one of my favorites! And it came with this uber sweet note.

I really have the best - and sweetest - students.

Feeling like a Tart

A few weeks ago, I discovered the joy of Goldilocks Caramel Tarts when Mark was buying bread to bring to Tokyo. Since then, I've been constantly on the lookout for those wonderful little calorie-laden creations.

Yesterday, I dropped by Goldilocks in Farmer's Plaza on my way home, with the intention of buying a pack of tarts. And this conversation happened:

ME: "Miss, may Caramel tarts po ba kayo?"
MISS: "Meron sir."
ME: "Pa-order ng 2 packs."
MISS: "Ubos na ho lahat, eh."

Gosh! The funny thing is this exact same conversation happened to me previously in Goldilocks Pasong Tamo.

Maybe they're trained to do that to tart-loving folks like me.

Intoxicating

Aside from the staple Green Tea Kitkat and Meiji dark and white chocolates, another variant that I bought at Ueno was this interesting chocolate variant.

Honestly, what attracted me to this product was the color of the packaging. I had no idea how it tasted like, but the box looked appetizing. Thus, I ended up buying one whole box.

And boy, it's a good thing I did. This chocolate tastes great! The rum flavor is very pronounced, and adds body to the dark chocolate base. There's this hint of berry flavor, which I attribute to the wine. It was my niece who told me that it tasted great, and after trying it out, I couldn't help but agree with her.

I'm glad that I bought this interestingly new Dark Rum chocolate from Meiji.

It really is intoxicating.

Sampalook!

Way back then when we were kids and living in Tomas Morato, our house had a big sampaloc tree in the living room. We were told that it was more than a hundred years old and haunted. Our grandparents' Majordoma would often tell us tales of seeing spirits and severed heads in that area.

Because we had that sampaloc tree, we had a favorite prank that we'd play on our neighbors. Whenever we'd be playing outside the house or in the garage, this conversation would ensue:

ME: Gusto mo ng sampaloc?

PLAYMATE: Sige!

ME: (slaps playmate on the cheek then points behind him)

PLAYMATE: Ano 'yon?

ME: Sampal. Look!

*insert canned laughter here*

Ah yes, the good old days when life was simple and slapstick was even simpler. Harhar.

And this sampaloc flashback was brought to you by the sampaloc candy that I'm currently addicted to.

This is similar to the Bangkok tamarind candies that you can buy at MBK. The ones that cost B100 for a pack of three. This is also imported from Thailand but it isn't as spicy as the ones in the souvenir shops. I think I've almost finished the stocks of this product at Daily Supermarket. What can I say? It's so addicting! 

I think I'm consuming half a pack of these a day! Someone stop me!

Slap me if need be.

Subic Sweets

One thing I like about shopping in Duty Free outlets is the abundance of imported candy brands that I don't normally see in Manila supermarkets. And a lot of these candy brands have a special significance to me because they're candy brands that remind me of my childhood.

These are candies that my grandparents or aunts would bring home from the U.S. whenever we'd visit. Or chocolates that they'd send over through family and friends.

It's been a while since I've seen (and tasted) these sweets, so I'm glad that I was able to come across them in Subic last weekend.

First, we have Tootsie Dots. I'm actually more used to the classic flavors, but I came across this Pink Grapefruit variant, and it's super delicious. I almost finished it in one sitting. (I knew I should've bought more!)



Next, we have Zachary's Chocolates. Compared to the Hershey's and Nestles of this world, Zachary can be considered a Mom and Pop operation. And that's why I like it so much. It tastes so authentic and you know the care that came into making each of these chocolates.



Finally, we have Milk Duds. Heck, who doesn't know Milk Duds? Enough said.



Now, I've got a stash of these sweets in the kitchen and I'm trying to ration them. But hey, I can rest in the fact that I can always go back to Subic in case I run out and get the craving for these candies again.

Sweet and Sugoi

When I got home yesterday, I was told that I received a package. And once they showed it to me, I knew where it came from. I knew primarily because of the familiar EMS envelope - an envelope that I received a couple of times when I was still living in HKG.

Yes, it was an EMS package from Tokyo. Courtesy of Mark, of course.



Once I opened the package, I immediately thought: Sugoi! Because the package contained sweets that I've grown to love during my trips to Japan last 2006 to 2008. Seeing these yummy treats brought me back to the time when I'd fly to Japan and visit Mark in IUJail. These goodies were what we'd frequently buy at Jusco during the weekend.



First, I got 2 packs of Caramel Corn. And may I just say that Caramel Corn is The. Best. Snack. Ever. It's got that rich caramel flavor that just envelops every piece of curl. Once you bite into it, the flavor just explodes! Gosh, I'm just keeping myself from tearing open these packs! (Breathe... Breathe...) Aside from the classic Caramel flavor, he sent me the Cheesecake flavor as well.

And may I just say, the packaging of Caramel Corn is just adorable!



Next up, Kitkat! Or as they say in Japan, Kito-kato. Now, these Kitkats are tres unique. It's a variant that can only be found in Japan.



You'd think it's green tea Kitkat, right? Well, think again.



It's Wasabi Kitkat. Awesomeness! I can't wait to try these chocolates. Mark warned me that it's a bit spicy.

And finally, a sweet smelling lotion. Cherry and Vanilla are two scents I love, so having them in one lotion is just perfect.



Sweet treats. Sweet tooth. Sweet scent. Valentine's Day may have passed, but the sweetness just keeps on coming.