THE ORANGE KIST!

What does an Orange Kist mean to you?

Orange Kist isn't a beverage or a pie! 

It is a sugar coated jelly candy (like a gummy bear) with the form of an orange segment or orange carpel!

Actually, the original Orange Kist was packed in about three carpels/segments per pack. If I remember it right, it cost about five or ten centavos in the late 60s and early 70s (that long ago!!!)!

Since my Dad said it taste good, I used to buy a small pack to give to my Dad every time he fetched me from school and I was still Prep or Grade 1 then!

So the Orange Kist jelly was my daily gift to my beloved Dad. In retrospect, I am wondering, "Did he really love the Orange Kist?" ... or ...  "Was he just happy that I gave him a gift everyday?"

I never really asked him. All I know is I love my Dad (Daddy's girl!.. since I am an only girl with 5 brothers!) and I was just so very happy to please him everyday!!!

The last time I saw the Orange Kist jelly at the Barter Trade, I bought a pack and remembered that this candy is still as yummy as before! 

TASTE OF THE U.S: GHIRARDELLI CHOCOLATES

I just like to share the chocolates given by my friend, Dr. Nenette G. 

This time, I received Ghirardelli chocolates!

Here are things I gathered about Ghirardelli from Wikipedia with this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghirardelli_Chocolate_Company

The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company is a United States division of Swiss confectioner Lindt & Sprüngli. The company was founded by and is named after Italian chocolatier Domenico Ghirardelli, who, after working in South America, moved to California. The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company was incorporated in 1852, and is the second-oldest chocolate company in the United States, after Baker's Chocolate.

I also have a link about Lindt & Sprungli: http://inpinaystummy.blogspot.com/2012/07/taste-of-switzerland-lindt-and-sprungli.html

Here are shots of these dark chocolate with orange filling!

And I also tasted the one with mint filling!

I am quite lucky to be given these sweet chocolates. Hope you are, too!

THE VIKINGS AND BUFFET 101 (MOA) QUEUE

I remember the long queue when we were looking for a restaurant in HongKong with this link:  http://inpinaysfootsteps.blogspot.com/2012/01/taste-of-hongkong-din-tai-fung.html  and the line was too long so we gave up. It seems a culture in HongKong to really wait even for more than an hour just to eat in the restaurant of their choice.

Last night, some friends invited me and the places Vikings and Buffet 101 were mentioned. My friends actually preferred Buffet 101 for the more varied choices and more fruits, they said. 

I have been to Buffet 101 several times. But, I read it in the blog somewhere that folks were raving about the Vikings restaurant so I guess I was curious and decided on Vikings.

So here we are in Vikings:

Lo, and behold! The "super-est" queue ever especially in the Philippines!

 

Well, we found out they were serving No. 5 in a line of 45! Wow! I guess it was practical to find another place. I just had to peek in the place, though!

of course, the VIKING longship!

So, I have to waive the chance to experience Viking's. So, here is our pose for posterity.

We moved to Buffet 101 but I was really wondering why there is no queue at all! I know the place is good! Here is a link to my previous visit to Buffet 101: http://inpinaystummy.blogspot.com/2012/02/taste-of-manila-buffet-101.html

Here is the price comparison:

My experiences with Buffet 101 have all been very good so this place was fine with me. 

They said the ambience was so five-star except for the sounds around with everyone just enjoying the company of their family and friends.

I enjoyed our Buffet 101 dinner and in fact, there were too many excellent choices for our own good!

And, for me, the people we are with, is always more important and the place and the food are the "toppings on the cake" to make the experience better.

JOIN BC BLOGGERS

It is October 1, 2012. 

I am now entering a new phase as a blogger… my joining the BC Bloggers as in “busy” bloggers and Blog exChange as founded by Paula of http://www.mommydiary.net!

I heard about this from my friend, Charm, who also encouraged me to start blogging actually!

She told me it increased her network, thus, her stats and most of all, she found bloggers with like-minds and who she developed friendships with!

I just had to find out about this… and indeed, I found BC Bloggers!

I am not exactly a real foodie but now, I couldn't resist taking pictures of food, drinks, restaurants and the like and just want to share my experience through the photos I got. 

Want to have more links? Let’s all join BC Bloggers!!!

COCA COLA: IN DIFFERENT SIZE, SHAPE AND ORIGIN

Coca Cola has always had the trademark soft drink bottle, wherein others use the term "Coca-Cola body" to mean a sexy lady!

We are so used to the usual 8 oz. and 12 oz. bottles and later the "Litro" (I L bottle) , then the 1.5 L and even the 1.25 L ones!

In the recent years, the Coke in Can has also made its mark.

So whenever, we see an unusual size, shape or label, it easily catches my attention, and of course, my lens!

In Davao, the smaller version of Coke, the Coke Sakto (200 ml!) and the small Royal Tru-orange bottle.

compared to the 12-oz. Mountain Dew

237 ml Royal Tru-orange and 200 ml Coke Sakto

237 ml Royal and Coke Sakto 

We used to have the Coke Sakto in Zamboanga and eventually no longer distributed in ZC, thus, looks unusual for me again! 

They said, maybe, the Zamboangueños are Coke drinkers and the Coke Sakto is not "sakto" since too small to satisfy! (hahaha, just a thought!)

Other Cokes in Can and Bottles!

Coke bottles in Thailand.

Coke in can in Thailand.

Coke bottle in Paris.

Coke bottle in Rome.

the Coke bottle is just in the background.

Coke in can in Rome.

in support of Italia and the soccer cup!

Coke bottle in Korea.

I didn't realize I had all these pictures of Cokes of varying sizes and shapes and from which countries.

What may seem unusual to us is actually, quite normal to others!!!

TASTE OF MINDANAO: RAMBUTAN

I visited Sr. Dilla and Sr. Gloria on the day of Mama Mary's feast day and they offered to me the red rambutan!

I was "shy" at first, but since I remembered I just blogged about the durian, I thought it was also timely to introduce the Rambutan.

So, I couldn't help but take the picture of the vibrant rambutan. I guess it is the color of this fruit that makes me feel this fruit is "vibrant".

I took a few fruits just so I also have pictures of the opened Rambutan.

Unlike the durian, the rambutan spikes are soft and not prickly, so it is easy to open with the fingers.

It isn't so messy although slightly sticky and a bit juicy.

I like this fruit, which is a relative of the longan and the lychees.

I feel it is cool to the palate and just a bit sweet, so it feels refreshing to eat this fruit.

This is what I googled about RAMBUTAN! from Wikipedia.

The rambutan ( /ræmˈbuːtən/; taxonomic name: Nephelium lappaceum) is a medium-sized tropical tree in the familySapindaceae. The fruit produced by the tree is also known as "rambutan." The name rambutan is derived from the Malay wordrambutan, meaning "hairy": rambut the Malay word for "hair", a reference to the numerous hairy protuberances of the fruit, together with the noun-building suffix -an.  Rambutan trees also found growing naturally in Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and elsewhere in Southeast Asia, although its precise natural distribution is unknown.^[3] It is closely related to several other edible tropical fruits including the lychee, longan, and mamoncillo.

From: http://www.cookingmail.com/rambutan/

Health Benefits of Rambutan

Rambutan fruit contains carbohydrate, protein, fat, phosphorus, iron, calcium and vitamin C. Skin tanin and fruits contain saponin. The seeds contain fat and polifenol. The leaves contain tannin and saponin. Skin stem contains tannin, saponin, flavonida, pectic substances, and iron.

There are usually a light brown seeds are high in some Fats and oils (mainly oleic acid and eicosanoic acid) valuable to industry, and is used in cooking and the manufacture of soap. Rambutans roots, bark, and leaves have various uses in the production of dyes and drugs.

I am actually wondering if this fruit is really common to other areas in the Philippines or in other parts of the world. 

Does this fruit have any other name in the English language?

I know it is seen in Zamboanga City (not necessarily very common) but I don't think it is as commonly available in Cebu.

Anyway, I hope that at one time in your life, you can also try the RAMBUTAN.