tsaa - ahhhhh :)

Finally, another High Tea review.

Went to Tsaa Tea Shop and I must say I do like it! I always should remember that when I go to high tea I should have a light light lunch or light brunch that day. Coming from my nephews Bday party I was already kinda full.

Definately a lot of food. Even enough for 3 people instead of 2. I had to take some leftovers home. It was a 3 tiered arrangement and you need to call 24 hours in advance so they can prepare everything in advance. Strangely, they ask for a credit card number to hold the spot incase you just dont show up ... as a customer I thought it strange because no other high tea place has ever asked that, but I can definately understand as the owners it must be frustrating for them to prepare things and have the customers not even show up.
The staff are very very friendly, and it looks like it is run by a family. Modern yet cozy decor, free wifi and they dont kick you out if you want to sit and chat for a long while. Good seating places, typical tables, window seating and fireplace seating as well. Small so no loud convos unless you want everyone else to hear.

The selection of teas is amazing! Loose leaf teas with many flavors that you are welcome to take a wiff of to help in your selection. If anyone likes places like Davids teas or those stands for Teaopia this is the place to go....except they provide High tea and various other yummy snacks ... heck even a breakfast and lunch menu! Even those fancy pancy high tea places like King Edward or Windsor arms serve prebagged tea. You know, those ones you can get in a box in your local Grocery store. Well I guess, the Fairmount hotels prebag their own specialty teas... thats alright. This is important to me just as much as the snacks are for high tea. I love that they have a great focus on good teas.

The bottom tier is filled with your typical "english" sandwiches. They are good - though if you have a peanut allergy you MUST let them know, because there were a couple items that did have nuts and peanuts in it. I guess the "english" sandwiches will satisfy the typical English High tea goers and they were tasty - especially the salmon one.... but overall, I find the english sandwiches a bit boring, but they suffice and are filling. Salty tarts or even more savory hors d'oeuvres on crackers is what I usually prefer to english sandwiches.
2nd tier was filled with 2 large scones each of sweet and savory. I must say the scones were nice and warm and moist inside. Pretty good. (still not as good as my friend JPs but still great)
My friend and I were each given a tiny dish of butter and jam. I felt that we didnt need one of these each, it would have sufficed to just have a pair of these for the both of us. Maybe even a 3rd tiny dish of cream would have been nice - which Ive seen in some high tea places (but who am I to talk, I shouldnt be telling them what to serve ;) ).
Last tier was the sweets level. And my they were sweet. We had a very rich chocolate mouse with even gold flecks on top! Yum. There were also the typical macaroons - my these ones were so packed with flavor! Not too dry on the outside and wonderfully nice and gooey goodness inside! I wonder even if they make them themselves instead of ordering it in. One disappointment would be the Matcha squares. Very cute to look at and colourful but it would have been nice if the bottom "crust" of coconut was a bit more crunchy or firm than the top soft mushy matcha topping. Maybe Im just not used to it. But I didnt like the texture of it. Usually when I think of "squares" I think of a soft flavor on top of a firm crust to hold it all together.
And the highlight of it all was the mango mouse/ cake dessert! OH MY! So refreshing and so fruity and flavorful mango! Im pretty picky when it comes to flavorful versus just sugary. And this was definately ALL flavor!

So my over all rating would be a 4.5/ 5.  Worth a re-visit and also a great place to replace the typical coffee date places.

Summer Peach tea (black tea) and Chocolate Hazelnut Roobios tea

note: They dont seem to advertize their 21$/pp high tea, but I think they really should!

I can't help it....

....If YOU feel this way about ME.   What can I say... Im simply just unforgettable like that  !



bwahahaha!!!! If I think it....
Anyhow, nice song, cheesy vid.

Rain, rain, DONT go away!

What can make a gal happy on grey, cold rainy days???
Dem boots, dats what! Uh huh!

Finally, Chicken Adobo that tastes like Chicken Adobo

After a few attempts in the previous years I finally got it to taste .... ok.
There were salty-soysauce-drenched-dry-chicken and super-acidic-vinegary dishes.
I have to admit some of the past failures are when I tried to tell my mother to put the recipe in writing. You see... she doesnt do that - its all in her head and she never measures anything. She tells me that I have to just be there and watch her cook. (ie make ME estimate roughly how much of each ingredient as she throws it in the pot).  One previous failure was due even to a book - a filipino cook book. Sheesh. Oh those attempts have almost scarred me, with me wanting to throw away all the food and denounce my culture. This time, I swore I was gonna break down in tears if it didnt work.

So in my attempt tonight I roughly used the recipe from here.

So voila! A pic right from the pot.
Bay leaves baby, Bay leaves!

GET it OUT!!!! UGH!!!!

No nutcracker at work and dont want to risk breaking my teeth on this.
So little, yet so frustrating.
Get it out! I want it!

Ho hum....

I realized that when Im at work, I tend to want to constantly be eating food. Munching away at a bag of cookies or chocolate or whatever that a patient has given me. I can finish a whole box of cookies in one sitting !
Yea, gross huh.
So today I brought a bag of mini carrots and Pistachio nuts. It was all going well and the bags are almost finished...until I happened to look down at one of my split pistachio nuts. It broke in half and I just finished eating the first half - I happened to look down at the other half and saw some weird larve shell of some kinda bug that was trapped or growing in the nut!!!
Sooooo want to gag. If you ever look at those pistachio nuts they look nasty. Half dried and flakey crusties after you remove the hard shell. And its greenish and brownish. And the only ones you can eat are the ones that are half open. You know - for bugs to crawl into.

My fav are cashews. Though Im eating these just cause I heard they are good for you. The taste is growing on me, they are yum (minus the bugs).

But what Im really craving is this kinda Pistachio!

Gelato! I think Im addicted to this.....

Tee Hee

Oh how Im giddy!
Look what I got today.
I. Love. Getting. Flowers.
Love it!
Did I tell you how much I love getting flowers?!
From anyone, really.
I think its because I have rarely gotten flowers from any admirors when I was younger.... so now, anyone and everyone can gimme them and I love it. My mom, my friends, my patients.
I think I have only gotten one rose for valentines day from an admiror once. Ever. In my whole life time. And I aint a spring chicken.

My favorite are "champagne" roses. They are white - but kinda peachy white.
I was asked that recently, actually about a year ago, by someone, but nothing ever came of it haha. Its like - then dont ask me what my favorite flower is sheesh!

Anyways these flowers are bbbbeeeeauuuutiifffuuuuulllll! :)
White with red edges! How do they make that? Who cares! They are pretty. And today, they are mine! And Im happy :-D

I'd love to say they are from one of my mmmmaaaaannny admirors. But they arent. And there arent many haha. None that I know of actually. But Im sure there are tonnes out there, they just havent met me yet ;)

Anyhow, hopefully without sounding anti-climactic, they are from a long time patient of mine. "for you, just cause I like you." Crazy huh?! For no reason at all what so ever.
Who does that?! She is awesome.
These make me happy.
Im easy like that :P

Thank You!

Raspberry swirl cheesecake cupcake, with Splenda (for the diabetics the family) - From my sister in laws mom

Molten Lava Cake with Peanut free Vanilla ice cream - From my sister in law

Red Velvet (chocolate) cheesecake - From my sister in law

(Picture missing... maybe because I was so full I didnt have any more energy to simply take a pic)
Pumpkin pie - From my friend JP

There you have it. Our Thanksgiving desserts!
Feeling a little guilty - its more like gluttony than thanks - but I am thankful for sure!
Feeling a little guilty too because I didnt really make much for Thanksgiving dinner this time - just the salad and cooked the potatoes (yawn).

This year is a weird year. There have been many things that have been going on in my friends lives and people that I know. I entered this year with a strange feeling of being worried for others. Weird huh.

Anyways I would like to take this opportunity to be thankful for many of the things in my life. Especially family and friends and their health and hopefully their happiness. Sometimes I wish certain things in life can stay exactly how they are in this moment. I realize I worry so much about alot more things... gotta work on that. But for now, just thankfulness and knowing despite all my worry, things are not all as bad as they seem.

I beg your pardon?

Oh Kon Kan, why did I never listen to your lyrics until tonight?
Amen!
Guess Im going through music therapy or something.
Ah to mark this day - new day when I start ova yet again. Bring it!

Side note : I have no idea how "Woody" from Toy Story got to sing with them in the 80s.....

Oh to Shake shake shake away this Mulligan..

I like this song. The official video, not so much. So Im posting this corny wordy one....

...According to many sources, and my origional source, Dr. Oz..... this is apparently good for PMS. Taken from day 14 to 28. Just saying....

Anyhoots.....I was thinking about some song I posted on my fb once that made me feel good....you know, something that doesnt make me afraid of the H word.... Hope.
Gotta remember it is a Beautiful world.



And love can be really nice. I been there once, quite a few years ago...





Some people enter your life and make you want to be a better person... and for that I will always be thankful.

And now that this post has officially OD-ed on youtube vids, I leave it at this rare thought:
Well, maybe it will happen again...