Must try because it is almost sinfully indulgent, truly delicious: Sans rival made by Gay. I said I would only have a bite but I ended up eating two chubby slices in one sitting, slowly enjoying the taste of sweetened butter melting in my mouth, grinning like a happy monkey. I even wanted a third but I stopped myself. This is delicious. I like that it is crispy, and for all its richness it tastes deceptively light (thus the second serving!). Richard says he liked it better the second day when it wasn’t as crispy as when it arrived at our doorstep newly made, but I say I like it the first day, the second day, any day, every day… Instead of the usual sparse smattering of finely chopped macadamias, this one boasts chunky macadamia orbs big enough for the eyes to see and the mouth to really feel. A very welcome treat indeed.
For orders call Gay Vazquez at 631-0125 and 0917-301061. Price: P900 for a 7” x 11” order. Comes in a kasuy version priced at only P650.
Must have to keep any housewife inspired: Martha Stewart Living and Elle Décor magazine. New issues as they are delivered at home never fail to brighten my day. I love going through them because of the endless stream of ideas that you can apply to make your home beautifully your own.
Must have to enjoy tea even more: Bodum Teapots. They are just so, so sleek and handsome. Available at Rustan’s.
Must use for a squeaky-clean home that smells good as well: Pinesol. I am addicted to the Lavander scent. I keep spray bottles filled with them in every corner of the house, especially because we have a little dog living with us. I also chanced upon a spray called Clorox Anywhere that I love carrying in my bag. It can disinfect most anything — you can spray it on any hard non-porous surface and it will kill 99.9 percent of all germs.
Must try to satisfy your appetite and the carnivore in you: Mickey’s Delicatessen (located at 144 corner Jupiter St., Bel Air 2 Village, Makati City, call 896-9650), famous for their delicious Nurnberger Pork Sausages that you absolutely must eat with sauerkraut and warm Bavarian potato salad.
For perfect burgers, try Malcolm’s (108 HV dela Costa St. corner Tordesillas, call 844-0000) for their Wagyu burger, try also their wasabi steak. It is delicious and perfectly cooked all the time. The Napa Time and Abs Salads are other favorites of mine.
You leave these stops happy and satisfied, and wanting to go back over and over and over again.
Must keep in the car to make being stuck in traffic a restful, even pleasant time: Tempur Travel Pillow. Nothing beats this in my book, it is just so comfortable (I also use a Tempur pillow in our bedroom and I love it). Remember to also keep a blanket in the car because the aircon can get really cold, especially with the rains pouring heavily now. Tempur is available at Focus Global and also in Rustan’s and S&R Makati.
Must order (many!) so that the joy of handwritten notes can be rediscovered: Papillo Fine Stationers. Very pretty stationery in wonderful designs that you may order personalized with your name. They have gift cards, response cards, notepads, invitations, luggage tags, satin and printed ribbons. Delivery is fast, too, and they always come nicely packaged. It will make a nice gift, for yourself and for others. Call Emmylou or Daisy to view samples (0929)3652328 and 893-8609.
Must have in your craft arsenal: Bostik Sew No More. It is a dream product for every person who loves working with hands and heart. A powerful adhesive, it can be used on clothing and fabric, for repairs and alterations. It comes in handy when crafting and the results are generally permanent as it resists hot wash and ironing. With it we have made placemats, little doll’s clothes, bags, even play curtains!
X-Acto Paper Cutter/Compact Rotary Trimmer. I can trim any piece of paper expertly with this. Lines always come out sharp and straight and I have been making all sorts of projects using this, like recycling pretty card stock from brochures into unique gift tags and bookmarks. I bought mine at S&R but it should be available in bookstores.
Canon Selphy ES20 Compact Photo Printer. Whether you are into scrapbooking or not, as long as you love taking and keeping photos you must have one of these. It is so much fun to use! Photos always tell a story and when presented in a special way (and there are many ideas you get when you use the Canon Selphy), they always make nice gifts.
Must store in your contacts/directory because you never know when you need exquisite baptismal clothes: Pipa Alta Calidad. French Voile, French lace, top-quality cotton and fine lace — these are shirred, pintucked, draped into adorable little baptismal clothes that make you sigh in wonder and awe. The good news is they now also make bridal clothes. When I saw the lovely fabrics and materials and the workmanship I wanted to get married again and have more and more babies to dress up, all in clothes by Pipa. Call Patricia at (0927)8732887 or contact her via pipababy@gmail.com
Must buy for your kitchen: Miele Steam Oven. Healthy meals have never tasted this good! I don’t know what magic it has but everything you cook in it turns out fabulous, in less time too. I heard about it from my Tita Inday first but I tried it at a friend’s house and the food — fish and vegetables — tasted terrific, succulent and flavorful. The Miele Steam Oven uses steam as its sole source of heat. It seals in the flavor, texture, vitamins and minerals for a complete meal in under 20 minutes. You can even steam two different dishes at the same time and there will be no transfer of flavors. Available at Focus Global (call 634-8587). I already told my husband (and he agreed) that this should be our next purchase for our always-busy kitchen.
Must watch out for: If what a little birdie told me is true we will finally have access to an iPhone that does not have to be brought to Greenhills every now and then for such troubles as unlocking the system to make it compatible to our local SIM cards — and after that, still having to contend with the system either crashing or hanging. This will be courtesy of Globe, they say. I hope it’s true. That definitely is exciting news.
Must buy for an organized closet: Uniform wooden hangers. I have a very inexpensive source. Call Pearlyn at (0917)8188188. Her hangers will inspire you to always keep your closet neat. Trust me on this.
Must have hair accessory for long hair: The Pelican from Evita Peroni. It stylishly holds hair in place in more ways than one. They have lovely, lovely hair accessories and doodads that you will never get enough of. Evita Peroni is available in Rockwell and inside Rustan’s, too.
Must love again because it is back, just like a love lost and rediscovered: The McDonald’s Super Thick Milkshake, in chocolate, vanilla and strawberry. Need I say more?