Early Valentine's Date

I spent the first day of February by going on an early Valentine's date with the two special men in my life -- my husband and my son. We had dinner at the newly re-opened Spiral restaurant at Sofitel Philippine Plaza. Some of you may remember that back in September 2011, Spiral was devastated by a storm surge that flooded many establishments in the area. Spiral was submerged in waist-deep flood waters. Sofitel was forced to temporary close their flagship restaurant because of the damages brought by typhoon Pedring. The renovation of Spiral took more than a year to finish. It finally opened its doors again last Nov. 8, 2013.

It was our second time at Spiral. We enjoyed our first lavish buffet experience. The three of us had no doubts that our second experience would be equally great.

We went down the familiar grand spiral staircase leading to the elegant restaurant below. Lovely ladies welcomed us to the newly refurbished Spiral. We were seated just across the back of the grand staircase with a view of gentle, flowing water. It was perfect!

The food was as great as we remembered. We were glad to see our old favorites and there were a lot of new dishes added to the sumptuous buffet. For my family, it's the best buffet in the country. The abundance of food is simply overwhelming. The new Spiral is actually divided into 21 dining ateliers.  I don't think it's possible to try everything in one night.

Some of my husband's personal favorites include crabs, shrimps, crayfish, steak, bulgogi, beef short ribs, lamb chops, and the Asian pulled noodles. I love the Peking Duck, Chinese dimsum, Korean noodles, and skewered seafood. My son, Yohan love their salad, pasta, and freshly baked pizza.

I was surprised how my little man turned out to be quite a cheese connoisseur because he enjoyed trying out the different types of cheese at the Cheese room.   The three of us share a liking for Japanese, Chinese, and Italian food.  We also loved their freshly baked bread that we dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Yohan preferred butter and pesto on his bread.

After that sumptuous feast, we barely had room for dessert but I knew I would regret it if I missed their delicious creme brulee. Sadly, they don't serve those melt-in-your-mouth chocolate chip cookies like before. I think Spiral should really consider bringing those heavenly cookies back. Yohan enjoyed the candy bar and the chocolate fountain. The three of us tried the Creamery which serves different types of ice-cream and toppings. Sadly I was too full to try their chocolates, truffles and pralines.

I had a fantastic time with my family and I'm so happy because on that same evening, I met a dear old blog friend in person. It was a pleasure seeing Kathy of Life is KulaYFul! She is sweet and charming in person as she is on her blog.

 

How to Solve a Pesky Critter Problem

If you suddenly find your stack of biscuits, chocolate, or chips in your pantry with little bite marks, chances are you have a mice problem at home. Watch out for gnaw marks on cabinets and closets. Another telltale sign is the presence of mouse droppings that look like small black beads. Mice also make squeaking sound especially during nighttime when they are most active.

The common house mice are little furry creatures that scramble around your home and invade your food space. They have a knack for finding a way into your cupboard or cabinet where you keep your food. They can nibble on just about anything they find interesting. Mice can chew on boxes of cereals, pasta, and cookies. These pesky critters can eat your chocolates, candies, pastries, biscuits, and crackers. They can even find your supply of sugar, milk, coffee, and flour worth tasting.

Sometimes, they don’t stop with food, they can cause havoc by ruining clothes, bags, and even furniture. Mice are not just a nuisance. They can cause a lot of damage if you don’t do something. If you ignore the problem, these critters can multiply and lead to bigger problems.

There are Animal Traps for Sale that you can use to humanely catch house mice. The box trap has slide release doors. Catch those unwanted house guests without hurting them. You can find a safe place with considerable distance from your house where you can release the pesky critters. Traps can be used both indoors and outdoors. It's special mechanism is triggered by slightest activity that traps unwary house pests.