#TimBiebs delivered from Tim Hortons

Happy Friday! For breakfast today, I had Tim Hortons delivered. It's a special day because today is when I become a Canadian Citizen.

Before my online oathtaking, we enjoyed breakfast and finally got to try the famous TimBiebs. It's a Timbits flavour collaboration between Tims and Justin Beiber.

10 pack of timbiebs

1. Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Timbieb
2. Birthday Cake Waffle Timbieb
3. Chocolate White Fudge Timbieb

Let's get right into it. I enjoyed the Sour Cream Chocolate Chip and Chocolate White Fudge, but I absolutely hate the Birthday Cake Waffle. I want to burn it. I find it too sweet, like it'll rot my teeth just by eating it.

Anyway, if they will keep one flavour permanently, I think the Chocolate White Fudge will be a good candidate.

But my brother is right; they are better than what I thought it'll be, plus it's not bone dry like some of their donuts in the past.

Filipino Spaghetti from Shameless Buns | Magkasama Christmas Market 2021

There are three things you should know about Filipino households.

1. All Filipino households have a rice cooker. When my younger sister moved out, my housewarming gift was a rice cooker and rice. 🤣
2. All Filipino households have their own variation of the adobo. The only thing consistent with an adobo recipe is it has chicken and/or pork, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic, and whatever version you have at home is the best. Well, at least, that's how my siblings and I think with our dad's adobo. 💓
3. The same can be said about Filipino-style spaghetti. It's sweet and savoury with cut-up hotdogs, and any Italian will get upset with our culture's rendition of the spaghetti. Every household has its own version of their mom's (or grandma's) spaghetti, and we think our mom's spaghetti is the best. 🍝

All this introduction just to introduce the Filipino Spaghetti from Shameless Buns. Of course, I'll be biased and think that my mom's spaghetti is still the best. However, enjoying the Filipino Spaghetti from Shameless Buns is like that scene in Ratatouille when Anton Ego (food critic) was transported back to his childhood.

Filipino Spaghetti from Shameless Buns

I felt that way. It's like eating the spaghetti served by our neighbour during a children's party (the child in my memory is that kid I played with all the time outside our home before I became a tween). It was delicious and nostalgic. While devouring the pasta (with perfect noodle-sauce ratio), I could hear the laughter and visualize the balloons and party hats in my head. Then, of course, there's also pabitin and my mom's panic voice that I should wipe my face covered in spaghetti sauce. 

Reheated the Shameless Spaghetti on the pan. This is half of the container.

I hope all food can make you feel like this. The only thing missing is a piece of Tasty (it's what we called a sliced loaf bread when I was a child because it's a famous brand we were familiar with where we lived).

I will absolutely rebuy this, and if Shameless Buns can make a combo with toasted pandesal (and butter) on the side, that'll be genuinely nostalgic. The thought is making me smile ear-to-ear already.

All-Cheese Ensaimada Box and Sweet & Savory Sampler Ensaimada Box from Ensaimada Moment | Magkasama Christmas Market 2021

I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of ensaimada, in general. I remember growing up; I just find it too sweet. So if I am in front of a bakery with lots of Filipino bread options, there are two bread I won't order (sorry, bread!) ensaimada and pan de coco.

With this premise, you might be thinking about why I ordered 8 ensaimada during Magkasama Christmas Market this year. Well, the description said there are savoury ensaimada and cheese ensaimada - who says no to cheese?

I am hoping Ensaimada Moment can change my general aversion to ensaimada.

Let's get started. We had all 8 ensaimada for breakfast today. 

All-Cheese Ensaimada Box from Ensaimada Moment

I reheated the All-Cheese Ensaimada Box for 30 seconds in the microwave, which melted some cheese on top.

All-Cheese Ensaimada from Ensaimada Moments

Because all the ensaimada looks the same, I couldn't identify which flavour is which (update: I found a flavor guide in Instagram, so I'll do my best to properly caption each ensaimada), but this is the first one I tried, and it's what I think is the Classic Ensaimada. It's the sweet one that made me dislike ensaimada, to begin with, but it's as good as it can go.

I am sure ensaimada lovers will absolutely go crazy with how delicious the ensaimada was.

The one above is the second one I tried. It's not as sweet as the first, but I am unsure of its flavours since the sweetness was still overpowering my tongue.

This is my favourite from the All-Cheese Ensaimada Box. There's still sweetness, but whatever cheese was used above counterbalances the sweetness with a bit of saltness. I surprisingly enjoyed it.

Salted Egg Ensaimada

The salted egg was shockingly my least favourite of the four. Because ensaimada is generally sweet, the salted egg became overpoweringly salty. I love it in bibingka, but not ensaimada.

Our breakfast would have ended here, but I felt hungry, so we decided to eat the remaining four ensaimada.

Sweet & Savory Sampler Ensaimada Box from Ensaimada Moments

I enjoyed the four ensaimada in this box more than the All-Cheese one, which is surprising. I reheated this one for 20 seconds to avoid the melted mess of the first one.

Sweet & Savoury Sampler Ensaimada Box

Pork Floss Ensaimada

I think this is pork floss, and I absolutely love it. It works well on top of the fluffy pastry.

Ube Halaya Ensaimada

I think this is ube, but I base it on the colour. It's a bit sweet but not overpowering, and I surprisingly enjoyed it.

I thought the ensaimada below and above would be as sweet as the one in the All-Cheese Box, but unexpectedly not. It's possible that the flavours just work better together, and one is not overpowering the other.

Overall, I'll order the Sweet & Savory Sampler Ensaimada Box again.

Week 11 of HelloFresh

HelloFresh is back in our home this week. We skipped last week because of the lack of exciting recipes.

Gochujang Sugar-Glazed Shrimp
Sticky, sweet and succulent shrimp are the stars of this lip-smacking stir-fry. We've paired them with crisp, sesame veggies to make this delicious dish one to remember!

I have a confession. I didn't add sugar to this meal because I just don't like adding sugar to any dish (unless I'm baking). Thankfully, the food came out delicious. The rice can absorb the sauce, and the shrimp were perfectly cooked.

Veggie Black Bean Curry with Lime-Coconut Quinoa
This delightful black bean curry lightly sweetened with veggies on a bed of coconut quinoa will hit all the right spots for those with a hankering for a South Asian-inspired veggie dish!

PRO Tip: Squeezing lime on top gives the dish that's extra oomph in flavour.

Ground Lamb Turkey Navarin Stew with Creamy Mashed Potatoes
This French-inspired turkey stew is packed with the aromatic trifecta of onions, celery, and carrots. Minced turkey and creamy mashed potatoes make it the perfect dish to satisfy your comfort food craving.

The navarin stew was too salty, but hubby said I should mix it with mashed potatoes and it works better that way.

Carb Smart Stir-Fried Beef with Green Beans and Peppers
This one-pan wonder brings dinner together in a flash! Ginger adds zesty zip to this stir-fry of hearty beef and plentiful veggies, with no starch in sight.

The simplest and easiest to cook among the ingredients today. It's also the only one we ate for one meal instead of splitting between  two meals. It's delicious too and will work well with rice. However, the description mentioned ginger but there's no ginger in the ingredients list or instructions. Not sure what's that about.

Assorted Bibingka Box from Bellie Bake | Magkasama Christmas Market 2021

Bibingka is a staple rice cake in the Philippines during Christmas. I remember my mom and I went to Simbang Gabi (literally translates to "Night Mass") at 4:30 in the morning and we would always buy bibingka which we enjoyed at home for breakfast.

Where to get Bibingka in Vancouver?

Finding bibingka in Metro Vancouver is a challenge, but thankfully as part of Magkasama Christmas Market, Bellie Bake made available a box of assorted bibingka.

Assorted Bibingka Box from Bellie Bake

It includes the Classic Salted Egg and Cheese, Ube Macapuno, Coffee Milo Crumble, and Sapin-Sapin (Ube, Coconut, Langka (jackfruit)). We had all four for breakfast this morning. I reheated it in the air fryer (because I don't have an oven toaster) making sure to keep an eye out just in case it burns and they came out amazing.

Classic Salted Egg and Cheese Bibingka

Ube Macapuno

Coffee Milo Crumble

Sapin-Sapin (Ube, Coconut, and Langka)

We started breakfast with the Classic, followed by the Sapin-Sapin, then Ube Macapuno, and the Coffee Milo Crumble last.

I am surprised that the Sapin-Sapin is my favourite. I love the hint of langka and subtle taste of ube. I can't decide if I prefer the Classic or Coffee Milo Crumble more. I enjoyed the bitterness from the coffee on top of the latter, but the salted egg in the former is something I always enjoyed.

My least favourite is the Ube Macapuno. I guess the others are just too flavourful, so Ube Macapuno got left behind.. All of them are as soft as a bibingka should be. Reheating in the air fryer (or oven toaster if you have one) is always a good call.

Assorted Mamon from KayeBakes.ca | Magkasama Christmas Market 2021

Mamon is my favourite Filipino bread. I love how soft, fluffy, and flavourful it usually is. During Magkasama Christmas Market 2021, KayeBakes.ca offers an assorted Mamon pack of six with three different flavours.

Three different Mamon flavours from KayeBakes.ca

Assorted Mamon Box from KayeBakes.ca

YAMmymon
Ube-licious take on a classic Filipino snack! Made with ube chiffon topped with whipped cream and ube cakecrumbs, this sweet and decadent snack will definitely have your taste buds dancing for joy.

The YAMmymon is soft and fluffy the way every excellent Mamon should be. I love how the whipped cream on top gives it that extra oomph.

 

We'll try the Yemamon and Mochanutmon tomorrow and update this post. :) Happy Sunday!

December 6, 2021 Update

We enjoyed the Yemamon and Mochanutmon today as meryenda. But, of course, I am biased and know that I'll love the Mochanutmon. Mocha is my favourite cake flavour, and topping it with nuts is just the perfect contrast in every bite: soft mocha cake and chewy nuts on top.

The Yemamon is not as sweet as one would expect, which is why I liked it as well.

Yemamon
Two favourites in one bite! Mamon is a snack-size light, fluffy chiffon cake, and yema is a custard-like candy, a sweet childhood favourite of every Filipino who is young or young at heart. KayeBakes' version is Mamon with Yema frosting topped with cheese. It's a match made in heaven.

Mochanutmon
It's a pillowy soft, Espresso infused chiffon cake with mocha frosting, topped with roasted nuts and caramel bits.

I can't wait to try more of Ate Kaye's baked goodies. KayeBakes.ca will be at "Maligayang Pasko, Vancouver!" 2021.

Assorted Pandesal Box from La Meryenda | Magkasama Christmas Market 2021

Pandesal is the most famous bread from the Philippines. Ask any Filipino about pandesal, and they would know precisely the soft bread you're referring to.

For Magkasama Christmas Market 2021, I ordered the Assorted Box from La Meryenda. It included three Cheesy Spamdesal, Cheesy Corned Beef, Ube Cheese Pandesal, and Cheese Bread.

Row 1: Cheese Bread
Row 2: Cheesy Spamdesak
Row 3: Cheesy Corned Beef
Row 4: Ube Cheese Pandesal

Assorted Pandesal Box from La Meryenda

We reheated the pandesal for 30-seconds in the microwave. 

I love the Cheese Bread the most. The spam was cheesier than the corned beef, and somehow the ube tasted saltier than the rest.

We'll reheat it using the air fryer tomorrow to see if it'll be a better way to reheat than a microwave.

December 6, 2021 Update

Reheating in the air fryer for 5 minutes at 350 Fahrenheit made all the pandesal oh so delicious. You can change the time depending on your oven toaster. The bonus of using this than a microwave is the house smells like baked pandesal and top is crispy while the inside is soft.

I love the corned and spam pandesal and will gladly order both again for breakfast.