About Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures

Guilty pleasures – these can be food, activities or anything that gives you so much pleasure that you don’t mind the guilt you feel right after. Guilty pleasures are usually kept secret from others probably because you want to maintain a certain image, you simply don’t want anyone judging you for giving in to temptations or it’s just plain embarrassing to admit.

Though we enjoy discovering new restaurants or cooking up unique dishes, we have a list of food and drinks that we can’t simply get enough of. We always come back to them because nothing else can give us the same level of satisfaction. They’re our comfort food, so no matter what others may say about how unhealthy they can be, we felt that it’s about time we share with you our own guilty pleasures to hopefully entice you into admitting what you always crave for. πŸ˜‰

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MHEL: I was one of the many people who were saddened upon learning that A&W stores stopped their operations here in the Philippines years ago. Imagine my joy when I found out that leading grocery stores still sell A&W rootbeer in cans. I blogged about that here. And every so often, I bring home at least 2 cans of A&W rootbeer to enjoy at home (I actually have a can currently chilling in our refrigerator). The intense rootbeer flavors and its frothiness can never be surpassed by any other rootbeer brands, and I know a lot of you would agree with me. πŸ™‚

A&W Rootbeer 12-can pack

KEN: What’s not to love about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups? Reese’s combines the two best things in the world – chocolate and peanut butter! I have tried countless times to make my own version at home, but nothing really beats the original. These peanut butter cups, covered in their bright orange wrappers, are, hands down, the best candy in the world!

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures Family Bag

MHEL: I LOVE cheesecakes, but since I had a taste of Ken’s version of Blueberry Cheesecake (New York style), I can’t get enough of it. I think we’ve had it numerous times over the past year. He doesn’t complain though ’cause I’m always the one buying the ingredients. πŸ˜€ Plus, he’s addicted to cheesecakes too. It’s the best Blueberry Cheesecake I’ve ever tasted, and I share this opinion with a lot of fellow foodies. πŸ™‚

Ken's Homemade Blueberry Cheesecake

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Haagen-Dazs Bids Farewell to the Philippines

After what we would consider a brief period of delighting us with their high quality ice cream, HÀagen-Dazs is closing operations in the Philippines. They have made this announcement official on their website and on their Facebook page.

Haagen-Dazs is closing down in the Philippines

We’ve only had Haagen-Dazs ice cream twice – once at the Haagen-Dazs store in SM Mall of Asia and the last time was when we bought their ice cream bars at a grocery store. Though we absolutely love their ice cream, we find it too pricey for us, even on those days when we desperately need a creamy pick-me-up.

And we believe this is the reason why they’re closing their stores here. Pinoys are not keen towards buying ice cream at Haagen-Dazs’ price range when they can be satisfied with a more affordable alternative, like Magnum ice cream that only costs Php 50, or frozen products from Magnolia, Selecta, Nestle and the Korean ice cream brands ( watch out for our upcoming ice cream series πŸ™‚ ). This is sad news for those who love Haagen-Dazs ice cream. But, I bet we can still buy their ice cream from S&R.

Haagen-Dazs stores in SM Mall of Asia and Robinsons Mall (Ermita) are closing after June 30, 2012. Their Shangri-la Plaza Mall and Eastwood Mall branches will stop operations by August 31, 2012. So, if you want to give them a proper adieu by treating yourself to their ice cream, take note of these dates.

Official announcement on Haagen-Dazs Facebook page about their SM Mall of Asia and Robinsons Ermita stores closing down

 

Haagen-Dazs Promo Alert:

As a show of appreciation to everyone who supported Haagen-Dazs here in the Philippines (plus, you wouldn’t want all those ice cream to go to waste, right?), they’re offering some delicious promos for all.

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J.CO Donuts : Now in SM Mall of Asia

J.CO Donuts Green Tease surrounded by chocolate flavors

Oh, you know how much we love J.CO Donuts. We’ve blogged about them here before the opening of J.CO’s first branch in the Philippines. We also featured their J.Pop bite-sized donuts, which we absolutely adore. They’re definitely one of our top favorites from the past year. πŸ™‚

Closer look at these J.Pops by J.CO Donuts and Coffee - CertifiedFoodies.com

Their first branch is in SM Megamall at The Strip. This Thursday, May 24th, (update!) On May 28th, Monday next week, J.CO Donuts & Coffee is opening their SECOND branch in SM Mall of Asia! We know that’s definitely good news for all you foodies who are from the South or Manila area. πŸ™‚

J.CO Donuts now in SM Mall of Asia!

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Jollibee Sundae Mix-Ins Milo Blast at Mercato Centrale

Last week, we invited fellow foodies to join us at Mercato Centrale to get a taste of Jollibee Sundae Mix-Ins Milo Blast, a new sweet treat from Jollibee that anyone can enjoy. The temperature was scorching hot that day and so it was just good timing to cool down with a cup of this sundae.

Jollibee Sundae Mix-Ins MILO Blast at Mercato Centrale

If you’ve been to Mercato Centrale, you’re probably familiar with the crowd there. It’s a mix of young and old, and groups of friends and families, so we expected the crowd lining up at the Jollibee booth to showcase that as well.

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Magnum Ice Cream and the Thin Line Between Love and Hate

We may not be the pickiest eaters in the world, but we are somehow slightly cynical when it comes to trying out something we think has been done before. We are more adventurous now though and we’d try anything once. If something’s overpriced and it didn’t wow us, there’s no way we’re coming back to try it the second time. With all that said, we don’t easily fall for products that get all hyped online or even through traditional media. We’ve been seeing and hearing a ton of raves about this Magnum Ice Cream that when Ken and I were at the grocery last week, we finally decided to try it. The verdict? Read on.

Magnum Ice Cream - Vanilla ice cream coated with Belgian chocolate

We really thought it’s one of those overhyped or overrated ice cream products, but we were pleasantly surprised when we took our first bite of this new frozen delight. We agree with someone who said it’s the poor man’s Haagen Dazs. πŸ˜€

For Php 50 (at SM Hypermarket), you get a generous filling of creamy and rich vanilla ice cream, lovingly coated with lusciously good Belgian chocolate. Two of our favorites combined!

Magnum Ice Cream Classic variant

There are currently three (3) variants – Classic (bittersweet), with Almonds, and Chocolate Truffle. We have yet to try the last one, but Ken and I already have our favorites – mine’s the classic, Ken loved the almonds because of the combination of nuts and milk chocolate. I also heard there were other flavors available in other countries like Mochaccino, Dark, White and Mint. Those, I gotta try! πŸ˜‰ And I’m sure Ken will drag me to S&R in a few days since it’s the only place where we heard the Double Caramel flavor is available. πŸ˜‰

Social Climber Ice cream - seriously

By the way, Ken saw a photo circulating saying this is the social climber’s ice cream. Seriously? For Php 50-60, you call that social climbing? πŸ˜€ Just like what Ken said, if he’s to “social climb”, he’s going to buy one of those Haagen Dazs stick bars, keep the wrapper and iwawagayway nya pa while inside the jeep or while strolling at the mall. πŸ˜€

We buy ice cream here at least once a week because of the humidity these past 2 months. We get much more flavor, satisfaction and goodness from this ice cream than the regular ones being sold at Php 21-45 here at our area in Malabon. So, no, we don’t think this is overpriced.

Magnum Ice Cream is coated with Belgian chocolate

I honestly don’t understand why a lot of people are hating on this, saying it’s overpriced Pinipig Crunch, or it tastes “normal”. For us, no, it’s not your regular ice cream stick. Well, if you’re used to eating Cadbury or Belgian chocolate, and creamy vanilla ice cream at least 3 times a week, it may be normal to you.  πŸ˜€ Just saying. πŸ˜‰

For us regular peeps, Magnum Ice Cream is a very affordable high quality ice cream and we won’t mind paying Php 50 for it. Magnum is more of a luxury indulgence for people on a budget. πŸ™‚

The amount of haters this product now has could be a result of all the hype it received online that started a few weeks ago. And you know what happens when something gets that much buzz online – it produces a wave of positive and negative reactions from everyone. I’m not to argue that many participated just to be “in” (and those who blatantly say they hate it are also part of this, if you ask me πŸ˜‰ ). Curiosity got the best of us when we finally gave in and bought it at the grocery, and I believe that majority of those who did try the product was bit by the bug.

I hear a lot of people saying it’s not worth all the raves it’s been getting. If it was advertised or promoted the regular way, I think people’s reactions will be completely different. But, kudos to their marketing strategy because it did keep everyone intrigued. Admit it or not, all that somehow persuaded you into finally tasting it (or if you haven’t, how you badly want to see for yourself what the buzz is all about). πŸ˜‰ Some even blogged about it just to say how much they hate this new ice cream and that they’re never buying it again. To that we say to each his own. πŸ™‚

Magnum Ice Cream Almond variant

Again, it was all a very effective marketing strategy. You may hate all the buzz this ice cream is getting, but if you were vocal about it, again, you played a part in promoting this product. πŸ˜‰ I say GET OVER IT. It’s a yummy ice cream, PERIOD.

By the way, I’m not a big fan of the name “Magnum”. Nonetheless, it’s one of our favorite ice cream products now. It’s so accessible and a great addition to our usual comfort food. It might not be the best ice cream out there, but for its price, we think it’s way above average. Yet, we still have to try those Korean ice cream someone suggested (Melona, etc). πŸ™‚

Oh, and lastly, Magnum ice cream was originally a brand from Denmark. It’s now distributed by one of the top ice cream brands in the country, Selecta in partnership with Unilever and RFM. We wonder how long this hype will last or if they can maintain it.

Magnum ice cream Classic variant - priced at Php 50 at Landmark

When we posted a photo of Magnum Ice Cream on Facebook, we got a lot of mixed reactions and a couple of recommendations too. We’re now on the lookout for more high quality ice cream. Keep posted for more cold delights features here that’s just so timely. You can use the comments section to suggest your favorites. πŸ™‚

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose since this isn’t sponsored. We just love it. πŸ™‚

You’re Invited: Taste the Goodness of Jollibee MILO Sundae Mix-Ins this Saturday at Mercato Centrale

We recently featured the Jollibee Sundae Mix-Ins MILO Blast. We know a lot of you got excited to try this because of the yummy combination of their soft-serve, Milo powder and Milo breakfast cereal. My friends who have kids already were especially delighted about this news. Milo has been one of our favorite drinks when we were growing up so we are well aware of this energy drink’s health benefits. So, pairing it with Jollibee’s soft-serve sundae just makes it double the fun, double the goodness! πŸ™‚

If you haven’t tasted this yet, here’s your chance to try it for FREE! This Saturday, Ken and I will be at Mercato Centrale where Jollibee will have a free sampling of this new dessert.

Come with your kids or friends, especially those active young to teen ones, and you might get a chance to win special prizes from Jollibee when you’re seen and photographed by us and other foodie bloggers who’ll be there. If your photo enjoying the Jollibee Sundae Mix-Ins MILO Blast is chosen as the winner, you will get gift certificates and possibly other surprise prizes.

Here are the details of the sampling event:

When: March 17, 2012 – Saturday – We’ll be there by 9am, but Jollibee’s sampling starts at 7am and ends at 2pm.

Where: Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City

We hope to see you on Saturday! Watch out for me and Ken. πŸ˜€ Now, here’s a yummy teaser….

Our cups of Jollibee Sundae Mix-ins Milo Blast - CertifiedFoodies.com

FIC Belgian Chocolate Frozen Dessert : A Luscious, Guilt Free Indulgence

With the scorching heat we’re already experiencing the past weeks, there’s nothing better to beat the heat than a tub of ice cream. For the health-conscious, it may not be one of their options to chill, but we’ve got a delightful news for you – Fruits in Ice Cream’s Belgian Chocolate Frozen Dessert.

FIC Belgian Chocolate Frozen Dessert is 95 percent fat-free and no sugar added - CertifiedFoodies.com

We have loved FIC’s ice cream because of the unmistakable fact that they use only high quality ingredients, resulting to a creamy, luscious ice cream experience. So, when we found out they had a Belgian Chocolate Frozen Dessert that’s 95% fat-free, we couldn’t wait to get a taste of it.

Two tubs of FIC Belgian Chocolate frozen desserts - CertifiedFoodies.com

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Beat the Heat with Jollibee Sundae Mix-ins MILO Blast

One of the many reasons why we love food is because of how it can bring back memories from as far as we can remember. I know a lot of you can relate to this. I still get surprised by what memories food trigger, no matter how simple the preparation was. Flavor combinations, old and new, can bring you back to as far as your early childhood, just like how the new Jollibee Sundae Mix-ins MILO Blast reminded me of how I used to drizzle Milo powder on my ice cream during hot summer days like today.

Our cups of Jollibee Sundae Mix-ins Milo Blast - CertifiedFoodies.com

Yes, our dear fellow foodies. Jollibee has come up with a new sundae flavor for you. The combination of their creamy and sweet vanilla softserve, mixed in with Milo cereal balls and flavor, just kicks it up a notch for me. I’m sure kids and adults alike would love this, like we did! πŸ™‚

Jollibee Sundae Mix-ins MILO Blast will surely be a hit amongst kids and adults alike - CertfiiedFoodies.com

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J.Pops : J.CO Donuts Adorable Bite-Sized Yummy Treats

We have posted a few weeks ago about J.CO Donuts and Coffee finally opening a store here in the Philippines. Their opening day was moved to March 15th and their first store will be at The Strip at SM Megamall. I know you’re all excited about this and you’re dying to finally taste these goodies, but wait ’til you see what’s inside these boxes:

J.CO baby donuts named J.Pops - Love it - CertifiedFoodies.com

Okay, you can actually see what’s inside from the photo above :D, but here’s a better look:

Closer look at these J.Pops by J.CO Donuts and Coffee - CertifiedFoodies.com

They’re J.Pops, bite-sized versions of the J.CO donuts we featured weeks back. They’re so cute!! πŸ˜€

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Seoul Garden in SM North Edsa : Review

We were supposed to write a year-ender post for 2011 featuring our top favorite restaurants, food products and/or recipes/dishes we prepared, but since we still had a ton more reviews we haven’t posted yet, we decided to skip it this year and will do one next year instead. One of these uber delayed reviews is of Seoul Garden in SM North Edsa Annex.

Seoul Garden at SM Annex in North Edsa - CertifiedFoodies.com

When Ken and I have time to spare or we need to relax after hours of shopping, we usually end up at buffet style or eat-all-you-can restaurants. Though we spend a lot of time together at home, sometimes, talking about tasks seem to be more effective when we do it somewhere else. That afternoon in July 2011, we had hours to spare because we were scheduled for a Harry Potter movie screening late in the evening. Ken insisted he wanted to watch on the first day so we ended up with the last screening time. 😐

We decided to check out the restaurants at the newly-renovated SM Annex building. First restaurant we considered was Seoul Garden because, at that time, it was the least busy of all the places there.

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