Magnolia Ice Cream’s Frozen Delights & Summer Bloggers Party

Magnolia's Frozen Delights - CertifiedFoodies.com

Last week, we were invited to Magnolia’s Summer Bloggers Party for the launching of their new ice cream products, their Frozen Delights. I came with fellow foodies and bloggers who participated in their Facebook promo. It was definitely a night to remember. I’ll post more of my coverage of the event on my personal blog Just Another Pixel so stay tuned for that.

Magnolia Ice Cream's Summer Bloggers Party - CertifiedFoodies.com

Going back to the launching of Magnolia’s Frozen Delights, I was genuinely glad that they were re-launching or re-introducing Magnolia as an ice cream brand. Most of us may be a little more familiar with the flavors of other popular ice cream brands, but from all the ice cream I’ve tasted during the bloggers party, you sure would love to get a taste of these delicious new ice cream from Magnolia.

There are a total of 5 Magnolia’s Frozen Delights that were featured at the launch, one of them were introduced for the very first time so I was pretty excited to try it. It’s Magnolia’s Spinner, their very own ice cream cone. It comes in two flavors: Vanilla and Chocolate (Php 20 only).

Magnolia's Spinner, Vanilla flavor - CertifiedFoodies.com

I only got to try the Vanilla flavor. There was an ice cream-eating contest that my bro Ken and I joined and I got to try the Chocolate flavor. I loved them both, though I got brain freeze during the contest so I didn’t completely get to enjoy it. 😀

I also got to try one of Magnolia’s Fun Bar Surprise ice cream, the Cool Bubblegum flavor. I didn’t know my lips turned blue ‘til my blogger friends started laughing at me. 😀 Hahaha. Magnolia's Fun Bar Surprise and Sweetie Bites - CertifiedFoodies.com

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Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt, SM City San Lazaro

A few hours after my brother Kien flew back from Singapore, we didn’t waste any time and went out. I was picking up my new baby that day in Manila. Since we’re a few blocks away from SM San Lazaro, we decided to head out and look for a place to hang out or to pass the time and test drive my camera.

I was craving for gelato that day, but we weren’t sure if there’s a store that sells it in SM San Lazaro. So, we were glad we found Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt as soon as we turned a corner by the entrance. We opted to try their froyo instead.

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt at SM San Lazaro, Manila - CertifiedFoodies.com

I’ve already tried frozen yogurt from 3 places – The White Hat, Red Mango and Yogiberry. So far, I enjoyed all of their own versions of froyo, Yogiberry topping the list, followed by Red Mango at close second. So, I was really curious how Tutti Frutti’s froyo will compare with them three.

First off, I think I was an (frustrated) interior designer in my past life ‘cause I enjoy taking photos of interiors of food places I visit. This is the table where me and my bro hung out to enjoy our froyo. I love the fun colors they used inside their store and the dotted design of the chairs.

Our chairs and table at Tutti Frutti - CertifiedFoodies.com

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt has the same concept as Yogiberry – self-service. They have numerous dispensers with different flavors of frozen yogurt. You can mix flavors if you prefer.

Frozen Yogurt dispensers at Tutti Frutti in SM San Lazaro - CertifiedFoodies.com

Kien loves vanilla flavored anything so he chose that. I chose coffee ‘cause, well, I love coffee. Plus, he also wanted to try it.

Getting our fix of vanilla frozen yogurt from Tutti Frutti - CertifiedFoodies.com

According to what I’ve read about Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt store, they have 50 different yogurt flavors. Every week, they change flavors of the froyo they have available at the stores. A fun experience for frozen yogurt lovers indeed.

Coffee flavored frozen yogurt from Tutti Frutti - CertifiedFoodies.com

The other flavors they had available when we were there were Death by Chocolate, Original Tart, Very Berry Raspberry, Lychee, Taro-bly Delicious and Strawberry Banana.

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Merienda Time!

Every weekend, my nanay is usually just at home and let me tell you, she gets easily bored. I guess I got that from her. 😀 So, what does she love doing? Well, fattening us up! Hahahaha. 😀

She loves cooking and preparing different dishes, mostly for merienda or snacks. It’s one of the things she does to pass the time. Trust me, if you stay at our home for even a week, you’re surely gain weight. She’s got this way of convincing you to eat what she prepared no matter how dedicated you are with your diet. Plus, everything she prepares is delicious. None of my friends were ever successful in saying no to her ’cause she’s an awesome cook! 😀

Here are some of my favorite merienda or snacks that my mother loves preparing or buying every weekend, starting off with Palitaw! My favorite merienda! My mother got sick of cooking this for me. :D I’ll post her recipe next time. 🙂

Palitaw covered with sesame seeds and sugar - CertifiedFoodies.com

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Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad, Benguet near Baguio

Though we’ve been to Baguio a lot of times in the past, we never got to see Strawberry Farm for some reason. So, when were in Baguio last December, it was really part of our itinerary. We headed up there as early as 8am since we were going back to Manila in the afternoon.

We hired a taxi for the day and he was pretty familiar with the places in Baguio. He’s actually from La Trinidad, Benguet so getting there was a breeze.

As soon as I saw the strawberry farm itself, I got all excited. I love strawberries! No, I don’t like the powdered or artificial strawberry flavors. I want the actual fruit.

Strawberry Farm in La Trinidad in Baguio City - CertifiedFoodies.com

Outside the strawberry farm, there are a lot of people selling a lot of goodies. There are also pre-packed strawberries being sold there and you can choose to buy them instead of having to pick your own strawberries at the farm. But, I mean, c’mon. You’re already there so why not do it yourself, right? 😀

Pre-packed strawberries are being sold for Php 100-200 each - CertifiedFoodies.com

Before we get to the Strawberry farm, we had to try the Strawberry Taho in Baguio. It was sweet and I love that they put actual strawberries in the taho. Yum! 🙂

Strawberry Taho being sold at Strawberry Farm in Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

We also tried the Strawberry dirty ice cream being sold there. I forgot the price, but I think we paid Php 15 for this cone of ice cream. It’s a little bland for me compared to the ones you can buy at the grocery. But, yeah, duh, right? Of course, it’s being sold at a cheaper price so it was okay. There were bits of strawberries, and the flavor was just okay.Strawberry Ice Cream at Strawberry Farm in Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

Anyway, when we asked how much it is if we pick our own strawberries, they said it’ll cost Php 300 per kilo. Way expensive, right?! They explained that it covers those strawberries we’ll smash, plants we’ll damage, and those we’re going to eat while we were there. They have a point ’cause I saw a lot of other pickers actually doing all of the above. 😀

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The New KFC Cheesy Bacon Twister

KFC Double Down sandwich and California Maki Twister - CertifiedFoodies.com

After the Double Down and California Maki Twister, KFC has launched something new that I bet all of us would enjoy – KFC’s Cheesy Bacon Twister! I can’t wait to try this!

KFC Cheesy Bacon Twister - CertifiedFoodies.com

I loved KFC Double Down sandwich even though it was a li’l salty for me. I just love the combination of the cheese, KFC’s chicken and bacon. Now, I’m glad they lessened the guilt by combining all 3 in a twister!

I super love KFC. In fact, if there’s a KFC addicts meeting, I’d probably be one of them wearing those name plates while I tell my story how I can’t seem to get enough of KFC. But, I won’t be ashamed. KFC always whets my appetite.

Some foodies living outside the Philippines have always been amazed at the new products that KFC here in our country come up with. I guess KFC here just knows how to please the taste of Pinoys. We love to feast! 😉

I might try KFC’s Cheesy Bacon Twister next week when we go grocery-shopping. Have you already tried it? What do you think?

 

For the Love of KFC…

Written by blankpixels

Pizza Hut Night : Lechon Pizza Review

Back in November, I posted about Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza promo on their Facebook fan page where you can win a feast or gift certificates. Well, guess what!?! I WON!!! If only I wasn’t at our computer shop, I would’ve jumped up and down in glee! I won Php 1,500 gift certificates from Pizza Hut, one of my favorite pizza joints.

I had issues with how I could claim the gift certificates because I can’t close the shop just to pick them up. That’s why I’m so grateful that they accommodated my request to have my prize shipped to my home address through courier. Thank you so much, Pizza Hut!

My Php 1,500 gift certificates from Pizza Hut - CertifiedFoodies.com

So, I had it all planned. I tagged my friends from The Burp Society (formerly known as Tomador Inc. :D) on the photo post where I won and they were the ones who were invited, too, for the pizza party. It was supposed to be a super late birthday celebration for one of my friends, and a post-Christmas and New year celebration all rolled into one.

My friend Badeth had her Pizza Hut Palm card with her. I confirmed with Pizza Hut’s customer service agent that I could use the Palm card. I was asking ’cause I thought they had another promo for delivery, like their All-You-Pay promos in the past.

What did we order? I really, really wanted to try the Lechon Pizza so we ordered one (1) large (14″) pizza for Php 499.

Pizza Hut's Lechon Pizza - CertifiedFoodies.com

At first glance, I was a li’l skeptical about the Lechon Pizza. I mean, it looked a bit greasy to me. They had a separate package for the pork roasted skin that you can either break into pieces or grind to spread all over the pizza. They even include extra sauce.

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Good Shepherd Pasalubong Items from Baguio

I’ve mentioned that we went on a 5-day vacation last December and one of our destinations was Baguio, the summer capital of the Philippines. I love Baguio, not only because of the climate, but because of all the pasalubong shopping I can do for us and my friends back home.

Before our lunch at Oh My Gulay Artist Cafe along Session Road, we went to Good Shepherd in Baguio to buy some pasalubong items that were requested by friends, particularly my blogger friend Eihdra. 😀

The Good Shepherd Convent is located along Gibraltar Road, near Mines View Park in Baguio. The Good Shepherd nuns make and sell different kinds of pasalubong items which are very popular among tourists / visitors in Baguio.Good Shepherd Convent in Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

I super love this particular sign at their garden, right when you enter their premises.

Sign at the garden inside Good Shepherd Convent in Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.comTake nothing but photos. Leave nothing but goodness. Keep nothing but memories…

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Pasalubong Ideas from Baguio – The Good, The Bad

First of all, I hope you all had a MERRY CHRISTMAS! Have a Blessed New Year everyone! 🙂

If you’ve been following my other blogs, especially my personal blog Just Another Pixel, you’d know that I just got home from a 5-day Luzon vacation. We’ve dined and bought a lot of goodies or pasalubong from our 4 destinations (yes, 4 destinations in 5 days! :D) and I’ll be writing about them in the coming days so make sure you keep posted for that.

Some of the goodies we brought home from Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

To start, let me show you some of the goodies we brought home with us from Baguio. Some were really good and worth giving away; the rest, ugh. Read on for my Baguio pasalubong recommendations.

 

The Bad 🙁

Lina's Chewy Milky Balls from Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

Lina’s Chewy Milky Balls are too milky for me in a not so good way. The texture is also weird that I didn’t even finish one piece. Ken also didn’t like it at all. It tasted more of coconut (unpleasantly), even the texture or the chewiness.

Lina's Chewy Choco Balls from Baguio City - CertifiedFoodies.com

Lina’s Chewy Choco Balls may look yummy in that photo, but they weren’t good at all. Well, at least for me. Again, just like the milky balls, the texture is way too weird and I barely tasted any chocolate. I think it’s just food coloring. 😐

Jamber's Strawberry Lengua de Gato from Baguio - CertifiedFoodies.com

I actually bought 2 variants of Jamber’s Lengua de Gato – chocolate and strawberry-flavored. I had high hopes that they’ll be good, but they were a big disappointment. First, they weren’t even crunchy. They were too soft and chewy. I want my lengua de gato a li’l crunchy, just like the ones from Pines Maid.

(The Good after the jump!)

Continue reading Pasalubong Ideas from Baguio – The Good, The Bad

KFC Double Down Sandwich. Yes, I’m Guilty!

KFC's new poster for their Double Down Sandwich - CertifiedFoodies.comAfter weeks of craving for KFC Double Down sandwich, I finally got to try it! I’ve tried ordering at one of their branches a few days after they launched this new item on their menu and as early as 1pm, the KFC branches were usually out of KFC Double Down sandwiches.

I honestly think it was a marketing strategy by KFC to viral market their new product. And, I can tell you it worked ’cause I think the Double Down was one of the most talked about new fast food products since it was launched. It was like they were playing hard-to-get, increasing the curiosity and eagerness of people to finally get to try it.

Anyway, when I called for delivery, it was around 5pm and the agent on the other line told me they are now required to offer their KFC Double Down sandwiches. I guess that means the hype has finally died down. OR, their viral marketing has already ended. What do you think? Hehehe.

About KFC’s Double Down, if you haven’t seen the commercial or poster yet, it’s the “shamelessly meaty” and sinful new sandwich by KFC. It’s filled with bacon, cheese and mayonnaise, sandwiched between two KFC chicken fillets. If that’s not meaty for you yet, you’re crazy!! *LOL*

My KFC Double Down sandwich - bacon, mayonnaise, cheese and 2 chicken fillets - CertifiedFoodies.com

I’ve read about people saying it was too salty for them so I decided to order Garden Salad (Php 49.50) along with it. I ordered two, one for my parents to share, the other for me and my bro.

KFC Garden Salad - helped in making the Double Down less sinful - CertifiedFoodies.com

I ordered a total of 4 KFC Double Down sandwiches, each cost Php 110.00.

My KFC Double Down sandwich - CertifiedFoodies.com

At first, I thought KFC Double Down wasn’t salty. I was enjoying it a lot. It’s really good, especially because of the KFC chicken fillets. I love KFC’s chicken!

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Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream – My New Indulgence

Sadly, Haagen-Dazs has decided to close their operations here in the Philippines.  Click here to read more.

I’ve been wanting to try Haagen-Dazs ice cream for months now and it was only last September that I finally had a taste of their luscious ice cream. The idea came to me ’cause I was having a really rough day and I needed something to boost my mood. And, so, with my brother accompanying me, we decided to finally head out to Häagen-Dazs in SM Mall of Asia to try their ice cream.

Haagen-Dazs in SM Mall of Asia - CertifiedFoodies.com

Some may be a li’l intimidated to try Haagen-Dazs’ ice cream. I can’t really blame them because, first, the name is hard to pronounce. Hahaha. Seriously. I can’t really pinpoint where the name Häagen-Dazs originated, but this brand of ice cream was established by two Polish entrepreneurs back in the 60’s.

Another reason why most people I know haven’t tried Häagen-Dazs ice cream is because of the price, that you need a high-paying finance job to afford their ice cream. They’re really expensive, even for me who don’t usually care about the price as long as the food is great. So, that very first time in September that I got to try their world-famous ice cream, it took me a bit longer to decide on what to order ’cause I forgot to withdraw money from my ATM account (hahaha). Good thing one of their staff gave us their menu so we can decide on what to order within my budget. Oh, I love their menu! I wanted to take them home with me! *LOL*

Haagen-Dazs menu - CertifiedFoodies.com

I also love the ambiance inside their store. Their staff were also very friendly. The guy at the counter even offered to take our photos, but I declined ’cause I looked like a mess after what transpired the night before. Anyway, their staff who was waiting on us to order was very patient and even suggested a couple of things we should try. I so wanted to try their Fondue, but I was afraid my bro and I won’t be able to finish everything since we’re planning on having dinner later.

Waiting on our Haagen-Dazs ice cream - CertifiedFoodies.com

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