My Unforgettable McCormick Flavor Nation Festival Experience

McCormick has proved once again that they know the perfect recipe for an epic party â€“ food, music, arts, and booze â€“ at the first (hopefully, not the last) McCormick Flavor Nation Festival, held at the Activity Center of Bonifacio High Street in Taguig City last May 16, 2015.

McCormick Flavor Nation Festival

Dubbed as the biggest foodie event of this summer, McCormick Flavor Nation Festival was a celebration of more than a decade of the Filipinosâ€™ patronization of the reliable line of products by McCormick. It was obvious: brand recognition was not the target of this this event. McCormick is already a household name, and weâ€™re all familiar with their herbs and spices. In fact, there are usually sections in supermarkets dedicated solely to displaying McCormick products. This gastronomic festivity was actually geared to introducing loyal customers to unique and surprising ways of using McCormick products to elevate the flavors of food and (who knew?) even drinks!

For PHP 150, attendees were each given an Event Passport and a complimentary McCormick Starter Pack loot bag, containing select McCormick products worth PHP 100 and a copy of the February 2015 issue of Appetite Magazine.

Photo grabbed from Jill of @TheFoodScout

The Event Passport gave us access to savor sample size dishes from all 10 participating concessionaires, taste drinks prepared by the resident mixologist, watch live musical performances, and get a chance to win amazing prizes from their on-site raffles and contests.

McCormick Infused Dishes

The first purveyor that I visited was Fived Rice by Chef John Reyes, featuring the chefâ€™s interpretation of the three variants of McCormick Rice Cookers â€“ Biryani Rice, Nasi Lemak Rice, and Hainanese Rice.

My favorite among the three was the Biryani Rice for its appetizing color and bold flavor. Plus, it was topped with raisins and cashew nuts, giving the rice dish an interesting texture.

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Finally, the McRib! We’re Loving It!

Seeing all the hype online about McDo’s McRib sandwich only made Ken and I salivate with anticipation to finally taste it. Only select stores had them available when we first heard that it’s finally here in the Philippines, so we had to control our craving for it. 😀

Fast forward to over a week ago, McDo sent us McRib sandwiches, and I invited my office friends after work to taste it with me. We had a McRib party! 😀

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Jollibee Big Burger Steak : For Your BIG Appetite

I’m sure many of you would agree: there’s something about Jollibee that keeps us coming back for more even with the wide variety of restaurant choices that are available to us. 99% of the time that we visit a Jollibee store, I just have to order their Burger Steak. I’ll have to admit, it’s my favorite alongside their Chickenjoy. So when I heard about Jollibee’s Big Burger Steak, I simply had to have it. 😀

The distinct taste of Jollibee’s Burger Steak is something I seem to always crave for. My friends, and Ken, can attest to this. And the Big Burger Steak definitely satisfies my big appetite. 😀

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Cheesy Tuna Pasta made with UFC Spaghetti Sauce with Century Tuna

Though Ken and I will pick meat over seafood any time, the Lenten season is that time of the year when we enjoy a variety of delicious seafood dishes. And last week, we got to try UFC Spaghetti Sauce with Century Tuna and Cheese.

I love tuna in sandwich spreads and pasta sauces, so I was looking forward to finding out if I’ll like this ready-made spaghetti sauce from UFC. It’s pretty convenient since you don’t have to get all messy in the kitchen. All you need is to cook up some pasta, then heat up the UFC Spaghetti Sauce in a pan. Perfect for those lazy nights, like the one I was having when I decided to cook this up. 😀

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Russell Hobbs and Chef JP Anglo Mood-Food Cookbook

It’s a fact: more and more Filipino young adults are moving out of their parents’ nest to start living independently. My sister, Mhel, has become one of those people, when she traded her home-based work for an office job in Makati. She rented a studio unit right across her office, sparing herself from the inevitable stress of daily commutes. The major drawback? She misses our Nanay’s delicious home-cooked meals, and after a hectic day at work, she doesn’t have much time for cooking, so she resorts to ordering fast-food and feasting on unhealthy fare. What she and mostÂ young, independent professionals need are efficient and reliable pieces of equipment that will help them prepare “lutong bahay” quality food in a short time, like Russell Hobbs‘ small kitchen appliances.

Russell Hobbs Small Kitchen Appliances

Russell Hobbs may not be a household name in the Philippines, but it’s considered the number 1 brand in the United Kingdom with its line of innovative and stylish small kitchen appliances. We owe it to its founders, Bill Russell and Peter Hobbs, for revolutionizing the way we enjoy coffee and tea with their invention of the electric kettle and the coffee pot with a keep-warm feature.

Mood-Food Cookbook

Our daily food choices are greatly affected by our mood. When we’re stressed at work or when we’re nursing a broken heart, we always turn to our favorite foods for comfort. With this in mind, Russell Hobbs has decided to collaborate with Chef JP Anglo, who owns the successful Sarsa Kitchen + Bar, in creating a coffee table book with a collection of positively mood-altering recipes that can easily be prepared using Russell Hobbs kitchen appliances. It’s the perfect book for budding cooks, professionals with tight schedules and a tighter kitchen space, or any person who enjoys food!

Note the visible signs of wear and tear on the kitchen appliances.

Russell Hobbs made an excellent choice in choosing Chef JP as their endorser and collaborator for the cookbook because he truly believes in the brand and he uses their kitchen appliances in his restaurant’sÂ every day operation.

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Hearty Pan Chicken Set from Pancake House

We wereÂ invited by Pancake House to try their newest offering – the Hearty Pan Chicken Set, so, yesterday, one lazy Sunday afternoon, we decided to pay them a visit at their Dela Rosa, Makati branch.

@PancakeHousePH’s new Hearty Pan Chicken set includes 5 pieces of their crispy Classic Pan Chicken, Mashed potatoes and house salad for only Php 568. It’s good na for 2-3 hungry foodies heheh. #CravingSolved!

A photo posted by Mhel and Ken Ignacio (@certifiedfoodies) on Feb 7, 2015 at 9:45pm PST

It was our first time at this branch. Quaint is the perfect word to describe it for its limited seating capacity. We usually frequented the one in SM North EDSA when we were still staying at Malabon. Even then, we’ve always ordered their crispy pan chicken.

You can get the Hearty Pan Chicken Set for only PHP 568, which is already good for 2-3 persons. The store manager informed us that it can even be shared by up to 5 persons. Yes, we believe that it’s possible, but not with the voracious appetite we were sporting when we arrived.

The Hearty Pan Chicken Set comes with 5 pieces of Pancake House’s classic pan chicken, 3 scoops of mashed potatoes, and a big plate of their house salad.

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Highlands Gold Corned Beef: Premium Taste of Steak and Angus Beef in a Can!

Corned beef has always been our go-to alternative when weâ€™re too lazy to cook dinner or when weâ€™re just looking for a quick bite. It may not be the most delicious food out there, but it does the job in satiating our sudden pangs of hunger. But all that has changed when we discovered Highlands Gold Corned Beef.

Highlands Gold Corned Beef puts the luxurious taste of steak and Angus beef in a can. Itâ€™s quite affordable, too. A 320-gram can is priced at Php 150.00 (SRP), and you can prepare multiple dishes with all its meaty contents.

When youâ€™re not in the mood to cook, you can just eat it right out of the can. Simply serve it with some steamed rice and that makes for a very satisfying dinner already. Trust me; Iâ€™ve done it a couple of times. 🙂

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Shed Off Your Holiday Weight with Healthy Foodie Manila

The Christmas and New Year season is the time of year when everyone can eat all the food that they want and gain a few pounds (or even 10) without receiving judgment from family and friends. But after all these festivities, when weâ€™re back to living our regular lives, that is when the pangs of guilt and regret come to haunt us with the horrific sights of our puffy cheeks and jiggly muffin tops. We immediately subject ourselves to crazy fad diets like water therapy and fasting. But whereâ€™s the fun in that, right? What if we tell you that you can shed all that holiday weight off but still get to eat delicious food and enjoy 4 meals a day? Yes, you can, and itâ€™s with the help of Healthy Foodie Manila. 🙂

What is Healthy Foodie Manila?

Healthy Foodie Manila is one of the best diet food delivery services in the Metro that provides calorie-counted and portion-controlled meals according to their customersâ€™ specific health needs, whether it be to lose or to gain weight. Itâ€™s important to note that they can cater special kinds of diets like vegetarian, pescatarian, and paleo. You may also avail the services of their registered nutritionist / dietician for a free nutrition consultation to help you determine the type of program you can most benefit from.

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Our Top Favorites from Merry Cremas Festival 2014

We’re sure many of you would agree that it’s the most wonderful time of the year. We kicked off our Christmas celebrations last weekend at the Merry Cremas Festival 2014 at Eastwood Mall Open Park. We were at last year’s event, so we already have a yummy idea of what’s in store for us.

Merry Cremas Festival 2014 at Eastwood Mall

Merry Cremas Festival is a yearly event where various food purveyors showcase their products that they made using Alaska Crema All Purpose Cream. Ken and I didn’t have breakfast before going to the event since we know we’ll be full by the end of our food tasting. 😀 Here are our top favorites:

Pumpkin Soup from Kuya Pao’s Grill

Creamy, with bold, spicy flavors. We couldn’t get enough of their soup, and the chunks of pumpkins that came with it. It’s the perfect hearty dish for the cooler days ahead. 🙂

Pumpkin Soup from Kuya Pao's Grill with Alaska Crema

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Juiceria Cleanse : Detox Your Way to a Healthier Lifestyle

When Ken and I decided to move out of our home in Malabon and live on our own, we both agreed it’s the perfect time to kick-start a healthier lifestyle by eating better at home. So when a high school batchmate asked me if we wanted to try their juice cleansing programs at Juiceria Cleanse, Ken and I immediately said yes.

Okay, we didn’t exactly say yes right away. 😀 I’ve been hearing so much about juice cleansing that I had all these doubts in my head. I am very much aware of the benefits and the nutrients you can get from juicing, but I wasn’t prepared for fasting or not eating anything at all. I might go HANGRY (y’know, all the mood swings or you get easily angry because you’re hungry 😀 ) during the 3-day program, and I might not be able to concentrate while working. Sure, I was working from home then, but it was quite an intense week since I was transitioning from online work to office girl again. Can I handle not eating anything when I’m used to eating the stress away?! 😀

Junlyn, the woman behind Juiceria Cleanse, assured me that I wouldn’t have any issues during the 3-day period. She said that they have many clients who go through their programs during workdays. To play it safe, I chose Juiceria Cleanse’s Reboot program since this allows me to eat at least one healthy meal a day. Ken, who went on a strict diet a few years ago and was determined he can take it, went for their 3-day Bootcamp program so it was all juice for him.

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