Category: Snacks

Milkita Lollipops and Candies – Milky Yummy Treats!

I remember back when I was working as a QA in a call center, there were nights when I can’t keep myself awake after listening to tens of calls that I have to finish evaluating at the end of my shift. Since we were not allowed to bring in chips or meals at our pod, I opted for candies and lollipops. My love for lollipops have always been there and now, with Milkita Milk Lollipop and Candy, I think it’s one craving I won’t outgrow.

Milkita Milk Lollipops come in 3 flavors - Strawberry, Chocolate and Melon

Milkita is the number 1 brand of candies in Indonesia, made by the confectionary company Unican. They are known for the real milk content while maintaining low sugar and fat in their calcium-enriched candies, which cannot be found in ordinary ones. In fact, 3 Milkita lollipops or 7 Milkita candies are equivalent to one glass of milk! I know parents out there will be glad to know this fact! 🙂

Milkita Lollipops come in 4 flavors I know you all would love – original (milk), strawberry, chocolate, and melon. Guess which one’s my favorite.

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Celebrating 10 Years of Heartwarming Goodness from Bizu Patisserie

Bizu Patisserie and Bistro in Greenbelt

Last week, Ken and I, along with fellow foodies, were invited to Bizu Patisserie and Bisro’s Bloggers Party over at their Greenbelt branch. Having been there during the Cadbury Chocoholic night, we were both looking forward to having a taste of more dishes from this pastry shop / restaurant.

Bizu Patisserie Bloggers Party - CertifiedFoodies.comI took this photo using my new Nikon D3100. Woot! Stay tuned for better photos soon 🙂

The dinner was graced with the presence of Aaron and Annie Tanco who started it all. They shared with us how their pastry shop was conceptualized, including how they came up with the name of their restaurant. It was all very interesting, especially the part where Aaron told us that Bizu came about after her mom Annie dreamt of people kissing each other on the cheeks (beso-beso) at a restaurant. They decided to use the French word for “kiss”, which is “bisous”, but added a twist by spelling it the way it’s pronounced.

Aaron Tanco, Chrissy of Marketing and Annie Tanco from Bizu Patisserie

I just want to mention this – I enjoyed how Aaron and Annie spoke to us about their restaurant. You can really feel they’re truly passionate about their food and the service they offer to their diners. They were all very accommodating, even laughing and sharing stories with us throughout the night. Even Chrissy, the lovely lady in the middle of the photo above, was very cheery. 🙂

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Robina Farms Big Boy Hotdogs

If there’s one thing our refrigerator’s always have a stock of, it’ll be hotdogs. We love hotdogs because you can quickly cook them any way you want to serve for breakfast, snacks or even for lunch or dinner when no one at home feels like preparing anything real special. And we’ve bought, cooked and tasted almost all hotdogs we can find at the grocery so we knew we just had to give Robina Farms’ Big Boy Hotdogs a try too.

Robina Farm Big Boy Hotdogs - CertifiedFoodies.com

They come in 2 variants – regular and the cheese hotdogs. Shown here are their jumbo-sized hotdogs.

Here’s a closer look at Big Boy Jumbo hotdogs, which are about the same size as the other branded hotdogs.

Closer look at Robina Farms' Big Boy Classic Hotdogs - CertifiedFoodies.com

Here at home, we usually love to boil our hotdogs. Why? No oil and boiling gives it a subtle, tasty flavor. And, so, we just gotta do it with Big Boy’s. We cooked them 2 ways actually – through boiling and grilling in our oven so we won’t have to use any more extra oil.

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Healthier Snack Time with California Crunch Cassava Chips and GIVEAWAY

Because of the nature of my offline and online work, whenever I need a pick-me-up or something to keep me alert in the middle of the night, I have chips ready for me to snack on with a cup of hot tea. I know how unhealthy some snacks can be, especially when I’m munching on them when my body should already be resting. But, a few weeks ago, I discovered a healthier snack for me to enjoy – California Crunch Cassava Chips.

California Crunch Cassava Chips we received as a prize

My first time trying these cassava chips was when I got them as prizes in their Facebook contest. I was anticipating getting a taste of California Crunch Cassava Chips to know how they compare to potato chips. So, how was it?

Well, to sum up how much we enjoyed it, there are no photos of the actual chips here. Why? Ken and I loved it so much that we forgot to take photos. Hahaha. I promise to update this post with photos of the chips. 😀 (UPDATE: Scroll down for a closer look on the chips)

And, yes, there were 2 packs of each variant – Sour Cream & Onions and Barbecue. We gobbled them up like there’s no tomorrow. 😀 California Crunch Cassava Chips in Barbecue and Sour Cream and Onions

What we particularly liked about these cassava chips is the crunch. The chips are thicker than your regular potato chips so you’d get all that crunchy goodness matched with more flavors packed in each piece. Ken hogged the barbecue variant and I kept the sour cream all to myself and my nanay.

Closer look at California Crunch Cassava Chips

Cassava is known to have more fiber and potassium than potatoes. Plus, they’re 30% less fat than potato chips and it’s 0% cholesterol. So, you can enjoy a pack or two of California Crunch Cassava Chips without the guilt of eating something unhealthy for you or your kids. And it’s not as messy to eat, too, as the chips aren’t as greasy. 🙂

Cassava is healthier than potatoes(credit)

We here at Certified Foodies highly recommend you try California Crunch Cassava Chips so much that we’re giving away THREE (3) packs of these healthy snack to our readers and fellow foodies.

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Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich

Update: I found boxes of Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich at SM Hypermarket today (December 22, 2011) so I guess this is now widely available. Yayy! 🙂

A few weeks ago, there was this hype in our local internet scene over the Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich. Yes, from the same people who brought us the Hansel Mocha Sandwich. Being a cheese lover, this new snack intrigued me a lot, especially when I saw a growing number of bloggers joining the meme (see here) where they take a photo of themselves with a box of these cheesy delight.

So, I was convinced. I just had to taste it! When we were at Ortigas for a friend’s birthday party, we saw a 7-11 branch near the area. We headed off there and luckily found 2 boxes of this baby.

Hansel Premium Cheese Sandwich I bought at 7-11 - CertifiedFoodies.comI took the photo right at the counter, beside the barcode scanners at the 7-11 branch.

Each box only costs Php 37.00 and most people have reported that it’s only available at 7-11 stores in the Metro. Here’s what you get inside, or at least 3/4 of it as I couldn’t help but gobble up about 3 pieces while I was taking photos at home.

You can share a box of Hansel Premium Cheese sandwich with someone or hog 'em all! - CertifiedFoodies.com

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Kettle Korn Kornados

One of our favorite snacks here at home is popcorn. Partner it with your favorite soda or juice and you’re good to go, whether you’re watching a flick or even playing an online game. And on top of our popcorn snacks is Kettle Korn.

Kettle Korn popcorn, one of our favorite snacks, perfect to get energized while playing games - CertifiedFoodies.com

I particularly love the Sweet & Salty and Cheese variants. Ken enjoys their Barbecue flavor. We can literally gobble up one whole big pack of each all by ourselves. 😀

So, when we learned that they came out with a brand new line of snacks months ago – Kornados – we just knew it’s another quality snack from Kettle Korn.

Kettle Korn Kornados is a 3D corn snack shaped in cones. It comes in 3 different flavors – Original (red), Cheese (blue) and Barbecue (black).

Some may be asking why it’s called a 3D corn snack. It’s because of its cone shape. You can even place/wear them on your fingers and pop them in your mouth. Who said we can’t play with our food? 😀

Kettle Korn Kornados 3D Corn Snack - CertifiedFoodies.com

The cheese flavor reminded me so much of one of my old school favorites from way back – Kornets. Being a cheese lover, of course, I hogged the blue-packed Kornados. 😀

Kettle Korn Kornados comes in 3 flavors - Original, Cheese and Barbecue - CertifiedFoodies.com

For sure, you’re going to enjoy this one. Kornados is available at SM Hypermarket branches and other leading grocery stores nationwide so it won’t be hard to find. 🙂

Visit Kornados on Facebook for more info. 🙂

Certified Foodies’ Pasko sa Agosto Giveaway – Win a Celebrations by Sharon Mixes from Maya Gift Pack!

Yes, we know, we still have an ongoing giveaway to celebrate Certified Foodies’ first anniversary (update: extended until the end of the month). But, we know you’re all up for another giveaway.

That’s why for this month, we, along with our fellow generous bloggers, are giving away awesome prizes in a much-anticipated giveaway caravan – Pasko sa Agosto.

Pasko sa Agosto

For our food blog, we are giving away this Celebrations by Sharon Maya mixes gift pack:

Win a Celebrations by Sharon Maya Mixes gift pack from Certified Foodies' Pasko sa Agosto giveaway

This goodie bag contains FOUR mixes – Banana Cake Mix, Party Cupcake Mix, Crinkle Cookie Mix, and Fudge Brownie Mix. You can easily bake these at home. The instructions are at the back so that should make it quick for you. You can even bake them on your oven toaster! 🙂

Celebrations by Sharon Maya Mixes

We haven’t used these mixes YET, but knowing that these are from Maya, the brand that brought us the popular and yummy hotcake mix Fluffy n’ Tasty, we’re pretty sure we’re going to love them, too. But, stay tuned for our feature of these mixes on here, aight?

So, how do you join exactly? Well, we made this VERY EASY for you. Just follow these instructions:

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The BEST Homemade Buffalo Wings Recipe Ever!

Buffalo Wings are considered American staple food, together with our favorite burgers and fries. They’re the kind of food people don’t ever mind getting down and dirty in eating because it’s best savored using your bare hands, licking all the crevices of your fingers clean of the delicious buffalo sauce and blue cheese dip.

Best Buffalo Wings recipe ever!!

I had my first taste of the hot wings when some of my friends and I once dined at TGI Friday’s in Greenbelt. They ordered their usual nachos, burgers, and fries. One friend suggested we get the Buffalo wings, but another friend was quick to negate, saying that it’s too spicy for her taste. But since I love my food hot and spicy, 10 minutes later, we had two servings of Buffalo wings on our table, and they all agreed that I ate 2/3 of it. 😀

T.G.I. Friday's Buffalo Wings - CertifiedFoodies.com

Friday’s Buffalo Wings

After that dinner, the Buffalo wings flew straight up my all-time favorite food list, but it’s not everyday that I have the luxury to buy wings at Friday’s. So I decided to make some myself at home, and it’s a good thing that I have a very generous sister like Mhel, who shouldered the expenses for the ingredients.

Ken's recipe for buffalo wings

My first attempt to make Buffalo Wings at home – all gone in about 15 minutes! 😀

The Homestyle Buffalo Wings recipe I’m sharing with you are bits and pieces of different stuff I found on the internet. Not one recipe matched what I wanted to do because there is one requiring me to broil then bake the chicken wings, instead of simply frying them; another has a lousy breading mix recipe, but their instructions for doing the buffalo sauce was by far the simplest among all I’ve seen. And almost all sites had a recipe for blue cheese dip to accompany the chicken wings, but blue cheese is out of the question – too expensive for me. But, we’ll try that, too, soon. 🙂

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Starbucks Mocha Frap Please!

I love enjoying a cup or two of coffee any time of the day. When I’m at home, I usually end up with instant coffee mixes and I prefer a hot cup of coffee. But, whenever I’m out with friends, Starbucks is my favorite coffee place. I love, love, love their Mocha Frappuccino.

My favorite Starbucks Frap - Mocha! - CertifiedFoodies.comMy Mocha Frap at Starbucks Gateway Mall, Cubao

I love the bittersweet taste of mocha, mixed with coffee and milk. I honestly haven’t tried their Dark Mocha Frappuccino yet, but I know I gotta try it real soon! It’s just that I keep on forgetting whenever I’m at Starbucks (I think I’ve been to Starbucks once or twice weekly for the past month). I think my mind’s programmed to always order their Mocha Frap. That’s how much I love it! 😀

I’ve tried and loved their Java Chip Frappuccino, too. The mocha flavors mixed in with chocolate chips, topped with mocha drizzle – just heaven! I don’t order this as often as the plain mocha Frap though ‘cause I usually prefer to drink my coffee straight up, without any chips mixed into it.

Everyone in my family are coffee lovers. Well, Ken used to be. But, after drinking too much coffee when he was studying for the Nursing Licensure board exams (which he passed with flying colors, by the way :)), he can no longer enjoy coffee as much as before.

So, he goes for Starbucks non-caffeinated drinks like their Strawberries and Cream Frappuccino.

Starbucks Strawberries and Cream and Mocha Frappuccino - CertifiedFoodies.comStrawberries & Cream and Mocha Frappuccinos at Magallanes

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Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria

Topping the list of my comfort food is definitely pizza. I love the combination of carbo I get from the pizza crust and all the goodness of my favorite toppings. That’s why when we got invited to Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria’s Bloggers Taste Test in  RFM Corporate Center in Pioneer Street to try the new items on their menu, Ken and I were both excited and were looking forward to adding them to our list of pizza places we’d be frequenting.

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria at Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong - CertifiedFoodies.com

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria is a very casual restaurant that now boasts of their contemporary Italian-American menu, with a li’l sweet twist to satisfy the Pinoy taste. They have recently re-enhanced their image from a Mafia style menu. Even their menu design is more vibrant in colors, using more photos to encourage customers to try out other items on their menu other than the usual and familiar.

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria's menu is now more bursting with vibrant colors - CertifiedFoodies.com

We loved the interiors of Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria, obviously inspired by New York City. We were personally attracted to their custom-made lights. And I love the colors, well, mainly because they used black and red.

Inside Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria in Pioneer Street - CertifiedFoodies.com

Some may be taken aback to see Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria’s menu and find that their prices are very affordable (check here). They may look like a very high-end restaurant, but you can enjoy their food without worrying too much about paying a premium, one of the reasons why we are recommending them to fellow foodies.

They recently added seven (7) items on their menu – 4 pizza flavors, 2 appetizers and a lunch meal. With their pizzas, they decided to stick with thin crust and just come up with varying toppings. Their dough is made with a secret ingredient and the toppings are made fresh everyday, too. Expect no pre-baking of ingredients in the Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria Kitchen, especially at their RFM Corporate Center branch in Pioneer Street as it’s the home of their commissary.

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria's own blend of hot sauce - CertifiedFoodies.com

Now, on to their latest menu additions. The first dish that was served to us was their Baked Cheesy Fries, a plate of russet fries combined with their house special meat sauce and overloaded with chili flakes, white onion, cheddar and cheese sauce. We both loved the saltiness. And being cheese lovers, we had to force ourselves to stop eating this ‘cause we’ve got more food coming. 😀

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria Baked Cheesy Fries - CertifiedFoodies.com

Next was their Shrimp Fresh Salad, a plate of Fresh Romaine lettuce tossed with honey mustard dressing, topped with shrimps, croutons and parmesan cheese. The saltiness of the cheese was a perfect combination to the sweet and sour taste of the dressing. Definitely something we’d order more of next time.

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria Shrimp Fresh Salad - CertifiedFoodies.com

We were then served Joey Pepperoni’s Barbecue Chicken Wings. The chicken wings are deep-fried to goodness then tossed with their very own special barbecue mixture.

Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria Barbecue Chicken Wings rice meal - CertifiedFoodies.com

After having a taste of this barbecue chicken, we wanted more! The chicken meat was very tender. I actually had doubts I’d enjoy it ‘cause I’m not really fond of barbecue flavored anything. But, the barbecue flavor wasn’t as overpowering as the ones I’ve tried. It was really good that it whet our appetite. Will definitely go back for these! I can finish 12 pieces without sharing. 😀

We didn’t eat the rice part of the Barbecue Chicken Wings meal because we know what’s coming – 4 new pizza flavors of Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria! 😀

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