Experiencing The Grand Lunar Feast with ISKAPARATE.COM

The Lunar New Year came to me quite differently this year as the folks from ISKAPARATE.COM had us join their Chinese Delicacy Cooking Workshop last week at the All About Baking store in SM North Edsa The Block in Quezon City. The workshop was facilitated by the very nice Chef Cathy Yu of Save Bakery and Cafe Philippines.

First off, it was the first time I've seen All About Baking, and they've got everything you need with that hobby and more. Folks would feel like a kid in a candy store when you're there, as all the ingredients, equipment, even the materials you need to have a successful bake shop is all there! 

 

The event was done through ISKAPARATE.COM's site via DTC Promos Inc. They got several subscribers join in which includes Customers, Mothers, Entrepreneurs, Business Owners who would want to learn to prepare and cook delicacies apt for the occasion. They were a pretty nice group and saw how some experienced ones helping the others which was a pretty sight to see. Aside from Chef Cathy Yu, 

DTC Promos Inc. President and COO Ms. Marissa Dames also talked to us about ISKAPARATE.COM's referral program. Those who are planning to have their products on the site were also accommodated by the ConnectSys who told them about the Vendor referral program and how one could earn from it. If you wish to be part of that, just message them on Iskaparate's Facebook page or their published email address.

To join the TAP or Tell A Pal Affiliate program, one just needs to share or promote any product from their website and have it monitored through the ReferralPlus platform. The site views activities from your account and monitors your commission. Just create an account at the ReferralPulse website after registering at the ISKAPARATE.COM website.

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Going back to our workshop, they had us learn the ropes in making Egg Tarts, Fried Milk (made with Arla Full Cream Milk!), Almond Cookies (with McCormick spices), Gyoza (used Lee Kum Kee Soy Sauce for the marinade and dip), Baked Honey Pork Steak Char Siu (used Lee Kum Kee sauces too), and the Huat Huat Noodle (using SYSU products). We made them all using the high tech UNOX ovens at the shop (oh yes it's also there!). All of these are available at the ISKAPARATE.COM website which would be a very convenient way to prepare for meals, special occasions since it's an all in one store. They also give exposure to those who would want to start a business, one that's got the online store, logistics and marketing know how prepared for those who need it.

This isn't the first time that they have held an event of this magnitude, and yes, they told us to expect more of these in the coming months. Being a new member of the site made me feel I belong, and seeing them help SME's, and even offer micro loans made me realize the extent of effort to put in this place. They know how folks could start their own business, in hopes to change lives in the process.

With all these, I now think I'm a good cook.  :)  So if you want to experience this too, go join the fun over at their website.

PUREGOLD Shows Stories of Triumph in "Nasa Iyo Ang Panalo!"

After doing a few highly successful series on their YouTube channel, here goes PUREGOLD showcasing another called "Nasa Iyo Ang Panalo" aimed to inspire even more Filipinos here and abroad. It's about 6 people who have all been able to weather through adversities to achieve their dreams in the fields of entertainment, music and sports. It's going to tell much of how they were able to win in their respective lives and get to where they are today. PUREGOLD Price Club President Vincent Co attributes their success to their customers especially on their 25th year, and they are presenting these stories so Filipinos would be able to know that success if possible for them too. The series will feature Justin of SB19, actress Francine Diaz, Luis Manzano + Jessy Mendiola, world champ pole vaulter EJ Obiena and TikTok's Reyna Batangueña Queenay Mercado. 

Make sure you subscribe to PUREGOLD CHANNEL on YouTube so when they release episodes, you get first dibs. You can also follow their social channels @puregold.shopping on FB or @puregold_ph on IG and Twitter as they update it regularly when episodes come out.

Healthy Recipes for Summer from Woolworths

It looks like it's a good day for recipes since it's been extra hot in the Philippines. There's always good stuff around, like fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, lots of things you can whip up for a meal, afternoon snack or a drink to cool you down. Here's some of them you can follow so you can prepare some for your loved ones, quite easy too.

Fiber is a really good place to start. For breakfast, there's this Muesli Breakfast Bowl which you can prepare for your kids or husbands/wife. This also is good for the heart much like other fiber rich foods, so enjoy!

Muesli Breakfast Bowl

Combine half a cup of Woolworths Toasted Honey and Cinnamon Muesli in a bowl, the juice of one calamansi juice, half a cavendish banana, and chopped dried mangoes. You can also add a small container of low fat yogurt, a quarter cup Woolworths Free Form Lactose Full Cream Milk, Coco Sugar or Honey, a dash of ground cinnamon, cashew nuts on top and eat it all!


Summer Macaroni Salad

The usual Macaroni Salad in the country isn't really that healthy, but here's an alternative recipe that would make you probably a few pounds lighter after a holiday. In a mixing bowl, a cup of Woolworths Macaroni, a quarter cup red onion, a small minced carrot, a stalk of celery minced, a cup of Woolworths Tropical Fruit Juice (which you should drain), half a cup of cooked ham, a cup of Woolworths Mayonnaise Shredded Chicken Breast (lesser calories than usual Mayo), a teaspoon of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper, plus a teaspoon of coco sugar. Put it in the fridge and serve during snack, before lunch or dinner.

Tomato and White Cheese Penne Pasta

A really good mix of the usual flare and local "Quesong Puti" is just something so good to pass on.

Get 400 grams Woolworths Penne, 2 table spoons cooking oil, 5 table spoons Olive Oil, a medium bulb onion chopped, 400 grams Woolworths Diced Tomatoes, 2 table spoons Tomato Paste, one Thai Bird Chili (siling labuyo), salt, half a cup Quesong Puti cut to small cubes. Cook pasta to package directions, mix everything together and simmer in pan, top with Quesong Puti and lower the heat til it melts. Add veggies if you prefer, much better if you've got basil too.

Couscous Salad

Couscous has low glycemic index so no worries for diabetics like me. Get half a cup of it and cook to package directions, mix half a cup of red and green bell pepper, yellow if you have that too. Add two table spoons green onion, a handfull of chopped parsley, lemon juice to taste, a third of a cup of olive oil, salt and chopped oven toasted almonds on top. Enjoy!


Drink: Peach Papaya Power Smoothie

Something cold to have on a summer month would be good no? This smoothie would be a nice play to start to get needed vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables.

Get 1 Papaya Sliced, half a cup Woolworths Peaches in Juice, half a cup Woolworths Unsweetened Almond Milk, one and a half cup crushed ice, a teaspoon chia seeds. Blend all ingredients together and just sprinkle the chia seeds on top. This can get you protein, fiber, antioxidants you need throughout the day.

There's a lot of ingredients over a Woolworths you can get at Shopwise, Marketplace by Rustans, Robinsons Superstores or shop online via the Go Robinsons app or their website. I personally consume the couscous and several Filipino products they also offer in the Woolworths section in these stores, there's a lot more where these healthy products came from!

SHOPWISE Does Holiday Deliveries Through Honestbee

I know you’re all busy, events left and right, office work about to wrap up, reunions, meetings and family time must be the cause. Although I too am excited for this because this news is worthy to share. If you’ve been struggling to juggle your schedules, I have the best solution for you. It’s called HONESTBEE, an app you can download on Google Play and the App Store today.

I fondly remember all my trips to Shopwise because my Mom and Dad usually wait for me there while having their favorite Mongolian Bowls inside the store, it’s their favorite spot and I knew they were going to have a great time grocery shopping there because they’ve got a lot of exclusive brands, the necessities and more. It’s a little sad because we couldn’t go there anymore because we had to entertain relatives coming from overseas and the traffic is really bad. Honestbee came into my life a little over a month and a half ago. Honestly, was skeptic because I knew there was delivery and concierge chargers on top of what you buy from them, but come to think about it, I spend almost the same if not even higher for Grab or Parking Fees plus severe back pains when lifting heavy groceries. I always worry about that because I couldn’t let my Mom lift things and I’m the only strong one who could do that in my home these days, so imagine my surprise when they even waived off my delivery fees because I usually shop a lot in Shopwise.

According to Ms. Crystal Gonzalez the Managing Director of honestbee Philippines “We want to deliver to our promise of more choices for our customers when it comes to online grocery shopping. We know how important it is for people who are looking for more affordable options. This is why we now have Shopwise on our App.”

Ms. Anna Barrozo the Marketing Director of Shopwise says “We try to find solutions to provide our customers the most convenient ways to shop. Our partnership with honestbee allows us to give them access to affordable and quality goods.”

Shopwise also has imported products so you get a taste of brands such as Papa Alfredo, Sunharvest, SnapMax, Southdale Farm, French Cellar wines, Wine Makers Reserve and Red Peak of which some are exclusive only in Shopwise. 

Now I don’t have to run around like a headless chicken when scouring for ingredients of my holiday menu. I can order in advanced and schedule the delivery on the app without the need to spend for hundreds of pesos for transportation, or the effort to squeeze through the hell we call Manila traffic. 

Thanks Honestbee! I should have trusted you a long time ago!

KUMAGCOW 

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Shopping Fun With The New SODEXO Mobile Pass

I'm a shopaholic. I go from one place to another and buy specific things, or by bulk quite often. Whether it's clothes, shoes, groceries, it's not a problem with me because I enjoy doing it. It's like therapy and I'm sure I'm not alone right?

I received a message through SMS a few weeks ago and was surprised with a gift. It was from SODEXO, and it had a bunch of numbers in it which confused me at first because the only SODEXO I know were pretty much the SODEXO Gift Certificates, specifically the Premium Pass commonly accepted in their partner stores. The text message is actually a new service they've launched called SODEXO Mobile Pass and I was so excited to try it out on how it works. I knew the best way to do that is to go to 3 malls and buy stuff! I know we can get free advice from their official website where to go. So I took my phone, used Smart Communications LTE and browsed for the establishments that accepted SODEXO Mobile Pass which you can see here.

The SM Store

Everybody goes to SM (because they've got it all for you!) and I'm so glad that SODEXO Premium Pass is accepted in this mall. They even partnered with SM and have their own merchant GC's so I was sure the SM Mobile Pass is going to be accepted here. I was expecting that there will be some small hitches because as mentioned it is a new service, but I talked to the right people and guided to the installment terminal on the lower ground of SM Cubao. 

I got two of these bed covers for myself, it was on sale and I didn't have to choose the other designs. As long as it's blue I'm good!

I proceeded to pay in the counter and they checked procedures on their manual. They shot the bar code that was on the email on my phone and voila! It was already accepted!

Now the number on the text message is actually the number of the Gift Certificate. Just in case the machines can't process that by manually putting in the number on their terminal, you should show the email that comes with your SODEXO Mobile Pass. They scanned it on their terminal and I heard the beep, it deducted the amount and I paid for the remaining price. Now imagine if you are giving these to guests of an event, by merely knowing their phone number and email address, you can get them shopping just by showing these things on the counter. It was fast and I didn't have to bring papers with me. I just showed them the GC and number on the phone and it was good as cash! So I had to do more right? Right.

Shopwise

Now I saw Rustan's as partner establishment on their site. I always use my GC's in Shopwise because they are the same company. I haven't asked yet if they do accept the Sodexo Mobile Pass, so imagine my surprise when I saw this on the counter.

So right from the get go, I would not have issues using SODEXO Mobile Pass

Mom said so. So I bought rice, frozen Chicken Balls, sweet potatoes for the diet and a white bread.

All gift certificates need to be verified at the Customer Service counter. There are no lines on this one.

Then show your SODEXO Mobile Pass on the counter and pay for the excess if you have some.

Doing groceries was a breeze and they even helped us pack stuff, put them in boxes and keep on the carts since we needed to shop some more. Shopwise closes 11PM so if you need to do your grocery shopping even at night, this place is super convenient. Their right smack in the middle of Araneta Center too, so if you are in nearby communities you can just park your car on the second floor, go down and shop then come back if you would need to do errands elsewhere. Which I exactly did.

BENCH

I was hungry for shirts and shoes and of course where else to go but BENCH. They just concluded the Bench Fashion Week and even included one of the world's finest Male Supermodel and World's Sexiest Math Teacher Pietro Boselli. I was there and did my best to take notes what to wear from the Spring Summer 2017 collection. Pietro wore this.

So I did the natural thing to replicate what he wore that day. I think I've got that Manila shirt on point!

Now I suggest you actually show them the SODEXO Mobile Pass and email that came with it early on before you do purchase an item as I see they are still rolling out the service on most BENCH stores. The large ones in huge malls actually accepted it and I didn't have any problems at all. I could see in the near future, all their partner establishments would easily have these transactions work just like their SODEXO Premium Pass.

Here's more reason to note why it's a good idea!

I believe in the convenience this has brought to me, and if you think about it, we're in the digital age where killing trees (since that's where paper comes from) is so passe. It's good for the environment, everybody has a cellphone, everyone uses data especially in the metro so make sure these holidays to take your presents, your GC's a SODEXO Mobile Pass. I know because I just did and remember, this is the best Gift and Reward for your Employees, Customers and Partners. Do the right thing. You may go to their website here or the channels below for more details.

For more information about their products:

SODEXO Philippines

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Visit their official website

http://merchants.sodexo.ph/

Saving: A Good Thing

I pay for the groceries. I spend quite a lot to have a descent pantry. I usually lasts a month. It costs around a few hundred dollars to a thousand and I'm not joking. I'm lucky because I get everything by bulk. I don't have those discount cards because most establishments don't even honor them at all. Online coupons may actually prove to be a better option because most of them are initiated by the brand or entity themselves. Getting a few dollars off on the things I get in bulk would practically mean big savings. In a year that will probably mean a few thousand dollars which I could spend in more beneficial trips outside the country. I've heard some coupon lovers even save thousands of dollars. Who would dare say I couldn't do that?

I wouldn't want to end up a hoarder but I'm sure reputable sites that have on line coupons can also have their list updated. They probably know what we need at a given time and if that happens they will have more consumers patronizing their products and services. Businesses know that it's the return customers who should be given priority. Making these connections is essential for a business to grow. How you compensate in getting your savings to fit your budget is what would make your life a little better. If we save a lot from coupons in these hard times then it'll be economically possible for us to survive any financial problems. Isn't that a good thing?

SM Hypermarket's "SM Master Chefs" Cooking Marathon!

Asia's Finest Chicken Bounty Fresh!

SM Hypermarket has always been our go to place for the best deals and necessities on this side of the world. You guys know I cook right?! When we went to Mall of Asia last Tuesday; and I thought it was just going to be a regular run of the mill cooking demonstration that will happen inside the supermarket's premises. What I didn't know was some of the Philippines' most reputable Chefs were also appearing on the event. Since I cook a lot, I know how to whip up the best meals even at the confines of my home; they gave us a lot to think about when they prepared the best dishes starting from one great staple... CHICKEN. It wasn't just your regular chicken though, it was Bounty Fresh Chicken. It's the brand labeled as Asia's Finest!

First up was Chef Arnold Bernardo of famed Kitched Battles - QTV Channel 11! He did a lot of exotic dishes during his stint there but this time he did something comforting that's perfect for the rainy-breezy season. Think about chicken breast sliced and seared on top of hot perfectly made buttery mashed potatoes and smothered with oozingly rich cheese sauce. It was heaven... something that you would eat while watching your favorite TV show when you are trapped inside your home on a monsoon season. The chicken was so tender and juicy resulted from the searing he did on the Prime Bounty Fresh Chicken thighs/breast fillet. The cheese sauce was not too salty and it can practically be paired with other things than this dish. It was so good and we ate it all even after the program. No wonder he won that show! He's currently the Executive Chef for Montemar Beach Resort's La Marea and Lanai Restaurant; also the Wheatberry Bakery and Cafe in Quezon City; so make sure you give him a visit one of these days. I'm impressed; and so were the other people in that event... we loved it!

Feast your eyes on the Bounty Fresh Chicken and Cheese Casserole!

Next, it was an honor to have met one of the most decorated Chefs this country has ever produced Chef Sau del Rosario. One of the Philippines kitchen superstars, Chef Sau showed us two dishes using a Whole Pollo Primero Free Range Bounty Fresh Chicken.

The Chef actually stayed a couple of years in Thailand and he wanted to cook something from that region. He cut them into pieces for the first one and made a mix of lemon grass, the usual sauteing ingredients and green curry for this Thai dish. Cooked it with first squeezed coconut milk and reduced a little... et VOILA!

Green Thai Bounty Fresh Chicken Curry!

It wasn't as spicy as I anticipated it to be (which is the one I prefer) but he set a couple of pieces of Labuyo for people like me who would want to have it HOT! It was nice, refreshing, yet very warm after a couple of spoonfuls of the coconut milk broth. It was comfort food and perfect with piping hot rice! Oooh just saying that makes my mouth water!

But NO! He didn't stop there! He cooked another Asian favorite and this time it was Bounty Fresh Chicken Sate. It was authentic... I love how he marinated it in several spices that were available in local groceries like SM Hypermarket. It was accessible and easy to prepare. Cooking time was also short because in a few minutes we were looking at several pieces of this!

Bounty Fresh Chicken Sate in Spicy Peanut Sauce! Mmmmm!

It was the BEST Chicken Sate that I have ever tasted. The ones in Singapore that I had were a little tough and dry. His spicy peanut sauce was also divine! If we had more I would have finished that whole cup of sauce for the chicken and this is perfect for those occasions where you are drinking with some buddies over beer or even dinner + rice. It was really nice pairing and we raved about it by telling the Chef himself! They were so nice! I bet you guys would want to meet them too right?!

Well YOU CAN! In celebration of their 10th Anniversary SM Hypermarket will be doing these rounds on their branches for the whole month of September all over Metro Manila and on their other branches in Visayas and Mindanao! PLUS you also have the chance to win a Kitchen Makeover by simply purchasing 500 Pesos worth of items from SM Hypermarket, fill up a form with your personal details and attach 3 clear photos of your kitchen. Answer the question "Why does my kitchen deserve a makeover?!" in 50 words or less and 5 winners would have the chance to get their cooking place made up by experts from Philippine School of Interior Design. Isn't that just sweet?! :)

So what are you waiting for! Head on to your favorite SM Hypermarket Branches nationwide and ask about the activities now!

Capisce?!

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SM Hypermarket Super Chefs

SM Hypermarket

Bounty Fresh Chicken