Make Everyday Sweeter with Mr. Hat Gulaman

I bake, I cook, I eat a lot and sometimes, you just have to have that sweet end to a meal right?

I distinctly remember preparing all our salads and desserts. Back then, we had to tear up huge bars of gulaman, have it boiled then cooled. It was an arduous process, but now, it's way easier! Imagine doing these tasks in every fiesta, birthday, holiday and more, our families enjoy them the most, especially the kids.  

They also join me prepare things, sort of a bonding activity. I feed them while they help me. The difference is, Mr. Hat Gulaman made it easier to do. All they need to do is choose a flavor, mix it according to package directions or customize when needed. They also have unflavored ones so if the baking meant you need to invent one, it would be easy!

Best of all, it only takes a few minutes to form. Your bakes and desserts would taste special, you can use the different flavors to enhance your dishes further... that's how convenient they made it.

Best of all, it's made from actual premium seaweed so there's no fear of it having harmful ingredients, those birthday parties and celebrations would certainly be a great venue to showcase your food, be the star of the show!

Here's some recipes you can try:

Coconut Gulaman Coolers, prep squares, mix it with cream, coconut, then drink and chow it all down.

Summer Mango Gulaman needs the Mango flavored sliced to squares. You can opt for the unflavored ones to make it less sweeter. Use real mangoes so you get that sweet-tangy end for dessert. It'll be amazing!

Almond Lychee Jelly, where as the name suggests, you can mix the unflavored one with almond flavoring. Add chopped canned lychees and lightly mix, it'll be a refreshing one.

Vanilla Milkshake with Gulaman, just blitz Milk, vanilla, Vanilla Ice Cream and drop any flavored gulaman of your choosing, you can have one hit summer drink and prepare it right at home. All good, and easy!

Check out this commercial so you get an idea how to make it.

No matter what occasion, make it even more special with Mr. Hat Gulaman. Because if you're craving for it, they say #NasaHatKoYan. You may visit their website seanlucinc.com for recipes, or follow their social channels too.

Beat the Summer Heat with Mr. Hat Gulaman!

Things have been on record high temperatures and the Philippines is experiencing El Nino right front and center. Our dreams of just spending summer in the beach may have to take the back seat, or just proceed with caution... perhaps do something else and make it sweet and refreshing!

Your summer should still be colorful, whether it be in a glass full of your favorite Halo-Halo, or a bright Sago't Gulaman, you can only think of one thing in the grocer, and that's Mr. Hat Gulaman!

I've been using this for years now and even got my sibling in Europe some of it so he could remember home. It's a sweet reminder of time with family, with friends, and is a versatile ingredient in various desserts that we often do as sweet tooth's. It comes in different flavors like lychee, orange, strawberry, and I've done so many recipes with this over the years.

It's Local!

For those who don't know, Mr. Hat Gulaman is actually a local product. This is made by Seanluc Inc. known for making quality food and beverages for the Philippine market. It's also au naturelle, as it's from seaweed extract combined with sugar, flavorings and different colors. They also have unflavored Mr. Hat Gulaman so if you plan to make other desserts that require that, there's always options! This comes in 7 flavored and 6 unflavored versions, so if one doesn't fit your recipe, go with a different one. Imagine the things you can do with a pack of Mr. Hat Gulaman!

You can do Mango Tapioca, or Buko Pandan, or do Coffee Jelly on a hot day. If it's a recipe that has been passed on through generations or a new one (because you're a genius!).

Here's a recipe that's been tested great, one that you could try!

Coconut Gulaman Coolers by Mr. Hat Gulaman

The ingredients are a pack of Mr. Hat Gulaman (get the Buko Pandan Flavor). 2 cups of water, a quarter cup sugar, 250ml of Coconut Water, a quarter cup Condensed Milk, a quarter cup of All Purpose Cream and crushed ice.

Dissolve the gulaman pack and sugar in the 2 cups of water you prepared. Turn the stove on low and simmer, then put it on a tray to cool and set. Cut it up to small squares to make it pretty. On a separate bowl, mix the All Purpose Cream, Condensed Milk and Coconut Water. Put the Mr. Hat Gulaman, then crushed ice on a tall wide glass, put in a few of the milk mixture. Use a pandan leaf on the side and serve to your guests, they'll surely love it!

If you want a softer gulaman, just add a bit more water. If you prefer a firmer one, adjust the gulaman powder you put in on boiling water. Mix it thoroughly so you don't get lumps. You can follow @mrhatgulaman on social channels to have more experts help you with your recipes. They also post a lot of content there to beat the summer heat. I've been a solid user of Mr. Hat Gulaman, and have seen my family, my friends enjoy it!

Now it's your turn!

It's time to have that Dewberry Yogurt Cake

Don't want to make you crave at this hour, but I'm here to tell you that a Dewberry Yogurt Cake actually exists!

You loved their fruit jam and cream filled cookie sandwiches, and this time, they're taking it up a notch to make sure you enjoy three things you love, that's fruits, cake and yogurt! I personally love the strawberry variant, but I'm sure a lot of people also love the other blueberry variety.

It's available in supermarkets, groceries, sari-sari stores nationwide and only cost Php 82.10 a pack of 10 bars so really, there's no reason why you shouldn't indulge in one right now.

This product is made by the folks at Universal Robina Corporation (URC), same as Great Taste Coffee, C2 Cool and Clean, Jack n Jill, Piattos, Maxx, Cloud 9 (a personal favorite!), Magic Flakes and more! You may visit urc.com.ph if you want to know more!

Christmas Inspired Blizzard Treats from Dairy Queen!

The holidays are already here and honestly, it's still hot outside yeah? Well nights are going to be longer, and with the endless parties and meals you're going to finish, there ought to be room for dessert! I've always gone to Dairy Queen when I was still doing a blue collar job, but nowadays, there ain't no rhyme or reason not to have it anytime of the day!

Cool thing is, they've got new Christmas inspired Blizzards now available in their stores.  Previously they had a festival for a chocolate malt brand, but this time, they're banking on your sweet tooth and what you would normally expect in holidays.

What you deserve these holidays is premium blizzard creations, three heavenly flavors that I love in its real form - but they made it into these lovely treats. First is the Royal New York Cheesecake, lovely soft serve ice cream mixed with chunks of cheese cake squares then topped with sweet strawberries on top. It's like a dream come true, something that you would find comfort having it all by yourself.

The one in the middle is for chocolate lovers, it's called the Royal Ultimate Choco Brownie Blizzard Treat. It's got chunks of chewy brownies, chocolate pieces and chocolate fudge all over. It's got a lot of texture in one cup so I suggest you get the larger size if you're ordering some. Third ones a classic, it's called the Royal Oreo Blizzard Treat. It's got crumbled Oreo cookies and lots of swirls of fudge enveloped in the soft serve ice cream. It was heavenly and I think you'll love them especially these days when you've got family and friends with you.

Now these Christmas inspired Blizzard treats are not priced outrageously, only Php 109 for the regular, Php 129 for the medium size and Php 159 for the large one. This is only availbale til January 10th, so there's no opportune time to have it but now! Make sure you drop by Dairy Queen branches nationwide, or order via 8911-11-11 or their website dairyqueen.com.ph. You can also get them on delivery apps, don't let me stop you from getting it!

Dairy Queen Outs OVALTINE Themed Desserts

I'm sure I'm not alone if I tell you that I've had several breakfast or snack instances where you just sit in the corner and put several heaping tablespoons of Ovaltine in a coffee cup, and eat it like a champ. I've rarely seen them on grocery shelves these days, and when I saw that they're having an Ovaltine fest on the Dairy Queen in Ali Mall yesterday, I knew I had to have em and more!

Ovaltine just wreaks of nostalgia, it brings back a lot of memories especially when I've been a good kid. Seeing it mixed with my favorite treats from Dairy Queen is just another level. See, they've had the brains to make new flavors out of it.

For the lovely Blizzards, they made Ovalcano Blizzard, Mocha Ovaltine Blizzard and the Berry Ovaltine Blizzard. They also have those fancy Ovaltine Parfait and the Ovaltine Milk Shake for those who would love to drink it off the cup. If you are a group of 3 or 4, better get the Ovaltine To Go Tin Cakes. If you have an occasion or something special, get the Ovaltine Blizzard Cake which is available in 2 sizes, a 6 and an 8 inch cake.

You can only experience this special Ovaltine themed flavors until October 4 so make sure you place an order soon. You can call 89111111 or their website dairyqueen.com.ph. You can also order them via food delivery apps like Grab Food, Food Panda or shopping app Pickaroo. I've had my fix already, it's not too sweet, so go ahead and indulge! 

Take home an Ice Cream cake, I'm sure your kids would love this!

AICE Philippines Launches "Milk and Eggs" Ice Cream

Filipinos love sweets, no contest on that. If you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve probably seen, heard, and even tasted the newest cold treat player in town AICE Ice Cream. 

After being an official sponsor at the 2018 Asian Games, they’ve really expanded in the whole Southeast Asian region. I think my first encounter with this was in Jakarta, Indonesia. The company originated in Singapore and has been a great hit in Manila. In here, it really spread by word of mouth and I’ve seen family and friends enjoy it albeit it being a new brand. My personal favorite is the Sweet Corn Ice Cream, Watermelon and Crispy Choco. Their main thrust is VARIETY, they gave us choices in a pretty laid back market imho and their formula of being not too sweet and very affordable is working so much, I’ve seen people hoarding this in my neck of the woods.

Just recently, they launched a new flavor called Milk and Eggs. It’s a concoction very rich in Milk, Eggs and Honey. Now I thought I’ve seen it all, but during the event, we had a simultaneous tasting of the product happen. This stuff is made of dreams!

The Ice Cream is enveloped inside, once you bite into the thing, you’ll hear the thin chocolate coating crack, while the cream envelopes your palate with creamy milk and honey as base. Plus, there was a huge surprise inside, a Strawberry center which nobody really expected. All my favorite ice cream flavors in that form, how can I not love the new Milk and Honey flavor! The Milk and Honey Ice Cream only costs 20 pesos. It’s even better than some old ice cream brands I’ve had in the PH, there, I said it!

While we were enjoying our Milk and Honey, the told us a little about their current operations in the country. They have been quietly doing things on the sidelines, helping lots of entrepreneurs, their distributors earn a living. They are also employing Filipinos and plan to ultimately have local production happen sometime in the near future. Aside from that, they’ve gone to different communities to help as part of their CSR efforts. They are also being met with a lot of people who share their experience with AICE Ice Cream brand on social media and thank them personally as much as they can. 

Also, they got nutritionist Ms Joan Sumpio to help us understand the health benefits of protein rich foods. Ms. Sumpio says “I’m surprised they have products that are also healthy. There is no good and bad food, but there are bad eating habits. There are 22 micronutrients to meet in our diet daily; aside from the macro we need in food. The Filipino household diet only meet 31% energy requirements. The deficiency is huge hence the increase in ailments later on in life (osteoporosis). Milk intake should always be a priority til the age of 20, adequately, otherwise we would need to introduce other sources like shakes, smoothies, flavored milk, and plan meals that will be beneficial for our health. If we can’t have that, we can have eggs in moderation. It is a source of Vitamin B12 which reduces fatigue, have immunity and be a source of Vitamin D and A. Milk and Egg are good sources of protein, only 40% of Filipino households do not meet daily requirements. Milk and eggs are essential, it is good to have one whole egg a day, plus as much egg whites as you can because amino acids repair. This would be a good source of allowable intake of calories too.”

Later in the session, they introduced to us some of their celebrity influencers. They are actress Sharlene San Pedro, Volleyball Powerhouse Mika Reyes and actress soap princess Andrea Brillantes. Sharlene and Mika was ecstatic to be part of the growing brand and they’ve been having the time of their lives tasting the different flavors AICE Ice Cream  brought to Manila. 

I got to ask also about their plans to maybe have a sugar free/low sugar variety. They were happy to inform me that there will be a sugar free and low fat version of ice creams soon in the Philippines; they already have some of them available in Indonesia, so stay tuned!

Now head on and get your AICE Ice Cream fix in different outlets and stores nationwide! If you plan to be a distributor, their social channels are open and they can cater to you. I can’t do that, I might just end up eating them all in one sitting LOL! Milk & Eggs only cost 20 pesos and if you buy the pack of 5, they'll throw in a free mask to keep you safe.

Thank you AICE Philippines! Had so much fun that day!

Kathryn Bernardo Sweetens MAXI MANGO

You’ve seen the long lines, see people have it, enjoy the sweetest mangoes in the world. Yes, these mangoes are from the Philippines, but we are celebrating something monumental with popular brand MAXI MANGO as they introduce their celebrity endorser, Ms. Kathryn Bernardo. 

Kathryn is that fun loving girl, confident and loving, not just to DJ, but all her friends and family. She also loves food and looks forward to snacks and desserts, MAXI MANGO takes the hardships of actually prepping Mango Float because this comes without hassle, convenient to also take away from the store. Sales sky rocketed these past few months, thanks to their attention to detail and quality control on something simple as their soft serve ice cream. 

MAXI FLOAT

MAXI FRUIT SALAD

MAXI MANGO UBE

Kathryn's current favorite the MAXI MANGO CHEESE

Owner Ms. Miki Velasquez says "We want to thank everyone and I know you guys are busy, we appreciate you took time to come here to welcome our growing family. Thank you for the opportunity to be with Kathryn, it is an honor for us to be trusted with her name too."

MAXI MANGO currently has Mango Float, Maxi Mango, Mango Juice Float and Mango Shake available at their stores. During the press conference, they let us try their planned new items on the menu. I love the MAXI MANGO Fruit Salad flavor because of the variety of fruits in it. The MAXI MANGO Ube would be good for those who love that Ube flavor we all love from Baguio. The MAXI MANGO CHEESE on the other hand was sweet and salty, Kathryn loves that a lot. They also have a MAXI MANGO Strawberry and I have yet to love that  flavor. There be more innovations in the coming years so if you think these flavors are wild, you better be ready to try more soon! Mind you they started in popup stores before they grew like this so imagine the potential if you plan to franchise.

MAXI MANGO is owned by VQZ Maxi Mango and is available in Mall of Asia, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Manila, Robinsons Metroeast, SM Bacoor, SM Fairview, SM North, UP Town Center, Trinoma, Gateway Mall, Market! Market!, SM Megamall, SM Lipa, SM Bicutan, Greenbelt, SM Southmall, SM Sta. Rosa, SM Sucat, SM Iloilo, SM Bacolod, SM Seaside Cebu, Gaisano Mall Davao, Gaisano Tagum, SM CDO, Abreeza Mall Davao, SM GenSan and SM City Ecoland.

KUMAGCOW
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Derek, Piolo and Dingdong for Dunkin Donuts Delicious DD Bar

Two muscled hunks, all dressed up, laying you down in bed, approaching you with a tray full of your favorite sweet treats they call Delicious DD Bars from Dunkin Donuts. Ease in as they pick it up, touch your lips as you take it in these  lovely soft bars in flavors of Eclair, Tiramisu, Lady Finger, Matcha and Split Royale. 

Enough of that, because as hot as that sounds, it’s just Derek Ramsay and Piolo Pascual giving you the 5 newest flavors which Dunkin Donuts presented in an intimate dinner this evening at the posh Fairmont Hotel in Makati. They surprised us with a new commercial, and a new endorser. Yes they added Dingdong Dantes in the mix!

Dingdong Dantes says “I have always wanted to work with these guys, now that I’m here, thank you! When I went home and gave my daughter products from the shoot, they loved it. My favorite is the eclair, dark chocolate and bavarian. I seriously went on diet because I am going to be with these two! They welcomed me to their fold like family, they are like family and I felt that. I can’t wait to know them more.”

Piolo says “Off and on cam we just talked all day. We shared all our stories and we almost caused delay. My favorite is Tiramisu, but everything is good. If it’s about memorable commercials, it’s the new one where I was dancing with a coffee cup in my hand.”

Derek adds “I am biased with Boston Kreme and I think I can have 5 in one sitting. I have it almost everyday, I have it delivered on set but maintain an active lifestyle. They ask me personally how I am, it’s not just business, they are concerned with my well being and they build relationships with their ambassadors. It has always been like that, and I’ve been with them for 7 years.”

These awesome bars are also available in combos. You can get them for Php 299 in combinations of 5 DD Bars with 6 Classic Donuts, or 3 DD Bars, 2 Premium Donuts and 6 Classic Donuts. Maybe you should pay them a visit today! Maybe you’ll see the three of them and faint too!

KUMAGCOW

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BAKE Cheese Tart Opens in Podium and Power Plant Mall

I love anything Japanese especially the desserts. They take so much care, meticulously prepare it, and if I didn't know, I'd mistake it would be sourced from France which I'm sure they pattern their work from. They also employ the Japanese way of preparing things, the taste is subtle, not too overpowering, as it stems from culture, like what they've done with the BAKE Cheese Tart.

From what I know, they fly these delectable treats on schedule so you get the same kind of cheese tarts they serve in Japan. Aside from Podium, they also opened shop in Power Plant Mall in Rockwell so if you're rearing to know why they've churned out 35 Million cheese tarts per year in Kinotoya (their bakery), you'll know once you take a bite off of it.

Same formula of cheese tarts can be enjoyed in different temperatures. If you want to try them all, I suggest you do the freshly baked version first. It presents a very gooey not so sweet taste that I'm sure your family will love. The warm version doesn't spread out too much, pretty good to carry around or take on trips. The chilled version takes it to another level, fine for dessert and evening treats. My favorite though is the frozen one because it's superbly like ice cream, too good to be true but it is.

We are blessed to be the 9th country to have BAKE Cheese Tart. I've already finished my box as soon as it landed on my table. I'll go get more when I get back to Podium next week and hoard a bit more to freeze and have after dinner.

I'm sure you'll love it too!

MONSTER Milkshake Opens at Ayala Malls Vertis North

I have been here yesterday and a couple of weeks ago. Ayala Malls Vertis North is really making the shopping district in Quezon City a grand one because they're opening shops left and right, including brands that I really love. Now the last millkshake I really loved was back when McDonalds had one on their menu but that has been a LOOOOONG time ago. So if a specialty shop from Porac, Pampanga opened a branch in Ayala Malls Vertis North, I was super excited to see what they had to offer. They are called MONSTER Milkshake and we found out why they're called such because of their monstrous servings. We caught a lot of people lining up for their products that afternoon.

The process is easy, you just have to line up and tell them the size of milkshake you want to have. They already have a variety of MONSTER Milkshakes available and all you have to do is tell them, then they'll prepare it as you order. 

What I'm mostly surprised about is the price. They have monstrous milkshakes but didn't make it too pricey unlike those imported brands that came in Manila. They also have Monster Ice Cream sold in scoops, prices differ for Classic Flavors and Premium Ice Cream Flavors.

We interviewed the owner and this is what he has to say about this new branch in Ayala Malls Vertis North

The Mango Graham Surprise was one of the best sellers, I loved it too!

They also have frequent customer cards, save those stamps and get a product again for FREE!

This is the Hazelnut Fudge. It's got creamy ice cream, dark chocolate, Nutela and wafers on top.

This is their Bubble Gum Pop. It's one of my favorites too. It's not too common to have Bubblegum flavors on treats these days and this one was a welcome thing. It's got fruit loops, marshmallows, strawberry pretzels on top. It's so colorful, kids would love this!

The Speculoos Extreme is just about your cookie dough butter lovers dream. Topped with lady fingers, chocolate cookie crumbs, it's sweet and lovely!

For Matcha lovers, this is their Gotcha Matcha Crunch. It's healthy, not too sweet, full of that matcha goodness you find in the tea drinks and cakes you often see in the market. It's a lot more fancy than that one you get from Starbucks, you really get a lot for the money you spend so go!

My personal favorite is the Strawberry Cheesecake. It's a whole cup of Strawberry Ice Cream, Cream Cheese, Graham Crackers, topped with Strawberry Wafers, Strawberry Syrup and a Strawberry Cookie. How can you not love this?

So if you're looking for something to cool down the weather, something comforting, something sweet, please don't hesitate to go to the third floor of Ayala Malls Vertis North... almost at the end of the mall, same level as the Cinema. Their store has seating outside, probably can sit around 16 people in one go. You'll love their milkshakes, they have some healthy options (especially the matcha) and it's okay to have sweets every now and then. You don't have to go all the way to Porac, Pampanga now that they've set up shop in Quezon City. Visit them today please!