July 2020 – Page 2 – Jellybeans in the City

Treat your taste buds with the NEW #McDoBoldMeetsCold combo — the Spicy McNuggets and McDo Shake!

Get that ice, spice, and everything nice at McDonald’s.

Bold meets cold as McDonald’s Philippines launches its newest combo: the Spicy McNuggets and McDo Shake!

Starting July 24, the much-awaited Spicy McNuggets finally makes its way to the Philippines, giving Filipinos that spicy kick to one of their McDo favorites! For a sweet and spicy experience, pair it with the indulgent McDo Shake— now available in all McDonald’s stores nationwide.

The crispy, tender, and juicy classic chicken McNuggets is here to spice things up—now with a mouth-watering, deliciously savory and spicy flavor. The classic golden-brown coating infused with bits of dried peppers goes perfectly well with your choice of sauce: BBQ or Sweet and Sour. With every bite, you get the right amount of spice and kick you’re craving for.

What better way to make your day sweet than to indulge yourself with the McDo Shake, a cool and refreshingly delicious drink made from McDonald’s creamy soft-serve ice cream you love, combined with a rich Chocolate sauce or fruity Strawberry syrup. Milky, luscious, and decadent— the McDo Shake is the perfect drink for satisfying your sweet tooth.

Your taste buds are definitely in for a treat with this new #McDoBoldMeetsCold combo! It’s available for a limited time only, so be sure to try it while you can! Order the new Spicy McNuggets and McDo Shake combo, available in all McDonald’s stores nationwide via Dine In, Take Out, Drive Thru, Pick-up, and McDelivery! Also available via GrabFood, foodpanda, and Mangan.ph!

For more information, follow McDonald’s Philippines on Facebook or McDo PH on Viber to stay up to date on all McDo announcements.

#QuarantineCookbook: Lemon Square #SiksikSaSarap Recipes

One of the few bright spots of the community quarantine and being stuck home is the emergence of many a newbie baker’s latent genius in the kitchen.

I’ve been through a baking phase a few years ago but I gradually lost interest due to lack of time and the increasing demands of my job.

When the quarantine was put in place, however, I found myself with more time on my hands and eager to get back into the kitchen to whip up tasty treats for the fam. Being the sweet tooth I am, these dishes tend to be desserts.

I was also recently issued with a challenge: create a snack or dessert using Lemon Square Cheesecake as one of the ingredients.

Lemon Square is a thirty-five-year-old brand that has been serving up real goodness through affordable and nutritious snacks. It has a family of flavors that cater to every personality and snacking quirk in the brood, starting from its flagship variant, Lemon Square Cheesecake, to snack cakes Lemon Square Whatta Tops and Lemon Square Lava Cake, as well as Lemon Square Whatta Flakes crackers and Lemon Square Cookie Bites.

Well, challenge accepted!

Here are – not one, not two, but – three desserts using four of Lemon Square variants. Check them out:

Crema de Fruta with Lemon Square Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 pack (10 pcs) Lemon Square Cheesecake
1 small can (432 g) of fruit cocktail (drain the fruits and reserve 4 tbsp of its syrup)
1 small can (108g) condensed milk
1 pack (250ml) all purpose cream

Procedure:

In a bowl, mash the Lemon Square Cheesecake pieces until they break apart into small crumbs. Add the reserved fruit cocktail syrup until the crumbs form a loose, streusel-like mixture.

In another bowl, mix together the all purpose cream and condensed milk until well-blended.

In an eight-inch tin can, assemble the crema de fruta in alternating layers of crumbs, sweetened cream and fruit pieces.

Refrigerate overnight to allow the dessert to settle. Serve well-chilled.

Tipsy Chocolate Cake with Lemon Square Lava Cake and Chocolate Cookie Bites

Ingredients:

1 pack Lemon Square Chocolate Cookie Bites
4 pcs Lemon Square Lava Cake
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp Baileys Irish cream
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Procedure:

Crush the Lemon Square Chocolate Cookie Bites until they form a fine powder. Set aside.

In a bowl, mash the Lemon Square Lava Cake until they form into thick crumbs. Press them to the bottom of an eight-inch tin can. Set aside.

To make the tipsy ganache, add the Baileys to the heavy cream in a saucepan. Stirring periodically, heat the mixture over low fire until just before the it begins to boil. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate until well-combined.

Allow the mixture to cool for three minutes before pouring it on top of the mashed Lava Cake in the prepared tin can.

Using a strainer, dust the top of the ganache with the powdered Chocolate Cookie Bites.

Place the tin can in the refrigerator overnight until the cake is fully set.

Serve chilled.

Note: You can lessen the amount of Baileys you put in or take it out all together to make this dessert more kid-friendly.

Avocado Ice Cream Cake with Whatta Flakes Spanish Bread

Ingredients:

For the crust:

6 packs crushed Lemon Square Whatta Flakes Spanish bread
1 stick of softened butter

For the ice cream:

Three avocados peeled and seeded (equivalent to 2 cups)
1 300ml and 1 108ml cans of condensed milk
4 cups heavy whipping cream

Procedure:

In a bowl, combine the crushed Whatta Flakes Spanish bread with the butter. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of five 8-inch cake tins then set aside.

In a blender, puree the avocado while mixing in the condensed milk until well-blended. Set aside.

Whip the heavy cream at high speed until it thickens. Gradually mix in the avocado puree until well-blended.

Transfer the mixture into the prepared tin cans, gently pressing the mixture into the containers and smoothing out the top using a spatula.

Freeze for at least six hours or overnight. Serve frozen.

Note: This is an update of the Avocado Ice Cream Cake recipe I published a few months ago, incorporating some improvements I discovered after making this dessert quite a number of times.

There you have it: three #LemonSquareSiksikSaSarap dessert recipes that you can easily whip up to experience real goodness at home.

Product samples were provided to facilitate the recipes.

Looking for other easy-to-cook dishes to try out while in quarantine? Check out my other kitchen adventures:

Singer-Songwriter Jean Tan delivers delicious new single ‘Oak Cherry Wine’, Pre-empting upcoming EP

Jean Tan’s latest single “Oak Cherry Wine” sees her continuing strong in a signature, bluesy vein, dropping on 24 July on all major digital streaming platforms via Leeway. This is Jean’s third and final single before the anticipated 5-song EP is released in fall 2020, produced and arranged by Singaporean R&B artist and multi-instrumentalist Dru Chen.

So is this just another love song? Definitely not. Though familiar themes of courtship and romance feature like they do in the previous singles, this is perhaps Jean’s most personal release to date. This is an ode to love, but a deeper kind – one that grows better with age, holds steady in both the valley and mountain moments. It is a lettre d’amour to the lover who decides to stay for better and worse, richer and poorer, in sickness and in health.

This is after all a song born out of Jean’s own story – her personal health struggles with kidney disease and the man who married her despite the uncertainty of a lifetime together. Perhaps it’s why it feels so powerful despite the simple instrumentation of keys and a couple of guitars. Everything is felt so keenly from the moment Jean whispers 1, 2, 3, 4 in your ear at the start to the soaring, dulcet tones of the chorus: I love you / and it’s funny how / I’ll need you and breathe you / Be with you every moment now…

Even in the simplicity of the arrangement, the listener is taken on a journey as the melodies of the two guitars dance around each other like two binary stars. Seventh chords. A walking, no, skipping bass line. An unexpected twinkling of the electric piano right at the end to bring it all home.

The song offers endless contrasts and complexity in so few elements that it’s hard not to be intrigued. It is sentimental, but fierce. Sweet but not saccharine. A glass of oak cherry wine, tilted to the lips – bittersweet, familiar, true.

Listen to ‘Oak Cherry Wine’ on Spotify or Apple Music.

About Leeway

Established in 2007, LEEWAY is one of the best independent publishers and record labels and no.1 sync agency in Korea. LEEWAY discovers composers and artists from around the world and promote them to K-pop, TV dramas, Films and TV commercials. LEEWAY presents its partners with integrated marketing strategy like publishing administration, distribution, event booking and music copyright consulting.

About Jean Tan

Jean is a singer-songwriter based in Singapore. Her music is a blend of folk, indie, and vocal jazz.

Jean has performed at Singapore’s National Stadium and Gardens by the Bay for the Southeast Asian Games 2015, as well as events like the Singapore Night Festival, Esplanade’s All Things New, Come Together, and Foreword festivals, Riverside Flow, and Zandari Festa in Seoul, Korea. Her last EP ‘Hideaway’ (2017) was co-produced by Kevin Foo and et aliae, and features songs like ‘Crowns’, which surpassed 100,000 streaming plays within two months of release. Her songs ‘6.55pm’ and ‘Waiting for Love’ have also been featured in the Korean drama mini-series Barefoot Diva and Le Jour.

Jean often weaves her life challenges into her songs and uses her music for social good. She has performed at schools, teenage homes, community spaces, and for organisations such as Halogen Foundation, World Vision, Relief Singapore, Operation Smile, and Architects of Life. Many have been inspired by her life.

Details and image provided by Leeway in a recent press release.

Making memorable snacking moments with Lemon Square

Remember simpler times when you were younger – spending sunny afternoons with your friends sharing yummy snacks lovingly prepared by your mom?

Playing outside may not be advisable nowadays, but you can still create memorable snacking moments with your kids and Lemon Square.

For thirty-five years, Lemon Square has been a part of every Filipino household, serving up real goodness through affordable and nutritious snack cakes. Its flagship brand – Lemon Square Cheesecake – has carved its place in every millennial’s childhood as the ultimate comfort merienda that is both tasty and filling.

Mothers also love Lemon Square products for its affordability, accessibility, and nutritional value.

Lemon Square also makes snacking more exciting with its family of brands that cater to every personality and quirk in the family:

Lemon Square Cheesecake: the classic favorite that is siksik with the real goodness of fresh eggs and milk
Lemon Square Whatta Tops: whatta cake, whatta topping, whatta filling! Make snacking more exciting with its moist cake, exciting toppings and creamy filling
Lemon Square Lava Cake: a moist, cream-filled snack bar made with real chocolate and oozing with home-baked quality goodness
Lemon Square Whatta Flakes: light and crisp crackers with a kakaibang feel in the mouth and kakaibang flavors
Lemon Square Cookie Bites: light, crispy, bite-sized, melt-in-your mouth cookies bursting with Lemon Square’s classic flavors: Cheesecake and Chocolate, it will make your quirky kids jump around in joy

So stay home and let Lemon Square be your family’s perfect snacking companion.

Experience Real Goodness, Always.

DJ Khaled teams up with Drake on two new singles “Popstar” and “Greece”

What a surprise drop! GRAMMY® Award-winning multiplatinum artist, music industry visionary, innovative influencer, mogul, and mega-producer DJ Khaled has released not one, but two new singles with Canadian music superstar Drake.

The massive singles “POPSTAR” and “GREECE” set the stage for his for his twelfth full-length album and one of the most anticipated hip-hop events of 2020, Khaled Khaled—coming very soon. Using his given name, it marks his most personal and powerful body of work yet.

Khaled makes a statement with both of these blockbuster anthems. Over lavish production and a cinematic beat, “POPSTAR” reflects on each titan’s place in the game as modern-day superstars responsible for a successive string of hit records. Meanwhile, “GREECE” nods to the finer pleasures in life with its rich bounce and luxurious rhymes. These songs continue one of the most legendary collaborative brotherhoods in hip-hop history between Khaled and Drake.

The two-punch release serves as their first team-up in three years, following the success of 2011’s “I’m on One,” 2013’s “No New Friends,” 2016’s “For Free” and 2017’s “To The Max.”

DJ Khaled notably kicked off 2020 by winning a GRAMMY® Award in the category of Best Rap/Sung Performance for the gold-selling “Higher” [feat. Nipsey Hussle & John Legend], paving the way for a massive year.

Since launching his career two decades ago, DJ Khaled has sold 18 million singles and 5 million albums and generated 3 billion-plus streams. His discography encompasses eight gold singles, five platinum singles, and two double-platinum singles.

He landed back-to-back #1 debuts on the Billboard Top 200 with the gold-selling Major Key in 2016 and platinum-certified GRAMMY® Award-nominated Grateful in 2017. The latter boasted the sextuple-platinum Billboard Hot 100 #1 “I’m The One” (feat. Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance the Rapper, & Lil Wayne) and quadruple-platinum “Wild Thoughts” (feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller).

DJ Khaled’s “POPSTAR” and “GREECE” (Feat. Drake) are now available on all digital platforms worldwide via We The Best/Epic Records.

Image and details provided by Epic Records in a recent press release.

Shopee and Google launch Google Ads with Shopee

Google Ads with Shopee offers specialized marketing support for brands to boost their e-commerce presence in Southeast Asia and Taiwan

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, teamed up with Google to launch Google Ads with Shopee, a first-of-its-kind marketing solution for brands to drive sales online. The launch reflects a shared commitment between Shopee and Google to accelerate digitization and enable e-commerce growth for brands across the region. Through this integration, brands on Shopee can access specialized marketing tools to boost their online presence, create deeper engagements with customers, and flexibly manage and measure their marketing campaigns.

Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing at Shopee Philippines, said, “Most brands in the Philippines are expanding their online presence as e-commerce becomes a vital part of the retail ecosystem. Shopee is committed to providing the best environment for every brand to succeed online. Google Ads with Shopee extends our efforts by deepening our integration with Google and making it easier for brand partners to promote their official stores and products online. We are delighted to have a like-minded partner like Google and we look forward to deeper collaborations in the future.”

Google Ads with Shopee meets the growing demand among brands for specialized marketing tools to support their increasing e-commerce presence. Key benefits include:

Convenient ad campaign creation on Shopee Brands Suite: Brands can now create Google shopping ads directly on the Shopee Brands Suite, adding to the existing range of marketing solutions and tools offered by Shopee. It will allow brands to promote their official stores and products more efficiently across all channels.
Increased flexibility and control: Brands can directly create and manage online ads for their official stores and products on Shopee on the Google Ads platform. It allows greater flexibility as brands can tailor ad campaigns to meet different business needs.
One-stop monitoring: Brands can monitor the performance of all their Google ads via the Shopee Brands Suite. The one-stop access to data, brands can seamlessly measure success and optimize the effectiveness of their marketing efforts on Shopee.

Samuele Saini, Sector Lead for Apps, e-Commerce, Entertainment at Google, said, “The e-commerce industry in Southeast Asia has experienced massive growth in recent years and is forecasted to exceed 150 billion USD by 20251. It has been further accelerated by the pandemic, with more consumers shopping online, as well as both big brands and smaller sellers quickly pivoting to further building their e-commerce presence.” He further added, “We are excited to launch Google Ads with Shopee, making it faster and easier for brands to connect with their customers online, and provide them with flexible tools to measure and optimize their campaigns.”

Download the Shopee app for free via the App Store or Google Play.

About Shopee

Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan. It was launched in 7 markets in 2015 to connect consumers, sellers, and businesses in the region.

Shopee offers an easy, secure, and engaging experience that is enjoyed by millions of people daily. It offers a wide product assortment, supported by integrated payments and logistics, as well as popular entertainment features tailored for each market. Shopee is also a key contributor to the region’s digital economy with a firm commitment to helping brands and entrepreneurs succeed in e-commerce.

Shopee is a part of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), a leading global consumer internet company. In addition to Shopee, Sea’s other core businesses include its digital entertainment arm, Garena, and digital financial services arm, SeaMoney. Sea’s mission is to better the lives of consumers and small businesses with technology.

The Jelly List: Unusual desserts to soothe your stress during quarantine

It’s been four months into the quarantine and with all the craziness that’s happening in and out of the country, many of us are feeling the literal and metaphorical heat.

I’m a firm believer in how the right kind of food improves one’s mood. And it just so happens that stressed spelled backwards is dessert.

Being a sweet tooth myself, of course I have a considerable bias towards desserts. (And words to the wise: biases are not inherently bad!)

Before I let my stress get the better of me, let me calm my mind down and yet excite my appetite as I present my picks for out-of-the-ordinary sweets.

These are usually reinterpretations or interesting tweaks to established dessert recipes, bringing something new to classic faves.

I also picked the ones that are currently available for pickup and delivery since most of us are stuck in our homes.

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes from Ombu Kusina

Ombu Kusina prides itself on its modern takes on Pinoy cuisine and this dessert is a prime example of that. Delightful layers of frozen soft meringue alternating custard filling, ice cream and graham cracker crust will make a great end to any meal.

Ombu Kusina is located at Ground Floor, Sequioa Hotel, Mother Ignacia Street, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 9am to 8pm for dine-in, delivery and pickup. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 84411789 or +63 922 8149086, or email omburestaurant@yahoo.com.

the vowels they orbit explores emotional intricacies on debut EP

Filipino indie pop-rock outfit the vowels they orbit has finally released their highly anticipated EP, ang unang ikot via Sony Music Philippines.

With songs that find strength in vulnerability, the band’s major label debut expounds on the complexities of young love from the perspective of someone who has gone through several missteps and recoveries in life.

On a thematic standpoint, the lyrics shine a light on certain issues that people tend to avoid in regular conversations: the melancholic “Pasa” recalls a harrowing story of abuse; the light-hearted ditty “Selos” struggles to conceal jealousy no matter how hard the person tries; and then there’s “Kiliti,” a song about finding that perfect someone in an imperfect situation. The 5-track release offers home to fragile beings caught in the throes of love, hoping that they’ll learn from their previous mistakes and come out as better individuals after.

According to the band, “all tracks were written in the context of love, but like every other song out there, they all go beyond the intention.” Patch Javier adds, “the latest EP tackles what most relationship journeys look like during [their] firsts.”

ang unang ikot, is written, arranged and performed by the vowels they orbit, except for “Selos,” which was penned by Darwin Hernandez—the hitmaker behind chart-topping singles “Torete” and “Sandalan.” The album is produced by Rye Sarmiento, the guitarist of 6cyclemind and Banda Ni Kleggy.

About The Band

Signed to Sony Music Philippines, the vowels they orbit makes captivating pop-rock anthems laced with discernible hooks and strong melodic instincts. This is evident on their debut single “Selos,” which peaked at No. 2 on Spotify Philippines’ Viral 50 charts and No. 1 on Love Radio 90.7 Top 10.

The band, composed of Nikka Melchor (Vocals), Jeremy Sayas (Drums), Hannah Dela Cruz (Keyboard), Gene Santiago (Guitars) and Patch Javier (Bass), is managed by Soupstar Music—the home to several established and promising music acts such as 6cyclemind, Teeth, Imago, Sandwich, Pedicab, Moonstar88, Ultra Combo, Gracenote, Banda ni Kleggy, Better Days, the vowels they orbit, and Kurei.

the vowels they orbit’s debut EP, ang unang ikot, is now available on all digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music Philippines.

Image and details provided by Sony Music Philippines in a recent press release.

Flavored breads from Tita She’s Bakery

How do you like to start your day, foodies?

Before I begin my workday, either back when I was in the office, or these days working from home, I like to take a quick coffee break and munch on some yummy baked goods.

My go-to orders from the panaderia near the office are cheese pan de sal and Spanish bread.

Pan de sal, the most common bread roll in the Philippines, is made with flour, yeast, sugar, eggs and water, a staple many breakfast tables.

Its softer, longer and more buttery and sugary version, on the other hand, is called Spanish bread.

These classic breads and my morning coffee have sustained me through many tedious reports, near-interminable meetings and more.

Now that I’m working from home (and I can’t go out to buy breads on a whim), jumpstarting my workday the way I like it has gotten a bit harder.

Thankfully, there’s a way for me to get my morning breads before I start my day working from home. Plus, they come with a colorful and flavorful twist, thanks to Tita She’s Bakery.

This new online store came about when twenty-four-year-old Kim Nunez was faced with slowed down projects as an events photographer and wanted a new source of income.

Chancing upon an article on Facebook about an online seller making Php7,000 a day from making and selling ube cheese pan de sal, Kim decided to try her hand at it as well.

With her mom’s help, she started baking the trending food item and started selling two days later.

She didn’t stop there.

Integrating her love for cakes and recognizing that Pinoys would love a new twist to their faves, she also came out with breads with popular cake flavors.

Pan de Sal flavors include ube, cheese, ube cheese, ube choco, choco cheese, choco hazelnut, banana cake, banana hazelnut and carrot cake.

These pan de sal are priced at Php5 to Php10 per piece for regular (65g) and Php7 to Php12 per piece for overloaded (90g with twice the filling as regular).

Spanish bread variants, on the other hand, include classic, ube, cheese, ube cheese, choco and choco hazelnut.

These Spanish breads are priced at Php8 to Php12 per piece for regular (65g) and Php12 to Php16 per piece for overloaded (90g with twice the filling as regular).

To get these yummy and freshly baked breads delivered to your doorstep, call +63 932 6032354 or +63 967 7613909 (cashless payments via BDO, BPI and GCash accepted) have them picked up at Lores, Antipolo City via Lalamove (pin “Tita She’s Bakery”). You can also check out Tita She’s Bakery on Facebook and Instagram.

Don’t worry about ordering a lot of these breads. Just store the leftover breads in the ref and reheat by microwave or oven toaster (two minutes at 150 deg C). They are still fluffy and soft after reheating, even if they’ve been in the ref for three days!

So, foodies, get ready to have a wonderful start to your workday with these flavored breads!

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

#LookToTheEast for delectable and affordable Sushi Bake

Easterners, we don’t have to get left behind when it comes to the latest quarantine food trend: the Sushi Bake.

Thanks to new online seller in the Rizal area, Y&G Delectables, we can satisfy our curiosity and craving for this trending food item easily and quite cheaply, too!

Despite having been written about as early as 2011, the sushi bake has re-emerged as the must-taste dish of the season. While its exact origins aren’t known, some have theorized that it may have been influenced by Hawaiian cuisine such as the poke bowls with cooked meat and the Spam Musubi.

Essentially, it is sushi deconstructed as a casserole: steamed rice forms the bottom layer which is then topped with the elements we normally expect from a sushi roll such as kani, ebiko and furikake. After baking the sushi casserole in the oven, spoonfuls are scooped out and placed in small nori squares, ready for eating.

While there are many interpretations of this dish being offered all over the metro, they tend to be quite pricy or too distant from us Easterners to find the cost of delivery to our homes practical.

Well that limitation ends now with Y&G Delectables’ Sushi Bake. This no-frills take on the dish is well-suited for those who like their kani baked sushi cheesy, strongly flavored with a little spicy kick due to the use of sriracha.

Cainta-based Y&G Delectables takes its name from the teenage twins Yel and Gel who decided to offer their Ate’s sushi bake in their area as a way to pass the time (and earn some money) while stuck at home. (And I’m all for youngsters learning the value of making a living early on.)

Y&G Delectables’ sushi bake come in three tummy-filling sizes:

Solo with 1 free nori pack: Php250
Sharing with 2 free nori packs: Php350
Family (available upon request); Php550

So. Easterners, the next time you’re feeling peckish and looking for a trendy snack, or want to surprise your old folks with today’s hottest food trend, grab a tray of Y&G Delectables’ Sushi Bake and support a local business while you’re at it.

To order, text +63 975 0375035 or send a message via Instagram. Payments via BDO, BPI or GCash are accepted. Delivery via Grab, Lalamove or Angkas to be shouldered by buyer.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business: