Gel Jose

Cookie hacks with Betty Crocker’s Cookie Mixes

Hello, house-bound mumshies!

Have you gone on a baking spree already?

If you still haven’t thrown yourself into one of the quarantine’s most popular pastimes because you lack the time, ingredients or equipment, let me share with you some hacks that will have you donning on your apron, ready to bake.

Let’s start you off with simple treats that will surely win the hearts (and tummies!) of the youngsters and adults alike: cookies!

Cookies seem to have been originated in 7th century Persia, a little while after the use of sugar became common in the region. Through the Muslim conquest of Spain, this baked goodies spread throughout Europe. It was said to have come to America through the Dutch in New Amsterdam in the 1620s with the Dutch word koekje latet Anglicized to “cookie.”

Since then, exciting cookie variants have been introduced, giving cookie fans more reasons to love their favorite baked treat.

Bringing these bits of sweet happiness to your home even got a whole lot easier with these beloved cookie flavors in packaged mixes from Betty Crocker.

Betty Crocker got its start back in 1921 through a sales promotion ran by Gold Medal Flour targeting home cooks. Along with the entries, flour milling company Washburn Crosby Company (the predecessor of General Mills, Inc.), received a deluge of questions about baking. The name Betty Crocker was formulated to personalize responses to these queries.

Today, Betty Crocker is considered an icon of food expertise and reliable products, offering reliable and accessible recipes, sound cooking advice and dependable products. Its trademark red spoon and the Betty Crocker brand evokes that feeling of warmth and homeyness.

Among its products are the Betty Crocker Cookie Mixes. These mixes have no colors, no artificial flavors and no preservatives, just honest-to-goodness ingredients that will enable home cooks to have freshly baked treats from bowl to oven in minutes.

And really, these cookie mixes are so easy to use; I made three flavors of cookies using just my trusty mixing bowl, a fork, a 1 1/2-in diameter ice cream scoop, and, of course, my trusty oven (preheated to 375 deg F (190 deg C).

Each 17.5oz (496g) cookie mix bag produces twenty-four 3-inch cookies, enough to sate the cravings of any cookie fan.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

This beloved cookie was invented in 1938 by chefs Ruth Graves Wakefield for the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, then a popular spot for home cooking. She chopped bits from a Nestle semi-sweet chocolate bar into a cookie dough made with flour, butter, brown and white sugar and vanilla, and a legendary cookie was born.

The Hack: Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix

Mix together the cookie mix, one stick (1/2 cup) softened butter and egg until a soft dough forms.

Scoop the dough into round balls and drop them in an ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart.

Bake for nine to eleven minutes or until edges are light golden brown.

Each cookie is chewy and bursting with sweetness, a sure hit for kids and adults alike!

Oatmeal Cookie

A descendant of the traditional Scottish oatcakes which has been around since the middle ages, the recipe of the oatmeal cookie was first published in 1896 by Fannie Merritt Farmer author of the Boston Cooking School Cook Book. When it became popular in the US in the early 1900s, it was considered a health food due to the increased fiber content from the oatmeal.

The Hack: Betty Crocker Oatmeal Cookie Mix

Mix together the cookie mix, one stick (1/2 cup) softened butter, 1 tbsp water and egg until a slightly stiff dough forms.

Scoop the dough into round balls and drop them in an ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart.

Bake for ten to twelve minutes or until edges are light golden brown.

A bit heftier when compared to other cookies, this moist and chewy oatmeal cookie packs a lot of texture as well as flavor in each bite.

Peanut Butter Cookie

The peanut butter cookie was invented in the 1910s by George Washington Carver when he published a peanut cookbook to promote the crop. While his original recipes called for chopped nuts, these were substituted in later iterations with peanut butter, and a classic cookie fave came to be.

The Hack: Betty Crocker Peanut Butter Cookie

Mix together the cookie mix, three tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tbsp water and egg until a soft dough forms.

Scoop the dough into round balls and drop them in an ungreased cookie sheet two inches apart.

Bake for nine to eleven minutes or until edges are light golden brown.

From the smell of peanut butter wafting to your nostrils to the satisfying bites into salty-sweet chewiness, this cookie is a feast for the senses.

(Traditionally, fork marks are associated to the peanut butter cookie. I just forgot to apply them before baking, my bad!)

Want some more cookie hacks?

Allow the cookies to cool for one minute on the cookie sheet before removing them.

Baked too many? Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in a 300 deg F (150 deg C) oven for four to six minutes or until warm

Want to save some cookie dough to be baked later? Place the dough balls in a container with lid and place in a freezer. You can pop these in the oven and bake for few minutes longer.

So stock up on these cookie mixes so you can easily treat the fam to bites of cookie happiness at home.

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Filipino-American artist Dominic Fike drops long-awaited debut album

Rising Filipino-American artist Dominic Fike has just released his highly-anticipated debut album, What Could Possibly Go Wrong, via Columbia Records. The album includes the previously-released singles “Chicken Tenders,” and “Politics & Violence,” which Pigeons & Planes called “one of his best songs yet,” and arrives after his video FIGHT OR FLIGHT, where he jumped off a plane and previewed the album opener “Come Here.”

What Could Possibly Go Wrong was initially delayed in light of the protests that have spread across America, which Fike addressed in addition to detailing his own history with police brutality in a powerful essay he shared with fans. He also spoke with Brockhampton’s Kevin Abstract for a conversation that further contextualizes the forthcoming album, as well as appeared in Anderson .Paak’s “Lockdown” video that poignantly addresses the protests and current political climate.

The attention on Dominic Fike has steadily grown since the release of his EP Don’t Forget About Me, Demos, via Columbia Records in 2018. From that initial release, he’s continued to rise as one of his generation’s most enigmatic pop stars.

Last year, his hit single “3 Nights” reach #1 on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart in September. He also collaborated with Omar Apollo on “Hit Me Up” and “Phone Numbers,” the latter of which he performed on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon with Kenny Beats and saw an Aidan Cullen-directed music video featuring Halsey.

Dom also appeared on the covers of BRICK and Notion Magazine in addition to marquee features in The FADER, Interview Magazine etc. in addition to touring the the world on his sold out Rain or Shine tour.

Listen to What Could Possibly Go Wrong here.

Image and details provided by Columbia Recordds in a recent press release.

Choose Your Own Adventure with jaye’s Interactive Music Video

ADHD represents the vicious-affective cycle experienced by artist, jaye in his bygone days as a hustling DJ. The four symptoms that make the acronymed A-D-H-D cycle are: Attention, Depression, Hit, and Dip. These were the formulaic-four that spun the cycle led headfirst by intoxication and party highs. All jaye could yearn for at the end was escape from its cyclical gravity. The genre-fluid single was recently released on 31 July – but that was just the shallows. Today, jaye drafts audiences into a rip-tide of immersive experiences with a powerful interactive Music Video.

Inspired by Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” jaye starts off at the deep end experimenting with the deconstruction of song and video structure to come up with the time-space defying Music Video (MV). The free-form MV is fitted much like Black Mirror’s Bandersnatch which gives users an illusion of control. Audiences get to choose their own adventure from four options (Attention – Depression – Hit – Dip) whilst vicariously living through experiences adapted from jaye’s own memories. The first chapter ends in two options (Ascend and Descend) and from there the viewer controls the narrative, or at least that’s what they think.

The postmodern video is a hands-on representation of the true viciousness of the ADHD cycle. Viewers will feel the same burden that jaye did as he realized that partying did not empower him; rather, it proved a great hindrance to his mental health and life.

jaye’s MV is a psychedelic cyberpunk microcosm with nostalgic video game elements and hair-raising horror features. Parts of the MV are also interwoven with the MVs from his former future-past releases via meta space-time warps.

With command of the concept, “the game of life”, jaye will release an 8-bit 2D Instagram filter game called HIT which will allow users to continue to engage with his Super Mario-esque hellscape (as seen in the MV). Fans will have to blink to shoot oncoming enemies with lasers in a side-scrolling virtual landscape, soundtracked by the ‘Hit’ section of the ADHD track. Prizes will be given away to those with high scores.

This track comes after the stratospheric success of previous singles ‘TOMORROW’ and ‘DEJAVU’. Both Music Videos received over half a million Youtube views after just one month, no doubt owing to their conceptual depth and edge.

Image and details provided in a recent press release.

Want s’mores? Get them from Charlie Baker

Marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers…

We Pinoys don’t have a dessert tradition that involves these three ingredients but in the US, no campfire is complete without them, combined to form S’mores.

A contraction of the phrase “some more,” this campfire treat was first known as the Graham Cracker Sandwich which was very popular among Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The marshmallows are normally placed on sticks to be toasted using the campfire until golden brown on the outside and gooey on the inside. It is then sandwiched between two graham cracker halves along with a piece of chocolate.

Well, we city denizens might not be able to gather around a campfire anytime soon, but that doesn’t mean we have to deprive ourselves of this campfire treat.

Charlie Baker is a new online business, currently specializing in S’mores. It is managed by thirty-one-year-old Charles Rosales, a recent culinary school graduate who decided to introduce the little-known dessert S’mores to Metro Manila foodies.

For just Php120, dessert lovers can enjoy a 14-piece tub of a handier version of the S’mores which consist of a crust of crushed Graham crackers, a thick layer of milk chocolate topped by toasted marshmallows. A 19″x12″ pan of these yummies – monikered as S’most – is also available at Php750.

You would have to keep this refrigerated before consuming but you can pop a piece or two in the microwave for a few seconds to have the marshmallow become a bit gooey and the chocolate a little melted.

Snack on it in during work or study breaks, or while binge-watching your fave series on TV. You can also serve it to the kiddos as a dessert to cap a meal.

Charlie Baker also offers Chocolate Crinkles at Php120/dozen as well as accepts orders for personalized cakes and pastries.

To order, message Charlie Baker on Facebook or Instagram. Payments via BPI, BDO and GCash are accepted. The S’mores can be delivered to anywhere in Metro Manila via Lalamove, Grab or Mr. Speedy (delivery fee c/o buyer).

Disclosure: Product sample was provided to facilitate an honest review.

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

Joji & Diplo struggle as PAs in “DAYLIGHT” music video

Joji teams up with Diplo on a new collaboration called “Daylight,” the latest single from his highly anticipated new album Nectar, due out on September 25 through 88rising, distributed by 12Tone Music.

Just in time for the dog days of summer, this midtempo anthem sets Joji’s lulling vocals against Diplo’s crisp production to create a hazy, shapeshifting aural mirage.

The vibrant music video for “Daylight,” directed by Munachi Osegbu (Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hot Girl Summer” video), finds Joji and Diplo tasting the high life of a boy band: as struggling PAs on a 90s music video shoot.

The two daydreamers bumble around the set and ultimately derail the shoot of the young (at heart) pop divas.

“Daylight” is the fourth pre-release track from Nectar. It follows Gold-certified single “Sanctuary” and his first 2020 single “Run,” which earned Joji his highest-ever entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and his television debut on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; and second single “Gimme Love” which Complex hailed as “a stickypop anthem with haunting vocals.” Last month, Joji also released a tingly and transformative remix of “Gimme Love” by Channel Tres.

On the song, Joji says, “It might be nice for people to hear a song about daylight, especially when we don’t get as much of it as we used to,” and on the collaboration, Diplo says “Joji is one of my favorite artists. I’m lucky he answered my text!”

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

The Itchyworms to launch quarantine-themed album with a virtual event

The Itchyworms will be hosting a virtual album launch to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated fifth album, Waiting For The End To Start.

A few hours before the 9-track album drops on digital platforms worldwide, the acclaimed pop-rock outfit is set to debut the songs for the very first time through an online listening and live commentary party, which will be streamed live via The Itchyworms’ official Facebook page on August 17, (Monday), from 7:30 pm onwards.

Expect a night of fun and entertainment as The Itchyworms perform select cuts from their upcoming release, and promise music listeners to deliver a riveting music experience like no other.

About the album

The Itchyworms’ upcoming studio album, Waiting For The End To Start was conceptualized and recorded with the members of the band confined in their respective homes during the nationwide lockdown.

Thematically, the songs are written as a reflection of their individual and collective experiences during the quarantine period. It also inhabits a more adventurous and relentless approach in terms of production and songwriting, which produced captivating end results that music fans will surely love.

As Chino Singson, the band’s lead guitarist and back-up vocalist, shares in a statement, “Like any collection of music, it is a record of its time: A snapshot of the artist’s reaction to his or her circumstances. But it’s a concept album in that our aim was to create art in the midst of a pandemic, to capture our emotions in the music we record, even with the limited recording gear we have at home. So you’ll hear amp buzz and imperfect vocals, but for me that’s part of the spirit of true rock.”

The Itchyworms’ “Waiting For The End To Start” virtual album launch is presented by Sony Music Philippines, GNN Entertainment, and Linya-Linya.

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

Easy dinner delivery from Delanders Pizza + Cafe

I’m all for home cooking; in fact, I’ve been taking the extra time spent at home to cook up delish dishes for the fam.

Every once in a while, however, I find myself lacking the inclination to whip up something in the kitchen. It may be because of a videocon that extended past office hours, or the depletion of supplies in the pantry.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad that a busy work-at-home mom like me – one that’s still adjusting to the New Normal – have a myriad of options for her family’s meal.

One such option is the delivery of pizzas from Delander Pizza + Cafe via FoodPanda.

Both of the kiddos are avid pizza fanatics and both welcomed the break from our usual ulam with pizzas ordered from a relatively new store.

Delander Pizza + Cafe opened its doors in Manggahan, Pasig a little over two years ago, bringing local residents a taste of freshly baked and topping-rich pizzas.

Thankfully, it has remained open through the various stages of community quarantine since mid-March to present for takeout and delivery.

Thanks to FoodPanda, the kiddos and I supped on:

Delander Special (Php90 solo | Php240 regular | Php320 mega). Topped with cheese, ham, bacon, beef, pepperoni, pineapple, mushrooms, bell peppers and onions.

Quadro Pizza (Php405). Four flavors all in one pizza: the Delander Special, Hawaiian (Ham, Cheese and Pineapple), Pepperoni and Cheese, and Shawarma (beef shawarma, cheese, onions, bell pepper and fresh tomatoes). This was an excellent choice as we were able to enjoy all four pizza variants for the price of one.

So, this busy mom got a kitchen duty reprieve, thanks to Delander Pizza and FoodPanda.

Delander Pizza + Cafe is located at 451 RL Reyes Building, Amang Rodriguez Avenue, Barangay Manggahan, Pasig City. To order your pizzas, call +63 2 85439843 or +63 975 7306240.

Late last year, it opened a branch a bit nearer to my home (but, sadly, does not yet offet delivery) at 7 Ilang-ilang Street, De Castro Subdivision, Barangay Santa Lucia, Pasig City. To order for pickup, call +63 2 73737751 or +63 999 9908910.

Home-cooked feels from Aling Banang’s

After almost five months of being cooped up at home, I must say that I have developed a newfound respect for home-cooking.

These are the dishes that many of us grew up with and have loved over the years, the viands that we may not always list as put absolute faves but nevertheless welcome when they are presented to us on the dinner table.

The thing is, however, having the same home-cooked dishes again and again can become a drag. Blame it on the limited repertoire of many homemakers when it comes to Filipino food, or simply the lack of time to learn to cook new dishes despite being stuck at home or to replenish the pantry with the needed ingredients.

Whichever the reason, I found myself having to look for viand for my family’s lunch one weekday.

I already know that Aling Banang’s makes a tasty Pancit Canton for groups, but the challenge was how to scale that for a simple family meal.

Fortunately, Aling Banang’s also offers solo servings of its dishes such as:

Pancit Canton (Php60). Pinoy-style stir-fried noodles with shredded veggies topped with Lecon Kawali pieces.

Lechon Kawali (Php60). Pork belly that is boiled, seasoned then deep-fried in a wok until the meat is tender and juicy and the skin is crispy and golden brown.

With five orders of Lechon Kawali and two orders of Pancit Canton, I was able to satisfy the lunch appetites of the entire fam for just Php420!

What’s your meal hack?

Get your own lutong bahay eats without having to sweat it out in the kitchen. If you’re in the Pasig area, order your meal from Aling Banang’s by calling +63 2 73582953, +63 921 3364640 or +63 955 6922033.

“Kitakits sa bahay” with McDonald’s delivery

Have you seen McDonald’s new ad “Kitakits?”

It shows snippets of life that still goes on despite the raging pandemic: the shy smiles from behind the necessary face masks, greeting each other by shaking feet instead of hands, eating out together while remaining apart, and getting used to spending time indoors, all as part of the New Normal.

My fam and I are also adjusting to the new way of being, enjoying our extended time together at home.

And while we’re both busy working from home, Hubby and I still try to squeeze in some bits of time with kiddos within our workday: our own “kitakits.”

On one such occasion, I ordered some of our favorites from McDonald’s for us to munch on during our afternoon break:

Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Hubby’s big appetite needs a big burger and this one fits the bill. A quarter-pound beef patty topped with slices of onions, pickles and melty cheese in a sesame seed bun.

McChicken Sandwich. My go-to order: a crispy fillet of chicken slathered with mayonnaise and sandwiched in a toasted sesame seed bun. It should have come with shredded ice lettuce but I guess someone left that out. Oh,well… 😒

Chicken McNuggets. For the kiddos, we got juicy and crispy ten- and six-piece nuggets accompanied by barbecue sauce. They just can’t seem to stop biting into these yummies!

French Fries. The fam’s favorite fries made with stripes straight cut from whole potatoes, deep-fried to a golden brown, salted and best enjoyed hot and crisp from the fryer.

The missing iceberg lettuce from my McChicken Sandwich, I’m not to crazy about. My enjoyable time with the fam? Luv ko ‘to!

Wanna have your favorite fast food delivered right to your doorstep? Order online at McDelivery between 6am and 9.30pm or download the McDelivery App. Due to the moderate enhanced community quarantine (MECQ), delivery will be available in selected areas.

You may also course your orders through these food delivery apps.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order

Check out my other posts on McDonald’s:

Zack Tabudlo takes charge of his fear and soars in love with latest single, “Nangangamba”

“I wrote down some lyrics about the things I was going through at the time. I was in a situation where I felt like someone I liked was playing too hard to get, and the song pretty much circles around that idea: that sometimes when we play too hard to get, we lose people who really love us or people who [turn out to] feel the same way.”

Singer-songwriter and producer Zack Tabudlo finds renewed perspective on time’s delicate role in shaping your own destiny, setting an ultimatum on fear with his newest single, “Nangangamba,” out today on digital platforms worldwide.
On his first release under Island Records Philippines, Zack urges listeners to take ownership of their own feelings: that inaction may shield you from pain, yes, but ultimately it’ll get you nowhere. He brings love songs up a notch, infusing pop and R&B elements to his powerful vocals—a testament to his ever-evolving songwriting and production style. But moreover, it signals a shift on his creative choices in keeping his individual artistry as dynamic as his growth in the music industry. “With these new tracks, I’m sure people who have experienced these would relate so much more… [the latest single] is very different, music-wise and in terms of maturity,” he shares.

Part of this artistic growth is Zack’s experience of writing “Nangangamba,” a song he wrote a year ago. He cites an earlier failed romance as the inspiration behind the song. “I wrote down some lyrics about the things I was going through at the time. I was in a situation where I felt like someone I liked was playing too hard to get, and the song pretty much circles around that idea: that sometimes when we play too hard to get, we lose people who really love us or people who [turn out to] feel the same way.” The process of writing the actual song didn’t take long once the idea set in. “It all started with a melody that popped into my head while I was in class. Every time melodies or ideas pop in my head, I always grab my phone to record them just to make sure I won’t forget. But this time, I knew I needed at least a couple of chords on any instrument just to seal the idea. I recorded all the chords I needed using a ukulele. When I got home I went straight to my home studio and finished the production with my vocals and everything. Five to six hours later, ‘Nangangamba’ was born.”

Now finally set to be released, “Nangangamba” unintentionally—and fittingly—became a case of practicing what you preach, as he sings, “Ito na ang pagkakataon / Wala nang pipigil sa’yo / ‘Wag ka nang mahihiya / Sabihin na ang totoo.” In some ways, the lockdown allowed him to reprioritize. “I have a home studio and all the equipment I need. Having all the time in the world made me focus more and be motivated to write lots of songs compared to when I was also studying at the same time.”

Acquiring skills over time also made it possible to avoid tremendous adjustments to recording and producing the single despite limitations during the quarantine. “Just like in my old tracks, I’ve worked on them from top to bottom. I’m the producer, writer, singer, arranger, as well as the mixing and mastering engineer. It was really fun experimenting with different genres and I really like the vibe of each and every song I’ve been making lately. There are samples I’ve worked on from scratch with these tracks and I really can’t wait for everyone to hear it.”

His latest career step as part of the brand-new Island Records roster excites the multi-disciplinary artist. “Everyone in MCA Music Philippines and Island Records Philippines are amazing… They’ve been very supportive and very creative when it comes to ideas or projects, and I know I have a very strong team behind me.”

About Zack Tabudlo

Zack Tabudlo is a singer-songwriter and producer from Manila, Philippines. He joined The Voice Kids in 2014 and went on to establish his solo career, writing and performing his own music. His first single, “Stay Here,” was released in 2018 and was featured on several Spotify playlists, including “Men of OPM,” “Philippines Viral 50,” and “OPM Says Chillax.” His subsequent single, “Mahal O Biro,” was again included in “Men of OPM” and “Pinoy Love Ballads” playlists. Zack premiered his first single of 2020, the chill-pop track “This Is Love,” in February.

He has also collaborated with several OPM artists, undertaking writer and producer roles. He’s most recently been credited in arranging and producing Carlo Aquino’s single “Balisong” and Sharlene San Pedro’s “Everything Will Be Alright” and “Pusong Naliligaw.”

Now on a fresh path in his career, Zack sets his sights to winning the hearts of his audience both locally and internationally as one of the bold new signees to Island Records Philippines.

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