Jellybeans in the City

#QuarantineCookbook: Homemade Avocado Ice Cream Cake

Relief from this summer’s oppressive heat and humidity is few and far between.

It makes me want to cool down with some frozen treat. How about you?

Well, since I recently learned how to make homemade ice cream, I set about learning how to add a twist to it: make it into a cake!

And of course, I just had to try it with my favorite fruit: the avocado!

This fruit has been having quite a resurgence lately, appearing in a variety of trendy and previously unheard-of dishes from toasts to pastas. However, the avocado’s real siren call to me is as a dessert. Its rich and creamy texture, as well as its earthy flavor make the avocado absolutely sensational when sweetened, making it a great showcase ingredients for desserts such as this homemade avocado ice cream cake.

It turned out to be so easy!

Ingredients:

For the crust:

2 cups crushed Christia toasted bread (can be replaced by an equal amount of crushed Graham crackers)
1 stick of softened butter
3 tbsp white sugar

For the ice cream:

1 cup avocado puree (made by pureeing the flesh of two ripe avocados in a blender)
1 300ml can of condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Procedure:

In a bowl, combine the crushed Christia toasted bread, butter and sugar. Press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of two 6″ x 2″ cake tins then set aside.

In another bowl, mix together the avocado puree, the condensed milk and heavy cream at low speed until the ingredients are well-combined and the mixture begins to thicken.

Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the mixture forms stiff peaks.

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

Freeze for at least six hours or overnight.

What you get is a wonderful creamy blend of avocado sweetness and crumbly buttery crust with each spoonful. My kids (and I!) absolutely love it!

Well, it sure looks like I’ve got new favorite dessert!

Plus, wouldn’t you know it! You can use this recipe to make other fruit-based ice cream cakes! You might need to adjust the amount of condensed milk you use depending on the native sweetness of the fruit you’re using. Check them out:

Mango!

Banana!

Strawberry!

If ever you need to bring dessert to a potluck party or want to give out ice cream cakes as gifts, you know you can always whip ’em up in a jiffy.

Which fruits would you like to make into homemade ice cream cakes? Try this recipe with your favorite fruit and let me know how it turns out.

PS: Truth be told, the recipe originally called for Graham crackers but after scouring through three supermarkets looking for this out-of-stock item, I decided to use Christia toasted bread as a substitute. It had a buttery flavor and a more crumbly texture that went well with the ice cream. Still, if you want a more conventional crust for your ice cream cake, you may opt to stick to the crushed Graham crackers.

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

Scrubb’s songs on 2gether soundtrack, now a Philippine hit!

After the massive hype surrounding 2gether: The Series, its official soundtrack featuring the music of Thai crossover sensation Scrubb, continues to dominate streaming platforms such as Spotify with an average of four to six entries a day on the Philippines Viral Top 50.

Their back catalog, which features previous hits, “ขอ (Wish),” “ทุกอย่าง (Everything),” “รอยยิ้ม (Smile),” and “ใกล้ (Close),” has consistently charted on the local digital and streaming services for more than a month. Its success in the Philippines and the Asian region is propelled by the publicity it received from the smash series, which currently airs on Thailand’s GMM 25 and Line TV, as well as the YouTube account of GMMTV.

“The author is one of our fans who started writing this story as an online fiction inspired by our songs,” recalls Scrubb’s Torpong “Ball” Chantabubpha on how their infectious set of melodic guitar pop tunes made its way to the Original Soundtrack (OST) of the Boys Love (BL) hit. “Then it got published as a book. Finally, the series came out, which encouraged more people to listen to our songs. We have to thank Jitti, the author, for putting our songs in the original story and making all of these things happen.”

Scrubb’s songs have somehow aided in championing a narrative that supports the unique romantic experiences of the LGBTQ+ community. Their involvement in the official soundtrack of a pop culture behemoth encourages visibility and representation in mainstream media, which has long shunned stories that go against societal norms. “As an artist, we have no specific audience,” shares Muey Thawatpon Wongbunsiri, the other half of Scrubb. “Our songs are our diaries. It’s a way for us to keep the good memories from that period of time. I think the listeners can also relate to the song as they face similar situation or atmosphere. We are happy when anyone can enjoy and get inspired by our song no matter who they are.”

Aside from their contribution to the 2gether soundtrack, the Smile duo has recently released their new single “ธรรมดา (Everyday)” earlier this year with a music video directed by prolific filmmaker Domu.

To date, the folk-pop duo has been receiving offers to play a number of shows abroad from international promoters. Ball adds, “Our plans to tour outside Thailand are forced to stop because of COVID-19 outbreak. At the moment we are writing, rehearsing, and preparing to be back on stage once again once this pandemic is finally over. We also hope that we’ll get a chance to be there and play for our fans in the Philippines soon.”

The songs from the official soundtrack of 2gether: The Series, which prominently feature the music of Scrubb, are now available on all digital and streaming platforms worldwide via Sony Music.

#QuarantineCookbook: Slow Cooker Pork Roast

Wanna know what my fam and I had for our Mother’s Day meal?

Pork Loin Roast with Herb-Buttered Vegetables!

If you find the name of the dish intimidating, don’t worry. It’s actually quite easy to do. (I have a “no-frills, no fuss” philosophy when it comes to home-cooking.)

Well, the ease of preparing this dish, of course, requires that you have the right tools, the most important of which is a slow cooker.

A slow cooker is a counter-top kitchen appliance used to simmer food in lower temperatures than other cooking methods which facilitates unattended cooking for many hours. The result: cheaper cuts of meat become fork tender and produce more flavorful stews.

You would think that using the slow cooker would entail a lot of hours slaving away in the kitchen.

Well, my hack for this recipe is to place the pork loin in the slow cooker and set the time for eight hours before bed time. The meat will be fully cooked by the time I wake.

So check out how easy it is to make this dish!

Ingredients:

For the rub:

1 tsp ground dried rosemary
1 tsp roasted garlic and herb seasoning
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil

For the roast:

2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 c water
1 1/2 kilo roast pork loin
1/2 pork bouillion cube

For the sides:

5 medium potatoes, boiled then cut into quarters
1 medium carrot, cut into strips then parboiled
1 bundle French beans, parboiled
1 tsp ground dried rosemary
1 tsp roasted garlic and herb seasoning
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp butter

Procedure:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the rub ingredients until well-mixed. Massage the rub into the pork roast, then place into a Ziplock bag and place in the refrigerator for up to six hours. That will help the meat absorb all the lovely flavors from the rub.

In a flat pan, melt the butter in olive oil then sear the marinated pork loin for up to 2 two minutes per side.

Place the pork loin in the slow cooker along with the water and pork cube. Cook on low for eight to ten hours.

Place the slow-cooked pork loin in a baking pan. Surround the pork loin with the vegetables. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary and garlic and herb seasoning. Distribute dabs of butter among the vegetables then place in a 200 deg C oven for fifteen minutes. The meat is already cooked from the slow cooker. This will heat it up for your meal as well further brown the skin of the meat.

Lightly toss the vegetables to evenly distribute the melted butter and seasonings prior to serving.

This recipe serves ten. My household of five had two takes with this dish, as we had quite a lot of leftovers after the first serving.

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

This post contains affiliate links.

Popular Korean dramas GOBLIN and SAIMDANG on HBO Go starting May 20

Korean drama enthusiasts rejoice! Starting May 20, 2020, satiate your Korean drama cravings with two popular Korean drama series – Goblin, one of the highest rated Korean dramas on cable television, and Saimdang, a love story set across time, on HBO GO. Also available on HBO GO are two episodes of Goblin Specials with cast interviews and behind-the-scene action from this popular series.

Goblin, an epic story that spans centuries, boasts a star-studded cast including Gong Yoo (Train To Busan), Lee Dong Wook (Hotel King), Yoo In Na and Kim Go Eun (The King: Eternal Monarch). Written by Kim Eun Sook (Mr Sunshine) and directed by Lee Eung Bok (Mr Sunshine), the masterminds behind the highly acclaimed Descendants of the Sun, the 16 episode series promises K-drama fans a thrilling romantic drama that is set in a fantasy world of present day. The storyline follows the handsome Goblin (Gong Yoo) who is tired of his immortality. He needs a ‘goblin bride’ to end his life, leading him to cross paths with Euntak (Kim Go Eun), whom he falls in love with. Euntak is actually on the run from the Reaper (Lee Dong Wook), who is tasked with killing Euntak. The plot thickens when it is revealed that Goblin and Reaper are roommates, plunging them into a complicated pit as they wrestle with their emotions and duties.

Another love story, but one set in both the 16th century Joseon era and present day, is Saimdang, a 30-episode series of fact and fiction about the life of historical Korean figure, Shin Saimdang. Lee Young-Ae (Dae Jang Geum) returned to the small screen return after 14 years since Jewel in the Palace. She plays both female lead roles – present day Seo Jiyun, a part-time university lecturer, and the celebrated 16th century Korean painter and calligraphist herself. Spanning various time periods, the story revolves around the contemporary character discovering her 16th century character’s diary and the secrets behind a mysterious portrait drawn by Lee Gyeom, played by Song Seung-Hoon (East of Eden).

HBO Original Series as well as live channels are available for streaming on HBO GO, available to SKYcable subscribers for as low as Php99/month. To subscribe, call your local SKY office or fill up this form.

Show details and images provided by HBO in a recent press release.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Shopee identifies 4 of the biggest e-commerce trends in 2020

Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia and Taiwan, identifies four major e-commerce trends in 2020.

The retail landscape in the Philippines has been transformed due to increased social distancing efforts, such as the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine as the nation combats the spread of Covid-19. As a result, brands and sellers are venturing online in search of growth, while consumers turn to e-commerce to meet their shopping needs.

Ruoshan Tao, Head of Marketing at Shopee Philippines said, “The year 2020 has changed the way we live, work, and shop. Brands and sellers across the region are stepping up their digitization efforts, with e-commerce becoming a key channel for them to sustain and grow their businesses. At the same time, consumers are increasingly going online to fulfill their everyday needs, in areas ranging from groceries to home appliances. As e-commerce takes on greater importance in people’s lives, Shopee will continue to make shopping even more social, engaging, and easy for everyone.”

In the Philippines, Shopee has identified 4 key trends for e-commerce in recent months:

1. Brands and sellers are growing their e-commerce presence

Brands and sellers are venturing online to boost their online presence while exploring new strategies to reach and engage consumers.

Robust growth for Filipino sellers: As people shop for their home and essential needs online, brands, and sellers in the Gaming and Pet Care categories are seeing strong growth. In addition, Brands and sellers offering pet essentials and home appliances & accessories saw 40 times and 15 times more orders respectively than the same period last year.
Reaching customers with live streaming: Brands and sellers are actively exploring new ways to reach consumers. Shopee has observed that the number of Shopee Live streams from brands and sellers increased by 40 times. Homegrown SMEs have successfully boosted online visibility with Shopee Live. For example, Sirods Stuffed Toys has recorded a robust number of views for its streams by showcasing popular toys and collectibles to users in real-time, enabling it to engage customers more effectively.

2. Shoppers turn to e-commerce for everyday needs

At the same time, Filipinos are relying on e-commerce to meet their everyday needs as people live, work, and play from home.

Consumers search and shop online for a wider variety of needs: Shopee has observed an increase in search and shopping activity in the past 3 months, especially for health and fashion products. This reflects an increasing reliance on e-commerce, which provides Filipinos with one-stop access to essentials, health products, and more.

Top searched keywords: Face masks, Dresses, Power banks, Undergarments
Top products: Mosquito incense, Vitamins, and supplements, cell phone cases

3. Shopping preferences evolve as consumers seek convenience on e-commerce

Shopping preferences are also changing in the Philippines as consumers look for convenience in e-commerce during this period.

Increased shopping activity on weekdays: Online shopping activity has peaked on Tuesdays in recent months, showcasing the preference among Filipinos to shop earlier in the week. Shopping activity is also the highest at 12PM and 1PM as Filipinos shop more often during lunchtime.
Preference for cashless payments: Adoption of cashless payments is growing as consumers value speed and reduce physical interactions. Shopee has observed that users are increasingly using cashless options such as ShopeePay to pay for purchases in recent months.

4. Increased social interaction and engagement among online shoppers

E-commerce has now evolved into something more than just a way to shop – it’s also become a place where people come together to interact, read content, and connect with others. Shopee has seen greater use of its in-app engagement features in the past three months as Filipinos seek to stay connected online:

Shopee Live Chat: Shopee has seen an increase in social interactions on its platform. Over 1 million messages were sent daily on average as brands, sellers, and consumers interact with each other across the shopping journey.
In-app games: Shopee recorded 200 million plays for its in-app games over the past three months. This is driven by users logging in daily to earn rewards and try out new in-app games such as Shopee Farm and Shopee Throw.

Tao closed, “We want to make online shopping safe and convenient while staying true to our vision of delivering a social and engaging experience to our users. At the same time, we will continue to help both our sellers and buyers by providing them a seamless online shopping experience, especially during this COVID-19 crisis.

Download Shopee for free through the App Store or Google Play.

BabyTV brings fun learning shows this June

With the schedule of the opening of classes set for much later in the year, parents can still rest easy that their pre-school kiddos can still learn and play with their friends at BabyTV.

BabyTV is the world’s leading baby and toddler network for children aged four and under and their parents, airing 24 hours a day and completely commercial free. It features top quality, original and exclusive shows, created by child development experts and designed for children and parents to enjoy together. Each hour on BabyTV is an enriching journey full of stories, songs, rhymes and lovable characters.

This June, let BabyTV take your little ones to fun adventures right in the comforts and safety of your home with shows such as:

Lale Ki Lolu

Lale and Lolu go on many adventures in a fairy’s magical play world created especially for them. From ancient Egypt to the Far East, the two loveable creatures communicate with one another through sounds, allowing kids to use their imagination and continue the story themselves.

Ahoy Pirates!

Playing “Pirates” is always fun, who doesn’t want to find a treasure chest? Three girl pirates on a pirate ship explore new lands and solve puzzles and riddles in order to find the treasure chest. The treasure chest is always filled with fun objects for having a party!

Jump Out of Bed Sleepyhead

Waking up the castle every day is not easy, but our two heroes manage to overcome obstacles & get the kingdom ready in time for the new day.

If you’re a SKYcable subscriber, you can add BabyTV to your cable TV subscription plan for only Php20/month. To subscribe to BabyTV and other kids channels, fill up this form.

Check out my other posts on mom life and raising kids:

Cool down with Paper Moon Cafe’s Milk Tea

Oh, temperatures are definitely rising!

And with the rising temperatures sometimes come heated tempers.

Personally, a bit of a cool drink goes a long way towards cooling down my temper. Make it sweet and milky, and soon I’ll be on my way towards a good mood.

Have you tried Paper Moon Cafe’s Milk Tea series?

Paper Moon Cafe is the pastry shop that brought us the Mille Crepe (Php225) – the delicate dessert made of layers of paper-thin handmade crepes in between light pastry cream and topped with a caramelized crust.

Now, it has an offering for the hordes of milk tea lovers in the metro!

Its Classic Milk Tea (Php120) is made with a premium blend of fresh tea leaves and tapioca pearls, a sure hit for milk tea connoisseurs.

Want to enjoy Paper Moon Cafe’s sweets and drinks at home during the enhanced community quarantine? These branches are open for delivery via GrabFood, LalaFood and FoodPanda.

Araneta City: +63 917 1303303

Ayala Malls Trinoma : +63 917 6228653

Ayala Malls Glorietta : +63 917 6202630

Molito Alabang: +63 917 1006555

Robinsons Place Manila: +63 917 6288676

Scout Madrinan : +63 945 8628755

Tektite Ortigas: +63 917 8059385

UP Town Center: +63 917 5972956

Download the Grab App on the App Store or Google Play. 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.

Download the LalaFood App and get a free delivery coupon when you use my code: BEINGJMR53.

This Paper Moon Cafe branch is located at Level 2, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, Tomas Morato

If you’re eating lunch with a big group and you all want to stay together in one place, what do you do?

Head straight to Buffalo Wings N’ Things, of course! Here, everyone in the fam and barkada will find something to like.

Deep-frying chicken wings is rooted in Southern cooking but cooking them in peppery sauces started in Buffalo, New York in 1964. A bar owner in the area decided to cook leftover wings in hot sauce as a snack for her son and his friends. Served with celery slices and bleu cheese, it was a hit among the guys and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buffalo Wings N’ Things enriches its buffalo wings by having eleven savory flavors and seven spicy ones for its customers to choose from, along with tasty add-ons that chicken lovers can enjoy along with their Buffalo Wings.

While out on my lunch break with my office buddies (ten people in total!), we decided to maximize our budgets while sating our hunger by getting Grand Slam bundles of Buffalo Wings, and, well, things:

Grand Slam 6 (Php688 Good for 4). 8 pcs Champion Buffalo Wings, 8 pcs Signature Chicken Tenders,Bacon & Cheese Fries, steamed rice (we added Php98 for iced tea.

Grand Slam 4 (Php988 Good for 6). 12 pcs Champion Buffalo Wings, 12 pcs Signature Chicken Tenders, Chili n’ Cheese Nachos, steamed rice (we added Php138 for iced tea.

With these bundles, we were able to enjoy these Buffalo Wings flavors:

Honey BBQ. Southern BBQ flavor blended with sweet honey.

Creamy Salted Egg. Rich and creamy version of the regional favorite.

Chipotle Lime. Creamy smoked Chipotle sauce enhanced with the tanginess of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Garlic Parmesan. A blend of garlic butter sauce and real Parmesan cheese.

New York’s Finest. Medium heat Buffalo Wing sauce.

Thanks to the bundles, our meal amounted to just a little Php200 per person!

How’s that for value for money?

The good news for chicken lovers out there is that you can enjoy these with your family at home during the quarantine by ordering from these Buffalo Wings N’ Things branches now open for takeout or delivery via GrabFood, FoodPanda or LalaFood:

Brixton Kapitolyo, Pasig
Banawe, QC
Calle Bistro , Ever Gotesco Commonwealth
BGC Stopover
SM Manila
Grace Mall, Taguig
SM North EDSA
SMDC Jazz Mall
Southwoods Mall
SM Valenzuela

This Buffalo Wings N’ Things branch is located at M Place, Panay Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City.

The Jelly List: Desserts for Delivery During Quarantine

How are your sweet cravings, foodies?

Sugar addicts like me are sure to be missing their usual dessert places with many restos and cafes closing shop during the enhanced community quarantine.

If your usual dessert haunts are currently inaccessible, you’ll be happy to know that desserts and baked goodies from these stores are available for delivery.

1. Cookies from Sugar Creations by Alex

“C is for cookie. That’s good enough for me.”

For all you Cookie Monsters out there, mommy Alex whips up crave-worthy cookies like Dark Chocolate, Dark Oatmeal, Classic Chocolate Chip and Smookies.

To order, call +63 988 5447945, or send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

2. Breads from Chloe Creations Bakeshop

Even if you’re working from home, you can still use a coffee break.

Have a few pieces of Ubechizdesal or a slice or two of Banana Loaf to go with your favorite cuppa.

To order, call + 63 915 3196411 or send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

3. Cakes from Carla Kusinera

C’mon… you know there’s always room for dessert! There’s nothing like a sweet treat to cap off a great meal.

So how about a slice of Carla Kusinera’s light and fluffy Creme Brulee Cake or decadent Chocolate Cake?

To order, call +63 917 5638785 or send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

4. Mocha Dalgona Avocado Gelato from What’s Your Flan?

With the summer heat intensifying, what we sometimes need is to cool down with a a frozen treat.

Indulge yourself with a tin of Mocha Dalgona Avocado Gelato (with real Dalgona candies) from What’s Your Flan?!

To order, call +63 916 4978876 or send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

5. Burnt Basque Cheesecake from Sweet Samthings

My birthday-in-quarantine was still a happy one with this lusciously milky and custardy Burnt Basque Cheesecake from Sweet Samthings.

To order, call +63 917 6183443 or send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

6. Apple Pie from Yellowbakerbug

Want a taste of home-style apple pie? I know I did last Mother’s Day!

That smell of cinnamon that wafted from the crumbly and sweetly spiced pastry from Yellowbakerbug got me and the fam salivating! Its crisp apple slices and buttery crumb topping make it a perfect dessert for my Mother’s Day meal.

To order, send a message via Instagram or Facebook.

Now you know who to call to sate your sweet cravings during quarantine!

Thanks to Harvard of AlwaysHungryPH for sharing the goodies from Chloe Creations Bakeshop, Karla Kusinera and What’s Your Flan?

Check out my other adventures compiled into Jelly Lists:

Baked Donuts from Bake My Day, Libis

After a bout of food shopping at the nearest All Home Supermarket (the one in Libis), I espied upon its pastry shop near its exit.

I immediately thought of my kiddos keeping themselves quarantined at home. I know them to be great donut fanatics so I decided to treat them to a box of half-dozen donuts from Bake My Day, which costs only Php300.

Bake My Day is one of the newer retail brands under the Villar Group of Companies, which serves pastries freshly baked everyday. Its presence in the All Home premises proved to be quite convenient for me as I didn’t have to drive off to a separate pastry shop for some pasalubongs for my kids.

Upon biting into my donut (of course I get to have a piece!), I noticed some differences versus the usual donut. My almond on white chocolate glazed donut does not have the slightly crispy exterior nor the chewy interior I was expecting. It has a fluffy mouthfeel, sort of like biting into a muffin.

I had a facepalm moment when my daughter #ExhibitA blurted out the reason for the differences in texture: “Ma! Kasi Bake My Day nga!“

So apparently, the differences in texture I’ve been noting result from the donuts being baked as opposed to fried.

Well, everyday I learn something new!

That said, the almond donut I had was suitably sweet, perfect as a dessert after dinner with the kids.

And since they wiped out the remaining five donuts before the day is through, I’d say they liked them too.

This Bake My Day branch is located at All Home Supermarket, Libis, Quezon City. For orders and inquiries, call +63 999 8611174.

Other branches are located at:

Vista Mall Taguig
Vista Mall Global South
Starmall Alabang
Evia Lifestyle Center