Jellybeans in the City

Infinite possibilities with Legande, Inc.

Recent events have sent the world reeling and businesses are at a standstill. In Legande, we value the well-being of our employees and customers but we also know that our products are essential in day to day living. This is why we have come up with a new way of doing things; one that is adaptable to current events but still allows us to cater to the demands and needs of the business.

Legande has an entrepreneurship program catered to help you succeed from the comfort of your home. It is a step by step program that maximizes your strength and preferences. The Legande Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program aka LEAP is one of the most rewarding and it has easy to follow steps that combine sustainable but unlimited income opportunities. It can also pay according to your preference, whether it be bi-monthly, monthly, or annually.

There are 10 ways to earn with Legande. The details can be found here.

We envision you to be an active entrepreneur who learns, earns, and reaps the perks and benefits as you climb the zenith of success. We will be there with you every step of the way.

Legande believes that we can grow better by helping others. Here, we make sure that while we grow the business, we also grow the people around us so they can earn as well.

We don’t know when the COVID-19 pandemic will end but what we do know is that there are ways we can still earn a living while staying safe. Legande Inc. is one with everyone in this endeavor and we hope that with this membership program, we can help you provide for your family.

Here at Legande, we talk about infinite possibilities and we walk the talk.

You can visit www.Legánde.com or visit them (when the Enforced Community Quarantine is over) at Suite 406, West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Center, Ortigas Center, Barangay San Antonio, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines, 1605. You can also check their Facebook Page to send them a message.

Images and details provided by Legande, Inc. in a recent press release.

#QuarantineCookbook: Homemade Mango Ice Cream

How’s your summer going, foodies?

If you’re feeling the summer heat like I am, you might be craving for some lusciously decadent ice cream packed with the flavors of summer.

And what can be more summer-y than mango? Ooh, just imagine the sweetness of ripe mango bursting in your mouth from the cold, soothing silkiness of ice cream.

If only it was more readily available, right?

I usually had to go to large supermarkets or specialty stores to get a tub of mango ice cream. However, with the enhanced community quarantine, stores would have a lot more difficulty keeping it in stock.

Well, thanks to my mommy, I found out how to keep my own stock of yummy mango ice cream: I just have to make it myself!

Mommy made me a batch of homemade mango ice cream for my birthday. What’s even better is that she gave me the recipe!

It’s actually quite simple. Check it out!

Ingredients:

1 cup of mango puree (made by blending the flesh of two ripe mangoes in a blender)
1 300ml can of condensed milk
2 cups of heavy whipping cream
2 drops of yellow food coloring

Procedure:

In a bowl, mix together the mango puree, condensed milk and heavy cream at low speed until the mixture begins to thicken.
Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
While mixing, food coloring.
Transfer the mixture into a small loaf pan or ice cream tub, gently pressing the mixture into the container using a spatula.
Freeze for at least six hours or overnight

This recipe serves four, at approximately 680 calories per serving.

You might be wondering if you can substitute all-purpose cream for the whipping cream. I wouldn’t recommend it because you would be sacrificing the ice cream-like consistency. Whipping cream has a higher fat percentage which makes it suitable for desserts such as this.

Now, I just need to stock up on ingredients and I know I can easily whip this up and have my mango ice cream fix whenever the craving hits!

Check out my other recipes:

McDonald’s Breaded Chicken Fillets are now available in frozen Cook-It-Yourself packs!

In case you missed it last week, McDonald’s announced the availability of select frozen food packs that allowed their customers to prepare and enjoy their McDonald’s favorites at the comfort of their home.

“We are making McDonald’s Cook-It-Yourself Packs available for sale to help consumers have access to food they can cook and enjoy at home. By making these frozen products available through our McDonald’s Drive-Thru or for Take Out, we make it safe and convenient for our consumers as well,” said Margot B. Torres, Managing Director of McDonald’s Philippines.

Today, McDonald’s is extending the Cook-It-Yourself lineup with the inclusion of the Breaded Chicken Fillets, the main ingredient of crowd favorite orders like the McCrispy Chicken Fillet with Rice and Crispy Chicken Sandwich. Cook-It-Yourself Breaded Chicken Fillets are now available in packs of 15 pcs for P315 at participating McDonald’s stores through Drive-Thru and Take-Out!

Should you want to include McDonald’s Cook-It-Yourself Packs in your next grocery run, marinated chicken cuts and Chicken McNuggets are also now available in participating branches of SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, Savemore Market and Walter Mart Supermarket.

Get your McDonald’s Cook-It-Yourself products now and prepare it— just the way you like it— from the comfort of your home! Check bit.ly/McDocookityourself for the full list of participating McDonald’s stores and bit.ly/CookItYourselfSupermarketList for the full list of participating Supermarkets offering the frozen Cook-It-Yourself packs. Follow McDonald’s on Facebook for the latest updates.

Product image and details provided in a recent press release.

Lido Cocina Tsina salutes COVID-19 front liners by giving back

Lido Cocina Tsina, a family Chinese restaurant chain, shows support to the heroes in the front lines who help fight the spread of COVID-19 by distributing food packs while the enhanced community quarantine is in effect.

Lido team members or Lido family as they call it, prepared and packed healthy and delicious meals and distributed within selected communities in Metro Manila.

“As front liners ourselves, we feel for those who take part in their commitment to serve our countrymen. This is the least we can do to help our healthcare workers, police and military officers, and government workers to show appreciation to what they are doing,” says Lido’s owner, Ms. Annie Wong.

For the past two weeks, the Lido family tirelessly reached out to personally thank our front liners in different hospitals. Health workers at Holy Infant Jesus, Philippine Children’s Medical Center, Veterans Memorial Medical Center, De Los Santos Medical Center, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Makati Medical Center, and Pasay General Hospital were among the recipients. The team also did not forget hundreds of personnel from the police and military forces that secure the borders.

There were also countless heartbreaking encounters with homeless fellows who are most in need of assistance from the government. They were also among the priorities of Lido during the distribution of food packs. Families from Brgy. Bagong Pag-asa, Brgy. Vasra, Brgy. Mariana and Brgy. Project 6 are among the beneficiaries during the first two weeks of distribution.

To date, the Lido team continuously extends its hands and finds better ways to send help to the front liners and the general public. Some Lido stores remain open to cater to take-out and deliveries.

To support the enforcement of social distancing and community quarantine, orders may be placed via www.lidodelivery.com, 8888-5436, Grab Food, Food Panda and Lalafood.

Aia, Barbie and Kitchie to hold online concert for the benefit of music venue workers

Aia de Leon, Barbie Almalbis, and Kitchie Nadal are teaming up with GNN (formerly known as Gabi Na Naman Productions) and Smirnoff Mule for a special digital concert to raise funds for the employees and workers of live music venues in Metro Manila.

Happening on May 1, Friday at 8:00 pm, the Facebook show will serve as the third installment of their critically acclaimed, sold-out concert, Secrets and will be streamed live on the trio’s official Facebook page.

The initiative is part of the alternative rock icons’ ongoing efforts to help the music community affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and a primer to GNN’s 5th anniversary celebration.

“Deprived of operating to serve people with live entertainment, music venues have temporarily shut down, and are struggling to manage their overhead expenses,” says Gabi Na Naman Productions’ Milley Habito, one of the executive producers of Secrets III: An Online Concert featuring Aia, Barbie and Kitchie. “Thanks to the girls, we’ll be given a chance to cover some of the funds needed to support employees and workers of independent music venues and bars. We cannot imagine a vibrant, bustling music scene without these people who have dedicated their lives in helping run the gigs. The waiters, cooks, kitchen helpers, cashiers, parking attendants, food servers, tech guys, security personnel and other employees deserve our help too.”

Some of the confirmed beneficiaries include independent music venues such as Route 196, Mow’s, Saguijo Café & Bar, Jess and Pat’s, ‘70s Bistro, 123 Block, Social House and more to be announced.

The star-studded fundraiser and concert will also feature never-before-heard collaborations among the three award-winning singer-songwriters, as well as individual performances featuring their Greatest Hits and rarities.

Image and details provided in a recent press release.

Grab launches on-demand grocery service to help deliver essential needs of Filipinos

Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super app, continues to offer ways to serve the everyday essential needs of Filipinos through the launch of GrabMart. With the limitations and restrictions due to the COVID-19 situation, Grab has provided a solution that will make acquiring of basic necessities easier despite the enhanced community quarantine.

Through GrabMart, users can purchase grocery items, personal care products, and soon, even medicines, from specialty stores and well-known retail partners such as Robinsons Supermarket, Great Deals Ecommerce Corporation, FamilyMart, Starbucks at Home, ASSI Fresh Plaza, Fetch! Naturals, Dog City, and Barcino to start. GrabMart is one of the few app-based grocery services that offers on-demand delivery, which means orders are expected to be delivered as early as 30 minutes or within a few hours.

GrabMart BETA is currently available in select areas of Quezon City, Pasig, Manila, Mandaluyong, Makati, San Juan, Valenzuela, Paranaque, and Taguig, but will soon expand to more locations within Metro Manila in the coming weeks.

“With the launch of GrabMart, we are hoping to further serve Filipinos during this trying time. Aligned with our community-wide GrabBayanihan COVID-19 response, GrabMart helps not only consumers who need access to daily essentials, but also our delivery-partners and merchant-partners whose livelihood and businesses have been affected by the situation,” said RJ Cabaluna, Grab Philippines Country Marketing Head.

Similar to GrabFood and GrabExpress, cash payment is still available, but users are encouraged to pay via GrabPay and practice Contactless Delivery for safer payments and transactions. Delivery fee during the Beta period ranges from as low as P89 to P149 based on distance to the store, with a minimal service fee of P30 applicable for all orders.

To order from GrabMart, users within the serviceable areas just need to click on “Mart” tile in the Grab app and select orders from their desired merchant. Follow Grab Philippines on Facebook or visit the GrabMart site to stay up to date on all Grab announcements.

About Grab

Grab is the leading super app in Southeast Asia, providing everyday services that matter most to consumers. Today, the Grab app has been downloaded onto over 185 million mobile devices, giving users access to over 9 million drivers, merchants and agents. Grab offers the widest range of on-demand transport services in the region, in addition to food, package, grocery delivery services, mobile payments and financial services across 339 cities in eight countries.

Watch first seasons of HBO Originals for FREE on HBO GO for the next month

Here’s another reason to stay home and do your part… by watching TV on the sofa! Entire first seasons of select iconic HBO Originals and HBO Asia Originals are now available for free for one month starting 15 April on HBO GO – no registration or subscription is required.

Never got around to seeing (or desperate to re-watch) dramas like ‘The Sopranos’ and ‘The Wire’? Now you can. The iconic shows are also joined by the award-winning series that everyone’s talking about right now, ‘Succession’. And if you need a laugh? Try these hit comedies: ‘Ballers’, starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; ‘Barry’, with Bill Hader; ‘Silicon Valley’, featuring Thomas Middleditch and Kumail Nanjiani; and satire ‘Veep’, starring serial Emmy-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus.

Closer to home, check out ‘Folklore’, a horror anthology series with each episode based on folklore from Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand; ‘Invisible Stories’, which tells untold stories from the heartlands in a fictional neighbourhood housing estate in multi-cultural Singapore; ‘Miss Sherlock’, a bold interpretation of the classic Sherlock Holmes, re-envisioned in Japanese and set in modern-day Tokyo; ‘The Teenage Psychic’, a coming-of-age story from Taiwan that revolves around a 16-year-old girl with the ability to see spirits but wants to lead a typical teenage high school life; and ‘The World Between Us’, another Taiwanese series that follows the aftermath of a mass-shooting.

For documentary lovers, try ‘McMillion$’, which digs deep into the McDonalds Monopoly game scandal; ‘Jane Fonda In Five Acts’, which centres around the life, work, activism and controversies of the actress and fitness tycoon; and ‘The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley’, which investigates the rise and fall of a one-time multibillion-dollar healthcare company.

The free HBO content may also be available through other partner platforms. Remember, once you’ve finished watching the first season of your new favourite show, you can also get the full experience, through the HBO GO app, which comes with a 7-day free trial (and Game of Thrones) when you download the app from App Store or Play Store on your device.

HBO is available on SKYcable Ch. 54 SD/Ch. 168 HD (for Metro Manila, Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan, Lipa-Batangas) or on Ch. 402 SD/710 HD (for Bacolod, Baguio, Cebu, Davao, Dumaguete, General Santos, Iloilo). SKYdirect subscribers can watch it on Ch. 22 HD. HBO Original Series as well as live channels are also available for streaming on HBO GO. 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.

Dessert drinks from Black Scoop, Tomas Morato

I admit: I do have a sweet tooth.

This is why I’m always on the lookout for ways to sate my craving for sweets.

Then one day, while I was running errands near my office, I came across this cafe along Tomas Morato called Black Scoop Cafe.

Founded on love for coffee, tea and ice cream, Black Scoop Cafe combines the choicest ingredients, technology and know-how to come up with fresh takes on drinks and desserts.

It’s no wonder, then, that I found myself returning to this cafe to get my sugar fix with:

Brown Sugar Latte (Php140 medium | Php150 large) with Cream Cheese. Chewy boba pearls cooked in brown sugar syrup that also lines the cup of this milky drink topped with a layer of frothy cream cheese.

Hershey’s Cream Cheese (Php140 medium | Php155 large). A chocolatey concoction made even more decadent by the cream cheese topping.

Being a dessert lover, I have a strong affinity for cream cheese, which made these drinks extra rich and indulgent.

What’s your drink indulgence?

This Black Scoop Cafe branch is located at CKB Centre, Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Rallos Street, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City.

If you’re craving for a bit of sweet refreshment but can’t go out due to the enhanced community quarantine, order your Black Scoop drinks from these branches which are still open for pickup and delivery:

Rey-lor Building, Felix Avenue, Cainta (+63 966 7747853)
L&Y Plaza, 120 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue corner Ortigas Avenue Extension, Barangay Ugong, Pasig City (+63 920 8251234)
561 Shaw Boulevard corner Princeton Street, Barangay Wack Wack, Greenhills East, Mandaluyong (+63 905 2114424)
42 Esteban Abada Street, Loyola Heights 3, Quezon City
625 NS Amoranto Sr. Avenue, Banawe, Quezon City (+63 917 8888328)
939 Banawe Street, Barangay Manresa, Quezon City (+63 2 82813596)
One Raffles Place, Congressional Avenue, Project 8, Quezon City (+63 915 7047837)
1630 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Hill, Taguig (+63 917 3289266)
Ground Floor, Villa Building, Jupiter corner Makati Avenue, Barangay Bel-Air, Makati (+63 916 6068749)
1229 Navarra Street corner UST Dapitan, Sampaloc, Manila (+63 932 5833666)
One Archers Place, 2311 Taft Avenue, Malate, Manila (+63 2 77283118)
2436 Leon Guinto corner Kapitan Tikong Streets, Malate, Manila (+63 917 3242436)
Unit 345 RLV Building, Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque (+63 916 6550636)
BF Resort Drive, JB Tan Street, BF Resort Village, Las Pinas (+63 2 89005689)

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

CNCO’s “Honey Boo” is summer’s latest hit

Award-winning and best-selling Latin American group, CNCO has officially dropped their highly anticipated new single called “Honey Boo,” featuring Natti Natasha.

The reggaeton-infused banger is the first song off the teen group’s upcoming third album, and was written by all members, alongside Patrick Ingunza and co-producers Daniel Rondon and Rafael Rodru. “We originally recorded it that long ago too,” CNCO’s Joel Pimentel shares in a statement. “However, the time was never right to release it. Then this January we had the idea to re-record the song and put it out as our next official single. The idea to add Natti Natasha came from a Q&A she did on Twitter where fans asked if she would like to collaborate with us, and she said yes!”

As huge fans of the Dominican pop superstar, the chart-topping group didn’t hesitate to invite Natasha to be part of the track. “She happened to be in the studio when we sent over the material,” CNCO Richard Camacho reveals. “In just 24 hours, she finished her lines. 4 days later, we were in Puerto Rico shooting the video. It was that fast.”

On its first week of release, the music video for “Honey Boo” peaked at No.1 on YouTube Trending Videos chart worldwide, surpassing 2 million views in less than 24 hours. The Joaquin Cambre-helmed visual follows the multi-platinum Latin boyband as they play billiards, dance in basketball courts, and tour the scorching streets of Puerto Rico.

“It’s a fun and light song,” Camacho describes the global hit turned TikTok viral smash. “We just want to bring joy to the world and make people want to get up and dance.”

About the group

In just four years, CNCO has become one of Latin pop’s most influential and prolific hitmakers. With two No.1 albums under their belt, the group has garnered numerous awards including: Latin American Music Awards, Premios Juventud (Youth Awards), Billboard Latin Music Awards, Premio Lo Nuestro, Premios Tu Mundo (Your World Awards), iHeartRadio Music Awards, Kids Choice Award and a Teen Choice Award.
With over 3 billion cumulative streams, 6.5 billion total music video views, 12 GOLD and PLATINUM certifications in the U.S. alone and countless sold out shows, their influence can be felt in nearly every corner of the globe.

“Honey Boo” is now out on various streaming and digital platforms worldwide via Sony Music.

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

Fine Italian food at Amici, SM North

Who would have thought that an Italian missionary would establish a tasty culinary tradition in the Philippines?

Well that’s exactly what happened when Salesian Father Gianluigi Colombo decided to open a canteen (then called Amici di Don Bosco or “Friends of Don Bosco”) to cater to the workers of Don Bosco’s printing press.

Its initially simple menu of coffee and gelato which later expanded to include wood-fire oven baked pizzas and homemade pastas. Amici later became known for serving tasty and authentic Italian food prepared by priests grew and developed its own loyal following.

Today, Amici has 9 branches in Metro Manila, one of which is in SM City North EDSA where my fellow foodies and I headed for dinner after attending a few events.

There, we shared a meal which included:

Truffle Mushroom Dip (Php385). Truffle, porcini, shiitake and button mushrooms mixed together with caramelized onions in a rich creamy sauce. Dip the crisp pieces of pizza crust served with it and you’ll find yourself addicted to this.

Pesto Prosciutto (Php400). A hearty dish of penne pasta covered in creamy pesto sauce and topped with fried prosciutto.

Linguine al Prosciutto e Tartufo (Php380). Al dente linguine pasta tossed in a sauce of proscuitto, truffle oil, porcini and shiitake mushrooms.

Since Amici translates to “friends,” it looks like its yummy offerings are best shared among friends.

Hankering for a taste of good Italian food but can’t go out because of the enhanced community quarantine? Amici’s Tomas Morato and Don Bosco branches are now open for pick up or delivery. Just call in your orders through Amici’s hotline +63 2 85551000.

This Amici branch is located at Ground Floor, The Block, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City, with store hours from 10am to 10pm daily. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 85551000 or +63 2 87095545.

Other branches are located at:

Level 3, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, 28th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig
Bellagio Square, Tomas Morato Avenue, Laging Handa, Quezon City
Ground Floor, UP Ayala Technohub, Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Ground Floor, 101 Missouri Square, Missouri corner Connecticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan City
Third Floor, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Don Bosco School, A. Arnaiz Avenue, San Lorenzo, Makati City
Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City