Jellybeans in the City

Zomato Tagaytay Food Crawl First Stop: Mozu at Ming’s Garden

On the way to Tagaytay proper from Sta. Rosa, you would come across this beautiful oasis of blooms and greenery. Ming’s Garden began as the private plant collection of the former Philippine First Lady Amelita “Ming” Ramos, whom the locals call Lola Ming. It has since grown into a thriving business that sells ornamental plants, herbs, vegetables and other gardening essentials.

With 3 hectares of sprawling and verdant space, the place also serves as a venue for events ranging from intimate get-togethers to weddings, ceremonies and full-scale celebrations, with many possible backdrops for that Instagram shot or wedding photo.

Driving the place’s gustatory endeavors is Chef Enzo of its award-winning restaurant and in-house caterer, Mozu at Ming’s. His philosophy when it comes to the Filipino food that his restaurant serves is to not deviate too much from the classic dishes, letting the comfort food remind the diners of home.

Mozu at Ming’s was the first stop in the Zomato Food Crawl in Tagaytay. While surrounded by the lush beauty of the restaurant’s garden setting, my fellow foodies and I were treated to a delectable array of home-grown dishes, which include:

Gambas Al Ajillo (Php310)

In this seafood dish originating from Spain, fresh market shrimps are sauteed in olive oil, garlic and paprika.

Gising Gising (Php240)

Apparently, the origin of this dish is still not clear with some claims placing it in Pampanga while others in Nueva Ecija. In this dish, crisp wing beans are sauteed in coconut milk, bagoong (shrimp paste) and labuyo (small chili peppers).

Bagnet Salad (Php300)

Air-dried pork belly, a popular delicacy in North Luzon, is sliced and served with slivers of green mango, tomato and homemade

Bangus Ala Pobre (Php340)

Boneless milkfish belly, cooked in butter, garlic and aligue (crab fat).

Ox Tail Kare Kare (Php290)

A stew of oxtail, tripe and beef short ribs in a rich peanut sauce and served with bagoong.

Frozen Brasso de Mercedes (Php165)

Meringue, yema (sweet custard candy) and mantecado ice cream layered on top of each other and served frozen.

Turon Ala Mode (Php200)

Saba bananas, jackfruit and mango rolled in crispy lumpia wrapper and served with a sweet apple sauce and vanilla ice cream.

Our meal was accompanied by refreshments such as local kapeng barako and fresh fruit juice.

Our sumptious meal at Mozu at Ming’s made for a memorable time with both old friends and new.

By the way, Mozu at Ming’s also considers sustainability and support for its local community. All ingredients used are locally sourced (from nearby Tagaytay and Mahogany Markets) and staff are housed in dwellings right on the property.

Mozu at Ming’s is located along Santa Rosa – Tagaytay Road, Silang, Cavite. For reservations and queries, email mingsgarden@gmail.com or call +63 927 6957077 or +63 921 7295462.

Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Savoring the moment at Sabor Bar de Vinos, Novotel Manila

Nestled amidst the hustle and bustle of Cubao is Novotel Manila Araneta Center’s newest restaurant concept – Sabor Bar de Vinos – a welcome haven for the urban denizens seeking some respite from the daily grind.

My fellow foodies and I were warmly welcomed by Novotel’s staff and its digital marketing manager Angela Silvestre, who told us more about Sabor, as well as made recommendations for our highly anticipated repast (all were good calls, by the way).

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This newly opened wine bar boasts of warm and colorful Spanish-inspired interiors, a highly Instagrammable outdoor sitting area which also serves as a venue for live musical performances, an extensive wine collection and masterfully prepared tapas. All of these elements help the bar’s patrons to #SABORthemoment.

Its name Sabor translates to “flavor,” a philosophy made apparent with the elegant serving of its delectable sangria and tapas offerings.

Sangria is an alcoholic drink that originated from Spain. Technically a variation of the fruit punch, it consists of red wine mixed with chopped fruits and sweetened with sugar water and fruit juice.

Sabor has three signature sangria concoctions created by its expert mixologists. These drinks are priced at Php360 for a 250ml glass, Php900 for a 450ml half carafe and Php1,200 for a 750ml whole carafe.

The Sangria de Rosa, for instance, is a mixture of rose wine, tequila, pureed guava, strawberry syrup, the juices of pineapple and lime, and as well as mint leaves.

The Sangria Blanco, on the other hand, is made of Savignon blanc, vodka, the juices of lime, apple and lychee, and basil leaves.

Lastly, the Fortress Sangria combines red wine, brandy, grenadine, the juices of orange, lemon and lime, cinnamon and lemonade.

Lightweights like me, take heart! You do have the option to request the bar staff for virgin versions of your chosen drinks. That way, you can enjoy all the fruity flavors without the alcohol. (Plus, better for you if you’re driving afterwards. Remember, don’t drink and drive.)

Feeling a little adventurous? Try mixing your own sangria from the mixing station beside the bar. Some of our group did and while the results of their efforts ranged from delish to disquieting (and oh, the names we came up with for those concoctions!), the experience of mixing your own drink (or watching someone else make the attempt) is not to be missed.

We enjoyed our drinks together with the tapas, small servings of tasty Spanish cuisine, expertly prepared by Sabor’s own chefs Josh Mara and Glenn Estrella which include:

Smoked Salmon Roulade (Php350) – A scrumptious roll of made of dill, cream cheese and sun-dried tomato with capaers – mandarin sauce wrapped in homemade smoked salmon.

Mushroom Croquette (Php350) – A mixture of finely chopped Porcini, Portobello and Button mushrooms, covered with a crunchy layer of breadcrumbs and accompanied by a blue cheese sauce.

Beetroot Arancini (Php350) – Crunchy crumb-crusted balls stuffed with marinated beetroot (hence the pink color of the filling) accompanied by goat cheese fondue.

Galician Empanada (Php350) – Galician style empanada stuffed with marinated chicken and herbs.

Sauteed Chorizo in Red Wine (Php350) – Sliced Spanish chorizo sauteed in red wine, herbs and red onion, served rosemary focaccia.

Gambas al Ajillo (Php350) – Delectable shrimps served in a Spanish style sauce flavored with lemon, paprika, olive oil, white wine, parsley and chili flakes, then served with tomato focaccia.

Selection of Cheese (Php690) – An assortment of cheese accompanied by crackers, nuts, Taggiasca olives and radish. Here’s a tip: After tasting the cheese, a bit of the sangria jelly can help freshen the palate.

Bitter Ballen aka Dutch Meatballs (Php350) – A mixture of veal, chopped parsley and onion covered in bread crumbs and served with mustard.

Tiramisu the Classic Way (Php250) – Amaretto-flavored mascarpone cheese layered with coffee-soaked lady fingers and topped with cocoa powder, a fitting cap to the meal!

Sabor’s tapas are varied with complex flavors and well-presented with a continental flair but can still be appreciated by those with a decidedly Pinoy palate. For instance, some guests do request for rice to go with their flavorful chorizos or gambas dishes (to take full advantage of those flavorful sauces and drippings), and who’s to say that it’s wrong to enjoy your food that way?

The combination of the wine and food served turned our group from a bunch of relative strangers into a fun and boisterous crowd by the night’s end which just goes to show how good food, good drinks and good company make for a great time.

Sabor Bar de Vinos is located at the Ground Floor of Novotel Manila Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City. It is open from 5pm to 2am, Tuesdays to Saturdays. For reservations and inquiries, call + 63 2 990 7888.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies and bloggers, I was invited to attend a food and wine-tasting at this wine bar. All the food and beverage items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Product Review: BrewsCo Single-Use Drip Coffee

Sometimes, when you feel the need for a pick-me-up as you’re starting your day, your sleepy mind does not want to deal with having to clean and operate the coffee machine just to get your morning cuppa.

Fortunately, BrewsCo Single-Use Drip Coffee takes away all the hassle involved in preparing your morning caffeine fix. It allows you to enjoy a drip-brewed coffee with no need for any special equipment. All you require are a sachet of BrewsCo , your trusty coffee mug and hot water.

To prepare your own “brewed coffee in a jiffy,” simply tear off the top (along the dotted lines) of the drip bag then place its ear-hangers onto the rim of your coffee mug. Afterwards, using slow circular motions, pour hot water (91 to 97 deg C) into the drip bag until almost full. Continue to pour hot water until you reach 150 to 180ml (around 5 to 6 ounces).

I was able to enjoy my BrewsCo Donya blend which is made of 100% Arabica beans medium-roasted to have a smooth feel with a hint of citrus and vanilla. I got it for free at the BrewsCo booth at HIScon 2018. I like its premium taste and aroma which I enjoyed leisurely at my workstation.

I was able to taste the other variants via the soft packs (5 pcs) I ordered via Shopee. These include

Don blend: Medium dark-roasted Arabica beans that produce full-bodied flavor with notes of chocolate.

Moreno blend: Dark-roasted beans that produce a bold, strong, woody and toasty cup.

Macadamia blend: Medium dark-roasted macadamia-flavored coffee beans with a strong macadamia aroma.

Hazelnut blend: Medium dark-roasted hazelnut-flavored coffee beans with a strong hazelnut aroma.

You can buy your stash of BrewsCo Single-Use Drip Coffees at Rustan’s Supermarket in Glorietta, Rockwell, Shangri La, Evia, Cebu, and Cagayan de Oro.

You can also shop for ot online via Shopee or Lazada.

How about having it delivered via Honestbee? Download the app through this link and get Php500 off purchases of Php2,500 or more.

This post contains affiliate links.

Want to take your love affair with coffee to the next level? Check out these recipe books on Amazon.com!

Top 100 Coffee Recipes: A Cookbook for Coffee Lovers

Coffee Obsession

Best Coffee Cookbook: 280 Recipes. Includes Cakes and Cookies (The Recipe Shelf)

What we need in dealing with a child with special needs

Being a mom of a child with special needs, I sometimes balk at the enormity of the added responsibility. I feel guilty at times for thinking that while parenting is hard enough, it is sometimes made harder by having to contend with the all the extra support, attention and understanding required by a special needs child.

The reality is that, as with all life, there are good times as well as bad; and some days are better or worse than others. I’m grateful that, for the most part, the good times far outweigh the bad.

My son is in the autism spectrum which means that he has difficulties with communication and social interaction. He has overcome a lot of his previous difficulties in managing himself in social situations at home and in school. In fact, far from the stereotype of kids with autism who have difficulty looking people in the eye, he has grown gregarious and friendly, waving and saying hi to strangers in restaurants and malls (which present a new set of problems).

Still, he struggles with schoolwork. For instance, while he is already included in mainstream classes, his reading level is not at the proper level for his age. His difficulties at school prompt those little nagging doubts in my head about his future and how he will need to cope with more and more challenges as he grows older.

These doubts lead me to thinking on what I need to provide to help him deal with what he needs to face, in the present and future.

Fortunately, in a recent seminar held at his school, assistant chief of DepEd’s SPED Unit Dr. Elvira Rocal effectively sums up these points in her talk “3 C’s in Educating Learners with Special Needs in the 21st Century.” You would think that these C’s would involve technology but they are pretty much basic and common-sense.

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Just finished a talk by Dra. Elvira Rocal on the 3 C’s in Educating Learners with Special Educational Needs (LSEN) in the 21st Century, which are Connectivity, Collaboration and Compassion. #childrenwithspecialneeds #momlife #buhaynanay

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Aug 10, 2018 at 8:03pm PDT

Learners with Special Education Needs (LSEN) would benefit from:

Connection. Being wired differently from their peers and even their own family can feel very isolating. They need to feel like they’re still a part of our group, that they belong. We need to build emotional connections with them to motivate them to learn and to minimize their feelings of isolation. Since my son is a budding foodie, I try to interest him in learning how to prepare simple meals and how he can add his own touch to his food. I am proud to say that he can prepare his own bowl of cereal every morning (a simple task for most but a significant feat for us) and has incorporated his own variations such as using his Milo as a substitute for milk to suit his taste.
Collaboration. They say it takes a village to raise a child. It is even more so when it comes to raising a special needs child. You would need to rely on the expertise and help of developmental pediatricians, therapists, teachers and school personnel in assessing and providing for the requirements of special needs kids. At home, I have come to rely on my daughter, #ExhibitA, in helping my son with his homework and projects. My son also has a network of grandparents, uncles and aunts, and family friends who treat him as just another ordinary kid while also on the lookout for opportunities to help him with his special needs.
Compassion. I have come to accept that there will be things that my son will always have difficulty with. In many ways, he will never be like other kids his age. However, he has his own point of view and opinions that he wants to express and his own wants and dreams that he wants to achieve. My role as his mom is not to regret what he cannot do, but to encourage and celebrate what he can.

Raising and educating a special needs child is already a huge challenge and responsibility. If you are a parent dealing with this situation, do reach out to professionals who can help you and to your family and community as well.

Click here to see Smart Parenting’s list of developmental pediatricians in Metro Manila.

Click here to know more about the Special Education Unit of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Read this post about my initial struggles with my son’s condition.

For more information on supporting the learning efforts of kids with special needs, check out these books on Amazon.com:

Parents and Families of Students With Special Needs: Collaborating Across the Age Span

How the Special Needs Brain Learns Third Edition

Steps to Independence: Teaching Everyday Skills to Children with Special Needs, Fourth Edition 4th Edition

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Product Review: Belo Baby Cologne

Among the first batch of samples I got from Sample Room is a small bottle Belo Baby Cool Drizzle Cologne. Despite the unwritten rule that grown women should gravitate towards perfumes, I retain my preference for baby colognes. I guess it’s a combination of two factors: One, baby colognes are much cheaper than perfumes, a high-end cologne would, more often than not, cost less than many of the low-end perfumes. Two, colognes tend to have light fresh scents which I find a lot more palatable than the heavier and more floral scents of perfumes.

It is packaged in a handy 50ml spritzer bottle which fits in most bags and kikay kits. I like its fresh scent that lasts for a good couple of hours. It does not feel so astringent-y when sprayed on, owing to the glycerin component that helps to moisturize and chamomile-derived Bisabolol (known to have anti-irritant, anti-inglammatory and anti-microbial properties) that helps to soothe skin. Formulated without parabens, phtalates, EDTA and coloring agents, Belo Baby Cool Drizzle Cologne is dermatologist-tested, hypoallergenic and safe for all skin types, so it should be safe for you and your little ones to use. It also doubles as a hand sanitizer; that means we have less stuff to carry in our bags.

To use, spray a small amount on your hands and apply thoroughly as often as you like.

Belo Baby Cool Drizzle Cologne comes in 50ml (priced at Php64.75) and 100ml (priced at Php79.75) spritzer bottles. It is available at all leading supermarkets, department stores, groceries, and drugstores nationwide, and online via Zalora, Lazada and Cudsly.

To quote a wise man, Mr. Jonathan Van Ness of the hit Netflix show, Queer Eye: “It’s not vanity, it’s self-care. There’s a difference.”

Just because we are busy working moms (and even more so because of it), we need to take better care of ourselves, to feel good about ourselves, to give our kids a good example and to make sure we are at our best when we need to be.

The free sample was provided by Sample Room, an online community where you can “try before you buy” beauty and personal care products to get the ones which best match you. I just needed to pay for the shipping of the items I requested.

Six indispensable mobile apps for the busy working mom

If there’s one thing that we working moms oftentimes lack, it’s time. Given our fast-paced lives and the demands of work, family and (gasp!) other obligations, we usually find ourselves pressed for time, looking for a few minutes here and there to squeeze in some errands or to just enjoy some moments to ourselves.

Fortunately, we have our greatest ally right in our pockets. More than just our means to contact our family or to touch base with old friends through social media, our smartphones can and do allow us to do so much with what little time or space we have. All we need is to have the right apps for the job.

Banking Apps

Most banks already have their own mobile apps that allow users to check their bank account balances and transaction histories, make fund transfers and even pay bills online. Imagine not having to line up at the bank or at bayad centers just to make sure the bills are paid.

I helped my new college girl get her own account at the bank that I also have an account in. Now, I usually just transfer money to her account as her allowance. This frees me up from having to make sure that I always have cash on my wallet for her allowance and other household expenses.

CamScanner

This app turns our phones into a scanner which allows us to keep copies of important documents with us at all times. We can even use the app to send PDF copies of the scanned documents via email.

I recently used this feature to avail of the birthday promo at Ramen Nagi. Since we didn’t have a hardcopy of my daughter’s valid ID, I asked the restaurant manager if I could just email her the digital copy I have on CamScanner and she agreed. It was quite lucky that I kept the scanned copy of her passport on my phone.

Honestbee

Some moms may consider grocery shopping as a form of retail therapy, but for me, it’s a tedious chore. Just to ensure that our pantry is stocked with all the food and supplies my family needs, I would have to drive to the supermarket, find a place to park (I hate this part), walk around looking for the items I need, only to line up at the checkout lane and lug my groceries back to my car.

Honestbee eliminates all those hassles by enabling me to order my groceries online right on the app which a well-trained shopper bee will get from the nearest grocery store and a delivery bee will deliver to my house. This gives me additional two or three hours every weekend that I can use to catch up on my reading, get some beauty sleep or spend time at home with the kids.

For moms like me who will appreciate the convenience that Honestbee brings, here’s another perk: sign up for Honestbee using this referral link and get Php500 off your grocery bill.

Plus, Honestbee now delivers food from nearby restaurants. If you don’t feel like cooking, you can just order via the app and a sumptuous meal will be delivered right on your doorstep.

Eatigo

Speaking of food, sometimes you just want to enjoy some good food (that you didn’t have to cook yourself!) or try a new restaurant but you don’t want to overspend. With Eatigo, you can book a table at the featured restaurants and even enjoy up to 50% off on your food bill.

The discounts I’m able to avail of via Eatigo have helped me discover new places to eat and enjoy with friends and family. Register using this link and get a bonus of Php150 worth of rewards.

Amazon Kindle App

Being a book lover, I used to have shelves and shelves of books. However, Typhoon Ondoy (Ketsana) struck and I was forced to leave my beloved tomes behind to be swallowed up by the floodwaters. For a few months after that disaster, I used to get teary-eyed whenever I find myself near a bookstore.

Fortunately, Amazon.com popularized ebooks and published the Kindle app which allows users to view their Amazon.com ebooks via their mobile devices. It even allows users to convert their personal documents and books in PDF formats into files that can be read by Kindle.

Now, I carry my entire library with me wherever I go, and when I feel the need to read to relax, I just take out my phone and start reading.

SKY on Demand

There are times when you wish you just can take you TV anywhere with you such as when you’re still on the road and the show you’re following is already airing, or during long road trips and the kids need a distraction from the wait (and you need a break from the constant follow ups of “Are we there yet?”).

With SKY On Demand, you can watch SKYcable channels using any mobile device and any internet provider. Just download the app and register your SKYcable account number. You will be able to view all the channels in your SKYcable plan or any pay-per-view shows you are subscribed to that are available on SKY on Demand.

This app was a God-send to me when my husband and I had to pick up my daughter from her Community Development class on the Sunday when the Pacquiao vs Matthysse bout was going on. I was able to watch the bout while waiting in the car and later while eating lunch in our favorite Korean restaurant. If it weren’t for SKY On Demand, I would have missed the historic moment when Manny Pacquiao scored his first knockout victory in nine years.

Life for us working moms may be hectic and hard but with a little know-how and the help of our trusty smartphones, it can be made easier and more enjoyable for us and our loved ones.

What apps couldn’t you live without?

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

The mobile apps mentioned above are available in both iTunes and Google Play.

This post contains affiliate links.

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.

Recipe: My Mom’s Kare-Kare

Most Pinoys are fiercely loyal to their mom’s adobo. Not me, though. I can appreciate, even like, versions of adobo other than the one I grew up with.

My mom’s signature dish that remains unmatched in my opinion is her kare kare. Oh, yes! Here is where my loyalties unequivocally lie.

The irony is that when I was a kid, I didn’t even like kare kare. I found the idea of eating parts of animals other than the meat and skin unthinkable (and you should see the ingredients while they were still uncooked!). I also found the orange sauce weird, used as I was then to the brown hued sauces of adobo and mechado and the lightly-tinted broths of nilaga or tinola.

Then the time came, right around high school, when my palate began to mature and I started to develop a taste for the unusual, that I decided to give this dish a try.

Ooh, those bits of meat and cow innards so tender they melt in your mouth! That bright orange peanutty sauce that can already be considered a viand even if just accompanied by veggies (sarsa pa lang ulam na)! Put those together in a heaping spoon with steaming white rice and my mom’s home-made bagoong (shrimp paste) and I’m in heaven.

I recently made my mom give me this recipe (she had long ago given up trying to teach me to cook the more traditional or effort-laden dishes) by saying that her granddaughter, #ExhibitA, should start learning how to make it by now.

Ingredients:

1 kilo beef cheeks
1/2 kilo beef tripe and intestines
1/4 kilo ground peanuts (Note: you can substitute this with peanut butter but try to find one that’s sugarless)
2 tbsp flour
achuete (annato) seeds
3-5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 small onions, chopped
1 small bunch of pechay (Chinese cabbage)
1 small bunch of sitao (string beans), cut into 2-inch slices
4 eggplants, sliced
1 small puso ng saging (banana flower bud), sliced
salt and pepper

Procedure:

Clean and boil the beef cheeks, tripe and intestines separately for 15 minutes in a pressure cooker. Chill overnight in the refrigerator and scoop out the fat that forms on top.
In a small pan, lightly toast the flour, then remove from heat.
In a casserole, saute garlic and onion, then add meat, tripe and intestines. Add a bit of the water used to boil the meat. Add the toasted flour and crushed nuts, then stir the mixture.
Add in the banana flower, string beans, and egg plant.
Soak the annato seeds in hot water. Strain and add to the stew.
Stir the mixture until thickened to your desired consistency.
Add the Chinese cabbage and season to taste.

Serve hot with freshly cooked white rice and bagoong.

This recipe serves 6 at 570 calories per serving. That’s quite a lot but you don’t get to eat this everyday anyway.

Want to learn more about Filipino cuisine? Check out these books on Amazon.com!

Want to try some recipes today? There’s no need to leave home to shop for ingredients. With Honestbee, just order your groceries online and you’ll get them delivered right at your doorstep at your preferred time. Use this referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500. You can download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.

If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.

Social Enterprise Drives First Harvest Nut Spreads

I discovered two new nut spreads while I was shopping for baking supplies at one of my happy places, All About Baking in SM City East Ortigas: First Harvest’s Coco Sugar Peanut Spread and Peanut Crunch with Rice Pops. At first, I was attracted to their packaging: it looks quite premium and artisanal. Upon closer inspection, I was happy to discover that First Harvest is a homegrown brand.

The production and sales of First Harvest’s offerings provide employment and skills development to the mothers in the Gawad Kalinga village in Angat, Bulacan. All ingredients used in the products are grown or sourced locally and prepared into these artisanal nut butters using traditional methods, and without the use of artificial preservatives. Furthermore, the enterprise’s profits also helps fund college scholarships for local youth.

Being a peanut butter aficionado, I just knew I had to try these out. The variants below are the ones stocked at my nearest All About Baking outlet.

Coco Sugar Peanut Spread (Php160/250g)

It has a smooth and creamy texture that spreads well and evenly on white bread, perfect for my son who likes his peanut butter just so. Churned with less oil and made using coco sugar as sweetener, it is a relatively healthier nut spread at 50 calories per 2 tbsp serving.

Ingredients: Peanuts, Coco Sugar, Canola Oil, Iodized Salt

Peanut Crunch with Rice Pops (Php170/250g)

I prefer some texture in my nut butters so this crunchy variant is a winner for me. Sweetened with honey and made crunchy with pinipig bits, it goes well with wheat bread. The additions that give it a sweeter taste and a popping crunchy texture do take their toll however; a 2 tbsp serving is at 170 calories (but it was worth it!).

Ingredients: Peanuts, Rice Pops, Canola Oil, Iodized Salt

These nut spreads are of high quality, comparable to imported products that I have tried recently. I had to expend some effort to remix the nut spreads before applying them to my toasts due the separation of the oil from the rest of the mixture. I didn’t mind, though. That’s the consequence of not using artificial stabilizers, etc.

And since the products are made with much love by the nanays of a rural community, I wouldn’t mind supporting them by regularly buying First Harvest nut butters so I can help spread the love to my family. (I even hounded the staff of All About Baking to inform me of when they restock their First Harvest Peanut Crunch.)

If you like peanut butter whether as a spread or as an ingredient for your culinary masterpieces, do give First Harvest a try.

I’m looking forward to trying out the original First Harvest Peanut Butter (the one sweetened by honey instead of coco sugar) and the brand’s Salted Coco Caramel (a twist to my childhood’s classic coco jam).

FIRST HARVEST

Address: GK Enchanted Farm California Street, Brgy. Encanto Angat, Bulacan Philippines 3012

Mobile: +63 90538-24447

Instagram: @firstharvest

Twitter: @firstharvestph

Facebook: FirstHarvestFoods

E-mail: inquire@firstharvest.ph

TV adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s “Good Omens” to be released in 2019

The creatively twisted minds of two of Britain’s greatest modern fantasy writers produced Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (or more commonly known as just Good Omens). The fruit of a very successful collaboration between Neil Gaiman (“American Gods,” “The Graveyard Book,” and “Stardust“) and Sir Terry Prachett (“Discworld“) published in 1990, Good Omens is a quirky and entertaining novel that tells of the coming of the Apocalypse. The book is chock-full of humorous situations: from a witch’s super-accurate predictions of her execution, the birth and childhood of the AntiChrist in the English suburbs, the coming together of the Four Horsemen, and the mad antics of the legions of Heaven led by Aziraphale the Angel and Hell led by Crowley the Demon (both of whom happen to treat each other as friends) as they prepare for the endtimes.

I first read the book in the late 90’s and I did think the story would translate well onscreen.

A film adaptation was in fact planned in 2002 in which Robin Williams and Johnny Depp were set to star as Aziraphale and Crowley respectively but financing fell through.

A radio dramatization was aired in BBC Radio 4 in 2015, wherein Gaiman and Pratchett had cameo appearances.

Nearly two decades after first reading the book, I’m thrilled to find out that a TV adaptation is finally in the works, starring no less than Michael Sheen (“Underwold: Rise of the Lycans,” “Midnight in Paris“) as Aziraphale and David Tennant (“Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire,” “Broadchurch“) as Crowley.

This TV series couldn’t have come at a better time, being the new Golden Age of Television, and judging from the recent success of the TV series based on another Neil Gaiman novel, American Gods.

The 6-episode series will be released on Amazon Prime in 2019, followed by a conventional broadcast on BBC Two.

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Take a sneak peek into the beginnings of your favorite influencers with LikeToKnow.It

Ever wondered how your favorite IG mavens got their start? The print offshoot of the app-based shopping service that makes the Instagram pics of many Instagram influencers instantly shoppable, LikeToKnow.it: Stories from the Influencer Next Door, delves into how these IG stars got their start.

Collated and curated by editors of LikeToKnow.it, the stories contain interesting narratives of how these influencers were able to turn their passions – which range from fashion, beauty, food, interior design and homemaking – into thriving online businesses. Common themes among their stories that their fans can learn from are:

Passion for their area of interest. These enterprising folks are tuned in to their passion, building expertise and credibility in their respective fields, and are motivated to share their favorites to the world.

Support from family and friends. Building an online presence, especially on one’s own, is never easy, but with help and encouragement from their loved ones, they were able to pursue their dreams.

Great financial and personal rewards. Having built their following and established their expertise, they are able to enjoy financial freedom. Some are earning enough to support their families that their spouses quit their jobs to help them with their online business. Others share their feeling of gratification at being paid to do what they love while spending more time with loved ones.

Featured influencers include fashion mavens Molly Sims (@mollybsims) and Courtney Kerr (@KERRently), lifestyle gurus Liz Joy (@purejoyhome) and Kelly Larkin (@kellyinthecity), food and nutrition bloggers July Bauer Roth (@paleomg) and Tori Wesszer (@fraichenutrition), among others.

The stories, accompanied by gorgeous shots of influencers doing and sharing what they love best, will give readers a tantalizing inspiration to get started on bringing their own dreams to life. Note, though, these Q&A-type narratives are by no means comprehensive and do skip most of the early struggles and sacrifices that most businesses go through.

LikeToKnow.it: Stories from the Influencer Next Door, published by Greenleaf Book Group, will be released on September 18, 2018 and is now available for pre-order on Amazon.com!

Thanks to NetGalley and Greenleaf Book Group for the advanced reader copy.

This post contains affiliate links.

Photo Credits: Ewan Robertson, Daria Litvinova, Igor Miske and Chikeun Park on Unsplash

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