Frannywanny

I'm a huge fan of mille crepes. There's really something about that dainty looking cake that's made out of thin layers (and by layers I mean a LOT of it) of crepes sandwiched in between a delicate cream filling and usually topped with fruits. I would remember how Paul and I would always end our weekend dates at Singapore's Lady M which has been our go-to cake place when we need some sugar rush. Which reminds me, I have yet to talk about that in this blog. *sigh* Now, can you guys imagine my bloglag? We're talking years delay here! Anyway, since we got back, we've been searching for a good cake place similar to our beloved Lady M . Then, we discovered Paper Moon . It's funny how things have a way of making itself known to you if it's meant to be. Like I've mentioned, Paul and I love mille crepes but this is one thing that we never really told anyone in the family. It was pure coincidence that my MIL gave us a huge box of Mango Mille Crepe for our...

I was busy on my laptop while my Dad was watching the news last night and while I was pretty much passively listening to what was being talked about on TV, one thing that made me stop what I was doing was when the announcer said that we got "15 days to go before Christmas Day." WHAT?! That was my immediate reaction. I'm not ready for Christmas yet and judging on the non-progress made on our gift list, it looks like I will be getting into a shopping frenzy in the coming weeks...that is if I don't do anything about it NOW! It doesn't help too that Yaya M1 will soon be going on her month long Christmas vacation back in her province which means I will be extra busy helping Yaya M2 watch over my twins who are starting to enjoy half-walking/half-running around the room. I can't believe I'm saying this but as a busy Mom, I am so grateful for technology and online shopping. I've lost count of the number of times when technology and the ease of orderin...

So, for Mommies like me who's up at the wee hours of the morning while feeding a sleepy and hungry baby...what do you do? Stare at your baby's face? Stare into space? Surf the internet? I've done all of that and even once attempted to blog but I was just so scared to squish my baby which will surely wake her up in the process. Believe me, a startled baby who suddenly wakes up because of sudden movements is not a happy baby and you wouldn't want a wailing, unhappy baby at 3 in the morning. Thankfully there's my phone and Instagram. I normally would scroll through my feed to see what my friends are up to. For some reason, I always stop at my friend Spanky's post who shares mouthwatering "food porn" shots (and random sexy girls photos too for the interest of all the men out there hehe). Spanky has been my dessert guru as of late. Since I gave birth and officially joined the no-sleep club, I love seeing Spanky's photos of cakes, cookies and wha...

There are many things that brighten up my day... ... impromptu lunch or dinner dates with Paul  ... video chatting with my parents and Pan ... seeing photos of my cutie doggie Scottie ... discovering a new delicious food place ... and receiving a surprise specially delivered to my doorstep I always believe that how our day turns out is fully dependent on us. Happiness, as I have mentioned previously here, is a frame of mind. It's only YOU who can control whether or not you want to be happy or not. In my case, I choose to stay on the positive side and find things that make me really happy. Of course, it doesn't hurt to get warm hugs, sweet kisses or a fat slice of Strawberry Shortcake (or okay, a Gongcha treat) every now and then too. ;) Speaking of receiving a surprise package delivered to my doorstep, that actually happened last week! I was so thrilled when Paul called me to say that a nice yummy-looking hamper was delivered to our house and not only does it look go...

A year ago, I blogged about this genius creation called Fruits in Bloom -- Gourmet Arrangements . Indeed they say, the way to ones stomach is through his or her stomach! After exhausting all of the delicious chocolate brands in the market and instead of joining 90% of the population that gives cookies and brownies for Christmas, why not say Merry Christmas with fruits! Fruits in Bloom is back this Christmas with more fruity arrangements. What I love about each and every arrangement is how they manage to make it look so colorful, festive and truly mouthwatering. It helps that even if you're able to consume half of the bouquet, you're assured of not gaining so much unwanted fats and calories as fruits are very healthy and nutritious. They're high in vitamins too! This year, they have the Christmas Blooms (Php. 850) which is a yummy arrangement of pineapple flowers, grapes, orange slices, green apples and banana covered in white chocolate. I love the mug that holds the ...

Let's go Glocal!  That's the emerging trend in the food scene here in Manila. Allowing ourselves to enjoy global-quality cuisines and food items by local talents. Global + Local = GLOCAL .

My mom's friend once said: "Give out food and more food will come to you...give out money and more money will come back to you." She was so right. Food has been my way of sharing the love with my friends, family and colleagues and I've been blessed with abundant food coming back my way every single day. Who's complaining? My tummy has been very very happy! Yesterday has been another stressful work day for me. As I spent really long hours at work to the point that Paul had to literally pull me out to have a good and filling dinner. I continued working at a milk tea shop while waiting for my sister's call for us to pick her up. Then, I came home to... ...a box of delicious Date and Nut Torte sent by one of the sweetest couples Paul and I have the privilege of knowing and being friends with. Thank you A & I! You guys rock!

I ♥ French Macarons.  The first time I tried this was when Bizu opened a branch in Greenhills and my parents brought us there for brunch. After enjoying our plates of Eggs Benedict and Croque Madame, we ordered a bag of colorful macarons which to me, back then, looked like colored cream-filled eggnog cookies. I took my first bite and that moment, my friends, was the start of my love affair with French Macarons. Since then, I've been going around town trying all brands of French Macarons . From Bizu and Bar Dolci to Chef Karine -- always enjoying the excitement that the first bite brings as you always wonder if the flavor is something your taste buds will fancy. Then I met Alchemy . One day, I got a text message from a high school friend asking me if I want to try her sister's homemade macarons. Of course I immediately said YES. I ordered a box of 10 (Php. 355) with a mix of these flavors : Salted Caramel, Coffee Caramel Ganache, Green Tea, Banana Walnut and Dark Choco...

If there's anything that I'm fashionably attracted to, then it would be on accessories . I'm a firm believer that a piece of jewelry or accessory can add more personality to your everyday wear. As such, my jewelry staples includes a good piece of watch and my heart and locket white gold bracelet that I've been wearing since my High School graduation. While surfing the internet, I visited one of my favorite accessory brand Jean and Rosz and checked out what are the new items they have available. It was then that I saw the Charity Bracelets. For only Php 150 per set of 4 leather bracelets , Jean & Rosz will donate the sales proceeds to their partner charity institution. There are about 9 colors to choose from and believe me, I had a hard time choosing my 1st four colors! Thus I let my ever-stylish friend Jean decide for me. Here's what she came up with.