Frannywanny

"I'm so DONE with all my yaya dramas!" This is one line that I've been telling my family since Yaya D left us . I realized that no matter how nice or kind you are, you are never assured of their loyalty to you. I can't believe that my twins are barely a year old and we've gone through 3 nannies already. My friends actually told me that I have a pretty normal yaya count as some went as far as 10 nannies in the span of a year. Unbelievable. Indeed, good, loyal and honest helpers are hard to find. That said, I made a resolution to train my kids to be self-reliant as they get older. Doing small household chores until they graduate to doing bigger things. Personally, I grew up without a nanny and I think I turned out okay. In fact, I find it even better as our small family of 4 became really close with the absence of a nanny. My parents have been very hands-on since Day 1 and helping out in the house never felt like a chore but rather something that Pan and I i...

There's a new kid in town and I'm pretty sure you'll like "him" very much. After all... who says no to Lechon ? Aside from the ever popular Adobo which is probably the dish that's synonymous to Filipino cooking, Lechon remains to be one that never fails to make every Filipino and non-Filipino's heart skip a beat. From the shiny, mouth-watering crunchy skin down to its fragrant and tender meat, I remember making several visits with my local colleagues and friends to this famous Cebu Lechon stall in Paya Lebar in Singapore whenever they'd ask me to take them to try a Filipino dish. In fact, there are several versions of lechon all over the country. Some would serve it with sarsa (sauce), others would stuff it with aromatic tanglad (lemongrass) , my talented friend D has her classy Lechon with Truffle Rice inside and well in Cebu, it's serve just as it is. The meat has a hint of salt and the skin slightly thick with a layer of fat underneath a...

Not so long ago, I received a message from my former colleague K asking me if I'm game to try her Lolo (grandfather)'s sans rival. Of course, I don't say no to cake more so when it's sans rival! This is probably one of my favorite cakes as I just love anything nutty, nougat-y and the butter frosting totally beats regular cream frostings any day. What I just recently learned though is that this particular sans rival has a story that dates back to 50 years ago. Cipriano Sans Rival  (Php. 850) is the recipe of K's grandfather and it's the kind that has been perfected over time. This is definitely not the mass-produced kind. Instead, K's grandfather has been making his sans rival for most of their family gatherings. Each layer carefully crafted, the frosting with its intricate fork design and that generous amount of nuts sprinkled on top to cover any flaws and at the same time works double time to complete your sans rival experience. Today, my friend K has p...

"'Tis the season for lots of feasting... fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la" Recently, I came across an article that showed how different people all over the world celebrate the holiday season and what food items are the ones that take the forefront during this time of the year. In the Philippines, out comes the glorious Lechon (roast pork) and the buttery Bibingka (rice cakes) and Puto Bumbong (Yam Rice Cakes). Did you know that KFC Fried Chicken is a Christmas staple in Japan? Here in Singapore, it's the perfect time to feast on all types of roast meats from big, juicy Turkey meat, mouthwatering Roast Pork and that to-die-for succulent piece of steak. In addition to that, there are all types of log cakes and dessert creations to have that perfect sweet ending to every holiday meal. Here are some of the yummiest log cakes to order this year: 1) Exotic Christmas Log Cake  from Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa  (S$60 / S$75) Selecting flavors that marry th...

It's currently the ghost month in the lunar (Chinese) calendar and this means, it's the season where we try to avoid traveling, making big decisions, signing contracts, making big purchases and getting married. It's the most feared for month of the year as this is when they say, the ghosts and spirits would be most active. Yesterday, the 15th of the 7th month is said to be the worst day of all. During this time, people would offer food to the gods to ask for extra protection and would avoid places like hospitals, wakes and cemeteries. Come the 15th of September (a month from now), the ghost month has officially ended and it's time to celebrate! This day is called the Mid-Autumn Festival  where families gather to have a good meal and enjoy an abundant supply of mooncakes. While I love Chinese New Year food such as sticky tikoy  (glutinous rice cakes), tang yuan (glutinous stuffed rice balls), dumplings and yu sheng salad, Paul's favorite Chinese holiday is actual...

My good friend S has always been very creative. I remember years back, I would always admire the pretty birthday invites that she would make for her little ones. To me, she's like Manila's Martha Stewart where every nook and cranny of her home remains to be so pretty, cozy and organized all day. She can also whip up a really yummy pasta dish and lately, she also made me a cup of yummy coffee too. So, when she told me that she's opening her own print shop, the first thing that came to mind was.. "Finally!" Serendipity Print Shop  specializes in personalized cards and notes designed to suit your taste. From cutesy cartoon prints to dainty florals, S can give you various options to choose from. After you choose your design, then you specify if you want it as a gift card, a note card, perhaps your business card or even as a notepad. Setting my biases aside, I have to say that the printing quality is very good. Trust me, coming from the publication industry, I pre...

Mommy would always tell us that "breakfast is the most  important meal of the day." Well, what she forgot to mention is that it can also be the most exciting one too. You see, I normally wake up feeling hungry that the first question that enters my mind is "what should I eat this morning?" So, it is always so exciting for me to plan what should I have for my first meal of the day. For the past year, breakfast for me would either be of two things: a) a bowl of instant oatmeal in chocolate or banana honey flavor b) a bowl of fruity yogurt with my favorite whole grain cereals on top Gone are the days wherein I would have rice for breakfast. Perhaps, the only times I'd have my ever-reliable silog is when I'm in Manila. Living here in the Lion City, I've become more conscious of what I eat and that includes getting into the habit of starting my day right. While I love my two breakfast options dearly, I have to admit that it can get tiring to have this...

My favorite time of the year is finally HERE! Okay, so I have officially became more of a giver than the recipient of Christmas gifts but seeing the happy look on the faces of my family and friends especially the little ones never fails to melt my heart. I'm lucky that Paul also shares the same love for this festive holiday so we enjoy doing our Christmas shopping together. Ho ho ho! Aside from the gifts, I'm also excited for the Christmas dinners that we will be attending very soon. It's the season of reuniting with dear old friends and catching up with them too. So far, my December calendar is starting to get filled up with potluck dinners, lunch meet-up, coffee chats and even our regular mother-daughters breakfast bonding. So, the inevitable question this season is " where to eat ? "  Starting this month with a series of Christmas Feast options for you to consider when planning your family dinners. Let me begin by telling you about this very festive di...