Frannywanny

I've always wanted to have a little girl. I guess it's because I grew up without a brother and even my extended family has more females than males. Perhaps, it's because I've always dreamt of dressing my little girl up, going twinning with her and someday, we would go shopping and have our mani/pedi sessions together. My prayers were indeed answered as L was given to me along with her twin brother J. I'm truly grateful. ♥ From the time my twins were born, I really enjoy dressing them up. Making them go matchy matchy regardless if it's the same design or even with the color of their onesies. L, in particular has shown so much happiness and appreciation for all things beautiful. She's the type of baby who enjoys dressing up and when we would take her ribbon or headband out, she'd start to complain. So, when I got a surprise package from Little Bondi  one rainy afternooon, I excitedly brought it up for L to see. As expected, her big round eyes bri...

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...

My twins turns 9 months today. WOW . I've been a proud Mommy for 9 full months already! If you put things into perspective, 9 months is how long it takes for a baby to form inside a Mother's womb. It still feels like yesterday when I was wheeled into the delivery room and I heard the cries of J and L for the first time. I can still remember how small and fragile they were. How we would carry them so carefully to support their necks. Today, both are talking, crawling, rolling over, attempting to climb, eating solids kind of toddlers already. They're no longer considered newborns but they still do smell like one so I'm totally fine with that. Aside from this, this also means that I've been breastfeeding them for 9 full months already. It was no easy feat so please allow me to beam a little and give myself a small pat at the back for going this far. I'm not going to lie though, I came this far because I got help . Help from close friends who offered to share ...

"Oops, (Chef) Him did it again."  (To the tune of Britney Spears' popular hit) Chef Him Uy de Baron has been one of my favorite Chef friends here in Manila. I first met him back in 2008 when I got him to cater for one of my first book launches with Real Living Magazine . We corresponded all via email and the first time I met him personally was during the event itself. It was pure trust, I tell you. However, he not only stuck to what we have agreed upon but he went over and beyond by blowing us away with his delicious food and the presentation was just so beautiful. Truly fitting for one of the country's best shelter magazine. Needless to say, he was my go-to caterer for all succeeding events. Not only that, Paul and I loved his cooking so much that we're big fans of his restaurants. From Nomama Ramen back then to Cocina Peruvia  at present.  Styled by ML of What Mary Loves Cocina Peruvia actually has three branches already in the metro -- BGC, Vert...

Did you know that more than 500 restaurants opened in Metro Manila in the first 6 months of 2018? From the smallest yet coziest hole in the wall to the biggest restaurant establishments, our choice for food is simply endless. Anyway, The Choice is back once again as it has been awarding a number of Manila's favorite restaurants, bakeries, fast food chain and cafes for the past 4 years. This is not an award for the Best  as we all know that taste is very very subjective so instead, we vote for our Favorites . So, you know the drill. Please share your favorite restaurants with us and who knows, they might bag an award come August 4, 2018 at SMX Mall of Asia. Vote now and see you there! Click on this link to vote: https://awesm.pl/TheChoice2018 Related post: The Choice 2017

Pasta is one of the dishes that I am most comfortable in preparing. It's one that I can easily whip up when pressed for time or when I'm just craving for some comfort food. Normally though, it would take me at least 30 minutes to an hour to prepare a pasta dish as I have to cook the pasta noodles till al dente, prepare the sauce, incorporate both together, plate it, sprinkle with garnish and set it on the table. This doesn't also take into account the time spent in preparing each ingredient such as chopping the garlic, pulling out all sauces and sometimes, cleaning the seafood too. A month ago, I received one of the best things that has ever graced my kitchen counter -- the Instant Pot. I have yet to tell you more about it but basically it's one powerful kitchen appliance that can cook rice, make porridge/congee, saute, cook even the hardest and toughest meat under high pressure, delay cooking and make yogurt. I have yet to explore all the functions but so far I'v...

A couple of weeks ago, I got a message from one of my readers (hello to you!)  asking me for recommendations on the best brunch buffets in town. I had to stop a while and recall in order to give her my best recommendations as I didn't want to let her down. Eventually, I answered: "Personally, I love Mireio at Raffles Hotel, very good selections."  To my reader, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. :) Anyway, let me tell you more about my Sunday Brunch experience and why I think it was one of the best there is in town. First of all, the venue. Who doesn't love the luxurious feel of the Raffles Hotel in Makati. It may have a more corporate vibe as opposed to its Singapore counterpart which gives off a more garden feel but well, it's located right at the heart of Makati's busy district so it perfectly suits the vibe there. From the moment I arrived at the entrance of the hotel up until we were ushered up to the 9th floor where we were led towards the resta...