Frannywanny

I can't believe we're nearing the end of another year! I can still remember the time when I was composing my Year-Ender entry for 2007 . Unlike last year when I focused mainly on the travel destinations that I've been to; this time, I'd like to think deeper and talk about the 8 greatest lessons that 2008 has taught me. #1. Make new friends... If there's one thing I love about being a blogger is the group of friends that I have gained. Attending blog events and product launches has been so much fun thanks to these talented individuals. I would also like to thank my dear friend Sophie for her wonderful tips and encouragement for me to keep on blogging. #2. ....and do not forget to keep the old ones Just like wine, friendship gets better through time. I'm lucky that no matter how crazy life can be, I know I can count on these girls at any time. They have seen me through my ups and downs, they were with me as we grew up together and SOON, they will

If there's one thing I miss the most about working for the Green Siren is the group of friends that I have found throughout my two years stay. I'm so thankful that even though we do not get to see each other anymore on a daily basis, this does not in any way, affects our closeness. Keeping up with traditions, we met one one Friday evening at SM Megamall's The Atrium and briefly went around in search for an interesting dining place. We didn't have to go around that long because right at the 2nd floor, we found a brightly lit and cozy looking restaurant called The Kebab Factory . Luckily, we were all game to have an Indian feast and so we all agreed to give it a try. Unlike other Indian/Mediterranean restaurants, this one barely has any vintage decoration which gives it a more modern feel. I was tasked to take care of ordering the food and these are the dishes that I got for us to share: Papadum Masala (Php. 65), Chicken Tikka (Php. 250), Lamb Kebab (Php. 300) a

At the start of 2008, I mentioned that this year will be a year of many travels . Despite my hectic work schedule, I made it a point to go out of Manila at least once a month. This, I later found out, greatly contributed to keeping me sane for a longer period of time. I'm also lucky to have friends who share the same passion for travelling as I do. It has been a year of many firsts. It began in Pampanga, which is a place very familiar for Paul and I, then we moved further up to tour around the Ilocos region and marveled at the beauty of Pagudpud and the Kabigan Falls. Working for the Green Siren has also allowed me to travel around the country. Visiting the different provinces made me realized that there's so much to see in the Philippines. Next year, I hope to be able to see more of the Visayas and hopefully some parts of Mindanao. It's my personal goal to be able to travel around the country before I begin exploring the countries abroad. Last week, I got a message

I remembered a conversation that I recently had with the editor in chief of one of my favorite magazines . She told me that one of the things that she love about her job is being able to teach her taste buds to appreciate the different possible flavors and the beauty of combining one with the other. A couple of days after that, I was fortunate enough to be invited to a Seven-Course dinner hosted by Orbit Gum for just a handful of bloggers. I braved through the crazy christmas traffic to be able to get to Bistro Filipino on time. Stepping into the restaurant, I first saw Chef Myrna Segismundo . I immediately recognized her as she is also an editor for another food magazine aside from being the Managing Director of Restaurant 9501 and a chef who I truly admire. I was brought to my seat and after a brief exchange of HIs and HELLOs with my fellow blogger, Bistro Filipino's gracious server approached me with a mouthwatering platter of adorable-looking edibles. He then introduce

It started this morning when I logged on to this site to check my messages. Then I saw one that was posted by a fellow blogger asking who's free to be part of a shoot to be made by Delifrance for their Secret Santa campaign . Since I just live nearby, I texted my fellow blogger and asked if he still needs someone to join the shoot. Luckily, they do and so after an hour I found myself inside the Delifrance store in Theater Mall together with my fellow bloggers Jonel and Az . It was then that I found out that the shoot was for a news feature to be shown in ABS-CBN's primetime news show, TV Patrol. The story evolves around how the Secret Santa website works and how a recipient can claim and enjoy their very own Almond Star Cookies or my favorite Almond Biscotti. I had so much fun with Az and my leading man Jonel! After the shoot, I was soooo excited for my tv appearance that I texted my family and Paul's to catch TV Patrol this weekend. Ü Tonight, my mom and I were a

It has been said that coffee cannot be enjoyed alone . While this could mean two things. First, coffee is best drank over a meaningful conversation with a friend. I guess this can be seen with the rapid growth of coffee shops all around the globe as well as the popularity of the word coffee chat . Secondly, the perfect coffee experience involves enjoying your cup of java together with something else . This something else could be a pastry that complements the flavor of your coffee or for the adventurous souls, it could also be a unique coffee concoction that perfectly suits your taste. Tonight, Paul and I, together with a handful of bloggers were given the chance to taste a unique blend of coffee and liquor in a cake. The new Coffee Walnut Bavarian (Php. 725) is the first ever creation in Red Ribbon's line of Premium Selections. I loved how my fork smoothly sink into the moist chiffon that alternately layers with the coffee mixed with Kahlua cream. It was so dramatic and

While strolling around SM Megamall's newest section , I chanced upon a store that caught my attention and perked up my curiosity. At first glance, it looked like a bakery with a glass-enclosed area with an oven, a counter with yummy looking donuts and pastries and wooden shelves with bread-like products. Taking a closer look, I noticed that the donuts look too glossy, the bread-like products too colorful and why on earth is there a pretty sink at the corner of the store? Then I realized that these attractive looking pastries are not for our sweet tooth's consumption but are meant to be enjoyed in a bubbly bath. While the Soap Factory staff can customize soaps to suit your taste, they also have four types of soap categories to fulfill your bubbly needs: - Yummy Soaps look so much like its baked counterparts that I personally had a hard time choosing if I want to bring home a cupcake, doughnut, a slice of cake or a piece of fruit. Eventually, I chose a Piña Colada after

I'm so proud of this.. Presenting my first big project for Yummy! the Yummy Recipe Cards! A couple of cool things about it: -- the pages are detachable (say goodbye to the idea of lugging around your magazine while you shop for your ingredients) -- it's handy (it fits perfectly in your pocket or your bag) -- it is a compilation of past Chicken recipes featured in the magazine (miss a copy? don't worry!) -- it's a perfect Christmas gift (thinking of what to give your mom/sister/food loving friend?) -- it's a great deal! (for only Php.150, need I say more?) Available in all leading newsstands, bookstores and supermarkets. Grab a copy now!

While walking around SM Megamall early last week, I found myself entering a different area I never knew existed. With board up announcements of soon-to-open high end shops and restaurants and an attractive church at the top floor, I realized that the newest section of the mall was finally open to the public. My first impression was that the structural design looks very much like SM Megamall's high-end sister mall called The Podium. It's as if a mini Podium was placed right at the middle of busy Megamall. Trust SM to stick to their promise that they got it all for us . Here are some shots of what we can expect from SM Megamall's The Atrium: welcome to the atrium Steve Madden opening soon! Can't wait for Haagen Dazs! Megamall, say hello to Gap! Macau photo exhibit

Here's a lil frannywanny trivia : Not so long ago, I took a break from beef simply because I was scared of the Mad Cow Disease. Since then, I have grown fond of seafood, lamb and chicken..anything but beef. I have stayed away from burger for as long as I can remember and was able to live without steak since then. At some point, I started to believe that my beef-less diet can go on forever... that was until I was introduced to Charlie . My first Charlie's encounter was with a dear colleague and her boyfriend. Over lunch one crazy work day, we took a short drive from the office to where Charlie was. I was surprised to see a small air-conditioned area beside a medium sized neighborhood car wash station. The place was brightly lit with orange lamps and a tall vertical black board was the first thing I saw upon stepping inside. Although, the menu was pretty short, I had a hard time choosing my order because everything written on the black board sounds delicious! Since it was

I love long weekends! Aside from the fact that I get that much needed rest that work normally deprives me from, I also have more free time to tinker around the kitchen. As OC I may get with planning my day-to-day activities, my kitchen personality is somewhat different from that. In the kitchen, I normally have a come-what-may attitude where I don't normally plan what to cook but I just follow my heart and creative mind and make use of whatever ingredients I find inside the fridge. That is, unless I really have to prepare for a special occasion that I have to seriously plan for. I am a self-declared leftover princess. I love to create new recipes out of a bunch of (well...) left-overs. Which is basically the story behind this newest dish I have named Three Cheese Penne created after realizing that I still have three types of cheeses (cottage, mozzarella and quickmelt) and a roll of meatloaf left from last night's dinner. What you'll need: 3 types of cheeses (the three

I love yogurt! Way before the popularity of the frozen yogurts a.k.a. fro-yos and those with fruit toppings came about, my family has been a big fan of Nestle's fruit yogurts and BTIC for as long as I can remember. Imagine our joy when the sudden craze over this healthier dessert option came into the local scene. So far, I've tried the best Frozen Yogurt found in the Salcedo Market as well as the creamy Strawberry yogurt of Lulu Belle . After a brief chat with my colleague Becky last Friday, who is also a yogurt fan herself. She suggested that I should check out Yoh-Gurt Froz . What's different about this yogurt is the ice cream-like texture that makes it really smooth and creamy. I've been thinking about it the entire day after our chat and so after a delicious birthday dinner with Paul's family, I sweetly convinced Paul to drive by the Yoh-Gurt Froz store along Tomas Morato. At half past 9, the store was filled with 3 families enjoying their dessert! While wa

Remember the time when Jurassic Park was the biggest blockbuster film in Hollywood? When Steven Spielberg became a household name? That was also when Dinosaurs began to rule our world of imagination. Fast forward 15 years after, dinosaurs will soon walk back to land and set foot in the Philippines...well for a month and a half that is via the Dinos Alive World Tour . Imagine walking through a theme park surrounded with 30 life size robotic dinosaurs complete with a 30 foot T-Rex! Aside from this jaw-dropping display, adults and kids will have a great time as everyone can enjoy in fossil hunting, rock climbing and participating in games and a lot more! This is a perfect family destination this Christmas season! See you there! RAWR! The ‘Dinos Alive World Tour - Manila will be set up next to the SM Mall of Asia from 28th November to 11th January , 10am-10pm on weekends and 12pm-10pm on weekdays. Tickets are available for purchase from TicketWorld by calling 891-9999 or onli

Little by little, we feel the air gets colder, the day seems shorter and retail shops begin to offer their respective Christmas promotions. No matter how bad business has turned to be, one thing is for sure, Christmas is still the season where gift giving is the norm and so begins the popularity of Christmas dinners, reunions and family get-togethers. For friends and colleagues, there's the annual Kris Kringle where we pick a name from a fishbowl and we send weekly gifts in line with the theme to our "baby". Delifrance has joined in this season's tradition by launching their My Secret Santa website, the first and biggest Kris Kringle celebration Metro Manila residents will be participating in. Wondering how to join in the fun? It's simple, just log on the My Secret Santa website, click on Be Someone's Secret Santa , enter the required field and tadah! an email will be sent to your desired recipients within seconds. Recipients will receive a coupon wh

Previous entry: Give in to Giving this Christmas (Part 1) Before we rush out to begin yet another coffee overdose session, let us get to know the twelve organizations that you can support this Yuletide Season: 1) Kagabay - stands for Kababaihan Gabay sa Bayan is an organization that helps women improve on their livelihood skills and in the process empowers them as well. 2) Caritas Manila - this is the leading social arm of the Archdiocese of Manila and is geared toward total human development for the urban poor. 3) PAWS 4) Bahay Tuluyan - is an NGO established to help street children who are seen in the red light district of Malate. 5) Haribon - is dedicated to the conservation of the Philippine biodiversity 6) Cartwheel Foundation 7) Kythe 8) Autism Society of the Philippines (ASP) - is a group who helps patients with Autism and empowers them to become self-reliant, productive and socially accepted members of the community. 9) Philippine Cerebral Palsy - assi

Last Wednesday, I took a break from my regular visit to the Green Siren to attend an event organized by its friendly neighbor otherwise known as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL). Paul and I made it to their store at the Bonifacio Highstreet on time but we were surprised to see the store already buzzing with people. Most of the tables were already filled up and as we inch our way in saying hello to fellow bloggers, I began to wonder what was going on. We took a closer look around and realized that on each table sat a couple of representatives from various NGOs and organizations in the metro. There's Paul's favorite organization named PAWS , which is a group that fights against animal cruelty and alleviate these animals from pain, fear and suffering from maltreatment. Then there's the Cartwheel Foundation which stands firm on its advocacy to bring education to the country's indigenous communities. They focus on Early Development Education which involves kids