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Showing posts from November, 2013

Crafty Saturday : Animal Safari Workshop

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As much as I love lazy weekends, I also get the thrill whenever I get to do something new and be productive too. Can't really make up my mind, couldn't I? Guess, there are just days wherein I'd rather laze around the house and some days I enjoy going out, meeting new people and learning something new. Balance is always good. Well, last Saturday, I was back at the Canon Pixma Workshop to learn a new set of paper crafts! Together with a couple of bloggers and Canon fans, we created our very own 2014 calendar, a cute Bookworm Bookmark and for some, a 3D animal figurine. I was only able to do the first two and I'm pretty happy with how they turned out. Hooray! I was also able to play around with the new Canon Mini Legria (S$429) which is the newest camcorder in the market. It's just about the size of a mobile phone or a car camera but as they say, do not judge a camera by it's tiny size. This little one comes with Ultra Wide Angle Lens, Wi-Fi capabiliti

Adobo Night at Pizzeria Mozza, Singapore

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It all began with one Facebook shout out... ... and just like that, support and help came pouring in. When Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) hit the Visayas region a couple of weeks ago, I did mention that watching the heartbreaking videos somehow made me feel a bit helpless knowing that I'm thousands of miles away from home. There were initially various ways to send our monetary support but I know that doing this once is not enough. Thus when I was tagged by my friend Suzy to support this special Adobo Night  organized by Chef Karla Mendoza of Pizzeria Mozza , I didn't think twice and sent in my RSVP. Of course, I just had to spread the word and after sharing the same message to my good friends here in Singapore, they sent in their RSVPs too! So there we were at 10PM on a Thursday night. Normally, I'd definitely be home by then probably in bed busy blogging till I fall asleep. Well, last Thursday was no ordinary night as more than 30 of us were present at the special

PasarBella Singapore : A Farmer's Market

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People often ask Paul and I how we're doing in the Lion City . The truth is... we're having a BALL! While others might find Singapore a bit too boring given the size of the place thus the lack of quick weekend getaway options or "happening" places around, I always say that Singapore perfectly suits our personality and lifestyle. Readers probably can see by now that Paul and I are pretty much the laid back kind of couple. We're really happy just spending our weekend at home, hanging out by the pool, meeting up with friends, going to the mall or watching a movie. Of course, there's got to be a lot of eating happening in between. Anyway, so when I heard that there's this nice gourmet market called PasarBella that recently opened a few months back, I've quickly included that in my list of places to visit. After so many failed attempts, we finally were able to visit PasarBella right during Pan's weekend stay. Hooray! Getting there can be quite a ch

[CONTEST ALERT!!!] Frannywanny's Starbucks Planners 2014 (Manila and Singapore) giveaway

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Christmas is just around the corner . While I got to admit that this is really one of my favorite seasons as I look forward to going home to spend the holidays with my family, I can't deny the fact that there's a bit of sadness in my heart as I continue to think of the victim of Typhoon Yolanda who continues to remain homeless up until this day. I just hope that their conditions will improve in the coming days and as a nation, we will be able to help them rebuild the city that they've lost and their lives that has been greatly disrupted. When it comes to Christmas, we also talk about sharing the joy and celebrating traditions. In order to bring a little cheer to everyone, here I am continuing another tradition as I present this year's Starbucks Planner giveaway!!! This year is extra special because I'm not reviewing not one but TWO cool planners which are available in the two markets very close to my heart -- Manila and Singapore . My two homes. Let me sta

Azabu Sabo : Best Hokkaido Ice Cream in Singapore

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In the many years that I've been food blogging, I've had the privilege to try hundreds of restaurants which also means being able to enjoy thousands of different dishes ranging from starters down to desserts. From formal, fine-dining restaurants to the quick service fast food types, I would find a hidden gem every now and then. That's what makes eating so enjoyable and yes, fulfilling. During one of our Saturdates , Paul and I stumbled upon an ice cream kiosk at the basement of Takashimaya Department Store . It was after having almost a dozen sticks of deep-fried shrimp patties and grilled chicken that we found ourselves craving for something sweet. Choosing which one to try was easy, I just went for the dessert kiosk with the longest line. As everyone would really patiently line up for good food here in Singapore, I am then assured that whatever I'm lining up for will be worth the wait and leg exercise. That evening, a long line was forming in front of Azabu Sabo

#YolandaPH : How to Help?

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Times like this, I really wish I was just having a bad dream..a really really bad dream. This is because, in dreams, you eventually wake up and realized that nothing has changed. Sadly, when Super Typhoon Haiyan (a.k.a. Yolanda) hit my dear country, the Philippines , last Friday it surely wasn't a dream nor was it even a terrible nightmare. It's an awful reality leaving thousands (and I'm talking around 10,000+) dead and a lot more missing. Families were torn apart, children separated from their parents, parents looking for their children, pets, homes, even public structures and farm lands were not spared. I honestly didn't know much about the gravity of this disaster up until I watched our local news the following day. As scenes unfold before my eyes, I felt my heart crushing into tiny pieces. Tears started to flow as I watch the survivors crying in anguish as they continue to search for their loved ones. It has been 5 days since Haiyan left the country yet the pain

Bottle Up! : Vom Fass in Shangri-la Mall

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After our delicious family dinner at Green Pastures a couple of weeks ago, my parents and sister decided to take their balikbayan daughter (yours truly) and son-in-law (Paul) on a quick tour around the new wing of Shangri-la Mall. The last time we were here was during our visit last March where it was newly opened and there were just about 10 stores present then. At present, the mall is alive with shoppers and diners alike. We started from the top-most floor and lately worked our way down. As we reached the Ground Floor, we chanced upon a store that's filled with identical looking jars. Peering inside, we saw labels that says "Oils", "Vinegars", "Liqueurs & Spirits" and more. With our curiosity reaching its peak, we all went in to really see what the store is all about. Welcome to Vom Fass , says the friendly staff. First we were given samples of their homemade Blueberry Wine (Php. 400) which was very light and fruity. Papa and Paul had two

Trying the Ebi Burger in McDonald's Singapore

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Konnichiwa! When the Ebi Burger was launched in all McDonald's stores all over Singapore last week, I made a mental note to check this out over the weekend. I love shrimp and fish burgers as this is what I normally order over their beefy burgers thus I was really excited that McDonald's is adding more non-beef burger options to their menu. Yay! We agreed to share the Ebi Feast Meal (S$7.75) which consists of an Ebi Burger, a Tropical McFrizzy, large French Fries and Tropical McFrizzy drink. I just wanted the Ebi Burger and happily gave the rest to Paul who enjoyed this meal with his all-time favorite -- the Quarter Pounder Burger. Now, I'm excited to open this box and to reveal, what hopefully is, a treasure inside. Ready?

Snax! by CP Foods in Takashimaya Food Court

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During one of our SaturDates, Paul and I decided to check out the food court in Takashimaya Department Store in Orchard Road. While we have this impression that this is a very high end department store, I'm quite fascinated by the fact that it houses a lot of Japanese brands and we all know that there are just a lot of delicious Japanese food finds out there. While checking out all the different snacks, drinks and whatnot, we chanced upon this brightly colored stall selling yakitori-style food items. Meet Snax! by CP Foods .  We're no stranger to CP Foods and I even blogged about this cool $1 promo that they had a while back .While it was our first time to see their Takashimaya stall, I do recall seeing the one in JEM a few months ago and I really liked the fried shrimp popper that I was given as a sample by their friendly staff. I was planning to buy it but since we were rushing then, I just told myself to save it for our next visit.  Checking out the glass co

Munch...Crunch.... Meet the Ovomaltine Crunchy Biscuit

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Pardon for the shameless plug but I just have to share my newest discovery. Here's a question: Who loves the Ovomaltine Crunchy Cream spread? Raise your hands!!! Well, for all Ovomaltine fans out there, here's something that will surely keep you muchin' day after day. Are you ready? Look what we stumbled upon -- the Ovomaltine Crunchy Biscuit  (Php. 290) and since we love our friends and family back home, Just Craving is including this as part of our product line too! Hoooooray!  A pack gives you 6 yummy cookies filled with creamy Ovomaltine filling. It goes really well with a glass of cold milk (for more calcium) or if you really want to indulge, try it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Trust me, you'll love it! The first batch of Ovomaltine Crunchy Biscuit will arrive in Manila by first week of December. For more info, like Just Craving on Facebook. Well, what are you waiting for? ORDER NOW at http://bit.ly/JustCraving

Sakae Sushi : The Fun Rotating Sushi!

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I had a good day yesterday.  Wanna know why?  It's because I finally was able to talk to my sister who was away most of the time these past months working on a really hectic project. She has been almost incommunicado since she began with the project and boy were we all counting down the days till it finally ends. Anyway, it's over and I can get to talk to my sister anytime I want again! Hooray! I really missed her, you know. *sniffle* Speaking of my sister Pan, did you know that whenever we travel together, we have this little tradition of dining at a Japanese restaurant with rotating sushi? It began when we were kids in Hong Kong and it somehow carried on when we went to Bangkok together and when she was here in Singapore a few months ago. Thus, a trip is not complete without having this little tradition. I actually attempted to dine at a rotating sushi restaurant on my own when I went to Beijing and the experience was just not as fun. Sakae Sushi is one of the re

Date Night at Seven Corners, Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria

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During our staycation at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria , Paul and I decided to have dinner at Seven Corners . It has been a while since we've had a buffet dinner and what would make our visit home more enjoyable than to allow ourselves to indulge, right? Having had the privilege to try a number of hotel buffets in the Metro, Paul and I have grown to love a number of hotel buffets for one or two of its specialties. For instance, we love one hotel buffet for their to-die-for Caprese Salad , another one would be for their abundant seafood choices , another one would be for their impressive Japanese selections ...and the list goes on and on. While I wasn't my usual self that evening that I just tried a few dishes and quickly waved the white flag, I happily watched my husband enjoy the buffet selections of Seven Corners . I got to admit, Seven Corners have quite limited choices but we all know that quantity doesn't always equate to quality right? We began our dinner wi

Staycation Love at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria

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There's really something about staycations that excites me. To others, it may just be an overnight stay. However, for us, a staycation is the perfect excuse to "eject" ourselves out from our daily routine and to just relax, relax and relax some more. During our recent visit home, Paul and I stayed the night at Crowne Plaza Manila . As I've probably mentioned a hundred times already (apologies for that), I was down with viral high fever that would go down in the morning and would shoot up again come night time almost all throughout the week that I was home. Our stay was no exception. I was okay in the morning but just as soon as I stepped inside our beautiful Premiere Suite , my temperature shot up to 39 degrees alarming Paul who told me to just stay in bed and rest till I feel better. It was a good thing that our room was really comfortable that I just snuggled under the sheets to keep myself from having chills and to lower my temperature too. Anyway, let me giv

Hawker Heritage at The Line, Shangri-la Hotel Singapore

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When you mention Singapore to a traveling foodie, I can probably bet a million dollars that the word hawker  will surely come up. Not quite convinced? Okay then, think about your favourite Singaporean dish. Ready? Well, whatever it is, I can confidently say that you can get all  of them from a hawker center. You see, hawkers and hawker centers play a very important part in Singapore's heritage. I can still remember my first hawker meal was back in the late 90s, I was about 8 years old then and my parents brought me to Newton Circus for dinner. Back then, there weren't a lot of hawker centers, I can still remember visiting the ones in Newton as well as People's Park in Chinatown. Sanitation was still a big problem then as we would watch in horror whenever the "uncle" would just "wipe" our table with a piece of chopsticks, pushing all morsels of food down to the floor. The tables would be sticky, sometimes oily, the floor extremely dirty. I have a number