As parents of this generation, we would like as much as possible to monitor and keep a tab on all our children’s milestones.  Even if in our case, we’re both full-time working parents, we make sure we are still on top of the developmental stages of our kids.

For me personally, parenting is also about spending quality time and ensuring they grow in a healthy and happy environment and are given proper nutrition.  Fruits, Vegetables, and Milk are non-negotiables when it comes to my children’s nutrition.  We’re blessed to have kids who don’t dislike these foods, in fact, it’s part of their daily food consumption, and we don’t have to force it to them.  They are growing healthily and strong as they go about their daily activities at home and in school.
As our little one continues to explore his physical capabilities through play, it’s important that we give him milk that will help him develop stronger bones and muscles.  Friso Four has been one of his allies in making this happen.
It’s a pro-digestion milk formula which uses LockNutri, a way of preserving the natural structure of protein, making it easy to digest and lessen the risk of constipation.  He’s never had problems in this department and I know how painful it could be for children to be constipated (I experienced this when I was younger.)
By making sure he gets the full nutritive value of milk, we as parents, are assured that he grows healthily which will allow us to experience more bonding moments together, just like how we did it with his Kuya.  Plus, by being the always-present-parents to him, he will grow up to be a happy, secured, smart, and confident child.
Giving them proper nutrition is also a gift we should always give to our children.  As much as we want to be with them 24/7 to protect them and ensure their safety, we can’t.  By giving them the proper nutrition, we can be assured that as they explore the world on their own, they are protected.  One way that gives us peace of mind when nutrition and protection is concerned is giving him milk every day.  We give our little one Friso Four.  We also make regular visits to his pediatrician.

You may also visit your child’s pediatrician to claim your Friso Four Kit, which includes an exclusive Mercury Drug card.  By purchasing Friso Four from any Mercury Drug Moms get the chance to win perks and prizes, exclusively from Friso Four (final list of prizes and partners to be published in friso.com.ph).

How about you loves?  How do you show your love to your children even when you’re not around?  Do you also believe in the importance of milk in their nutrition?

Since this year started, I've been looking for new baon or merienda ideas for my preschooler.  It has to look interesting and pretty exciting and of course it has to pass his taste meter.  Glad to have found a new fun snack idea with the NEW STAR Margarine Fairy Bread!
I'm happy that my son is not a picky eater.  But sometimes, mabilis siyang mag-sawa.  That I would understand especially if the snacks I buy for him on a regular basis is what he eats repeatedly for countless days.  That's why I believe there really has to be a good variety for his baon.  Glad that STAR Fairy Bread is not only colorfully decorated to make it look so much fun to eat, but it's packed with 10 vitamins and minerals that help in my child's complete development.
Here's how to easily create your own STAR Margarine Fairy bread:
STEP 1: Get loaf breads, plain or toasted.
STEP 2: Cut into fun shapes.  We chose star shaped.
STEP 3: Add a generous amount of STAR Margarine.
STEP 4: Sprinkle some candy sprinkles on top.
STEP 5: Take a photo of your creation and enjoy!
The New STAR Margarine Fairy Bread comes in four different variants: stars, christmas trees, flowers, and classic sprinkles.  Now, there's no need to worry what baon your little one will bring to school!  Hurry and put this New STAR Margarine Fairy Bread in your grocery cart because it will only be available for a limited time in your favorite supermarkets nationwide!
For more information and updates on STAR Margarine, like them on Facebook: https://facebook.com/OfficialStarMargarine.  You could also find other Star Fairy Bread creations by following their story on social media with these hashtags: #StarFairyBread #StarSiKidStarSiMommy.

Honestly, I am not a milk drinker.  I had a heartbreaking love story with milk when I was younger, like around 4 or 5 years old.  This history became the main reason why I push my own kids to drink milk today, everyday.  It's a mission I've been succeeding so far with my preschooler and my teenager.
Buti na lang, my children are milk lovers since they were babies.  My preschooler Wes, is quite tall for his age and is a very active boy.  He likes pretend play, running, riding the bicycle and doing some karate or ninja moves like his favorite turtle characters.  He needs strong bones for all these activities to keep him up on his feet all the time.  That's why milk is important for him to take every day.  He loves milk and drinks a glass two to three times a day.  He can't sleep without drinking milk.

Christmas is just a few weeks away oh my gulay, and family reunions and other gatherings start to fill up my calendar.  For pot luck events, apart from my most-requested Spaghetti, we bring Pork Menudo because it's a delicious dish which can be shared by many.

It's also one of my husband's favorite dishes to cook as well and one of my favorite dishes to eat.  Now our eldest who's a teenager is beginning to explore other kinds of food beyond soup-based or fried.  He's been enjoying my Lutong Nanay dishes and I'm extremely happy about it.

My teenager enjoying his Pork Menudo dish which I cooked

Of course the dish wouldn't be as tasty without the help of Knorr Pork Cubes.  I'd like to share with you a simple recipe which is easy to follow when cooking Pork Menudo.

Forgive me for sharing just now my newest guilty pleasure discovery!  It's Auntie Anne's Almond Biscoff Bites!  If you're a fan of Lotus Biscoff spread, then you'l definitely love the newest offering of Auntie Anne's.  The good news is, it's still available for you to savor its honest-to-goodness oh-so-yummy taste.  The not so good news is, it's only offered for a limited time.  So better hurry and treat yourself to a box of Aunti Anne's Almond Biscoff Bites ASAP! :)

The Auntie Anne's Almond Biscoff Bites for me is best paired with a glass of lemonade!

Our family home celebrations are never without chicken, cake and of course their favorite, Spaghetti!  It has been a tradition to have this pasta dish every time there's an occasion such as birthdays or anniversaries.  Although I and husband prefer the Italian Style, my children like the sweet one.  In this recipe or taste battle, of course, the kids always win.  Sweet Style Spaghetti it is!

This canvass and Purefoods Blue Line apron welcomed me

Whenever we host a gathering of family or friends, one topic never fails to come up, home-cooked meals.  Well, I do cook the usual family favorites, but my husband cooks the meanest special meals which his family and friends applaud him for!  I admit to that fact, even on our wedding vows, that he's a better cook than I am.  One example was his special recipe last weekend which I am going to share with you today, his healthy Chili Cheesy Pork Lumpia Pesto.
How could a Lumpia be so healthy?  It was fried using Filippo Berio Olive Oil.  And wait a minute, did I hear Pesto?  Yes you're correct, that's the twist to this recipe, a different variety of Pork Lumpia.  We used Filippo Berio Pesto for this new Lumpia recipe.  Wait, there's more, did you also say Chili and Cheesy?  YES I did.. it may seem like a confusing mix of ingredients but I tell you, not that I'm being biased, it's bursting with flavor which you'd need extra rice to go with it.  Now, let me share with you our special recipe.

Chili Cheesy Pork Lumpia Pesto

On rainy days and Mondays, we always crave for comfort food, particularly a soup-based dish.  And in our family, that will always be Sinigang na Liempo with Knorr sa Sampaloc with Gabi.  Ang sarap ng mainit na sabaw .during colder days in our country.  That's why Sinigang will always be perfect no matter what.  So as part of my life goals as a mom, I want to be more hands-on by providing the kids (and the kid at heart, referring to my husband) a Lutong Nanay experience as much as I can because that's what they will remember when they grow up.  It's how I remember my mom too.

I've had a chance to be an OFW back in 2006-2007 when I used to fly to and from Jakarta, Indonesia for some work assignments.  When I look back on my life adventures, that phase was one of the most memorable highlights of my life.  Travelling to a different country, meeting and actually working with the locals, speaking a bit of Bahasa, exploring the city's sights and sounds, and immersing myself in a different culture, spelled freedom and happiness for me.  I miss living in Jakarta and travelling to other cities in Indonesia.  One of the things I miss the most is the Indonesian cuisine.

Let me share with you some throwback pictures:

Monas in Jakarta, Indonesia

Flying to Surabaya, Indonesia via Garuda Indonesia

As a mom who's trying all her might to be the best for her family, I find time to cook for them.  My hands are always full most of the time because of work, caring for the baby, caring for myself too (due to CS delivery), and because of the blog, so preparing home-cooked meals can be quite challenging for me.  But I love to cook on weekends and on special occasions.  So being the "Ilaw ng Tahanan" that I am, I need to be more creative in time management and look for easy-to-cook recipes that are still both healthy and delicious.

I love pasta and so does my kids!  So I whipped up not only one, but two pasta dishes one day in less than 30 minutes!  I recently got that quick to cook "healthy" choice of pasta from Doña Elena's Al Dente Pasta Eccelente.

Doña Elena's Al Dente Pasta Eccelente

I’ve been a working mom ever since and I can totally relate to these famous phrases “Naku, wala na kasing time..” or “Sobra kasing busy at ang daming gagawin…” when asked if a mom still cooks for the family.  Oftentimes pa, we’re judged for not putting the family’s welfare our priority, especially when it comes to health and nutrition of the kids.  Pwede bang wala kasi talagang time or super pagod na pagdating sa house?  In this era when instant food and fast food restaurants abound, it’s easy to rely on them right?  But personally, I cook breakfast every day for the family and special viands during weekends.  When I say special viands, these include their all-time favorite, Sinigang.

I discovered recently that there are many ways to cook their favorite Sinigang in Knorr’s #LutongNanay event held at The Cookery Place, BGC last July 4, 2016.  Knorr’s #LutongNanay is already on its 3rd year and continues to champion delicious, home cooked meals for the Filipino family.  The event was hosted by a young celebrity and a doting mom herself, Ms. Camille Pratts.  The event started with a group sharing from the participants and a short presentation by Knorr with focus on Sinigang.

The event was hosted by Ms. Camille Pratts

Imagine the Wild, Wild, West or Toy Story's Woody and Jessie riding in horses, plus a buffet spread that's fit for cowboys and cowgirls, that's what you'll experience at the Sunday Brunch at the Ranch of Fairmont Makati's Spectrum.

I can’t believe it’s already December!  Time flew by so fast that I didn’t notice my November came in and out so quickly.  Maybe it’s because I was too busy the last few months with my wedding preparation.  So now that our wedding celebration is over, it’s time to face all my Christmas duties!  I feel that I have to rush with my Christmas preparations which I purposely delayed so I could focus on one event at a time.

We all know that Christmas is a really joyous event in our country.  Ask any OFW, and they’d want to come home and celebrate Christmas here.  They would tell you how warm Christmas is received in every Filipino home.  Seasonal food comes out like puto bumbong, bibingka and also macaroni salad.
Christmas here is a time we look forward to because it’s all about spending precious time with your loved ones.  That’s why, family reunions are organized here and there to celebrate one of the most awaited event of the year.

In our family, tasks are distributed to every member.  Usually these are my tasks:

1. To find a common schedule for all.  Having families of our own, we have to agree if we would celebrate either on the 24th or 25th.  It’s usually my task to call everyone to know their availability.  
2. To assign each family what to bring.  Renting a place is not practical as the money we’re going to pay the restaurant or function room could just be spent with food for sharing.  Pot luck is always the name of the game.  After finding out common schedule for every family, I also am tasked  to assign each family what to bring.  Who brings a pork dish?  Chicken dish?  Pasta?  Desserts?  Drinks?   Macaroni Salad?
3. To prepare games or entertainment.  Thanks to my mom who enrolled me in singing lessons when I was younger.  I usually host the activities or sing while Macky plays the guitar.  Our favorite activities or games usually are: Pinoy Henyo, Charades, Exchange Gifts, and of course, raffle!
4. To whip up a delicious bowl of everyone’s favorite rich and creamy Lady’s Choice macaroni salad.   
   
   Oh yes!  Even if mom’s not around anymore, parang andun pa rin siya because we could still taste the same rich and creamy taste of her macaroni salad.  She passed on her recipe to me that’s why, every year, this has become my assignment.  Our family bonds over the special macaroni salad because we’re reminded of her, parang kasama pa rin namin siya.  Hence, her Lady’s Choice macaroni salad has become the star of the Christmas table which makes our Christmas reunions more special.

For me, it’s not how many tasks I do every Christmas reunions.  Kahit dagdagan pa ng 10 more tasks go lang.  The important thing is, sama-sama ang pamilya kapag Pasko, dahil mas masarap talaga kapag sama-sama.  Even if we’re no longer complete, we’re thankful that there’s always something that reminds us of my mommy, yung special Lady’s Choice macaroni salad recipe niya.

How about you loves?  Are you already excited for the Christmas family reunions?  What tasks do you have?  Do you also have a special recipe na star ng reunion niyo like our Lady’s Choice macaroni salad?  Do share!

I'd like to think I am of Spanish descent because of my surname, Fandiño.   Hahaha!  Anything with Ñ to me most probably has a Spanish influence.  So, when Macky and I were invited to dine at Alquria Restaurante, I felt like, hey, this is my zone!  Kidding aside, I've always loved Spanish cuisine because it's very close to our own Filipino dishes like Afritada, Caldereta and even Lechon, which all have Spanish influences.  I remember my dear friend Tricia (of authentic Spanish-speaking family) who would always invite me to their home to try her homemade Spanish menu specialties like Churros con Chocolate and Croquettas.  Because of her almost weekly invitation, I've grown love for Spanish cuisines.

I enrolled myself in a gym a few weeks ago to officially start my health and fitness journey.  I was encouraged by one of my dearest friends to commit to a lifestyle changing routine for my own benefit.  So, after three sessions with a personal trainer, these were some of the facts that I discovered about health and myself as well:

• I am bordering obese. – YES.  I couldn’t believe it myself and I felt a little bad for allowing this to happen.  My body fat index comprises of 37% and at my age and height, it should only be at around 20 – 25%.  It’s sad, but at least I have a baseline and that I know what to target with my fitness journey
• That while cardio exercises may shed off fat, there’s a constant need to build muscles to achieve a fit physique, protein is needed for muscle building which comes from meat and vegetables
• Weight loss is achievable with ratio of 80:20, the former being food intake and latter from exercise.  So which means, I have to choose healthier meals.

Having these realizations made me decide to eat healthier to be able to achieve my fitness goals.  I now eat more vegetables and healthy meats and less of carbo food.  In my lookout for healthy food I could practically and conveniently bring to work as baon or eat at home without the hassle of long preps or cooking, I discovered San Marino Tuna Laing.  
Tuna has always been the food I turn to when dieting, not starving ha, and at the same time enjoying delicious food.  San Marino has always come up with delicious variety of products for health-conscious individuals like me.

What I like about the San Marino Tuna Laing is that it’s so convenient to bring to work because of its easy-open can and it’s ready-to-eat, perfect for people always on the go.
Since I’ve been told by my trainer to eat more of the good stuff like fish and vegetables, San Marino Tuna Laing is a good choice because it’s made of real taro leaves, coconut milk and of course, tuna flakes.  Parang kumain ka talaga ng lutong bahay when you taste it because it’s flavorful plus it’s healthy.

Perfect choice for my dieting phase because I get the nutrition I need without the extra calories.  The taro leaves naturally has Vitamins A, C, Fiber, and Protein, plus it’s good for the heart because of the Omega-3 in tuna.  San Marino Tuna Laing is great for my workout and dieting needs.
Now, there’s another alternative to our healthy food choices, apart from the usual San Marino tuna variants we buy.  We could enjoy another delicious and healthy treat from San Marino, the new San Marino tuna Laing.  It’s only Php32.00 per can of 180g.
If like me, you also are into your health and fitness journey or the more popular Balik-Alindog-Program, I encourage you to choose healthier food alternatives such as San Marino Tuna Laing.  Like the San Marino Corned Tuna’s Facebook Page to know more about San Marino Tuna Laing. #SanMarinoTunaLaing #SanMarino

Do you honestly let your kids consume enough fruits and vegetables in a day?  Let's at least talk about you, do you consciously ensure you get the recommended servings of fruits daily?  Personally, we have enough vegetable servings at home.  But fruits, not as much as we should, until quite recently.

To give you a background, I think I've mentioned this in my previous post before that my dad, who's 75 years old, has daily servings of vegetable and fruits.  He cannot live without fruits in his diet and seeing how healthy he is now, made me realize more the effects of making fruits an integral part of one's diet.  Since I was a child, I've learned to eat fruits and one of my favorites is pineapples, which is also my dad's favorite.  So having said this, and consciously teaching by example, I've passed on the love of pineapples to my kids.