In case you haven’t noticed, Halloween is upon us. And that means all eerily good stuff—movies, decorations, costumes, candies, and what we’re most looking forward to, the food.

What’s even more exciting are the delightful deals Eatigo has in store for its loyal patrons. This Halloween, expect a spooktacular selection of buffet restaurants that both kids and adults can enjoy. With the Eatigo app, easily snap up time-based deals that go as high as 50% off your total bill!
Another fresh buffet is the elegant all-day restaurant of Cucina in Marco Polo Ortigas. Their interactive open kitchen is a treat to both the sight and taste. Honing innovative continental and Asian cuisines, visitors often rave about the paella, steak, sushi, lobster, and salmon sashimi. 

Dining at its best is tucked within the Garden Café of Luxent Hotel. It’s rather quiet compared to other buffet restaurants, but the diverse offerings are equally good. The lechon belly is a crowd-pleaser with its flavourful meat and exquisitely crunchy skin, as well as the chicken cordon bleu.
Millennials or old-fashioned gourmands will delight in Midas Café located inside Midas Hotel. In 2012, it was awarded as one of Asia Tatler Dining's best restaurants featuring an outstanding buffet station bursting with haute choices and decadent Western to Filipino favorites.
Last but definitely not the least is the bright, bold, and modern Marriott Café in Marriott Hotel. The open-theatre kitchen aims to captivate hungry diners with their sumptuous spread of local and international fare. Truly, it’s a mouth-watering experience.

The best part is all of these restaurants are readily available and eagerly waiting for you on Eatigo. Just download the app, sign up, and scour the many delicious deals on the page. Trust us, they’re too good to pass up on!

It’s been four months since my kids started their school year and as their lessons and activities advance, so does their need for motivation and energy to keep on going and moving.  I have two boys who are in school, one in junior high school and the other one in elementary.  The toddler is schooled at home through lots of playing, running, hopping, singing, and dancing. 

My athlete teenager, artist grade-schooler, and exploring toddler.

If there’s one food which I would always encourage my children to eat, it’s potatoes.  Why?  Here are some reasons:

1. A potato is a vegetable I don’t need to force them into eating.  This means less “fights” because they naturally love it already!  Thanks to Fries (which I buy from the supermarket’s frozen section – should have the seal of US Potatoes!) which they love so much. 

3. Potatoes are Vitamin-rich!  They aren’t just good source of good carbs.  In fact, potatoes are rich in vitamin C to boost kids’ immunity, vitamin B6 which improves cognitive function (perfect for all the math problems and memorization in school), and potassium for my active boys’ healthy growth and building of muscles.  Over all potatoes are quality carbs that help optimize both mental and physical performance.  It’s fat-free, sodium-free, and cholesterol free!

You see, potatoes aren’t to be ignored or taken for granted, they are packed when it comes to nutritional benefits not only for our school kids, but for us as well.  Thankfully nowadays, we have more potato meal options which we could offer our family.  Thanks also to Potatoes USA, an organization that has brought US frozen, US tablestock and US dehydrated potatoes to our shores. 



Sharing with you my own recipe:

Pork Chop Con Patatas In Gravy Sauce

INGREDIENTS:
5 pork chops
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 med onion chopped
2 large POTATOES
2 tbsp flour
2 cups water
2 tbsp butter or margarine
2 tbsp soy sauce
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil

PROCEDURE:
1. Heat oil and fry salted and peppered pork chops. Once cooked set aside.
2. Lessen cooking oil, add butter, then sautee garlic onion, add squared POTATOES.
3. Add cooked pork chops.
4. Dissolve flour into water then pour into the pan. Mix and make sure there are no lumps.
5. Add soy sauce then simmer for 5 mins in low fire.
6. Done.  Serve with steamed rice.

Preparing and portioning your potatoes are a step towards healthier and happier kids. It’s time for them to learn that there’s so much more to power snacking and right eating than just avoiding sweets.

High quality US potatoes in a wide variety can be purchased from major supermarkets and groceries nationwide. For more information on US potatoes, visit www.potatogoodness.com/ or like and follow Potatoes USA-Philippines on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PotatoesUSAPhilippines/.

A few weeks ago, I was invited to an intimate lunch mommy meet up dubbed as #StepsBySteph hosted by Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi with the help of Sanicare.  It was held in ultimately instagramable The Photo Kitchen at Poblacion, Makati.

Peanut butter is one of our staple spreads at home and is always in our grocery list.  I don't remember a day without peanut butter in sight, Lily's Peanut Butter to be exact, since I was a child.  Good memories abound when I think about peanut butter.  My mom used to prepare me peanut butter sandwich as baon in all my school years and during my summer swimming lessons when I was an incoming grade 5 student.  Being a mom myself, I know how important it is to pass on good traditions and create happy memories for the kids.  Even when there was a craze in imported peanut butters, our family stayed loyal to that familiar, nutty yet creamy, and classic Lily's Peanut Butter.
This is the important message during the event I attended with other moms and kids last weekend at Warehouse 8 Makati of Lily's Peanut Butter, to create fab meals and lasting family memories.

My family's favorite, Kare-Kare using Lily's Peanut Butter

Lily's Peanut Butter Lite for health conscious like us

Lily's Peanut Butter Chocolate, my panganay's favorite

Lily's Peanut Butter Crunchy

Yes, myth debunked that peanut butter, especially those with pool of oil on top of a newly opened jar/bottle, is unhealthy.  In fact, the reason that it has that oil is evidence that the product is free from chemicals, emulsifiers or stabilizers.  Lily's Peanut Butter is made from carefully selected premium peanuts, and its Lily's Crunchy Peanut butter is 100 percent natural and free from harmful additives.  Only natural sugar and iodized salt are added to the main ingredient to create that wonderfully creamy and sweet peanut spread that Filipinos love.

Research shows that peanut butter contains brain-boosting vitamins and minerals to keep one's memory sharp.  It also contains protein, dietary fiber, potassium ans iron, which makes for a healthy go-to food for the whole family.

Now I understand better why it's a brain food and a healthy alternative to other commercial cookies for baon.  Happy that my school-aged son's favorite snack is peanut butter sandwich that I shape into bite-sized stars. 

Making Family Memories
Like my mom who had impressed so many good childhood memories in me through food, I am doing that for my kids as well by serving them healthy and savory dishes,like my special Kare-Kare, they will want to come home to and serving them their favorite peanut butter sandwich - both through the help of the family's all-time and only favorite, Lily's Peanut Butter.

Baon and Snacks Idea with pastries and cookies using Lily's Peanut Butter which the whole family will enjoy!

SARSAYA's Brand Ambassador, the Prometime King, Mr. Coco Martin

 And how fortunate that I was invited to witness the launch of SARSAYA's latest TVC with Coco Martin last week at Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar in Quezon City.  It was a beautiful Filipiniana-themed event dubbed Exploring Local Flavors with SARSAYA®.  The program started with an exclusive #kaSASAYAn Filipino Food Walking Tour led by award-winning food writer Ige Ramos  featuring local street food and carinderia favorites within the storied walls of Las Casas.  Participants were able to sample fishballs, squidballs, traditional pancit habhab served on banana leaves, and carinderia-style adobo complemented by SARSAYA® oyster sauce.
The highlight of course of the event came when the handsome Primetime king and SARSAYA® ambassador Coco arrived and charmed everyone in attendance, including me and my sleeping baby.  He shared stories from the set of his most recent brand commercial. In it, Coco happily chimes the catchy jingle, “Lasang Oyster na Oyster, SARSAYA®!”

The Lizardos (Jace, Japoy, and Jan), Primetime King Coco Martin, myself and sleeping Damien

With Jan Lizardo and Baby Jace

When asked what his take on the success of Sarsaya® being 3rd leading brand, he shared, ”Siyempre po masayang-masaya ako. Nakaka-proud na sabihin na ang pagtitiwala ng Ajinomoto sa akin bilang endorser ng kanilang bagong produktong Sarsaya® ay nagbunga ng maganda, at naging positibo ang pagtanggap ng mga mamimili rito.”

When I got home from the event, hay, nagluto agad ako, pati the following day using SARSAYA Oyster Sauce, na-inspire kay Coco Martin.  Here they are:

Pork Adobo Con Patatas in SARSAYA Oyster Sauce

Ginisang Kangkong in SARSAYA Oyster Sauce

Will share the recipe on another post loves !:)

For Coco’s new SARSAYA® commercial and other updates, like them on Facebook: facebook.com/CookmunitybyAjinomotoPH and visit www.ajinomoto.com.ph.