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Monday, February 8, 2021

7 Best Instagram Accounts for Everyday Meals


Feb 08, 2021





Narrowing down for you seven (7) hits, out of the maybe 40 or 50 IG food accounts I considered, and some, actually tried. These are for everyday meals and not necessarily for special occasions. I'll spare you the misses, but there were a handful. PM me. Haha.




1. GoGourmet

IG: @gogourmet

Great value for money for delicious food! 

Best part: The rare combination of price, good taste and balanced nutrition. Meals are planned by a nutritionist


My favorites: Curried seafood, Laing with bagnet, Pork satay, Chicken inasal (from past menus). P515 for one (1) viand good for four (4) persons. P275 for one (1) viand good for two (2). I haven't seen any seller beat this price with tasty meals. It's like having a good cook in the kitchen.


Overall

Price/Value for money -- 5 stars

Taste - 5 stars (I liked almost every dish, especially considering their price!)

Response to customer - 4.5 stars

Packaging - 2 stars. They're still using plastic containers, but they’re looking for more sustainable options




Pricing

Laing with Bagnet

A sample five-day menu


2. Just Go LowCarb

IG: @justgolowcarb

For satisfying and guilt-free snacks! Products are designed for those with sugar issues. 

Best part: It's healthy


My favorites: Very berry cupcake bites and Fruit and nut crackers .


Very berry cupcake bites - I'm in love with tiny food! It has to have enough flavor to make that one piece worth it. The dough is rich and creamy, you wouldn't think it's low carb. The berry is perfectly tart and it's so satisfying when it bursts in the mouth! Try eating it straight from the freezer šŸ˜‰


Very Berry Cupcake bites
P150. for a pack of 8 


Low carb fruit and nut crackers - Another guilt-free snack. Crunchy and grainy with a pleasant pop of sweetness from the cranberries. Staves off the cravings

Fruit and nut crackers
P150 per pack


@justgolowcarb is one of the legit ones out there giving us excellent and healthy choices. You’ll see Jeannie’s story (the owner), at the end of their website. She tells of how the products were born as part of her struggle to battle Type 2 diabetes. https://www.justgolowcarb.com


What I'm ordering next: Biscotti with chocolate frosting, lemon cake and more berry bites!


Overall:

Price/Value for money -- 4 stars 

Consider the healthy and quality ingredients that go into the products.

Taste - 4 stars  

You gotta be open to the fact that these aren’t regular bread.  They're grain-free, sugar-free, nutrient dense and keto friendly.  They don't taste like cardboard, but still might take getting used to.

Response to customer - 4 stars

Packaging - 2 stars. Owner said they’re already looking for more sustainable packaging options


3. 50 Real Taste of Thai

IG: @50realph

Tasty Thai food.  The best Tom Yum Goong!

Best part: The taste


My favorites: In order: Tom Yum Goong, Chicken curry, Beef Penang, and Thai spring rolls


Shrimp Tom Yum Goong - The star of the show. The best I’ve had, maybe even in Thailand.  I’m no Tom Yum fan, but this one’s worth a standing ovation


Shrimp Tom Yum Goong - 5

P800 / 4-6 pax



Beef Penang - Rich and bursting with flavors! The beef is succulent and tender.



Beef Penang

P880 / 4-6 pax



Thai Chicken curry - Mildly spicy and flavorful.  Feels like a dish from a four-star hotel in Bangkok.


Thai Chicken Curry

P780 / 4-6 pax



Spring rolls - Crunchy and satisfying. The ingredients inside the rolls are delicately balanced. Side note: I tried cooking this in the air fryer. Unfortunately, it didn't taste as good as when deep fried in oil .


Thai Spring Rolls

P680/ 30 rolls tub



Price/Value for money -- 4 stars

Taste - 5 stars (flavorful!)

Response to customer - 4.5 stars

Packaging - 2 stars. They're still using plastic containers. Although their Valentine packages are really charming.



4. Tita Letty’s kakanin

IG: @titalettyspinoydeli

Good Pichi Pichi and Puto in charming packaging.  Perfect for gifts. I had a pleasant customer service experience all throughout.

Best part: The packaging


My favorite: Pichi Pichi.  Solo size P160 / 16 pcs (choice of coconut or cheese topping)

I especially liked it after one day in the ref.



Puto and Pichi Pichi 


Valentine set


Price/Value for money -- 4 stars

Taste - 4 stars. 

Response to customer - 5 stars šŸ‘ Very responsive and helpful.

Packaging - 5 stars šŸ‘ perfect! Products come in charming, 

reusable, and sustainable packaging šŸ˜. Warm and thoughtful.


5. Mongolian Plus

IG: @mongolianplus

Tasty, complete and convenient meal. Packed in sustainable boxes. You know how when you make your own Mongolian mix, you kinda put too much of one and too little of the other? Or mess up the sauce? This one gives you a perfectly harmonious and delicious meal šŸ‘

Best thing about it: The taste


My favorite: Sweet and mild spicy. P430 one box of 500g good for 2 pax.



Price/Value for money -- 4 stars

Taste - 4.5 stars. 

Response to customer - 5 stars

Packaging - 5 stars. Comes in origami-folded boxes. If you'll eat it at home, consider skipping the chopsticks šŸ™šŸ‘



6. Kajuayan

IG: @Kajuayan 

This is one of my go-to sources for healthy food online.  

Best thing about it: They're healthy, and sourced from local farmers.


My favorites: Yacon syrup, marinara sauce, avocados, saging na saba, fresh free-range eggs


I use their yacon syrup to make salad dressing to replace honey. Recipe of salad dressing in bonus section below.

Yacon syrup: 800/jar 240ml



Marinara sauce is on the sweet side. I don't use it for pasta. I use it for dips or when making quesadilla. Simple quesadilla recipe below.


Marinara sauce: P280/jar 500g.


Avocados - Avocado sweet bowls or sliced avocados on a bowl of cold milk with brown sugar is one of my childhood comfort food.  At my home now, I also make avocado shake with pearls, chia seeds and flax seeds. For a savory version, I make avocado on toast with sunny side up egg šŸ„‘šŸžšŸ„š

Avocados: seasonal pricing


Saba - I grew up with boiled saba smothered with melting butter for merienda or breakfast. A doctor swears by this super food's immense health benefits if eaten raw.


Saba: P4 per piece


Free-range eggs - No hormones. No antibiotics. Great source of protein, Vitamin D and zinc. 


Fresh free-range eggs

P150/ dozen, large size



Overall:

Price/Value for money -- 3.8 stars

Taste - 4 stars.  

Response to customer - 4.5 stars 

Packaging - 4 stars.  Mostly recyclable packaging, except their eggs still come in plastic trays



7. Tableya Cake by Theo and Brom
IG: @theoandbrom
Home of excellent tableya.
Best part: It's chocolate! Made from real cacaos. Not too sweet.
My favorite: Tableya cake - Gooey Ganache. P599 / 730g


They call it Gooey Ganache Magic. And that says it all. It's Gooey. It's rich. Pure magic . 5 stars. Applause.



Overall:

Price/Value for money -- 4 stars

Taste - 5 stars. Excellent šŸ†

Response to customer - 3 stars 

Packaging - 3.5 stars.  Tub is made of cardboard, cover is made of plastic. Excellent design and style.




BONUS SECTION

Super easy recipes. No measurements.  It's always "taste as you go along".


QUICK QUESADILLA:

Ingredients:

Tortillas from @justgolowcarb

Marinara sauce from @Kajuayan

Quickmelt cheddar cheese, shredded

A little mozzarella (optional)

Cooked shredded chicken from any chicken leftover dishes (optional)

A dash of shredded parsley


Heat both sides of tortillas in pan on low fire. On half of the tortilla, while still on pan, sprinkle a generous amount of quick melt cheddar cheese and a little mozzarella. Layer with marinara sauce and shredded chicken.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Fold the tortilla, still in the pan. Turnover to heat other side. Transfer to plate. Enjoy


YACON SYRUP SALAD:

For Dressing:

Yacon syrup from @Kajuayan

Virgin olive oil

Apple cider vinegar

Salt and Pepper


Main salad ingredients:

Organic mixed greens from @citygreens (hydroponically grown veggies)

Thin slices of strawberries (optional)

Almonds (optional)

Cooked fillets of chicken or fish (optional)



Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl: mix and taste to adjust. Pour on a bed of fresh organic veggies.  Sprinkle with thin slices of strawberries and/or mangoes, almonds and shredded fillets of chicken or fish.  You can use leftover chicken in the ref.  I like using fillets of galunggong, hasa hasa, maya maya or alumahan.


-------------

*Author was not paid nor unduly influenced to write any part of this review.


###

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Trabaho Lang Episode June 7, 2016

Trabaho Lang episode dated June 7, 2016

Thank you to Trabaho Lang guests tonight:

Jerry Liao on charging smart phones in public stations. Best to switch off phones as USB charging stations may have hidden PCs to steal data.

Lites Viloria of edukasyon.ph. A website that enlightens high school students on possible career paths.  Their database has over 50,000 colleges and tech-voc courses and more than 3,000 scholarships nationwide.

And MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos on metro wide Shake drill on June 22 2016, 9am. Practice earthquake drill with family. Assign meet-up location. Check emergency supplies. Include tent if possible. Phivolcs study show a strong quake (7.2 magnitude) is due in our lifetime. Expect aftershocks, up to 500 simultaneous fire in the metro, buildings collapsing, no electricity, communication lines down.  

#MMshakedrill #edukasyonph #edukasyon.ph #smartphones #trabaholang 

Thank you to JinJin Licera for the screen caps :)

Monday, June 6, 2016

Trabaho Lang episode June 6, 2016

Trabaho Lang episode June 6, 2016

Thank you to Trabaho Lang guests tonight! 

Paolo Burro of Share-the-road movement advocating carless days and better public transport. Urging MMLA LGUs to spearhead activities for Bayanihan sa daan.

Dino Bate of COLfinancial encouraging everyone with steady income to invest in the stock market. Whether you're a kasambahay or an executive. Don't wait until retirement to invest earnings. The younger the better. Goal should be to be financially independent and help others, not greed. Greed leads to bad decisions in stock investing. For free seminars schedule check www.colfinancial.com

And Tricia Jimenez, alternate of Isay Alvarez for lead role in the 5th run of Rak of Aegis. The show runs from June 17 - Aug 28. Check out PETA's fb page. Tickets are available thru Ticketnet.

Congratulations to our two winners who won two tickets each! :)

Oh and happy birthday to my dear sister Liezle Mercado Marfil 😘 special greetings on the show :)

Thanks to Lovey Rivera for the screen caps! 

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Trabaho Lang Screencaps - May 23, 2016

Trabaho Lang Screencaps
May 23, 2016, 7-9pm

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

Two Decades of Broadcasting in Photos

Cherie during her early days in broadcast at ABS-CBN
Cherie hosting Global News

Cherie always enthusiastic about being a radio host

Cherie hosting the news

Cherie interviewing guests at Trabaho Lang
Behind the scenes at Trabaho Lang




Monday, April 11, 2016

Trabaho Lang - April 11, 2016

Screenshots from Trabaho Lang - April 11, 2016

Friday, January 29, 2016

Recipient of a Bayanihan sa Daan Certificate of Recognition at MalacaƱan Palace

More than the recognition, it was awesome to be in the company of amazing people who do great things, despite the odds, to protect nature and achieve a healthy urban environment.

The certificate reads:

Certificate of Recognition for Bayanihan sa Daan (Share the Road) is hereby given to Ms. Cherie Mercado, Broadcast Journalist, TV5.
For your steadfast support and catalytic interventions to publicize the objectives of Road Sharing Movement.  On behalf of grateful Filipinos and our inspirational partners, Maraming Salamat at Mabuhay po Kayo!  Given this 29th day of January 2016 at the Kalayaan Hall, MalacaƱan Palace.








Living hero Atty.Tony Oposa reminded us that the rice terraces is the only man made wonder of the world not done with slavery --emphasizing the unique Bayanihan spirit of the Filipinos that is key in solving crises like horrible road congestion and environmental degradation.
With Atty Oposa and fellow recipients Mara Juliano and Mellany Carlos-Hay of Ayala Southvale

Fellow recipients Patrick Joson of Yabang Pinoy and Filcon Rivera who biked from Aparri to Davao in 90 days
Most of these people have worked (and are still working) towards creating safe sidewalks and bike lanes, appealing to LGUs for car-less sundays, lessen pollution, and make public transport a more appealing option.