Eat healthy and get a chance to win the newest Apple Watch Series 7 through Pru Life UK’s AI-powered app, Pulse.

Leading life insurer Pru Life UK is encouraging Filipinos to eat healthier while getting a chance to win the latest Apple Watch Series 7 as it launches the Vegethon Challenge promo on Pulse, its AI-powered health and wealth app.

In celebration of Nutrition Month this July, the Vegethon Challenge aims to help Pulse users develop healthier eating habits by incorporating more fruits and vegetables in their daily diet.

“At Pru Life UK, our mission is to help Filipinos lead healthier and wealthier lives so that they can get the most out of life. We are inviting Filipinos to start a healthier diet and track their nutrition. Through this new activity along with the other health and fitness features on Pulse, we offer a holistic approach to health and wellness to Filipinos,” said Pru Life UK Senior Vice President and Chief Customer and Marketing Officer Allan Tumbaga.

The Vegethon Challenge raffle promo is open to all registered Pulse users. They will earn one raffle entry by logging their vegetable meals for a total of seven days. It will run until August 10, 2022 and the winner will be drawn on August 26, 2022. The winner will be notified via e-mail, call, and SMS.

Aside from the Vegethon Challenge, Pulse users continue to enjoy FREE access to the app’s AI-powered features such as Healthcheck, Symptom Checker, Fitness Tracker, Food Journal, etc. The app also offers protection products such as personal protection, yearly renewable term insurance, and life insurance.

To join this challenge, users can simply download and register through Pulse. Once logged on, users will need to look for the Vegethon Challenge activity under the Nutrition tab, then start logging their 7-day nutritious meal plans.

To know more about Pru Life UK and this promo, please visit https://www.prulifeuk.com.ph/en/explore-pulse/pulse-nutrition/

Celebrate Nutrition Month with these four well-balanced recipes for kids!

There has been a change in people’s lifestyle and diet during this pandemic. Homemakers continue to face the challenge of preparing nutritious and delicious meals. At the onset, quarantine restrictions affected income, mobility and access to healthy ingredients. Then, comes the challenge of time limitation balancing work from home and online schooling hence increase in reliance on food deliveries. With these, the health and nutrition of children are compromised.

July is National Nutrition Month. For this year’s theme New Normal na Nutrisyon, Sama-Samang Gawan ng Solusyon! Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) Group shares four well-balanced recipes that Filipino homecooks can try to improve their kids’ health, growth, and development in these evolving times.

“This celebration is timely to remind Filipino parents to look out for their children’s health and nutritional needs. Especially these days, diet is an important factor in maintaining our overall well-being and preventing diseases,” said APC Group Science Communication Executive Deborah S. Fajarda RND.

In support of the day-to-day meal preparation challenge for homecooks, below are easy to prepare, affordable, delicious and nutritious recipes that will help Filipino kids become more resilient in the new normal. These recipes are part of APC’s Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo! (MPPT) program that promotes the practice of preparing and serving delicious balanced meals with the right amount of Go, Grow, and Glow food. Listed below are 4 out of 60 recipes you can serve for the enjoyment and proper nourishment of your growing kids.

Egg Fried Rice with Veggies

This is perfect for the kid’s lunch box or baon as some schools start to conduct face-to-face classes. Carrot, corn, and green peas make this rich in potassium which is important in maintaining the water balance in the body. A plate of melon and a glass of milk are best to complete this meal. See full recipe here.

Stir-fried Chicken with Mixed Vegetables

A balanced, varied, and moderate amount of Go, Grow, and Glow food in every meal is key to achieving optimal nutrition. Kids will enjoy this stir-fried chicken with veggies that are made tastier with SARSAYA® Liquid Seasoning. Best served with 1 banana to make it healthier. Bonus tip: in stir-frying, add the firm vegetables first before the green leafy vegetables. Learn the recipe here.

Fried Fish in Fried Rice

Kids need to have Grow foods in their meals for them to have a healthier body. Tilapia is rich in Selenium, a mineral that helps prevent sickness and infection. Fish is not the most popular food among kids, but this recipe may just change that and make their bodies resilient against illnesses. To make this recipe more appealing to your kids, use CRISPY FRY® Fish Breading Mix and AJI-SHIO® Garlic Seasoning Mix. Check out full recipe here.

Chicken Almondigas

The main ingredient of this recipe is chicken, a rich source of protein that functions to help form and repair muscles in the body. Season your Chicken Almondigas with Ajinomoto Chicken Powder Mix for that added flavor. You may use milk instead of egg to help bind the chicken meatballs. Learn the recipe here.

Check out all 60 Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo! recipes from APC Group’s Recipe Site cookmunitybyajinomoto.com. These recipes were created for Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo! Intervention Study. The APC Group and other MPPT advocates are determined to combat malnutrition especially amid the ongoing pandemic where food systems have been disrupted and have continued to affect vulnerable groups like children. The MPPT program consists of online capacity building of community health workers, online nutrition education of homemakers, and one-meal dietary supplementation among identified undernourished children.

“New normal nutrition is a call for homemakers to be more consistent and creative in making healthy food more enjoyable for your family. Support your child’s health, growth, and development by making delicious and nutritious meals that they will love.” said Fajarda. 

For more information about the MPPT program and other recipes, visit ajinomoto.com.ph.

Ajinomoto launches Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online nutrition classes for nutritious, delicious and enjoyable meals.

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) recently launched Sustansarap, Sustansaya!, a series of online nutrition classes and cooking demonstrations, through a Facebook Live on Cookmunity by Ajinomoto page. The project aims to help Filipinos improve their nutrition knowledge and cooking skills with the help of food experts. It is set to run on a quarterly basis on the brand’s official Facebook page.

“We, at Ajinomoto, believe that nutrition education is vital in taking care of our families’ health. However, for most, nutrition information can be intimidating and difficult to understand. With day-to -day busy schedule of homemakers and budget limitation, we understand that nutrition usually takes a step back when preparing meals. Sustansarap, Sustansya! makes nutrition information fun, simple, accessible and proves that easy, affordable, nutritious, and delicious meals are possible, especially with the help of Ajinomoto products,” said Roann Co, Ajinomoto General Manager of Corporate Planning and Public Relations.

Sustansarap, Sustansaya! BawAsin Natin Key Speakers.

Class #1: BawAsin Natin! (Delicious Salt Reduction)

The livestream launch features the first Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online class titled “BawAsin Natin.” The pilot session focused on delicious salt reduction wherein health and nutrition experts Dr. Dex Macalintal and Bea Menorca, RND shed light on the adverse effect of excessive sodium intake in our health and why it is important to reduce salt intake. They shared a practical tip that it is not difficult or costly to reduce sodium in daily meal preparation. One easy way is lessen teaspoon salt and use monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG contains only 1/3 amount of sodium compared to table salt. With MSG, sodium intake can be reduced by up to 40% while maintaining overall deliciousness of food.

“It is important to know that high blood pressure or hypertension can cause complications such as stroke, heart failure, heart attack, and kidney failure. Among the factors is the frequent consumption of foods high in sodium. According to the World Health Organization, the recommended sodium intake per day is below 2000 mg. But for Filipinos, the actual intake is more than twice this recommendation. One way to reduce sodium intake is reducing intake of salty foods.” shared Dr. Macalintal, Lifestyle Medicine Specialist.

“To help and encourage Filipinos to clear their worries and struggle on practice of salt reduction, the BawAsin® campaign was started by APC. It aims to share how it is important to reduce sodium intake for our health and not sacrificing the taste and deliciousness of our meals,” said Menorca, APC Specialist - Science Communication.

For more information, checkout BawAsin® section in APC’s official website. The site features 100 less sodium creative recipes that help individuals enjoy meals that contain less sodium yet enjoying same deliciousness.

Cooking Demonstration by Ms. Sofie Conejos.

After the lectures, Sofie Conejos, RND APC Manager – Culinary Nutrition demonstrated two Less Sodium Recipes: Upo Kalabasa and Sotanghon Soup and Chicken Eggplant Omelette, made delicious by AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. She reiterated that lessening sodium in diet is not difficult and does not mean sacrificing deliciousness of food. For other easy-to-follow delicious less sodium recipes checkout ajinomoto.com.ph/whats-new-archive/sodium-recipes/

The Sustansarap, Sustansaya! Online Class is in line with the brand’s “Eat Well, Live Well” promise, that aims to propel meaningful initiatives that will improve the health and wellbeing of Filipino families. This project is also one of the actions made by Ajinomoto to fulfill its ultimate goal of extending the healthy life expectancy of 1 billion people.

“With Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online classes, we hope to educate, empower, and enable families to live a healthy and happy life, one nutritious and delicious meal at a time, ” said Co. “We have more classes and cooking demonstrations in store and we’re eager to encourage more people to learn about nutrition and apply them in their own kitchens.”

To catch the next Sustansarap, Sustansaya! online class, follow and stay tuned at Cookmunity by Ajinomoto facebook page.

Food and Fun at CulinarySchools.Org!

After the crazy week that was (aka exam week), Yue and I finally get to enjoy some free time as his school finally declared this week to be "Academic Ease" week - no synchronous classes in the morning, and no offline activities or school projects. That means not having to set my alarm at 6 in the morning, plus plenty of time for me to catch up on my writing backlog and watch my favorite Korean variety shows and Kdramas.

For Yue, this will be a week of no studying and just pure gaming fun, haha! With a new gaming console and an upgraded computer processor, this kid is bound to enjoy his "Academic Ease" week to the fullest. He's even discovered a new website with a huge collection of online games, and that's what keeping him busy right now.

Culinaryschools.org.

We chanced upon Culinaryschools.org while searching for a temperature and weight conversion chart for his Science class, and as it turns out, this website offers more than just conversion charts and health calculators. Culinaryschools.org is also a comprehensive source of information of all things related to culinary arts - from the types of chefs, to different degrees and majors, to schools where you can get top-class culinary training... this website has it all!

For the kids, Culinaryschools.org has an extensive collection of online games related to food and cooking, because well, we gotta start 'em young! I'm sure even adults will find (some of) the games fun and entertaining, because I did! Here are some of the games that both Yue and I enjoyed:

Tap Supermarket.

Tap Supermarket is an isometric game where the player manages a grocery store by manning the till and checking out customers, restocking products, and expanding the line of goods sold. You can unlock new sections of the supermarket as you earn more money and get more stars.

Sushi Matching.

Sushi Matching, as the name suggests, is a matching game where you connect three or more of the same type of sushi in a row. There are 25 levels in this game, and for each level, there are specific sushi matches that you need to make within a time limit. The faster you finish, the more likely you'll earn three stars for that level.

Victor and Valentino Mission to Monte Cabre.

There's also Victor and Valentino Mission to Monte Cabre (yes, the same Victor and Valentino from the Cartoon Network series), where you explore and complete missions in Monte Cabre and the Underworld. You go through obstacle courses, answer quiz questions, smash pinatas, and try to find as many hidden talismans as you go along.

We Bare Bears Shush Ninjas.

Another Cartoon Network game that we truly enjoyed is the We Bare Bears Shush Ninjas, because yeah, I'm a sucker for anything We Bare Bears. Inspired by the Shush Ninjas episode from the first season of this well-loved animated series, you simply tap on the loud eaters and drinkers, and those using or talking on their phones to shush them and keep them from making too much noise inside the cinema. 

3D Dalgona Candy.

Finally, there's the 3D Dalgona Candy, a punch-out game inspired by no less than the critically-acclaimed Netflix series, Squid Game. The rule of the game might seem like a no-brainer as you simply have to cut out the carved symbols in the candy, but playing the game was actually quite challenging. It took me five tries before I could finish the first level, and that was a simple square! Thank goodness this game is not as violent as the series, haha!

Younger kids will have even more fun with Culinaryschools.org as the website has more games that are suitable for preschoolers and grade schoolers. These games are not only entertaining, they also help kids learn more about food, healthy eating, the importance of exercise, and even numbers and counting. It's a great way to spend "Academic Ease" week, don't you think? 

Ajinomoto and Municipality of Cainta partner to fight malnutrition with Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo! Program

The Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC) Group and the Municipality of Cainta held a hybrid ceremonial contract signing event last December 3, 2021 to mark their commitment to strengthen the Mag-Pinggang Pinoy® Tayo! (MPPT) program in a bid to address malnutrition in the country. The event was held in Banquet Hall East, Filinvest East, Cainta and broadcasted in a virtual meeting.

MPPT, a program launched by APC Group in 2018, aims to promote the practice of Pinggang Pinoy®, an easy-to-understand healthy food plate guide for Filipinos developed by the Department of Science and Technology – Food and Nutrition Research Institute.

“This program embodies our Nutrition Commitment towards extending the healthy life expectancy of Filipinos. We also recognize the importance of our collaboration with the local government unit of Cainta. Together, we will create an ecosystem that would make the MPPT program effective and sustainable,” said APC Group President Tsutomu Nara during the event.

The Ajinomoto Group’s Nutrition Commitment is to help extend the healthy life expectancy of 1 billion people by 2030 utilizing its expertise in Amino Science. This allows the company to support delicious salt reduction using umami, provide products to contribute to people's wellness and provide health and nutrition improvement information as well as easy recipes/menus.

Joining APC President Nara in representing the company is Mr. Hironori Aoki, Director, Marketing, Sales and Public Relations. Meanwhile, the Municipality of Cainta was represented by Hon. Mayor Johnielle Keith “Kit” Nieto and its Municipal Health Officer Dr. Edgardo Gonzaga. Also in attendance were representatives of MPPT partners and supporters: UPLB-MPPT Project Team led by Dr. Angelina DR. Felix of the Institute of Human Nutrition and Food- College of Human Ecology, UPLB; Dr. Pauline Jean Rossel-Ubial, former Secretary of Health; and Ms. Sarah Coe, Redscope Communications CEO.

“Thank you Ajinomoto for this opportunity, for having decided to give back, and for your willingness and your generosity in providing us everything we need. There is actually a lot more to do for us just to make sure that the people are always healthy.” said Hon. Mayor Johnielle Keith “Kit” Nieto in his address to the company and all the people that make MPPT possible.

The APC Group, Cainta, and its MPPT advocates are determined to combat malnutrition especially amid the ongoing pandemic where food systems have been disrupted and have continued to affect vulnerable groups like children. In line with this, the drafted MPPT program in Cainta consists of the following: (1) online capacity building of community health workers, (2) online nutrition education of homemakers, and (3) one-meal dietary supplementation among identified undernourished children for 120 days.

“This is truly one of the most important projects of the APC Group,” said Hironori Aoki, APC Group Director of Marketing, Sales and Public Relations. “Ajinomoto is not only a food company but a solution providing company guided by the Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value (ASV) with a mission to help resolve emerging social issues such as malnutrition through thoughtful initiatives.”

For more information about the MPPT program, visit ajinomoto.com.ph today.

Staying hydrated helps prevent illnesses during the rainy season.

The sweltering summer days are over as the country’s weather bureau declared the start of the wet season. During this season, we need to keep our guards up because many illnesses emerge.

These include diarrhea, caused by viral or bacterial infection; waterborne illnesses like typhoid fever, cholera, and leptospirosis; and vector-borne diseases like malaria and dengue.

To avoid contracting these diseases, Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI)—the exclusive manufacturer of PepsiCo beverages in the country—reminds the public to keep hydrated, especially that we are in the middle of a global pandemic.

“It is important that we keep our immune system strong. One of the easiest ways to do this is to stay hydrated,” said PCPPI president and chief executive officer Frederick D. Ong.

To stay fit and protect yourself from diseases, here are some healthy habits you may do.

Eat healthy

Sung Dong Il and Lee Il Hwa in Reply 1988 (2015).

What you consume today will have a huge impact on your health in the future. A good eating habit is one of the most basic practices to have a robust immune system.

Making a well-balanced meal is simple - just add more fruits and vegetables, choose whole grain food, switch to low or zero fat options, and cut back on sugar.

Exercise regularly

Jung So Min in Soul Mechanic (2020).

Exercising remains one of the most effective methods to strengthen your body during the rainy season. You do not have to buy expensive machines or pay for gym subscriptions. You only need at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. To safely exercise at home, you may check various workout videos online. If you opt to do outdoor walk or run, follow social distancing and other safety protocols.

As part of your workout routine, replenish what you lose in sweat with sports drinks like Gatorade. It contains electrolytes that rehydrate your body to avoid dehydration.

Get enough sleep

Park Bo Young and Seo In Guk in Doom at your Service (2021).

Getting enough sleep is as important as eating healthy and exercising. A study from the Carnegie Mellon University found that people with poor, short sleep have greater chance of getting sick.

Quality sleep helps uplift your immune system. To get quality sleep, reduce your blue light exposure at night, avoid caffeinated drinks before bedtime, and reduce day time naps, among others.

Hydrate

Proper hydration is vital in having a strong immune system. It detoxifies and flushes out waste materials from your body. It also helps transport nutrients to our organ systems.

Aquafina.

Taking in safe water is a must to avoid infection from water-borne diseases. To have a clean drinking water, you need to boil water for at least three minutes or do water chlorination. Or you can drink purified bottled water, like Aquafina and Premiere.

Gatorade Ion.

If you’re moving all day and feel sluggish or tired, that’s because you lose more than just water when you sweat. You lose fluids and electrolytes. With this, it’s important for us to stay healthy and hydrated with an Electrolyte Drink like Gatorade Ion.

“Even during rainy season, we need to hydrate to arm our body from diseases and keep our immunity in top shape. Over the years, PCPPI has been helping Filipinos achieve that with our hydration drinks,” Ong said.

PCPPI is the exclusive manufacturer of well-known beverage brands in the Philippines: Pepsi-Cola, Mountain Dew, 7-Up, Mirinda, Mug, Gatorade, Tropicana, Lipton, Sting, Premier, Milkis, and Aquafina.

Taking Care of Your Health As You Get Older.

As much as we like to ignore it, getting older (and all the changes associated with it) will always be a fact of life. And while you can’t exactly stop the hands of time, there are plenty of things you can do to remain fit and healthy, and to ensure you have the best possible quality of life for decades to come. Aside from your own benefit, taking care of your health as you get older enables you to better care for your loved ones – and we all want that. If you're over 40 (or perhaps even well over 40) here are both some unusual and some pretty common-sense ways to better take care of you despite the passing years!

Lee Min Ki in Because This is My First Life (2017).

Start with your brain
It’s impossible to stay motivated to look after your body if you aren’t first taking care of that big old computer upstairs! Staying mentally active is vital to boosting your mood and keeping your faculties sharp, and there are endless options to choose from. Puzzle games and brain teasers, picking up an old hobby like playing a musical instrument, writing or painting, or taking time to get back to nature are just a few examples.

Son Ho Jun in My Secret Terrius (2018).

Get regular exercise
We’re not talking about running marathons or hitting the gym for several hours a day here – although there’s nothing to stop you from doing just that if you want! A brisk 30 minute walk each day is generally recommended, although building up to this slowly over a week or two is perfectly fine too. What matters is that you get up and get moving.

Lee Min Ki and Jung So Min in Because This is My First Life (2017).

Starting a family later in life
For decades now, people have been putting off becoming parents until later and later in life – something made possible by radical advances in the field of fertility treatment and general medical care. Women well into their 40s and even 50s often have perfectly healthy pregnancies and are often in a better situation financially and emotionally to provide for their children than their younger counterparts. If you’ve always wanted children but felt you weren’t quite ready, then there’s no reason you can’t too – but this does make it even more important for both you and your partner to care of your health. Avoiding alcohol and quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy body weight, and eating lots of fresh fruit and veggies are all excellent ideas anyway, but are particularly important for promoting fertility.

Women of Okinawa.
Photo credit: Bluezones.

Eat like the healthiest people eat
Most of us have heard of the famous Japanese Okinawans, who not just lived well into old age with the highest percentage of centenarians in the world, but also remained fit and active well into their so-called ‘old age’. And thanks to US military records, (as the US ran Okinawa until 1972) we know exactly what they ate. Largely focused around purple and orange sweet potato, their total diet was made up of a whopping 96% plant foods – which makes a lot of sense if you think about it. Fruit and veggies are a great source of antioxidants, and if fruits and veggies are 96% of what you're eating, you're getting a lot of them! Aside from this, they avoided processed foods, eating their food in its natural form, and were avid gardeners – getting a combination of stress relief, time in the sun and exercise all rolled into one!

Vital vitamins
While there’s no need for a multivitamin supplement if you're eating a balanced diet, there are two vitamins to keep an eye on as you age – vitamin B12 and vitamin D. As you get older, your body loses some of its ability to absorb B12 (which is vital for healthy blood and nerve function) so if you're over 50 you should be supplementing or incorporating B12 fortified foods into your diet. And while sunshine will always be the best source of vitamin D, it can be difficult for older individuals with limited mobility to get as much as they need, so it is recommended that those over 70 take a supplement.

Park Bo Gum while filming Love in the Moonlight (2016).

Keep an eye on your eyes!
After 40, people who have never experienced any problems with their vision before may start to find it more difficult to read fine print – and that’s perfectly normal. Visit an optician if you suspect you might need reading glasses. Wearing sunglasses outdoors is a good idea to prevent UV-related degeneration and incorporating lots of lycopene-rich foods like tomatoes and other red fruit in your diet (move over carrots!) can help prevent macular degeneration.

Aging might be inevitable – but there are so many good choices you can make every day to ensure you remain as healthy as possible for as long as possible – and that’s entirely under your control.

Spotlight | Nutri 10 Plus Syrup.

I'm a bit OC (obsessive compulsive) when it comes to traveling, especially the packing part. I usually start packing a week or two prior to my trip and with a checklist at hand - because I want to be sure that I don't miss out anything that we need for our trip.

We'll be traveling again in a few weeks' time, and I've already begun this whole packing process. I've listed down all the things that I need to pack, sorted out which clothes to bring, bought the food stuff that I will be giving away as 'pasalubong' to my friends abroad, and most important of all, prepared our medicine kit which includes our good ol' nebulizer (can't leave home without it!), medicines for cough, colds, fever, and asthma, and of course, my son's vitamins.

Thank you, Wert Philippines!

I had the privilege of receiving these bottles of Nutri 10 Plus from Wert Philippines; they were delivered a few weeks back and I'll be bringing along a bottle or two, just enough for our month-long trip.

Nutri 10 Plus multivitamins.

Prior to this, Yue had been taking a different brand of multivitamins for years. Although I had no qualms about switching brands, I did check the nutritional composition of Nutri 10 Plus before giving Yue his first dose.

Nutritional Information (click to zoom).

Good thing this product has everything a growing child needs. First of all, it has Chlorella Growth Factor (CGF), which I'm very particular about. CGF, a complex substance from Chlorella extract, accelerates cellular regeneration and helps as a growth enhancer. I want Yue to achieve his maximum height potential, ergo I want him to be taller than me or his Dad as he grows older. 

Add caption

It also has taurine, which aids in brain development and enhances memory and mental clarity; lysine, which helps improve appetite; and zinc, an essential element in regulating the body's immune system. In addition, Nutri 10 Plus also contains all the essential vitamins such as A, B-complex, C, and D3. 

Ingredients, usage instructions, and other product details.

Yue has been taking this for almost three weeks now - 2.5 mL daily after breakfast - and I've seen a lot of improvement in his appetite. He is constantly hungry, which is a good thing for a kid his age. He eats a whole lot more after his karate training, which now happens twice a week. And despite this hot and humid weather, Yue has not had a cough or a cold - thank goodness!

Like Nutri 10 Plus on Facebook! :)

Nutri 10 Plus Syrup is sold in 120 mL and 250 mL bottles, priced at Php 180 and Php 310, respectively. For babies, they have Nutri 10 Plus Drops sold in 30 mL bottles for Php 125. These can be bought at Mercury Drug outlets nationwide.

Nutri 10 Plus + Dayzinc.

For best results, take Nutri 10 Plus in conjunction with Dayzinc, a non-acidic Vitamin C supplement with zinc. Also available at all Mercury Drug outlets, Dayzinc is priced at Php 110 for 30 mL drops, Php 125 for a 120 mL bottle, and Php 240 for a 250 mL bottle.

To know more about Nutri 10 Plus, follow them on Facebook.

Now back to packing! :)

Foodie Goodie | Morning Muffins.

It's been awhile since I last posted a recipe on this blog! Wouldn't have realized it if not for one of my  dear readers who dropped me a line saying that she misses my food photos and home-cooked meals. Thanks for the kind words, Sarah! :)

And so today, I'll be sharing with you this muffin recipe. We call this 'Morning Muffins' since we almost always have muffins (or bread, for that matter) for breakfast.

Morning Muffins

Ingredients:

1 cup sour milk*
1/2 cup applesauce
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup oat flour**
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup instant oats
1/4 cup almonds, chopped

*To make sour milk, add a tablespoon of vinegar to a one cup measure and fill to the top with milk. Let stand for 5 minutes.
**To make oat flour, puree instant oatmeal in the blender until a fine dry powder is formed.

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease 12 muffin cups.
2. Combine sour milk, butter, vanilla extract, egg and brown sugar and blend well.
3. Stir together oat flour, wheat flour, baking soda and cinnamon.
4. Add flour mixture to wet mixture and blend well.
5. Fold in oats, and almonds.
6. Fill muffin tins. These do not rise very high, so a full muffin cup is fine.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

As seen on Spoonful.

More food photos? Follow me on Instagram! :)

Wordless Wednesday #94 | Cookfest!

Teacher prepping the ingredients.

Group photo before the Cookfest proper.

Mango juice!

Little man's team won Second Place in the Sandwich Making Contest. Yay!

iShine Talent Camp | Vote for your favorite iShiner!

i-Shine Talent Camp, a reality TV program in search of exceptionally talented preschoolers in singing, dancing, and acting, is giving viewers the unique opportunity to vote for their favorite i-Shiner. Promil Pre-School recently held workshops and auditions in Abreeza Mall in Davao, SM City in Cebu, and TriNoMa in Metro Manila. The mall events were attended by over 700 children ages 4-7 years old, along with their parents, to showcase their talents. Hosts Dimples Romana, Xian Lim, and Matteo Guidicelli were also present during the events, with the latter two performing in TriNoMa for fans and mall goers.

Hosts Matteo Guidicelli, Dimples Romana, and Xian Lim.

This year, a shortlist of 30 finalists will be revealed on the Promil Pre-school i-Shine Talent Camp’s microsite on May 24, 2014. The audience will choose 3 finalists – 1 for singing, 1 for dancing, and 1 for acting – through online voting. The 3 finalists per category with the most votes will join the 9 finalists selected by Wyeth Philippines and ABS-CBN, and complete the top 12 i-shiners.

Huge crowd at the iShine Talent Camp auditions.

Under the tutelage of high-caliber mentors, these twelve finalists will undergo a series of comprehensive workshops to nurture their talents and reach their full potential.

Watch out for the Top 30 iShiners!

To vote, viewers must log on to http://ishine.abs-cbn.com, visit the Top 30 finalists’ profile pages and click on the vote button for their favorite I-Shiner. Voting will run from May 24 to June 3, 2014. Only one vote per day is allowed.

Watch out for this exciting twist! You may be part of this year’s Grand I-shiner’s journey! Keep visiting the iShine micro-site and watch interviews and behind the scene footages throughout the season!


About Wyeth Nutrition
Wyeth Nutrition, formerly Pfizer Nutrition, is part of Nestlé S.A. Wyeth Nutrition develops premium-quality nutritional products scientifically designed to meet the needs of infants and young children, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers. As pioneers in infant nutritional science, our mission is to provide the best nutritional support for future healthy outcomes. For nearly a century, Wyeth Nutrition has leveraged clinical rigor, scientific research, world-class manufacturing and product safety standards to drive scientifically-sound solutions that offer parents confidence, help nourish children and support their healthy futures.

About Promil Pre-School i-Shine Talent Camp
The pre-school years are a good time for parents to start nurturing the gifts of their children. This is the age where they start to develop and apply what they have learned in their earlier years - they are becoming more and more curious and their character and interests will begin to emerge at this age. Parents play a key role in nurturing their child’s potential, especially when it comes to giving them the encouragement they need and proper nutrition so they can pursue their interests. Per DOH-FDA-CFRR Permit No. 0166 s. 2014.