by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 27, 2022 | Discounts, Sales, and Giveaways
Get ready to greet the new year with a bang as GCash is giving buy load users a chance to win up to P300,000 in the last draw of its Lucky Load promo, which gives customers a chance to win a portion of a weekly pot prize by purchasing load and playing their earned tickets.
In the past weeks from November 21, 2022, thirteen buy load users have already won thousands of pesos, making their Christmas holidays a merrier experience, indeed!
GCash customers just need to keep on using the Buy Load feature until December 28, 2022, so that they get one ticket entry for every P50. Participants should bear in mind that the number of tickets will be rounded down. For example, if the load amount is P70 or P99, this will only earn you one ticket entry. So, why not spend some more and save that load for when you need it?
Once a GCash user gets the ticket, they can select 6 icons from a roster of 30 icons. After picking the six icons, the user can submit the ticket entry. To win, a player must have six matched icons, in no particular order, to the winning draw.
For the past weeks, the prize of P150,000 has been divided equally among all users with the corresponding number of matched icons. And since there were no winners during the 4th weekly draw, the prize was added to the pot of the final draw.
If there are still no winners during the last draw, the remaining pot prize will be raffled off to 500 lucky winners on December 29, 2022. Winners will be posted on the GCash official Facebook page on or before January 10, 2023.
Thanks to GCash, anyone can get a chance to enjoy even better holidays with more money to spend on shopping, travel, or some self-care, that’s why it’s important to buy more load to earn more tickets and have more chances to win up to P300,000.
The GCash app is available for free on the Google Play Store, App Store, and HuaweiApp Gallery. For more information, visit www.gcash.com.
About GCash
GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Finance App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, 71M registered users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5.2M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.), the first and only duacorn in the Philippines.
GCash was recognized by The Asian Banker (TAB) and by the IDC in 2021 for its outstanding digital financial inclusion programs.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 26, 2022 | Bon Appetit
The Mango Float is a popular dessert during parties. I’ve heard it referred to as a Mango Graham cake because of its ingredients, I suppose. This dessert is easy to make and disappears quickly! I always make sure to make space in my tummy when I know it is on the menu.
Will any mango do?
If you live in the Philippines you know that there are several types of mangoes but not all of them will go well as an ice cream cake, which is technically what this dish is. The type of mango we use for the mango float is the one we call kalabaw. I seriously have no idea why it is named after an animal but among all mango varieties, this is the one that is very sour while it is green and super sweet when it is yellow and ripe.
The secret to a really good mango float is … the mangoes have to be very sweet. And the best way to find out is to taste it. Just take a slice and eat that. From my experience, though, you should be able to tell how sweet it is even as you are peeling it. In my case, if I start to salivate I already know it will be too sour to put in the dish but perfect to munch on later.
What cream to use?
All-purpose cream is what I used for this recipe but if you have whipping cream (or whipped cream) then that will do as well. There are several brands in the market to choose from such as Anchor, Emborg, President, Arla, etc. I prefer regular all-purpose cream because 1) it’s cheaper and 2) it is available everywhere. In addition, I can easily whip the cream myself with a stand mixer.
Can I use sugar instead of condensed milk?
Truly, what you combine is up to you but from my experience, the condensed milk not only serves as a sweetener but is also a binder since it is quite thick.
Graham crackers
For this recipe I would recommend having the Graham crackers two ways … in cookie form and crushed. You can find both versions easily in the grocery store. For the layers, we will use the cookies but for the toppings, we will use the crushed Grahams. This is honestly more for aesthetics than anything else but I also like the texture of the crushed Grahams. 🙂
Here is my take on this dish.
Mango float
A simple no-bake dessert that is always a hit at gatherings. The most challenging task for most is layering.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: cream-based, graham crackers, mango
stand mixer (optional)
mixing bowl
spatula
1 9x13 pan
- 500 ml cream
- 250 ml condensed milk
- Graham crackers
- crushed Graham crackers
- 2 to 3 pieces ripe mangoes, sliced thinly
Place the cream in a bowl, and mix it until it is smooth and not lumpy. Add the condensed milk and fold using a spatula.
Put some of the cream mixture in the tray and spread evenly.
Place a layer of Graham crackers (without overlapping) to cover.
Put some cream on the Graham and spread evenly.
Last some thinly sliced mangoes as close to each other as possible.
Place a layer of cream and spread.
Repeat step 4 until you run out of mango slices.
Top with crushed Grahams.
If you have extra slices but not enough to cover another layer you can put them on top of the Graham bed.
Place in the freezer to set.
This does not take long to set so you can enjoy this in an hour or two.
* In the first step, before mixing the cream with the condensed milk, I like to whip it for about 7 minutes to put some air in it so that once this dish is frozen it isn’t rock hard. This really doesn’t take long to make but I hesitated to indicate a time because it really depends on you. If you are the type who likes to work quickly and efficiently then it will be done in no time at all. But if you are the type to loo-lee-loo and take your time, it will take longer, but probably not by much more. What matters is that when you make this dish, don’t stress out. It really is super easy to make.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 23, 2022 | Business
The holidays are always such a big eating season for everyone. It’s that one time of the year when we feel extra carefree about what we eat because, seriously, have you really enjoyed
But what if we tell you that you do not need to sacrifice healthy eating to enjoy the season? Even more, what if you find out that you can whip up your flavorful recipe in minutes in your own kitchen?
Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer should be on every Christmas wishlist of all home cooks out there. Versatile, easy to use, and very durable, this oven from the premium home brand can give you the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and ease of cooking as you cruise through the holidays.
One of the beauties of the Smart Oven Air Fryer is its ten cooking functions that can let you make to-die-for crispy treats and scrumptious slow-cooked meals. Toast, bake, roast, grill, and, of course, air fry without any fuss while shortening your cooking time. Equipped with dual-speed convection, this kitchen partner speeds up the cooking process by raising hotter air while sinking colder ones. The result: 30 percent reduced cooking time as compared to regular ovens and air fryers!
Richie Zamora, the vlogger behind The Pickiest Eater in the World makes a perfect case for this when he prepared a full spread of TV chow snacks for his family to enjoy in minutes. He shares, “All these amazing snacks were cooked in the air fryer with absolutely no oil. Everything was cooked to a beautiful crisp, but you don’t even realize that they aren’t deep fried.”
Let’s Eat Pare also showed how fast and easy it is to make restaurant-level fried crispy wings with the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer. In just 20 minutes, they were able to make a big batch of chicken wings in sour cream flavor! You can check out their recipe here if you want to try their version.
Of course, preparing healthier versions of dishes is another thing that makes this kitchen must-have from Breville essential. Air frying significantly reduces — if not totally removes — the use of oil in cooking, which means that you consume fewer calories and prevent weight gain and obesity when you air-fried food. Fortunately, for the Smart Oven Air Fryer, you don’t need to worry about sacrificing flavors to go the healthier route. Chef Beng proved this when she made a Pinoy-style whole-fried chicken using it.
“Normally, I would have this deep-fried, but using an air fryer is apparently so much better as the chicken is amazingly crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Not to mention, this is a way healthier process than deep frying.”
She also shares that she loves the precision with time and temperature that this Air Fryer provides. “Just press a function, and it automatically shows how long and high the cooking process will be.” This is made possible by Breville’s patented Element IQ System, which is a smart algorithm that decides the ideal cooking environment for a range of different cooking techniques.
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is definitely the kitchen partner to have this holiday season if you want to enjoy healthy, delicious meals minus the fuss. As Richie, Chef Beng, and Let’s Eat Pare say, respectively:
“The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer proves that cooking doesn’t need to be greasy to be delicious, and preparing food with less guilt doesn’t mean less flavors either.”
“It has ten cooking functions, which make it a value-for-money purchase. I totally love it, and I highly recommend this smart kitchen appliance.”
“It’s the ultimate kitchen tool you need to put on your Christmas shopping list, pare!”
What are you waiting for? Add the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer to your holiday wishlist now. To learn more about the product, visit the Breville website and follow its Facebook and Instagram pages.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 21, 2022 | Book Reviews
My long-awaited review of The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper is finally here! Lol! I actually finished reading it days ago but I kept rewinding to some parts I really liked so I couldn’t “officially” say I was done.
This story is definitely a love story, to be specific, it is a courtship, which I find uncommon in most werewolf stories I’ve read. For most werewolf stories, once they find their mates they’re immediately at it like rabbits. Their age, of course, is a factor as both parties have to be of age to feel the mate bond.
It’s a love triangle and I confess to initially rooting for the other guy. Liam is older, an established Alpha, and was really into Cara … enough to choose her, not just wait for fate to tell him she is his mate. Based on the way Cara was attracted to him, it was a very strong possibility.
I’ve always wondered about the make-out scenes, though. This is not isolated to this book. Many authors seem to be of the opinion that only penetration equals sex. Therefore, they can get naked and do everything but that doesn’t mean they’ve had sex yet. This, I believe, was the Bill Clinton argument. According to him all Monica Lewinsky did was suck him off so, technically, they never had sex. But there is a reason it is called oral sex.
So … if a guy gets a girl’s top off and sucks on her breasts then has his hand under her skirt doing “unspeakable things” between her legs they’re still not having sex, even though his fingers are buried inside her. For me, that level of intimacy … if we get close to anyone’s privates … is already sex, just not penetrative sex.
For the training scenes, I would love to see that on the screen. The way they were described got my blood pumping and couldn’t help but wish there was a video to accompany the story. 😀
I would highly recommend The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper. You can find it on Goodnovel. The story is fast-paced and the author writes so well that I found my anticipation levels at a 10 just waiting for Cara to turn 18.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 20, 2022 | Book Reviews
Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye is better than the other story of hers that I’ve read but still leaves me wanting more. It feels incomplete and the characters’ backstories aren’t fleshed out. As I am reading I have more questions than answers. This writing style makes sense if this book is part of a series but it still means that a lot more thought should be put into the back story of each character rather than the hodgepodge of information this book gives us.
The attempt at a non-linear story that gives Dimitri’s POV is a good attack but was clumsily executed. Even the POV of Helen always seems to be “wondering”. Once again, we have our lead female running away from an abusive relationship. This is the second story I’ve read that had that kind of backstory for the lead female but does not give enough information to make that factoid relevant.
And then a surprise factoid is given that is not substantiated in the story. Aside from the taste/smell of her blood, there are no other manifestations so … what is that?
While this book is better than the last one, it still needs a lot more work before it should be published.
Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye is on Amazon and can be purchased in Kindle format for 0.99 or you can read it with a KU account. I would recommend the latter if you are just curious about this.
The Mango Float is a popular dessert during parties. I’ve heard it referred to as a Mango Graham cake because of its ingredients, I suppose. This dessert is easy to make and disappears quickly! I always make sure to make space in my tummy when I know it is on the menu.
My long-awaited review of The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper is finally here! Lol! I actually finished reading it days ago but I kept rewinding to some parts I really liked so I couldn’t “officially” say I was done.
Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye is better than the other story of hers that I’ve read but still leaves me wanting more. It feels incomplete and the characters’ backstories aren’t fleshed out. As I am reading I have more questions than answers. This writing style makes sense if this book is part of a series but it still means that a lot more thought should be put into the back story of each character rather than the hodgepodge of information this book gives us.
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