Afternoon Bites with Braun + Severin

You know you've turned into that stereotypical domesticated mom when a kitchen gadgets company invites you to merienda and you get super excited about it.

Because that's exactly what happened when my mommy friends and I were invited by our friend Mish Aventajado to Afternoon Bites with Braun and Severin - a kitchen demo/gathering hosted by the two German brands brought in by Alabang-based local distributor, Colombo Merchant Phils., Inc.

Yes, there were bites, lots of it in fact, all made with the help of Braun and Severin kitchen appliances...

But the reason we all hightailed to Serendra that afternoon was to see if there were any newfangled contraptions we ought to add to our kitchen. Did we find any? Yesireeee!

Exhibit A: panini press by Severin

Exhibit B: crepe maker by Severin

Mish shares she has a friend who has a crepe station set up every morning at home and her kids get to have crepe for breakfast every single day, if they wanted to. Now, that's what childhood dreams are made of.

Didi discovers that crepe isn't really hard to make, it just takes practice and a bit of technique

Exhibit C: waffle maker

And not just some common fluffy waffle maker that makes the kind of waffles you can get out of IHOP or Pancake House. We're talking waffle cone levels! 

As in, "My mom makes our waffle cones from scratch." bragging rights.

After the demos, we got to chat with Mr. Colombo himself, founder of Colombo Merchant Phils, Inc. who shared how they first started with the exclusive domestic distribution of small kitchen appliances and personal care products of the German brand, Braun. By 2011, they added two more German brands: Severin and Minox. In 2014, German health and wellness brand, Beurer was added to the roster.

We were then sent home with our toy of choice! I chose this electric kettle from Braun's Sommelier line. I've been looking for an all metal electric kettle for Dada, and found the perfect one for him.

Sommelier is Braun's premium line, and true enough, the kettle I got is so well-made and of such good quality, it is definitely a far cry from the ones I would commonly see in most department stores and appliance centers.

 toaster, drip coffee maker and an electric kettle from the Braun Sommelier line 

More interesting kitchen gadgets include Severin's mini crepe maker...

And this steamer.

Now if only it were that easy to have a kitchen that would fit all the gadgets and home stuff I want!

Braun, Severin, as well as Minox and Beurer are available at Rustan's, S&R, Anson's, SM Appliance, Abenson, Gourdo's, Living well, Santis and Duty Free.

For more information on the above brands, visit the Colombo Merchant Philippines website  and follow Colombo Merchant Philippines on Facebook, and @colombophils on  Instagram.

For servicing Braun and Severin appliances, contact the Service Center at:

CMP Incorporated 

Mezzanine 1, South Center Tower

2206 Venture St., 

Madrigal Business Park 

Alabang, Muntinlupa City 

Monday – Friday 9:00 – 6:00 PM 

Phone: (02) 809-3441 

Fax: (02) 809-3440

The Great Food App by San Miguel Pure Foods

Have you always wanted to know how to cook Eggs Benedict and other fancy brunch fare so you can impress family or friends you've invited over at your home? There's an app for that!

Did you ever want to learn how to make a milk shake, or any refreshing summer drink for that matter? Well, there's an app for that!

Chef Aileen Anastacio of Goodies N Sweets and Marmalade Kitchen demystifying daunting recipes at the Great Food App launch

Do you wish you could plan your family meals and work on your grocery list at the same time? There's an app for that too!

And I am not talking three different apps. The Great Food App by San Miguel Pure Foods covers all that and more!

I attended the launch a few days ago and I can see how any homemaker, or whoever it is in charge of the family's meals, would have a much easier life with this app. It's heaven sent!

You've got a treasure trove of recipes to choose from - be it for breakfast, lunch, dinner or merienda.

Can't follow a recipe by reading? You can go check out the instructional videos instead!

Ok, let's say your husband wants something pepper-y, then tap on search, and type in "pepper". All the recipes with pepper as a main ingredient will pop up. Easy peasy.

You can even add the ingredients from the recipe page straight to your grocery list, just tap on "Add to Grocery List"!

Once you've decided on the recipes you like, you can start planning your menu by week. Or if you still can't decide, then go for the suggested meal plans and take it from there.

The Great Food App works on both iPhones and Android phones. Download it, and make it work for you.

So you can spend more time doing the things you'd rather do, like bake with the kids or prepare a feast for the family, instead of spending precious hours racking your brain thinking of what to feed them!

Mamon it Yourself with Monde!

What happens when your Monde Mamon made with real fresh eggs, imported wheat flour, and milk...

Meets bowlfuls of choco chips, mallows, sprinkles, nuts and all sorts of toppings...

Sweet, colorful icing...

And fresh, chilled fruits and cheese?

A rolling good time and the prettiest and yummiest of mamons, that's what!

Last weekend, Berry & I attended Monde's Summer Mamon it Yourself event at Yardstick Coffee, where our eyes were opened to an easy to do, budget-friendly family activity that is guaranteed to get kids occupied and entertained during a summer downtime.

I know the most uncompromising of moms will love this, because this is the stuff that building memories are made of. Rather than just spending on a new toy that kids will tire of in a day, Mamon It Yourself is perfect for summer family bonding, where you can while the hours away without even noticing it pass. 

Chef Mitchie Sison taught us how to make different kinds of icing - from cream cheese frosting, to cookies & cream frosting, to swiss butter cream icing.

Of course, she also demonstrated how to hold an icing bag correctly, as well as different icing techniques. As with any skill, she encouraged us to just start again if we make a mistake, because practice makes perfect!

Aren't these pretty?!

Berry of course wanted to frost her own mamon at the event. Very minimalistic too with just a couple of red gummy bears here and there.

Next up was the ultimate donya, Grace Baja aka The Spoiled Mummy, who shared with us how to use our everyday pantry staples like peanut butter, chocolate and fruits to make healthy, delicious snacks that kids will love to put together as well as eat for merienda.

From a cheesy mamon topped with butter, queso de bola and muscovado sugar, to a peanut butter & jam mamon sandwich sneakily sprinkled with toasted almonds and chia seeds inside, to a peanut butter/banana mamon loaded with mashed bananas and banana chips, all three elevated the usual mamon snack to something the looks and tastes a little more special.

Of course, Grace also made a chocolate and strawberry version, which I nicknamed Spoiled Mumon. It’s chockfull of her favorite snacks - like chocolate and strawberries laced with pistachios!

After Chef Mitchie and Grace's inspiring demos, we got to work on our own mamons.

It was such a cute idea to group the toppings into muffin tins, not only did it look so festive, less washing required after too, haha. 

I let Berry have a go, letting her imagination take its course. 

She started off with some chocolate syrup, gummy bears, marshmallows and candy sprinkles.

While watching Berry, I couldn't stop myself from picking up some icing, and doing a Death by Chocolate mamon, decorating my chocolate mamon with chocolate icing, a Bingo sandwich cookie, chocolate chips and crushed chocolate cookies.

Of course, Berry chose pink icing for her mamon. And we happily decorated away until it was time to leave.

Before we did, a heart-tugging video was shown to us:


Early the next morning, Berry was still on a Mamon It Yourself high.

She was like, "I want to decorate mamon, Mom! I want to decorate!" Like twenty thousand times.

Thankfully, we got to bring home this hefty Mamon It Yourself at Home kit, replete with a host of toppings as well as a generous supply of mamon to while our time away.

During breakfast, I gave Berry a can of whipped cream, and Nana got her some fresh strawberries. Of course, we both ate her strawberries & cream mamon before we could take a photo. That was pretty, and delicious, trust me!

Then, she said she was going to make cake for her doll Alessa. 

She carved out a heart-shaped mamon with a dinner knife and topped it with Sarabeth's Raspberry & Key Lime jam and her favorite mini marshmallows.

Berry asked for a candle and lit it up, after which, we sang a Happy Birthday song for Alessa to the top of our lungs.

Then Xavi eagerly blew out the candle for Alessa, we clapped for Xavi, and collectively dug into Alessa's birthday mamon while discussing our next Mamon it Yourself ideas for the days to come. 

It was a great way to start a lazy summer day! Yummy too!

Bond with your kids by buying a box of Monde Mamon, whip up some icing and bring out the sprinkles so you can Mamon It Yourself too! For more inspiration, check out http://bit.ly/Mamon-It-Yourself. 

Don’t forget to share with all of us what you’ve created by posting it on your social media accounts using the hashtag #MamonItYourself! I wanna see!

Ina Garten's Kitchen

I was chatting with Kat aka Don't Ask Me to Smile over on Twitter, on the subject of Ina Garten's glass jars and it reminded me of how much I love Ina Garten's kitchen. 

One day, when we build our dream house, I am going to have a kitchen just like hers. Exposed cupboards, wood & steel stools, huge lamps on each side atop a granite counter top for the 18 foot long island...

-- that faces the casual dining room directly. This is most definitely a place for preparing and enjoying meals with family and friends.

I love the idea of this part of the house set up for entertaining. I can imagine our kids and their playmates hanging out here. Our friends coming over for lunch or tea. Weekend buffets with the entire family, up to the 4th level of consanguinity. Ahahaha.

No, seriously. I like you, you're welcome. That's how we rule.

Berry's Kitchenette

Sounds like a name for a retro restro, because yes, it's been a while since I've heard the term kitchenette. But what I am referring to here, is Berry's play kitchen:

A few months ago, we got this for Berry at IKEA. We decided to set up her very own kitchen because she likes meddling in our kitchen affairs. LOL. Prior to this, Nana & I have caught Berry a couple of times standing on a step stool, about to grab a kitchen knife. Que horror!

I have to admit, I had a fun time completing her kitchen with play plates, bowls, glasses, goblets and mini cooking utensils, pots & pans. All sourced from IKEA. Her Fisher Price teapot set was a birthday gift from her 1st birthday, and it just seemed logical that we include it here as well. Auntie Lorr & Auntie Richelle suggested that she have real food in her kitchen, so we put some of her snacks here.

The Easter eggs she found during the Easter Egg Hunt found a home here too. Those are her pretend eggs for when she makes "omelettes".  Her playmate Peyton gifted here with a cupcake tower and it secured a spot on the top shelf, so it comes in handy during tea time.  The pink basket is from Daiso, and it doesn't really serve a purpose other than the fact that it's cute, and at $2, why not!

The apron was a gift from Nana. A gift from her niece for Berry, so sweet! One time, we forgot to make Berry wear her bib while eating, and just as Nana was about to get Berry a bib, Berry went down her high chair to put on the apron. Quick thinking, Berry!