Holiday baking made easy with Midea Pressure Cooker + Bibingka (rice cake) recipe

Filipinos are known for our penchant for festivities and love for good food. Celebrations and banquets are inseparable in our culture and with the holiday season rolling in, a lot of us are gearing up for the coming parties waiting to be attended and hosted.

Being charming hosts are also very innate among Filipinos. It isn’t uncommon to use social occasions as an opportunity to showcase a signature dish or a passed down family recipe.  It adds a personal touch to a celebration and is a foolproof way of making an occasion even more special.

The Christmas season is that one time of the year when everyone goes all out with food preparations. Besides from Noche Buena favorites, however, desserts are also a huge hit during the holiday season.

But did you know that you can whip your very own yuletide sweets even without an oven? A dash of resourcefulness and a bit of creativity is all it takes to make your very own Christmas treat!

Yummy Magazine and KitchenAid MasterClass with Chef Penk Ching + shared recipes

I had recently been lucky to be invited to an exclusive event organized by Yummy Magazine and Kitchen Aid held at Rustan's Cubao in Gateway Mall. Yummy in partnership with Kitchenaid held Yummy x KitchenAid Masterclass cooking demo with no less than the pastry master herself, Chef Penk Ching! 

Make Cooking Easy with Clara Ole Products

I know most Moms would be able to relate with me if I'd say that everyday is some kind of a challenge for us especially in the kitchen. We'd plan our family's daily meals, shop for goods at groceries and we've also got to create appetizing baon for the kids and whip up whatever snack we can for their merienda. It's becoming stressful indeed, that's why being a Mom isn't an easy one. There's always so much to do with so little time. That's why I like using "kitchen wonders" from Clara Ole. These are awesome products that makes every Mom's life easier. Each product from Clara Ole is like Mommy's little kitchen helpers. The ready-to-use products aids homemakers to create that perfectly delectable dish in less time. Allow me to share with you some of my favorites from the Clara Ole products:

Let me start with the Clara Ole Barbecue Marinade. It comes in different flavors from Honey Mustard, Hickory, Korean and Spicy. But I love the original flavor the most. It goes well with chicken, beef or pork. What I like most about the Clara Ole Original Barbecue Marinade, it plays well with your senses as it hits your palate. The strong aroma of fresh hot off the grill meat, charred flavor and the marinade's sweet, tangy and peppered flavor sinks into each meat making it flavorful. My family likes using Clara Ole Original Barbecue marinade with chicken. We marinade overnight for locked-in flavors. Then the next day, we're off for a family backyard barbecue party! Woot! 

I'm sure you've all heard of Clara Ole's extensive array of pasta sauces: Italian style, Sweet style, Three-Cheese, Filipino Style, Chunky Tomato with Three-Cheese, Chunky Tomato with Basil, Cheesy Pesto, Kung Pao and Mushroom. Whew! Clara Ole's pasta sauces livens up ordinary pasta dish as it creates more sophisticated flavors into the dish. No need for Ketchups as each Clara Ole pasta sauce is packed with zestful spices and oozing with chunky tomatoes to boot. 

Hmm...Clara Ole also had their Clara Ole Dips 'n Dressings line. Super yummy dips and sauces, you're sure to find one you'll definitely like. From the typical Thousand Island, Caesar, Honey Mustard, Ranch and Asian to something as edgy as vinaigrettes such as Orange, Sesame Mucho, Pesto, Parmesan and Mango. Throw in some greens along with other colorful veggies and voila! The salad's ready to be served in minutes! 

Breakfast is also such a joy with Clara Ole's Pancake Syrup. An honest-to-goodness maple syrup that brings smile to everyone who sees them on the table, it makes simple hotcakes look and tastes delicious. It comes in maple, original, cinnamon and truly fruity. It will tickle your tastebuds and will satiate your sweet tooth. Diabetic? No worries, Clara Ole has a sugar-free version of Clara Ole Maple Syrup too. For chocolate aficionados, there's Clara Ole Choco and Choco-Nut Syrup for you to enjoy. 

Last but definitely not the least, my family and I love the Clara Ole Ora Mix Mo Specialty Fried Rice Mix. True to its name, it is a "minute-saver". Perfect for those always pressed for time, it is a simple yet delightful dish on its own. Mix it with plain rice, toss some greens and meat or cold cuts and you'll have one easy peasy meal in no time! It comes in Paella, Japanese Style and Adobo flavors. We love the Paella flavor. It is a great "short-cut" to the old fave Paella dish. I'd just have mussels, shrimp, eggs and green peas thrown in and I'd be able to whip a Spanish Paella dish of my own sans the hassle. 

I've always been an avid Clara Ole fan. In fact, I was a member of Kitchen Adventures Club some years back. I don't know if they still had it to this day. But it was really with Clara Ole that I had my first adventure in the kitchen. And their products are like little helpers for me as they assist me in the challenges that I need to face in my kitchen. With the Clara Ole products around, I'd say, "Bring it on!" So if you want to make cooking as easy as 1,2,3--go ahead and grab a Clara Ole product now to begin your kitchen adventure. 

For more information on Clara Ole, log on to www.claraole.com Like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/myclaraole follow them on Instagram at @claraoleph

Get more cooking insights and tips from the Clara Ole webisodes called "Pot Sessions: A Cook Without ABook" adventure series via their Facebook app: http://www.facebook.com/myclaraole/app_5666916003403