FBN 10th Annual Christmas Party: A fun-filled and meaningful day

The Filipino Bloggers Network (FBN), one of the most active Philippine-Based community of bloggers and influencers in the country, held its 10th Annual Christmas Party virtually last December 12.

FBN currently has almost 2,000 members around the country and continues to expand as it provides a venue for Filipino bloggers to interact with other members even those based overseas. Moderating the discussions and posting opportunities from several brands are co-admins Divine RC and Richard Mamuyac and Lariza Garcia.

The yearly event serves as a venue to reacquaint with fellow members around the country, celebrate the holiday season and create great new memories. Just like last year, the gathering was conducted online and livestreamed within the official FBN group page. Aside from the exciting prizes given away during the virtual games and raffle draws, a couple of members received financial assistance to support them in their family medical emergency. Indeed, it was both a fun-filled and meaningful day at the same time.

Different PR groups and brands and individual sponsors were acknowledged during the event for supporting the online community in 2021 and hopefully for more years to come. This year’s virtual event is made possible by the following generous donors:

PR Partnerss - CAT PR, i55 Talent Hose, Page One, M2.0 Communications, Comm&Sense, ROAR Agile, GPS TV, Full Circle, Pro Communications Inc. Pro Solutions ,Full Circle and Ripple 8.

Brand and Individual sponsors - Pacific Sunrise, Goodah!, Cebuana Llhuillier, Glorious Blend, Rex Education, Gur Lavi Corporation (Telavi); Dyna Drug Corporation, Diana Stalder, Sagada Harvest, Stevia Natural Sweetener, a number of fellow FBN members and public servants like Rep. Eric Yap of ACT-CIS partylist, Rep. Joey Salceda (2nd District of Albay), Rep. Edgar Mary Sarmiento (1st District of Samar). Rep. Mike Defensor of Anakalusugan partylist, General Guillermo Eleazar, Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte and Deputy Commissioner Randy Escolango of the Philippine Insurance Commission.

 

With the great support and opportunities that FBN received this year from partners companies and brands, the group is looking forward to more campaigns and activities that members can join and engage with in the coming new year.

Let us claim that 2022 will be a better year for all of us. Cheers for more success and blessings!

Healthy, Hassle-Free Holiday Bundles from The Goodwill Market

Tis the season to show you care by sending healthy goodies from The Goodwill Market to family and friends. The gift baskets have been carefully curated to fit different lifestyles, filled with wholesome products that focus on health and wellbeing.

What’s more, they can be delivered safely and conveniently to your loved ones doorstep via orders on The Goodwill Market website. You don’t have to leave the comfort and safety of your home to send out healthy and high-quality gifts this Christmas.

The Goodwill Market is an online shop owned and operated by Dygen Pharma Distribution Corporation (DPDC), a subsidiary of Dyna Drug Corporation. Its mission is to make premium brands more accessible to Filipino consumers with online orders and fuss-free delivery. “This is a very valuable e-commerce service especially as everyone stays safe inside their homes” says DPDC General Manager May Panganiban. “Our gift packages contain a wide selection of health and wellness products that are sure to add a spark of joy to the holidays.”

Here are some of the gift selections that you can send as corporate giveaways, or as personalized gifts to your loved ones.

1. The Holiday Flavor Pack delivers goodies that are fit for the season’s feasts. It contains a selection of imported pasta sauces for easy meals made special.

2. Work from Home (WFH) is a healthy spread of snacks and ingredients that are perfect for who like to bond over good food while working. Wholesome meals and snacks are more accessible with tasty treats and premium ingredients.

3. The Lunch Box Buddies is the perfect gift for parents who shower this kids with love and care. It’s got everything they need to make bath time fun while taking care of baby’s sensitive skin. It’s also got kiddie vitamins for that extra boost of protection.

Make your Christmas list and check it twice. Find out which gift sets from The Goodwill Market will fit your friends and family members best, or check out the other items that are available at www.goodwill.market and its official social media pages on Facebook and Instagram and have these wholesome gift packs delivered directly to your recipient hassle-free. Book your corporate giveaways, customized orders and special requests through customer@goodwillmarket.ph

Christmas Feast Ideas That You'll Love

There are two traditional feasts that Filipino families often look forward to during Christmastime: the Christmas Eve Noche Buena and the one that follows on the 25th itself, which is often held as part of a festive family reunion. Either way, expect those in charge of preparing the dishes to pull out all the stops to serve the most delectable food on the table for everyone to enjoy. 

And if that happens to be you, chances are high that you already have some recipes in mind to make each of these feasts a gastronomic delight to remember. They might even be all-time family favorites, or even hand-me-downs from your great-great grandparents. Having said that, it certainly wouldn’t hurt to learn a few more recipes just to keep things fresh and put something different on the table for Christmas. Two that are guaranteed to make you look like Master Chef are Meatballs in Black Truffle Sauce and Three-Cheese Truffle Macaroni and Cheese.

The recipes are as follows:

Meatballs in Black Truffle Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 slices white bread crusts removed, broken into pieces

• scant 2/3 cup whole milk

• 2 1/4 cups finely minced ground beef (or a mixture of meats, such as pork, chicken or turkey)

• 1/2 cup meat pâté

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• Plain all-purpose flour, for dusting

• Olive oil for frying

FOR THE BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE

• 1 tablespoon + 2 tsp butter

• A drizzle of olive oil

• 1 bunch spring onions scallions, finely chopped

• 1 carrot finely chopped

• 1 heaped cup button or oyster mushrooms finely chopped

• 3 1/2 tablespoon plain all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup white wine

• 2 cups beef chicken or vegetable stock

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon finely chopped rosemary

• 1/2 cup double heavy cream

• 1/2 teaspoon Umbria Black Truffle Sauce

Instructions

1. Place the bread in a bowl and pour over the milk. Set aside to soak.

2. In a separate bowl, mix together the meat and the pâté. Add the soaked bread and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix until smooth and well combined. Form meatballs by rolling walnut-sized pieces of the mixture between your hands. They should be about 1oz each. Dust the meatballs in flour.

3. Heat some oil in a shallow pan over a medium-high heat and fry the meatballs just until they are golden. Do not overcook at this stage as we are going to finish them in the sauce. Set aside.

4. To make the sauce, heat the butter and olive oil in a pan over a medium-low heat and add the finely chopped spring onions, carrot and mushrooms. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion is transparent. Reduce the temperature to low and add the flour to the pan, stirring with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Cook for about 4 minutes and then add the wine, continuing to stir until you get a paste and the alcohol has evaporated, then add the stock with the salt and rosemary. Keep stirring and cooking until the sauce thickens, then add the cream, stirring so that the mixture doesn’t split or curdle. Add the meatballs to the sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes.

5. Put Umbria Black Truffle Sauce into the sauce, mix and fold and serve hot.

Three-Cheese Truffle Macaroni and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter, divided

1 cup mushroom (75 g), sliced

1 pinch salt

1 pinch pepper

2 tablespoons flour

1 cup milk (240 mL)

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese (110 g)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (100 g)

2 cups shell pasta (400 g), cooked

TOPPINGS

½ teaspoon Umbria truffle oil

1 tablespoon fresh chives, chopped

Preparation

1. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms are softened. Remove from the pot.

2. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the flour to the pot. Whisk until the flour is toasted, approximately 2 minutes.

3. Add the milk while whisking continuously to avoid lumps. Cook until the sauce is thickened.

4. Whisk in the Parmesan and cheddar cheeses and season with salt and pepper.

5. Add the cooked pasta and mushrooms. Mix until the sauce coats the pasta well.

6. Top with Umbria truffle oil, fold and add chives.

Of course, it’s understandable that you’d stop at nothing to make these year’s Christmas celebrations as grand as possible. After all, last year’s Holidays were mostly muted due to the pandemic. Now, the scourge that is COVID-19 is still here, but the country is showing signs of recovery and the quarantine restrictions are easing as a result. 

However, that doesn’t mean you and your family should be letting your guard down. Rather, continue to be vigilant even as you think of ways to gather everyone this Christmastime—ideally, sharing some sumptuous Meatballs in Umbria Black Truffle Sauce and servings of mouthwatering Three-Cheese Umbria White Truffle Macaroni and Cheese.

Merry Christmas!

Filipino Bloggers Network holds 10th Annual Thanksgiving Party

It was a decade ago when the Filipino Bloggers Network (FBN), one of the most active Philippine-Based community of bloggers and influencers in the country, held its first-ever Thanksgiving Party in a hotel in Quezon City. 

This coming December 12, FBN will hold its 10th Annual Thanksgiving Party virtually to reacquaint with fellow members around the country and reminisce 120 months of challenges and cheers; 3,650 days of networking; countless stories and priceless memories.  

Although the gathering will still be online just like last year, FBN members anticipate the annual get-together as an opportunity to make new friends and catch up with old pals they have not seen for a while, not to mention the chance of winning some exciting prizes from the games and raffle draws. Representatives of different PR groups and brands will also grace the event to personally thank members of the online community who have supported them in the past years. 

 

FBN currently has around 2,000 members across the country and abroad and continues to expand as it provides a venue for Filipino bloggers to interact with other members, even those based overseas. Moderating the discussions and posting opportunities from several brands are co-admins Divine Reyes and Richard Mamuyac and Lariza Garcia. 

This year’s celebration is supported by the following generous sponsors:

BRANDS

CASA vs Talyer: Where Best To Get Your Routine Maintenance

Everybody would love to have their own car. It is definitely a great way to do long drives, travel and just simply going from one place to the next. However, owning a car requires continuous effort in maintenance among other things. Taking care of your vehicle helps to make it run smoothly and safely on the road for a much longer distance compared to never doing some check-ups.

As a car owner, you need to experience handling vehicle maintenance especially those that are basic. Other than that, getting best car insurance philippines should also be included on your list to save you for future stress and trouble.