The Filipino people will face a major milestone in the few days in choosing the leader of the country. But before that, the middle class Filipinos are also facing an everyday concern of making good choices – in food, to be more particular – at Ministop!

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Magnolia Cookie Monster was first released in the market a few months ago together with the Magnolia Ice Cream Best of the Philippines collection. It is endorsed by Philippine teen celebrity Elmo Magalona, son of the late Filipino celebrity rapper and music icon Francis Magalona.

A few months after and with an aggressive marketing, Magnolia, through a media event held at Magnolia Flavor House in the new Robinsons Magnolia mall, announced two new flavors or variants of the Magnolia Cookie Monster in addition to the Choco Classic. The two new flavors are Choco Caramel and Choco Hazelnut. A grand fans day for the  followers of Elmo Magalona was also held afterwards.

Magnolia Cookie Monster,Choco Classic

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Caramel and Choco Hazelnut

Yours truly was invited as a blogger to the launch and was able to try the new products.

The packaging design is generally the same as that of the Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Classic but in yellow and red colors for the caramel and hazelnut flavors, respectively.

It’s main thrust is its over-indulgence with chocolate having been made with four different kinds of chocolate from coating to filling. The coating would remind you of the classic Pinipig Crunch because of the rice balls in the coating. I’m not sure if they are also rice crispies (pinipig) and they just changed the name for marketing reasons. You may also be briefly reminded of the Magnum craze, only more conservative (thinner coating).

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Hazelnut

Moreover, Magnolia Cookie Monster is filled with a fudgy center filling on the inside, surrounded by chocolate ice cream.

As per the taste, I found the caramel variant too sweet and was not even able to finish the whole choco-stick. For an ice cream lover such as I, my friends would be surprised of this rare occurrence.  🙂

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Caramel

On the other hand, the Choco Hazelnut (Top Photo) gets the thumbs up for it’s interesting twist on the flavor. It’s not common to find a hazelnut flavor in a choco ice cream bar which retails for only P20. However, the Choco Classic retains it’s top spot on my favorites.

Magnolia Cookie Monster TVC

Tomorrow – October 28, 2012 – the Magnolia Cookie Monster television commercial will be released in major television networks (watch the TVC video in advance here).

Elmo Magalona is still it’s endorser effectively catering to the young market, specially the ladies who usually succumbs to the impulse of buying one of the best comfort food known to man – ice cream. 🙂 And also, the play of words with ‘Elmo‘ and ‘Cookie Monster‘…Sesame Street, anyone?

If you haven’t tried the Magnolia Cookie Monster ice cream bars, you can find them in major supermarkets nationwide specially in Rustans Supermarket, Robinsons Supermarket, and Ministop outlets. Try their new flavors too – the Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Hazelnut and Choco Caramel and see if my verdicts are right. But of course, don’t miss the Choco Classic which is a NomNomClub.com recommendation for a price-busting P20. Follow Magnolia Ice Cream on Facebook at Best of the Philippines & Magnolia Cookie Monster and Twitter as well at @MagIceCream & @MagCMonster.

P10 C2 500ml for Voters

The C2 Green tea brand advocates a cool and clean elections this coming May 10 with their campaign “I keep my Vote Cool and Clean!”. It intends to heighten awareness and encourage Filipinos to vote and promote honest elections.

C2 Cool and Clean Elections!

C2 Green Tea products and some exciting premium items will be made available to voters at C2 booths located in selected voting precincts around Metro Manila on May 10, 2010.

C2 500ml bottles of any flavor would also be available for voters only at P10 in any 7-Eleven and Ministop stores simply by presenting the indelible ink marked on their fingers.

Through the campaign, C2 Green Tea maker aims to empower Filipinos to keep their votes cool and clean while making the voting experience a more meaningful and affirmative experience.

Krispy Kreme Free Orange You Glad Chillers for Voters and KK Friends

Join Krispy Kreme‘s Promo and wait for your corresponding email. On Election Day, bring a print out of the “VOTE” email you will receive (similar to the one below) and visit any Krispy Kreme branch in the Philippines.

Krispy Kreme Encourages Voters!

Present the email print out and show your finger with the indelible ink and enjoy a free Krispy Kreme Orange You Glad Chiller. Let’s DOugh Our Part and Vote!

Noy-Bayani

NoyNoy Aquino

I have also decided to share my choice for president in the person of Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. In this election, I am giving my vote to the one I believe can make a true change in the government. I decided to choose a candidate who is criticized to lack experience and background but is dedicated to eliminating corruption and has a clear conscience.

Among all the presidentiables, I believe he is the one who will do what he said and fulfill with his best what he promised.

Bayani Fernando

I choose Bayani Fernando for the capabilites he has shown and the changes and improvements he has implemented in Marikina City and the MMDA. A man of action with ideals for a disciplined public society.

For the senatoriables, my longlist include Ople, Hontiveros, Acosta, Cayetano, Guingona, Drilon, Defensor–Santiago, Roco, De Venecia, Osmena (Serge), Tamano, Ocampo (Satur), Lim, Pimentel, and Enrile. Three more needs to be dropped. I still have the weekend to think it through. 🙂

The online community is encouraged to use the #juanvote hashtag for their reports and social comments on May 10, 2010.

Chocolates and sweet delicacies are now everywhere with the Valentine’s just two days away. And different commercial establishments are brimming with their own individual promotions and gimmicks.

We’ll peek through some of them including Ministop, Red Ribbon cakes, Krispy Kreme, and Delifrance,

Ministop Valentine's Madness Promo

Ministop’s Valentine Madness Delight Promo

Ministop have the Valentine Madness Delight Promo wherein lucky customers get a chance to win a romantic getaway for two for every single-receipt purchase of any of Ministop’s participating products. Customer must write his contact details and affix his signature at the back of the Ministop Official Receipt, and drop the receipt at designated drop boxes.

There will be four winners of a trip for two to Boracay, with airfare and accommodations at the Grand Boracay Hotel; three winners of a trip for two to Cagayan De Oro, with airfare and accommodations at Malberry Suites; and three winners of a trip for two to Busuanga, with airfare and accommodations at Busuanga Island Hotel. The Valentine Madness Delight promo will run until   February 28, 2010.

Red Ribbon Roses & Kisses Cake

You can also express your love in full bloom this year through Ministop’s flower delivery service, which offers next-day delivery of farm fresh roses to major key cities nationwide. Romantics can choose from 8 stunning colors. Available at popular prices, the roses are available in 3-stemmed, half a dozen, one dozen, and two dozen. You may also choose from the new flower color combination for 1 dozen and 2 dozen all meticulously grown by Ministop’s partner, Island Rose. Ministop’s delivery service is available 24/7 for special occasions all year round in Ministop stores in the metro.

Red Ribbon’s Roses & Kisses Cake

Krispy Kreme Heaert-Shaped Doughnuts

The Roses and Kisses Cake is only available on shelf from February 12-14, 2009. It’s a chocolate pound cake shaped as a lovey-dovey heart and decorated with edible sugar roses and Hershey’s milk chocolate Kisses on top. Made beautiful inside-out, it is made with layers of chocolate fudge filling sprinkled with chocolate chips.

Truly a seasonal cake just for this valentine season, the 6 diameter white heart is priced at P330.

Krispy Kreme Heart-Shaped Doughnuts

Krispy Kreme wants you to share the sweetness with their  limited edition Valentine heart-shaped doughnuts with Hershey’s Kisses chocolate which started Feb 4 . Other favorite heart shaped doughnut varieties will be available up to Feb 14. These include New York Cheesecake, Hershey’s Dark Chocolate, Hershey’s Cookies & Cream, Peanut Butter & Kreme, Blueberry Cheesecake, Snickers Classic, Chocolate Custard Filled, Chocolate Kreme Filled, Sugar, Caramel Kreme Crunch and Chocolate Iced With Sprinkles. Share a dozen for only P365

Delifrance Frosted Cinnamon Rolls

Delifrance’s Cinnamon Rolls

Delifrance comes up with its Frosted Cinnamon Rolls. A box of 12 is P450. Yummy!

There you go…an almost endless list of Valentine’s Sweets madness. 🙂

Mini Stop's Ube Halaya Sundae

While walking along the streets of Makati the other night, I passed-by Mini-Stop along Pasong Tamo to satisfy my usual craving for cheap soft serve ice cream.

The last one I had was when it was still the Hershey’s Chocolate sundae flavor (which is yummy by the way).

To my surprise, I saw an ube colored poster and asked details about it. It turned out that it’s a new flavor which just started last Dec 28 in all of their branches – it’s Ube Halaya Sundae!

However, it’s on a Limited offer basis and most probably would only last for a week or two. So hurry up!

It seems that Mini-Stop is just testing the market for the flavor. It may come back later on if it does well.

Ube Halaya or Halaya Ube is a rich dark lavender purple color of sweet yam-jams usually stored in bottles found in local grocery shelves. It is  made from a variety of sweet potato called purple yam (ube)

almost done 🙂

more Ube Halaya Sundae

It almost tastes like its real ice cream counterpart.

At P15 (USD 0.33), Mini-Stop‘s Ube Halaya Sundae is love. 🙂

Just have it in moderation though; powder-based soft serve ice-cream/sundae are not exactly healthy food. One Ube Halaya Sundae per day would do. 🙂 (kidding!) Nomnomnom….