It was NomNom Foodie Club‘s first ever Christmas party! It was held last December 1, 2010 in SM Mall of Asia at Kraft‘s Sarap ng Pasko Christmas platform near SM IMAX. Food and venue sponsor was Kraft Eden Cheese and made possible with GeiserMaclang.

NomNom Club Christmas Party

I wasn’t really planning to have a Christmas party for the foodie club this year since we just celebrated NomNom Club’s first anniversary with Greenwich last August and a thanksgiving party last October when NomNom Club won in the Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010. However, when Kraft started their “Sarap ng Pasko” campaign, I thought it was a very fitting theme for the foodie club Christmas party since it was about food and Christmas as well. And hence, through GeiserMaclang, the proposal for Kraft Eden went through.

To share what transpired in the event, I believe the best way to narrate is through visual photos which shows how much the participants – NomNom Foodie Club members and guests – enjoyed the event. 🙂

Kraft Eden Cheese Inspired Dishes

Traditional Exchange Gift

We first had dinner and some socialization among the members and guests. it was followed by the exchange-gift-giving where each one of the attendees were required to bring a P50 simple gift. It was drawn similar to a raffle system. The best gift within the prize range of P50 was also given an extra prize.

Exchange Gift / Gift Giving

Raffle Draw with  Samsung Microwave Oven Grand Prize

Joy Ramos, Samsung Microwave Oven Winner

It was followed by the main raffle where Samsung donated the major raffle prize -  Samsung Microwave Oven. Other prize donors included GeiserMaclang for the Havaianas slippers, and Angel’s Pizza Pasta for the gift certificates. Major winners were Ms. Joy Ramos who won the top prize and Ms. Ryan Joson who got the Havs slippers. Other raffle items included a Sunpiology Piolo Pascual Planner for 2011, gift certificates, and branded tokens.

Round 2 of Raffle Draw

Because I wanted everyone not to go home empty-handed, I brought around 50 raffle prizes for  the online registrants which reached about 50 as well, but since the actual attendees were only about 40, the excess prizes were given away on a raffle draw round 2. So some got two raffle prizes. 🙂

Christmas Party Raffle

Subdomain Service and Food Tour

In closing, GeiserMaclang had a message of thanks for the crowd and gave away Manny Pacquiao–Alaxan shirts to everyone for pickup at their Makati office. I also thanked everyone for a fruitful year and revealed NomNom’s plans for 2011 including a paid subdomain service (ie: jenjen.nomnomclub.com) which includes a number of free services for the clients. We are also targeting for a food tour for summer or the second year anniversary.

More Photos - NomNom Foodie Club

Thank you again to our main sponsor Kraft Eden Cheese who had a similar successful “Sarap ng Pasko” campaign, to GeiserMaclang,and  to Samsung for the major raffle giveaway of a Samsung Microwave Oven.

Venue and Sponsors

Merry Christmas from NomNom Club!

Thank you to all the readers, subscribers, and members of the NomNom Foodie Club! Belated Merry Christmas and a fruitful, yummy, and nomnom-y new year this coming 2011!

I celebrated my personal birthday a few weeks ago and a Jollibee cake made by Red Ribbon found its way into our home.:)

It was a big fondant chocolate cake with a big and cheerful printed Jollibee mascot on top. A fitting cake for a day of merriment.

Jollibee Birthday Cake by Red Ribbon

Chef Laudico

However, I was further surprised when I came home to our QC house last Sunday (two days ago) and found a Chef Laudico brownies box in our refrigerator. It was accompanied by a birthday greeting card saying:

“Happy Birthday. Hope you’ll enjoy this box of brownies especially and exclusively prepared by Chef Jackie Laudico…“

Wow, that sounds special, albeit belatedly.:)

I opened the box and found a set of ten elongated brownies. Something different from the usual square ones we see. And indeed, the taste was exquisitely premium. More than just the average brownie, it was a luscious mixture of the brownie; plus the roasted nuts caramelized cashew on top. I can’t exactly distinguish what kind of nut but it’s most probably cashew.

Chef Laudico Brownies - the Best!

It was so good. This is one of the best brownies I’ve had. I think this due to the good chocolate mixture highlighted by the crunchy and premium-tasting roasted walnuts caramelized cashew on top. Yum!

Birthday Card

I searched the Net including Chef Laudico website (http://www.cheflaudico.com.ph/) but didn’t find the brownies, not even its name.

And lastly, the card indicated:

“We have made a donation under your name to the Virlanie Foundation and the Autism Society of the Philippines.”

NomNom Club

What a warm feeling of goodwill done in your behalf for your birthday. Thank you GeiserMaclang, Stratworks, and Jollibee, you have made my birthday this year more special.