Housewives doubling up

More and more homemakers are doubling up. We mean, there are now a lot of homemakers who have gone into profitable business endeavors while efficiently managing their households at the same time. They have established home enterprises that, needless to say, add to their family coffers, as well as giving themselves empowerment. Commendable.

There is Sylvia, who used to work for a foreign airline company and then became a travel agency owner. Off from regular office hours today, with kids grown up but with some apos to spoil, she doubles up as manager-owner of a water dispensing station, which she personally supervises. In between, she bakes delicious cookies and rum cake which she gives away, inspite of friends like us cajoling her to sell.

There is Mary Lou, who met the challenge of getting a franchise from an ice cream company and set up a stall at the Festival Mall, where she reports business is doing well. The product: ice confections made from coconut milk, originating from its mother company in Diliman, Quezon City. The ice cream has many variants and comes in pints (P60), half gallons (P130) and gallons (P210). For our family, the best flavor is the coco flan, creamy with chunks of real leche flan.

Surely there are many more women like these two. May their tribe increase!

We did not realize that at the huge Gloria Maris in Greenhills, the owners have converted the back portion into a fine dining restaurant. It is quiet and has an “away from the noise” ambiance in this otherwise very busy section of the shopping complex. Like most dining places now, encouraging healthy eating, the peanuts served as starters are boiled rather than cooked in oil.

One of the best value for money offerings is the dimsum buffet served at the Peacock Court of the Bellevue Hotel in West Gate, Alabang, Muntinlupa City. A diner is given a menu card with a generous list of appetizers, dimsum, soups, noodles, rice, and desserts. Plus coffee or tea. The good thing about this is one is not limited to only a number of dishes on the menu, but one can order the whole line-up – if your appetite will be big enough to take them all in.

Do not miss the xiao long pao or soupy siopao, e-fu noodles, crispy dumplings, and chicken feet. There are much more, go check and choose your favorites. There must be more than 30 items listed on the menu. The buffet is P650++.

Malunggay has gone international. We recently discovered a line of health and beauty products done by the Gawad Kalinga group, distributed internationally under the brand Human Nature.

Malunggay is not the only native Filipino ingredient they use. Other products include gugo bark, aloe vera, avocado, virgin coconut oil, calamansi, chamomile, peppermint and pearl powder. They are produced by the Gawad Kalinga communities, through Gandang Kalikasan, USA and Gandang Kalikasan, Philippines.

Interesting among the items is the intensive hair mask. We thought only the face was given a beauty mask, but they have come up with a solution that aids the recovery of damaged hair. It is applied over the hair after shampoo, with a towel wrap for about 30 minutes. Gugo prevents hair loss, coconut oil gives the hair a “drink” and avocado moisturizes.

Other products are shampoos and conditioners, hydrating facial wash, all natural spray sanitizer and feminine wash. The Human Nature collection is available at Rustan’s.   

Price watch – tilapia sells in different supermarkets at P120 per kilo, prawns from P620 a kilo, while at the dampa we got them for P500. If you are looking for light soy sauce, go to Unimart in Greenhills. They have the Golden Swan brand at around P59 per bottle.

The Asian Gourmet Mix clay pot rice we missed at ShopWise Alabang is available in their Sucat store. It’s a joy to visit any of their stores now. They are celebrating the country’s fiesta season, with different provinces in focus, decked in colorful décor.

Have a good family reunion today!

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