Cherry and Panettone Trifle

Freshly whipped cream, yummy custard, fruits plus Italian Panettone or any sponge cake make this a delicious and party-perfect Trifle! 

My kids and I love Italian Panettone! When the chilly fall season finally arrives, you can be certain that we look for and buy at least a loaf or two of this special holiday bread (or cake as others readily point out but I won't argue with anyone over this! I love it either way!). I compare it to a brioche loaf - deliciously sweet, buttery and tender! During the Christmas season it comes in many varieties - plain, with chocolate chips or loaded with fruits so it's like a fruitcake and taste a little bit like it, too! I guess because it was Christmas I gravitated to the more festive looking Panettone loaf that I saw.

The Essence of Christmas

A very Merry Christmas from our family to yours!!!

I had it all planned out in my mind a few weeks back. We would invite a family from our church and celebrate Christmas lunch with them. It would be a feast with several Asian main courses, some appetizers and for dessert - authentic Christmas Pudding imported from England which we brought back home from our last trip! I was really excited with preparing the menu and activities and was looking forward to having an enjoyable dinner and a great time of fellowship.

Top 10 Filipino Recipes for Christmas

Celebrate Christmas and the holiday season with these tried and tested, delicious Top 10 Filipino Recipes for Christmas! 

We love Christmas in the Philippines so much that the holiday season actually unofficially begins the 1st day of September! To celebrate our favorite day, every Filipino household will have many of these delicious recipes on their menu. If you are thinking of doing an Asian-themed celebration this year, this collection of our family favorite recipes would surely come handy!

Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars

With a deliciously spiced pumpkin pie on the bottom and buttery swirled cake topping this super EASY Pumpkin Pie Bars will be your favorite holiday dessert! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year perfect!

Just before we left for England in early November, I made this Pumpkin Pie Dessert Bars for my family. I was planning to post this earlier but because of the family emergency we had, everything, naturally, had to take the backseat. Nonetheless, at the back of my mind, I haven't forgotten about this truly delightful recipe and made sure to post this at least before Thanksgiving. Besides, who says pumpkin desserts are only for Fall or Thanksgiving? I love pumpkin based desserts so much, I won't even mind having them during the hottest days of summer - so for me, every season is a good season for Pumpkins!!! Agree? :)

Jam and Burrata Toasts

Just 3 ingredients and can be customized to your taste, these easy, quick and yummy Jam and Burrata Toasts are the perfect appetizers for Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year or any holiday!

When fall season commences, there's a sudden anticipation of the holidays. After all, truly, they're just around the corner. In the Philippines, while we don't really have fall or winter, once the month of September comes - the holiday season begins! I am not kidding.

White Chocolate Cranberry Coffee Cake

The holidays are over! I feel quite sad as Christmas season is my favorite time of the year. Alas, it seems forever until the next one. Sigh. Thankfully, I still had some remnants of the holidays. A pack of cranberries, half a pack of white chocolate chips and a holiday bundt pan which went on sale so I had no choice but to buy it! That was my excuse anyway. So what does a girl do with these? Naturally, I thought about cake - a delicious sweet treat that I can enjoy with coffee.

Apple Cheesecake Pie with Caramel Sauce

I can't believe it's just a couple more days and 2015 is over! In some ways I am quite excited to welcome the new year as globally speaking 2015 has been quite chaotic and really challenging for so many. That is not to say there weren't many good things that happened in the past year. In fact, my habit as the year ends is always to make a list of the many things I can truly be thankful for. I can only do that if I go through the year month by month and look at the past and see how the Lord has truly blessed us. If often surprises me and in the end I often have to admit that indeed while the year past may not be perfect (it never will be!) it definitely is good and always has been good by God's grace.

Christmas Krispie Wreaths

A few Christmases ago, while my kids were still quite young, we made some edible crafts that kept them occupied long enough to allow me some peace and quiet for an hour or so and also helped fill their little tummies. At that time, I wanted them not just to enjoy making something with Mommy but also have a sense of fulfillment with the work of their hands. So, we made these easy rice krispie Christmas wreaths.

Slow Cooker Spiced Apple Cranberry Cider

A deliciously spiced fruity cider with a mix of apple and cranberry juices and made in the slow cooker for ease and convenience. Family friendly and party-perfect! 

While I am not an avid fan of winter at all (blame that on my tropical island upbringing!), there are certain things that I like that are associated with it. Christmas season would naturally top the list and of course, being  a food blogger, I love all the food and drink that we often enjoy only during the cold months. Like a steaming mug of hot chocolate for instance or as this post features - a deliciously spiced fruity cider.