Throw the Best Stress-Free Party with Hizon's Catering

There are a few important things to remember that apply to hosting any event– big or small, formal or casual.

By staying organized and starting early, you can plan, create and host a memorable affair with ease, but if you want it to be stress free and well -planned. Hizon's Catering is just a phone call away.

The last time I organized a party was when my daughter graduated from college. That happened a decade ago. I juggled on my to-do list. I planned everything from sending invites, renting a videoke, buying wines, prepared salad, and some pica pica. Then ordering dishes ahead of time from a nearby favorite restaurant.

My greatest fear then is if dishes will go wrong, followed by concern that guests will not enjoy themselves. That's why after that, I always let some professional catering do the works for me.

To make the process easier, always hire a professional to do all the errands from theme, to food preparation, and all the itty details that entail holding a party.

Hizon's Catering recently held a bloggers event at Oasis Manila Pavilion on July 12. The event was attended by Hizon's executives, Hizon’s Catering General Manager, Joseph Hizon and bloggers. Hizon’s Catering provided a sneak peek of what they can do. A different party occupied each of the four corners of Oasis Manila’s Pavilion. There was a wedding,  children’s party, seminar and an awards night theme with different menus assigned to each occasion.

Hizon’s Catering can guide you through the steps, you can access an extensive collection of dos and don’ts at the blog section of their website, www.hizonscatering.com. But if you would really rather kick back and enjoy the party, it would be better to just give them a call and let them do all the hard work.

Since 1989 Hizon’s Catering has been busy behind the scenes of baptisms, graduations, weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, seminars, Christmas parties, product launches, yada yada yada. Name it and they’ve done it. From simple and casual to lavish and formal. They’ve provided food, service, and amenities.

Amenities refer to those little things that can add up to a big headache -- the décor, the hotel, the bridal car, the entertainment, the sound system, the cake. “We take care of everything. We assign an event planner to every client to coordinate all the details,” says Hizon’s Catering General Manager, Joseph Hizon. “We don’t mark-up on it, it’s like an added service. We’ve always been known for giving good value,” he shares. Their packages start at P450.  

They’re also famous for serving consistently good food. “There is no secret recipe, we just make everything from scratch. As part of our culture, we don’t allow instant food and flavorings in our kitchens,” he reveals.

Hizon’s Catering can accommodate anywhere between 50 and 15,000 guests. While based in Metro Manila, they’ve gone as far as Subic, Batangas, and Rizal.

The wedding set up, with a stand by bride and groom for that effect. All formal and elegant, with a heavy buffet of soup, salad, main course, and a carving station.

There was a children’s party with a circus concept. We had fun partaking the fare which was a more sophisticated version of the kiddie meals we grew up with.

The glamorous corner was meant to be an awards night. We walked the red carpet, smiled for the paparazzis, and enjoyed the hor d’oeuvres being passed around before heading to the dessert bar.

Quite stark was the section assigned to the corporate seminar. It was supposed to be a morning affair so the set up had an omelette cooking station with a gamut of fillings to choose from.

All the dishes were whipped up by the kitchen team headed by chef Simon Dayrit, event styling was by Drew Menor.  The event planning group is led by Cheska Pineda.


We enjoyed all the event stations and are more convinced that it is definitely more convenient to be a guest than the party organizer. If you feel the same way but would still like to play host, just call Hizon’s Catering and they will take care of making your dream event happen. Hizon’s is the caterer accredited by the most number of venues in Metro Manila.

For more information, visit www.hizonscatering.com. You may also email info@hizonscatering.com or call (02) 9250103 / (02) 9250107.

The event was made possible with the support of Oasis Manila, Advent Light & Sounds, Sentimental Groove Band, Bars Datiles Design Props, Star Balloon, Enzuno Cakes, The Photoman, Keon Salon, Jerome Yu LED Projector, and Myra Lorenzo who emceed the program.


Here are the menus prepared for different occasions during the Bloggers event last July 12. You may consider these menu, in case you want them prepared for your party.

Menu

Children’s Party
Bacon-wrapped Cocktail Hotdog with Sweet BBQ Sauce
Fries with Thousand Island Dressing
Mini Pizza
Nachos
Red Velvet Cupcake
Juice bar: Lychee/Cucumber/Blue Lemonade

Seminar
Omelette Cooking Station
Filling choices: mushroom, ham, cheese, tomato, onion, bell pepper,
bacon, shrimp, olive, chicken pesto, spinach
Bread (Baguette/Focaccia)
Coffee/Tea

Awards Night
Tempura Roll
Argentinian Steak Canape
Candied Bacon Canape
Tomato and Basil Confit in Skewers
Crispy Beef Ssam Fresh Spring Roll
Smoked Salmon Caviar Crème Pop
Dessert bar: Vanilla Creme Brulee, Sunken Island, Peach Egg Tart,
Flourless Chocolate Cake, Mango Vanilla Pana Cotta

Wedding
Truffle Mushroom Soup
Peach Mango Salad with Candied Walnut and Smoked Salmon
Baked Fish Stuffed with Spinach and Tomato
Beef Salpicao with Grilled Vegetables and Mashed Potato
Chicken Sambal
Carving station:  Slow Roasted Beef with Hickory BBQ Sauce and Classic Mushroom Gravy
Thrice-Cooked Pork Belly with Cilantro Salsa

7-Eleven Celebrates 90th birthday with a Rock Back to School mini concert

Yesterday was July 11 or 7-11 so it everyone’s favorite kapitbahay 7-Eleven made most of the auspicious date to make it a memorable one for all of its loyal customers.

Celebrating its 90th birthday, 7-Eleven gave back to the communities they serve through a series of concerts, promos and more treats beginning July 11

Slurpee x Big Bite Rock Back to School Combo
Students get the first taste of 7-Eleven’s overflowing treats starting with a special
deal with the ultimate budget back to school combo for Slurpee and Big Bite, only for P49 (save P5) from July 5 to August 15, 2017.

A portion of the sales for this promo will be donated to the student council of 8 selected colleges/universities.

Our favorite kapitbahay is also prepared a special musical treat for students with the Rock Back to School concert series, featuring acts like 6Cyclemind, Moonstar88, Gracenote, and many more, kicking off with a special sneak peek 11 Eton Centris.

Aside from this, the concert series will go to different colleges and universities in Metro Manila including Adamson University, Pamantasang Lungsod ng Maynila, University of Santo Tomas, and more.

To further amp up the excitement, there will be e-raffles for the chance to win 24 Bose Soundsport earphones, another 24 winners of Bose Soundlink speakers, and 5 winners of backstage passes to the Rock Back to School concert series.

CLiQQ Every Day! Deals Launch
The fun started with the launch of CLiQQ Every Day! Deals where CLiQQ users can choose 1 out of 3 mystery boxes available starting July 11!

Products up for grabs change daily so customers can choose from a wide range of daily deals.

CLiQQ users may redeem the product within 24 hours and claim them within the month.

Slurpee or City Blends? Get both on 7-Eleven Day!

Craving for a cool and tasty Slurpee or a hot City blends cup of coffee?

Customers enjoyed the refreshing taste of Slurpee and share another cup with a friend for free if you buy one Slurpee from 7-Eleven’s LV Locsin Store, and all Bacolod and Iloilo stores from July 1 to 11, 2017.

For those searching for a warm cuppa, City Blends will also be available for just P20 for a 12 oz cup and is available in all stores with City Blends from July 10 to 16, 2017.

Simply get a QCode found on the 7-Eleven Philippines Facebook page and present upon payment to avail your favorite these deals.

A Cup of Thankful: Calligraphy Event
Have your message of appreciation written in the most artful way possible with renowned calligraphist Carl Chua through A Cup of Thankful. This will also happen on 7-Eleven Day at the 7-Eleven LV Locsin store from 8am to
12nn.


7-Eleven gives back
As 7-Eleven celebrates being part of every Filipino’s daily lives, 7-Eleven also reached out to those who are affected by the conflict in Marawi. Donation Boxes were deployed in all corporate 7-Eleven stores in Mindanao.

Employees and customers had the opportunity to share their blessings to help the victims by providing them with food and other in kind donations. This charitable drive started last June and will last until July 11.

Philippine Seven Corporation (PSC) also partnered with PhilSeven Foundation Inc.(PFI) and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) to support the 7-Eleven Global Environmental Campaign by sustaining a tree planting project at the Marikina Watershed at the Brgy. Calawis, Antipolo City.

Employees get to volunteer, along with the community to enhance two hectares of an agroforestry site through the planting of 1550 fruit-bearing trees.

With this activity, 7 Eleven hopes to improve the biodiversity of the Marikina Watershed and provide at least 20 households with additional income.

Pioneering Convenience Retailing
The roots of the 7-Eleven we know and love today can be traced back to 1927, 7-Eleven began when an employee of Southland Ice Company in Dallas started selling milk, eggs and bread from the ice dock, and operated between 7 am and 11 pm.

7-Eleven is the world’s largest convenience retail chain that operates, franchises, and licenses in more than 61,000 stores worldwide, and over 2,000 stores in the Philippines. The purveyor in convenience retailing adds two new stores every two hours to their worldwide operations.

For more information & fun facts, visit https://www.facebook.com/711philippines/.

Afraid to use your credit card online? Worry no more with EON Duo

Buy now. Pay later.  Sleep better.

EON Duo is a digital credit card specially designed to give you peace of mind when shopping online, like in Amazon and eBay, or paying for services in apps like Uber and Spotify.

It’s all digital!  Your credit card details are safely kept yet easily accessible through the EON app or logging in to the EON website.  You also enjoy on-time paperless billing and real-time alerts.

It’s safe and worry free!  Through the EON app or logging in to the EON website, you can lock your card at anytime and no charges will be allowed.  You can also change your CVV, the three-digit number you would find at the back of a plastic credit card, but unlike a plastic credit card, you can change it whenever you please with EON Duo.  What’s more, don’t let unwanted websites and apps charge your account for purchases you didn’t do.  Spare yourself the hassle by coming up with your list of trusted webstores and only charges from them will be allowed to go through.

When you get an EON Duo, you also get an EON Lite account free of annual fees.  Pay your bill using your EON Lite account and your payment is posted immediately.  Of course, you also get your free subscription to My Shopping Box.  With your free subscription to My Shopping Box, you get your own US address where you can ship stuff you buy online.  Once your stuff arrives, just log in towww.my-shoppingbox.com to have your stuff delivered to your doorstep at very affordable rates!

EON Duo is just one of the many cool innovations of the new EON.  To find out more, visitwww.eonbankph.com/experience/duo, Facebook /eonbankph, or Twitter @eonbankph.

TRUEMONEY BUILDS LARGE NETWORK AND OFFERS LOW-COST MONEY REMITTANCES

“FinTech” (short for Financial Technology) is an extremely hot industry sector in business today. Talk to any tech investor or Venture Capitalist out there and they will tell you how investment into Fintech companies and start-ups has soared in the past 2 years. In 2016 alone, according to data accumulated by investment bank Financial Technology Partners, FinTech companies globally raised a total of US$36 billion in funding.

FinTech is especially attractive in emerging markets like the Philippines because of the massive opportunity to serve those without access to efficient payments and banking services today. And according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), this number of “underbanked” or “unbanked” Filipinos is still around 70% of working adults today.

However, skim through these FinTech companies and you’ll find that most, if not all, existing FinTech players have a skew towards an app-based service or digital-first business model.

Enter TrueMoney, the latest mobile financial services provider in the market. The company started out with a totally different view of how to provide FinTech services— its focus on face-to-face transactions.

“Our mission is to provide affordable and innovative financial services to those who are underbanked and underserved today,” says TrueMoney Philippines CEO Xavier Marzan. “That means going beyond a purely digital UI (user interface) and being present in the physical world where these segments are transacting today.”

The strategy seems to be working. The company has only been in operations in the Philippines for less than a year and yet has achieved a level of size and scale that some of these FinTech start-ups are still aspiring for. In a matter of months, the company has grown from nothing into an organization with hundreds of employees across the country and with a distribution network comprised of 5,000 TrueMoney Centers which they manage with a high standard. These Centers are currently capable of performing remittance transactions, bills payment, gaming credits, and even payments for e-commerce purchases.

“We need to bring underserved customers who don’t even use banking services today along a customer journey. This requires us to be pervasive across the country and be able to serve customers even in farther-flung areas,” Marzan adds. 

“Getting to this point, however, has not been easy,” says Mr. Marzan. “We had to contend with all kinds of challenges that are inherent in a ‘last mile’ business.” 

True enough, access to financial services has been hard to come by in majority of places in the Philippines, with nearly 40% of municipalities in the country not having any banking presence, according to a study by the BSP.

Currently, TrueMoney Centers in the Philippines already provide convenient payments and financial services to provinces and far flung areas including Albay, Bataan, Benguet, Bohol, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Camarines Sur, Cavite, Cebu, Davao, Ilocos, Isabela, Laguna, La Union, Metro Manila, Misamis Oriental, Nueva Ecija, Nueva Vizcaya, Pampanga, Pangasinan, Quezon, Rizal, Tarlac, and Zambales and more!

“Where we are today is just the starting point,” Marzan says. “We are constantly growing our network of partner centers to cover more greenfield areas.” 

TRUE AFFORDABILITY

Given its large network today, TrueMoney has also started to offer domestic money remittance services. And true to its mission of providing affordable services, it has come out with one of the lowest sending rates in the country for cash-to-cash remittance services.

While the average rates for domestic remittances today range from 3 percent to more than 10 percent for some providers, TrueMoney rates go as low as only 2 percent of the transaction amount—without any additional charges to the recipient. So say for remittances of P1,000, the total cost of sending is only P20. The recipient also gets the entire amount without any additional charges.
“We are also constantly innovating our services and plan to offer more services in the future,”, says Marzan.

To know more about TrueMoney and how to become a TrueMoney partner agent, visit www.truemoney.com.ph or call (02) 7189999. You may even text them at 09778063775 (Globe) or 0998565999 (Smart).


 

Diana Stalder celebrates beauty and wellness at Gateway

I have known  Dermaline Facial Center and BCP Dermatological Corporation in Dapitan St, near UST back in the late 90s to 2001. I used to buy derma products and orange soaps from them as prescribed by my dermatologist from CGH. They are well known for their quality toners, night creams and moisturizers among beauty salons and students around the area.

Until I met its President and CEO Ms. Dina Stalder last year from Diana Stalder Face, Body, Skin Care and Beauty Cafe facial spa event at SM Megamall. Ms. Diana put up a small cafe and juice bar inside the salon. To provide instant healthy refreshment to her clients. The good thing is all the food being served is organic and gluten free. If you are watching your diet, this is the place to go as they served organic gourmet sandwiches and pressed juices.

I have tried their Instalift Luxury Facial, from the last event that I have attended from their SM Megamall branch.  It's non-invasive and an alternative to facial surgery in combination with Rgnerin Mask RT4 Retinol with Vitamin C, which stimulates cell regeneration. This treatment reduces fine lines and wrinkles, lift and tone facial muscles, firm facial contours and gives more youthful appearance. The Rgnerin Mask contains linseed oil, which softens and acts as an emollient while the aloe soothes and tones, and acts as an anti-irritant. This is their best seller facial and I have loved it.

This time around, Diana Stalder Gateway branch celebrates 3rd anniversary with a facial spa party.  Ms. Dina and her daughter Diana Stalder treated the guests with their sumptuous food.

We got to feast on their meals, desserts and pressed juices. They raffled off some Diana Stalder's beauty products to the guests and I was lucky to win. My IG post from my lemongreenteaph IG account got their nod.

Luxurious Treats

Other than quality products, Diana Stalder also provides excellent service from basic care to anti-acne, anti-aging, whitening and other medical procedures, to high quality and luxurious treatment.

This is the best time to try their imported luxe line of facial treatments because as a treat both to new and loyal customers, they are offering discounts on their most indulgent treatments from July-September, in line with the third year anniversary of their Gateway branch.  A number of these are from Casmara, a luxury beauty company from Spain with over 40 years of experience.

• The Nacar Treatment plus Blanc White is a combination of two powerful brands for fast and effective whitening plus anti-aging. It promotes skin lightening and illuminating which is suitable for all skin types, especially for skin with localized and diffuse blemishes.

• The Caviar Luxury Facial treatment plus dS Anti-Aging Kit is an Anti-Aging Fusion, which is an excellent way to get rid of wrinkles and sagging skin. Just the name alone of a Caviar Luxury facial already evokes indulgence. This is because the trace elements of caviar promote smoothness and elasticity.

• Nothing says luxury like gold, and the Skin Sensations treatment includes Casmara Gold Mask 2080, which contains 24k gold dust and seaweed extract, which tightens the face and neckline combined with intense nutrition and revitalization. The seaweed extracts provides deep moisturization.

If there’s something Dina is really proud of, it is the excellent service they provide no matter the tier of treatment you choose. “We are a favorite of various local coupon sites because we never skimp on our facial supreme treatment; it’s always 15 steps,” she says with pride. At Diana Stalder, they start with evaluating your skin. They have a machine called the skin analyzer imported from Germany, which identifies your skin type and your problem areas, and they will tailor a regimen that is suitable for you.

Diana Stalder is also certified by the British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology (BABTAC), and they adhere very strictly to their high standards of hygiene and aesthetics.

Diana herself, on top of her degree in pharmacy, also completed an intensive aesthetics course in the United Kingdom, where this practice is taken very seriously and involves a very high level of professionalism. This is the philosophy they apply across all their branches.

DS Cafe: Total Beauty and Wellness Concept

Because of their holistic approach to beauty, Diana Stalder also expanded their skincare center to include a cafe and juice bar. “I love cooking,” she shares, “and the food I serve here is also food that I enjoy.” Her philosophy for the cafe is to serve something that’s healthy but also enjoyable, rather than restrictive. The cafe offers salads, sandwiches, and various meals, all adhering to specific calorie counts and included healthy amounts of vegetables, protein and healthy carbs, so diners can make informed choices.

Such concept was borne from her dynamic vision who values healthy diet supplementation in better addressing various skin issues. Combining both skin treatments and healthy eating means more positive results. Adding to its offer a unique way to lose weight, Dina is the only Filipina coach of Canada’s Ideal Protein Weight Loss Program. This diet regimen utilizes precisely measured alternative food sources, customized to clients’ profiles and lifestyles for a more effective way to shed unwanted pounds in just few weeks.

Furthermore, dS Cafe promotes a healthy and relaxing way to celebrate any occasion with your family and friends with Sparty (term for their spa party), in which you can have facial and body treatments plus healthy meals and beverages.

Introducing New Healthy Recipes at DS Café

Spinach Salad with Shrimp and Quail Eggs

Ingredients:

• 2lbs (1kg) shrimp cooked
• 12 pcs quail eggs hard-boiled and sliced
• 6 cups spinach leaves
• 2 cups radicchio sliced
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Dressing:
1. Dissolve the mustard with vinegar, salt and pepper.
2. Add the olive slowly mixing very well.

Procedure:

1. To hard-boil eggs: Boil water. Add eggs. Lower temperature to simmer.
2. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove. Allow to cool.
3. Place spinach in salad bowl, add salad dressing, mix and plate. Add raddichio.
4. Top with shrimp surround with sliced eggs

NOTE: You can replace quail eggs with 8 whole chicken eggs.

Per serving: 391 Calories; 17g Fat; 51g Protein; 5g Carbohydrate

Pork Chops with Mushrooms

Ingredients:
• 1 ½ lbs (3/4kg)  pork chops 4 pieces
• 8 cups mushrooms chopped
• 1 tsp dill leaf
• 4 packets Ideal Protein Mushroom Soup prepared
• 1 tsp olive oil
• sea salt & pepper to taste

Procedure:

1. Remove all fat from pork.
2. Sauté seasoned pork and set aside.
3. In same pan, sauté mushrooms. Add dill leaf.
4. Put half mushrooms in a baking dish, add pork chops and top with other half of mushrooms. Coat with mushroom soup.
5. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 15 minutes or until the chops are cooked.

Per serving: 399 Calories; 19g Fat; 47g Protein; 9g Carbohydrate



Social Responsibility More Than A Business

More than just a business, Dina has also chose to be a strong advocate for causes such as the environment and community development. Dina built her manufacturing company in her hometown of San Isidro, a sleepy town in San Pablo, Laguna, providing employment and housing for people of various educational backgrounds that may not have had the opportunity otherwise. “It would have been easier to build a factory in the industrial zone,” she admits. “Everything is set up for you; all you have to do is build and plug in.” But as a daughter of a farmer, the grit and determination that served her well in business is something she applies equally to her causes, and there was never any question of not just giving back to her hometown, but empowering them.

Dina is equally proud of her company’s blue ribbon award from the Laguna Lake Development Authority that signifies environmentally responsible businesses, and it has to be said that this is a bar many other bigger companies have failed to clear. Dina animatedly talks about waste segregation and sludge/water recycling as enthusiastically as she does her company’s beauty treatments. With the help of the Mother Earth foundation, the community has also produced malunggay tea, mushrooms, and green charcoal. In what could be called a crowning achievement, in June, Dina Stalder was chosen as one of several featured honorees for Vice-President Leni Robredo’s development program “Istorya ng Pag-Asa”, that aims among other things, to inspire less privileged youth to never give up on their dreams as well as provide scholarship opportunities.

The business of the beauty is a competitive one and new trends and technologies keep popping up all the time. Both Dina and Diana constantly research and keep up by attending courses, completing certifications, and learning about all aspects relating to body care and skin care in Canada, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Dina and Diana bring the knowledge and technology back home to share with everyone. Indeed, the Stalders are continuously building their skincare empire.

To learn more of Diana Stalder’s products and services, visit the official website at www.dianastalder.com and follow us on our social media accounts; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dianastalderbydermaline, Twitter: @Diana_stalder and Instagram: @dianastalder. You may also visit the following Diana Stalder branches near you.

Gateway Mall, Basement 2, Araneta Center Cubao
02.351.0299 | 0922.822.6650

SM Megamall, 5/F Bldg A, Mandaluyong City
02.984.8188 | 0925.300.6395

SM Calamba, 3/F, Calamba Laguna
049.306.0602 | 0923.730.3738

SM Bacolod, 3/F North Wing, Bacolod City
034.468.0200 | 0932.489.7527

Robinson’s Place Iloilo, 2/F Ledesma Wing, Iloilo City
033.330.1554 | 0922.866.8236