Random Instagram Photos of Food: Ice Cream and Yogurt

No, I don't always lug a big camera around my neck. Having two kids who are always with me makes it impractical to do so. When I know we'll be dining out, I bring the DSLR. Otherwise, I know I can always count on my iPhone.

One of my favorite photo apps is the Instagram. Very easy to use, its various photo effects create wonders for one's pictures. If you appreciate various vintage effects on your photos, this is one great app to work with. You can also easily share it on your Twitter and Facebook accounts. I've tried different photo apps and though I sporadically use them still, I always feel drawn to Instagram. While a lot of the other apps offer more effects, layouts and other editing options, sometimes, having so many choices just leaves you more confused and can take up a lot of time -- a problem you don't need especially on the go. Instagram's simplicity and hassle-free usage makes it one of the best apps in the market. The fact that it's free can't hurt either.

Allow me to post some of my food shots taken with my iPhone via Instagram, and to voice out what I think about these delectable edibles that have not seen my blog's light of day, if you will. I'm thinking of making this a regular part of my blog since I won't be letting up my Instagram use anytime soon. With more and more people going into mobile photography, foodies now have another vehicle for sharing their dining adventures. For my first photo app post, I'd be focusing on my random albeit constant ice cream consumption -- yogurt included -- as well as a little anecdote behind each picture.


It was a little before 10 in the morning and I was already fourth in line outside Fully Booked which was to open at 10 AM sharp. Even though ticket sales would start at 1 PM, I hurried over to Bonifacio High Street and prepared myself for the roughly 3-hour wait. It would be my first time attending one of Lori Baltazar's events and I don't want to risk not getting to go. Inside my head, I was already perusing the nearest food shops should my stomach complain of hunger while in queue. But leave it to Lori to take care of her guests. As soon as we went up inside, I could already see three booths being set up -- Krispy Kreme's, CBTL's and Selecta's. Lori was wandering about, talking to her sponsors and some of DCF's fans. Turns out we need not wait too long, as I was finishing my Amazing/Original Glaze and drinking my strong Vienesse brew, Lori announced that they would start selling the tickets.

I headed to the Selecta booth and grabbed a sample of its newest flavor -- Heath. Its creamy vanilla had a nice and clean taste, invaded by chunks of sweet English toffee and intruded upon by swirls of chocolate fudge. The simple vanilla prevents it from being cloyingly sweet and I almost miss my turn at the ticketing table trying to scoop out the last of the ice cream's remnants.


My favorite branch of bookstore is the Fully Booked in Bonifacio High Street. It's the biggest among the book shops with an acceptable proximity to where we live. Spending a few hours there (the whole afternoon if I could afford it) makes me feel right at home. How I love poring over new titles among different sections -- business and finance, marketing, self-help, spiritual, prosperity books, cookbooks, home interiors, romance novels and other fiction works. If I could, I'd sit back lazily in one of their leather chairs, prop my feet up on a stool, and skim through countless books while sipping away a cup of Caramel Macchiato.

One fine Saturday, while browsing through rows of business books, my stomach signaled pangs of hunger. I sauntered over to Starbucks for a snack. Apparently, a big turkey and chicken ham with scrambled eggs and emmenthal cheese washed down with a Creme Brulee frappuccino was not enough to curb my edacity so I hopped to the neighboring White Hat. Feeling too lazy to conjure up my own yogurt creation, I just opted to have the Monkey's Hat. The cubes of moist fudgy brownies were too much on its own so I blanket them with a dollop of vanilla in every bite. I watch the caramel slowly ooze down the white slopes, its saccharinity tamed by the subtle sweetness of banana slices. A sudden burp escapes my mouth and I surreptitiously glance around, hoping no one noticed.


Mocha Almond Fudge is definitely on my top 3 list of favorite ice creams, along with Selecta's Coffee Crumble and Carmen's Best Malted Milk; the lead usually depends on my mood. What irks me of this Blue Bunny flavor though is that it's not available by the tub or gallon. That means, I couldn't binge on it in the middle of the night, or whenever a craving hits. According to S&R's manager (after an episode of violent reactions from me upon learning that they don't sell it by the bulk), this particular flavor is exclusive to S&R's snack center. Why? They couldn't tell me either. I see the other flavors being available confined in their freezers inside, but to my utter dismay, this particular favorite of mine seems to be the sole variant that's set on being elusive.


Every once in a while I like indulging in some form of ice cream sandwich. This Korean version called Samanco made up of vanilla ice cream and red bean paste is my current preference. Bigger than your average ice cream bar, the fish-shaped mantel made up of an ingredient similar to that used for ice cream cones, can be soggy and wet if not eaten right away. Even then, the nice interplay of sweetness from the bean paste and tamed taste from the vanilla is enough to get you hooked. You can find this in S&R as well.


In an instant, Magnum was trending in Twitter. Suddenly, everyone was talking about how it's now available in Manila; even the celebrities were tweeting about how good it is. I mentioned it in passing to my husband, who, quite surprisingly, remembered to buy some for me the next day. It's basically a thick bar of vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a stick, coated with a thin crust of hardened Belgian chocolate. I first tasted the Chocolate Truffle which was chocolate on chocolate. Granted it was rich and the creaminess of the truffle was pronounced, I still didn't find anything worth all the hype it was getting. Admittedly, I have an aversion towards anything too much chocolate so I tasted the Almond next. I like the balance of the vanilla and chocolate with an added bit of crunch from the shards of almonds, but still, nothing mind-blowing. I mean, there are lots of other ice creams that are even more worthy of the attention that this new line has gotten. Just saying.