Auntie Arnie's Ready-to-Heat Food Pack is here to the Rescue!

Question: Do you have that particular person in your life who has been known to prepare the best meals ever? 

I do and I actually have three! First is my Mom, for me, she makes the best fried rice in the world. So good that I would crave for it regularly when I was living in the Lion City. She also makes really good ma-wan (pork meat balls) that I would ask her to pack me some whenever I visit Manila and yes, I'd bring a container filled with fried meatballs with me every single time. Of course, that also includes her bringing over more meatballs for us to enjoy whenever she and Papa would go and visit me in Singapore. Second, my Kongkong. I guess I've shared how much of a foodie he is that I totally credit my food-loving personality and spirit to him. He is the Masterchef of the family and boy, does he make the best Amoy Fresh Lumpia and Kiam Peng (among many others). I remember how we would always host parties in his house as everyone in his side of the family would always request for him to cook. He's 93 yrs old now and has long retired from the kitchen but to this day, he would take him out and he would unbashfully express his thoughts on every single restaurant that we would visit. Lastly, I also have Paul's Manang. His doting nanny of 35 years. She can cook so well and she would always make sure that we have food to bring home whenever we visit my in laws which is more than twice a week. There are times when Paul and I are just so tired of preparing food for the twins that we would call her and ask if she has food that we can get. My twins love Manang's cooking that only with her food, L would gladly eat rice. Other than that, she would forever be on a no-rice diet.

Now, this-is-why-I-am-Fat. Haha!


Kidding aside, recently, I was invited to the launch of Auntie Arnie's. It's a new brand serving ready-to-heat food packs and the best part is, it's currently available at La Contessa Deli which is literally a stone's throw away from my home. Talk about having an extended kitchen just a block away. Over lunch, my fellow mommies and I were treated to a wide array for dishes and products.

We started with the cheese and charcuterie board which has Auntie Arnie's Dips and Spreads. I love how she has different flavored butter, my favorite is the Chorizo Butter. I love the pesto sauce too which I can't wait to bring home and try on my next pasta dish.



The next activity got us up on our feet. We were divided into groups and were given various scenarios wherein we have to set the table up, choose the menu and present it in the best way possible. My team got Date Night and off we went choosing fancy-looking plates and utensils. I even got to learn how to do heart-shaped napkins right on the spot (hello for new skill!) and for our menu, we chose the Paella Negra, the 50 Cloves Roasted Chicken and the Callos. I suggested that we go Spanish just to make sure that the dishes will go well with one another. We didn't win but we sure had a lot of fun dressing our table up.

Now, let me talk about the dishes.

First the Paella Negra (Php. 395). You'd never think that you can actually have frozen Paella Negra available for quick heating either in the Microwave or on stove top. Jazz it up a bit and make your own garlic aioli by chopping half a garlic and mashing the cloves up into a paste-like consistency, add lemon juice and lemon zest, add half a cup of Japanese mayonnaise and mix well. I just wish though that the rice would be more sticky but over-all, the flavor was spot on and this was one of my favorite dishes that day.

Next, we had the 50 Cloves Roasted Chicken (Php. 395). One thing that I love about Auntie Arnie's chicken dishes is how it's so juicy and flavorful. You can really taste the buttery garlic sauce through and through. I love how the meat easily flakes off and the serving is quite big too. For one box, this can be shared by 3-4 pax.

I also love the Chicken BBQ (Php. 350) which was a hit with my kids! I guess, like me, they love the sweet barbecue coating and the meat was so juicy and sweet. This is very comparable to that of Alex III's making me wish that I made java rice to go with this.

Another winning dish was the Laing (Php. 195). If you noticed, I focused more on dishes that are naturally harder to prepare. Auntie Arnie's also has Yang Chow Fried Rice, Chicken Curry, Chicken and Pork Adobo and more but these are common staples in our household and the Meaty Laing, for instance, is something that I have never tried making before. At least, I can save myself from the hassle and stress and simply heat up my pack of Auntie Arnie's Laing, plate it nicely and tadah! We get delicious, coconut-y spicy Laing for dinner.

Time is indeed Gold and for someone who feels like 24h is never enough for me to complete all my task, I'm thankful to have stocks of Auntie Arnie's in my freezer. It's reasonably priced too, imagine preparing a meal with 3 dishes for your family of 4 while spending less than Php. 1,000. The best part is, preparing all these will take you less than 30 minutes! This reminds me so much of my favorite show -- 30 minute meals with Rachael Ray. Now it's Easy Cooking under 30 with Auntie Arnie's! 

One last thing, all of Auntie Arnie's heirloom dishes can last for 6 months in your freezer and yet it's preservatives-free. This is also why I am brave enough to make my twins try it since I know that it's made of the best ingredients which is safe for the entire family.

Auntie Arnie's is at the launch stage so expect more products to come out in the coming months. For now, check out her product line-up at La Contessa Deli (81 Xavier Residences, San Juan City) or through Honestbee! Check out the current menu line-up available