Friday, August 7, 2009

How to make beaded slippers

Wearing slippers (tsinelas) as a fashion statement began just a few years ago, but thanks to its extreme comfort and versatility, this trend is here to stay. Women treat flip-flops like dressed-up sandals.

Materials needed:

  • Long nose pliers, P35 to P120
  • Fishing line (30mm thick), P40 for a big roll
  • Heavy duty glue gun, P200 to P300,
  • Small glue stick, P3 to P5 per piece, (All available at hardware stores)
  • Scissors
  • Needles
  • 1 pair of plain rubber slippers or flip-flops, P25 at wholesale price (available at department stores or Divisoria)
  • 1 to 1.5 yards of satin or organza ribbons, P4 to P8 per yard
  • Various accessories (i.e. beads, pearls, sequins), P0.05 to P10 per piece. (Both available at fabric stores)

Getting started:
  1. Check the flip-flops to make sure there is no damage or defect, and the surface is clean and dry.

  2. To provide a strong base on which to secure the accessories, you’ll need to wrap the thong especially on the top middle part where the toes are inserted with a ribbon.

  3. Keep wrapping the ribbon around the thong, continuously using the glue gun as you go to secure placement. Make sure the ribbon lies flat on the thong, especially on the top middle part where the toes are inserted. Finish on the upper part of the flip-flop, so as not to make the wearer uncomfortable with the bump the glue may form.
  4. It’s best to plan how you want the accessories to be placed on the thong. Once you’ve decided, cut about half a yard of the fishing line and thread it through the needle. Sew on the accessories, stitching from the top middle part going downwards, and making sure that the knotted part is on the top of the thong.

  5. Survey your work to check that both sides have a balanced design. Then, tie a strong but clean knot on the end for durability.

Tips:

When starting out, don’t buy too much of the same accessory. You don’t want to invest all your profit on one item when you only really need a small amount.

Keep a good supply of sturdy needles. The rubber thong material on which you’ll sew the bead is quite hard and thick.

How Much Will You Make


Jaja Beltran of Colors and Me spends about P47.25 to create a pair of child-sized flip-flops, and sells them for P65 – P75 to dealers, and P90 to P100 for outright sales. With these figures, Beltran already recoups her P1,000 starting capital after selling about 20 pairs of flip-flops.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; photo: http://www.sulit.com.ph

Saturday, July 18, 2009

How to Make Polvoron


Just like pastillas, polvoron has become a favorite gift to give to overseas friends and family. There is such a huge demand for polvoron that in a survey conducted by the Business section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer last 2007, Goldilock’s Bakeshop named polvoron as their top-selling item—it sold more than their cakes!


Materials & Ingredients needed:

  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Wooden spoon
  • Saucepan
  • Japanese paper or cellophane
  • Polvoron molder, P24
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups powdered milk
  • 1 1/2 cup melted butter
  • 2 cups sugar

Getting started:

  1. On a pan, toast flour in moderate heat for about 15 minutes, or until light brown, stirring constantly to avoid burning.

  2. Remove the pan and transfer the mixture into a big bowl.

  3. Add the powdered milk, and toss for another 3-4 minutes.

  4. Add sugar and melted butter. Mix well.

  5. Fill the polvoron mould with the mixture, press it hard by using a spoon, then release it. If it is still too loose, add more butter or olive oil. Make sure that you could pick up the polvoron without it crumbling straight away.

  6. Place the polvoron in an airtight container, then chill in the fridge until firm.

  7. Carefully wrap the polvoron individually in japanese paper or cellophane.

  8. Keep the polvoron refrigerated until you want to eat them. You can store them on the fridge for about a week, or you can freeze them.

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Credit Card Tips


I applied for a secured credit card at BPI last year. I find it very convenient because I don't have to carry cash all the time. When me and my friends go shopping, I ask them to give me their cash and use my card instead. By doing that, I get more reward points and use that cash in short-term sidelines/investments/rackets. I am given 20 days to pay my bills..so I use that time to earn some money.


There are other promos included, like for example, if I use my card within that promo period for a minimum single transaction of P1,000, I get a free food item from Chowking. I was able to take out 2 pork siomai and 2 siopao asado last Wednesday. It's really nice to get freebies! I don't like having credit cards before but seeing as I can be creative with it, why not ;)


Just remember to always use your credit card wisely and pay your bills on time.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

How to Make Empanada

An empanada is one pastry that crosses income segments. It can be sold to the masses at mall kiosks, or to the well-heeled at Sunday neighborhood markets or even at 5-star hotels! It’s up to you to decide.

Materials needed:

  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Mixing bowl
  • Wooden spoon
  • Chopping board
  • Baking tray

For the crust:

  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 tbsp. sugar
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1/3 cup shortening
  • 1/3 cup ice water

For the filling:

  • 1 medium sized onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 2 tomatoes, peeled
  • 2 cups cooked beef, chopped
  • 1/2 cup beef stock
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1 tsp. vinegar
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
  • 1/8 tsp. ground cumin, P105 for 500 grams
  • Salt and pepper to taste

To make the filling:

  • Saute onions and garlic in hot oil until translucent.
  • Add meat, sauté 5 more minutes. Stir in tomatoes, stock and remaining ingredients.
  • Simmer for 30 minutes.

Getting started

  1. First, make the crust. Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.

  2. Cut the shortening into the flour as though you were making a pie crust by working it in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

  3. Sprinkle dough with just enough cold water so that it will just hold together. Knead together briefly and allow to rest, covered about 10 minutes.

  4. Roll dough out on a lightly floured board to circles about 3-4 inches in diameter.

  5. Place a spoonful of empanada filling of your choice on one side of the circle. Moisten the edges of the circle with a small amount of water and fold the dough over the filling to make a half circle. Press the edges together to seal.

  6. You can opt to make a pattern on the edges of the crust by pressing on it with the tines of a fork. Vary your patterns if you are making empanadas with different fillings to distinguish one from the other.

  7. Bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes.
source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph

Friday, June 26, 2009

How to Make Puto Kutsinta

Puto kutsinta is a Filipino delicacy that is brown in color, sticky and glutinous. It is made of rice flour and served with grated coconut. It is one of my favorite snacks :)

Materials needed:
  • Mixing bowl
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Wooden spoon
  • Muffin pans or small, shallow bowls
  • 2 cups cassava flour
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 4 tsp. lihia or lye water, P22.50 for 250 grams (available in supermarkets)
  • 2 cups pandan juice
  • 8 tsp. butter
  • 2 cups brown sugar
  • Freshly grated coconut as topping

Getting started:
  1. Mix the butter and sugar.
  2. Sift the all-purpose flour and cassava flour.
  3. Combine this with the mixed butter and sugar.
  4. Pour the pandan juice and lihia (lye water) and mix again until it the texture is smooth.
  5. Pour into a muffin pan or shallow bowls, making sure to leave room at the top.
  6. Steam for 20 minutes.
  7. You may sell this with grated coconut on the side.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; photo from http://www.forkpress.com

Monday, June 22, 2009

How to Make Pastillas

Pastillas is so easy to prepare because it can be made with just milk and sugar. You can also make flavored pastillas like ube, nangka, mocha, pinipig etc.

Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered milk
  • 1/2 cup condensed milk
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • white sugar (for rolling)
  • cellophane paper

Procedure
  1. Sift powdered milk into the condensed milk and butter.
  2. Mix and blend well.
  3. Knead and set aside 5 to 10 minutes before shaping into small balls or 1/2" thick logs.
  4. Roll in sugar and wrap in cellophane.
See? I'm really fond of sweets! But I make sure not to consume them in just one sitting lol! Takot akong magka-diabetes ;)

Saturday, June 20, 2009

How to Make Chocolate Candies

Chocolate candies are perfect giveaways at weddings, as party favors, as gifts, or simply as desserts. And another good thing is they’re easy to make, as chocolate candy molding involves only a three-step process: melting, pouring, and setting.

Materials needed:

  • Pan
  • Stainless or heatproof bowls
  • Plastic molds (local ones are priced at P90 each while an imported one starts at P120)
  • Wooden and stainless spoons
  • Chopping board
  • Knife
  • Disposable plastic gloves
  • A clean cloth
  • Toothpick, lollipop stick, or plastic straw.
If you have the budget, you may also buy a double boiler and an artist brush for making designs on the chocolate mixture.

To make 44 pieces of almond shaped dark chocolate, you will need:
  • Bittersweet chocolate, P67 per 500 grams
  • Peanuts, P3.12 per 40 grams, for fillings. Other fillings may be raisins, marshmallows, walnut, pecans, almonds, or cashew nuts.
For packaging:
  • Fluted paper cups, P10 per 100 pieces
  • Boxes sized 3.5 x 5.5 x 1 inches, P40 per 10 pieces

Getting started:

  1. Make sure all your utensils are clean and dry. Put on your plastic gloves and cut the chocolate block into small pieces so they melt faster. Place the chocolate blocks in a pan small enough to fit inside the boiler. If you don’t have a boiler, just use a bigger pan that can accommodate the pan for melting chocolate.

  2. Place the boiler containing water over the stove and let the water simmer.

  3. When the water simmers, put the pan containing the chocolate blocks inside the boiler, taking care that the water level doesn’t reach the pan’s rim. Stir constantly using the wooden spoon until the chocolate melts completely and becomes smooth and thick.

  4. Pour the melted chocolate onto the mold or heatproof plastic containers. Use the stainless spoon to scrape off the sides of the pan. If you want fillings like nuts, marshmallows, rice crispies, dried fruits, or raisins, pour a tablespoon of chocolate first, then the filling of your choice, and coat with another spoonful of melted chocolate. Tap the mold or use regular straw to fix the fillings and remove air bubbles from the chocolate mold. Make sure the mold is fully covered.

  5. Cool for a few minutes and then put the chocolate mold inside the freezer for three minutes. When the three minutes are up, remove the mold from the freezer. Turn a mold upside down on a flat surface and tap gently to remove the candies. (Another way to find out if the candies are ready is to see if the sides of the mold have turned white or cloudy.) If the chocolate doesn’t come off easily, return the mold to the freezer to allow it to harden more.

  6. Place the candies in fluted paper cups and arrange them in a box. Decorate box with ribbon and card. The chocolates can last up to two weeks.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph

How to Make Banana Chips


Believe it or not, good banana chips are highly in-demand overseas. So be patient in perfecting your cooking skills—you may be looking at exporting your products soon!


Materials:

  • 5 to 6 raw bananas
  • Stove
  • Fryer
  • Oil
  • Salt
  • Sugar (optional)

Getting started:
  1. Peel bananas and put them in salted iced water.
  2. Slice bananas into bite-size pieces and lay across a cloth for 10 minutes to remove all moisture.
  3. Heat up the oil in the fryer until smoke is rising.
  4. Fry banana slices in one-layer batches for a minute or two or until crisp.
  5. Lift chips out with slotted spoon and lay on paper towels to remove oil.
  6. If you want to make the sweetened kind, sprinkle sugar heavily on the cooked bananas and leave overnight in a covered container.
  7. Fry again the next day.
source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph

Monday, June 15, 2009

How to make Perfume

Because people love to smell good, making perfume and cologne can be a profitable home-based business for small start-up entrepreneurs. The steps in making them are easy and the profit margins can be as high. You just need to follow a standard formulation to make quality scents.

To start, you will need the following laboratory equipment:

  • 10kg weighing scale or kitchen scale
  • plastic cups
  • stirring rod
  • small beaker and a 1,000 ml beaker
  • volumetric flask with cover.
The raw materials for this project are as follows:
  • 70g triple deodorized alcohol (TDOH) at about P200 per liter
  • 15g fragrance at P500 per 100g
  • 5g muscol (MCL) at P400 per 100g
  • 5g moisturizer (propylene glycol or PPG) at P250 per liter
  • 5g distilled water at P10 per 300 ml.
For packaging, you may use either an atomizer bottle (spray) with a net content of 5 ml (P15 per bottle) or roll-on glass bottles with a net content of 10 ml (P16 per bottle). These are available at the Divisoria Market in Manila.

Procedure:


Step 1:


To start, put all the raw materials-except the alcohol-in small plastic containers or beakers for weighing. The alcohol needs to be weighed last because it easily evaporates when exposed to air. For accuracy, all of the ingredients must be weighed in grams. Getting the exact weight is crucial because If you bungle the measurements, you'll bungle the formulation.


First, weigh the beaker or the plastic cups on the weighing scale. Make sure to adjust the scale to zero before taking your measurements. While on top of the scale, fill the beaker or the plastic cups with the ingredients and weigh.

Step 2:


When the materials are ready, pour the MCL into the beaker containing the alcohol. To make sure that the container of the MCL is thoroughly emptied of the MCL, rinse it with the weighed alcohol, mix the resulting solution with a stirring rod, then add the thoroughly mixed solution to the MCL in the beaker. Stir the contents of the beaker until the MCL is fully dispersed in the alcohol.

Step 3:


Add the PPG to the mixture and stir. Always stir each time you add another ingredient, and make sure to completely disperse the substance before adding another ingredient to the mixture.

Step 4:


Finally, add the distilled water. To completely clean the empty container of the remainder of its contents, rinse it with water and add the resulting solution to the mixture in the beaker.

Step 5:


Thoroughly mix all the ingredients in the beaker until the perfume solution becomes homogeneous, then get your bottles and fill them with the perfume. Label and package your perfumes as desired, based on where you intend to sell them.

This formulation for 100 grams of perfume yields 12 to 13 roll-on bottles.Your fragrances and perfumes must be kept in dry, cool, and dark places because light can adversely affect their chemical properties. As much as possible, use dark-color bottles for storage and packaging.

Each time you need to get some of your raw fragrances, transfer them into smaller bottles. This is to minimize their contact with air, which may adversely interact with them. By using a volumetric flask with cover, you can keep your perfume intact and well-sealed until you are ready to package it.

The perfume can be sold to friends, families and co-workers; you may also use them as giveaways for weddings and other special occasions. If you are marketing the products to teenagers, it's better to put your perfume in spray bottles. If you are targeting office workers, however, putting the perfume in roll-on bottles would be a better option. Avoid using plastic as packaging material; they have dioxins that may mix or interact with your perfume.

source: http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph; Ronald Barangan of Ultima Entrepinoy

Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Benefits of Mutual Fund Investing

The power of a mutual fund lies in its ability to pool together funds from so many different investors. Imagine a thousand investors each with P5,000 to invest who decide to pool their funds together. That’s already a pool of P5 million! Now imagine that instead of just investing P5,000 each, some investors put in P10,000, P100,000 or even P1,000,000. The size of the collective pool would even be bigger. And when it comes to investing, there is strength in numbers. P5,000,000 can gain better access to more diversified investment instruments than P5,000.

A mutual fund is a vehicle that allows investors to combine their resources. Because of this, you don’t need a large amount of money to gain access to a well-diversified portfolio of top-performing investments. A mutual fund makes this possible. Here are some of the key benefits of investing in mutual funds.

Professional Management

A mutual fund is managed by an experienced, full-time fund manager who is focused solely on analyzing the financial markets and seizing market opportunities as they present themselves. By investing in a mutual fund, you benefit from the fund manager’s experience and market insight.

Potentially Higher Returns

By pooling together the funds of thousands of investors, a mutual fund is able to access potentially higher yielding investments that require large minimum investment amounts. Thus, investors are able to access potentially higher yields that may not normally be available to them due to the size of their individual funds. Moreover, the fund manager ensures that the mutual fund generates the best possible returns for the given level of risk of the mutual fund.

Diversification

Simply put, diversification means not putting all your eggs in one basket. This is especially important in investing. Through proper diversification, losses in one investment can be off-set by gains in another. In the process, overall risk is minimized. Investing in a mutual fund provides you with immediate access to a diversified portfolio of funds. By virtue of the size of the pool of funds, the mutual fund is able to purchase many different investment securities and diversify.

Liquidity

You may have your shares in a mutual fund redeemed at any time and just need to wait a maximum of seven (7) banking days to gain access to your funds.

Safety

Mutual fund operations are governed by the Investment Company Act whose implementing rules and regulations specify particular limits and constraints in the investment activities of all mutual funds. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sees to it that all mutual funds comply with these statutory regulations. Moreover, mutual fund companies are regularly audited by an independent auditor. The assets of the mutual fund are held by a third-party custodian bank.

source: http://www.philequity.net

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

What is a Mutual Fund?

A mutual fund is an investment vehicle that pools together the funds of various investors---both individuals and corporations. The pool of funds is managed by a professional fund manager who uses the funds to create a diversified investment portfolio consisting of various investment instruments such as stocks and bonds.

Types of Mutual Funds in the Philippines

  • Stock or equity funds invest in shares of stock of Philippine corporations listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. Equity funds offer the highest possibility of growth among all mutual fund types, but they also have a corresponding high amount or risk.
  • Bond funds invest primarily in fixed-income securities such as bonds or treasury notes issued by the Philippine government and commercial papers issued by reputable Philippine companies. Because these bonds are normally guaranteed, the possibility of loss is very low. Investing in bond funds provide capital preservation while maintaining conservative asset growth.
  • Balanced fund is a mixture of equity and bond funds. The high potential growth of equity investments is tempered by the conservative growth of fixed-income securities. Obviously, the return of a balanced fund is normally somewhere between the return of an equity fund and a bond fund.
  • Money market funds are similar to bond funds because they also invest in fixed-income securities and the growth of the fund is conservative. The main difference lies, however, in the term of money market fund investments, which is usually short-term such as one year or less.

Choosing which mutual funds to invest in ultimately depends on the investor’s growth goal and risk tolerance. If the purpose is capital growth, equity funds are the way to go. Bond funds are chosen, on the other hand, if the investor prefers capital preservation over risky capital growth. For those who want medium risk and medium growth, balanced funds are the best option. Money market funds are for those who wish to earn a conservative amount of return in the short-term.

According to the Investment Company Association of the Philippines, a duly recognized association of investment companies in the country, there are currently a total of 22 mutual funds. Six (6) of these are bond funds, five (5) are equity funds, ten (10) are balanced funds, while one (1) is a money market fund.

What are the benefits of investing in a mutual fund?

For an affordable initial investment amount, you gain access to various potentially higher yielding investments normally available to investors with much larger funds to invest. A mutual fund makes this possible because it pools together the funds of hundreds or even thousands of small investors. The pool of funds is therefore large enough to access these potentially higher yielding investments.

Mutual fund investors also benefit from the investment management expertise and market knowledge of the team of professional fund managers that manages the pool of funds. These fund managers ensure that the funds are optimally invested and diversified at all times. Therefore, you don’t need to watch the markets yourself since there is a team that is already doing it for you.

How much will I earn if I invest?

Mutual funds are not time deposits and therefore do not pay out a fixed rate of return. Mutual funds invest in stocks listed on the stock exchange as well as bonds issued by the government and corporations. As a result, the value of your investment fluctuates daily depending on the performance of the underlying investments. Because of this, your return cannot be guaranteed. Your actual rate of return depends on many factors such as the performance of the underlying investments as well as general market and economic conditions. However, over the long-term, investments in mutual funds outperform traditional time deposit placements.

Is my principal secure? Can I lose money? What are the risks of investing?

As with all other investment instruments, investing in mutual funds involves a certain amount of risk. Stock and bond prices go up and down daily. So as the value of the underlying instruments in which the pool of funds was invested fluctuates, so does the value of your mutual fund investments. Depending on market conditions, there may be periods in which you may lose money. However, until you actually liquidate or withdraw your investment from the fund, these will simply remain “paper losses” which can be recovered when market conditions stabilize.

Moreover, the fund managers of the fund also do several things to control and minimize risk. First, they analyze all investments thoroughly before including any stock or bond in the portfolio. Second, they ensure that the fund is properly diversified, i.e., invested in many different stocks or bonds. As such, a drop in the price of one investment may be off-set by gains in another. Third, the fund managers are subject to regulatory and internal investment restrictions that prevent the fund from being invested from certain speculative investments and encourage proper diversification.

While there are risks in mutual fund investing, the returns can also be rewarding in the long-run. There is always a risk-return trade-off in any investment. What is important is to know how much risk you are willing and able to take and select an investment whose risk profile matches yours.

What is diversification? Why is it important?

Diversification simply means “not putting all your eggs in one basket”. This is especially important in investing. In a well-diversified portfolio, losses from some investments can be off-set by gains in other investments. This reduces the overall fluctuations or volatility of the value of the portfolio. By investing in a mutual fund, you gain instant access to a diversified portfolio of investments. It is, however, also important to realize that not all risk can be diversified away. There are certain economic, market and political factors which may affect all investments adversely.

How do I invest in a mutual fund?

You can participate by buying shares of the mutual fund. The price of these shares, also known as the Net Asset Value Per Share or NAVPS, changes daily depending on the performance of the underlying investment portfolio. As the NAVPS increases, the value of your investment also increases. The mechanics of investing in a mutual fund are very similar to buying shares in the stock market.

What is the net asset value per share, or NAVPS?

The net asset value per share (NAVPS) is the value of each share of a mutual fund. A fund's NAVPS is calculated daily and is the price used when purchasing or selling mutual fund shares. To determine the value of your shares, simply multiply the number of shares you own by the NAVPS.

How do I withdraw my money from the mutual fund?

You simply need to sell your shares in the mutual fund. The price at which you sell these shares is the NAVPS for the day.

What happens to my investment if something happens to me?

Your shares in the mutual fund will form a part of your estate and will be distributed to your heirs (usually surviving spouse and children) accordingly. Rest assured, your investment will not disappear, or be "taken back". To ease the transfer of the fund shares you may want to consider opening a joint account or trust account.

Is my investment covered by the PDIC?

No. A mutual fund is not a deposit product and is, therefore, not covered by the PDIC. However, when you invest in a mutual fund, you are considered a shareholder and in effect are entitled to your proportional share in the total assets of the fund. The PDIC, on the other hand, only insures up to P250,000 of your total deposits with a bank and not your entire investment amount.

source: http://www.philequity.net/

Beating Inflation through Mutual Fund Investing

Our mother always tell us stories about how they could survive with five peso a day in the old days -- 50 cents for a soda and the rest for food and fare. Now, the same five peso cannot even get us a decent stick of barbecue. One reason for this is inflation.

As a young adult, you wonder how your meager income can help you achieve your financial goals - a roof above your head, education for your children, and a few luxuries. The ever-increasing cost of basic commodities makes a reasonably comfortable future seem like a distant dream. How then can you beat inflation?


If you have modest savings, simply putting your money in the bank is not going to help you beat inflation. For P10,000, commercial banks offer interest rate of roughly 1.6% a year. This is substantially below the 6% - 7% inflation rate expected by the government this year. Directly investing your savings in the stock market also has its own difficulties. What stocks do you buy? When do you buy them? Will my stock investment decisions earn a return higher than inflation?

If you are at a lost as to how you can make your money grow, you should consider investing in a mutual fund. A mutual fund
is a vehicle that allows investors to combine their resources. It is money pooled together from various individuals that are invested by professional investment managers in a diversified portfolio of assets like stocks and bonds.

In exchange for the money you put in, you will receive shares of the mutual funds. The value of the mutual fund shares will depend on the prevailing market price of the underlying assets invested by the mutual fund. If you want out, all you have to do is sell your shares back to the company handling the mutual fund.

When deciding on the specific mutual fund to invest in, you must consider your investment objectives and tolerance to risks. You should also look at the stability of the mutual fund company, the appropriateness of the products, and the expertise of the investment managers.

Check out the list of mutual fund companies in the Philippines and compare their features. Just remember that when you want to invest in a mutual fund, you should think long-term. Most mutual funds in the Philippines require a minimum initial investment amount of only Php 5,000 and minimum additional investments of Php 1,000.

For me, I consider mutual fund as a good inflation hedge.


*Disclaimer: Readers are solely responsible for their own investment decisions and should thus conduct their own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice.

How to Make Puto Pao

Puto-pao is a bun with asado toppings or fillings.

You‘ll need the following to get started:
  • bowls
  • ladle
  • wooden ladle or whip
  • spatula
  • measuring spoons and cups
  • kitchen weighing scale
  • serving tray
  • pressure cooker or casserole
  • wok or skillet
  • steamer
  • knives
  • gas stove
ingredients:

- 1/2 kg all-purpose flour
- 250 g white sugar
- 1/4 cup baking powder
- 2-1/2 cup water
- 3 tbsp or 30g melted butter

For the asado, on the other hand, you’ll need the following ingredients: - 1/2 kg of ground lean pork

- 1 piece laurel leaf
- 1 piece star anise
- 1/2 cup or 112ml of soy sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup or 125g of white sugar
- 1tsp or 2g cornstarch
- 2 cloves garlic

Start by cooking the asado. While preheating the pan or a skillet over low heat, mince the garlic. Once the pan is hot enough, put all the ingredients together. Mix them to a good blend. Continue mixing until the meat is cooked and becomes tender. Discard the star anise and the laurel once the meat gets tender. (The star anise and laurel leaf are only meant to give a savory aroma to your dish.)

Don't sauté or braise the meat so it won't become crispy. Cook it only in water and soy sauce. Let the meat absorb all the liquid until it dries out. After that, turn off the stove and set the cooked meat or asado aside. This asado can fill four sets of your bun recipe. Let it cool and start doing the buns.

Get all the dry ingredients and mix them in a bowl. Then add water. Using a wooden ladle or whip, dissolve all the ingredients. Continue mixing them until you achieve a smooth texture. Make sure all the lumps are dissolved. Then add the melted butter (you could also use cooking oil as an alternative). Mix. You’ll know when the mix is ready for steaming when there are no lumps left.

Afterwards, get the ounce-size molds. Pour in the mixture until each mold is three fourths full. Then put one teaspoon of the asado on top. If you want to make it a filling, then fill the mold a quarter full and put one teaspoon of asado. Then pour in the mixture until it’s almost full. Arrange the molds in the steamer, which should contain enough water. Steam for 30 minutes in boiling temperature.

Make sure there’s enough water to steam your puto-paos. After 30 minutes, take off the puto-paos from the molds. Your yield for this set should be 48 pieces, which by then should be ready to be served with other merienda treats.

Josie de Jesus, lecturer at the baking division of Ultima Entrepinoy Forum Center, advises that you shouldn’t re-steam
puto-paos repeatedly. Once re-steamed, they should be consumed at once, she says. Otherwise, the quality and taste of the putopao deteriorates and it becomes prone to spoilage.

source:
Mishell Malabaguio, http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Carrot Yema Balls

Last month, I attended one of my friend's birthday party. She knows most of us have a bit of a sweet tooth so she prepared something new this time. She usually just buys ice cream. She calls this carrot yema balls. I so love yema when I was still a kid. I know I should eat right but when my sweet tooth starts calling, I can't seem to ignore it ;) So I asked for her recipe and here it is:


Ingredients

1 cup carrots, boiled and mashed
1 301 ml condensed milk
6 pieces egg yolks
1/4 cup macapuno in syrup
1/3 cup crushed cornflakes
2 tbsp butter or margarine
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tbsp chopped peanuts
1 cup white sugar

Procedure
  1. In a pan, combine all ingredients except the white sugar.
  2. Cook mixture over low heat while stirring until thick enough to hold its shape. Cool.
  3. Form 2 tsp of mixture into balls and roll in sugar. Wrap in colored paper or cellophane.
Yum! yum!

**I just found out she got this recipe from nestle website lol!

How to make icing flowers

For decorating debut and wedding cakes, nothing can beat icing in the form of flowers. And during kiddie parties, who hasn't seen boys and girls quarreling over the four pieces of icing flower from the party cake?

To get started on this project, you need a mixing bowl that can be either plastic or stainless, a flour sifter, a measuring cup, and a pair of scissors. You will also need the other materials listed below, all of which can be bought for around P1,200 from Divisoria in Manila or from the supermarket nearest your place: (prices may not reflect real market conditions)
  • 12" pastry bag (P140), with tips 3, 36, 67, 103 or 104 (P35 each tip)
  • Medium size rubber scraper (P230)
  • No. 7 flower nail (P50/pc)
  • Portable mixer (P500)
  • Code P-100 plastic ware for packaging (P6.50/pc)
  • 12" floral wire (P26/pack of 100 sticks), or magnetic wire #27 (P492/0.5 kg)
  • Toothpicks (P9.50 per pack)
  • Bond paper (P10/20-sheet pack), or wax paper (P500/5-kg roll)
  • 454 g powdered sugar, sifted (P28/box)
  • 1 tsp calamansi extract (P0.50)
  • 2 pcs egg white (P4/pc)
  • 4 colors gel-paste food color (P62/1 oz bottle of primary colors and P75/1 (oz special color)

PROCEDURES


STEP 1.
First, separate the egg white from the yolk by cracking it into halves and letting the yolk stay in one shell while the white drips. Set aside the egg white and extract the juice from the calamansi. Then get the sifted powdered sugar, make a well at the center and pour the egg white and calamansi dew onto it. Circularly blend the three ingredients together using a portable mixer that is set to speed no.

The egg white will serve to bond all the three ingredients together, while the calamansi dew will serve as a stabilizer that can hasten the texture of your icing.

STEP 2.
When the powdered sugar dissolves, turn the mixer to speed no. 2. Continuously mix until it smoothens. You'll notice that as the mixture smoothens, its shine begins to disappear because the egg white is getting mixed well with the powder. Once the three ingredients are well blended, the mix becomes creamy. Your icing is ready if sharp and pointed edges develop as you mix.

Once you notice those pointed edges, you can now put color to your icing. To do that, get a half-cup of icing using a rubber scraper and put it in a bowl. Cover the remaining icing with a damp cloth and set it aside. Then, apply your desired color to the half-cup of icing by dipping a toothpick in the color container and spread the color. Three dips are usually enough for this amount of icing, but you can reduce or add more color based on your preference.

STEP 3.
Mix until the color is evenly distributed throughout the icing. Make sure there's no dull or pale portion left. After that, get the pastry bag, cut its tip using scissors, and insert the tip 67 for leaf making. Then, transfer the colored icing to the pastry bag. You can now color the remaining icing and put them in bowls that are covered with damp cloth.

Lay down a clean sheet of bond or wax paper on the table. To make a leaf, position your tip 67 at a 45-degree angle; the tip should lightly touch the surface of the paper and the wide opening of the tip should lie parallel to the paper. Squeeze out hard the icing to build a base and lift the tip slightly. Continuously squeeze while pulling steadily. Once you achieve the length you want, stop squeezing the pastry bag and lift away from the surface. You'll notice that the tip of the leaf is created as you pull the bag towards you. Do this repeatedly until you have emptied your pastry bag.

STEP 4
. Now you can start making full-bloom flowers, like roses. Make flower buds first for your roses by using tip 36 for the shell design or tip 3 for the plain design. Insert a half-inch of the floral wire inside the tip. Squeeze out the icing while you are slowly pulling out the wire. Before doing that, however, make sure that you have arched the tip of your floral wire so it can serve as anchor for your flower. Stop squeezing once you have completely pulled out the wire. Place your flower bud in a Styrofoam to let it dry for an hour.

While waiting for the buds to dry, prepare the icing for the petals. You may use pink or purple colored icing, and tip 103 or 104 for making petals. When the buds are set, get one and start putting the first layer of petals. Hold the bud on your left hand, and the bag on the other hand. Position your tip 103 parallel to the lower part of the bud, with the wide opening of the tip touching the cone of the bud.

STEP 5.
Make sure that the narrow opening points up and slightly inward. Now squeeze out the icing as you slowly rotate the bud counterclockwise, then move the tip up and down to cover the peak of the flower bud with another layer of icing. Don't loop the tip to the bud; just move it slowly up and down to create a swirling effect. Let it dry again for about an hour. Do this to other buds.

For the wild rose, however, you can directly make its petals as soon as the buds have hardened. Just hold the bud with your left hand again and the bag with your right hand. Position your tip 103 or 104 at a 45-degree angle to the bud. The wide opening of the tip should slightly touch the bud.

STEP 6. Then squeeze out the icing and hold as you slowly turn the bud clockwise, such that the icing is stretched. Then move the tip closer to the bud before lifting it away; this way, you can stick the end of the petal to the bud. Do it five times to complete the flower. To replicate your wild rose, just do the same procedure.

After an hour, you can go back to your rose base. To add petals, do the same procedure just like when you were doing the wild rose. The only difference is that you'll do three petals for the first layer and they will be in a closer position. Then you'll add another layer of petals-four in all-after one hour or when the first layer have dried. And for the last layer of petals, you'll need to do five that are in full-bloom position.

Keep your icing flowers in dry and airtight containers. After drying for 24 hours, you can bunch the leaves together with the flowers or put them in your cakes.

STORAGE

Icing flowers last long when they are kept dry. Rosario Tan, sales manager of Penco Powdered Sugar, suggests that you improvise a light box that can serve as a dryer and storage facility. Just make a box using plywood, providing it with a door and incandescent light bulbs at the opposite side. Put layers of chicken wire where you could hang your icing flowers. The incandescent bulb provides heat when it is turned on, so you can be sure that your icings are keep dry and moisture-free.

Because icing flowers are brittle, it is recommended that you use a square or cylindrical plastic jar with a screw-type cap. A P-100 square plastic jar can contain about 100 icing flowers, which is ideal if you're going to supply icing candies to grocery stores, school canteens, or sari-sari stores. Your yield for this recipe is around 500 pieces of icing flowers. If you're doing only drop flowers or leaves, your yield would be much higher.

source: http://entrepreneur.com.ph; Erlinda Ferrer, Resource Speaker from ESF Cakes and Bread House







Friday, May 29, 2009

A Guide To Investing Early

Young people often think they don’t know enough about the market to jump in and start investing. But fear of the unknown and the misguided belief that retirement planning can wait can cost you big in the long run. There are numerous advantages to getting into investing while you’re young, but the single biggest advantage is time. When you start investing in your 20s, you get way more returns for you money. With compounding interest, your money grows significantly over time, and a little more time can make a big difference. Additionally, the more time you have to invest before retirement, the more ability you will have to recover from any market losses. Here are some essential points for young people to remember when they start investing:

Start now no matter how much money you have to invest

You don't need a large sum of money to start investing in the market. There are mutual funds that have minimum investments of $250 or less. Mutual funds are ideal for young investors because they allow you to own a bunch of company stocks without putting up a bunch of money. The earlier you start investing, the less you will have to put in the market to meet your goals. For example, if you wanted to have $1,000,000 saved for retirement at 65 years old and assumed a 10% rate of return, you would only have to contribute $179 per month if you started investing at 25 years old. That’s a total of $85,920 over 40 years. If, however, you waited 20 years to start contributing at 45 years old, you would have to put out $1,381 per month. That’s a total of $331,440 over 20 years. It will have cost you $245,520 by waiting to invest.

Keep Your Eye on the Long-Term Horizon


When investing in equities, you can't let the day-to-day trials and tribulations of the market scare you off. Both new and old investors are often spooked out of the market by short-term losses, but if you try to time the market, you can lose more than you save. In the current market cycle, stock prices have fallen sharply, but that does not mean you shouldn’t still invest in some equities. In fact now is probably a good time for young investors to buy in because you can get more shares for your money. If and when stock prices rise again, you’ll enjoy even larger gains.

Don’t Forget Debt and Savings

As important as investing is, you can’t neglect to pay off your debt and build a healthy emergency fund. Getting out of debt will save you in interest payments and improve your credit score. If you have a credit card with an 18% interest rate, paying it off is almost like getting a return of 18% on your money. The current economic crisis has shown the true importance of having liquid savings on hand. Financial advisors have long advised people to have 3 to 6 months of expenses in emergency savings, but lately that recommendation has been revised up to 6 to 12 months. Your savings should be kept in a short-term vehicle like a certificate of deposit (CD), or money market account, so that it’s easily accessible if you lose your job or have to cover for emergency expenses like car repairs or medical bills. When starting out, it’s important to allocate your money to paying off debt, building savings and investing. When your debt and savings obligations are met, then you can focus primarily on investing.

source: http://shine.yahoo.com; photo from http://njamf.org

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Swine Flu Symptoms, Prevention and Treatment


One of my close friends just texted and asked what are the symptoms of swine flu. I immediately checked the Department of Health website and got the following info:


What is Influenza A (H1N1)?

  • Influenza A(H1N1) is caused by a novel virus that resulted from the reassortment of 4 viruses from pigs, human and birds.
  • It is a new virus causing illness in people.
  • It was first detected in people in April 2009 in the United States.
  • This virus is spreading from person-to-person, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread.
  • There is no vaccine yet to protect humans from this virus.
  • There are existing and recommended medicines that are effective in treating these Influenza A(H1N1).
  • Influenza A(H1N1) can be fatal to humans due to severe respiratory distress (pneumonia)

Why this new Influenza A(H1N1) virus is sometimes called “swine flu”?


This virus was originally referred to as “swine flu” because laboratory tests showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes. Scientists call this a “quadruple reassortant” virus.

Do pigs carry this virus and can people catch this virus from a pig?


At this time, there is no evidence that swine in the United States are infected with this new virus. However, there are flu viruses that commonly cause outbreaks of illness in pigs. Most of the time, these viruses do not infect people, but influenza viruses can spread back and forth between pigs and people.

Are there human infections with this virus?


Yes. Cases of human infection with this virus were first confirmed in the U.S. in Southern California and near Guadalupe Country, Texas. The outbreak intensified rapidly from that time and more and more states have been reporting cases of illness from this virus. Other countries with confirmed cases include Mexico, United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, China (Mainland China, Hongkong), Portugal, Poland, Guatemala, Spain, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, El Salvador, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Brazil, Argentina, Panama.

In the Philippines, there are now seven new Cases Under Observation (CUO), all of whom are from NCR. Since May 1, 2009, the DOH has monitored 120 CUOs, two of whom were confirmed cases of A(H1N1). Of the 120, 111 have been discarded since they are negative for Influenza A(H1N1). The laboratory results of the remaining seven are still pending (Last Updated: Tuesday, 26 May 2009 15:48).


Is this new virus contagious?


Yes, Influenza A(H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

What are the signs and symptoms of this virus in humans?


Similar to the symptoms of regular flu such as:
  • Fever
  • Headache
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle or joint pains
  • Lack of appetite
  • Runny nose
  • Sore throat
  • Cough
  • Some cases have reported diarrhea, nausea and vomiting.
How severe is illness associated with this virus?

It is not known at this time how severe this virus will be in the general population. Experts are studying the medical histories of people who have been infected with this virus to determine whether some people may be at greater risk from infection, serious illness, or hospitalization from the virus.

How does Influenza A(H1N1) virus spread?

  • Coughing or sneezing by people with influenza
  • Touching things with flu viruses on it and then touching one’s mouth, nose or eyes

Can I get infected with Influenza A(H1N1) from eating or preparing pork?

  • No, you can’t get influenza A(H1N1) by eating properly handled and thorough cooked pork and pork products
  • The virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 160 F/70 C.

What is the incubation period?

Seven (7) to ten (10) days from the time of exposure to the first onset of signs and symptoms

How long can an infected person spread Influenza A(H1N1) to others?


Infected person maybe contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick. Children might potentially be contagious for longer periods.

Are there medicines to treat infection with AH1N1?


Yes. Oseltamivirr or zanamivir are the recommended drugs to treat and or prevent infection with this virus. You have to consult a doctor before using these drugs to avoid resistance.

Is vaccine available to protect people from getting infected with AH1N1?


No, at present there is no vaccine against this virus.

How can we prevent the spread of the virus?


1. Observe proper personal hygiene:
  • Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
  • Wash hands regularly with soap and water, at least for 20 seconds (or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers) especially after handling patients and specimen, before and after eating, after using the toilet and as necessary.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
2. Increase your body’s resistance
  • Have at least 8 hours of sleep
  • Be physically active
  • Manage your stress
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Eat nutritious food, especially fruits and vegetables
3. Social distancing
  • Avoid crowded places.
  • Avoid close contact with sick people.
  • Stay home if you are sick until you are free from symptoms to prevent the spread of the virus.
What to do if somebody gets sick?

If there is flu like symptoms, consult the doctor immediately. Report to the proper health authorities .

Is there a pandemic risk on Influenza A(H1N1)?


Yes. If the Influenza A(H1N1) establishes efficient and sustained human-to-human transmission then it can cause an influenza pandemic. The impact of a pandemic is difficult to predict. It depends on virulence of the virus, existing immunity among people, cross protection by antibodies acquired from seasonal influenza infection and host factors.

source: http://www.doh.gov.ph/h1n1/

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Good Debt. vs. Bad Debt


When it comes to debt, most consumers fall into either of two camps – those who fear debt and those who embrace it. Let’s call the first group the debt-o-phobes. To these folks, debt is to be avoided at all costs. They don’t carry a credit card and refuse to buy anything, except a home perhaps, on credit. We’ll call the other group debt-thusiasts. As long as they can have whatever they want right now and can afford the monthly payments, they don’t care how much debt they are in or interest they will pay.

Neither extreme is healthy. The debt-thusiasts never get ahead and have little chance of building wealth.

The debt-o-phobes, on the other hand, can save a considerable amount of money in interest, but they have less money available to fund revenue-generating investments.

Bad Debt

What exactly is bad debt?
Bad debt is availing of a loan that would be used to purchase something that would depreciate or decrease in value over time. It is money you owe on something that does not increase your earning potential. Generally speaking, if you go on a spending spree with your credit card, you are taking on bad debt.

Good Debt

Good debt is
when you avail of a loan to buy an asset that would appreciate over time or will give you good value or use over the years. It is money you owe on something that increases your earnings potential sufficiently to pay back the debt. Examples of good debt include availing of a loan to buy a house or fund a business that would generate income for you.

Debts have a cost attached to them. You have to pay for the cost of borrowing, which is interest. And when you miss a payment, you would also have to pay other charges including penalties, depending on what's covered in your loan contract. This is why one should think twice about going into debt. If you can, take only good debt.

Consider these things if you are serious about availing of a loan:
  1. When choosing a home, consider its location. It should have the potential to appreciate in value over time. Some indicators of good location and appreciating value include proximity to schools, shopping malls, business districts, and commercial areas. Visit the location first before committing to buy a home.
  2. Think of ways to maximize the use of the asset you’re buying. For instance, you can rent out the property if your family will not use it as a residence, or rent out one room to a boarder. If you are getting a car, consider carpooling so as to lower your gasoline cost.
  3. Shop around for the best terms before signing on the dotted line. Go to several banks and financing companies and compare rates and other terms. Generally, in-house financing offered by real estate companies and car companies are the most expensive. Choose the one that offers the best.
  4. Find ways to lower your cost of borrowing. Check out loans available with the Social Security System, Government Service Insurance System, and PAG-IBIG Fund. If you are buying a car, consider trading in your old one to lower the cost of purchasing a new car. It may even be wiser to buy a one-year-old car than a brand new one. It will be cheaper, yet still give you good mileage.

  5. Always read the fine print before signing documents. Read about penalties, defaults, and the like. Find out if there are penalties for prepayments. If none, pay off the loan faster if you can to save on interest expense.

  6. Safeguard loan documents. Keep them in a safe place but make sure your spouse knows where these can be located.

A debt can be a good tool to secure your financial future. Go into it only after careful thought and manage it well. Financially healthy, wealthy, and wise individuals are not opposed to taking on debt, but they are very proactive in limiting bad debt and maximizing the power of good debt.


source: inquirer.net, (photo) blog.thebittingerteam.com


*Disclaimer: Readers are solely responsible for their own investment decisions and should thus conduct their own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice.

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

What you want vs. what you need

There is nothing wrong with wanting things that you don't need, but there may be a problem when you buy things that you don't need and you can't afford. When you want something and it is not a priority in your life, the wise thing to do is to save the money to buy it.

There is a difference between what you want and what you need:
  • What you want are things that you see, or hear about, that makes you feel the urge to possess them, whether you need them or not.
  • What you need are basic items that help sustain you for the good of your health and your everyday living experience.
There is nothing wrong with getting something that you want at a later date by saving for it but your priority should be spending the money that you have on the things that you need.

Saving your money is possible, especially if you develop and incorporate a good plan for saving and a budget strategy that you can live with. Learning self-control and self-discipline can go a long way in helping you save for the things you want.

Remember, if you start a savings account and put money into it on a regular basis, your savings will soon grow and you will have more buying power in the future.

I'm reposting this from my blog at destroydebt.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

How to make strawberry jam


For this project, we will make strawberry jam. Keep in mind, though, that other similarly pulpy and juicy fruits can also be made into jam.

You will need a total of P2,508 to buy the ingredients for this project in bulk. If you just want to try out making jam, though, you need not buy the whole lot. For instance, you can simply buy 200g of citric acid for P50 instead of paying P110 for a whole kilo.


Most of the utensils and equipment you will need for this project should already be available in your kitchen: measuring spoons and cups, gas stove, casserole, pressure cooker, ladle, containers, mixing bowl, and packaging bottle with lag-type cap (a box of 24 pieces of this costs P150).


STEP 1:
Measure the ingredients and put them in individual containers. Then mix all the dry ingredients—the sugar, the food gel, and the citrus pectin. You may also mix the citric acid together with the other dry ingredients. Usually, though, the citric acid is best added after cooking the jam. This is because jams, depending on the quality of sugar and fruit used, tend to become either too sweet or too sour after cooking. So to get the desired taste—whether you want it on the sour or sweet side—add just the right amount of citric acid.

You must also carefully choose the quality of the sugar you are going to use. Keep in mind that commercially available granulated sugar is milder in taste than the finer sugars. Recommended for this particular jam recipe is the refined sugar that’s available in public markets.


STEP 2:
After putting all the dry ingredients onto the bowl, mix them thoroughly until all the ingredients could no longer be individually identified. You need to make sure of this because if the ingredients are not mixed well, the citrus pectin won’t dissolve in the mixture. (Citrus pectin also does not dissolve directly in water.) Afterwards, set aside the mixture. Get the strawberries, wash them thoroughly, and remove their sepals (these are the leaf-like parts on top of the fruit). Press the fruits in a bowl using a spoon until you obtain 1/4 cup of the crushed fruit, including its juice. Make sure that you have thoroughly crushed the strawberries. Set aside.

Pour the water into the casserole, followed by the crushed strawberries, the juice and the mixed dry ingredients. Stir and blend all the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed.


STEP3
: When the ingredients, except for the pieces of the crushed strawberry, have already dissolved, allow the mixture to simmer on high fire. Continuously stir to prevent scorching and forming bubbles. When the mixture starts to boil, lower the fire and allow the mixture to simmer until it achieves a thick enough consistency.

STEP 4:
There are actually two techniques for determining if your jam is thick enough and ready to be packed—the plate test and the gelling test. In the plate test, you need to scoop out some jam using a ladle or spoon and then let the jam drip from the edge of the ladle or spoon back into the casserole. If the jam does not drip completely from the edge of the utensil, then the jam is already thick enough. If it drips completely, then you would need to simmer it a bit longer. The gelling test, on the other hand, is done by dripping a drop or two of the jam in water placed in a container. If the jam does not disperse in the water, then it is thick enough.

Add the flavoring and check the jam for taste. If the jam is too sweet, then add a little citric acid and mix. Although the strawberry flavoring is artificial, it has the exact taste and aroma of the real fruit. This is what makes it a “nature-identical” flavor.


STEP 5:
You can now pack the jam in bottles. Don’t wait for the jam to cool before packing it; otherwise, the jam would solidify into gel. You may pasteurize the product to prolong its shelf life to up to a year.

Pasteurization is the process of heating a substance to kill pathogens that can cause spoilage or disease; it also slows down the growth of microbes in the product being pasteurized. To pasteurize bottled jam, you can use the kitchen pressure cooker, designed to create 10 psi (pounds per square inch) to heat the bottles for two hours.


Entrep Tip:
Don’t use a blender to press the strawberry fruits because doing so would make your jam cloudy instead of clear. Bubbles will form when you use a blender. Don’t use too much flavoring. Your jam won’t smell good and won’t taste well if you do this. Use labels that will appeal to your target market. If you’re targeting kids, the labels must be colorful and attractive. If you’re targeting health buffs, it would be good to make the label carry health tips and cite the nutritional benefits of the fruit.

Production cost & pricing


To compute your production cost, divide the buying price per kg of each of your ingredients by 1,000, then multiply result by the volume you actually used in making the product. For example, white sugar is P38 per kg. Divide that amount by 1,000 to get the cost per gram (a kilogram is equal to 1,000 grams). You will get a quotient of P0.038 per gram, which then has to be multiplied by 250g, which the actual amount of sugar you mixed with the jam. Do the same arithmetic for the rest of the ingredients. Add up the results to get your total production cost.


Following the above formula, you should get this equation: P9.50 (sugar) + P0.275 (citric acid) + P0.5 (strawberry flavoring) + P7.20 (strawberry fruit) + P3 (food gel) + P7.20 (citrus pectin) = P27.68. Add to this sum the cost of the bottle, which is P6.25 per piece, and add 10 percent for your overhead costs (electricity, gas and water).


You may price the jam at P80 to P100 per 230g bottle. However, depending on your market, all-natural fruit jams may be priced from P150 to P200 per 230g bottle. You may choose to just add 100 percent profit margin to your total cost.


source: Mishell Malabaguio of www.entrepreneur.com.ph

Monday, May 4, 2009

The Buena Mano Concept

Buena mano is a Spanish phrase that literally means “good hand.” In Philippine business practice, buena mano means the first sale of the day, which is believed to bring good luck to the business for the rest of the day. The meaning of the phrase is flexible, however; it can refer either to the transaction itself or to the first paying customer of the day.

One of the quaint rituals Filipinos perform in homage to this belief is patting goods with the money they received from the first sale of the day. It is believed that the ritual will make for better sales.


Whatever its true origins, buena mano is something many Filipinos take very seriously. This is why local customers always make it a point to ask for a discount if they think that theirs is the first transaction of the day. Filipinos expect that if they are the buena mano, their requests will most likely be granted. Only in the Philippines!


source: Reeza Singson of entrepreneur.com.ph

Is Your Career at Risk in the Age of AI?

The rise of AI is reshaping industries, and it's time to ask the tough question: Is your career future-proof or on shaky ground ? While...