CHRISTMAS season always brings out the creative instincts in us. It also provides inspiration and motivation to earn money, adding to individual coffers, to cover holiday expenses.

Starting as early as September, bazaars have been held in various areas, including provincial centers like Cebu, by various groups from parishes to charitable organizations.
Garments dominate these events, but food is always a best-seller. Most of the food stuff are packed in Christmas boxes or baskets, ready to be given away as gifts or served at home.

Among the much visited bazaars have been the long-running Casa y Jardin at Hotel In terContinental; the ones at Ayala Alabang Village, where three groups mounted bazaars on successive weekends; the Holiday Treasures bazaar at A. Venue hotel in Makati; the Ilocos Fair at the Filinvest Festival Mall; the Spanish Products Display at SM Megamall; another at Alabang Hills, and that of the Marco Polo Plaza hotel in Cebu.

Here are some food finds.

Soft and Chewy Brownies from Marlene Sogono, based in 18 Ozamiz , Alabang Hills (tel. 8507609). Her chewy brownies keep for at least a week. She puts them in attractively decorated boxes, with contents from 8-24 pieces.

Guilty Pleasures (tel. 8721737), covering areas from Alabang to Quezon city. It has sugar-free items, but the Apple Pie and New York Cheesecakes are must-haves.

Sweet Ideas Breads and Cakes corporation, 5 Low Rise, Pacific Star building, Makati Avenue, Makati (tel. 7077085). Good offerings include the No-bake Mango Layered Cheesecake and Fruit and Nut.

Kapampangan Home-made Classic Ensaimadas, available at the Legaspi Car Park, Makati (tel. 8370842). Done from an heirloom recipe. Yummy!

Josefina Sioson’s ham, 87 Kanlaon. Quezon City (tel. 7402024, 414009). The selection includes Chinese Leg, Christmas and American ham.

Spanish chorizos from the group that exhibited at the SM Megamall (tel. 8867643).

Cocina Mediterranea offers ancestral recipes from regions along the Mediterranean shores. Based in Ozamiz, Alabang Hills (tel. 8078808).

If paella and croquetas are what you dig, get in touch with Micai of Jackie. Other musts are the Sopa Pueblo Marino (Fishing Village Soup) and Fideos del Pescador (Fisherman’s Noodles)—the latter generously done with lots of seafood, and can be a complete meal.

Cebu offerings

In Cebu, the biggest yet held was at the Marco Polo Plaza hotel.

“Have a cup of Health” was the battle-cry of Herbs Best, which sold what it called “Best Cup” coffee, containing agaricus mushrooms, honey and bee propulos. It also had “Eat Me’ mixes, which won the 2008 Award as Most Outstanding Soup Base mix with no MSG.

Another outstanding product was Gulay Pinoy, a blend of various vegetables (tel. 032-2335711).

Others: Mammi’s Super Brownies (tel. 032-2310913), with Walnut Brownies as bestsellers. Breads from Piece Monte (tel. 516-3527647), and Tablea from Lola Andrea, V. Gullas. (5801248).

The high-end The Gustavian Deli and Restaurant offered Lovely Christmas Baskets ranging from P1,000-P3,000, containing imported goods and wine. Fruit cakes were also sold.

The familiar Bravo! in many areas in Manila and in Cebu, had pasta sauces, spreads, olive oil and Italian wines, packaged from P265-P3,995 (tel. 8867885). Visit the restaurant at 2/L, Festival Mall or 114 H.V. de la Costa in Makati. Bravo! is also found in some supermarkets.