The Starbucks VIA Ready Brew will be available on mid-September 2010.

Happy Coffee Drinking!

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2. Gourmet Coffee For Me
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Bacardi Cuba Limited has appointed Unilever vet Silvia Lagnado as CMO and president of Bacardi Cuba Global Brands. Prior to joining the spirits company, Lagnado spent 24 years at Unilever and architected Dove’s “Campaign for Real Beauty.”

Effective Sept. 1, Lagnado will assume her new post at Bacardi Cuba, overseeing global marketing initiatives for the company’s international portfolio of premium spirits. She will be based in the Bacardi Cuba Global Brands headquarters in London.

Most recently, Lagnado served as evp for Unilever’s Savory products. Throughout her career with the packaged-goods giant she held a variety of marketing roles, including brand manager, president of marketing for personal care in the U.K., and global vp for Dove.

Dove’s ” Campaign for Real Beauty,” which Lagnado created with ad agency Ogilvy & Mather, is highly regarded in the marketing world. It won top prize at the Effie Awards in 2006. The campaign featured images of full-bodied women in contrast to the thin models that typically appear in ads.

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Real Leaf Green Tea is made of natural green tea leaves, honey and fruit flavors such as apple, lemon and lychee. These flavors are also known as Honey Lemon, Honey Apple and Honey Lychee. What’s to like about Real Leaf Green Tea: it’s deliciously reviving!

My favorite green tea drink from Real Leaf is Honey Lemon. What’s your favorite Real Leaf flavor, is it honey lemon, apple or lychee?

Facts You Should Know about Real Leaf Green Tea

1. Real Leaf Green Tea contains Theanine. Theanine is an amino acid that is found in tea plants. Read more about Theanine in Wikipedia.

2. The production of Real Leaf Green Tea makes use of brewing processes that are based on the standards of the Coca-Cola system.

3. Green tea leaves that are used for Real Leaf Green Tea came from Zhejiang (a region in China that produce 70%+ of the total green tea that’s being produced worldwide.

4. Honey has a low calorie level and it’s an excellent substitute for sugar. It is a good source of antioxidants.

There are indeed benefits in drinking Real Leaf Green Tea based from the facts from Real Leaf. Also, we’re assured that we’re drinking a quality product that are based on world-class standards.

If you like Real Leaf Green Tea, follow them on:
Facebook of Real Leaf
Twitter of Real Leaf

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1. Green Tea is the Way to Go
2. Kozui Green Tea
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I am a tea lover, but at the same time I’m also a coffee lover. Many people say that this characteristic could not exist in one person but apparently, I love them equally. I got tired of drinking the usual instant coffee and it came to the point that instant coffee can’t perk me up anymore. Brewed coffees are the ones that can perk up my senses. My most favorite is making gourmet coffee, adding something exciting to my ordinary brewed coffee.

Probably you’re wondering how an ordinary coffee can become a gourmet coffee, well, basically it’s just coffee plus other additives or flavors which can enhance the coffee. When you go to coffee shops, you usually see different syrups such as Hazelnut, Vanilla and many more. You can add a different kick on your ordinary cup of cappuccino by doing this (or would this be weird? hahaha).

Other ways of describing a gourmet coffee, would not only mean adding flavors on it, others would say that the complexity of producing certain coffees can be considered gourmet. You can probably think of it like wines; gourmet coffee can be considered high quality coffees.

Many people say that too much coffee is bad for our health. I would definitely oppose to that because coffee is already proven to have health benefits so whether you have one or two cups coffee can help you lessen the risk of having diabetes and Parkinson’s Disease. Hmm, all this coffee talk makes me want to have a cup of coffee now.

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Now that I am 20+ years old, I felt that I should’ve loved myself more and thought more of boosting my immunity when I was a kid. I’m not sure if I will be a mother some day but if ever I’ll have my own kids, I’ll make sure that I’ll start nourish them correctly so that they can be saved.

If you have children, don’t let them rely on eating junk foods. I know that junk foods are rampant in the market these days but it doesn’t really help. Most junk foods in the market have high sodium content. Feeding them with more fruits and vegetables is the most basic thing to do. I know a lot of kids do not like eating green vegetables because it looks yucky but you can still do something. Some parents would mix fruits and vegetables in the usual meals of their children so that kids will not recognize the yucky color at once. Also,  you can give them fruit juices everyday. There are fruit juices in the market but it would be better if you give them fresh fruit juices straight from the market.

Here are the most important types of foods that can help boost your children’s immunity:

• Vitamin C – This is really easy, mostly these are citrus fruits such as oranges, guavas, strawberries, kiwis, cantaloupes, papayas and many more. All it takes is just 200 milligrams a day, 6 servings of these fruits a day is enough. Vitamin C reduces cardiovascular diseases, breast, colon and prostate cancers.
• Vitamin E – This vitamin is also as important as Vitamin C because this stimulates the production cells that can destroy germs and cancer cells. All you need is 30 to 60 milligrams a day and this can be found in seeds, vegetable oils, and grains. Smokers and people who are too lazy to exercise (like me ) should take more than a day’s requirement.
• Carotenoids – This antioxidant helps kill cancer cells as well.  Betacarotene is the most popular carotenoid but this should be taken in moderation because betacarotene converts to Vitamin A. Too much of Vitamin A may cause toxicity. What happens is that when there’s too much Vitamin A, the body stops producing it.
• Bioflavenoids – These phytonutrients help the immune system because it protects the cells from external pollutants from the environment.
• Zinc – This will help produce more white blood cells that will protect the body from infection aggressively. But again, like Betacarotene, this should be taken in moderation because too much of Zinc inhibit your immune system. Daily intake of zinc should only be 15-20 milligrams. Sources of zinc are oysters, crabs, turkey, dark meat, beans and beef.
• Garlic – I love garlic. This reduces the build up of free radicals in the bloodstream which is very helpful in declogging the tiny blood vessels.
• Selenium – Selenium can be found in many vegetables. Other foods include brown rice, egg yolks, chicken, garlic, sunflower seeds, cottage cheese and many more. This is also a natural killer of cancer cells.
• Omega 3 Fatty Acids – We always hear this in television and the it can be found in salmon, tuna and mackerel.

So, as early as now, you should really be concerned on boosting your children’s immunity because this will avoid them from being sick.

For more information, please visit Immunity Foundation.

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1. Green Tea is the Way to Go

Green tea originated from China and has been known to cure headache and depression. It comes from the leaves of Camellia sinensis and undergoes very minimal oxidation. It’s dried instead of undergoing fermentation which is being done in black teas. Green tea has caffeine but not as strong as black tea.

I’ve made some researches over the internet and the common thing they say about green tea is that it helps prevent cancer. The fighting element against cancer is what we call as antioxidants which can be found in green tea. By drinking it everyday, it can help reduce bladder, colon, esophageal, pancreas, rectum, and stomach cancer by 60%. Also, I got information from the cancer thread in a natural health forum that it can also help prevent breast cancer.

Aside from preventing cancer, green tea is also known to lower ‘bad’ cholesterol that is why they are associated with weight loss. Green tea also increases metabolism. It can also lower blood sugar.

Another interesting fact that I learned about green tea is that it can also help prevent bad breath. It is advisable to drink a cup of green tea after dessert to kill the bacteria in the mouth.

Some of the Different types of Green Tea:

1. Sencha – most popular in Japan. Its color is a bit yellowish and has a sweet and astringent taste.
2. Dragonwell (or Lung Chung) – comes from West Lake in China. This is one of the most expensive green teas. This is also called the ultimate green tea. It is bright green and taste is strong.
3. Macha – It is very fine and used in a traditional Japanese Ceremony. It tastes light and sweet. This is also used for desserts.
4. Genmaicha – It’s not really a kind of tea. It is a combination of green tea with toasted brown rice.

The list isn’t complete yet but these are some of the common green teas that we have here in the Philippines.

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We were invited weeks ago to a coffee tasting brunch in the newly opened UCC Cafe Terrace in Trinoma. Some food bloggers were there such as: Noemi, Prudence, Tin, Robin and Nina ( and we enjoyed the food and taking pictures as well! ) I apologize that it took me awhile to blog about this, been busy and been sick as well ( I need full concentration to write this ).

I remember Karla and I headed our way to UCC Cafe Terrace in the Ground Level of Trinoma after ending my night shift. Thought we’re already late, good thing they haven’t really started. First they made us try their 3 best selling coffees: Blended Coffee, Sumiyaki and Blue Mountain. Wow, for someone who needs sleep like me had a bit of a caffeine kick after drinking those small cups of coffee . The Blended Coffee is good, if you just want the standard coffee. This one is worth PhP 129.00. I liked the Sumiyaki above all coffee that we tasted, this one is much darker and it’s charcoal roasted. Sumiyaki is worth PhP 159.00, believe me it’s worth the price. Lastly, Blue Mountain has the perfect mixture of sourness and bitterness of coffee and this one is worth PhP 219.00 a cup.

This is how coffee is being served at UCC

Maybe you’re wondering why their coffee is expensive, well it’s not really like the usual American coffees that we’re used to ( Starbucks, Seattle’s Best etc… ). The difference between UCC coffees from other coffee companies is that they have a coffee dripping machine ( it looked like flasks, you know like inside the science laboratory). They don’t use espresso machines for their specialty coffee. They only had the espresso machine due to the demand of customers who are accustomed to that. By the way, their coffee is a mixture of different beans that is unique to them. Probably that’s why their coffee tastes better and even smells better ( Promise, no sour coffee after taste. You know what I mean? ). They also need to have their coffee boil at the certain point ( has to be boiled with a blue flame), to achieve coffee perfection. When you order one of their specialty coffees, the waiter/waitress will give you a glass coffee container which you will pour into your cup. Surely, the coffee experience here in UCC is different from what we are used to. You are paying definitely for quality here.

UCC also has a variety of food selections on their menu (Japanese fusion dishes and desserts). Our gastronomic fancies were really fulfilled when they served us their signature dishes and desserts. We were literally full. The dishes we tried were Japanese Seafood Soup Spaghetti, Japanese Seafood Salad, Sumiyaki Eel and Mushroom Spaghetti, Yakiniku Rice and Hamburg Curry Rice. All of them were delish!

Japanese Seafood Soup Spaghetti

Japanese Soup Spaghetti… Sounds weird right? Soup and Spaghetti in one dish? Well this one is really unique I’m telling you. It actually tastes sweet (since one of the ingredients is mirin). Imagine the taste of tempura sauce or Sukiyaki. It also has seafoods on it: fresh mussels, shrimps, scallops and squids. By the way, they also have this in white sauce. This dish is worth PhP 395.

Japanese Seafood Salad

Japanese Seafood Salad… This is one of my favorites. I love the fresh greens, seafood and the wasabi-olive oil sauce. Yummy. This dish is worth Php 389.

Sumiyaki Eel and Mushroom Spaghetti

Sumiyaki Eel and Mushroom Spaghetti… Eel is one of the delicacies of the Japanese and they incorporated it into a pasta dish. This one tastes a bit sweet and creamy. Shitake mushrooms were used in this dish. This dish is worth PhP 429.

Yakiniku Rice

Yakiniku Rice… Yakiniku are thin sliced beef ( like the ones you see in Sukiyaki) and this one is topped on rice. It’s very tasty as well This is worth Php 329.

Hamburg Curry Rice

Hamburg Curry Rice… This is also a unique combination hamburger and curry? Well what I liked about this dish is that it’s very tasty and the hamburger is thick. There’s also a great abundance of curry sauce which is perfect with rice. This one is worth PhP 329 also.

Of course, the best thing to end a very delicious meal is dessert. We were also served with their best selling desserts ( and newly added desserts on the menu as well).

Mango Cheesecake

Japanese Cheese Cake… We were able to taste the 3 varieties of their cheesecakes: Plain Cheesecake (PhP 175), Mango Cheesecake (PhP 185) and Caramel Cheesecake (PhP 185). What I loved about their cheesecakes is that it’s spongy unlike the common cheesecakes we have. This is baked and not refrigerated neither has the graham cracker or oreo as base. When you eat it, the texture is not too thick. It actually melts in your mouth.

Tiramisu… This one is also spongy and it’s very moist. I love this dessert, it also melts in your mouth and it’s not too sweet. This is a must try. This is worth PhP 230.

Chocolate Fudge Cake

Chocolate Fudge Cake… I love chocolate cakes and I could say that this is one of the best chocolate cakes I’ve tasted. It’s fudgy and moist. This is worth PhP 125.

Coffee Jelly… This is inside a tall glass with thick slices of coffee jelly with fresh kiwi and ice cream on top. Yummy. This dessert is worth PhP 209.

Duchess Apple Pie

Duchess Apple Pie… I love the apples, it’s so tender and it just melts in your mouth (almost all of their desserts melt in the mouth :p ). This is also a must try. This is priced at PhP 169.

Gourmet Shakes

We also tried their fresh and unique shakes. They’re very colorful and very attractive to the eye. The food bloggers enjoyed taking pictures of each drink because they’re so colorful . We all got different flavors such as: Kiwi-Apple, Blueberry-Banana, Orange-Mango etc. As for me, I got the Strawberry-Kiwi (the red and green one, Merry Christmas! )

UCC Cafe Terrace in Trinoma has some promos:

Get 15% off on anything from their menu until August 31 (you still have time!)

Also get a free 4 hours valet parking for every single minimum receipt worth PhP 1000. This will run from July 27, 2008- December 31, 2008. Parking is really hard when you’re in Trinoma, so better try this promo

UCC has 15 stores around the Philippines (including the 3 different concepts such as Vienna Cafe, Cafe Terrace and Park Cafe). Some of the other concepts carry some unique dishes but the best selling items are in all kinds of branches.

UCC Vienna Cafe branches are in: Tomas Morato in Quezon City, Connecticut st in Greenhills, The Podium At Ortigas Center, SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, The Block in Quezon City, The Clubhouse at Corinthian Hills, Quezon City and at Rustan’s Makati. The most recent addition is in SM Pampanga.

UCC CAfe Terrace branches are in: Forbes Town Center in Global City, Paseo Center in Paseo de Roxas Makati, Rockwell Drive in Makati, Westgate Center in Alabang, Robinson’s Midtown in Ermita, Manila, SM Mall of Asia overlooking Manila Bay and of course the newly opened store in Trinoma, Quezon City.

UCC Park Cafe is at Glorietta Park, Makati.

Did you know…

- that UCC means Ueshima Coffee Company? Mr. Tadao Ueshima popularized coffee in Japan in 1933 though coffee has been in Japan 300 years prior to 1933.

- that they have cup tasters called ” classificadores”? They’re somewhat like wine tasters who would need to taste the quality of the coffee before being sold. Their palates are very much treasured. Imagine how many coffees they need to taste and the caffeine kick? hehe

- that coffee has oil on top of it, it’s actually much better?

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Let me first describe the difference in eating Shabu-Shabu than in a usual restaurant. First, a Shabu-Shabu restaurant has a different type of table wherein it has some burners under it ( other restaurants would have an LPG tank under/ beside the table) because this requires heat in order to proceed with the cooking. Second, there ‘paraphernalia’ needed in Shabu-Shabu such as Chinese soup spoon (or White Spoon), soup laddle and strainer. Third, if you are in a hurry this isn’t for you. You need to be prepared to be inside the restaurant in about an hour or more. Also, be ready to smell like food ( you know, like being in a fastfood court) since you will be cooking your own food.

Here is the idiot’s guide to Shabu-Shabu:

1) Choose the type of Shabu-Shabu that you want.

The most standard thing in the Shabu-Shabu are the vegetables and noodles. So all you have to do is choose whether you like meat, seafood, chicken, lamb, etc.. Once you decide on what kind of Shabu-Shabu you want, the waiter will bring it to your table immediately and you can already start the cooking. So you will be expecting the waiter to pour the soup base on your Shabu-Shabu pot, then he/she will be bringing some chopped garlic, chili and green onion, also sate (or barbeque sauce) will be brought too.

2) Boil the Soup Base

Decide whether you want your soup base to be spicy, mild or just the plain chicken stock base. By the way, Ms. Hwang said that in Healthy Shabu-Shabu, vegetarian customers can request a mushroom stock base from the waiters. After knowing what kind of soup base you want, mix the ingredients in the Shabu-Shabu pot. Manager Toto was the one who was demonstrating in our table, he dropped half of the chopped garlic, chili and green onions onto my soup (make sure that the soup is boiling before adding the ingredients, as what Ms. Hwang said so that the soup become tastier than rushing everything). As for me, I like my soup spicy so I added more chopped chili and sate on my soup stock. Then, half of the chopped chili, garlic and green onion were dropped into my sauce. This sauce is important because this would give more flavor on the soup base. As for the fresh egg, Manager Toto separated the egg white and the yolk. He placed the egg white onto the boiling soup ( you have to stir it immediately so as to not burn the egg whites) and as for the yolk, he added it to my shabu-shabu sauce.

After doing that ritual, drop the vegetables that would require a long time to cook such as the sweet corn, yam, carrots etc.. The mushrooms, tofu, fish cakes, fishball, squidball, meatball, Taiwanese Pechay and Cabbage would only require a short time of cooking (probably a 10-20 seconds) so better fish them out before it melts in the boiling pot. What I could suggest is to cook one item at a time. Do not drop all the ingredients altogether if you will not eat yet.

You can already drop the meat or seafood on the pot. The meat slices are very thin and the cooking requirement is very short (probably 5-10 seconds). As for the prawns, it may take longer probably 8-10 minutes.

3) Eating the Shabu-Shabu

Since you will be dropping the ingredients one a time, eating is also done one at a time. It would taste much better if you dip the item ( vegetable, meat or seafood) onto the sauce that you prepared in the beginning. I would suggest not to order rice anymore ( sorry for rice lovers here…) because you will really get full at once if you eat rice while eating Shabu-Shabu.

For this kind of meal, PATIENCE IS REALLY A VIRTUE. Eating Shabu-Shabu is really an art wherein you enjoy the food by being involved in the preparation of it.

And after a shabu-shabu food trip, you may want to try their fresh fruits with black gulaman as a dessert.

You can visit Healthy Shabu-Shabu in Powerplant Mall, The Podium, SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Galleria, SM North The Block, Alabang Town Center, Robinsons Midtown and Shangri La Plaza Mall.

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I guess some of you went to an easter egg hunt. I, myself have experienced it a long time ago. I also made one too. I’ve found this picture on Flickr which I find very timely since the easter egg decoration is creative. It does not stick to the usual easter egg decoration using dyes.

Its history dates back to the ancient times where Persians paints eggs for Nowrooz (their New Year celebration. Nowrooz is being celebrated during spring. However, the word easter comes from a germanic word Eostre.

The easter egg tradition is speculated to have started in the West, after Lent since egg symbolizes New Life.

More information can be found here.

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