Appreciation in a sip...

It's funny to know what goes on in a consumer's mind. Working before as a marketeer and also in sales has allowed me to understand a little better the importance of the value of a brand. Branding has always been a topic that I would love to study and what makes it fun is to learn about brands that has existed for centuries and yet can be so successful today. I have to admit that I am one of those who are loyal to brands I believe in. Check my wardrobe and 90% of them are from Zara. If I want to buy a pair of shoes, the first shop I visited would be Aldo.

It's probably the same when it comes to drinking and eating. I have a certain favourite drink or a favourite restaurant. Although it looks like I am popping champagnes and wines all the time, in fact I am beginning to explore the world of beers. Beers are generally low in alcohol percentage (but some could easily go up to 10%), served cold and it makes a refreshing drink in summer or warm weather like what we have here. There is just thousands of variety of beer out there and I don't think one would ever get bored of trying.

 The pic of me when I first started drinking Kilkenny 2 years ago.

When it comes to ale, Kilkenny would always be on my mind because I enjoy its full-bodied, distinctive taste that with a nitrogenated creaminess and surge. It's an appreciation in a sip. A drink is not just a drink. It means more to me because I take my alcohol seriously and I need to know what I am consuming and thus I did a little research on Kilkenny.

Kilkenny originated from a city called Kilkenny in Ireland. Did you know that Kilkenny is even older than some countries with a history dating back to the 14th century? It was originally brewed by the St Francis Abbey monks in the 14th century and it was only during the reign of Henry VIII that forces the Abbey to close. Then in the 1705, the Smithwick family discovered the wonderful brew and started to commercially produce Kilkenny which is known as "The Cream of Irish Beers".

 

You can find all the information and fun facts you'll need to know from their Kilkenny Facebook page here. The page has really interesting posts of Kilkenny for every occasion and sometimes there are jokes that we never heard of from this part of the world.

With 300 years of brewing legacy, it's no surprise that Kilkenny comes to mind when someone mentions the word " Irish ale". What sets Kilkenny apart is that it is nitrogenated whereas most brews are carbonated. It's difficult to miss a Kilkenny due to its distinctive red hue and a velvety smooth, creamy head. These features are due to it being brewed with a 100% Irish malt which is mildly baked in the brewing process.

 

A sexy date?

One sip of Kilkenny, a premium Irish ale, with three centuries of brewing perfection is all it takes for the discerning few to appreciate the finer things in life. That's the value of a brand that endures the test of time. Drinking ale is more than just quenching the thirst for some. It's an appreciation in a sip. 

  

The tutorial will guide you through the pouring. There are two steps and the perfect pour, first you pour 2/3 of the glass full, then let the ale sit until the foam goes down. The difficult part is the remaining of the pint and it is a short pour where you have to make sure the ale doesn't overflow.

I recently found out that Kilkenny Malaysia has a very fun Facebook page and you can learn about the Irish culture, cuisine and also the pubs and drinks. I learnt how the ale is made and I also enjoyed the jokes about the Irish that they posted on the Facebook. So check it out and you'll be surprised by what you can learn here.

The Greek Goodness

If one has been to Maldives, then where do you suggest one to go next?

I have an answer - SANTORINI

It's such a beautiful place and the whitewashed low-lying cubicle houses on the cliffs made out of stone stands out against the clear blue sea. This is of course another one of the must-go-islands in my list. Speak of Santorini and Greece comes into my mind.

The closest association I have with anything Greek would probably be Greek Yogurt. Did you know that there are many types of yogurt in the market such as Balkan, Swiss and Greek? Despite Greek Yogurt being really popular in Europe and America, we seldom find this variety of yogurt in our supermarkets. Fret no more as Nestlé has decided to launch 3 varieties of Greek Yogurt in Malaysia to further provide us with a richer yogurt experience!

 Nestlé  Greek Yogurt Variants

Strawberry Field, Natural and Peach Harvest

I am not a big fan of sourness and thus when Nestlé  was conducting a sampling on all 3 variants, I took the opportunity and try each of them. Most of yogurt fans would probably like the Natural variant but since I prefer something sweeter, I like the Strawberry Field and the Peach Harvest.

Each 135g cup of yogurt comes with a lid and a foldable spoon for consumer convenience. The serving size is just right and I like the packaging too which reminds me of Santorini. The difference between the regular yogurt and greek yogurt is its texture. I find the greek yogurt to be more silky, creamy and thicker. While regular yogurt is strained twice in the process of making it, the Greek yogurt is strained 3 times and thus making it thicker. And if you really want to know all about the difference between a regular yogurt and a greek yogurt, you can read this article "Greek vs Regular" here.

Since I don't really like yogurt that is too sour, I came up with a brilliant idea of making it appealing to my palate. I started taking yogurt regularly a few months ago for constipation purposes. Haha... Coffee used to do the trick but lately when I was in Europe I find that eating yogurt helps!

 

The left picture is a recipe using the Nestle Greek Yogurt Natural with Honey, Walnuts and Sweet Mango. Usually the greeks will take their yogurt with honey and walnuts but I like adding some fruits for the fruity flavours. On the right, I added just strawberries and peaches to the Nestle Greek Yogurt Natural. oohhh... I'm so smart to have found a way to eat those sour yogurt!!! If you are lazy, you can just buy the Strawberry Field and Peach Harvest variants as the real fruit pieces are chunky and generous.

 It makes a nice dessert or breakfast to serve to your guests too!

Recently on May 19th, Nestlé Greek Yogurt had a roadshow at Midvalley (in front of La Boheme in Jusco) to launch its yogurt. To tempt the consumers, every purchase of two cups of Nestle Greek Yogurt entitles them to take a picture as a Greek Goddess with a good looking Greek Warrior feeding them the yogurt!

 Redmummy and KampungBoyCityGal were there too and we were given an explanation on the goodness of Greek Yogurt. Hue Gee was there with me too as we had some shopping and lunch before that. Although the price is slightly more expensive than the regular yogurt, it did not stop the curious consumers from grabbing a few to try, and it's easy to see why, Nestlé  Greek Yogurt is silkier, thicker and creamier. Not only low in fat, it's a natural source of protein and calcium and there is no sugar added!

Goodness of live culture in yogurt!

I had not one but four Greek warriors!!!

And since I aim to visit Santorini, I better get used to eating more Greek Yogurt!

Try Nestlé Greek Yogurt at locations found here.

Xmas shopping all done!

Can you just feel the air of Christmas around you? I've always like Christmas for the wrong reasons. It's an excuse for me to shop and splurge on something I don't get to own because I'm obviously buying them as gifts for friends! It's the time of giving and a celebration of the year coming to an end and a new one would begin. It's a time of reflections but also a time to give thanks especially to those who have been important to my life.

Wain or wine, there's no whine about that!

Wine is probably one of the best Xmas gifts. There's bottles waiting to be popped in every christmas celebration and be it red or white, you'll never go wrong with bringing a bottle. If you're unsure what to pick, buying a bottle of Australian wine such as Carbernet Sauvignon (red) is always the safest choice. You can't go wrong with a Sauvignon Blanc (white) from New Zealand too! If the receiver likes something sweeter, pick a Riesling!

This is of course my favourite section during Xmas. As not everyone might know how to appreciate wines, you should also pick some beers too as Tesco carries a wide variety of imported beer as well such as the Erdinger in this picture.

 

If you're buying for someone who doesn't drink, a bottle of olive oil would also be nice. It's not the best gift in terms of "flashiness" but it's thoughtful and practical if he or she likes to cook. You can even use it in the salad platters or to be dipped with bread during the Xmas parties at home.

 For a good selection of Olive Oil, Tesco do have a few labels under their own flagship brand. I bought a bottle of Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil from there. I wonder who's the lucky receiver of this gift. heheh....

And if you're throwing a party at home, you'll need desserts! Don't fret about thinking what to bake. Just get to the chiller section of Tesco and pick a few tubs of ice-cream. For something really different, how about chocolates that comes in an ice-cream form?!! Snickers, Mars and Bounty are all in that chiller waiting to be brought home!The Snickers ice-cream is really something that get your guests going nuts rounds after rounds. Yummy...

Ok, so what happens if you're on a tight budget but would love to get something practical and useful?!!

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tadaa....

Get this artsy-fartsy tissue box from Kleenex. It's not cheap ok?!! It costs a freaking RM8.90 for this beautiful box of tissues. Who says beauty comes cheap? It'll be the centre of attention on that coffee table I tell you and this might just be one of the best tight-budget-Xmas-gift!

Warning: Gift at own risk.

It's amazing how you can actually pick up Xmas presents at a hypermarket. And Tesco Extra at Mutiara Damansara seems to be the perfect place to shop this Christmas season. After a hard's day shopping and pushing the trolley around, why don't you just stop by and have a meal at one of the many eating outlets in there too? All under one roof, isn't that just perfect?

I am giving away Tesco voucher worth RM100 to the one reader who can answer these 3 questions in the best way possible.

1. Which ice-cream did I recommend in this post?
2. Which Tesco did I mention in this post?
3. And compliment me in 3 words. (Best question ever!)

Just post your answers in the comment section with your email address or you can also email me at eilingblog@gmail.com and I'll announce the winner here after 48 hours from the posting date.

Fire away!

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WALK FOR LIFE

Tesco Malaysia, in its efforts to Help Children with Leukaemia recently launched Walk for Life 2012 which will be held on 9 December 2012 at Bukit Jalil Park in support of underprivileged children suffering from leukaemia. 

Do your part for leukaemia children.

For more info, please log on to www.tesco.com.my

Pasta tips and more...

Believe it or not, 9 of us out of 10 would probably face some problems while cooking pasta. Be it undercooked, overcooked, burnt (very unlikely for me), pasta stuck together or turning out tasteless tend to be the normal problems we face. Lately, I did some trials and finally I found some tips of preparing pasta.

Tip 1:

First of all, you have to understand that not all pasta are made the same way and selecting a good and reputable brand is very important. Pasta ought to be made only with 100% Durum Semolina, but recognizing that is not enough. The pasta connoisseurs will distinguish pasta from pasta and thus reading the labels is very important and I trust pasta made in Italy. Do you know that high-quality pasta has a nice golden color with a slight opaque appearance?

For buying pasta, I like Tesco Extra as they have aisles of pasta to choose from and a good variety of imported labels are available here. I stood a good 10 minutes there deciding which label to buy.

I even bought 2 packets of Alce Nero Organic Penne Rigate which was on promotion and the price was very reasonable.

Tip 2:
Use a big pot, plenty of water and good salt.
By using a big pot, you can avoid overcrowding of the pasta when boiling as pasta needs room to move. Water must be sufficient - for one pound of pasta, one should use at least six liters of water. Adding salt to the water is important as it will add flavour to pasta but salt must only be added when the water is boiling. After adding the salt, wait for the water to reach a rolling boil again before adding the dry pasta into the pot. For that, I like to use a good sea salt.

Tip 3:
During the cooking process, it's advisable to stir the pasta which is submerged in the water 2 to 3 times. It's very important to be attentive while cooking pasta as it'll take about 8 to 10 minutes to cook. The way to get an "al-dente" pasta is to taste them yourself. Once you find that the pasta is "al-dente", it's time to remove the pasta from the stove.

Tip 4:
Once the pasta is cooked, add a glass of cold water into the pot to prevent overcooking. Drain the pasta but don't lose its starch as the strands need to look glossy and well-moisturised. Some of the water from the pot can be kept to keep the pasta moisturised and the same water can be added into the sauce to bind the pasta and the sauce well.

For a quick meal, I like to use these pasta sauces which are easily available at the hypermarkets. Tesco Extra has a wide range of brands with an extensive choice of sauces from bolognese to hot & spicy. These are easy, no-frill pasta sauce preparation which is perfect after a long day at work.

I was having lunch with Gee at The Curve and we decided to pop into Tesco Extra at Mutiara Damansara to do our grocery shopping as I heard that the hypermarket has been newly renovated. Being curious, we both went and check it and out and I was impressed with the variety of eateries and also retail outlets there. It's everything under one roof!

There is a wide selection of food items and if you're looking for fine ingredients or imported food stuffs, this is the place to go. Tesco Extra has a few wallbays dedicated to their own Tesco "labels" where the food items are of high quality and imported from teas, coffees and sauces.

Gee was scouting for a new soup pot.

The reason why I like Tesco is that the aisles are all well-organised and the place is spacious. You can waltz into any Tesco outlets and you will know exactly where each and every category is located. I was very surprised to see the Uncle Bob's Fried Chicken counter where there is also a bistro for the patrons to sit down and have a meal before continuing their grocery shopping. This is very cool!

I bought one of these too and you can see it in my new house!

I like how everything here is organised and the selection for every category is well-represented. I was looking around for household items and I found that they have quite an impressive section for the house decorative items such as cushions, pillows and bedsheets. I was really shocked and since when a hypermarket sells all these? Think of the time and money you'll save by just shopping here without having to go to different places to buy certain things.

The new look and experience at Tesco Extra in Mutiara Damansara is really my ideal shopping place on weekends now.

NSFW: The Launching of De Jouer Innerwear

Not Safe For Work.

This has yet to be the hottest and sexiest event I've attended. When I received the invitation, I was rather curious about their lingerie collection and thus I invited both my girlfriends to go with me. After all, which girl doesn't like sexy lingerie? There was an endless flow of champagnes, canapes and cute girls in lingerie.

On 1st Nov, De Jouer has reached Malaysian shores and is redefining seductivity in the local scene. The launching event is held at The Venue in Pavilion KL and all invited guests are treated to a fabulous party and a catwalk of gorgeous models clad in the latest De Jouer innerwear which would is available on their online store.

 Pics courtesy of De Jouer
My favourite model of the night. She was flirty and sexy!
Love the white ensemble. The bra can be bought at RM75 and the lace thong for RM35 from their OMG collection.

 Targeted at women above 18 years old and young fashionable ladies, their collection was flirty and fun. The colours were also refreshing! The beautiful shoes that you see here are all from Shoeville at Bangsar Shopping Centre.

Pics courtesy of De Jouer
  Sexy!

  Pics courtesy of De Jouer
Goddess!

Pics courtesy of De Jouer
Feminity at its best.

Pics courtesy of De Jouer
So many eye candies!

I was actually quite surprised with the turnout of men at this event. I think the ratio of men guests vs ladies was almost 40% to 60%. Didn't know that guys are equally interested in the ladies' innerwear (or rather the sexy models in lingerie). Anyways, men aside, the event was well-organised and there was no shortage of good music, canapes and drinks.

I love these instant prints at the events. With Sue Lynn & Mayanne. We did take a few pictures for fun.

 Every guest walks home with this cute faceless pink teddy that is so huggable to sleep. And they were very detailed to the point that they get us to fill up a card with our mailing addresses and our sizes so that they could send us a set of the De Jouer lingerie. I have just received mine 2 days ago!

Pics courtesy of De Jouer

If you like what you see here, check out their online store on www.dejouer.com and be surprised by how affordable it is to look and feel sexy!

DeJouercustomercare@dejouer.com
24 hours a day, 7 days per week
Sales: +603-20220627

I'm UK Qualified!

By the way, it's not Ulu Klang.

When I was young, I heard so many wonderful stories from my parents about their student days in London. They told me about the red telephone booths, the Big Ben and the London Bridge (which was not falling down by the way). It also included stories of how they met in UK, fell in love, came back to Ipoh and then tadaa... there's me! Coming from a family educated in the UK, I always dreamt of being able to visit the country when I was a kid.

 And my first visit to London in 2006. Don't make fun of my hair!

The Great Britain has always been one of the best countries to offer music, heritage, culture, sports, spectacular countryside and fantastic experiences including festivals, art fairs, film screenings and ancient traditions. If you're really looking around for the right qualification and experience, embrace your independence with a UK education.

Getting a UK degree or qualification nowadays is not as complicated as before. With so many education fairs and information on the net, getting yourself prepared for an education in the UK is a breeze.

Top 4 Reasons - "YES" to Education UK!

1. An outstanding quality of teaching, and a world-class learning experience

Proof a: Over 86% of postgraduate students in the UK stated that their overall research programme experience either met or exceeded their expectations

Source: The 'Postgraduate Research Experience Survey' 2011

Proof b: Over 92% of postgraduate students in the UK positively rated the quality of teaching received

Source: The 'Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey' 2011

Proof c: Over 88% of international graduates are satisfied with their learning experience
Source: Tracking International GraduateOutcomes 2011. BIS. Published January 2012

2.  Great value for money

Proof: UK degree courses are typically shorter than many other countries courses and the UK is typically less expensive than the US and Australia in terms of fees charged.

Source: International Pricing Study: A snapshot of UK and key competitor country international student fees', UK HE International Unit, 2011. 

3. World-leading universities for research & innovation
Proof: The UK’s share of the world’s top 1% of most cited papers, indicates its share of the highest quality published research, which was 13.8% in 2010, only 2nd to the US

Source: International Comparative Performance of the UK ResearchBase - 2011

4.  Your passport to an outstanding career

Proof: UK-educated international graduates achieved higher average salaries than in their home country.

Source: Tracking International Graduate Outcomes 2011.BIS. Published January 2012

With so many plus points and favourable statistics, studying in the UK does provide a lot of opportunities for those who look for quality education and desire to enhance themselves by pursuing a UK based post-graduate qualification in addition to the multitude of experiences in the UK.

Join the Education UK exhibition in Malaysia to find out more!

It'll be so exciting to see what this exhibition has to offer. You might just discover a programme that is well suited for your needs and to get that qualification that you've ever wanted! So, do join me on these dates (below) and get the first hand information here. Don't miss this opportunity to talk to the experts.

Date   : 3rd to 4th Nov 2012
Time  : 1pm - 6pm 
Venue: The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre

There will also be a strong line-up of speakers and seminar topics during the exhibition. Enhance yourself with these useful talks and equip yourself with the tools you'll need for success. Check out this website for more info. Be there or be square!