WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN










WELCOME TO MY KITCHEN!!
I hope you enjoy the food!!!
Showing posts with label Nuffnang. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nuffnang. Show all posts

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Cocobella Coconut Water

I recently signed up to be part of a taste test for a new range of drinks called Cocobella.

I do drink sports drinks after a session at the gym, and one of my favourites is NutrientWater, so I was pleased when I learnt that Cocoabella is made by the same people.

Luke Brad and Matt, three 20 something year old school mates began their career back in 2005 by launching NutrientWater, and along their hydration drink journey their discovered the wonderful properties of young coconut water, and hence a new journey began for them.

Since reading their website I have found out much about coconut water.



So what is Cocobella, and why would you drink this drink as opposed to regular sports drinks?

It is the clear fluid that is found in young coconuts (before they turn brown and the fluid turns to coconut milk).  It is high in five essential electrolytes - potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium and phosphorous, which are important when replenishing the body after strenuous activity.  It in fact has 3 times the amount of essential electrolytes that are found in other sports drinks on the market, and has been dubbed "Natures Own Sport's Drink".  Not only that but it is also low in calories, and has zero fat, cholesterol or preservatives.   If you are a fan of the "Coconut" flavour, then this is definitely a product you should give a try.

Cocobella is produced in Indonesia and the plantation is fully sustainable.  It is packaged in tetra paks which not only protects the product, but is environmentally friendly in many ways.  So as we replenish our body we can feel good about the product we are consuming as well.

So what about the actual drink?

In all fairness I am not a huge fan of coconut flavoured drinks - so I was very keen to try these products.

There are three flavours - Pink Guava, Mango and Pineapple and then there is the "straight up" version.  The Mango was my favourite flavour.  There was a lightness of coconut flavour, with a hint of the mango flavour.  The strongest flavour I thought was the Pineapple one - and to me it did not seem as thirst quenching as the others.

Would I go out of my way to buy these products?  I think I in all honesty I would have to say no.

Not only was the flavour not a clincher for me, but the drinks come in 250ml packs and cost $3 - which puts them at the pricy end of the spectrum for me.

While I was not a huge fan of these drinks, I am sure that there will be many out there who will love these drinks, and that they will be a good addition to the drink market come Summer.

I thank Nuffnang for the opportunity to taste test these products as part of their Product Talk program.




Thursday, November 11, 2010

Dear Santa Nuffnang



Dear Santa Nuffnang,

I have been a very good girl this year.

I have written my daily blogs (well ..... not really daily - but I do think 166 posts since May is pretty good going for a time strapped mother of four!!)

I have made new friends (I have attended two bloggers parties - the first one - I knew no-one at all - and believe me this is a very big move for me!!)

I have embarrassed myself (carrying a blow up palm tree to said bloggers do!!) (another big move for me)

I have learned my lessons well (I can now add links within my posts, I can photo shop my photos, and I can also annotate them too!!!) Who said you can't teach old dogs new tricks??

But when you ask me (the Christmas Blogger's challenge) what has been my defining moment (ie my best blog) this year I am a little hard pressed to come up with one in particular - so I guess I would like to start with this one.... entitled Prawn Ravioli with Sauce Vierge.

Why do I like it you ask?  Well other than the obvious - it was a great meal!!!!  I would have to say .....

Having recently attended my first bloggers do (Yum Cha at the Marigold), I was encouraged to try a little harder.  I had met other people that were doing the same thing as me.  I now felt that there was a world out there listening to me - I wasn't talking to myself.  I learnt a few "tricks of the trade" - I was growing as a blogger!!  My hit rate started increasing, my comments section started reflecting that people were actually reading me!!  I still had my L's on, but I was now traveling the blogosphere with more confidence.

In this blog, I added more photos, photos that I had photoshopped, and that I had added my blog address to (I was very impressed with myself!!) - I tried to add a little personal "chattiness" (and even got readers to empathise with me)  I finished the blog with a photo of a tree that I could see from my computer as I wrote my blog - (more personalisation!!!)  By the way Santa, this photo still makes me smile, even now after the flowers are gone, and spring is but a far distant memory?!?  I know you haven't visited Sydney for nearly a year - but our weather has gone to the dogs!!  Is there anything you can do about that???  If it means no on the ipad, well, then I can live with the weather!!

So all in all, I look at this post as my turning point - I have grown stronger and more confident with each blog.  I now reach out to the greater blogging community feeling more sure of my work - yet still knowing that I have room for improvement.  We do not all do the same thing, but we all love what we do.

So Santa, please, please, pretty please with sugar on top, can I have an ipad for Christmas????

PS. If you grant my wish can you please make sure that it is clearly labelled under the tree so that "The Darlings" don't think that it is theirs!!!  We don't want any fights on Christmas day do we???

Nuffnang Christmas Party

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the Nuffnang Christmas Party being held at the Bavarian Beer Cafe in Sydney.  The theme for the night was Blue Hawaii - dress was optional.  This was the Christmas get together for all the Sydney bloggers - a chance to finally meet the faces behind all the names that we see each day.  There were some familiar faces that I recognised from the last event Chocolate Suze,  Simon,  Jacq, and several others (sorry I will add your links later - forgive me I have alzheimers!!!)  Some knew each other and all was good, but for some of us this is all still really new - and you sit there nervously explaining what it is that you blog about.

I tried to be adventuresome - got into the theme - wore a blue dress (wasn't Hawaiian but it did have flowers on it!) - wore a couple of leis around my neck, and carried a blow up palm tree!!  Yes, we did  did get quite a few sideways glances on the train (me and my BFF).  Must say though we got the most as we stood waiting out in George Street for Miss Insatiable Munchies to arrive!  Even got an offer of a visit to a deserted island!! Me personally -  I would have preferred the Desserted Island - but that's just a food blogger for you!!

We arrive at the Bavarian Beer Cafe - not too many Hawaiian decked out people there - oh well, I am not going to be perturbed I'm here to have a good time - and good time we did have.  I met some lovely new people - I am sorry but I didn't get blog addresses - it was quite noisy and I figured I would pick up addresses later as others posted them (yes I know very slack!!)

We had some great food......






....tried some Ladies Beers - served in a champagne glass - beer laced with lovely sweet concoctions (I had passionfruit) - very good, but there was lychee, cherry, and I think mango.  Very interesting.



....But the best part of the night was that I won "best dressed" - they liked the fact that I went to the effort to bring along the palm tree!!  For my efforts I won an ipod shuffle - THANK YOU NUFFNANG!!!  - and yes, we did take that blow up palm tree back on the train with us - all the way home!!  "The Darlings" are quite impressed that their dear old Mum actually won a prize - and now they are fighting over who can have the palm tree!!

So albiet a little early - but Happy Christmas to all you Nuffnang Bloggers out there!!!  See you at the next event!!