The BTS Meal is coming to the Philippines on June 18!

Get ready, because the Golden Arches are about to shine even brighter thanks to a new collaboration with 21st century global pop icons, BTS.

Are you ready for this one-of-a-kind collaboration?

This one-of-a-kind menu “tour” will arrive in the Philippines on June 18, 2021, when customers can enjoy the band’s signature order at participating restaurants nationwide.

The BTS Meal includes a 10-piece Chicken McNuggets®, medium World Famous Fries®, medium Coca-Cola, and Sweet Chili and Cajun dipping sauces inspired by popular recipes from McDonald’s South Korea.

Sneak peek of the BTS Meal!

“The band has great memories with McDonald’s. We’re excited about this collaboration and can’t wait to share the BTS Meal with the world,” says BIGHIT MUSIC, label of BTS.

Since 2013, BTS has topped music charts and brought people together from all over the world through their music and positive messages. Over the next few months, BTS fans everywhere will find themselves that much closer to their favorite artists... because for the first time since McDonald’s launched its celebrity signature orders program in the U.S. last year, the BTS Meal will be available globally in nearly 50 countries. You can find a full list of participating countries as well as dates for meal availability here.

“No matter who you are, everyone has a go-to order at McDonald’s - even international superstars like BTS.” said Oliver Rabatan, McDonald’s Philippines Marketing & Channels Head. “This band is truly a global phenomenon with a fanbase that knows no borders, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring the BTS Meal to our customers in the Philippines starting June.”

Waiting for you Anpanman! :)

So mark your calendars for June 18, and be sure to keep an eye out on McDonald’s social channels McDo.ph on Facebook and McDo_PH on Twitter and Instagram for regular updates on this exciting partnership!

Cooking with my Air Fryer | Mocha Muffins.

Afternoons have become relatively cooler now that we're entering the rainy season. Compared to the past few weeks when afternoons would be extremely hot and humid, today's drizzly weather was just right for baking. 

My son had been requesting for Mocha Muffins since last week, and today, I finally had the chance to whip up a batch for our midday snack. Goes perfectly well with a cup of coffee (or tea) while watching K-dramas or Trese on Netflix. 

Sharing with you the recipe, because I know some of you have been missing my air fryer recipe posts and have been wondering I've been doing with my air fryer lately. Well, my air fryer is now officially a year old - very much used, well-loved, and still one of my best buys during this pandemic. :)

Mocha Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp cocoa powder

1 tbsp instant coffee powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 whole eggs (cool, straight from the fridge)

3/4 cup all-purpose cream

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Procedure:

1. Preheat air fryer to 170° Celsius.

2. In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, coffee powder, baking powder, and salt. (You may choose not to add salt if you are using salted butter.)

3. Add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients and mix well.

4. Mix the butter and sugar in another bowl and with a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat in low speed until fluffy. (You can mix by hand, but make sure that the butter is at room temperature.) 

Muffin time once again! :)

5. Add the eggs to the mixture one at a time, and beat until the eggs are no longer visible.

6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the mixture and the all-purpose cream, mix at low speed.

7. Add the remaining half of the dry ingredients and continue to mix until everything is well-combined. 

8. Put your mixer at high speed for 5-10 seconds to make sure the mixture is creamy and has a refined texture.

9. Using an ice cream scoop, fill your paper-lined muffin tin cups with the batter and top with more chocolate chips.

Super moist Mocha Muffins! 

10. Bake at 170° Celsius for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

11. Let cool for five minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Black Leaves Australia | Healthy, Handcrafted Teas.

I've always been a coffee person - you know, the kind of person who needs a cup of joe in the morning to function properly throughout the day, and depends on strong coffee blends to meet writing deadlines and pull occasional all-nighters. But every now and then, I fancy a good cup of tea - especially on days when I just want to detoxify my body, destress, and get a good night's sleep.

Just recently, I discovered Black Leaves, a popular tea brand from Australia. They offer a variety of teas and tea blends - from Butterfly Pea Flower Tea and Peppermint Teas, to carefully curated concoctions like ginger and calendula flowers, turmeric, fennel, and dandelion root. Their products are all-natural,  with each herb picked, blended, and packed by hand.

Care for a cuppa?

The story behind the birth of this much-loved tea brand is quite interesting, and a very heartwarming one at that. Its founder, Anthony Loggia, discovered the wonders of tea whilst on a trip to Thailand. Amazed by the health benefits of tea, Anthony researched and studied different herbs and blends, until he was able to create a concoction that could help his mother lose weight. In six months' time, Anthony's mother was able to go back to her original weight in a healthy and sustainable way, thanks to the filial son's labor of love. 

New Me 28 Day Teatox from Black Leaves.

This piqued my interest for Black Leaves' products even more, and as I navigated through their website, I came across the "New Me 28 Day Teatox" - a special blend of teas formulated to rid your body of toxins, flush out water weight, and help you achieve your weight loss goals. This 28-day program consists of the following tea blends: Goji Berries to increase fat burning and decrease fat absorption; Berry Bay to fight fluid retention and help reduce body weight; Cinnamon Garden to relieve bloating and help with constipation and indigestion; and Délices des Abeilles to suppress cravings and reduce appetite.

I've tried teatoxing before, and would love to try it again with Black Leaves' New Me 28 Day Teatox program with hopes of losing some (if not all) of the weight that I have gained since this pandemic started. Thankfully, I have a friend in Australia who can buy them for me and have them shipped to the Philippines. Black Leaves currently ships within Australia only, and I can't wait for them to do international shipping soon. They have so many wonderful blends that I would love to try!

Stevia in the Philippines | Staying Strong Amidst the Pandemic.

Glorious, popularly known as the country’s first Stevia company, is positive on its outlook despite almost 2-years in the pandemic. As more and more people turn to healthier alternatives, sales of stevia products continue to grow.

According to agribusiness finance giant Rabobank, Stevia's sales are expected to hit $700 million worldwide in the next few years.

Consumers in the Philippines can now get their calorie-free sugar needs from natural alternatives. Before, stevia was restricted to the health food market without any FDA approval. Recently, it is now widely used as a natural substitute for artificial sweeteners in many products.

The stevia farm in Bulacan.

“Stevia has been touted as a safe and healthy sugar substitute with proven health benefits. It can sweeten foods, and it has several health benefits, including decreased calorie intake, lower blood sugar levels, and less risk of cavities,” said Maura De Leon, the woman behind Glorious, the country’s first stevia grower and manufacturer.

While it has zero calories, stevia is 200 times sweeter than refined sugar and does not affect blood sugar. It is a popular option for people looking to lose weight but who want to reduce their sugar intake.

Stevia is an herb that has been grown in tropical climates for centuries. It is a small bushy plant that belongs to the sunflower family and grows in Paraguay and Brazil, but it can be quickly grown elsewhere. For centuries, the people of Paraguay add them to their foods as sweeteners, and countries like Korea, Brazil, China, Japan, and South America, have long used stevia.

Stevia - the sweeter but healthier alternative to sugar.

Stevia products such as teas, juices, healthy coffees, chocolate beverages and natural sweeteners, manufactured by Glorious, are approved safe by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) even for people who have diabetes.

“Stevia is much sweeter than sugar, so you don't have to add much. It’s good to note that the Philippines is also catching up on the use of this natural sweetener in various food preparations,” added De Leon.

Stevia is a natural sweetener taken from the leaves of a bushy shrub. The Stevia plant or (Stevia rebaudiana) has 150 species known to have originated from North and South America. Currently, it is produced by lots of countries, with China as the number one exporter of stevia products, and can be purchased at garden centers for home growing.

People who have diabetes can benefit from stevia. Choosing pure stevia extract can help maintain normal blood sugar levels and should be used in moderation. Stevia can also help cut down added sugar consumption, which can be beneficial for children. High sugar intake in children could lead to heart disease due to reconstructing triglyceride and cholesterol levels, contributing to children's weight gain. Substituting added sugar for stevia can minimize these risks. At the same time, moderate consumption of foods with stevia and other sweeteners can prevent adverse side effects and promote overall health.

Coffee made healthier with Stevia.

What’s even better is that you can add Stevia to make healthy desserts which are diabetic and keto friendly. This is great for people who have a sweet tooth but can’t indulge because of health restrictions.

Incidentally, all Glorious Blend beverages— from the 3-in-1, 5-in-1, 7-in-1 mixes, use Stevia which has no calories, no carbohydrates, and zero glycemic index. All of their instant drinks will keep you alert and energized throughout the day. For more information about Glorious, the Stevia Company, check out https://gidc.com.ph/.

Speaks G Lets You Enjoy A Relaxing Spa Day at Home.

Spa and wellness treatments might not be a part of your necessities at the moment, but we could all use a relaxing escape from the stress of pandemic. Now, more than ever, it is essential for us to indulge in pampering ourselves on a regular basis. Not only it is pleasurable, it is also extremely beneficial to your well-being especially now that we spend most of our time indoors.

It may be an impression that spa is a type of luxury and that it may be expensive to squeeze in your weekly budget, but trust us, you don’t need to splash out a large amount of cash to treat yourself into a fancy self-care time—and you can totally DIY within the comforts of your own home!

Ready for a spa day at home?

As a skincare brand that makes every user experience the power of healthy and flawless skin, Speaks G is the perfect partner to recreate an at-home spa day session you long deserve to have.

Here’s how you can have a simple, stress-relieving spa day at home with Speaks G:

Whipp Relief Soap.

Jump in the shower and give yourself a good rejuvenating scrub

Dead cells can sometimes accumulate on the surface of your skin and lead to dull and dry skin. That’s why regular exfoliation is important to nourish the skin. Speaks G’s Whipp Relief Soap helps in eliminating dead cells and deeply cleanses the skin. You will feel instantly refreshed and lighter after scrubbing away those skin impurities.

Ultra Peel Soap.

Remove breakouts with a face peel

Acnes can be caused by many factors including stress, lifestyle, the food you eat, and having dry skin. Treat breakouts with facial peels that slough off the top layers of your skin, leaving the surface smooth and clear. Speaks G’s Ultra Peel Soap revives your skin’s elasticity and can take off dark spots, whiteheads, blackheads, and other facial blemishes. Face peels will surely tighten your pores while keeping them soft and supple.

Aloe Vera Gel

Let your nails breathe with moisturizing gel

Manicure is not the only spa treatment you can have for your nails, give them extra TLC by keeping your cuticles healthy and hydrated for good nail growth. Speaks G’s Aloe Vera Gel is a versatile product that can be used not only on your hair, face, and body; it also has moisturizing and nourishing properties to strengthen your nails, prevent brittleness, and helps in the regeneration of damaged nails. Just apply a proper amount of gel to your hands, gently massaging your fingers and nails until the gel is completely absorbed.

Opulent Tawas Cream.

Level up your skincare routine with a gentle cream

Keep dry skin and acne growth at bay by applying lotion or cream right after your shower routine. Speaks G’s Opulent Tawas Cream is an all-in-one cream that whitens dark spots, eliminates body odor, and minimizes pores—great with quick body massage and an easy way to add gentle care to your skin. Aside from its beneficial nutrients, it is also an antioxidant that protects your skin and calms skin inflammations. Creams can condition your skin and will surely give you a moist and bouncy look.

Sunflower Beauty Oil.

Try new beauty products and find the best one for your skin

There are so many products available in the market and often times we lean on products that are popular or those that you already tried. But as the world around us keeps on changing, so our skincare should, too. Speaks G’s newly launched product, the Sunflower Beauty Oil, can be considered as a beauty breakthrough and a holy grail for skincare that you deserve to try. This beauty oil can intensely moisturize your skin and address every skin problem with a single drop. With a gentle application of Speaks G Sunflower Beauty Oil, it can soften and soothe dry and irritated skin. Include it in your routine and experience youthful and glowing skin!

And there you have it, an easy spa day at home tips we hope you’d try! Give yourself some ‘me’ time to be refreshed, recharged, and revitalized. To order Speaks G products, send them a message through their Facebook page www.facebook.com/speaksg.main or you may reach them at 0917 118 5363.