Cook Smart (not hard) this Christmas with the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer.

It's almost Christmas! Barely 48 hours away, to be exact. And with the most festive and most-awaited holiday of the year right around the corner, I'm sure you've already planned out your Noche Buena-slash-Christmas Day menu.

The holidays are always such a big eating season for everyone. It’s that one time of the year when we feel extra carefree about what we eat because seriously, have you really enjoyed Christmas without jumping from one banquet to another?

But what if we tell you that you do not need to sacrifice healthy eating to enjoy the season? Even more, what if you find out that you can whip up your flavorful recipe in minutes in your own kitchen?

Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer should be on every Christmas wishlist of all home cooks out there. Versatile, easy to use, and very durable, this oven from the premium home brand can give you the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and ease of cooking as you cruise through the holidays.

One of the beauties of the Smart Oven Air Fryer is its ten cooking functions that can let you make to-die-for crispy treats and scrumptious slow-cooked meals. Toast, bake, roast, grill, and of course air fry without any fuss while shortening your cooking time. Equipped with Dual Speed Convection, this kitchen partner speeds up the cooking process by raising hotter air while sinking colder one. The result: 30 percent reduced cooking time as compared to regular ovens and air fryers!

Richie Zamora, the vlogger behind The Pickiest Eater in the World makes a perfect case for this when he prepared a full spread of TV chow snacks for his family to enjoy in minutes. He shares, "All these amazing snacks were cooked in the air fryer with absolutely no oil. Everything was cooked to a beautiful crisp, but you don't even realize that they aren't deep fried."

Let’s Eat Pare also showed how fast and easy it is to make restaurant-level fried crispy wings with Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer. In just 20 minutes, they were able to make a big batch of chicken wings in sour cream flavor! You can check out their recipe here if you want to try their version.

Of course, preparing healthier versions of dishes is another thing that makes this kitchen must-have from Breville essential. Air frying significantly reduces—if not totally removes—the use of oil in cooking, which means that you consume fewer calories and prevent weight gain and obesity when you air-fried food. Fortunately, for the Smart Oven Air Fryer, you don’t need to worry about sacrificing flavors just to go the healthier route. Chef Beng proves this when she made a Pinoy-style whole fried chicken using it.

“Normally, I will have this deep fried, but using an air fryer is apparently so much better as the chicken is amazingly crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Not to mention, this is a way healthier process than deep frying.”

She also shares that she loves the precision with time and temperature that this Air Fryer provides. “Just press a function and it automatically shows how long and high the cooking process will be.” This is made possible by Breville’s patented Element IQ System which is a smart algorithm that decides the ideal cooking environment for a range of different cooking techniques.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is definitely the kitchen partner to have this holiday season if you want to enjoy healthy, delicious meals minus the fuss. As Richie, Chef Beng, and Let’s Eat Pare say, respectively: "The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer proves that cooking doesn't need to be greasy to be delicious, and preparing food with less guilt doesn't mean less flavors either."

“It has 10 cooking functions which makes it a value-for-money purchase. I totally love it and I highly recommend this smart kitchen appliance.”

“It’s the ultimate kitchen tool you need to put on your Christmas shopping list, pare!”

What are you waiting for? Add the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer to your holiday wishlist now. To know more about the product, visit the Breville website and follow their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Common Winter Car Problems.

Winter, especially in northern climates, isn't an ideal time for vehicles. When the air gets cold, for one thing, it contracts and decreases the amount of pressure in your tires. The electrochemical reaction that allows the battery to start your car slows during cold weather, weakening the power of the battery. Each of the moving parts in the engine and attached to the chassis has a more difficult time working in freezing temperatures. Winter brings other problems for vehicles in the form of precipitation. Freezing rain, sleet and snow can create hazardous conditions and those deflated tires will have trouble on them. If your windshield wipers have been neglected, you'll have a difficult time seeing during the long periods of darkness, when the snow is whipping around you. Sand and salt can corrode the vehicle's body and can be tracked inside to destroy the interior, as well. Winter brings with it several common car problems.

Photo credit: Chris Peeters on Pexels.

Look Up Your VIN: Vehicle Identification Number

VINs are the identifying codes for specific automobiles. Each vehicle that is created is given a unique VIN and VIN tags are placed in multiple locations on the vehicle. You can find your VIN in several places, including on the vehicle's title and on the driver's side dashboard.

When you're looking for parts for your car or truck, knowing your VIN can save you time and hassle. By entering that number into a computer, you've narrowed the search down to parts and accessories for your particular vehicle. The year, make, model, trim level and package are all instantly recognized.

In the winter, when your heater core is on the fritz, creating cold conditions in the cabin, you'll expedite the process of replacing the part by accessing and communicating the VIN to whatever database you're investigating.

Photo credit: Shutterstock.

Providing Part Match Recommendations

An A/C heater blend door actuator can take care of the conditions of the cabin unless it's broken. When you get part match recommendations, you can get an actuator, or any other important part, in short order.

Sometimes, a cold car just doesn't want to start. When you're confronted with this scenario, the question becomes, which of the hundred or so issues could it be? When your vehicle doesn't turn over, it could be the battery or the spark plugs. It could also be thickened motor oil, thickened gas in the line or a bad starter or alternator. Once you've identified the part that has lost its integrity, you can rely on part match recommendations to order you a replacement quickly.

Photo credit: iStock Photo.

Dealing With Common Winter Car Problems

Even though winter brings with it some issues for drivers to deal with, there are things that can help. Winterizing your vehicle will help ensure that your fluids, sparkplugs and belts are in good repair and a VIN lookup can get you the parts that you need to stay functional and safe. You can use a voltmeter to check your battery's voltage. Visit an auto parts store today to pick up any parts or accessories that your vehicle needs to function at maximum performance level.

Noche Buena Ideas | Paella Recipe from The Goodwill Market.

Just one more week 'til Christmas, and by now I'm sure many of you have already planned or are already working on their Noche Buena-slash-Christmas menu. Now that most COVID restrictions have been lifted, Christmas gatherings will be a lot merrier as we can now accommodate relatives, friends, and other guests in our homes.

Of course, this also means indulging in good food to celebrate holiday traditions with family and friends. However, having too much rich foods may take a toll on your health. Serving healthy alternatives on your get-togethers can ensure that you are providing nutritious and delicious options that everyone can enjoy without missing out on the festivities.

The Goodwill Market shares this paella recipe by Chef Joel Tan Navarro that uses Duru Bulgur instead of rice. It packs more than twice the fiber and four times as much folate from bulgur, plus the umami goodness of mushrooms and the heart-healthy properties of olive oil.

Mushroom Truffle Paella (Duru Bulgur’s Vegetarian Paella)

Ingredients:

✓2 tbsp. Umbria Original Truffle Sauce

✓1 cup Duru Bulgur coarse

✓A drizzle of Umbria Tartufi White Truffle flavored oil

✓1/2 cup shitake mushrooms fresh

✓1/2 cup shitake mushrooms dried

✓1/2cup white button mushrooms

✓1/2 cup portobello mushrooms

✓1/2 cup arugula

✓1/2 cup olive oil

✓1/2 cup onions

✓2 cups vegetable stock

✓Salt

✓Pepper

Preparation:

1. Soak dried shitake mushrooms in hot water and let them bloom. Set aside.

2. Prepare, wash and cut other mushrooms and set aside.

3. Cut onions and set aside.

4. Wash the arugula and trim it into small pieces.

Cooking Time:

1. Heat up olive oil in a paella pan

2. Brown fresh shitake mushrooms and set aside. It will be used as a garnish.

3. Add a little bit of olive oil then sauté onions.

4. Add the rest of the mushrooms until brown.

5. Add the truffle salsa.

6. Add Duru Bulgur coarse and sauté for about 1 to 2 minutes.

7. Then add vegetable stock and let it simmer and reduce.

8. When reduced, place the fresh shitake mushrooms as garnish.

9. Cover with foil to continue cooking and adjust the heat to medium low.

10. When the bulgur is cooked, crank up the heat to achieve the socoratt (crispy bottom layer of bulgur).

11. When done, take it off the heat and garnish with arugula. Serve.

Switch things up this Noche Buena with this filling and festive paella, made with Duru Bulgur that is conveniently available at The Goodwill Market online store. Shop smart and have your healthy goodies delivered directly to your doorstep through www.goodwill.market.

Give the Gift of Radiant Skin with Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is gearing up to be bigger and brighter this year, with holiday cheer at an all-time high. For the first time in two years, parties are in full swing, and everyone is in a celebratory mood.

Why not extend the celebrations to the gifts you choose to give this Christmas? Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance released new product innovations into its roster of gentle yet effective brightening products that will surely have you and all you choose to gift gleaming brighter than the lights of your Christmas tree. These next-level dermatologists-approved brightening products are the Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Gentle Renewing Cleanser, Perfecting Serum, and Instant Radiance Mask, which visibly corrects dark spots, boosts radiant skin, and evens skin tone in just as fast as 14 days.

The Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Gentle Renewing Cleanser is a 3-in-1 brightening cleanser. It offers gentle exfoliation that removes pollution and impurities to brighten and improve skin texture instantly. It is formulated with Jojoba beads infused with Vitamin E. Because the ingredients are so gentle, it doesn’t disrupt the skin barrier and works to lock in moisture.

The Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Perfecting Serum has key ingredients: Advanced Peptide, Antioxidant C, and Cetaphil’s signature GentleBright Technology with Niacinamide and Sea Daffodil. It has 7 powerful benefits in 1 product: it reduces dark spots, evens skin tone, improves fine lines, boosts skin radiance, improves hydration, illuminates the complexion, and freshens, well-rested skin.

Dermatologist-tested and fragrance-free, the Perfecting Serum is clinically proven to reduce dark spots caused by melasma, sun, aging, and acne scars. It has added protection against blue light & pollution. Perfect for everyday use.

Lastly, the Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance Instant Radiance Mask is the first sheet mask in the brand’s lineup. It has 7-in-1 benefits in 1 sheet mask. Giving you an instant cooling effect with 24-hour soothing hydration, it instantly improves skin luminosity, skin tone evenness, skin Radiance, tired skin, fine lines, the appearance of pores, and skin texture. Each mask has 2 weeks’ worth of serum to instantly achieve that healthy, radiant skin.

Formulated with GentleBright Technology and a blend of powerful brightening yet gentle ingredients such as Sea Daffodil and the popular Niacinamide, it also has Vitamin C. These hardworking ingredients will keep skin in tip-top shape despite all the expected holiday fun.

Let your hair down and celebrate with friends and family while Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance cares for your skin and gives everyone radiance to ring in the new year. Share the gift of Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance for a #RadianceRoutine. To learn more about the range of products, visit their website. Follow Cetaphil Bright Healthy Radiance on Instagram @cetaphilbrighthealthyradiance or Facebook Cetaphil Philippines.

Quick and easy tips for a sulit and sustainable holiday season!

Filipinos are known to celebrate the longest and grandest holiday season. More often than not, this comes at an economic and environmental expense, having to spend more on food and gifts - but it doesn’t always have to be like that. Having an affordable and sustainable celebration can be an option and a great way for families to bond together.

Ajinomoto Philippines Corporation (APC Group) shares a few tips on how Filipinos can have a meaningful holiday season- the budget-friendly and eco-friendly way. APC Group General Manager of Corporate Planning and Public Relations Roann Co said, “We, at Ajinomoto, believe that there is no small contribution when it comes to caring for the environment. Through our tips below, we hope to empower Filipinos in giving the gift of sustainability this holiday season.”

Here are some eco-friendly and meaningful ways to celebrate the holidays:

1. Recycled gift wraps and Do-It-Yourself gifts

Using old magazines and newspapers as an alternative gift wrapper isn’t a new practice to Filipinos. But, it is definitely something that we should further encourage among our families and friends. Not only does it help the environment, it is also easy on the pocket too!

Moreover, if you’re still wondering what gifts you should give, you can check some of the winning DIY projects during the online contest for Ilabas ang SustainAbilidad campaign such as the apron made from the wrappers of used Ajinomoto products and a DIY toy kitchen set for kids who want to learn to cook. You can also try re-inventing some of the projects to make it more creative and more heart-felt.

2. Solar-powered string lights

Christmas decorations are incomplete without bright lights at home and on streets. Retire your vintage decors by using solar-powered lights which give you the same merry evenings with less electricity consumption and environmental impact. And since these solar-powered decors don’t add to your electricity bill, you may also consider maintaining this type of ambient lights on your garden and terraces.

Beyond homes, Ajinomoto has also introduced solar energy to its Bulacan factory and it is projected to offset around 865 metric tons of carbon dioxide which is equivalent to reducing 2,352,456 miles in vehicle travel per year.

3. Prepare delicious, nutritious, and eco-friendly holiday meals

What makes Filipino holidays special is the variety of food options planned and prepared by home cooks. Bring out the flavor of your favorite handaan dishes like Pinoy spaghetti, lumpiang shanghai, adobo, kaldereta, and more with the new AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning 45g paper pack. The new packaging is made from a natural paper material that can be planted, grown, harvested, and then replanted which means you’re not only preparing delicious food for the family but also helping the environment.

Here are some holiday recipe ideas you may try:

Pasta Chips

Instead of buying salty potato chips as an appetizer for your guests this Christmas, why not try making your own chips at home? These Pasta Chips recipe can turn your typical soft pasta into a crispy delight that’s also less sodium, thanks to AJI-NO-MOTO®! Just deep-fry sliced and cooked lasagna sheets in a pan with oil. Drain excess oil using a strainer. While hot, immediately sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese and AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning for that added umami-goodness.

Chicken Cajun Pasta

New pasta dish to impress! Savor the delicious kick from Cajun and the savory goodness of AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning. Heat oil and melt butter in a pot. Add the chicken pieces then cook until golden brown. Chicken breast is a great source of lean Protein to help build strong muscles. Add the onions, tomatoes, French beans then cook for 3 minutes. Toss together the cooked penne pasta. To ensure an al dente texture or slightly firm pasta, cook pasta one minute less than the package instructions. Drain then you may opt to drizzle a little bit of olive oil to avoid the pasta from sticking together. Season with cream cheese and your homemade Cajun spice mix – smoked paprika powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, AJI-NO-MOTO® Umami Seasoning, and cayenne powder. Mix and cook for 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate then garnish with spring onions. This is another pasta dish that is complete with Go, Grow, and Glow Foods!

APC Group’s campaign for sustainability is part of its Ajinomoto Group creating shared value (ASV) framework which directs the company to realize greater wellness for people around the world through thoughtful business activities focusing on health and the environment.

“This holiday season, may we have more food to share and gifts to give. And more importantly, may the spirit of giving extend towards caring for the environment,” Co said.

Take a more proactive step towards sustainability and learn more about APC Group’s sustainability initiatives at ajinomoto.com.ph