The Great Zespri Giveaway!

What's better than a giveaway to end the week??

I'm really glad to be part of the Zespri campaign this year again. If you remember my blog entries last year, I whipped up many easy and healthy dishes using Zespri kiwi fruits and had much fun in the process. This year, I concentrated on eating the fruit on its own and am really happy with the health benefits that came along with it. Like many people say, kiwi fruit is a miracle fruit. :)

        

The good folks at Zespri have put together some lovely Zespri premiums into FIVE goody bags for you! That's ALOT OF GOODIES in one bag, I say!

Complete the following steps to qualify:

1) Like The J Babies facebook page if you have not done so.

2) Leave me a comment on this blog entry OR drop me an email at inthedaisies@gmail.com with the phrase "I LOVE ZESPRI!", along with your Name & Email address.

Giveaway ends on Friday, 16 Aug 2013. The five winners will be chosen thereafter and contacted via email. Only readers residing in Singapore qualify. In the meantime, have an awesome weekend! =D

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This giveaway has officially ended. The winners randomly selected: Mabel, Arsheitha, Carol, Serene and Kien Mei. You would have received an email from me requesting for your mailing address. Thank you everyone for your participation! :)

Zesty Zespri Kiwi Smoothie

Nothing beats a cool and nice smoothie on a warm day like today. So, in a matter of 5 minutes, I whipped up a kiwifruit smoothie with the Zespri kiwifruits I have at home. It's named Zesty Zespri Kiwi Smoothie because I added in a special ingredient to it!

The main ingredient is Zespri Kiwi fruits of course. I love the great flavour of this year's green kiwifruits, so I used 5 of them.

They make a great photo when halved. :)

All I did was to cut the kiwi fruits into halves, then use a spoon to scoop out all the flesh. And this is the special ingredient I was talking about - Orange juice ice-cubes. It adds sweetness, zest and the cool factor to my smoothie. I don't have to use plain ice-cube which may make the smoothie too watery.

Put everything into the blender and blend away. Done in 10 seconds flat.

Seriously, the girls finished this in one sitting. =X

Can't find a better way to get them to eat their fruits. =D

Technorati Tags: Zespri,recipes,kiwi fruits,kiwi smoothie recipe

Zespri Kiwi fruits Are Now In Season!

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If you recall, I did a series of blog posts on my Zespri journey last year, experimenting dishes with Zespri kiwifruits, drinking kiwi fruit juices or simply eating the fruit on its own. A year has zoomed past just like that, and here we are one year later, at the start of the Zespri kiwifruit season again!

Thanks to Zespri, hubby and I went for a kiwi feast last week at Fern & Kiwi - Love the restaurant, food & the company of fellow bloggers! The food especially was amazing - The Zespri kiwi fruits went so well with the different ingredients, I'm truly inspired. Perhaps it's time to create my own kiwi fruit dishes again. :)

Little cards on the table entertained us while we were waiting for the dinner to start. Perhaps you didn't know this little tip too?

I have to admit that I am not a fan of sour things, which is why I prefer golden kiwi fruits over the green ones. But apparently, this year's harvest produced what they call 'vintage crops', which are kiwi fruits that are more juicy and sweeter, a result of the lower amount of rainfall at the beginning of the year. In fact, kiwi fruits that are left to be fully ripened in room temperature are usually all sweet, even the green ones. It's no wonder - we leave our kiwi fruits in the fridge most of the time! Time to let them out, it seems.

During the dinner, we were presented many interesting facts about Zespri - where the crops come from, processes and quality controls etc. It was all very amazing to see how an agricultural industry has been corporatized and blossomed into such a huge success we see today.

Dinner begun with a pretty appetizer - Seafood Salad. It was tangy and sweet, and really fresh with the great kiwi fruit flavours all around. It totally whet my appetite!

We had a choice of main course between lamb & fish, and we ordered one of each. Hubby loved the lamb cutlets - it was chargrilled to perfection drizzled with the refreshing kiwi fruit relish.

My pan-seared snapper loin was perfect for me - Love the texture, the doneness and the sweet & sour sauce. Very delightful.

Dessert was Kiwi Pana Cotta, and it was so yummy I finished the whole portion - very rare for me in fact. Such a happy kiwi fruit feast - I liked every course of it!

And of course, as a finale to the dinner, we were served cut kiwi fruits in abundance. The green kiwi fruits were indeed sweeter than past years, and I thought the golden kiwi fruits had a slight taste of honey in it. Very yummy!

Zespri Kiwifruit are a great source of vitamin C, dietary fibre, potassium, folate, vitamin E, carotenoids and other antioxidants. They have a low GI and are low in fat, and sodium - so they are perfect to eat everyday. In fact, the Vitamin E, folate and potassium found in kiwi fruits are much higher compared to other fruits. This is therefore one of the best fruits to let my kids eat on a daily basis. As was seen from last year's 14-day challenge, the kids improved in their digestive system and appetites, and their immunity system was strengthened as well. I am pretty convinced by its nutritional benefits.

Why don't you take on the challenge as well? Eat Zespri kiwi fruits for 14 consecutive days and see the positive change in your body. Our health is so important, and it's definitely worth investing in. :)

Technorati Tags: Zespri,kiwi fruits,Fern & Kiwi restaurant

Zespri 14-Day Challenge: It's A Wrap! (+ Giveaway)

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Given the fact that I've never been a lover of fruits, it feels really surreal that I've completed a 14-day Challenge centred around this furry fruit called kiwifruit. I'm actually impressed with myself.

It's been a really fun journey so far. The benefits are many, and I'm glad I took on the challenge:

1. My hubby & I became healthier.
2. My kids became healthier (Bowel movements improved).
3. Kiwifruit became our most talked-about fruit at home. "Mummy, can I have another kiwifruit, please?"
4. Talking about the nutritional value of fruits so much has increased my consciousness to stay healthy.
5. Many of my friends meet me and the first thing they ask is, "How's your Zespri challenge going?"
6. Different friends messaged me after they came back from the supermarket and bought a box of Zespri kiwifruits because they saw them in on the shelves and thought of me. *super sweet friends I have*
7. A friend whatsapped me a photograph of her daughter eating Zespri kiwifruits with the message, "We were inspired by you!"
8. My brain's being used more creatively now because I have to think of ways to cook & eat my kiwifruits.
9. I learnt so much about the uses of kiwifruits (meat tenderizer) and how much nutrition they have.
10. My MIL's impressed with me because I'm feeding the kids fruits like finally?!! (LOL!)

Thank you to all of you who have been faithfully followed me on this 14-Day Challenge. My greatest wish is that you have been inspired to live healthier and started including kiwifruits into your daily diet. Keeping our bodies healthy can also make us happy people! :)

And now, for the GREAT ZESPRI GIVEAWAY!

Zespri kindly sent me some kiwi-related items to be given away to my readers. I love them - so super duper cute! So, I've packed them into gift sets to be given away to 5 of you:

Want them?? You can participate by following these three simple steps:

1. Leave a comment on this blog or drop me an email at inthedaisies@gmail.com with your FACEBOOK NAME, and name me one nutritional fact about Zespri kiwifruits. You can find clues from here.

2. Like this blog entry and share it on Facebook.

3. Like The J Babies Facebook page.

AND THAT'S NOT ALL!

The first THREE readers to participate in this giveaway by leaving a comment on this blog entry will receive a limited edition Zespri kiwifruit thumb drive!

Awaiting your entries! Winners will be announced on Fri, 24 Aug 2012! :)

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UPDATED WITH WINNER LIST!

Announcing the winners for my ZESPRI Giveaway! :) Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway and for showing interest in the merchandises! Hope that everyone was inspired in one way or another, to live healthier with a good balanced diet including fruits! :)

Winners of the Zespri Thumbdrives (First 3 commentators):
1. Serene Tan Si Lin
2. Geraldine Gigi Guo
3. Angeline Sim

Winners of the 5 goody bags (Selected by random generator):
1. Chiong Xiao Ting
2. Geraldine Chan
3. Cindy
4. Geraldine Gigi Guo
5. Delphine Tan

Can all the winners please drop me an email at inthedaisies@gmail.com and we can discuss on the collection of the prizes. :)

Congratulations once again to all the winners! :)

Green Kiwifruit - A Natural Meat Tenderizer

Do you know that green kiwifruits contain a certain enzyme that makes it a natural meat tenderizer?

That enzyme is called actinidin, which aids in protein digestion, and is easy to be used to create some of the most tender steaks that have ever melted in your mouth. Cut the kiwi in half and rub the fruit side over the meat. Let that kiwi marinade sit for a good half hour to an hour and then cook as you normally would. As simple as A-B-C!

I used the method to marinate and tenderize chicken that I was cooking for my kids on Monday this week. The meat was really tender, so it really works. Natural tenderizer definitely sounds like a much better option than artificial ones, especially when it comes to cooking for kids. It was easier for them to chew down the meat as well. :)

This is Day 13 of my 14-Day Zespri Challenge! Wrapping up the final day tomorrow of my verdict of whether kiwifruits have benefitted my family. =)

Zespri 14-Day Challenge: Day 12!

On the 12th day of the Zespri Challenge, I am happy to say that kiwifruits have given me....

2 HAPPY & HEALTHY KIDS!

Nothing makes a mum happier than to see her kids happy & healthy. Happy because they get to eat their favourite fruits everyday. No joking, but I have to restrict them to eating 1 kiwifruit per day because I believe too much of something is never good. They keep running to the fridge and asking me to cut some kiwifruits for them. It's some sort of an addiction - a somewhat good one though. Better than eating sweets & chocolates? Healthy because kiwifruits, being rich in all kinds of vitamins and fibre, have resulted in good, smooth bowel movements for them. The whole digestive system seemed to have improved as a whole, which is a really neat thing.

We're enjoying the challenge so far! :)

Zespri Kiwifruit Recipe: Warm Oriental Prawn & Kiwi Salad

I am in the midst of my 14-day Zespri Challenge, and it's been fun so far trying to incorporate the kiwifruit into my dishes. Here is another dish I tried out today - Warm Oriental Prawn & Kiwi Salad!

As with all the other recipes I've shared so far, this dish is incredibly easy. I say it's probably one of the easiest and fastest to whip up on a day you feel lazy but craving for some snacks. Not only is this tummy-fulfilling, it is also healthy!

Ingredients include fresh prawns de-shelled and marinated with sugar (Sugar helps to make the flesh of the prawns more firm, did you know that?? =P)

Prepare half a lemon, one kiwifruit (green preferred for its sourness) and some lettuce to be used as base for the salad.

Seasoning for the salad sauce are as follows: Sesame oil, light soya sauce and fried sesame seeds for more fragrance. Yes, this is a salad that's salty, sour & sweet!  Not your typical salad. :)

Mix the seasonings together with half a lemon's juice and a teaspoon of sugar. Stir well.

Dice up your kiwifruit into small bite sizes.

Lay out a few layers of the lettuce on a big plate. Besides being used as a bowl, it can also be eaten along with the sauce.

Blanch the prawns.

Put the prawns and kiwifruits into a mixing bowl, pour in the sauce and mix well!

Serve on a bed of lettuce! Sprinkle more fried sesame seeds for garnish. :)

The sour taste of the kiwifruits bring a refreshing touch to the salad - Very appetizing! =D Plus, kiwifruits are so healthy that adding it into your diet any way at all is good. Did you know that kiwifruits have FIVE TIMES the nutrition of apples???

I say that's enough reason to stock up on Zespri kiwifruits today. :)

Zespri Kiwi Recipe: Kiwi Ice-Blended

This morning when I opened the window to my bedroom, a wave of hot wind gushed in. Sigh, it is going to be such a hot day. And so, I opened my fridge, saw the boxes of Zespri kiwifruits lying inside and decided it is just the perfect day for some kiwi ice-blended drinks. Nothing better than a cold refreshing drink to perk us up!

Decided on a mix of green & gold kiwifruits to have a lovely sour-sweet drink. I used four of each for my whole family.

Ice is essential for ice-blended, in case you still do not know.

Cut the kiwifruits into halves..

Scoop out the flesh by using a spoon. If your blender is not the powerful kind, you might want to cut the kiwifruits into small cubes for easy blending.

Then, it's simply putting in the ice cubes and kiwifruits into the blender, then pour in a cup of water and blend away! It's so simple your kids can help too!

In a matter of seconds, you can get a glass of refreshing cold kiwi ice-blended. :) The concoction I made was a tad too sour for my liking - Would use more gold kiwifruits and lesser green ones in future. But I sure felt so healthy after drinking a glass of kiwi goodness!

I had some leftover blended, and decided to show you another way to serve your kiwi ice-blended, just like this:

Put in a small scoop of your favourite ice-cream, and this can become another lovely dessert. Either opt to have it just like this, or freeze it in the freezer first before partaking. Both are just as refreshing and definitely a cool-me-down on a super hot day.

Try it! :)

A Kiwi Lifestyle: How It Has Benefitted My Family

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When Zespri first approached me to take part in the 14-Day Zespri Challenge, I was excited to get started because anything good for the health of my family, I am game to try. But I'm really not sure how my family will react to eating kiwifruits every single day - Would they want to eat the same fruit every day for 14 consecutive days?? Would they get sick of it?

I guess I shouldn't have worried so much because my hubby and kids all LOVE kiwifruits. They can really eat it everyday and still rave about how yummy they are! For me, I have to admit that I only like the gold kiwifruits. Green ones are too sour for me, and I've never been a fan of sour things. Between my girls, the elder one  prefers gold kiwifruits like me, and the younger one loves the green ones. She really enjoys sour stuffs, just like hubby. And so, Jayne and hubby take the green kiwifruits; Joey and I finish up the gold ones. Perfect arrangement.

We are definitely loving the scoop spoon given to us by Zespri - It's a perfect tool for eating kiwifruits. The jagged side can be used to cut the kiwifruit into halves, and the spoon side of it can be used to scoop out the flesh. Easy enough even for a toddler.

Everyone needs a certain intake of Vitamin C everyday to maintain our health, and just 1 kiwifruit a day will help you to meet that quota. So, my girls have been chomping a kiwifruit a day while watching cartoons after meals. I am seeing results just one week into the challenge.

For one, their bowel movements have definitely improved. This was within my expectations too because kiwifruits are rich in vitamins and fibre. If you are a parent yourself, I am sure you understand how incredibly happy smooth bowel movements of your kids can make you. Happy is an understatement actually. When they can relieve themselves easily, they are generally happy and less cranky. That's definitely good news.

And another improvement I observed was that my kids' appetites have improved as well. It could be due to better digestion, or perhaps the sweet and sour taste of the kiwifruits helped. I don't really care what's the reason, as long as my kids have a hearty appetite. Nothing disturbs me more than having to force them to eat during mealtimes.

And so, another happy person in the house is of course hubby because he absolutely adores kiwifruits. He said that it could be his most favourite fruit of all, and he is hoping that the Zespri Challenge will never end so that whenever he opens the fridge, he can find some kiwifruits waiting for him. =.=

Talking about intangible benefits, the love for kiwifruits have drawn the family closer because we are talking and eating kiwifruits all the time now. We are thinking of cooking some dishes using kiwifruits in the coming week, and I reckon that's going to be another round of fun family cooking time again. =)

Another week of Zespri Challenge to go, and you'll be happy to know that I have some giveaways coming up on this blog for those of you who are interested in getting some cute kiwi bento boxes and kiwi-shaped thumbdrives. Watch out for the details soon! :)