Bought Easiyo Sweet Greek Yogurt Base

1175 days ago

Today I went to Simei and passed by the Phoon Huat store. Yes, the one that sells cooking and baking stuff. I couldn’t resist and bought an Easiyo Sweet Greek Yogurt...

Today I went to Simei and passed by the Phoon Huat store. Yes, the one that sells cooking and baking stuff. I couldn’t resist and bought an Easiyo Sweet Greek Yogurt Base.  I have always heard good things about Greek yogurt and I am looking forward to making myself a Greek Yogurt which is sweet. Hence the name Sweet Yogurt. The price of these “base” are pretty steep, about S$5.50 per pack, depending on the style. Some styles like the Probiotic range can be about S$5.90 per pack. Apparently, home made yogurt is not cheap in Singapore. It is not even economical, considering that you can get a 1kg tub of yogurt for S$6.10 at most supermarkets. However, if you are looking for fresh yogurt, there is nothing fresher than the one you made it yourself. And since the main benefit of yogurt lies with the cultures, the fresher the yogurt (the more live cultures the yogurt has), the more beneficial it is. And home made yogurt is free from preservatives and other additives (unless you add them yourself of course).

Anyways, I have taken a few photos for your viewing pleasure.

See I don’t bluff you. It is S$5.60 for the Sweet Greek Yogurt Base.

And here is the photo of the Easiyo Sweet Greek Real Base & Culture.

This is the back of the pack. Yes, it is the sweetened kind of Greek Yogurt.

Oh it is sweet because they add sugar to it.

I checked the ingredients and I am now wondering what makes a yogurt a Greek yogurt? Is it the cultures itself? Or perhaps the type of milk used to make the yogurt? or could it be some other additives (which I don’t see in the ingredients list)? I really have no idea. I guess I will just have to make, eat and enjoy.

PS: Just discovered what makes this yogurt Greek! Apparently, a Greek yogurt is just a normal yogurt that has been strained. So if you strain off the whey from a yogurt, you get a Greek yogurt which is supposed to be creamier. In this case, Easiyo has provided us with a little more powdered milk (240g as opposed to 225g for the rest).

Step By Step Yogurt Making With Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker

1176 days ago

The one thing I discover about the Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker is that is doesn’t really have a good guide. The steps are merely add water, stir and put in flask....

The one thing I discover about the Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker is that is doesn’t really have a good guide. The steps are merely add water, stir and put in flask. I find that it is simply not enough to give such simple instructions, especially if the user is a beginner. They need a little more hand holding than that. I am sure that they wanted to tell their users that it is very easy to make yogurt with their yogurt maker but those three steps can be very intimidating. So I have written a more comprehensive guide to help beginners start making yogurt with their Easiyo Real Yogurt maker. Please note that I am not related to Easiyo nor am I being paid by Easiyo to write any guides or tutorials for them. This is just me trying to help out. Of course, I am hoping that this will help encourage more people out there to try yogurt making themselves. It is an extremely easy process that everyone should try. And if you had purchased an Easiyo Yogurt Maker and feel a little unease about making yogurt yourself, please don’t. With the correct equipment, it is a breeze to make delicious and healthy yogurt for you and your family.

So without further ado, I begin.

From the photo above, you can see the flask (white), the yogurt container and red screw-on cap, the yogurt mix (in this photo, it is the Nectarine flavour) and some mineral water. All the equipment necessary to make yogurt. Well, you will also need some boiling water to fill the flask, which I will get to in a while. So, as you can see it is pretty simple process.

One of the most important step in yogurt making is cleaning the yogurt container. Yes, it needs to be very very clean. No foreign particles or dirt should be inside the yogurt container or the screw-on cap. Make sure you wash the insides of the container with plain washing detergent. Add the washing detergent and water to the container, close the container and shake the container as hard as you can. If there are dirt or grim in the container, gently use a soft scrub to remove them.  DO NOT use scrub the container too roughly as this will scratch the container surface and bacteria and germs can hide in them. If you are using it for the first time (that is straight out from the Easiyo box), you should just give it a quick wash. However for subsequent uses, please follow proper washing procedures as outlined above. Beer brewers and wine makers often sanitize their fermenting vessels. It might be a good idea to use sanitizing solution like Iodophor to sanitize the container.

You don’t want any bacteria or germs to get into your yogurt mix or it may get contaminated.  After washing the container, avoid touching the insides of the container and the screw on cap.

The photo above shows the Yogurt Mix. They call it the Real Base & Culture. In this case, we are using the Nectarine flavour mix. You can of course use other flavours and styles to make your yogurt. Easiyo provides a wide range of flavours and styles for you to choose from. And this will make 1kg of delicious yogurt.

Your very first step in yogurt making is to cut open the yogurt mix (real base & cultures) and pour the contents into the yogurt container. Be careful not to spill any of the powder.

It should fill to about half the container. The yogurt base is actually milk powder, flavourings and the actual freeze dried cultures as you can see from the photo above.

Now you should fill the container with water. Here I am using mineral water to fill my container. You can use tap water, spring water or any sanitary water you can find. Remember, you should use clean water for your yogurt. I would highly recommend boiled water which has been cooled. In some countries, like Singapore, our water is highly chlorinated, so it should be pretty safe from bacteria. But might not taste as great. Yes, the type of water do makes a difference to the taste of the yogurt.

After you have filled the water to the top of the flask, you will have to close the container tightly and shake it till all the powder is dissolved into the water. You should ensure that all the powder is dissolved completely. Visually check the transparent container to make sure all the powder has been dissolved, usually the powder sticking to the sides are most difficult to dissolve. You will realized that the mixture level in the container has dropped due to the powder being dissolved into the water.

Your next step is to open the container and top up the mixture with water to the top of the container. After you have topped up with water, you should cover the container tightly and shake it a while. You want to mix the water and the mixture thoroughly.

After you have finished with the container, you should now fill your flask (big white thing) with boiling water. Please ensure that the baffle (red thing) is firmly placed on the bottom of the flask. The baffle level is exactly the level you will have to fill your flask with boiling water. You can’t miss.

From the photo, you can see that I have added the water to a level just below the baffle. In my case, the weather in Singapore is very warm and so I used a little less boiling water. If you are living in a country with colder weather, I would recommend you to add the water to the exact level (at the top of red baffle). Temperature in the flask is very important as the temperature will determine whether the cultures can grow and thrive. If the temperature is too low, the cultures will not grow and thus you will not get yogurt. If the temperature is too high, you would have killed the cultures and you will not get yogurt either.  So, please get this step right.

Now, you will have to place the yogurt container (with the yogurt mix) into the flask. It should fit perfectly. You can also feel the container sitting on the water when you place the container into the flask.

After that, you should close the flask and leave it alone for about 12 hours. Do not move or shake the flask. Let the culture convert your milk to yogurt. I normally do this in the evening and by the time I get back home the next day, the yogurt would have been ready. The longer you allow the yogurt to ferment, the more firm the yogurt will be. However, it will also be more tart as the sugars are being eaten up by the yogurt cultures. I would not recommend letting the yogurt seat for more than 24 hours.

So after 12 hours or so, you can take out the yogurt container from the flask. You can see that the yogurt has firmed and it sticks more to the surface than milk.  In my case, I have left it for about 22 hours which in the next photo, you can see that it has really firmed. Perhaps I have left it a bit too long. I am also guessing that since I left the yogurt for so long, the yogurt will turn out a little more tart than usual. But other than that, it is still yogurt.

The yogurt is pretty firm here. It feels almost jelly like. Not to worry, the yogurt is still fine and should be delicious. If you leave for it about 16 hours, you will get a slightly more runny yogurt. And if you look carefully at the photo which I have taken when I was filling the container with water, I did not exactly fill it to the top. So the excess amount of powdered milk probably caused this thickening on the top. Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, don’t worry, the yogurt is fine.

The next step is to take a long spoon, washed it very clean (including the handle), dry it and stir the yogurt. You will find that there is still a good amount of whey in the yogurt. Stir it in a circular motion to mix the yogurt and the whey. See I told you the yogurt was just fine.

Stir gently till you get a creamy yogurt texture like above. Then cover the container tightly and place it in the fridge. The yogurt will further firm up in the fridge just like what you get from the stores.

Pour away the water in the flask. Do NOT wash the flask with cold water. Just pour away all the water from the flask and baffle. Remember, do not wash the flask with cold water as it might damage the flask.

Use a dry cloth to clean the surface of the flask, baffle and cover and then leave it to dry.

There you have it, isn’t it easy to make yogurt? Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker makes it much easier for beginners like us to make yogurt. I had always knew how to make yogurt but I didn’t have to courage to do it myself until I purchased this set. If you are thinking of making yogurt at home, I would highly recommend you to get this. It is the cheapest model (S$30.60) than the other yogurt makers I have seen. However, the yogurt mix they sell is a bit too expensive. It costs about S$5.50 (some S$5.90) for one pack. You can get 1kg of yogurt in Singapore for about S$6.10. I am sure if you look harder, you can find even cheaper sources of yogurt.

Looking To Rent A Car?

1178 days ago

One of the biggest advantage of renting a vehicle is that you don’t need all the hassle of purchasing a vehicle. I am pretty sure that if you have bought a...

One of the biggest advantage of renting a vehicle is that you don’t need all the hassle of purchasing a vehicle. I am pretty sure that if you have bought a vehicle before, you would understand what I mean. You need to get all your particulars, your bank information, your credit, your insurance and much more. It is just so troublesome. Furthermore when you purchase a car, the value of the car immediately drops. This is definitely something which you would want to consider when you are thinking of buying your own car. And after you purchase your car, you will need to take it in for servicing and repairs. You will also need to worry about paying for insurance and premiums. So much trouble just for a car to bring you to and fro from work.

So why not rent a car? You might think that it is more expensive in the long run but do remember that your car do depreciates in value over time. It does not mean that the price of your car remains as high when you sell it in a few years down the road.  How about insurance? Remember, you will need to pay for insurance yourself and this will factor into the cost. How about servicing and repairs? You will have to pay for those as well after the first few free servicings. Unless you are a real car fan, do you really need to own your car? Why not let others worry about insurance, servicing and among others for you. All you want is a vehicle that drives you to work. Some rental companies even allow you to choose your own model, make and colour if you sign a long term contract with them. So, this is just like getting your very own vehicle, less the headaches.

Most rental companies will provide you with alternate transport when they send the vehicle in for servicing or repairs. You don’t need to even send the vehicle for servicing yourself! You don’t need to do anything else. All you have to do is to pay for the fuel and parking. That’s it. What could be simpler than that?

So if you are interested in renting a vehicle, please take a look at the listing of Singapore Car / Vehicle Rental Companies I have created. Hope that it can be a very useful guide for you.

Eating Plain Yogurt

1178 days ago

Well, I was at Upper Serangoon today and there was a shop selling yogurt and I bought myself a plain yogurt. This means that the plain yogurt does not come with...

Well, I was at Upper Serangoon today and there was a shop selling yogurt and I bought myself a plain yogurt. This means that the plain yogurt does not come with any flavourings or any sugar at all. Yes, all natural. The brand I purchased was the Emmi brand. I always wanted to taste what yogurt tasted like without any flavouring. I am sure that most of us also never tasted plain yogurt before. We often purchase those yogurt that comes with fruits, nuts, sugar and other additives. Well, I have just tasted yogurt and I was really surprised by the taste. Plain yogurt taste very sour! Some of you guys might say that the yogurt I bought is expired but I checked and it is not expired and the appearance of the yogurt seems normal. Just that it is sour and tart. But the yogurt I bought was very creamy and after the first few spoons, I got used to the sourness and I actually enjoyed eating it.

So if one day you would like to start eating healthy and try plain yogurt, don’t be surprised that it taste very different from the yogurt you had eaten before. It is very good for you as well. I don’t need to tell you guys the health benefits of yogurt. I have done that countless times already, please read my previous blog posts. However, what I would like to do is to encourage you guys to eat yogurt. If you don’t like the tartness and the sourness of plain yogurt, you can always mix with a little sugar and some fruits. Or you can easily buy from the stores yogurt that comes pre-flavoured and eat them out of the cup. If you are thinking of a refreshing drink, yogurt too works. Mix yogurt with a little water, a little sugar and some salt and you will have a really refreshing  yogurt drink. Of course, you can buy them from the stores as well. I have seen a lot of yogurt drinks being sold. If you are into cooking, you can also replace cream or butter with yogurt. Yes, the health benefits are reduced due to the cultures being killed during the  cooking process, but you will have less fat in your food.For kids, they will surely love yogurt. My nephew loves yogurt with fruits. In my opinion, it is better than milk or ice cream. And when you purchase yogurt from stores, make sure that you read the label and it has LIVE & ACTIVE CULTURES. It must have live & active cultures for you to have the full benefits of yogurt.

Soon, I might be doing a little comparison between different brands of yogurt found in our local stores. The important thing is to read the labels. And of course, we should have all important the taste test. If it doesn’t taste good, it is very hard to get people to eat the yogurt. Just that sometimes, good tasting foodstuff might not actually be healthy for us. I hope that the comparison will help consumers choose a better product for themselves. Don’t worry, I won’t be recommending any product myself. Just my opinions.

Easiyo Yogurt – First Attempt

1179 days ago

Okay guys, I have done a batch of yogurt using the Easiyo Yogurt Starter Pack. Pretty easy. If you are thinking of making your own yogurt, you should try out this...

Okay guys, I have done a batch of yogurt using the Easiyo Yogurt Starter Pack. Pretty easy. If you are thinking of making your own yogurt, you should try out this Easiyo Yogurt Starter pack. All you have to do is to mix the yogurt mix with water in the container provided, then add boiling water to the flask and together with the yogurt container and the flask, let it set for 10-12 hours. The manual said about 8 hours should be enough, but the shop assistant told me to leave it for 12 hours and he was right. When I checked the yogurt after 9 hours, it was still pretty watery. And when I came back home after work at about 2pm, the yogurt was ready!

Here are some the photos I have taken of the process.

Pour the mixture (about 225g of powdered milk, freezed dried cultures and other stuff) into the container.

Yup, still another picture showing me pouring the yogurt mix into the container. Nothing interesting here.

This is the Ice Mountain drinking water which I will be using to mix the yogurt mixture. I don’t really like our tap water and Ice Mountain is pretty cheap if you buy it from NTUC. If I am not wrong, it should be around S$1.50 for two 1.5litre bottles! You will have to fill the yogurt container with both the mix and water. Then shake it to completely dissolve everything. Then top up with even more water to make up 1litre of yogurt mixture.

This is after I have mix the yogurt mix and water. You can see the purplish mixture in the container.

This is me adding boiling water to the flask. You are supposed to add boiling water just before the red level ends. Pretty easy stuff. This really takes the guesswork out of everything.  And if you are worried about the temperature in Singapore, you can add a little less boiling water. That’s what I did and I was successful in making the yogurt.

Okay, that is done. Put the yogurt container into the flask with the boiling water and cover it up. Leave this alone for about 10-12 hours and you should get some tasty yogurt! Don’t bother with the flask, put in somewhere slightly warm and go play World of Warcraft or something. It will be done when it is done.

After more than 12 hours, it is done. Of course, it looks a bit watery at the top. This is the whey. You needn’t worry about it. The thicker yogurt is below this whey and it won’t affect the taste of your yogurt. Just mix the whey in when you scoop up the yogurt.

There, the “curds” of the yogurt. Looks pretty nice doesn’t it? Gives you some satisfaction that you have accomplished something useful. I mean playing too much World of Warcraft and being a scoreboard leader, you are still a nerd. But after you have made some yogurt, you are a nerd with a pretty cool hobby and a healthy colon. Plus you can of course share the yogurt with your friends. They will love you for it.

Time to eat the yogurt! This is the Boysenberry flavoured yogurt, that’s why it is a bit purplish and oh so delicious. If you are making plain yogurt, it should be slightly yellowish and tastes a bit tart. I was reading a little more on this and found out that if you let it set for 24 hours, you will get a very tart tasting yogurt. So depending on your preference, you might wish to control the length of time you allow the yogurt to set.

Time to take a bite of the yogurt! Gotten be good! Notice that the consistency of the yogurt is not there. What yogurt makers normally do is to stir the yogurt till it has a even  texture throughout. I am lazy. I just eat after it has set.

You can make yogurt without any special equipment too. All you need is milk (no preservatives) and a small amount of plain yogurt without any preservatives. What you do is to mix the milk and the yogurt together and keep it in a warm place. From what I read, the most common place is behind the fridge where it is warm. And just like when using the Easiyo Yogurt, you will get yogurt in a few hours time. But the problem here is that it could be a hit or miss situation. If the temperature is too low, the cultures will be sleeping and you won’t get yogurt. If the temperature is too warm, you would have killed the cultures and you won’t get yogurt. With the Easiyo kit, you should have a fairly good chance of success every time. It is also not very expensive. The Starter Kit is about S$30.60 and comes with 2 sachets of yogurt mix. Just follow the instructions!

Make Your Own Yogurt – Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker

1180 days ago

As you guys should know by now, I am becoming a health freak. And on that note, I will be eating yogurt everyday. Yogurt is really a very healthy snack, much...

As you guys should know by now, I am becoming a health freak. And on that note, I will be eating yogurt everyday. Yogurt is really a very healthy snack, much better than drinking milk. For the uninitiated, yogurt is actually made from milk. So most of the benefits of milk is passed on to yogurt. However, due to the breakdown of the lactose and protein by the bacteria, yogurt is more easily digestible than milk. It can be taken by both the young and the old without any problems. Just like milk, it is a good source of calcium and can boost immunity against diseases. Of course, please understand that you should not think yogurt as some sort of miracle food which cures every known illness out there. It is good as a health supplement.

Anyway, in Singapore, all our foodstuff is expensive. I was browsing the local supermarkets the other day and I found that plain yogurt cost about S$7 for 500g of yogurt. And if you are looking at those yogurt with fillers like fruits, sugar and whatever, the amount of yogurt is actually much less. It got me wondering whether I can find alternatives to store bought yogurt. I was thinking of making my own homemade yogurt. The major problem is the temperature. Yogurt requires a certain range of temperature for the cultures to thrive and if it is too cold, the cultures will become inactive and if it is too warm, the cultures will die. So, to make yogurt you need a pretty good thermometer. And that my friends, can be very expensive (S$50 or so). Luckily, this morning I was at Phoon Huat and I saw this Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker. Sure, it is not the best solution, but it is very affordable and all the guesswork is already done for you. You have only to follow the instructions and you are supposed to get yogurt from their mix. The price of this set is S$30.60. Okay lah, not too expensive.Oh, this is a made in New Zealand product. I am a big fan of New Zealand and I hope to retire there, except it got too many cows.


Yes, cost me S$30.60. At least it comes with 2 sachets of yogurt mix!

The Easiyo Real Yogurt Maker Starter Pack. It is simply perfect every time. Let’s cross our fingers and hope for the best. And what is more surprising is that you get REAL yogurt! lol!

Yes, freshly made yogurt is REAL yogurt. Not that fake yogurt from China with Malemine which gives you a ton of proteins and kills children! And it is supposed to be fresher than the yogurt you buy from the stores! With Billions of LIVE cultures in every spoonful! It also includes Acidopilus which benefits your digestive and immune systems! Finally, it has more absorbable calcium than milk. That would be great.

Wow, 3 easy steps. First you mix their mix with water in the provided container. Then add boiling water to the big white flask and then you immerse the container with the mixture in the flask. Wait 12 hours and you get yogurt. Cool! You don’t need a thermometer!

Nice. This pack contains REAL yogurt Maker as opposed to the fake yogurt maker, a yogurt jar, 2 yogurt sachets (the mixture) and instruction booklet. Let’s confirm below whether the label has all the items there.

Looks like they are right on! Yogurt Jar or container, check. Flask, check. 2 Sachets of yogurt mix, check. Instruction booklet, check. Looks like the staff at Phoon Huat didn’t cheat me by stealing off one of the sachets. Just joking here. No offence to the staff of Phoon Huat who sold me the yogurt maker. He was nice enough to show me how to make the yogurt. Not many will be willing to do that, especially in Singapore.

This is the Yogurt jar where you will mix the mixture with cold water. Yes, it is just a normal plastic which has been treated to withstand heat.

Yes, 1kg yogurt jar. You will have to pour the sachet of yogurt mix into this jar, fill it up with cold water and then shake the hell out of it. Then you again have to fill the jar with more water to make it 1kg. I think I will be using bottled water.

That’s the flask where you pour boiling water and put the yogurt jar into. I am sure that they have figured out the correct amount of boiling water to be used to ensure that the temperature is suitable for the yogurt cultures to thrive. Hopefully, after a few hours, your mixture will turn into delicious and healthy yogurt for your entire family to enjoy.

Wow, Boysenberry! And to let you guys know, I have never heard of Boysenberry before. Sounds like some boy band from England, no? This sachet is to make 1kg of yogurt.

Looks like the ingredients consist of pasteurized whole and skim milk. So basically what this means is that this is actually just dried milk powder, boysenberry flavours and the dried form of the cultures! Hmmm….interesting. Oh by the way, the 1kg of yogurt contains 37% of the recommended daily intake of calcium, which is weird. It means that you have to take 3 kg of yogurt to get the daily recommended daily intake of calcium. If you eat so much yogurt, I think you will not be healthy. I think I might have read the information wronging, so please don’t quote me.

This is the Nectarine flavour. I think it means Mango or Peach flavour.Or maybe there is an actual Nectarine fruit which I have never heard before. Again. I must be living in some far off godforsaken land which has no fruits to speak of.

It is interesting to note that there are a lot of other flavours and styles in the Easiyo Yogurt mix range. There is the natural range (3.6% fat), which is high in protein and calcium and makes use of full cream milk. The flavours for this natural range include Strawberry, Vanilla, Banana, Boysenberry, Caramel, Mango, Nectarine and Peach. For the Reduced Fat Range (0.2%-1.8% fat). the flavours include Slimmers (should be very low fat), Strawberry, Vanilla, Berry and Apricot. They even have the Probiotic range, which contains Acidophilus, Bifidus and Casei cultures which help to maintain intestinal well being and a healthy immune system! Like that is not enough, they have the Specialty range, which is basically Greek, Greek ‘n’ Honey and Vanilla custard. From what I read on the Internet, it seems that a lot of experts like Greek Yogurt. Supposed to be the healthiest and the tastiest.

And they have toppings as well. Yes, that is toppings for your yogurt. I think they call it fruit squirt whereby you squirt out the fruit toppings from the sachet.

Well, guys who would know that there is so much interesting things out there in the world. I never expected myself to be making my own yogurt. In fact, I never thought that I would be brewing my own beer either. But as we get older, we start to not take things for granted. And the best part is that all these teaches me patience and allows me to understand more about what I am eating or drinking. Preservatives and additives will start to take a toll on our bodies as we get older and if we don’t start to eat right, we will all suffer the consequences of illness and health problems. Remember, nowadays the foods we eat are full of additives which may be harmful to us in the long term, so why not have homemade yogurt to help cleanse your body.

You.C1000 Vitamin Orange Drink

1181 days ago

This is a very cool Japanese (but made in Indonesia) drink. And as usual the reason why I am reviewing this drink is because I am on a quest to find...

This is a very cool Japanese (but made in Indonesia) drink. And as usual the reason why I am reviewing this drink is because I am on a quest to find healthy foodstuff and drinks. As you guys should know, I have been ill for the past 2 to 3 weeks. And this is due to the fact that I have been eating unhealthy food, especially oily and heaty stuff without much nutrients to keep my body in good shape. So when I got infected by germs, I fell ill fast and hard. Took me more 2 weeks to really recover and I am still now feeling the effects of that major illness. So, to prevent any more such illness, I will be eating right from now on.

And thus I am reviewing this little drink. First of all, this is a very small bottle.  Just 140ml of orange drink and it supposed to contain more than the recommended daily intake of Vitamin C! Wow, small but powerful just like me. Secondly, the drink is rather nice. Oh, this can be classified as a soda drink since it is a bit bubbly. But the carbonation is weak (perhaps due to the size of the bottle) and it won’t distract you from the delicious tasting drink. However I have to admit, the orange flavour in the drink is very much lacking. Perhaps it is just a tad too sweet.

You.C1000. What a name.

A close up view of the front label. Notice the Japanese wordings on the label? I am not sure why they have Japanese wordings since this bottle drink is especially made for the Singapore market.

Oh, sugar and fructose. Not really good for your body but in small amounts I guess they are acceptable. Contains honey and Vitamin C and E. Ya! Not too sure exactly what beta-carotene is but from my brief Google tells me that it is just for colouring. The Niacinamide is some sort of Vitamin B.  I wonder why they are using so much jargon on the labels. Anyway, at least there are no preservatives.

Yes, that is 1000mg of Vitamin C in one serving of 140ml!  Remember the name is C1000, so I guess it means that it contains 1000mg of Vitamin C! The recommended intake of Vitamin C is about 40mg daily for adults and by taking 1000mg, you are going to become some sort of lemon. No lah, it is good. Of course, I would like everyone to know that you should take all sort of food in moderation. So don’t think of drinking this every single day and hope that it will be healthy for you. You are dosing yourself with Vitamin C and although I doubt that there will be some averse effect, it would be better to drink this perhaps once per week or so.

Emmi Premium Swiss Yogurt

1182 days ago

Hohoho, looks like my quest for a healthy diet has gotten me yet another yogurt. I really like yogurt nowadays. It is not saying that in the past I don’t like...

Hohoho, looks like my quest for a healthy diet has gotten me yet another yogurt. I really like yogurt nowadays. It is not saying that in the past I don’t like yogurt, but I guess I appreciate it even more these days.  It is just like milk, only healthier. Actually it is made from milk and it comes with so very good bacteria which boost immune response, increases the rate of fat loss, protects against ulcers,  reduce the risk of colorectal cancer and many more. Wow, I think I will be constantly eating yogurt from now on. Hey, I might be even making my own yogurt. The only problem I see is that I need a thermometer since the live cultures can only thrive at a tight range of temperatures.

Anyway, I have taken a few photos of the Emmi brand of yogurt.  This is not a cheap brand like the Meiji Yogurt I bought previously. And from the photos, you will see that the cup is rather small. But it does taste very good. Plus unlike the Meiji Yogurt which is a bit watery, this Emmi brand yogurt feels more firm.

Yup, made in Switzerland. Low fat. Hmmm….Strawberry. All the ingredients for a healthy snack during the day. I was wondering whether any of you guys have ever tasted pure yogurt before. What I mean is just yogurt without any fruits or other flavourings. From what I know, it should taste a little tart and sour since it is lactic acid. I think I might just go and buy myself a pure yogurt and have a taste.

5% strawberries! And what is this beetroot juice for? As for the starch, it should be used to firm up the yogurt. Natural yogurt is very watery, it feels almost like milk just a little more clear and translucent. The starch is used to gel up the yogurt and makes it easier to eat (as opposed to drink). Hey, that’s cheating right?  Too bad it has preservatives as well. I am looking for one which doesn’t. I have read that in Singapore, there are brands which is flown fresh from the source weekly. The brand is Dairy Farm. This should be my next target for purchase.

Ahhh…..the million dollar shot. Delicious yogurt and strawberries. And yes, it is a perfect match. Not too sweet too. Unless you have a sweet tooth, you will definitely enjoy eating this yogurt.  Eating a mouthful of this yogurt is just like eating a piece of heaven. Just wonderful. However, I am thinking that it would be better if they add bigger strawberry chunks to the yogurt rather than small small pieces of the fruit.

Thumbs Up For The Mexican Cerveza

1183 days ago

Finally had a chance to share the Mexican Cerveza with my friends a few days back and well, most of them loved it! Seemed that you can’t go wrong with the...

Finally had a chance to share the Mexican Cerveza with my friends a few days back and well, most of them loved it! Seemed that you can’t go wrong with the Cooper’s kit. I have tried the Australian Pale Ale, the Pilsener and now the Mexican Cerveza and it seemed that everyone enjoyed the brews. Anyway, there were some complains though. Some of them said that the beer was a bit too weak for their taste. I have to agree with them. I have not taken the readings when I made the brew so I am not too sure about the actual ABV of the beer but my best guess would be about 3%? It does really need some more kick to make this Mexican Cerveza a real beer. We are not wasting so much effort and time to make root beer right? So maybe the next time I do this brew again, I will be adding a little more dextrose. Do note that the Mexican Cerveza is actually a light lager and thus, is not supposed to be strong. But I think a more appropriate ABV should be like 4-5%.

I am also finding ways to make the colour of my brews lighter. From what I read in the forums, brews made from malt extracts will often be darker. This is mainly due to the malt extract preparation process as well as carmelization during boiling. There is no way to prevent carmelization from happening. Even with the late malt extraction method, the resulting beers will usually be darker than from what we see at the stores and from all-grain brewing. The boiling of bittering hops will require a amount of malt extract in the wort. And to add bitterness, you will have to boil the hops in the wort for perhaps 45 minutes to an hour. This will definitely darken the brew. Some people said that it’s the taste that is more important. To a certain extent I agree but the problem is getting beginner drinkers to drink homebrew. If you show them a dark coloured lager, I am sure most of them will freak out. In Singapore, most of us grow up on Tiger beer, a kind of light lager and with that, our concept of beer is all beers are light golden brews. I am not suprised that most Singaporeans had never seen an ale before in their life.

Anyway, I should be bottling my Apfelwein this week or next week. I am still have a slight cough and when you are sick, you should not brew. Definitely don’t want any germs to get into the beer (or wine). I must wait till my cough is completely cured before I attempt any brewing at all. I will keep you guys updated on what is happening to the Apfelwein. One of the complains I have is that it can be a little sour. This time, I have added two cinnamon sticks. Hopefully the cinnamon will impart some sweetness to the Apfelwein. And how appropriate, Christmas is coming! Good time to enjoy Christmas with Apfelwein!

Bel Cheese Party Cubes

1184 days ago

Yet again in my quest for healthy snacks and foodstuff, I came across Cheese! Yes, everyone knows that cheese is a very healthy snack. It is especially good for your bones...

Yet again in my quest for healthy snacks and foodstuff, I came across Cheese! Yes, everyone knows that cheese is a very healthy snack. It is especially good for your bones due to the high level of calcium found in cheese (just like milk). As I am getting older, I guess I really need a lot of calcium. You know, old people and their brittle bones and what-not. Just think of cheese as milk but are in a form which is more digestible than milk. So if you eat cheese, it is like you are drinking milk just better!

So I went to Shop N Save yesterday and bought myself a cheese snack. This is the Bel’s Party Cubes which are actually little savoury cheese bites and I am betting they are meant for kids. Kids don’t like plain cheese and boring wrappers, so instead you name them party cubes, add a little flavour to it and wrap it in very attractive aluminum foil and the kids will love it. This set comes with Ham flavour, Tomato flavour and Green Peppercorn flavour.  Hmmm….I wonder whether little kids will love those or not? But anyway, I am a cheese lover and I love the flavours, especially the Green Peppercorn.

Wow, 50% fat in dry matter! Cheese spread! 24 cubes! Savoury cheese bites! French words too!  And look at that red cow! Hey, cheese in Singapore is very expensive. This small amount of cheese (125g) costs about $6.50. In Singapore, everything is getting more and more expensive. Even rice which is supposed to be cheap in Asia is getting ridiculously expensive. I often wonder what the government is doing everyday.

Maybe next time I will try the Mushroom – Blue Cheese – French Onion flavour pack.

Well, these are the photos of the 3 flavours. They are Green Peppercorn, Ham and Tomato. I really like the Green Peppercorn flavour. It feels a little minty and goes very well with the cheese. Oh, if I am not wrong, this is soft cheese. Not the hard cheese we usually find in the stores.  I am not a cheese expert but I think that means that the cheese has not been aged for long. So, the cheese flavour is not strong. In fact, I would say that there is hardly any cheese taste in these cubes. I also enjoyed the tomato cheese cube. Nothing much to it, just a little tomato flavouring to plain tastless cheese.

You can easily swallow the entire cube whole. Just peel off the foil and in it goes down your mouth and into your throat. Easy Peasy. You don’t have to waste time cutting cheese off big blocks with a knife anymore and then biting the hard cheese. It is so soft, you can hardly feel it when it goes down your throat.You can even place the cube on a piece of bread and then use a knife and make a spread.

Anyway if you are looking for a healthy snack for your kids or for your grandmother with no teeth, this is a good one. It taste wonderful too. Of course, it does cost quite a bit but then what doesnt in Singapore? Oh by the way, I am a cheese fan myself!

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