Tuesday, December 23, 2014

My baking experience at19 Culinary, Jalan Dungun.


When it comes to baking, its always the outcome is exciting. Have you ever felt like baking something, but too afraid of it might not turn out how you want it to be? Well, this post will tell you all about guidance and well, the existence of at19 Culinary in Malaysia.

*Drum rolls*


Presenting to you, at19 Culinary in Jalan Dungun. Whether you choose to attend cooking classes as a hobby or spend your free time differently with friends, or  improving your cooking skills, this is the place to go! At19 Culinary, they provide a chef instructor to guide you along the way during classes, and they're always ready with the right information, even when it not about the dish you're preparing at19. The moment i arrived at19, the first thing i got was a friendly 'good morning' greeting by one of the managers at19. Customer service is superb!

What will you learn at19? They have different dishes prepared during different seasons, so there is always a variety of choices that you can always go for with at19 Culinary. In a more general term, they will definitely teach you how to cook new dishes, make new friends and take home new recipes to prepare for the people you love or simply to show off to your friends when you throw a party where you can gladly say that "yeah, i prepared the food here."  haha. They will also give you tips where you can take your cooking skills to a whole new level!


With fully equipped kitchen.
So i was given the opportunity to experience the whole class myself, thanks to At19 Culinary for giving me the opportunity and also Tammy for picking me to be a part of the blogging experience. YAY! So, what was on the list? well, due to the season of Christmas, the menu for the day was to make gingerbread cookies.

It was very convenient as all we needed to bring was our own tupperware to bring back our cookies, otherwise you can always purchase one from them for disposable tupperware's for 80 cents. Convenient and considerate, love the service! Not to forget that they will provide ingredients for you on the table right before you arrive, just to have a feel of the ingredients before you start. At19 Culinary, we were guided by one of their chef, to make sure we were on the right track.

Suraya as our personal chef helper. Super nice too!
Since we were making ginger bread, here's the recipe that makes 12.

Ingredients to Ginger bread.
1. Unsalted Butter, 155g Chilled and diced
2. Brown Sugar, 175g
3. Eggs, 1 nos Grade A
4. Black Treacle, 2 tbsp
5. Plain Flour, 350g
6. Ground Ginger , 1 tbsp
7. Bicarbonate Soda, 1 tbsp
8. Vanilla essence, 1 tbsp

Royal Icing Ingredients.
Icing Sugar, 250g
Egg White, 1/2 nos
Lemon Juice, 1/2 nos
Glycerin, 1/2 nos

And for the decorations, you call always use gummies, silver drags or simply any candy you want, or chocolate buttons! Now that the ingredients are pretty clear, lets get started! First of all, before start mixing everything into a bowl, preheat the oven to 180 degrees. And also don't forget to grease three baking sheets.



Now the real baking begins!  Mix the flour, bicarbonate soda, ginger and diced butter first until it resemble fine breadcrumbs. Once it has resembled looking like breadcrumbs, add sugar, egg, black treacle and form a dough.

Mixing the flour and diced unsalted butter
Once everything is being mixed, it should look like bread crumbs
After adding sugar, egg and black treacle, breadcrumbs should be formed into a dough looking like this.
Next, flour the surface of dough, and knead until smooth. Shape into a ball, wrap in clear film and chill for 10 minutes. When 10 minutes is over, roll out the dough thinly and cut out using shaped cutters.

Roll over the dough.

Leaving a 1cm thick flat dough.

And of course, the best part! shaping the dough with cutters.
Photo source: At19 Culinary's Facebook.
My four ginger bread cuttings: ginger bread man, christmas tree, snowman and a Christmas sock.
Once that is done, bake the cooking for about 12 to 15 minutes or till its pale golden.

Freshly out of the oven!
So here is how it looks like after its out of the oven, aint it preets?! Almost done! and of course, before decorating it, we need to wait or it to cool off so that the icing doesn't melt and ruin your whole design. For a better cookie texture, remove from pan and place on wire rack to cool properly, not forgetting the bottom part of the cookie.

While waiting for it to cool properly, its the best time to make the icing!
In the above photo, you can spot colourful packs of icing. To make royal icing, beat egg whites with lemon juice and glycerin. Next, gently add in icing sugar, batch by batch till you get a soft thick paste.

Before decorating it.
After decorations.  i didn't want to make it too sugary, so i tried my best to minimise on the icing on my cookies.
 Everyone of us did an amazing job, and i loved the colours of our final outcome! I managed to take a selfie with the chef, Suraya, and to also personally thank her for all her guidance into making the perfect ginger bread man!

With Suraya on my right.
The whole team of bloggers who attended the class. Loving everyones spirit!

From left: Me, Colney, Arpita and Janice
As everyone had to work in a group of 4, here are my team members. Glad to have managed to made new friends. And guys, if you're reading this, i think we make a great team of baking! :D Well, i hope i see you guys in other events as well. Don't forget to say hi!

I would really suggest you guys to go there to spend your weekend differently with friends or family, as its a fun experience to be cooking together, and also, to leave all the cleaning hassle if you're doing it at your own house ;) The class was held for around 3 hours or less in this baking class, just in case any of you are wondering.


Some features of At19 Culinary 

Well, thank you for reading. If you have any further enquiry, do check out their Facebook, or their official website. It was absolutely a fun experience to be meeting new people and also to have someone guiding you to bake! :)  Do check them out. xx

At19 Culinary Studio
No.19, Jalan Dungun,
Damansara Heights,
50490 Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia
016-3778236


Thursday, December 18, 2014

Calvin Klein Perfectly Fit Lingerie Workshop Review



So,3 weeks ago, I attended a Calvin Klein Perfectly Fit Lingerie Workshop in collaboration with FEMALE magazine, so thank you FEMALE Magazine for inviting me to the event. Just thought of sharing my thoughts in my blog and i hope you have fun reading my post :)


The registration area
It was held on the 29th of November 2014, at 10am at Parkson, Pavilion KL where people who attended had to pay a fee of RM20 per person or RM30 per pair. But the fee was definitely worth it for the stuff you get in your goodie bag.

Display models of the new collection of Calvin Klein



The whole point of the event was to be aware of their new Calvin Klein Underwear range, the Perfectly Fit. So we were the first few to understand the important features of the underwear, which was exceptionally soft wrap in knit fabric that offers superior stretch and a luxurious feel. And when I say luxurious, im not even kidding!



We had an ambassador to tell us more about Calvin Klein, but it was pretty funny when he started to explain about lingerie to all the girls in the room, as we all know that he’s a man talking about girly needs. Haha. But all in all, he was very informative and he did try his best to make it sound less awkward.


Andrea Kee, FEMALE's Deputy Fashion Editor giving us some tips on picking the right bra.
A mirror selfie with my date, Syafiera.

The session was very informative on the needs of a woman around the chest area, where comfort is concerned when wearing the right bra. There were a few types that were shown to us, which was the push-up bra, the triangle bra, the bare underwire bra, the modern shirt bra and the wire free t-shirt style bra. The ultimate would be that the pads are made out of memory foam to ensure superb comfort for a woman.

Group Photo with Calvin Kleins representative and also Andrea Kee from Female Mag.

The highlight of the day would be absolutely the new range of Calvin Klein, and also, having Andrea Kee, FEMALE’s Deputy Fashion Editor to discover with us the importance of a perfectly fit bra and score tips on how you can determine the Perfect Fit for you body shape.

Some stuff that we received in our goodie bags

Gift Vouchers to bring back home and redeem some goods!

Before the session ended, we had a small quiz session with of course, cash vouchers to be given out by Calvin Klein’s ambassador. I was lucky enough to know the answers to one of the questions, and won myself an amount of RM300 cash voucher which also means I will be getting myself new undies from Calvin Klein. YAY ME!

#ootd moment

If you also haven’t heard, Calvin Klein has recently launched their first independent store in Malaysia, for shopper’s convenience on purchasing their own Calvin Klein Lingerie with the best expertise to advice you on your needs. It’s located at The Gardens, so do drop by when you happen to be there. The texture of the bra is to die for!

For more information on Calvin Klein Lingerie, do visit their Official Page, and also for updates on events and promotions, do check out Female Magazine’s Official Page or Facebook page to keep yourself updated.

Till then,

xx

Thursday, December 11, 2014

1 Utama’s Rustic Woodland Christmas Launch 2014



Ho-ho-ho...

Its that time of year where its filled with joy and laughter among beloved family members and friends. And when its during the holiday season, what most people would look forward to, would be the amazing themed decorations! 1 Utama never fails to provide the best for their customers when it comes to their Holiday decorations.



Being one of the top 5 largest malls in Malaysia, with Christmas just coming in a few more weeks, 1 Utama welcomes the wonderful celebration once again! And let me tell you a secret, its filled with furry creatures and bigger than average Malaysians, and don’t worry, they wont bite  ;)

Source: One Utama Facebook Page
This year, 1 Utama has decided to have a Rustic woodland Christmas that allows their customers to enjoy a cozy scene in the woodlands filled with adorable woodland critters and tons of Christmas trees for people to enjoy the festive season. By bringing the outdoors in, shoppers get to escape to a whimsical woodland forest where they will meet chubby polar bears, squinty-eyed foxes, squirrels, owls, raccoons, penguins and many other adorable animals for photo opportunities.

Not to forget the wonderful Venessa Chong as the emcee of the day! Managed to get a shot with her and i must say that she did an amazing job during the event. *applause sound here*

And that’s not all, just like Santa, 1 Utama has prepared many wonderful rewards for 1 Utama shoppers, such as ONECARD cash vouchers, Body Shop gift set, trolley bag, 1 Utama desk calendar and many more complementary items up for redemption. Not to forget the many Christmas sales offering crazy discounts centre-wide.

1 Utama Christmas Rewards

(i) Receive a 1 Utama Desk Calendar 2015 for free with purchases amounting to RM150, single or max combination of 2 receipts. ONECARD members are entitled to two calendars a day and one calendar for non-members.

ii) Head over to the concierge and pick up a Christmas redemption card and collect as many stickers as you can to redeem exclusive Christmas gifts at the Ground Floor Highstreet opposite the Customer Service Centre.

For every RM150 purchased (2 receipts max) = 1 sticker

Receive 1 sticker and 1 magnet for a tiered-redemption whilst stock last. These gifts include RM10 ONECARD cash vouchers, kids hooded towel, cup set, lunch box, trolley bag with head rest and a bean bag.



There will also be a ONECARD Gift Card promotion as well. Purchase an RM200 ONECARD gift card, and you will be entitled to receive a ‘The Body Shop’ gift set. (limited to 3 sets per day)  while the first 200 shoppers purchasing the gift cards from the ONECARD Concierge on the 3rd Floor Highstreet will also receive an additional shower gel which is limited to 1 a day.

THAT’S NOT EVET ALL YET!

1 Utama’s exclusive Christmas Partner, Maybank will also be giving away some presents this year. With a minimum purchase of RM300, shoppers will be getting a Christmas theme canvas tote, and if you spend a minimum of RM600, shoppers will be getting a gorgeous festive tin container set.

Important: Purchases must be made with Maybank MasterCard, Visa or American Express excluding Maybank Debit Card. To redeem, simply drop by the Maybank Booth on the Lower Ground Floor Highstreet.



Above here would be some activities for the little kids with tons of Christmas treats in store along with workshops to express their Christmas spirit. And some enables them to express their creativity which they can take it home and show their adorable skills to friends and family. 






I was privileged to be apart of the joyful launch at 1 Utama, where they had fun performances for media and customers of 1 Utama to enjoy. They also prepares some treats for us by Betjeman & Barton, with an amazing variety of sugary and yummy samplings during the launch. The macaroons were superb, no doubt that 1 is enough. And not to forget their tea, where it taste just amazing, and it compliments the macaroons too. Would definitely be craving for it again anytime soon.



For more information on 1 Utama's Christmas events and promotions, do head over to their Official Website or visit their Facebook Page for the updates. 

Do enjoy the Jolly season, and Merry Christmas! 

love,
Sara xx

Saturday, November 29, 2014

CONTEST: Loreal's #beautycountdown

Image reference: Official L'Oreal page.

Hello,

If you haven't heard, L'Oreal Paris is running a contest happening right now, known as the #beautycountdown. L'Oreal has been one of the most trusted brands in Malaysia, and if you are a fan of L'Oreal, i would really suggest you to join this contest. Theres nothing to lose really *wink

Anyway, for further information, you can head on over to www.lorealbeautycountdown.com.my for the details of the competition which will be running till the end of December, 31st December 2014. They will be giving away amazing daily and also weekly prizes for the next few weeks, so you're never too late to be joining this competition. In a more specific view of the competition is that, the MORE you buy, the HIGHER the chances of you winning their Grand Prize! 

Since Christmas is just around the corner, guess what Santa will be giving friends and relatives? Amazing flawless L'Oreal products maybe? ;)

What are the prizes? 

GRAND PRIZE: A car worth more than RM100,000
WEEKLY PRIZES: Jewellery from Poh Kong or Kitchen Appliances.
DAILY PRIZES: Hamper worth RM100 x 3 winners

What you need to do in order to be in the running of winning prizes from L'Oreal? 

How to Enter?
Image reference: Official L'Oreal page.

The Entry Form.
Image reference: Official L'Oreal page.

So, as you can see in the image above, its pretty easy actually. All you need to do is to spend over RM20 on L'Oreal Paris products, then upload a photo of your receipt on the website, and answer a question. And thats basically it! You're in the running to win some amazing prizes. Well, all the best trying to win yourself some goods from L'Oreal Paris! 

Image reference: Official L'Oreal page.

For more information on L'Oreal, click on the image below. 



Good luck and all the best in trying to win yourself a car! 

Much love, 
Aliza Sara

Friday, November 21, 2014

Introducing you to Kracie X The Butterfly Project

Hello everyone!


The event location at Full House, Sunway Pyramid.

Other butterflies, taking photos at the event to remember the event. Aren't they adorable? 

I know i was suppose to blog about my event from Kracie which was way back to two weeks ago, definitely charged as guilty for delaying the post, my bad! But before i start, let me just explain more on the event, basically, the event was held at Fullhouse, Sunway Pyramid at 12pm till 2pm on the 31st of October. And what a coincidence that it was on Halloween! Apparently, to attend the event, it had a theme, where everyone had a dress code to be dressing up in a Kawaii outfit. So yes, Kawaii girl on the loose on Halloween. Good news, would be that i didn't have to think of what to dress up as. LOL.


Mr Kojima, presenting some of the range of hair care by Ichikami.
The event started with Mr Kojima, giving an introduction of the purpose of the event by explaining about how Kracie begun. He was very happy to meet all of us, and i found it fascinating that he was explaining everything in Japanese. But of course we had a translator as our emcee, so thank god for that. Lets start with an introduction to Kracie, if you haven't heard of Kracie, well, its actually a renamed brand of Kanebo. Yes, Kracie is actually by Kanebo. Surprise! And we all know how good Kanebo is right?! Its amazing because they believe in details on all components of your living lifestyle. So it has a long history of 128 years, where it started in 1887. This is assured that the products they have been creating is really good, knowing that its still growing after over a decade of existence.

There are two main brands under Kracie that i would like to highlight in this post, which would be "Ichikami" their hair care series and also their mask range by the name "Hadabisei".




So how did Ichikami came around? The ancient Japanese believe that beautiful hair represents who they are, where Ichikami directly means "Hair comes first". Ichikami has a special hair care ingredient, which is made out of rice brand. We had a demonstrator to demonstrate how the product can do wonders. 


Left: Before Styling, Right: After Styling
Its amazing how not only that Ichikami protects your hair, but also it leaves a natural look to it while it treats your hair with the right nutrients. I managed to have a hold of her hair, and it felt really smooth and healthy, as if the curls was her natural hair. 

Below would be some of the ranges of hair care by Ichikami.




Ichikami uses Japanese Botanical essences to not only repair existing hair damages, but also to prevent future damages as well. It is formulated with repair and prevention ingredients, "Pure Japanese Botanical Essences". And to think its so easy to treat your hair now with Ichikami that you don't even need to do treatment at a hair saloon. It generates fine lather and cleans hair gently while protecting your hair against further damage from normal shampoo.




The Ichikami comes in 2 different types:
1. Smooth Care Line: for frizzy, permed, coloured, tangled, stiff and oily hair
2. Moist Care Line: for Brittle, dry and dull, with split ends

Ichikami Wasou Yu Special Hair care:
Wasou Yu, is a pure botanical hair oil, and all the butterfly bloggers actually had the opportunity play around with the product. I managed to apply several drops at the ends of my hair, and it felt amazing. It was an instant treatment to treating your hair within less than 30 seconds. It had a very decent smell of cherry blossom in every drop of it. Smells good, treats your hair, what more can you ask for?! 

Ms Keko, explaining the position of Ichikami worldwide.

Moving on, Ms Keko also had a say on the product representing Kracie. Did you know that Ichikami is positioned at the 6th best hair care brand all around the world? And the secret ingredient to Ichikami hair care range is rice. It is believed that rice had nutrients that are good for your hair as its organic and non acidic like other hair treatments nowadays.

Not only they have hair care, but they also had a range of face mask as well, known as Hadabisei. Mr Kojima was a good sport to volunteer on trying out the product. According to Ms Keko, 15 minutes of this mask would help your skin relax and restores all the nutrients that it needs to keep it looking healthy and moist. And the best part, its good for people with sensitive skin as its very gentle.

Mr Kojima with a Hadabisei Mask on.

The ranges of mask by Hadabisei.
The variety of Hair care products by Ichikami, Kracie.

Me (with a kawaii pose) with Mr Kojima
And if you're wondering what i wore to the event, or #ootd, here is what i looked like. Haha. I was going as a nerdish Kawaii Girl. Hoping that i pulled it off the right way. Please say it worked. Teehee. or if it didn't, guess I'm not Japanese enough. *pouts sad face*

^ nerdish kawai girl

And before i end, the best part to any event would be meeting such amazing people and also making new friends. Here are some other photos i took at the event, and i met some familiar faces too! Ladies who never fail to look amazing every time i see them ;)


With Syafiera and mamasan Tammy with her amazing locks of turquoise hair.  
And meet Jessy the KL Chic. 

In a more general term, if you would like to know where you can get these amazing products, you can  head on over at any Aeon wellness stores in:

Mid Valley, Bandar Utama, Taman Maluri, Taman Equine, Queensbay, Bandar Sunway, Bukit Indah, Mahkota Cheras, ePermas Jaya, AU2, Bukit Tinggi , Kulai, Bandaraya Malacca, Metro Prima, Subang Jaya, Bangsar South, Penang Prai ,Ipoh Station 18, Bandar Puchong, Bukit Mertajam, Wangsa Maju, River City, Alpha Angle, Quill City, IOI Putrajaya Citymall, Taiping Mall, Tropicana City mall and etc.

For more information of Kracie, click on the logo. 

http://www.kracie.co.jp/eng/index.html
Or if you need to locate Aeon Stores, click on the logo here:


Well, i hope you find this post informative. Till then lovelies. Do not hesitate to leave a comment below if you have any questions to ask. Don't worry, i won't bite.

Much love,
Aliza Sara
xx