Weeked Brunch Project : Croissant Sandwiches

I don't have the mood to start my assignment (...again) so I decided to do something productive at home. Lately, the frequency of my mood swing was quite rampant that I prefer to stay at home most of the time. I have to be frugal anyway as I am no longer working and rely heavily on my student's allowance. 

Frugality make me really into Aussie supermarket or home brand products. They are cheap, taste good, look good and value for money. Like UK, I find some Aussie grown or made products are exceptional. From fresh produce to daily bakes. In London, I love the Sainsbury butter brioche. In Brisbane I love COLES butter croissant. It is the nearest I can get like the one I often had in Paris.

Yesterday, I decided to make that short trip to the nearest supermarket more interesting by creating a challenge - you have AUD 15.00 and try to create nice meal with AUD 15.00. Why AUD 15.00? Well, it is based on how much I usually spend if I eat out, in any cafes, foodcourt or restaurants of my choice in Brisbane. Of course, I will never go to fancy/posh Michelin star restaurants. Admittedly, the portion are bigger here but for me if we compare "dollar to dollar" ... it is quite hard to get a complete meal at AUD 5. At least in Kuching or Penang, a nice bowl of mee can be around RM 5 with drink - if u know where to look!

Anyway, domestic goods generally are not cheap here in Australia too, based on my experience in Brisbane of course. I compared the price to UK and some European countries that I have visited based on dolar to dolar concept, I find it slightly higher here. Anyway AUD 15 got me all of those items above and what did I turn it into?

Two sandwiches, and I still have 2 croissants left. Know what, I bought a simple ham and cheese in uni the other day and  it cost me AUD 3.90 ... yea just ham and cheese! Huhuhu! Will finish the rest off tomorrow. With AUD 15, I can feed 4 person plus a salad bowl made with the leftover salad leaves, smoked salmon, turkey breast and salami. Huhuhu!

By the way ... this project was also inspired by one lecture back in KL for new undergrads before going overseas titled "Life is more than just 2 minutes noodle". I just hope ... students who don't like to cook but want something nice to eat to find this information useful.

Product Testing: McCain Healthy Choice Lemon Chicken

I only have about 16 months here in Australia so I decided to try out as many products as possible before returning to Malaysia. So this type of entry will not only be a journal but also documentation of what products I tried here. In general, I am quite satisfied with Australian food products especially their dairy products. Even some supermarket brands or home brands (I think that's how they call it) are quite good compared to Malaysia (I think many people can relate to this).

Today, I will start my product review with McCain Healthy Choice Lemon Chicken with Asian vegetables and rice.

1. What made me buy this product?

I am all alone this week so I was looking for something fast, wholesome, yummy, no frill ready-made meal for one. I was interested for something Asian and rice based so this product just fits my need nicely. The "eating healthy" and "25% discount" (sold $4.00 at Coles) were additional motivations to buy and try this product.

2. How do I like this product?

The product was easy to prepare, took me about 6 minutes to reheat in my microwave oven. The portion is medium ... just nice for Asian palate like me. Taste-wise, the lemon sauce was slightly sweet but nicely done and the rice was neither too dry nor soft. However, eating the rice and vegetable alone ... yes ... it taste very bland and "healthy". I prefer enjoying the fried chicken nugget with the lemon sauce separately as I think the lemon sauce was not savoury enough and didn't go well with the rice.

3. Will I buy it again?

Maybe but not in near future. It doesn't scream "buy me, buy me" to me. I might try other products from the same brand or same product from other brands

4. Where did I get this product?

I bought mine at Coles.

Rating : 6/10

Nature's Way Rest & Restore Night Multivitamin For Women

After weeks cuba siapkan assignments and mengubat hati yang luka, baru hari ni mak ada mood sikit nak update blog. Today I decided to share satu supplement yang mak suka konsep dan juga agak berkesan untuk mak.

Kisahnya bermula masa mak mula sampai ke Brisbane. The first thing mak buat time tu adalah cari supplement to replace kolagen Kinohimitsu yang mak selalu makan masa di Malaysia. Unfortunately, mana-mana pharmacy yang mak pergi mostly jual sheep placenta dan marine collagen products (yang ala-ala Imeedeen tu). Ada jugak mak carik online kalau-kalau ada jual kan Kinohimitsu products kat Brisbane ni.

One day mak buka TV and nampak iklan ni kat TV ... Rest and Restore Night Multivitamin for Women :

"Do you feel worn out, fatigued, not 100%. It’s no wonder- because the human body is not designed to withstand the constant pressure of each hectic day without eventually slowing down or burning out. This is the reason that our body rests and restores itself while we sleep of all the minor damages it has faced during your busy day. If your body does not repair & restore itself properly- it affects your health & vitality every day.

That’s why a night multi is an important step you can take to help support your health and well being. It works with your body while you sleep to help the body’s natural recharging and repairing that happens while you sleep, to help you feel renewed and restored every day- so that you can wake up feeling brighter, fresher and more energetic the whole day!"

Menarik kan konsepnya? So few weeks ago mak went to Terry White Chemists kat Myer Centre carik benda alah ni. Harga $24.95 ... about RM 77.00 la untuk 60 tablets.

Rest and Restore Night Multivitamin For Women

Multivitamin ni makan sebijik selepas makan dan sebelum nak masuk tido. Masa first time makan, skeptical jugak. Mak yang tak pernah-pernah rajin nak makan vitamin tiba-tiba taksub pulak try night multivitamin. Kira mak memang terpengaruh sangattttt lah dengan iklan.

Bila baca kotak ni ... makin semangat nak makan hahaha

Yes ... lepas makan, the next day mak memang rasa fresh sangat. Digalakkan makan sebelum nak tido. Jangan makan pastu layan facebook or tengok drama korea kerana tak berapa nak terasa effect yang "fresh" tu.  Tips nyer makan ... pastu terus tido. In my case, mak memang ada problem tido lena so itu sebab mak lepas makan, mak cuba rehatkan badan ... kosongkan fikiran and ... seriously it works!

Then mak pun rekemen kat Gayah kat UK nun. Apparently, ada satu brand yang kotaknya sama tapi nama brand tu tak sama. Gayah pun kata berkesan! So memang product ni sangat boleh dipercayai. Memang rasa tak adil lah kan review product yang mungkin takde kat Malaysia but nowadays ... kita boleh beli apa saja online!

Kat UK nama brand tu Bioglan ... sini Nature's Way. Tapi company sama.

Kalau nak tahu ingredients nya ... sila klik di sini. Mak tak pasti kalau supplement ni ada kat Malaysia. But since I don't have access to my Kinohimitsu Diamond Collagen drink, guess this is a healthier alternative.

OK see you in the next product review!

Love From Down Under,
MJ

Kinohimitsu J'Pan Collagen Diamond 5300 Drink

Hari ni mak nak share pengalaman mak minum produk kecantikan Kinohimitsu Diamond Collagen 5300mg Drink ni. Untuk makluman, mak dah amalkan dekat sebulan dan sekarang ni masuk kotak yang kedua. Satu kotak untuk supply sebulan ada 16 botol semuanya.

Mak diperkenalkan kepada minuman kecantikan ni oleh rakan sekerja mak setelah mak menegur kulitnya semakin halus dan cantik for a 40 year old. Selain itu penulis juga perasan yang rambut kawan mak ini yang mengalami masalah thinning nampak lebat, tebal dan sihat. Kalau muka yang berkedut tiba-tiba tegang tu mak malaslah nak tegur, tapi ni tak ... mak observe kulit muka, rambut dan jari-jemari dia nampak so youthful.

Gigih mak minum uols setiap malam supaya nampak meletups.

Jangan lupa beli yang ori yer...

Kawan mak pun berkongsi pengalaman minum produk kecantikan ni selama 2 bulan dan recommend mak untuk mencubanya. Masa mula-mula beli tu, mak kongsi dengan my mum yang juga interested to test it. Yelaaa ... my mum pun nak meletups jugak okayyyy. Harga promosi sekotak untuk supply sebulan kat Watson is RM 159.00. Kalau tengok kotak, retail sale price RM 165.00.

Mak sebenarnya takdelah masalah kulit yang serius tapi mak perasan sejak mak kerja kat Penang ni, dengan udara Pulau yang kering dan panas, ditambah pula dengan tekanan kerja, amalan pemakanan yang kurang sihat, kurang bersenam serta duduk bawah air-con kulit muka mak jadi kusam dan tona tak sekata. Rambut mak juga kering, kasar dan bercabang. Kuku mak pulak brittle.

Mak jadi tak suka ambik gambar sebab rupa memang nampak soooo "makcik". Dah berapa banyak dah mak belanja utk produk kecantikan (including SKII) ... Kesannya tidaklah seperti yang diharapkan. Tambahlah mak ni kategori yang malas nak tempek bedak, krim dan segala. Nah sekali kau ... bila tengok kebanyakan problem yang dinyatakan kat belakang kotak tu ada kena kat mak harussssss lah mak beli kan (sangat mudah terpengaruh ngan iklan...)

Tapi sebelum nak beli tu, mak ada jugak rasa was was ... yalah kebanyakan produk minuman kecantikan adalah daripada sumber haiwan atau hidupan laut, which I am not so keen kalau takde GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) atau sumber haiwan tu kita tak tahu apa dan dari mana. Mak pernah juga nak plan nak beli sheep placenta sebab ramai kawan mak yang Chinese and Eurasian memang asyik-asyik puji produk sheep placenta ni. Tapi mak tak suka kambing and sedara mara dia so memang tak berkenan lah sheep placenta ni.

Kalau ikut label, bahan-bahan dia terdiri daripada air, fruktosa, kolagen 5300mg (ikan), jus epal, asid sitrik, karamel, vitamin C, jus sayuran dan buah-buahan, jus lemon, jus lichi, ekstrak biji perilla, silk protein, dan soy isoflavone.

Cara penggunaannya, satu botol setiap hari sebelum sarapan atau tidur. Mak prefer waktu malam sebelum tido sebab bangun pagi tu mak suka the feeling of my skin. Untuk pengguna kali pertama, kena minum secara berterusan sebotol sehari selama 6 hari. Pastu, baru minum selang 2 hari 1 botol (for maintenance). Tapi kalau yang mengandung atau mempunyai masalah kesihatan, digalakkan merujuk dulu kepada doktor ya.

Mak memang puas hati lah dengan produk ni. Lepas 5 botol, the first thing mak perasan adalah kulit tangan, kuku dan rambut mak. Terasa lembut dan halus. Pastu kawan mak tegur kata muka macam "glowing".... and mak tengok gambar mak baru-baru nie ... mak suka bibir mak yang sangat "kissable" ... yalah bibir Angelina Jolie dan Anita Sarawak kannnnnn ... sexy gitewwww. Tak tahu ni perasaan mak jer ker tapi mak rasa, kawan-kawan yang dah kawin dan beranak amat digalakkan mencuba... kasi UP dan tegang sikit yang kendur dan lunyai (opppsssss). Tak payah sebok nak makan kacip mak Jemah uolsssss ... so the very ulu gitew.

Okay ... sapa yang patut minum produk ni ...

Sebelum mak try product nie mak ada jugak cuba 2 produk Kinohimitsu yang lain iaitu UV Bright Drink (ni pun berkesan sebab nampak pipi rosy) dan MindRelax Drink (yang ni tak nampak kesan pun). Tapi sebab nak habiskan stok, mak selang seli minuman kolagen ni dengan MindRelax Drink.

Lepas mak habis minum yang ni mak plan nak try dia punya StemCell Drink pulak. Sebab kata promoter tu lah kan, StemCell ni drink ni ada DNA dan RNA for cell rejuvenation so boleh bantu hilang sakit-sakit kat badan. Pastu dia pun ada kolagen. Effect dia pun ada macam sheep placenta tapi ni daripada sumber tumbuhan iaitu Snow Lotus. Tapi harga boleh tahan juga uolsss ... RM 299.00 untuk supply 30 hari kat Watson.

Kepada kawan-kawan yang nak cuba tu ... silalah ya ... you will never regret it.