It's the kiwifruit season again! Ok i'm a little late because i've been busy for a bit. Anyhoo.. As the alum of the first Zespri 14-Day Daily Scoop of Amazing Challenge (read about my experience here), I was invited back for their Amazing Blogger dinner which was held at Fern and Kiwi, a New Zealand restaurant in Clarke Quay.

As usual, i was excited about the kiwifruit incorporated dishes. I tried to do some fun dishes with the Zespri kiwifruits that were sent to me but i'm obviously not that talented a cook. The best i did was a Kiwi fruit salsa? Check it out here. Haha.. 

First up, the Seafood Salad.

It was a rather bland dish as the seafood weren't really seasoned. I liked the sweetness from the kiwifruit though and i discovered that seafood (especially scallops) go pretty well with kiwifruits.

The pan seared pacific snapper was really well done IMO. Nicely pan fried with a golden crust and then topped with a sweet kiwifruit coulis. The taste of the purée was quite similar to that of an apple pie filling. I reckon this was made using the golden kiwifruit as it is sweeter and smoother.

S took the lamb dish so that I could sample something different. I thought the meat was very nicely grilled and juicy but we weren't that big a fan of the kiwi relish.

You will get BIG biceps if u eat more kiwifruits. Haha. :P

The duo of kiwifruit panna cotta was very interesting. One side was the cream version and the other was a kiwifruit pudding with a meringue base. O delightful sweet aerated puffs.

Even Darth Vader wanted some Zespri kiwifruit!

Reunited with friends- Alexis and Shanice. I attended my first group tasting with them and haven't met Shanice since.

Anyhoo, remember to get your dose of vitamin C with Zespri kiwifruits. It has the most amount of vitC in any fruit! Small and powerful (just like me!) If you are afraid of turning green from the overdose, have the golden kiwifruits. Heh. The quantity of golden kiwifruits this year is smaller so grab them before they run out!

Oh the food at Fern and Kiwi wasn't too bad. Wouldn't mind checking their menu another time as the dishes shown were specially prepared for the Zespri Dinner.

It's been 12 days since the start of my Zespri 14-Day Daily Scoop of Amazing Challenge! (Read about the competition here) Whee. I can't believe i am still surviving. I think i have annoyed my friends pretty much on my personal facebook account. A friend commented that i ought to become a New Zealand PR since i love it so much. I believe he meant that with sarcasm. :/ Sorry guys.

So what benefits did i reap from this challenge (apart from the insane number of kiwifruits delivered to my doorsteps)? Well, i believe it has really given me better complexion! I mean.. at the start it was pretty bad. I suddenly had an outbreak of pimples but that's kinda like detoxing my skin, clearing the clogged pores and stuff. Exactly the same thing happened when i visited my dermatologist previously. So yea, beauty tip here! Eat more kiwifruits for detox! It's cheaper than visiting the doc's. Or better still, apply some on your face. Here is my kiwi yogurt mask recipe if you missed it.

To reward my dear readers, i'm giving away some cute Zespri Kiwifruit stuff. Check this out.

Remember the cute kiwifruit holder that i've been using? I have 9 to give away! Comes with a spife as well. Then there are also 2 furry kiwifruit thumb drive which are absolutely adorable. 1 Zespri Gold Lunch Box (mother of all kiwifruit holders). And finally, see the kiwi toy at the back? That's actually a massager! It vibrates your aches away. I have 3 of the Kiwifruit Massager to give away as well!

There are several ways to win something from this stash.
1. Leave a comment on My blog or Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MsSkinnyfat). Tell me why you like reading my blog or like kiwifruits.
2. Share or Like this post on Facebook

Depending on the response, i'll either just give it to those who actually do comment on something or use a randomizer. I noticed that my readers are quite shy about interacting with me on my blog or facebook or twitter for that matter. I won't bite really. :)

Remember to also tell me which of the items you prefer so that it's easier for me to give you something.

Have a kiwified week ahead! Peace out.

The Zespri kiwifruits have landed on our sunny island! I'm not sure if you guys have noticed this but i've spotted them at the supermarkets already! Whee! I love eating these brown furry fellas because i love Vitamin C. Did you know that these little kiwifruits are in fact packed with twice the amount of Vitamin C as compared to our typical go-to-fruit, orange. A single Zespri Gold Kiwifruit exceeds the minimum recommended daily intake of Vitamin C for a day! How awesome is that?

I was invited by Zespri to take part in the first-ever 14-Day Daily Scoop of Amazing Challenge. In the next 14 days, i would be eating, breathing and living Zespri Kiwifruits! I will attempt (the keyword is attempt) to get creative with kiwis, so watch this space. Will be updating my day to day activities and kiwinspiration on my Facebook Page, Twitter and Instagram (@Msskinnyfat) as well. There will be a special Zespri Giveaway for readers at the end of 2 weeks. So go ahead, Comment, Like, and Share away!

We kicked-off the Challenge with dinner at The Living Cafe yesterday and it was my first raw food meal! This carnivore was quite worried at first but found out that "raw" also meant unprocessed and organic and some food were cooked as well. -Phew- Here is what we ate, and also a preview of potential kiwifruit dishes that you can prepare!

We started with a Raw Bruschetta with Pesto and Kiwi Salsa as our Entree. The sweet kiwifruit really goes well with the acidity from the Salsa. I love the cracker, which is probably made from dehydrated nuts (I'm obviously not a cook). It really whets the appetite and i kept telling Hazel (Aimakan) that i'm starving.

I was surprised when i touched my Raw Kiwi and Apple Gazpacho soup for it was cold. Yes, that's what raw food is about sometimes. It tasted exactly like blended fruit juice but it was more cool tasting than sweet. Seems like quite an easy dish to make right? :) 

Our Main Course was a Grilled Salmon fillet stuffed with cauliflower puree, served with mixed salad and kiwi citrus. The salmon was a little overcooked but i love the crunch and light bitterness of the cauliflower. They also used my favorite Japanese sesame dressing on the rockets. Yums.

Dessert was a Raw Kiwi Pie and everyone was cringing their faces because the first bite was sour. I played it smart and started with the nut milk filling (it tasted of coconut). I love the creamy silky texture of the pudding. Surprisingly, my kiwi topping wasn't too sour. :) Love the nutty base again. I believe it's dehydrated and not baked.

Ended our dinner on a sweet note with our kiwifruit cups! This is how i love to eat them best! As usual i was playing with my food and i roped Hazel into doing the same. And it was caught on film by the photographer! :/

Group shot of the bloggers and friends who are participating in the 14 day challenge. Where did Hazel disappear to?! Anyway, the possibility of me winning this challenge is close to 0 with all these great blogger cooks around! I'm going for the lazy girl's approach to eating more fruits. I already have a few silly ideas in mind. Heh. Keep a look out!

Do remember to check out my Facebook Page for daily tips and updates! Visit the Zespri website for kiwi recipes too. :) Remember, a kiwi a day keeps the doctor away (apples are too low in Vit C content).

The Living Cafe
779 Bukit Timah Rd
Mon – Sat: 9am – 6pm
Phone +65 6762-8029

I'm guilty of eating out very often and well i never had to step into the kitchen to cook anything except for myself (i thank the most wonderful woman in my life for that, my dearest mama). She is quite the matriarch and the kitchen is her territory. As much as i wanted to try cooking, my limited cooking ability and together with the ban from the kitchen at home, i could only do something as simple as chopping up fruits. Even that i haven't done in ages :// 

Today i'll share with you a modified Kiwifruit Salsa dish which was provided by Zespri to help me get creative with the fruit. I was going to attempt the Roasted Chicken with Kiwifruit salsa originally http://www.zespri.com.sg/en/recipes/ but guess what this lazy girl did? I removed the cooking portion and made the simplified version of the salsa for my nachos.

The Lazy Girl Kiwifruit Salsa with Nachos (Serves 2)
2 ZESPRI™ Kiwifruit, peeled, diced (Gold and Green)
1 Orange, peeled, segmented, chopped
½ cup Tomato, seeded, diced (Or diced ones from the can will do too)
Add any other fruits that you fancy. I recommend strawberries, grapes and mango

(Not a fan of all the onions and peppers so i removed them)

Directions: TOSS TOSS TOSS

Serve with Tositos Scoops (Available at most supermarkets)

It's quite the refreshing snack on the go. I brought this on the Henderson walk. It's really not that hard to make. If you are lazier than thou, just throw all the ingredients into the processor and let it do the dicing. :) 

It's not that hard trying to cook something for the family. It doesn't even have to be real cooking in fact. S enjoyed this quite a fair bit and i'm making more for the family as per their request. :)) What matters more is the effort you put in and the time spent together. If you don't like eating (i can't imagine anyone hating it though), do something that you guys enjoy like checking out a new park or museums. Gardens by the Bay maybe? I recommend exploring Henderson Waves and the Southern Ridges.

If you need inspiration for interesting dishes, check out http://www.zespri.com.sg/en/recipes/ for some kiwifruit twist in your cooking. Cheers!

It's Day7 of my Zespri 14-day Challenge! I can't believe i've lasted this long but it has been quite an interesting 1 week with all my lovely kiwifruits. This lazy girl has obviously been lazy at creating kiwi dishes. The best i've managed is the Kiwifruit Salsa. And a granola kiwifruit yogurt for breakfast. ZZZ. Fret not! Even if you are lazy like me, it's not that hard to incorporate the Vit C packed fruit in your diet. You can actually do different things with the same ingredients such as... making your own facial mask!

I'm not a facial person and i've only recently started on my skincare regime (things you do when you get older). I'm really simple when it comes to facial products and i don't see the need in spending so much money on chemicals when you can get them from natural products such as fruits and vegetables!

Kiwifruits contain the highest level of Vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. It is also rich in Vitamins A and E, which are beneficial for our skin and hair, giving us that radiant complexion. Other than eating them, it also works wonders when you use it on your face. I'm going to share with you a simple kiwi yogurt mask to give you that additional glow. :)

Ingredients:
1 Zespri Kiwifruit (3-4 teaspoon of juice)
2 Tablespoons of Yogurt
1 Tablespoon of Orange Juice
1 Tablespoon of Almond Oil

Instructions:Puree the kiwifruit in the food processor or blender or simply chop and mash it up.
Add the other ingredients in
Mix till you get a smooth thick and creamy paste (mine is a little watery)
Apply to face and leave till dry (about 30mins)
Wash off with cold water.

After washing off my mask, my skin feels moisturized and supple. Eating kiwifruits helps with the detox and i was actually getting a breakout because the pores are trying to unclog themselves :(( So it's a great thing that they soothe my skin when i apply the fruits on instead. 1 fruit, multiple wholesome uses. Now go try it for yourself! :))