Del Monte Pacific Limited Debuts on the Philippine Stock Exchange

Who hasn't heard of Del Monte?

My family has been using Del Monte products for decades. The brand is a staple in our home. In the 1980s, I also had the chance to be assigned to audit Del Monte (then known as Philippine Packing Corporation or PPC). That assignment meant working not only in their Makati office then but I had to travel as well to Bukidnon where I spent days in their Bugo office and had to stay on the plantation as well.

Even back then, that plantation visit overwhelmed me. Del Monte sits on a plateau so the air and temperature there is akin to Baguio - cool. On the ground, you would pass hectares upon hectares of pineapples, as far as your eyes could see. It was not just pineapples there. Some of the best steaks could be experienced in Del Monte. Their cattle are 'pampered' - kept in corrals so very little movement happens and that makes their meat tender and juicy. Fresh milk and butter, pickles, fruits, and so much more all came straight from Del Monte soil.

Since then, Del Monte has changed ownership hands and it is now called Del Monte Pacific Ltd. or DMPL. And last June 10, 2013, DMPL did something which is a FIRST in the Philippines. It listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), 14 years after it listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange (SGX) in 1999. This first dual listing between the SGX and the PSE helps promote the integration of the PSE with ASEAN bourses. Before this, the PSE only cross-listed with the New York Stock Exchange, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited.

Starbucks brings back the favorites

From May 15 to July 14, 2013, Starbucks is bringing back two (2) of its favorite beverages for everyone to enjoy this summer.

Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappuccino Blended Beverage

(Tall-PhP 170; Grande-PhP 180; Venti-PhP 190)

Start with Starbucks' Frappuccino Roasted Coffee, add in chocolate cookie bits, and you get a twist on the classic Mocha Frappuccino Blended Coffee. Rich mocha sauce, vanilla syrup, milk and ice make up the basic recipe and the whole beverage is topped off with whipped cream, chocolate drizzle and a cookie crumble topping.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino Blended Beverage

(Tall-PhP 160; Grande-PhP 170; Venti-PhP 180)

The combination of red beans and green tea bring an Asian flavor to blended beverage. This one combines whole kernels of red azuki beans and matcha, a finely milled green tea variant which is the most superior form of all green teas in Japan.

Catch them both this summer at your favorite Starbucks branch.

Love@Home with Samsung

I'm a geeky momma. I love tech. And as a Mom, I always end up looking at appliances and home furnishings whenever I get the chance to window shop. So getting first dibs at Samsung Digital Home Appliances' 2013 offering was a real delight and a chance to ogle the new stuff that Samsung was bringing into this year's home appliance line-up.

Dubbed "Love@Home", the launch featured five (5) must-have-in-the-home appliances using the latest technology and cool features that have become the signature of Samsung. On hand to help introduce the appliances to the audience were celebrity moms Daphne Osena-Paez, Tessa Prieto-Valdez and Rissa Mananquil-Trillo.

The Samsung Digital Air Conditioner

So what's new with inverter airconditioners? That's what I was thinking when this appliance was being introduced. After all, I already have 2 inverter aircon units at home. Imagine my utter surprise when Samsung announced that their new air conditioner had *wait for this* WIFI!

I know what you're thinking - what for?

Think about this scenario. You are caught in traffic, on your way home. It's hot outside and you are just raring to go into your airconditioned room and plop right into bed as soon as you get home. Most of us would only be able to turn on our air conditioner once we are home. With Samsung's Digital Air Conditioner, you can remotely turn on your aircon and adjust its settings (temp, fan speed, vertical swing) from virtually anywhere you have an internet connection. You can do it from your car!

It also comes with a Smart Inverter Technology that Samsung says makes it 60% energy-efficient.

Inverter air conditioner with WIFI

App icon on Samsung smartphone

Settings direct from a smartphone...

...using WIFI!

Human Nature brings on Tough Love

Human Nature products are very much a part of my life. My shampoo and conditioner, insect repellant, hand sanitizer, lip balm, and some makeup are from Human Nature. It has been a conscious move on my part to switch from chemical-based stuff around the house to products which are not only gentle to my skin but also environment-friendly.

But recently I received 2 new Human Nature products which are NOT just gentle; they are TOUGH as well!!! And they should be, because they need to wash away dirt where it matters. At the same time, they are so natural that they can be discharged into the environment without polluting it.

This is the new home care brand that Human Nature recently introduced into the market - their TOUGH LOVE home care line -- Tough Love Natural Dishwashing Liquid and Natural Liquid Detergent (100% Natural).

Bobble Water Bottle - Purifying Water on the Go

I need to drink a lot of water every day because of my previous bout with kidney stones. In addition, when I go to my yoga classes, I always want to bring a water bottle with me.

The problem with single-use PET bottles though is that it is both expensive in the long run and damaging to the earth as it contributes to the tons of PET bottles disposed into the earth's landfills every day. I could always fill my water bottle before heading out but in order to get my 2-liter quota of water for the day, I would need to refill my bottle somewhere. Now how would I know if the source of my refilled water is potable enough?

Well, I recently got a Bobble water bottle to try out and based on first impressions, it looks like a healthy solution to my dilemma.

(taken from waterbobble.com)

Bobble is the creation of renowned industrial artist Karim Rashid - the man behind numerous luxury goods and popular product designs such as Christofle, Alessi, Umbra, Bonaldo, Vondom and Hugo Boss. It features a curvy form that makes it easy to grasp and carry around - perfect for workout sessions like my yoga classes or simply something to hold when outside the home. The plastic bottle is also BPA-free.

But the killer feature is its built-in filter. Its carbon filter is replaceable and recyclable, purifying potable water even further by eliminating chlorine and organic contaminants. There goes my worry about the cleanliness of other water sources once I drink up the water I brought from home. I can just refill the bottle and still be sure the filter eliminates anything in the water that can be harmful to the body. Caveat: Bobble should NOT be used with water that is microbiologically unsafe.)

My red Bobble!!!

A new gustatory experience - Starbucks international coffee and food pairing

White wine with fish. Red wine with meats. That's the standard way of pairing wine with food, right?

But recently, some of us sat down to a food tasting lunch paired with -- Starbucks coffee blends!

The Starbucks team, combined with the Spanish restaurant Tapella put up a gastronomic menu interspersed with 4 different coffee blends.

Choosing the right coffee blend to go with a particular dish is very important, we learned. Most of us in the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia, according to Starbucks, are in the developing stage. Not everyone is well educated in coffee. We probably go to Starbucks, order our favorite beverage, then walk out without really paying that much attention to the blend or how it is prepared.  But that is a good thing, they say, because it leaves so many possibilities for us to be educated about coffee. And yet in emerging countries, like Europe, people know their coffee. They order a double shot of espresso, want their coffee black, and specify other add-ons to go with their favorite drink.

Let me digress first and tell you about the latest Starbucks coffee blend.

Creating the New Asian Blend

For the longest time, while some blends could be identified with certain regions (e.g., espresso is identified with Europe), there was no blend identified with Asia. This time, Starbucks launches the Asian Dolce Latte, strong and smooth, with an Asian twist. Double shots of the premium dark-roasted Starbucks Espresso Roast give the latte its distinct flavor complemented by a dolce sauce created just for this blend.

Tip when drinking Asian Dolce Latte: DO NOT STIR! Drink it as served and you will get a better coffee experience as you savor the flavor and texture of each of the layers of the latte.