The Smart and Easy Way of Cooking Your Noche Buena This Christmas

The Smart and Easy Way of Cooking Your Noche Buena This Christmas

The holidays are always such a big eating season for everyone. It’s that one time of the year when we feel extra carefree about what we eat because, seriously, have you really enjoyed

But what if we tell you that you do not need to sacrifice healthy eating to enjoy the season? Even more, what if you find out that you can whip up your flavorful recipe in minutes in your own kitchen?

Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer should be on every Christmas wishlist of all home cooks out there. Versatile, easy to use, and very durable, this oven from the premium home brand can give you the best of both worlds in terms of flavor and ease of cooking as you cruise through the holidays.

One of the beauties of the Smart Oven Air Fryer is its ten cooking functions that can let you make to-die-for crispy treats and scrumptious slow-cooked meals. Toast, bake, roast, grill, and, of course, air fry without any fuss while shortening your cooking time. Equipped with dual-speed convection, this kitchen partner speeds up the cooking process by raising hotter air while sinking colder ones. The result: 30 percent reduced cooking time as compared to regular ovens and air fryers!

Richie Zamora, the vlogger behind The Pickiest Eater in the World makes a perfect case for this when he prepared a full spread of TV chow snacks for his family to enjoy in minutes. He shares, “All these amazing snacks were cooked in the air fryer with absolutely no oil. Everything was cooked to a beautiful crisp, but you don’t even realize that they aren’t deep fried.”

Let’s Eat Pare also showed how fast and easy it is to make restaurant-level fried crispy wings with the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer. In just 20 minutes, they were able to make a big batch of chicken wings in sour cream flavor! You can check out their recipe here if you want to try their version.

 

Of course, preparing healthier versions of dishes is another thing that makes this kitchen must-have from Breville essential. Air frying significantly reduces — if not totally removes — the use of oil in cooking, which means that you consume fewer calories and prevent weight gain and obesity when you air-fried food. Fortunately, for the Smart Oven Air Fryer, you don’t need to worry about sacrificing flavors to go the healthier route. Chef Beng proved this when she made a Pinoy-style whole-fried chicken using it.

“Normally, I would have this deep-fried, but using an air fryer is apparently so much better as the chicken is amazingly crispy, juicy, and full of flavor. Not to mention, this is a way healthier process than deep frying.”

She also shares that she loves the precision with time and temperature that this Air Fryer provides. “Just press a function, and it automatically shows how long and high the cooking process will be.” This is made possible by Breville’s patented Element IQ System, which is a smart algorithm that decides the ideal cooking environment for a range of different cooking techniques.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is definitely the kitchen partner to have this holiday season if you want to enjoy healthy, delicious meals minus the fuss. As Richie, Chef Beng, and Let’s Eat Pare say, respectively:

“The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer proves that cooking doesn’t need to be greasy to be delicious, and preparing food with less guilt doesn’t mean less flavors either.”

“It has ten cooking functions, which make it a value-for-money purchase. I totally love it, and I highly recommend this smart kitchen appliance.”

“It’s the ultimate kitchen tool you need to put on your Christmas shopping list, pare!”

What are you waiting for? Add the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer to your holiday wishlist now. To learn more about the product, visit the Breville website and follow its Facebook and Instagram pages.

The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper

The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper

My long-awaited review of The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper is finally here! Lol! I actually finished reading it days ago but I kept rewinding to some parts I really liked so I couldn’t “officially” say I was done.

This story is definitely a love story, to be specific, it is a courtship, which I find uncommon in most werewolf stories I’ve read. For most werewolf stories, once they find their mates they’re immediately at it like rabbits. Their age, of course, is a factor as both parties have to be of age to feel the mate bond.

It’s a love triangle and I confess to initially rooting for the other guy. Liam is older, an established Alpha, and was really into Cara … enough to choose her, not just wait for fate to tell him she is his mate. Based on the way Cara was attracted to him, it was a very strong possibility.

I’ve always wondered about the make-out scenes, though. This is not isolated to this book. Many authors seem to be of the opinion that only penetration equals sex. Therefore, they can get naked and do everything but that doesn’t mean they’ve had sex yet. This, I believe, was the Bill Clinton argument. According to him all Monica Lewinsky did was suck him off so, technically, they never had sex. But there is a reason it is called oral sex.

So … if a guy gets a girl’s top off and sucks on her breasts then has his hand under her skirt doing “unspeakable things” between her legs they’re still not having sex, even though his fingers are buried inside her. For me, that level of intimacy … if we get close to anyone’s privates … is already sex, just not penetrative sex.

For the training scenes, I would love to see that on the screen. The way they were described got my blood pumping and couldn’t help but wish there was a video to accompany the story. 😀

I would highly recommend The Broken Warrior’s Daughter by Cooper. You can find it on Goodnovel. The story is fast-paced and the author writes so well that I found my anticipation levels at a 10 just waiting for Cara to turn 18.

Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye

Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye

Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye is better than the other story of hers that I’ve read but still leaves me wanting more. It feels incomplete and the characters’ backstories aren’t fleshed out. As I am reading I have more questions than answers. This writing style makes sense if this book is part of a series but it still means that a lot more thought should be put into the back story of each character rather than the hodgepodge of information this book gives us.

The attempt at a non-linear story that gives Dimitri’s POV is a good attack but was clumsily executed. Even the POV of Helen always seems to be “wondering”. Once again, we have our lead female running away from an abusive relationship. This is the second story I’ve read that had that kind of backstory for the lead female but does not give enough information to make that factoid relevant.

And then a surprise factoid is given that is not substantiated in the story. Aside from the taste/smell of her blood, there are no other manifestations so … what is that?

While this book is better than the last one, it still needs a lot more work before it should be published.

Alpha Wolf’s Fated Mate by Anika Skye is on Amazon and can be purchased in Kindle format for 0.99 or you can read it with a KU account. I would recommend the latter if you are just curious about this.

Alternergy and Shell Team Up for Offshore Wind in the Philippines

Alternergy and Shell Team Up for Offshore Wind in the Philippines

Alternergy Holdings Corporation, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Pililla AVPC Corporation, (“PACO is hereafter referred to as Alternergy”) and Shell Overseas Investment B.V. (“Shell”) formally announced the agreements that both parties have recently entered into a partnership to jointly explore the vast offshore wind potential in the Philippines.

Alternergy Chairman and former Energy Secretary Vince Perez (seated 2nd left) and Shell General Manager Offshore Power, Asia-Pacific Joe Nai (seated 2nd right) shake hands during a ceremonial signing of the Alternergy and Shell Joint Partnership for the development of offshore wind power projects in the Philippines. The ceremonial signing, held on 21 November 2022 at the Department of Energy, was witnessed by Energy Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla (standing 6th left) and other DOE officials and officers from Alternergy and Shell.

The partnership of Alternergy and Shell has obtained a Wind Energy Service Contract (WESC) from the Department of Energy (DoE) to assess the feasibility of an offshore wind project in the wind-swept Calavite Passage near Mindoro.

Alternergy chairman and former Energy Secretary Vince Pérez said: “This is a partnership of combined competencies and experiences towards the goal of boosting the Philippines’ renewable energy target.”

“The Philippines’ offshore wind industry is promising and still at its nascent stage. The World Bank estimates that robust development of offshore wind could add 20 GW of installed capacity by 2040, accounting for 14 percent of the Philippines’ electricity needs and some USD 14 billion of value added to the economy. Shell, as our strategic partner with 50 years of deep water offshore and over 20 years of offshore wind development experience, will bring in its global track record, supply chain access, and technical expertise in developing large-scale bottom-fixed and floating offshore wind projects. Alternergy looks forward to working with Shell and jointly shaping with stakeholders the policies for a sustainable offshore wind industry in the Philippines,” Mr. Pérez added.

“The Philippines is moving towards a low-carbon future and offshore wind is well positioned to support this energy transition. As Shell has powered progress for the Philippines for over 100 years, we will continue to support the country by providing more and cleaner energy solutions to meet the needs of our consumers today and in the decades to come,” said Lorelie Q. Osial, Country Chair of the Shell companies in the Philippines.

“Alternergy is a pioneer in renewable energy and has successfully brought onstream the Philippines’ first onshore wind farm even before there was any enabling law. Shell looks forward to this new partnership to jointly explore the feasibility of one of the Philippines’ promising offshore wind projects,” said Sarah Rose Lim, Shell’s Head of Offshore Power for the Philippines.

Aside from the Calavite Passage Wind Power Project, Alternergy and Shell are looking at other offshore wind sites for possible development.

This partnership is an opportunity to provide integrated value to customers through power generation as well as explore synergies with retail electricity supplier Shell Energy Philippines, Inc. and Green Energy Supply Solutions, Inc.

About Alternergy

  • Alternergy is a renewable power pioneer with a solid portfolio of project companies engaged in different RE projects, particularly wind, run-of-river hydro, solar farm and commercial rooftop, battery storage, and offshore wind projects.
  • With robust expansion plans in the next five years, Alternergy aims to develop up to 1,370 MW of additional wind, offshore wind, solar, and run-of-river hydro projects.
  • Alternergy’s management team is comprised of a pioneering group of RE advocates who were also involved in the development of the 33MW Bangui Bay wind farm in Ilocos Norte, the first commercial wind farm in Southeast Asia at that time.
  • Alternergy also developed the 54MW Pililla Wind Farm in Rizal, the first non-recourse project financing for a wind project without corporate guarantee, and was recognized with a Sustainable Finance Award by the International Finance Corporation.
  • For additional information, please refer to our website at alternergy.com.

About Shell

  • Shell is an international energy company that aims to meet the world’s growing need for more and cleaner energy solutions in ways that are economically, environmentally, and socially responsible.
  • Shell’s global reach, combined with 100+ years of global energy market experience and deeply embedded capabilities position it well to offer integrated decarbonization solutions for its customers in progressing through the energy transition.
  • Renewable Generation is the driving force behind the development of Shell’s integrated power value chain, developing and deploying onshore and offshore wind, solar, and batteries to produce electricity, which Shell can aggregate, trade and market directly to customers.
  • Shell’s strength as a developer, particularly in offshore wind, has been built through practical experience and expertise development, including more than 100 years in global energy markets, 50 years in deep water offshore, and over 20 years in offshore wind development. We complement our experience, technology, and project development capabilities with the acquisition of innovative renewable energy companies that offer unique portfolio positions, talent, and deeper market expertise.
  • Today, Shell has more than 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of offshore wind capacity in operation and under construction, and 9.5 GW in the funnel of potential projects across North America, Europe, the UK, and Asia (Shell equity). Shell’s offshore wind project pipeline ranges from conventional bottom-fixed offshore wind developments to floating wind, and from wind-power to hydrogen developments to multi-technology projects combining offshore wind with floating solar and batteries.

Shell in the Philippines

  • Shell companies in the Philippines (SciP) represents various entities operating in the following: (1) Downstream business through Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corporation or PSPC, (2) Business Operations through our SBO Manila centre, and, more recently, (3) in power trading and marketing through Shell Energy Philippines, Inc.
  • Commencing its operations in 1914, SciP has grown to be one of the Philippines’ largest investors, directly employing over 4,000 people nationwide.
Billionaire Revenge by Lacey Nash

Billionaire Revenge by Lacey Nash

When I started reading Billionaire Revenge by Lacey Nash I found the pacing slow. I had to force myself to keep reading because there really wasn’t much happening. I said to myself that perhaps it is a case of a slow burn. Chapter 5 is when they first interact face to face and it isn’t until another 5 chapters before they agree to meet to “make a deal”.

This book is only 25 chapters (plus an epilogue) long so it is kind of like saying that it took half the story to establish that Scarlett is destitute, Xavier will get his pound of flesh, and they will somehow end up together.

From the title, we already know that Xavier will seek revenge. The thing is, though, as I read the story it wasn’t really “revengy” at all. It is as if from the moment they were intimate with each other he forgot all about his agenda.

This story is also supposed to be steamy and there are some love scenes but there weren’t enough descriptions of what was happening or the foreplay didn’t really last long enough to fog up my glasses.

If this book has a pulse it would more or less be steady. Despite the emotional roller coaster Scarlett is supposedly going through, the story is written pretty much one note with a possible minor movement up or down without much to really spike. I almost got excited at that critical scene toward the end but it lacked punch because she just keeps crying. Sigh.

I wish Scarlett was a stronger person. I also wish we could have sometimes seen the POV of Xavier. That would have elevated the story, I think.

Billionaire Revenge by Lacey Nash is not for me but it might just be right up your alley. For the beginner or intermediate romance readers, this may be good enough. It is available on Amazon for 0.99 but you can also read it for free with Kindle Unlimited.

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