Twist away the summer heat

With summer season still upon us, make the most of your sunny days by adding a twist to your usual pursuits. Coffee Twist, the delicious ready-to-drink coffee drink from Universal Robina Corporation (URC), counts the ways to put a cool new spin on summer activities.

Help out on a holiday
Summer is road trip season, and while planning your itinerary, consider including a meaningful twist. Check out non-profit organizations or outreach programs based in your target holiday destination, and lend a helping hand while you’re in town. Take a few hours to meet the locals, find out about the issues and needs that are relevant to them – and bring home a worthwhile experience, instead of just souvenirs. After an uplifting session, share a Coffee Twist with your newfound friends and enjoy the long talks and happy banter.

Learn a new language
Soak up the culture and history of another country by learning to speak in their mother tongue. Various cultural centers and language learning facilities offer special summer courses that provide basic conversational skills for the savvy traveler. Help keep your mind sharp by drinking Coffee Twist, for just the right caffeine rush that can help you stay awake and alert for each lesson.

Be an urban nomad
If you can’t go out of the city for a summer escapade, then it’s time to explore the urban jungle. Take a different route – leave the car at home and commute. Or if you take public transport, perhaps a walking tour is in order. Check out the walking tours organized by Carlos Celdran or Ivan Man Dy and rediscover Manila. Revel in the everyday sights and sounds that you take for granted. See the world from a new perspective. After a day of exploration, wind down with an ice-cold bottle of Coffee Twist, be it in Classic, Hazelnut or Orange flavor.

Fly a kite
Nothing spells freedom more than a brisk run in an open field, kite in hand, and the afternoon breeze in your hair. Kites can be bought in all colors, shapes, and sizes, but for those feeling nostalgic, try making it by hand, with barbecue sticks and Japanese paper. Pack a picnic while you’re at it, with your favorite snacks and Coffee Twist, and enjoy the sunset after your kite run. Whatever summer activity you choose, Coffee Twist is the ideal drinking companion. The most energizing way to stay refreshed, Coffee Twist is available at a suggested retail price of P10.50 per bottle in leading supermarkets, groceries, convenience stores, and gas stations nationwide.

Show real love for Mom with El Real Pasta

Moms always try to make every day special by preparing simple but delicious meals. Repay her kindness with a grand gesture this coming Mother’s Day. Express your love to mom on this special day by preparing delightful pasta dishes using Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) EL REAL Pasta. A tried and tested ingredient for moms, offer EL REAL will add a loving touch to your delectable Mother’s Day offering.

Easy to prepare, the Quick-cook EL REAL Pasta comes in CURLY Macaroni for a playful and fun eating experience and FLAT Spaghetti that’s perfect with mommy’s favorite sauce. A limited-edition EL REAL carry-all bag also comes free with every purchase of EL REAL Spaghetti 1kg, a thoughtful gift for moms courtesy of EL REAL. Available until supplies last. Avail now of this quality pasta and follow this recipe for a scrumptious Mother’s Day surprise.



Chicken and Assorted Mushrooms Pasta

1 tablespoon oil
¼ cup onions, thinly sliced
¼ cup button mushrooms, chopped
¼ cup straw mushrooms, chopped
¼ cup tomato paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup unsalted butter or margarine
2 cups EL REAL Curly Macaroni, cooked to package directions
To taste salt and pepper
5 pieces chicken nuggets, fried and sliced

In a pan, sauté onions, button and straw mushrooms. Add tomato paste, sugar and butter. Cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Toss in cooked EL REAL Curly Macaroni and mix. Transfer to a plate and top with fried chicken nuggets. Serve.


Sunrise Pasta

1 tablespoon oil
½ cup onions, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
¼ cup tinapa, cooked and flaked
½ cup all-purpose cream
2 pieces eggs, beaten
To taste salt and pepper
3 cups EL REAL Flat Spaghetti, cooked to package directions

For garnishing: tomatoes chopped, spring onions, chopped

Sauté onions, garlic and tinapa in a pan. Add all-purpose cream and simmer for a minute, then season with salt and pepper. Toss in EL REAL FLAT Spaghetti and mix. Take the pan off the flame and add eggs. Transfer to a plate and garnish with tomatoes and spring onions. Serve.

With the superior taste and texture of EL REAL Pasta, mothers will definitely feel loved with these special pasta meals. More importantly, the simple but meaningful gesture will make the coming Mother’s Day truly memorable for moms, and for the whole family as well.

Bianca Gonzalez on overall wellness

Aside from being one of the country’s most sought-after hosts, Bianca Gonzalez is also an advocate of holistic wellness. Seen five times a week on TV, Bianca remains fit mentally, physically and spiritually despite living a busy schedule.

Here, the pretty morena shares how she keeps in top shape, and how Yin Yang, Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) newest beverage innovation, helps her achieve holistic wellness and be the supergirl that she is.

Food for the brain

With over two hundred thousand followers on Twitter, Bianca’s short random updates on food, showbiz, the FIFA World Cup, and even some anecdotes from her showbiz friends are her form of neural exercise. When she feels like going more
in-depth about the things she is most passionate about, she pours her heart out in her popular blog (www.superbianca.blogspot.com). She also enjoys traveling to different local and international destinations, filling her mind with the rich cultures and learning that she gets from each trip. Truly, Bianca’s active online and travel life serves as her daily dietary supplement for the brains.

Food for the envious figure

It is no secret that Bianca’s slender figure is not a product of regular trips to the gym. Her fitness regimen consists of running, dancing, yoga and pilates— Bianca does not adhere to strict training programs or diets. Not depriving herself for her love of Thai, Japanese, Italian and Vietnamese food, it is also Bianca’s natural habit of tea-drinking that makes it okay for the young
celebrity to indulge in such delicacies. “Sometimes eating too much fatty, oily food—like yung mga fried and yung mga spicy food—may have adverse effects on the body like causing pimples and hypertension,” Bianca shares. “So ako, I always
have tea like Yin Yang Cooling Tea after I eat, just to help lessen the chances of having these effects.” URC’s newest, refreshing ready-to-drink tea is made of freshly brewed green tea leaves of Camellia sinensis with three other traditional herbs, namely Mesona chinesis benth, Liquorice root, and Chrysanthemum flower which the Chinese believe helps provide a therapeutic cooling effect on the body. Perfectly blended with a delectable black gulaman flavor, Yin Yang Cooling Tea is the perfect match to any hot, rich or spicy meal.

Food for the soul

For spiritual fulfillment, it is her social projects and active involvement with UNICEF that round up Bianca’s cycle of wellness. By helping children get the right education and sharing her blessings, she is able to nourish her soul. “Wellness, for me, can only be achieved by living a well-balanced life,” Bianca said. “Your mental, physical, and spiritual activities must work together to let you have a better, more meaningful life.” Take it from Bianca. More than a beautiful face, she truly lives and breathes holistic wellness—and it shows. Heed her wise tips today, starting with something basic like drinking Yin Yang cooling tea, and watch your well-being bloom.