Go Green Go Veggies, Wellness, Nutrition and Healthy Living- Cooking Ina’s Kitchen Healthy Living Journey

Almost a week has passed, and I’m so thankful that after having so much things on my plate, I got this chance to write about this event from Mabuhay Temple. June 29, 2014 has marked the calendar for Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple as they launched the very first of its kind event for wellness, nutrition and healthy living. An event with an objective to spread and educate “Vegetarianism”, to promote “A Habit of Eating Healthy” and to promote local ingredients to support local farmers. It has also been the event’s mission to help promote and enhance a kind of healthy living lifestyles through local ingredients which is easy to prepare and nutritious. It is also the event’s mission to empower and give support to local farmers by building a community in which each one is interconnected so that everybody has an opportunity to avail local, nutritious and culturally accepted and appropriate food. This event has also been very successful in terms of encouraging young and old in adapting healthy living lifestyle through vegetarianism.

A total of almost 300 plus participants who get to enjoy the food around, food samples from the generous sponsors and exhibitors and fun stuffs and raffle prizes drawn every hour.

Some of the generous sponsors during the event were, Fly Ace Corporation, makers of Dona Elena Olive Oil, Pasta and Jolly canned goods, Hela Eurospice and ingredients Inc, PAO Express, SOAP(Spread Organic Agriculture in the Philippines) Mulberry Hills Farm, Choco Loco Goc, Earth4us enterprises, Sweet Success Ingredients House, Fujidenzo, Philippine Star, Whirlpool, Writer Anson Lao of Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture, Prime Harvest Mushroom, Flavor Magazine and a huge numbers of generous sponsors. Cooking Ina’s Kitchen has been very lucky to be part of this one of a kind healthy food event and I am so honored and thankful for all those who enjoyed the Bean-nilia Beancurd and Chocolate Rhumballs.

Part of this prestigious event was the cooking competition among 4 schools who participated namely, St Scholastic College, Chiang Ka Chek College, Philippine Cultural College and bagging the first prize is the Philippine Women’s University. The competition was judged base on the high scores for Mise en Place 10 points, Correct Preparation 15 points, Taste 20 points, Secret Ingredients Usage 20 points, Creativity 15 points, Plating Presentation 10 points and Question and Answer portion 10 points with the total of 100 points. I was honored and a great privilege for me to be one of the panel of judges. There were cooking demos presented during the event from Chef Dorothy Ferreria and a whole lot of activities.

This healthy living event was also graced by the presence of some of the prestigious names in Food Industry,the former Binibining Pilipinas and healthy foodie herself Ms Sabrina Artadi, Carla Valencia of UNICOM Ingredients Phils and more.

I enjoyed, I was truly blessed and such a great honor to become part of this prestigious event and I hope this will be the beginning of a yearly gathering event of all the foodies. I have heard that since the event was a success, they are already discussing to have the second wave soon!