So, I was invited to participate in a pastry decorating competition hosted by California Raisins during their ‘Puas Puas Puasa’ event at Royal Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Now, I’m no culinary maestro and decorating things is not my forte but I dragged myself over to the event regardless and took up the challenge.

Here’s yours truly and her creation. Please pardon the messy and bedraggled appearance. The event was in the morning and as you know, I’m not exactly a morning person. I will only look quite fresh and human after lunch time.

Here’s my masterpiece. Unlike other contestants who came up with very creative and beautiful deco for their pastries, mine was rather simple. This piece was inspired by a famous historical landmark in Teluk Intan, Perak, the Menara Condong Teluk Intan. If you are wondering why it doesn’t look straight, well, I did it on purpose as the clock tower it was inspired from really does lean slightly sideways in real life.

Beautiful pastry deco from other participants.

Needless to say, I did not win the competition and here’s the winners of the pastry decorating competition organized by California Raisins. Their creation are beautiful and definitely out of my league. Winning does not matter to me, though. I did it for experience and the sheer fun of it.

And speaking of experience, apart from pastry decorating competition, the ‘Puas Puas Puasa’ event was actually a knowledge-sharing event where the invited guests shares tips on how to stay energetic throughout the fasting period of Ramadan by consuming California Raisins. This of course applies for those who are fasting for whatever reasons, be it because of religious obligations or health purpose.

A popular TV personality, Nur Affizza Azmi demonstrated 3 recipes using California Raisins for busy and active working professional to enjoy during the fasting month.

Three of the recipes demonstrated; California Raisin Tomyum Chicken Angel Hair Pasta, California Raisin Sweet&Sour Doughnuts and California Raisin Puas Smoothies. These dishes can of course, be eaten and enjoyed during both sahur and breaking fast. These are really easy to preparw and busy people like me no longer need to compromise on health and nutrition, especially during the fasting month, when they are too tired to prepare breakfast or dinner.

California Raisins are a healthy snack for both adults and children alike. Dried in the warm California sunshine,the little dried fruits has many benefits that helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle compared with other snack foods, as they are naturally sweet and do not contain any added sugar. California Raisins are also a very versatile ingredient and can inspire a wide repertoire of dishes-from appetisers and main dishes to desserts and beverages especially as consumers are becoming more health conscious and more adventurous in their culinary endeavours. A plus point? The package of California Raisins fits pertectly in a purse or briefcase. They also conveniently fit in lunch boxes, gym bags, and in your desk drawer. Apart from that, California Raisins are also economical, do not bruise and are easy to use straight out of the box- no washing, peeling or chopping required-so one can create a simple meal to help you sustain your energy throughout the day.

California Raisins are definitely the ideal ingredient to prepare quick, energy-boosting and nutritious meals. For more information and recipes using California Raisins, hop over to www.calraisins.org  and www.caraisins.com or FB:@RACAsean