Cassandra can sing pretty well for her age. At 2years 7 months, she can sing over a dozen nursery rhymes, folk songs in Malay, jingles of cartoons and movies in English, Mandarin, Malay and even in Japanese. When Cassandra and Sherilyn get together in a jovial mood, I am assured to be entertained by their singing. They can really bring the house down if I ever buy a karaoke set for our home for they will surely belt out their favorite songs the whole day.
My all-time favorite chicken dish is chicken cooked with turmeric – in all styles, be it deep fried or braised. My dad can dish up a really tasty braised turmeric chicken dish with lots of chopped turmeric and onions. During my confinement, I requested the confinement lady to cook turmeric with chicken or pork almost everyday and yet I did not get fed up with the dishes. The only downside was that the bristles on my toothbrush were stained yellow all the time!
My mil cooked this chicken dish with turmeric, onions and lemon grass the other day. It was a very flavorful and tasty dish, not forgetting healthy and packed full of anti-oxidants!
Turmeric is one of nature’s most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.
Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease.
These are some of the health benefits of turmeric:
1. It is a natural antiseptic and antibacterial agent, useful in disinfecting cuts and burns.
2. When combined with cauliflower, it has shown to prevent prostate cancer and stop the growth of existing prostate cancer.
3. Prevented breast cancer from spreading to the lungs in mice.
4. May prevent melanoma and cause existing melanoma cells to commit suicide.
5. Reduces the risk of childhood leukemia.
6. Is a natural liver detoxifier.
7. May prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease by removing amyloyd plaque buildup in the brain.
8. May prevent metastases from occurring in many different forms of cancer.
9. It is a potent natural anti-inflammatory that works as well as many anti-inflammatory drugs but without the side effects.
10. Has shown promise in slowing the progression of multiple sclerosis in mice.
11. Is a natural painkiller and cox-2 inhibitor.
12. May aid in fat metabolism and help in weight management.
13. Has long been used in Chinese medicine as a treatment for depression.
14. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, it is a natural treatment for arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
15. Boosts the effects of chemo drug paclitaxel and reduces its side effects.
16. Promising studies are underway on the effects of turmeric on pancreatic cancer.
17. Studies are ongoing in the positive effects of turmeric on multiple myeloma.
18. Has been shown to stop the growth of new blood vessels in tumors.
19. Speeds up wound healing and assists in remodeling of damaged skin.
20. May help in the treatment of psoriasis and other inflammatory skin conditions.
My 2 older girls have interests, likings and characters of polar opposites. Sherilyn my princess wannabe loves princesses, fairies, wands, everything pink, dolls and all things sweet and cute. The other day we were at the mall and she went gaga when we brought her into a shop that sells pretty dresses for girls. She wanted to try on almost every dress there. As for Alycia, she would be really excited if we bring her into a shop that sells Nintendo, game console and wii accessories. I wonder how Baby would turn out to be a few years down the road. I’m hoping she would follow her 2nd sister’s foot steps.
I bought a Dole Tropical Gold sweet pineapple from Jusco the other day. It was delicious, juicy and sweet but it cost a whopping RM7 each!! Last week, I saw it at a fruit stall and it was selling at RM7.80 each and I bought it too. I love sweet pineapples and can even polish off the whole head of pineapple all by myself! I love to eat pineapples after a heavy meal as they are good for digestion.
Goodness of Pineapples
Pineapple is loaded with Vitamins and Minerals. The benefits of pineapple are all the vitamins and minerals the fruit is loaded with. Its nutrients include calcium, potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. It is also low in fat and cholesterol.
Pineapple Strengthens Bones
One of the benefits of pineapple is that it helps to build healthy bones. Pineapples are rich in manganese, a trace mineral that is needed for your body to build bone and connective tissues. Just one cup of pineapple provides 73% of the daily recommended amount of manganese. The benefits of pineapple can effect the growth of bones in young people and the strengthening of bones in older people.
Pineapple is Good for Colds and Coughs
While many people often take extra vitamin C or drink extra orange juice when they have a cold, few consider eating pineapple. The benefits of pineapple when you have a cold or cough are the same as the benefits of orange juice, but there is an additional benefit of pineapple. Bromelain, which is found in pineapples, has been found to help suppress coughs and loosen mucus.
I just discovered that pineapples can help suppress coughs and loosen mucus. So the next time you have a cough and phlegm, instead of going to the doctor’s office, go get a head of pineapple and chomp down a few slices. Who knows it really works in treating your cough!
The first 14 months of Baby’s life involved endless hospital trips, screaming moments on exam tables each time the doctors poked her body or inserted tubes into her down under and hospital stays. Not a day goes by without me thinking of those days. I thank God that all is well now and I pray that Baby and I never have to go through those days again. We will be bringing Baby to the hospital for her bi-annually ultrasound scan of her kidneys soon. I hope that all will be well with her kidney.
I wonder if the best fat burners really work. Well, maybe they may work initially but will they really work on a long term basis? And will there be any side effects on one’s body, especially on the kidneys? I will always remember the case of the Singaporean actress who lost both her kidneys to slimming products she consumed. But her hubby (boyfriend then) donated one of his kidneys to her. She was told that she would never be able to carry a baby to full term. Yet her man married her. That’s what I call true love with no boundary.
It’s the time of the month again and darn it, some acne had popped out from my flawless skin, especially around my chin area and temples. I remember I would freak out each time zits erupted on my face when I was still working. I was a PA to a Datuk and I had to meet VIPs all the time, thus looking good was very important to me. Now, it does not bother me much even if zits pop out on my face haha!
There was an anniversary sale at our favorite bakery 2 days ago. Being a ‘kiasu’ buyer, my hubs bought a huge blueberry cheese cake that cost over RM50. But there was a 28% discount. Gosh, the cheese cake tasted sinfully delish. Being a cheese cake lover, I have been gorging on the cheese cake everyday. Today I have to give the gym a miss as I have some online assignments to complete. I also have a HUGE batch of stock from my supplier, of which I have to do stock check and QA check. If I continue to eat like this without exercising, I may have to resort to Lipofuze, I hope not!
Baby was finally weaned off my boops 3 days ago. It was easier than I had imagined, though she fussed a little in the wee hours of the morning. I needed to give her loads of hugging, kissing and verbal reassurance that mummy still loves her very much despite being deprived of her comfort tools. Since yesterday, my boops (especially the left one which has always been the more productive one) hurt, as if I had a Mastitis attack. I am so so tempted to let Baby have her comfort tools to relieve myself from the pain BUT if I do, the whole cycle will start all over again and there will be no end to it. So I am sticking to my gun and must not let the pain thwart my plan.
Did you know what prevented Baby from going near my boops? Just one small RED cili padi muahahahah! She was so terrified of my hot and spicy boops that she dared not sleep with me on our king-sized bed. Just by looking at me when I rubbed the chili on my boops was enough to stop Baby from going near my boops *evil grin* Two nights ago, she climbed onto her jie jie’s bed and dozed off in a sitting position like this, as she didn’t want to sleep with me:
Last night was pretty smooth too, without any fuss from Baby but she woke up very early this morning and I had to bring her along with me when I jogged round the neighborhood. When I showed her my boops today and asked her if she wanted them, she put both her hands on her mouth and covered her mouth tight with her hands, muahahahahah… I think I have successfully weaned Baby. But I do miss our bonding moments together, moments we had spent for exactly 2.5 years.
Yesterday being a public holiday, we spent over 5 hours shopping at Mid Valley Megamall and hubby burnt a hole in his wallet. Shopping with 3 kids is no laughing matter. From lunch to desserts, shopping for the kids’ shoes, for hubby’s own shoes and groceries, everything involved money. I bought a pair of pretty clogs from those a kiosk that sells flower hair clips and clogs and also bought a pair for Sherilyn. I allmost bought a cute Pooh Bear table lamp from one of those kiosks that sell table lamps and cute kids’ stuff. Had I not controlled my spending, I could have burnt a big hole in my own wallet too.
