We do not. My parents do up until today and their wedding rings of over 40 years have never left their ring fingers. For us, that’s because of compelling situations that we are unable to wear our wedding bands all the time. I have tried wearing the wedding band but I ended up having peeling skin and blisters on the skin under the ring. My hubs is in the food catering business and is in contact with food all the time, thus wearing a ring is not hygienic and not really practical. In fact, his wedding band was lost and we suspected that our previous helper was the culprit. I was really upset when he told me that he could not find his wedding band. But he sure knew how to assure me that his love for me was still there when he bought us a pair of new wedding rings on my birthday 4 years ago. Though it was not an expensive titanium wedding band like I had wished for, I was nevertheless very touched that he treated the wedding bands as a symbol of a sacred marriage.
When I was about 12 years old, one of my permanent teeth was almost yanked out. Thankfully my mum knew of a very good dentist who managed to do a very tedious but successful job to salvage that tooth. I was so happy and grateful to this dentist and vowed to get myself some Dental Jobs when I grow up. But as fate had it, I embarked on totally different careers and is now a small-time entrepreneur!
Tired of cooking the same old dishes for my girls, I whipped up something different. As I had some fresh button mushrooms in the fridge and some chicken, I braised the chicken with fresh button mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms can be pretty costly. A punnet costs over RM10. If you want, you can substitute it with canned button mushrooms but fresh mushrooms taste better.
Seasoning used : organic soy sauce, mixed herbs, ground pepper, a pinch of brown sugar and a dollop of dark sauce.
The dish turned out to be very delish and my 3 little pernickety eaters gave me a 10/10 score 😀
Ever since my parents were here since last weekend, we have been having very lavish and delish dishes for dinner every night, all cooked by my dad. I have also been helping myself to durians for breakfast for the past 1 week. In a couple of weeks’ time, my mil will be back from NZ, which means, there will be more delish bakes and makes from her. Gosh, if I don’t watch what I eat and skip exercising, I may have to find some austin quick weight loss products in a few months down the year. What more with Christmas, New Year and CNY coming soon, which means more festive binging, gosh! The year end and New Year often mean overeating for most of us, doesn’t it?
There is this lady which sells organic veggie and fruits at the park near where I stay. She only goes there twice a week. Each time she comes, housewives and grandmas will flock her small stall at the pavement. Sometimes she will sell packets of mulberries. Sometimes she will blend the organic mulberries with sugar cane that she plants in her farm and sell the bottled juice, which will be all snapped up in a jiffy. Whenever my mil is staying with us, she will buy mulberries from this lady and boil them with rock sugar as the mulberries are very sour. The boiled mulberries taste a tad like Ribena. I am a huge fan of berries of all kinds as I know how powerful they are in antioxidants and vitamins but I didn’t quite like mulberries, which are pretty sour if eaten raw. Since I am really into juice-making recently, I bought a packet of mulberries and blended them together with apples, oranges and carrots – all these of which are naturally very sweet. The juice turned out very refreshing and not sour at all. And my girls and big boss loved it!
Food For Thought:
Cancer Prevention
Mulberries are a good source of resveratrol, a potent phytonutrient also found in grapes that researchers believe can prevent cancer and aid in the fight of existing cancers.
Life Extension
Because of their resveratrol content, mulberries may be a tool in one’s life extension arsenal, as resveratrol has shown in several studies to extend the life of mice.
Blood Tonic
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are considered a blood tonic, meaning that they cleanse the blood and increase its production, strengthening the entire system.
Kidney Strengthener
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to strengthen the kidneys.
Liver Cleanser
In Chinese medicine, mulberries are believed to be effective in cleansing the liver.
Better Hearing and Vision
In China, tea made with mulberry paste is believed to strengthen one’s hearing and vision.
Constipation Cure
In Turkey, a treatment for constipation is to eat white mulberries on an empty stomach with a glass of water.
Anemia Treatment
Because they are quite high in iron, mulberries are a great food to use in the treatment of anemia.
Cold and Flu Treatment
In Turkey, mulberry molasses is used as a treatment for colds and flu. Their effectiveness in this way may be due to their high vitamin C content.
Premature Gray Hair Remedy
In several countries, mulberries are considered an effective remedy for prematurely gray hair.
When she was down with Infantile Roseola, my very sick Cassandra only ate a few sticks of Rocky biscuits, a few bites of mildly salted Nori sheets, a mouthful or two of organic rice crackers, sips of water and Nutrifresh for the entire day. Each time she ate the Rocky sticks, she could only stomach half of the skinny stick. She kept telling me that she was very full. After 2.5 days of being really sick, she bounced back to her usual chatty self again. That day was one of the happiest for me or for any mother for that matter.
Baby had a bout of high fever last week. The high fever appeared after a day of power disruption at our condo unit. With no fan and coincidentally, that particular was unusually hot and humid, Baby immediately developed a fever that evening. The next day, she had high fever, was very listless (which was pretty unlike this chatter box), had nilch appetite and only wanted to sleep. She practically slept the whole day, with me forcing her to wake up to force feed her with fluids and to shower her burning hot body. She also had tummy discomfort, purged a few times in a day and threw up after eating. On day 2 of the fever, she only ate a 3-4 sticks of Rocky vanilla milk biscuits, sips of Ribena mixed with water and E.Excel’s Nutrifresh for the entire day. With so little food and fluids in her body, I was worried sick that she would develop gastric or a gassy tummy, which can aggravate her tummy discomfort. She told me that plain water tasted bitter and refused plain water. I tried to give her diluted 100 Plus to replace the lost electrolytes but she absolutely hated it. At the height of the high fever, Baby was having hallucination and told me “I don’t like the sticker up there” while pointing to the ceiling. On day 3, the fever finally subsided, though she was still feeling lethargic and sleepy. Rashes also broke out all over her face and body.
Alycia went through this when she was Baby’s age at 3.5YO. She had hallucination too at the height of the high fever and scared the wits out of me when she told me that she saw a snowman outside our window! Being a first time mom, we brought her to see a few pediatricians, who did a string of blood tests on her, fearing that she was having Dengue fever. That doctor could not even diagnose her as having Infantile Roseola! And he was considered a senior pediatrician at a well-known 5-star hospital in KL.
Pictures of Baby’s Roseola rash:
What is Roseola Infantum?
A roseola rash or roseola infantum is a very common skin rash affecting infants and younger children. Therefore, it is commonly referred to as an infant rash or child rash. More specifically, the target age group for this skin condition is 6 months to 2 years. It may occur during the two to four year range as well, but almost never after four years of age.
The condition is caused by a virus and is considered a fairly harmless or mild illness. Actually, it is two viruses of the herpes family that cause the infant rash, although these viruses only produce the child rash and no other symptoms commonly associated with the herpes virus such as cold sores. Because it is viral, this health problem is contagious.
The main symptom of a roseola rash is a rosy-pink rash, usually flat but sometimes raised, that does not itch and is present on the entire body of the infant or child. This includes the face and neck areas, although the rash usually starts on the abdomen and back and then spreads to the extremities. A white ring might be present around some of the rash patches. This infant rash lasts from 24 to 48 hours on average. Another symptom that a child with roseola will experience includes the sudden appearance of a high fever (over 39.4 degrees Celsius or 103 degree Fahrenheit). This fever usually lasts for 48 to 72 hours, but can last longer. The roseola rash appears after the fever suddenly breaks. Other symptoms associated with roseola may include stomach related problems such as diarrhea or vomiting and possibly a sore throat and other symptoms that typically accompany a high fever such as lethargy and loss of appetite.
The treatment for this child rash is one of simply relieving the symptoms while the body fights off the virus. Relief includes managing the fever with acetaminophen or other non-aspirin medication to reduce fever. Lukewarm baths to cool the body temperature can also help. If the fever cannot be managed, then medical attention is required. Rest and plenty of fluids are also recommended. The actual infant rash does not need any specific treatment because it generally does not itch or produce much discomfort. Keeping the affected child comfortable and ensuring the child does not overheat usually helps to address any problems. The rash will disappear on its own. If the roseola persists for more than a couple of days or if the child simply does not seem to be getting better after a few days, then once again contact a medical professional to discuss your child’s condition.
Nutritionists and paeds will often tell parents to include protein in each of their child’s meal. A child needs protein to grow and without sufficient protein, your child’s growth may be stunted. To ensure that my pint-size Baby gets enough protein, I give her an egg a day for breakfast. At times, I replace the egg with Edamame beans and boiled peanuts. For lunch and dinner, there will always be either fish, chicken or pork for my girls. And lots of greens too for the much-needed fibre.
Did you know that peanuts are not really nuts but a member of a family of legumes related to peas, lentils, chickpeas and other beans? Peanuts pack a serious nutritional punch and offer a variety of health benefits. Not only do peanuts contain oleic acid, the healthful fat found in olive oil, but new research shows these tasty legumes are also as rich in antioxidants as many fruits.
Studies have shown that eating peanuts lower a person’s risk of weight gain and promotes heart health. By and large the best benefit of peanuts is their ability to prevent against certain cardiovascular diseases. Magnesium, along with sodium and zinc are beneficial minerals that are useful in preventing heart disease. Anyone looking to cut down on their intake of red meat can benefit from the protein found in just a handful or two of peanuts. When considering this along with their mineral content, peanuts offer tremendous cardiovascular benefit. Additionally, vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that can reduce a person’s risk of coronary disease. Peanuts also contain omega 6 fatty acids, which is one of the “good” fats commonly known as “essential fatty acids.” These aid in lowering the amount of “bad” cholesterol in the bloodstream.
With just a handful of peanuts, you are ingesting almost 10 percent (2 grams) of the daily recommended amount of fiber. Eaten peanuts just a few times each week can prevent the formation of gallstones, and lowers the risk of colon cancer.
Niacin, folate and other B vitamin complexes may decrease the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain disease. They are also important in preventing birth defects, which makes them a good snack for pregnant women.
Peanuts contain small amount of calcium and vitamin D. Together these two promote good bone health, including healthy teeth. Studies have shown that people who maintain healthy levels of calcium and vitamin D before age thirty, are less likely to develop osteopenia or osteoporosis later in life.
I am a WFHM with 3 beautiful girls - Alycia, Sherilyn and Cassandra. I quit the job that I love to stay home with my 3 angels as that's what I've always wanted to do. I am a health freak, fitness freak and a clean freak too. I love to eat and live the clean and healthy way; I want my kids and hubby to do the same too.
I always believe that your health is your wealth and if you have good health, that's the best gift you can ever ask for from God.
I have been writing product reviews, food reviews / restaurant reviews and product advertorials since 2007. Please email Shireen at shireenyong@gmail.com to inquire if you are interested to place an advertorial or review in this blog.
