This was my mid-morning breakfast yesterday…
Fol Epi mild French cheese + organic cashew nut butter + cucumber slices on a slice of wheat germ + bran bread.
Hmmm, this slice of goodness was so yummy and wholesome and sure beats nasi lemak, kuih and noodles nutritionally. iLike!
A few days before CNY last month, we were at Cold Storage at Gardens, Mid Valley and saw a promotion on freshly juiced pomegranate juice. The pomegranates were flown in from Turkey. There were a few Turkish representatives at the booth to promote the fruit. There was a really long bee line of customers waiting to buy the freshly squeezed pomegranate juice. Though priced at RM12.99 a bottle, many people did not mind the price, including us! I first bought 2 bottles and when the MIL saw them, she followed suit and bought 2 bottles herself. The juice was really sweet, pure and fresh. Each bottle consisted of about 2-3 whole pomegranates.
Cass could not wait to grab her bottle of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and drank it immediately.
Health Benefits of Pomegranates:
The pomegranate is known as a superfood. Its jewel-like seeds (arils) have been used for medicinal purposes for millennia. Packed with powerful antioxidants and vitamins, this ruby-red fruit has been shown to be a cure-all for just about any ailment. It helps stomach upsets, menopausal hot flashes, hemorrhoids, conjunctivitis, osteoarthritis, lowers blood pressure, stimulates the immune system, wards off the flu, reduces inflammation, reduces risk of heart disease and lowers cholesterol.
The peel is good for the heart and blood vessels; the white membrane is good for stopping diarrhea and good for wounds and ulcers of the mouth and throat. The fruit also strengthens the brain, cleanses the body and blood from toxins, and is very good at expelling worms from the intestines.
Pomegranates keep you young too. Chinese herbology cites pomegranate juice as a longevity treatment. And thanks to the pomegranate’s antioxidant extracts, modern science and the cosmetics industry agree that topical application of products containing the ruby red fruit can keep wrinkles at bay. Pomegranate-tinged anti-aging creams, massage oils, masques and toners are readily available these days.
After fetching Cass from kindy just now, I brought the MIL to a nearby plant nursery to get some ‘chau choe’ or stink grass. She wanted to dish out a popular Hong Kong dessert consisting of mung beans + stink grass + shredded kombu seaweed. This Hong Kong sweet soup concoction is well known to expel heat and toxins from the body.
I do not know how the stinky grass got its moniker but it ain’t stinky at all. Well, at least not to us. In fact, we find the smell very sharp yet fragrant. Cass kept telling me that the stink grass smelled like pandan leaves. My kids love the taste of it, surprisingly. I think it is an acquired taste as many years ago, they did not quite like the smell of it.
I am unable to snap a sharp and nice picture of our mung bean sweet soup, except for this one when it was still boiling in the pot.
This is the healthy mung bean + stink grass + kombu seaweed sweet soup that the MIL boiled today. The picture is however googled and copied from Christine’s Recipe’s blog:
The is the kombu seaweed. You will need to soak the dried kombu to soften it before slicing it with a knife into shreds . Amount used is optional and up to individual.
The stink grass. One of our favorite aromatic and healthy herbs to prepare ‘tong sui’ (sweet soup). My mil used about 10 sprigs to boil a big pot of mung beans.
Mung beans are rich in the following nutrients:
• protein
• vitamin C
• folic acid or folate
• iron
• zinc
• potassium
• magnesium
• copper
• manganese
• phosphorus
• thiamine
Mung beans are also high in fibre, low in saturated fat, low in sodium, and contain no cholesterol. Because of the wide range of nutrients contained in mung beans, they offer a whole host of health benefits for the immune system, the metabolism, the heart and other organs, cell growth, protection against free radicals, and diseases such as cancer and diabetes.
The Chinese believe that mung beans or green beans can expel heat, prevent heat stroke, clear skin, clear acne and clear toxins from the body and blood.
Mung beans are inexpensive and very nutritious. Instead of wolfing down a packet of nasi lemak for breakfast or lunch, try to boil a pot of mung bean sweet soup and have it instead. You can store the excess sweet soup in a container and keep it in the fridge. It tastes even more refreshing when eaten chilled.
I was losing my voice yesterday to flu and a phlegmy throat. I had to catch my breath when I talked as my nose was badly congested. But a mother had to do what she’s supposed to do. Instead of getting lots of rest, I did lots of talking yesterday. I also did quite a bit of the dreaded household chores as Sundays are maid-less days. Alycia will be sitting for her first term exam this week. I had to sit with her to do an eleventh hour revision. I had to help a friend to find some online presentation folder printing information but I left all my work behind and concentrated on my daughter’s revision. I hope she has done well in her BM paper today.
Two days ago, I saw a boil on Cass’ inner thigh. It was quite ‘ripe’ with yellow pus inside! She wouldn’t let me touch it as it hurt her a lot.
When I was a kid, I was very prone to getting boils on my butt, nose and forehead. My mum would ask me to put some hot water on a cup and use some cotton wool to ‘ripen’ the boil, with the intention of oozing out the pus. It was freaking painful!
For me, I treat all my pimples and boils with Melaleuca oil (pure tea tree oil) and Melagel (contains tea tree oil) from Melaleuca. These two ointments work like a charm, always!
After applying Melagel on the boil on Cass’ thigh three to four times daily for two days, the boil shrunk today! Cass was so happy that she need not have to see the doctor to have the boil cut.
I am so glad I was introduced to Melaleuca products. Melagel and Melaleuca oil are my miracle ointments. They are excellent for mozzie bites, wounds, problematic scalp (Melaleuca oil has successfully stopped the itching on my ultra sensitive scalp), open wounds, ear infection, chapped lips, cracked heel and much more.
The backyard is a great place to kick back and relax for a while. When the weather is nice you can stay outside for hours on end. The one thing that can ruin your good time is those pesky mosquitoes buzzing around, trying to get a bite.
Here are a few easy tips to try that can alleviate the problem:
Natural Oils
A completely natural way to ward off mosquitoes is to use preparations made from lemon eucalyptus or cedar oil. Both are used in natural products that are designed to keep the bugs from coming too close.
Standing Water
Mosquitoes are attracted to standing water in droves. Standing water in a pool, bird bath, planter, empty plastic bottle or area ditch are attractions. Water is like home territory to them. Go around your yard and look for anything that could hold water. Dump, bail or cover up the water. You don’t want them breeding and becoming a worse problem.
Fans
These little bugs may enjoy biting and drinking blood, but they are pretty fragile. Set up portable fans around the sitting area. Air from the fans is so forceful a little mosquito cannot fight through and get to your skin. Of course, this solution only works when fans are turned on.
Avoid Wearing Fragrances
Perfume and cologne are going to draw some unwanted attention from nearby mosquitoes. They enjoy floral scents and will head straight towards the source of this wonderful aroma.
Skip the Beer
Beer drinkers may not like this suggestion. Drinking beer turns your body into a attractive place for a mosquito to hang out. They like the undetectable essence that the alcohol in beer creates. This essence is released through skin pores.
Mosquito Nets and Tents
Invest in mosquito netting or a tent made from materials that keep them away from you and everyone else in the yard. This requires a willingness to obscure the natural view of the yard.
Natural Garden Repellents
Mosquitoes do not like certain natural plants and flowers such as chrysanthemums, marigold and lemon grass. Another bulb they hate is garlic. This is amusing because they are much like vampires. They come for your blood, but you can ward them off by planting garlic in the yard.
When you have tried everything humanly possible to rid your yard of mosquitoes, and nothing works, contact a mosquito treatment service for professional pest control assistance.
With the water rationing exercise just kicked off in almost the entire Klang Valley, I am sure water containers and pails filled with water to the brim are everywhere in your bathroom, back yard, porch or even your bedroom if you live in a small size flat. I have 3 huge water containers and 5 pails filled with water, all ready for the dry days ahead of us. The weather is super freaking HOT, dry, HAZY, humid and there is not a single drop of rain from heaven.
Just a reminder to all you folks who are affected by the water rationing exercise, please remember to cover your pails and containers. If possible, buy water containers that come with a cover. If you buy pails, cover it with a small basin or tray. That is what I am doing. First, it is for your children’s safety. Kids can drown within seconds if they fall and have their heads submerged in water. Second, standing water is mosquitoes’ paradise! Mozzies love making babies in the water!
Apart from the water rationing menace, we are faced with haze and also a raging war with Aedes mosquitoes now. Do your part to rid mozzies from your home. Make sure water in your vases are changed once every few days. Go around your house to look for anything that could hold water and rid the water or change it.
I wish everyone affected by this very hot, hazy and dry weather to chill out. Go to the mall to chillax, have some cool drinks or frozen smoothie to bring down the heat. Love and pamper yourself – turn on the air-conditioner even if it means higher electricity bill. Let us all pray to God to open up the heavens with lots of rain real soon!
