With my latest craze over maple syrup, I drizzle a generous amount of it on my wholemeal bread almost everyday. Today, I made a peanut butter sandwich and drizzled maple syrup on it, then wedged in wedges of ripened avocado. And the combo was piquant — creamy and nutty with the unique sweetness of maple syrup. I loved it!!
The other day, hubs bought a box of pasteurized eggs from the supermarket just to find out how they taste like. Pasteurized eggs are kept in a special refrigerator just for the pasteurized eggs. And pasteurized eggs are almost double the cost of regular eggs.
The only difference that I notice about pasteurized eggs is that the coating of egg shell has a layer of oil, which is mineral oil to protect the egg inside the shell from bacteria. If you give me 2 bowls — 1 bowl with unpasteurized eggs and another bowl with pasteurized eggs, I won’t be able to tell the difference in the taste, honestly.
In my opinion, unless you have a weak immune system or are willing to spend on pasteurized eggs, then stick to regular DHA eggs or antibiotics-free eggs or free-range chicken eggs. I still prefer the white-shell free-range chicken eggs.
The main benefit of pasteurization is that it kills salmonella bacteria, a disease that sickens a reported 42,000 Americans, although the actual number could be as much as 29 times higher, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is the reason the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires manufacturers to pasteurize all eggs used in processed foods. Refrigerate pasteurized eggs after purchasing, just as you would unpasteurized eggs. Refrigeration slows any bacterial growth that might still be present.
I was overjoyed when I stumbled upon soy bean butter at the Isetan supermarket @ KLCC last week. Soy beans are choke-full of protein, calcium and nutrients. And they are a dieter’s ideal food as soy beans are high in protein and low in carbs.
Here’s how I savored my SoyNut butter…
A thick spread of SoyNut butter together with a thick layer of yoghurt on my Massimo 100% wholewheat bread. The texture of the SoyNut butter is exactly like peanut butter, which is a tad dry, thus spreading a layer of yoghurt would add moisture to the sandwich. The next day, I mixed my SoyNut butter with salted pure butter and a drizzle of maple syrup. I prefer this combo.
SoyNut butter is cholesterol-free, dairy-free, gluten-free, no trans fat, does not require refrigeration after opening and made from NON-GMO beans. It tastes almost like peanut butter minus the peanut and is a perfect alternative for those who are allergic to peanuts.
Between peanut butter and soy bean butter, I must admit I prefer peanut butter as peanuts have a more aromatic taste while soy beans are naturally bland in taste. However the sandwich will be more tasty when soy bean butter is mixed with other bread spreads.
My taste bud alters at different time of the month. Before my Aunt Flow visits each month, the palate gets excited with sweet stuff.
This is one of my cravings for breakfast on those PMS days…
Wholewheat ABC cereals which I hijacked from my daughters with pecans, pistachios (untoasted) and strawberry yoghurt. This combo pleased the palate so well that I just had to have it 2-3 times a day LOL! Now that Aunt Flow has gone, the palate is now all geared for savory stuff. Craving for fried chicken now but damn the cough and phlegm, I’ll have to settle for steamed savories and sashimi instead. I’ll bet my girls will be beaming if I tell them that it’s Japanese food tonite!
My perfect kind of breakfast or lunch:
Multi-grain and seed rye bread with thick fillings of mil’s homemade pesto sauce, julienned cucumber, a thin slice of ham and mashed hard boiled eggs with mayo. Simply delish and nutritious! Perfect for the health freaks and slim freaks too… minus the ham that is 😉
I’ll bet no one can stomach this kind of food for their breakkie – a cup of plain yoghurt with muesli and nuts. Pretty bland but it’s healthy and wholesome stuff! High in fiber, protein, calcium and other nutrients! I’ll bet this is not your kind of stuff for the first meal of your day right?
My mid morning breakfast, which was followed by fruits, an egg and milk with coffee.
After lunch at Canton-I at The Gardens @ Mid Valley, we went into Hoi Ting Tong to try their herbal jelly. Hoi Ting Tong has outlets in Dataran Mentari Sunway, Damansara Jaya, Kota Damansara, Kuchai Lama and the outlet at Gardens is their latest outlet in Malaysia. Hoi Tin Tong originated from Hong Kong.
The cheapest bowl of gui ling gao cost a whopping RM15 and we ordered a bowl to try. We liked it. Even my 3 girls liked the gui ling gao. It has the herbal taste unlike other gui ling gao that only taste like ‘leong fun’.
Hoi Tin Tong specializes in gui ling gao and other ‘leong char’ (cooling herbal tea) and the entire shop only carries these 2 items.
The menu.
Gui ling gao is made from the bottom shell, or plastron, of a turtle, plus several Chinese herbs to make a black jello-like substance. It is supposed to have many health benefits, including reducing fevers, detoxify the body, strengthens the immune system and improving the complexion and skin.
No matter how busy I may be with my work, I always make it a point to boil a pot of good soup for my kids. The Chinese believe the soups boiled for several hours are very beneficial for health. The Western also believe that chicken soups can cure colds.
One of the soups that my kids and I love is radish soup. There will surely be radish soup at least once a week served. I love to eat radish eaten in all forms – whether raw (as in minced raw radish as condiment served in Japanese restaurants), stewed with chicken or pork ribs, boiled with meat as soup or made into savoury radish cakes. Baby loves eating radishes too. Baby’s surgeon told us that radish is very beneficial for health. It detoxifies our bodies and the juice of radish can cure urinary tract infections and kidney disorders.
Here’s an article on the health benefits of radish extracted from http://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/vegetable/health-benefits-of-radish.html :
# Jaundice: Radish is very good for the liver and the stomach and it is a very good detoxifier too, that is, it purifies blood. It is miraculously useful in jaundice as it helps removing bilirubin and also checks its production. It also checks destruction of red blood cells during jaundice by increasing supply of fresh oxygen in the blood. The black radish is more preferred in jaundice. The leaves of radish are also very useful in treatment of jaundice.
# Piles: Radish is very rich in roughage, i.e. indigestible carbohydrates. This facilitates digestion, retains water, cures constipation (one of the main causes for piles) and thus gives relief in piles. Being a very good detoxifier, it helps heal up piles fast. Its juice also soothes the digestive and excretory system and this also relieves piles.
# Urinary Disorders: Radishes are diurectic in nature, i.e. increase production of urine. Juice of radish also cures inflammation and burning feeling during urinating. It also cleans the kidneys and inhibits infections in kidneys and urinary system. Thus it helps a great deal in curing urinary disorders.
# Weight Loss: Radishes are very filling, i.e. fills your stomach and satisfies your hunger easily without giving you many calories, as they are low in digestible carbohydrates, high in roughage and contain a lot of water. It is a very good dietary option for those determined to lose weight.
# Cancer: Being a very good detoxifier and rich in vitamin-C, folic and anthocyanins, radish helps cure many types of cancer, particularly those of colon, kidney, intestines, stomach and oral cancer.
# Leucoderma: The detoxifying and anti carcinogenic properties of radish make it useful in treatment of Leucoderma. The radish seeds are used in this case. They should be powdered and soaked in vinegar or ginger juice or cows urine and then applied on the white patches. Eating radish also aids treatment of Leucoderma.
# Skin Disorders: Vitamin-C, phosphorus, zinc and some members of vitamin-B complex, which are present in radish, are good for skin. The water in it helps maintaining moisture of the skin. Smashed raw radish is a very good cleanser and serves as a very efficient face pack. Due to its disinfectant properties, radish also helps cure skin disorders, such as drying up, rashes, cracks etc. and also refreshes it.
# Kidney Disorders: Being diurectic, cleanser and disinfectant, it helps cure many kidney disorders. Its diurectic properties help wash away the toxins accumulated in the kidneys. Cleansing properties clean kidneys up and lessens accumulation of toxins in the blood, thereby decreasing their concentration in the kidneys. Its disinfectant properties protect the kidneys from any infections too. Thus it is good for overall health of the kidneys.
# Insect Bites: It has anti pruritic properties and can be used as an effective treatment for insect bites, stings of bees, hornets, wasps etc. Its juice also reduces pain and swelling and soothes the affected area.
# Fever: It brings down the body temperature and relieves inflammation due to fever. Drink radish juice mixed with black salt. Being a good disinfectant, it also fights infections which cause fever, thereby helping cure it.
# Respiratory Disorders, Bronchitis and Asthma: Radish is an anti congestive, i.e. it relieves congestion of respiratory system including nose, throat, wind-pipe and lungs, due to cold, infection, allergies and other causes. It is a good disinfectant and also rich in vitamins, which protect respiratory system from infections.
# Liver & Gallbladder: Radish is especially beneficial for liver and gallbladder functions. It regulates production and flow of bile and bilirubin, acids, enzymes and removes excess bilirubin from the blood, being a good detoxifier. It also contains enzymes like myrosinase, diastase, amylase and esterase. It protects liver and gallbladder from infections and ulcers and soothes them.
# Other Benefits: Apart from above benefits, radish is a good appetizer, mouth and breathe freshener, laxative, regulates metabolism, improves blood circulation, is a good treatment for headache, acidity, constipation, nausea, obesity, sore throat, whooping cough, gastric problems, gallbladder stones, dyspepsia etc.
So if you are doing grocery shopping or marketing today, do get some radishes. Juice them, throw them into your stews or simply boil a pot of radish soup with meat. They’re good stuff!
When Baby had a slight cough with phlegm recently, I tried to stay her away from cow’s milk. I substituted cow’s milk with soy bean milk. When I was at Mid Valley Megamall, there was a booth just outside Wellness Pharmacy and Jusco supermarket promoting the range of Biogreen organic products. The salesgirl gave us most of the beverages to sample. Baby seemed to like all the beverages that she sampled and I couldn’t be happier. I thought that if she liked to drink such healthy beverages, I don’t have to spoon feed her milk anymore. I was wrong. Back home, when I gave her the soy bean milk mixed with Oatmilk, she did not show much interest and tried to feign puking!
I am really disappointed that Baby didn’t really like the soy bean milk and the oatmilk. I am trying to keep her free from cow’s milk and substitute it with soy bean milk and oatmilk. I think the soy bean milk and oatmilk from Biogreen taste pretty good but this Baby of mine does not really fancy soy bean milk or cow’s milk since birth. That’s one of the cons of a fully breastfed baby.
This organic soya milk powder has 7x DHA Gold. The DHA is derived from seaweed. Seaweed extract is the best plant source of DHA. DHA is a type of fatty acid which is absorbed by brain cells and benefits our brain, nerves and visual cells.
This sugar-free Oatmilk Energy from Biogreen is made of Non GMO oats, buckwheat, soy lecithin, brown rice, black rice, red rice, pearl barley, amaranth, wheat, black bean and flax seeds. This tastes really good too but too bad Baby doesn’t like it.
There is now a booth at Mid Valley Megamall, just outside Jusco that sells organic health food from Bio Green. And I got these organic biscuits for my girls:
Crackers made from soy bean milk and everything organic:
This puffed biscuit is really tasty. The ingredients are organic brown rice, quick oat, pearl barley, buckwheat, millet, red rice, wheat, corn, black bean, soy bean, wheat germ and a whole bunch of seeds and nuts!This is truly a nutritious and tasty snack!
