Borrowing books from Library

School exams is over for Crystal & Pearl. They are allowed to start borrowing books from the library again. We returned the last batch of books very late that I have to pay for RM5++ fine for the books that I borrowed, luckily there is no late penalty charges for children's books.

altogether we borrowed up to 21 books this time, 5 of them are mine on the right (as usual I looked for health and food kind of books).

Among 16 of the children's books that my girls have picked only 1 in Chinese, others are in English. I always remind Crystal to read more Chinese and BM to further enhance these 2 languages. She happily told me that she had borrowed one this time. It was Pearl who picked it, wonder they actually read it or just want to please me....:D

these are the 5 books I got this time, so far I only read a few pages of the good carbs vs Bad carbs, hard to find time to read.

Versatile Juicer / Juicer Extractor

After completing my 7 days Detox and Rejuvenation Program last week, the one thing that I miss so much from the program is drinking juices.

Lately, my juicer has become the most regularly used kitchen electrical appliance. Besides me craving for juices, one more reason why I make juices is for my girls, they dislike taking fruits, reject vegetable altogether in their meals. The only way to provide the nutrients that they missed out from fruits and vegetable is to feed them freshly extracted juices. Pearl will only go for cold sweet red apple juice, anything additional is a NO from her. While Crystal is more flexible, she doesn't mind having celery, carrot, tomatoes in her juices, so long as it is slightly cold and sweet.

Recently I tried juicing green papaya (half ripened). Both Clet and I like it, I am not ready to give it to the kids yet. The papaya juice not only taste nice but smell nice too. I was once told by the tuition teacher that there are a lot of health benefits by taking unripened papaya, best with the skin but I prefer to peel the skin off.

Fruits & veggie for juicing

A Korean made juicer. It has mincing function too. I am thinking of making soya milk with it one day.

18th Wedding Anniversary

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY TO EDWARD & KIM

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Edward & Kim celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary last night at the Masarap Filipino cuisine restaurant, it was a special dinner treat for us and the Wong family. It was truly the first time that me and my girls experiencing authentic Filipino cuisine.

The dishes are not spicy hence suit small children perfectly. Like always Pearl requested for noodles.

Happy family of Edward & Kim

Masarap is a 2-storey restaurant at Lintas, there is a Filipino singing band on the 1st floor where we were entertained with music and songs throughout the dinner. BILs, Edward and Nicky both presented a song or two.

Edward are more familiar with Filipino dishes, he ordered some popular dishes from the menu.

Crispy Pata (Fried whole pork leg)

Daing Na Bangus (Fried milk fish)

Pansit Canton (fried noodle)

Tortang Talong (Fried egg plant, ground pork with eggs)

Tinolang Manok Soup (Chicken soup, Ginger with vegetable)

Mango cake dessert

Coconut milk with corns pudding

Filipino style ABC

In front of the restaurant on our way home

More photos on Facebook

My Saturday Morning

I usually do all the laundry on Saturdays, loading round after round of laundry into the washing machine, hand washing some of the delicate clothing and brush my girls' school shoes, none stop of hanging them for drying, sometimes I am short of space to hang all the wet clothing in a day. After few rounds of washing and hanging clothes usually up to nearly mid day, I get very exhausted.

Last week I told myself that I do not want to spend my time on doing the laundry on Saturday anymore, I made a point to spread the laundry over the week days during the night. Over 3 -4 times a week I managed clear the laundry, it's a big relief for me. I took the opportunity to clear the shoes cabinet where I found a few pairs of Pearl's shoes. They are still in good condition but much to small for Pearl to fit in anymore. I washed all them up so that I can give them away to my niece or my office mate who has a 2 year old daughter.

Shoes to give away

but have to clean them up first

Half way doing the cleaning up, the sky becoming cloudy looks like going to rain, how am I going to dry all these shoes? But the rain did not come visit which I thought it would because there was wind to blow the dark clouds away. The weather is more soothing without the bright hot sun.

I also cooked a pot of papaya porridge for lunch as I know my girls would prefer to relax at home watching their VCDs, playing with their toys and games while Clet worked on his farm. They had porridge with favourite salted eggs and canned tuna.

They came telling me that they had finished their porridge but want more salted egg, yes only salted eggs :(

I had my spaghetti which I have kept it frozen weeks ago.

Badminton Session

Playing badminton used to be one of my exercise many years back. Two weeks ago, BIL asked us to join his family for a badminton session. Crystal and Pearl was very excited, not that they know how to play but it is definitely something new to them.

At the first session, Crystal got frustrated because she doesn't know how to play. Since she showed some interest and wanted to learn. BIL gave her a beginner/kids badminton racket (a short handle racket) to practice. So the Daddy becomes the coach at home.

With several practices at home and played at the real badminton court, Crystal managed to pick up some "skills", at least managed to serve and hit some.

Pearl is still too little, she find it difficult to learn the game, got very bored but she had an idea....
She entertained herself by using the badminton racket as guitar, signing her own songs or running around the court, it is well enough for her to sweat out.

Almost done

Just a little update on my Detox program.

Today is the 7th day into the program also the last day, is an achievement I must say to myself. It takes a certain degree of will power, self determination, and supports from my love ones for me to complete this program.

During the whole program, the hardest challenge that I experienced was on the 6th day, that's yesterday, I felt the craving for a nice meal is at the strongest after 6 days without the usual solid meals. Making thing worst was knowing that my colleagues went for a Tom Yam lunch treat which is one of my all time favourite food. My mum boiled a nice pot of pickled vegetable soup for dinner which really made me drooling while I was only feeding myself with a bowl of tasteless soft boiled mixed vegetable (should have steamed to retain the taste instead of boiling them. I was starving couldn't wait to eat.) Later at night SIL brought in banana fritters and black forest cake for us, my girls whacked the banana fritters and I have to abstain from eating any, the cake is now frozen in the fridge.

To open fast tonite, I am cooking some multi-grain porridge in the slow cooker as dinner, prefer taking soft food for a start and slowly adjust back to normal meal.

At this point in time, I am very much craving for something salty.......

Castor Oil Plants

This is not my chili nor bitter gout shoots which I planted last week. They are not growing at all. :(. Guess I haven't got a green finger to do any planting. Some believe that those who born in the months of January to June generally have very good green fingers, whatever they plant will sure grow and bear fruits. I am born in December sure no luck in planting.

Back to the Castor Oil plants. Clet planted them a week ago for a trial (ideally it should be planted straight to the ground) . The plants are growing fast after some rain showers these few days. In order for them to keep growing, they have to be transplanted to the ground which I am sure Clet is eager to do that by this week itself.

Castor Oil seeds can be harvested in just 4 months, that is a huge plus over oil palm.

Lunch time treat

4th day into my Detox program, I had an assorted fruits as my lunch time treat. I do not feel that hungry as thought I would be because there are so much to drink if I follow the schedule strictly. I have been skipping health drinks, tissue building drinks during the day because I do not feel empty or hungry as much. By looking at the schedule (the modified version to suit working people), the number of drinks that we have to prepare and consume is well enough to fill up our stomach and keep us busy all day. That's why there is no feeling of starvation and I still find the energy running around handling most of the stuff these few days. I can feel my belly much flatter now, I am eager to see what's my blood sugar reading after completing the 7-day program.

Brother Alfred's Birthday

It was my younger brother, Alfred's 40th birthday yesterday. SIL, Catherine bought a chocolate ganache cake from Uncle biscuit for him. It is super moist & soft. (I refrain myself from taking a bite as I am still on my detox program but I did take a big piece of the cake to frozen it till I finish my detox and enjoy it together with Clet on Saturday when he comes back from outstation).

Sorry about the picture. Don't know why it was rotated after uploading.

The texture is very soft & moist, I can not eat but can touch it :D

even my mum (not a cake lover) can not resist herself having a second serving.

Alfred with his two kids, Anneliese & baby Dylan, and Crystal and Pearl at each side

2nd day of DRP (Detoxification & Rejuvenation Program)

The 2nd day into my Detoxification & Rejuvenation Program (DRP) yesterday, We went for a badminton session in the morning to sweat out. I hardly spare time to do any exercises for a long time, have been busy with work, home chaos and other activities as excuses for that matter.

On the first day of my detox program, I had my blood sugar tested at home, the reading was 6, it is on the high side considering I haven't even taken my breakfast yet, I only had my cleansing drink (1 tablespoon each of Apple cider vinegar, honey and herbal cleanse powder) prior before that. Imagine my sugar level could be much higher after breakfast at normal days which I usually have meehoon, noodles, bread or cakes, and have one or two packets of 3 in 1 drinks during the day.

I am on purely vegetable and fruits diet in this program, hopefully this will bring my blood sugar down to the ideal level. Though I am on a special diet, my family meals are not neglected, I still cook normal meal for them and I bring my own steamed vegetable with me when we go out for meals so they are not affected in any way.

Steamed fish and

meat, potatoes and carrots for my family

steamed potatoes, carrot and vegetable for me

and have bananas in between meals

Trying to grow vegetable

I bought this bitter gourd seeds together with some chili seeds many months ago. Since Clet is very much into Castor farming now, he always brings our girls to check on the progress of his plot of young Castor trees, we did some watering on the young Castor plants last Sunday too. Some way some how under such an influence, Crystal wanted to grow her own plant too. It is thrilled to see the seeds we sowed having new shoots after a few day.

We planted some chili seeds in the pot last week till now there isn't any new shoots coming out apart from wild grass, Crystal thought those are the new chili shoots. :) Will keep checking on them who knows there are shoots coming out soon!

I am trying my luck on these bitter gourd seeds which is expiring in 2011 same as the chili seeds. This time I planted them on the ground instead of in the pots.

While digging the soil, I dug out several of this root from the ground, at first I thought is onion, later than I realised they are the roots for the lily plants which Clet cleared them off together with the wild grass.

One of the bitter gourd seed ready to be planted. Hope it will grow to give us some bitter gourds (one of my favourite vegetable).

Tropical coconut shampoo for a change

I was jokingly telling Clet that I am going to get a coconut extract shampoo when we were on our way to the supermarket yesterday evening. Knowing that he doesn't like the smell of the coconut oil in the cooking for sure he doesn't like the coconut smell in the shampoo too. I told him that it would be best if I can find a shampoo content of coconut oil and aloe vera extracts, wonder where I can get one.???

I was delighted to see this Tropical Coconut shampoo in the supermarket. The coconut essence is not as strong as you may think, the fragrance is actually not bad, yes, I am going to try this one for a change.

Annual Detox and Rejuvenation

It has been more than a year since I last did my Detoxification and Rejuvenation Programme (DRP). After much delay, I finally put a date to do my annual DRP maintenance on the form to claim for a free set of DRP products from the Company.

I took home these set of health products yesterday and ordered some fruits and vegetable needed for the programme which I have planned to start next week for 7 days, it's going to be a long week because I can not eat like what I normally do, mind you I am a food lover thus a big eater, luckily I love fruits and vegetable or else it would be even tougher for me because lot of fruits and vegetable (preferably organic) are the main diet throughout.
Last year, healing crisis set in right after I completed the DRP programme, hope it won't be so bad this time. It is not easy to complete the whole 7 days program unless I am mentally and physical ready, that is the main cause of the delay in starting my yearly maintenance detox programme. :D, Well, I am all ready to roll now to a healthier me in 7 days.

One way for me to prepare a fast dinner is to dump all ingredients in the slow cooker in the morning before I go to work. It works pretty good for me as a full time working mum as I have got little time to prepare dinner during week days.

Yesterday morning, I boiled this pot of Kampung Chicken soup on the stove top till it is boiled then transferred the whole pot of soup into the slow cooker, set to low heat, let it cook by itself till I come back from work, usually more than 8 hours. Just add salt to taste and serve.

Slow cooker is very useful for cooking that requires long hours of boiling like kampung chicken soup such as this one. It is also ideal for stewing beef too.

A wedding token

I received this wedding token my colleague, Rosalind, who got married in August this year. Besides having their wedding dinner reception here in KK, they had another dinner reception in Kuala Lumpur a week later for her mum is from West Malaysia and her dad is working there as well.

She brought back this token from KL for us. I like the design very much and had not seen one like this KK. It is a red hard cover ang pow pocket stuffed with sweet chocolate inside. I specially like its bright red colour and the smiling couple. I am still keeping this pretty ang pow on my desk as decoration.