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Saturday, February 28, 2009

Basic Chinese Cooking 101 : Tips #1 Garlic

In this first post on Basic Chinese Cooking 101 series, I will be talking about Garlic. Why Garlic? Because I found garlic in my food nearly everyday ;)




So here are things that you should know :

1. When looking for fresh garlic, choose those with solid and firm garlic heads.

2. If a garlic feels light or hollow and soft, it is not fresh. It's a no no if you can see sprout coming out of the head, because it is too old.

3. Keep your garlic in a cool and dry place, which is away from light and heat. Ample air circulation is also needed.

4. Sometimes your hands will still smell of garlic even after washing. To get rid of the smell, you can just rub your hands on any available metal around you.

5. You may get rid of garlic smell in your mouth by drinking green tea and lemon juice or eating yogurt. Chewing on parsley and fresh herbs also helps.

6. Remember to bring garlic with you if you suspect of any bloodsuckers around, such as vampire, mosquitoes and ticks. But sorry to say, it might not be affective against Ah Longs (illegal money lenders).

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Related posts :

Basic Chinese Cooking 101 : Beginners Guide

All about Food and Recipe

Friday, February 27, 2009

Would you DARE to be adventurous?

Would you try this adventurous stunt? Drop me your comments !




Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Recession in Singapore

Mmm .... so Singapore will be in recession for the next few years ...

But dun worry, there will always be a rainbow after a thunderstorm ....

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Basic Chinese Cooking 101 : a Beginner's Guide

I remembered the first time I cooked a Chinese style fried noodle about ten years ago. I was still studying at university at that time. Being a green-horn in Chinese cooking, I did some mistakes and ended up the food tasted unappetizing (ok, ok, I admit ...it was actually to the extent of inedible, happy?! ). And the irony was that the one that have to suffer the aftermath of it was not me. As the intended recipient was for my housemates, I can still vividly remember the "grateful" faces they made upon the consumption of the morsel.

So here I am going to talk about some basic Chinese cooking tips once in a while in this blog, hoping to be able to help those facing the same predicament that I was in last time. (Hey the room is suddenly so bright, I think I am emitting a bright halo now! *smack and wake up* .... Oh it's just someone who had just turned on the light)

So stay tune ......

More related posts here

Monday, February 23, 2009

Chants of Nagging Moms

Here to all the Moms!

Ever wonder what are the common stuffs that all the mums in the world like to nag to their children?

Watch and find out ;)



Source from Northlandchurch.net ?

Disclaimer : As I received this from a forwarded email, I do not know who is the originator of this video file. I am sharing this as I find it too funny to be missed by my friends here. If you happened to be the originator and having concern about this, please kindly drop me an email or a comment. Thanks !

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See related posts here :

Slumdog Millionaire : Beautiful Picture

Just finished watching Slumdog Millionaire and found that I love some of the shots in the movie. Here is one of them ...

Courtesy of RogerEbert.com

Saturday, February 21, 2009

The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx

Of course not forgetting the highlights of Egypt - The Great Pyramid and the Sphinx.

Friday, February 20, 2009

What Lies Beneath ...

Wait for me here honey. I promise to bring back with me the lost treasures ....


hidden beneath the mammoth tomb of ancient civilization aka The Step Pyramid (forefather of The Great Pyramid).

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Egypt here I come !

Me : Roger! Roger! Mr Pilot! Where on earth is this? Ain't I supposed to be reaching Egypt? Looks like I am reaching another planet!

Heeelllpppp!!!


Mr Pilot : Don't worry. Just zoom out your camera lens ....

Me : Phew! Now this looks more like Egypt *wiping beads of sweats rolling down my forehead*

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Egypt Adventure : The Etihad Flight

That's right! As most of you had guessed from my previous post, I am actually going to talk about my trip in Egypt in this post. Me in Egypt definitely not because of the new found Mummy Tomb. I know some of you already seen through my joke in previous post :) But for those who are still wondering what's happening, you could actually know that I was pulling your leg when I categorized the post as "fiction" and also the tale-telling "advertisement".
Ho ho ho ....

So here's on Egypt after a long wait!

What a cozy ambiance!

This is my first time on Etihad Airways (an UAE Airline). Never thought that there are other Airline providing service and in-flight facilities better than Singapore Airlines!

The cabin lighting changes color prior to takeoff, providing a techno but yet relaxed feel. The inflight entertainment system is using touch screen. The Safety Procedure was shown in 3D Animation. And the best? And the Air Stewards are also very handsome! *my saliva all dripping from watching them at work*

Saturday, February 14, 2009

MAIN INDEX

Here is the complete list of all the posts in this blog, organized by category. So feel free to read the categories which you are interested in. (Not in alphabetical order)


FAMILY

HOME FURNISHINGS AND DECORATIONS
  • Furniture
  • Crafts

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

COOKING

HOME FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT


HEALTHY LIFESTYLE


DIARY

OTHERS

Friday, February 13, 2009

Egypt Adventure : Mummy Tomb Raider

As many of you had known that I had been to Egypt recently. But there is something that most of you do not know. I had met an archeologist during the trip and made friend with him. Thought that it was pure fun getting to know an archeologist who is so knowledgeable about ancient Egypt.

And this is a secret that I am going to share with you here. Swear that you do not anyhow tell anyone. Or else I will be in very very big trouble .....

The mentioned guy send me an email telling me that he has a secret underground network of Tomb Raiders ! And this time round he is enlisting a new group of raiders (he's saying that his original raiders are currently busy at another tomb in another part of the world ...blah blah blah) to help him raid a new found tomb in Egypt. And at bottom is a snapshot of the recruitment notice that he had send to me, together with some info on the targeted operation site, enquiring whether I am interested ....

Sensing the this might be a hoax, I ran some searches in the internet and saw that new 30 MUMMIES found in Egypt ! And this is sure not a joke !!!

So what should I do ?!?

I think I'll take this up.....

So I'll be away from Singapore (and my blog updates) for quite some time. But don't worry for my safety as I'll try to post my adventures online whenever I managed to get some internet connection.

Wish me luck ......


Thursday, February 12, 2009

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (Part 4)

Here's the fourth part on how to Choose the Sex of your Baby.

4. THE ACTION

Mmmm... I had been trying hard to avoid using that you-know-what word as I want my blog to be family friendly. But this is going to be an uphill task looking at what I am going to say below. So I am just going to be lazy and not going to child-proof this post. If you are underage, don't say I didn't warn you!

First, the position and the depth of penetration is actually very important too. If you want a boy, go for deeper penetration during intercourse, as this could help bypass the acidic secretion at lower region of the vagina. And this also helps the weaker Y chromosomes to reach nearer to the egg. Use sex positions that can provide advantage in this.

Second, if the woman reaches orgasm (or multiple orgasm) prior to the man during the sexual activities, the chances of getting a boy is higher.

To get a girl, simply find positions that do not require deep penetration.

Don't know which positions for which? Ha Ha ... I am not going to fall into the trick by being specific here. Go do some google by yourself if you want!

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If you wanna review the previous section, here you are :

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 1)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 2)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 3)

Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Go Away, Tummy Fats !!!

Oh no ... something is protruding and bouncing like a ball of meat from my body !


Of course not the meatball above. It's my tummy fat causing me agony when I realized some of my pants are "shrinking" (this sound lots better than saying my tummy is expanding right?). Guess I have been sitting around too much, not exercising.

So my brothers and sisters, I am announcing that from today onwards, I will not let the extra flesh (or fat?) become an annoyance to my life. And here is what I am going to do .....

.
.
.

I am going to start an exercising program in order to trim down the fats! And for this, I will need lots and lots of motivation so that the program won't be another "half past six" effort of mine.

So the first thing I am going to do is to create a little cute image of myself and put it on my desktop as a daily reminder.




Ain't I cute ? (Of course I am referring to the image lar...)

Not only that, I am going to inform those close to me about my exercising program so that they can help cheer me on and keep me on track too ! (pun intended)

And I am going to stick to this thing till the end of my program.

Wanna join me (and challenge me online too) ?

Why wait further ?

JUST DO IT
Nike Zoom Sister One+, The ultimate training shoe for women




How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (Part 3)

Missed previous How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby? Click for PART 1 and PART 2.


3. TIMING, TIMING, TIMING ...

Female sperm (X chromosomes) are known to be able to live longer than Male sperm (Y chromosomes).

So...

To get a girl - "Exercise" 2 to 3 days before ovulation

To get a boy - "Exercise" on ovulation day

How do you know when is your ovulation day? You can keep a temperature chart as the body temperature (for women) is higher during ovulation days. But remember not to measure your body temperature when you are fuming hot at your hubby! Or you can also buy an ovulation test kit.

For guys, please refrain from "exercise" too often as this will deplete the levels of male sperms. Every 2 to 3 days should be okay. If refraining is too much for you, then keep yourself away from your partner physically (but don't go seek 'alternatives' ,ok ?)

Oh yeah, there is another tips here to try :

April is the best month for conceiving girls and October/November for boys (for Northern hemisphere). This is because baby girls are stronger than boys, thus they are more able to withstand colder winter season. Hooray to GIRL POWER !!


Update : Just found this Ovulation Predictor that could help you find out when is your next ovulation time! Please note that the result is for ovulation period after the next menstrual cycle.



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Click here for more :

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 1)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 2)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 3)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 4)

Tuesday, February 10, 2009

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (Part 2)

Here comes PART 2 (hah, did you missed PART 1 ?) on how to choose the sex of your baby.

Of course as you had learned in many treasure hunt movie, most treasures were hidden in a few separate parchments. Of course this one follows the rules (or else nobody is going to take note of what I am saying seriously)

So here it is ...


2. HOW MUCH CALORIES YOU ARE EATING TODAY?

Here's another one :
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A study of 740 women found that those who ate a high-calorie diet (2,413 calories a day) around the time they were ovulating had 10 per cent more boys than women on lower-calorie diets (2,283 calories a day).
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Erm ...pardon me but does this means that gluttons and fat girls will have more chances of giving births to boys? (I know, i know, these 2 might not be directly proportionate to calorie intake quantity, whatever)

So ladies, if you are trying for a baby boy, remember to eat your breakfasts everyday. The main point here is to maintain high level of glucose (which encourage the growth and development of male embryos).

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The study also showed that diets with high levels of sodium (found in salty foods), potassium (bananas and tomatoes) and calcium (dairy products) made conceiving a boy more likely – but it wasn’t clear why.
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Heard that also, almost 60 per cent of regular cereal eaters had boys compared with only 43 per cent who ate less than a bowlful a week.

So remember those nutrients if you are aiming for boys. But becareful not to exceed 6g of salt per day, avoid obesity, or going on hunger strike ;)

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Click here for more :

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 1)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 2)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 3)
How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (PART 4)

Monday, February 9, 2009

How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby (Part 1)


Ever thought of which gender of your baby you want to choose prior to preconception?

The following myth/fact/fallacy (sorry to say that but I am already too confused to know which one is which) that might be helpful (but dun quote me on this !) :



1. ACID vs ALKALINE


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Did you know that it is scientifically proven that :

  • ALKALINITY favors the conception of a baby BOY

  • ACIDITY favors the conception of a baby GIRL

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So quick, go dip into a pool of soap if you want a boy and lots of orange if you want a girl!

Wait...wait.....wait.... err my mistake....
Looks like this condition is only applicable to the woman's reproductive tract.

So how? I dunno ... you've got to figure it out yourself
Maybe you can try inserting some oranges or soaps via the you-know-what if you are adventurous enough. But dun come to me if any side-affects happened.

Sorry guys, dun ask me how a guy can contribute here...unless you are a surgeon and can plant something into your wifey's body (even if yes, I strictly forbid).

Yeah, a thing to note, this condition must be met for 5 consecutive days (what? feel like you are at ~work~? dun you know creating babies is hard ~work~? If not, why are mothers so greatly appreciated?)

So if you want to choose the sex of your baby, you need to know how to measure and adjust your pH level.




~HAPPY TRYING !~

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Click here for more :

PART 1
PART 2
PART 3
PART 4

Friday, February 6, 2009

A Beautiful Place in Singapore

This is a place in Singapore that I love a lot ...

Always thought that this is a good place for Valentine's Day :)


Ouch My Finger !

Just got my finger cut while playing with knife just now

Thursday, February 5, 2009

How to Choose Ironing Board

Following is tips on how to choose a good ironing board :

1. Size
Choose the widest board size.
Full size is at least 4 feet in length and 12-18 inch in width.

2. Height
Get an adjustable one.
Recommended raised height to minimum hip level to waist level.

3. Space and Mobility
Get one that can fit into the working and storage space in your home.

4. Sturdiness
Choose stable ironing board with sturdy frame and solid base.

5. Board Pad
Choose pad that have vent holes and the padding is thick enough. Recommended to get a "non-stick" and "reflective" surface.

6. Iron Rest
Sturdy enough to hold the weight of the iron and prevent the iron from moving in position.

7. Cloth Hanging Rack
Preferably to have this feature for hanging clothes after ironing.

8. Non-scratch Foot
Make sure the feet of the stand would not cause any scratches on your flooring, while keeping the ironing board in place.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

IKEA : My Favourite Thing

Here's something I bought from IKEA recently and I love it a lot


So here it is .....


Good thing is that it has a transparent plastic cover ....

And is collapsible for storage.



I had actually bought a few and is using them for the following :

1. Storage for dirty laundry (different box for different type of laundry).
2. Wardrobe clothes compartment organiser.
3. Shoe storage compartment.

And here's the name of the product if you are interested too :)
"KOMPLEMENT"

Monday, February 2, 2009

Pseudo BBQ Chicken Wing : The Recipe

Here's the special recipe from my Mother-in-law. And I self-named it Pseudo-BBQ Chicken

The chicken is not BBQed but it does taste very much like BBQ Chicken ! Yummy Yummy ....


METHODS
(for 2 pax per servings)

1. Prepare marination sauce.
Ingredients : dark soy sauce (0.5 tablespoon), light soy sauce (2 tablespoon), ginger, garlic (quantity of both according to your preference)

"Don't judge a sauce by it's color, ok !"


2. Marinate the chicken wings (around 12 pieces) 2-3 hours in advance.


The Wings have been waiting ...

3. Heat up oil in the wok.

4. Put the chicken wings into the wok and "BBQ" them !

Abracadabra !!


5. The chicken wings are ready for serving.


Oh Yummy .....

And of course the chef is not me lar .....

No More Clothes Ironing During Travel !

How to fold clothes without the need to iron them later

Source : OneBag.com



Isn't this neat?

Danshen Drink : The Recipe

Here's another recipe for healthy drink.

This drink is good for building up energy and health.


INGREDIENTS
Danshen - around 3 pieces (for 2 pax per serving)


Honey Date - around 5 pieces



METHODS

1. Put everything together for boiling (low heat) for about 1.5-2 hours.

2. Ready for consumption.

More info on Danshen found here.

Lingzhi Soup : The Recipe

So how do we prepare Lingzhi for consumption?

Here's some advise from a neighbourhood Chinese Medicine shop owner.


INGREDIENTS
(servings for 2 persons)

Lingzhi - around 5 thinly sliced pieces


Danshen - 3 long piece cut to smaller pieces (can also be substituted by Pao Shen)


Guo Ji (Wolfberry Extract) - a handful


Hong Zhau (Red Date) - around 5 pieces or a handful


Meat/Chicken (Optional)


METHODS

1. Put everything together for boiling for about 1-1.5 hours.

2. Ready for consumption.

Lingzhi : Superhero of Healthy Body

Bought some Lingzhi some time ago. After being kept in storage for quite some time, finally I am going to make good use of it ;)

What is Lingzhi?



Língzhī
traditional Chinese: 靈芝
simplified Chinese: 灵芝
Japanese: reishi
Korean: yeongji, hangul: 영지

is the name for one form of the mushroom Ganoderma lucidum, and its close relative Ganoderma tsugae

The word lingzhi, in Chinese, means "herb of spiritual potency" and has also been described as "mushroom of immortality".[1] Because of its presumed health benefits and apparent absence of side-effects, it has attained a reputation in the East as the ultimate herbal substance. Lingzhi has now been added to the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and Therapeutic Compendium.

According to The Chinese Herbal Materia Medica (本草綱目), lingzhi may be classified into six categories according to their shapes and colors, each of which is believed to nourish a different part of the body.

  1. Red - heart
  2. Purple - joints
  3. Green - liver
  4. White - lungs and skin
  5. Yellow - spleen
  6. Black - kidneys and brain

Preparation

Lingzhi is traditionally prepared by simmering in water. Thinly sliced or pulverized lingzhi (either fresh or dried) is added to a pot of boiling water, the water is then brought to a simmer, and the pot is covered; the lingzhi is then simmered for two hours. The resulting liquid should be fairly bitter in taste, with the more active red lingzhi more bitter than the black. The process may be repeated. Alternatively, it can be used as an ingredient in a formula decoction or used to make an extract (in liquid, capsule, or powder form). The more active red forms of lingzhi are far too bitter to be consumed in a soup, as long cooked shiitake mushrooms might be.


BENEFITS

anti-tumor

immunomodulatory activities

immunotherapeutic activities

adaptogenic

anti-allergenic

anti-hypertensive

anti-inflammatory

antiviral

anti-parasitic

anti-fungal

antidiabetic

anti-hypotensive

protective of the liver

inhibit platelet aggregation

lower blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar

blood pressure stabilizer

antioxidant

analgesic

a kidney and nerve tonic

bronchitis prevention

in cardiovascular treatment

And in the treatment of:

high blood pressure

hepatitis

allergies

chemotherapy support

HIV support

fatigue

altitude sickness.



Side effects

It has been shown in some studies that long term use of lingzhi (usually four months or so) can result in some mild side effects, including dryness of the nasal passages, mouth and throat, as well as stomach upset and nosebleed[citation needed]. However, these effects were avoided by discontinuing use of the mushroom for one month after taking it for four months, and taking it again for four months, and so on.


Source : Wikipedia

Sunday, February 1, 2009

How to Make Apple Juice Smoothies with Blender

How to Make Apple Juice Smoothies with Blender


1. Apple should be juiced raw, preferably green apple.


2. Apple seeds may be juiced together.


3. Peel all apple that are not organically grown because the peel is where most of the chemical residues can be found, while skins of organically grown apples may be left on.


4. Choose fresh ripe apple Bruised, over or under-ripe apple will produce juices that are neither tasty nor healthful.


5. Turn the blender on and push the pieces through the mouth of blender. Make sure that the pieces are smaller than a golf ball so they will blend completely.


6. Add the liquid ingredients next.


7. Fasten the lid and press the start button. Use high speed for about 20 - 30 seconds.


8. Stop the blender and check to see if the ingredients are well blended. Sometimes the frozen apple will jam under the blade. If there is jammed apple, use a spatula to unjam and blend again.


9. Once the mixture is evenly blended, slowly add two ice cubes through the opening of the blender lid. Keep adding one or two ice cubes at a time until the blender sounds smooth. If your blender is not strong enough to blend ice cubes, omit the ice and substitute just enough ice cold water or apple juice so that the shake will have a milkshake consistency.


10. If the shake / smoothie is too thin, add more fruit or ice. If it’s too thick, add more liquid.


11. As you juice, pulp will collect in a large receptacle. If you don't clean the pulp out right away, it will develop a sour odor and tiny gnats and fruit flies may appear after 8 to 10 hours.


12. It is best to drink freshly made juices within one day.

Note : To prevent the apple from turning to yellow (due to oxidization) during the process, add in a little bit of salt.


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Other Recipes :

Ayam Buah Keluak
Lingzhi Soup
Danshen Drink
Pseudo BBQ Chicken





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