A Rainbow afternoon

Last Saturday was a beautiful rainbow afternoon for me!

I was making some pineapple tarts when my little granddaughter, Chloe came into the kitchen and watched. Her eager little eyes were observing every step. She jumped at the offer when I asked if she would like to try her hand at it.

So I showed her how to roll out the dough and press out the tart, using the mould. She did it, very carefully and presto! The tart base came out very nicely and at first try too! I was impressed. I had to do it a couple of times before I got it right!!!

Then came her brother and he also wanted to try his hand. So Chloe taught him and she watched him with eagle eyes as he diligently went through each step. Then they settled down to work in tandem, one cutting out the tart base and the other glazing and filling it with jam. We used pineapple and blueberry jam when the pineapple jam ran out.

The pineapple jam was not easy to make. Unfortunately, the pineapple turned out to be sour so the jam was not as sweet as I would have liked it to be. The pastry was very crispy and delicious and fragrant. Ermmmm! Chloe went when the aroma of the tarts filtered out from the oven.

I sat watching my busy little chefs hard at work and it gave me such a lovely feeling. These two adorable children had been staying with me since their babyhood and they put so much colour into my life. Beautiful bright colours of the rainbow, they bring so much joy. Watching them grow each day, becoming more aware of the big wide world out there also brings moments of nostalgia. It brings back memories of their mother, their aunt and uncle when they too were young.

How quickly time flies! Their mother, a multi-talented child, is now a doctor, specialised in paediatrics. These children are very articulate, more than their mother when she was young. Children these days are more exposed to the world through the tv, the computer and their school mates. They are tri-lingual and move easily between the three main languages of Malaysia. In fact they are not afraid to ask questions and they "google" if they want to find out something. In fact, Chloe was the one who told me to "google" if I can't find something e.g. song lyrics. She also showed her grandfather how to access "youtube".

These kids are amazing! They're not teenagers but elementary school kids. They're ever ready to share what they know and so very trusting. I'm sometimes afraid that they are too trusting and I have to warn them of pitfalls and the dangers that lurk outside the home. It seems such a shame to disillusion them but safety these days is a primary concern. I never let go of Chloe's hand whenever we are out, even when fetching her home from school, walking her from the school to where our car is parked. Stephen has to tag along right next to us as the road to the school is jam packed with cars and with motorists who once having got their kids, are anxious to make a getaway.

So their grandfather had a plate of nice tarts and a bowl of redbean dessert for his afternoon tea and of course I too had my share. Really yummy! Their mum had hers after dinner. She has a full day's work on Saturdays and she likes the red bean dessert cold while I like mine hot. I boil it with sago pearls, orange peel and pandan so it has a nice tangy aroma.

I find it quite interesting now, to try out new dishes. Yesterday I tried out Guiness Stout braised chicken! Got the recipe from the Star newspaper. It turned out a tad too sweet, according to my daughter. Next time I will reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe. However it was a nice dish.

The next free weekend that we have, we're going to try making curry puffs. Chloe and I love curry puffs. We'll bake them instead of frying as it can be messy to fry stuff. Besides there will be added calories as well. Don't want to grow sideways more than I can help it. The link below will show the little busy bees at work!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=65854&id=817982155&l=70ef852c9c

More Colours

Green is the colour we like to see more of especially in cities which have grown into concrete jungles. City parks are far and few in between but these green lungs are highly sought-after by people who long for some greenery. Green has a cooling effect and it is very pleasant on the eyes. So if you're lucky and have a garden, set your green fingers to work so that you have beautiful plants and flowers to enjoy. They are indeed a sight for sore eyes.

Green is also the colour of envy and the green-eyed monster has taken some by storm especially when love becomes a triangle instead of a duo. In this respect, it is certainly unpleasant if you are at the receiving end.

If you are given the greenlight, it means you can proceed, either in traffic or in a project.

Then there is the old village green, where in the past, the Maypole dance used to be held. It was just a piece of common grassy land in the centre of the village. Nowadays, there is the golf green where you hole out your golf ball. These greens can be very tricky and to hole the ball in just one putt is just plain luck or an uncanny ability to read the green!

Blue is what you dont want to be cos you can end up tearing your hair or leaping off a multi-storey block. However, there are good Samaritans out there who can draw you out of your blue mood. Some people like to sing the blues, or play the blues, which is melancholy music of Black American origin. While one may be a blue-eyed boy and enjoy the patronage of influential mentors, the girls may not like being called blue stockings, a rather derogatory term for an intellectual lady. Being of blue blood has its advantages especially in the working world but being a blue baby is certainly a sorry introduction into life.

If you have many blue chips in your investment portfolio, chances are you are all set for a cosy lifestyle but then a global downturn out of the blue may hit you very hard and you may find yourself chewing your nails to the quick. However, that should not see you rushing to watch blue films for comfort but to take the time to work out a blue print to ride through the tough times ahead.

Finally, I'm hoisting my Blue Peter as I leave port. Cheers!

Colors in our life

Which is your favourite colour? Mine is red, whether it is fiery red or a muted red. Red is a striking colour that catches the eye immediately.

Red is associated with passion, intensity, heat and of course love, as symbolised by red roses.

Have you ever received red roses? On your birthday, anniversary, Mother's Day, Valentine's Day? What do you feel when you receive either a single red rose or a bouquet of them? My heart swells with great pleasure when I receive a single red rose or a bunch of them, accepting the love that accompanies them.

What else is red associated with? Have you ever seen red? Or watched a person see red when someone invades his territory and tries to steal his valued possession? This "red" is anger, where the person's intensity of feeling makes him see red.

Then there is the "red" of embarassment! To be caught with your pants down will certainly make you go red with embarassment or even to have to admit that one is in the red, like having to approach a friend for a loan because one is in the red, having gone way over the budget, such as madly buying 10 dozen red roses on Valentine's Day to impress your loved one. It is not surprising to act on impulse when one is in the flush of first love or in the throes of a full-blown love affair.

The red tape which is the bane of businessmen can be a liability when a country is trying to woo more business to boost its economy. There have been calls for doing away with red tape but this is long in coming.

Last but not least, red is associated with prosperity, hence it is the dominant colour during the Chinese New Year, where children and singles receive the eagerly anticipated red packet and red attire is seen everywhere.

Houses are decorated with red lanterns and red firecrackers plus red papers with couplets of prosperity wishes.

I love RED!!!

Help Yourself & Help Others

Aging has its moments of good and bad.

You feel good when someone offers you a seat in the bus or train. Ah, that person is well-brought up and respects the elderly......you think as you sink gratefully onto the vacated seat.

You feel bad when you look at the delicious variety of alluring desserts and drool. No, you can't have any because you are diabetic, or your cholesterol level is too high. Looking at the youngsters wolving down the fragant french fries sends your spirits diving to a new low.

Gone are the days when you were just like them, eating anything and everything that took your fancy. These days, when someone sends you an email sharing a morsel of what's good for you, you hasten to forward it to others who may be in similar need.

So here are a couple of morsels that came my way.

Dengue fever is much feared in places where the weather is hot and plenty of mosquitoes buzz, feeding off your blood surreptiously. Authorities have warned of dire penalties for breeding mosquitoes in your home or garden. The dreaded Aedes mosquito which gives you dengue fever is the enemy to be exterminated. What if someone you know has become a victim?

The fever can be fatal and the lucky ones who escape death, take a while to recover. However there is a natural cure which came through the email and which I would like to share now.

All you need do is to boil a couple of papaya leaves and drink this papaya leaf tea throughout the day. It is bitter but it will pull you through. As simple as that. It was reported that the fever was gone within three days after taking this papaya leaf tea.

The other recommended remedy is for lowering high cholesterol. This is to be taken over a period of time and it is recommended that you do a blood test to check the levels before you begin taking the herbal concoction.

You have to use the following ingredients: a handful of black fungus ( Mok Yee ), twenty wolfberries ( kei chee ), ten red dates ( Hoong Choa ) and two to three slices of ginger.

Soak the fungus for about an hour and clean it properly as it is quite dirty. Cut into small pieces. Put your red dates and wolfberries together with the fungus into either a crock pot or a clay pot. Add 5 bowls of water. Boil until the water has reduced to 1 bowl. If you use a crockpot, you can leave it to cook overnight. If you use a clay pot, it must be boiled over a very low fire. This could take up to 3 hours.

Drink it on an empty stomach in the morning. It actually tastes quite nice. The red dates & ginger give it a nice aroma. You can have your breakfast only after two hours have elapsed.

I have tried this for the past 2 weeks and am still on it. Will update in another month after I have taken my blood test to see if it works. No harm trying it out.

Color your meals

Color your meal and stay healthy

If food be the music of life, then eat on! ( apologies to Shakespeare!)

The more colorful a meal, the better it is for us, so I'm told. What colors can we have in a meal?

Vegetables are usually green, save for capsicums which can also come in red and yellow, apart from the usual dark green. Carrots are orange, radish is white, tomatoes are red, beetroot is really red while the cauliflower is off white and likewise the beansprouts.

So to go with the colorful vegetables we can have some fish or lean meat, preferably chicken minus the skin, rather than red meat.

Fruit should be eaten on an empty stomach and they digest fast. Those who are keeping an eye on sugar levels can opt for fruit that are not very sweet, such as guava, green starfruit rather than honey starfruit, avocado and others that have less sugar content.

Jacket potato, roasted or boiled is excellent to provide that portion of carbohydrate which we need to give us energy. Asians can cut back on their boiled rice and consume more vegetables.

The vegetables can be blanched or eaten raw or simply boiled. This will cut down on the oil as fried vegetables will definitely have oil and the thickened gravy will add up the extra calories. Vegetables eaten as salad can do without dressing such as the thousand island dressing which is very fattening so if you're looking to reducing your weight, you should forget this particular dressing. A dash of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt will do fine.

What do we drink? Plain Adam's Ale of course! Nothing like a glass of water with a slice of lemon in it. How much water should we drink to keep ourselves hydrated? The WHO recommendation is that we drink half our body weight times 100 c.c. So if you weigh 70 kg, your water intake should be 35X100 which is 3500 c.c or 3.5 litres of water.

If you drink a cup of coffee you must drink extra water to compensate for the dehydration brought about by the cup of coffee.

So a healthy meal should comprise lots of vegetables of different colors preferrably plus some fish or chicken together with a small portion of boiled or steamed rice or mashed potato or jacket potato.

Dont have any snacks in between or you may find yourself putting on weight. Cakes and tidbits are a no-no if you're watching your bathroom scales.So the above can be eaten either at lunch or dinner time.

What about breakfast? This provides us with energy to kickstart our day. What's a good breakfast?

Cereal such as rolled oats is excellent as it provides fiber. Fruit and of course Adam's Ale. However, if you want a truly nutritious meal and well balanced nutrients for your body, then go for cellular nutrition, in the form of nutritious shakes that go direct into your body cells.

This nutritious shake gives you bounding energy and vitality. You feel great after taking it. Over a period of time you may even find yourself losing the belly fat around your middle. There are different flavors to suit your taste buds. Mix and match is the order of the day. Your imagination is the limit.

I've lost my belly fat and a few inches off my waist line. Gone from XL to M size now and my energy level's great. Pulling a trolley with a full set of golf clubs on an undulating fairway for a round of 9 holes every morning is no problem. The ball goes further too! So if you are interested in good nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, I'm willing to share more information with you.

Being obese will lead to health complications later on in life, one of which is metabolic syndrome. It is always better to be safe than sorry later. So eat wisely and in moderation. Bingeing is out.