STRESS RELATED HERBAL REMEDY

Unknowingly, stress and depression, 

can actually contribute to 'heat' in the body and upsets the digestive system.

Things are not going your way, 

and you feel stressed.

Sleepless nights make you irritable during the day.

The more you think about it, the more fearful you become.

You may feel your throat dry

and your lips lost its usual colour.

You have no appetite and it soon leads to digestive problems, and irritable bowels.

All these symptoms are rather scary as it can make a person depress,

and lose weight tremendously!

I found that 

Lily Bulb and Lotus Seeds

have been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine

for treating problems like these.

Lily Bulb

Lily Bulb 

has a cooling property. 

It is beneficial to the heart and lungs.

TCM use it to moisturise the lungs, soothe the throat and relieve cough.

It is used to calm the spirit,

providing a sense of peace and tranquillising the mind.

Thereby, reduce irritability, 

improve sleep quality 

and alleviating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Caution:

1) use in moderation

2) overdose can cause diarrhoea

Lotus Seed

Lotus seed is a powerful antioxidant

and help fight inflammation 

and slow down aging process.

It is easily digested, so is suitable for both elderly and kids.

It helps to treat mouth sores,

improve appetite,

strengthen the digestive system,

treat insomnia and sleep disorders.

Caution:

1) may reduce blood sugar level

2) expectant mothers must avoid taking

I have used the following 2 recipes:

 (1) Lily Bulb Porridge

Ingredients:

rice, lily bulb & dried ginger

Method: 

add more water as cooking porridge

(2) Lily Bulb Lotus Seed Soup

20g lily bulb

20g lotus seed 

4 dried scallop

lean pork

1) combine all, add water and simmer over low heat for 2 hours

SEA CUCUMBER DESSERT

Sea Cucumber
has long been used in Chinese Cooking,

Sea Cucumbers are expensive
and
it takes long time to prepare,
so they are mainly used in expensive dishes,
like braised sea cucumber,
sweet and sour sea cucumber
and
the famous Foochow Delicacy,
'Buddha Jump Over The Wall'

Recent discovery
is that Sea Cucumber is a good source of collagen.
so it has been introduced in many dishes.

Johanna Wong
recently introduced to us a tub of Sea Cucumber Tong Sui
which she bought from the local market!

It looks nice
and here I am with this simple recipe.

Sea Cucumber Tong Sui

1 small sea cucumber, soaked, softened and cleaned (cut into small pieces)

some wolfberries

some red dates

some dried longan

some white fungus (optional)

Method:

1) all ingredients into a double boiler, add enough water

2) double boil for 1-2 hours 

3) add rock sugar to taste

4) enjoy your collagen dessert

Note:

If you do not like the fishy smell of sea cucumber

you may like to add a few slices of old ginger 

HOME REMEDY FOR FLU AND COUGH

Orange for Flu and Cough?

Sounds incredible!

Well. that's what I heard ....

Once I attended a home party, whole oranges were served.

I was then told that oranges could come in handy 

when you were down with flu!

However, it tastes good when served warm as a dessert, haha!

1) wash the orange, whole

2) slice off the top 2cm of the orange, and keep as a cover

3) rest the orange on a small bowl to fit

4) use a chopstick to poke the flesh of the orange

5) sprinkle 1/4 - 1/2 tsp of salt, onto the opening of the orange

6) put back the cover of the orange and steam over medium heat for 15-20min

7) serve warm, eat the flesh and drink the juice

8) enjoy 

HOMEMADE YOGHURT

Ever tried making some yoghurt at home?

You will be surprised how easy it is!

With only 2 ingredients!

I have been wanting to show you this simple method

but 

always forget to buy a tub of yoghurt to show you.

1) buy a small tub of yoghurt,

can be of any brand.

I bought this Fernleaf, plain

  

2) Heat up one cup of fresh milk, just warm to the touch.

I mean you just touch the milk with the tip of your clean finger.

If it feels warm, it is the right temperature!

3) pour the milk into a glass bottle

and stir in the tub of yoghurt until well mixed

4) put a LOW metal stand in your slow cooker & pour in hot water.

Make sure the hot water level is below the top of the stand.

So that when you place the bottle of milk onto the stand,

it does not touch the hot water!
Place the bottle on the stand.

5) cover the slow cooker and leave it until the next morning.

Note:

1) Always remember to leave behind 2-3 heaped Tbsp of yoghurt to start the next batch!

     Like this, you do not need to buy another tub. 

2) I have tried with milk powder, also successful. 

MILK KEFIR

MILK KEFIR

is Kefir grains cultured in Fresh Milk.

Its taste comes from the milk you use.
So, you will get what you feed the Milk Kefir grains.

Fruit juices
or freshly cut fruits
can be added for varieties in flavour

These probiotic drinks are similar
if not better than Yogurt Drink sold in the Supermarkets

If left to ferment further, you will get a thicker version, yogurt

If longer still, the milk will separate from whey
and
you will get cheese instead, if given time to drip....

Milk separates from Whey

Dripped 1 day in fridge, you get cheese!
Whey is the green colour water on the right.

I am yet to find out the uses of Whey

Haha, looks interesting?

To culture Milk Kefir

1 tsp milk kefir grains 

500ml fresh milk

1) add milk kefir grains to fresh milk

2) cover with a cloth secured with rubber band

3) leave at room temperature for 1 night

4) next day, chuck in fridge for another day or two

5) strain the grains & transfer the grains to freshly prepared milk

6) the remaining milk is chilled as drink. Fruit can be added here.

Note:

1) if milk kefir is left in an aircond room with constant temperature

     you will get a smooth texture of tau huey

To make Kefir Cheese

1) leave the milk kefir in fridge until it separates into milk & whey as shown above

2) strain & remove the grains, pour the milk kefir into a muslin cloth lined container

     to drip. Leave overnight in the fridge.

3) the thick mass is Kefir cheese which you can use to make spread or baking

Enjoy

WATER KEFIR

WATER KEFIR

Shared by Joyce Ng (Facebook) from Singapore

Just for sharring! 

Benefits of drinking water kefir and using it on your skin

Drinking Water Kefir can help you achieve your optimal health, strengthen your immune system, and help to prevent diseases of all kinds. Most importantly, it restores good digestion - the key to health and longevity. When your body is out of balance, unfriendly opportunistic bacteria and yeasts can take over - producing irritable and bad digestion, food allergies, headaches, flu, skin rashes, and other more serious disorders. 

Water kefir is something you and your family can drink and use on your skin every day.

Inhibits the growth of unfriendly bacteria and yeasts, and helps beneficial probiotic microorganisms to colonise and thrive in your digestive tract, and throughout the test of the body (skin, eyes, bladder, vagina, nose, throat, etc).Contributes to a healthy immune system.Reduces inflammation.Helps with the digestion of food and micronutrients. 

The KEY for health and longevity is good digestion, and a balance of good bacteria are the essential starting point.Heals, or reduces the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome IBS)including bloating, indigestion, flatulence, diarrhoea/constipation, nausea, low energy, muscle aches and pains.Heals intestinal dysbiosis and SIBO (small intestine bacterial overgrowth).Increased energy and overall feeling of good health.Can stop unhealthy food cravings, especially for sugars and sweet foods.

Skin complexion and overall condition improves. Brown liver spots / age spots can fade, as can skin tags, moles, warts etc. It can ease or cure many skin conditions, such as psoriasis,eczema and acne.Hair and nails look healthier, and are strengthened and improved.

Liver cleansing, as in traditional Chinese medicine, thus easing aches and joint pains, and benefiting the eyes.Glandular ( endocrine) system (adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, ovaries) benefits. Women have healthier periods, some women have periods start again after early menopause.

A tranquillising effect on the nervous system has helped many who suffer from sleep disorders and insomnia, depression, ADHD and autism

(1) How To Culture?

First of all, we need to know that Kefir grains love mineral

and do not like chlorine

As such, you will need to get : 

a) raw sugar (which is rich in mineral)

b) bottled mineral water (no chlorine)

No specific brand

To Start

This is 1F 

First Fermentation, sugar water & grains

2F here,

Second Fermentation with added fruits

Notes:

1) 2F can be done in fridge, but need longer hours

2) If you want fizzi drink. do 2F in long neck bottle & leave at room temperature 

    Be careful though, the gas may burst the bottle if you do not open the cover 

    to let out the gas at least once a day!

3) Short term storage:

    Water Kefir Grains wii hibernate in 1F in the fridge, so the grains will stay at the bottom.

    Do not throw away your grains. It is not dead!

4) long term storage 2-4 weeks in fridge, 2F with more sugar