15mins Lunch Pack: Asian Staples-Rice

Hi folks! My western friends finds fried rice amazing...here's two of the fried rice I've made for lunch, one using five grain rice(quinoa, millet, brown rice,etc) with pumpkin+organic tofu cubes, another one using basmati rice cooked ahead of time with mixed Vege and non-GMO soy-based sausage. Stir-frying is about 10mins, cutting/preparing the ingredients is 5 mins...yummy meal is ready to pack ;)

15 min. Lunch pack: Omelette with Noodles

Hi folks! What comes into my mind when comes to preparing meals are wholesome(think vitamin, protein, minerals, carbo), colours(I tried to have 5 colors per meal both for variety of nutrients as well as presentation), time of preparation and what's available in fridge/pantry.
Here's a wholesome omelet with eggs, vegetarian non-GMO sausage(reddish), seaweed(black), cabbage(yellow), tomato(orange),mushroom(brown), sprinkle of mozzarella cheese..and a bit of organic brown sugar and salt/soysauce for taste..on top of a Kon Lou noodle(Vits noodle cooking on hot boiling water while omelet is being cooked), once done scoop up the omelet, off the fire and mix the gravy(sesame oil, brown sugar, olive oil, dark soysauce/ blackstrap molasses) with the water-drained Vits noodle. I love mixing the noodle in the big pan..so much easier, faster to get it evenly mixed..so omelet on to of noodle packed away in thermos/heat retained lunch box..yummy...next time I would try to substitute black olives in place of seaweed should taste awesome ..hmm think pizza noodles haha..

Mini hill climbing with friends..26.2.2012

First attempt for KY and SE, KY managed to climb up all the way to the top without much assistance, leading all the way. However the blisters make her needing piggyback on daddy all the way down the hill.
As for SE, halfway up the hill, he requested to be carried. Daddy obliged up to a point on a steep slope heading towards the stop when mommy put a stop. I managed to find him a walking stick to "bribe" him to walk down himself with me beside him while DH continued to the top to join KY.
Bravo SE, u managed to walk down the hill on your own!!! Yippee! What a good workout we had today not to mentioned such friendly groups of people young and old who greeted us up and down the hill... A good place to meet some healthy friends ;)

15 minute lunch pack: Stir-fry Fusilli

Hi folks! Fusilli is one of the of pasta I cooked often besides macaroni. Reason being it is easy to cook and easy to eat with spoon. Lately I colleague told me she would soak the pasta before cooking them and another colleague of DH just cook it without boiling them. For me, I am used to how he westerners do it, first cook them in hot boiling water(with added salt for faster cooking) & Chinese way of adding a bit of oil in the boiling water so that the pasta won't stick together ( another way to do this is to run thru the pasta over cold water right after it is cooked so it won't stick and would be "kiu"/chewy texture). Same as ramen, while the pasta is cooking(takes about 10mins), I would stir-fry black olives(taste great to replace garlic), broccoli(for faster cooking I might even put the broccoli over the top of the pasta; it will turn soft and cooked faster), mushroom, soy-ham, herbs and whatever I have at hand. Once done I would add bit of olive oil, if better use olive oil in the entire stir-fry and u will find the pasta with very nice fragrance..yummy..Easy peasy rite..15minutes and lunch pack is ready! ;)

Vegetarian Diets Improve Mood and Lower Stress

Hi folks!

I receive this article in my e-mail...points to ponder...

Have a happy day!

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Vegetarian Diets Improve Mood and Lower Stress

Vegetarian diets improve mood and lower stress, according to a new study in Nutrition Journal. Researchers asked 39 meat-eaters to begin one of three different diets—a vegetarian diet, a meat-based diet, or a meat-and-fish-based diet. They found that after just two weeks, vegetarians scored significantly better on standardized mood and stress tests. The mood tests measured depression, anxiety, and stress and were compared with food frequency questionnaires. The vegetarians consumed less eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), animal sources of omega-3 fatty acids, and less arachidonic acid, an animal source of omega-6 fatty acids.

Beezhold BL, Johnston CS. Restriction of meat, fish, and poultry in omnivores improves mood: a pilot randomized controlled trial. Nutr J. 2012;11:9.

For information about nutrition and health, please visit www.pcrm.org/.

Breaking Medical News is a service of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine,
5100 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, DC 20016.

Packing Meals from home

Hi folks! Many folks especially in US people who going into eating and cooking from home for healthier body & wallet. Thus the recipe boos, kitchen gadgets sales soar. As for me, I did it out of choice and needs & practicality and earning the benefits along the way( will share more on why at another post)
Here's a typical Friday when I would packed for 4 of us including the children. And we are having multigrain porridge. I am using the thermal pot. Very easy an fast to prepare. I just wash the grains(millet, quinoa, brown rice, etc, comes in a combi pack), cut the potatoes, carrot, mushrooms and add everything in the pot+fill enough water. Put on the stove for 10 mins and put it back to thermal pot to let it simmer and cook further while I continue with my housework/zzz. The porridge will be all cooked by the time I am done changing my attire and ready to get out. Pack them all into our lunch box/pot and sprinkle some nutri powder(black sesame, white sesame, wheatgerm etc). For DH, I add one cube of Chinese preserved beancurd("lam Yu"). Yummy...we are all ready to go! Storing the food in those thermos or thermal pot helps to keep the food warm till lunch time :) hope this post encourage you to try packing from home too :) it's do-able with some planning in advance & some essential ingredient at hand ;)
Cheers & have a lovely weekend!

Lunch Pack: 15 mins. Stir-fry Ramen

Hi folks, I usually pack lunch to work for my hubby & me. So usually I prefer to cook something simple that takes around 10-15mins to prepare. Here's one of it. First I put the ramen to boiling water for 5 mins. While it is boiling I cut the carrots, cabbage and whatever additional protein-based(this one I added organic tofu slices) food and fry it lightly+seasoning(sea salt, pepper, olive oil,herbs-parsley)& add the noodles into the wok & fry for awhile till well-blend. Simple & yummy lunch pack :)

Happy Valentines Day!

Hi folks!

Before i forget ....Happy Valentines Day folks!

Doing anything special today? Or not just today but every single day?

Last week, i ordered these for me and DH (just in time for V-day...haha..but we don't need an excuse or special day to surprise our folks rite? )

I has been looking for thermos for sometime since my last two not working well...and ever since after dengue I am told to sip on warm water and avoid coughing which might hurt my lung.

And DH is one who loves having her soup, coffee, tea hot...so this combi deal i found at superbuy seems like a good buy.

I got it for MYR99.....but later on found out that the thermos i got is only 375ml instead of 500ml that I thought to be..hoho..ok lar...good enough to put in my handbag...but maybe not sufficient for longer trip....and MYR99 for this 375ml bottle and that cup..doesn't sound so cheap after all..but...ok it's not overpriced too cos the original price for the thermos cup is MYR52..hoho...hopefully DH find it useful...It's after all my V-day pressie to him.

Today I made him kiwi-mango smoothie and fill it up in his new thermos cup which is meant for hot and cold drink.

Will check out and see how he likes this cup..as for mine..haven't got time to test it...and see how long that 375ml of warm drink can satisfy my thirst..haha...need refill along the way i guess.

What lovely things you have got yourself or your dearest ones today?

Happy V-Day again!

Cheers and have a lovely day!