Monday, April 17, 2006

Calling all mommies!!

I need your help. Can any mommies suggested what chicken soup to cook? There are books on confinement food and soup but they aren't any on food for pregnancy out there.

What I saw on T.V. whenever someone is pregnant, for the poor people in China, they would say eat boiled chicken eggs. As for the rich, go boil some chicken soup. But they only mention chicken soup, but what kind of chicken soup?

Well, at least I know no dong kui now. I actually cooked that soup when I was in my 2nd trimester with Evy a couple of times. Never experience any contraction though and only stopped when I asked my OB whether it's safe or not. And since she is a caucasion, she won't know a thing but since she said since this herb was associated with women reproductive system (I told her that), she said better not to take it. Ha, if I knew that it will cause contraction, I might cook it to drink at my last 2 weeks of pregnancy just to bring on the contraction. Hehehe... Do you think it's advisable? Hey, at my last 2 weeks of pregnancy, I become very desperate and willing to try anything.

Okay, what chicken soup do you recommend?

12 comments:

  1. Can't give any advice on this area because I was working then, I just ate whatever that was prepared by my MIL or my mother. Moreover, I was busy woking and had to eat out most of the time. :P

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  2. my mother made fresh chicken essence not the type from bottles.
    it was really good and best of all no herbs used. I drank a lot during my pregnancy.
    -1 fresh whole chicken deskined but not deboned. (the essence usually comes up to only one bowl for one chicken)
    -1 steamer
    -1 porcelain bowl

    chop the chicken into smiterins
    they must be really chopped because you are suppose to mould it into a ball.

    Overturn a bowl and place this ball of chicken on top of the bowl.

    then place this in a larger bowl

    steam and the essence will slowly drip from the chicken, down the overturned bowl into the larger bowl.
    drink that with no seasonings.

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  3. that sounds good. Mum told me to add a lil ginger but i was not so sure..

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  4. Hi Ching, I don't know about any herbal chicken soups to take when pregnant coz I stayed away from them when I was with Ethan to prevent any complications. But I did make some chicken soup without any "serious" chinese herbs.

    Chicken Soup
    1 small organic chicken
    2-3 carrots
    Ginger, Optional (yes if you're still having some MS)
    handful of wolfberries
    handful of red dates

    Dump everything into slow cooker and cook till chicken's done.
    Add salt to taste (also optional)

    I hope this help, I know that wolfberries and dates are pretty harmless when you're pregnant. And they add some natural sweetness to the soup, so do the carrots.

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  5. According to Patsie Cheong, this soup is veru good for women in their first 3 months of PG. Of course you can take it on your 2nd or 3rd trimester also.

    1 mature chicken
    30g yu zhu
    1tbsp qi zi
    30g huai shan
    10 red dates
    3 slices mature ginger

    salt

    Method:
    Put all ingredient into stewing pot. Pour in 1.5l hot water. Cover and put into double boiler. Cook for 4 hours. Season with salt and serve hot.

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  6. No problem Tazz, you were lucky!

    Hi Frivolous fashionista, thanks for your chicken essence recipe, sounds yummy!

    Thanks buzzbuzz, that's a easy recipe to prepare.

    Thanks jadepearl, I think I have all the ingredients listed, will give this recipe a try also.

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  7. ching, can you read chinese character ? I got a blog for all chinese tonic soup (adapted from other website) maybe you can take a look at it.

    http://tntindex.blogspot.com/2006/04/chinese-diet-index-in-chinese-words.html

    http://tntindex.blogspot.com/2006/04/chinese-tonic-recipe-index-56-to-81.html

    btw i put up a few recipes on confinement food in nk forum sometime back, perhaps it might help u too.

    http://nurkochen.cheeli.de/index.php?board=44.0

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  8. Jingle,

    Thanks so much for the links. Yes I can read Chinese, just don't understand some of the ingredients used. :P

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  9. Connie, thanks! I think I have some pou sum at home too, will try that. :)

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  10. Ching, Congratulation with your second pregnancy. I personally think that all the recommended recipes are good for pregnancy especially "Pou Sum" it is to "Pu Zhi" strennthen your"Zhi" but make sure you use the good "Pou Sum" in English they call it ginseng which you can get it from U.S but not the Korean ginseng as the Korean ginseng are "heaty - the chinese term" and not suitable for pregnancy or even during confinement. You can continue to take the "pou sum" during confinement. During confinement you can use the "Pou Sum" also in the chicken soup the above mentioned recipe from Frivolous fashionista and if you are not breast feed the baby you can even add some "DOME". Only take ginseng (Korean)few months later after your confinement. Please do not take the "dungkui" as it will lighten your blood and will cause blooding none stop and it is very dangerous for the mother. Please! Please! avoid it. I know your feeling as I am also a mom of 2 boys. Be patience and enjoy your pregnancy, let it be natural and let the baby decide when he/she is ready to come out to see the world. No harm to wait for the precious moment. Remember a full term baby is easier to take care so be patience for just a short while. Cheers!

    Evelyn (now still in Mexico)

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  11. Evelyn, thank you! Will take note of your advice.

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  12. Hi peitempo,

    Thanks for dropping me a note! :) Lilyng is my good friend here, we see each other often and I got to eat her delicious food. She loves to make kuih-muih and going to make angku for my full-moon party, cool huh? :)

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