养生海燕窝 (Healthy Sea Bird's Nest)

养生海燕窝 (Healthy Premium Sea Bird's Nest) is a natural seaweed, a red algae and because it resembled coral, it is also called 珊瑚草 (Shanhu Cao).  It is packed with nutritional values as it is a natural alkaline food, rich in minerals, a natural soluble dietary fiber, is a plant collagen, has sea enzymes,etc.  You can read more about the nutritional values here.  The texture is like agar-agar, jelly like, the less water you add, the more jelly like it gets when cold.

A relative introduced this to me when I was in Singapore not long ago.  I really loved the texture of this delicious drink and she gave me a packet for me to make here in the U.S.  Her husband got it in Taiwan, so I am not sure whether I can find this in the U.S. or any where in Malaysia.  You just have to ask around or search online.  If you can find it, make it a regular drink as this drink is great for women, hello collagen, will keep your face looking beautiful and young!  ;)  Not only that, as it is also rich in mineral and a natural alkaline food, any health food in my dictionary is a great food to have in your refrigerator.  I keep this refrigerated, you can also keep it frozen.  Thanks CK and Angie for introducing me to this fantastic drink.  :-*

Herbal Grass Jelly with Soy Milk

 

Feeling a little heaty lately so I made myself a glass of herbal gelatine grass jelly with soy milk and palm sugar syrup.  We have this drink in Malaysia and it is also known as Micheal Jackson drink.  Herbal grass jelly drink is very common in Malaysia, usually they just cut it into smaller pieces and simmer it with water and sweeten it with sugar.  Because my soy milk is less sweet and the grass jelly is unsweeten hence I sweeten it with Gula Melaka syrup/palm sugar syrup.  As you can see my soy milk is brownish in color.  This grass jelly has cooling properties and very popular in hot weather.  Other than making drink with it, you can also make dessert.  Just cut it into cubes and mix it with cut fruit, sago, red beans, cendol, coconut flesh, sea coconut and syrup.  Or whatever you can think of that would make a good match.

Avocado Milkshake with Gula Melaka

Gula Melaka as we said it in Malaysia or palm sugar is made by extracting the sap from the flower bud of a coconut tree.  It is very fragrant and has the deep dark brown color and used in many Malaysian dessert.  I made the avocado milkshake before using the chocolate sauce and my readers commented that I can substitute the chocolate sauce with Gula Melaka which I thought was brilliant.  Finally the avocado was on sales again and I couldn't wait to try this.  It was indeed delicious but I think you need to like avocado to really enjoy this dessert.

Avocado Milkshake

We all know that avocado has the good fat that would help in reducing heart disease.  But how often do we eat avocado anyway?  Hardly for me as I have no idea what to do with it except to eat it with a little sugar sprinkle on it, top it with salad (but we hardly eat salad) or make it into guacamole.  Then, I saw Phong Hong Bakes's Avocado Milkshake with chocolate sauce and according to her, it was delicious.  So, when shopping at Sprouts recently, I saw that the avocado was on sales for 3 for $1, it's just too cheap to pass it up.  Hence, I bought some to give this milkshake a try.  I was surprised at how rich and creamy this milkshake was and definitely yummy with the chocolate sauce.  It was very filling too, perhaps a smaller glass for dessert or serve it as breakfast or light lunch.

Healthy Juice

I used to juice years ago.  At that time my mother in-law was into juicing and she encouraged me to juice for my health.  I juiced for a little while and then in my pantry it went.  I took it out recently and started juicing again but not everyday as it can be pricey as I do recommend using organic produce to juice (The best is to juice everyday and drink it in the morning).  Frankly fresh juice is delicious, I had tried the common carrot + apple, carrot + apple + celery, carrot + celery, carrot + pear + celery, pineapple + mango, carrot + cucumber and this.  As you can see, usually I have carrot as a base.  I am not quite adventurous in my juicing (as thus far no green leafy green or sprout as I eat that in my stir-fry) but I will sure to add some veggie (mostly just carrot, cucumber and celery) into the mix.   Fruit juice alone would be too sweet so my juice would be vegetable base.   Had a glass of this for late afternoon snack and surprisingly it's quite filling.  It made 1.5 glass, my Edda had the other half.  :)

I saw a documentary where a man juice for 60 days to detox and lose weight.  In these 60 days, all he ate/drank were juice from fresh vegetable and fruit.  He also exercised during these 60 days.  At the end of 60 days, not only he lost weight, looked healthy but he was indeed healthier that he no longer needed a long list of medications.   All his numbers were at normal range.  This documentary is called "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", pretty interesting!  This lead to an interesting point, my thought of this is if people are open minded, willing to change their life styles and the way they eat, all the prescriptions for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetic would go down leading to less obesity, heart problem and other diseases.

Added Later: 
I heard that carrot is not suitable to mix with fruit when juicing because it will prevent the absorption of vitamin C.  So, it's best to separate the veggie and fruit when juicing.  Carrot and apple are the only interchangeable items that can be mixed into fruit or veggie juice.  So that our bodies can best absorb the nutrients.  Luckily the above is the most extreme that I had used.  I would suggest my readers to read more about juicing before you start.

Lemon Honey Drink (蜂蜜檸檬水)

I saw in a Chinese article that this lemon honey drink can aid in weight loss, detox and beauty (美容排毒減肥).  The method is really easy so I would share it here.  All I know is honey and lemon are good for us so this drink should be safe to drink.  I drink one glass a day (or skip a day or two) if I have the supply in my refrigerator.  Honey is antiseptic, antioxidant, has cleansing properties for our body and health, fights infection, aids tissue healing, reduce inflammation and scarring, great beauty and skin care product for ladies and more.  The benefits of eating or drinking lemon juice are great as well such as control high blood pressure, aid in weight loss, good for stomach, detox and more.

This drink is sourish and sweet at the same time and quite refreshing!

Caution:  Not all people are suitable for honey drink.  My hubby gets upset stomach whenever he had some honey.  Don't drink it first thing in the morning without breakfast.  Better drink it after lunch.
 

Toasted Barley Tea (大麦茶)

My girl friend from China first introduced me to this barley tea.  She said she had it in Korean restaurant and really liked it and thus she bought it to make it at home.  Strangely though, I was never served barley tea when dining in Korean restaurants, or I have to ask for it?  They said it usually served with Korean BBQ.

Anyway, I saw this barley tea recipe in multiple Korean cookbooks and it's really easy to make.  You just have to search for this toasted barley in the Korean supermarket or Asian market.  This barley tea is very nutritious too and said to aid weight lost.  Chinese has been catching up and this barley tea is popular in other Asian countries too.  I found the benefits in a Chinese article which I copied and pasted here, 据本草纲目记载，大麦味甘、性平；有平胃止渴，消渴除热，益气调中，宽胸下气，消积进食，补虚劣、壮血脉，益颜色、宝五脏、化谷食之功.  Sorry I don't know how to translate it.

This is how it looks like and it's really fragrant.  The house was infused with toasted fragrant when I was boiling this.  The tea itself was fragrant and I like it without sugar.  The instruction at the packet of the barley that I bought said you can also served it cold with condensed milk or sugar for breakfast.  I will show you the picture of the packet in the next page.

Godiva Coffee

This post is part of a Foodbuzz Tastemaker program with Godiva Coffee.  I received two bags of Godiva Coffee's latest seasonal flavors - Pumpkin Spice which is featuring here and Caramel pecan Bark, which is available nationwide for a limited time only.

These indulgent flavors are inspired by Godiva's most popular chocolates and crafted with high quality, medium-roasted, 100% Arabica beans for a rich, smooth taste.  Check out their website www.godivacoffee.com for exciting new ideas and recipes for serving up your fall-inspired coffee or incorporate it into your fall festivities.

I am sharing here a method that Malaysian loved in their coffee.  I used a fat-free condensed milk here (you don't have to use fat-free) and you can add half and half to make it richer.  This Godiva's Pumpkin Spice coffee is rich and smooth with a hint of pumpkin, really reminded me of fall and fall festivities.

Asian Sweet Soybean Milk

Like many Asian who are used to the Asian sweet soybean milk, I cannot stomach the American soybean milk.  What worst is most soybeans produced in the U.S. is GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) product.  Anyway, it doesn't matter to me as I don't like the American soybean milk anyway.  I buy my dried soybeans at the Asian grocery store here as it was imported from other Asian countries. I remembered I helped my mom made soybean milk before but I forgot how easy it is to make our own.  Until I saw Noobcook's soybean post.  I was like wow it is very easy to make our own sweet soybean milk at home.

I measured the amount I used to give my readers a guide.  1 cup of dried soybeans made 1 pitcher of soybean milk for me.  I keep it in the refrigerator because I like it cold.  It should be able to keep for a few days in the refrigerator.  If you like to make your own American style soybean milk, just omit the rock sugar.

Strawberry Milk Shake

My fridge was fulled of strawberries!  That was what happened when I asked my hubby to do grocery shopping.  Strawberry was on sales for $1/lb and since he was there to get his banana, he asked me whether I needed anything else.  I told him to get me some strawberry and blackberry (which was also on sales) and he returned with 6 lb. of strawberries and two small boxes of blackberries.  How to finish the 6 lb. of strawberries in one week?  Just me and my girls since he doesn't eat strawberry.

Well, I thought milk shake was the quickest way to get rid of 1 lb. of strawberries at one go.  I added zero fat sherbet for extra goodness and of course some syrup to make it sweet.  Edda loved it and she had two glasses at one go.  Sure made a nice refreshing fruit drink for warmer weather! 

POMx Iced Coffee

When I was contacted to sample the POM new product, Iced Coffee, I was delighted and curious at the same time. Curious as in how would a coffee with POMx added in tasted like. POMx is a potent antioxidant rich extract from POM Wonderful pomegranates. This iced coffee is best suited for people who needed a coffee or caffeine boost everyday and yet wanted it to be healthier, like packed with antioxidants for example.

POMx Iced Coffee combined a potent antioxidant rich extract from pomegranates, Rainforest Alliance Certified shade-grown Arabica coffee beans, rBST growth hormone-free milk and organic cane sugar. It came in three wonderful flavors, Chocolate (fat-free), Cafe au Lait and Vanilla. It is either fat-free (yes 0% fat) or low-fat and preservative free.

Can you imagine your cup of morning coffee to deliver a "Healthy Buzz" of energy? With 650mg dose of polyphenol antioxidants from pomegranates (more potent than those found in red wine, green tea, grape and acai extracts) and 175mg of high caffeine-content for extreme energy boost. And it was made with premium, all-natural ingredients to give you a healthy buzz. The POMx Iced Coffee Chocolate is a deliciously rich coffee with chocolate flavor (what's best is it is fat-free). I couldn't taste the POMx at all which is a good thing. LOL! Evy even said it tasted a lot like the coffee at Starbuck. What best to kick start your day than with a glass of this powerful and antioxidant rich coffee?

Iced Matcha au Lait

I always used matcha in my bakes, didn't know it can be so refreshing and tasty in a drink too, such as this iced matcha au lait recipe from matchasource.com. I was surprised at how tasty it was and my girls just drank it up especially Edda who even asked for more.

Matcha is a powdered green tea from Japan. It is naturally sugar free, rich in nutrients, anti-oxidants, fiber and chlorophyll-a renowned detoxifying agent. Matcha contains caffeine which stimulated the body and amino acids which relax the mind. Tea plants are covered with bamboo screens several weeks prior to harvest. Under the screens, plants must work harder to grow, and they increase their levels of chlorophyll and amino acids. Harvested tea leaves are then steamed, air-dried, de-veined and stone-ground into powder. Therefore, with matcha, whole tea leaves are consumed, thus the vibrant green color, and why the taste of matcha is grassy and full-bodied. I always have readers asking me where they can purchase matcha in the states. Well, you can visit matchasource.com to order, read about the traditional way of serving matcha, for more tips and browse through the recipes or interviews.

Recipe provided with courtesy from matchasource.com:

Ingredients: Serves 1

1 tsp. matcha
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup hot water
3/4 cup cold milk
3-4 ice cubes
6-inch stalk of lemon grass (I omitted this)

Method:

1. Mix the matcha with the sugar, add the hot water, and stir until the paste becomes smooth.

2. Add the cold milk and stir. Add the ice cubes.

3. Serve with the lemon grass for added flavor.

Cantaloupe Sago Summer Drink

I have been seeing this dessert circulating around the Web in recent years. I never make an attempt to make it mainly because some called for coconut milk. Then, some was made with evaporated milk but I hardly stock this in my pantry. And it just happen that I have some condensed milk in my refrigerator so "tada!", why not I used condensed milk instead, got some milky flavor and sugar in one. This drink indeed refreshing especially good during Summer when cantaloupe, honeydew and mango are at its cheapest. Very cool and refreshing drink to serve as a drink or dessert during the hot summer days. My girls and I loved it but not my hubby, he said why wasted a cantaloupe for this? *fume* <---me!

Chinese Ginger Tea (黑糖薑茶)

This Chinese ginger brown sugar drink is said to be very beneficial. Not only it can fight cold but can fix the problem some women encounter when having their periods such as headache, stomachache, heavy flow, etc. Ginger had been used in ancient Chinese medicine to treat illnesses so this is a no surprise. Chinese women consumed lots of ginger after given birth for the full whole month to prevent the "wind" to get into the body, because we believed if the "wind" gets into the body, it will create problem later in life. It is also said that for people who live in the tropical country, if you do travel to another country during the cold weather, boil this tea and drink, it will prevent your body from getting sick. I know for a fact that ginger is anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. So, if you see a cold is coming, make this tea and drink it hot. Then, cover yourself with a blanket and let your body sweat. You should be recovered naturally. Call me old-fashion but I believed in ancient natural remedy. Now, I make this tea occasionally just to strengthen the body. It is best to use the age old ginger and drink it hot.

Chrysanthemum Tea/ Drink

Chrysanthemum drink is a herbal cooling drink, it is best to drink it if you feel heaty or you sense that a sore throat is coming. My elder girl and hubby have been complaining about a possible sore throat so I prepared this tea for them. I made mine very simple with just dried Chrysanthemum flowers and yellow rock sugar. Still my elder girl complained it was too bitter and would not touch her tea at all, but she is not someone who likes the taste of tea. My little one happily finished her cup without any complaint.



My big pot of Chrysanthemum tea! Did I put too much dried Chrysanthemum flowers? I just put in two handfuls of dried Chrysanthemum flowers and filled the pot with water and let it boil. When it boiled, I turned the heat to low and let it simmer for 25 minutes. Then, I added rock sugar to taste. Sieve and serve warm, at room temperature or cold from the refrigerator.

Edit to add: this tea is not supposed to boil for too long. Turn it off when it started to boil and let it sit, add rock sugar or honey to taste.

Barley Drink

While blog visiting, noobcook's Lemon Barley Drink post reminded me to make some barley drink for my family. She made her version of barley drink and photographed it beautifully with the added lemon slice. Usually barley drink is fairly easy to make, you can make one with just water, barley and rock sugar. However since I have the sweet dates and sweet winter melons, I decided to add it into my barley drink.


I used slow cooker to make this. I added all the ingredients with the amount of water I like and turned it on High. Should be ready in 4-6 hours. I used 2 Chinese sweet dried dates, about 1 cup dried sweet winter melons, 3/4 cup barley and 3 quarts water. At 5 hours, before turning off the electric, I added yellow rock sugar to taste. If too sweet, add more water until it reaches your desired sweetness. Actually the resulted barley drink is quite sweet, so only little bit of rock sugar is required.