HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013

happy new year  2013

FUN, FOODies
quote

“in three words, i can sum up everything about life.. it goes on.”

– Robert Frost (poet)\
my wish to all who came by to visit:

bright and cheerful days  always for you in 2013 

for me, it will be:
more collagen this YEAr

more simple cooking
more  simpler  cooking     more no  cooking      more  one  dish  meal

vegetarian once a week
more ice cream and chocolates

mORE GREEN TEA AND Nuts 

IN TRANSIT 2013

 in transit 2013

water on the blue planet

 water is life

 keep our water sources clean

 no comments for this post- thank you

 enjoy your last day of 2012

IN TRANSIT TO 2013

in transit to 2013
no comments for this post in transit- happy viewing

extravant-garde kebaya
heritage

           The kebaya has evolved into haute couture so grand, so lavish, that it's basic function has given way to its forms:luxurious and not conventional.

Photographer Darius Manihuruk

Credit to Aquila style

        HERITAGE

        pilgrimage of the mystic

..HOW can you ever hope to know the beloved, without becoming in every cell the lover - 

Jalaluddin Rumi, Persian poet (1207-1273)

 Photographer Panji Indra

NO COMMENTS FOR THIS POST IN TRANSIT- HAPPY VIEWING         Credit to Aquila  style
My great blogger friend Jan Oliver (1-2punch) commented on the above 

"Thank you for sharing bits of who you are, also I wanted my daughter to see 
your blog today, and she knew one of the models, 
the one still, by Panji Indra,,small world eh? "

my  reply   

                         Hi Jan , my best regards to your daughter in US, who is a friend of this model  in  Jakarta

 and me in KL- -discovered by you :)  that's a real transit ,as in this post title

and a nostalgic coincidence for end 2012

WRAP UP 2012, COLLAGEN IS VITAL.

wrap up 2012 and unwind

FUN, FASHION, FOOD, flowers- NO WORK, NO SERIOUS COOKING

A food and beverage blog like mine, is a site centered around foods and drinks… health benefits if any, will be a priority bonus.

A wrap up recipe  for year end 2012 would be almost perfect…. .. But for me, end of year means  a time to relax and  stay cool… no hassle, no cooking, just eat out, socialize  and keep up with friends- until next year end …

I also spend some time looking at women mags and fashion…  like those designer clothes and accessories… and the humor that spice them all… some fun and stress free moments will be a real treat, like anti oxidant is to the body cells.

The way is, to strife for quality life –

hence the need for excellent health, mental alertness and slowing of the aging process. 

My way is, i must ensure my collagen intake is sufficient- 

and go for the five color fruits. 

Collagen cannot be produced without vitamin C. Over 90% of the collagen in the body, however, is of type one = ie:  skin, tendon, vascular ligature, organs, bone (main component of the organic part of bone)

Collagen nourishes the skin from the inside, strengthen skin tissues, prevents drying and reduce wrinkles. Also for cartilage, bases of cell basement membrane (eye lens, kidney) and cell surfaces ( hair and placenta) – to name a few of the 28 types of collagen.

The ratio of veggies (may include fruits) to other foods is 4:1

NO WORK NOW,,,,

FASHION as i saw in the mag 

best dressed of the year- critics choice.

1.Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann – 2.Emmy Rossum in Monique Lhuillier - 3.Sonam Kapoor in Salvatore Ferragamo –

best dressed of the year- readers choice

1. Diane Kruger in Vivienne Westwood –2. Coco Rocha in Zac Posen –3. Blake Lively in Zuhair Murad Couture – ‘Savages’ LA Premiere- 4. Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge in Jenny Packham –

2012  - 

To us, watching gala fashion shows on runway is part of an expensive entertainment,

to the models it is a fun  serious career.. 

They look like killer shoes- ankle twist or fracture is not impossible> my comment

I feel like a candy

each of us went through 
flip flops in our career..

looking back.... gardenia first love , a beautiful white

NO-BAKE COOKIES RECIPE. NO BAKE FRUIT PIE

no-bake cookies recipe

nO BAKE FRUIT PIE RECIPE

MERRY CHRISTMAS 
AND  HAPPY holidays

cookies recipe
ingredients

1 cup cocoa powder

1 cup milk 

 2 cups 'quick cook' oatmeal or crushed graham crackers

3/4 cup white sugar

 1/2 pound butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup raisins - chop or minced

method

Melt butter in a saucepan.

Mix the cocoa powder, milk, sugar and butter. 

Stir until mixture is of even consistency. Pour into the pan.

Add in the oatmeal and stir until they are evenly spread and distributed.

Let the mixture cool for five to ten minutes.

Spoon the mixture into balls on a cookie sheet, leaving enough space between them for their spreading out.

Let stand on counter for at least 20 minutes to stiffen, or you may refrigerate for quicker stiffening of the cookies.

tips and variations

May use peanut butter to give the no-bake cookies an extra flavor.

FRUIT PIE

Do a pie instead of cookies.

Make a pie crust using graham crackers.

6 1/2 oz graham crackers (12 crackers), finely ground (=1½ cups) = makes one “9-inch pie crust”.

Pour the hot mixture into the crust of Graham crackers.

Once cooled, top with whipped cream and fruit or other toppings. Voila ! done!

Technically, crackers are not really graham crackers unless they are made with graham flour, which is a hard (high protein) wheat flour in which the constituent bran, germ, and endosperm have been ground separately, the first two coarsely and the third finely… graham pie crust and crackers below>

CULINARY NUTS- NUTRITION AND HEALTH BENEFITS. NUTTY VEGETABLE STEW.

culinary  nuts
Nutty vegetable stew  

Just an ounce of mixeD nuts per day can help maintain good health and wellbeing.

I have always been in love with nuts. So I did what any red-blooded, internet-obsessed sucker for nuts/ health freak / nutty woman would have done.  Well, i googled on my nuts for their health benefits…. Spent three days reading in great details and came up with this very concise post.

You can read more via the links here. Oh yes, what I read and discovered makes me smile and glad I did. Nuts don’t have cholesterol and that is the best point. 

more  nuts- it’s good for your body and mind.link here

Natural Health News — Research showed that eating a handful of nuts every day can help curb hunger  and reduce fat deposits in the abdomen.
Eating a small amount of  30g, or 1 ounce, of nuts daily (of mixed raw unpeeled walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts)  for 12 weeks, showed improved body levels of serotonin. 
Serotonin is a substance that helps transmit nerve signals and decreases feelings of hunger, feel happier and improves heart health. Thus a way to lose weight.

walnuts

   link here     Source- Marshall University School of Medicine, Huntington, West Virginia -Abstract-

Walnuts contain omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols. The study showed that it can slow cancer growth and reduce breast cancer risks.

almonds

The cholesterol-lowering effects of almonds. Read more  here

peanuts 

Peanuts contain about 25% protein (a higher proportion than in any true nut). They are a good source of niacin for brain health and blood flow.

the pistachio principle-

Dr. James Painter, a behavioral eating expert  from  Eastern Illinois University described ‘ The Pistachio Principle’ as a  method  of "fooling" one's body into eating less. Example: the slow act of shelling of pistachios, slows down eating, allowing one to feel full faster.

The fats in pistachios are not completely absorbed by the body. This is good in weight loss-wikipedia.

General benefits

 Nuts also provide Arginine, a substance that may help make artery walls more flexible and less prone to blockage from blood clot.

Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B₂, protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium.

Nuts are most healthy in their raw form. Up to 15% of the natural healthy oils in nuts are lost during the roasting process. Raw or unroasted walnuts were found to have twice as many antioxidants from other nuts.

Hazelnut butter is being promoted as a more nutritious spread than its peanut butter counterpart, though it has a higher fat content.

A Nutcracker

Nuts acts as a Replacement for Carbohydrates in the Diabetic Diet -link here

Findings: Two ounces of nuts daily as a replacement for carbohydrate foods improved both glycemic control (fullness factor) and serum lipids in type 2 diabetes.

Another Nutcracker but with wings

Weird nuts can give problems
Weird problems can go nuts
Eating Pine nuts can cause taste disturbances, developing 1-3 days later and lasting between a few days to a few weeks after. The Pinus armandi species, is the cause of this bitter, metallic taste and this problem is known as "pine nut syndrome" or as "pine mouth". This armandi species are smaller and more rounded than the typical pine nuts. Cases are self-limited and resolved without treatment. 

I guess if squirrels eat these.. they have really gone nuts.

nutty vegetable stew 
I got this recipe from Dr Kenneth Goldman of spectrum wellness- Huntingdon valley pain relief center, read more at link   here

I wish to thank Dr Ken for his kindness in letting me to" feel free to use" his superior health recipe using nuts and veggies, which I find it very interesting. I think this is so good to eat. Especially when the body is unwell and has no appetite for eating food.

You can try this- 

Process  half cup sunflower seeds/ flax seed  AND  half cup peanuts/ walnuts in food processor until you have a crunchy butter. Set aside.

Fry brown in 2 large onions and garlic with 2 tbsp vegetable oil (olive, sesame, sunflower, etc.) and set aside

Boil water and add in the fried onions above with VegeBase , seed and nut butter. Turn to low fire. Finally add all (remaining ingredients below) to pot and simmer on a low heat for an hour.

Remaining ingredients

4 large cloves of garlic (minced)

4 large carrots (grated)

1 C broccoli (chopped)/ spinach

3 (15 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes with liquid (low salt variety)

8 cups of water

2 T VegeBase

1/2 C sunflower seeds/ flaxseeds

1/2 C peanuts/ walnuts

2/3 C uncooked brown rice

1/3 C uncooked pearled barley

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp paprika

ORIGINAL MUFFINS RECIPE. MOLASSES MUFFINS. ALMOND TOASTED MUFFINS RECIPE.

ORIGINAL MUFFINS recipe

VARIATIONS:  

MUFFINS WITH MOLASSES  recipe or

MUFFINS WITH TOASTED CINNAMON recipe

I have been regularly consuming Kellogg’s cereal for breakfast and only lately realized that their cereal can be also be used to make muffins.

Try this simple, delicious hot muffins fresh from the oven….

ORIGINAL MUFFINS

INGREDIENTS

1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups Kellogg's® All-Bran® Original cereal

or 1 1/2 cups Kellogg's® All-Bran® Bran Buds® cereal

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/3 cup shortening- i use vegetable shortening

DIRECTIONS

Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, combine KELLOGG'S ALL-BRAN cereal and milk. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cereal softens. Add egg and shortening. Beat well. Add flour mixture, stirring only until combined. Portion evenly into twelve 2 1/2-inch muffin-pan cups coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400°F about 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve warm.

Link here  yields 12 pieces

Crisco –vegetable shortening sticks and veg shortening with butter flavor, a popular brand.

Shortening is a semisolid fat used especially in baked foods. It inhibits the formation of long gluten strands in wheat-based doughs, giving them a "short" texture.

VARIATIONS-

                                 backstrap molasses

MOLASSES:  Decrease milk to 1/2 cup.

 Add 1/2 cup molasses to KELLOGG'S 
ALL-BRAN cereal with milk. 

Omit sugar. Follow same directions as above.

Molasses is a viscous by-product of the beating of sugarcane, grapes or sugar beets into sugar. 

TOASTED CINNAMON: Split cooled muffins in half crosswise. Spread cut surface liberally with butter. 

Sprinkle with mixture of 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoon cinnamon. 

Place buttered sides up on broiler rack. 

Toast under broiler for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly and browned.

TYPES OF SOFT DRINKS. NON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.

types of soft drinks

non alcoholic beverages

the world’s most popular non alcoholic drink is tea.

The world’s healthiest drink is mountain spring water  because it is full of healthy energies.

the world’s most non alcoholic drink is orange juice that is mixed with grape juice. 
it's amazing, you will never go back to alcohol… wiki answers

Link here

A Non-alcoholic beverage (also known as a virgin drink) is that which contains less than 0.5% alcohol by volume.

Examples, a non-alcoholic beer ("near beer") 

and non-alcoholic cocktails ("mocktails").

A Soft drink (also called soda, pop, coke, soda pop, fizzy drink,  tonic, seltzer, juices, mineral, sparkling water/ cider or carbonated beverage) is a beverage that typically contains water/ carbonated water, usually a sweetener, and flavoring.

An Apple cider (sweet cider or soft cider) is the unfiltered, unsweetened non-alcoholic beverage, made from apples.

A Lemonade is a lemon flavored drink, typically made from lemons, water and sugar.

A Milkshake (frappe) is a sweet, cold beverage  made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, with flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce.

A Smoothie ( smoothy) is a blended and sometimes sweetened beverage made from fresh fruit (fruit smoothie), 

may add  yogurt or ice cream and in special cases can contain chocolate or peanut butter. 

Also crushed  ice, frozen fruit, honey or syrup. Like a milkshake consistency and thicker than slush drinks.

A Lassi is a traditional yogurt based drink of the Indian subcontinent, made of yogurt with water and spices. 
Traditional lassi (mildly salted) is a savory drink sometimes flavored with ground roasted cumin, while sweet lassi is blended with sugar or fruits.

-A Punch is the term for a wide assortment of drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, generally containing fruit or fruit juice 

The Hawaiian Punch original formula was composed of 7 fruit flavors. They are:

apple, apricot, guava, orange, papaya, passion fruit and pineapple.

Some soft drinks in the world

-Slow Cow (an "anti-energy" drink)- Canada

-Urge Intense (Energy drink sold under the Urge brand)-Norway

-Kola Champagne (despite a name that suggests an alcoholic drink, Kola Champagne is actually a soft drink)- Puerto Rico

-Cham Doo  (cereal drink made from 15 grains)- South Korea

-Pommac (secret recipe including 25 varieties of fruit, oak barrel maturated, one of Sweden's oldest sparkling soft drinks) Sweden

-Coca-Cola (the largest beverage company in the world) USA

–Egg cream, made of chocolate syrup, milk and soda water, which originated in Brooklyn, is a fountain drink. Unsuccessful attempts to bottle it, as its fresh taste and characteristic require mixing of the ingredients just before drinking.

-Isklar (pure glacier mineral water, still and sparkling)- Norway.

- "ÜdítŐ"– It is not an independent brand. During the time of the Soviet union, lots of independent soft drink producers used the very same bottle with a single writing "ÜdítŐ" that means "refreshment".- Hungary 

-Coca Colla, a soft drink which contains extracts of cocoa/ coca leaves)- Bolivia