Cough Remedy 1 - 川贝炖雪梨加冰糖

Many years ago, I had a persistent cough and it lasted like a hundred days. Usually, with a mild cough and cold, I just have honey lemon drinks, some herbal tea and Vitamin C and after a week, I would get better. If I have a bad cough, I would add in 1 Tablespoon of Scott's Emulsion (Orange Syrup for me) three times a day, in no time, when I finish one bottle, I would get better. One time, I had two bottles of Scott's Emulsion Orange Syrup and my lung was back to healthy normal. 

So it was very rare for me to have a persistent cough that lasted more than 3 weeks. That one time, I had my lung X-rayed, and phlegm test and antibiotic medication and still the cough persisted. Then one night during Cell Group Meeting, I was coughing on and off again for the entire meeting, Alice told me about Fritillaria (川贝), a family of Lilies and she asked me to buy them in powder form and this remedy rescued me from that hundred-days cough. It really worked with that one time of consuming it - Pear cut with a hole with Fritillaria put inside, double boiled for 45 - 60 minutes. My cough went away!

And then my lungs have been strong for many years and totally forgotten about this remedy. Until lately, coughing and flu season started and my family members started to be unwell. Christabel coughed for almost a month, it was on and off. Michael was down with a bad flu and cough for more than a month. It was a persistent cough. I do believe in the beginning of the flu, you just have to let it get out of your system before stopping with medicine or remedy. Some dosage of Vitamin C should work.

I would recommend this remedy of Fritillaria Winter Pear with Rock Sugar Drink (川贝炖雪梨加冰糖). 

What is Fritillaria (川贝)?

Fritillaria is from the plant family of Lily.

Scientific name: Fritillaria

Family: Liliaceae

Higher classification: Lilieae

Rank: Genus

Order: Liliales

Double boil until winter pear or China Pear is soft, can be 45 minutes to 120 minutes depends on how hot is the slow cooker. 8 grams of Fritillaria is RM10, children portion is 4 grams but we could boil them in a pot and have a few people share the drinks. 

Have this portion few times in a day. I think its hard to drink down 4 bowls at one go so it works well to have it portioned and even share with others. I would double boil it in the evening, have it before sleep and then have it for breakfast.

Verdict about this remedy in 2017 :

Michael still coughed after drinking 3 times, partly because his portion supposed to be 8gram but shared with others, and he did not finish off everything in the bowl so his portion was insufficient. Thinking to double boil the pear with the Fritillaria (川贝) powder inside the little hole and get him to eat up the whole thing, then his portion be correct. 

The last time it worked on me was I had the entire pack of powder poured into the hole of the pear and then steam it till soft. It was not very tasty to eat it all but it worked. This method of slicing up the pear and double boil with rock sugar and water makes it very nice to drink but less dosage of Fritillaria (川贝).

Large Batch Baking - Charity Fund Raising

Prune Cake Large Batch Baking

I have not organised or done Charity fund raising for quite a few years. This year, after much thinking since we need to raise quite a lot and need more ideas, I decided to come out with Mother's Day Packages:-




What is 6 Butter Portions look like :-

Eggs 30 Large AA
Butter 6 X 250 gm 6 blocks)
Brown Sugar 30 Oz (1 lb 14 Oz) Brown Sugar
Prune soaked in Rum (for a month) - 650 gm
Hong Kong Flour - 40 Oz (3 lb

6 Butter Portions can yield :-

1.2 Kg X 3 = 3.6 Kg

0.5 Kg X 5 = 2.5 Kg

100 gm X 10 =  1 Kg
Total = 7.1 Kg Ingredient mix !

In the 2017 Mother's Day Fund Raising, we were selling

1/2 Kg cake, Apple Pie with flower - RM50
1 Kg cake, Apple Pie with flower and Rose Bag Hanger & Bookmark - RM100

Kefir Desserts

Breakfast Pudding

Coconut Kefir Pudding

Our Family Trip to Ranau 2017

Our family did a trip to Ranau 22-24 April 2017, it was more than just a trip, it was a trip to accomplish many things. We started off really late on Saturday 4:30pm, arriving Jabez Resorts (former BCCM Retreat Center) at 6:30 pm, we had two Deluxe rooms booked and everyone had a bed and rooms have attached shower room, it was cozy, clean and nice. We had the whole place to ourselves that night. But we left in a haste to attend a Charity dinner in Ranau Community Hall.  The dinner was mostly vegetables (Ranau's own produce) and we just had to top up with KFC takeaway for supper at Jabez. 

Next morning, we rose up slowly and had our breakfast cooked by the aunty. Three of us, Elliot and mum and dad set off to Kg Narawang SIB church to attend their church service which supposedly starts at 9am but we got there almost 10am and found that they looked like still at the first part of the service. It ended quite late at noon and then there was a fellowship dinner as the FGB facilitators were with them. We had the "Babi hutan" for lunch.

Local Kadazan Dish

We then set off to meet with the farmer who looks after the Narawang land and met him at his house, he then asked us to go visit the land so that we know he trully works on the land, he said "Kasih senang hari kita semua." So off we went to the farm up on the hill and checked on the land, he asked for grass cutter and we discussed having a gen-set moved over.  

He said may be in June, the Dragon fruits be plentiful.

We went back to Jabez Resorts really late like 4 pm and the three kids left them were bored, they had their internet day until Wallace busted the data quota. That was how bored they were being left for 7 hours!

We moved to Masilou area (near Desa Farm) and had BBQ with Mary's friends and families. It was a night of meat, meat, meat and more meat.

Next morning, we had American breakfast cooked in the house followed by a ride to test English tea at H-Benjamin Residence, We had to visit our farm and made claim at the place by meeting up with the care taker of the land who said they have been waiting for us to come by for years! We ended up talking about plans for the land and brought back a big bag of cabbages! Sadly, we learnt from them that the former native chief of the area has passed away last year.

 It was a journey of many meeting ups with local people.

Beatitudes as a poem

Beatitudes

Blessed are you who live in a world of anxiety,
You shall speak of hope.

Blessed are you who rely less on formal religion,
You shall perceive the sacredness of ordinary life.

Bless are you who perceive "the silent sigh",
You shall speak for others.

Blessed are you who have resources, experience and confidence,
You shall empower others.

Blessed are you who have been hurt by the church,
YOu shall tend the wounded.

Blessed are you who let go of the old answers,
You are free to ask "What if...?"

Blessed are you who are open to covenant,
God shall walk with you.

Andrea Dean
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
Source

Jackfruit Butter Cake (Buah Nanga)

When we were given a Jackfruit, my maid told me there are two types of Jackfruits and in Indonesia, they called them as:

Nanga Susu - soft and a lot of liquid
Nanga Belanda - crunchy and hard, less liquid

Nanga Belanda is easier to handle in baking, the dicing of the flesh is easier.

When you bake this cake, the aroma in the house is absolutely wonderful. The smell is even has a sweet taste to it and it has this buttery frangrance in it. As a butter cake, its very flavourful and you can reduce the sugar due to the sweetnes in the fruit.


Ingredient A
5 Eggs White medium size
150 gm Sugar

Ingredient B
5 Egg Yolks medium size
220 gm Butter

220 gm Plain Flour Sieved
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Soda Bicarbonate
30 gm Fresh Milk
80-100 gm Jackfruit diced

Method

1. Blend Egg white and sugar till soft peak.
2. Blend Butter, Egg Yolks till even. Add in Ingredient A, add Flour, milk. Lastly add diced Jackfruits.

Bake 180 C 45 minutes

Note :- 2 Portions can make 3 loaves tins.

Other versions of Recipes :-

1. http://www.smithaskitchen.com/jackfruit-cake/
2. http://www.goaholidayhomes.com/recipes/recipe-353-jackfruit-cake.html
3. http://artfulfood.blogspot.my/2011/07/jackfruit-chiffon-cake.html

Wallace and his money stories

Wallace and his money stories

Of the four children, Wallace, the second in the family, has a special affair with money. Its probably due to the fact that he is more interested in money affairs since young. Here are stories about Wallace and his moneys during the early school days.

It took dad a long time to decide that both Wallace, 7 years old,  and his elder brother Elliot, 9 years old, can handle money well and entrusted them some pocket moneys to be spent  at school or to be saved up in the camel “piggy” banks they each have.

Elliot being older was much more prudent with money, he ate the food taken from home and he saved up, sometimes, all of it in the camel bank. Wallace was much younger and he spent it all almost everyday. However, he always has a good reason why he did not save or save so little like twenty cents.

Story #1 

One day, Wallace came back and told mum that he did try to save but fail, here’s why.

“I almost saved thirty cents today but my friend Alex tricked me of the last thirty cents I have”, complained a very upset Wallace.

“I see, how did it happen ?”, asked mum.

“You see, during recess time, I just asked Alex how much would a pack of “Mamee” dry noodles cost. He answered me its thirty cents and he ran away. He came back with a pack of Mamee and put into my pocket and asked me to pay him thrity cents.”, Wallace described in great length.

“Perhaps, you indicated that you wish to eat Mamee?”, asked mum.

“No, I didn’t,” answered Wallace.

“Or may be you looked hungry and he felt you needed food?”, asked mum again.

“No, I just had my meehon by then.”, answered Wallace.

“Did you ask him to buy for you ? Otherwise, you do not need to pay him.”, suggested Elliot.

“Of course, not. You see mummy, that’s why I do not save any cent today.”, concluded Wallace.

“You and your money stories !”, mum exclaimed.

Story #2 

Another day, Wallace came back with one Pizza bun in his hand, waving proudly.

“Do you see this Pizza bun, mummy ?”, asked Wallace enthusiastically.

“Yes, what about it ?”, replied mum.

“Well, this is the strangest thing of all. I saw my friend holding this Pizza bun, and I asked him how much it costs. He told me its one Ringgit and then he offered to sell it to me. So, I accepted and paid him one Ringgit. The strange thing is after he received my money, he gave me the Pizza and returned two Ringgits to me ! So, I have two Ringgits after I bought the Pizza, and I spent one Ringgit with mee and save the other one Ringgit !”, explained Wallace.

“That’s impossible ! How did he calculate ?”, exclaimed mum.

“Are you sure you did not take it from him ?”, questioned mum.

“No, really no, I did not do such things. The thing is, he is quite a rich boy, I figure and he just decides to give me two Ringgits. He is also my best friend in school !”, replied Wallace, trying to explain his way out.

“Are you saying that your friend is paying you one Ringgit to eat that Pizza bun ? Perhaps its poisonous !”, exclaimed Elliot.

“Of course, not, don’t be silly.”, answered Wallace.

“You and your money stories !”, mum and Elliot both exclaimed together.