H1N1 ALERT...

HI, ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE I'VE UPDATED WITH THIS BLOG. THE TRUTH IS THAT I'VE BEEN BUSY WITH WORK AND CARING FOR MY SICK HUSBAND. HE GOT DENGUE AND WAS IN A PRETTY BAD SHAPE...BUT NO WORRIES HE'S ALL GOOD NOW, STILL A BIT WEAK BUT BETTER. ITS ALL THAT MATTERS NOW!

ANY HOW...THIS PANDEMIC SWINE FLUE IS REALLY SOMETHING HUH? I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I'M LOOSING MY FRIENDS WITH THIS FLUE. ITS FUNNY THAT PEOPLE JUST DIED LIKE DRIED LEAVES IN FALL. WE ARE IN BAD SHAPE RIGHT NOW , DON'T KNOW IF YOU REALIZE IT OR NOT BUT PEOPLE ARE DYING 30% OF THOSE WHO DIED IS SOMEONE I KNOW AND ANOTHER 5% IS SOMEONE I KNOW OFF...THAT IS SCARY...

MY NEIGHBOR JUST TOLD ME THAT HE LOST HIS COUSIN TO H1N1 AND HIS WHOLE FAMILY IS CURRENTLY BEING QUARANTINED. IN BANGI A 6 YEARS OLD GIRL DIED OF H1N1...SHE WAS 1ST SUSPECTED OF THE FLUE BUT LATER WAS DISCHARGED BY THE HOSPITAL AS SHE SEEM TO BE RECOVERING. BUT WHEN SHE WAS TREATED AT HOME HER HEALTH PLUMMETED DRASTICALLY. HER PARENTS TRIED TO GET HER ADMITTED TO THE HOSPITAL BUT NO HOSPITAL ACCEPT HER CASE. THEN THE DESPERATE PARENTS WENT TO AN NUR SPECIALIST AND BEGGED FOR HELP AS AT THAT POINT OF TIME THE LITTLE GIRL IS DYING. THE GOOD DOCTOR DID WHAT HE HUMANLY COULD BUT FAIELD....SHE DIED.

ITS SAD AND SCARY AT THE SAME TIME. I DON'T GO OUT UNLESS NECESSARY - YOU SHOULD TOO! I WEAR MASK ALL THE TIME WHEN I'M IN PUBLIC OR CROWED AREAS AND I ALSO USE OUR PRODUCT NATSHIELD FOR MAXIMUM PROTECTION.

The Sensible Advice About H1N1!

How to prevent H1N1 - An eMail forward is reproduced below:


Friends,

Thanks to media hype about H1N1, several people who trust me have either approached or called me to advice. The hype in media about the utility of face masks and N95 respirators as a tool for general protection against H1N1 can't be deplored enough.

Yesterday, a friend who listened wanted me to write down briefly what I advised so that he could tell others in similar words. Hence this short email to friends whom I have advised recently (and others whom I haven't yet).

Please realize that this is not an official advice, especially the one about face masks or N95. Most N95 respirators are designed to filter 95% particulates of 0.3µ, while the size of H1N1 virus is about 0.1µ. Hence, dependence on N95 to protect against H1N1 is like protecting against rain with an umbrella made of mosquito net.


Tamiflu does not kill but prevents H1N1 from further proliferation till the virus limits itself in about 1-2 weeks (its natural cycle). H1N1, like other Influenza A viruses, only infects the upper respiratory tract and proliferates (only) there. The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/ throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible not coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions.

Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.


While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps - not fully highlighted in most official communications - can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):


1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).


2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat or bathe).


3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.


4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.


5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.


6. Drink as much of warm liquids as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
7. All these are simple ways to prevent, within means of most households, and certainly much less painful than to wait in long queues outside public hospitals.

Happy breathing!

Best regards,
Dr.Ashutosh Mundkur

WHAT IS NATSHIELD? NATSHIELD IS THE ONLY SANITIZER THAT CAN KILL H1N1 VIRUS! IT ACTUALLY KILLS A WIDE RANGE OF INFLUENZE VIRUSES, BACTERIA,GERMS AND FUNGUSES. WE DO NOT SIMPLY CLAIM THIS BUT OUR PRODUCT WAS TESTED AND VARIFIED BY A CERTIFIED W.H.O LAB!

EVEN OUR KKM DIRECTOR GENERAL APPROVE OF THIS PRODUCT. WHAT MAKES NATSHIELD SPECIAL???

1. WE ARE USING BLUOXY AS OUR ACTIVE INGREDIENT. 20YEARS OF RESEARCH WAS DONE ON THIS ACTIVE INGREDIENT IN THE U.S.
   
2. WE ARE GIVEN THE RIGHTS TO DISTRIBUTE AND USE THE PRODUCT FOR ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD EXCEPT U.S (U.S IS OUR PRINCIPLE COMPANY TERRITOTY)
   
3. ITS 100% NATURAL AND WE ONLY USE PLANT EXTRACTS (PLANT BASE)
4. NON ALCOHOL IN NATURE - THEREFORE IT LAST LONGER. NORMAL SANITIZER ONLY LAST FOR 15SECS DUE TO THE ALCOHOL NATURE WHEREAS OUR LASTED FOR 1 HOUR + DEPENDING ON THE ENVIRONMENT
   
5. NATSHIELD CAN BE INGESTED AS IT CAN BE ADMINISTERED TO THE MOUTH/THROAT AND BE APPLY IN NOSETRILS
   
6. NATSHIELD IS SAFE TO USE FOR CHILDREN, ADULTS AND ANIMAL
7. CAN BE USED IN ANY SURFACE
8. ODORLESS
   
9. ESPECIALLY GOOD FOR TRAVELLING BUSES,TRAIN OR PLANE (CONFINED AREA) AS IT'LL GIVE YOU PROTECTION.(NATSHIELD KILLS VIRUSES UPON CONTACT)
10. WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO STILL WEAR MASK EVEN WITH NATSHIELD FOR OPTIMUM PROTECTION. SPRAY ON THE MASK, CAR AIR CON UNITS AND OTHER SUSPECTED AREAS APART FROM APPLYING ON TO THE NOSETRILS AND THROAT.

THIS IS NOT A MEDICATION ITS A PREVENTIVE DEVICE/TOOLS!

Honey glazed chicken / ayam masak madu

yesterday we had nasi minyak literally translated to "oil rice" what an odd name for food!
anyway...one of our menu to be eaten with this nasi minyak is the honey glazed chicken or Ayam masak madu or Ayam madu...

i learn how to make this when i was studying in the UK ...because i was craving for Ayam madu and one of my friend so happened to know how to cook this dish and using short cut too!

But for this recipe i have tweeked the original recipe to suit the taste buds of my ever so picky family...so here it is

what you need:
2 chicken thigh or any other parts of chicken you like
1 orange
3tbsp honey or as much as you want
1 tsp blended dried chillies /chillie Boh /dried chilie paste (boiled dried chillies then blended to a paste)
2tbs chillie sos
2tbsp tomato sos
1 tomato - sliced into wedges *optional
fresh chopped coriender

blended items:
1 bombay onion
1 clove garlic
2" ginger

Spice:
1 anise star
1 piece of cinnamon
4 coriender pods
4

ALL ABOUT FLOURS

this is one of the basics of baking...one should understand the purpose and types of flour available to ensure a successful baking. i for one (obviously wasn't paying any attention when we had our theory lecture on this topic) but i shall explain as best i could base on my dusty old notes hehehe~

you may or may not know that there are many and i mean many types of flour in the market and all are set for different purposes...

1. high protein flour
2. low protein flour
3. all purpose flour
4. soy flour
5. bleached and un bleached flour (is basically all purpose flour)
   
6. whole wheat flour (high fiber flour, gluten content is not that high and you would usually have to mix with all purpose flour or bread flour when use in recipes)
   
7. organic flour (its organic!)
   
8. durum flour (i call it pasta flour as it is great for expending and stretching)
   
9. tapioca flour
10. rice flour
11. corn flour
12. glutinous flour
13. samolina (also great for pasta...and for kueh heheh)
    

...is there more? however i hardly pay any attention to any other flour except for high, low protein and all purpose flour.

high protein flour :
this type of flour also known as bread flour. as it name suggested its HIGH in PROTEIN which also mean that its has high gluten content. it is milled from hard wheat and is best for yeast products.

low protein flour:
this is the opposite of the above *DUH* its has low gluten and also known as pastry flour. this flour is most suitable for a more delicate cakes and pastries such as pie crusts.since it has a low gluten level and is usually used for angel food cakes and cookies. This flour is used when the desired effect is a texture that is tender or delicate.

all purpose flour:
is one of the most accessible and commonly used types of flour. You can buy bleached (i.e. white flour chemically bleached to reduce spoilage) or unbleached all-purpose flour. Bleached flour is good for most pastries, cookies and pancakes, and unbleached flour is great for strudel, cream puffs and éclairs. to sum it up, if you cant find high or low protein flour all purpose flour would substitute just fine as it DOES sits in between the high and low proteins content...

so with all these information i think you'd probably could make your own conclusion on which flour is good for what and why ...(i supposed) mmmm my notes are still long but i'm basically tired of typing and scanning to extract the gist of it... hope you dun mind...but i promise that i'll add on information gardually as we go along so bare with me....

now...have i ever made an entry about the difference between cupcakes and muffins?????

arghhh~ i'm so lazy to check mmmmmm~*contemplating "to write or not to write..indeed tha question"*

Ultimate Banana Muffin<---how can i stay slim this way?

lately i've been craving for a sinful chocolate cakes and muffins..REALLY REALLY fluffy muffins doesn't matter what kind so long that its fluffy ...the story behind this muffin cravings is that last week i went to a flea market in cyberjaya street mall and there was this lady who sells really light n fluffy muffins and its also moist at the same time! the week before that i went there and bought some muffins and last week i was late and her muffins are all sold out and she was packing her stuff already.

i missed her muffins last week hence my craving for muffins arghhhhhhhh~~~~

anyway i went to the wet market this morning after a rather eleborate meeting with my son's preschool teacher <---this is a long story i'll blog about it later . so i was in the market wanting to buy some grated coconut and coconut milk then i saw this huge yam and beside it there's this beautiful banana (pisang emas literally translated as gold banana) its beautiful in shape and its ripeness is just right, just right for baking or making any traditional kueh. and i thought to myself i've got to have it and banana muffin came to mind. that and i also have to have that yam coz its also unusually large and fresh looking spud so i bought that but i have no idea what am i going to do with it yet but i've cleaned,cut and dice the spud. boiled it and keep it frozen until i finally decided what to do with it.... anyhow...in my search of fluffy recipes i failed to find one all somehow turned out to be dense and rather heavy<---this is even when i hand mix to avoid over mixing...now i wonder why... with frustration of failing to get the perfect recipe i decided to call a friend of mine Pastry Chef Roslee or was it Rosly sorry mate m not sure of your spelling. We had a long chat and he refresh my memory about lavenings, flours etc....(bare in mind although i AM a certified pastry chef but i do not practise only at home, had a year of internship and thats about it...) after that fruitful chat, i put my chef hat on and start my muffin making experiment...and with LUCK i have baked the ULTIMATE and may i say PURRRRRRRRFECT muffins although i do imitate lydia's style of decorating the muffin ;) hope you dun mind.

what you need : (A)

2 c low protein flour/pastry flour
3/4 c caster sugar <--if you were to add the chocolate chunks reduce this slightly

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

(B)

1 cup mashed ripe banana (since pisang emas is a very small and cute banana it takes almost the whole bunch) 1/2 cup melted butter 2 eggs 90ml fresh milk

100g chopped milk chocolate <---i add this as i so happen to have some left overs

50g crushed hazelnuts

and some whole hazelnut for decoration

Directions

1. preheat oven at 180c.
   
2. in a mixing bowl, mix all dry ingredients together
3. in a different bowl mix melted butter, banana, chopped chocolates,crushed hazelnuts and milk together
4. meanwhile beat the eggs until fluffy then fold in with the other wet ingredients
5. make a well in the dry ingredients mixture then pour in the wet mixture and gently fold in and mix until just combine few lumps is forgiven.
6. AVOID over mixing as it'll make it dense and somewhat dry and oily <--wierd combination huh? but thats how it'll be so try not to mix it more than 5 strokes.
7. then use ice cream scoop to scoop in the mixture into muffin tin
   
8. decorate it with a slice of banana and a single hazelnut on top and bake for 20 minutes or until done

i will explain about types of flour and its usage and other stuff later in my next entry

CUCUR UDANG aka kuih malas aka prawn fritters

this is a tea time snack my family lurve so much...its an all time malaysian snack usually can be found in the night market or sold in a stall by the road side together with banana fritters. But i usually avoid buying them as they tend to be very oily and less prawn so i prefer to make my own...

my recipe is slightly tweeked to suit my family taste (i add crabe filamen/artificial crab meat) so...
p/s: it taste better with real prawn meat

what you need
50g fresh prawn cleaned, de shelled and cut in half
5pieces of crab filamen cut in small pieces
carrot grated (grate as long as possible)
1/2 stalk of chives
1 egg
1 cup of flour (plus minus)
1cup water
salt to taste
1tsp baking soda

mix flour, egg, salt, baking soda and water. mix well control the dough texture by adding more flour or water as the dough should not be too lose.then add in all other ingredients.use spoon or your hand to make a dolop drop and deep fry the fritters. then ready to serve...

Sambal Durian - Chili Durian Paste

as we all know that we are having durian season. its all durian...last 2 weeks me & the kids balik kampung its been a while since i went back to my home town KELANTAN the land of culture..its basically the same except the Pasar Khatijah is undergoing an upgred and those undercontruction roads are all done, its beautiful and clean.

anyway my late grandfather had a some fruit gardens i can't say its a plantation cos its quite small to be a plantation but i think its quite big for a garden...hack i don't know what to catagorized it...but anyway we have pamelo fruits, duku,rambutans, durians, lime,oranges, kaffir lime trees and mangoesteen....i think that's about all we have in the gardens.
my son got really excited running around in the fruit garden...my mom took the opportunity to pluck some limes, chillies and kaffir lime leaves.

anyway its a durian season and we had durian from the garden. there was soo many durian until we are basically sick of it..well except for my dad..he LOVES durians...with all of those durians there are bound to be some that are too ripe, soft and soggy yet sweet to taste. its a waste to throw it away so we ended up making sambal durian and it always gone by the end of the meal...

How to make this? so simple just take few chilies (add more if you want it hot and vis a versa) and pound it with motar & pastle, de-seed the durians and take the durian and mix with the chilies add some salt to taste and sugar if its not sweet.

Beautiful mangoesteen from the garden

Duku ; also from the garden

Some of the durians from the garden

do you know what flower is this??

Limes that my mom picked

This would probably the sweetest pamelo that i've ever tasted

That's my mom having fun plucking stuff....does she look 55 to you??wanna now her secret email me at anothercupofsugar@gmail.com

Rest In Peace MJ

this was the face that i fell in LOVE with....i think this was when he looks the best!

This is a Tribute for my all time favorite singer Michael Jackson

It is sad to know that MJ has passed us. Our family mourn his death not because everybody is doing it but because its a great loss in the music industry. there is indeed no other performer like MJ he's the best of the best!

I remembered when i was just a child, i used to dance like MADNESS to the song "BEAT IT"....well i dance to practically to most of MJ's songs...i would pretend or berangan-angan to be MJ's partner dancing and singing together etc was so in love with him...*sigh* really, those were the days...ever since then i prayed and prayed that he would one day come to Malaysia and do concert here. My wish had finally came true in what 1996 if i'm not mistaken, i was err mmm...16 then. Our family bought the front row ticket just to see MJ ohh we LOVE MJ. i think mom cried when she saw MJ's tributes/memorial. we do feel the grief as we love him...

we love him even when the world saw him as a joke because he was battling with his demons on trying to stay update with other singers...being accused of molesting children (is there even any SOLID proof about that???) we personally think its just a propaganda of those who tries to get lucky and hit jackpot of MJ's money...taking advantage of him when he is feeling lonely and vulnarable...alway during his life we prayed that he'll have his peace coz we know and somehow feel that he is suffering.

my mom told us that shes glad that MJ passed away as for now he would be at peace...and told me that we should be happy and that had actually put a smile in our face. poor guy...honestly we had all of Mj's record! and yet my dad went and bought his compilations tribute CD...thats how much we love MJ and he will always be in our hearts.

Our prayers will always be with you MJ wherever you may be....lots of hearts!

"You Are Not Alone"

Another day has gone
I'm still all alone
How could this be
You're not here with me
You never said goodbye
Someone tell me why
Did you have to go
And leave my world so cold

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

But you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
But you are not alone

'Lone, 'lone
Why, 'lone

Just the other night
I thought I heard you cry
Asking me to come
And hold you in my arms
I can hear your prayers
Your burdens I will bear
But first I need your hand
Then forever can begin

Everyday I sit and ask myself
How did love slip away
Something whispers in my ear and says
That you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though you're far away
I am here to stay

For you are not alone
For I am here with you
Though we're far apart
You're always in my heart
For you are not alone

Whisper three words and I'll come runnin'
And girl you know that I'll be there
I'll be there