The Travel Channel has some neat shows I try to watch when I get the chance, especially No Reservations and Bizarre Foods.  Bizarre Foods can creep me out most of the time, but it is interesting to know that what’s so bizarre to you is really part of the the world’s diet.

Andrew Zimmerman, friendly host of Bizarre Foods,  came upon the shark and bake sandwich and just loved it.  Andrew said it was amongst his top 10 sandwiches he’s  ever ate in his life.  So it must be pretty good!

Shark and bake is a popular Trinidad “deep-fried” pocket sandwich made of shark meat.  The name reminds me of “shake n bake”.  It is found at beach shacks and street stalls throughout the island.

Andrew mentioned that it wasn’t the shark meat alone that made it good, it was the choices of sauce they add to it.  His favorite being the tamarind sauce.  Others include mango chutney with sliced cucumbers.  But I still don’t know if I would eat shark meat, unless I happen to be in Trinidad. 

The folks at epicurios.com suggested we substitute it with tilapia or catfish.  But then it wouldn’t be so bizarre anymore and probably not taste as good right?   A cook from Trinidad and Tobago posted this comment in epicurious.com.

No no no!!! Its called shark and bake for a reason… You MUST use shark! The taste of shark is incredible! Bake is in the name because thats what you sandwich the shark in… BAKE! Fried bake to be specific! Oh fadda! This recipe is just wrong! I’m sure the taste of the fish is decent but don’t deconstruct perfection nuh!

Well, it’s not like we can just go out and get shark meat at the fish market or catch one in the ocean.  But I thought that comment was just too funny!

Travel + Leisure also included in their “Top 10 World’s Strangest Street Food.”  The tasty photo of the shark and bake sandwich from Travel + Leisure here does look very appetizing to me.  Except for maybe the mystery sauce on top, looks like chutney.  And maybe a bit too greasy because it’s deep-fried, but I guess that’s the sauces help balance it out.  And at least it’s got the familiar lettuce and tomatoes.

Lonely Planet Travel Guide - Trinidad & Tobago.

Photo from Travel + Leisure by M. Timothy O’Keefe / Alamy.

It’s that time of year for spring cleaning.  As much as I want to get rid of some stuff, I also tend to hang on them a bit longer.  I usually  think maybe they will become useful someday.  But once I do let go of these things, I never regret them or even miss them.  It’s also a great way to bring a sense of renewal.  Especially if I had donated them to a good cause.

Yet every now and then are some stuff I just can’t part with, so I managed to salvage the fabrics for future uses.  My favorite khaki pants that I had for the longest time, was then turned into a nice sturdy book bag.   I also used some old linen skirt to line the inside of it.  And last winter after I mistakenly put my favorite wool sweater  in the washing machine, it became a “felted” sweater instead.  But I managed to salvage it and made a warm cat bed and also a pair of winter house slippers.  Not a bad way to recycle your favorite stuff!

I wish I could be as crafty as Betz White.  She made this cute felted photo album cover from felted wool sweaters. Photo from betz_white of flickr and instructions can be seen in Warm Fuzzies by Betz Whilte, available at .

But if you’re really not that crafty, there are still some good charities that you can donate to and feel good about it.  So turn the clutter into a a good cause instead.

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Hibiscus flowers usually remind me of tropical places such as Hawaii.  They are popular ingredients in herbal tea as it gives off the nice red color.  These interesting looking hibiscus flowers are not the typical hibiscus grown as ornamental plants.

They are named roselle or “Hibiscus sabdariffa” and are edible.  Roselle are an annual woody shrub that grows to 2–2.5 m tall.  This plant is mainly grown in Southeast Asia and Central America.

They may look strange to someone who has never seen them before.  The calyx are left over after the petals have fallen off.   What you see (pictured above) is these deep red bulb like blooms.

Germany uses it as natural food color and France likes it dipped in syrup.  They are also popular made into sauces, syrups, and jams.  They even have medicinal values and is also full of Vitamin C, Iron, Calcium and Niacin.

These dried Roselle I found at Trader Joe’s are also dipped in syrup.  I have tried dried dragon fruit from Trader Joe’s and love them! So I just had to give these a try too.  The texture is like dried fruit rolled up but more bland and chewy.  It’s slightly tart and sweet (from the syrup).  But I do think they taste better then dried cranberries.

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I found these at the local thrift shop for only 50 cents.  The marigolds seed were collected in 1992.  These are 17 year old seeds!  I had to get them since I love the artwork. Such cute little girls with their cats, hanging out in the garden.

I heard that old seeds may not grow, but I want to give these a try anyway.  I am trying to start the seedlings in biodegradable egg cartoons.  If they start out, then I can transfer them into separate pots.

Marigold seeds are “French Dwarf Double Mixed Colors” and “Red Spanish Brocade”.

Update: The seeds did not grow.  We had strong winds recently and they just blew my egg cartoons all over the yard.  Not a good idea!

Updated 7/23/09:

My first interest in plants came from growing succulents. After seeing how many different varieties of succulents are out there did I noticed their unique beauty. And since the are so easy to care for, it’s not hard to build a collection. Most succulents I have are usually from cuttings, and some are from the local nursery.

Succulent plants are water-retaining plants they like to grow in dry climates.  They store water in their leaves, stems and roots.  Because of the water stored in the leaves, the succulent plants have a swollen or fleshy appearance.  Especially the leaves found in Aloe Vera and the Jade Plant of Dave’s Garden.

Of all places, I found this succulent (pictured here) called “Fox’s Ear” from the grocery store. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the scientific name of it. Scientific name is “Echeveria harmsii” or plush plant. It was just a small plant at first. And now it just kept on growing and blooming. I have made several cuttings of it and it’s doing very well. It took about 1 year for this version to bloom. It does so twice a year - in autumn and spring.  I love the bright orange color of the blooms and the soft fat fuzzy leaves too.

Making a cutting of succulents are really easy. Just cut or break off a piece of the plant and stick it into a good soil. Most succulent growers would suggest that you let the cut surface callused before the cutting is planted. The cut will callus within a few days if left in a well circulated place. But I have just planted it right after breaking it off and never had any problems with propagation.

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The acidic water we have left over from the water ionized machine is also very useful.  Since acidic water has the ability to kill bacteria and molds, it has been very useful as a cleaner.  I usually put the acidic water in an old 1 gallon milk bottle and keep it for future usage.  We use it to clean and soak the vegetables, wipe the kitchen counter, and also used for cut flowers to extend their life.

It is also great as a facial toner.  I put the acidic water in a glass bottle and use it to clean my face after washing with my handmade soap.  I only do this a couple times a week.  The acidic water helps to balance out the pH of my skin.  It also leaves it feeling much more softer and less dry.

Recently I did my own nonscientific test on the effects of acidic water versus tap water on my cut Calla Lily flower.  The one soaked in acidic water looked just as new and fresh as the day I cut it.  After 3 days, the lily in the tap water started to turn brown and whither.  The reason behind this is that plants like to drink acid water as they “breath out” oxygen and “breath in” carbon dioxide.  As oppose to humans that strive better with alkaline (ionized) water as we breath in oxygen and breath out carbon dioxide.

This is a great way to extend the life of your cut flowers. No need for additional additives either!

For more scientific writings about Ionized water, please refer to Hidemitsu Hayashi, M.D., Heart Surgeon and Director of the Water Institute of Japan. More interesting article from Food Production Daily on the benefits of acidic water for use in industrial cleaning.  Saves money on detergents and better for the environment too. Read here:  Electrolyzed water effective as chemical cleaner.  By Ahmed ElAmin, 31-Jan-2006

Water ionizer machine are not very well known in the U.S., but in Asian countries such as Japan and Korea they are gaining popularity. Especially in Japanese and Korean hospitals, where the ionized “alkaline” water is used to help patients recover faster.  The ionized water is suppose to have many health benefits, especially for people suffering from joint pains. It is good to drink several cups a day for overall well being.

My mother has one of these machines and she’s been using for several years now.  She calls it her “healthy water machine”. I have noticed much improvement in her health as well. For example, after meditating, she can easily stand up with no problem. It is created when electric current flowing through two electrodes are immersed in a weak salt solution and separated by a membrane.  This produces an alkaline and an acidic solution (water).

The model pictured to the right is very similar to what my mother uses.  This one is the newer model, Jupiter Microlite model retails for $875 from Heartspring.net.  But I don’t think the machine my mom has cost as much as this one.

The machine also requires a filter change every now and then.  It’s a bit bigger then your regular toaster, but does take up some space.  When you set it up, you will need two bottles, one to catch the alkaline water and the other for the acidic water.

The alkaline part is what we drink.  It is also considered to be more oxygenated too.  The alkaline water is mainly used for cooking and to brew tea and coffee.  And I have to say it really does make the tea and coffee taste much better.

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In the past ten years, I’ve opened and closed a few credit cards.  But within the past five years, I’ve decided to keep only three major credit cards and canceled the rest.

Of the three, I primarily use the Visa and American Express for everyday purchases.   But I prefer American Express because I get rewards for more places, such as The Home Depot (although I prefer to shop at Lowe’s - the service & selection is much better!). But one card I never use is my Capital One MasterCard. I kept it mostly as a back up card and fortunately not had to use it for anything.

Lately credit card companies have been changing their customer’s credit limit (meaning lower the amount) even when the customer is in good standing.  And what’s also new is that they are canceling the cards to even good standing customers.

Recently I received a letter from my Capital One MasterCard informing me of my account being closed. This was because I hadn’t used the card in years.  It was really my “back up” credit card.  But I was really surprised at first since I considered myself to be a good credit card holder. I mostly pay in full and on time each month.

Curtis Arnold, the founder of Cardratings.com also got a letter in the mail from a credit card company notifying him it was closing his account. The account he hadn’t used in a while.

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It’s not difficult to give yourself a nice homemade facial, preferably at least once a week. My recipe is more of a face “scrub” since the rice bran gives it a gentle scrub.

It’s easy to make at home and will save you money too. If you don’t have the ingredients I’ve listed here, you can also substitute with other ingredients too. Good things to try are oatmeal, ground almonds, baking soda, plain yogurt, ripe papaya, and avocado. Many of these ingredients are very moisturizing.

The rice bran I used was from a health food store and looks very much like this box. But you can also find rice bran at Japanese grocery stores too. Photo from Natural Health Alternative Products, UK.

Using rice bran as a beauty regimen is very popular amongst Japanese women.  They use it to wash their face and claim it’s their secret to smooth and soft skin. Rice bran powder can help heal blemishes, prevent wrinkles, and deep cleanses the pores.  The powder is  usually put into a small cotton bag before applying to wet face.  Then scrub in small circular motions and rinse well with water.  It’s that simple!

Rice Bran & Honey Facial Scrub

2 teaspoons of rice bran powder

2 teaspoons of honey

1 teaspoon of goat milk powder

A little bit of milk and some water to turn it into a paste.

I mix the whole thing in a clean Pyrex glass cup with a chopstick.  No blender necessary!

This amount would last me for a couple of days.  I keep this in the refrigerator, but maybe you don’t have to if you skip the fresh milk. I like to scrub gently then leave on my face as a mask. It’s not so messy. And then wash off with my Olive Leaf Luxury Handmade Soap. This way it’s less drying then just washing with regular soap. The face scrub really does leave my skin well hydrated. Enjoy!

My botany photo of the day is the crocosmia.  This photo is taken from the University of British Columbia Botanical Garden’s botany collection.  I love this bright red variety, it’s a very cheery looking flower.  Next time I am in Vancouver, I will have to make a visit to the botanical garden and see what other flowers they have growing.

Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’

Crocosmia are related to the gladiola and are hardy plants that bloom from mid to late summer. Gladious are some of my favorite summer flowers and very easy to grow.   In most regions, it is completely hardy if given a light mulch cover in winter. The plants will appear again in greater abundance each year.  For the crocosmia corms, it is suggested that clumps be divided in spring time every three years.

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