One of my favorite sandwiches is the Vietnamese sandwich, Banh mi. I filled this little sandwich with the pickled daikon and carrots I made a few weeks ago.

My sandwich is a bit stuffed on one side here. And light on the meat, but it was still very good. Especially with the fresh cilantro and homemade pickled daikon and carrots. And some ripe raspberries on the side.

My simple pickle recipe includes:

1 whole daikon, 2 carrots.

1 cup of water

1/4 cup of vinegar

1 tps of salt and sugar

Wash and clean the daikon and carrots. Cut up the daikon into little matchsticks and shred the carrots, make sure to rinse out any excess water.

Heat up the water, add salt and sugar. Leave to cool until it’s warm.

Fill glass jar with the veggies.  Then slowly pour the liquid portion into the jar. Close tightly and put away in the cupboard for 1 week.

Some people even make pickled daikon overnight and eat them the next day.

Read the rest of this entry »

This is my first goat milk based soap. I’ve always wanted to make goat milk soap and finally had the chance.  What stands out is the scent of Diptyque Fig.  I discovered this lovely scent after using the goat milk soap by Moon Maiden.

Ingredients: Goat milk, rice bran oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, and palm oil.  Rice bran oil is one of my favorite oils for soapmaking. I also added sunflower oil as it has Vitamin E used as natural preservative.

I find the orange color is also common with my other milk based soaps. And also the “sweet candy” smell too.  And it is just as nice and creamy as my other milk based soaps.

Ripe figs are some of nature’s sweetest treat.  But there is no fig in this soap. Photo from wikipedia by Kurt Stueber. 

The French perfume makers, Diptyque, uses a green scent made from the crushed leaves of fig trees. It is best described as, “the aroma is green floral with orange blossom, jasmine, gardenia, Italian bergamot and exotic musk.” I find it has a fresh and slightly fruity scent, which makes it perfect for any season.

Read the rest of this entry »

Since it is Thanksgiving, I thought I should mention the health benefits of these tangy red berries.  They are usually available this time of year too.

The name cranberry derived from “craneberry” as the cranberry blossoms resemble the head of a crane. Wisconsin Rapids Area produces 30% of the world’s cranberries. Photo from Cranberry Blossom Festival.

I think the flowers look very much like fuchsias, except for what looks like beak here.  And the little green berries are cute.  I wonder how they taste.

Besides making sauce with them, cranberries can be a good addition to salads.  That add a slight bitterness, tangy punch, and the little pop sound when biting into them.   But I just like to mix it together with a bit of salt, chili peppers, and sugar - it is really good!

Cranberries are one of the most healthiest fruits available.  Dried cranberries are a favorite with trail mixes.  I also like them in granola bars.  It keeps the granola bar from being too boring.

The main benefits of cranberries is that it can help curb bladder infections (urinary tract).  Which I believe is much better than taking antibiotics.

Pretty bowl of cranberries.  Too bad the season is so short for harvesting them.  So get them while you can!  Photo from Naturipe Farms.

In 2005, researchers found that cranberries are also good for your teeth and gum.  This is from the University of Rochester press release on November 23, 2005:

“A team led by oral biologist Hyun (Michel) Koo, D.D.S., Ph.D., at the University of Rochester Medical Center has discovered that the same traits that make cranberry juice a powerful weapon against bladder infections also hold promise for protecting teeth against cavities. Koo found that cranberry juice acts like Teflon® for teeth, making it difficult for the bacteria that causes cavities to cling to tooth surfaces. Stickiness is everything for the microbe Streptococcus mutans, which creates most cavities by eating sugars and then excreting acids that cause dental decay.

Koo’s team also found evidence that cranberry juice disrupts the formation of the building block of plaque, known as a glucan. Like a mason using cement to build a wall brick by brick, bacteria use enzymes known as glucosyltransferases to build dental plaque piece by piece, quickly forming a gunky fortress that covers the tooth and gives bacteria a safe haven to munch on sugar, thrive, and churn out acid. Koo’s team found that cranberry juice prevents bacteria from forming plaque by inhibiting those enzymes and by stopping additional bacteria from glomming on to the ever-growing goo.”

But don’t go reaching for cranberry juice either, as the drinks are full of sugar. I would suggest taking cranberry fruit extract in pill form.

Gaia Herbs (supplier of herbal extracts and supplements) listed these nutrients found in the American Cranberry. Starting with polyphenols, anthocyanosides, proanthocyanosides, quinnic acids, catechins and a host of other antioxidants including a fair amount of Vitamin C and small amounts of Lutein, and quercitin.

The latest edition to my botanical soap collection is made with coconut milk and hibiscus flower petals. It is made with all vegetable oil, even with a touch of sesame oil too!

Since I’ve learn so much about the benefits of coconut for our skin, I’ve been wanting to add this to my soap.  The coconut milk  are usually used for cooking and baking.

I let all my soaps cure for about three to four weeks before using it.  I have been using this for about a week and really love it.  It’s a very luxurious and creamy soap.

Instead of water, I replaced it with coconut milk.  Both the addition of coconut oil and coconut milk is very moisturizing.  Coconut is full of antioxidant, and the oil protects and nourishes the skin.

I also added ground hibiscus.  This hibiscus flower is normally used in making tea.  Hibiscus flower is full of Vitamin C and would also be great for your skin.

I thought the bright color of the petals would seep into the soap, but it didn’t.  The best part is the ground hibiscus petals added a nice exfoliation of the skin too. 

Ingredients:  Coconut milk, Safflower oil, Canola oil, Palm oil, Coconut oil, Sesame oil, and Hibiscus petals.

Read the rest of this entry »

Updated 12/15/09: I finally got my Uniqlo package on 12/10/09. The package took 3 weeks to get here as it was shipped from Japan.

So I tested out my new leggings and undershirt this weekend. The material is really thin and light. It reminded me of leotards, but much more comfortable and softer.

The leggings really kept me warm. They are so thin I could wear them under any type of pants.

The top is very form fitting and best worn as an undershirt. I’ve worn them under sweaters and even worn them to sleep. It’s absolutely comfortable. The scoop neck wasn’t too low cut at all.

I found all the clothes to be true to size. I ordered medium and everything fit perfectly. I highly recommend Uniqlo Heattech clothing. I hope these last as long as they say. If they have free shipping next winter, I may order more.

- - - - - - - - - — - - - - — - - - - — - - - - - - - — - - - - - - - - - - -

Uniqlo is one of Japan’s leading clothing retail chain. Uniqlo is also known for having a nice range of high-quality goods at affordable price.

They have even adopted the Gap’s retail strategy call “SPA” - which is short for “Specialty-store, retailer of Private-label Apparel.” Which means that they would produce their own clothing under their store brand and sell it exclusively.

Their philosophy also states you don’t need to wear huge logos to define yourself (which is what I find annoying from The Gap).

There is no Uniqlo retailer in the west coast and only 1 flagship store in SoHo fashion district of Manhattan, NYC. But you can still make orders at their online shop.

Uniqlo introduced Heat Tech clothing in 2006.  I have heard such great review of it that I can’t wait to try them out.

Even though I don’t live in the colder parts of the U.S., I do get cold very easily.  I have bought regular thermals before, but not something remarkable.  I even bought thermals made of bamboo and cotton fibers.  It was very comfortable, but not as warm.  And the fabric did not hold up 1 year later.

Heattech’s fabric technology (listed below and described by Uniqlo).

• HEAT GENERATING - The highly absorbent rayon mix fabric absorbs the moisture generated by the body and converts it into heat.

• HEAT RETAINING – Tiny pockets of air are trapped between each fibre, making it hard for the generated heat to escape.

• STRETCHABLE - The soft stretchy fabric moves with the body and creates a snug fit, making it the perfect outerwear or inner wear layering item.

• MOISTURE RETAINING (women’s only) - Milk protein containing natural amino acids has been mixed with the fibres ensuring the fabric is smooth and soft to touch.

• ANTIBACTERIAL (men’s only) – Antibacterial agents have been woven into the fibres to help keep the fabric fresh.

• NON-DEFORMING - made of highly resilient and durable material. Heattech maintains it’s shape even after repeated washing.

I like the list here.  Except for the “special antibacterial agent” used to keep the fabric fresh.  This just sound a bit too toxic for me!  But luckily, only the menswear shirts have the antibacterial agent.

Read the rest of this entry »

Luckily we live in an area (California), where many varieties of fresh mushrooms are available throughout the year. But I’m not sure if those living in the eastern parts of the U.S. have the same selections as we do here. I would assume they do, since all kinds of exotic produce is being shipped from around the world now.

When I am at the market, my first choice is always the crimini.  Crimini (also call baby Bella) are young versions of portabello.  And if I plan on picking some mushrooms up for Mom, I tend to look at the Oyster, Enoki, and Shitake.  But the simple white button mushroom is almost always past up.

Yet now I love the simple white button mushrooms. Especially since I found out about how nutritious and good they are in comparison to the other varieties. Not to mention they are much cheaper too!

A while back, a team of French researcher at the Institut National de la Recherche Agrinomique found that the free radical scavenging ability of the white button mushroom was equivalent, if not higher, than that of the other popular Japanese mushrooms.

The researchers also found that the body of the mushroom contained a higher concentration of anti-oxidants than the stalk.

Here is a photo of Enoki mushrooms. They are cute little mushrooms with long skinny stalks. Photo from Mushroom.net.

Read the rest of this entry »

Despite all the talk about protecting yourself from UV rays, there is actually more benefits of being in the sun. The main benefit is the production of Vitamin D by our body. The one thing few of us realize is that Vitamin D (mostly D3) is the key to boosting our immunity.

Especially during the flu season, we need all the immunity booster we can get. Vitamin C alone may not be enough to protect ourselves from the cold and flu. Especially for those that live in the northern parts of the world and get even less sunshine.

In Sept 2006, Dr. Cannell had his manuscript, Epidemic Influenza and Vitamin D, published in Cambridge University Press’ prestigious Journal of Epidemiology and Infection. The paper presented a revolutionary new theory on vitamin D’s link to influenza and was co-written by some of the world’s top vitamin D experts. More information found here.

The shorter days and less sunshine doesn’t help either. And many of us are indoor most of the days, if you are lucky enough to go outside for lunch, please take it.

Image source:  Luckyvitamin.com

If you get 20 minutes of full body exposure to summer sun, it will deliver 20,000 units of vitamin D within 48 hours. Compare that to 100 units you get from a glass of milk (which the U.S. government recommend - but is really too low).

Studies also suggest if you are fair skinned, you need just 10 minutes of sunshine per day to produce 10,000 IU of Vitamin D (but this is in tank top and shorts). For people who are naturally tan or of Hispanic origin, you need maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Darker skin may require six times the sun exposure to make the same vitamin D.

Read the rest of this entry »

I’ve always loved mushrooms. One thing I like to do someday is pick mushrooms in the forest. Then again, the thought of picking a poisonous one just scares me.

Poisonous Death Cap mushrooms.  Photo by Heino Lepp.  Image source.

A few people seem to get poisoned by Death Cap mushrooms every now and then. Apparently these folks never heard of eating dangerous mushrooms.

Or maybe their curiosity got the most of them. I don’t blame them, as the Death Caps look just like normal mushrooms.

The key to identifying these deadly mushroom is the “skirt”. And also the cup part growing from the bottom. Diagram from the Australian National Botanic Gardens.

The Australian government are really serious about not wanting people to get poison by these mushroom.  They even have this sign with pictures too.

Let’s just hope people know the difference, especially the kids.

If I see any mushrooms that look suspicious in the yard, I just remove them. You just never know, curious pets or children may end up eating it.

I didn’t actually harvest these, but it is autumn and many of my favorite fruits are in season.

Dragonfruit are also back in season too (in some parts of the world).  A few months back it was lychee and jujube that were in season.

I should take a photo of the inside of these fruits, they are just as interesting from the inside out. In the meantime, here is a great website of Thai tropical fruits. They list when the fruits will be in season and also the names of the fruits in Thai too.  Longons are call “lam yai” and Dragonfruit “Mang Gorn”.

The persimmon and pineapple guavas are locally harvested. At American supermarket, persimmon sell for $1 a piece. But if you visit the Asian markets you can find a bag of 10 pieces for $1.50. Much better deal!

Read the rest of this entry »

I picked a handful of roses from a friend’s garden this weekend. They were mostly red roses with large petals. I immediately thought this would make great rosewater.

This is also a good alternative to rose essential oils, as they are expensive. Rose essential oil can retail at 10 ml for $100!

Rosewater is also a good skin toner or aftershave. It helps tone the skin and tightens the pores. And the fragrance is very light and delicate, not overpowering like artificial fragrance.

You can also make your own rosewater simply and easily. It is best to use fresh and organic rose petals.  But dry rose petals are OK too.

Things you will need:

5 roses, 2 cups of distilled water, wide mouth jar, and Vodka.

Read the rest of this entry »