Orchids have always been one of those enchanting flowers. Of the 35,000 or more species of this family, the vanilla orchid is the only orchid that produces “edible” fruit. Vanilla planifolia is the main species harvested, but other species with less vanillin content include Vanilla tahitiensis and Vanilla pompona. Vanilla planifolia orchid is commonly found in the food and cosmetic industry.

Vanilla grows as a climbing vine, usually in existing trees. It’s native to Mexico, in the states of Vera Cruz and Oaxaca. But it is now cultivated around the world, with Madagascar being the largest producer of vanilla.

Vanilla flowers bloom only once and only for a few hours. And once it’s been pollinated, the vanilla bean can take from six months to one year to mature.

There are many ways to harvest the vanilla beans, it is a very labor intensive process. But it’s important that the beans are completely dried and cured. During this process, the sweet and spicy aroma of Vanilla comes out. Dried and cured vanilla beans can be kept for 10 years or more.

If you are lucky enough to live in a hot and humid location, propagation of vanilla plants may be possible. A section of the plant (cutting) is removed from the vine with six or more leaf nodes, along with a root opposite each leaf. The two lower leaves are removed, and this area is buried in loose soil at the base of a support. The remaining upper roots will cling to the support.

This neat photo is from Huahua Farm in Hawaii.  The Vanilla plant looks so healthy with creamy greenish-yellow flowers.  If anyone is interested, in May Huahua Farm will be offering two vanilla beans for sale at $8.50, includes postage.

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If you’ve ever come across bamboo fabrics, you would be surprise to find that the texture is very soft and similar to silk.

Bamboo fabric also has many beneficial qualities. It is naturally antibacterial, absorbs moisture well and would keep you dry and odor free.   I think it would make great material for socks or t-shirts.

It’s also fast drying compare to cotton fabrics. Another nice thing about bamboo clothing is that it will keep cool in summer and warm in winter.  Which would make for good material to wear year around.  And having clothing made of bamboo fabric would be ideal.

Other benefits of growing bamboo include helping to reduce soil erosion. And growing bamboo also require less water too.

Just like hemp, bamboo plants can be grown without pesticides. Compared to cotton, which requires large amounts of pesticides. Especially during cotton harvesting, where chemicals are sprayed to make the leaves fall off so it’s easier to gather the cottons.

It would be nice to see more bamboo fabric clothing easily available. At the moment, it seem bamboo clothing are still pricey.

Luckily I came across Naturally Knotty, the makers of 100% bamboo viscose shawls and scarves. For a fabric of this quality and design, it’s very affordable. It’s lightweight and cooling material that makes for a perfect scarf in the spring and summer.

The one I got pictured here (image from Naturally Knotty) is in coral. It’s not red or orange coral, but more peachy pastel. I love the two-toned color design. It’s like wearing two scarf in one. If I didn’t have too much scarves already, I would get the bamboo scarves in several colors.

Naturally Knotty is an environmentally conscious company run by designer Jasmine Fullman. Below is a little excerpt from Jasmine’s company. I always like to support companies with good ethics and practice towards their worker and the environment.

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Lutein and zeaxanthin are powerful antioxidants and nutrients found in many green leafy vegetables. Including kale, spinach and brocolli. It is also found in egg yolks and the bright petals of marigold flowers.

Harvard researchers found that women whose diets are high in lutein, zeaxanthin, and vitamin E have a reduced risk of developing cataracts.  Every time I eat carrots or egg yolks, I start to think about how they are good for my eyes.  Now it turns out they are also good for the skin.

Marigolds are already in bloom in California. Extracts of lutein from these petals are now used in skincare.

The latest research published last year in the Journal of Skin Pharmacology and Physiology states that lutein is also beneficial to the skin. Lutein improves skin hydration and elasticity, increases skin moisture and also enhances the skin’s ability to shield itself from the sun.

In skincare, lutein works best as a combination of topical and oral applications. Therefore some new skincare products have been introduced in combination with lutein.  Taking lutein supplements would also been beneficial too.

BIOELEMENT.  This beauty product contains lutein made with lutein from marigold petals.   Photo from Zappos. 2.5 oz for $49.50

Product Information:

* BIOELEMENTS® Lutein Indoor Protective Day Cream protects your skin against indoor environmental assaults that can cause dehydration, dullness and surface wrinkles.

* An advanced antioxidant moisturizer that provides high-impact hydration and restores skin’s protective barrier.

* Golden-yellow lutein, extracted from marigold petals, filters out the potentially skin-aging effects of blue rays emitted from artificial lighting.

* Sheilds skin from effects of low humidity, forced heat and stale, re-circulated air.

* Used daily, skin becomes visibly smooth, comfortably moist and perfectly hydrated. Radiance is restored and your complexion becomes less reactive to environmental irritants.

* Used daily, skin becomes visibly smooth, comfortably moist and perfectly hydrated. Radiance is restored and your complexion becomes less reactive to environmental irritants.

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Every spring I always enjoy seeing flowers in bloom, especially the French lilac.  I found this growing along the fence of a cute little cottage in the neighborhood.

Most French lilac I’ve seen are purple, but this one is in pure white. The leaves are heart shaped and remind me of the Bodhi tree.

The flower is very fragrant, almost like perfume.  But unlike the sweet smell of honeysuckle, this scent is almost too strong for me.  But some people really enjoy this scent and it’s popular blend in perfumes.

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A belated wish for a happy Lao New Year. Hope everyone had a nice celebration. I thought I post this Vimeo video made by the Sim.  It always brings a smile to my face, seeing the many friendly faces of Laos, both young and old.  And the beautiful Mekong River too.

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This cute little fruit is called cherimoya and they come in many shape and size.  Cherimoyas are one of the best tasting tropical fruits out there.  Many are now grown in fruit farms near Santa Barbara, California.

This fruit still needs a couple more days to ripen before eating.  Don’t let the funny skin on the outside fool you either. The taste is like a good combination of sweet pear, mixed with pineapple, banana, and even a bit of mangosteen.

In Lao it’s “mak keiup farang” or at least that is what I’ve been told.  The true mak keiup is called custard apple in English.  And in Thai it’s called “noi-na”.

Cherimoyas are now sold in many Asian markets in northern California.  Price starts at $2.99 per pound.  I got a few of them but decided to photograph this one since it was so round and cute.

My mom said these are not the ones that grow in Asia.  But rather “mak keep farang” meaning the French custard apple.

Here is a photo of the inside of the fruit.  I cut this one up since it had ripen and was much softer.  The inside is creamy and sweet, like nature’s ice cream.

Back in August I posted about the hype of using antibacterial products, especially ones containing triclosan. The FDA is finally raising concern over the use of triclosan in many consumer and household products.

It was reported in the Washington Post on April 8, 2010 that the Centers for Disease Control found triclosan in the urine of 75 percent of the population. The FDA and EPA has raised questions about whether triclosan disrupts the body’s endocrine system. And the frequent use of antibacterial products also helps to create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Triclosan began it’s uses as surgical scrub for medical professionals. It is also widely used in pesticides. And now it’s being added to consumer products to kill bacterial and fungus. It can be found in a variety of things such as cutting boards, soaps, lotions, and even shoes. It’s usually labeled as “antibacterial” properties.

The human body’s endocrine systems involves growth and development. So it’s important to keep it from being harmed with such chemicals as triclosan.

Avoid using any antibacterial product. Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it’s very porous. I suggest just washing simply with soap and water.

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This green leafy herb goes by many names and is native to Central America. But it is now grown and eaten throughout Southeast Asia and Latin America. In many larger cities of the U.S., you can find these at the ethnic markets.

The three most common name is Sawtooth coriander (since the edges have little harmless serrated teeth). Another is Mexican coriander or culantro. In Lao and Thai it’s call “Pak Chi Farang”. Scientific name: Eryngium foetidum.

Some say the taste resembles coriander, but I think it taste much more interesting. More like fennel, Asian cilantro and other herbs too. So it’s more like multiple herbs combined in one crispy green leaf. It’s also very fragrant.

And tends to make soups (especially Pho) become more lively and tasty too. The younger leaves are the best, but the bigger leaves are also tasty.

If anyone would like to try growing them, Sand Mountain Herbs has seed packets available for $2.50 (50 seeds).

Recommended growing Zones 11-13 and needs hot and humid weather to grow well. I’m thinking Florida or Hawaii. If planting in full sun, they need lots of water. But the plants will also grow well in shade too. The key to encouraging more leafy growth is to nip out the flower buds once it starts to form. But keep some flower so you can save as seeds for next year’s harvest.

Besides being used for cooking, the sawtooth coriander is also used as herbal medicines. It also dried very well and can be saved for later use like many other herbs.

In Southeast Asian countries, the herb is useful for upper respiratory complaints to gastric upsets. In India, the root can be eaten raw for scorpion stings and is used to alleviate stomach pains.

I don’t think I’ve encounter any herb with so many names as this one. Here is part of the name list (source):

Culantro, spiny or serrated coriander, shado beni, bhandhania, chadron benee, coulante (Haiti), recao, fit weed, azier la fièvre, chardon étoilé, Puerto Rican coriander, shado benni, false coriander, shadow-beni, stinkweed, fitweed, long coriander, mexican coriander, ngo gai, spiritweed, bhandhania, false corriander, ketumbar Java, thorny coriander, long corriander, German Langer Koriander, Mexicanischer Koriander, Black Benny, Saw leaf herb, Saw tooth coriander, Spiny coriander, Fitweed, Chardon étoile fétide, Panicaut fétide, Herbe puante, Coriandre mexicain; Coulante, Hindi Bhandhania, Bhandhanya, Hosszú koriander, Mexikói koriander, Puerto Ricó-i koriander, Indonesian Walangan, Khmer Chi banla, Chi baraing, Chi sangkaech, Chi pa-la, Chi farang, Laotian Phak Hom thet, Malay Ketumbar Jawa, Spanish Culantro, Recao, Racao, Shado beni; Chadron benee, Alcapate, Cilantro habanero, Cilantro extranjero, Mexikansk koriander, Thai Pak chi farang, Hom-pomkula, Mae-lae-doe, Phakchi farang, Ngo gai, Mui tau, Ngo tay.

My product review for today is Bare Escentuals bareMinerals SPF 30 natural sunscreen. They come in three varieties: light skin tone, medium skin tone, and tan skin tone.

I tried both the light and tan. The light was  more like lose powder.  And the tan turned out much better. It can be used as a face bronzer and sunscreen too. Not a total fake tan bronzer, but a great way to wake up pale winter skin.

All I do is take a few simple swipes over the cheekbones, forehead, nose, chin and jawline.  Thus giving the face an instant glow.

I like that the container is compact and easy to use. It won’t spill or get too messy. You just twist the bottom and give it a light shake. The minerals will fall onto the brush. But it does require some getting used to.

At first it seem there was nothing coming out from the built in brush. Some even got on my hair, sweater and clothing. But after a few applications, I figured out the best way is to apply it lightly and carefully.

I also like that it’s pretty much natural Earth mineral and is actually good for the skin. So no break outs are anything. This is the main reason I prefer mineral eye shadow too. Any heavy cream or cosmetics used around the eye could cause tiny little pimples that are a pain to remove. As the skin around the eye is very thin and pores are very small.

The only con I have with this product is the price (retails at $19-28). You get this neat container and all the mineral powder is located in the very bottom.  Let’s you see how little of the powder you’re actually getting for the price.

Image from .

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The Chilean Myrtle is originally from Chile and western Argentina. It is known by many other names including Quillaia, Killaya, Orange-Bark Myrtle, Soap-Bark Tree, and “Temu”. Scientific name, Luma apliculata.

But they are usually referred by as either the Chilean Myrtle or Soap Bark tree. The inner bark of this tree can be used as a soap substitute. The inner bark can be collected and crushed to turn into soap powder. When added to water, it will lather up just like soap. This is because the inner bark contains saponin.

These are interesting looking fruits. Remind me of blueberries, probably full of antioxidants due to the deep dark color.

Tradewind Fruits notes that the tree attracts many beneficial insects, including lady bugs. The plant is not directly edible, but was used historically as an anti-inflammatory, and for anti-microbial properties. The folks at SF Botanical Garden described the leaves as having a “sweet spicy aroma when crushed”.  I wonder if I could add it to my soaps and give it natural sweet and spicy scent.  

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