These are such unique and beautiful gourds. They are called “Swan Gourd” and shaped like the elegant bird.

Photo from Monches Farm. They must be popular as they are all sold out at this farm.

I first spotted them at Berkeley Bowl, one of my favorite market in the east bay. They are known for having the widest and best selection of healthy, fresh fruits and vegetables in Northern California.

Berkeley Bowl is also famous for their large varieties of apples too. I especially like browsing at the exotic fruit sections which was most recently filled with giant avocados and star fruits.

As for the swan gourd, I should have bought a few as gifts for my mom. Then she could save the seeds and try growing them in the garden. But my tiny produce basket was already too full! If I see them again on my next trip out I will definitely get them.

Read the rest of this entry »

Another new addition to my handmade soap is this skin nourishing facial soap. It’s made with skin detoxing French Green clay and healing carrot seed essential oil. Both ingredients are beneficial to skincare.

According to Mountain Rose Herbs, french green clay is super absorbent due to the constitution of its micro molecules.

It’s used to remove impurities from your skin. The toning action from the clay is also stimulating to the skin. Thus helping to revitalize the complexion and tighten the pores.

Read the rest of this entry »

It was interesting to see dragonfruit being grown at the Ruth Bancroft’s Garden.

If Ruth can grow it successfully in Walnut Creek, then maybe my little plant will turn out just as nice. Of course I’ll have to remember to protect it from the winter freeze.  

Here is a close up of one of the two fruit still on the plant.  I was hoping they would grow as successfully as the cactus pear.

Dragonfruit is also known as pitaya, a plant native to the tropics. It’s a succulent with three sided stems and sharp tiny spines.

Dragonfruit has become more popular lately because of it’s health benefits. It’s full of antioxidant, fiber and high in vitamin C. It’s can be eaten fresh or as dried fruit (preserved). It’s also made into wine. I’ve even seen it being mixed into energy drink and included in skincare products too.

Read the rest of this entry »

Since it’s autumn, I’ve wanted to see what was ready for tasting at the International Fruit Orchard. Some trees looked like it was picked bare and others were just too green to eat.

Here are a few fruits I did manage to find on the tree. Maybe they will all be ready next month.

This one is the Kousa Dogwood with it’s edible fruit. The tree itself is usually known for their beautiful spring flowers. It’s an Asian flowering dogwood. Native to Korea, Japan and China.

The green fruit make your mouth pucker, much like green persimmon. These fruits contain anthocyanins, which are antioxidant flavonoids. They actually remind me of round version of noni fruit.

Read the rest of this entry »

This time lapse video was taken by Simon Christen over the period of one year in the San Francisco bay area. It really brings out the beauty of the place. It’s very mesmerizing to watch. I never realized how beautiful it is to see the moon rise or the cloud of fog rolling in across the landscape.

The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.

Music by Nick Cave - Mary’s Song from the Soundtrack of “Assassination of Jesse James”.

Here is how Simon explains what settings to use for the night shots:

“I am always shooting in full manual mode and then adjust the exposure as the light changes. I take care of the “jumps” later in post. The exposure really varies depending on the shot. For example a bright city needs shorter shutter speeds then fog illuminated by moon light. The shutter speeds ends up being around 4-5 sec with the aperture wide open and high ISO settings. This way I get to take a picture every 5-6 seconds.”

Find more of Simon’s work at simonchristen.com

It’s October and the weather is finally starting to cool down. Time to take out the sweaters, scarves, and drink more tea.

I came upon this herbal Noni tea at the local Asian grocery store. Noni juice has been available in America for some time now. It’s been marketed as a super health supplement. The bottled noni juice are usually from Fiji and Tahiti. But some are from Hawaii and other tropic countries.

Here are some benefits to drinking noni tea:

• Rich in antioxidants
• Promotes feelings of relaxation
• Supports proper digestion
• Relief from menstrual cramps

The scientific name for noni is “Morinda citrifolia”. It is native to Southeast Asia and can be found growing in any tropical climate.

The noni tree bears flowers and fruits all year round. The fruit is really made of multiple fruits and reminds me of a large mulberry.

I’ve never tasted any real noni fruit and based on the description I’ve read so far, it doesn’t sound too appealing.  As the fruit ripens, it is described to have a strong “cheese-like” smell and bitter taste.

Read the rest of this entry »

Time lapse video is so much fun to watch. The first one I ever saw and still remember was of a seed growing into a plant. And this was back in grade school. Even to this day, watching time lapse video still amazes me.

“Shot from a single balcony in Vancouver, British Columbia. I’d love to see what the world looks like from your rooftop, balcony or patio. Maybe even your fire escape?” - dangerous68

This one is one of my favorite time lapse video I’ve come across lately. I especially like the intro with the clouds and mountain, the song is fun too.

Read the rest of this entry »

This week’s technology highlight comes from Google and their self-driving vehicles. The fleet consist of six Toyota Priuses and one Audi TT, driving from LA to SF along scenic highway 101.

The cars were driving themselves using decision-making artificial intelligence software. And were accompanied by a technician to monitor the navigation system and take control if anything goes wrong.

While in San Francisco, the car even made it out to Lombard Street. The one block section that is famous for it’s steep hill along the tight and twisty turns.

Anyone who’s ever visited SF, needs to drive thru this street. Nice photo from San Francisco DiaryStar.

The test drive from SF to LA was successful, except for one minor accident where it was hit from behind. The cars were able to navigated themselves successfully in city traffic, even stopping for pedestrians too.

Google believes these driveless cars will make for safer roadways and also reduce energy cost. As a fleet of shared smart vehicles will only be driven when needed and not owned or parked by each person. A bit like Zipcars. Plus no need for designated drivers now that your car can drive you home.

Google believes the future of autonomous vehicles can be here within the next decade. But the legal issue surrounding that would be another story.

Read the rest of this entry »

Introducing the “Chocolate & Sea Salt” handmade soap. It’s fresh off my curing rack.

Ingredients: Oils of coconut, palm, rice bran, and soy. Guava juice, sodium hydroxide, wheat germ and sunflower oil, cocoa powder, and fine Brazilian sea salt.

The guava juice smells fruity, but none of the scent made it to the final bar. So it’s a rather unscented bar with the slight chocolate scent from the cocoa powder. It’s the first time I’ve used guava juice instead of water or milk. Turned out to be a great bar of soap that my skin loved.

Notice the white speckles? They’re from the salt. Only the top portion has the chocolate and looks to be seeping. I’m starting to think it looks a bit creepy, so maybe that’s perfect for Halloween.

The cocoa powder is added because it’s rich in antioxidant and has natural moisturizing properties.

Brazilian Sea Salt. Photo from .

The salt (Brazilian sea salt) makes it a harder bar. When I was cutting the bar, the bottom edge tend to crack a bit. After several use, the edges smooth out on it’s own.

The salt in the soap also provides a relaxing and soothing effect on the skin. And instead of taking a messy salt scrub shower, why not just use a salt bar instead? Other popular salts being used in soap include Himalayan salt, Dead Sea salt and Hawaiian sea salt.

I love using the Himalayan Honeysuckle as I always feel much more refreshed after each shower. Maybe it’s something to do with the salt?

The only down side with a salt bar is that it doesn’t lather too well. To fix that, just use this soap with a bath sponge and it will produce loads of sud and foam.

So lather up!

Ever since I found out about the health and beauty benefits of Sea Buckthorn, I’ve been trying to add it to my skin care regiment. Including the sea buckthorn handmade soap from my soap collection.

The latest sea buckthorn product I’m using is from Sibu Beauty.

Here are some of the benefits of using this facial cream:

- Promotes tissue recovery and healing
- Rejuvenates sun-damaged skin
- Protects against environmental stress
- Preserves healthy skin tone and texture
- Boosts collagen production
- Helps reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines
- Helps address rosacea and eczema symptoms

Read the rest of this entry »