Bento

It's been a hard time to force Ian to eat bread in the morning.  I come across a blog, I saw the beautiful bread with tigger & pooh face.  I started to search online shop for this beautiful bread cutter.  Finally, managed to buy tigger & pooh, mickey & mini, doremon bread cutter, sauce container and the nice containers. 

My morning life started busy, rush & of course meaningful for preparing these nice bento.  I'm happy that everyday Ian back from school with an empty snack box & he'll now request what he want to bring to school.

If you are interested you may visit the online shop below:
http://www.nst.my/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=16
http://www.myresipi.com/category/index/2

X'mas Eve-24 Dec 08

X'mas Eve, celebrated with family, Sis Karine & mom, home-made steamboat prepared by me.  I like the dumpling so much, yummy...


Set-up the x'mas tree a month ago with Ian, initially I don't want to, Ian insisted to help me out & daddy also bought some new hanging stuff, So finally we have a nice x'mas tree.

Diet and Blood Type

Eat Right for your Blood Type.
This link:  Blood Type Diet provided all the 'OK To Eat' and to be 'Avoid' food list according to your blood type.

Following decades of on-going research and clinical work, Dr. D'Adamo created 'The Blood Type Diets', a way of eating and living that has transformed the health of millions. To the first science that understands you as a biochemical individual.

A blood type diet is a nutrition plan based around your blood type. This kind of diet became popular with the release of Peter D’Adamo’s book Eat Right 4 Your Type. The book continues to be a bestseller. D’Adamo claims that the diet will not only bring about weight loss — but can assist with allergy and infection resistance, and will achieve overall good health.

What is a Blood Type Diet?

Most of the population has blood type O. Here the prescribed diet is low-carbohydrate, high in proteins (such as meat and fish), and low in dairy products. The author suggests specific foods to avoid; such as avocados, brazil nuts, and oranges. Type O should also engage in lots of exercise.

Blood Type A should avoid red meat, eat plenty of fish and vegetables, with a low dairy intake. Light exercise only.

Blood Type B should avoid chicken and bacon, eat plenty of meat and dairy, some fish, and plenty of fruit and vegetables.

Blood Type AB combines the A and B diets.

Is This Diet For Real?

The author claims that much of the recommendations are based on scientific evidence – but perhaps it is too early to make this claim. Metabolism and/or sugar/insulin sensitivity are probably key factors in deciding diet – not blood type. Two people can have very different metabolisms and have the same blood type. One could be sensitive to carbohydrates or sugar, whilst the other needs a high carbohydrate diet.

Weight loss and other health improvements may occur on this diet – not so much because of blood type combinations, but because of a healthier diet! The author encourages people to cut down on processed and refined foods. Good advice for anyone regardless of blood type.

The book also includes low calorie diets that will probably bring about weight loss in anyone (once again, regardless of blood type).

 

 

 

Sample Meal Plans for the Blood Type Diet

Type B Menu Breakfast Fluidizer cocktail Rice bran cereal with banana and skim milk Grape juice Lunch Sandwich – thin slice of cheese, thin slice of turkey breast, two slices of bread, mustard or mayonnaise Green salad Herbal tea Snack Fruit juice sweetened yogurt Herbal tea Dinner Broiled Fish with steamed vegetables Fresh fruit Herbal tea or coffee	Type O Menu Breakfast 2 slices toasted Ezekiel bread with butter 6 ounces vegetable juice Banana Herbal tea Lunch Organic Roast Beef, 6 ounces Spinach Salad Apple or pineapple slices Water Snack 1 slice of cake Herbal tea Dinner Lamb and asparagus stew, steamed broccoli, sweet potato. Mixed fresh fruit Herbal tea (beer or wine allowed)
Type A Menu Breakfast Water with lemon Oatmeal with soy milk and maple syrup Grapefruit juice Coffee or herbal tea Lunch Greek salad Apple 1 slice sprouted wheat bread Herbal tea Snack 2 rice cakes with peanut butter 2 plums Green tea or water Dinner Tofu Pesto Lasagna, Broccoli, Frozen yogurt Coffee or herbal tea (red wine if desired)	Type AB Menu Breakfast Water with lemon, 8 ounces diluted grapefruit juice, 2 slices Ezekiel bread, Yogurt-Herb Cheese, Coffee Lunch 4 ounces sliced turkey breast, 2 slices rye bread Caesar salad 2 plums Herbal tea Snack Tofu Cheesecake Iced herbal tea Dinner Tofu Omelet Stir-fried vegetables Mixed-fruit salad Decaffeinated coffee (red wine if desired)

More recipes ideas can be found here.

Ian 3rd Birthday Party

After few months preparation, finally everyone enjoyed with the party packs, goodies bag, games and food...
I prepared the food, and luckily got help by friends & relatives...

Plastic Bottles

Did you ever drink from a plastic bottle and see a triangle symbol on the bottom with a number inside?

Do you know what the number stands for?
Did you guess that it's just for recycling?  
Then you are WRONG !!!!!!
THE NUMBER TELLS YOU  THE CHEMICAL MAKE UP OF THE PLASTIC.....

1)    Polyethylene terephalate (PET)
2)    High density polyethylene (HDPE)
3)    Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) or
       Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PPVC)
4)    Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
5)    Polypropylene (PP)
6)    Polystyrene (PS) or Expandable polystyrene (EPS)
7)    Other, including nylon and acrylic

What you aren't told is that many of the plastics used are toxic and the chemicals used to create a plastic can leach out of the plastic and into the food/drink.
Think about it, how many times have you or a friend said "I don't like this, it taste like the plastic bottle ....."

THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE TASTING THE PLASTIC

The WORST ONES are Nos: 3, 6, and 7 !!!

DO NOT USE THESE NUMBERS if stated at the bottom of the bottle) !!!
Check out this chart that breaks down the plastic, its uses and chemical makeup (I find #7 a little scary)

Parenting Seminar

James & I attended a parenting seminar organised by Tadika GCC, Desa Setapak in one of their Tadika, Sri Manja Canggih. The speaker is Dr Goh... The seminar gave us some ideas on how to handle our kid, and deal with them... and the most important the parents is the key of the child's future...

Firstly, he suggested to have parents meeting to discuss what qualities and values are important to us, i.e., what qualities do we want to encourage in our child and search for our motives, i.e., why are these important to us?  And to ensure child centered parenting.
Come to the area of development, i found that we needs more effort on ian's emotional development and moral/spiritual development...
One of the Keys to Create a Conducive Environment for Growth is to spend one to one time with our child, i.e., not just task focused but also leisure and enjoyment...

Besides, practice child-initiated learning from the very start by setting the direction, the pace and parents role as a facilitator.  After that, give our child some structures, like have clear boundaries that are value and security based (can be discussed as they grow older), communicate clearly about these boundaries, make sure they are clear of the consequences of these boundary violations, follow through on action to boundary violations, punishment based on child's actions and intentions. As a parents must lead by example also, model the values we expect in our child and cultivate our own physical, intellectual, emotional, social and moral development in our regular life reflection.

Lastly, encourage and cultivate dreams and ambitions. Do not force our dreams on our children, allow them to express their dreams and hopes, do not put down these dreams and help them create plan of action.

In conclusion, Positive Parenting requires a lot of time and work, patience and perseverance, love and grace.

Preparation for Ian 3rd Birthday Party

My son fell in love with the Disney TV series, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. The idea came after we subscribed to Disney Channel-Astro. We bought a Mickey Mouse bedroom set for him, he's really love it and his shirt, pants, underwear, shoes, slipper, tumbler and so on are all Mickey Mouse. We bought a Mickey Mouse doctor set as his X'mas gift last year.

Therefore, we are planning for his party with this theme. I started to prepare for the party from Dec 07, searching party decoration, games, activities, art & crafts, foods... I've just finished prepared the Art & Crafts for the kids, shopping for the stuff & foods and packed for the party packs and gifts. The cake is ordered from Secret Recipe-Chocolate Indulgence, and of course with the picture of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. These 2 days I've to pack the goodies bag & hand-make the decoration... Think of the cooking on sat, already sweating...

I plan to get him some educational toys as a birthday gift, coz i was told his progress for the last 3 months that he's lack of concentration, focusing and he's too playful. Whereas, he has good points too like helpful, concerning, and love to sing. That's why James bought him a guitar and he plays after school non-stop in grandma's home. Yen Yee also bought him a drum set he plays like a real drummer... hehehe

But, God helps me a lot in patience and the workout...
I hope that we can have a nice time with him and he enjoys everything...