Cake or Pudding

This is my first try of making mud cake. I bought the chocolate on impulse and found that the recipe at the back is really easy so I made it last night. It looked quite nice before i put in the oven but it had colapsed when it was cooked as I have to leave it longer as required because the inside wasn't cooked quickly. This is all because of using gluten-free flour. I haven't found a secret recipe or tip yet when baking using gluten-free flour. There might be one as I have found that the cake cooks slower or longer than usual. Sometimes, it is moist or dry. Oh well, I just have to persevere and reward myself with funny t shirts when I have perfected a recipe.

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It's All About What's In Down Under | Permanence in Change | I Am A Shoeaholic | A Juggling Act | Healthy Living | The Life of a Tatapilla | What's reel and real?

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Fibre-rich

This is probably for me as I seem to think that I don't eat as much fibre as I should. Well, actually I think that I dont eat as much as I should but I can only so much.

From bodyandsoul.com.au:

Here are four ways to get more fibre in your diet
1
Choose vegetables over salad

Salad vegetables such as lettuce, rocket and radicchio are delicious and aer rich in vitamin K, C, beta-carotene and iron. However, as a vegetable, they are low fibre choices. Enjoy your salads, but add fibre-rich vegetables to your diet daily such as cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, beans and peas.
2
Replace fruit and vegetable juice with fruit and vegetables

If you have ever used a juicer, you will have seen the pulp left behind after extracting the juice. This pulp is fibre. Fruit juice, in particular, is high in sugar and low on the valuable fibre that fruit in its unprocessed form offers.
3
Less processed is best

When possible choose the least processed food option. For instance, eat brown rice over white rice and go for 100 per cent wholemeal bread over white or even multigrain. Whole grains contain double the fibre of their refined cousins. Taking this unprocessed concept further: eat potatoes with the skin on (even in mashed potato) or bake pumpkin with the skin – even the seeds too. With fruit, don't peel apples, pears or even grapes. Enjoy them: seeds, peel and all.
4
Brekkie fibre recipe

This recipe is a brilliant way of starting the say with enough fibre. Sprinkle a dessertspoon on your cereal; add it to smoothies or even yoghurt. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

Mix together

1 cup ground LSA (linseeds, sunflower seeds, almonds) available from supermarkets
1 cup slippery elm powder
1 cup rice bran
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup psyllium husks
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp acidophilus powder

Well, at least I eat as much veggies and fruit as I can. I am not fond of drinking juice or eating dried fruit or anything that go through the barcode scanner individually. I like them in packs of greens, that is.

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It's All About What's In Down Under | Permanence in Change | I Am A Shoeaholic | A Juggling Act | Healthy Living | The Life of a Tatapilla | What's reel and real?

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Strawberry Cake

Jens and I have just made a strawberry cake for the first time - checking up trade show accessories will come later. He's been wanting strawberry cake for almost two weeks. It's winter so it was possible as strawberries are in season though as of last Friday, they were still a bit dear.

The photo is available here: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=226112864084901&set=a.168782609817927.42612.100000585667996&type=1&theater

We got the recipe from bestrecipes.com.
Ingredients:
Butter
Caster Sugar
Eggs
Self-raising flour (we used gluten-free)
a punnet of strawberries
milk
vanilla

The recipe is similar to banana cake except using strawberries instead of bananas. It was a hit - not too sweet and the strawberries balanced the flavour.

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Tea-like :)

You Are Apple Cinnamon Tea

You are a warm and friendly person. You have a compassionate heart, and it shows. You are naturally sweet and kind. Your spirit of generosity is far reaching. You love to be cozy and comfortable. You are a natural homebody. And while you like to be at home, you're not a hermit. You love it when your friends make themselves at home at your place.

What Herbal Tea Are You?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

I am not a tea drinker so I cant really say what does cinnamon tea taste like.. Uh duh, cinnamon of course. I only drink tea if I have to.

I'd consider myself a homebody these days. I am already out 5 days in a week so I'd rather spend time at home with my family (could be playing with monster rc trucks) cooking, baking.. or simply have fun at home.

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Immunity

The cold season is what I consider the time when people have to gear up their body. Sniffles, cold, flu and cough seems to be the trend illnesses. Here are some tips.

Five ways to boost your immunity

Eat a tub of organic yoghurt or a bowl of miso soup.
Drink a smoothie full of alkalising green vegetables.
Try a probiotic drink such as kefir.
Limit alcohol, caffeine and soft drinks.
Choose healthy oils such as olive oil and healthy fats such as oily fish and avocados.

I might just take up the eating yoghurt while sitting on Adirondack chairs in the backyard if we have one.

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Live Simpler

You Are Milk

You are caring and nurturing. You like to make sure that your friends are well fed and well loved. As long as the basics are covered for you, you're happy. All you seek is a roof over your head and a full stomach. You are a calming influence on others. You haven't figured out why or how, but you're a pretty naturally peaceful person. You help remind people of simpler, easier times. You make others feel like everything is going to be okay.

What Dairy Product Are You?

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

I realise that my life is so many ups and downs of everything. There was a time that I wasn't as materialistic as other times. I've sworn off spending and acquiring things that are really not necessary. There are also times, that I indulged myself with excessive shopping. But behind all these, I still think that I want to live simpler. Yes, we now live a very simple life.. but mayby a little bit simpler. I just hope that hair loss treatments wouldn't get in the way of that thinking. I'd prefer living fully in a more emotional and spiritual way.

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The Pasta Test

You Are Fettuccine Alfredo

Compared to most people, you have rich and decadent tastes. If you can afford something, you'll go ahead and indulge yourself. You are a true foodie. No food is off the table for you. You're the type most likely to appreciate every aspect of a five star meal.

What Pasta Dish Are You?

Blogthings: We Have a Quiz for Almost Everything

Well, this isn't really true as my first love in pasta dishes is the good old spaghetti bolognese. I veered away from white sauce as more ofte, I don't like it. It seems every chef has their own idea of what comprise a white sauce like that of alfredo. Tomato-based sauce seldom go wrong. I'm on the safe side. I'm more on investing in sure think like buying gold coins or American silver eagles rather than investing in high-rish market.

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Show Empathy

As a parent, I really hope that the Tatapilla will grow up a likeable individual with good manners. I know there are many books available or any reading materials that I have access to but I seldom read them. We play it by the ears or through our instinct. I'm sure my parents didn't have a guide or manual while raising us up but we ended up quite good actually.

Today, I read about teaching kids to show empathy and one example was taking care of animals. Just last week, two ginger kittens adopted us (followed us home when we went for a walk). They're the neighbours but it seems that they are not taking care of them so Mcj being a cat-lover is feeding them at home and they dont have plans of going home. The Tatapilla is really keen on them. He feeds them, baby them, play with them. I now see that he likes taking care of them.

We do our best in teaching him manners and at the same time, hope that it will take him further in life. If only with kids you can take a 5th wheel insurance and when something go wrong, the insurance company will pay you out and you'll get a new one. We apply our learnings from our experience and at the same time, based on the Tatapilla's personality.

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Filipino Food

No, I didnt buy all these food from the Filipino Grocery. I'm the only person who eats pinoy food and it's no fun eating something on your own. It's best shared. Plus, most of these food are for family consumption.. buying just for one person seems a waste as it cant be consumed soon enough. It's not like buying Wholesale Insurance. Although, I enjoyed browsing at the shops. It makes me feel like I'm back in the Philippines.

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Energy Drink

They've been on the market for how long? I'm not really sure but it's just recently that I have tried them. I was really getting tired these days that any boost is welcome. I started with redbul. I didnt take one can in one day. Also tried V.. and then wicked. So far, I cant give any decent testimony that these products have really boosted my energy. I don't drink as much so maybe that's the reason. I dont feel different than when I drink coffee. Meaning, when I am tried.. I am tired. No amount of coffee can perk me up - it seems that if I am into playing games Id be wide wake with xbox slim). I am actually on the verge of thinking that all these products are just having placibo effect.


But what really is in energy drinks?

What are their main ingredients?
The main ingredients in energy drinks are caffeine, taurine and glucuronolactone. Some new drinks on the market also contain opium poppy seed extract or ephedrine.

Taurine
Taurine is an amino acid that occurs naturally in the body. Amino acids help to build protein. They are also believed to detoxify and cleanse the body of harmful substances. In times of stress and high physical activity, the body can lose small amounts of taurine. Some people use energy drinks to try to replace or build up their body's level of taurine.

Glucuronolactone
Glucuronolactone also occurs naturally in the body. It is a natural metabolite and carbohydrate formed when glucose breaks down, and is believed to be helpful in ridding the body of harmful substances and providing an instant energy boost.

Caffeine
Caffeine is a stimulant which acts on the central nervous system to speed up the messages to and from the brain so that the person feels more aware and active.

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It's All About What's In Down Under | Permanence in Change | I Am A Shoeaholic | A Juggling Act | Healthy Living | The Life of a Tatapilla | What's reel and real?

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