Kefir III

I've been drinking a cup of kefir first thing in the morning for about 2 weeks. It taste a bit thicker and creamier then regular milk and a bit sour, but ok for my adventurous taste buds.*chuckles*
Now I've mastered the way to make them (I think), to make a perfect kefir, specially at warm tropical climate, just put 1 TB of kefir grain for 500ml of fresh milk (low fat milk, powder milk work fine) into a glass or plastic (non-PC) container or jar.
Cover the container with a lid (just lightly close it because the fermentation proses produce CO2 gas: you don't want your container suddenly explode, right?)
Place jar or bottle or container onto a slightly dark and cool place a.k.a onto the corner of cupboard for 12-18 hours (max).
Your kefir is ready when you see on the bottom of the container that the milk is clearly separated into whey and curds.
Shake it to mix the whey and curds into homogeneous liquid. Then is time for first milking!
Strain the milk to separate kefir grain from the milk curd (the slightly yellow things in the strainer are your kefir grains) put the grain back into a clean container with fresh milk for next fermentation, DONE.
You may enjoy your kefir right away (I like mine slightly cool) or store your kefir in a glass container in the refrigerator and you can add each newly make batches in it. Just shake it slowly to mix it.
Easy and simple.
Note:
If you let them sit too long, as suggested 24 hours, it will become cheese and whey and uneatable, this maybe because of tropical climate which is usually between 28-31' make the grain become active.
To slow them down, after 18 hours fermentation, just put the bottle and all into the fridge. They will still continue to fermentation but much slower.
If you wish to suspend the fermentation for a few weeks, just put them (kefir grain + milk)into the refrigerator.
NEVER PUT THEM INTO THE FRIDGE, THE GRAIN WILL DIE AT 0'

OMG

I baked banana bread this morning, and after I poured the batter into a loaf pan, put them in the oven, and re-read the recipe, OMG, I found out that I forgot to mix in sugar.
Gosh, luckily it turn out Ok, and sweet enough, maybe because some of extra raisins and cranberries that I added into the batter.

BPA Free MIlk Bottle

At last! After weeks of searching and waiting (a bit exaggerate hehe), my BPA free milk bottle arrived today. My very nice cousin in Jakarta, Ling, a general practitioner, bought them for me. Her Edward, 18 months, also uses this kind of bottle.

Megan still drinks from bottle twice a day and since been informed by my sister, Dewi, news about BPA, I took them very seriously.
I always count on my sister for all the important news about babies and health. I don’t have too much spare time to browse or read magazines. If I time in my hand, I better use them to read all the books and novels that I keep stacking or downloading but no time to read.

Because Megan was breast feeding baby, she only accept milk bottle with wide neck nipple and because breast feeding still not ‘in trend’ in Medan, it’s very hard to find them only 2-3 brands and none BPA free.
Thinking of spoon feeding Megan her daily milk, twice a day, made me headache already.
I don't buy any PC made water bottle for Megan. For school or drinking cups, I used Richell 'Mugtre' and Pigeon 'Mug Mug' which are made from PP and still safe (until now).

Luckily, Ling kindly bought them and sent them over for me, thank you a lot.
For those mummies out there who have no clue about what’s BPA, please check on: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A.
Because it's very important for your love ones and even your own health.

Killer Maid

This weekend, people was shocked by the incident that took place on 20 Feb, 03.15 Wib in Medan.
Two children, aged 12 and 13, brother and sister, were burned to die by their own house maid.
The maid, Sri, who only has been working 3.5 months for this family has fled away and now under police DPO
The parents has been out of town, to HongKong, for business left the children under the care of 2 maid (Hartini, who is pregnant and has been working for this family for 7 years and Sri)and also the children Nainai who lives only few blocks away.
Nainai came visited her grandchildren daily, and on the incident night,she even left their house around 22.30 after dropped a few loaves of bread for children breakfast.
But, who will knew that's the last time she will met them.
On nearly dawn, Nainai received called from her grandchilden asking for help. They told her that their house was on fire and the room was dark because the electricity was cut out due to fire and their room was locked from outside. The panic stricken nainai told the children tried to escape by themselves and she drove frantically to her son house ASAP, only find that she's not able to help, just despairingly and hopelessly stared on the children room window which was on the 3th fl and iron barred.
The window was high enough for 13 and 12 years old children and the glass panes was too thick for them to break down. The broken heart Nainai cried, screaming for help but the fireman can only do a little. The fire was too big and the room was too high.
Nainai saw her beloved one head boobing in and out behind the window glass for a few minutes, then...none....
Hartini, she was too locked from outside of her room but her room was on 2nd fl and she was strong enough to break down the glass (but not to pull out the iron bar) and tried to breath from outside. When the fireman able to break thought the second fl, she was saved.
Sri was nowhere to find. She shared the same room with Hartini.
The report from CSI concluded that the fire started on the 1 ft floor,was burned under the X-trail car, that caused the explosion later, and from kitchen (the arsoner even turned on the generator and gas stove)
Sri, only 16 years old, from further investigation revealed that she also killed a baby under her care at Jawa 2 years ago by baking him in the oven.
So scary!!!! The yayasan's very irresponsible. Because the law in Indonesia is very unfair, specially if the victims are Chinese, so, mummies out there, beware! Even if she was cought, her jail time will be short and she'll release in no time. Here, I uploaded her picture, just be careful, specially if you're hiring maid from Indonesia.

Money and Friend

I met an ex- gym friend in the mall just now. We used to be very closed friend back then. We cried on each other shoulder and pour our heart out.
Then, she moved to another gym because of some reasons, but still we're closed. We smses almost daily and able to smses until midnight.
Then one day she called me because her hubby was caught by government for being accused of corruption (her hubby has some government project)and asked my uncle help. My uncle did made some call and pulled some strings but then told me he could not help him because it was full of political complication. My uncle did gave her some advices and told her not to trusted outsider too much because they tend to get advantage from her.
I was sad for her for not able to help her and kept pushing my uncle to help him. That time my uncle told me: 'don't be so stupid, we already did our best to help them so take easy and by the time, it will alright'
She was advised another way by someone and she decided to follow them. But still I tried to be her pal and always be there for her.
Then, to cut it short, her hubby was released, as my uncle said.
But for all of sudden, I lost a pal, she put distance between us. And we barely communicated with each other.
Her hubby's now very rich and they moved to a luxury house.
When we met just now, I felt a 'pang' of sadness, she's so snob, just said 'hi' and seem eager to fled away, I approached her but she stepped back, so I just stay put and smile, chatted a bit and said 'goodbye'.
Well, money , a lot of money can really change people, even the one closed to you.

ARGH!!! SO HOT

The weather is so hot, the heat is unbearable these days. It's 33'c today. But compare to our Aussie friends, I count myself still lucky.
Since Sunday, the daily news about Aussie bushfire catastrophe always put my eyes in tears. Imagined all the humans, animals, koalas, kangaroos, wombats burn to death were so sad.
I really want to do something for them, for all the victims but, what can I do? I pray for them, may their souls are in peace.

kefir II

Well, my first and second batch kefir milk turned out to be matured too fast. First batch matured in 14 hours and instead of putting the kefir milk container in the cool box with ice cubes (to controlled the temperature around 15'as the seller suggested me to) ,I put it in my easiyo yoghurt maker container with some ice cubes plus ice water in it. And turned out, again too active, matured in 20 hours.
For the third batch, I , again put it into easyo container, but with alot ice cubes plus cold water and adding more ice cubes every 6 hours. The result: too de-active grain( slap fore head ) not even any curdling after 24 hours. *sight* I store it now in the cupboard, already showing some coagulation, hah!!!!really I think i must invested freezer thermometer for the future batches.
For anyone interested or curious about kefir, you can browse to http://www.kefir.org/kefir_manual.htm

Kefir

Have you heard all the miraculous benefit of kefir? I've been searching for the grains ages ago :(
Well, at last on a lucky stoke, I found a seller in Jakarta. Just received the grain still in it's container yesterday evening. Dunno if the grain is still alive or not. Because the seller asked me to self collect them from DHL but I was so busy yesterday and the weather is cloudy, so I let Dhl to do their job: to door delivery.( note:
Kefir grain is living organisms, must strongly avoid from direct sunlight)
Anyhow, I'll try to make my first batch and see what the result will be.

The last slice of cranberries nuts bread

Oh.. I took a bite before remember to take the pic

Chinese New Year

GONG XI FA CHAI AND HAPPY MOOO MOOO YEAR FOR ALL , MAY GOD BLESS U ALL WITH HEALTH, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS DURING THIS OXPICIOUS NEW YEAR!!!

So busy to prepare for this special time every year and as usual, I have no time to blog at all.
I baked peanut butter cookies and classic cranberries bread for this kuo nien. I put many 'good meaning' food/ ingredient into my baking such as: orange,peanut,pistachio nuts, cashew nuts, dates, cranberries etc.
I haven't find any recipes using lychee or longan yet hehehe, mum will be so glad if I bake such as lychee cake.

Okay, anyway, let's sneak peek around my kuo-nien activities, shall we....
On new year eve, this year, we just have some simple meal at night but already busy whole day, preparing offering for our ancestor (forget to take pics). Then at mid night, we 'bai-Thien-Gong'(also forget to take pics) because too tired already, longing to sleep.
Chu It morning, after giving and receiving hung-pau, mum and my sister went to temples, I joined them in the afternoon for tjhai lunch then we bai nien at my elderly aunt from my daddy side at her house.
As every kuo nien Chu It tradition, we went to my uncle's house for dinner at night. He's the leader of Chinese society in Medan so you can imagine, how crowded his house that night. You can met the new elected Governor, Mayor, Police Chief, etc.. almost all important people in Medan (again.. forget to take pics because busy helping my aunts greeting visitors)
The most favorite is Chu Er, we, all family reunited and take turn to pai nien to each other houses, from elder one to youngest one. So fun so crowded, making a huge mess in each other houses. Not to mention when changing ang -pau, all children scream and jumping around to get ang pau me included, hehe, cause Megan is still small, so mummy has to fight for her right, right?)
At night, dinner at Taipan Restaurant. No shark fin this year, for my uncles have been enlighten about the endangered sharks. :)
Chu San and the others, we just pai nien to friends house or serving guests in our house.

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Megan Hau Suii

Megan now really hou sui... Although she still only able to speak few words such as mama, papa, nenek, mimik, ini, and only has 8 teeth, but she know fashion!
Just need to say : 'Megan wear pretty dress, OK?' she will gladly help you to undress herself and after wearing her pretty dress ( which she has pointed, if not the one she wanted, she will scurried away) she will standing in front of dressing mirror, smiling....
Then ....refused to change back to her daily lousy T-shirt.
Surprise, my little baby has grown up.....

Classic Cranberry Nut Bread

Yeah, I did it again...I bake bread again yesterday. Cranberry nut Bread. I got the recipes from www.allrecipes.com.
I substitute some of the ingredient thought:
I cut down the sugar from 1 cup to 1/2 cup , substitute 1/2 cup of cranberries with raisin (because I's out of it, add 2 very ripe mashed bananas, used salted 'kacang monyet' instead of pecan and used 'kim kiet' peel instead of orange peel.
The result is "Yummy!!!"
Some maybe wander, why I start and eager to learn to bake? Well to tell the truth, that's all because my parent who just have their yearly blood check up, found out their cholesterol and blood pressure quite high, even they always watch their diet. But they have daily snack bought from market such as kueh nyonya or various bread from bread-talk, Cholesterol must sneakily came from there.
So I thought, homemade baking are much more healthy and nutritious. We can control amount of salt and sugar intake in our cooking, and also kind of oil we used. And now Megan is having her snack once a day, so..... here we go, Baking for family health.