Wednesday 31 December 2014

Yummy desserts made of fruits!

We haven't been sick for a whole year! Ever since we started eating 50% raw food, we haven't had any medicine or seen any doctor. It's a far cry from how we were two years ago, all of us sick practically every month and having permanent runny noses and chesty coughs.

But raw food! Isn't that a little extreme, people ask? Just apples and bananas and salads? Doesn't that make you feel always hungry and cold? And how about cakes and desserts?

Well, we do enjoy our occasional beancurd and aloe vera desserts. And there's no shortage of raw desserts! It just needs a little experimentation! Just google "raw vegan desserts" and you'll be spoilt for choice.

Here are some really simple raw fruit tarts that the kids invented.





Fruit Tart Ideas
  1. Pomegranate seeds served in avocado or mango bowls.
  2. Blueberry on avocado mousse on a pear base.
  3. Persimmon helicopter tarts on apple and avocado mousse.
  4. Chopped apple on avocado mousse on a pear base.
If you have the time, try blending dates with the avocado. It's heavenly!

It all started when we started experimenting with different ways to cut fruit. We sliced apples and pears into thin discs, scraped some avocado over them like cream, and decorated it with whatever fruit bits we could find! They looked so pretty, we almost couldn't bear to eat them!

We get our mangoes and pomegranates from Sathish Fruit and Vegetable stall at 56 Serangoon Road, next to Tekka Mall. The pomegranates are seedless (meaning the seeds are chewable) and taste sweet, without being too sweet! The kids describe it as a Ribena sweet, with a gluten-free biscuit (the seed!) on the inside! The mangoes are the big Indian mangoes. Their bananas are lovely too, especially if you like the red ones.

And while you're there, pop by our favourite vegetarian Indian restaurant: Madras New Woodlands, 14 Upper Dickson Road, Singapore 207474. They serve the best Ghee Thosai ever! I can give up meat, I can give up noodles, I can even give up rice. But I can't give up ghee thosai!
We love the VIP Thali (10-12 little bowls of all the different dishes), Appam (rice pancakes with coconut milk filling) and Samosa Chat too.

But I digress.... this post was supposed to be about raw desserts!

Here are some other really simple and super-quick healthy raw desserts

Saturday 29 November 2014

DIY Toys: Vegetable Dye Playsilks




Playsilks are wonderful open-ended toys. These quintessential Waldorf toys can become dress up toys, hoods, capes, gowns, swirling magic, blazing fires or flowing rivers.

We made our own at home, using vegetable dyes. We used:

Beetroot (red)
Tumeric (yellow)
Purple Cabbage (purple)
Purple Cabbage and baking soda (green)


Here's the tutorial: Bluebirdbaby natural vegetable dye playsilk tutorial

I bought the silks from Thaisilks.com and Dharmatrading.com . Thaisilks has 20-25% sales every now and then, if you can wait for them. The 8mm Habotai China silks work well - they are strong enough to survive rough play, translucent enough for that magical effect, and smooth enough on the skin for tactile enjoyment!

Alternatively, you can get ready-made ones from Sarahs Silks or Bella Luna Toys.

Monday 27 October 2014

The Best Gift a Mother Can Give Her Child

Nope, not breast milk.

Not any new-fangled educational toy.

Not expensive enrichment brain-boosting classes either.

The Best Gift a Mother Can Give Her Child is... a Happy Mother.

It sounds simple but it is incredibly hard to do.

I learnt it the hard way. And like the last-in-class student, I keep having to re-learn it!

When my little girl was born, I thought that by sacrificing my rest/hobbies/me-time/enjoyment,  I was loving her. The resulting stay-at-home-monster that was created soon taught me otherwise. I wondered why I was turning into an frazzled, irritable maniac. So much for those idyllic scenes of a mother singing lullabies and rocking their peaceful children to sleep, a contented smile on her face. I learnt that if I took a few hours to pamper myself and do what I wanted to do, guilt-free, the Happy Mother returning home from a nature walk/lunch date/outing was a far better gift than any supposedly noble sacrifice. And the best thing: it would be a win-win situation.

Five years later, I'm faced with the same issue again. Here I am, homeschooling my two lovely children and terrorizing them in the name of "doing what is best".

We've been busy moving house. In the last few weeks, my days were spent renovating, cleaning, packing and unpacking, loading and unloading... and in order to give them the best, we continued to eat meals at home and continue homeschooling and household chores. The stay-at-home-monster who disappeared a few years back re-emerged as a stay-at-home Mega Monster!

Once again, I picked up my five-year-old copy of 'Screamfree Parenting' by Hal Edward Runkel. I had initially borrowed it from the library but it proved effective in eradicating stay-at-home-monsters so I bought myself a copy to keep. It brought up an interesting concept:

"I love me for your benefit."

It seems counter-intuitive but I've come to see the wisdom in it. By loving yourself first, you ensure that you are a calm, balanced and happy caregiver, and only then can you truly be a blessing and inspirational role-model to your children.

A burnt-out, frazzled and overburdened mother is more of a liability and may do more damage than good. Love yourself so you can love others.

We declared a 1-Week No-Packing holiday to Restore Sanity. :)

bookdepository

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Pierce Reservoir




If we haven't already fulfilled our outdoor/nature quota for the day, The Place to go would be Lower Pierce Reservoir to watch the sunset.

It's not a far walk from the main road or car park to the grass and water. We like Lower Pierce Reservoir because it has a cosy, kampong feel.  Most of the people there are regulars who go at the same time every evening, so after a while, you'll start to recognise some of them and smile at them!

Children will usually be hopping on the rocks, peering at small creatures hidden among the rocks, or rolling on the grass.

There are always some men fishing with rods or catching bait using little underwater cage traps, and they are almost always happy to show the kids what they are doing and admire the prawns and fish that they have caught.

Dog owners are more than happy to let our children pat their dogs and play 'fetch' with them. Our little boy has no qualms about approaching a dog twice his size and asking the owner, "May I pat you your dog?" Our little girl sometimes gets rashes after playing with dogs (especially the slobbery ones!) and we discovered that Apple Cider Vinegar REALLY helps to stop the allergic reaction within minutes! But I digress.

If you're lucky, you'll get to see the two resident White-bellied Sea Eagles flying back to their nests before the sun sets. And also the occasional kingfisher. 

The kids are quite happy to invent their own games, throwing pebbles into the water or going fishing using any sticks they find, so it can turn out to be a romantic evening for the parents to cuddle up and watch the sunset together. 


Official Website:
National Parks Board


Getting There:

By Bus
163, 167, 169, 855, 980

By Car
Lower Peirce Reservoir Park is located off Upper Thomson Road, near the junction with Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.





Monday 29 September 2014

A train-themed birthday party


We had a Gruffalo-themed birthday dinner earlier this year. For the little boy's birthday, he requested a train-themed dinner!

It was fun and easy to make using construction paper, a loo roll, 4 bottle caps and a full tissue box - so the tissues could be the smoke!

Our tissue-box train pulled carriages of food, chugging over edamame train tracks and past vast banana leaf meadows.

After dinner, the children had a craft session to make their own tissue box trains!


Wednesday 10 September 2014

Mid-Autumn Festival and making snowskin mooncakes!


I'm so blessed to be part of a loving and multi-talented homeschool co-op! We made vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free Snowskin mooncakes during our Mid-Autumn-themed lesson. Each mum contributed something - I did the Chang'E and Mooncake Rebellion stories while the other mums prepared the ingredients, the lantern-making craft, the poems, songs, and food.

On my own, I would NEVER have attempted to make mooncakes, but the other mums prepared the glutinous rice snow skin paste and the lotus paste, and all we had to do we to knead them, shape them and put them into the molds. It was so therapeutic that I brought the extra dough home for a repeat session! Sadly, I don't have pictures of the homeschool co-op mooncake session. We were too busy having fun and eating as we made them, and our hands were too gooey to take any photos! Here's the recipe and step-by-step instructions on making no-bake Snowskin Mooncakes.

On Mid-Autumn night, we gathered for a potluck dinner at Bishan Park, followed by lots and lots of fire play with lanterns, sparklers and candles! It's not often that children are allowed to play with fire, and they were entranced. Which means that we mums had lots of time to do what we needed to do - stuff ourselves and talk. And Talk. And TALK! It's a highly important activity. It keeps me sane, makes me feel understood, gives me new ideas, and let's me know that I'm not alone in this sometimes overwhelming world of motherhood!

Tuesday 9 September 2014

How do snails do it?

How do snails do it? 


Very. very. slowly.



Sometimes, I'm amazed by the little things that children observe but adults miss. The little ones are constantly pointing out the squirrels, garden lizards, frogs, insect nests, and critters that are all around us in the neighbourhood. We spotted this amorous duo making love under the pale moonlight near our apartment. We watched them for a good 10 minutes, but they barely changed position!

We often go for slow nature walks together (covering 200m in 30 minutes!) and we take our time to drink in every detail and see who can point out the most number of exciting things! I think it does help the little ones to get into the habit of taking in details and being observant, a skill that would come in handy when they enter the world of comprehensions and cloze passages.

Beauty and wonder is all around us, if we would only take the time to slow down and look. How many beautiful sights do we miss while hurrying to our next appointment, or worse, walking with our eyes glued to some mobile device? 

Monday 25 August 2014

Study: Too Many Structured Activities May Hinder Children's Executive Functioning

Good news for laid-back parents.

Study: Too Many Structured Activities May Hinder Children's Executive Functioning 
When children spend more time in structured activities, they get worse at working toward goals, making decisions, and regulating their behavior, according to a new study.
Instead, kids might learn more when they have the responsibility to decide for themselves what they're going to do with their time. 
Psychologists at the University of Colorado and the University of Denver studied the schedules of 70 six-year olds, and they found that the kids who spent more time in less-structured activities had more highly-developed self-directed executive function. 
Source: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2014/07/study_too_many_structured_activities_hinder_childrens_executive_functioning.html?cmp=SOC-EDIT-FB




Children need more unstructured free time for brain development. When children complain that they are bored, it is not so much that they are under-stimulated, but that their creativity could use a boost.

I once taught an imaginative 6-year-old boy who could entertain himself for long periods of time with a single piece of paper. He would experiment on how paper could make loud sounds, be used as a tool, and the different ways it could fly. When did he have the time to do this? For reasons unknown, his parents would drop him off for his class 45-minutes early(!) and most of his discoveries took place in his free time. He was also academically brilliant, but not particularly keen in following rules.

On the other hand, I have observed different children with different reactions when brought to a 'boring' place. There will be some who immediately devise a game or pretend play using anything they can find - sticks, stones, leaves, paper, containers... anything they can get their hands on. And there will be others who will complain that they are bored and that there is nothing for them to do. Often, much of their time has been filled with adult-directed activity and toy-directed play (as opposed to child-directed play with open-ended toys). So much so that they struggle in the absence of instructions. 

I remember another 6-year-old boy I taught a few years back. He was always very serious, much like his helicopter parents, who pretty much hovered over him and micromanaged everything he did. After a class discussion, I distributed a worksheet on the topic we had just talked about. Some children got to work right away. Others began when they saw their friends start writing. After a minute, the boy raised his hand.

Boy: What do I do now?
Me: What do you think you should do now?
Boy: I don't know.
Me: What's in front of you?
Boy: (points to worksheet) This?
Me: (nods)
Boy: Do I do this? 
Me: What do you think?
Boy: (thinks for a while.) Yes?
Me: Yes!
Boy: Now?
Me: What do you think?
Student: (thinks for another while) Yes. 

In the absence of instructions, some children struggle, while some just figure things out. Perhaps the less we hover over our children, the more they will figure out for themselves.

Time to re-look our daily homeschool routine. 

More unstructured time for them means more free time for me! :)





Saturday 9 August 2014

Affordable Organic Eatery - at last!


We do have bad days. You know the kind of day where everyone wakes up grouchy, anything that can go wrong does, anything that can be broken, spilled or lost does exactly that, the laundry pile towers over us and the sink is so full of dirty dishes that nothing else can go in?

On those kinds of days, we eat out.

It used to be a tussle between expensive but healthy food (Cedele, SaladStop, Real Food) or cheap but unhealthy, MSG-filled hawker food.

We've finally found a vegetarian hawker stall that serves organic food! They serve brown rice, veggies, curry, tau kwa and egg. They use sea salt instead of cheap lab-manufactured table salt that most cookeries use, brown sugar instead of white, and grapeseed/olive/rice bran oil. (Many places use Canola oil which is NOT healthy at all despite the "Healthier choice" labels. Canola oil is genetically modified from the industrial, toxic Rapeseed oil and stands for "Canada Oil, Low Acid.")

And it's all organic, non-GMO and MSG-free. And it doesn't burn a whole in your pocket.

The food feels and tastes clean and doesn't leave you feeling thirsty or oily. It's basically like eating home-cooked food. The curry is mild and the kids like it. The rojak is nice too, and they use cashew nuts instead of peanuts.

It's not crowded so there are always plenty of seats. The only thing is that it is not air-conditioned, and you can hear the ambient sounds of buses pulling into the interchange. Not the most romantic or conducive place for long, relaxing meals. But then again, with young kids in tow, that's not really what we expect for now!


Web
https://www.facebook.com/foodforlifesg

Location
Cafeteria above Bishan Bus Interchange, opposite Junction 8.
514 Bishan Street 13, Bus Interchange
Singapore 570514


Opening Hours
Mon - Sat: 11:00 - 20:00
Closed on Sundays.


Tuesday 22 July 2014

iHerb shopping list - free shipping to Singapore till 31 July! (Gluten-free, Dairy-free and vegan food)

When I first discovered that my children were allergic to wheat/gluten and dairy, I was at a loss. That basically ruled out almost all biscuits, cakes, pastries, ice-creams... everything that I've thought of as yummy!

I scoured the organic and gluten-free sections of Fairprice Finest and Cold Storage and came to the conclusion that wheat-free, dairy-free and nut-free products were usually also TASTE-free and would eventually render me SAVINGS-free.

The next few years were spent doing lots of research on diet, health, digestion and recipes, and I came to the following conclusions:

1. iHerb is cheaper than NTUC Fairprice for most organic and health products. Even after factoring in the exchange rate and shipping costs.

2. Coconut water is the new medicine that fixes everything from fevers, bugs and even fatigue. We haven't take pharmaceutical pills or even chinese medicine for the longest time.

3. Eating less or no wheat and dairy products is beneficial for EVERYONE, not just those with allergies. Wheat and dairy are generally not the most easily digested foods. (excluding yoghurt, but the jury is still out on that one)

4. Eating more raw foods improves the immunity. Ever since we started increasing our raw food intake, we started to fall sick less often. We used to fall sick every few weeks. Then we started having all-fruit breakfasts and tea breaks, and including salads and raw dishes in our lunches and dinners. Illnesses went down to about once a year, and even then, they lasted for only a day or less.

Anyway, during those confusing and high-expenditure years, I often wished I had a easy list of food and recipes, or at least a place where I could get all the food I needed without burning a hole in my pocket. After years of trial and error, I've finally compiled my own list and hopefully, it can save others from having to go through the same tedious process.

A few people have asked me to share my iHerb shopping list. My problem is not what to buy, but how to cut down the list so I can still qualify for $4 Vpost shipping - the entire order must be below 6.3kg and below $200. But there's free shipping to Singapore at the moment, till 31 July 2014! I'm a big iHerb fan, so much so that I now get VIP discounts... which encourages me to buy more. :}

But what really convinced me was when I compared the price of organic food on iHerb and NTUC Fairprice. iHerb won hands down.

So anyway, here's my list. Don't take my word for it, check out the reviews. You can even sort them according to how popular they are.

If it's your first time, use the discount code NEF914 when you checkout to get US$10 off your first order on www.iherb.com


Edibles


Coffee Replacement


Dandy Blend, Instant Herbal Beverage with Dandelion, Caffeine Free, 14.1 oz (400 g)
My coffee-addict husband accepted this as a replacement for his morning coffee. My 4-year-old son likes it too. So it can't be bad!

Dairy-free



Nutiva, Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, 29 fl oz (858 ml)
Coconut oil is a stable oil for cooking and heating. My kids like it on roasted potatoes! 1000+ positive reviews can't be wrong! 
Note: Don't cook with olive oil. It is not a stable oil at high temperatures and so, should be consumed raw. And Canola oil is NOT the healthier choice. It is a genetically modified oil from the toxic rapeseed plant. Olive oil comes from olives, sesame oil from sesame, but canola oil? There is no canola plant. Read more.



Nutiva, Coconut Manna, 15 oz (425 g)
We use this to solidify cakes. Coconut oil/butter solidifies at room temperature so we mix this into smoothies and freeze it to make no-bake cupcakes and biscuits!


Now Foods, Nutritional Yeast Powder, 10 oz (284 g)
If you love cheese but can't eat it, this is for you! My kids would eat this with everything, if I let them.


Dairy-free beverages

My kids don't drink milk. They drink water and coconut water. And occasionally these:


Greens Plus, Wild Berry Burst, 9.4 oz (267 g) Powder
Another favourite. Fully of greens and vitamins, and tastes yummy.



Growing Naturals, Organic Rice Drink + Protein, Powder, Creamy Vanilla, 15.2 oz (432 g)
Tastes nice and is way cheaper than buying cartons of rice milk!


Nutiva, Organic Hemp Shake, Vanilla, 16 oz (454 g) (NUT-13331)
A delicious and filling protein drink.



Macrolife Naturals, Macro Coco Greens, All Natural Chocolate Super-Food, 14.2 oz (404 g)
A bit pricey, but way better than drinking Milo. Full of greens and veggies that most children would never eat! My kids loved this! They're allergic to cow's milk so this was a great replacement for chocolate drinks.


Gluten-free grains and seeds




Tinkyada, Brown Rice Pasta, Vegetable Spirals, 12 oz (340 g)
A God-send for the gluten/wheat-intolerant. Most gluten-free pasta is mushy or crumbly, but this one is springy and tastes like the real thing! It withstands a lot of overcooking which is great because I tend to forget about it!



Arrowhead Mills, Organic Red Lentils, 16 oz (453 g)
We love dal. A quick-cooking and simple dish for express dinners. Lentils are high in carbohydrates and proteins, and great for vegetarians.


Arrowhead Mills, Organic Chickpeas (Garbanzos), 16 oz (453 g)
Super-filling protein to add to dal, stews or soups.


Bob's Red Mill, 13 Bean Soup Mix, 29 oz (822 g)
This makes a yummy soup.




Nutiva, Organic, Chia Seed, 32 oz (907 g)
Superfood that goes with everything. Smoothies, desserts, salads.



Nutiva, Organic Hemp Seed Raw Shelled, 19 oz (539 g)
Great nut replacement for the nut-allergic. Lovely for smoothies and salads.



Condiments



Simply Organic, Basil, 0.54 oz (15 g)
We like basil with almost everything! The other spices by Simply Organic are great too.



Garlic Gold, Organic Italian Herb Nuggets, 1.6 oz (45 g)
I love bacon but I'm not willing to kill a pig for it anymore. This one stops all bacon cravings!


Navitas Naturals, Raw Certified Organic Nori Sheets, 10 Sheets, 0.9 oz (25 g)
Brown rice sushi or raw cauliflower-rice sushi makes a simple, fun meal!



Eden Foods, Wasabi Powder, .88 oz (25 g)
Eat this with sushi!



Bragg, Organic, Apple Cider Vinegar, with The 'Mother', Raw - Unfiltered, 32 fl oz (946 ml)
This is fantastic for allergies. Whenever someone in our family gets an allergic reaction (rashes, swollen eyes, swollen lips, runny nose, the works, 1-2 tablespoons of this does the trick within 10 minutes.



Sweet stuff



Wholesome Sweeteners, Inc., Organic Raw Blue Agave, Amber, 11.75 oz (333 g)
We use Agave for salads, sauces, desserts and drinks. Low Glycemic Index - doesn't send the kids on a sugar high bouncing off the walls!



Simply Organic, Madagascar Vanilla, Non-Alcoholic Flavoring, Farm Grown , 2 fl oz (59 ml)
The kids love this in smoothies and desserts.




Navitas Naturals, Organic, Cacao Powder, Raw Chocolate Powder, 16 oz (454 g)
It's raw and unprocessed. So I can eat lots without feeling guilty!



Go Raw, Real Live Chocolate, Original, 6 Pieces, .3 oz (8.5 g) 
Pricey but heavenly! 'Nuff said. For dark chocolate lovers.



Endangered Species Chocolate, Natural Dark Chocolate, 3 oz (85 g)
Milk-free dark chocolate. Yum.


Kinnikinnick Foods, KinniToos, Chocolate Sandwich Cream Cookies, 8 oz (220 g)
Gluten-free Oreos. Thank goodness for these! These are highly valued treats reserved for special occasions!


Pamela's Products, Simplebites, Chocolate Chip Mini Cookies, 7 oz (198 g)
These are so good, most people can't tell it's gluten-free.


Enjoy Life Foods, Boom Choco Boom Bar, Dark Chocolate, 1.12 oz (32 g)
Yummy treat. Gluten-free and dairy-free.



Vitamins


Nature's Way, Alive! Gummies, Multi-Vitamin for Children, Natural Cherry, Grape & Orange Flavors, 90 Gummies
These are the only gummies my kids get to eat. They don't get sweets or candies so this is the closest they'll ever get!



Wakunaga - Kyolic, Kid's Kyo-Dophilus, Vanilla Chewable, 60 Tablets
Probiotics for kids. It tastes nice.



Enzymedica, ViraStop 2X, 90 Capsules
This really works to stop a virus, when taken at the onset.



Nordic Naturals, Children's DHA, Strawberry, 250 mg, 360 Chewable Soft Gels
The kids used to take this when they were younger.



Skin and Bodycare


Face


Hair




Aubrey Organics, Ultra-Smoothing Conditioner, White Camellia, Dry, Coarse, Unruly, 11 fl oz (325 ml)
This is the best anti-frizz conditioner. Ever. And I've tried LOADS.



Giovanni, Frizz Be Gone, Super Smoothing, Anti-Frizz Hair Serum, 2.75 fl oz (81 ml)
Smells nice too.




Dental care


Now Foods, Solutions, XyliWhite, Kids Toothpaste Gel, Strawberry Splash, 3.0 oz (85 g)
Toothpaste for kids that doesn't contain SCARY unpronounceable ingredients. The only problem is, it tastes too nice. I've had to stop my kids from EATING it.


Nature's Answer, Periobrite Natural Toothpaste, Cool Mint, 4 oz (113.4g)
We've tried lots of brands of toothpaste and finally settled on this. It doesn't taste weird, like the other organic toothpastes in the market.



Dr. Tung's, Ionic Toothbrush, w/Replacement Head, 1 Toothbrush, 1 Replaceable Head
This one is amazing. It actually leaves your teeth feeling SQUEAKY! It uses the action of water and negative ions to repel plaque from your teeth. And you actually see the plaque that comes off when you clean the metal bar on the toothbrush every few weeks. Our whole family uses this!



Others


Badger Company, Organic Anti-Bug, Shake & Spray, 4 fl oz (118.3 ml)
I'm irresistible and yummy so I need this.



Natracare, Natural Ultra Pads, Regular, 14 Pads
Comfortable and much better than the conventional brands. Enough details!






Detergents




Charlie's Soap, Inc., Laundry Powder, 2.64 lbs (1.2 kg)
Great for those with sensitive skin. No funny additives to irritate your skin.



Earth Friendly Products, Oxo Brite, Natural Oxygen Power, 3.6 lbs (1.64 kgs)
We use this instead of chlorine bleach.




Ecover, Natural Dishwashing Liquid, Lemon Scent & Aloe Vera, 32 fl oz (946 ml)
No more dry hands!



There's lots more, but I think I should stop here for now!

Don't forget to use the discount code NEF914 when you checkout to get US$10 off your first order.

Happy shopping!