December 2022 – HEALTH FREAK MOMMY

Throwback Snaps

A good friend became a grandmother for the first time and sent us a lovely baby full-moon package on her grand daughter’s full-moon. The full-moon package came with a whole fried chicken, Nasi Kunyit (turmeric rice), red eggs and angku kuih. Everyone ate all the nice parts of the fried chicken and left the breast, which was dry and hard, untouched. Chef S repurposed the dry breast meat and bones into another sumptuous dish the next day.

Instead of using turkey to cook Turkey And Vegetables Barley Soup, a dish that the girls’ grand aunt will cook every year after Christmas using leftover roast turkey, Chef S cooked Chicken And Vegetables Barley Soup.

Chef S dumped in the leftover fried chicken breast and added lots of vegetables, pumpkin, onions, sweet corns and barley into the pot of soup. She also fried some chicken drummets and added them into the soup.

My hearty bowl of Chicken & Vegetables Barley Soup. It’s so delish and nourishing that I can eat this everyday. I ate this two days in a row.

2022 Winter Solstice Festival Dinner at Seng Kee Kitchen:

For once in a very, very long time, there was a complete headcount at the dining table on Winter Solstice Day (22 Dec 2022). With Alycia in university now, Sherilyn prepping for SPM and hubs who’s tied down with work, it’s extremely difficult for everyone to be present together for a meal or for outings.

Everyone’s favorite – steamed free-range chicken from our favorite neighborhood restaurant. The chicken meat is smooth, juicy and has a distinct aromatic chicken flavor, something that’s missing in regular hormones-and-antibiotics-fed chickens.

On the house – handmade and homemade Tong Yuen from the affable lady boss.

My daily gut-loving dessert ~ sugar-free yoghurt from Farm Fresh (made from only milk and probiotics with nothing else added), macadamia, melon seeds, organic black sesame paste and a drizzle of Gula Melaka syrup. This aids in promoting bowel regularity.

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Four Tips For Making Restaurant Reservations

Whether you’re a restaurant owner or a customer, there are some valuable tips for making restaurant reservations. These tips will help you avoid making unnecessary reservations while improving your dining experience.

Make Duplicate Reservations

Creating duplicate restaurant reservations is a whole lot more challenging than it sounds. One way to ensure you get your table is to call at least the day before your reservation and be ready to go. Aside from the obvious, many other factors come into play. For example, if you want to ensure that your table is available, you will want to get there early to ensure that your dining experience is as stress-free as possible. Another consideration is how long you will be able to stay. If you plan on staying at a particular restaurant for the night, you may want to bring extra cash. Finally, ensure you are aware of any fees associated with your Mac’s on main reservation Grapevine, TX. These can vary widely from restaurant to restaurant.

Balance Walk-ins with Reservations

Whether you own a restaurant or not, it is essential to balance walk-ins with reservations when making restaurant reservations. A large volume of walk-ins can be stressful for your staff and make for unpredictable service. However, many restaurants are using reservation systems to help alleviate this issue. For example, restaurants can predetermine how many tables are available and notify guests when they are next available. This will allow the staff to plan better for the dining room.

Another critical aspect of reservations is the ability to hold a table. Some restaurants will require a credit card to have a table. Others use online booking services to ensure that reservations can be made, changed, or canceled. Finally, some restaurants offer call-ahead seating, which allows guests to reserve a seat on their way to the restaurant.

Optimize the Seating Process for Walk-in Customers

Managing the seating process for walk-in customers can take time and effort. However, balancing the number of reservations and walk-ins is essential to maximize your restaurant’s profitability. If you don’t make sure you have enough seating for both, you’ll end up with a lot of empty tables. Naturally, this means a loss of revenue. Luckily, a few tips help you keep your walk-ins happy.

One way to ensure your restaurant’s seating process for walk-ins is optimized is by using an On-Waiting-List (OWL) system. These systems put guests on a waitlist and set them aside at a table as close to the time of their reservation as possible. This way, they won’t have to wait as long as they would on a walk-in.

Another way to optimize your restaurant’s seating process for walk-in customers is by offering incentives to make them come on time. But the better your system manages walk-ins, the less you’ll have to worry about a no-show rate.

Turn Front-of-House Staff into Reservation Rock Stars.

Whether you’re a restauranteur or a swashbuckling shopper, turning your front-of-house staff into reservations, magicians can significantly impact you. The following six tips can get your staff on the right track.

Using a well-implemented reservation system can highlight tables that need turning. Also, you’ll want to know about the latest restaurant trends and best practices, as well as the newest technology, such as tableside wireless menus and touchscreen ordering systems. Having a well-oiled machine on your staff can only help you deliver the customer experience your patrons expect.

Using the right software can streamline operations and give your staff the time to do what they do best. For example, with the right tools, you can turn your front-of-house staff into reservations wizards and get your restaurant booked.

No. of times viewed = 54

2022 Third Term School Holidays and Christmas

With 2022 almost in the bag, I want to thank you all for reading my blogs. Some of you have been long-time readers of my blogs. A few of you have been reading my blogs since you were just teens and now are parents yourself. Wow! I really do consider you all friends, even if that’s a little weird, especially if we have never met in person before.

The school holidays are now into the third and last week. I was back in Ipoh with Sherilyn and Cass to celebrate Christmas with my parents. We took the night ETS train on Christmas Eve and arrived Ipoh at close to 10 p.m. It was our first time taking the night ETS. We got back yesterday after spending three glorious days in Ipoh with my parents and younger brother who also made a trip back to Ipoh. Missing our reunion were my eldest brother in Singapore and his family, hubs and Alycia.

We have an extra seat to put our stuff as the MIL who was supposed to follow us back had high fever and a tummy flu at the eleventh hour. She had packed her bags and dressed up, all ready to go. But her temp was hovering at 38C the entire day and she had a tummy upset, so everyone advised her not to travel.

24 December 2022 night ~ Just arrived at Ipoh Station. Cass taking a photo of the train.

On Christmas Day, we had ‘chap fan’ for lunch as the girls woke up late and had a late breakfast of Chrismassy cakes, cookies and pastries. When lunch came, we wanted something light as we were going to have an early dinner. So dad brought us to their favorite economy rice stall to get takeaway ‘chap fan’. The dishes lined up at the stall were all my favorite and looked so very appetizing! I wanted to get like 10 dishes, but chose 4 meat-free dishes. Dinner was at my parents’ favorite restaurant nearby. We didn’t want to venture out to town as the entire Ipoh city was jam-packed with tourists with horrendous traffic jam everywhere.

Our Chrismassy nosh. All the cakes, cookies and bread on the table were homemade.

Mum made the gingerbread cookies, mince pies and Panettone.

Cake on the foreground is flourless orange cake made by Sherilyn. The two loafs of cakes with red and green cherries are my mum’s signature fruit cakes, matured with rum.

Hubs bought these French pastries from Croisserie Artisan Bakery @ Damansara Heights for me to bring back to my parents.

End of holiday. Bye-bye Ipoh.
Picture taken by my mum, at the Ipoh train station yesterday.

Long queue from the entrance of the train station right up to the stairs leading to the platform.

At almost 50, I still get a Christmas pressie from my mum, every single year ❤️. Mum is 76 this year.

No. of times viewed = 63

Friday, 23 December 2022

Hubs had some free time in the morning today and took us to The Gardens Mall for a quick lunch.

We ambled around the mall and were undecided on what to eat, as usual. We went the Isetan to check out the Japanese restaurants but they were not ready to serve lunch yet. We were there at around 11.30 a.m. Finally we settled for Vietnamese food at An Viet.

Cass ordered this bun set (Vietnamese rice vermicelli) that comes with delicious meat balls and pork ribs in a rich, flavorful broth.

My low-carb dish of grilled lemongrass chicken and fried egg. This is by far the tastiest grilled lemongrass chicken with very strong aroma of lemongrass. This is the dish that I will always order whenever I dine at An Viet.

Hubs had only vegetarian spring rolls as he was already stuffed with all the food tasting at his central kitchen. He has a big event later in the afternoon and was at his kitchen in the morning to test taste the food that his chefs cooked.
The hot lemongrass + ginger tea @ RM13.90 per jug is superb with strong aroma of lemongrass. This is another favorite of mine at An Viet.

My yearly Christmas treat to Cass – a large cup of limited-time only Christmas-themed smoothie from Boost Juice. This year I got a large cup of smoothie for free as I’d accumulated enough stamps to claim a free large drink.

Sherilyn chose to stay at home to bake a wheat flour-free + gluten-free orange cake for her grandparents in Ipoh. The cake is composed of almond meal, 2 whole oranges, eggs, butter and reduced sugar. It’s the MIL’s and my favorite cake.

Low-carb almond flour orange cake. Sherilyn made 2 loafs – one for her grandparents in Ipoh and another loaf for her favorite grandaunt.

Sherilyn also made this divine chocolate cake for her friend’s birthday today, using Royce chocolate, Royce Nama chocolate Au-Lait and Whittaker’s Gingerbread chocolate for the decor. Looks like a few hundred dollars and I’m sure it tastes like one too!

No. of times viewed = 46

Ayam Brand, The Trusted Brand

I grew up eating canned baked beans and sardines by Ayam Brand. It’s the trusted brand of choice by my parents. Naturally for me now, Ayam Brand is my brand of choice when it comes to buying canned food for my own family. Our family’s favorite Ayam Brand products have always been canned tuna, saba, mackererl, sardines and baked beans.

Over the decades, Ayam Brand has evolved and expanded their range of pantry staples. From canned baked beans, tuna and sardines, Ayam Brand has over the years introduced new products such as pasta sauce, canned corn kernels, curry paste and coconut milk.

Ayam Brand products are perfect for days when you’re feeling lazy to cook up a fancy meal from scratch and great for camping trips.

Canned food can be transformed into tasty dishes too. For example, canned sardines. All you have to do is to slice some raw onions, julienne some cucumbers and add a squeeze of zesty lemon or lime juice to the plate of sardines and you’ll have an appetizing dish that everyone loves. And baked beans can be cooked with eggs in several styles. These two canned dishes are my absolute favorites.

The other day I received a goodie bag filled with Ayam Brand products, which includes chili saba, tuna mayo, baked beans, chopped tomatoes, packet coconut milk and green curry paste. I was over the moon as I’ve always wanted to try their green curry paste.

Love this cute cushion in the shape of canned plant-based luncheon meat. This is something that I’d like to try some day – a meatless luncheon meat.

I’m going to pair the coconut milk with red bean ‘tong sui’ (sweet soup). I love my ‘tong sui’ drizzled generously with thick coconut milk. So yummeh!

Which Ayam Brand product is your favorite? How do you like to cook your favorite Ayam Brand canned food?

No. of times viewed = 81

Types of Jars for Cosmetic Products

There are a variety of materials to choose from when choosing jars for cosmetic products. These materials include glass, plastic, and aluminum. Glass is an upscale material that is considered to be environmentally friendly. However, shipping and manufacturing costs can be high. Glass jars are especially good for lotions and serums that contain high levels of vitamin C or essential oils.

Biodegradable Jars

Eco-friendly packaging is an important step to reducing the environmental impact of your cosmetic products. Using biodegradable jars and tubes means fewer materials are used to create packaging and can be recycled and reused. They are also lightweight and cheaper to ship. Using biodegradable packaging also benefits your brand. It also raises customer loyalty.

Biodegradable jars are available in a variety of materials, including bamboo. Bamboo is naturally sustainable and lightweight, making it an excellent option for cosmetic packaging. Bamboo jars can be reinforced with a plastic or glass liner for additional durability.

Glass Jars

Glass cosmetic jars come in various sizes and colors and are used to contain various types of cosmetic products. These jars are often thick-walled and are suitable for eye shadow, lip gloss, cream products, and liquid foundation. The jars are also available with different types of lids to ensure that the product stays fresh and free from contamination. Many cosmetic jars also feature a shave insert to keep unwanted foreign objects from settling in the contents. These inserts are removed easily using a tab. Plastic containers are another alternative to glass jars for cosmetic products. These are often cheap and available in a wide range of sizes. They are ideal for storing and transporting cosmetic products and are considered recyclable. Some plastic jars are also available in different colors and are particularly durable.

Plastic Jars

When choosing plastic jars for cosmetic products, there are several factors to consider. Some manufacturers manufacture cosmetic bottles, while others outsource their production to other countries. While you can find some cosmetic bottles manufactured in the US, you should consider that they may not be as high-quality as you would like. Furthermore, you must consider the time it will take for the jars to reach you.

Another important factor to consider is the price. Plastic containers are available at a wide range of prices, and some are quite affordable. Generally, the more affordable plastic containers are made of polystyrene, a lightweight material with low impact resistance. However, this material is unsuitable for very oily products, as it will crack if exposed to too much oil. You can choose glass jars or frosted glass bottles to avoid this problem.

Aluminum Jars

When choosing jars for your cosmetic products, you should consider aluminum because it is highly recyclable. In addition to looking elegant, this material also keeps products fresh. You can also market your product as environmentally friendly, which will appeal to those who care about the environment. Aluminum is a lighter and more malleable material than glass, allowing you to experiment with unique designs. It is also highly resistant to ingredients and is shatter-proof. Aluminum cosmetic containers also have food-grade interior varnish, which separates the container and the contents.

Sizes Of Jars

When it comes to cosmetic packaging, choosing the right sizes is vital. This will help you maximize your product offering while ensuring that your customers have easy access to them. Smaller jars are best for samples or smaller cosmetics, such as lip balm and rouge. Larger jars are best for full-sized products. Glass jars typically come in sizes ranging from 1 oz for samples to 32 oz for bulk products. The height and diameter of the container will determine the amount of product you can pack. You will also need to consider caps.

Colors

Colors are important in cosmetic packaging, and the right color can evoke a particular emotional response in a person. The colors of cosmetic jars are often inspired by culture or current fashion trends. The colors of cosmetic jars also play a role in the marketing and sales of a product. The right tone and hue can appeal to different age groups, and they should also express the individuality of the product. Colors should match your brand. A good color choice should capture the attention of potential customers and set your brand apart in the crowded beauty industry. In Chinese culture, gold symbolizes supremacy. For this reason, purple-colored cosmetic jars are a perfect choice for promoting products that are high in quality and noble in nature.

No. of times viewed = 33

Sunday, 18 December 2022

We were at Pavillion Bukit Jalil again today as Cass wanted to practise skating. Her figure skating coach is on a holiday and classes will only resume in January 2023.

When we reached the skating rink, there was an on-going figure skating performance in conjunction with the holiday season. Cass didn’t check if the skating rink was available prior to asking her dad to bring her to the mall, thus she couldn’t skate in the session that she wanted. But all was not futile as we both watched a spectacular performance by figure skaters, both amateurs and professional. Cass’ dream is to one day be on that rink doing a dazzling performance too, and even more. With her perfervid passion in figure skating, it’s not impossible to achieve her dreams. I will have to sacrifice all my Sundays to bring her to the skating rink for classes and practice sessions 😳. I’m not sure how long my patience will last though 😐

Photo taken after the performance ended.

Lunch was at Tokyo Teppan @ Tokyo Town, Pavillion Bukit Jalil.

After we left the mall, hubs stopped by at our neighborhood supermarket to grab some stuff for his kitchen. Just as we were about to leave the supermarket, rain bucketed down the sky and we had to wait for it to stop. To kill time, we tucked into some croffles and coffee at a cafe.

No. of times viewed = 56

Sunday, 11 December 2022

Sherilyn woke up at 5 a.m. today to say goodbye to her aunt Sarah who had to take the early morning Grab ride to the airport for her flight back to Hawaii. Sarah stayed with us for 10 days to celebrate her mom’s birthday. The eldest SIL from the UK and second SIL from Hong Kong were also in KL to celebrate their mom’s 77th birthday.

After her aunt Sarah left, Sherilyn couldn’t go back to sleep. As she had so much time in the morning, she whipped up a batch of fluffy blueberry pancakes for brekkie for everyone. The pancakes were perfect – super fluffy, soft and addictive!

The blueish hues were from blue pea flowers flour and fresh blueberries, mixed into the batter. These were so good that someone chomped down five pieces in one sitting 🤢. Not me!

We had lunch at Kimchitiam, one of our favorite Korean eateries at our hood. The restaurant is run by a Korean dude. The grilled saba fish (almost zero carbs) is mine.

Beef stew for Sherilyn and Bibimbap for Alycia. Cass didn’t follow us out as she’d already completed her 3 meals for the day. This girl only eats once a day.

No. of times viewed = 46

Haru Is Almost Two

Haru is almost turning 2 years old! We don’t know when exactly she was born but hubs discovered Haru and her siblings just outside his office door step on New Year’s Day last year (2021). She was just a teeny-weeny cute lil kitten, but spicy and hissy pissy.

The first time Sherilyn and I went to see the kittens, Haru was the first to poke her face out amongst her siblings. She was always the nosiest and spiciest kitty, yet the cutest in the litter. She was always the first to greet us whenever we went to feed her mother and to check on the kittens. And that’s how she won me over, the one who never liked cats but now adore Haru to bits❤️

On weekdays, the girls miss Haru a lot. When they’re back from school, they give Haru cuddles, squeezes and kisses. However, Haru is not the sort of cat that likes this kind of affection and love bombing. She tends to run away from her sisters when she sees them run towards her 😹

Do you think Haru tried to snatch the piece of Saba fish that Sherilyn was putting into her mouth?

Nope she didn’t. Haru loves fish but we’re surprised that she didn’t swipe the fish with her paws.

No. of times viewed = 32

What Are Silicone Products?

Silicone is a type of synthetic polymer made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and silicon. Silicone was recognized by the FDA as safe to be used as a food-grade material (food-grade silicone) in 1979.

Silicone is more heat resistant compared to organic polymers. It is widely used and commercialized in many industries such as mom and baby products, baking utensils, personal care, automotive, coating, chemicals, electronics and many more due to its durability, ease of manufacturing, and stability over a wide range of temperatures. Most silicone products can withstand temperatures of up to 260°C.

As silicone is considered more chemically stable than plastic, experts say it’s safe to use and likely not toxic, if used according to the manufacturer’s instructions. According to Health Canada, there have been no known health hazards associated with the use of silicone cookware. Silicone rubber doesn’t react with food or drinks or produce any hazardous fumes.

Whether you are looking to purchase household silicone products or custom silicone products, always choose silicone products that are made from the best silicone materials and very durable, such as those manufactured by Newtop Rubber.

Custom Wholesale BPA Free Flexible Silicone Hot Dog Baking Mold — Silicone food mold

Newtop Rubber uses food-grade and medical-grade liquid silicone materials to manufacture high-quality products. As a source manufacturer, they have more price advantages than intermediate traders and stricter quality control.

If you’ve always wondered whether it’s safe to use silicone kitchen utensils such as spatulas, cake molds, and oven gloves, the answer is yes, they are completely safe to use. Just ensure that your silicone kitchen tools are 100% pure food-grade silicone, and are recognized by the FDA and Generally Regarded as Safe (GRAS). Silicone utensils are freezer-safe as well as they can endure extremely cold temperatures. Silicone products are generally safe under many conditions and a safer alternative to most plastics.

Silicone kitchen utensils are very durable – they won’t scratch, break, shatter and will probably last very long. The rubber-like soft material doesn’t damage non-stick surfaces and makes them flexile. No doubt silicone is not biodegradable, it can however be recycled and remoulded into other products.

Top Seller BPA Free Enlargement Manual Silicone Breast Pump — Silicone breast pump

If you’re looking for a silicone mold supplier for your business or for bulk purchases, check out Newtop Rubber for an extensive range of silicone products.

No. of times viewed = 31

Friday, 2 December 2022

It’s the rainy season again and this means that I’m faced with the problem of getting all our wet laundry dried on time. When I say ‘on time’, it means that the five or six loads of laundry (yes, you read it right!) that I do every day need to be dried on the same day coz the next day I have another five to six loads of laundry to settle again. Every single day, clock work cycle, except during the lockdowns when everyone stayed home.

So it’s during this time of the year or when there are guests staying with us that I have to crank up the otherwise under-utilized clothes dryer.

After the dryer ended its cycle today, I opened the door and lo and behold, the door felt jammed up and then the metal hinge snapped and broke into a few pieces. And the entire door came off! Luckily it didn’t land on my feet!

I couldn’t believe my eyes. How could this happen to an almost brand new, hardly ever used clothes dryer?

Great, what a perfect timing for the door to fall off! Now with no dryer to use, there are clothes hanging every where in our house 😐. And it’s been raining the entire day. The weather forecast says that it’s going to be wet and chilly until February next year.

Gifts from my youngest SIL who arrived from Hawaii early this morning and is staying with us…

My favorite Nama chocolates from Royce. She bought these and other snacks from an airport in Japan during transit.

Matcha almond chocolates from Royce. Another favorite chocolate of mine.

Pocky Shinshu Kyoho flavor, a new flavor which I’ve not seen yet in Malaysia. The coating on the biscuit sticks is made with the juice of Kyoho grapes grown in Nagano.

With another visiting SIL in KL, there will be more food, snacks, cakes and celebrations for the next 10 days 😜.

No. of times viewed = 36