HEALTH FREAK MOMMY – Page 30 – The joys and throes of motherhood…

A Closer Look At The Most Crucial Recent Trends In Hair Care

With the help of Function of Beauty reviews, learning more about various hair care trends has never been easier. As consumers all over the world learn more about the various benefits that are associated with customized shampoo and conditioner, there are a number of other trends that need to be monitored.

The top companies understand these trends and are able to cater to their audiences accordingly. The more that the consumer understands about the latest trends, the easier their hair care process becomes. The following is a closer look at the hair care trends that are going to be shaping 2022 and beyond.

A Stronger Emphasis on Products For Aging Hair

Hair changes during the aging process and of course, there is always going to be a strong emphasis on handling grey hair. Grey hair is not the only worry that the average person has to address as they begin to age, though. “With age, we know that our hair thins out. This is because of both a decrease in the number of hairs and a decrease in the diameter of the individual hairs themselves,” says Joshua Zeichner. As a board-certified dermatologist who is based in New York City, he is uniquely qualified to make this distinction.

“The active phase of hair growth, known as anagen, tends to become shorter with age, which means that hairs don’t grow as long and fall out more rapidly,” Zeichner adds. He also warns against free radical damages to the hair follicles and warns against adding new products to the hair care routine without speaking with a dermatologist first. As more and more people look to fight back against the onset of aging, it is important to find out whether hair-related issues are health-related.

Shiny Hair

To be quite frank, shiny hair never really goes out of style but that does not make it any less trendy at the moment. The glossy hair trend has taken over on Instagram, for good reason. It is easy to see why people would like for their hair to look its glossiest and shiniest. Thanks to customized hair care products, the process of making the hair look glossy has never been easier. For that reason and many more, this is a trend that is expected to have a sizable amount of staying power.

The shiny hair trend also extends to those who have extensions. These customers are forever in search of formulas and products that will make their hair shiny, while providing the necessary color protection. Since so many have been babying their hair over the past couple of years, it is only natural that they would want a more shiny appearance that can be shown off on TikTok or Instagram.

The Addition of Skin Care Products

More and more brands are adding skincare products to the equation when they are creating hair care products, a trend that is not going anywhere anytime soon. Shampoos and conditioners rely on these products more heavily now. Thanks to the customization trend, it is even easier for today’s consumer to pinpoint the skincare products that will help their hair and add them to their finished product.

“When the scalp is out of whack — meaning there’s poor circulation, an oil imbalance, or a buildup of cells — we see not only flakes and inflammation, but hair that looks and feels unhealthy, and may even shed before its time,” Francesca Fusco, M.D. shares. By taking the time to speak with a medical professional, these issues can be pinpointed and handled in a timely manner. The more that the consumer knows, the easier it is to zoom in on the skincare products that are most likely to help.

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3 Tips for Flavoring Your Favorite Coffee Beverages

Many people anticipate taking the first sips of their favorite morning coffee drinks. A warm beverage helps you to wake up and face the day refreshed. However, using the same coffee repeatedly can lead some enthusiasts to wane in their usual delight in their favorite drink. Many turn to adding flavors to their coffee cups to avoid this common issue. You can find many incredible new and subtle tastes by adding some or all of the coffee flavorings below.

Creamers

A wide variety of creamers exist from which you can choose your favorites. Straight milk or cream provides the classic dairy experience, and their richness brings a round, warm feel to the beverage in your mouth as you sip. Some may prefer non-dairy options for creamers, and many exist. Nut milks made from cashew or almond and soy milk make great options for your morning drink. You can choose to heat or froth the creamer before you add it to the top of your coffee mug. If you prefer chilled coffee in the morning, you might try adding a bit of ice cream or soy cream to your cup.

Sweeteners

Many types of sweeteners make it easier to find the one you like best. For example, sugar and honey both melt nicely into hot coffee. If you want to reduce sugar in your diet, you can try organic liquid stevia and other natural sugar-free options.

Syrups

Coffee syrups like 1883 flavoring syrup Michigan and extracts can bring a diversity of tastes to your coffee. For instance, the beverage can taste like dessert when you add chocolate syrups. In addition, fruit, nut, candy and citrus flavors, even floral ones, turn drinking your coffee into a new gastronomical adventure.

Coffee flavorings boost the taste that you crave so that your coffee never becomes ordinary. Furthermore, they make significant additions to tea beverages as well. Subsequently, you can enjoy a slightly different taste every day of the week if you like.

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Chinese New Year 2022 – Day 2

After two full days of cooking on CNY Eve and CNY day 1, hubby gave us a break from cooking for Hoi Leen Farn today! Eating out is always music to our ears. The girls were happy becoz they don’t have to wash the dishes and I don’t have to do the dreaded massive clean up after cooking.

Who likes post-cooking clean up? Never me. Washing dishes is something that I would avoid at all cost!

Maria our part-time helper of 10 years has not been coming in for work for almost two weeks. Lately she’s always giving excuses for not coming to work. Two days ago I asked her if she intended to stop working for us but she denied. This morning she told me that she’d be coming for work but at the eleventh hour, she messaged me to say that she’s still at Mid Valley and couldn’t come for work. Again! This has been happening almost every time she’s due to come in for work. I’m really pissed with her attitude lately and really disappointed. She was never like this before.

I told the girls that we have to learn not to be too reliant on Maria. We have to learn to live without her becoz the day will come when she decides to go back to Indonesia for good or has found other employers who are willing to pay her better than us.

Back to our CNY Chor 2!

It’s been such a long time since our family went cafe-hopping. The pandemic has been too unkind to us for the past two years. And it has also made us appreciate the little luxuries in our lives more than we did pre-Covid days.

We first had lunch at Kappa Takebayashi Japanese restaurant at Jalan Doraisamy, Chow Kit.

The photos look yellowish caused by the dim yellow lightings in the restaurant. Food was superb, albeit came slow.

After lunch we segued into Licky Chan & The Poke Guy to try their avant-garde boozy cone-tail ice-creams. Licky Chan is the ice cream parlour of freshly churned fantasies, with a cow-to-cone philosophy that embraces the coolest kind of creativity. Each flavour is unique, banishing cookie-cutter double chocolate cliches, refusing to take the easier, more familiar paths of cempedak, pandan gula Melaka or rum and raisins. Instead, you’ll find unconventional playful flavors that you’ll never find elsewhere, such as Nirvana (composed of almond milk, masala chai, cashews and turmeric). Each flavor is a triumph of taste and texture, with beautifully harmonised proportions of everything from pistachios to peppercorns, gin, sweet soy sauce, burnt butter to pickled beetroot.

After paying for the ice-creams, the cashier gave us a huge fancy-schmancy ang pow. I thought they were some badges but they were two condoms in fancy wrappers! 🤣

After ice-creams, we segued into Tapestry for cakes and drinks.

Matcha latte, mocha, latte, smoothie, chocolate orange cake and burnt cheese cake.

Banana bread with almond butter and pumpkin kaya.

The resident cat at Tapestry has a striking resemblance of Haru!

We’ll be back at Tapestry to try the main course menu.

I’d like to wish all my Chinese readers a very prosperous Chinese New Year. I hope that the year of the Tiger will bring everyone roaring success, wealth, good health, and happiness.

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Home Updates

Barely 3 weeks into in-person classes this year, Cass (and her classmates) have to be home quarantined twice – one week each time. The student who was in close contact with a positive case was finally tested positive 2 weeks later.

It’s not any better for Sherilyn as well. One of her classmates was tested positive for Covid and she had to be home quarantined for a week too. Sherilyn gave us a scare when her temperature went up to 37.9C and hovered around 37.4 – 37.5C for several days. She also had a slight dry cough. Other than that, she was very well with great appetite and all. She tested herself using a Covid RTK four times and all four times showed negative. I can only blame this on her lifestyle. She has a habit of dozing off on the couch and only waking up in the wee hours of the morning to shower! Hubs, the mil and I have been nagging her to shower and sleep early but to no avail.

This Chinese New Year we will be staying put in KL, for the 2nd year straight. With Cass and Sherilyn being close contacts just recently, it is not safe for us to be back to meet my parents as they are highly vulnerable folks. My mum has asthma and weak lungs. I’m really disappointed that I can’t meet my parents yet. I’m praying that we can go back in early March this year during the school holidays. But the trip will likely involve only Cass, Sherilyn and me. Alycia’s semester break will only be in April and the school holidays would have ended by then.

My SIL from Hawaii sent this to me via her friend who came back to Malaysia recently. It’s a Kate Spade wallet in my favorite color! 🥰

The girls were gifted with clothes, bags and a big angpow from their Sarah koo koo.

Sherilyn cooked this for lunch on one of the days during her home quarantine – kimchi soup (with homemade kimchi) with loads of onions and vegetables, sweet corn rice and Ajitsuke Tamago (Ramen Eggs).

Our sun-worshipper getting her daily dose of vitamin D in the mid-morning sun.

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The Best Types of Toys for Boosting a Kid’s Development

There are plenty of ways to boost a kid’s development, including reading, play, and comfort. Toys play a huge role in this. For a kid, toys are a big part of the world around them – they spend a good chunk of their time playing with them and figuring them out. Then, it makes sense for parents to choose toys that help improve their mental, imagination, and motor skills. Here are some of the best types of toys for boosting your little one’s development.

Puzzles

Finishing a puzzle requires focus, reasoning, and concentration, which makes them perfect for child development. If you have a young child, it’s best to help them out with the puzzles. It’s a great bonding activity, and over time, they’ll be able to do them all by themselves. If you want to find mind-testing puzzles perfect for your little one, www.findingunicorns.com.au has an excellent selection.

Stacking and Building Toys

Stacking and building toys aren’t just fun – they also help children develop their motor and mental skills. At first, the toy may constantly topple over, but they’ll learn how to keep it standing over time as a result of trial and error. Whenever you see your child building or stacking something, imagine it as them building their knowledge and hand-eye coordination.

Arts and Crafts

To ignite your little one’s imagination, make sure you have plenty of arts and craft toys around the home. You want your kid to engage in painting, building, drawing – everything that pushes them to think creatively. Not only will it boost their creativity, but it will also help them develop motor skills and learn about shapes and colors.

Sports Equipment

A child’s development isn’t all about mental ability – a lot of their learning happens on the playground. Invest in some kids’ sports equipment for the home, and then encourage them to get outside and kick or throw the ball. Their motor skills will improve, and they’ll benefit from the exercise and fresh air.

Pretend Play Toys

Kids have big imaginations, and they need to be able to run with them. Pretend play toys are perfect for this. Toys like dollhouses, action figures, and dress-up clothes will help them to create a world entirely of their own creation. Don’t worry about their head being in the clouds – it’s good for kids to let their imagination run. They’ll only become more creative because of it.

Books

While books aren’t necessarily a toy, they do belong in a child’s bedroom. If you have a young child who cannot read yet, try to read a story to them every night. There are plenty of interactive books you can find to keep them interested. If they are a little older, make sure they have plenty of options appropriate for their age. Authors such as Roald Dahl, Jeff Kinney, and Dr. Seuss are fantastic.

Your child’s world should be filled with plenty of fun activities to do. By including these toys in your home, you make sure their play leads to a boost in their development.

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Sleeping Beauty

Haru has been sleeping almost the entire day today because last night she threw up in her cage and tried to ‘call’ us to clean up her cage by meowing the entire night. But no one heard her.

Well, I heard her at 1.30 a.m. when I got up to pee but I thought that it was just one of those nights that she got hangry again. So I ignored her and went back to sleep. She meowed again at 4.30 am when hubs left the house for his central kitchen to supervise his staff in the prepping of food for a event today.

Poor pussy, she’s an OCD and doesn’t like a dirty cage or litter box. She’ll meow to tell us after she’s pooped. She must be so stressed out last night.

It must be the big piece of burnt char siu with fat that the mil threw into the trash can. When we were all busy eating our lunch, this greedy cat dug the trash can (AGAIN!) and gobbled down the piece of crap! And she did that right after chowing down a packet of tuna fish 🙀

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Top 5 Tips To Get Back In Shape After Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year is all about having gatherings with family members and friends. And when there are gatherings, there will surely be lots of splendid Chinese New Year dishes and once-in-a-year cookies and snacks. It is extremely difficult to stay away from these dishes and goodies. Bak kwa, kuih kapit, bee hive cookies, prawn crackers, Yee Sang with extra pok chui crackers, cookies and more cookies – who can resist these goodies? After all, you only get to eat them once a year.

Chinese New Year is also a time where you will find it hard to exercise. With overindulgence in high fat foods and lack of exercise, many people have a hard time battling the post-Chinese New Year bulge. But if you are determined and disciplined enough, it is possible to shed off those pounds that you piled up throughout the 15 days of Chinese New Year.

Here’s what you can do:

1. Watch Your Food Portion

Size matters – the smaller it is, the better it will be for weight loss. If you usually eat a plate of rice and two pieces of chicken, reduce the portion to a quarter plate of rice and one piece of chicken. Better yet, omit the rice altogether and eat more vegetables to fill your tummy up.

2. Wear a shapewear

Find the best affordable shapewear to help you in your battle of the bulge. Big meals will make you feel uncomfortable when your midsection is under compression. With a waist trainer or shapewear on your body, you’ll likely feel more comfortable eating smaller meals rather than large ones.

Wholesale Seamless Plus Size Full Body Shaper Back Support

Wholesale Seamless Bodysuit Long Sleeve Slim Corset Shapewear Bodysuit

3. Be more active and move more

Battle the bulge by aiming for 10,000 steps a day. Walk the stairs, get off one bus stop earlier, do housework and exercise to burn more calories and keep the metabolic rate up. You’ll also get your heart rate up every day. For every half an hour of chair time, get up and move around. Time spent sedentary is related to excess weight and obesity, independent of physical activity level.

4. Drink lots of water

When you do not drink enough water, your body is not able to correctly tell the difference between hunger pangs and dehydration. Thirst can sometimes mask itself as hunger and lead to unwanted snacking when you could have simply done with a glass of plain water. Try drinking water, the next time hunger pangs strike.

5. Exercise

According to the Mayo Clinic, to lose weight or maintain weight loss, you’ll need up to 300 minutes of moderate physical activity a week, which averages to about 60 minutes, five days a week. Wear a waist trainer during your workout sessions as it will help you sweat more, especially around your waist area. With that extra sweat, you will lose some water weight and calories. Such waist trainers can be purchased from waist trainer manufacturers such as waistdear.com at affordable prices.

Wholesale Three Pieces of Segmented Abdominal Binder Latex Tummy Wrap

So go ahead and dig into all your favorite Chinese New Year goodies but in moderation.

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Biscuit or Chicken?

Haru the hangry pussy is perpetually hungry. I guess that this is a good sign – a hungry cat is a healthy cat, no?

Haru loves her packet / canned food, kibbles, biscuits and human food such as pau, bread, cake, chicken, pork and fish. We don’t always give her our food, especially if the food has added salt and sugar in it.

Yesterday we wanted to know if Haru likes chicken more or kibbles. So Cass held out a shred of chicken meat in front of Haru while Sherilyn held out catnip biscuit.

The pussy was so confused! She wanted both but couldn’t decide which to grab first. Ultimately, she snatched the chicken first and before she could swallow the chicken, turned to the other side to grab the biscuit 😹

Haru’s our joker at home. She cracks us up with her antics everyday. Had we known earlier that a cat can bring us just as much joy as a dog, we would have gotten a cat much earlier.

Couldn’t make up her mind – chicken or biscuit!

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Men’s Fashion and Colors This Chinese New Year

Red is not an easy colour to pull off, especially when it comes to a man’s outfit. Red is often associated with danger and passion but it’s not that difficult to rock this attention-grabbing shade and top the sartorial scale.

If you are not confident of strutting a bright all-red outfit, consider taming it down with other muted colours that play well with red, such as black, blue, and white. If bright chili red men’s vintage clothing is too much for you to handle, opt for darker shades such as a rusty red or maroon.

If you think that you still can’t handle red, take heart that the lucky colours for the year of the Tiger 2022 are mint green, black, fiery red, Cerulean blue, and imperial yellow!

If you’re looking for some ideas on huat-tastic outfits for the new year and beyond, I’ve rounded up these smart men’s wear from Soinyou, suitable for Chinese New Year.

No matter the colour you wear, whether it is bright red, striking pink or imperial yellow, it’s all about wearing the colour with confidence.

If you still don’t like the idea of wearing a red shirt or men’s overalls fashion, no worries. There is another way to incorporate red into your ensemble through accessories, such as a red cap or red pouch to hold your ang pows and other necessities!

We have less than two weeks away from Chinese New Year. Don’t forget to refresh your wardrobe for the year of the Tiger now!

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What The Girls Did During The School Holidays

During the recent 3-week school term break, we stayed home most of the time. Sherilyn and Cass earned some pocket money by working part-time at their dad’s central kitchen and office. Sherilyn helped to prep Western dishes, with Cass assisting her. They also did filing and other clerical jobs at the office.

Cass and Sherilyn also did plates washing on a Sunday, after a function the previous day. It was the staff’s day off that day.

Cass did simple clerical jobs from filing to paper cutting.

Cass and Sherilyn took turns to bring Haru down for a walk. They even brought Haru to the playground at our condo but this scaredy-cat was terrified 😹

Sherilyn started a fundraising bake sale for Stepping Stones Living Center. This is the 2nd year that she embarked on a donation drive for this living center for under-privileged and homeless children and adults.

She sold flourless orange cake (made with 100% pure almond meal and whole oranges), chocolate chip cookies and fresh strawberry milk. This is our all-time favourite cake.

Sherilyn roped in Cass to help with the baking. Here they are prepping pop cakes (using flourless orange cake).

My heart skipped a few beats when Cass chopped the dark chocolate, which was very hard. She’s pretty clumsy and has recently been accidentally cutting her fingers (with knife and fruit peeler, OUCH!!) quite frequently when she cut fruits.

Cake pops for the children and adults at the Stepping Stones Living Centre.

Shopping for groceries for donation to Stepping Stones Living Centre.

Cass made this Kale + pineapple + orange + strawberry smoothie. Cass made fruit smoothie almost every day during the school holidays.

Now I don’t have to prep smoothie or cut fruits for the girls anymore. They’re all old enough to do it themselves and Cass is even doing it for me now. How nice it is to be finally being served instead of me serving them 😁

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Avocado Egg Roll

Our finicky teenage chef doesn’t like her school canteen’s food. So she preps her own food everyday. This week she made these for her lunch box:

Jumeok-bap or rice ball or Korean style onigiri. It’s cooked rice mixed with boiled kombu, sweet corn kernels, seaweed and soy sauce and rolled into balls. You can use any ingredient that you fancy to mix with the rice.
Salad (pesticide-free) with avocado and cheese.
Mashed green peas and ham with cartoon shaped pasta
Avocado and egg rice rolls

I always tell this girl that if she doesn’t get a highly paid job or a rich husband in future, she will find it extremely hard to live a life with humble and simple food. Blame it on her dad who’s spoilt them with good food all their lives 😑

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Importance Of Clean Filtered Water For Optimal Health

The human body is composed of an approximate average of 60% water. Aside from helping us to quench thirst, water is crucial for optimal health and is essential for numerous bodily functions. These include waste removal, temperature regulation, and cellular function.

Health experts recommend that we drink around 2 liters of water per day. We need to increase this amount if we’re exercising or losing fluids through sweat on a hot day, to prevent dehydration. As our body requires so much water a day for optimal health, we should be drinking clean and filtered water that is free from contaminants, bacteria, odour, and heavy metals. A good water filter will be able to do that. The Thanos water dispenser with a built-in filter (5 filtration steps) made in Korea can remove over 1,000 harmful contaminants from the water before it is dispensed, either cold, hot, or warm.

Below are the types of contaminants commonly found in water and some water filters can filter off these contaminants.

TURBIDITY: A major source of turbidity in drinking water is soil runoff but other sources include rust, sand and sediment.

LEAD: Typically, lead enters the water supply after it leaves the local treatment plant.

Lead plumbing is common in homes built before 1986 and can contribute to the contamination of water in a home.

SEDIMENT: Water passing through a series of pipes to reach your home may contain sediment.

CRYPTOSPORIDIUM AND GIARDIA: Cryptosporidium is a single-celled protozoan parasite commonly found in lakes and rivers, especially when the water is contaminated with sewage and animal waste.

CHLORINE TASTE AND ODOUR: Chlorine taste and odour is caused by compounds containing chlorine added to local water supplies.

Living in Malaysia, you will often notice that at certain times of the day the water that comes out from the tap is brown. You will need to let the water run for several seconds to several minutes before using it. Sometimes the color of our clothes turns brownish caused by the turbidity of the water.

A good water filtration system is a priority in our family. Previously when we stayed in a double-storey house, we had a huge outdoor water filter unit. In our dry kitchen, we have an electric water filter system and in the wet kitchen, we have a simple water filter attached to the tap faucet. Now that we stay in a condo, we only have a water filter in our dry kitchen. There are several outdoor water filter units at the compound of our condo.

Some people feel that a water filter is not a necessity as the water in Malaysia has been treated before they are piped into our homes. It is up to individual preference but I personally feel that it is safer to drink filtered water as filtered water looks cleaner and has a neutral taste. Everyone in our family drinks a lot of water every day and I want only clean filtered water for us. What’s on my wish list now is a good water dispenser with a built-in water filter as our RM2k+ Panasonic water filter finally conked out after 13 years with us.

So it’s time for me to shop around for the best water dispenser in Malaysia! I don’t know if it’s just me or everyone, but I find that water that comes out from water dispensers, especially cold water tastes so good!

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Haru Is 1 Year Old

The first time I met Haru was on 15 January 2021. She was about 1 or 2 weeks old then. I think. We brought her home 8 days later on 23 January 2021. Haru’s mother gave birth to a litter of kittens right outside hubby’s office door.

So in January 2022, Haru is one year old! The past almost one year of having her in our home has been filled with laughter, drama and nerve-wracking moments. I almost had a heart attack two days ago when she was sniffing the floor of our kitchen balcony and looked like she wanted to jump down from the 5th floor! This is not the first time she managed to walk out from the sliding door of the kitchen balcony and gave us all a hellish and frantic few seconds of time trying to coax her to come in. She is one very smart, energetic, funny and hangry cat with a bottomless pit. She eats 4 times a day excluding one or two mini snacks in between.

Haru’s birthday presents – seafood, beef, lamb, crab and turkey platter and a new bowl. I got her a new bowl as her current bowls (which are plastic takeaway containers) kept moving about whenever she eats.

The audacity she had to jump onto my motherboard and sat there comfortably.

In a playful mood. When this happens, she will bite us playfully.

Cass loves taking pix of Haru. She has taken thousands of pix of Haru on her phone.

Izumio caps – these are still Haru’s favorite toys. She kicks and swipes those caps and chases them like she was playing football.

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Top Tips for Using Fruit in Baking

Delicious and sweet cake with strawberries and baiser on a plate Free Photo

Contrary to popular belief, baking doesn’t have to be unhealthy. In fact, using fruit in baking can be one of the best ways to use this hobby to create treats for you and your family that are filled with nutritional value as well as tasting great. Whether you want to make tarts, crumbles, fruit pies, or other baked goods using fruits, read on to find out more about how to get the best results.

Use What’s in Season

When baking with fruit, shopping for what’s in season can make a huge difference. Baking with local produce can have many benefits, including being much more cost efficient and better for the environment. If you can, go for locally picked fruit, since this tends to offer the most flavour to a recipe. Unlike imported produce, locally picked fruit that’s in season right now will be picked when ripe, which will add more natural sweetness to your baked goods and help you avoid adding lots of sugar.

Orange cake decorated with fresh orange slices and mimosa flowers on light Free Photo

Use Fresh Fruit

While you can get frozen fruit as a convenient option, it’s always better to go with fresh fruit whenever possible if you want to get the best results from your baking. Often, frozen fruit will be lacking in flavour and can increase the water content in your baking recipes, which could lead to fruit pies and crumbles that are mushy or have far too much liquid to be enjoyable. If you need to use frozen fruit in baking, it’s a good idea to make sure that the fruit is completely thawed and drained beforehand.

Use a Flour Dusting

Fresh fruit can be used in lots of different cake recipes including muffins, loaf cakes, and more. When baking with fruit, it’s a good idea to lightly dust the fruit first with an all-purpose flour before you add it to the mixture. The purpose of this is to stop the fruit from sinking to the bottom of the cake mixture while it is baking, and it will also work for other ingredients that you might add to your cakes like chocolate chips or nuts. You can find sieves and other cake baking tools to use in the process at Cooks Boutique.

Keep It Clean

Before adding fruit to your baking recipes, make sure that it is washed and dried well. Cleaning any fresh fruit that you use in baking is important to make sure that you’re not adding any dirt or pesticides to your cakes and other baked goods. However, since washing the fruit will add water, let it dry out on a paper towel or tea towel before adding it to the recipe. This is because the fruit is already full of natural juices that will come out during the baking process, and additional water or other liquids can leave your fillings messy and mushy.

If you like baking but want to make healthier cakes and baked goods, using fruit can help you avoid adding sugar and get your five-a-day in a delicious way.

No. of times viewed = 90

Best Italian Restaurants to Check Out in Bedfordshire, United Kingdom

Bedfordshire and the surrounding areas are some of the best places to live in the UK, with a great university and lots of amenities. Among these are plenty of Italian restaurants that are great for dates, single meals, as well as family outings. This article focuses on the Italian restaurants you should absolutely try when you visit Bedfordshire next.

Martini Ristorante Italiano

The Martini Ristorante Italiano is a family-run restaurant that prides itself on modernising classic Italian dishes for the modern palate. The food at the restaurant is so good because the restaurant sources all its ingredients from the local farmer’s market. One of the things we love about the restaurant is that they host tasting showcases every week. The chefs prepare meals from different regions, give them an Italian twist, and then present them as part of their tasting showcase. Their attractive courtyard where you can sit and eat will make you feel like you have travelled to Italy. Some favourites at the Martini Ristorante Italiano include the pate di fagato and the pappardelle al cinghiale.

Cinccchetti

If you are ever in Bedford and are looking for an authentic Italian restaurant, you should visit the Fratelli Cicchetti Italian located in the Ampthill area. The Cicchetti is a family-owned and run eatery that boasts an extensive Italian menu for the restaurant and a selection of cocktails for the lounge bar. The restaurant is open from Thursday evening until Sunday afternoon, when they only serve lunch and not dinner. Their menu includes seafood, hand-made pasta, and meats. They also have a bottomless Sunday brunch, afternoon tea and lunches. In addition to dining physically in the restaurant, you can order your meals through their website at Fratelli-italian.co.uk, where you can also find their contact information.

Fratelli Cucina Italiana

Fratelli Cucina Italiana is another great Italian restaurant that is owned by three brothers. It is a lively and bustling restaurant which is always busy due to the amazing food it serves. All their food is made from scratch in the restaurant, which gives it the great authentic Italian flavours it has. Some favourites at the restaurant are the pizza piccante and the linguine gamberetti.

Carriages at The Linton Hotel

Carriages is a bit different from the other restaurants on this list because, in addition to Italian food, it also serves food from various other European countries and regions. Carriages has partnerships with Italian chefs to recreate iconic Italian recipes and give them an authentic Italian touch. When at Carriages, you have to try the linguine al astice which is a linguine pasta that comes with half a lobster, cherry tomato sauce, shallots and brandy.

Uncooked raw macaroni, pasta and spaghetti next to fresh and healthy vegetables, variety of spices and sunflower oil on dark vintage rustic wooden background Free Photo

Rustico Italian Bistro

The Rustico Italian Bistro is a newer restaurant in the area since it was opened in 2018. It aims to offer an intimate dining experience for all its patrons. Its chefs serve authentic Italian dishes infused with some modern twists. The restaurant offers an authentic and friendly atmosphere, making it great for different dining experiences.

To get the authentic Italian dining experience, you need to eat at a restaurant that prides itself on making authentic Italian food. The restaurants discussed above all have chefs who understand Italian cuisine well to give you a great experience.

No. of times viewed = 39

Crafty Ways to Decorate a Child’s Bedroom

Do you love making things? Are you happiest when immersed in sewing, knitting, or embroidering? There are loads of fun ways to use your crafting skills to create a gorgeous child’s bedroom. Read on to learn more!

Crochet Plush Toy Hanging Basket

Most little kids have lots of plush toys. Teddy bears, soft animals, and fabric dolls all take up a lot of room and if your child’s room has tons of them cluttering up the floor, it is time to move their soft toys into some pretty hanging storage baskets.

Crochet is a great way to make hanging storage baskets. There are lots of cute patterns online, primarily designed as hanging baskets for plants, but they work just as well for soft toys. Choose some coloured wool that fits your child’s room and spend a few evenings crocheting. Bonus points for using recycled wool!

Front view of child room with rustic interior design Free Photo

Decoupage Toy Boxes

Decoupage is a lovely way to brighten up a plain toy box. You can use all kinds of decorative paper to create unique and personalised designs. And if you are feeling brave, why not let your kids join in and decorate their own toy boxes!

All kinds of paper are suitable for decoupage, but for a kid’s room, why not use old children’s gift wrap? Instead of throwing the used paper away at the end of a birthday party, save it and make use of it in your decoupage project. Comic book pages and pages torn from old children’s books also work well.

Decoupage is very easy. Sand down the surface if it has been varnished or previously painted (this isn’t necessary with unfinished wood). Cut out the images you want on the box. Use child-safe decoupage glue or watered-down PVA to stick down the paper in your chosen design. Once it’s dry you can give it another coat of glue or varnish to seal the surface.

Make Cute Cushions

Pick up some fun fabric from reallymaria.com and make some scatter cushions for your child’s room. Large cushions are great for the floor and will ensure your child is comfortable when s/he’s playing with his toys or reading a book.

If you want to be adventurous, have a go at some more complex designs. Round cushions are a bit more challenging, especially if you add some decorative trim.

Have a Go at Quilting

Quilting is something you can do by hand or on a sewing machine. It’s a fun way to use up scraps of fabric. You can also personalise your quilt by making it from fabric that has a special meaning, such as your baby’s first blanket. Ask each family member to donate a garment and cut them up for your child’s quilt. You can then point to the different fabrics and say who they belonged to.

Finally, if you are skilled with a paintbrush, why not design and paint a mural? Choose a wall, sketch out your design with charcoal, and paint it with acrylic paint. Your child will love it!

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