Effects of palm oil

I have been thinking and discussing the effects of palm oil with my husband for months. We noted that palm oil commonly found in contents of food that are readily available in the supermarket. Just to name a few: coffee mix, cereals, bread, baked goods, snacks, toiletries etc. We both read reports about the benefits and adverse effects of palm oil. Since palm oil is commonly found in groceries that we frequently use, it got us concerned how it impacts our health.

WWF reported that larged areas of tropical forests have been cleared for oil palm plantations. This results in destruction of natural habitats and eviction of forest-dwelling indigenous peoples. Other sources cited the call to avoid palm oil is a trade ploy to curb palm oil's competitive and major share in the food industry. Another source quoted that palm oil us useful for preventing vitamin A deficiency, cancer, brain disease, aging and even useful for the treatment of Malaria and Hypertension. The source also noted that, palm oil could possibly interact with medications that slow blood clotting. (Anticoagulant / Antiplatelet drugs) Or perhaps there are insufficient scientific studies or evidence to proof the detrimental effects or benefits of palm oil.

I'm undecided on this. Perhaps like the old saying goes "Moderation is key".

Sources about palm oil as at 17 April 2015:
WWF - Environmental & social impacts of palm oil production
Sustainable palm oil platform - Environmental and social effects
NCBI - Effects of palm oil on cardiovascular risk
WebMd - Uses, side effects of palm oil
Sciencebasedmedicine.org - The Dr Oz red palm oil (non) miracle

Hakka Abacus Seeds 客家算盘子

Abacus seeds (the Taro ones) are unique to Hakka cuisine. My ancestral family originated from Dabu county in Meizhou City, Guangdong Province, China. Coincidentally, my husband's maternal family also originate from the same region.

When I was a kid, my grandmother would prepare Hakka abacus seeds every Chinese New Year (CNY). Hakka abacus seeds resembles the actual abacus board. The latter was used like a calculator in the past.  Hakkas prepare this dish  to signify wealth and abundance. I love the rich flavour of this dish and every family has their own special recipe.

For nostalgia sake, I'm recording my attempt at recreating this family dish.

My family's Hakka abacus seed recipe
(Serves 6-8 pax)

Ingredients:
1kg Yam or Taro
200g Tapioca flour

4 cloves of  garlic, finely chopped
200g minced meat (I used pork, but it can be substituted with any protein of your choice)
100g dried squid, julienne
200g dried mushrooms (soaked in water for an hour), julienne
1.5 tablespoon cooking oil
1 tablespoon dried shrimps
1 tablespoon light soya sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)
A dash of white pepper


Method
1. Peel the skin of the yam/taro and cut them into cubes.
2. Boil the yam/taro for 15-20 minutes in a pot, until soft. (Use a fork to prick the yam. If it pricks through easily, it is cooked)

Boil the yam/taro in hot water

NOTE: The following processes have to be done while the yam/taro is hot. Do wear a pair of gloves if you need.

3. While the cooked yam/taro is hot, mash them in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher.
4. Add in the tapioca flour to the mashed yam/taro immediately, and mix well into a dough

Yam/taro dough

5. Grab handfuls of dough and shape them into balls. Each ball should be the size of a small walnut.
6.  Press the centre to obtain an abacus-shaped dough.
7. Cook the abacus seed dough in hot boiling water. When they are cooked through, the dough will float to the surface of the pot.
8. Remove the abacus seeds from the pot with a sieve and transfer them into an ice water bath immediately. Soak for 5-10 minutes.
9. Drain and transfer the cooled abacus seeds to a clean bowl and mix with a table spoon of oil (to prevent them from sticking together).

Shape the dough into abacus seeds

Boil the seeds in hot boiling water until they float to the surface

 10. Add half a tablespoon of oil into a frying pan. Turn on the fire to medium heat.
11. Add chopped garlic, shrimps and dried squid to the frying pan after the oil is hot.
12. Stir-fry the mixture till fragrant. Add the minced meat and stir-fry till the meat is partially cooked.
13. Add the abacus seed to the mixture and stir fry for 5 minutes.
14. Add soya sauce, fish sauce, pepper and shaoxing wine to the mixture. Stir-fry till the minced meat is well cooked.
15. Viola! Transfer the abacus seeds to a nice serving plate/bowl. Serve while it is hot. (The abacus seeds could store up to 1 week in the refrigerator too)

Hakka Abacus seeds

Kin Soon Company - Minton Ribbons

One of my favorite craft shops in Singapore is Kin Soon Company, a.k.a Minton Ribbons. Tucked in at quiet end of Arab street, it is a gem to behold. Click here to visit their site. Minton has a good  humongous selection of ribbons and accompanying craft materials. All colors and patterns imaginable. I can never leave the shop empty handed. My latest trip to Kin Soon was to purchase ribbons for a friend's wedding decor. The theme of the wedding was Rainbow. I spent hours scoring through pictures on google and pinterest to get ideas. I wanted to create a colorful and elegant palette, that does not scream carnival or kiddish. At the shop, while standing at one of the ribbon aisle trying to find the best color combination, the owner of the shop came to my rescue. She asked me the theme of the wedding. Within minutes, she effortlessly picked 6 colors. With a wink, she said it will surely work. She proceeded to line the rows of ribbons in a line and let the ends fall lose. With confidence, she asked what I thought of the selection. Needless to say, I was bought over. She then shared her invaluable experience of color matching and the wedding trends she observed over the years. The whole shopping experience at Kin Soon was lovely and memorable. I can't wait to return and meet the wonderful lady and her team again.

Kin Soon Company aka Minton Ribbons

The colors for the wedding. Left to right - Red, lime green, cream, cyan, purple and pink

Gateway to the aisle

Reception table with a ribbon frame

The aisle

6th month with kitties

April marks the 6th month that we adopted our cats. They are have been an endless bundle of joy. It took us some time to understand their antics and habits. Soon a routine was established around our schedules.

5:00AM Kitties wake us up to demand for food. They usually jump on us till one of us wakes up. Timmy is the one who usually gets up to feed them.

6:30AM We get up to start the day - Set aside more food for the kitties, change their water bowl, clear the kitty litter and prepare for work.

7:15AM On days when we're lucky, we leave by 7:15 AM to avoid the morning traffic. Else we rush out by 7:30 (absolute latest!)

7:45AM Timmy drops me at the train station and we both head to our respective work stations

6:00PM Both of us end work around the same time. Usually we meet outside for dinner before heading home or one of us get ingredients from a supermarket and head home to prepare dinner

7:30PM Kittie's dinner time! They usually demand for cuddles or attention after dinner.

8:30PM Wash up, catch up on readings or housework

10:30PM We're ready for bed and would update each other about the plans for the next day or chat about any other random stuff before falling asleep by 11 or 12.

Having these 2 little ones make me realize how tough it must be for working moms to take care of their kids, sans helper! There are days when I'm exhausted and could only leave the housework or laundry to the weekends or days when I wish to stay out later for a date night but choose not to because of our cats. Kudos to moms who insist on taking care of their children and household by themselves. Although the demands of caring for pets and children are rather different, I believe the level of commitment is similar. Despite steering away from our carefree lifestyles, I wouldn't trade these "inconvenience" for anything. I love my cats.

For more information about adopting cats, you could check out these 2 amazing organizations:

Cat Welfare Society

SPCA

Gazing out of the window on a rainy day

Caught in action! Kitties jumping on us till we wake up

Ronny chilling out on the dining chair

Truffle with her teddy