Japan. Here I come.

I haven't been to Japan but sure crazy about Japanese beauty stuffs, namely their cosmetic stuffs. I have been following Japanese magazines, Ray, and ef, for the past 2 years. Have already been dreaming to visit Japan. At last my dream comes true after "you suo" / much discussion with hubby for the past 3 months. :P Now that we have fixed the dates: 28th Jan till 3rd Feb 2009. Japan, Here I Come.

Korean Bulgogi. My favourite beef dish.

Yummy, by the saying it, my taste buds can just feel the juicy yummy Bulgogi chewing inside my mouth...

Almost every other Sunday me & hubby will sure patronize the "Twins" Restaurant in Korean Village Ampang. They sell mainly namely kimchi and other pickled stuffs. We particular like to visit them because I just...... LOVE the Bulgogi and their kimchi. There aren't any other Korean restaurants that we have visited all over KL that makes such good, sweet and juicy marinated beef rice. Furthermore, it cost only RM13!! Cheap, good and Yummy.

Sometimes I make it myself with the following great recipe. Try it.

Mix Ingredients A for 30 minutes:
Thinly sliced Beef meat (About 1lb)
1 tbsp sugar/honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar

Mix Ingredients B:
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp sugar/honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 finely minced garlic
1 sliced onion (regular size)
1 finely minced fresh ginger
1 finely chopped green onion leaves
2 tbsp sesame oil
a dash of pepper
1 tbsp water

Pour ingredient B to A, and marinate for another 1 hour. (I like to keep in the fridge and use whenever I want to eat it.

Pour over sliced meat and let marinate for at least 1 hour. Overnight in the refrigerator is even better.

Heat your frying pan/wok over high heat and then place your marinated meat (+ marinated meat juice, don't throw, real yummy when mixed with rice) to cook.

Viola, add some white and black sesame seed onto the beef and rice.
It is now ready to eat............

Extra Note:
I saw somewhere on the net to add 1 pc pureed kiwi fruit to the ingredient B. It tasted even better.

To make the kiwi puree, blender 1 kiwi fruit (remember to remove the skin), let it sit for about an hour, then drain and add it to ingredient B to marinate.

Aiyo, saliva also become drooling liao. Better make some to satisfy my grooling stomach.

Endometriosis.

I have been having this damn thing in me for the past 6 years of more. Previously I have had pretty bad cramps and couple of diarrhea before and during the 1st and 2nd day of my menses. And then the menses will last through 2 weeks! Just imagine, clean for 2 weeks and the nightmare is back all over again.

After I got married in 2005, we were desperate to get pregnant because I'm already 29 and he's 35. After 2 years of trying and the menstrual cramps and diarrhea getting worse month by month, it is time to sort for help.

Checks were done and found to have one 4cm + cysts near my ovary. I opt for the surgery to get rid of it in 2007 and the doc took nearly 2 hrs to clean the mess in my stomach. What did he found: 1 hugh chocolate cysts measuring 4cm + on my ovary and more than 20pcs of tiny chocolate cysts covering 1 of my fallopian tube causing it to be twisted. My doc also have the fallopian tube tested for rupture, luckily it is fine. Oh and some on the intestine too. That explains the diarrhea (with oil!!!)

Post surgery caused me to have really bad bloated stomach for 1 month and of coz a 10cm scar. I hardly can walk on the first week due to the extend of extra cysts removal during the surgery. The pain, my god, on my stomach and the scar internally and externally is extreme. Compared to another girl who had the same surgery, she only had 1 fluid cysts removed. She has no problem getting down from her hospital bed 1 day after surgery.

Luckily, the test results on the chocolate cysts show negative, which means it is not cancerous.

It took me 2 weeks to walk without a walker and 1 month to recover.

You might be questioning: What is endometriosis?!!

Endometriosis is a disorder in which bits of tissue from the inner lining of the uterus (the endometrium) grow inside a woman's body, outside of the uterus. The uterus is a hollow organ within a woman's abdomen where a fertilized egg implants and where a developing baby is nourished and grows.

These misplaced bits of endometrial tissue can cause pain and irregular bleeding, and can affect a woman's ability to become pregnant.

Each month, in a normal menstrual cycle:

• The ovaries (the organs where egg cells develop) produce hormones (the body's chemical messengers) that stimulate the cells of the uterine lining - the endometrial cells - to multiply and prepare for a fertilized egg. These cells swell and thicken.
• If a pregnancy does not occur, this excess tissue is shed from the uterus and discharged from the body.
• This discharge of tissue is a woman's menstrual period.

In endometriosis:

• Patches of misplaced endometrial tissue implant themselves on organs outside of the uterus, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes rectum, and bladder.
• These cells also respond to the ovaries' hormonal signals by swelling and thickening.
• However, these cells are unable to separate themselves and shed from the tissue to which they have adhered. They sometimes bleed a little and then heal.
• This happens repeatedly each month, and the ongoing process can cause scarring. It also can create adhesions, which are web-like tissues that can bind pelvic organs together.

How Common Is Endometriosis?

Endometriosis sometimes produces no symptoms, and many women are unaware that they have the condition. Therefore, the true incidence is hard to determine. But many experts believe it affects between 5 and 15 percent of all women of reproductive age.

Where In The Body Does Endometriosis Occur?

Endometrial tissue can grow anywhere in the abdomen, including:

• Ovaries
• Fallopian tubes
• Outer surface of the uterus
• Bladder
• Rectum

Less commonly, endometrial tissue may adhere to:

• Outer surfaces of the small and large intestines
• Ureters (tubes leading to from the kidneys to the bladder)
• Vagina
• Surgical scars in the abdomen
• Lining of the chest cavity
• Other areas outside the abdomen, such as the lung or thigh (this is rare)

Source:
http://www.ehealthmd.com/library/endometriosis/EM_whatis.html

Garbage Enzyme.

I have heard from a friend on the garbage enzyme few months ago. Never really thought to make it until now, till I heard that it can help save our earth from global warming.

step by step guide of making garbage enzyme:
















Black sugar, brown sugar or molasses is one of the ingredients needed for making garbage enzyme.

















Mainly vegetables and fruits waste only. Do not use dairy or meat products because they smell really really bad during the fermentation process. Make sure the vegs and fruits waste does not have oil substance.

















Note: the ratio of Water:Sugar:Waste = 10:1:3

Sample Ratio of Making Garbage Enzyme:

Brown sugar/molasses	Garbage	Water
1	3	10
500g	1.5kg	5 liter
1kg	3kg	10 liter

(recommended: use a 5 liter large plastic mineral water bottle which is air tight)








































Open the cap every day for the first month to release the air. It sucks at first, then it starts to have the sour sweet smell when approaching month #2. Open the cap every week from month #2. It will depend on the fermentation process. Mine stops releasing air from week #3. So I become lazy and open the bottle every Sunday.

Note: If you do not have enough kitchen waste, you can add the waste gradually day by day until it is 80 % filled up. You will need the 20% space for the air built up during the fermentation process. If there is not enough space, the bottle will swell and as if its gonna burst. Fermentation of 3 months starts from the last day of adding the waste into the bottle.

Remember to push the floating garbage downward once a while. The residue can be reused for the next production by adding in fresh garbage. It can be used as fertilizer by drying the residue, blending and buried in the ground.
The longer you store it, the stronger it’ll be. I kept mine for 5 months coz completely lazy to drain and strain the liquids.

Mine looks like this after 5 months (after drain and remove all residue for next production)













My hubby use it to clean our car porch and window.
Smells great with the sweet sour vinegar smell. However, the smell will be gone within 1 day.

Oh, you will need to add ratio of 1:500 or 1:1000 for household cleaning. Or else, you will get "Cee lap lap" sticky feel.

I have used it to mop the floor. Found that flies are lesser. Gone with the rats too.

The Usage:

(For maximum effectiveness, dilute enzyme with water)

1. Fertilizer = 1ml enzyme : 1000ml water

2. Insecticide = 1ml enzyme : 1000ml water

3. Pesticide = 1ml enzyme : 1000ml water

4. Anti-odor / air freshener = 1ml enzyme : 200ml water

5. Plant hormone (to get more fruits and flower) = 1ml enzyme : 500ml water

6. Shampoo, dish washing detergent and detergent = ½ tsp in shampoo

(to reduce the chemical effect )

or 1 tsp enzyme : 500ml liquid

or 1 tbsp enzyme : 1000ml liquid

Credit goes to : Dr. Rosukon from Thailand

More readings:
1. http://garbageenzyme.com/
2. http://www.waystosaveenergy.net/General/what-is-garbage-enzyme/Print.html
or just search through Google using "Garbage Enzyme".

Happy saving the earth!

Fish Spa.

Hmm. Fish Spa. Was eager to try out how does it feel having lots of fish massaging your feet. Me and my hubby just went to a fish spa a while ago. Was so itchy to try it out because it is the in-trend now.

It cost us RM15 for 1/2 hour, so RM30 for 2. Ok fair enough for the first try.

First you gotta wash your feet. The put your feet into the pool full of tiny lil' fish. The size of the fish were about 4cm to 5 cm long. It was so ticklish in the beginning, then you'll get used to it but we totally feels that it is quite a waste of $$. I don't feel the fish massaging my feet but literally biting my flesh from my feet!!!

Never again gonna get fish spa again.