endroog

I’m on soft diet and I’m getting a bit sick of porridge. Szer bought me Ma Ling pork luncheon meat. So I came up with this recipe:

1. Cut the luncheon meat bloc into small cubes. Put it into boiling hot water to cook for 5 minutes.
2. After that strain it and put into a bowl. Add half teaspoon of Bovril and mix it well.
3. Then make a cup of Bovril soup. Put a teaspoon of Bovril paste into a cup of hot water and stir well.
4. Then mix the Bovril soup into the bowl of lunchoen meat and mix it well. Ready to serve.

Ingredients:

1 can of luncheon meat (170 g)

1 teaspoon of Bovril for the soup

1/2 (half) teaspoon of Bovril to mix with the luncheon meat

I’ve been eating porridge mixed with my favourite fried dace + salted black beans (tau si yi). It is a must with Teowchew porridge. Then I devised a recipe to make it tastier.

Put in rice (for 2 person) into a crockery pot and put in sufficient water to make porridge. Put in 3/4 cube of Knorr’s ikan bilis stock. Adjust to “High” level. Leave it for about 1 hour.

Now, go and clear the tau si yi of bone fragments. Mash the fishes to smaller chunks. Use a scissor to cut it to small small chunks if you’re like me who can’t chew much.

After 1 hour, the porridge should be boiling. Add in the mashed fish meat, black beans and its oil gravy. Stir well. Close the glass lid and let it cook for another 1,2 or maybe 3 hours in “Low” level.

By the way, if you don’t have a crock pot and you’re using the conventional cooking pot over the gas stove, you gotta look out while it boils. Make sure it don’t dry up.

Ingredients:

Rice for 2 persons

1 can of fried dace and salted black beans (get those from China. They’re tastier and better than those of local brand like Yeo’s)

1 cube of Knorr ikan bilis stock

Went to Wisma Lim Foo Yoong… the shop, United Locksmith to duplicate a set of keys. Guess how much it is. A whopping RM17.50 !

Labels:

1 = RM 3.50
2 = RM 5.00 (solex-type padlock)
3, 4, 5 = RM 3.00 each

Man… this is so expensive. Its like double the price when I duplicated the earlier set (one with keychain in the picture) 4 years ago.

Borrowed this from a colleague.

Shelter is a basic necessity and second only to immediate medical care on the immediate action list. Set up, make or find temporary shelter. Heat and cold can sap the lifeblood from you very quickly. Wind, rain, snow or other inclement weather hastens the process. You can’t check in at a hotel, so pick the best convenient location for your immediate action shelter, as dry as possible, away from natural hazards. This is simply a place to retreat from the weather while you get your act together. You may stay there or later move to a better location or construct a more substantial shelter.

Place a single opening shelter like a lean-to with the back to the prevailing winds. A simple tent should be situated at right angles to the wind. If the airplane is safe and properly located, use a wing, the tail or the fuselage as part of your shelter.

As inviting as it may be, you may want to avoid the completely enclosed interior of the aircraft in very hot or frigid weather. With minimal ventilation and little insulation it can act as an oven in high heat circumstances, especially if out in the opne. In cold weather it may be difficult to isulate yourself from the cold metal and the minimal insulation and relatively large volume make it difficult to raise the interior temperature without some external heat source. Lack of ventilation will trap moisture which may drip on you if it warms during the day. Punching out windows or leaving doors open can provide air circulation which can ameliorate some of these problems, but the closed fuselage isn’t automatically the best choice, no matter how inviting it may be.

Take advantage of natural shelter. A lean-to can be constructed against a fallen tree using deadwood and layered boughs, a tarp or sections from the aircraft. Beneath the bottom branches of a large evergreen there is often a clear dry area, even in heavy snow. A simple snow trench can be quickly excavated and covered with boughs. The floor of your shelter can be insulated from the snow or ground using seat cushions, carpet, small boughs, dead leaves or other materials which will get you off the ground and trap air. Huddle together for warmth. Do not let any personal inhibitions prevent you from taking advantage of the significant warming effect of bodies in contact.

In the desert, shade is vital. Surface temperatures may be as much as 40 degrees hotter in the sun! The surface is where heat is retained and given up. Temperatures can be up to 30 degrees cooler 12 – 18 inches below or above the surface. Temperatures in desert climates can also drop as much as 40 degrees, sometimes more, at night which can take you well below freezing during winter months. Prepare your desert shelter with these extremes in mind. In the desert it is best to work at night or early morning when it is cooler and rest during the hot daytime temperatures.

A large plastic trash bag or two can make a very effective emergency shelter or poncho. To use, hold upside down and go to one of the corners (bottom corner, but now on top), drop down about eight inches along the crease, and using your knife cut a slit or hole only big enough for your face. Pull the bag over your body so that the corner rests on top of your head and your nose and mouth sticks through the hole. Pull another bag up from your feet for more coverage, since most aren’t long enough. If you can, stuff the bags and your clothing with dry leaves and such for added insulation, but be careful not to introduce any unwelcome pests into your improvised shelter.

Gâc is a Southeast Asian fruit found throughout the region from Southern China to Northeastern Australia. It is also known as Baby Jackfruit, Spiny Bitter Gourd, Sweet Gourd, or Cochinchin Gourd. It has been traditionally used as both food and medicine in the regions in which it grows. Gâc (Momordia Cochinchinemis Spreng), is a bright-red fruit that grows as large as a cantaloupe and abundantly on vines all over sub-tropical Asia, especially in Vietnam. Beta-carotene, a natural carotenoid antioxidant found abundantly in gâc fruit, helps boost the immune system and assists the skin’s cellular rejuvenation process. Carotenoids as plant pigments function as protection of the plant against excess sunlight. As a result, their natural nutritional value is especially important to healthy skin.

In Vietnam, it is widely consumed because it has a relatively short harvest season (which peaks in December and January), making it less abundant than other foods, gac is typically served at ceremonial or festive occasions in Vietnam, such as Tet (the Vietnamese new year) and weddings. It is most commonly prepared as a dish called xôi gâc, in which the aril and seeds of the fruit are cooked in glutinous rice, imparting both their color and flavor. More recently, the fruit has begun to be marketed outside of Asia in the form of juice dietary supplements because of its allegedly high phytonutrient content.

The health supplement product, R.G. Skin Revitalizer by St. Paul Brands promotes the use of gac oil. RedGac is an oil, not a juice. There a big difference because it is an oil, RedGac both supplies and delivers to the body of the high natural levels of antioxidants. Gac is an natural source of beta-carotene, lycopene, and long-chain fatty acids, and the fat in the fruit pulp is essential for the absorption of those fat soluble nutrients. Fat soluble nutrient digestion is assisted by natural fruit oils.

While gac is an exceptional source of B-carotene (18-50 mg/100 g), lycopene, and long-chain fatty acids (24 g/100 g). , it’s the fat in the fruit pulp (about 100 mg/g) that is essential for the absorption of B-carotenes.

In order for nutrients to be absorbed by the human digestive system, they must bind with fat molecules. According to Dr. Steven Shwartz of Ohio State University, “many fruits and vegetables are rich in beneficial carotenoids, but most are virtually fat free, which may limit the body’s ability to absorb some of these nutrients.”

Oh, now I realize why the Vietnamese people have good smooth skin. This post is sponsored by St. Paul Brands, USA through PayPerPost.

Whether you suffer the effects of a fire, earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or theft, there’s no substitute for having an up-to-date photo inventory of your home, a record of both the structures on your property and your personal belongings. This photographic inventory is invaluable when you need to show police stolen or damaged items, when you need to identify recovered items, and when you need a reference point after a catastrophe such as a fire, earthquake, or tornado.

Safeco senior claims representative Kristine Brandes, working in Safeco’s “storm room” during the aftermath of the Seattle earthquake, offered sage advice for preparedness and post-damage recovery.

At a minimum, Brandes suggests creating a photo inventory of your home to document the structure and your belongings. Start by taking overview pictures of each entire room first. Then, in each room, take pictures of individual items of significant value such as jewelry, electronic equipment, antiques, and unique items. “[Insurance claims adjusters] need good pictures of items so that when we are assessing damages and trying to evaluate what we should pay, we have a better idea of the characteristics of each item,” she explains.

Brandes also recommends keeping a record of the serial number (useful in the event of theft and recovery), year, make, model, date of purchase, purchase price, condition, and a description of the item. Be sure to keep receipts, owner’s manuals, canceled checks, and credit card receipts with the images. If you want to keep electronic records, scan the documents into your computer.

An alternative to keeping photographs is recording your belongings on video. The advantage of video is that you can walk and talk while you’re shooting. However, Brandes notes that digital still images can be sent via e-mail with a claim. “If we get a still digital photo, we can store it in the [customer's] file electronically,” she explains. “If we get an electronic video or media player file, we can’t store it in their file. So for standard, basic claims, still photos are great and they save time.”

If you have both a still and video camera, check with your agent to see what your insurance company recommends.

Photo inventory shooting tipsTaking pictures of your household belongings can be more challenging than you expect. For example, for small items, you may need a background that doesn’t compete with the details of the item you’re shooting.

Before you begin It’s a good idea to get backgrounds and equipment ready in advance. Here’s a short checklist:

• Have a dark, flexible poster board, craft paper, or dark cloth handy. Used as a backdrop, these items will help show off the detail and intricacy of small items, such as jewelry, collectibles, and silver.
• Consider using or buying small plastic display stands for small items. These inexpensive stands are available at antique and craft stores, and they come in handy for all sorts of photography projects.
• Shoot within the recommended range of your flash. For many interior pictures, you’ll need a flash. Check the camera manual for the minimum and maximum distance range of your flash, and then shoot within the recommended range. In most cases, it’s not a good idea to take a close-up picture of small items using an on-camera flash because it can obliterate the details you want to preserve. Try using a lamp or flashlight instead of the flash, or bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling. You can sometimes diffuse and reduce the intensity of the light by placing a thin cloth over the flash.
• Set the white balance on a digital camera for the type of light you’re using – incandescent, fluorescent, or flash. Or, on a film-based camera, filter for the light – appropriately.
• Set the date function on your camera before you begin shooting. If your camera doesn’t have a date function, include the date when you process the digital image in an image-editing program such as Picture It!

Taking the pictures To create an inventory, use a systematic approach and don’t overlook infrequently used items.

• Wide, overall room shot: Start by switching to wide mode, using a wide-angle lens, or using panoramic mode. You will likely need to take two or more shots to get the entire room. Remember the maximum range of your flash, and if it falls short, be sure to turn on room lights and bring in other lighting if necessary.
• Detail shots: It’s good to be systematic in taking inventory shots by working from large to small and from top to bottom. For example, after you take pictures of the overall room, move to the next smaller items such as the dining table, arm and side chairs, buffet, china cabinet, and sideboard. Take pictures of wall hangings, window coverings, and carpets. Then move to china, silverware, crystal, serving pieces, tea sets, glassware, and collectibles.
• Aperture: Use the smallest aperture possible under the lighting conditions – for instance, f/8 or f/5.6. This aperture will maintain better edge-to-edge detail. If necessary, use a tripod to steady slow shutter-speed shots. To show fine markings, switch to macro mode.
• Silver and china: Take pictures that show the pattern of your silver and china, and then turn items over to take a picture of the information imprinted on the back. If you’re shooting with a digital camera with on-camera flash, be sure to check the image in the LCD to ensure that the details are clear. If not, reposition and reshoot.
• Enclosed items and reflective surfaces: For items that reflect light, such as framed pictures, mirrors, appliances, and sculptures, move at a 30- to 45-degree angle to the item or until the reflection is diminished or gone. Instead of photographing through buffet or entertainment-center glass doors, open the doors before you shoot, or take out representative pieces and photograph them on the background paper or cloth.
• Drawers, closet doors, and cabinets: Open all drawers and doors and photograph the contents. Pull out items in the depths of cabinets, such as small appliances, pots and pans, cutlery, and serving pieces.

As you take pictures, don’t overlook outdoor and seasonal items such as the barbecue grill, patio furniture, golf clubs, bicycles, and lawn equipment. Also remember infrequently used items like tools or musical instruments.

Don’t forget to photograph your cameras, lenses, and accessories. For priceless family photos, be sure to regularly scan negatives, copy them onto CDs, and store the CDs in fireproof containers or off-site in safety-deposit boxes. The same advice applies to prints and digital images.

What’s next? After you have the preventive inventory shots, be sure to make copies. Keep one copy in a fireproof container, and keep another set offsite in a safety deposit box, or at a relative’s or friend’s house. As you buy new items or replace belongings, be sure to update your inventory and the copies you stored offsite.

Post-loss claims photosAfter damage has occurred in disasters such as an earthquake or flood, always photograph the damaged items and scene. “Take photos that tell the story of what happened,” Brandes advises. “Then write a list of the claims and attach the photos.” You can also use the pre-loss photographs for comparison and verification of the property and condition.

As an example of good post-loss photos, Brandes tells about a friend who had a 30-inch television fall screen-first to the floor during the Seattle earthquake. “She took a picture of the TV on the floor, and then she tilted it back up and took a picture of the cracked glass on the front of the TV,” Brandes recounts. “These kinds of pictures allow [claims agents] to see the extent of the damage and know that it’s something we can’t just go and get repaired.”

For catastrophic circumstances, Brandes tells people to take pictures of exterior and interior damage before cleaning things up. Include overall, wide-angle images, and shots of individual damaged items. After you take a comprehensive series of pictures, then you can clean up the mess. “We don’t expect people to live in a messy house or around broken glass until we can get out to see it,” she said. “We tell people to do what they need to do to be safe and comfortable.”

For non-catastrophic damage, Brandes recommends focusing in on the scratch or dent so the adjuster can assess how to adjust for the damage.

Final tipFrom the post-quake experiences in Safeco’s storm room, Brandes found that many people do not know the details of the insurance coverage they purchased, nor do they know the deductibles that apply to special coverage.

“We are seeing that a lot of people haven’t taken the time to read the policy, or they did not ask their agent the tough questions like what would happen if there were an earthquake – what they would be covered for,” Brandes observes. She recommends that people get familiar with the details of their insurance coverage and know what the deductibles are on all policies. Her advice: “Just know and understand the insurance you’ve purchased.”