Our little garden

We have a little vegetable patch in from of our house. Plants are planted by my parents-in-law without using chemical fertilisers and pesticides. We will collect vegetables and fruits peels, water from washing rice, vegetables and fruits etc and place them on the soil as natural fertilizers and the plants are growing so well.

Screwpine leaves

Screwpine leaves (Pandan leaves) are use to add flagrance to foods and desserts. It is rich in anti-oxidant and anti-cancer properties.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is also used in cooking and I used a lot during confinement in my food as well as in boiled water for taking bath. It is antibacterial, antifungal and improves blood circulation.

Aloe vera

We use aloe vera for surface burns by applying the gel found in the succulent leaves on affected skin area as it has skin-soothing and healing properties. We also consume aloe vera by scrapping the gel of the skin and cook as desserts. Pregnant women should not consume aloe vera juice and desserts.

Basil Leaves

Basil leaves are used as spices for cooking. They are anti-inflammatory, anti-stress and purify blood.

Chemical Laden Vegetables and Fruits

My hubby's family are involved in plantation, so they are very familiar with how vegetables and fruits are grown and how farmers use pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. I never take much attention to this issue until recently my hubby told me how commercial farmers load their products with pesticides and chemical fertilisers.

Taking one example, most farmers will encounter red-mite which will cause red rusty dots on vegetables. This is very unappealing to ignorant customers (like most of us) and due to pressure to get a good selling price, farmers will spray pesticides on their farm every few days. When my hubby showed me pesticides that farmers normally use, I told him there is a note on the bottle warning farmers to pick the vegetables and fruits one week after applying pesticides.

My hubby says it is impossible because the life cycle of a red-mite is shorter than one week. Farmers have to apply pesticides every few days even before harvesting otherwise their vegetables start to have rusty dots.

So next time when you buy vegetables, remember the more perfect looking vegetables that you are selecting, the more pesticides have been applied just before they are harvested. Choosing slightly imperfect looking vegetables will be better for your health. We are not marrying the vegetables anyway!

The other option is to buy organic vegetables (which is not financially feasible for most people) or plant some vegetables on your own. I will be posting some vegatables that we plant on our vegetable patch in coming posts.

I have succumbed to nutritional supplements

I have never bought nutritional supplements because I do not trust the claims regarding the products. I do not feed my kids with nutritional supplements because I am worried some might be harmful to their liver.

Since Tian started pre-school, she started having flu and took forever to recover. Then the virus spreads to Tao who is always very cranky if she is not feeling well. Since last week, my MIL has been suggesting for me to buy some 'cod's liver oil' for the kids. I am doubtful about the ingredients used since most companies are profit-oriented and will not be so ethical to ensure quality and safety of ingredients used. However, I told her I will get something for the kids today.

This morning, I went to the shop selling organic products that I usually go to buy phytomilk powder and foods for the kids and bought RM309 worth of products! I think my hubby will faint when I tell him tonight.

I bought 2 bottles of Liquid Multivitamin (from Salus-Haus, Germany) for the kids (cheaper to buy 2). The shop owner recommended for me to buy Oligo Cal-Plus, Oligo Enzyme (from Oasis Herbs) and Natural C (from NHF) due to I am having phlemy flu for many days that I am not able to smell anymore.

I hope the kids will get flu and cough lesser after taking this multivitamins and will not spread to me anymore so that we do not have to depend on supplements. I still prefer to eat natural foods anytime. I will update on the results after taking these supplements.

Teething Nightmare

I notice Tao has been gumming on her fingers these few days and suspect that she must be teething again. Her incisors started erupting in 8th months and all eight completed their appearance when she turned one.

She became very cranky and when I checked on her gum yesterday, I saw all 4 canine teeth areas were whitish. It must be very painful to have all 4 canines erupting at once. She woke up crying yesterday night and was inconsolable. She would put both her pointer fingers into her mouth and gummed at her fingers.

Every children is different. Everytime when Tian (elder daughter) was teething, we would not even know until we noticed new teeth in her mouth. She started sleeping through the night before she turned 6 months old. We could easily go travelling and bring Tian with us because she could sleep as we carry her.

She was such an easy baby that we decided to have a second baby so soon, thinking that the most difficult period to take care of a baby is only the first 4 months. Having Tao really changed my mind and I started telling people every baby is different (even siblings) in their temperaments.

We do love Tao, especially her grandparents. They give in to her demand (to the extend I think they are spoiling her) even though they grumble about her demanding attitute occasionally. I think it is because Tao resembles my hubby and his sister more and it makes them see their children in this granddaughter.

Note: Tao called her dad 'pa pa' when he came back from work and she made him so happy.

What I have been doing......

During these few weeks, I have been trying out recipes found in blogs and magazines. I spent some evenings baking some muffins and making jellies. I feel better feeding my daughters homemade snacks without colourings, additives, preservatives etc. I know there will be traces of additives in the ingredients alone but I do not add them during the process :)

Chocolate Rice and Cranberry Muffins

Coconut Milk and Milo Jelly

Soymilk and Longan Jelly

Self Feeding and Learning to Walk

I have been putting some cereals in a bowl for Tao to feed herself so that I can do my work. She spends more time trying to grab her food (pincers grip) and gathering scattered cereals on the floor than actually eating it.

Since Tao is one, we have been training her to hold her own bottle when drinking milk. This is way too late compared with Tian who could hold her own bottle since she was 6 months old. I think we spoil Tao more. Another reason is that due to breastfeeding, Tao has been rejecting formula so we always try our best to hold her and coax her to finish her milk. We will be very happy as long as she finishes her milk and do not mind holding her but it is time for her to be more independent.

Tao enjoying her bottle of phytomilk mixed with formula milk

Since last week, she has also tried to take a few steps unaided. We were thinking she would learn to walk later than her sis as she seemed more cautious and 'lazy' to learn. If she begins to walk in this one or two weeks, it would be in her 13th month like her sis.

It's Time to Change a New Pair of Spectacles

This morning, I left Tian and Tao in the bedroom as I went to the connecting washroom to brush my teeth and wash my face. I closed the door behind me to prevent Tao from crawling into the washroom.

I heard Tao screaming and thought the two sisters must be fighting for certain toy. When I came out, i saw this.

I reprimanded Tian for snatching my spectacles from younger sister but I knew her intention was good. She wanted to tell her sister not to play with mummy's spectables but her method used was wrong.

This is not the first time Tian broke our glasses. About a year back, she broke my mum's spec that she put on the table. When my MIL raised her voice asking her to return to my mum, she became anxious and struggled with my MIL and broke the spec.

A few months back, she broke my hubby's spec as my hubby liked to play 'wrestling' game with her. She kicked his face and broke the nose pad area due to it was bent and repaired several times already.

Also a few months back, she played with my sunglasses (old one) that I did not use anymore. She tried to put it on by herself and somehow bent the glasses in the wrong way and snapped it.

I have planned to change to a new pair of spectacles but felt that it does not have to be so soon as my spec is still in good condition and I guess Tian is just helping me to decide to change my spec sooner. I have to set aside several hundred ringgit for this. *heartache*