Lava Queen

There's a good chance granola bars can seriously simplify our lives (Hellooo, it's easy breakfast! :P). The thing is, store-bought bars that look healthy are often loaded with high-fructose corn syrup and lacking in nutrients. As I was browsing through some recipes online and making my grocery list recently, I saw this recipe and realized I had almost everything to make these crunchy granola bars already in my kitchen. Being homemade, I absolutely know what went into them and they’d be a whole lot less expensive than buying them. Double win! These are a great healthy snack packed with oats and nuts. Lightly sweetened with honey and brown sugar, they are crunchy, filling and quite delicious.  These oaty and nutty granola bars are a great alternative to the shop-bought versions. They are quite simple to rustle up too :) The only thing missing in my kitchen was the mixed nuts... Errr, I only had some raisins at home. So, instead of buying separate packs of nuts and d...

Angelica root is often used in cooking as it is tasty and nutritious, in addition to its healing and strengthening properties. This soup is said to be suitable for those with poor blood circulation, cold limbs, blurry vision or lethargic: Angelica root replenishes blood and regulates menstrual cycle, conch nourishes yin and brightens eyesight, astragalus root tonifies spleen, while red date and black-bone chicken replenishes blood.  Slices of Angelica root. Angelica root, known as dang gui in Chinese, tastes sweet, slightly spicy and slightly bitter. It is nicknamed the 'female ginseng' because of its benefits for women; tonifies blood, regulates menstrual flow, improves blood flow, eases cramps and other symptoms of PMS, has a calming effect on nervous system and promotes relaxation . I usually buy the whole root in Chinese herb stores and request them to pre-slice for me. I'll use them in steamed herbal chicken or simply double broil them together with chick...

They are easy, healthy and worth trying when sweet potatoes are in season. It goes very well with Japanese tea, either matcha or sencha. These Japanese sweet potato cakes are called 'chakin shibori' .  Shibori means wringing and chakin means tea cloth in Japanese. Chakin shibori is a method for forming mashed ingredients in a thin cloth (  Note : I used cling wrap coz I didn't have the tea/muslin cloth). They can be eaten as snacks or as an ideal side dish for bentos. Preparation is simple; steam the sweet potato and mash with sugar, butter, milk and bake. As you can see, the traditional ones uses butter, but I used cheese instead, just for fun :P You can actually eat them straight after unwrapping, or you can choose to bake them if you prefer a slightly crispier texture with added flavor and crunch from toasted sesame seeds, like me :)  Ingredients: (Makes 4) 1 Japanese sweet potato, approx 150g 1/4 tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp shredded cheddar cheese ...

“Healthy food tastes nasty!” This is what I normally hear from people who choose not to eat a healthy diet. They just assume that healthy food taste bland and sometimes downright unpalatable. As you can see, junk food and processed food is literally engineered to be addictive. It's not a conspiracy theory, it's just a business strategy. But more and more people are trending toward more health-conscious eating these days. They pay more attention to the nutrition values when they buy/eat, they become more aware of the calories or the energy value of the food they are taking and are willing to pay more for healthier food. Well, depending on how you define 'healthy', my point is, real food is healthy and real food tastes incredibly good. It is satisfying and it makes my body feel good, since my body recognizes what I'm feeding it when I'm eating real food. Delicious food + feel great as a result = a win-win situation :D Grusonn Wellness Cafe is a newly opened caf...

I love potato hash browns... I guess most people do, but sweet potato hash browns? WOW. And it's so easy!! Since this is for my LO's lunch, I made them more filling by adding oats :D  Let me just say  "You're welcome" because these are soooo good! :P If you've never tried sweet potato hash browns, give it a try. I think you'll like them too. The great thing about this recipe is that it's perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  PS: Some people say white potatoes contain anti-nutrients like saponins that can be harmful. Sweet potatoes don't contain those substances, so it's healthier. Oh well. To me, just take everything in moderation.  Pardon the ugly 'hearts'... Guess it was hard without a paring knife -_-" I'm not really good at making food art... I do try from time to time. Was super delighted to see LO's happy face as she pointed and said, "Heart", "Eyes", "Mouth", "Nice" ...

Met up with my Bestie last Saturday - a catch up of what we have been up to over the past few weeks, and the location this time was at Bean Brothers. Bean Brothers   is a Korean-operated coffee bar tugged deep on a secluded street in Sunway Damansara. Operating in a huge two-level factory lot, this raw and rustic-style cafe with plenty of natural light during the day makes it a big hit for people who enjoy taking photos for social media. Got to this place with the help of Waze/GPS Navigation app (Made a wrong turning - one turning earlier than the right one.. Oops!). No idea why Bean Brothers Malaysia chose such a hidden industrial area instead of in shopping malls, but I guess good things are worth searching for?  Circular counter at the center of the cafe.  The cafe is filled with intricate photogenic corners, so it's time to put your creativity to the test :P  The upper floor is constructed with a hollowed center, overlooking the counter downsta...

Perfect for hot days, this refreshing soup can help to 'clear heat' and combat the toll that it can take on the body. Just like the winter melon (which is actually a gourd and not a melon), bottle gourd makes a great soup in the summer. It  tastes sweet and it can help to reduce heat, promote diuresis and reduce swelling. Also known as 'lauki' in Hindi, the Indians usually make this into an amazing, thick, rich, creamy and nutritious soup. But I've chosen to use a Chinese-style recipe and the result was this light, naturally sweet, refreshing and healthy soup. This is a good and easy recipe when you’re in the mood for a Chinese soup that satisfies. A clear and pleasing soup that will keep you cool when you’re heaty :) Clockwise from top left: Bottle gourd, honey dates, dried conch, black-eyed beans and corn silk. Bottle gourd, corn silk and black-eye beans promote urination, relieve edema and reduce high blood pressure and high blood sugar....

All of us wanna look good, right? The skin plays an important part in the health of our body and water plays a key role in the maintenance of healthy skin. Therefore, it is important to stay hydrated as right hydration boosts metabolism, which plays a key role in burning calories too. Try this fast and easy natural 'beauty' tea, made using dried rose and raisins.  Rose calms spirit, enhances beauty, lubricates intestines to promote better metabolism, whereas raisin is easily absorbed by the body to nourish blood and aids slimming. This tea is suitable for those with heavy workloads and poor metabolism.  A light, easy-to-drink tea with a natural rosy aroma. Ingredients: 3 maces (Approx 11.3g) dried rose 8 maces (Approx 30.2g) raisin Place 800ml water in a pot. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Add raisins, turn to low heat and let it simmer for 10 mins. Turn off heat, add in dried rose and steep for 1 min. Serve.