So the US Government has conceded that Mercury does cause Autism

When will OUR government do the same? I have no idea how far behind we are on these issues (for example, do we still have thimerosal in our vaccines?) but I'm not counting on us being up-to-date enough.

*Flu shots contain thimerosal as a preservative.
* Thimerosal is 50% ethylmercury.

I am very thankful that Ray, who has had every recommended shot so far, shows no sign of adverse reactions. Ruvie has always been more sensitive to everything, so he's only just had the first 3 DTPs and we're now waiting for another year before the booster is administered.

In America, there are ways to legally avoid vaccines, such as the Religious Vaccine Exemption and the Philosophical Vaccine Exemption. What exemption grounds do we have? Allergy to thimerosal? Do we need a doctor's letter for that? I would really want Ruvie NOT to take the MMR. I am currently collating all the suggestions and experiences of other moms before me, and hoping I can find a way out of this situation.

I'm glad for one thing at least - HL supports me on this. It would be tough to choose to walk this way if I were alone.

UPDATE: Pat has reminded me that it's not just about mercury. What about Aluminium, another neurotoxin? If we're cracking down on all Aluminium cookware and such, what about Al in vaccines? I'm not sure whether this link is still working, but it's definitely worth reading.

And of course, there are the vaccines themselves. Live and/or attenuated viruses, all to be introduced into the immature immune system of a young child, preferably before the age of 2. Gulp.

Time of the month

There are a few days each month that I am always very happy, because although I get some discomforts such as cramps and backache, I am reminded again of how much I love my Mooncup, and how it has revolutionised my life.

Ever since puberty, I have had to deal with itches and broken skin, because my skin is very sensitive, even to my own bodily fluids. Ten years of sports training served to make that worse, and although tampons were available, I simply couldn't overcome the mental stigma to use them (it didn't help that getting to know my own body was more or less a taboo, so I had no idea where which part was).

I finally started using tampons sometime after the birth of my first child (heh heh, knew my parts better then), but the dangers of Toxic Shock Syndrome were always printed very clearly on the packaging, and you may be sure I never forgot them.

It was certainly a great relief to find the Mooncup just before I conceived my second child, but I held off on getting one at the time because I hoped to have a VBAC (didn't happen).

So here I am with my B Mooncup, having itch-free days, doing my part for the Earth, saving money for my dear husband, and setting a good example for my daughter (she knows where it goes). Only thing is I tend to forget to empty often enough on my heavy days, so dark-coloured underwear is a must.

Ok, I think it's almost time to empty again d:)

Thank you Ginny, for bringing in the Mooncup to Singapore so many years ago, and for allowing me to carry on this splendid tradition.

Another Milestone for us

My Ruvie will be officially attending Nursery at Changi Bethany Kindy, beginning tomorrow. Sniff sniff.

I brought him down today with his sister for a trial session as agreed with the new Principal (who was Ray's K2 English teacher, congratulations Principal Patsy! May the Lord bless you with the vision and passion which He has prepared for you, to lead this school, and may you bring it to greater heights under His guidance and will.)

At first, he began crying when he saw that there were little children in the classroom, and wanted to go back to the car, but I "manhandled" and carried him in. He sat on my knee with his fists in his eyes and refused to look at anything at all. Finally, Teacher Rose brought over an animal puzzle to tempt him with and we managed to get him to forget the others and begin to play. Shortly after that he was fine so Ray and I "escaped" to the office to enrol him officially.

When school was over, that little boy was smilingly holding onto his teacher's hand, and nodded his head when asked whether he'd like to come again tomorrow. Hallelujah!

For the next 2 school days I will still have to stay at the school, but outside the classroom, "just in case". Recalling Ray's first day at CBK, I didn't even stay with her. We took the school bus together, then before I handed her over to the teacher I told her to follow instructions and I would meet her when the school bus brought her home. And that was that. But then she's always been very independent, and had already made a friend on that first trip to school, so there was no need to worry.

I will seriously be entering that juggling phase that I've seen my friends go through, most notably Rita, heh heh. Bring #1 and #2 to pick #3 from school , then send #1 to school then #2 to school, then go to ILs to pick up #4, then to the office/shop, or some such. I've always marvelled at how well-thought-out their schedules were!

I will really get some "free time" inbetween, so I hope to take up some volunteer work with Ray's school, signed up so long ago but have had no chance so far to really participate.

Here's to the next mile!

Time to say Goodbye to my Bosch washer

Since December last year, my faithful Bosch 5kg washer has been tripping up the whole house's electricity. At first, after restoring the trip we could still use it, but with this current wet season, it's happening every time we try to use it, and today, it's just running longer than 5 secs without tripping.

Our repairman said it's due to the moisture in the air (tis true, only on rainy days), but after hearing that it's about 5yo (we got it when we moved to staff quarters in 2003), he says he will have to come and take a look and advise us duly.

But we highly suspect that it's time to bury it in peace. We're now looking at the Bosch WAA12165. I can't find its specs on the net! Only lists and lists of product models (some in Arabic I think), and no product specs page. Bosch International's website is also not giving me the info I need, neither is Bosch Singapore. Argh!!

But I like the image d:) Only thing is it's bigger this time - 5.5kg, so... costs more lor.

Update 19 Mar: 'Tis good to have a washer again. I realised as I was hanging up my first load, that I get depressed when I can't get my laundry done, or haven't done any for at least 3 days. Now that loads are getting cleared, I'm a very happy woman!
p.s. i probably sing best when i'm hanging up the laundry.

Egg cartons

My family buys 10 eggs on average of once a week and we end up with all these plastic egg cartons. They're not recyclable (no recycling marking) so the only thing I can think of is to return them to the egg farms so they can be reused.

However, doing that will cost time, money and effort, so I'm wondering whether I can strike up an agreement with one or other of the egg farms, to give me a certain discount off a new packet of eggs for every carton that I return to them. Or perhaps with Fairprice (I'm pretty sure Sheng Siong can't be bothered to do much about conservation).

In return, the farm can be assured of my loyalty to their brand, and I can also help spread the word. After all, every bit of conservation helps, and I expect there are millions of plastic egg cartons being throw away each day.

I do wish that there are predecessors I can consult though.

Tiramisu

I watched this on a David Rocco's Dolce Vita last year I think. His has alcohol but mine doesn't. Easy to make, easy to remember and so unbelievably yummy! Valentine's Day is coming...

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tub (500g) mascarpone cheese
5 egg whites
About 30 ladyfinger biscuits
2 cups espresso (unsweetened)
Cocoa powder or chocolate shavings for garnishing

Method:
In a medium bowl, beat yolks and sugar till lemony. Thoroughly mix in mascarpone cheese.
In a large glass or ceramic bowl (no plastic bowls), beat eggwhites till stiff peaks. Fold in yolk mixture.
Dip half of the ladyfinger biscuits quickly into the coffee (do not soak) and use them to line the bottom of an 8X8" baking dish or cake pan. Spread half of the egg mixture over the bottom layer of biscuits. Repeat with remaining biscuits and egg mixture. Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
Sprinkle with chocolate shavings or dust thickly with cocoa powder before serving.

Blocked duct!

After almost 7 years of breastfeeding, here I am with a blocked duct, which I have no idea came from where. There were no signs of blebs or blisters, nor have our nursing patterns changed. But I had some pain in the nipple the last couple days when Ruvie nursed, and today when I was having my shower, I felt a sharp stab of pain when I was washing.

Heavens! Hiding sinisterly on the underside like a scheming serpent, was a swollen duct, right to the base of my breast. Upon massaging, it seemed to be clear nearer the nipple, but was there was quite a big lump at the source.

So begins my nightmare. I have always been afraid of plugged ducts, and vividly remember the early days of nursing Ray when I was so engorged and had to see a Lactation Consultant (Sister Linda Ho, thank you!). I also had a blockage just after I weaned Ray, about 3 years ago. That one did lead to mastitis, but thankfully, the fever didn't last very long and the whole thing was over pretty soon (though not soon enough for me).

As anyone who has nursed a baby for at least 6 months will know, once you have a blocked duct, the sooner you clear it the better. It will NOT just go away on its own. Ray and HL have both helped to massage the blockage, but the very last bit is just not going away yet. I'm hoping Ruvie will do HIS bit tonight and keep nursing that side (he's always changing sides every 30 secs).

Ahh... Breastfeeding is a rocky road indeed.

We are shopping for a HDB flat

And it's crazy!!! Everyone's asking for cash terms of $40K but most are closing at about $35K. We have a rather low budget for the cash price, but now are willing to increase it if we can find one with less renovation for us to change, eg. flooring, bathroom tiles.

Meanwhile, it's fun and exciting to think and plan for the kitchen, bathrooms, and wardrobe. Our IKEA catalogue is getting rather beat up.

Fused Plastic Bag Tote side 2

Right I am unable to put more than one image in one post because I'm uploading them via Flickr, so here's the other side of the tote. Featuring Ruvie and Dad, courtesy of Ray.

I am so gonna use it when I next go grocery shopping... tomorrow, hiak hiak.

Now working on making another, taller tote with a larger base, better for groceries.

Fused Plastic Bag Tote side 1

My very first try at making a tote out of fused plastic bags. The bag
itself is from those HUGE red plastic bags my potties come in, and
the handles are from Xmas season Fairprice grocery bags. The silver
flower is the inside of our fav Nong Shim Korean noodles wrapper, and
the doodles are courtesy of Ray.

Practical Tips to Reuse your Plastic Bags

Kitchen and wastepaper bin liners

Protect your table when doing art and craft projects. Cut the bags up so you can lay them flat.

Shoe covers for wet/muddy places - put your whole foot, shoe and all, into the bag and tie the handles around your leg snugly.

Variation of the above - if you need to put on wet shoes or boots, put a plastic bag over the driest layer (socks or foot) to keep your feet dry.

Donate them to your local library so they can give out to patrons to carry their borrowed books / movies / CDs in (still checking up on whether Sg libraries will accept)

Donate them to your local thrift store eg. Cash Converters

Fuse a few sheets together under a sheet of paper to make a Tyvek sheet (a thicker plastic material) and use the result to make reusable shopping bags, wallets, cushion covers, waterproof linings for wet bags etc. Instructions at
http://mooneatsun.blogspot.com/2007/09/fused-plastic-bags-tutorial.html

Make a "bean-bag" out of plastic bags in a cloth exterior

Make a sock ring or napkin ring by twisting it then joining the ends neatly. Works well as towel rings too.

Tear them into strips to make a ball of plastic bag yarn, then crotchet your yarn into bags, coasters, rugs and more!
http://www.myrecycledbags.com/category/plastic-bag-crafts/

Please let me know if you know other neat ways of reusing your plastic bags.

The Kimchi Dragon

Behold, this lovely urn has henceforth been christened The Kimchi Dragon. There are two dragons on it, facing a golden ball (you can just see it at the left side of the urn), or as Ray described it, "they're playing together, with the sun." I needed a large clay, glass or ceramic jar (no plastic containers please) to hold the kimchi for the first 3 days before portioning it and putting into the fridge. This urn is the perfect size and look for 1 large head of Napa cabbage, but I do wish it had a lid.

Kimchi 韩国泡菜

This has been perfuming the house since this afternoon. Wow... can't wait the 3 days to taste it. Right now it's still rather sweet. Accepting orders d:)

非常感动我的一首歌

其实我是先在“终极一家”里面听到大东的Rock版本之后才在Youtube上寻找邓丽君的版本。

天啊！好感人！听着听着，还会落泪。。。那么美好的歌声，已离我们而去。。。

我几乎天天都会唱这首歌。 连我三岁的儿子也会唱了！（因为我常唱这首歌哄他入睡）

希望你们也会爱上这首歌。

No Knead Bread Recipe

Especially for Barbs d:)

Ingredients:
3 cups bread / plain flour
1/4 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1-1/2 cup water
wheat bran for dusting teatowel

Method:
Combine 1st 3 ingredients in medium mixing bowl and mix well.
Add water and stir (abt 10 secs). Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temp for 18 hours.
Heavily dust a work surface with flour and scrape dough (will be watery but bubbly) onto it. Sprinkle more flour (just so it won't stick to your hands) onto it and fold like popiah couple of times. Helps to use a scraper.
Generously flour or sprinkle wheat bran on a cotton teatowel (no Terry cloth) and working quickly, shape dough into a round ball with your hands. Place dough seam side down on teatowel.
Sprinkle more wheat bran on top and cover with another teatowel (if you have a long enough one you can just fold the other half over on top). Let rest 2 hours.
About 1.5hr into rising time, preheat oven to 230 degC and put in your cast iron, Pyrex or ceramic dutch oven (any pot with lid that can tahan this heat will do actually) to heat together WITH THE LID OFF BUT ALSO IN THE OVEN.
After 2 hrs of rising, take the pot out carefully and throw the dough in with seam side up, put the lid on and bake 30 min in hot hot oven. Then remove lid and bake another 15 min for a beautiful crust. Cool on rack unless you cannot tahan and want to burn your tongue and hands d:)
TA-DAH!!!

UPDATE: I've tried using a normal loaf pan (no lid) for this as well, works! Just make sure you have a pan of water in the oven and/or spritz water every 10 min.

To be a better Steward of the Earth that God has given me

If you still haven't done so, go watch Annie Leonard's Story of Stuff, an awesome video on consumer goods.

I told HL just now, the key words are "Sustainability" and "Buy Less". As mentioned in the video, recycling is great, but not enough. Consumers may recycle as much as they can, but organisations and factories in the production step and retail step are not or may not be doing enough in recycling, reducing and reusing. So BUY LESS, and they'll make less, hopefully.

Further reading on how to do your part for our Earth.

More to integrate into my family's lifestyle:
1. Less expenditure on toys, especially cheap plastic ones.
Plastic is generally toxic to us and the environment, and a lot of plastic cannot be recycled properly.

2. Do not be a slave to fashion.
Thankfully Singapore's climate is not seasonal, we don't have to get new clothes unless old ones wear out. I'm actually fine with wearing old clothes for CNY.

3. When we get our new home, keep as much of our current furniture as possible. Functionality is more important than look and style.

4. Avoid bottled drinks- soft drinks, fruit juices, teas, mineral water. Does Bunderberg count? Those are glass bottles. We love our Root Beer (and I my Ginger Beer).

5. Avoid drinks and foods sold in Tetra-Paks and similar packaging - packet drinks eg. fruit juices, UHT milk, Vitasoy, teas.
Tetra-Paks are made of plastic (not again!) and Al-coated (there's Al in my green tea?!) paperboard and according to the video, are virtually impossible to separate (I've read about this someplace else a long time ago too). However, I just found this, but we don't know how much exactly comes out recycled or reused at the end (and how much gets trashed after all), AND I don't know whether our recycling companies here in Sg are able to do that yet.

6. Less TV!!!
And less brain-washing to go out and buy that new toy, that new snack, that cool new gadget.

7. Drive less, walk more.
Fossil fuel depletion, fuel emissions, more road and carparks, less green spaces. 'Nuff said.

8. Less shopping!!!

Cute diaper clip

This was posted on the big EC list.

A couple of years back there was also a clip like this and it went
"I have a poopy
Inside my diaper
Mommy come wipe me
It's so uncomfortable
It is not fun to sit
In your own pile of sh*t
It's so disgusting
Self-defecating
I have a poopy
Mommy come wipe me
Mommy come wiiiiipe me
Wipe my a$$"

I'm glad we EC!!

麻油鸭 "Ma You Ya" aka Sesame Oil Duck

This warms us up during cold and rainy weather (end of the year), and we've had it twice in as many weeks. Kids love it too, and leftovers can be eaten with noodles the next day or bread. But man! Duck is costly. This dish is very 补, good for confinement as well (if you're sick of 麻油鸡). I threw in some duck gizzards, courtesy of the auntie at the market.

Ingredients:
1 duck, chopped into bite size pieces
1/4 cup roasted sesame oil aka 麻油
1/3 cup old ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 cup wolfberries aka 枸杞子
1 bottle (ca. 350ml) chinese rice wine, about 20% alc content
Half a head of cabbage or napa cabbage aka Chinese wong bok, with biggest leaves cut in half
Salt to taste

Method:
In a large wok, heat sesame oil over medium heat for a few seconds before adding ginger. Stir fry ginger till fragrant, add wolfberries, fry for about 1 min.
Add duck pieces, turning till evenly browned. Add rice wine, cover and bring to boil for about 5 min. Add a little water so duck pieces are almost completely submerged, bring to boil then lower heat to low-medium and simmer for about 1 hour.
Add cabbage and salt, cover for about 5 min (for crunchier cabbage, just bring to boil).
Serve hot with rice.

Plain white loaves with a little wheat bran

This was made using dough hooks and given a longer rising time than usual. The first rise was about an hour but the second was done in the fridge, about 5 hours or more. This bread turned out much better than any loaves I ever got from the bread machine, which were only nice and soft within the first 4-5 hrs. These stayed soft till day 3 (after day 2 leftovers went into the fridge). I'm never going back to the bread machine.

My No Knead Bread

HUGE holes, wonderful! I never could achieve this in the past, whether on my own or with a bread machine. Thick crust, chewy inside. Ok the super large hole at the side is due to my bread knife coming in to dig it out of my mom's pot, which has a wider base than top and couldn't come out on its own. I have since bought a better pot to make this in.