Because Life Matters

Faster than average walking speeds. 

Units in office buildings lit past midnight. 

All too familiar in a city scape. 

The increasingly fast pace that we live our lives here in Singapore seems to be causing more problems than it seeks to solve. 

The impact on overall health then, has unfortunately become a rapidly rising cause for concern.

I am glad that I took the time out of a midweek evening to attend the session organised by Omy.sg in conjunction with Starwater. Thanks to David from Starwater for his timely reminder to take care of my health. No better time than the present to conduct a R.A.I.D on our bodies.

Nothing that includes blood and gore. Everything to do with the benefits of Alkaline water.

Restores the body's pH balance- neutralising our inevitable Asian acidic diets

Acts as a powerful antioxidant- the buzzword in green tea and berries to help rid our bodies of positive and oxidizing free radicals to fight cancer and combat diseases.

Improves cellular hydration- breaking down water molecules to microclusters to increase hydration and solubility.

Detoxifies your body- especially in the colon to eliminate free radicals and boost the body's immunity to diseases.

In all honesty, that cup of alkaline water from the Star 5 device was not particularly different from any other water sources I drink from.
It was however, inspiring.
And that's what makes Starwater attractive.
No need for hard sell nor does it claim medical/ miracle abilities of this water.
All David does is to educate and increase an awareness of the benefits of alkaline water for daily consumption.

The sleek and stylish Star 5 device in elegant white is reminiscent of a capsule coffee machine.
It uses long lasting platinum-coated titanium electrodes to separate water into seven different pH levels.
The device lights up and even has a speaker function.
Enjoy the multiple benefits of:

 1. Alkaline Ionic Water for recommended daily consumption at four different levels
2. Acidic Oxidation Water for sterilization and external use
3. Beauty function for face cleansing purposes
and
4. Pure Water at pH 7

All this complete with handy icons on the display monitor at the push of a button
and the device plays a melody when acidic water is being dispensed.
Twist the knob to select the preferred levels
and press the buttons for the different types of water to be dispensed.
I feel like my life is in control.
At my fingertips.

(Credits to Starwater.sg)

And it even comes in different colours.

Like this sexy fire engine red.

Perfect.
Doesn't the device just sell itself?

And if it wasn't yet clear enough that water does differ in so many ways,
a simple reagent colour test for pH values shows unmistakably different pH of liquids.

It's little wonder why I have gastric reflux reactions to drinking just one small cup of isotonic water during my marathon attempts.
More acidic than I expected.

Even for the nondescript plain water. 

Same same looking but ohsodifferent pH levels
ranging from slightly acidic in bottled water,
to slightly alkaline (tap water)
and to alkaline water from Star 5.

Not just water for drinking, alkaline water is also excellent for cooking as Chef Anna Phua demonstrates. 

A firm believer in the benefits of alkaline water, she has been drinking alkaline water for the past ten years, even before Starwater came about. 

And for a bubbly vivacious lady who neither looks her age nor her profession,
I'm starting to buy into this idea of alkaline water. 

Anti-aging and weight control. 

A woman would be fast friends with this machine.

She goes on to explain about the use of acidic water which has sterilizing abilities and uses that to wash the ingredients for her delicious Korean pear salad (水梨沙拉).

It does seem a hassle to have to immerse my ingredients in acidic water for 10- 20 minutes a piece but hey, if that extends the lifespan of my loved ones for even just that 10 more minutes,
I'd be happy to take that extra effort.

Plus, there's no need to buy special liquids for cleaning fruits and vegetables anymore.

The alkaline water at level 4 is used to prepare her next dish, the herbal chicken soup (四神鸡汤). And like all cooking demonstrations with limited time, she already has a huge pot prepared to share with us. 

Definitely chicken soup for the soup. 

Deliciously satisfying. 

And that black sesame seed brown rice (黑芝麻糙米饭) that she prepared for us was a delicious accompaniment to the soup.

I haven't tried cooking this type of brown rice with normal water from the tap but this one that she steamed in individual portions with alkaline water was chewy and moist.

Eating clean and drinking alkaline water does not have to be a paradigm shift for one's lifestyle.
In fact, it must just be a much needed welcome change.

She also prepared a whole variety of drinks for us. 

I was impressed that the tea leaves which she left to steep in the alkaline water had changed to an impressively dark brown color in about 20 minutes. 

The water was taken directly from the tap and was not heated.
Just a side note that the temperature of the water dispensed cannot be adjusted.
Only the pH levels can be selected.
It is dispensed lukewarm.
Very comfortable temperature to do cleaning with and dispensing for drinking purposes.

Sorry Lao Shi.

It might look unglam but let's concentrate on her flawless skin and passionate gestures. :)

The refreshing agave honey lemon peppermint (蜂蜜薄荷柠檬冰) and lemon with chia seeds she prepared were full on colour and flavour.

And it was prepared on the spot, not left overnight to steep in the fridge. 

It seems then, that the microclusters of the alkaline water must indeed increase solubility and permeability.

I've seen it for myself and I am duly impressed.
Chef Anna spoke of a walk-in customer she had who enquired if she should purchase a food processor or the Starwater ionizer.
Without hesitation, she told her to go for the Starwater ionizer.
Because a food processor is a 'want' but an alkaline water dispenser?
Now that's a lifestyle investment that should be made a 'need'.
And she is unafraid to personally guarantee the benefits of this water dispenser.

Click on the links embedded to check out the Star 5 features
and they are also launching a Star 7 soon!
Check out their affordable monthly instalment plans too.
Living well doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. :)

To borrow a line from Hippocrates, adapted to sum up the water ionizer from Starwater,

"Let (food)Starwater be thy medicine and medicine be thy (food)Starwater."

Don't wait till it's too late.

Because life matters.

the simple things in life.

On a whim,

I decided to grab three eggs and a medium sized red onion.

Sliced thinly.

Just of a personal preference, I like dicing up a part of the onion to fry fragrant in the oil before adding in the rest of the onions and beaten eggs.

Add a dash of soy sauce if you'd like.

Variations:

Sliced chilli strips.

Chives.

Sliced tomatoes. (Add a dash of sugar)

Preserved radish.

Diced luncheon meat.

Sliced button mushrooms.

Colorful capsicums.

Are there any other variations to the simply versatile fried egg?

Do leave a comment to add on to my list. :)

It's about comfort food #CookForFamily

It isn't rocket science to #CookForFamily.

But it might be rocket science for a possible followup on #WashForFamily :p

Cook and eat first.

Worry about the wash later.

So let's talk about what you need.
Just if you'd like to know, that's 22 small chinese black mushrooms, 150g of dried baby scallops, 10 leaves of lettuce, 3 bunches of parsley, 500g of minced pork.
Heavily dependent on the number of people you're feeding
and what you like.
Well what I like.
Mushrooms.
If you couldn't yet tell. :)

The minced pork is seasoned with oyster sauce, sesame oil and kikkoman light sauce.
And for that crunch,
Preserved vegetables.
Dong Cai. 

I couldn't find the rice cup that normally resides in the rice container so I used a jollibean container.

Washed and dried of course.

1.5 containers for 5 of us.

I left it to soak for just a half hour.

Makes it easier to break later with the stirring process. Skip that if you like porridge with whole rice grains.

Just a note:

These rice grains are thirsty hippos that drink up a lot more water than you'd expect.

If you dont want an overly thick and dry porridge,

go easy on the amounts of rice or please have a big pot!

Add in chicken soup stock or just one chicken stock cube.

Just keep stirring, just keep stirring.

And add on water throughout the bubbling process.

Add in roughly formed minced pork balls once it comes to a boil.

And you get lunch that looks like this.

Warm, comforting and nutritious porridge.

From our kitchen to yours. :)

Beating the heat with a bowl of ai yu jelly and fruit cocktail #Cookforfamily

Seeds.

Say what?

And thankfully before I buried them into soil,

I got a call to tell me about the seeds.

These were 愛玉 (aiyu) seeds!

Now if you've been to taiwan, or been to a bubble tea shop, you would've seen or heard of the existence of this jelly.

It's like konnyaku.

But.

Not quite.

It's softer than a konnyaku and firmer than jello.

And just a little bit about aiyu seeds.

Most that are produced in Kaoshiung are collected from wild plants which are actually a species of figs.

The harvest season runs from from September to February. 

After harvest, fruits are peeled, cut and sun-dried for 2 days.

The seeds are then pulled out from dried fruits afterwards.

The seeds can be consumed after another week of drying out in the sun.

And here at home, we're no stranger to the ice jelly dessert!

文头雪 (wen tou xue or wan tao long) 

To make Aiyu jelly,

Wrap the seeds in a piece of cheese cloth, immerse it in water and rub it using your hands.

You'll begin to see thick liquid released into water. After solidification, jelly is ready to serve.

Cut them into cubes.

Open up a can of Del Monte Tropical Fruit Mix.

Throw in some ice cubes and water to dilute the sugar syrup.

Squeeze in a lime or two.

And.

Serve CHILLED.

Enjoy. :)

It's a simple act but #CookForFamily - simply overlooked?

 Herbal Chicken soup for relief of tiredness and to improve vitality.

Ingredients

- 1 fresh spring chicken

- Běi Qí (北芪) 5g

-Dǎng shēn (当参) 15g

-Huái Shān (淮山) 10g or more if it's fresh!

-Wolfberries (枸杞子) 25g or more if you'd like

-Yù Zhú (玉竹) 25g

-Nán Xìng  (南杏) a sprinkle (optional)

-dried baby scallops (optional)

- 1.5 litres of water or just enough to cover the chicken

-salt to taste and a dash of light soya sauce for color

*The ingredients were taken from a combination of different prepacked herbal mixes.

I've tried Chwee Song and Claypot brands before and they are similar in taste.

 These quantities that I've listed above can be adjusted accordingly. :)

Directions

1. Clean the chicken, cut into parts and blanch in hot water to remove excess dirt, broken bone pieces and unwanted fat. This improves texture and taste of the soup by leaps and bounds! You don't want cloudy soup, do you?
2. Place chicken parts and the rest of ingredients into a pot (or pressure cooker) and ensure that it is covered with water.
3. Bring to a boil to make sure chicken parts are cooked.
4. Simmer on low heat for about an hour for the taste of the herbs to come through. Your sense of smell will tell you when it's ready!
5. Season to taste with salt and soya sauce and bring to a quick boil by turning up the heat.
6. Serve with white rice. Or simply drink up! :)