Virgin Coconut Oil

Coconut cream from freshly squeezed coconut is an indispensable ingredient in almost every Bicol's cuisine aside from hot chili pepper of course. It is a staple ingredient for a Bicolana like me who can't live without for delicious, mouth-watering, and lip-smacking gastronomic treats. But wait, I will not share some of my coconut cream cooking recipes yet (in the near future, I will! lol).

With this coconut, I'd love to share it with you how to make home-made "Virgin Coconut Oil VCO" - the cold way absolutely without applying heat. Here's my how-to-do-it VCO.

Ingredients:
- 2 pcs. medium size quality matured coconuts
- coconut juice from matured coconuts

Materials needed:
- clean cheesecloth (as strainer and for squeezing)
- containers for coconut mixture and VCO
- funnel

Procedure:

• Place and wrap the coconut mixture into the cheesecloth.
• Press and squeeze the cloth to allow the coconut milk to flow out of the cloth.
• Keep squeezing for several times until all the creamy juices come out of the mixture.
• Set aside the squeezed coconut, it can be used as fertilizer.
• In a container, filter the coconut milk using a cheesecloth.
  
• Cover and allow the coconut milk to settle untouched in room temperature for 18 hours. Fermentation takes place setting the coconut oil to separate naturally in between the curd and white watery mixture (can be fermented and turned into vinegar).

• Carefully remove the curd (top layer)
  
• Gently scoop out the oil (2nd layer) and pour into ready container while filtering using a cheesecloth on top of a funnel for a transparent result.
  

Now you have your virgin coconut oil ready.

finished product

Some benefits of VCO:

1. Beneficial to the heart as it contains about 50% lauric acid (an essential fatty acid that is only found in high concentrations in mother's milk) which helps in preventing various heart problems including high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure. The saturated fats present in coconut oil are not harmful same with other vegetable oil.
2. It helps boost the body's immune system.
3. It has anti-viral and anti-microbial properties.
4. It aids to regulate blood sugar.
5. Serves as basic ingredient for soaps, lotions and creams.
6. Helps in preventing premature aging due to its antioxidant properties.
7. Aids in treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema and other skin infections.
8. Heals & nourishes the skin, hair and scalp. A good form of moisturizer for the skin.
   
9. Helps maintain healthy thyroid function.
10. Serves as an effective insect repellant when mix with peppermint oil.
11. It heals animal wounds.
12. Coconut juice serves as refreshing electrolyte-rich drink and can be a good replacement for sports drink.

Do try it at home. I hope I've imparted something helpful in my own little way. Please feel free to share your thoughts. Thanks for the visit and hope you will keep coming back. :)

Polvorones de Malunggay (Moringa)

My husband went home from tennis bringing along with him moringa leaves. Undecided and mulling over what to do with them, I settled to delve the internet and dug more about Moringa. Take a look, you will be amazed by the wonders of this tree and the beneficial properties it can offer to us.

Moringa tree (malunggay in the Philippines) or known as "drumstick," is an exceptionally nutritious tree with variety of potential uses. The tree is slender with drooping branches, and grows up to 10 meters in height. The moringa tree grows very quickly- it comes into leaves at the end of the dry season, when other foods are the scarcest. It grows quickly in any tropical climate. Within six months of planting a seed or a piece of trunk, one can cut leaves from the tree to eat. It is considered to be one of the most useful trees since almost every part of it has some beneficial property. The leaf, which is the most potent part of the plant can be cooked or dried, pulverize into a fine powder that can be added to almost anything as nutrient supplement or to some dishes for added flavor.

Moringa is also known as the "miracle tree" and "tree of life", is a multi-purpose plant, as the leaves, pods, fruits, flowers, roots and bark of the tree can be utilized. For this reason, it has put moringa as the most nutritious vegetable plant around and has been used as fortificant in noodles, bread, biscuits, delicacies, burgers, hotdogs, porridge and as tea due to its richness in vitamins and minerals.

getting ready to be sun dried

pulverized malunggay leaves

Nutritional and health benefits:

1. Proven to increase the production of breast milk for nursing mothers.
2. It has rich supply of nutrients, super-antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and anti-aging compounds.
3. It has vast health-promoting benefits on cardiovascular and endocrine.
4. Improves sleep, mental clarity, wound healing, digestion and detoxification.
5. Increases the natural defenses of the body.
6. Provides nourishment to the eyes and the brain.
   
7. Promotes the cell structure of the body, metabolism and natural serum cholesterol.
8. Lowers the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.
9. Promotes the normal functioning of the liver and the kidney.
10. Beautifies the skin.
11. Promotes energy, proper digestion, and healthy circulatory system.
    
12. Supports the normal sugar level of the body.
13. Gives a feeling of general wellness.
14. The health benefits of moringa oil can be compared to sunflower oil and olive oil

Other benefits:

1. Its seed has the full potential of producing bio-fuel, cooking oil, industrial oil, and lubricants
2. Some parts of moringa tree can be used for animal feed, domestic cleanser, perfume, personal care products, cosmetics, dye, fertilizer, medicine, rope fiber, and as an agent for tanning hides.
3. The flowers of the moringa plant can be used in making herbal tea for they add a refreshing aroma to the tea.

The paramount thing I like in moringa is that the leaves can be crushed into a fine powder providing nutrition, zest, and aroma to some of our favorite dishes. In my case, I have brought into play the powdered malunggay leaves for my polvoron. Here's my own version of polvoron de malunggay that your family including the kids might definitely enjoy.



Ingredients:
3 c. sifted all purpose flour
1 c. ground peanuts (optional)
1 1/2 c. powdered milk
3/4 c. melted butter
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. pulverized malunggay leaves
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Cooking Procedure:

1. On a heavy skillet, toast flour over moderate heat until light brown while stirring constantly.
2. Add pulverized malunggay leaves, powdered milk, peanuts for another 3 to 5 minutes. Removed from heat and let it cool.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well until it has about the consistency of damp sand.
4. Fill the polvoron molder (use round or oval shapes according to your preference) with the mixture. Press the mixture well using the back of a spoon so it will not become crumbly when released.
5. Refrigerate in an air tight container until firm.
6. Wrap them with colorful Japanese 5" x 5" squares paper. (I prefer Japanese paper over cellophane for earth saving reason).

Everybody is welcome to share your cooking experience. Enjoy this simple but healthy dessert. Have some to share! :)

Reduce Reuse Recycle

I now begin to practice the three R's "reduce, reuse, recycle" to say goodbye to waste and keep discarded materials out of landfills. By putting together arts and crafts into recycling, we can keep down the amount of trash and turn it into treasure. With little creativity from our old stuff, it will not only reduce the impact on the environment, but it will also add life and transform it into a new adorable item.

Instead of throwing away unwanted materials, activate the arty-crafty sense in us. Rescue the reusable objects heading for the garbage bin and make over them into fantastic crafts. I'm putting my green back to environment by having my old denim pants created into functional bag and embellished it with beads and scarf as accents. Truly, one person's trash is another person's treasure - that's the beauty of recycling!


Let us stay green and healthy. You are free to share your greenie crafts' tips. I'd love to hear from you.

Buttons Up

Being inspired to let my hands play and explore what unlimited creations that I can generate out of loose buttons, the flame of creativity gets my candle burning to weave pieces of buttons and mixing them up with beads.

candy

tiny weeny kikay


mauve

As a self-taught crafter, I am captivated by the flexibility and unlimited possibilities buttons will produce. From my collection of buttons (vintage, resin and plastic), my imagination started to run wild and demonstrate some kind of my crafting geek by mixing and matching different colors and sizes and embellishing them with beads to add flair to an ordinary buttons. The seed beads were also weaved to create a toggle clasps.

tie a yellow

victorian

Stringing them was a great joy and fun to connect with my passion to experiment with buttons this time and threaded them into bracelets for a stunning look. These totally unique and adorable bracelets can be paired with any outfit and can be a perfect idea for a last-minute present for your loved ones.

mixco

victoria


alexia

So what are you waiting for, have fun stringing those buttons and get creative. :)

Personalized Crocheted Laptop Skin

To have a feel and touch of uniqueness, I just finished my personalize crocheted laptop skin which I painstakingly worked on for two weeks. Using 5 balls of tri-colored Canon crochet thread, this customized laptop cover will definitely protect my notebook against abrasion and damage. A great idea not only for protecting its internal functions but also an effective way to safeguard the outside casing as well. In so doing, scratches and small nicks can be prevented since it is mobile and often get banged when transferred from one location to another.

A personal stamped of my own personality. It fascinates me to have come-up with this unique hand creation that is enjoyable to use and carry around. A fun way of dressing-up my electronic for it fits securely and stays firmly in place.

As my contribution to my dear mother earth, I take part in using eco-friendly materials. Said cover is washable, can be used several times and can be easily removed and put on.

My Latest Additions to my World of Crafts

I'm into my creative mood, when I feel the thrill to create miniature novelty figures this time using seed beads.

poodle doodle (actual size: 1.75 cm x 1.75cm)

One great way to dress up one's cell phone is to accessorize it with beaded charms. These tiny weenie knick-knacks were intricately hand woven to add some bling to mobile device in an affordable means. A fun, cool and inexpensive way to give accents to your favorite communication gadget that will definitely provide an added excitement, style, and sparkle according to your fashion options and unique personality.

casual bag (actual size: 5cm x 5cm)

Depending on your mood, you can change the theme of your cell phone charms as often as you want. The catch phrase is "dolled up your mobile phone" with these dainty trinkets to create a feel of distinctiveness on fashion staple when it comes to cellphone accessory. I am sure that young and old alike will certainly get fascinated even when their lovely gadgets are not in use.

evening bag (actual size: 3cm x 3cm)

witch me luck (actual size: 4cm x 6cm)

Have fun with these delightful and lovely charms!

Manny Pacquiao - An Inspiration for the Filipinos

While we, in Bicol, where the typhoon belt lies in this region is being beaten up by "Typhoon Dante" that brought flood to some low lying areas and left agricultural damages particularly in Camarines Sur, the rest of the world was all eyes on the Battle of the East and West and ecstatic on the emphatic win of the Philippines' National Fist, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao over Briton Ricky "Hitman" Hatton today, Sunday, 03 May 2009 (Philippines time) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, USA. This day marks a historic triumph for the Philippines as millions of Filipinos danced in the streets and motorists tooting their horns and shouting out of the windows in jubilation after the superb winning performance of Pacquiao and dubbed as the "world's best boxer."

Pacquiao who has been escorted into the ring by WWE wrestling champ Batista as part of his entourage, captured the IBO light welterweight title after sending Hatton (the 140-pound IBF light welterweight champion from Manchester, United Kingdom) a few more combinations with a right hook to the chin that knocked the Hitman down midway in the opening round and finished off Hatton in the second round with an awesome array of punches at a dazzling speed and ferocious solid left hook that flattened his back and thrown at the center of the ring. With the Filipino crowd on its feet, British fans were in disbelief and looked on in consternation as Hatton was struggling to regain his consciousness.

A powerful blinding left hook landed into Hatton's chin

Hatton flattened on his back and stayed motionless after he received a devastating left hand as
Referee Kenny Bayless knelt over and halted the fight

Jennifer Dolley (Hatton's fiancee) in tears, is being comforted by a friend after Hatton was felled by Pacquiao's powerful speedy left punch

Pacquiao showed and proved once again why he is the pound-for-pound best boxer in the world as he executed the game plan with perfection as Coach Freddie Roach predicted Pacquiao would score a knock out in the third round but he settled for the second. He is undeniably the sport's top gun. Coach Roach said during the conference that "Manny is unbelievable" and he declared that "I'm the best trainer in the world because I have the best fighter in the world." And so with Top Rank promoter Bob Arum who proclaimed Pacquiao as the "greatest fighter to have ever lived."

The win launches Pacquiao in the boxing history books as he becomes the first Asian to capture six world titles in six different weight divisions - flyweight, junior featherweight, featherweight, junior lightweight, and now he has junior welterweight titles too.

There is only one Manny Pacquiao, a humble and a man with great faith as he is. A world's ring icon and best of all a true pride of the Philippines.

Triumphant prizefighter Manny Pacquiao on a victory ride

Congratulations Pacman!