Tomato bread stick

Okay, okay... this is my rare few attempts at baking bread without using a breadmaker to prepare the dough. I have to admit that I need to do a better job at kneading the dough and shaping the bread sticks!

I thought about these tomato bread sticks (after I made them for the first time last night) and I am so tempted to use a breadmaker the next time I make these, simply so that I can get the breadmaker to prepare the dough. haha!  However, looking at how easy this recipe is, I really have to remind myself that every now and then, it is nice to "go back to basics" and omit the use of modern kitchen tools.

I adapted this recipe from a recipe that I obtained from a facebook group that I am in. The person who shared the recipe had made tomato bread sticks for her young toddler, hence it is expected that the bread stick is not very rich in taste. Having said this, though, when I baked these bread sticks, despite the less-than-presentable shape and the not-so-perfect texture (because I made them in a hurry after dinner yesterday), the bread sticks were a hit with Baby Chickadee. She had 3 helpings!

INGREDIENTS

100g to 110g tomatoes

100g bread flour 

50g cake flour 

1 tbsp milk powder 

1 tsp instant yeast 

Pinch of salt 

½ tbsp brown sugar

METHOD

1. Blend the fresh tomatoes in a blender. Set aside.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

3. Add the blended tomatoes and mix into a dough. If the dough is sticky, add a bit more bread flour.

4. Separate the dough into smaller portions and mould each portion into desired shape.

5. Place the moulded dough on a baking tray (lined with baking paper) and cover the tray with a dry cloth. Leave aside for about an hour to proof.

6. Bake the bread sticks in an oven preheated to 200 degrees celsius for about 10 minutes.

TIPS

1. The riper the tomato, the juicier and sweeter.

2. I did not remove the skin nor seeds of the tomato.

sore throat and cough remedy

I hate to label anyone (myself) as prone to this or that. The Bible says that we shall have whatever we say. That is why I always remind myself to speak words that edify and lift up the Chickadees. I tell them that by His stripes, they are healed. I tell them that they have Favour and Grace because of His finished work.

I have also reached the point where I am trying to look into natural remedies as an alternative or a supplement to medicine. I must admit that I do not have the level of faith yet to throw away all medicine and rely solely on natural remedies. However, I have been seeing results with natural remedies.

One natural remedy that I would like to share in this post is that of a sore throat and cough remedy. Now, I do need to let you know that this recipe requires the addition of essential oil. I am a new user to essential oils, having started in earnest only at the beginning of 2014. It is only as I get more and more familiar with essential oils that I have come to realise that many of the remedies that we have been resorting to all these years actually contain essential oils.

Sounds amazing? Let me give you a few more examples of natural remedies:-

(a) Ru Yee oil - this is an all-time favourite with Asian mothers who rub the oil on their loved ones' tummies or under the soles of their feet to keep their bodies warm, to ease constipation, to make their tummies feel better (in the event of flu, diarrhoea, etc). If you read the ingredient list on the bottle of this oil, you will recognise, among other ingredients, peppermint oil (which is known to be very good for pain, discomfort, to keep the body warm, etc).

(b) Minyk Telon oil - some people call this "nonya oil". Some mothers use this in place of Ru Yee oil. This contains cajuput oil, fennel oil and coconut oil.

(c) fever patch - read the ingredient list and you will recognise eucalyptus, etc.

I recently had a very bad oven burn on my right arm. In the past, I would reach for a burn cream bought from a pharmacy. This time, the first thing that I reached for was my lavender essential oil. After two or three applications, the nasty burn mark was almost as faint as another oven burn mark on my left arm that I sustained about 4 years ago. At that time, I used a store-bought burn cream. After a month or so, I can barely see the burn mark on my right arm. I shared this testimony with my dermatologist the other day and he said, "It is a good result.".

Speaking of dermatologists, interestingly-enough, when I consulted him regarding my swollen finger (which he said is due to excessive exposure to water, ie. I bake/cook too much! haha...), instead of recommending to me some super-duper medical cream to apply on my hand to moisturise it, he advised me to buy extra virgin coconut oil and moisturise my hand with this!

But I digress from the purpose of this post. The recipe for this home remedy uses Thieves essential oil, which is said to be highly anti-bacterial. I am given to understand that you can concoct your own Thieves essential oil. However, I do not have that level of experience and I would defer to the experts. I buy Young Living Thieves essential oil. According to the writeup on their website, "Thieves® was created based on research about four thieves in France who covered themselves with cloves, rosemary, and other aromatics while robbing plague victims. This proprietary essential oil blend was university tested for its cleansing abilities. It is highly effective in supporting the immune system and good health." (source: https://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/blends/thieves-essential-oil)

When Princess Chickadee was diagnosed with "throat infection" recently, she was prescribed antibiotics and a throat drop. I decided to ask my friends (who have been using essential oils for longer than me) whether they know of any recipe to make my own sore throat remedy using essential oils. I was given a recipe, which I am sharing with you now. I have made a slight modification to the recipe to suit our taste and preference.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lemon

10 tsp Manuka honey

7 drops Thieves® essential oil

METHOD

1. Peel the lemon and cut into small pieces.

2. Mix the lemon, honey and Thieves® essential oil in a small glass jar. Store in the refrigerator.

3. When you are ready to consume, add 1 tsp of the mixture to a bit of boiling water to dissolve the honey, then top up with cool boiled water.

TIPS

1. This recipe makes a small batch, so all you need is a small glass jar, such as a small baby food 4oz jar.

2. When I first made this for Princess Chickadee, I topped up the water to 1/2 a small cup.  Princess Chickadee found difficulty finishing the concoction. It may be due to the cinnamon in the Thieves oil blend. As such, when I prepared the concoction a second time for her, I added less water and she was able to finish it at one go.

3. As there are no preservatives added, it is advisable to keep this in the refrigerator for no more than 2 to 3 months. That is also why the recipe only makes a small batch, so that you can always make a fresh batch when needed.

4. I am given to understand that this is not only a sore throat remedy, it is also a cough remedy. However, I have not used this to treat any cough yet as we are all hale and hearty (save for the "throat infection" that Princess Chickadee had recently). We thank the Lord that we have health and wholeness through Him by the perfect work that He did at the Cross. By His stripes, we are healed!

5. What did I do with the remaining 1/2 of the lemon?  hehe... I sliced it and added a slice to my hot green tea. :)

yummy refrigerated oats

I love oats.  However, I tend to get sore throat after eating them frequently.  The Asian thinking is that oats are "heaty".  As such, over the years, I have tried to avoid eating oats too often.

I was therefore tremendously pleased to discover a new way of eating oats.  I have been eating this for the past two weeks and I am happy to say that I have not developed any sore throat yet.

The secret is to refrigerate the oats for a period of time (eg. overnight).  The liquid (in this case, milk and yoghurt) will soften the oats, thereby getting around the "heaty" problem.  Best of all, you can add as many fruits as you like!

INGREDIENTS

5 tbsp organic rolled oats
2 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt
2 tbsp flavoured yoghurt
3/4 cup low fat milk
1 tsp black chia seeds
assorted fresh fruits
handful of dried fruits such as cranberries, apricots and raisins

METHOD

1. Cut the fresh fruits into bite-size pieces.

2. Mix all of the ingredients together in a container.

3. Refrigerate for several hours (preferably overnight) to soften the oats and the chia seeds.

TIPS

1. If you intend to add citrus fruits, do use a glass container instead of a plastic container. I have been wondering about this and it occurred to me that I have not seen jam sold in a plastic container (ie. so far, the jam that I see in the shops are sold in glass containers).

2. Adding rolled oats tastes better than the regular instant/cooking oats.

3. You can use black or white chia seeds. I am given to understand that black chia seeds have more health properties than white chia seeds but either is fine. I only added black chia seeds because they do not come cheap (!) and hence, I decided that I will only buy one type of chia seeds.

4. I prefer Meiji flavoured yoghurt because I find it less sweet than some of the other brands.  They also have a large variety of flavours so I will use a different flavour each day.

5. Personal feedback after consuming this daily for about two weeks - great improvement in bowel movement. Yipee! I am not sure about weight loss though because I have consciously avoided stepping onto a weighing scale over the years. :)