Anything with mint is a winner for me and this jelly sauce is no exception. The combination of apple and mint gives the bitter sweet taste , you can use with roast pork and lamb, an ideal compliment for  your Sunday dinner.

What you Need:

8 small apples (granny smith are good especially apples with pinkish skin for colour), 450g sugar, 2 tablespoons liquid pectin, 30g fresh mint (roughly chopped), 1 juice of lemon.

First quarter the apples and add to a large saucepan, fill the pan with enough water to cover the apples and add the mint and lemon juice. Bring this mixture to the boil and then  simmer for 20-30 minutes. Take off the heat and cool. After,  drain the liquid from the apples and set aside. With a potato masher lightly mash the apple mint mixture and pour the puree into a sieve over a large bowl. With the back of a spoon push and mush the apple in the sieve to extract the juice and fine pulp, be patient you will find after a while you will have got quite a lot out of the mixture. Once you have extracted as much as you can discard the mush left overs, and take the strained juice/pulp and pour into a measuring jug and then top up with the  cooking juice, to 1 pint.

Take the 1 pint of mixture and add to a clean saucepan and mix in the sugar. On a low heat stir until all the sugar has dissolved, now add the pectin. Turn up the heat and rapidly boil the mixture for 15mins, once the jelly has done it should have reached the temperature of 105C. Take off the heat and pour into a recycled sterilised jar, seal straight away, cool at room temperature and then chill. Do not worry if your mixture is liquidly when you add it to the jar because as it cools it will set.

Enjoy.

Hashtags for trending. SO now.

Last night was a bit of a trip down memory lane.  I decided to indulge myself and just make what I fancied.

To start we had Jerusalem artichoke soup with a Chicken Liver Paté Croute

I decided that I would make Fondue Chinoise for dinner and let my guests do the cooking themselves.  For those who don’t know the difference, Chinoise is cooked with a stock not oil or cheese.

The cooking liquor is easy 1/2 good brown chicken stock and 1/2 sweet wine (reisling, liebfraumilch, gewurztraminer) – you can spice it up with whatever you want, celery, carrots, bay and peppercorns usually work for me. Let is simmer for a while and burn off the alcohol and it is ready for cooking.

Then salads.

Last night I made:

Sweetcorn, Orange pepper, spring onion, flame roasted chilli. Vinagrette

Mixed Bean – Chick pea, borlotti, canellini, spring onion, lemon and olive oil.

Beansprout, Sugar Snap pea, Cherry Toms, Sesame Seeds (toasted) – Chilli Sauce, Sesame oil, Soy Sauce, Mirin Dressing

Then sauces:

Marie Rose – with dill and marsala

Pine nut and Pistachio Relish – a la thai

Caramelised Ginger and Sake

Chilli Sesame

Then the dippers:

Tuna

Prawns

Beef (cryptic clue : this cut is a ‘knighted fruit’)

ChickenThighs

We also had some garlic bread and copious amounts of wine

Traditionally one would have a shot of the cooking liquor when all is over, but as I had made some pudding  we did not partake of the tradition.

Pudding was good.

Made some grape and blueberry pepper jelly with poached cardamom marsala peaches  and greek yoghurt, topped with amaretti crunch. The poaching liquid was reduced to a thick syrup and popped on top.

I am constantly battling with myself.

I want to try and reduce my carbon footprint.

Al Gore thinks it is a good idea, so who am I to argue.

I do what the people at Do Green Thing tell me to do.

I am quite good at buying local, recycling, lights out, short showers and um, that’s probably about it.

Reasons I am not so good: (mainly cos I have a tongue that is genuinely precious to me, or I am just a bit precious, who can tell)

I can’t abide tap water. It is just about palatable with water filter thingy, but I do drink 2litres  a day like the doctors tell me to (I have just noticed that I seem to be quite pliable? mmhh!), and you know what,  if I am going to drink that amount I am going to drink the stuff that my tongue likes (phew. back to doing what I want!!). N.B my good recycling efforts should surely counteract the copious amounts of water bottles I buy.

I love to slow cook things. This no doubt means that I am using way more energy than I should be. everything tastes better when it is slow cooked tho. The oven is always on at about 60c. Those cheaper more local cuts are unctuous and melty when slow cooked. I like unctuous and melty.

I eat lots of things that aren’t local. While I do buy whatever I can from local sources there are just TOO MANY delicious things that you can’t get on teh shores of Blighty. I have a very, VERY long list and I am sure that most other gastronauts (is this a wanky word?) will have the same list but to mention a few…

• Parmiggiano Reggiano – from Somerset? no!
• Palm Sugar – Thai food the same without it?
• Curry Stuff – Nuff said.
• Wine – oh yes I forgot you can get goo english wine now.
• Tropical fruit – it is in the name.

I could go on. I won’t.

Anyway you may have got to this point and wondered what am I babbling about, do i really care about the world we are leaving for our children or do I care more about my tongue?

As I said before I am battling with myself…but I do find myself making more and more out of the leftovers or things that I forgot I had in the darkest recesses fo the fridge crisper drawer. Yesterday was my favourite for a while. Jelly.

Recipe:

There was a Bunch of Red Grapes ( been there for a week or so)

A pack of Blueberries (in winter i hear you cry, see what I mean about distance travel)

• I popped them in a pan with some sugar and about 500ml of water, popped them on the hob.
• Boiled them up.
• After 25mins I popped in a shot or two of marsala, a knobble of ginger and a few black peppercorns.
• Left it for another 20mins and sieved it all through a really fine sieve, squeezing all the juices out the fruit.
• Should be about 450ml of Liquid
• Two Tbs and a bit of agar flakes, pop it back on the hob for a few minutes till they are dissolved
• Pour into Ramekins, cool and pop in the fridge.
• 20 minutes later, Robert is your Mothers Brother.

You can obviously adjust the mixture to whatever you want, that is the point of leftovers.

I slept soundly last night (not because of the copious amounts of wine I had consumed) knowing that the blueberries and grapes had not travelled in vain.

Ok, I’m just going to be honest and say that I cannot for the life of me get an even remotely good pic of China Glaze Coconut Kiss, so I’ll admit defeat and simply refer you to Nailgal for pics of this. My camera refuses to show this one as anything but blue, and it’s not even similar to what it looks like in real life.

Coconut Kiss is a beautiful purple shimmer, and it’s been said it’s a near dupe of Nubar Pasadena Purple, which became infamous when Ginnifer Goodwin wore it in “He’s just not that into you”.
I was quite surprised when I applied this, because in the bottle it looks like a very pigmented metallic, but it’s actually quite sheer. The first coat was very watery, but three coats make it bottle color. I would call this a jelly-based shimmer.

Well, to avoid this being a totally disastrous and picture-less post, here’s a pic of my cat Gizmo looking fluffy as usual. I can’t wait for Christmas, when I’ll finally see him again!
(Besides, cat pics always make everything better.)

Sorry about the lack of polish pics, I hope the next polish won’t be as hard to photograph! If anyone has any tips on how to get good pics of purple, please let me know.

As you may or may not know, I spend my day working for Three Blind Mice and jelly London as their office manager/online marketing guru.  At the end of October, I brought my camera into the office and kept a picture-diary of our times (see blog here)

You can see all the images on the jelly london flickr page.

kirsten and andi cleaned jars and bottles and cellar. Looks perfect again and i can finally  find the jellies back again. Thnx!

So I was at a 21st tonight, there were jelly shots. I didn’t do them because of the gelatine but it was fun watching other people and their faces when they tasted the amount of vodka that was in them, here are their guts :]

]]> http://alabamawhirly.co.uk/2009/11/21/i-made-banana-loaf/ Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:20:06 +0000 alabamawhirly http://alabamawhirly.co.uk/2009/11/21/i-made-banana-loaf/

I made banana loaf – it’s delicious – enough said really.

And whilst I am eating it, it’s reminding me of last week and yellow things and cake and knitting and how I never got home at a reasonable time any night (not because of tripping the light fantastic but work and meetings and openings, although the openings are good). I wish I could come home at a good time one night this week, just the one at least but I know it’s a rollercoaster of a week. Then I remember that 3 weeks from today I’ll be packing to go and visit Mae and Pai with thing 1 and thing 2 and a suitcase of yarn to make up projects, and some christmassy things.

This is them, my Mae and Pai looking younger and we are all looking very yellow loving in our home made dresses. I’m the one not looking at the camera.

My gorgeous younger brother is not in the picture, he wasn’t even born then, he arrived with orange hair when I was 9. I know he’s been reading things I witter on about here and there as he asked what he was getting for Christmas (I had mentioned if you were female and related it would be knitted) well last night I got him a handmade present, not by me but handmade so that counts right?

Back to last weekend, which was a parents evening followed by X Factor Dress Rehearsal and then with the knitters at the afternoon tea party. Ysolda was launching her new book and the outcasts were the hostesses. Skeinqueen and the talented Emma Bradbury were showing their wares too. There are more photos here courtesy of Ysolda and even more here .

Then Sunday night was lovely, knitting with company who also were knitting and chatting and staying up way too late for the week that was to follow. I’m all for an 8 day week then I might have a chance of doing everything I want too – the week that followed contained workshops deliveries, covering someone else’s workshop, meetings, teaching at knit class, two exhibition openings and working on two projects, sunship and Open for Art. Open for Art is nearly ready to reveal…

I’ve one commission to finish this weekend, before on to a major knit commission for someone and some test knitting (hopefully photos next week). So I’ll sign off and think of yellow things whilst the sky is grey outside.

So, last time we spoke it was the middle of the night after a night on the town. Tonight it is the night of the morning after a night in a house with many friends and one enemy.

Anyway, I drove there, which was apparently a wise move, as several of my friends took a bus then a train then a bus and took a very long time to get there, carrying bags of who knows what. So, I arrived and, judging from the smell, they had been smoking for a while, hehe, so I joined them. There was a large table outside, an x-box inside, couches, good company (mostly), etc.

To be more specific about the one bad company, she’s one of the friends of friends who really isn’t up to the standard of the rest of them. I can’t really be fucked going into too much detail, but several times when she opened her mouth about three of us just left the table, which hopefully sent her and whoever invited her a message, but whatever, haha. Otherwise, it was a great time.

I hung out in my car towards the end with a select few of the good company with music and etc. then slept there until the sun woke me up, which wasn’t as pleasant as a sunrise deserves to be. This morning I drove to my friends’ house, one of the friends had just arrived back from Canadia the day before, so that was cool.

And now I’m home, I rented a boxing game, haha, so that’s what I’ve been doing.

After writing this, it seems like the first or second time in my blogging experience where I doubt whether anyone will really give a shit. Which might be a sign not to post it, mm.

I guess I’ll have to make up for it with something interesting, I guess…

I ate jelly today, that’s interesting, I’m sure. I haven’t had jelly in ages and it was as awesome as I remember it being. I also had peanut butter and jam m&ms brought back from Canadia, which I enjoyed.

Anyway, I’m as bored by this blog as you are, so I’ll find a quote for the day and be off,

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another: ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.’”

Your boring jelly-eater,

TDE

We had a fantastic weekend with the knitters at the afternoon tea party. Ysolda was launching her new book and the outcasts were the hostesses. Skeinqueen and the talented Emma Bradbury were showing their wares too. There are more photos here courtesy of Ysolda and even more here courtesy of alabamawhirly

We loved having the outcasts round and all their guests including Ysolda and Sarah, they are very talented.

Emma Bradbury is a dark horse, we have just found out she was runner up in a Crown competition for stencil design (design below).

Good Morning and a Happy Friday!!

Today we wanted to dedicate our blog as a thank you to the Hello You Creative team.

Their blog helloyoucreatives.tumblr.com “is about getting to know each other, finding new things and general rants/discussions about being creative” and features some of the most random yet fascinating/hilarious/disgusting pieces of ‘creative’ work from all over the place.

The last few months has seen jelly and our artists featured on there! We love them so much we’d like everyone to check them out too!!

Beautiful Illustrations from Migy
Skoda Yeti
Barney’s Face
Faces of Hate
Kanye West
Brand New, Brand Nu
Jelly Design Competition
The Cretinous Ostriches
Chelsie Interview

 My are eyes full of jellies… waving like sea anemones

If you like bizzare eating rituals then you will love this. I present an interview with Sam Bompas, co-founder of Bompas & Parr, who love to play with their food. Bompas and Parr have not limited their horizons to jelly. They have taken the public ‘flavour-tripping’ in an experience involving a miracle fruit ( that’s ‘Synsepalum Dulcificum’ to you) which makes “lemons taste like toffee and vinegar like sherry”. They have also created a breathable alcohol installation. Now you can drink without holding one.  The Independent has recently named them as one of “The 15 people who will define the future of arts in Britain”.

A few months ago I was  searching for an interesting job to do.  In the middle of this protracted and optimistic period of searching, I came across an article on their Black Banquet project. I emailed my cv to (the very open-minded) Sam Bompas and through the resulting dialogue – well, I didn’t get a job of course - but I did manage to get this interview. Which is pretty fantastic. Read on!

 I: Who are Bompas and Parr and how did you meet?

SB: Sam Bompas and Harry Parr are the founders of Bompas & Parr, a fine jelly company that makes bespoke moulds and hosts spectacular culinary events. So we’ve learned a thing or two about jelly-making. Our business began when we applied to set up a stall at Borough Market for the summer of 2007. They turned us down, but we managed to pull in a couple of jobs making fresh fruit jellies for parties. After the Sunday Times included us in an article about the renaissance of traditional English food, business took off. We soon found that we couldn’t afford to buy decent antique moulds: the market has been cornered by collectors, who like to put holes in their moulds and hang them on their kitchen walls. Harry soon realised he could use the techniques he learnt as an architect to help us create our own moulds. Now, we’ve created bespoke moulds for all occasions – everything from birthdays to funerals. But if you’re not a trained architect or don’t have a collection of your own moulds, never fear. There is much that can be done using items you’ll find lying about your kitchen. In fact, we’re going to show you how you can get unbelievably creative with jelly.

Our first big jelly event was the Jelly Banquet at the London Festival of Architecture in 2008. We hosted a competition to find the Ultimate Jelly Architect – and discovered that it’s possible to attract more than two thousand people, and a lot of press, by presenting jellies with a bit of panache. In this case, we persuaded some of the world’s leading architects, including Lord Foster, Lord Rogers and Sir Nicholas Grimshaw, to design jellies, and our competition ultimately attracted more than one hundred designs from around the world. Some designs were of existing buildings, such as the Eden Project, while others were entirely new proposals. Lord Foster’s entry was particularly ambitious, representing his notorious wobbly Millennium Bridge. Others showed that there’s still life in jelly yet: Lord Rogers’s practice designed a beautiful modular jelly in the shape of their Barajas airport. A panel of design and food experts judged the entries on innovation, aesthetics and, most importantly, “wobble factor”.

Professor Stephen Gage, from University College London, summed up the architectural appeal of jelly like this: as babies, we first learn about our world by touching it and putting bits of it in our mouth. Part of our subconscious appreciation of shape may well be a dim memory of how it might feel in our mouth. Thus a dome is round and coolly satisfying, while a pointed building is like a sharp and dangerous knife. Jelly architecture returns architecture to the mouth, where we can once again taste it. Jelly is a brilliant way to rediscover how fun and versatile food is. It is not only figurative but has a life of its own – and how can you not think that the wobble is anything other than rude?

I: How did the breathable alcohol installation come about? You first created an installation in a shop space for the Hendricks Gin company in April this year. How long does it take to get intoxicated in a literal, gaseous ‘haze of alcohol’?

SB: Here’s what happened with the Gin mist. It rocked.

We worked with three different doctors on this. It all depends how you calibrate the machinery. At our installation it took forty-five minutes to get a 35ml measure inside you. But on the last night we ran pure spirit through the machines. We lost our work experience for two days – I woke up in Heathrow and Harry was discovered by his girlfriend without his shirt in Kings Cross four hours later. She had to come looking for him in a cab. 

Iguanodon’s note. Here’s a quote from Sam’s business partner Harry:

“I’m interested in states of matter. Here we’ve vaporised a cocktail. In the future I would like to make a liquid banqueting table. In the 1905 Gondola Banquet the Savoy Hotel was flooded and the meal was eaten on a floating gondola surrounded by live swans with dessert presented on the back of a baby elephant. That would be the ultimate meal. ”

- Harry Parr

 I: Would you consider yourself surrealists?

SB: No.

I:  Have you seen Anthony McCall’s solid light films? Or more to the point have you ‘experienced’ them? The connection springs to mind as he is making light solid. You, on the other hand, are making something tangible and edible luminous.

SB: Totally inspired. It would be interesting to work with his projections mapping them onto a food landscape

I: Who knew that quinine (which many people will have taken as an anti-malarial) had fluorescent properties? You have been able to indulge in every artisan’s fantasy and work with a real, live scientist! You created a ‘Glow in the Dark Jelly’ in 2008 with the expertise of Dr. Sella from University College London. Is this how you normally approach an idea – think of a phenomena you want to combine with jelly and then work it out?

SB: Absolutely. We think of what we want to do and then work out who the best person is to make it happen. Here’s the scoop on the glowing jelly:

“Fluorescence is one of those truly magical atomic phenomena – an optical illusion that makes things look brighter than they are, making it central not only to safety equipment, but also to detergents and cleaning agents to give that “white than white” look. All manner of materials fluoresce. The quinine molecule, itself, is a natural product from the bark of the South American Cinchona tree that has been added to drinks for over a century. One of the first anti-malarial molecules, it began to be used by the British in India as a cure for fevers. The drug could be made more palatable by judicious addition of sugar and alcohol. Nowadays, the malaria parasite is resistant to quinine, but its bitterness adds a pleasant “bite” to the flavour of many soft drinks and mixers. And the blue glow is a delightful effect that adds ambiance to pubs and clubs. But if you don’t like the glow there’s a simple say to switch it off – simply toss a pinch of salt into your cocktail and kill the effect in an instant. ”

- Dr Andrea Sella of UCL’s Department of Chemistry

 I: You mention that you are currently in your jelly phase. What foodstuffs would you like to work with in future? Could you describe a fantasy project, commissions and budget be damned?

SB: A two-hundred course meal for a single person. Actually working on a pitch for this at the moment and have already locked in the budget. That’s a course every five minutes for ten hours straight.

I: Would you ever consider making noisy food? Perhaps singing jelly? Something like that?

SB: Already done it. Our sampled jelly wobbling was the number one science video on Youtube for a while. It sounded pretty disgusting. The comments were worse though.

 I: Who would you consider a contemporary of yours – given your creative interests and the materials in which you work?

 Lily Vanilli. She makes cupcakes that bleed.

I: The company is two years young and you have achieved a huge amount since you founded Bompas and Parr in 2007. You must have a great work ethic. Could you describe an average working day?

SB: Pretty savage. Up at five for emails. Cook eight am until ten am then non stop meetings through ‘til seven. Then cooking and more emails.

 I: Other than maybe throwing some jelly at a politician, which is maybe a form of soft, fruity assault – do you think jelly could be used for political satire?

SB: I’ve got Bojo’s mobile no and always invite him round to our events. He would be the chief jelly server.

 I: Name something jelly shouldn’t be used for.

SB: The Olympic sport of curling.

**

Jellymongers.co.uk – The Bompas & Parr website - A short film about Bompas & Parr

So we all know the J.M. Smucker Co. If you were a child in America between 1980-2000 and your parents didn’t feed you fois gras with beluga whale caviar* you most likely experienced the American institution that is the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the jelly on that sandwich most likely at some point was Smuckers.

Now through the wonders of Wikipedia I managed to stumble across the J.M. Smucker Co. page (Willard Scott -> McDonalds -> Ronald McDonald -> Willard Scott -> Smucker’s) and was struck by a list of slogans on the page. Apparently Smucker’s hires most of it’s marketing people from it’s target demographic, as some of the slogans sound like they’ve come from the mouth of a two year old.

Diana Fuller, head of advertising.

Here are some gems:

“With a name like Smucker’s, it has to be good!”

Okay Smucker’s, I grew up on this one. I don’t know why the Smucker’s name has to be good but perhaps there’s something I’m missing. Maybe “smuck” is the Igbo word for excellence. Maybe it’s all just lies.

“Smucker will make you pucker!”

A rhyme scheme! Good job. I have certainly puckered after jamming two spoonfuls of delicious raspberry jam in my mouth.

“Smucker Company, the brand you can trust”

You know when you were a kid and you tied your brother to a rock and left him in the woods overnight? And when your Mom called you in for dinner you blurted out “I DIDN’T TIE KEVIN TO A ROCK!” just to make sure your innocence in the matter was clear? Yeah. I kind of feel like this is something along these lines. Should I not trust other jams? Is Welch’s planning some sinister coup? Are they communists? IS THAT WHY ALL THEIR JAMS ARE RED?!?!

Trust no one but Smucker’s.

“There ain’t no place like Smucker’s!”

How does this sell jelly? This makes me want to travel. Is Smucker’s offering an extra three nights stay if I book a four day vacation?

“The only brand of jams that can make a piece of bread lively!”

I once left a slice of toast with jam on it out on the counter and then went on vacation for three weeks. When I got back I was confronted by the most lively piece of bread I have ever seen.

“Smucker’s may be yummy, your tummy may be too, but your grocer’s freezer, is not far from you!“

How can my tummy be yummy? Unless… wait… Smucker’s may be yummy, yes. My stomach, steeped as it is in high fructose corn syrup and strawberry chunks may be yummy as well, but only to cannibals… And what was that about a freezer? Not to far from me? As in not to far ahead in my future? Wait a second, jams don’t need to be frozen… The only thing that needs to be frozen are peas, corn, ice cream and… and…

And flesh…

Oh my God…

“Bread, jam and jelly, in your belly, lick your spoon and cut your bread, then you will be Smucker’s well fed”

Yes. Yes. I get it now… You think you’re clever, Smucker’s. You think you can hide in plain sight, flaunting it to everyone through your seemingly “innocent” ads but you’re fattening us. You’re fattening us on sweets. Fattening us until the time is right. When we’re to bloated with corn-syrup to move. Then you’ll strike. The pendulum will swing back and you’ll take each pound you’ve put into us with your precious jellies. But not me. I know the truth. I know that each one of you, down to the last canner on the last production line, each one of you are bloody cannibals… Cannibals that won’t stop until you’ve eaten us all…

There is no hope.

- Stay tuned for next month’s installment where I investigate the secret history of the Spirograph!

*Only really rich people know that Beluga whales have caviar. The idea that they are mammals and therefore don’t produce roe is a lie to keep the lower classes from rising up.

É linda, fofa, confortável, ideal p/ verão pq é bem fresquinha. Adorei esse modelo meio quadradinho na frente.

Fui na Jelly p/ experimentar a rosa frankfurt mas n tinha meu numero, dai experimentei a preta.

Resultado: quero a preta e a rosa agora.

1. Collect your Interest from the Bank, before you deposit NP in for that day.
2. Play Fruit Machine, and you might even win a Paint Brush,who knows?
3. Get some Omelette to feed your pet.
4. Get some Jelly to feed your pet.
5. Go to Coltzans Shrine, and your pet might get a stat boost (HP, Attack, Defense, Agility),an item,or nothing at all. How sad
6. Play Tombola, and you could win Bottled Faeries,Codestones and other random assorted items.
7. In the month of December go to the Advent Calendar each day to get items and Neopoints.
8. Visit the Snowager (at certain times, see my Snowager Page) and you might get a random item.
9. Go to Healing Springs when your pet is sick, or wounded.

I woke up around 6 this morning for a pre-run meal, and to give myself enough time to try and wake up!  I started with some mini waffles, PB and jelly, and a banana!

I around 7:15 before I left, I toasted my Grateful Bread WW bagel, and filled it with some PB.  I ate half on the way, and saved the other half as a post-run snack.

For my mid-run snack, I packed some Cherry flavored Sports beans!  I also filled my water belt with some red Gatorade powder mixed with water.

So, we ended up running 11 miles in about 1:40:00.  However we had some trouble getting my Garmin to find a satellite to start recording, since it was cloudy and rainy!  So we tried to estimate how long it took us to run the unrecorded parts.  The Garmin says we only ran a total of 9.5 miles (with some mileage unrecorded), but mapmyrun show 11 miles!  The Garmin has matched up 100% with my run from mapmyrun thus far, so we’re thinking something was going on with the recording.  Hmm…i’ll have to investigate further!

The run itself was pretty good, although I think the spicy Jamaican stuff from last night didn’t help my stomach.  I felt a bit nauseous at times, but all in all it felt good!

I finished the other half of my bagel on my way home, and also ate a banana after my shower.

For lunch this afternoon, I had a comforting bowl of oaties w/ PB and grape nuts!!!

After being up since 5:45 this morning, I took a much needed power nap.  30 minutes was the perfect amount to get some energy back, but not too much that I won’t be able to fall asleep tonight.

Around 1, I met a couple of friends for coffee, and caught up on gossip!  One of my friends I haven’t seen in AGES, and the other just got back from Costa Rica!  She loves traveling to places where she can practice speaking Spanish, since that was her major.  I love foreign languages

After coffee, I went shopping at TJ MAXX, where I purchased 2 dresses and a fun “going out” top.  Can’t wait to wear these soon!  I also went to Safeway to get some batteries, acorn squash, and a roasted chicken for later.

When I got home, I wasted no time in prepping my chicken.  I de-boned it and cut it into pieces.

Then I chopped up some celery, apple and onion.

Then I added everything into a container for storage…

Then mayonnaise!!

I can’t wait to eat this for lunch this week, I taste tested and it’s amazing…

The later afternoon was spent watching the Seahawks LOSE to the Cardinals, boo…while catching up on blog gossip.

For dinner I baked my acorn squash.  I paired it with my chicken salad, and a slice of whole wheat bread.

For dessert: a slice of my choc/peanut butter chip banana walnut bread!

After about 30 minutes of hoola-hooping, i’m pooped   Time to go to bed and get a good night’s sleep for this coming week.  It’s going to be a busy one!

Kisah Nyata – Laporan Khusus Majalah Trubus
Edisi: 441 – Agustus 2006/XXXVII, hlm. 122

Bayangan kematian menyergap benak Rachma Dwiyanti ketika dokter mendiagnosis lupus. Perempuan 32 tahun itu gontai keluar dari ruang praktek. Tiba-tiba saja ia takut menghadapi kehidupan. Maklum, sebulan silam nyawa adiknya terenggut karena penyakit itu. Haruskah ia mengikuti jejak sang adik menuju ke haribaan-Nya?

Kengerian itu berawal pada sebuah siang nan terik. Ketika berlibur di Yogyakarta, alumnus Universitas Diponegoro itu menyempatkan diri ke Malioboro. Di pusat keramaian itu tiba-tiba mata kaki terasa amat nyeri, seperti dipukul palu. Tak kuasa menahan nyeri, ia pun menjerit sehingga puluhan pasang mata tertuju padanya.

Semula Rachma Dwiyanti mengira terkilir akibat kelelahan. Itu diperkuat pernyataan ahli refleksi yang ditandangi beberapa saat setelah peristiwa terjadi. Setelah dipijit satu jam, rasa nyeri lenyap. Namun, seminggu berselang, ketika Rachma kembali ke Banjarmasin, rasa nyeri kembali hinggap. Kali ini, rasa nyeri tak mempan diurut. Ia tak bisa menggerakkan seluruh tubuhnya lantaran nyeri meluas. “Jika kambuh, jalan menjadi susah,” kata Rachma. Wanita kelahiran 21 Januari 1974 itu berbaring di tempat tidur lantaran tak berdaya melakukan aktivitas apa pun.

Selain nyeri di seluruh sendi, di tangan kerap muncul benjolan. Jika sudah begitu, ia demam dan tangan tak mampu digerakkan. Menjelang malam penghujung Mei 2005, nyeri hebat ia rasakan, sehingga berjalan pun terseok-seok. Suaminya, Muhammad Frisyal Pattisahusiwa yang baru pulang dari bekerja terkejut. Frisyal baru menyadari penyakit istrinya bukan sekedar pegal linu yang mudah disembuhkan obat warung. Ia langsung melarikan Rachma ke rumah sakit yang berjarak 40 km dari rumahnya.

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Diagnosis dokter menunjukkan penyakit yang diderita Rachma bukan sembarang rematik. Lantas ia dirujuk ke ahli rematologi di Rumah Sakit Cipto Mangunkusumo (RSCM) Jakarta. Di sana ia menjalani serangkaian tes imunologi dan serologi. Hasilnya, ANA (antinuclear AB) pada darah ibu 2 anak itu positif kuat. Nilai C3 hanya 72 mg/dl jauh di bawah kisaran normal, 90-180 mg/dl. Artinya ia mengidap Sistemic Lupus Erythema (SLE) yang lebih dikenal dengan sebutan lupus. ANA merupakan parameter lupus.

Jika positif berarti ada aktivitas antibodi penyebab lupus. Sedangkan C3 dan C4, bagian kelompok protein globulin darah penghambat terjadinya peradangan dan infeksi. Jika nilainya di bawah kisaran, berarti mudah terjadi reaksi radang penyebab linu. Setelah 6 bulan bergelut dengan nyeri sendi, Rachma sadar penyakitnya sama dengan penyebab kematian sang adik. Sebelumnya ia sempat curiga, tetapi dari berbagai informasi yang ditelusuri sangat jarang saudara sekandung mengidap lupus. Namun, ia merasa beruntung penyakit ini terdeteksi lebih awal dibandingkan adiknya.

Sekitar 12 tahun dokter memvonis Dina -begitu adiknya dipanggil- hanya nyeri rematik. Saat Dina merasa kesakitan ketika disentuh, anggota keluarga lain mengira ia bercanda. Lima bulan menjelang ajal barulah ketahuan ia mengidap penyakit kelebihan imun.

Kelebihan imun akibat tubuh memberi reaksi berlebih terhadap rangsangan benda asing. Kemudian tubuh memproduksi terlalu banyak antibodi atau semacam protein yang malah ditunjukan untuk melawan jaringan tubuh sendiri. Sebab antibodi yang diproduksi berupa antinuclear AB (ANA) dan Anti double stranded DNA (Anti ds DNA) yang justru merusak tubuh.

“Gejalanya biasa-biasa saja, sehingga banyak dokter yang tidak mengetahui itu adalah gejala lupus. Banyak penderita lupus yang meninggal karena tidak terdeteksi secara benar”, ujar dr. Toga Iwanoff Kasjmir SpPD-KR, ahli rematologi RSCM. Gejala penyakit ini hanya berupa demam, nyeri sendi, lemah atau lesu, dan rendahnya trombosit.

Agar tidak terjadi kesalahan diagnosis, ahli-ahli medis menggunakan daftar 11 kriteria ARA (American Rheumatism Association) untuk mendiagnosis lupus. Di antaranya ruam diskoid atau bercak putih di wajah, ruam malar kupu-kupu, radang selaput paru-paru atau jantung, dan kelainan ginjal– protein dalam air kencing melebihi 500 mg/24 jam.

Indikasi lain, radang sendi non-erosif pada 2 sendi atau lebih, kelainan darah seperti anemia, leukopenia, trombositopenia, fotosensitivitas (sensitif terhadap sinar matahari), dan kelainan sistem saraf kejang atau kelainan jiwa.

Sariawan di rongga mulut dan tenggorokan, kelaian immunologi (anti ds DNA positif, anti antibodi positif atau sel LE positif), anti-antibodi positif atau sel LE positif), dan kadar antibodi -antinuklir (ANA) abnormal) juga menjadi pertanda serangan lupus. Jika terdapat 4 gejala dari 11 parameter di atas, maka seseorang didiagnosis mengidap lupus.

“Sayangnya, gejala itu muncul dalam waktu panjang”, kata dokter alumnus Universitas Indonesia itu. dari satu gejala ke gejala lain kerap berselang satu tahun.

Wajah Rembulan

Untuk mengatasi lupus, Rachma menenggak obat-obat mengandung steroid dan metrotreksit untuk kanker. Obat itu dikonsumsi agar serangan lupus tidak meluas ke organ tubuh lain. Namun, mengasup bahan kimia itu justru menambah penderitaan.

“Tiga gigi saya patah dalam satu tahun”, kata Rachma. Steroid memang bahan kimia pengeropos kalsium tulang dan gigi. selain itu, wajahnya membulat -dikenal dengan istilah moonface (wajah rembulan)-, kulit kering, rambut rontok, tulang punggung linu setiap saat, asam urat meningkat, dan lambung perih. Walau begitu, Rachma tetap mengkonsumsinya. Sebab, obat-obatan lupus memang hanya steroid.

Awal Maret 2006, Rachma membaca artikel Trubus tentang gold-g tripang jeli gamat(sea cucumber) mengendalikan lupus sendi. Lantaran ingin mempercepat kesembuhan, Rachma langsung mencobanya. Setelah seminggu mengkonsumsi, penderitaannya berkurang. Linu hilang, rambut menjadi tebal, kulit kembali kenyal dan halus. Sebelumnya, efek steroid membuat kulit Rachma kusam dan kering.

Kabar gembira itu juga dibuktikan melalui tes laboratorium setelah satu bulan konsumsi gamat (tripang). Hasilnya, niai ANA negatif, C3 sebagai aktivitas protein antibodi berkisar normal dengan angka 98 mg/dl, C4 meningkat ke angka 20 mg/dl, dan Laju Endap Darah 19 mm/jam. Ginjalnya diperiksa untuk mengetahui efek samping konsumsi gamat emas. Nilai uretum 15 mg/dl, tetap pada ambang batas 13-43 mg/dl dan kreatinin 0,6 mg/dl, pada kisaran normal 0,5-0,9 mg/dl.

“Dokter bilang, lupus saya lebih terkendali,” kata Rachma. Kesehatan itu dapat bertahan asal ia menghindari matahari langsung pada pukul 10.00-15.00, istirahat cukup dan mengasup makanan bergizi.

Menurut Howard Benedikt, MS, DC ahli nutrisi dari Long Island University, Amerika Serikat, menyebutkan vitamin E, omega-3 EPA, dan kelompok antioksidan gamat atau sea cucumber berpengaruh dalam pembuangan sitokinin. Hasil temuan Dr. Mittchell Kurk direktur medis Biomedical Revitalization Center of Laurence, New York, menunjukkan gamat meningkatkan kesehatan fisik bagi 70% pengidap radang atau linu sendi, tanpa efek samping. Sebab teripang jeli gamat memiliki komponen kondroprotektif yang memperbaiki tulang muda dengan merangsang metabolisme anaboliskondrosit serta menghambat reaksi katabolisme saat peradangan.*

Kisah nyata
Gamat tuntaskan jantung koroner
Gold gamat sembuhkan stroke
Gamat mujarab untuk berbagai penyakit
Mereka selamat berkat gamat

Retificamos que, a loja da qual nos referimos no post localiza-se em Ipanema, não no Shopping Leblon! Agradecemos à nossa leitora Iara pela observação!

Quem acompanha, já deve estar ligado do que vamos falar agora! Quem não acompanha e, não vê sentido algum no título desse post, senta que lá vem história! rs…
Acontece que, quem tem Multishow em casa sabe que, a novidade do momento é o reality show Nós 3, onde as amigas Dinha, Cix e Yasmin mostram seu dia-a-dia. [Ok, Plastic Fantastic... Até o momento, não vi nexo algum] Calma que a gente explica: o que faz com que a gente publique esse post é o fato de que, a Yasmin conseguiu uma vaga de estagiária de marketing na Jelly, em Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro (aguardem pois, muitas novidades sobre a Jelly virão)!

YASMIN À ESPERA DA ENTREVISTA

FACHADA DA JELLY NO LEBLON

YASMIN CHEGANDO NA JELLY

YASMIN COM A MÃO NA MASSA

ALGUÉM VÊ A YASMIN? NÓS SÓ VEMOS NAILAHS!

YASMIN NA COMPANHIA DAS COLEGAS DE TRABALHO E DE MUITA MELISSA

Quem assistir, verá moooita Melissa espalhada pelos quatro cantos da TV! rs… Se quiser conferir a entrevista completa da Yasmin e, seu primeiro dia de trabalho na Jelly, veja agora mesmo!

So the paper dolls is finished, it was very quick to knit and was just evening time easy knitting slotted in round everything else but I had a target that I wanted to wear it to thing 1 & thing 2’s first parents evening at their new school. Not sure why, maybe to take the teachers off their guard or as a kind of apology for their madness by showing it’s their genetic stock? But it made me feel good, many people commented on it and it kept me chirpy during a long evening. The other half wasn’t there for the first 2 hours, he was building something for Parliament and it was hard juggling twins and teachers and slotting everyone in. My downfall came when one teacher was running substantially late…. anyway, we were home eventually at 9.30!!

So that is done and this morning I have been up preparing for our house guests, Ysolda and Sarah. The launch of Ysolda’s book tomorrow is at jelly and I have been baking fairy cakes and banana loaf, tidying the house, changing round the sleeping arrangements – it all seems a bit rushed this morning an dthat is becuase we are out today and I’m worried that I’ll never catch up.

We’re off to the dress rehearsal for X Factor, my other half works on the show and we’ve never gone (in fact there are many shows we never see that he works on). The X Factor is incredibly over subscribed so there is a more chance of flying pigs then for us getting tickets but today we are going to the dress rehearsal. This is significant that we will all see my OH (sometimes I see him when the children are at school), we don’t get to see him often in daylight….

So we will see the rehearsal, have a chat with the OH then have the excitement of tomorrow to contemplate too.

Brand new collection ….

http://www.wickedtickles.co.uk/onlineshop/Jelly-Vibrators-c-177.html