Three words to make your mouth water. Guinness. Chocolate. Cake.

You may recall that back in July, I made Guinness Cupcakes. That was all well and good, but I had yet to make the Guinness Chocolate Cake that the cupcake recipe was based on. I knew an opportunity would come. I might not be a Guinness-drinker, but the flavors do magical things in baked goods.

So we were invited to a friends’ house for Christmas dinner. The chef is an eminently talented former restaurant chef, so when I volunteered to bring dessert I knew it would have to be something that really stood up to what I knew would be an ambitious, tasty dinner. I immediately had my options down to two choices, both from fantastic Nigella: a Boston-cream-style Victoria sponge, and Guinness cake. The Boston cream Victoria sponge was simple in flavor, elegant, and Bostonian; the Guinness cake seemed to encompass all the flavors and spices of Christmas, the richness of the season, and the darkness of winter nights. Plus, it seemed to me a cousin of the traditional plum pudding with hard sauce that I’m used to on Christmas.

I decided to try the Boston cream Victoria sponge to see how I could get it to turn out. It was mostly a success, but very involved. I’m sure I could conquer it after a couple more attempts. I hemmed and hawed for a day or two, wondering what to do and wondering if I hadn’t gotten in over my head, but then I decided I’d just go for the Guinness cake. After all, I’ve done Guinness cupcakes with fair success.

The recipe is available on Nigella’s website, but it requires metric conversions and I never have faith in my math. It’s also in her book Feast, which amazingly neither I nor my partner-in-culinary-crime have. So I searched the web for it, and found it on a Washington Post blog A Mighty Appetite with Kim O’Donnel. She compares the Guinness cake to a dark gingerbread or Caribbean black cake, which I guess is a sort of very dark, moist fruitcake based on English plum pudding and usually eaten at Christmas and at weddings. These are two comparisons I hear quite often, and though I have never had Caribbean black cake, I thoroughly agree with the parallels to plum pudding.

Even if you don’t like drinking pint upon pint of Guinness, get yourself a 4-pack and make this cake as soon as you have a semi-plausible excuse. This cake is especially tasty when eaten accompanied by a cup of hot coffee, or as we had it, with so-called Spanish coffee, a mix of 151 rum, triple sec, Kahlua, and coffee in a wine glass with a caramelized sugar rim, with a dollop of whipped cream.

photo by Rachel

Guinness Chocolate Cake

For the cake:
1 cup Guinness stout
1 stick unsalted butter, sliced
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

For the icing:
8 oz package cream cheese
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream, or heavy cream as needed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 9-inch springform pan by buttering the sides and lining the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

Into a very large saucepan, pour Guinness, add butter, and heat gently until melted. When the butter is fully melted, whisk in the cocoa powder and sugar. In a separate small bowl, beat the sour cream with the eggs and vanilla and then pour into the brown, buttery, beery mixture. Whisk in the flour and baking soda.

Pour cake batter into greased and lined pan and bake for 45 minutes to an hour (check at 45 minutes for doneness, poking a skewer in center). Leave to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, as it is quite a damp cake. Take the cream cheese out to allow it to soften.

When the cake is cold, gently peel off parchment paper and transfer to a platter or cake stand. Place softened cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in a mixing bowl, and whip with an electric beater, until smooth. Add the heavy cream in small pours until the icing reaches a good spreadable consistency.

Ice the top of the cake, starting at middle and fanning out, so that it resembles the frothy top of the famous pint.

Makes about 12 servings. Smaller slices are recommended, as this is a cake very rich in both texture and flavor.

Merry Christmas from Correct Weight Loss

Merry Christmas from the team of Correct Weight Loss. We hope you are having a smashing time with your family and loved ones. Our blog has been up and running for over a year now and we have come a long way. We look forward to your continuous support and look forward to meeting your expectations for high quality content for losing weight correctly.

Weight loss is a journey and we hope that you will continue to find useful information that would help you achieve your goals.

Here are the top 10 articles of 2009;

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2  A Nigella Lawson or Jane Russell Body Shape is What Most Women Want

3.  How to Measure a Beautiful Body for Women

4.  Jessica Alba Type Curvy Body Preferred to Twiggy Type Straight Body

5.  Effects of Alcohol on Weight Loss – Part 1

6.  1 Very Easy Exercise You Could Do to Get a Tighter Waist

7.  Alcohol’s Effect on Testosterone and How it Affects Muscle Building and Fat Loss

8.  How to Measure an Attractive Body for Men

9.  What Does it Really take to Maintain Weight Loss

10.  3 Steps to Win the Duel Against the Ruthless Chocolate Cake

Not only is Christmas nearly upon us, but my husband and I have also just moved in to a new house. In fact, I just did the final walk-through and turned in the keys on the old apartment this morning. And then I came home and threw myself in to the kitchen. I’ve been baking all afternoon. And my feet are killing me.

The week before we moved, Jim said he wanted to bake (or, wanted me to bake) something to take to our new neighbors’ houses by way of introducing ourselves and making a favorable impression. I said I’d think about what we could do, and we’d do it just before Christmas (giving ourselves a couple of weeks to move in before having to throw ourselves on the neighbors too). Well this past Sunday it snowed bucketsful, and Jim got the chance to meet and introduce himself to the men of the neighborhood (they were all out shoveling together). An hour or so later, the doorbell rang and it was our neighbor-on-the-diagonal on the doorstep, with a basket of holiday desserts (2 of everything: decorated snowmen and Christmas-tree cookies, brownies, and chocolate chip cookies). Now, I’m a firm believer in never returning an empty goody basket, so I immediately started thinking about what to fill the basket with for returning it. I suppose I could have made cookies, or brownies, but clearly my neighbors already had made these things, and probably had some for themselves too. Or, like us, had received plenty of chocolate chip cookies and other sweet snacks from friends, family, and neighbors.

I don’t know how I thought of it at first, but the answer quickly came to me: homemade blueberry muffins. Specifically, the recipe Nigella gives in her book How to Be a Domestic Goddess.
photo by Rachel

I decided we couldn’t make muffins only for the neighbors who’d already sent something over; we should also take muffins to the neighbors on either side of our house, some whom we have met and some of whom we haven’t. So that would be three batches of Nigella’s blueberry muffins, correct?

Well, might as well make four batches. We should have some for ourselves too.

More thoughts about blueberry muffins (and the recipe itself) after the jump.

So while I was mixing and making and baking those four batches of muffins, and chatting via text and BlackBerry Messenger with my mom and my best friend about said muffins, it occurred to me why my baked good of choice for sharing with our neighbors was blueberry muffins; and it was a chance remark from my mom that made me realize it.

“Those look just like the muffins Dad is going to make Friday morning!”

Background info: Ever since I was little, and I’m thinking I can remember this back to when we lived in North Dakota, so loooong time ago, on Saturday mornings and on Christmas, my dad and I have gotten up before Mum and made breakfast (usually boxed muffin mix, sometimes cinnamon rolls from the refrigerated section). A few years ago for Christmas, I sent my dad a dozen silicon muffin cups, and had Mum give him the package on Christmas Eve. My family never opens presents on Christmas Eve, but on that occasion I demanded it because I knew that Christmas morning, he’d be up making muffins and brewing coffee before anyone else was up, and could use the gift. Probably blueberry muffins; we are Mainers at heart after all and very rarely go with any other flavor. So anyway, my mom’s comment this afternoon reminded me that Dad would be making muffins come Christmas morning. Probably blueberry muffins.

A batch of muffins later (OK, so I’m not quick on the uptake today) another thought occurred to me. I am probably making blueberry muffins for our neighbors because in my world, you HAVE to have blueberry muffins on Christmas morning. It’s a rule. And this is my way of keeping up the tradition my dad and I started when I was little. And also, not overloading my neighbors on sweets. I mean, everybody makes cookies and brownies and special sweet holiday treats at Christmastime — who makes blueberry muffins??!??

Four batches later, and I can recite the recipe by memory.

Nigella’s Blueberry Muffins

6 Tbsp butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp buttermilk*
1 large egg (room temperature as always)
7 oz blueberries**

*One of the small half-liters of buttermilk is about as much as you need for four batches of muffins. Ask me how I know.

**Because it is the dead of winter, I couldn’t find fresh blueberries to save my life. So I went with frozen. If you use frozen berries as well, you don’t have to thaw them before using them (and in fact you’re better off if you don’t). I also used about a cup, or 8 oz.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over very low heat, then take off the heat and set aside to cool a little while you prepare the dry ingredients.

Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, like a large measuring cup, whisk together the buttermilk, the egg, and the melted butter. Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry and, with a wooden spoon, incorporate the wet and dry. Do not overmix because the trick to fluffy muffins is not beating the batter to death. Lumps are just fine and, in fact, welcome. When the batter is incorporated, fold in the blueberries. Be careful not to squish the berries. Once again, don’t overmix. Spoon the finished muffin batter in to a prepared regular-size muffin tin. If you have an ice cream scoop, I find that that is the perfect size for filling muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes. By then, the muffins should have risen and become slightly golden across the top. If a cake tester or a bamboo skewer inserts cleanly, you’re done. Remove from the oven, cool in the tin for a few minutes, and then transfer to a wire rack to complete the cooling. Then package however you like and send over to the neighbors!

Note: For easier muffin-making early in the early morning, you can prep the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately the night before, the dry in a plastic-covered mixing bowl and the wet (minus the butter) in a covered measuring cup or pitcher, and store both in your refrigerator. In the morning, just melt the butter, combine the wet and dry ingredients, scoop, and go.

Party hats on. Kevin the goose is served.

I am pleased to report that Yule Do: It Yourself III on Sunday 20th December was a huge success!

Sam and Basil came to the rescue and provided us with the beautiful surroundings of their Stepney Green home, whilst Scott presented a brilliantly cooked Kevin the goose following a Benny Hill style chase around London town.

It was by far the most civilised thing our circle of friends had done. I felt very grown up sitting round the table in my party hat, like I was part of Nigella’s Christmas with the dimmed light and soundtrack of classic yuletide songs. This annual ‘do’ in the past had mainly consisted of us paying ridiculous prices for sub-standard pub meals, but this year was the best yet with masses of effort and dedication from each of us. Adam brought us an outstanding starter in the form of pea and mint soup, followed by well thought out veggies and roasties from Sam and Basil to accompany Kevin (who was killed three days prior to the feast in a lovely farm just outside London for the princely sum of 60 English pounds). Elle the vegetarian (there’s always one) created individual Mushroom Wellingtons, which looked amazing and were difficult to resist.

I, as expected, was in charge of dessert. On Saturday I’d prepared the good old White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe I’d perfected earlier in the month and whipped up the mixture for Nigella’s Flourless Chocolate Brownies to bung in the oven after dinner and serve with all kinds of cream. Sarah knocked out some perfect Snowballs (hello – my new favourite drink) and after weeks of harping on about it, Ross got to unveil a number of entertainments… the grand 9 round quiz (too difficult after three courses and muchos wine), a Lucky Dip (that Du Rag will come in handy one day I’m sure) and Pass The Parcel (containing tricks as well as treats – well done to Adam for greeting a passerby outside… Merry freakin’ Christmas indeed!).

I was full for two days after this… mmm. I have good friends.

Carving Kevin

All carving must be done by checked shirted men

Lovely veg

Horray!

Ah, touched by an angel...

Dessert is served!

Cheesecake didn't last long...

...Neither did the brownies

Snowball Love.

Dreamy.

Nigella standard dishes... poundshop novelty prizes

If you are itching to make some last minute edible gifts, I have just the thing! Nigella’s fabulous peanut brittle. Well actually she says it’s a simplified version of American chef Art Smith’s recipe.

I had planned to make all sorts of things this Christmas, but after a very disappointing (disastrous) attempt at icing cookies on Saturday morning (I spent so much money buying the requisite equipment, and found at the end of the day that I was still missing many key items. Poo.), I decided I should not try to be too clever when working under time pressure, but instead just make a few simple but delicious items.

So I went through a number of cooking magazines and books, and landed on two Nigella recipes that felt good to me. One of which was this excellent peanut brittle recipe.

I have little else to say about it, except that it’s fairly easy to make (just be sure not to burn the sugar), and it’s so good!

So without much further ado, the recipe.

Nigella’s Peanut Brittle with Art and Soul

• 200g caster sugar
• 60ml water
• 150g golden syrup
• 150g salted peanuts
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract
• 25g soft butter
• 1¼ tsp baking soda

1. Get out a large sheet of parchment paper and place on a cookie sheet. Sit it nearby.

2. Put the sugar, water and syrup into a saucepan, bring to the boil gently, then turn up the heat and let it boil for 5 minutes or until a rich, deep amber, swirling (but not stirring) the pan a couple of times, until the syrup has turned gold in color. It will be smoking by then, so be warned!

*Two very important points: bring to boil GENTLY, and SWIRL the pan a couple of times. I did both these things for the first batch and it turned out perfect. I failed to do both these things for the second batch and it became a big pot of scary burnt black nastiness after 6 minutes. (The reason I even had it on the heat for over 5 minutes was because the original recipe in my book said to boil it for 10 minutes!! I just found out online that she’s made an amendment to the recipe, so what I’ve put here is the amended version. Oddly though, when I made the first batch I had it on the heat for almost ten minutes but it turned out great anyway.)

3. Take the pan off the heat and, with a wooden spoon, stir in the nuts, followed by the vanilla, butter and baking soda. You will have a golden, frothy, hot and gooey mixture.

4. Pour this briskly onto the waiting parchment or foil, using your wooden spoon to coax and pull it to make a nut-studded sheet, puddle-shaped though it may be, rather than a heap.

5. Leave it to cool, then break into pieces and store in at airtight container or box; or bag up to give at once as presents. You’ll get about 400g in total, and it’s up to you how much you want to put in each bag. I find it easier to do several small batches like this, rather than multiplying quantities as I cook.

*To break the brittle into pieces without dirtying your hands, just roll back the parchment paper at the places where you want the brittle to break.

And you’re done! It’s really yummy, so you’ll have to try not to munch on too much of it before giving it away.

Self professed ‘Domestic Godess’ and rightly crowned Queen of Food Porn. Watch here to see why…Food Porn being a provocative term variously applied to a spectacular visual presentation of cooking or eating in ads, cooking shows or other visual media, foods boasting a high fat and calorie content, exotic dishes that arouse a desire to eat or the glorification of food as a substitute for sex. Either that, or anything with Nigella in it’.^‘

Strangely for something with as much sentimental potential as Christmas, there is only a handful of really classic Christmas movies. Yet, every year, this buff draws up a list of Christmas movies to watch in the run-up to the big day – and every year she fails miserably to get through them all.

The viewing itinerary usually kicks off with a little-known 1945 comedy called The Cheaters, which is getting a rare screening on Channel 4 this weekend. With a screwball cast that includes the elephantine Eugene Pallette and the twittery Billie Burke (best remembered as Glinda from The Wizard of Oz), it’s about a family of hard-up socialites who – in order to impress their daughter’s rich suitor – take in the down-and-out Joseph Schildkraut over Christmas, and learn a thing or two about dignity from him.

The Cheaters makes a nice double bill with Christmas in Connecticut (pictured), another rarely shown 1945 comedy, this time about a sophisticated magazine columnist (Barbara Stanwyck) forced to live up to her phoney reputation as a Nigella-style domestic goddess when her editor decides to spend the holidays at her country cottage.

Continuing the unwelcome guest theme, The Man Who Came to Dinner (1941) is one I always manage to squeeze in to the viewing schedule. A gloriously funny comedy, it stars Monty Woolley as the obnoxious “idol of the airwaves” Sheridan Whiteside (a character based on the humorist Alexander Woollcott) who, during a lecture tour, breaks his leg and has to spend his recovery – and Christmas – at the home of the unlucky mid-west family outside whose house he slipped.

“Christmas may be postponed this year,” says one gossip column reporting the accident which has left the Stanley family confined to the upstairs quarters of their own home. The snazzy script, packed with one-liners, is a joy and the performances – by Billie Burke (again), Bette Davis, chic glamourpuss Ann Sheridan (my Christmas style icon), the wonderful character actress Mary Wickes and Jimmy Durante (playing a character based on Harpo Marx) – are as sparkling as a glass of Christmas bubbly.

Versions – live and animated – of A Christmas Carol abound, but the most atmospheric and haunting of all is the 1951 British classic, Scrooge, with the peerless Scots actor Alastair Sim gloriously dour as the miser who claims that “Christmas is a humbug” until he is visited by three spirits on Christmas Eve and realises that friendship and love are worth more than money.

Wash that one down with the gentler The Bishop’s Wife (1947), a grown-up romantic fantasy in which Cary Grant stars as a particularly debonair and charming angel named Dudley, who answers the prayers of a stressed-out clergyman (David Niven)and his neglected wife (Loretta Young) at Christmas-time, and leaves a trail of swooning ladies in his wake.

Or settle down with family favourite Miracle on 34th Street (1947 – a vintage year for Christmas movies) in which department store Santa Edmund Gwenn has to prove that he’s the real McCoy to a non-believing seven-year-old (Natalie Wood).

Heartwarming Christmas scenes feature in plenty of movies, but the ones worth digging out in the run-up to midnight are Little Women (any of the three versions will do, as long as you have your hankies handy) and Meet Me In St Louis (1944).

Although it covers a whole year in the lives of the characters it depicts, Meet Me In St Louis easily qualifies as a festive film: not only does it embody all the sentiments of the season, but it also features Judy Garland introducing the beautiful song Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas which is guaranteed to jerk a few buckets’ worth of tears.

The hours spanning Christmas Eve and Christmas morning should be spent in the company of Clarence the Angel, Zuzu, George, Uncle Billy and everyone else in Frank Capra’s evergreen It’s a Wonderful Life (1946) – the definitive Christmas movie.

And, if by December 27, I feel that I’ve overdosed on the old Christmas spirit, Billy Wilder’s The Apartment (1960) will provide just the right amount of cynicism to prepare me for the horrors of Hogmanay…

TUMBUHAN OBAT

JINTAN HITAM (Ningella sativa Linn)
Kandungan kimia :
Mengandung minyak terbang dan minyak lemak.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Digunakan sebagai pelangsing, kembung, peluruh keringat, penghangat badan, sakit perut sebelah bawah, radang selaput lendir hidung (caranya : dengan menghirup bau minyak terbang dari bijinya).

KEJI BELING (Sericocalyx crispus)
Kandungan kimia :
Daun Keji Beling mengandung unsur-unsur mineral seperti Kalium, Natrium, Kalsium dan beberapa unsur lainnya.
Khasiat :
Daun Keji Beling berguna untuk obat kulit gatal yang memiliki khasiat mengurangi rasa gatal (adstringens).
Daun Keji Beling berguna untuk obat batu ginjal yang memiliki khasiat meluruhkan air seni.
Daun Keji Beling berguna untuk obat bawasir yang memiliki khasiat mengurangi pendarahan.

KELADI TIKUS (Typhonium flagelliforme)
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Tanaman digunakan untuk mengobati Kanker payudara, Rectum, Usus besar, Paru-paru, Leukemia, Otak, Leher rahim, Orostat, Liver, Ginjal, Tenggorokan, Tulang, Limpa, Empedu dan Pankreas.
Umbi digunakan untuk mengobati Frambusia, Koreng, Menetralisir racun narkoba.

KEMUKUS (Piper cubeba Linn)
Kandungan kimia :
Buah mengandung Minyak atsiri, Asam kubebat, Damar, Kubebina, Piperina, Minyak lemak.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Digunakan untuk mengobati asma (dibubuhkan dalam rokok sigaret), gangguan jantung, obat radang selaput lendir, gonorhoe, penyakit perut, disentri.

KEMUNING (Murrava paniculata L. Jack)
Kandungan kimia :
Daun mengandung Metyl anthranilat, â-caryophyllen, Geraniol, Carene-3, Eugenol, Citronelol, Metyl salisilat, Ostol, Peniculatin, Coumurayin, Bisabolene, Cadinene.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Akar digunakan untuk mengobati penyakit bisul, keseleo, rematik, sakit pinggang, memar, radang buah zakar.
Daun digunakan sebagai pelangsing, mengobati batu ginjal, infeksi saluran kencing, haid tidak teratur, keputihan, tukak lambung, radang otak.
Daun + batang digunakan sebagai obat cuci eksim.
Minyak dari kulit batang digunakan sebagai obat oles untuk sakit gigi.

KUMIS KUCING (Orthosiphon stamineus Benth)
Kandungan kimia :
Daun mengandung Glukosa orthosinfonin, Minyak atsiri, Minyak lemak, Saponin, Sapofonin, Garam kalium, Zat samak.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Daun digunakan sebagai peluruh kencing, mengobati batu ginjal.

MAHKOTA DEWA BUAH (Phaleria papuana Warb)
Kandungan kimia :
Daun, kulit buah mengandung Alkaloida, Saponine dan Flavonoid.
Daun juga mengandung Polifenol.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Digunakan untuk mengobati penyakit jantung, lever, diabetes, hipertensi, asam urat, ginjal, penambah stamina, alergi, penyakit kulit, penurun kolesterol, obat ketergantungan narkoba.
Daun digunakan untuk mengobati lemah syahwat, disentri, alergi, tumor.
Kulit dan daging buah (direbus) digunakan sebagai obat flu, rematik, kanker rahim stadium akhir.
Cangkang buah (direbus) digunakan untuk mengobati penyakit kanker payudara, kanker rahim, paru-paru, sirosis hati (wis).

MENIRAN (Phylanthus urinaria)
Kandungan kimia :
Herba mengandung Filantin, Hipofilantin, Garam kalium.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Herba digunakan untuk mengobati batu ginjal, asam urat, rematik, peluruh kencing.

MIMBA (Azadirachta indica)

Kandungan kimia :
Mengandung Azadirachtin, Minyak gliserida, Asam asetiloksifuranil-dekahidrotetrametil, Oksosiklopentanatol, Furan-aetat, Keton, Nimbol.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Daun digunakan sebagai obat diabetes, malaria, diare, disentri, masuk angin, kanker lever, jerawat, obat cuci sakit eksim dan kudis, menghilangkan ketombe.

PEGAGAN (Centella Asiatica)

Kandungan kimia :
Pegagan mengandung Thankunside, Asiaticoside, Brahmoside, Natrium, Kalsium, Zat ssamak, dll.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Pegagan digunakan untuk mengobati penyakit campak, kencing darah, radang hati, keputihan, mata merah dan bengkak, wasir, dll.

PURWOCENG (Pimpinella pruatjan Molkenb)

Kegunaan/khasiat :
Akar digunakan sebagai penambah vitalitas tubuh.

RUMPUT MUTIARA (Hedyotis corymbosa)

Kegunaan/khasiat :
Seluruh tumbuhan (direbus) digunakan sebagai peluruh kencing, menghilangkan panas dan racun, anti radang, melancarkan sirkulasi darah, bisul.

SAMBILOTO (Andrographis paniculata Ness)

Sambiloto merupakan salah satu tanaman obat yang sering digunakan di Indonesia. Tanaman ini sudah diteliti secara etnobotani, botani, penyebaran , budidaya, efek farmakologi, kandungan kimia, uji praklinis maupun uji klinis. Penggunaan sambiloto untuk pengobatan penyakit maupun pencegahan sudah terbukti secara nyata, aman dan efektif. Hal ini menjadi dasar bagi peneliti tanaman obat untuk mengembangkan sambiloto secara ilmiah agar dapat diterima sebagai obat dalam pelayanan kesehatan formal. Penelitian sambiloto sebenarnya sudah pada tahap uji praklinis dan uji klinis yang dilaksanakan oleh para peneliti dalam dan luar negeri . Perkembangan terakhir disebutkan bahwa ekstrak sambiloto telah dipatenkan sebagai anti HIV pada 13 Desember 1996 oleh Pracelsian Inc bekerjasama dengan Bastyr University dan dipasarkan dengan nama dagang Andro Vir.
Kandungan kimia :
Tanaman sambiloto mengandung Laktone dan Flavonoid. Laktone yang diisolasi dari daun dan percabangannya yaitu Deoxyandrographolide, Andrographolide, Neoandrogapholide, 14-deoxy-n, 12-didehdoandrographolide, dan Homoandrographolide. Sedangkan flavonoid diisolasi terbanyak dari akar yaitu Polymethoxyflavone, Androgaphin, Panicolin, Mono-o-methylwithtin, dan Apigenin 7, 4-dimethyl ether.
Khasiat :
Daun sambiloto berguna untuk obat malaria yang memiliki khasiat menurunkan panas.
Daun sambiloto berguna untuk obat panas yang memiliki khasiat menurunkan panas.
Daun sambiloto berguna untuk obat kurang gizi yang memiliki khasiat menambah nafsu makan.
Daun sambiloto berguna untuk obat sakit perut yang memiliki khasiat meluruhkan kentut, menguatkan lambung, memperkuat saluran pencernaan, dan meredakan kejang.
Daun sambiloto berguna untuk obat kulit yang memiliki khasiat mengurangi radang dan gatal. (Dikutip dari : “TOGA 3 – Tanaman Obat Keluarga”, Hieronymus Budi Santoso, penerbit : Kanisius).

SENGGUGU (Clerodendrum serratum)

Kandungan kimia :
Daun mengandung Kalium, Alkaloida.
Kulit batang mengandung senyawa Triterpenoid, Asam oleanolat, Asam queretaroat, Asam serratogenat.
Kulit akar mengandung Glikosida fenol, Manitol, Sitosterol.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Daun sebagai obat cacingan, perut busung, borok berair, rematik.
Tanaman sebagai obat malaria, memulihkan tenaga sehabis bersalin, menjernihkan suara, bisul, luka terpukul, tulang patah, digigit ular.
Buah untuk mengobati batuk.

TAPAK DARA (Catharanthus roseus)

Kandungan kimia :
Akar, batang, daun, biji mengandung Alkaloida (Vinblastine, Vincristine, Leurosine, Vincadioline, Leurosidine, Catharanthine, Vindoline, Vindolinine).
Kegunaan/khasiat
Herba digunakan untuk mengobati penyakit kanker, leukemia, kanker payudara, kanker rahim, anemia, demam, gondong, muntaber, sakit perut, batuk.
Daun digunakan untuk mengobati sariawan, disentri, tangan gemetar (buyutan), hipertensi, diabetes, batu ginjal, asma, bronkhitis.
Akar digunakan untuk mengobati malaria.

TEMPUYUNG (Sonchus arvensis L)

Kandungan kimia :
Lactucerol, Inositol, Manitol, Flavonoida, Taraksasterol, Silika, Kalium.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Daun digunakan sebagai obat hipertensi, kencing batu, kandung kencing dan empedu berbatu, asam urat.
Herba digunakan mengobati radang payudara (mastitis).

TEMU IRENG (Curcuma aeruginosa Roxb)

Kandungan kimia :
Temu ireng mengandung minyak atsiri, curcumol, kurdione, zat pati, damar, alkaloida, saponin, lemak, mineral.
Kegunaan/khasiat :
Rimpang berkhasiat untuk :
- menambah nafsu makan
- demam nifas
- sakit waktu haid
- ayan
- malaria
- cacingan
- sariawan
- batuk
- koreng, kudis
- meningkatkan stamina tubuh
- peluruh kentut
- kembung
- gonorrhoe
- pembersih darah pasca bersalin
- penetral racun dalam tubuh

TEMULAWAK (Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb)

Kandungan kimia :
Komponen utama kandungan zat dalam temulawak adalah Kurkumin dan Minyak atsiri.
Kurkumin bermanfaat sebagai Acnevolgaris, Antiinflamasi (antiradang), dan Antihepatotoksik (anti keracunan empedu).
Minyak atsiri temulawak mengandung Phelandren, Kamfer, Borneol, Xanthorrhizol, Turmerol, dan Sineal.
Khasiat :
Rimpang temulawak berguna untuk obat panas yang memiliki khasiat menurunkan panas.
Rimpang temulawak berguna untuk obat ASI yang memiliki khasiat memperlancar ASI.
Rimpang temulawak berguna untuk obat kurang gizi yang memiliki khasiat menambah nafsu makan.
Rimpang temulawak berguna untuk obat maag yang memiliki khasiat membersihkan darah.
Rimpang temulawak berguna untuk obat mencret yang memiliki khasiat membunuh kuman.
Rimpang temulawak berguna untuk obat luka yang memiliki khasiat membunuh kuman.

sumber: http://toko-herbal.blogspot.com/2008/04/tumbuhan-obat.html

Tomorrow night Dave and I are hosting a formal dinner for our care group from church and have a very yummy menu planned! I posted a few weeks ago about this & did a flashback of the dress options I have for tomorrow night. Which one did I choose? You’ll just have to check out my post after the party to find out! I’m looking forward to seeing everyone all dolled up in their evening-wear finest!

Here is the yummy (and healthy) menu for tomorrow night:

baby spinach salad with craisins and goat cheese
warm crescent rolls
stuffed acorn squash with white beans, chard and chicken

Never tried these but they look pretty! Here's hoping they turn out!

chocolate gingerbread
assorted appetizers and drinks

I just got a subscription to Eating Well magazine and checked out their website- good stuff! The link is for the acorn squash recipe if you want to try it yourself. I’ll let you know how easy it is after tomorrow night! I like the magazine because they feature healthy, inexpensive meals with a lot of things that most people have around their homes.

The chocolate gingerbread has become a Christmas tradition- it’s from Nigella’s Feast cookbook in her “chocolate cake hall of fame” section. I only make it at Christmastime because it is really rich- perfect for holiday indulgence! Nigella didn’t have the recipe for it on her site, but I did find one who did: chocolate gingerbread

not that pretty, but ohhhh, so delicious

Now I just need to get the house clean and decorating done! I love the holidays!

]]> http://graciesbakes.com/2009/12/09/the-12-bakes-of-christmas/ Wed, 09 Dec 2009 20:02:20 +0000 graciesbakes http://graciesbakes.com/2009/12/09/the-12-bakes-of-christmas/

On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me….. not the puppies that I was hinting at last week. I have been told that they are not part of my present that is currently hidden in the attic. I am afraid of the attic therefore he knows it is safe up there!

However, on the first Bake of Christmas, and the 11 that will follow between now and the big day, Graciesbakes will bring to you some Christmas treats. Some will need baking, some will need putting together, and some will need a little gentle cooking.

The first Bake of Christmas, is just that. Something that needs a little cooking.

Here’s a little question for you. What do you  get if you take these ingredients below, and add a couple more like apple juice, glacé cherries, and blanched almonds?

You get mince meat! For mince pies. It is the trusty recipe from Nigella’s How to Be A Domestic Goddess and I have made one particular change which sweetens it. I use apple juice instead of the dry cider that the recipe calls for. If you have the time, press your own juice which will make it taste all the better!

To make the mincemeat, you will need;

250g soft, dark sugar, 250ml apple juice (or dry cider if you wish), 1kg cooking apples cored, peeled and chopped, 1/2 teaspoon mixed spice, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 250g currants, 250g raisins,        75g glacé cherries roughly chopped, 75g blanched almonds, finely chopped, rind and juice of 1/2 a lemon, 90ml (6 tbsp) brandy or rum (optional).

Dissolve the sugar and the apple juice in a large, heavy based saucepan, over a gentle heat. Roughly chop the apples, and add them to the saucepan along with all the other ingredients, except the brandy or rum. Simmer for 30 minutes or until everything becomes all pulpy. Take it off the head and when it has cooled a little, stir in the brandy or rum, if you are using it. I don’t, but if you want a little kick to your mince pies, go for it!

Spoon your mixture into sterilized jars and seal. You will have about 2kg.

This mincemeat is another gift idea. You could make a jar of it look pretty, and perhaps make up a portion of the pastry with simple instructions for the recipient, and make up a nice Christmas hamper.  Other ideas will be coming up over the next bakes of Bakes of Christmas!

Enjoy,

Orlsxx

I appear to have been gripped by a frenzy of festive baking now that advent is upon us.  I know, I know, it doesn’t take much to get me excited about baking, but Christmas is a pretty good excuse!  As well as the usual plethora of mince pies I’ve also been searching for the perfect festive cupcake, starting with these appropriately named ’Christmas cupcakes’ from How to be a Domestic Goddess.  Nigella describes them as somewhere between chocolate and gingerbread, and they certainly are sweet, dark, dense and totally scrummy.

Nigella’s Christmas Cupcakes

1.  In a large bowl, mix 150g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp ground mixed spice and a pinch of salt.

2.  In another bowl, cream 100g unsalted butter and 160g dark brown sugar with an electric mixer (beware: if the butter isn’t soft to begin with this will end up all over you and your kitchen!).  One at a time, add 2 large eggs, mixing well after each edition, and then beat in a third of the flour mixture alternated with a third of 3 tbsp sour cream until it is all used up.

3.  Put 125ml boiling water, 75g dark chocolate, broken into pieces, and 1 tsp instant coffee in a pan and heat gently, just until the chocolate’s melted.  Fold this into the cake batter, but don’t overbeat.  The mixture will be very thin, but don’t worry about that; just pour carefully into 12 muffin cases in a muffin tin (I find it easier to transfer the mixture into a jug so I can manage this without making a total mess!).

4.  Bake the muffins for about 20 mins at 200°c/gas mark 6 until cooked through but still dense and damp.  Once cool ice with some nice lemony flavoured icing and make sure you have one or two before everyone else gobbles them up! 

Nigella of course suggests you decorate them with some fussy fondant holly leaves and cranberry berries, but I really can’t be bothered with that when there are nice spiced chocolate muffins underneath waiting to be eaten!

This week’s baking challenge came after much indecision.

Because of the sad demise of Borders, I managed to get my hands on a couple of new baking books to tempt me, however I spotted a Nigella chocolate cake in an old copy of Sainsbury’s magazine that looked too good to pass-up so decided to give it a whirl.

I can’t find this exact recipe online to share with you, but it’s basically a rich, dark chocolate cake with added raspberries. I’m scared of copyright law so get in contact if you’d like me to tell you more…

This week was the first time I had an almost disaster on my hands. I had to purchase a new springform cake tin, and having never used one before I foolishly didn’t check that the bottom of the tin was securely fastened. Needless to say the cake batter began to creep out of the edges, the only solution was to tip it all out, secure the bottom and pour it back in.

A fair amount of mess later (I also managed to spill the coffee needed for the recipe all over the floor) however and the cake was ready. As the raspberries had floated to the top I decided to turn the cake over, to give a more pleasing appearance to the top of the cake.

The recipe said the cake was best enjoyed warm, so there really was no option but to try it almost immediately out of the oven. This cake was absolutely beautiful, easily one of my favourite recipes so far. Rich, but not sickly, moist, soft and warm, this is perfectly accompanied by a glass of milk.

When cold it takes on a thicker and firmer texture, but is also delicious. One that I’ll definitely be baking again in the future.

Difficulty level: 2/5 Other than the spillage, this is just a case of mixing a load of ingredients together and pouring into a case. Simple.

Recipe amendments: They didn’t have cocoa powder in Sainsbury’s (shock horror) so I just used normal drinking chocolate. Didn’t seem to make too much difference, although perhaps making the cake a little sweeter.

Taste: 5/5

Chance of remake: 5/5 A definite winner.

My sick car is mended (hurrah)! This week has ended on a high. Yesterday I spent a few hours preparing food as we had some friends over. I took a risk and tried a new recipe from Nigella’s ‘Feast’ book. It was a Tunisian meatball dish and apart from a dodgy sweded (thanks Sainsburys!) we had a great time. My friend lent me her Mums tagine and it worked out well (genuine thanks Nigella!).

I also achieved something I’ve wanted to do for years; recreate a dessert that a coffee shop I used to work at in Colchester called ‘Poppy’s’ used to sell. It is a layered meringue with a lemon curd and cream filling. I didnt quite get it exactly right but it all got eaten!!

I’ve got a Stampin’Up! party tonight . The hostess is a lovely girl from my childrens school and it should be a great night. We’re doing simple Christmas cards and it’ll be great to have a chilled evening after a hectic week. The piccy is of a covered chocolate bar as a prize for the evening. I just love the ribbon. I could tie it on everything! The cute ladybird and ‘be happy’ is from a hostess set called Darling Dots, that my friend may well get tonight. I’m happy to take party bookings over the phone, so dont hesistate to give me a ring!

I’m also planning a series of craft classes in the New Year. A couple of people have asked about them, so I’ll take the plunge and get organised.They’ll be in Liverpool and as soon as I’ve sorted the schedule, I’ll let you all know! Talking about new things I have had some projects featured in Crafts Beautiful in their Christmas special and I’ve got more coming up in the January and February issue. Its very exciting and I love a good challenge so its right up my street!

Well, I’d better make tracks! Thanks for looking!

Recipe, Cardstock on the tag- Real red and So Saffron.

So Saffron ribbon, Versamark and clear embossing powder (all from Stampin’Up!)

Textured cardstock and patterned paper from my stash!

We hosted a big family Thanksgiving get-together tonight – with a grand total of 13 adults, 3 children and 1 infant – so I had to cook up quite a storm between last night and this evening, and I am pooped!

Last night I made & refrigerated big batches of Harumi’s yummy Somen Noodle Salad and Real Simple’s Garlicky Mashed Potatoes with Thyme , so that today I could focus my energies on my tour de force - Nigella’s famed Coca Cola Ham recipe. I also made a side of sweet carrots so we got a little more of vitamins. (On a side note, the potato recipe is fab, with just light notes of garlic and thyme so that the potatoes aren’t overwhelmed.)

Anyway, back to the ham. I had procured a 2.3kg hunk of cooked cured gammon from the Swiss Butchery at Coronation earlier in the day, and at about 3:30pm I happily went about my cooking as per Nigella’s recipe. I washed the ham, put it into my nice new stock pot, added a cut onion, inundated the lot with Coke, and brought it to the boil. While the ham was simmering, it suddenly dawned on me that perhaps the recipe called for uncooked rather than cooked gammon. I panicked and did some googling, and my fears were confirmed.

Cold sweat. Do I still cook the ham in the Coke for almost 3 hours as the recipe asks (because what’s the point of double-cooking a cooked ham?), or do I remove it and just shove it into the oven? Who wants an overcooked ham, or a ham that hasn’t spent much time in the Coke at all? After pacing about my kitchen, I decided to go ahead with the simmer-in-Coke bit, but for a reduced length of time. And mercifully, the ham turned out marvelously! Moist and tender, with a delicious glaze on the top. We only have enough leftovers for a nice sandwich or two tomorrow…

Now I see why so many foodies are wild over this recipe. Definitely a keeper =)

So here’s my version of Nigella’s Coca Cola Ham recipe with a handful of modifications, for those of you want to make it with pre-cooked gammon.

Coca Cola Ham with Pre-Cooked Gammon

Ingredients
- 2kg cured pre-cooked gammon
- 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
- 2-litre bottle of Coca-Cola (Or whatever amount you need to cover the gammon – the smaller the pot, the less Coke required.)

For the Glaze
- Handful of cloves
- 1 rounded tablespoon of golden syrup (Original recipe calls for black treacle, but that’s a bit of a hassle to find in Singapore. I hear molasses are a potential substitute, but I also hear molasses can be somewhat nasty… I also like that golden syrup is lighter than black treacle.)
- 2 teaspoons English mustard powder (I think in Singapore you can only get the brand Colman’s.)
- 2 teaspoons Demerara (granulated brown sugar)

Directions
1. Put the gammon in a large enough saucepan/stockpot/French oven, skin-side down if possible

2. Add the onion, then pour over the Coke.

3. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, put the lid on (but not tightly) and cook for about 1½ hours.
If your joint is larger or smaller, adjust the timing by adding or subtracting say half an hour per kilo.

4. Just before the end of the cooking time, preheat the oven to 240°C or 180°C, depending (see steps 7 and 8).

5. When the ham is done, remove it from the heat, and let cool a little for ease of handling. Then take it out of the pot, remove the skin, and leave a thin layer of fat.
You can keep the cooking liquid but I’m still figuring out what to do with it, beyond what I suggest in step 6.

6. Score the fat with a sharp knife to make fairly large diamond shapes, and stud each diamond with a clove. Transfer ham to a foil-lined roasting tin, and pour over a few ladles of the cooking liquid.
(Be careful not to cut too deeply into the ham when you score it, especially when yours has hardly any fat on it like my ham did. I would have preferred my cuts to be shallower… A quarter of an inch is enough.)

7. If you want the ham in the oven right away, have the oven at 240°C. Carefully spread the golden syrup over the bark-budded skin, taking care not to dislodge the cloves. Gently pat the mustard and sugar onto the sticky fat. Then bake the ham for approximately 10 minutes or until the glaze is burnished and bubbly.

8. If you want to let the ham cool to room temperature first and bake it later, then you only need the oven at 180°C. Glaze the ham just before baking, and bake it for 30-40 minutes, raising the temperature at the end if it appears necessary.

We had dinner with friends last night, and as is customary I took a dessert.  Now, this is only the second time that we’ve eaten with these particular friends and the last time my dessert was a bit of a disaster (I made an apple and plum pie but the pastry was too soft so the whole thing collapsed; they were very sweet about it but I was pretty mortified!).  This time I was determined to make something fabulous but foolproof, and this chocolate berry pavlova fit the bill perfectly.  Mine didn’t quite look like this one as I halved the recipe and used more seasonally appropriate blackberries rather than raspberries, but it was definitely delicious rather than disastrous!

Earlier this week, the fabulous Eileen threw down a challenge, as she set out to learn more recipes and I decided to join her. Tonight was the first installment – Roast Poussin with Sweet Potatoes. This comes courtesy of Nigella Express and the recipe is as follows…

2 poussins

2 tbsp garlic oil

1 sweet potato, weighing approx 500g

1/4 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1-2 bunches of watercress

Salt and pepper

Lime juice

Preheat the oven to 220c. Put the birds into a small roasting tin and pour half the oil over them. Cut the unpeeled sweet potato in 5cm dice and put them into a roasting tin – Nigella suggests using two tins, I used one. If you’re doing that, put a slice of bread underneath the poussin to soak up the juices – this means the sweet potato will get nice and crisp. Either way, pour the rest of the oil over the sweet potatoes and then sprinkle on the spices. Stick in the oven and cook for 45mins.

Nigella suggests spritzing the watercress with the lime juice and seasoning the rest with the salt and pepper. I just tore up some iceberg lettuce. This was super tasty and very, very easy. Obviously if you were looking to feed a family a chicken would be better, but these quantities work fine for two. I now have the carcass sitting in a pot so I can make stock with it tomorrow.

Staying with the lovely Eileen, she’s hosting her first swap and I do love a swap, so I am duly signed up!

I encourage you all to get along to her blog and do the same!

Made a roast buttermilk chicken tonight for dinner and it was absolutely divine. I’d thrown everything into a container, buttermilk, chicken, seasoning and spices and all the night before, left it to marinate overnight and stuck it into the oven for just 30 minutes when we got home from work.

The result was beautiful crisp and moist chicken drumsticks for our grumbling tums. Awesome!

Idag orkar jag till och med slå på tvn en kortis där jag ligger i en säng för mig själv i ett hus som är alldeles tyst.

Nigella håller på att laga mat. Om jag var så där snygg skulle jag också laga mat jämt. Det verkar gå så mycket lättare om man bara är lite sminkad, har en smickrande tight tröja och lite oumpf! i blicken.

Det är en njutning att se henne rumstrera om i köket bland kastruller, långpannor, vin och diverse andra ingredienser. Hon njuter, jag njuter, och gästerna hon bjuder på middag njuter. Eller rättare sagt, jag njuter så länge inga närbilder på maten visas. Mosade gröna ärtor och bacon får det att vändas i magen på Miss Piggy och när det går så långt som till en närbild på desserten – rabarber jello – som hon skakar lite extra på för att visa det fina dallret, då måste jag byta kanal.

Så här glad ser jag aldrig ut när jag plockar upp spaghettin som Hugo slängt i golvet.

This is my busy season with work, so a leisurely visit to my garden is a luxury not often enjoyed right now.  I notice changes quickly along the driveway as I speed in and out making deliveries and picking up supplies.  Mostly I see a blur of brown with a tinge of green from conifers as I come and go.

My dog insists we take a daily walk, so I take a different route through the garden each day trying to catch hints of progress, or should I say demise as she pulls me forward trying to get me to move at a faster pace, more to her liking.

Last week, as we re-entered the property, much to my surprise and delight I noticed a Red-breasted Sapsucker!

I ran in to grab my camera & he waited for me! I snapped as many shots as close as I could get until he flew into the fir tree across the garden.

As long as I was there with camera in hand, I began searching for color and looking to see what else was new since I last explored.

The first to be noticed were maples changing colors and conifers.

And conifers changing color.  My Dawn Redwood  will drop her needles soon.

I see I forgot to put away my yellow chairs.  How could I have missed those bright cheery yellow chairs?

As I looked up into the trees, I noticed all the berries still available for interested birds….

The Poke berries,

Mountain Ash berries,

And the few berries left on my Red Twig Dogwood.

As my gaze shifted from sky to earth I saw my heucheras were still looking good, including my current favorite, Peach Flambe!

Growing near it more Liriope blooms were pushing their way up!

And sweet little cyclamen!

Not to mention several patches of fall crocus still blooming!

As I ambled further into the sunny area I was delighted to find Zebrina smiling at me!

Imagine my surprise when I found this lone Nigella!  It is Autumn, is it not?  Someone forgot to tell her!  Or perhaps someone thought I’d like this reminder of summer, knowing I wasn’t quite ready for Fall!!

Sad Face Cement block that I made several years ago indicates my reluctance letting go of summer.

Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time….

Today I planned to make banana bread. It’s a lovely recipe at any time, but especially on cold days. It’s so warming and cosy – perfect for a rainy afternoon, or a cold dusk. And there is nothing to beat it for the delicious smell that fills the house.

The other thing I love about it is that it’s the perfect way to use over-ripe bananas. Which means that when I buy too many and forget about them, and my husband complains about the bananas going squishy, I can say airily, ‘Oh, they’re for banana bread!’ and pretend that this was my plan all along.

I use Nigella’s recipe, which you can find here

I tend to replace the sultanas with chopped dried apricot, and use wheat free flour (I’m allergic to wheat.)

Today I had the happy idea of baking the bread in muffin cases. The amount given makes about 14 generous muffins. And, joy of joys, they take 25-30 minutes to cook instead of an hour and a half.

I have decided once every month to review one recipe from one cook and one cookbook. For me the most important thing about anotehr persons recipe is if it actually does work the way its wrote down. Hopefully by picking  a recipe from a certain cookbook or cook, I can improve my own skills, inform others and review recipes and books for future reference.

This month I have decided upon Nigella Lawson’s Meringue Cake from her book Feast. This book really is an essential for any person in kitchen, so much detail and helpful hints, for all season, celebrations and dinners. So I do have high hopes and expectations for this recipe.

I am really happy how this came out, it looks just like the picture in the book. I did have some difficulty getting the sponge mix into the cake tin as it was very thick. I think for a dinner party of luncheon his cake would impress.

You can find the recipe for this cake on Nigella’s website or in her excellent book Feast. If anyone has any suggestions of what I should do for next month please let me know (^-^)