josie's kitchen

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I rarely see people smoking tobacco, most of the time it is cigarette. I only see them in movies with the rich and famous smoking cigars. It seems like a status symbol for them. Some could already tell if it is of good quality or not by the smell of unlighted one, just like savoring the sweet aroma of a good wine. When I saw Black and Mild cigars being manufactured since 1939, I guess it’s on the league with the premium quality or else they won’t last that long. For health conscious, it has the same effects as cigarettes.

Why is it that most of the clothes displayed at the shopping malls are size 1? Yes I know that they cater most for young people, but why not consider adding the other sizes too to make it universal? Sometimes it took me hours to find clothes fit for my size. If  I still possess my 26 inch-waist body size, no problem. I can just grab any design I love,  go straight to the payment counter and go home, as easy as that. But no, my former 26-inch went to 32, (sob) so sometimes it took me hours hunting for clothes that will fit my size. Or went home tired and disappointed.

Good thing there are online clothing stores from Shopwiki that provide the complete sets of women’s  wardrobe of all sizes. From plus-sized to petite. From regular to Designers’ Item. From sexy to maternity dresses.  All I have to do is choose the design, order the items, and it will be delivered to me with no hassles. No more shop-hopping or dieting just to get a dress that will fit

I’m a fan of home-improvement shows on TV like Clean House, Carter Can, Extreme  Home Make-over and many more. Watching them renovate the house or make new cabinets and storage from piled up woods in the backyard  or refurbish old furniture to make it look brand-new. It seems very easy to build them with the power tools they use, but of course if you are not a professional carpenter, you still need some guidance, especially the safety precautions in handling those power tools like wearing protective glasses to shield the eyes from flying debris when sowing woods or dismantling old cabinets and furniture. All in all it’s safety first above everything.

Thanks to modern technology, it really made our lives easier and lighter. lol. Do you remember the first computers, they were very huge and will occupy almost the whole room for just one computer. But now looked at them, you can hold them in the palm your hand like the I-pads and netbooks. And with the invention of digital storage like micro sd you can store all your files in one small chip unlike before you need a big filing cabinet to store all those data. Just insert this micro sd in your computer and you can store as many data as you like and you can carry it anywhere you go.

Little kids are beginning to be adventurous when they experienced riding a bicycle, you will see how they enjoy their new found quest. They even learn to mingle and play with other kids. You can spot the excitement in their eyes when they are able to explore other places while riding on their bikes. This was what I noticed with my kids during those times of their first ventures outside our home and into the yard. More so when their father bought them their first power wheels. They can’t wait to get out and drove around the neighborhood with their new “vehicle”.

From now on I will also feature some of the ingredients like herbs and spices that add flavor and aroma to all my recipes.

Pandan (Fragrant Screw Pine)

I use pandan leaves when I cooked our rice, it gives sweet aroma and nice flavor to the rice. It is also added to native rice puddings or rice cakes, sweetened fruit preserves and fruit juices and salads like buko (young coconut) juice and buko pandan (young coconut and gelatin concoction). It is easy to grow even in a small plant pot and we have one in our yard.

But do you know that there are many health benefits that can get from this simple plant and it is also use as cure for ailments in some countries.
• Treats leprosy, smallpox and wounds.
• Helps reduce fever
• Solves several skin problems
• Relives headache and arthritis
• Treatment for ear pains
• Functions as a laxative for children
• Eases chest pains
• Helps in speeding up the recuperation of women who have just given birth and are still weak
• Pandan reduces stomach spasms and strengthens the gum.

Preparation & Use of Pandan:
• Decoction (a method of extraction by boiling of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes) of the bark may be taken as tea, or mixed with water that is to be used in bathing, in order to remedy skin problems, cough, and urine-related concerns.
• Apply pulverized roots of pandan to affected wound areas to facilitate healing.
• The anthers of the male flowers are used for earaches, headaches and stomach spasms.
• Chew the roots to strengthen the gum.
• Extract oils and juices from the roots and flowers are used in preparing the decoction to relieve pains brought about by headache and arthritis.

I’m blessed that I don’t have oily skin and didn’t experience acne and pimple problem on my face. I had a classmate in college, who was not as lucky as I am. Her face was covered with big red pimples and she was a constant client in a derm clinic. She had undergone different ways of treatment, the last time I saw her, her skin is looking great, all her pimples are gone and all she needs now is an acne scar removal to erase those black spots and scars left by her stubborn pimples. She also changes her diet, if before she loves to eat junk food, now she only eats healthy food.

Do you read gossip magazines about celebrities? If I want to relax my mind after getting a writer’s block (wow, I’m a writer now lol), I will just flipped some of the pages of a celebrity gossip magazine or go online and read some articles about the latest celebrity scandals or who got caught by the paparazzi’s’ lenses on their birthday suits while sunbathing in a Caribbean cruise. Well you know celebrities love to go on a Royal Caribbean cruise when they want to unwind from their hectic schedules, that’s why Paparazzo wait for these moments to do their job.

When I first started to blog, I thought it will be short-lived. Me as a newbie blogger, who knew nothing about online stuffs except online games and do some research once in a while was in a dark when it comes to online earning. Now after a year and getting paid for doing product reviews. I’m thinking why not make it a serious job. I will turn one corner of the living room to be my home office, though I don’t need many office furniture except for a table and a computer, instead of doing it in our shop where it is always full of customers and I can’t concentrate much.

Follow Me Back Tuesday is another day of the week that you can gain more followers and find other great blogs to follow on a weekly basis. Follow Me Back Tuesday is hosted by Survey Junkie, Little Yaya’s, Review Retreat & Boobies, Babies And A Blog. Be sure to stop by and welcome our guest host Jenn at her blog, A Daily Scoop Of Chaos!

It’s a great way to start off your week and get more BF’s !!