Thermo Pot Or Jug Kettle - Whch Is Better?

Thermo Pot

Whether you choose to get a thermo pot or a jug kettle depends very much on how you plan to use it. I have used both and found they have there are pros and cons depending on your situation.

With children and and others living at home I found the thermo pot really handy. I can have hot water any time of the day to make hot drinks for myself. having hot water so readily accessible is a bonus with kids around to warm up all sorts of stuff like milk drinks which have cooled down,etc. Sometimes I have needed hot water to warm up a face towel to clean up grubby little faces!

The downside of the thermo pot is it takes ages to heat up once you have switched it off. This is especially so in the mornings when so much is going on and you need hot water for breakfast.

Elba Thermo Pot

Jug Kettle

If your family is small and you don't use that much hot water I would suggest the jug kettle. It is quick to heat up and you can get hot water to make your breakfast tea or coffee in a very short time. You can heat up the jug kettle again if you need hot water for other times so that you save on electricity bill.

The jug kettle is very versatile. You can heat up just enough water for a mug or more for several mugs. Just follow the water levels as indicated on the jug kettle.

Electric Jug Kettle from Amazon

Home remedy for cough with phlegm

I find the Indian mint a very effective home remedy for cough especially when there is phlegm.

Indian mint

Take some mint leaves, wash, add some water and then grind the leaves in a blender or a hand blender. Once blended, strain it and you will have a dark green mint water. You can add some honey to make it more palatable. Add enough water to drink it several times during the day.

It makes a very soothing drink and can also be given to kids. How thick the concoction depends on how many mint leaves you use. Initially you can use 4-5 medium sized leaves while you are getting used to the mint taste.

The plant is quite a hardy plant and easy to propagate. Just cut off the stem and replant it in the soil. Choose the more woody stems rather than young shoots.

Moon Cake Festival

I am reminded that  Moon Cake Festival or Mid-Autumn Festival is soon here with the display of moon cakes and lanterns in all the shopping malls. This year it falls on 8th September 2014 which coincides with the fifteenth day of the eight month in the Chinese lunar calendar.

I have already had my share of moon cakes. My son gave us a box with four moon cakes, plain lotus paste, lotus paste with single and double egg yolk. The egg yolk used is from duck eggs. Have you ever wondered what they do with all the egg whites since only the egg yolks are used?

This pastry is really very sweet and. I can only manage a small piece at a time together with some hot Chinese tea. My favorite is the ones with lotus paste with egg yolk, a double egg yolk if you please.

When I was growing up, children were often given moon cakes which had no paste filling. They were often made into different shapes. Popular shapes were those of fish, chicken and various animals. They are not so common these days. I saw some of these in the mall the other day.

Ienjoy the snow skin moon cake as well. The different pastel colors makes a beautiful presentation. They are great to eat too,with the chilled moon cake making it taste a bit like the mochi.

Of course Moon Cake Festival would not be complete without the lanterns. The latest additions include the minions of course. Any child who has collected the full range of minions during the McDonald campaign would love to have a minion lantern too.

I love the traditional ones made with colored paper stretched tightly over a frame of bamboo sticks. A candle in the middle lights up the lantern beautifully.  Little kids have a choice of lanterns ranging from flying horses,

fish lantern, rabbit lantern, etc.

Eating Crabs Is Such A Mess

Is there an art to eating crabs? Most will agree that you need to use your hands when eating crabs. How else can you get to all that succulent crab meat?

No matter how well the shell is cracked you really need your fingers to pry away the hard shell. Have you tried using your forks or knives to remove the shell? Crabs are one of those foods best eaten with fingers.

I found some crab forks which is a great help when eating crabs.

Each fork has a tiny fork on one end which is useful in picking our meat from tiny crevices and corners.
The other end is a tiny spoon good for scooping. I bought mine from Daiso, where every item is sold at RM 5. This set of 2 crab forks is certainly worth its value.

Christmas Silhouettes

Christmas silhouettes make great decorations with their lights creating different scenes for the holiday season. Christmas silhouettes can transform a house or yard into one big Christmas story with Christmas tree silhouettes, angel and nativity scene silhouettes.

Christmas silhouettes look really good as window decorations. Once lit up, a beautiful Christmas scene is displayed. There are many different silhouettes available from Christmas trees, Christmas angels, Santa Claus and many more. The nativity silhouettes are popular and can be hung in the yard as well with the silhouettes seen on both sides.

Christmas silhouettes are easy to hang up with no assembly required as it comes in one piece. The great thing about these silhouettes is that when one bulb blows it does not affect the rest. All you need to do is replace the blown fuse.

Happy Deepavali

Happy Deepavali to all our Hindu friends. It is the festival of lights and a time for Malaysians to join in the happy celebration. As in many of our festivals we are invited to open house with our Hindu friends.


You know Deepavali is here when you see the numerous displays of kolam, the ancient art of rice painting on the floors of mall, homes and office buildings. It takes much time and patience to create a beautiful picture. If you are not a Hindu you may wonder how to draw a kolam.

This Deepavali we are headed for a sumptious Indian lunch at a friend's open house. This is all in the Malaysian spirit of joining in the celebration with our Indian friends.

Angry Birds At The Moon Cake Festival

Lantern makers sure know how to follow the trend. I saw these Angry Bird lanterns on display. So is your child or you yourself is an Angry Bird fan, be sure to pick up one of these colorful lanterns.

For those with younger kids, there are the battery operated lanterns though not as much fun as the lanterns kit up by candles.

I saw these at Tesco's and were going for RM 12. Or maybe you are the traditional type and still prefer the chicken and fish lantern. Which ever your choice, be sure to buy your lanterns early.

Happy Moon Cake Festival!