QUEEN VICTORIA'S SOUR AND SPICY FLAVOURED FRIED NOODLE

 by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

Lunch or snack break, it’s a great time of the day to cook a recipe that will gratify your loved-ones. Hearing the “burp” sound of satisfaction and kids saying, “Yummy mommy”, it’s a clear sign that you prepared the best for them and your delicious snack is truly appreciated.

This recipe is a source of carbohydrate, protein and is mixed with vegetables to supplement the body’s needs for nutrients. It is a health friendly dish as it is free from artificial flavouring or E621, which is known as Monosodium glutamate. 

Ingredients: 

•  250 grams. noodles 
•  150 grams. cooking bacon 
•  2 cloves of garlic, crashed and chopped 
•  1 medium-sized onion cut into 4 (separate each layer) 
•  2 medium-sized carrot; organic for extra flavour 
•  Strip slices of cabbage 
•  Chunk slices of lettuce 
•  A handful of green beans (cut both ends) 

Sauce: 

• 3 tsp. of lemon juice 
• 1 tsp. of malt vinegar 
• 2 tsp. of soy sauce 
• ¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper 
• Ground black pepper, to taste 
• A pinch of vegetable stock granules*

Sauce Preparation: 

1. Prepare a mixing bowl. 
2. Mix the lemon juice and vinegar in it. 
3. Add the remaining ingredients. 
4. Stir well and set it aside for awhile in a safe place. 

Cooking Procedure:  

1. Clean and rinse all of your vegetables.
2. Prepare the chopping board, a knife and a frying pan. 
3. Place your frying pan on moderate heat. 
4. Fry the bacon for 1 minute and stir it every 20-30 seconds. 
5. While waiting for the bacon to cook. Crash and chop the garlic using a knife on the chopping board. Peel-off and cut the onion into 4 parts and separate each layer. 
6. Add the garlic and the onion to the bacon. Adjust the flame to low. Mix all the ingredients before covering it with a lid. Cook for 1-2 minutes. 
7. Soak the noodle in a bowl/container with lukewarm water. Just set it aside. 
8. Cut the carrots according to your preferences (strip horizontal slice is the best). 
9. Place the washed and rinsed cabbage, lettuce and green beans on a plate. 
10. Check your bacon mixture in the frying pan. And add the carrots and the cabbage. Stir it gently and add 1/8 cup of water. Cover and set it aside for 1 minute. Set the flame of the burner back to moderate. 
11. Add the noodle and the remaining vegetables to the frying pan mixture. Stir well. Adjust the flame back to low. Cover and set it aside for another 1 minute. 
12. On or before the time (1 minute), gradually pour the prepared sauce mixture. Stir it gently using a wooden spoon. 
13. Cover and cook for 1 minute under the low flame. 
14. Prepare and arrange the cooked fried noodle in a serving bowl.

It is served with sprinkled slices of spring onion on top as it contains anti-oxidant that benefits the health. It is usually eaten with slices of bread as an alternative for cooked rice (for Asians) and glasses of fresh fruit juice as a substitute to fizzy drinks. 

*Some vegetable stock granules and cubes contain E621 (MSG) to be avoided.

MY HOMEMADE LEFTOVER FACE AND BODY SCRUB

by: MisS VictoriA DaviD

I love drinking filtered coffee because its yumyumyumyumyum...

The ground coffee beans have a rich full-flavour which brings out the intense secret aroma. However, the addition of steamed and frothy milk smooths its distinctive strong taste. Shall I say, it’s simply delicious every time I sip it from my mug. This mighty hot shot drink always gives me a delightful morning and more importantly, keeping me vigorous the whole day! 

Many years ago, I would just throw the leftover brewed coffee granules in the sink before washing up my handy cafetiere and the rest of the utensils. Why would I save the leftover granules? Was it worth re-using them like I do with the traditional tea bags? I don't think so, as there would be very little strength in the used granules and would be innocuously bland for my palate. In those years once brewed and drank, the coffee granules would just be thrown and washed away. 

I visited a close friend who was just fresh from his Latin America Road Trip and he was very eager to show me his captured photos. While we were happily scanning all of his collected images onto his desktop, he also showed me the souvenirs he bought from one state to another. Surprisingly, one souvenir really caught my eyes and it's a personalised ceramic container with my engraved nickname in it. Weird to have read it but it was indeed my nickname! Aside from my engraved nickname, it contained clay mud mask with coffee granules ideal for the face and body. Actually, it was meant for me as a special gift for being a trustworthy and loving friend. It was a very touching idea of his and didn't know I was that special. He handed over it to me but with a very amusing reminder in his deep tonal voice, "You have to use the content, Vicky!". 

The clay mud mask lasted roughly for a month and after that, I was unable to find one of the same quality. That is why, I experimented and came up of the idea of utilising the leftover granules from my brewed coffee. I spooned the leftover out of the cafetiere and placed them in a shot glass with the additional nourishing ingredients, 2 tsps. of table salt and a tbsp. of honey. I mixed them using a teaspoon first before using a milk frother in order to coalesce the 3 ingredients into one. 

 

This homemade face and body scrub of mine acts like an exfoliation when you rub it into your skin. During the application, you are getting rid off the dead skin through a process called microdermabrasion. The coffee granules, as a major ingredient, has a natural chemical that achieves a gradual brown skin tone or for myself, it maintains my glowing brown skin without the need of a tanning salon. Moreover, the other two ingredients have benefits too. Such as honey which has antibacterial properties and hefty serving of skin-saving antioxidants while salt can reduce inflammation and flush out toxins- removes bacteria from the skin and unclog pores. 

Apply it all over your body and on your face too either with your hair down or pulled up. Leave it for 12-15 minutes but within that time, abrasive action is essential as it invigorates the skin and helps to improve circulation. If I were you, play your list of favourite music before you apply this regenerating face and body scrub. Music will help you become excitedly suffuse and makes the time run fast while enjoying the healing application all over you. 

Nowadays, my coffee granules are no longer wasted as the leftovers are very effective for maintaining the radiance in my face and the smoothness of my body. It is indeed a mighty hot shot drink in the morning which is both very practical and efficient!