Magic Cooking! Marshmallows turn into Almond Jello 杏仁豆腐 & More

                                                      

Have you ever thought it would be nice to make some desserts like a magic? Today is your lucky day! I'll share the magic with you!

Actually, I learned this magic from Japanese TV show the other day and have been dying to try the recipe. Because I was very skeptical....But there is science to make this magic happen!

Can you imagine Marshmallow and milk will make Almond Jello (An-nin-tofu杏仁豆腐)?

Can you imagine Persimmon and Vanilla Ice Cream will make Yummy Mousse (On TV show, they said "Custard Pudding" but to me it tastes like Mousse)? 

Here's the recipe for Almond Jello. (I could make only one ramekin with this. Yes, American size....In the following pictures, I double the recipe.)

Marshmallow        6 pieces (I only had Jumbo Marshmallows, so I used 2 Jumbo                            and cut into 4 pieces)
water                    40 ml
Milk                      80 ml
Almond Extract     1/2 tea spoon

1. In a medium size bowl, put marshmallow and pour water in. -Marshmallow will expand with heat, so please use the appropriate bowl.

2. Microwave it for 2 min. with 600W (I reduced mine to 60%). Marshmallow and water turn to liquid.

3. Take the bowl out and pour milk in and mix.

4. Add Almond Extract. Pour into the cup or Ramekin.

5. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours.

YES! That's it! Easy enough right????

After 3 hours, Voir la! It's just amazing! Taste just like Almond Jello!

Now, it's more easier magic recipe!

Mousse with Persimmons and Vanilla Ice Cream but it does not taste like persimmon, more like custard)

Perssimon            200g (about 2)
Vanilla Ice Cream 90g
Milk                     6 Tablespoons

1. Blend persimmons, Ice Cream and milk in the blender and mix.

2. Pour into the cup or ramekin.

3. Chill in the fridge for 3 hours. THAT's IT!!!!!!! That is it!

OMG! I've never made the dessert as easy as this one and tasted Fabulous!

These recipes are really worth trying!

The reason why marshmallow and milk can make jello is because marshmallow has gelatin in it. Also cornstarch in marshmallow will allow this taste like almond jello.

For Persimmon and Ice Cream: persimmons have Pectin and when this touches calcium in Vanilla Ice Cream and milk, it becomes solid. There are many other fruits have Pectin, but they won't make this solid because persimmons have a lot of Pectin. 

Reference cited: "Tokusu hito, Sonsuru hito 10/18/15 - Japanese TV show"

Chia Seeds Diet!!??

I saw Chia Seeds Diet on Japanese TV show a couple of weeks ago. Then told myself, "why not? Sounds easy enough."

But first, have you heard about Chia Seeds? Or remember "Ch-ch-chi-chia?" jingle? That's the same seeds I am talking about!

They are simply small black seeds grown in South America that were a staple in the Aztec and Mayan diet.

According to the TV show, you only need 1 tablespoonful Chia Seeds a day and if you consume more than that, it does not effect the result of more weight loss, but you may have diarrhea.

Interesting thing about Chia Seeds is they change the texture when they absorb water.  They become "jello-like".

On the TV show, a lady tried eating 1 tablespoon of Chia Seeds a day for two weeks and lost 6 pounds. 

Since Chia Seeds are tasteless, you can eat these in many ways. I simply mixed with yogurt, smoothies and cereal.

Banana, strawberry, yogurt smoothie

Banana, peanut butter milk shake  

It's been a week since I started eating Chia Seeds, and I lost about 2 pounds. I am not sure if it is because of Chia Seeds or I just did not eat much or something else. But I am going to keep including Chia Seeds in my diet because they have nothing negative but great things!

Here are good stuff:
 1. Chia seeds boost your energy
 2. Reduce effects of type 2 diabetes
 3. Help bone health
 4. Reduce chances of developing heart disease
 5. Help you lose weight

 6. High in protein
 7. Good source of ‘good’ carbs
 8. Antioxidant boost
 9. Extremely low in calories
 10. Easy to incorporate into your diet

Obviously eating chia seeds needs to be combined with a balanced diet and exercise in order to help you lose weight. By consuming chia seeds on a regular basis, you are providing your body with an improved dose of fiber (up to 40% of your daily requirement), which slows the absorption of food and regulates your digestive system. This can contribute to weight loss by expanding in the stomach and therefore dulling your appetite and making you feel full. So get chia-ing for the perfect figure!

You can buy Chia Seeds at most of the grocery stores, definitely at Whole Foods. I bought them at Sprouts. They were on sale for $6.99/lb (regularly $9.99) and I bought 1/4 lb. It is about a full of mason jar.

Now, are you feeling to try Chia Seeds???

Must-have for Face Mask!

Cheap item to maximize Face Mask Effect!

Have you been to "DAISO"? It's a Japanese store where many unique Japanese products are sold at very reasonable price! I am talking about $1 and more. Their quality is very good. I've been #DAISO in Japan and here in LA. I can find exactly the same item I see in Japan.  It's really fun to visit as well.

The item I talk about today is this:

Silicon Moisturizing Mask Cover- reusable

By wearing over a sheet mask, it prevents mask essence from evaporating, help reserve the maximum amount of essence for skin nourishment. And this keeps the sheet mask in position. The sheet mask won't slip off when you move, so you can do more things than ever rather than resting.

 Recently I tried Orange Face Mask and Avocado Face Mask. Orange one smells so nice! Both of them gave me a great moisture. Orange one was recommended by Tomiko, my friend and purchased at Marukai (I don't remember how much, but it was about $5..?), Avocado ($3.99) one was in one of Beauty Boxes.

Haha! You can use just for eyes.

This one was highly recommended by my Japanese BBF, Yuriko. She said it is the best! #SK-II. It is very expensive. 10 packs $170. http://www.sk-ii.com

 For now, I use #Dr.CiLabo. Pack of 5 is $33. http://www.cilabousa.com

It's fun to try many kinds to see what works best for you!

I will post interesting items from DAISO soon!

 

If you don't have DAISO nearby, you can shop online. http://www.daisojapan.com. 

Have fun!

 

Tried "Hello Fresh" - fresh ingredients delivery service

Hello Fresh try-out

 

Have you ever heard "#Hello Fresh"? They deliver fresh ingredients and healthy recipes to our door every week so that you can cook meal. I've seen the ad a lot lately. I thought maybe some of you might were thinking, "Should I?", so I was willing to be your guinea pig : )

I got $40 off coupon from #Fitbit subscription, so I decided to try this out. The regular price for 3 meals/week for 2 people is $69.00 includes shipping. I got $10/meal for 2 people with coupon. They have meals for 4 people as well.

First you choose Classic Food Box or Veggie Box, Veggie Box is $59.00. Then you can choose your 3 meals out of 5. I chose Spiced Turkey Meatball with Parsnip Mash and Roasted Carrots, Northern Thai Style Galaam Oop with Beef, Simmered Cabbage, and Turmeric and Pretzel Bun Bratwursts with Tangy Apple-Cabbage Slaw.

The box came following Tuesday (you can choose the date). The box had 4 ice packs and all the meat packages were half frozen. Looked good!

DAY 1: Spiced Turkey Meatball with Parsnip Mash and Roasted Carrots

Vegitable was fresh, seasoning packets were convenient and garlic was peeled. I noticed there are 4 carrots and made me think, too many carrots.... (I'm not a big fan of carrots). The recipe was easy to follow and almost no measurement, nothing was left after cooking, just a half packet of Cayenne Pepper. It was supposed to be done in 40 minutes, but it took over an hour.

Looks good? Tasted OK. Really, just OK, nothing else I could say. And there were too much carrots. I am sure everybody has their own preference of taste, so probably safe to say, it was OK. Would we want to eat this again? No.

DAY 2: Northern Thai Style Galaam Oop with Beef, Simmered Cabbage

Cabbage was pre-shredded, so not much cutting. The beef's quality was good. Again recipe was easy, it should have been done in 30, but it took 45. Was I a slow cooker? I don't think so. I used the leftover Cayenne Pepper from last night and saved a packet of another Cayenne Pepper.

Hmmmm.

Our taste buds said, "Hmmmm..." The seasoning was only Turmeric, Cayenne Pepper, Salt and Pepper. It was better than last night, but still, we were not happy.  And I know it was NOT my cooking skill or anything. Actually, my husband ate leftover Pizza after this.

DAY 3: Pretzel Bun Bratwursts with Tangy Apple-Cabbage Slaw

Since Michael did not have much expectation any more, I was like, "Just get this over with" mode. But I had a little hope in German Bratwursts and Pretzel buns. This time, it was the easiest to make and I was right on 30 minutes mark. Big Bratwursts took a little longer to cook.

Michael: "Today is the last day, right? I'll eat popcorn at the movie theater later anyway." 

He ate Apple-Cabbage Slaw and said "I am really glad today was the last night. But it's good to try new stuff and I don't mind." And I agreed. I would not even want to pay $10 for these.

In my opinion, I would not subscribe this for $69.00. Yes, it is convenient and easy to make. But it did not meet our taste preference. I am Japanese and Michael is German-American Japanese, so maybe that is the reason why these meals did not go well with us. You might like this, though. But I would not want to pay full price to try. You can find 3-meal free discount code online, if you want to give a shot.

There are many companies to provide the same kind of service. If there is another chance to try others, I am happy to! That way, I can let other people know how it is before they try it. 

I hope this helps you. I will go back to my ordinary cooking tomorrow and Michael is looking forward to it. It's a good thing!