Low-Salicylate Chocolate Cake

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:
1. 170g organic self-raising flour
2. 170g butter (softened at room temperature)
3. 140g sugar (*brown sugar if you are able to tolerate it)
4. 2 large eggs (room temperature NOT cold)
5. 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
6. 1 tablespoon of baking powder

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1. Grease baking tin with some butter.

2. Preheat oven at 170C/ 325F / Gas Mark 3

3. In a large bowl sieve the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder.

4. Then add the softened butter, sugar and eggs to the flour mixture and mix well.

5. Pour mixture into the greased baking tin.

6. Bake for about 30 minutes or until fully cooked.

7. Allow the cake to cool before serving.

Bon Appétit!

Low-Salicylate Fried Bee-Hoon (Vermicelli)

*Warning: Prawns are high in histamine! You can replace the prawns with any other meat such as ground chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish balls, or even have nothing added to it, other than vegetables.

Ingredients:
1. 500g of organic brown rice bee-hoon
2. 7 to 8 shallots
3. 1/2 clove of garlic
4. Siu Pak Choy vegetable (*can be replaced with cabbage or lettuce iceberg which is salicylate-free)
5. Sunflower oil
6. Sea-salt
7. Sugar (*optional)
8. Prawns (season with sea-salt)
9. 1/2 cup of water.

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1. Soak bee-hoon in a tub of water until soften. Remove from water once softened.

2. Slice garlic and shallots into thin slices. Slice vegetable into thin strips.

3. Heat the wok and pour about 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil.

4. Add the garlic and shallots and fry until slightly browned.

5. Add the prawns and fry until almost cooked.

6. Then add the vegetables. Fry until slightly softened.

7. Finally add the bee-hoon and pour about 1/2 cup of water.

8. Mix everything up and fry until the bee-hoon is softened.

9. Season with sea-salt and sugar IF you desire it to be a bit sweet.

10. Serve hot.

Bon Appetit!

Move On

You fall to the ground
With a loud crashing sound
Pick yourself up and
Move on

You feel so weary
Life is getting to be so dreary
You get yourself up and
Move on

The pirates came
They plundered and looted and took your game
You tighten your belt and start anew
Move on

The blizzard came
And buried you, almost extinguishing your flame
It's ok, a small light is fine
Just stay alive

Life is never easy
The trick is to be pliant
As much as you can, keep the ship steady
And trudge on in the land of the Giants

Say goodbye to your sorrows
Though they may drop by again tomorrow
Life is never without a fight
With all of your might
Move on.

Jaded

It was just a smell
But it was a very overpowering smell
And it stuck to my brain like glue
Gave me hell and made me felt oh so blue!

I wanted to scream
That 'I did not ask for this!'
But all I could do was dream
That somewhere in the past, my life was somewhat a bliss

I would be lying
If I said that my fighting spirit did not take a beating
It is so hard to keep on fighting
But the only way IS to keep on moving

It is always after an attack
That I will always face a setback
Thus, it is time to go before I short-circuit
To recharge myself by being a hermit

It is just a short break
To take some time to meditate
And when I am back
My world will no more be black.

The Container Garden - An Update

The container garden is flourishing again. Though we have had freak storms, most of the vegetables are doing well. Some did not survive the storms. Thus, I had to sow the seeds again.

Siu pak choys with red spinach

Look at the damage done by the snails!

The Oleander Hawk Moth came to visit us! And the Oleander Hawk caterpillars are the ones that love the Periwinkle plants.

The Okras are thriving!

The Okras are flowering again! 

The baby orange tree's pot was waterlogged due to the freak storm which lasted for 1 hour!

The beautiful Plumbago flowers

Even the worms crawled out of the pots after the severe downpour!

Siu pak choy harvest!

A big harvest fit for four!

Periwinkles!

Yes, these slimy creatures never fail to visit my garden everyday! Some of them have even made themselves PR!

Allamanda about to bloom!

The beautiful bougainvillea blooming beautiful pink flowers!

A Salicylate-Free 3-in-1 Dish

On days when I am exhausted, being too tired to cook a decent meal and yet the stomach is screaming and growling like a ferocious lion for food, I will make a dish which has rice, meat and vegetables. All in one. It's a 3-in-1 dish.

Ingredients:
1. 3 cups of sushi rice
2. Minced chicken (700g) (seasoned with salt)
3. 1 large lettuce iceberg
4. Sunflower oil
5. Sea-Salt
6. Shallots and garlic (optional)

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1. Cook the rice first. Put it aside and let it cool.

2. In a heated claypot or wok, pour the sunflower oil. Then pour in the sliced garlic and shallots.

3. Once the garlic and shallots are lightly browned, add the minced chicken and fry until it is almost well-done.

4. Add the shredded lettuce iceberg and cook until the vegetables are softened.

5. Add the rice and mix well with minced chicken and vegetable. Season with sea-salt.

6. Serve hot!

Bon Appetit!

*You can omit the garlic and shallots if you cannot tolerate them.

Rest

For the first time in a very, very long time, it dawned on me that I had forgotten about how to rest. I am always on the move. I have this 'belief' ingrained in my brain that I could drop dead anytime or have another anaphylaxis episode or even a near-anaphylaxis episode. Therefore whatever that can be done today ought to be done today. Not tomorrow. Life is short!

In the process, I have become a never-ending-chugging-train. Always on the move and always on the go. I think I have become the rabbit in the Duracell advert. Non-stop, non-stop and non-stop. Hence, instead of 'thriving', it became striving. I became antsy whenever I sat down and did nothing! 101 things will flood my mind on what needs to be done. I had become the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland constantly running in a harried and hurried manner.

And so I needed a wake-up call.

On Sunday evening, I was in the garden harvesting siu pak choys for our dinner when the Neighbour at the South-West direction started to cook 'vinegar pig's trotter'! You see, vinegar is my number one enemy. About 2 years back, the three of us went to a Chinese restaurant to eat. I of course brought my own food. But I ordered some plain, white rice from them. Before I could even reach home, I was already having a terrible reaction. It was a near-anaphylaxis attack which resulted in a tingling sensation in my fingers and feet and numbness in all my joints for a few weeks. It was months later that I discovered that chinese restaurants add vinegar to the rice to make it fluffy and tasty! Talk about being ignorant. I had thought white rice was safe!

Back to Sunday's incident. The smell was so strong and pungent that the only mask that could save me was the gas mask that the soldiers use in chemical warfares. It was just too strong. It smelt as though the cook had used 10 liters of black vinegar. And it wafted into the house. Of course I quickly finished my harvesting of vegetables and ran into the house as fast as possible. But the smell was already seared in my brain. And it is still in my brain today! I started to feel 'sick' after an hour of being exposed to the vinegar. The insides of my ears felt swollen. I prayed so hard that it would not end up in an anaphylaxis attack. It did not and I went to bed four hours after the exposure feeling grateful that nothing disastrous had happened.

Monday 5.50am

I woke up with my mouth filled with ulcers/blisters. On my tongue, in my mouth and at the back of my throat. They came out overnight. It hurt like hell. I could not swallow. I had thought that my throat was closing up. I quickly checked my BP. It was normal. I checked my throat. It looked normal. Other than the pain in my mouth, I was fine. I could breathe. No sensitivity-induced-migraine-from-hell. I tried to continue on with my daily routines but I was constantly distracted by the excruciating pain. Eating became a nightmare. So was swallowing saliva. And even drinking. And so was talking.

But I persevered on.

Tuesday

I went to the market to buy some fresh fish as the freezer was devoid of them. By the time I got back from the market, the insides of my ears swelled till they felt like they were stuffed with golf balls. And I could still 'smell' the vinegar smell. And the ulcers were killing me.

But I persevered on.

Wednesday

I totally crashed. The little young man fell sick too. And he had to stay back home. I couldn't wake up. I couldn't function. I moved so slow like a tortoise. The pain had taken a toll on my body. My blood pressure plunged after lunch. I was so dizzy that I fell into a drowning sleep that lasted for four hours. It felt as though I had a mini hurricane in my head. My brother was at home, so I wasn't too worried if an anaphylaxis were to happen. And the little one played by himself entertaining himself with his building and creating games for four hours while I totally zonked out. But he came and woke me up one time and asked me, 'Mommie, you are not going to die, are you? Should you go to the hospital?' I think I mumbled something like I needed to sleep and I would be fine. And no I wasn't going to die. And then I fell into the drowning sleep again. I felt better during the night but my BP was on the low side which was 93/78.

In a way, Joel falling sick is a blessing. I dare not imagine what would have happened if the drowning sleep had struck me while I was behind the wheel. Things do happen for a reason. And though sometimes we do not understand why they happen, it is best to flow along with it.

Thursday

I am a wreck. Pain is my shadow and my constant companion. I cannot sleep. I cannot eat. I am even drooling as I can't close my mouth because of the ulcers. I should be wearing a bib!!! My nerves are frazzled. My ears feel as though they have been boxed at.  I'm bloody irritated and tired and weary from fighting the pain. Chewing food = chewing nails. My teeth hurt. My gums hurt. I want PAINKILLERS! God, the things I would do just to be able to take paracetamol. My mood is like a roaring T-Rex.

I realised that I am like a warrior who has been constantly on the battleground for almost 3 years now. Weariness, exhaustion and fatigue crept up on me, the seemingly 'hardy and tireless non-stop machine'. Even when I sleep, my mind is on alert in case  'anaphylaxis the enemy' creeps upon me and bludgeons me to death.

Thus, I am going to take a step back and just learn to be still. While I am in a storm, I will learn to be calm. While my soul is exhausted, I will learn to rest. Though I am feeling weary, I will allow myself to be refreshed. And when I am restless, I will learn to be still.

Therefore, I will just do it. By resting, I will thrive, in a different way and life would definitely be more 'perfect'!!

 Let's see how SOON I can practice what I preach! (nyuk nyuk nyuk!)

The 10 Must-Dos and Must-Haves of an IA Person

1. Epi-Pen 

Carry your Epi-Pen at all times. Even in the house. And yes, even in the toilet. And also it should be at your bedside table when you sleep. (IMPORTANT: Epi-Pens have expiry dates! So be aware of when your pens expire. Get them replaced before they expire. If not, YOU will expire if you have a full-blown anaphylactic attack without an Epi.

2. Medic Alert 

Wear a Medic Alert bracelet or necklace. Yes, even if the ER nurse asks you whether it is an amulet or what language 'Medic Alert' is in.

3.Handphone 

Carry your hand phone with you at all times. Yes, even in the toilet. And please carry a hand phone that has been charged!

4. Medicines 

Carry your medicines with you at all times. Yes, even if it's a walk to the park nearby. You never know what might happen. Shit happens. And it could happen anytime and anywhere. Better to be prepared than dead.

5. Medicines

Eat your meds everyday. Be punctual about it. And don't wait till last minute to get them refilled. They could be out of stock.

6. Letter 

I carry an envelope with the word 'ALLERGY' in capitals, bold and underlined. And in it are letters which some of my doctors wrote, explaining my condition and that I am a patient with a history of anaphylaxis. 

7. Support Group

Find one. It really helps as you will not feel so alone. And when you are down, they can lift you up with encouragement as they speak the same language as you do. Or even find similar people like you. Of course there will be people who will be selfish and not willing to share their survival guide with you. It's ok. Move on until you have found the right one. 

I have found wonderful people from USA, Canada, UK, New Zealand, Australia and even Brazil who have really encouraged me. And I have learned more about my condition and tips on how to survive better.

8. Blood Pressure Machines 

I have one and if I am feeling unwell after an exposure to salicylate or chemicals, I will monitor my blood pressure. If it starts plunging, then I will Epi myself and head to the ER.

9. Know Your Trigger Points 

10. Eat, Sleep and Be Merry 

Easier said than done, but it is necessary for our survival.

Crispy Potato Buns/Paus

Ingredients:

1. Butter (250g)

2. Organic all-purpose flour (500g)

3. 4 tablespoons of cold water

4. 8 to 9 large old potatoes

5. 2 big onions

6. Sunflower oil

7. Sea-salt

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1. Wash the potatoes and peel them. Cut them into tiny cubes. Cut the big onions into tiny cubes too.

2. In a heated pot or wok, pour about 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil. Add the potatoes and big onions in and good until they have soften. Add sea-salt to season. (It is entirely up to you to how rich you want it to taste)

3. Sieve the flour into a large bowl.

4. Then add the butter.

5. Mix them until they resemble bread crumbs.

6. Then add the cold water and mix the mixture until it becomes a compact ball.

7. Divide the compact ball into smaller balls.

8. Roll the smaller balls until they are evenly flat.

9. Scoop a spoonful of the potato dish onto the flattened pastry.

10. Fold the pastry.

11. Repeat step 8 to 10 until all of the pastry is used up.

12. Place the potato paus into pre-heated oven at 230C.

13. Bake for 20 minutes of until lightly browned.

Bon appétit!

Thrive

I was going through a host of websites looking for useful information pertaining to my condition when I stumbled upon a woman's website. She is a survivor of sexual child abuse. She and her twin sister were raped, sodomised and forced to perform oral sex by their father almost nightly for eight years. And many times they were subjected to sadistic torture. She started her blog to reach out to survivors like herself and to obtain healing by speaking out. The thing that really caught my attention was what she wrote. She asked whether, '... is it enough to merely want to survive? Or would you rather live your life by being a survivor who wants to thrive?'

A thriver. That made me think really long and hard. I then asked myself, 'Am I not surviving well?' I did not go through sexual abuse as a child. But I did go through a very, very tough period in my life which required me to fight daily in order to survive. I am still fighting daily for my life. And I am surviving. So that makes me a survivor. And I can proudly pat myself on my back that I survived and made it out alive. So what am I lacking then? I fought. I survived. I am alive. But am I thriving?

The word 'thrive' is a verb. Which means it is an action. It is something which you have to do.  The definition of 'thrive' is to prosper, to do well, to flourish, to grow, to develope, to advance, to succeed, to boom, to bloom, to grow rich, to grow strong and healthy. Which brings me to my point: are we people with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis thriving in our lives? Are we prospering where our souls are concerned? Are we doing well mentally? Are we flourishing in our attitudes toward life? Are we growing stronger in our attitude to fight? Are we advancing in this battle with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis? If you are not thriving, then you are merely surviving.

The thing with Idiopathic Anaphylaxis is that we never know when an attack will occur or how bad an attack can get. And in the midst of trying to find our footing in life all over again, we need to move forward and live a life which is full of LIFE! What is wrong with merely surviving? That would mean you are undermining your life from growing in leaps and bounds. By being a thriver, your soul would heal and be strengthened and that could attribute to your healing physically. Yes, we might not be able to travel anywhere to our whims and fancy (or even at all), we might not be able to eat whatever we want, we might not be able to spray ourselves with Elizabeth Arden or Christian Dior's Poison or even walk down the detergent aisle without holding our breath but to run past as quickly as possible with two fingers stuck into our nostrils. But by thriving, we will have the quality of life which all mankind so desperately need. And that is to live our lives even with our setbacks with a happy, contented and peaceful heart. So my million dollar question to you would be this: Are you a survivor or a thriver?




35 months ago was theday I met Death.

Just Do It

When I was growing up, I would always wonder to how my father could be so cool even when he was under pressure at work. Working at the press is no joke. And did I mention that he was known as Mr. Cool? But of course still water runs deep. He was stressed out! There is no denying to that fact. Running the news desk is definitely not for the faint hearted. One fine day, I decided to ask him THE question! I asked, 'Daddy, how do you go about running the desk under severe stress?' And he had three words for me, 'Just do it.' He then told me that it is something that he had to do, there are no other ways about it and that he had to do it well. In other words, just take the plunge and do it.

I have been thinking of his words of late and when I reflect back on what has happened since Joel started Year One. I now fully understand what he meant many, many years back. I have always hated driving at the time when the sun is not out shining. And I had to do it when Joel started schooling in this new school. And so I adopted this 'Just Do It' mantra. I WAS stressed. I was up at 5am. I was in a new environment. I was exposed to so many chemicals. I had to take the 'famous interchange' where the flyover that was built to reduce the jam is an epic failure. It stops at the point where the congestion is at its worst! Talk about efficiency and common sense. Though this interchange is a nightmare, it cuts the time of the journey to Joel's school by half. To survive this interchange, you need guts! Lots of it. You have to be ruthless, brutal and yet make sure your car does not get smashed or even scratched. You have to make sure you are as close as possible to the car in front till it is like almost kiss-ass (make sure you do NOT kiss someone's ass), all senses alert that when there is a small opening, put on the signal and switch lanes immediately and then inch slowly like snails until you're out of it. Sounds like mission impossible eh? And I H.A.T.E it!

As I approach this interchange everyday, I will be chanting the 'Just Do It' mantra. I know I cannot avoid it. I know I have to do it. And I know that I have to do this everyday.  By adopting this 'Just Do It' attitude, it actually lessened the stress. Instead of stressing out, going bonkers and freaking out having to face the situations that I hate, my mind, body and soul instead, focus all their energy to get the job done. And to do it well. And to end up in one piece and arrive safely at my destination (wherever that is). It made a huge difference.

I have been thrown in a few situations where I wanted to scream that I did not ask for this! But instead I chant the 'Just Do It' mantra and move on to get whatever it is that needs to be done and found that I am indeed calmer in stormy seas. And I realised that stressing out and huffing and puffing around like the big-bad-angry-wolf will not make the stressful situation any better nor will it go away. And if you are one who is constantly looking for shortcuts and tries to squeeze yourself out of ANY difficult situation that comes flying across your path, assuredly I say to you, you will either end up six-feet under prematurely or you will be one of those famous epic failures in life.

Shall we all 'Just Do It?'

Perfect?!! NOT!!!!

I really do not understand why people would perceive my life as perfect. When I say that I am stressed, they will ask, 'Why are you stressed? What is there to be stressed about?! Your life is PERFECT!' Perfect my ass. Even THAT is not perfect. Try living my life for even one hour and we shall see whether you would still deem it to be 'perfect'.

How can my life be 'perfect' when I have to fight Idiopathic Anaphylaxis every single day? And now I don't even know what the trigger is! I have been eating fish for 35 months and then WHAM!!! out of the blue, I get a near-anaphylaxis attack after consuming fish which I have been doing so every week. It was supposed to be salicylates. Then it became chemicals. And then now FISH??!! WTH??!!

How can my life be 'perfect' when I have a son at the age of seven who still asks me every single day about death though it has been 35 months? His seven-year-old mind has been seared with death ever since my near-death experience. And he is afraid of loosing his mother and everyone else who is dear to him.

How can my life be 'perfect' when I am constantly running away from people who reek with perfume, places that reek with fragrances/chemicals and even my own house when the neighbour's cooking or detergent wafts over??

How can my life be 'perfect' when I can count the types of food which I am able to consume with 10 fingers and still have some left-over fingers?

How can my life be 'perfect' when I have a hormone problem which plagues me every month and the gynecologist said that the only way to rectify this is to have synthetic hormone replacement? And did I forget to mention that I have to be in the hospital for one week and be placed on high alert?! And there is a possibility of me reacting after that one week.

How can my life be 'perfect' when I cannot even plan my life for 2 bloody days ahead??!! Make that one day.

How can my life be 'perfect' when I do not have 'perfect health'?

How can my life be 'perfect' when I can't even blow my top (as my immunologist said that the stress would lower my immune system and thus cause me to be susceptible to even more anaphylactic attacks)! You mean I can't scream and swear??!! Never mind I will cuss and swear with my pen. Ooops! I mean with my keyboard.

Shall I go on? Or do you still deem my life to be 'PURR-FECT'??!! Just because you can't deal with your own insecurities and setbacks, it does not give you the right to judge and to tell me in dripping sarcasm that my life is 'perfect'.

Now let me tell you why my life is 'perfect' since you insist on it being so.

My life is 'perfect' because I choose to fight for it every single day. Or on some days every second.

My life is 'perfect' because I am grateful for what I still have.

My life is 'perfect' because I refuse to be bullied in life and choose to stand on my ground whether people like it or not.

My life is 'perfect' because I refuse to compromise my principles.

My life is 'perfect' because I have my family and good friends.

My life is 'perfect' because I believe in equality and in being fair. I do not believe in being shortchanged in life.

My life is 'perfect' because I choose to be happy.

My life is 'perfect' because I refuse to wallow in depression.

My life is 'perfect' because I refuse to be a failure.

My life is 'perfect' because I choose to embrace the storms in life with courage.

My life is 'perfect' because I have inner-peace. And THAT cannot be bought.

And my life is 'perfect' because I am imperfect.

So the next time you decide to have snide remarks about my life being 'perfect', please run it through your gray matter (if you have any) before you open your mouth and know that there is no such thing as a 'perfect' life on planet Earth.

The Glorious Heavens (Part 10)

'The sky is that beautiful old parchment in which the sun and the moon keep their diary'. - Alfred Kreymborg

'Be still, sad heart! And cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining.'
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

'Mirth is like a flash of lightning, that breaks through a gloom of clouds, and glitters for a moment; cheerfulness keeps up a kind of daylight in the mind, and fills it with a steady and perpetual serenity.' - Joseph Addison

A Salicylate-Free Meal

1st Dish
Baked fish with sea salt and sunflower oil

2nd Dish
Scrambled eggs with giant prawns (cooked with sea salt and sunflower oil) (*you can add big onions to the dish you are able to tolerate)

3rd Dish
Stir fried cabbage with sea salt and sunflower oil (*you can add garlic if you are able to tolerate)

4th Dish
Hot steaming rice!

Bon Appetit!

A Salicylate-Free Breakfast!

I made some salicylate-free muesli. Though muesli by-right should have nuts, dried fruits or seeds, I did not add them to the rolled oats. You can add some sliced bananas or even flax seeds to the rolled oats.

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of rolled oats

2. 1/2 cup of baby rolled oats

I combined the rolled oats and baby rolled oats together, sprinkled some brown sugar and sunflower oil and baked them for about 20 minutes at 230C.

Keep it in an air-tight container

Add home-made soya milk to the muesli and you'll get a satisfying salicylate-free power packed breakfast!

Home-made soya+oats milk recipe.

The Three Henchmen

They were a trio. They were the meanest trio that ever existed. Wherever they went, Fear, Pain and Despair were inseparable. . Fear of course was the leader. It would go around scouring for potential victims. And boy, did they have plenty of victims.  


Fear made sure it gripped the heart of the woman who was abused as a child and who is currently living in the women's shelter.  Fear made sure she grew up fearing that no one would love her and thus she grabbed the first available guy that came along though he showed signs of being abusive. Fear made her fearful of walking out of that relationship even though her body, soul and mind were as battered as the battle grounds of Armageddon. 


Fear then proceeded to scour the playground for the most timid child. It made sure the fear that the bully instilled in him stayed. Fear made sure he stayed mum about it until the day he died. Fear also made sure the child was bound by that fear so that he remained bullied even in his adult years. 


Fear then moved on to the housing area of the upper class. It went into the house which was the poshest of the poshest, and floated into that particular room. There sat a woman so plastic that even the plastic recycling company would reject her. Fearing that her husband would replace her for a SYT (Sweet Young Thing), she went under the knife multiple times to make herself 'perfect'. The fear of being rejected and unloved overode the fear of going under the knife so many times, risking her life. And yet after achieving 'perfection', fear still gripped her heart. The same old fear of her husband not loving her, not wanting her and rejecting her. 


Fear then roamed the streets and saw a driver suffocating with fear. Fear then pounded his brain with thoughts of fear of accidents and of loosing control of the vehicle. The driver was seized with a panic attack, stopped abruptly and stumbled out of the car and vomitted on the street. 'Job done!' laughed Fear with glee. 


Fear then went to the office of the woman who feared to be alone. Though she was constantly surrounded by people, she feared that she would end up alone in life. And because of that fear, she made a lot of unhappy compromises in her life. Though she was not alone, she was lonely. 


Fear proceeded to the restaurant where an elderly lady was dining with her husband. Fear ruled her life. She was afraid of being at the wrong place at the wrong time, afraid of doing the wrong things, afraid of the unknown and even of the known. And up to the age that she was now at, the grip that Fear had on her did not lessen. Instead the talons of Fear were embedded in her soul. Sad to say, Fear dictated her life. 

Once Fear was done, Pain would then move in onto the people whom Fear had full control. Pain made sure that their hearts ached, their souls ached, their minds gripped with blinding pain and then wrecked their bodies with pain so bad that they became reliant on drugs. And once Pain did its job, Despair came in. Despair made sure that all that have been controlled by Fear and Pain felt lost and a crushing sense of hopelessness. And once these three were done, the rest of the cohorts would move in. Depression, Violence, Worthlessness, Suicide, Destruction and many, many more. 


Fear went to visit an old pal whom it tormented when she was a child. Fear had its talons in her heart, mind and soul for years. And for years, Fear ruled and reigned in her life. But cursed be the day where she was set free because of Sickness. Sickness should never have struck her. If she did not have Sickness, she would forever be in Fear's possession. Her heart, mind and soul would belong to Fear. 'It is all ITS fault. It should have never touched her!' cursed Fear. And as the seconds ticked by, Fear became sick. Because Boldness, Courage and Life was in her heart. And being in the presence of those Three suffocated Fear. Fear was fearful of those Three!! The peace that surrounded her was suffocating Fear. And the serenity in her heart was as loud as the screeching emergency brakes of a runaway train. Fear scampered away from the place and found that it could slowly breathe again. 


As Fear was recovering from its fears, it was suddenly attacked, thrown into the air and shoved into the bowels of Hades. 'Bloody hell! What the hell was that for?!!' screeched Fear. 'You were supposed to instill FEAR into her! Not run away like a wuss!!!!!' bellowed a cold and menacingly evil voice. Voices snickered all around. The air was oppressive and crippling. It reeked with the smell of rotting corpses. The surroundings were filled with the screams of the damned. The coldness that permeated the air could freeze all the boiling lava in the universe. And it was this coldness that sought to take as many lives as possible even before life could take form. And this coldness was displeased with Fear. Dragging Fear up by its neck, the Voice hissed and said, 'Do your thing by the end of this week, or I will deal with you myself.' Fear cackled and retorted, 'You can't even touch her and you expect ME to do your dirty job?!'  The Voice screamed and flung Fear into the farthest corner of Hades. It then roared, 'It is not finished!!!!!!!!' All the other creatures shrunk in fear from the outburst. When the Voice was done, it turned around and there it was in its coldest and menacing splendour... Death. 


'O death, I will be thy plagues;


O grave, I will be thy destruction.'


 - Hosea 13:14

Claypot Chicken + Liver Rice

Ingredients:

1. Minced chicken breasts (800g)

2. 3 chicken liver

3. 3 large old potatoes

4. 1 lettuce iceberg

5. Garlic and shallots* (if you can tolerate LOW levels of salicylate)

6. 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil

7. Pepper* (this is HIGH in salicylates)

8. 4 cups of sushi rice.

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You would either need an electrical rice pot OR a clay pot which is used on the gas stove.

1. Firstly, cook the sushi rice.

2. Marinate the minced chicken with salt, pepper* and sunflower oil. Marinate the liver in salt, brown sugar and pepper*. (Omit *pepper if you cannot tolerate it)

3. Cut the potatoes into small cubes.

4. Shred the lettuce iceberg into thin strips.

5. Slice the garlic and shallots thinly. (*Skip step 5 if you are unable to take garlic and shallots)

6.  Heat the pot and pour the 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil into it.

7. Add the garlic and shallots and stir fry until lightly browned. (*Again, skip step 7 if you are unable to take garlic and shallots)

8. Add the potatoes and cook until they are softened.

9. Add the minced chicken, liver and lettuce iceberg into the pot. Cook until you don't see any more uncooked meat. Break the minced chicken and liver into smaller pieces.

10. Add the rice into the pot and stir thoroughly, mixing all the ingredients evenly with the rice.

11. Serve it while hot. You can serve them with homemade fried garlic and shallots. (IF you can tolerate them)

Bon Appetit!

This is the rice pot that I use to cook most of my dishes. I am in Malaysia. You would need to look for something similar if you are not in Malaysia. There is a 'clay pot' function in this pot. 

35 months ago was the day I met Death.