Lupicia Rose Tea from Japan

Black tea with rose.

Very subtle, slightly tart.

I prefer to use a little rose as supplement to other teas.

Tortillas Bolognaise at Coffee Club

This tastes so good! I get a thrill whenever I bite into a piece of chilli. I just wish that the portion was larger. Maybe I should start scouting for it at the frozen section of the supermarket. Makes for a filling midnight snack :)

Double-boiled Ling Yang (Antelope Horn)

Both the boy and I has been heaty for quite a while, even though we don't consume much meat. Perhaps it has more to do with the lack of water and the stiffling heat. It's so hot that the air is stagnant, the fan produces warm air, and I'm sweating while I'm typing this. I even get woken up in the middle of the night by an itchy throat demanding to be soothed, and wake up the next morning with a mouth as dry as parchment. I'm losing so much water through my skin that my lips have started to peel! Apparently other people are feeling sauna-ed in their rooms as well.

This isn't the best way to deal with the heat, but I wanted a quick fix. Ready packaged for just $5.



Ling yang, or antelope horn, is usually taken whenever I have a fever. Besides dispelling heat, it is also said to improve vision. It is conveniently packed with Ophiopogon japonicus and juncus effusus. Both serves to dissipate heat, the former also soothes irritability, and aids in alleviating dry mouth.

Boil the contents in 2 cups of water until reduced by half. Top up with more water and boil for a further 20 minutes or so. The liquid is medium yellowish in color. It doesn't have much of a taste by itself but a handful of wintermelon strips will make a wonderful drink. Even the boy likes it. Better when cold.

Cortry Remedy for Eye Mask

This is an eye mask that supposedly contains 26 different chinese herbs like ginseng, radix astragali, radix angelicae, pearl, pollen and sandalwood, which helps to reduce dark eye circles and eyebags, relieve eye fatigue, diminish fine lines and wrinkles. I use it more for the purpose of hydrating the eye area as well as improve blood circulation and diminish eyebags.

It smells just like the herbs it contains and takes a little getting used to though it isn't very offensive since the patch is small. I don't think it's recommended for people with sensitive skin as the skin around my eye area turns reddish after using this eye mask (though this is the intended effect). Definitely not appropriate for use just before going out but best used just before bedtime. Although it states on the packaging that the redness subsides after 20 minutes, my own personal experience was more like 2 hours? I like it though, because it's natural, as always.

It comes in a box of 6 individually wrapped pairs.



It also comes in a box of 18 pairs which opens up like a book.