Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Monday, February 11, 2013
Making Sweet Rice Balls with my Preschooler
Happy Chinese New Year, everyone! It is the year of the snake. Click here to read my post from last year explaining this popular holiday celebrated in many parts of Asia.
So here was a fun activity I did with my five year old... we made "tang yuan" or glutinous rice balls... which is a chinese dessert that is yummy and so easy to make.
Ingredients:
- sweet rice flour (or glutinous rice flour) which can be bought at an Asian grocery store
- water
- optional - food coloring (or we used pink sprinkles... the kind you can put on cupcakes)
- brown sugar
- you can also make these balls larger and put other things inside like red bean paste or even fruit etc. but we didn't this time...
In a bowl, we spooned about 1 cup of the sweet rice flour. Then I had my five year old spoon in water with a teaspoon until the consistency is just right... (comes out to be about 4 oz total). Basically, you want the dough to be sticky so you can roll it into tiny balls. We made some white balls and some pink balls by just adding pink sprinkles... she sprinkled and I mixed with my hand until we liked the color of the dough. Just for fun since Valentines Day is around the corner we made some into a heart shape... My daughter was specifying who she wanted each ball was going to be for.. so she made some real small (like the ones for her little brother or her baby cousin) and some she made real big... as you can see below... she likes pink so we made more pink balls =)
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To cook just drop them into a pot of boiling water.
.JPG)
So here was a fun activity I did with my five year old... we made "tang yuan" or glutinous rice balls... which is a chinese dessert that is yummy and so easy to make.
Ingredients:
- sweet rice flour (or glutinous rice flour) which can be bought at an Asian grocery store
- water
- optional - food coloring (or we used pink sprinkles... the kind you can put on cupcakes)
- brown sugar
- you can also make these balls larger and put other things inside like red bean paste or even fruit etc. but we didn't this time...
In a bowl, we spooned about 1 cup of the sweet rice flour. Then I had my five year old spoon in water with a teaspoon until the consistency is just right... (comes out to be about 4 oz total). Basically, you want the dough to be sticky so you can roll it into tiny balls. We made some white balls and some pink balls by just adding pink sprinkles... she sprinkled and I mixed with my hand until we liked the color of the dough. Just for fun since Valentines Day is around the corner we made some into a heart shape... My daughter was specifying who she wanted each ball was going to be for.. so she made some real small (like the ones for her little brother or her baby cousin) and some she made real big... as you can see below... she likes pink so we made more pink balls =)
.JPG)
To cook just drop them into a pot of boiling water.
They are done when they float to the top! (about 5-10 min)
So add brown sugar to the water and then you have a sweet dessert soup...
.JPG)
You can also add these glutinous rice balls to other famous chinese desserts like red bean soup...
or green mung bean soup...
Anyways, this was fun, easy to make, and yummy... and an activity I could do with probably all my kids... even the one year old if I can stand the mess! I didn't this time... maybe next time...
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Food Poisoning vs Stomach Bug
So many families around us are coming down with the "stomach bug" that I figured it is only a matter of time before it hits us... especially since I'm exposed to so much of it from treating patients.
Well, Miss A threw up at least five times tonight. Poor little thing, it is so heart wrenching to watch her small body writhe and retch and I'm amazed at how so much can come out of a such a tiny tummy! I am not feeling so well myself even as I write this so I fear I'm going to be #2 on the hit list. Unfortunately, if this is truly the bug and not some bad food she ate earlier today or yesterday... then it will likely go through most if not all of our family since the stomach bug is so contagious.
So how does one differentiate between a stomach bug and food poisoning? It is not always easy to tell which is which since a lot of the symptoms overlap. Here are some main differences:
Cause
Well, Miss A threw up at least five times tonight. Poor little thing, it is so heart wrenching to watch her small body writhe and retch and I'm amazed at how so much can come out of a such a tiny tummy! I am not feeling so well myself even as I write this so I fear I'm going to be #2 on the hit list. Unfortunately, if this is truly the bug and not some bad food she ate earlier today or yesterday... then it will likely go through most if not all of our family since the stomach bug is so contagious.
So how does one differentiate between a stomach bug and food poisoning? It is not always easy to tell which is which since a lot of the symptoms overlap. Here are some main differences:
Cause
- food poisoning is due to bad food (usually something like potato salad)
- stomach bug is usually due to a virus (rotavirus, adenovirus, norwalk virus etc)
- food poisoning usually starts within 2-24 hrs of exposure
- stomach bug can take from 1 to even 10 days of exposure before symptoms start
- food poisoning usually lasts 24 hrs
- stomach bug can last 3-5 days
- pretty similar between the two with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and sometimes diarrhea
- if notice blood, should get evaluated by a physician
- again pretty similar between the two with rest and hydration being main focus
- better to push small amounts of fluids more frequently than large amounts
Monday, January 28, 2013
Prayer Sticks
I have a long list of missionaries and friends that I want to pray for but don't always find the time to do it. This way, they are all written on sticks and every day before every meal I'm praying for one of those folks on my list. Actually, since each member of the family get to pick a stick, we are praying for 4 or 5 folks on the list every meal.
Any other fun family traditions out there? This toddler/preschooler age is such a fun time! Exasperating at times... yes... but overall lots of fun. I want to just freeze my kids and stop their aging!
Which reminds me of this crazy story about a twenty year old who stopped growing and has a two year old body! You can read more about it here. Kinda crazy..
Happy Monday, everybody!
Monday, January 14, 2013
Extended Families and Such
I’m back on the plane now flying back home. The big difference between travelling with kids versus travelling alone is I have the option to sit here and blog or sleep the entire way if I choose!
I do miss my kids, though. When I found out that my flight was delayed and I’d be getting in past my little one’s bedtime, I was sad. I miss holding and hugging my children and I especially feel bad that I’m not there to help them feel better since two out of three got sick. The other was recovering and better by the time I left. Kudos to daddy who held down the fort while I was gone!
Well, it has been a productive couple of days. Not only did I get a chance to help my grandmother get set up for a bunch of benefits that they had no idea she qualified for… but I also helped my youngest aunt move. I really thought I’d be getting a lot of rest and time to myself but instead I felt pulled in many directions trying to meet different needs and navigate through family dynamics. There is usually quite a lot of drama when it comes to interacting with this side of the family!
Overall, I’m glad I was able to come out and spend time with my uncle, three aunts, and my grandmother who turned 96 today! Extra bonus… I also got to spend time with a cousin from the other side of the family (in case you cannot tell I have a huge extended family).
Growing up with lots of uncles, aunts, and cousins, I’ve always thought how great and fun it is to have a large family. Having only one sister, I was determined to have more than two kids… so here I am with three. Now, we’re getting ready to have a pretty huge cousins reunion with all our kids this coming summer. That should be a lot of fun... and I think a lot less drama.
Well, it has been a productive couple of days. Not only did I get a chance to help my grandmother get set up for a bunch of benefits that they had no idea she qualified for… but I also helped my youngest aunt move. I really thought I’d be getting a lot of rest and time to myself but instead I felt pulled in many directions trying to meet different needs and navigate through family dynamics. There is usually quite a lot of drama when it comes to interacting with this side of the family!
Overall, I’m glad I was able to come out and spend time with my uncle, three aunts, and my grandmother who turned 96 today! Extra bonus… I also got to spend time with a cousin from the other side of the family (in case you cannot tell I have a huge extended family).
Growing up with lots of uncles, aunts, and cousins, I’ve always thought how great and fun it is to have a large family. Having only one sister, I was determined to have more than two kids… so here I am with three. Now, we’re getting ready to have a pretty huge cousins reunion with all our kids this coming summer. That should be a lot of fun... and I think a lot less drama.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Elderly and Falls
I’m actually on the plane right
now writing this. I'm on my way to see my grandmother in Houston. She is turning 96 years old this weekend!
Part of the reason for my visit
is to spend time with her and celebrate her birthday, but the other part is to
be there when the home health agency sends a nurse to evaluate her for home
physical therapy. My grandmother
has had three falls in the past year and fortunately did not break a hip. Falls in the elderly are very
common and more times than not result in hip fractures which then leads to a
fast decline in health. The rate
of deaths associated with hip fractures and falls in the elderly is extremely
high. Therefore, it is very
important to try to prevent falls.
Here are a few things that can
help prevent falls in the elderly:- Routine physician visit to screen for things that can affect balance such as:
- vision screening
- hearing screening
- going over medication list for interactions and medicines that impair mental function
- taking vitamin D may help with prevention of fractures
- Maintenance of strength, agility, and balance
- daily exercise is key
- sometimes physical therapy is needed
- Making the home environment more safe:
- remove rugs and other items that can trip patient – often home agencies can send nurse to evaluate the home and make suggestion
- avoidance of stairs – best if can be on one level instead of having to go up and down stairs often throughout the day
- adequately light walkways
- Using assistant devices
- install hand rails
- raise toilet seats with arm rests
- grab bars for showers and tubs
- plastic seat for shower and handheld shower head for washing
- use of walkers and canes
Monday, January 7, 2013
To take antibiotics or not?
Happy New Year, folks!
It has been a busy past few weeks with extended family visiting. Plus, I've been sick with a nasty upper respiratory infection which started out like a regular cold with sore throat and congestion. I actually thought I beat it after a few days and was getting better, but then I came down with a cough that worsened and kept me up all night. Finally, after a week of symptoms that did not seem to be resolving, I took antiobiotics. Even then my cough lingered and only two nights ago did I finally sleep through the night without waking from coughing!
I was pretty miserable and probably took so long to recover because my immune system is stressed from the hustle and bustle of this season. Since I've been with my kids all week 24/7 I really worry that I transmitted my germs to them. It is probably inevitable and I'm dreading the sleepless nights ahead.
So how do you know if your sickness is viral or bacterial requiring an antibiotic? This is a busy time of year for our practice and we get a lot of requests for antibiotics. Unfortunately, most upper respiratory infections are viral and antibiotics would not help at all. It may just be coincidence that someone starts to feel better after they start taking the antibiotics prescribed.
Usually antibiotics are prescribed if there is clinical evidence of an ear infection or strep throat. It would be indicated for sinus infection if there is significant facial swelling/pain or has lasted for more than 10 days. Otherwise, most sinus infections will resolve on its own with supportive care. However, most people cannot wait that long and come to the office after only a day or two of symptoms. Most claim they fear a worsening of symptoms if they do not "nip it at the butt". Therefore, most doctor offices will give in and prescribe more antibiotics than really necessary. This in turn can lead to resistance where antibiotics will become less effective.
My rule of thumb is to at least give it a good week to see if there is improvement. If no improvement after one week or if symptoms are worsening, then perhaps antibiotics is warranted.
The most important rule of thumb is to wash hands frequently and adequately!
It has been a busy past few weeks with extended family visiting. Plus, I've been sick with a nasty upper respiratory infection which started out like a regular cold with sore throat and congestion. I actually thought I beat it after a few days and was getting better, but then I came down with a cough that worsened and kept me up all night. Finally, after a week of symptoms that did not seem to be resolving, I took antiobiotics. Even then my cough lingered and only two nights ago did I finally sleep through the night without waking from coughing!
I was pretty miserable and probably took so long to recover because my immune system is stressed from the hustle and bustle of this season. Since I've been with my kids all week 24/7 I really worry that I transmitted my germs to them. It is probably inevitable and I'm dreading the sleepless nights ahead.
So how do you know if your sickness is viral or bacterial requiring an antibiotic? This is a busy time of year for our practice and we get a lot of requests for antibiotics. Unfortunately, most upper respiratory infections are viral and antibiotics would not help at all. It may just be coincidence that someone starts to feel better after they start taking the antibiotics prescribed.
Usually antibiotics are prescribed if there is clinical evidence of an ear infection or strep throat. It would be indicated for sinus infection if there is significant facial swelling/pain or has lasted for more than 10 days. Otherwise, most sinus infections will resolve on its own with supportive care. However, most people cannot wait that long and come to the office after only a day or two of symptoms. Most claim they fear a worsening of symptoms if they do not "nip it at the butt". Therefore, most doctor offices will give in and prescribe more antibiotics than really necessary. This in turn can lead to resistance where antibiotics will become less effective.
My rule of thumb is to at least give it a good week to see if there is improvement. If no improvement after one week or if symptoms are worsening, then perhaps antibiotics is warranted.
The most important rule of thumb is to wash hands frequently and adequately!
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