Jujube Ginger Tea

Illustrated by waiChing

Jujube or simply the red dates is packed full of nutritious and benefits including the prevention of insomnia, promote blood circulation, even help reduce anxiety as well as other benefits. But above all the benefits, Jujube is also known to be Asian women's secret to beautiful, healthy skin.

Without further ado, below is a simple recipe, the Above30's version of Jujube Ginger tea. 

Ingredients:

- 6 pitted jujube

- half inch of sliced ginger

- 2 spoon of honey

- 2 glass of water

Other optional ingredients 

- cinnamon stick

- Asian Pear

Instruction:

1. Pour the water into a pot.
2. Placed the jujube and sliced ginger into the pot.
3.  Let it simmer for an hour. You may also add in the cinnamon stick and sliced Asian pear into the concoction.
4. Once done, pour it into the glass and add in the honey for taste.

Jujube tea can also be made simply by placing some sliced jujube into a glass of hot/boiling water and let it steep. The other ingredients are simply to add aroma/taste to it. Try it and indulged in its benefit.

What's a Fruit Cake!

Illustrated by waiChing

It's the time of the year again to be enjoying a good old Christmas Fruit Cake! But hold on, what's the difference between a Christmas fruit cake and a normal fruit cake, you may ask? And we shall answer. The decorations. Yes, the decorations. Put some Christmas decoration to it and it's a Christmas fruit cake. Just in case it's not finished by Chinese New Year (which happen to fall in January this year), glam it up with some red and gold decorations along with mini mandarin oranges and WHAM, a Chinese New Year Fruit Cake. Tadaa!!! Genius. We know.

Jokes aside, fruit cakes traditionally, contain a healthy dose of alcohol but one may make a non-alcoholic version by replacing the alcohol with more lemon juice or anything citrusy for a tangy taste. Perhaps even try some mix spices to add some zest to it. There are a few variety of fruitcakes in the world and the contents of fruits and nuts vary according to the country and available spices. Some are light while others are richer. Pick one that floats your boat. 

As this is the season of sharing, below are the ingredient and methods for a basic non-alcoholic fruit cake. Just so we can share our love around in this multicultural community.

Ingredients:

•      225g self-raising flour
•    110g butter
•    110g sugar
•    225g mixed fruit (almond/ raising/walnuts/cherries/etc)
•    1 egg
•    5 tablespoons milk
•    1 teaspoon mixed spice (optional)

How to:

1. Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like fine breadcrumbs.
2. Add sugar and dried fruit as well as mixed spice.
3. Add egg and milk to make a soft dropping consistency.
4. Put into lined 2 lb loaf tin or 6" round cake tin. 
5. Sprinkle demerara sugar over the top and pat down with the back of a spoon for a nice crunchy top
6. Bake for approximately 1hour in a preheated oven at 180 C. Check by inserting in a skewer. If it comes out clean, then it is done.

Make ahead:

Mix the flour, sugar and butter in a mixer with the blade attachment until the breadcrumb stage and then freeze.Remove from the freezer add the rest of the ingredients and bake.

Credit: Ingredients and recipe are slightly altered from allrecipe.co.uk. 

How to mix your own Organic Foundation

Illustrated by waiChing

It's that time of the year again where we are getting a little more frugal as we gear ourselves to give, give and give on Christmas. For those who are preparing a war against their conscience to either buy a toy for niece Carol or to get another foundation because you are now a shade lighter/ because you should reward yourself / because the Christmas packaging is just too cute / because ... well, come on, there are thousands of reasons to get a new foundation. There will always be a reason. Yes, we know. We feel the same.

And with that in mind, we made a little tutorial on how to mix your own organic foundation! The materials are mostly already available in your kitchen. Unless you are living alone and the only use of your fridge is to store your facial masks. Then, you might want to head over to the nearest convenient store to get some spices. 

As in the diagram above, Arrowroot flour is used as the base of the powder.  If Arrowroot flour is not common in your area, you may want to use strained cornflour or any powder of the same consistency. Some spices may look like it has a strong colour, but don't be deterred by your first impression. You may be surprised by how mild it might turn out to be. Just as an additional option, adding in some coconut oil or jojoba oil can turn the consistency into either a creamy foundation or a liquid foundation, depending on the quantity of liquid mixed in. Alternatively, you may also use argan oil, aloe vera or even which hazel as the astringent. Zinc Oxide, the compound needed for sun protection could be found in most pharmacies. 

In the end, if you fail to match your colour, you can always bundle it up in a pretty little tiny container with a bow and send it off as a present to your friend. Christmas is coming and she doesn't have to know that it's a fail experiment. Handmade presents? Aww, how thoughtful of you. BFF forever!

DIY Papaya mask

Illustrated by waiChing

We are back again with another tip. This time, we are making papaya mask from scratch. The sweet tropical fruit contains some magical ingredients, mainly vitamin A and Papain that would gently exfoliate your skin, making it smooth while keeping wrinkles at bay. 

Add the paste with some other ingredients for extra benefits:
Lemon: for whitening
Yoghurt and Rice Powder: to rejuvenate skin
Cucumber and banana: to stimulate circulation and flawless skin

Technically, this might not be a one size fits all combo. If you have sensitive skin, it is best to do a test patch before slathering it all over your face. Green papaya contains more papain making it more efficient but it might be too strong for sensitive skin. Best to start with ripe papayas as it is less harsh.

Do try this out and let us know if it works for you.

Natural looking Gradient Lips

Illustration by waiChing

Gradient lips are especially essential to complete the fresh no-make up look. Yes, we realise the irony of putting on makeup to look like we did not put any makeup on. But hey, make up is to help enhance our natural beauty. So, here we are, a step by step guide to achieving beautiful, natural looking, gradient lip. 

The key to this is to layer on a few times and blend in the colours for a naturally healthy looking lips. And as busy as you may be, it is best not to skip the concealer or nude lipstick as this will help enhance the sheer colour of the lip tint. As an additional tip, do try to exfoliate and use a lip mask at least twice a week for a smooth kissable lip. It will also help to plump up the lips and keep the lips from cracking. 

Our team is loving the Innisfree E-co Fruit Tint. The soft colour blends in effortlessly and the sweet taste of fruits is definitely a plus point. 

Siam Reap in 3 days 2 night

Illustrated by waiChing

What do you do when you have a long weekend with no plans? Hop on the cheapest flight to Cambodia and spend 3 days 2 night chilling at Siam Reap.

With that timeline, we would encourage you to visit the Floating Village at Tonle Sap. Another tourist hot spot that is not to be missed is the historical site of Angkor Wat. Spend a day there basking in the glorious history of the many temples on site. 

If you stay at the Somadevi Angkor Boutique and Resort, you would only be a few blocks away from Pub Street, where food, trinkets, massages and even souvenirs come in abundant. After a hot day in the sun, kick back and relax with a pint of cold beers that goes for only USD 50 cent (price as of September 2016).

What is in a packet of Nasi Lemak?

Illustrated by waiChing

Loosely translated as Fatty Rice, this packet of joy has been an all time favorite for most Malaysian for generations. In fact, it is so popular that this dish is considered to be a national dish. That said, it is also very popular in neighboring countries such as Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand. 

The basic Malaysian Nasi Lemak consist of aromatically steamed coconut rice topped with a hard boiled egg, fried anchovies, and peanuts along with slices of cucumber and a healthy serving of sambal. 

This popular dish could also be served with a variety of side dishes such as rendang, curry and fried calamari/chicken/beef or any other dish that you may fancy.