Quick and Easy Homemade Bread Recipes Without Yeast

Ever heard of bread made without yeast?

Well, they are called quick bread. As the name suggest, quick breads are made without yeast so no fermentation is needed. Instead, chemical leavening such as baking soda or baking powder are used to help raise the bread.

Why don't you use yeast? Well, here are some reasons why you may reconsider putting yeast into your food.

Yeast causes bloating and building up of toxic fluids which causes people to develop a belly.Yeast also decreases thyroid function and lead to a lower metabolism rate, hence causing weight gain. Craving for carbohydrates may cause you to give into those cravings, hence weight gain may occur as the carbohydrates turn into fat cells.

In some countries where the weather gets too cold, yeast would not work in bread as yeast needs a warm environment to do the work. So here’s how to make quick bread! No yeast, no waiting, no oil and all whole wheat!  :)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups of whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp whole flax seeds
• 3 tbsp sesame seeds
• 2 cups of club soda

1. Combine all the dry ingredients and combine well. Make sure the baking-powder mixes with everything else well.
2. Pour 2 cups of club soda. Measure carefully, trying not to let it froth up. It’ll froth up the moment you add it to the flour mixture. Combine everything well.
3. Fold the dough into a greased loaf pan. sprinkle some more flax seeds and sesame seeds on top. Bake at 200 degree C for 45-50 minutes till the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Substitutes for Club Soda?

Club Soda is very similar to soda water and can be substituted for one another in a pinch.

• Soda Water: Soda water is simply water with carbonation added and is also called sparkling water, carbonated water, or seltzer.
• Club Soda: Club soda and soda water are almost identical, and sometimes club soda is just another name for soda water. The two are interchanged in drinks all the time. Club soda often contains additives such as table salt, and occasionally light flavorings.
• Tonic Water: Tonic is a bitter-tasting soda water and is flavored with quinine.

Making your own bread is an enjoyable process and you will definitely feel a sense of achievement once the aromatic, fresh bread comes out of the oven :) Try this recipe today and be delighted!

Easy Homemade Facial Mask | DIY Face Mask

Having good skin is something that everyone wishes to achieve but not everyone is blessed with good skin. Applying mask can help improve the complexion of a person and are a good way to thoroughly cleanse and nourish the skin on a deep level. Here are some natural face mask that you can try in the comfort of your home.

1. Tropical Mask

Mash one banana with 1 tablespoon of honey and mix until it forms a smooth paste. Apply to face and allow to stay on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse well. Good for dry skin.

2. Chai  Mask

For exfoliating the skin, mix 1 tablespoon of honey and 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg.

Rub on face and let sit 20 minutes. Remove with a washcloth and warm water. (Note: some people react to cinnamon or nutmeg on skin so test a small amount on your arm before using). Good for oily or normal skin.

3.The Guacamole Mask

For dry skin, mash 1/2 of a ripe avocado with 2 tablespoons of honey and apply to the face. Let sit 20 minutes and rinse well. Good for all skin types, especially dry skin.

4. Cool Cucumber Mask

This one is especially great for oily or inflamed skin. Blend 1/2 of a cucumber with 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 teaspoon of bentonite or kaolin clay. Add additional clay if needed to create a paste. Apply to face and leave on for 20 minutes. Remove with a washcloth and warm water. Good for all skin types, especially cooling for acne prone skin.

5. Teapot Mask

Add dried herbs like rosemary, sage, rose petals or essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus and rose to a pot of boiled water. Place your face above the pot of boiled water and drape a towel over your head, creating a tent. CLose your eyes and steam for 10 minutes.

6. Breakfast Face Mask

Mix 1 cup of cold natural yogurt with ½ cup of oatmeal. Apply to the face and let it sit for 20 minutes before washing off with lukewarm water.

For oily skin, add 2-3 drops of lemon juice.

For dry skin, add 2 tablespoon of honey.

7. Egg white Mask

Beat one white until smooth and cover your face with the egg white. Let it dry completely then rinse off.

8. Tea Bag Eye Rejuvenator

Brewed black tea bags help to reduce the puffiness in the eyes. Close your eyes and place them on your eyes  for about five minutes.

9. Anti-aging Mask

Mix one mashed avocado, 3 tablespoons of raw cocoa powder or cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of raw honey or honey, and 2 tablespoons of oatmeal flakes. Infuse green tea in a small cup of hot water and let it cool. Add a splash to the mixture, or enough to make it into a paste. Let the mask sit for about 20 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water.

10. Tomato Mask

Cutting the tomato in half and rub it onto your face and neck. Rinse off with water after 15 mins. Alternatively, if you have more time to spare, slice the tomato and mash it into a pulp using a fork or spoon and apply it onto your face. this is used for treating oily and acne prone skin as tomatoes remove the excess oil on the skin and reduces the number of blackheads.

Aftercare:

After using a facemask, use a toner made from 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar diluted in 1 cup of cool water to lock in the effects of the mask.

Olive oil works fabulously as a lotion/ moisturizer. If you do not like olive oil, sesame oil (regular not toasted), peanut oil, almond oil, and argan oil work too. Just use 2-3 drops of oil for the face and massage it slowly onto your skin. Do not use too much oil as breakouts may occur.

All these face mask work wonders but you need to be patient to see the full effects of the mask. Stay determined and be patient for youthful, healthy skin requires hard work ;)

Where to Find/ Buy Detox Juices in Singapore

Who is looking to slim down and look fabulous for the upcoming Chinese New Year? Well, if you are planning to go on a juice cleanse, these juice detox shops in Singapore may be what you are looking for.

Juice cleanse has been rising in popularity and is usually done to rid toxins in the body (detox), to reduce bloatedness and to reduce the cravings for junk food. Detoxes can remove or reduce bad eating habits (like too much coffee, alcohol, and fatty foods) and help foster healthier habits.

When juicing, some of the fiber content found in whole fruits and vegetables would be lost but this gives your digestive system a break. Juice machines uses a hydraulic cold-press system instead of the conventional blender which is better as less heat is generated.

While most of these detox juice shops operate online in Singapore, there are still some brick and mortar shops around. Do check out these juice shops if you are looking for some delicious, refreshing juices ;)

Beauty Cleanse

Golden Wall Centre

89 Short Street

Weekdays: 9.30am - 6.30pm

Weekend: 12pm - 5pm

Tel: 9371 7949

Order at: beauty-cleanse.com

Juices here are said to activate the body’s ability to heal itself through the consumption of raw, pulp-free, organic juices. Juices here do not contain pulp or fibre and are made from 100% organic and raw food. Juices here can remain fresh for up to 3 days in the refrigerator and an order must be placed online before going to the shop physically to collect the juices.  

Boost Juice Bar

ION Orchard

#B4-65

Mon - Fri : 11am to 10pm

Sat - Sun : 10.30am to 10pm

VivoCity

#02-134

Mon - Fri : 11am to 10pm

Sat - Sun : 10.30am to 10pm

JCube

#B1-08

Mon - Fri : 11am to 10pm

Sat - Sun : 10.30am to 10pm

Changi Airport Terminal 3

Departures Area. Level 2

Mon - Sun : 5.30am - 12.45am

Using real fruit juices and crushes their products are 98% fat free with no artificial flavour, colourings, or sugar. Get all the antioxidants you need with a Wild Berry juice, cool down with watermelon or mango crush, or create your own juice. Smoothies are also available.

Fresh Pressed

Cluny Court

501 Cluny Road, 01-05B

Mon-Sat: 10am - 7pm

Sun: 10am - 6pm

Tel: 6314 1601

Order at: www.freshpressed.sg

Fresh Pressed has both a juice bar and a restaurant serving gourmet dishes such as roasted celeriac, French lentils, walnuts, mint and chicken; ratte potato, Spanish ham, grilled artichoke, black olive, edamame and basil pesto salad and many more delicious and healthy dishes.

Juices offered here comes in a range of different flavours which included Liver Scrub (Apple, Beet Root, Carrot, Celery, Beet leaf and Ginger) and Dragon Blood( Red Cabbage, Lemon and pear). They offer 3 day programs ($240) and 5 day programmes($400). Alternatively, you can also get individually packed juices for $12 per bottle. Juices here are categorized into 4 categories, namely Beauty, Energy, Detox and Health.

Hic Juice

Order at: www.hicjuice.com.sg

Orders must be placed 5 days in advance

Hic Juice is started by the same owners behind dessert drink brand hicCup which operates in United Square and 100AM mall. Juices here are categorized into Juice Cleanses and Six-Pack Juice.

Customers can opt to go for the one day, three days or five days programme where juices are used to replace meals. There are 3 packages available :Reboot, Restore and Reborn.

Reboot: For beginners who has not gone on a juice cleanse before.

Restore: For intermediate who has done juice cleanses before

Reborn: For experts who has done juice cleanses before.

LINS Smoodees

China Square Central

18 Cross Street

Marsh & Mclennan Centre, #B1-02 China Square Central

Singapore 048423

Mondays to Fridays 8.30 am to 5.30 pm

Tel: 64382 123  / 90078 233

Order at: www.linssmoodees.com

Get the benefits of green smoothies without leaving your house. Detox, lose weight, or increase your energy and stamina. Each package mixes a variety of local and organic greens combined with fruit, herbs, nuts, and seeds to give you all the nutrients and energy you require in your diet. They have three packages, the Greenhorn for beginners, Popeye for those who’ve already tried and loved these green smoothies, and Peter Pan for the ultimate super smoothie. Smoothies are delivered to you.

Lucky You

Tel:6636 3150

Order at: www.luckyyoucleanse.com.sg

Lucky You offers juice cleanses for one to six days ($120 for 1 day; $660 for 6 days). Juices here are numbered in the order of how they should be drunk. Free delivery is also available a day before the juice cleanse starts anytime from 5-8pm.

Mission Juice

Icon Village

12 Gopeng Street, 01-29

Weekdays: 8am - 6pm

Saturday: 12pm - 6pm

Closed on Sundays

Tel: 6100 4112

Mission Juice serves fresh juices made from a Hurom juicer from Korea. This machine is known to press vegetables and fruits in a slow motion thus preventing excess heat generation. Customers can choose to go for the ready made juices or create their own juice packages for $90 for 2 days. Besides juices, the shop also offers low-fat frozen yogurt (original:$3.50; Special:$3.90) as well as a Perfect Mission- a parfait-style yogurt with two free fruits and two free dry toppings.

Sana Cleanse

Tel: 6593 0488 (Hotline opened at 9.30am - 6.30pm on weekdays only)

Order at: www.sanaclease.com

Sana Cleanse offers three to five days juice cleanse programmes which consist of 3 levels. Level 1 ($320 for 3 days) comprises of juice made from root vegetables and nut milk- Green Lemon, Spicy Lemon and Carrot Ginger. Level 2 and 3 uses more vegetable-based juices. Juices here are numbered to how you are suppose to drink them.

Juices here are also offered for longer periods of time, either two weeks ($220) or four weeks ($420).

Still want to enjoy a nice cup of juice when you are dining outside, here are some juice options for you to check out to satisfy that sweet juice craving ;)

Onaka Restaurant & Wine Bar

460 Alexandra Road

#01-32 Alexandra Retail Centre,Singapore 119963

Tel: 6270 2012

Mon-Fri 11am-10pm

Sat 10am-10pm

Nonaka's pure juices are 100% fresh with no added sugar or water. Try their Spiced Pear, a pear, cinnamon, ginger, and calamansi concoction that’s great for cleansing and indigestion, or recharge with their signature Onaka Living Green Smoothie that’s power packed with nutrients. They also offer food.

Sin Seng Fruit

Sembawang Hill Food Centre

590 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574419.

Juices outside tend to be expensive so here’s a wallet-friendly option! At this friendly fruit stall, you can often get a customized fruit juice mix at half the price of regular juice places.Juices are very fresh and sweet with no sugar added. However they only open at night.

Sunfirst Fresh Fruits

Far East Plaza #04-107, 14 Scotts Road

Singapore 228213

Offering fresh fruits at a very affordable and reasonable price! A apple, beetroot and carrot juice without ice is only for $3.20. They also sell packs of fresh fruit. However, the queue tends to be very long so beware of the need to queue.

If drinking juices are a little too pricy a habit for you to continue in the long run, get your own vegetables and invest in a good juicer and blend your own juices. This way, you can create your own mix and enjoy the freshness of the fruits and vegetables you have :)

Want to find out healthy restaurants in Singapore? Click here!

A Refreshing Idea For Chinese New Year | How to Make Different Types Of Jelly

Chinese New Year is just round the corner and if you are thinking of serving up some delicious, refreshing treats to your guest, why not consider these recipes that are really easy to do and can be prepared before hand.

Unlike the usual traditional cookies, cakes and kuehs, serving jelly can be a refreshing idea and it is also less heavy on the stomach. Make your jellies in individual portions for easy consumption and this also allows your guest to taste more of each type of dessert served.

Koi Jelly

YOU WILL NEED:

• Koi fish mold
• 12g Agar-agar powder
• 160g Sugar
• 2-3 Pandan leaves, tied
• 700 ml Water
• Raisins, seedless
• Food colouring

1. Cut raisins with scissors and.
2. Using your fingers, roll it into small balls. These are for the eyes.
3. Put water, pandan leaves, sugar and agar agar powder into pot and bring to boil at low heat.
4. Stir throughout. Off the heat when agar-agar and sugar have melted.
5. Using a tweezer, dip raisins into agar-agar liquid.
6. Stick the balls of raisin on the eyes of the fish mold.
7. Add a drop of colouring into a small bowl of agar-agar liquid.
8. Using a teaspoon, smear the colored agar-agar quickly on fish mold body.
9. With a soup spoon, gently pour in the rest of the agar agar liquid into mold.
10. Let it set before putting into the fridge. Chill jelly for 2 to 3 hours before removing the mold.

Coconut Jelly

YOU WILL NEED:

• 3 each young coconuts
• 1/4 teaspoon agar
• 2 cups (500ml) juice from coconuts
• 4 tablespoons caster sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 cup (100g) meat scraped from coconut

1. Prepare the coconuts by chopping off the bottom and the top so that the dome of the nut sticks out a bit. With one chop, cut the top of the dome and drain the coconut juice out into a bowl.
2. Scrape some of the coconut meat. Strain and measure out 2 cups of the coconut juice.
3. Mix the agar into the coconut juice in a wok. Let the agar sit for 10 minutes. Begin to heat the juice and add the sugar and salt. When the juice is bubbling, simmer for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the coconut meat and cook for 5 more minutes. The juice should be clear and slightly syrupy in appearance.
4. Divide the juice and meat between the 3 coconut shells and place in a refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Chill the coconuts completely before serving.

Pandan and Coconut Layered Jelly

YOU WILL NEED:

Pandan Layer

• 6 pandan leaves, diced
• 3/4 cup (190 ml) water
• 1 tablespoon agar powder
• 2 1/2 cups (625 ml) water
• 1 cup (220g) white sugar

Coconut-Pandan Layer

• 1 tablespoon agar powder
• 1 cup (250ml) water
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 cups (500ml) coconut cream
• 5 pandan leaves, cut into 4 cm lengths
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Pandan Layer:

1. Make pandan juice by blending the pandan leaves with the 190ml water. Strain through a cheesecloth and discard the leaves. You should be left with about 125 ml pandan juice.
2. Place the agar and water in a small wok or saucepan and heat until agar is completely dissolved.
3. Add the sugar and cook until dissolved; do not boil. Add the pandan juice and stir well.
4. Remove from the heat and place in a small bowl that is sitting in a bowl of warm water. You do not want to let the mixture cool completely.

Coconut-Pandan Layer:

5. Place the agar and water in a small wok or saucepan and cook until the agar has completely dissolved. Add the sugar, coconut cream, pandan leaves and salt then cook until the sugar and salt have dissolved; do not boil.
6. Strain out the pandan leaves and place the mixture in a small bowl sitting in a bowl of warm water. You do not want to let the mixture cool off.

Assembly:

7. While the two batches of layers are still warm prepare 8 x 1 cup (250 ml) jelly cups.
8. Place 2 tablespoons of the coconut-pandan layer in the jelly cups. Let the layer almost set then place 2 tablespoons of the pandan layer in the cups. Repeat this process until all cups are full or you run out of mixture.
9. Let the jellies set for 2-3 hours before serving. Serve chilled.

Red Ruby (Thai Dessert)

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup sugar (Boil both with 2 stalks of pandan leaves until syrup is fragrant. Alternatively, add a splash of rose essence to flavour your syrup. Refrigerate syrup.)
• 10 water chestnuts, peeled and diced into pea-sized chunks
• 1/2 tsp red food coloring
• 3 tbsp tapioca flour
• 1 packet coconut milk or cream
• Ice cubes

1. Toss diced water chestnuts with red food colouring until evenly coated.

2. Throw in the coloured water chestnuts into a plastic bag of tapioca flour and shake well to coat.

3. Pour out the contents into a sieve and shake off excess flour.

4. Put floured chestnuts into a pot of boiling water. Boil for about 2 mins, or until the flour turns translucent and the vibrant colour of the water chestnuts shine through.

5. Remove and drain the water chestnuts. Toss into a bowl of ice-cold water.

6. To serve, scoop Red Rubies into a glass of ice cubes. Pour a little sugar syrup and coconut milk/cream. Serve immediately.

Ice Jelly in Honey Lime Juice

YOU WILL NEED:

Honey Lime Juice

• 200ml water
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 small lime

Ice Jelly

• 1 packet of  jelly premix

• 5 pandan leaves
• 1 lemongrass

Honey lime juice:

1. Squeeze the lime and mix the lime juice into the water and
2. Put the juice in the refrigerator.

Ice jelly:

3. Boil 500ml of water with the lemongrass and pandan leaves for 10 minutes.
4. Pour the boiled water into the jelly premix
5. .Stir till premix dissolve.
6. Leave to cool and put in a refrigerator to set.
7. Serve the jelly with the honey lime juice.Add more lime if preferred.

Almond Jelly

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 (7g) packet agar agar
• 750ml (3 cups) water
• 250ml (1 cup) evaporated milk
• 120g sugar
• 2 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 (336g) can longans
• 1 (336g) can fruit cocktail

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the agar agar, water, evaporated milk and sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly until agar agar is fully dissolved.
2. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Add the almond extract and stir to mix. When the liquid is completely cooled, pour into a jelly mold and chill overnight.
3. When the jelly is set, cut into cubes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the jelly and fruit including syrup and/or juices. Add ice cubes if desired. Serve cold.

Red Bean Jelly

YOU WILL NEED:

• 100g red beans
• 300ml water
• 1/2 tbsp cornflour + 1 tbsp water
• 1 x 13g pkt agar agar powder
• 200g caster sugar
• 750ml water
• 250ml thick coconut milk
• 2 pandan leaves, knotted
• 1/8 tsp salt

1. Wash red beans and boil with about 300ml water until beans are tender. Drain and blend into a puree.
2. Boil 750ml water with sugar, agar agar powder and pandan leaves. Stir constantly until sugar and agar agar dissolves.
3. When mixture has boiled, remove pandan leaves and set aside 1 cup for the red bean layer.
4. Add 250 ml of thick coconut milk and a pinch of salt to the remaining mixture and stir well. Divide into two portions and set one portion of coconut agar agar in a rinsed mould. Scratch surface of set agar agar before pouring in the next layer so that the two layers will not separate after they have set.
5. Heat up the clear agar agar, add in the mashed red beans and cornflour solution. Stir well and pour on top of the first layer.
6. Heat up the other portion of the coconut agar agar and pour on top of the red bean layer.
7. Let agar agar set at room temperature before putting in the fridge to chill.

Steamed Red Bean Cake

YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 cup (150g) red beans (azuki beans)
• 180g rice flour
• 20g corn starch
• 150g brown sugar, divided to 100g and 50g
• 2tbsp butter plus more, about 30g
• 1 cup Coconut milk
• 1 cup red bean cooking liquid

1. Soak the red beans in cold water overnight. Rinse well before use. Boil the beans in cold water until soft. About 1 hour. Separate the liquid from the cooked beans
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the cooked beans, 100 g of brown sugar, and 2 tbsp of butter. Mix well so all the beans are coated with sugar. Set aside. You can make this ahead of the time.
3. In another mixing bowl, combine the coconut milk, the liquid from cooking the red beans, and sugar. Mix until the sugar is dissolved. If you don’t have enough red bean liquid you can use water to make up the volume. Combine the rice flour with cornstarch. Slowly sieve in the flour while mixing until all the flour is well incorporated to form a batter
4. The batter should be light and dripping. Add sugar-coated red beans to the batter and mix to well. Feel free to add all or just a portion of the red beans to the batter based on your own preference.
5. Coat your cake mold with melted butter. Evenly distribute the batter to the mold and let the batter sit for 5 minutes before steaming.
6. On high heat, steam the cakes for 15 to 20 minutes (depends on how big your cake is). After 15-20 minutes, leave the cakes in the steamer for an extra 2 minutes before you take them out. Serve them hot or at room temperature.

Chocolate Jelly

YOU WILL NEED:

• 300ml Cream
• 300ml Milk
• 150g Chocolate
• 15g jelly mix/Gelatin

1. Place cream and milk in a saucepan and boil over medium heat, Stir continuously.
2. Remove from heat and pour in the chocolate. Stir well.
3. Mix in the gelatin into the chocolate mixture and stir well till dissolved.
4. Divide the mixture into the jelly molds and refrigerate till firm for about 2-3 hours.

Try out these jelly recipes and be in for a delicious and wonderful treat! These jelly recipes are really easy to prepare and can be eaten anytime of the year ;)