Quiz: Are You a Healthy Cook?

Are You a Healthy Cook? Your Results

The following results are for the Are You a Healthy Cook? Quiz.

Congratulations! You are a very healthy cook.

 yea!!! I pass!!! And I did not cheat. I am excited. Although I Know my food is definitely healthy, tasty, digestive and cheap. I put 0 serving of salad in my answer. I don't make salad at home ha ha. I am not a raw food person digestive systems don't handle them well.

 I include the link here so if you are interested, you can do a test to find out too.


 http://nutrition.about.com/library/healthydietquizparts/blhealthycook.htm

The truth is, we all know common sense wise what is healthy what is not. We don't need a quiz to tell us about that. And I believe we don't need to confine to what we are told, but stick to something healthy and most importantly works for you. 

4 tips for Lean Delicious Pressure Cooker Dishes

You can’t beat the pressure cooker in time and energy saving. I put in the cheap but fresh solid rock hard few pound poultry or meat straight from the freezer to pressure cooker, in 10 to 30 minutes, you have something cooked and i can do other stuff during the pressure cooking time. I have electric one. I got it at similar price as regular one. My pressure cooker works wonder for me.
 
Somebody complained about the pressure cooked food.  The flavor of pressure cooked food indeed is not as fully developed as the crop pot cooked one.  Well, my good is always delicious. Here's my secrets or tips

1.I usually use high pressure to bring up the pressure then switch gear to low pressure. 
  

2.I also continue the cooking by putting the food in regular pot while I reduce the liquid and and/or skim the fat to make the yummy sauce for the meat any way;

  The over 10lb "gorilla" of juicy fresh Chuck Roast on sale was done under 2 hours total time from beginning trimming the fat away to end storing the meat. I cooked the beef in 3 patches each 15 minutes, in my 16 cup capacity electric pressure cooker. Now the meat's out and the fat (3 cups!!!!) is skimmed. The beef would be put back in the liquid which is to be slowly reduced.
 
3.and for the vegetable, you can cook it longer or put more flavor in it before or after cooking.

4. I use fish sauce, miso paste of soy sauce. they are way cheaper version than the beef or chicken stock. 

Yes, the texture is firmer, but I don’t think my pressure cooked food is any inferior than food cooked in any other way.

 It's super lean, easy to digest, super tasty and not to forget, it's less than $1 per serving of meat! This is not the final dish. I use some of it in my savory lentil kidney bean wheat stew, some in to hot creamy curry beef, the rest stored in freezer for future use. With some vegetable, some starch, you can make a very quick easy healthy tasty beef meal, i.e. beef noodle, beef stew, beef salad, saute beef and broccoli/tomato/onion.... the sky is the limit. Ref. to What's for Diner? .... Ta Da !-- 

What Are the Worst Snack Foods?

http://www.everydayhealth.com/photogallery/snack-food-hall-of-shame.aspx

100 Healthy Tips and Tricks for Wellness and Fitness

100 Healthy Tips and Tricks for Wellness and Fitness

Almost Free all Natural Mask / Skin Care

"Hello, is it me you're looking for? Cause I wonder where you are, and I wonder what you do. But let me start by saying what's on your face?--"

wow, it works?!!! The miracle papaya enzyme? looks my skin has been bleached and my pores shrinks. Or could it be the camera's balancing work and the temperaly sticky papaya "netar"? Conclusion at the end.

"Nobody nobody but you, nobody nobody but you.."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnmQe8NXBJU&feature=channel

Holy, wherever the papaya definitely can serve as the most powerful hardening gel spay if you are not afraid of roaches flying to your head.

"The Phantom of the Opera is here, inside your mind..."to be continue

Who let the dogs out?! 

-- oats,strawberry activia yogurt, organic raw sugar, orange zest.

Dripping? Here comes

  ----- Raider's of the Lost Ark!!!!

  "The phantom of the opera is here, inside you mind....

Hot Song and Dance and Movies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFjP-OJ7Bh4&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp9ixscbBko&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YnVycboTpI0
You can tell I am quite taken by the song/dance. I just learned it caused a sensation at least through out Asia. One Chinese bride rehearsed it with her girlfriends for 2 months and performed to her guests. I want to learn the dance move too. ho ho ho, not easy at all. My back already complained about all those subtle moves.

Actually, there is nothing innovation about the moves and appeal, at least the first version. They look very similar to us. the 50's 60's black girl group? However, like anything else, it's not what but how well the execution. The control of the body movement, facial expression, very importantly, the timing sense of ryhthm, and whole group formation, all these things make differences in the outcome. See how  lined up of all 5 girls' body movement.  That is the Asian standard. At least I remember as a kid in school doing the Jr. red guard formation under Mao, they would never let it fly if the whole group don't move exactly in sync, as least as much as our eyes can detect. Every move, every body parts, the arm, the leg... have to line up with everybody else. That's tons of practice required. Pretty taxing on your body, but hey, way more exicing than being sent to clean the stinky pig poop or carry the human waste in open barrel to the farm field in our school days. Yuck!!!!!!!!

Talking about movement, it reminds me of those women in Prince of Tears http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cli0n8TLuu8 are amazingly lady like, gracious, gentle and able to endure so much. Saw that movie in the sky.

I also saw Hachiko: A Dog's Tale by Richard Gere. Wow, that beautiful dog. Won me over thousand times. such a loyal soul. Great movie the whole family can enjoy. Get some tissue by your side. The story is based on this Tokyo dog's story. His stature in Tokyo has become a meeting place. Too bad I didn't have time to see it. I chose to get my Hokaido milk desert.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachi

Money, MLM, Skin Care, Supplements, "Rich Dad Poor Dad"

http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/to-good-life-2-secrets-of-self-made.html, I am also into making money, well, to support a "good life", ha ha ha, just kidding, you don't need a lot of money to have a good life, as I show you. I'd show you more tips in future postings. Money is absolutely not the most essential for a good life, however, lacking or insufficient of it could be a source for very unhappy life. Life would be so much easier when you don't need to worry about money.
As you noticed on my second post

A friend notified me to dial into a meeting in Beijing? I know right away it is a MLM (Multi-level Marketing or Pyramid scheme, well they all deny the latter) business. Seems they are opening the China market. Well I was out all day working any way. Later on an audio clip was sent to me. I had a strong feeling that the clip either has some monitor or, something attach to it. Thank God no virus as I did a full scan. Skin care and supplements are about the right product for MLM. What else you can hype up the price, open heart surgery? that's nice but won't work. And also, where else you can find repeat customers who's purchasing decision is not primarily based on the product but the biz "opportunity".

I Lost quite some time and money going back to China doing Amway believing in all the hypes right after my graduation.  That was about 15 years ago. I've long since stayed away from MLM, and learned a lot about money through the years.

I did not quit because I lost money and time I did not have fresh out of school. You don't deny your own dream and I did not want to admit defeat; you are in a denying mode rejecting any different opinions. Looking back, the reality of MLM is bleak and extremely difficult. You need to go to all meetings possible to boost you beat up morale with the group mentality and momentum, and your upline also push you to the meetings because they know very well you'd quit if you don't. Of course, there are countless of people dropping out.
http://www.mlm-thetruth.com/

http://www.mlm-thetruth.com/whistleblower.htm
Any way I determined to sharpen my skill and carry on back in the States.  Until one day it really hit me that it is indeed a situation of a few made money at the expense of the many who lost money and I am one of the many. Thanks to my cheap instinct and good with number side of brain. I was wondering how come the convention was so expensive. I felt sick to find out that they charged us twice of their total cost for food and location to give us  pep talks to make more money for them! So 100% profit went from the huge crowds that don't have the money to the company - huge  speech fees to a few distributors at the top.  What suckers we were? that incl. our upline who subsidized the MLM biz with regular job income. He was so thrilled to make to the Executive status after probably 3 years. Poor guy, I wonder how much he lost and how he is doing now. Going back to China for a few months is not cheap, the flights, hotels transportation in different areas...a big part of my money was stolen in a 5 star hotel in Shenzhen that's full of hookers, ha ha ha. thank God I didn't spent much unwisely at all on products as a smart consumer no matter how much pressure we got from the top diamond guy, yeah, right, we should be thrilled to buy every single item from the company at a price of 3, 4, 5, 10 times high than those at Walmart. Guess which co. is the bigger, actually the biggest retail co. in the world and why. 


My thoughts to my friend is,

prepare for a lot of hard work explaining and convincing, i.e. product esp. in such price level without clinical or tests, might be easier for Chinese market, also people to joint.  after all you are basically paying to sell other people's products with the benefit of product discount and residual income only make a difference when you are at the dynamic top

the most effective way so far I know of, to take care of wrinkles is face lift, all other over the counter cream and lotions are basically moisturizer or fancy moisturizer, most effective lotion would be prescription strength Retinol. Best lotion to prevent wrinkle is sun tan lotion

conserve you fund. the reality is that if you don't make it way up to the top, you just contribute to part of the sales without seeing the money coming back to your pocket.



 I forgot to mention to my friend: tons of competition in product and business which is basically 0 entry block -- everybody is able to get into the business.


And I did not mention, statistics is not in favor of majority of MLM people, in this specific case people are talking about loss rate of 99.94%. Of course, I am bet the company strongly disagrees.



You cannot survive without food but you can do away without supplements.
I also did not mention, that supplements are, after all, supplements. Scientists and many reports have concluded that the synthetic/man made vitamins definitely does not give the same benefit as vitamins in food. Scientists admit there's a lot unknown what are all the compounds in the food

and how they work together to make the huge difference between man made supplements and food.

And that's why nowadays they are telling you to get your vitamins and minerals from your food as much as possible and they throw in natural food in the supplements like dried fruit, vegetables, herbs... Even so, tell me this, which one is better, the processed dried food or fresh one? and which one is more likely you don't know whether it makes the difference after you consume it? I am not saying you shouldn't touch supplements. I am saying watch the benefits vs. costs.





A few years ago, I went through the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" which was a hit. Its theory does make sense to me. It puzzled me quite a bit though that the author listed MLM is the best business way to get rich, I had serious doubt about that MLM part; I also didn't quite understand the story that rich dad's biological teenage son( "Michael" I think) was making a fortune working and taking over rich dad's different business and rich dad told him it would be his turn (to get rich next). However, it seemed years and years later, he went through different things trying to make it on his own. Where is rich dad? I didn't question or suspect much for his story though.





Only last year I got the answer purely by accident searching for something else. It turned out 1) there is no such person as rich dad as the author made it like there was a real person that helped to shape his life. It is fictional!!! That's why rich dad was never there to "turn" some of his fortune to the author who had to make it on his own.





2) it turned out the book was originally written for MLMs. The MLMs found the book help to sell their business so they sell his book as motivation materials to their distributors. The author did make it big. Guess from what? Not from doing his MLM business, not from doing businesses mentioned in his book. In fact, he failed in every business attempt until he struck gold when the MLMs. It's a win win situation. And then the book gain huge population mainstream. So he made his fortune from selling people ideas he never succeeded in himself.





In all fairness, the book does give you ideas, or at least reinforce the ideas. To bad it sounds like a fraud now with the controversy of Rich Dad. People also challenge that his real life biological dad as the "Poor Dad" depicted in the book, is not at all poor at all.

Movie Extra?

Nah, not going to happen. These young people advertise in Craig's list looking for movie extra for party and bar scene for their short movie BKB(?). Seems they changed the shooting schedule as I found same ad was placed weeks ago with different schedules. A link leads to the movie website. There is a several second bar scene shoot there. They are also asking for funding. Well, I can offer food. Ha ha ha. I was told that they'd get back to me. But it's way pass the shooting date. Not sure whether there'd be any shooting.

I thought it's fun to appear on the movie, well, although nobody can really see you and care. 

Remember the Girl's "Night In"? http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/noodle-making-and-girls-night-in.html. After the guess's gone and dishes taken care. I tried out the 2 of the 3 cutie dresses I bought, well, under $20. The 3rd dress actually a mini-skirt for a few bucks I already used and you've probably seen in my blog many times already. 

http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-lovie-babies-einstein-n-me.html

Look pretty cool, right. love love. Thought it's so nice if I can use them in the party scene.

 Not bad without any make up. I rarely powder myself, once in 2 years or more? lipsticks a few times a year? Like my stomach, I think my face loves food more than chemicals, like orange peel, mango peel papaya pulps sugar more, http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/testing.html ha ha ha. 

What's for Diner? .... Ta Da !--

Hot Soba (Japanese name of "Buckwheat Noodle",  with my super tender and savory Cornish hen, bell pepper, spinach, onion, roasted garlic,... tantalizing seasoning, drizzled with 1/8tsp roasted sesame oil.
Again, I am the queen of winging it, no patience and no slaving, using whatever I have at hand last minute when I need to eat. what works for me is that I absolutely have a very good sense of taste on top of color, geometry..., a very good taste bud. And as queen of cheap and no patience, I always cooked up my 3-5lb meat by throwing those dirt cheap  freshly frozen rock solid proteins into the pressure cooker, or slow cooker, or huge pot, put my seasoning, most of time, the left overs, like left over sauce, bone, take out sugar, pepper, ketchup... and old fruits not as fresh any more, like grapes that are going to go bad, .... many many other stuff I find in the fridge that I need to use or else. So it is also a clean house activity. Of course, that when my sense of taste come into action. You have to judge and balance out the overall taste adding different seasoning that works with the meat I am dealing with, and adjusting the taste till I get to my desired taste. It sounds a lot of work, but it actually only takes max a minute for me.

Whole wheat flat bread with whatever I have in the fridge: 3 cheeses with Mozzarella as main note accented by sharp Cheddar and Swiss, very little leftover meat, chopped capers, onion flakes,freshly ground black pepper and chili powder, top with very fresh juicy bell pepper. Extra oil shown on picture has been blotted before it's devoured.
After that, I just let nature take its course, either doing 20 also minute pressure cooking or slow cook the meat 2-8 hours (8 hours is in oven overnight at 250 degree). I don't really need to put in much effort except when it's done, I will skim the day light out of every single droplet of fat out of my cheap cut meat, sometimes a few cups. then condense the liquid to make the delicious sauce. cut them meat up, use any and store the rest in freeze. And Ta Da, diner is ready in no time, with any fresh vegetable and starch at hand ---

Sing, Action! -- Poopbody Poopbody Poopbody ---

http://www.poopprank.com/dog-poop-photos/dogpoop.htm

 Oops. Shit!!!













Well, what the heck, tie it up.

































I guess that's it for this post. I should not display my dishes and recipe in this post, should I? Alright, I'd get my dishes out in the next post "What's for Diner..."
http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/whats-for-diner-ta-da.html

My Lovie Babies, Einstein? n Me

My two cutest fat cat babies, apples of my eyes.

 I can't find more gentle obedient kids.
My "Easter bunny" is telling me now to give him/her some love esp. fat cat stroke. he would not leave my palm until he get some affection from Mom/human. He'd back off the food cup, drop his head in a frozen postion, looking like he'd like to die after getting a good yelling from Mom because he was bullying his brother biting him away from the food. Gee, mom needs to comfort the bully in the end. freaky bird. Even with their little bird brain, they sure know how to read Mom's face and mood.

They love to nudge your neck, nibble your face and ears and, French kiss me if I allow them, ha ha ha. 

They enjoy being kissed by the neck and tummy quite a bit, and surely love to hang in sleeping underneath your cloth through the night if mom let them. Do we look like a Kangaroo family?

But I have to control myself, not even let their beaks to touch my lips,  let alone their little pinky mung bean size tongue. The germ in our body may kill the little one. I can't sleep with them in bed either on top of the prolific poop productions. Some kids woke up heart broken to find out they accidentally killed their lovies sleeping with their bird pets. Chocolate esp. dark one, salt and unidentified plants.. are also off limits. But these little ones sure go nuts with my Activia and ice cream.

Tell me he doesn't look like Einstein. 















Poop on the greatest mind of the Century.

 Talking about Poop. Want to get a kick out of that stuff? Check on the next post. "Sing, Action -- Poopbody Poopbody Poopbody"
http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/sing-action-poopbody-poopbody-poopbody.html

Noodle Making and Girl's Night In

Ever without any eggs at hand, Just salt and water, I made some decent noodle a few days before after quite some physical labors on kneading the tough dough. First time I made whole wheat, half half (whole wheat and bread flour), I also made rye + bread flour noodle.

And, even though I told myself I am done with home made noodle as I've decided it's not worth that much hassle and time for so cheaply available better quality fresh noodle to purchase,

the Queen of cheap and improvising needs to consume the unbeatable priced 25lb bread flour, the yummy carrot yogurt soup, together with soup as well as juicing by product of carrots, and more plain yogurt,the taste of fresh noodle is just an irresistible temptation.

I figure I could use plain yogurt and chickpea flour that I need to use up any way to replace egg and I use tons of yogurt. lots of carrot soup as well. Man I couldn't be more wrong, you'd find out in the end.So I take on the noodle again, thinking I am going "green" recycling the food, and, I can use some exercise, 2 birds one stone and 2 happy tummies, as I am having guest for dinner the night. 

So I rolled up my sleeve, took out the small $20 manual pasta machine and get my assemble line going. This dough is relatively easy to handle. (Now I realize it's a sign of trouble). This time I made that much noodle with 2.3-3 hours? great looking noodle. I am proud and thrilled. (took me 4-5 hours last time also my first time to make hard of the quantity) this time, I learn my lesson, going for the fat one linguine, rather than the small spaghetti, which is harder to separate and easy to stick together.

Isn't it pretty? Well, looks could be deceiving. First, the noodle doesn't taste like fresh noodle, I think it's the chickpea flour. 2nd, the very low fat insanely good pulled pork or Kailua pork I made taste so different with the shredded meat stay in the sauce for a few days. The sauce made it too salty and killed the savory pork taste. I tried all different seasoning still have a hard time to bring the taste to what I wanted, I gave up. I had to bring the vegetable pork noodle as I simply took longer time to adjust the taste than the cooking itself. I could not believe I fed the worst noodle I made to my guest, shit. My gracious guest finished all the noodle. That's after some laughing cow cheese, watching my TV cooking show. At least my 2 lovie babies and my super animal lover guest had a wonderful time together.We finish the meal with some Rich French chocolate truffle. I forgot to bring the healthier desert of Chinese ginger cinnamon black date soup. We talked and watched TV and I was moving exercising a little. I am glad we have a good time regardless the freaking noodle mishap.

More lovie baby picture from --
http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/my-lovie-babies-einstein-n-me.html

http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/testing.html

If the noodle doesn't taste good same day, it turned totally gooey and inedible after freezing and reheating.  Russ at the first time of his life told me he could not eat the noodle, my food. I could not eat it myself. Freaking A, I need some shrink time to deal with this trauma. Well, the queen of recycling wrapped up the mushy noodle, store it in the freezer and ready to use it as season corn starch or flour as thickening agent. I already prepared to make some curry beef, hahaha, the chickpea flour in the noodle is perfect as Indian use   use chickpea flour to make their curry (Masala) any way and so do I. That's why I purchase quite some chickpea flour as Russ simply loves curry dishes and I love it for the mistake proof dish allow me to so many different left overs and major help to clean up the fridge and, flip out a very healthy delish curry meal at the same time.

So this is the end of my noodle making career, hahaha, no more desire, too much work for nothing. I am debating whether I should get rid of the pasta machine.

Well, I also decided to switch gear to use the carrot soup and carrot fiber to make bread. And so I did. Check out what happened to my Carrot Yogurt Peanut fresh basil with Italian herb Macadamia nut oil.

http://2dgoodlife.blogspot.com/2010/05/carrot-yogurt-peanut-italian-herb-bread.html

Happy Chinese New Year (Tiger Year) of 2010

Happy Tiger Year 

to all!!

country fellows (xian chin men), run!!!  

A ------ h----- !!!!!!

I wonder when are we going to have this year   (liar year?)

or that year, mine mine mine, I am scared of this one

                                                Goofing around with my friends           

What's your new year resolution?                                                                                                                            

Carrot Yogurt Peanut Italian Herb bread Biscuit 4 Acting Class

I'd very much like to improvement my presentation skill. I'd like to deliver a smooth attention grabbing fun cooking instruction. I'd like to learn the "showmanship" And I like to do it as quickly possible. I've been calling and check around, and finally, we visited one actor studio on the fine day we had great lunch and dinner at Nico's at pier 38 and 3660 on the Rise and a Doris Duke estate tour, I decided that's what I like to go.

Why the pot, not a plastic bucket as Zoe and Jeff suggested. Well, because I just cook up a big chunk of delicious pork should in it. It means more yummy flavor and less dish washing. Isn't it cool?

With the cover, now I save the saran wrap, just leave it a little open for 2 hours to proof the dough, with all goodies inside, the carrot juice solid, tons of yogurt, peanut butter, almond butter, fresh basil and Italian herb Macadamia nut oil, not to mention creamy carrot soup with tons of milk, some tomato, and seasoning, not to forget the vinegar. Ha ha ha, you sure know this is no one's bread but Mabel's

I love it the first class is to see a movie, "City Island",  with Andy Garcia, Julianna Margulies who I didn't recognized first on the post, another student/actor talked like she's not unknown. When I watch the movie, I realized oh gee she's the ER doctor. She does look a little different. After the movie, we talked about the acting part. It's so cool. I have to say I can't find anything wrong with all the excellent acting by everybody. The movie attracts you from the beginning till end, nevertheless, I don't have a feeling for the movie as a whole. I don't think I care for seeing it again.

Our teacher, is an actress and producer who of course knows everything, the in and out of actors/film business. On the second class, she told us she is producing a movie and she invited us all to go in LA for extra background roll!!!! I am so exited. Hope it'd be a great success for her.
wow, overflow. proof done.
I am thinking it'd be nice to bring some food to share with the class. I brought little whole wheat Pain D'epi (wheat stalk, french bread) and a few kinds of non butter yet tasty biscuits with whole wheat, rye flour, peanut butter, yogurt, carrots, spinach...

well, the traffic is awful, I didn't understand why it's so slow on Saturday I only found out it was UH graduation day, I was late like 5 minutes? And I also realize 1 week later that I was 35 minute late it started 30 earlier than the stated schedule. Now I realize why they told me that they didn't know I was going so there was nothing arrange for me to do. I was watching the students doing a scene, mine, they are s---o---- good. I took some note and we were assigned to do some monologue next time. Our teacher really knows lots of stuff and she gives time to everybody. There's this uplifting vibe in her class.

For the 2nd class, I decided to do Zoe and Jeff fool proof 5 minutes Artisan bread. I have so much carrots and solid from juice, hahaha. so I started early in the morning, mine, it's a lot of dough and I could not use all the carrot solid. Well, I used it all in the lentil bean ham and beef stew later. That's a very healthy regulation friendly dish. Russ loves the "effect" very much. I'll show you the dish in later post.

another proof of 90 minutes done.

I took this whole tray to the class. mine, it was gorgeous when I test taste it, it's full of flavor, small really good like pizza, very crispy outside and custard like inside. wow, this is a weow bread. shit, by the time the class end, I got a piece from our teacher, it turned into another animal, it's all soggy, not like a bread at all, and, worst of all, it has this nasty bitter after tone at the root of your tone when it meets your throat as the bread slide down. shit. I am embarrassed to give something like that away. If I have business, that's going to ruin my reputation. I know it's the alcohol taste produced by the yeast over proof, what I don't know is how come this taste is not there when it's done and how to get rid of this taste or how not to get it in. heat it up, cool the bread in rack? I haven't have time to deal with this issue yet.

The embarrassing has not stop from here. The next class, I bring some sweet decadent. sinful finger licking peanut candy with orange zest, orange liqueur,  vanilla, organic milk and organic raw sugar, and cranberry sauce. I use some rice flour hoping to replace the corn syrup I don't have.  freaking a, it turn really sticky and gooey rather than hardening after cooling down. oh shit.

 

Shangri-la, Doris Duke, Happy Healthy Eat-outs

got tons of pictures unfortunately none shown. Have everything in my word document. don't know how to move here. I sure can email the way more interesting word docx full of pictures

DH arranged to give me a good time in a fun day. He arrange for lunch at one of my favorite eat outs at Nico at Pier 38 and fine dining dinner at 3660 on the Rise after tour of Shangari-la, house full of Islamic art, designed and built as her residence by Doris Duke , the very Doris Duke who inherited of the largest chunks of it $100 million in 1925, over a billion at today's money when she was 12. by her father James Duke who simply adored her Apt. in NY left for her.


The only way to visit Shangri-la is through the only tour hosted by Honolulu Academic of Arts. They have arrangement with Shangri-la. You can't drive directly to the gated property.

Lunch at Nico's at Pier 38 (near Costco and Home Depot) filled me up with great energy physically and mentally with live Hawaiian Music. Again, it is a great place that serves no nonsense honest food. It offers the best value fresh food in town. The place is always busy. It is featured in one of the Food network's 3D episode. To me this is the most solid recommendation. I love to go there every time I passed by to get my Catch of the day. It's usually a big piece of pan seared word fish stake with very freshly made watercress or other vegi/herb aioli and I always get the green salad option of those very mix greens i.e. arugula that is so good for you and served in high end restaurant. To me, Nico's food is every bit of high end quality, and with low end price. Where can you get food like that for around $10? plus water, fresh lemon wedges, all kinds of seasoning/condiments on the counter for you to enjoy your meal with. ( I just used a 1/4 of the yummy aioli sauce and add the lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, pepper and ketch up to season the salad and fish, pretty darn healthy to me). http://www.nicospier38.com/index.html You can see the Chef owner Nicolas "Nico" Chaize is seriously into serving good quality food to people unlike some other restaurants that focus more into squeezing the most from their lousy meager food/dishes leaving you a big fat feeling of being robbed off. I love this place. DH order the Cajun Sausage. He regretted not ordering the fish, hahaha, got to listen to mama.

After the fulfilling lunch. We headed to Academics of Art and Parked across the street parking. We tour the museum a little bit seeing some of the Islamic Art collection as well as the introduction video tape about Shangri-la. And check out their lady's room. Love it. Everything including the tile work look like a good quality piece of art.

We took on the bus and on the way to Shangri-la in Black Point. Some pictures of Shangri-la from web.

I don't know what's this. looks lonely when it's built 1937? doesn't look like Shangri-la.



To bad, the red skinny posts flat roof structure does not go with the whole landscaping. If the style of structure has to be like that, it could still work with the property landscaping designed to be a transition between the house structure and the broader landscaping outside the property. One very simple solution is use different trees. those palm or coconut trees are so at odd with the house. It'd look way better with the house bigger (or at least bigger cemented area around the house) and built up with steps going up to it that mimic the steps/topos of the fountain pool. right now the pool is very interesting with depth but the house is so flat and too small in scale... I am sure it's not that that hard to do as we were told a matured tree in the middle court yard was managed to shipped from India. Imagine the cost to do that 1937. Holy Molly. That tree likes more like a shapeless big "weed" to me, hahaha.



anyone want to sneak up from the sea?



"night time sharpen, heighten each sensation" as long as you get light





my fair lady. I wonder why she convert the cool fish tank Hawaiian style dining room into the current supper stuffy blue green strip fabrics all over the wall and ceiling. I'd get to go out the lani to suck in some fresh air, hmm, the gorgeous ocean view is the best part of the whole house. Is that Doris Duke? Hot sweet Mama and, purple Mabel.



All in all here is the impression. There're lots of Islamic arts pieces built in the house. We were told she outbid Metropolitan Museum (? or other Museum) for the most valuable item in the house, one that of the glazed tile size of a door something made for worship that she cemented on the wall. who but Doris Duke is able to beat the Metropolitan Museum?!

can you imagine Doris designed each tiny tile, cut them and "jigsaw puzzled" them altogether. this is a prized showcased room. I am feeling woozy dizzy though. I learn that the art form is based on a few elements: text, geometric pattern and flora. No figures. Those medal gaud shape lights and the white exterior is lovely. The view is to die for. Outside is cool. Inside is busier than a museum not like a house to live in stuffy and dark esp. with the "help" of those "screen" blocks so much sun light and ventilation.. Not going to pass the "Feng Shui" test for sure, ha ha ha. Those said very expensive antique rugs are terribly worn out and gave a very filthy feel to me.

Looks like the Shangri-la living room similar setting and fireplace. But I don't think so based on the look of the ceiling and the windows

I don't know which property this is.

The vibe there is nothing cozy warm and welcoming. May be too much valuable antiques there so people are serious and cold. There're body guards all around. Part of the house is not open and you can't go certain area outside, no photo inside. It's not so big area inside and out you can see. I told DH, this is definitely the "Library" not the "Tiffany" in the Movie by Audrey Hepburn "Breakfast at Tiffany". For $20, I don't see myself visit the place again. Some people went there a few times. Doris Duke garden in Mainland was closed due to depletion of funding and cause lots of controversy and protesting, I wonder why.

don't know who the man is

We were giving the impression that Doris Duke was of course, no doubt, highly intelligent, artistic and adventurous. But the part that she lived a very quiet hermit kind of life made me wonder. Of course it's obvious the tour is mainly focus on Islamic art not Doris Duke.



I can never forget the story I read from one of Jackie O's biography that her womanized father spent his first honey moon night with Doris Duke, not his newlywed wife Lee. Holy Moly. I wonder how Jackie O feel years later, Doris Duke befriended her.





I also remember the story that grand entrance Doris Duke made dropping from the sky into the surfing competition in Hawaii.

And story of what a miserable unhappy her life was with so much money at hand. So I assumed she has a short life. Turn out it's nothing but.

Can a leopard change his/her spot? hmm hmm hmm



Here are some more Doris Duke story I found online:

she's one heck of an independent adventurous smart ass who lived a heck of a life all the way till she's 80 1993. She can speak 9 languages according to one article At 14, she sued her mother to stop the sale of her fathers' farm house/estate; at 22, she married her first husband, they said a playboy, James Cromwell First Husband and traveled all over the world; then she moved the mountain, more accurately, the earth to design and build the Islamic Art Shangri-la and other places some open to the public. I'd like to visit some of them. Doris Duke Garden The Doris Duke Estate

Doris Duke Studio Theater



she gave birth to a girl name Arden who died in 1 day and the childbirth led her childless then in 1988 at age 75, she adopted a 35 yo woman believing the reincarnation of her still born. After their relationship fall apart, Doris Duke got her off the will then the woman challenged and got 65mil after Duke's death. Sam Kahanamoku, the famous surfer Duke Kahanamoku's brother You imagine Duke has affair with the Hawaii Duke and his brother Sam and other people? Don't know what to think

meanwhile her first husband, the one mentioned in the tour is a playboy who also had a few female liaisons under his bell, hahaha. Her cousin claim Doris Duke want to be throw in Diamond head to feed the shark after her death. Her heath did trigger the 3 year feeding frenzy on her money (legal battle). well, that adopted woman got her 65mil, her law firm charged her 9 mil and 13 mil to do change the will!!! It's said Doris left her dog $100k.



Interesting she married another playboy but gave him tons of money and gifts. she ran over that decorator also "friend with benefit" w/ her car by accident in front of her gate. Funny the family had to sue to get $110k from her, and then later she give $1mil to the boyfriends ex-wife to get out of the way.



she donated 5 mil legal defense of Imelda Marcos they said that her father taught her that everybody is out there to get her money they said she's shrew and tight with her money she kept her money at the end unlike daughter of Woolworth (?).











with her butler. they said she's into plastic surgery. looks like so. you all know this Icon. Andy Warhol, mine, he's got some plastic surgery too?



with her butler1993, the year she died. Shouldn't go for surgery that easy at that age of 80. Well, she lived A LIFE and left a legacy and lots of things for the whole world to cherish.



To the one and only Doris Duke.




















http://www.libarts.uco.edu/history/faculty/roberson/course/1493/supplements/chp24/24.%20Doris%20Duke.htm


http://www.howarth-smith.com/News/news-62.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doris_Duke


Check out more of her goodies -- wow wow wow, I am mouth watering on the first 3 items, esp. the 19.72 carat one. hmm, how nice. Dream on.

Diamond and Pearl Estimation: $800,000-1,200,000

Art Deco, Diamond and Emerald Bracelet

Estimation: $250,000-350,000









19.72 carats Ruby Estimation: $800,000-1,200,000

Estimation: $80,000-120,000





Emerald Estimation: $300,000-400,000

Morning Cleansing Tea, Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

G---oo--d Morning America,

I made myself some plum seed+ licorice (dried herb from health store) + orange herbal tea to clean up and comfort my tommy.Easy 2 minute microwave "work" and easy onenergy /environment. Haven't cook waterfor drink for 20 years.

Internet has replaced newspaper. Soon after I turned on the computer, this article pop in my face:

5 Secrets of Self-Made Millionaires

...there are more people living the good life than ever before—the number of millionaires nearly doubled in the last decade. And the rich are getting richer. To make it onto the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans, a mere billionaire no longer makes the cut. This year you needed a net worth of at least $1.3 billion...

check out the link for "secrets" and do read the individual multi-millionare's stories as how they made it.
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/5-secrets-of-self-made-millionaires-1370279/

I found the 5 "secrets" is after all cliche. We all know those "secrets" however all need to be reminded what it takes if we are going for that direction. What sets those people apart is that not only they take action on those principles and their dreams, they do it day in and day out. I especially need to kick my ass from time to time as queen of procacination.