Stitch School by Primrose Design

http://primrosedesign.blogspot.com/

Introducing Primrose Design!

Primrose Design @ blogspot is a comprehensive blog that introduces stitches and designs. You may visit this website to learn more about textiles and home deco projects.
This website provides a side bar and history archive for easy scrolling of content.

Herbs & Spices!!

1001 Glossary

Introduction of a simple web page - it has pictures of the different herbs & spices, fruits & vegetables, meat & seafood..

We can use pictures to recognize those exotic spices and herbs easily.. not only that the website also shows some commonly known names of ingredients used.

URL to website.. .. .. 
 
 Take a look at these.. All by clicking the link in the web page

(do a mix & match for students)

 

 Bay Leaves                                         







Curry Leaves

Fennel


 

Microteaching 4

Hello! Here are the dishes prepared for Jannah, Emilia and Yani for Microteaching 4.

Topic:

Healthier food choices may taste bland and look boring. Show with examples how our regular diet can be made healthier and more appetising.

The teachers prepared a purple-and-pink modern-dining setting this week.

This quiche made me really hungry.

This would be perfect for breakfast too! Succulent kebabs!

Nasi Goreng in a green apple! Decked with roses made from cucumber and tomato slices. Really pretty!

These were the dishes prepared by Esther and I:

The zucchini slices and chicken cubes were a little charred haha! But the marinate was delicious, enjoyed it loads!

We gobbled this up immediately after microteaching. Yum!

Salmon and spinach quiche! Yum! Wish we would have prepared more of it. It tasted great!

Lady Viridian

My fair Lady Viridian, Hibiscus esculentus.
You charm even the most fiery sauces in curries, and yet is as fresh as the dew on salads.

Lady's fingers is a fruit vegetable. Normally wrapped in plastic, they can be stored for a week under 24-26 degree Celcius.
Unwrapped fruits last for 2 days.


The seeds and its pods are edible and Lady's fingers contains vitamin A, calcium and protein.
They contain neither starch nor sugar. The perfect food for diabetics.

Suggested Cooking methods

• Raw
• Boil
• Deep Fry
• Pan Fry - Pan fry with belacan and peanuts. Yum!

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Nature Amazing Colours - Blue

Nature Amazing Colours!

It's amazing how common animals, insects, scenery and food can be photographed and the beauty is fascinating.

Look at the colour contrast! These pictures are captivating!

BLUE is represents peacefulness, tranquility, and calmness.
LIGHT BLUE is associated with health, healing, understanding, and softness.

Exams Over.. Lets Relax!

More @ Nature Amazing Colours - Blue 
(cont. Nature Amaing Colour -Red)

"Good"? Or "bad"?

Hi everyone!

Just few weeks ago, I believe most of us would have heard on the news about several Singaporeans queuing up for hours for the launch of the new Microsoft Windows 7 Operating System.

Well, what has its launch have to do with us, as FCS teachers?

This video can serve as a sequel to Jeline's Home Economics microteaching (remember the video on the multiple-patty burger?)!

It's a home-made video comprising of several videos I found on Youtube. Made and used it as an opening for Biology microteaching. Hope you've enjoyed it!

It is evident now that fad of selling big-portioned fastfood at affordable prices is no longer restricted to countries in the West, and there is actually a market for such extra-large portion foods in Asia. Obesity rates in Asia are also escalating as the years progress, particularly in China, Japan, the Philippines, and not forgetting our dear Singapura.

Honestly speaking, I think many teenagers today (and I am guilty of that myself) might develop positive thoughts upon knowing about the burger (and likely to want to try it) contrary to what Homec teachers may think, especially meat and fast-food lovers. Also, since the patties look thin and seemingly "harmless", students may not know how many calories they are actually consuming.

What I like about creating videos like this one is that it is current news which upper secondary and IT-loving students will be interested. Also, it is factual which will probably be more impactful to students. (The part where the reporter stated the total no. of calories in this burger which is close to the average calorie intake of a healthy adult.)

The sequence of this video also aids in creating this impact; Students will first get to see the burgers and people enjoying it, and be shocked later to find out the number of calories it contains. The element of surprise may (hopefully) enable them to link facts learnt in their textbook to current affairs/everyday situations, thus making learning more enjoyable and meaningful.

Learning about the total number of calories per burger will also allow students to make comparisons with other types of food (and their total calories) easier, since they are now in quantifiable terms. Ever did I consider making the video more "gory" by showing photos of clogged arteries and obesity, but these plans were scrapped as I was worried about the message I would be sending to my students. After all, eating just one Windows 7 burger, or any other humongous burger in the video, will not directly lead to clogged arteries and obesity.

Also, since this news is closer to home, learning about dietary planning will be more meaningful to students as it is authentic. Above all, the inclusion of popular music in this video in the opening will garner their attention onto the main part of the video, which is the launch of this new burger.

More often than not, people tend to name foods as "bad" and "good". In my opinion, I feel that it is inappropriate to label foods as "bad" or "good", as it is inevitable that we indulge in such foods at times. What is "good" may not be "good" if eaten in the wrong quantity, while what is "bad", well... what's so bad about indulging in such foods once in a while?

Rather, wouldn't it be better if students are informed about what is in their food, so that they themselves decide if they should eat it or not (or how frequent), ie. making informed decisions and learning how to be responsible for their own health?

To be honest (again), despite knowing what fastfood can do to me, I could still not resist participating in the pursuit in winning Sentosa Cove for the MacDonald's Monopoly publicity stint when it was just introduced to Singapore. Much less giving up my all-time favourite McNuggets and French Fries, despite knowing they have been happily deep-fried in litres of hot oil.

Guess it still boils down to Variety, Moderation, Balance, and making wise decisions.

Baby I love you Beet.

Baby, I love you.
I love it when you blush, you turn beet red.

Beets are a miracle, it contains potassium, folate and manganese.
Reserve the leafy tops as it contains beta-carotene, calcium and iron.

The red pigment contains certain anti-cancer agents and are also used as a red dye.



Choose beets that are small and firm. It should be deep maroon in colour, have unblemished skin and fresh bright green leaves. The tap root should be attached.

Avoid large beets which have a hairy taproot,
as these are signs of age and toughness.
Smaller beets will be sweeter and more tender (~2 inches in diameter).

Store the root and the leaves separately. The leaves will keep for 2 days in plastic.
Trim the leaves 2 inches from the root, do not trim the tail. The root bulbs can be stored for a week in the vegetable compartment.

Beets may even be frozen.

Cooked or canned beets can be stored for one week. Do not store canned beets in the can, use a plastic container to avoid oxidation.

Cooking suggestions:

1) RAW!!!! - Wonderful when julienned into 3 mm thin slices. It gives an extra dimension to your salad or toasted sandwich. I just love the tangy taste.





2) Baked.
3) Steamed.
4) Fried
5) Grilled
6) Boiled - Cooking the beets in soup will leech its colour into the water. Afterwhich the beets will absorb the taste of the soup and become little cubes of savoury flavour, resting in red liquid. You can shape the beets into little parodies of bodyparts just because its more interesting for halloween.

Hurray to Beets!
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