Breastfeeding : Oatmeal Chocolate Chips Lactation Cookies

I came across this when one of my forumer friend shared it in her Facebook. It's a recipe to bake a cookies. It's a cookies that is said to be able to boost the breastmilk supply as many lactating moms have claimed.

Well, I have stop breastfeeding. But still I thought it is good to share this with everyone else especially those who are still breastfeeding their child and have a low breastmilk supply. 

Hopefully this cookies can really helps to boost the breastmilk supply. Am keeping this recipe for my reference in the future. But I do hope that I'll have sufficient milk supply and don't need this in the future if I ever breastfeed though... :P



Picture from Diary Of A First Child



Oatmeal Chocolate Chips Lactation Cookies

Ingredients :-

- 1 cup of butter or margarine

- 1 cup of sugar
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons of water
- 2 tablespoons of flaxseed meal (no substitution)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2-4 tablespoons of brewers yeast (no substitution)
- 3 cups of oats
- 1 cup chocolate chips

Preparation :-

- Preheat oven to 350°

- Mix the flaxseed meal and water and set it aside for 3 - 5 minutes

- Beat the butter, sugar and brown sugar well

- Add eggs and mix well

- Stir flaxseed mix into butter mix and add vanilla

- Beat until well blended

- Sift together the flour, brewers yeast, baking soda and salt

- Add dry ingredients to the butter mix

- Stir in oats and chocolate chips

- Scoop or drop by teaspoonfuls onto a non stick baking sheet, or one lined with baking paper

- Bake for 8 - 12 minutes

- Let it set for a couple minutes before remove from tray

Total serving size : 

- Around 4 - 6 dozen of cookies depending how big you scoop or drop the cookies.

Recommended "dose" :

- 4 cookies a day

Storage :

- Cookies can be store in the freezer

Note : 

- Flaxseed seed and brewers yeast is suppose to be a main ingredients on this recipe that helps to boost the breastmilk supply and it cannot be substitute with others.

- But as I read more about this recipe, I actually found there is others who have substitute some or part of ingredient in this recipe to something else and yet it still give them the same "boosting" effect.

- To add on, the lactation cookies recipe above is not really that healthy with the amount of the sugar and brown sugar used.

- This is another reason why some change this recipe here and there a bit to make it "healthier".

- The other reason as to why part of the ingredient is changed is because there are some people who are unable to get a constant supply of that particular ingredient at the place where they stayed. (ie : brewers yeast).

The Other Options On The Ingredients ~ Said to be healthier by others

(Below is some of the option that have been tried by others. Am just compiling  these from HERE and some from elsewhere)

1. To changed the white flour to whole wheat flour (some changed it to 1/2 wheat flour and 1/2 oat flour).

2. To add fenugreek to the basic recipe.

3. Use only 1/4 cup of white sugar, 1/4 cup of brown sugar and add 2 tablespoon of molasses.

4. Some didn't use sugar or brown sugar at all and replace it with 2 - 4 tablespoon of molasses.

5. Replace the chocolate chip to raisin, almonds, walnuts, cashews, macadamia nuts, pumpkin seeds, spirulina, sesame seeds or any of these combination. (Depending on what is the taste that you like).

6. Add ginger if the nursing mama have a slow letdown (this is not recommended for those who have significant blood loss after birth as ginger is a natural blood thinner).

7. Replace the brewers yeast with 7 opened capsules of fenugreek and add 1 cup of dried cranberries.

8. Use only 1/2 cup of butter and substitute the other 1/2 with apple sauce.

9. Some use coconut oil in place of the butter.

10. For those who are allergic to oats can either make the cookies without the oats or simply substitute the oats with baby food rice cereal and add some raisin into it.

p/s : 

The lactating cookies does looks yummy isn't it in the picture above. Anyway, do let me know if any of you have tried this recipe. Does it really helps to boost the breastmilk supply like what others have claimed?

Crafty Art Market - The Bee @ Jaya One

I went to the Crafty Art Market with etsy Malaysia team which is held from 11am till 6pm at The Bee, Jaya One last saturday. Well, it was a last minutes decisions that I decided to go to the Crafty Art Market. I went there with TY. Hubby didn't come along as he is still not back from overseas. I have been "virtually" invited in Facebook by Honey Narasiah of Honey's Hive to this event. Yes, you read it right. Her name is Honey. It is sweet name, isn't it. Anyway, I wouldn't know there is such an event if Honey didn't invited me.



Honey and her stall at the Crafty Art Market.
The one standing next to her is her daughter, Svara.



This is what she have for sale that day

Anyway, the main reason why I decided to go to that Crafty Art Market was to get my custom earrings that I have ordered quite sometime ago. Honestly, am not fond of wearing earring previously because those earring seems heavy and will sort of pull and "dragged" my ear. But now I got hooked to it and can't stop buying them. I simply love earring now thanks to the Honey's Hive.. Hahaha.. 

The paper quilled earring is really lightweight and the best part is I can choose to custom the design, color down to the hook for the earring. Well, because I really love the earring, I bought more earring when am there. There is buy 3 pair free 1 pair promotion there. But of course, the free pair is of the same or lower value and I can choose the design from the available earrings there. With this purchase, all in all I think I have at least 13 pairs or so of the paper quilled earring from Honey's Hive. :P By the way, apart from earrings Honey do sell photo frame, etc.



The earring that I bought from Honey's at the Crafty Art Market





My collection of earrings from Honey's Hive. There is one more pair
not in picture. And yeah, I know am crazy... :P

Apart from Honey's Hive stall there, I have only manage to take a quick stroll to another 2 more stall as most of the other stall there have started packing and cleaning. One of it is also selling accessories like earring and necklace while the other is more on sewing like purse, pouch, bag or even hair accessories. And again, I DID bought something from both of the stall.

The stall that selling earring and necklace do have an online store in etsy. But I don't quite remember what is the name as they do not give me any name card or sort to promote their etsy store. This stall selling many nice and unique design earrings that made from gemstone like peridot, amethyst or sort. I like the earring there but decided just get some simple earrings from the cheapest range. That's RM 10 per pair. Hahaha... I did bought another pair at RM 15. It is slightly more expensive as the the seller use peridot stone. 



The earring that I bought from the other stall.
Just realized that all the earing design that I bought from this stall is the same.
Probably that is the only choice I got from the cheaper range? :P



While the second stall name is 5* Petal Flower. The owner have the etsy account but yet to set up the online store in etsy. She told me she'll set up the stall pretty soon. She is  really a nice and humble lady to chat with. I bought a pair of hair clip from her which cost me RM 5 for a pair of it. I really love the hair clip. It is a love at first sight for me. The color really contrasting well. In fact, I did leave her my email so that she can contact me. Am looking forward to custom hair clips from her ~ it's for my daughter, of course... Just hope that it'll not turn into yet another addiction to me. Hehehe...

The hair clip from 5* Petal Flower.
I love the colour combo.



By the way, do you know that it is the International Buy Nothing Day that Saturday? I would give my support and buy nothing on that day. But too bad I only knew it is the International Buy Nothing Day after I done my shopping on that day... :P

12th World Of Chinese Book Fair (2010)

I have meant to post this few days ago. I thought I posted it to my blog and yet it is still in the "draft" and I didn't realized it.

Anyway, last Sunday morning after we have taken our breakfast, we have our family day out at a book fair. There is an ongoing book fair held at the International Exhibition & Convention Centre (MIECC),  Mines. The 12th World Of Chinese Book Fair is being held from 19th November 2010 till 28th November 2010.

We reach there at about 10am and there is already many car queuing up to enter to the parking area. The book fair open at 11am and since we arrived there early, we just went for a walk around the mall. When it is about time we walk to the entrance and bought the entrance ticket. The entrance ticket cost RM 2 per person for adult. Didn't know it required entrance ticket since I have never been to any book fair prior to this. :P Anyway, no entrance ticket is required for TY. Hehehe... Oh yes, we bump into one of hubby's business partner there also.

There is so many people in that book fair. Kid can easily get lost in the crowds. Honestly, I don't quite understand myself as to why I decided to come for this book fair. Being a "banana" myself, I can hardly read chinese. Probably that explained why I didn't manage to buy even a single book from the tons of book that available there.

There is just so many people there.
Am glad to see there is still many people love reading.

There is tons of book in the book fair.
The book is arranged neatly and is just awaiting for someone to grab it.

Well, I didn't go home empty hand though. It's just so not me if I go home emptied hand. Hehehe... I bought some educational CD-Rom, VCD and DVD for TY. Well, I personally don't quite fond with the idea of TY watching TV or computer even if it is for education purpose. At least not for now. I know she will get "hooked" to it easily. But TY's father (aka my hubby) insisted that we buy some as he believe these programs is far more effective and easier for her to learn.

The educational DVD, VCD and CD-Rom for TY

The I bought a box of oldies song CD. Recently, I have fall in love all over again with oldies. By the way, that oldies song box set is really expensive It cost me close to RM 200 for it!! Hubby on the other hand have bought something for himself as well. He bought the Dragonball and Dragon Ball Z anime box set. Hehehe...

For myself - Oldies song box set. WH's anime box set is not pictured

I really can't believe that I can be such a failure!!! Went to book fair but didn't manage to buy any books. But bought other stuff that I should not buying instead.. Sob.. Sob..