Homemade Grass Jelly (Suong sam )

I am so happy and excited because my plant grass jelly finally had enough leaves for me to make some fresh jelly. Yes, this grass jelly is not made from powder but from a plant. The grass jelly is also called suong sam in Vietnam . It is a vine with heart shaped leaves. The leaves are extracted with water using both hands rubbing on leaves back and forth until all the green part in the leaves are out in the water. Strain and collect the green liquid water. Then put a little of the cuttlebone powder to make into jelly. This jelly is very different than any jelly from the store. It is very refreshing, chewy, and it have a cooling effect on the body. The botanical name of this plant is called tiliacora triandra. This is such a natural and yummy dessert!!!

My Potted Figs

It's the fig season here in PA. My fig trees are loaded with figs! The ronde de bordeaux is the early fig because I already getting some ripe figs. The figs this year are larger than last year. I have six different fig trees. These fig trees grow so fast!

Figs are so sweet when ripe and good for your health. It is rich in potassium and calcium which helps to maintain blood pressure and prevent bone thinning. The soluble fiber, called pectin, in figs helps in reducing blood cholesterol. Consuming figs also helps in aiding digestion and taming various stomach and bowel-related problems. It's also a good source of dietary fiber that have a positive effect on weight management....meaning a sweet way to lose weight! I'm going to eat a lot of figs now....hehehehe.