Cooking Tips & Recipe


Hey ladies, trust you all had a good long weekend!

Haven't celebrated mothers' day yet.. went to the zoo with my gals on fri, so packed with people.

Clover, thanks for the suggestion.. been wanting to bring my gals on a ship too.. The last time I went to this kind of cruise, they serve food, can't remember whether it's chengho. Does this cruise serve food ?

Hey Sophie, the soup looks delicious, it's a good idea to fry the beans in sesame oil hor, more pang. If don't use dun zhong, can just boil in pot ? I'm losing hair too
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think must bu
 
Choc06,
My dd seems quite ok now.Thanks.

We postpone our feast till this Sunday. The birthday girl also seem to prefer another restaurant,will have to go to Sakura another time then.

We brought our dd on a cruise to Penang and Phuket, she actually enjoyed it very much. Especially when we put her in the hourly-rated childcare on board,where she got to play with other kids,with videos,games and art and craft.

Sophie,
Your black bean soup look like a confinement dish to me. My confinement lady said frying the black bean will make it more heaty, and frying with sesame oil will make it even more heaty,which is supposedly good for confinment.

So while I was already having fever after giving birth,I requested my CL not to give me too much heaty confinement food,less ginger, less sesame oil.And she suggested not frying the black beans before cooking the soup.

I didn't take any Hum during pregnancy, partly because I didn't get any Hep A & B Jabs before preg. If I have taken as much Hum as Choc and Littlecat do, I might not be anaemic after giving birth.

I almost fainted at the gynae's clinic while waiting to see him for 1st check-up after giving birth.The clinic assitant took me into a rest room just in time before I collapsed.It was the result of anaemia,constipation and fever all at the same time.
 
Hi Choc,
I think can boil in normal pot, but not sure if there will be smokey flavour, but I also like the normal pot version. Actually, I don't really know the difference between double-boiling and boiling in pot. My mum just says double-boiling is better for things containing herbs so it can release the flavour/effect slowly (?).

My greataunt cooks it in a normal pot. If you don't want to use black chicken and just want a normal soup, and if you dare to eat chicken feet, can use that. I call chicken feet the poor man's collagen. My greataunt doesn't have any tiny lines/wrinkles even at this age, only the major big lines across her forehead. And I remember her skin was very smooth even at the age of 60+. She claims it's the black bean chicken feet soup she drinks twice a week throughout her life, as she cannot afford any bird's nest and stuff like that. Don't know how true this is, but since I grew up drinking chicken feet soup and I love it, I make it for myself regularly. DH has never had chicken feet before he met me, and was shocked that I use it to cook soup and would eat something that has been stepping in its own poo !
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But he has since grown to like to the soup
 
Hi Van,
Good to hear your dd is doing well and active now. Yep, I don't normally fry the black beans while cooking the normal version with chicken or chicken feet, but this time decided to try it since I heard some friend's say it's more fragrant. Oops, didn't know doing it this way will make it heaty! Haha, will wait and see if dh complains if he is heaty today, cos he is a very "heaty" person, and will get constipated even by just eating a bit more meat than usual.

You fainted at gynae's clinic? Oh my... sounds scary... seems like the more I read about pregnancy, the more I feel it's stressful to the body. But I guess the final product of seeing the baby helps overcome all these.
 
Ooh.. I love chicken feet too.. My MIL says the little knob right in the middle of the feet has the most collagen, which I thought is fats !

Think black chicken with black beans should be very yummy, tho I always boil with pork ribs.. but the most important thing like what soph said, good for the skin ;) no need to go for botox !! Thanks for the beauty tip ! I think generally soups can hydrate the skin well .. soph, any more soups ??

Hey van, I think anaemia is quite common in women. You tried red dates with wolfberries tea ? My sis' maid has dizzy spells everytime during that time of the month. Aft drinking this red date tea, she feels better. How come you got fever ? Too heaty is it ?

Have you all boiled black beans, peanuts and soy beans with pork ribs before ? Heard that it's good for children.
 
Choc
I guess the fever is partly due to constipation and partly because of the heaty confinement food. As I usually don't take pork,too much pork during confinement could have add on to my constipation.

The CL said 1st 12 days after giving birth,not supposed to take chicken.So I am only left with pork and fish.

My friend who gave birth two months before me, suggested taking prunes and kiwi food to ease the constipation but it didn't help.I have to get laxatives from pharmacy to solve my constipation. Funny thing is, my CL said I shouldn't take kiwi fruit cos it has lots of "hair" so I will have lots of hair on my body after that, I just laugh it off.

I have boiled black beans and peanuts with pork ribs, but not with the soy beans.Peanuts and Bai2 Mei2 Dou4 with pork ribs is also very nice. You can find Bai Mei Dou in NTUC dried food section.

Another nice soup is Fen3 Ge3 (found in wet market) and peanuts with pork ribs, also very good.
 
Hi Van,
Can I know what dialect group is your confinement lady? Just curious to find out why you cannot take chicken during the 1st 12 days of confinement.

What is Fen3 Ge3? Is it a kind of meat or vegetable?
 
also heard that some people don't take bu and chicken during the first 12th days of conf.. don't know why .. but I know must take lots of wooden fungus to purge the " stale blood" out ..

Fen Ge looks like sweet potato, brown ,the texture is more rough than sweet pot, and I always have problems peeling the skin. The flesh is whitish.. and it's supposed to relief heatiness..

Hey van, what's cooking ? Haven't tried the apple pork chop yet
 
Van,
u poor thing, suffered so much during yr confinement.

for my confinement, different rules. Everyday ginger wine chicken + 2 eggs. After 1+ week then only can eat black fungus (in the same chicken dish) & fish (usually fried in sesame oil). The only fruit allowed is apple. I so scared of the smell and taste of the chicken dish until I dare not preggie again, hahaha...
 
Sophie,
My CL is Hakka, but she is not the only person who said about the chicken.I heard it from a lot of other people too.

Fen Ge is a kind of root vegetable, look like tapioca/sweet potato. So far only can find in wet market. The English name is Pueraria root if I am not wrong. The Zi Yean Seafood at Stirling Road also sell this soup occassionally, or may be every Sunday. Choc is right, it is suppose to relieve heatiness, and good for people who always feel thirsty. It is popular among Cantonese and Hong Kongers. Most Hokkiens don't even hear of this before.

Choc
Tonight is one-pot-has-all soup plus roast chicken drumstick. May try the apple pork chop tomorrow.
 
Sp,
any reason why we can only take black fungus after 1 week? I know abt no chicken for the 1st 12 or 10 days.

Wat is HUM??

Van,
U can really cook.

BTW, anyone of u have tanyu pot?
Isetan sale coming i am thinking to get one.
 
Hello gals!
I just woke up from my nap
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I cannot sleep last nite cos my baby wasn't kicking much...


Sophie,
I think cold storage at Yishun does sell cut up chicken... But not deskinned though. I think it's easy to deskin the chicken... Just peel off the skin and the fats underneath
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. It can get a bit messy though.. kekeke...
Wah... You black bean, black chicken soup sounds delicious. It sounds like confinement soup and heaty...


Van,
Wah... Your anaemic sounds quite bad... Mine was quite bad too after my surgery last year. I can get breathless and faint by just sitting on the sofa and chatting with my mum. But I am much better now
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cos after that I "bu" a lot...


Choc,
Black beans, peanuts and soya beans with pork ribs soup sounds very nutritious and delivious...
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Sometimes when I boil soup, I will add black beans and soya beans... Soya beans can make soup taste "sweeter".
 
I also heard of no chicken for the first 10 days during confinement...

hong,
My gynae also told me no black fungus before... Black fungus "huo" blood, so if still bleeding, may bleed more and can make anaemic worse...
 
hong,
I just saw the Tanyu pots featured in Robinsons newsletter. The sale is on this Wed and Thur.
3.4L Claypot: $115
2L Casserole Pot: $92
Members get additional 25% off

If 25% discount is on the $115 & $92, quite good deal?
 
hi Van, Choc,
Thanks for the explanation on Fen3 Ge3. Will go take a look at it in the wet market one of these days!

Hi lyn,
Ah, how I miss shopping in Cold Storage! But Bishan is dominated by NTUCs
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Yep, I only know this soup is heaty after I cooked it. But the fibre in the beans seem to be doing its job well... I had good bowel movement too... oops, too much info!
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Hey Hong, hum is cockles .. you like ?

Any benefits if cooked in tanyu pots ? My mum cooks soup and rice in it, I dunno why except that when things get chao da inside, you can't see it.. hehe

Hey van, when you do one pot soup, what stock you use ? I always use ikan bilis and kinda sian now..

hey lyn, your bb kicking alot during the day ? My first gal didn't kick much and when I poke my tummy, it moves a little, was quite worrying too.. I know your fears ! When I gave birth, cord was one round her neck..
For the apple pork chop, do you have to peel the skin of the apple ?
 
Sophie,
I saw Isetan is selling 5L tanyu pot for $29 (member). Even cheaper...

I intended to get the pot during the JL sale but didnt cos my mum couldnt make it last min. However, they are selling $45 for 4L.
So Isetan got a better deal. I go back and check the info again.

lyn,
Ah meaning no lack fungus thru-out? I read some of the confinement receipe book that they say black fungus is gd. I think i go and ask the chinese phyisican.

When are u giving birth?
 
Hi Van

I'm relieved to hear that your dd has recovered
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Sounds like you had a pretty tough time after delivery!

Hi Clover

Thanks for sharing your cruise experience! Was the food good and do they have kiddies' menu? I found my long-lost friend (we lost touch for 20 years!) through the Net and she's coming to S'pore for a visit this month and I'm racking my brains where to bring her and her family! Any other suggestions where I can bring her?

Hi Sophie

What is the Tanyu pot used for? I love shopping at Cold Storage too but the nearest for me is at Parkway and it's pretty small.

Hi Choc

I went to b-i-y on Sat - the things there are quite interesting but a bit too pricey. I bought some chocolate moulds and a cookie cutter since I'd already made the long trip there.

Will be trying out a Jap cheesecake recipe tonight. If it turns out well, I'll post the recipe here to share!

Hi lyn

Ya, the black fungus is quite amazing! After I had my first delivery, the bleeding stopped quite fast. Only towards the end of my confinement I started taking black fungus and a few days later, a piece of placenta that was still stuck in the womb got flushed out together with all the stale blood! Luckily the bleeding was not too bad and I didn't need a D & C.
 
hi hong,
Wow, luckily you've checked out the prices already. I didn't know Robinsons would sell things at such a high premium, cos I always thought their housewares are a deal during sales.

hi Annelise,
Actually I have no idea what the benefits of Tanyu pot are. I saw hong asking, and I happened to have the Robinsons newsletter next to me so I informed her of the "sale", which is not such a good deal if Isetan is selling for so much cheaper! Look forward to your cheesecake... post us a picture too!
 
Wah.. so effective ah ? left over placenta came out also ? Didn't really notice mine.. but the older folks were suggesting that the black fungus is effective for high blood pressure

Did you all see the website that van posted the other day about the soups rec for pg women ? Very interesting..

anne, a friend suggested to use the bride and bridegroom's initials on top of the cupcake instead of icing .. thought it was a good idea .. cos icing can be a bit sweet but it looks pretty on the cupcake . Where's the biy shop ?

What's cooking ladies ?
 
Choc and Annelise,
Cheng Ho cruise serves food depending on which itineraries you choose. They have high tea and dinner. Unfortunately no kids menu. I actually brought along my own food for my boy and while we eat will also give him a little to munch. I think this is a good choice for tourist to Sg cos they have narative along the route which I think is meaningful.
 
My cousin wanted to get one of those Tanyu pot as well, was also looking at the Robinsons catalogue. Didn't know the the 5L could be so cheap at Isetan. Always see people demonstrating in HDB neighourhood centre/near market, but didn't check out the prices. Do wonder what's so good about these pots as well.

Choc
I either use chicken or chicken bones for making the stock. Sometimes,I'll pour in the liquid from canned pacific clams in addition to the chicken/bones, it became more flavourful (I love clams).Usually used Ikan Bilis+ soy beans for yong tau hu soup.
 
hahaha.. sophie... Yes, black beans is very good
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I think it tastes quite good too
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choc,
Apparently, soup boiled inside the Tanyu pot will taste better... My mum is asking my to buy one Tanyu pot for my confinement... But I already have so many pots in my kitchen...
I am giving up counting my baby's kicks already. Think he has changed his kicking timing... else very stress leh... My baby seems to be the most active at 6pm now...
For the apple pork chop, I will peel the skin of the apple usually.


sophie,
Robinsons sale this Wed and Thurs ah? For members? Wah.. got 25% so good leh.. I did not receive any newsletter this time leh...


hong,
I am not sure whether is it throughout. I did not take black fungus throughout during my confinement last time
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. I think for people with anaemic, if still bleeding, better dun take too much...
My baby will be coming out in early June
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annelise,
Wah... black fungus so effective ah...

choc,
I just finished a plate of stir fry vege
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Today I am very lazy to cook. I soaked my brown rice, wanna experiment cooking with butter, but too lazy :p So, today I got nothing much cooking...
There are a few types of black fungus. The one that is good for the heart and high blood pressure is white color on one side. Gotta boil it and drink the water... I think it gotta be a 21 days "liao cheng".
 
hi gals, was on leave no time to login during day time. Was trying my 1 day sahm mom, the nanny is aways today,... wow not easy-neh!
Just login now to check office email and can't resists to read some of the posting here...

Van, glad to hear your dd is better now!
I saw u ask about the Kiwi, what i understand is the kiwi is very 'liang' so better avoid during confinement.
I ate lots of black fungus too, they said can get rid of the 'yu-xue' (dirty blood). Also help my constipation some how, and i heard the sesame oil also help in constipation.

Lyn, wow so excited for u, u can see your baby in early june, remember to post photo here!

Btw i didn't get to eat the hum as planned
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And the end i took the ikan selar, i pan fried it. I think i was too excited, at the end got bone stuck at the throat :'(... soob..soob!
This morning still pain, planning to see doctor but dun know what happen after few sneeze and cough, the thing is gone, guess inside my stomach now... phew!
U see hum is still 'safer' to eat!!
 
Thanks to the Mummy who share the Corn Agar Agar recipe. I try it out during the weekends cos it's the most simplist one
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. Glad my hubby likes it.

annelise,
How's your Jap Cheese cake? Heehee...
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Cat_tail,
Glad to know that you like the corn agar agar .My relatives love it too.

Littlecat,
oh mine, how could CAT eat fish and get bone stuck at the throat? ouuuuuuuch!Hope it's already flushed out of your body today with the you-know-what.
Take care.Try to eat more white-meat fish or hmmmmm...... your HUM, then black-meat fish like Ikan Selar/Kumpong.

I also took black fungus(stir fry with pork strips) during confinement,advised by the gynae's assistant,she also said it will ease my constipation and clear the blood.

sp,
How come you can only eat apple during confinement? Not even papaya? I ate lots of papaya. High nutrients and supposed to improve milk flow.
 
Van, hehe this is called 'ren you shi shou, miow you shi 'teeth', miss the bone!

Is your dd back to school yet? what did doc advice after this? like to eat some suppliment to build up inmute systme?

I heard papaya is even better than banana in term of helping the constipation... but doesn't seems to work for your case leh...hor?
 
LittleCat,
My dd is back to school but didn't go for swimming and golf lessons. Doc didn't really advise any thing,we just hope that there won't be 3rd time. She got this overnight pain attack before, and was cured by a Chinese Sinseh(or so we thought).

She has been taking multi-vitamins and Pediasure as she is a fussy/picky eater.

Overall,I think she is quite healthy,didn't fall sick as often as our neighbours and some of her friends(touchwood,Da Ji Li Shi), although she is kind of small-built,but then she is born small, her birth weight's only 2.24kg,partly may be because I didn't eat well during pregnancy.

Haven't been to my aunt's place for very long, even my aunt was asking why I didn't visit her.Wanted to go last week but my daughter's leg... So haven't got a chance to ask her to cook the tapioca noodles for me yet.
 
Van IC, better take a rest and also try not to mix with the rest, school no choice, but other than that stay at home to rest.
What do u mean by 3rd time?

u send her to golf? wow since what age?
m trying to think of something for my son too, but dun know what is suitable..
 
LittleCat,
She attended Kindergolf since Feb this year.It's her dad's idea, I am not really keen to let her take up golf at this age.

For Physical classes for girls, my choice is Swimming,Ballet,Gym, in that order.She attended My Gym at Woodlands for a year,stop to start her swimming class Last Dec.

For boys, my choice would be Swimming,Gym,Aikido.
 
Hey Clover, thanks for the info. went to the cruise website.. will be a good treat for my gals during the hols.. Actually thought of going to Penang or Malacca to PIGOUT .. but the journey's a big long..
What are the plans for June, ladies?

lyn, counting your days down liao huh ? Eat whatever you like now, like crabs, seafood etc.. one month of confinement food very sian one leh .. My friend escaped out one of the days to eat delifrance ..
Brown rice is very nutritious and i took it during confinement, a bit heaty tho, but take more fruits and fluids..

Eh cat, thought you had a hum buffet. I fried about 2 kgs and the flesh was so tender then my mum saw the blood oozing out from the hum and refried it again
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aiyoh.. it became so tough ..
How's your throat now ? I always had that too and will swallow big mouthful of rice.

Yo prisc, howdy ?
Fen ge can be cooked with pork ribs and peanuts, it's to relief heatiness, the cantonese will say that it can relief "bone heatiness".. I'll normally add some red dates and wolfberries in.

Another one is huai san, fresh one, that helps to boost alertness or ti shen.. this one is more common in wet markets and can use chicken to boil with it.

Yo van, thanks for soup stock idea.. Is the gui hua yu also known as huang yu ? Yellow body ?
 
Choc06
Didn't really hear any body calling it Huang Yu. Hope you are not confusing it with Huang Hua Yu,which is much smaller,head rounded,usually eat fried.

Huang Hua Yu has more yellow on the body then Gui Hua Yu,it''s like almost 80% yellow, whereas Gui Hua Yu is only some yellow in the centre.

I'll see whether I can find any picture and post it here.
 
choc06, my hum buffet gone lor and these few day i tried to check at the wet market here still no hum...ok got another excuse to shift out of this place liao!

van.. hmm may be can consider the Aikido since he like to 'fight' and also to tired him...
How is your dd with the golf ? is it tough for them to pick up so young?
 
Aiyoh ... what a pretty boy .. result from eating hum .. and let me guess.. tow hwey, ikan kuning.. black beans ..

Haven't really seen sayur manis in market, thanks for the pics.. take a pic of your mee hoon kuey and show us lei.. u not working today ?

Can't get the soup stock right, Share your recipe hor..

Swimming for boys is good , how about music? my gal is attending yamaha junior music, find it very enriching but got to sit down to practise with her everyday

van, your dd takes cod liver oil ? my no 2 is picky about food too, so I gave her cod liver oil, nuts and brown rice porridge.. she's a herbivore.
 
hi lyn,
you didn't get the Robinsons newsletter? I've scanned in the Baby Section Page and emailed to you, in case you still need to get baby stuff etc. It must be exciting looking forward to seeing you baby... boy right?

Hi Van,
Thanks for the picture of the fen ge. It looks like a skinny yam, like a hybrid between sweet potatao and yam. I'll try this soup when dh complains about heatiness next time.

LittleCat,
Your son does NOT look like a hum!
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but his eyelashes very pretty, can just imagine it fluttering away when he opens and closes his eyes!

Annelise,
How's the cheesecake? *drool*
 
LittleCat,
She enjoys the golf,it doesn't seem tough for her.They have golf clubs in different length for kids at different height.She has started to go on field, and just learnt her full swing.

One girl in her class is doing extremely well, always champion in kid's golf competition.

Only things I don''t like it's that I don't feel that golf is a "real" sport,it's expensive,take up a lot of time, and I don't see the need to start it young.But her dad likes it, what to do?

Your son is very "pretty"(oh, I mean handsome).With nice long lashes, nice and pinky complexion,he can easily disguise as a pretty girl, if his hair is longer.So Yen Tau!

Choc
Gave my dd cod liver oil before, she doesn't like it. I added roast almond to plain yogurt for her.Cookies that I made for her always included chopped nuts and grounded nuts.

Her diet is simple: Fish,Chicken,Egg and Nuts are her favourite and "Main".
 
haha, thanks, his dad will be very proud.. cos everytime people praise his boy, then said his boy looks like dad, then he is like 'flying to sky' liao...

I am working from home today cos got a morning conf call. so will be cooking during lunch, for myself only lah..hehe
i am going to use my traditional home recipe, where we only put ikan bilis to get the soup base. Which is fried the ikan bilis, then put garlic, abit of ginger then put water and boil for about 30min. When ready pull the mee-hoon-kueh in and then add the sayur manis, done.
Cut some chili padi with garlic, put some soya sauce and that's it!

yeah i think swimming is good for kids esp for our kids that have nose problem, swimming can help them.
My son recently refuse to go to swimming pool dun know why
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Yesterday try so hard to persuade him, dad even changed swimming trunk liao..at the end he prefer to stay at home to do colouring...

choc06, for music if u have some background may be easier but for us, know nothing, can't coach him leh... so at the end the mom got to learn how to play also haha...
 
LittleCat,
My girl is attending Yamaha's Junior Music (JMC) Course. I attended Music Wonderland and JMC with her. You don't need to know music to coach.It's "buy one get one free",when you attend the class,you will also learn.

Now I can play all her songs, and read the Tau Key to play my own songs.

I always bring along a thermo flask of Milo for dd to drink immedately after her swimming lessons,to keep her body warm,as she will shiver after she got out of pool.

Your son may be fear of water due to last experience? Did he drink water in accidentally and got panic? They will aslo panic if they feel that they couldn't touch the ground.Did you bring along some toys for him to play in the waddling pool?Pail,scoop,water boat.watering can etc.

May be don't even mention swimming,just say "Let's bring these toys to play at the pool?"
 
Van, oic that is good leh, when i was young always wanted to learn piano, (too much jap comic books & taiwanese luv story book), but i know it won't happen. But now so old liao wait finger all 'stuck'...
How much is the fee per month?
i can see he likes music and like to sing and dance too.
U r right about the golf thing... lucky my ang doesn't know how to play although he keep saying want to pick up this but no action... heng ah!

he used to like to go, but not sure recently what happen, may be watch too much of sharks and crocodile show from National Geographic channel! Another way is to ask my niece and nephew to go then he might want to follow...

They ever dress him like a girl when he was young haha, but too bad no photo.
And my frens also and keep asking me to have a little sister for him so they can dress her like a doll... but too bad it is going to be another boy haha!!

hungry liao going to cook my mee hoon kueh liao !
 


Yah.. JMC doesn't require you to have music background. I have zero music background and this is a good music lesson for me too, like what van said, buy one get one free.. the price is about $215+ for 3 months.. but you have to sit in the lesson with him for 1 hr.

making bee hoon soup with ang go li and veg for lunch..
van, are you continuing your dd with the advanced music course in Yamaha ? My gal is now at book 4.
 

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