The day I had to deal with a big RED stain on my WHITE carpet

This topic might sound totally absurd to most.But moms of toddlers , who live in carpeted houses and that too on light coloured ones , will definitely share my panic, when my little girl spilled her favourite cranberry drink thus leaving a big red stain on our white carpet:-(

After being extra cautious all the time , spills are almost inevitable ,leaving us with the toughest job that has to follow - cleaning it.We might turn mad at the instant of a spill, but somewhere inside our hearts we know ," They are kids and they don't do it intentionally and its all a part of the game".

Now getting back to the RED stain story, I remember trying all the carpet cleaning stuffs I had instore with me.But nothing really seemed to work on this partcular stain.Finally, I decided to google ,hoping I would land onto a good cleaning agent that removes the red stains.The search engine listed back lots of results.A particular method seemed interseting and I decided to give it a try.Thank GOD, it did work absolutely fine for me removing the entire stain.

So peer moms, if anyone of you too have to deal with an ugly stain that I had too, don't panic.Instead give this a try.Here goes the link that might prove helpful to you too...

http://www.howtoremovecarpetstains.com/redstainscarpet.html

Finally, may GOD bless you all with truckloads of patience to deal with hundred such inevitable chores that keeps coming on the way as byproducts in our journey of parenting!!!!

Mixed Pasta

One of my little one's favourite.She simply loves Pasta.So I try including everything to it to make it really nutritious and filling .

Ingredients

Pasta - 1 cup
Finely chopped vegetables(Potato,Brocoli,Carrot,Beans,Spinach,Mushroom ) - 1 cup altogether
Tomato - 1/2
Minced fish/chicken - 1/4 cup
Egg - 1
Salt - as required
Butter / oil - as required

Method

1. Boil pasta in water and salt for about 10 minutes in an open vessel.Drain the water and keep aside the cooked pasta.
2. Chop all vegetables in desired shapes and sizes( I prefer to cut everything into small square pieces) and cook this in little salt .
3. Cook chicken /fish with little salt and pepper powder and mince it.
4. Boil the egg and cut into small pieces or scramble the egg(the way your little one likes it)
5. Make puree out of the cut tomato pieces(Add litle water and cook the tomato pieces to make a puree).
6. Add little butter or oil in a hot non stick pan.Keep adding little pasta and mix it with little vegetables, fish/chicken, egg and tomato puree and continue mixing everything alternatively like this.
7. Add grated cheese(Parmesean cheese) on top of the hot pasta.

(If you are not adding chicken/fish , a little milk can be added to the vegetable/egg pasta.If you add milk the pasta will be more creamier and soft.Adding milk is not advisable if fish/chicken are used for certain health reasons.)

Instant Moong Dal Dosa

A very easy to prepare instant moong dal dosa which does not require fermentation.You can prepare this in 10 minutes

Ingredients

Moong Dal - 1/4 cup
Powdered Fennel seed - 1/4 tsp
Finely chopped onion - 1/2 tbsp
Finely cut coriander leaves - 1/4 tsbsp
Salt - as required
Oil - as required

Method

1. Grind moong dal with the other ingredients mentioned above( except oil) with required water to a fine batter.

2. Heat oil in a non stick pan and pour a ladle of the batter and spread it evenly into the shape of a dosa.
3. Cook the dosa on a low fame by frying both the sides.

If you soak the moong dal for few hours , it will be easier to grind and will be more nutritious.The above quantity of ingredients serves to make a dosa.The quantities can be increased accordingly to make more dosas.

Dear Princess

Dear Princess,

I am not very sure why am writing this down.But one day when you become big enough to read , you might be happy to find out how you have changed my life forever.

I remember ,I was more anxious than happy when I was expecting you.When I first held you in my arms, I never realised that you are born to take me to a special world.Actually, I was busy wondering why your dad and my parents were running around with joy.I have never seen them so thriled in my whole life.

Finally, when I had to take care of you all alone , that is when you were around 5 months old , I was a bit tensed as to how I would handle you.I really dont rememeber when I started enjoying each moment with you.You were always a cutie pie full of smiles.You found everything around you interesting.I used to be surprised , when you were a lot happy over little things. DEAR, that was the first lesson I had learnt from you,appreciating every little thing around.

Our greatest fun started when you started talking.Your first word was APPA and you used to call everyone around as APPA.I know you share a special bond with your appa.NO, am not envious:-).Infact ,I am a happier person seeing you both share this special bond.

You were a real good girl when we had to travel all the way from Bangalore to Melbourne where we are now.We were worried that you will find it difficut to adjust over here.But you were fascinated by the new world and you found the parks and playgroups here interesting.

Today, when I am writing down this, you are 2 years & 7 months old.You now talk so well and understand almost everything.You love rhymes, painting and playing in sand.You start your day helping your appa choose his shoes to office and you are behind him , reminding everything he has to do , which used to be my role until recently.Finally when you hug him good bye to office, I can see the spark in his eyes.And my day with you starts after that.You love to watch me cooking and sometimes you drive me crazy making up a mess of the entire house. You love listening to stories.We have bought you four plants and looking after them, is your favourite hobby all these days.

You have started going to a day care last week and you are enjoying thoroughly over there.It is wonderful to watch you carry your little bag and go to school.

Dear , you have made me emphatetic and now my heart aches when I see a little one like you in pain.I now understand than never before ,the terrible lives of starving babies and the lives of the little ones who are suffering from painful diseases.I wish ,I coud help them all.

You also have made me love my parents more.Until you were born , I used to think my parents were overcaring.But now I understand their sincere concerns and love them than never before.

Dear , YOU are our sunshine and our happiness.Everything in our life revolves around you.You bring unexplainable happiness to us each moment.

Dear little one, keep growing into a lovely person with a beautiful heart.Never hurt or judge anyone in your life.Love everything around you and radiate joy wherever you go.Make the world a better place because you were here.My only prayer to GOD is to give you the wisdom to choose what is right always.

Love YOU dear DIYA, beyond what I can express in words.
GOD bless you always.

Lots of love,
Amma(Blessy)
Dated Forever

A Thought

Everything in life is difficult before it becomes easy

Bread Banana Pudding

A healthy , tasty very easy to make pudding.Sice it has bread, fruits ,egg and milk its an ideal one time meal.

Ingredients

White bread pieces - 6 nos(with sides removed)
Egg - 1
Banana - 2
Cardomom powder - a pich
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Corn flour - 3 tbsp
Maida - 1 spoon
Butter - 3 spoons
Cashews, raisins and almonds for garnishing.

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Take a small vessel and apply butter on all sides.
3. Pour the mixture into a greased vessel and place it in a pressure cooker.
4. Cook upto 2 whistles.
5. Garnish with cashews, raisins and almonds.

(The recipie can tried with bread alone or different propotions of bread and banana as you have at hand.The same recipie can be tried with apples instead of banana.But the apple should be precooked into a pulp and can be mixed with bread.)

Fish Cutlet

A tasty, finger food with fish and potatoes.


Ingredients

Boneless fish - 1/2 kg
Onion - 2 nos(finely chopped)
Ginger - 2 tbsp(finely chopped)
Green chilly - 3 nos(finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 2 tbsp(finely chopped)
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Potato(medium) - 1 (boiled & mashed)
Salt - as required
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Egg - 1(Beat well)
Bread crumbs - 1 cup
Oil - as required (for frying)

For marinating fish

Ginger , gralic paste - 1tsp
Pepper powder - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as required

Method

1. Clean and marinate the fish pieces with ginger garlic paste,pepper powder ,turmeric powder and salt for half an hour.
2. Cook well and allow it to cool.
3. Mince it with hand(should not mash).
4. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan.
5. Add chopped onion,ginger,green chilly and curry leaves and saute well by adding salt.
6. Add mashed potato,pepper powder and garam masala and mix well with the onion mixture.
7. Add minced fish to the above mixture and mix well.
8. Allow the above mixture to cool.
9. Beat well the egg by adding salt and pepper powder.
10.Make balls out of the mixture and sahpe into oval shaped cutlets.
11.Dip the cutlets into beaten egg,coat it evenly with bread crumbs and fry it in oil.

(The same recipie can be followed to make chicken and beef cutlets replacing fish with chicken or beef for the respective cutlets).

Chicken Nuggets

A tasy finger food.

Ingredients

Chicken(boneless) - 250 gm
Egg - 1
Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Onion(small) - 1 (finely chopped)
Plain flour - 1/4 Cup
Bread crumbs - 1/2 tsp
Oil - as require(for frying)
Salt - as required.

Method

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with gralic paste, pepper powder and salt.
2. Stir in chopped onion and continue mixing.
3. Mince the chicken pieces by grinding in a mixer.
4. Place the minced meat in refrigerator for 1/2 an hour.
5. Roll the minced meat into nuggets and coat with plain flour.
6. Meanwhile beat an egg.
7. Dip each flour coated nuggets into egg and roll in bread crumbs.
8. Heat sufficient oil in a frying pan and deep fry the chicken nuggets into a golden brown colour.

Vegetable Omelette

An ideal breakfast item.Besan flour helps to put on weight and when coupled with vegetables this becomes a very nutritious and balanced toddler food.

Ingredients

Besan Flour - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1/2(finely chopped)
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - few(finely chopped)
Carrot -1/4 (grated)
Oil
Water
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
pepper - as required

Method

1. Make a batter of besan flour with little salt and water.
2. Add grated carrot, chopped onion, green chilly and curry leaves.
3. Heat oil in a non stick pan and pour a ladle of the mixed batter and spread it over the pan like an omelette and fry on both sides until well cooked.
4. Sprinkle cumin powder and pepper powder on the vegetable omelette.

(The recipie can be improvised by adding any finely cut vegetables.)

Rice Porridge

You can try out this recipie as an afternoon meal once a week .The boredom of the usual meal can be overcome with this tasty , nutritious porridge.

Ingredients

Rice - 1/4 cup
Milk - 4 cups( 3 cups if your little one likes thick consistency)
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardomom - 5 nos

For garnishing

Cashews - as reqd
Raisins - as reqd
Ghee for frying

Method

1. Mix all the ingredients in a pressure cooker.
2. Cook on high flame till the first whistle.Lower the fire after it and cook for half an hour.
3. Fry cashews and raisins in ghee and garnish the payasam.

Carrot Muffin

An interesting easy to prepare wheat flour muffin with grated carrot.This is an ideal tour snack.Since it contains flour, egg & milk, its filling and a handy nutritious snack .

Ingredients

For Muffins

Wheat Flour - 11/2 cups
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/4 cup
Egg White - 2 nos
Vanilla Essence - 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/2

For Decoration

White or Black cooking chocalte - 200gm
Almond Flakes , Cashew Flakes -1/4 cup

Method

Muffin

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F for 10 minutes.
2. Grease the muffin tray with cooking oil or butter.
3. Stir together wheat flour , baking powder in a large bowl.
4. Beat sugar and butter until creamy(3-5 mins)
5. Add egg one at a time , beating well after each one.
6. Add vanilla essence.
7. Add the flour mixture alternatively with milk , beating well after each addition(1-2 mins)

8. Pour the mixture into the muffin tray and bake for 30 mins.

Decoration

1.Double cook the cooking choclate (Place the vessel with the cooking choclate into a bigger vessel with water and allow it to boil)
2.Now decorate the baked muffins by spreading evenly the cooking choclate and add alomond flakes and cashew flakes on the top .


Plain flour(Maida) can be used instead of wheat flour for tastier, softer muffins.Grated carrot also can be avoided to make plain mufins.The decoration is also optional

Egg - Carrot Omelette

This is a very filling healthy meal.I prefer giving this to my little one as breakfast.

Ingredients

Egg - 1
Carrot - 1/4 piece(finely grated)
Onion - 1/4 (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - few( finely chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Oil

Method

1. Beat the egg well.
2. Add grated carrot, chopped onion,coriander leaves,turmeric powder,pepper powder and salt and beat it well again.

3. Heat oil in a non stick pan and pour the mixture and spread as you do for the normal egg omelette.
4. Cook over low flame till the mixture is firm.Flip and fry the other side too.

This recipie can be improvised by adding finely chopped spinach or cabbage instead of carrot.An alternative is to add small equal quantities of grated carrot, cabbage and spinach.

Potato Omelette

Potatoes are packed full of lots of important vitamins and minerals. They are a great low fat energy source for growing children.You can try out this recipie if your little one started getting tired of the normal way you prepare potatoes for her.

Ingredients

Potatao - 1 big
Onion - 1 medium size
Egg - 1
Green chilly - 1
Pepper Powder - 1/2 tsp
Corrainder leaves - 2 tbsp(finely chopped)
Salt - as required
Oil

Method

1. Boil the potataoes.Peel the skin off the boiled potataoes and mash it well.
2. Break the egg into a bowl and beat it well.
3. Chop green chilly and onion finely.
4. Mix all the ingredients well except oil.
5. Pour little oil into a non stick apn..
6. Pour one tbsp of the mixture in the hot pan and spread it pressing lightly with the back of a spoon.
7.Cook it until it gets fried on both the sides.

I have tried this recipie using sweet potatoe instead of potatoes also.

Moong Dal Pancake

A tasty and very nutritious pancake.Moong Dal kichadi well boiled is one of the most important weaning items of babies.So there are chances the little one gets tired of it soon.I started preparing this when my girl started disliking the normal moong dal and rice.

Ingredients

Moong Dal - 1 cup
Green chilly - 1/2
Ginger - itsp(finely chopped)
Asafoeiteda - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - few(finely chopped)
Salt - as required
Oil - as required

Method

1. In a bowl stir moong dal, asafoeiteda and cumin seeds.Add enough water and soak it overnight.
2. Drain water and grind the above to a fine batter.Add water only if required .
3. Add the chopped ginger, corriander leaves and required salt.
4. Heat a nonstick pan, smear with oil and pour a ladle full of batter into the hot pan.
5. Turn the pancake upside down .Cook until both sides turn golden brown.

This recipie can be improvised by adding grated jaggery instead of green chilly if your baby prefers the pancake sweet.

Beetroot Juice

This is an easy and interseting recipie for moms who are finding it difficult to make their kids have beet root .It looks colourful and they will never know its the beet root that they hate.This is an equally tasty and refereshing drink for adults.You can replace the soft drink cans in your refrigerators by this healthy and tasty juice...

Ingredients

Beetroot - 1 kg
lemon - 5 nos
Sugar - 1 kg
Grape essence ( optional)- 1 tbsp

Method

1.Peel off the beetroot skin and cut into small pieces.
2.Pressure cook the cut beetroot slices in enough water (the slices should be well immersed in water )for 5 whistles.
3.Squeeze the juice out of lemon and keep it aside.
4 Make syrup out of sugar by stiring it in enough water in a hard bottomed vessel.
5.Now drain the juice from the pressure cookered beetroot slices using a filter and throw off the beetroot slices(the slices would have lost all its color into water now)
6.Set aside until the sugar syrup and the drained beetroot juice is cool.
7.Now mix beetroot juice, sugar syrup and lemon juice together and stir well adding 2 tbsp of grape essence.

(this is a concentrated beetroot syrup and can be diluted with water according to the desired taste of the person while serving.Can be refrigerated in closed bottles and can be used for long)