Monday, May 20, 2013


Healthy Alternative to Mattar Paneer (Peas and Cheese)

 
  

This is NOT the creamy version, but is still very tasty and goes very well with naan or roti.

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp cumin seeds

1 red onion diced

½ each of red pepper, orange pepper, yellow pepper diced

¼ cup green peas

1 block of paneer cut into cubes

1 -  2 tsp olive oil

Salt to taste

1/8 tsp sugar

½ tsp dried crushed red chillies (optional)

Ensure frying pan is large enough to contain all ingredients.

Turn stove on and ensure pan is very hot. Pour oilive oil into pan.

When oil is hot enough, throw in mustard seeds and cumin seeds. You should hear it pop.

Then put in onions and saute.

Sprinkle sugar over the onions.

Toss in all peppers and paneer. Stir.

Add salt to taste

Add dried crushed red chillies

Monday, May 13, 2013

Kid Friendly, Heart Healthy - Banana Nut Bread or Blueberry Banana Bread

 
Kid Friendly, Heart Healthy – Banana Nut Bread or Blueberry Banana Bread

 


 
 

 

My next few entries will be healthier foods moms and dads can make with their children and for their children. I’m no chef so if I can do it, anybody can.

Recipes that are easy and fast and taste yummy for kids and adults.

Ellil and I baked this together. It’s easy to make and “Delicious!” as quoted by Ellil.

1 ¼  cup all purpose flour*

¼ cup whole wheat flour*

3 ripened bananas

¼ cup walnuts or ½ cup blueberries

1/3 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

¾ cup flaxseed oil

¼ tsp vanilla extract

¼ tsp salt

Makes 16 slices. Entire load consumed in a 48 hour period!

Mash bananas in a bowl. Add vanilla extract, oil and eggs. Mix all dry ingredients in another bowl (both flours, brown sugar, cinnamon powder, baking soda, salt)

Pour all ingredients into one bowl and mix

Add nuts/blueberries.

Stir

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray oil inside a loaf pan.

Pour batter into the pan

Bake for 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre of bread comes out clean

*Each subsequent time you make this, increase ratio of whole wheat flour to all purpose flour and see if your kids notice the difference. Ellil noticed when I did ¾ all purpose and ¾ whole wheat flour. She didn’t like it as much. So my ratio is 1 cup all purpose flour to ½ cup whole wheat flour.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Rest of book - Great Read.


Chapters 9 – 11 Great Book

 

 

Having finished this book and re-skimming it again, I have to say it was a terrific read. There were lessons to learn, much to think about and tons of research and statistics to back up a lot of what I was already feeling.

There’s something for everyone in this book. The parts that stood out to me were the parts that affected me most given my life and choices. So different parts of the book will impact different people but the take away will be the same.

It’s a book I hope to draw from again and again. Now that I’ll be going back to work with 2 kids at home, the timing of this read has been perfect.

Chapter 8’s title, ‘The myth of doing it all’. The best thing I took from this chapter is that studies show that “exclusive maternal care was not related to better or worse outcomes for children”. So one days that I am feeling especially guilty about going to work and leaving my 2 babies behind, I will know in the back of my head that I’m not ruining their future!

Oh, and the factors that did influence children positively…emotional intimacy between the parents, father’s involvement in the kids, and mothers who favour ‘self-directed child behaviour’.
Factors that every couple can work on. Hurray!

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Chapter 8: My favourite


My favourite chapter so far: Chapter 8

 

 

I must admit I have not read the entire book yet but so far this has to be my favourite chapter. it is one topic that doesn’t get talked about enough but has a pertinent effect on how well a gal can do in this world, professionally speaking. It’s a critical read for guys and gals alike and is titled, “Make your partner a real partner”.
Bottom line, if you’re an ambitious girl with skills to pay the bills, but also wants to come home to a healthy, happy family you need to find a man who understands this and is willing to work harder than previous generations in order to make this happen. I say ‘man’ specifically because same sex couples tend to have a more balanced division of labour in their relationships than heterosexual couples. So boys must roll up their sleeves in the house and lean into the home just as their girls are leaning into their work.

I am lucky. I found a man who is in many ways the type of man that is desired according to this chapter. Needless to say I felt very proud and even a little smug that I figured this little tidbit out totally subconsciously. It wasn’t that I went looking specifically for these ‘skill sets’ or asked questions about his childhood to ensure he would be of a certain type but it  had to have been those very traits that drew me to him.

The fact that he knew his way around a kitchen better than me, for example. He owned a restaurant when we first met and it was always a packed house when he did the cooking. Hands down, fantastic chef. I’ve always been well fed thanks to the culinary skills of Mama Ghosh and after marriage I continue to be well fed thanks to Raj.

I could give you example after example to illustrate how he’s a great husband and a terrific father, but you probably don’t want to read all that. Instead I’ll leave you with one thought.  If your children can be raised in a home where they don’t associate tasks as ‘blue’ or ‘pink’ but rather a choice that either parent completes for the sake of the family unit, aren’t we all better off?

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Chapter 7


Chapter 7

 

 

Sorry I missed the last couple of days but Rohit has been sick and I needed to give him all my attention. He is getting better now, slowly but surely. He’s on two puffers twice a day to help with his terrible cough and cold. Not easy for him, poor kid. But he still manages to smile and show me his beautiful dimples.

In this Chapter, titled ‘Don’t leave before you leave’ the discussion is about women who plan for their exit without even properly entering the workforce. The assumption being that since 'one day I will get married and have kids, maybe I should not go for the tough jobs but take something more peripheral so it’s not so demanding for when I do have other priorities'. I can’t say that I consciously have made this decision. Have you or do you know anybody who has?

Actually, now that I think about it…I did do something similar. After I finished my MBA one of my choices was to go into consulting and after discussing with a bunch of different people, particularly my father, I decided not to go into the field because of the constant travelling involved and I was asked if I’d be ok doing all this travelling and living out of a suitcase after I got married and had little kids? I decided ‘no’ and so didn’t take the offer. However, the field I ultimately ended up deciding on has serendipitously been the best choice for me.

See, the world is conspiring in our favour?! Even when I made an incorrect decision according to chapter 7, it ended up pushing me into the right field!

Ha! Thanks world!