Any mothers handling two kids out there? Aren't we brave? Especially if we are managing with little help from the family and trying to juggle a job, doing the housework, keeping the older one happy and the husband is at peace?
Is that all really possible? Well, truth be told, I actually have help with my mom being in the same city. I am ever so often able to sneak in a movie or dinner date with my husband... so why am I still complaining? Well, it's rare that I have cooked to please myself in the last few months, my husband is away most o the weeks so I have no-one to share or blame my infants wailing with! Most days I don't make it to a bath before 4pm and if so have to hurry out to the sound of a wailing infant or a toddler mad at me for giving the younger one a snack before my older one, also I always seem to have a niggling ache in my lower back or legs and seem tired all the time! Top this with the pressure to lose the baby weight, my daughter is 6 months already and at this point the first time around I had lost most of my weight.
So today at 1am I decided to give myself some much deserved "ME" time without thinking about my weight or about eating a meal of stewed apple with Indian bread (parantha) for my lunch. I watched Gossip Girls and a re-run of Grey's Anatomy. I ate myself silly all through the day and am now in the midst of baking a yummy chocolate cake all for myself - it has butter, real chocolate, eggs, flour and some ragi flour (didn't have buckwheat) so I am hoping it cannot go wrong...
My daughter will be awake in a couple of hours or her feed but I plan to be sneaky. Psst... tomorrow is a holiday and my mom isn't working...if the children are too noisy I plan to fall asleep and leave them with her and she has no idea about this unless she reads this blog! Have you ever tried that?
The chocolate cake is real easy and inspired by La Tartine Gourmande.
4 eggs + 1/2c sugar beaten till doubled in size
100gm butter + 100gm chocolate melted together - either simmering over a bowl or in the microwave
Beat together the above. Add some vanilla extract or essence or vanilla beans
add 1/2c ragi flour and 1/2c all purpose flour (original recipe calls or almond flour) and gently fold into liquid mixture.
Bake at 170C for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
I thought I went a couple of minutes overboard and the cake would have been more moist if I had taken it out on time!
But, it is really good because I am on my 3rd slice and 1:30am is no time to get a nice pic :D!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Saturday, March 23, 2013
A "comeback" of sorts...
Loads of women are asked whether they are going to make a "comeback" to the workforce after they've had a baby and have been looking after their kids and they feel like never stopped working.
The 5 month old new addition to my family is a bundle of joy and we are already taking baby steps into the world of food... after freshly pureed rice cereal she has the pleasure of being introduced to a pureed bottle gourd with a dash of carrots and spinach. And though she looks at me with accusing eyes and watches me eat like a hawk... I am happy to report she is a foodie!
Meanwhile, with all the bed rest I had during pregnancy and having a baby itself I had to take a break from my kitchen for 7 months but I have taken baby steps back into the kitchen. I have just been re-trying my recipes - banana cake, apple cake, strawberry cheesecake and figuring out ways to make it healthier for the group of kids that hang out with my 4 year old and their mother's! We mother's seem to be on a constant lookout to reinvent foods and figure out how to get another serving of veggies or fruits into our children and I am going to dedicate part of my time and in trying to make regular recipes pack a punch with fiber and fruit hidden in them. Most of the food being baked is only to satisfy the hunger pangs of the family and there have been an occasional cake thrown in here and there.
What"s been keeping me busy?
Arav, my son's, 4th birthday cake... 40 days after my daughter was born. Really tough to work on given the timeline and feed schedule of my baby.
Celebrating my princess completing her 1st month.
Strawberry and mascarpone.... desserts with the family.
Another view of my son's 4th birthday cake :)!
Hopefully, I shall be up and running and full of posts for you all soon.
The 5 month old new addition to my family is a bundle of joy and we are already taking baby steps into the world of food... after freshly pureed rice cereal she has the pleasure of being introduced to a pureed bottle gourd with a dash of carrots and spinach. And though she looks at me with accusing eyes and watches me eat like a hawk... I am happy to report she is a foodie!
Meanwhile, with all the bed rest I had during pregnancy and having a baby itself I had to take a break from my kitchen for 7 months but I have taken baby steps back into the kitchen. I have just been re-trying my recipes - banana cake, apple cake, strawberry cheesecake and figuring out ways to make it healthier for the group of kids that hang out with my 4 year old and their mother's! We mother's seem to be on a constant lookout to reinvent foods and figure out how to get another serving of veggies or fruits into our children and I am going to dedicate part of my time and in trying to make regular recipes pack a punch with fiber and fruit hidden in them. Most of the food being baked is only to satisfy the hunger pangs of the family and there have been an occasional cake thrown in here and there.
What"s been keeping me busy?
Arav, my son's, 4th birthday cake... 40 days after my daughter was born. Really tough to work on given the timeline and feed schedule of my baby.
Celebrating my princess completing her 1st month.
Strawberry and mascarpone.... desserts with the family.
Another view of my son's 4th birthday cake :)!
Hopefully, I shall be up and running and full of posts for you all soon.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
BIG MOVE - moving cities
Anyone who has moved with a toddler in tow and changed the poor kid's school thrice in 3 month would know what I was going through!
It has been a crazy time at my end and I still have no internet! I have moved a couple of cities in my 32 years on this earth but never has been a move so hectic and so chaotic yet I had all the support possible with my mom living a stone's throw away :)!
So, within India I moved from the Northern parts (Gurgaon) to Western India (Mumbai)! A move that I have longed to do for a very very long time... just didn't realize I would be doing it when my toddler just started big school in Delhi. And a couple of weeks into school we were headed to Mumbai for a break and then when we knew of the move he had to start his second school with a vacation of just 2 weeks... so that he can secure a seat in the chaotic world of schools!
AT last things are settled (not) - we have our place in order, the stuff has moved and am still trying to put things in their rightful place. The toddler has finally gotten admission in the school we wanted and is happily settled. We still need the internet so I can blog... and show you all some cool pics of the sea view from our new place and the things I have been baking in humid humid Mumbai!!!!
Bear with me - we should have some blog posts coming up pretty soon (umm, two weeks tops I think :))!!!!
It has been a crazy time at my end and I still have no internet! I have moved a couple of cities in my 32 years on this earth but never has been a move so hectic and so chaotic yet I had all the support possible with my mom living a stone's throw away :)!
So, within India I moved from the Northern parts (Gurgaon) to Western India (Mumbai)! A move that I have longed to do for a very very long time... just didn't realize I would be doing it when my toddler just started big school in Delhi. And a couple of weeks into school we were headed to Mumbai for a break and then when we knew of the move he had to start his second school with a vacation of just 2 weeks... so that he can secure a seat in the chaotic world of schools!
AT last things are settled (not) - we have our place in order, the stuff has moved and am still trying to put things in their rightful place. The toddler has finally gotten admission in the school we wanted and is happily settled. We still need the internet so I can blog... and show you all some cool pics of the sea view from our new place and the things I have been baking in humid humid Mumbai!!!!
Bear with me - we should have some blog posts coming up pretty soon (umm, two weeks tops I think :))!!!!
Monday, May 28, 2012
SRC - Spicy Chicken Fajitas!
Running late on the blog post for SRC - the summer is crazy - have been at my mom's - trouble with the internet then computer, than sick and clingy toddler and me suffering from allergies so all in all I have been unfair to my assignment even though I had a month to savor Sarah's blog with all her wonderful recipes... Fantastical Sharing of Recipes.
I bookmarked a lot of recipes... but made one and the recipe can be found here - http://fantasticalsharingofrecipes.blogspot.in/search?q=fajitas
I used shredded chicken that I had made earlier with Indian spices and an Indian flatbread made of wholewheat to make it kid friendly for my toddler... and he kinda gave it a go for a change!
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs boiled with cloves, bay leaf, whole black pepper, onion and salt
2 chicken legs shredded and sauteed with cooked tomato and onion puree coriander powder, paprika, salt and olive oil
more onions and pepper for lightly sauteed for fajitas
cheese (i used slices as my shredded cheeze waqs over)
Indian flat bread (roti) (recipe to be up soon)
Recipe:
For chicken: Take a pan with oil and add tomato and onion puree, saute till it leaves oil and add chicken and all spices - add a couple of tablespoons of water and cook till dry.
In another pan saute some onions and green pepper
Cook the Indian flatbread on a girdle - add all the toppings, top with some cheese and more spices as per required and fajitas are ready.
The original recipe called for beef but we only eat chicken and fish at home ... so I had to tweak the recipe around a bit! Sorry, do not have picasa to touch up my pictures... so please bare with the quality this time around!!!
I bookmarked a lot of recipes... but made one and the recipe can be found here - http://fantasticalsharingofrecipes.blogspot.in/search?q=fajitas
I used shredded chicken that I had made earlier with Indian spices and an Indian flatbread made of wholewheat to make it kid friendly for my toddler... and he kinda gave it a go for a change!
Ingredients:
4 chicken legs boiled with cloves, bay leaf, whole black pepper, onion and salt
2 chicken legs shredded and sauteed with cooked tomato and onion puree coriander powder, paprika, salt and olive oil
more onions and pepper for lightly sauteed for fajitas
cheese (i used slices as my shredded cheeze waqs over)
Indian flat bread (roti) (recipe to be up soon)
Recipe:
For chicken: Take a pan with oil and add tomato and onion puree, saute till it leaves oil and add chicken and all spices - add a couple of tablespoons of water and cook till dry.
In another pan saute some onions and green pepper
Cook the Indian flatbread on a girdle - add all the toppings, top with some cheese and more spices as per required and fajitas are ready.
The original recipe called for beef but we only eat chicken and fish at home ... so I had to tweak the recipe around a bit! Sorry, do not have picasa to touch up my pictures... so please bare with the quality this time around!!!
Monday, April 30, 2012
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: SRC
It's that time of the month again - SECRET RECIPE CLUB time - an initiative taken by Amanda from www.amandascookin.com! Sally's blog www.bewitchingkitchen.com has so many wonderful recipes - especially Bread & Brazilian ones - that it was a very tough choice for me to make. She seems to be a domestic goddess at bread making and I just can't do it. So I tried a no knead Foccacia (great, easy recipe) but I made it with regular flour and it turned out hard as rock. I decided bread making was just not for me.
Then at my son's insistence I ended up making her brown butter chocolate chip cookies that were simply delicious and a perfect snack to make my toddler smile when sneaked into his snack-box.
The week has been rather crazy with my boy and me trying to juggle the 40 minute commute to school one way , I have been under the weather, the weekend was packed with errands so it was a great achievement for me to have the pictures, food and post ready yesterday!
But there had to be a catch! As my husband once told me I am the queen of last minute and can never get things done before time. Once I had to deliver an order and baked the cakes in advance leaving them on my dining table for cooling. My help moved them to the kitchen to cool and there were ants crawling over them when I got back home from running my errands and thinking all I had to do was frost them.
So, my toddler and I usually leave the house at 730am for school and I stay at my MIL's till noonish (who's house is 10 mins away from his school), which is when I head back to his school to pick him up. We come back eat lunch, play for bit and head back on our 40 minute commute. So today morning I was all packed and ready to leave - with all his things and my new SONY (http://www.sony.co.in/product/dsc-hx100v) to add the pics to my blog post and when I reached my MIL's I realized I hadn't got the cord to transfer the pictures to the laptop! You should definitely see the pictures when the post goes up but if you don't you'd know what happened!
Phew, so check out the recipe, tweaked a bit with ingredients I had on hand, and please check back for the pictures :)!
Ingredients
100 grams butter (heated to give it a tan color and cooled)
1 cup brown sugar (could have reduced to 3/4 cup)
1 cup chocolate chip cookies
11/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup oats
1 egg
Recipe
Cream the cooled butter and sugar together. Add a egg and whip well. Add flour and baking soda and mix with a spatula till dough like. Add chocolate chips and mix well. I made about ten cookies with this (yes I have a tiny oven) and found them a bit sweet. So to the remaining mixture I added 1/2 cup of quick cooking oats or even 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted almonds would have worked and baked the rest of the cookies with this dough.
Both turned out yum according to the husband and the baby - that had fun dunking them in milk and eating them.
An hour and half to go and I got my pics ready...
Then at my son's insistence I ended up making her brown butter chocolate chip cookies that were simply delicious and a perfect snack to make my toddler smile when sneaked into his snack-box.
The week has been rather crazy with my boy and me trying to juggle the 40 minute commute to school one way , I have been under the weather, the weekend was packed with errands so it was a great achievement for me to have the pictures, food and post ready yesterday!
But there had to be a catch! As my husband once told me I am the queen of last minute and can never get things done before time. Once I had to deliver an order and baked the cakes in advance leaving them on my dining table for cooling. My help moved them to the kitchen to cool and there were ants crawling over them when I got back home from running my errands and thinking all I had to do was frost them.
So, my toddler and I usually leave the house at 730am for school and I stay at my MIL's till noonish (who's house is 10 mins away from his school), which is when I head back to his school to pick him up. We come back eat lunch, play for bit and head back on our 40 minute commute. So today morning I was all packed and ready to leave - with all his things and my new SONY (http://www.sony.co.in/product/dsc-hx100v) to add the pics to my blog post and when I reached my MIL's I realized I hadn't got the cord to transfer the pictures to the laptop! You should definitely see the pictures when the post goes up but if you don't you'd know what happened!
Phew, so check out the recipe, tweaked a bit with ingredients I had on hand, and please check back for the pictures :)!
Ingredients
100 grams butter (heated to give it a tan color and cooled)
1 cup brown sugar (could have reduced to 3/4 cup)
1 cup chocolate chip cookies
11/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup oats
1 egg
Recipe
Cream the cooled butter and sugar together. Add a egg and whip well. Add flour and baking soda and mix with a spatula till dough like. Add chocolate chips and mix well. I made about ten cookies with this (yes I have a tiny oven) and found them a bit sweet. So to the remaining mixture I added 1/2 cup of quick cooking oats or even 1/2 cup roughly chopped toasted almonds would have worked and baked the rest of the cookies with this dough.
Both turned out yum according to the husband and the baby - that had fun dunking them in milk and eating them.
An hour and half to go and I got my pics ready...
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