Yogurt on face:)

Its a dry weather here and kind of over drying when it comes to dry skin like mine. My baby too has got dry skin which easily gets irritated in this harsh weather. I keep moisturizing every time I change her. Then I remembered mom's trick. My mom used to always make a yogurt pack and apply on our skin to keep it moisurized. My little girl loves eating yogurt, so when I gave her yogurt the other day...I applied it over my face and then her's. I would admit that she was licking her face :).
     When it comes to baby, I like to keep it natural and whats more natural than a whole milk yogurt. Now when she is an year old and whole milk is good for her, I could try this. We did this with organic yogurt ofcourse. It was so cooling, mositurizing and fun.
    Do you have any natural tricks to keep baby skin soft and mositurized?

Best Baby Superfoods -- Parenting

I just read a nice article written by Maria Livingstone (Parenting). Here are the notes that I found useful:

1. In the first year of baby's life, we do mostly formula or breast milk and substitute with solids. But we hace to get baby ready to a balanced diet so that baby eats what we eat by the time he/she is 1.
2. Yellow-orange vegetables like Carrots and sweet potatoes make good first foods and are easier and always in season. All yellow-orange veggies are known for their high levels of the antioxidant beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A, an essential vitamin for keeping the skin, teeth, bones, and tissues healthy.
3. Green vegetables are very important even though babies wont like the taste as they are not that sweet. The other day we gave Spinach and potato curry to Annika and she managed to seperate out all potatoes and leave spinach. I got stressed thinking she wont eat greens and would be iron deficient but then I remembered that You need to keep offering the food at least five or six times, repeating your attempts often.
4. Meat and Poultry- Most pediatricians now recommend introducing red meat, chicken and turkey from the get-go, since all contain zinc and iron, which babies need from around 4 to 6 months. This was so tough since I only eat chicken and as most my friends know I only eat Butter chicken. So I started with gerber chicken varieties so that Annika can develop taste for it. Though she still hate eggs.
5. Fruits are excellent sources of vitamins A and C, potassium, and fiber. You can start your baby off with bananas and then peaches. Make sure you introduce a fruit one at a time. I took time in figuring that Annika gets an upset stomach after pears.
6. Blueberries - Once your baby is eating finger foods, you can serve her up a handful of blueberries, fresh or frozen, says Behan. Blueberries are especially rich in antioxidants, especially anthocyanins, responsible for giving these berries their deep blue color. They play a big role in your babe’s cognitive development, and studies have found they boost memory too. I did not know this till I read this article and I have yet to introduce blueberries.
7. Fish- Now this is one thing that I dont eat and regret it. I am always scred like most parents about allergies. The human body can’t make omega-3s, so you have to get it from food. Fish, especially salmon, are high in omega-3 fatty acids, which are touted for their heart-healthy properties and their ability to boost brain performance and memory. The daycare serves tuna and I dont cook fish so I might have to take tips from my MIL on this since she is an expert in cooking fish.
8. Eggs are super-cheap and super-nutritious for babies. Whereas doctors were wary of giving egg whites to babies under eight months because they were most allergenic part of the egg, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) now recommends parents give their child the whole egg from the get-go, says Dr. Bhatia. One egg every day is all your baby needs to get his daily dose of choline. A member of the B-vitamin clan, choline is a nutrient that boosts cell, brain, and memory growth. Anniak hates eggs and I hate them too. But I am slowly developing taste for it since I can never make her eat something that I cannot.
9. Beans are cheap source of protein and B-vitamin goodness, beans can be mashed, pureed or served whole as a finger food. I love beans but be careful they cause a little gas.
10. Avocados- Rich in calories and healthy fats, avocados make an easy first food for babies—and a simple one to cube and serve up as a finger food too, says Behan. Avocados contain vitamins A, C, and E as well as potassium and folate. Vitamin A is beneficial for your baby’s eye, the Vitamin E and fats helps keep his skin hydrated, and the vitamin C boosts his developing immune system. A good tip is no need to cook this dish: Mash it up with a little infant apple juice to prevent browning (it’s sweeter-tasting for tots than lemon juice),  I am going to try this tip since Annika does not like the bland taste of Avocado
11. Whole grains are essential to your baby’s future health, you’ll want to start introducing her to the taste of brown rice, whole-wheat breads, barley, and oatmeal right away, says Behan.  Whole grains are good for your baby’s digestive system, and help regulate her blood sugar levels, important even at this young age. Whole grains are also rich in vitamins B and E, which are good for cell and skin growth.
    A good tip is  that if cereal is one of your baby’s first foods, feed her oatmeal. And try to find oatmeal O-shaped cereals (like Cheerios) that don’t come with salt. Most babies like cheerios.
12. Yogurt-Since yogurt is a solid, not a liquid, a baby usually has no trouble self-regulating as he eats it—and will keep going until he feels full. That’s why you can go ahead and give him the full-fat kind. I like the Yobaby varieties esp the strawberry banana one. Its the best snack on the go on the hot summer day.

I am a Nuby Mommy Blogger :)

I am so excited to be a Nuby Mommy Blogger. I love Nuby products. Nuby is an excellent company and strives for excellence in every product they make. The products are not only useful but also fun looking. My daughter loves her Nuby spoon (checkout out the Product Review section of my blog). Have you ever tried any Nuby products?  Check out their products at http://nuby.com/

Slow and steady wins the race

So the day has come. I wont hide that I had been googling since few months that when do babies walk. Annika was taking steps holding sofa since so long. We had her 15 month immunization on Monday, 16th of July. The doctor asked all developmental questions and then she asked. Is she walking yet? And the first time mom inside me couldn't stop and blurted that I am scared if its too late. But doctor reassured that some kids walk at around 18 months. I love holding Annika but having tendinitis in both hands after delivery has really took its toll on my strength.
      We came back home. I put Annika on floor and all of a sudden Annika gets up and starts walking and it was not her usual 3 steps but lot more. She has not stopped since. I am so happy that Annika is walking and loving it. She looks so different.
  

shalgam gajar ka achaar

Ingredients;

• turnip- 2 pcs                                         
• carrot- 3
• salt- 2 tsp
• haldi- 1/2 tsp
• red chilli - 1/4 tsp
• rai- 4 tsp
• mustard oil- just to mix it all in

Procedure:
1) Peel turnip and carrot skin and cut into pickle sizes you want.

2)Place the pcs for a minute or two in boiling water till little soft. Drain and keep aside to remove water.

2) Then add all spices and oil and mix it in.

3) Place everything in a pickle jar and keep under sunshine for 4-5 days. Pickele should be ready in good sunshine.

 

Private Selection Taste of Summer

I am so excited to try the whole line of products from Private selection available at my fredmeyer or any other Kroger brand store.
Refined, refreshed, reimagined — that's Private Selection^® premium foods. This summer, get ready to feed your passion for flavor

Private Selection^® Chips
Ideal as a side dish for any summer meal or paired with Private Selection^® salsas, new Private Selection^® Chips are available in tons of premium flavors and four varieties: Tortilla, Kettle, Rice & Bean and Pita
Private Selection^® Angus Burgers
Look for freshly ground 100% Angus Beef in the meat department of your local Kroger-owned store — use it to fuel your gourmet meal ideas and create tasty homemade burgers
Private Selection^® Ice Cream
Richer and creamier than ever before, new Private Selection^® Ice Cream is available in pints, and special recipes like Sweet Honey Baklava and Cinnamon Chocolate include only the highest quality ingredients
Private Selection^® Six-Inch Pies
These individual-sized pies – bursting with the natural sweetness of fresh berries and ripe fruit – boast golden flaky crusts and are found in the bakery section of your local Kroger-owned store

I am a BzzAgent and I received coupons to try out the product.

chole (garbanzo beans)

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 katori chole
•  1 onion
•  1 tomato
•  1/2 inch ginger
• salt 1 tsp
• red chilli 1/4 tsp
• butter ckn masala 1 tsp
• olive oil 1 tbsp
• cilantro (for garnishing )
• 1 green chilli sliced

Procedure:

     1) Wash and soak chole for overnite or 6 hrs.

     2) Add 1/2 tsp salt and boil chanas in soaked water in a pressure cooker. Get 1 whistle and slow for 10-15 mins.
     3)  Once steam is out check for softness. Chole should be soft enough.
    4)  In a mixer, add onions, tomato, ginger and make a puree. In a pressure cooker, add olive oil once hot add puree, sliced green chillis and saute.

5) Add chkn masala , once masala leaves oil add salt, red chilli. Add boiled chole to it.

   6) Stir and add 1 tbsp more water than required consistency. Add cilantro  and close pressure cooker. Get 5-6 whistles and its done.

7) Delicious chole is ready. Enjoy with rice and aybe a glass of coke like I did ;)
  

Karela (Bittergourd) masala

Ingredients

•   6 karela pcs (cut into small round sections and deseeded)
• 1 1/2 onion sliced
• 1 tomato sliced
• 1 green chilli sliced
• salt 1 tsp
• haldi 1/4 tsp
• methra 1/2 tsp
• saunf grinded 1/2 tsp
• olive oil 1 tbsp
• cilantro for garnishing

Procedure:
  1. Keep karela pcs in salt for 4 hrs or overnite to remove bitterness. After that wash and use it for this recipe. Deep fry karela till little red for 2 mins and keep it on a paper towel to soak oil.




2.  Now in a pan heat oil, add onions, tomatos.

3.  After onions and tomatoes start browning, add haldi, salt, methra and saunf.

4.Then after few mins after karela is done, add cilantro and your delicious karela sabji is done.

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

• 1 bag of baby spinach
• 1/2 inch pc of ginger
• salt  1 tsp
• hinger 1/4 tsp
• 1/2 onion sliced
• 1 tomato pureed
•  ghee 2 tsp
• paneer 200 gms (roughly 1 bowl of paneer pcs)
• yogurt 1 tsp

Procedure:

1. Wash the baby spinach. In a pressure cooker add washed spinach, 1 tbsp water, salt, hing. Get 1 whistle and slow for 4-5 mins.
2. Once steam is out, let it cool. Then puree it in a grinder.

3. In a pan, add ghee. Once hot add onions and saute till they turn little brown. Then add tomato puree.

4. Once the puree leaves ghee, add in paneer cubes and spinach puree.

5. Keep it on low flame. Add yogurt and keep stirring till the puree leaves ghee.

 6. Stir for another few mins till its done. Delicious palak paneer is ready.



Crispy Gobhi mom style

Here's my mom version of gobhi. I love it, it tastes so crispy awesome. I dont know if its the ghee or mom's love. Make it and decide for yourself.

Ingredients:

• half bunch of gobhi (cut into small pcs)
• 1 small onion sliced
• 1 green chilli sliced
• 1 1/2 inch ginger small pcs
• peas  1 small bowl
• ghee 1 tbsp
• hing 1/2 tsp
• salt 1 tsp
• haldi 1/2 tsp
• garam masala 1/4 tsp
• cilantro for granishing

Procedure:

1.  In a pan heat ghee. Once hot add hing, washed cauliflower, peas and sliced onions, ginger pcs.

2.  Once cauliflower turns little brown, add haldi, salt. You can add 1/4 tsp red chilli if you want to make it spicy.

 3. Once ghee seperates, then add cilantro and garam masala. 

4. Delicious gobhi is ready.