Kheer (Indian Rice Pudding)

This year DH’s work had a lovely Eid Potluck for him. He was not asked to bring anything but he asked me to make Kheer for him as it is one of his favourite Eid time dishes. Thought I’d share this yummy recipe with you all.

2 cans of Coconut milk
Milk – Enough to make total liquid volume 4 cups(regular, almond, soy or whatever kind of milk you like)
3 Tbs Sugar
5 or 6 small green cardamom pods cracked open
5 Whole cloves
1 Cinnamon Stick
1/2 cup Basmati Rice
1/4 cup Golden Raisins
water
1/4 cup Slivered Almonds or Crushed Pistachios

Put the coconut milk and enough other milk to bring the total volume of liquid to 4 cups in a large saucepan on medium high heat. Add the Sugar, Cardamom, cloves and Cinnamon (If you don’t want to have to fun fishing out the spices later pop them into a tea ball). Bring the milk mixture to a boil stiring frequently.

While you are waiting for the milk to boil, place raisins in a small dish with enough warm water to just cover them and allow them to plump up.

Once the milk is boiling add the rice. Turn temperature down to medium low and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the pudding thickens.

While the rice is cooking toast your slivered almonds or crushed pistachios in a pan until golden and fragrant. Set aside for garnishing.

Once the rice is cooked take out the whole spices (this is where it is handy to have them in a tea ball 🙂 Then drain the raisins and stir them into the pudding. Ladle into small bowls, garnish with the toasted nuts and enjoy!

Baby Wearing

When I had Layth in 2009 I had never heard the term “Baby Wearing” and it is amazing how quickly I just knew that this was a good idea without anyone telling me (mother’s instincts?). Now I didn’t do it as naturally as I am now but the idea was there for sure. We started out with the Baby Bjorn

It was great as I could carry him facing my chest or facing out to look around. Then once Layth was too heavy for the Bjorn I got a Kelty back pack.

Both were functional and served a purpose… but neither were super comfortable and were bulky and awkward at times.

When I had Zaara in 2010 I had a girlfriend make me a pocket sling similar to a Hot Sling.

I loved it and ordered a few more slings from Seven Slings.

As Zaara grew I found it harder to get her into the pocket styled slings. Then I ordered a beautiful silk ring sling from Emily over at Joyful Abode and fell in love. It is so stylish and functional!

It is amazing to me how many compliments I get from strangers and people I know when I have Zaara in my sling. It is so practical; especially with two little ones I need to have my hands free.

Baby wearing is a wonderful way to connect with your baby. There have been studies done that confirm that babies who are held more cry less. It seems so common sense but in today’s world we have some many gizmos and gadgets to “entertain” our babies so that we moms can “get stuff done”. But lets think about it!!! There are mothers all over the world who have to work shortly after having their babies so they simply wear their babies to work.

My next baby wearing purchase was a back wrap (again from Emily) and is probably my favorite to date!

It really allows me to get so much done and still carry Zaara. She can even fall asleep for long periods of time!

I really love how the sling and wrap are a more natural carry compared to the Bjorn or backpack. And I also think the direct contact with my baby Zaara is really wonderful. I feel more connected with her and she settles so quickly as soon as I have her slinged or wrapped up. She gets a really good view of what I’m doing and is able to interact with me and people around me.

I think it is most important to choose a carrier that works for you and your lifestyle. Wearing or carrying your baby should be a joyful experience for you and your baby so make sure you are comfortable! If you are not sure that you can “figure out” how to use a sling or a baby wrap don’t worry there are many videos on YouTube to show you how!

If you are interested in purchasing a ring sling or back wrap from Emily check out her Facebook group here. She also sells super cute baby accessories!

Quinoa Salad

In my effort to eat more healthy I have discovered Quinoa. It is a grain that you can use in a variety of ways. I often use it in place of rice with stir-fry or curry. However I changed it up this week when I cooked a big family dinner for my dad and made and awesome Quinoa Salad.

2 cups Quinoa – cooked and cooled
1/2 Red Bell pepper – diced finely
1/2 Long English cucumber – diced finely
1 tomato – diced finely
1/2 cup grated or chopped Feta Cheese
large handful of chopped parsley
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (or white wine vinegar)
3 Tbs Olive oil (this must be Extra Virgin)
2 tsp Italian herb blend (dried) or fresh basil, oregano and thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

My preferred method to cook quinoa is just like pasta. Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add quinoa and salt. Simmer until al-dente. Drain through a fine sieve.

Once cooked quinoa has cooled add all other ingredients and mix well. Chill in Fridge for at least and hour before serving. Can be made the day before and keeps well for leftovers 🙂

For my dad’s birthday I served this with balsamic marinated BBQ Lamb chops, Black Eyed Pea Salad and steamed Broccoli with Parmesan cheese.

Tzatziki

I always see containers of Tzatziki in the deli section at grocery stores and am temped to buy some as I love this garlicy tangy sauce. But I am becoming a fanatic label reader and do not like all the ingredients I cannot pronounce 🙂 So I have taken to making it at home and it is sooooooo easy!!

1 cup plain yogurt (I use non-fat Organic yogurt)
1/2 long english cucumber grated
2 cloves garlic minced (more or less depending on how much you like garlic)
1 Tbs fresh dill chopped
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Drizzle of Olive Oil (Extra Virgin is a must for this)
Salt and pepper to taste

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Enjoy with veggies, pitas, on Kebab, with Zucchini fritters, on Mexi Rice… pretty much goes with everything LOL

Zucchini Fritters (Mücver)

We have a new roommate living with us who is from Turkey. I always feel inspired to cook when we have new people in the house! So our new friend has been here over a month and is missing home and Turkish food. Knowing what it is like to be away from home and missing comfort food (I lived in Thailand for a year) I have been trying my best to make some food that he will enjoy. Here is a recipe that we made last week that was awesome! (reminds me of my dad’s Zucchini pancakes)

5-6 small firm zucchinis, grated (to make 4 cups)
3 medium eggs
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
1/3 cup chopped fresh dill
1/3 cup chopped fresh mint
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup feta grated or finely chopped
1 tbsp paprika
salt
black pepper
1 1/2 cups flour
oil for frying

Put grated zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with salt. Let drain for 10 minutes then squeeze out liquid and place in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients except for the flour and oil. Add flour in slowly and mix well. Heat oil in a frying pan on medium/ high. Once oil is hot, drop scoops of mixture in small batches. Fry them on each side until golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Set on paper towel to drain. Serve with plain yogurt or Tzatziki.

Lentil Soup

This past week I made a very fulfilling vegan meal with a hearty Lentil soup with squash. It was so quick, easy and delish!

1 Tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 Medium Butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cubed)
1 medium onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp chili powder (optional)
Fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
1 Tbs Tomato Paste
1 1/2 cups Lentils
1 can chickpeas (drained)
4 cups vegetable stock
Rind of 1 lemon
Big handful of chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges Lemon wedges

Preparation:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat; fry cumin seeds for 1 minute. Add squash, onion, garlic, chili powder, pepper and fry, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add lentils, chickpeas, stock and lemon rind; cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 15 minutes. Discard lemon rind. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges.

I accompanied this soup with some fresh Whole Wheat French bread Yummmy!

Falafel

I made these a few weeks ago and have them on my menu again for this week. They are surprisingly easy and oh so yummy!

1 can chickpeas, drained
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1 Tablespoon Tahini
1/2 teaspoon salt
Approx 2 tablespoons flour (I used Chick Pea flour but it can be all purpose)
small handful of chopped cilantro or parsley
oil for frying

Put the first 7 ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Add enough flour to make the the “dough” a bit thicker. Stir in the cilantro. Heat Oil in a large frying pan (should be about 2inches deep) Drop spoonfuls of the mixture into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides in small batches. Drain on paper towel. I served mine in a pita with Lettuce, cucumber, tomato, red pepper and Tzatziki.

I’ll take a video/ photos tomorrow and post them soon!

Who needs sleep?? Oh wait… I DO!!!

So I have been MIA for a bit (as I’m sure you have noticed). We have been struggling with sleep or rather Zaara has. She has not been sleeping thus keeping me up for hours at night, so I have been going to bed very early which makes for no computer time for me.

I remember when Layth was about 8 months I drew a line in the sand and decided that he should be able to sleep at least 5-6 hours at night and I was not going to nurse him to sleep in the middle of the night anymore. This point has come much sooner with Zaara (it may have something to do with the fact that I have to be up and functioning for Layth at 8ish every day). After we came home from Mexico I put us on a regular nap routine and stopped nursing her to sleep whenever she woke up at night.

At first she rebelled by staying up for 3-4 hours in the night (usually from about 2am until 5am) crying on and off and ensuring no one else in our room slept. This made for a very sleep deprived mommy and daddy… lets just say it was not pretty for a few weeks in our house!! Hubby (bless his heart) finally had enough and elected to sleep downstairs for a week. It has slowly been getting better, Zaara will sleep through most of the night now. When she does wake usually it just takes me to put my hand on her chest and shush her for a few mins and then she will go back to sleep.

I read a lot of books when I was struggling with Layth and this is my opinion based on a collaboration of what I read in the following books:
1. The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
2. The No Cry Sleep Solution by Elizabeth Pantley

First, babies need a lot of sleep! At 6 months Zaara should be getting 3-4 hours of sleep during the day between two naps and then sleeping for 12 hours at night! Seems nuts right?? But I believe the saying “Sleep begets sleep” is too true! It goes against our intuition that sleeping for 4 hours during the day would actually make our little one sleep better at night. For those who are interested, at almost 2yrs old Layth naps for 2-3 hours once a day and still sleeps 12 hours at night.

Second, babies need the right balance of Sleep, Food and Activity spaced during the day to sleep well at night. Think of how your day goes? You wake up; Eat breakfast; Activity; Eat Lunch; Activity; Eat Dinner; Activity; Sleep. We should be setting babies up for a similar routine with more sleep mixed in. Like so: Eat; Activity; Sleep Nap; Eat; Activity; Sleep Nap; Eat; Activity; Sleep Bedtime. This is key to teach your baby to fall asleep without being nursed. (This is the whole premise of the “EASY” philosophy in “Baby Whisperer”)

Third, make a bedtime routine! This seems to be an essential component to cuing babies that it is time for sleep. Here is a sample of our night time routine for Zaara at 6 months: Breast Feed, Bath, Massage, Into PJ’s and sleep sack, Story, into crib and lights out. We have been doing a variation of this routine since day one and it works like a charm! I do a shortened version of this before naps too, Into PJ’s and sleep sack, Story, into crib and lights out. I also have a little giraffe that Zaara sleeps with. To get her used to it I wore it inside my shirt for a few days so it smelled like me and I put it between us while she was BF to make it something that she associates with warm cozy feelings. Whatever you choose as your routine make sure you start it early enough so that you are putting your little one to bed between 7 and 8. We usually start our routine at 7 and Zaara is in bed by about 7:30ish. For Layth his bedtime routine looks like this: Bath, Massage, into PJ’s, Bottle and Story, Lights out by 8pm.

Lastly, don’t expect results overnight. (ha ha ha no pun intended) It takes a while for babies to adjust sometimes. The older the baby the longer it will take you to see results. With Layth we didn’t start any naps and daytime routine until he was about 8 months and it took a long time to get him sleeping through the night (12 hours) on his own. But I am very pleased to report that he has been sleeping through the night on his own since he was about 13 months so I can say that in my experience the hard work does eventually pay off so it is worth it to stick to it. With Zaara we have been at it consistently for about 3 weeks and I’m only getting up once a night for about 5-10mins now instead of multiple waking over 3-4 hours just a couple of weeks ago.

The biggest bit of advice that I can offer is don’t beat yourself up if you cave and nurse your baby to sleep! We all have our limits; just do what is right for you and your baby!

Off to bed with me… after I post one recipe 🙂 I have a few videos that are awaiting my editing, hopefully I can get them up soon!

Baby Wearing Video

I saw this video over at “Greek Momma” and watched it about 5 time and could not stop laughing! It is so cool! I am putting together a post about baby wearing and the different slings/ carriers I have used.

In the mean time Enjoy!

Back from Vacation

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know I’m back from Vacation. My family and I were enjoying some much deserved R&R in Puerto Vallarta Mexico. There seems to be a common feeling that hubby and I were crazy to go on vacation with two kids under 2. But it really was not too bad. Now this may be because our very good friends came with us and were extra hands when we really needed them 🙂

Here are a few pics for your viewing enjoyment.

View From the Hotel

Layth loves the sand

Zaara and I

Whale Breaching

Just to let you know that I have a few video recipes that I am working on and hope to have them up this week.