Xmas-2

~Merry Christmas-2 ~

Christmas is in the air, colorful baubles and beautifully 

decorated Christmas trees are surely a treat to the eyes!! 

Local markets and shopping malls have transformed into

tiny santa lands with the festive paraphernalia beautifully 

displayed all over the market place. Its Xmas everywhere !! 
Chill winds and fog give a perfect excuse to spent the morning 
indoors and indulge in some  cutie treats for lil ones. A bit of 

 creativity n food play with some readily available ingredients
 is perfect to add some warmth to cold winter mornings. 

Good Morning Santa !!! 

Whole wheat bread topped with peanut butter, sliced bananas 

strawberry, grapes and red berry. 

Christmas is incomplete without sweet treats and fresh bakes, 

while we have been baking our gingerbreadman cookies for the 

Christmas eve, our big jar of soaked fruits and nuts is all juicy

 and full of aroma, just waiting to flavor our spiced Plum cake. 

While I was busy making this Santa PB sandwich for 

daughter , she was standing beside me and creating a cute 

little breakfast for her daddy - a red nose rudolph with 
some pocky stick horns !! While the daddy daughter 
duo was laying the table for breakfast I was busy
 clicking some pics of the Xmas cuties. 

Xmas breakfast .......

The house is all ready for Christmas, must share this 
DIY santa that daughter made with some outer garlic 
peels ,paper plate and some crystals sometimes back. 

Santa Craft 

Paper plate, outer garlic peels, cotton , color paper & colorful decorations. 

Xmas time !!

~ Merry Christmas -1~

Christmas is all about spending time with family, taking

 out kids for an adventure walk, making tonnes of christmas 

crafts or just lazying around with them at home and watching a

  wonderful movie of their liking. Adventure walk was surely on

 top of our things to do list but owing to some ongoing projects n

 some pre festive assignments ,daughter and I decided to stay at
 home ,watch her favorite movie and munch on some easy peasy
 x-mas cuties at home ....

X-mas buddies ....

Crackers topped with cheese, tomato , olive and red berries 

(Indian ber) with savory star snack . 

While picking up tomatoes from the local market yesterday,
the pointed tips of a local Roma type variety set my creative 
juices to thinking , while driving back I turned off the music
to keep the upcoming ideas intact in my mind- I know it 
sounds crazy but this is what creative addiction is all about!

Back home we enjoyed the movie truly Christmas style !!!
Movies are incomplete without hot buttery popcorns , I quickly 
popped some southern spice  flavored ones and brought it to life 
with tomato and olives. Of course no one loves to be disturbed 
between the climax of a movie , but it was nothing less than a 
surprise when kiddo paused the movie and made a cute face 
with a loud loving "Awwwwww "....exclamation and kept 
admiring the Rudolph  before finally popping the popcorn .

Xmas popcorn !! 

Popcorn, olives, halved tomato and cucumber

Little Fox

~Welcoming Winters ~

Winter has almost set in  many northern parts of the 
country .While cold winds from the mountains have lowered 
the temperatures drastically, bright afternoon sun, hot cocoa
 and loads of blooming flowers have beautifully spread their
 warmth to welcome the season. Winters in India are much 
different to their western  counterparts. Winters here 
are synonymous to afternoon family excursions-a sunny 
weekend  in park , picnic with kids or just lazying in sun .
Our winter excursion list has been made by my daughter 
this time and as expected - visit to the zoo topped the list. 
Besides regular animals  we were lucky to spot a tiny baby
 fox this time, the cute creature mesmerized my daughter so 
much that back home I decided to create one on her plate .

Baby Fox on my plate !! 

Whole wheat bread topped with peanut butter, strawberry
black grape, orange  and kiwi. 

The cold wave from the mountains has brought loads of 

persimmons, strawberries and grapes . The large box of 

strawberries and black grapes that we had picked up for a hearty

 fruit salad became the ear and features of our peanut butter fox. 

My family is crazy over strawberries ,besides adding the 

antioxidant powerhouses  to our smoothies, shakes and parfaits, 

I love sprinkling some finely chopped chunks to my daily bowl 

of oatmeal too. Before finally bidding adieu to these divine booties 

by end of march, I never forget to freeze a bagful for the rest of 

the year. 

Cheer a Child

( campaign for the underprivileged by Real Greetings)

It's very necessary to teach our little ones to count our blessings
 and thank Almighty for it and share the joy of festivities with
 the underprivileged. Recently India's preferred packaged fruit

 juice brand Real hosted a family day for  Prayas kids NGO 
This mega initiative by  Real Greetings -  "Cheer a Child"was a 

wonderful way to put some smiles on the tiny faces. Real Juice 
India handed over token quantity of real juices against  all the
 wishes received by the campaign on different social platforms. 

Halloween

~ Healthy Halloween -2~

Halloween is all about adding fun element to the festive fall 
season and bringing out the spooky kid in us.Bright orange
 pumpkins, creepy ghoulish costumes and eerie decorations reflect
 the true spirit of the octoberfest. The Halloween mania is catching 
 the Indian party circuit like  storm!! International school culture,
 expat friends and web chats with cousins n friends  abroad has given 
more the excuse  for a Halloween party to lil one, who wants to
 invite her friends for a ghoulish get together!!After a long week of 
diwali celebrations and ongoing work commitments I had to turn 
down her party idea but promised her to treat on some boolicious 
munchies till halloween. Fall is the season of persimmons too, 
daughter had never tasted it before, so serving it as a fun food 
 surely doubled up the fun !! 


The Creepy  Housewich

House-Wholegrain bread topped with peanut butter . Jackolantern- 
sliced persimmon with cucumber(wish I had some kiwis at home too)
banana tombstone n moon with cheesy ghosts n polkas.

My family is crazy over pumpkins- we just love the ripe ones as 
a stir fry veggie with Indian spices and a hint of chili .The pumpkin 
dip with boiled pumpkin and yogurt is an all time hit with my family. 
These orange beauties  are still  lying on the counter for some 
further experiments - some pumpkin muffins or a hearty pepita
 topped pumpkin soup over the week.

Jack o lanterns on my plate 

Jackolantern- sliced persimmon with cucumber features 
and cheesy ghosts n polkas.

If persimmons are not available in your part of the world, go ahead 

 with some sliced oranges ,tangerines or even papayas !! 

Cheer a child 
While most of us are rejoicing in the festive spirit,the noble 
souls at Dabur India are putting in their best efforts to spread this 
festive smile and cheers even to the unprivileged. 
Celebrations are synonymous to love, happiness and sharing. There 
are thousands of unprivileged kids across India who long for the same
experience of festive celebration. To add a smile to these tiny faces, 
Real, the mostloved fruit juice brand from the house of Dabur launches
 'Cheer a Child'campaign in collaboration with Prayas Juvenile Aid Centre. 
You , I and all of us can send these kids loads of wishes of good health by 
logging on http://www.realfruitpower.com/cheerachild/or giving a missed 
call on 7053123123. Against each signature Dabur will give each child a pack
 of Real fruit beverage. Truly a celebration by giving back to the society. 

Happy Diwali

~Happy Diwali~ 

Diwali, the festival of lights is certainly the biggest and 
brightest of all Indian festivals. This ancient  five day festival,
spiritually signifies the triumph of good over evil. As per 
the Hindu mythology ,it is believed that Lord Rama returned
to his native city Ayodhya after an exile of 14 years ,to welcome 
him the entire city was lit by clay lamps and beautifully  decorated 
with colorful flowers and buntings. 

There is a festive atmosphere everywhere, the houses are cleaned 
days in advance and  decorated with colorful lights and tiny clay 
lamps called Diyas. Diyas also called a Deepam, deep or deepak 
are the most integral part of Indian celebrations. These tiny 
terracota/clay lamps are filled with oil or ghee (clarified butter) n 
lighted in temples and homes alike. It is believed that the  flame of 
these diyas is divine and illuminates not only the surroundings but 
also cleanses our  mind, soul and spirit. 

People worship the idols of Ganesha & Laxmi and pray for peace, 
prosperity and happiness .Huge colorful patterns called rangolis
 alpanas or pookalams  are made on the floor while  the threshold is 
decorated with the most vibrant yellow marigolds and betel leaves. 
Tiny clay lamps are placed all over the house. 

Over couple of  days , I have been juggling time between work and 
festival preparations. While daughter has been happily helping me 
with all the festive decorations and traditional sweet preparations 
it was my turn to add fun to the snacktime yesterday. Thus made 
some diya on stick pops to adore our table and a few cheesy diya 
topped crackers for a light evening snack . 

Diya on Sticks 

Halved cucumber slices and carrot topped on a satay
stick. Use a tiny piece of spaghetti to attach the carrot
 flame to the diya. 


Easy peasy  Diya appetizers 

These Diwali appetizers are super easy to make, perfect for 
a quickie kiddo party too !!

Smear crackers ( I have used Britannia cream crackers) with some 
flavored cheese spread , sprinkle some oregano/zatar or  chilly flakes 
top it up with a veggie diya of halved cucumber and carrot.
Bunting- Red & yellow pepper triangles. 

May these little diyas light up your life with peace, prosperity and 

happiness !! Have a wonderful and  pollution free Diwali !! 

Halloween

~ Healthy Halloween -1~

The festival season is right around the corner!! Shorter 
daylight accompanied with cool wind and rustling fall leaves 
makes us realize that its time to gear up for the upcoming 
festivities. While the left hemisphere of my brain has been
 meticulously planning for the Diwali bash at home, the creative 
right brain is continuously thinking about some spooky crafts 
and finger foods for kiddos halloween fun. 

The Fruity Owl 

The Halloween magic with all its boolicious food and creepy

 fun is steadily making waves in the Indian culture too....half a 

decade back the almost unheard Halloween is one of the most

 popular theme of the October parties today .

The dearth of readymade creepy decor serves as a great excuse
 for making DIY crafts and these Halloween crafts images 
that I clicked at a school fair beautifully highlight their talent. 

Trick or Treat or Eggs and Fruits  ???
 Even if you are short of time or special festive ingredients these
super easy to make Halloween eggs will surely add some spooky fun
 to meals, do pop one into the kiddos tiffin I bet he will love it !!

Just use some food grade / edible markers or sharpies to draw 
some zombie features on the shell of a hard boiled egg. 
  Pair the boolicious eggs with a nice fruity owl salad for
 a perfect energy boost. 

Owl- Watermelon slice ( trimmed with the edge of a bowl), oranges, 

black grapes, banana and sliced  olives . Branch- steamed bean,
 kiwi and grape. 

Taro spirals

~ Flavors of India ~

 Traditional Taro leaf Spirals
(Healthy, steamed and can be frozen too !!)

Taro root tuber is one of the most popular and widely used 

root vegetable throughout the indian subcontinent. Often called

 yam, colocasia or arvi it  is cultivated not only for  root but also 

for its tender leaves ands stems that are edible. It is believed 

that the cultivation of this versatile plant dates back to several 

hundred centuries. From root to stems and leaves , its an integral 

part of several regional and traditional cuisines . 

Traditional Taro leaf spirals 

The root tubers are usually boiled and eaten like potatoes as 
mash, curries or stir fried while the tender stems are slightly 
boiled to remove the acrid taste and used for making stews and
 curries .The green  leaves are chopped or used whole. Its 
always advisable to pick tender leaves as as jumbo sized
 ones cause itchy discomfort . Adding some acidic ingredient
 while cooking the leaves like lemon, tamarind or sour yogurt
 neutralises the itchy compounds . 

At the local veggie market during this season , I never forget to 
pick up a few taro greens for making my family's  favorite 
Maharastrian Taro spirals  called Aluvadi (also called Pathod , patra  
 or aluchya vadya in  regional dialects ). Being gluten free, steamed 
and  pan fried adds an extra  bonus to this healthy leafy munchy .
   

With a few ingredients and spices from the pantry this yummy 
delight gets ready in just a few minutes. Ginger, garlic and lemon juice
perfectly pep the  recipe while reducing its the itchy ingredient present 
in the leaves. Chilies are purely optional , you can omit them 
while preparing it for kids. The recipe once cooked can be frozen
 in Ziplocl bags or freezer boxes upto three months. 

A thick paste of gram flour, spices and water is smeared on the back 
side of a leaf, repeating the process with a few more and tightly rolling n
sealing the ends . The tighter the roll the better are the steamed spirals. 
Gram flour can be replaced with corn meal or buckwheat flour too.

The rolls are then steamed , cut into thick slices and pan fried. 
If you are freezing the spirals just omit pan frying, once cooled place the 
spirals on a large tray/ plate in a single layer and keep in the freezer for
 sometime, once they are hard and frozen transfer to Ziplock bags and
 freeze.Thaw and shallow fry the frozen spirals before serving. 

The spirals taste best  with some green chutney , fried chilies 
and a wedge of lemon.Just make sure to pick the  tender green
 leaves, free from pesticides.  

Taro Spirals

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins (+cooling time)

Ingredients (16-18 pieces)

For Taro roll spirals

• 12 -15 organic tender Taro leaves (Arvi ke patte)
• 2 cups gram flour ( besan)
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp nigella seeds ( kalonji )
• 1/2 tsp carom seeds ( ajwain)
• 2 tsp lemon juice (or 1/2 tsp dry mango powder / tamarind pulp )
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste (pref fresh)
• Chopped green chillies (to taste)
• Salt to taste
• Water as required

Instructions

Wash and pat dry the taro leaves and keep aside.

In a large bowl mix together gram flour, spices, lemon juice and water to make a thick paste.

Place a leaf(vein side up) on the kitchen counter or chopping board and smear the chickpea paste generously.

Place another taro leaf (with end pointing in the opposite direction that the previous one) over it and spread the paste.

Repeat the process to form a stack of 6-7 leaves. Roll tightly .

Make a similar roll with rest of the leaves.

Steam cook for 20 mins in a steamer or pressure cooker.

Remove from heat and cool completely. Cut into thick roundels.

Heat a few drops of oil in a pan ,add sesame seeds and shallow fry the spirals from both the sides till crisp.

Serve hot with lemon wedges and green chutney.

( To freeze the spirals - line the steamed spirals in a single layer on a large tray and place in the freezer for an hour, once hard remove from tray and pack in ziplock bags .Thaw and shallow fry the frozen spirals before serving)

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