Fried Rice With Salmon for Toddler

While I was playing temporary SAHM (Stay At Home Mother) 2 days ago, it was a great chance to try cooking some proper toddler food for Sanju. I managed to get some idea seeing the little vegetables we had in the fridge. Here's what I whipped up:

Fried Rice With Salmon

Ingredients
1 cup cooked rice
Grated broccoli, carrot, and garlic
Some coriander powder
Cooked & minced salmon (either steam or grill it in olive oil)

Steps

1. Heat up some olive oil in a frying pan. Sautee the broccoli, carrot & garlic together.
2. Add the coriander powder after 3 minutes.
   
3. After 3 minutes, put in the salmon & rice.

I love using the coriander powder for some flavour as well as providing some colour to all my toddler's food. The garlic sauteed with the vegetables will give it a very nice aroma. Warning, you may not be able to keep yourself off it!

My rice turned out rather soft though, because it was my first time with the new rice cooker. Need more practice I guess. Sorry could not snap any pictures because right now my phone is without a memory card. To know how it looks like, you can try it soon. Now I am back to planning for what to cook tonight!

Natural Parenting

Cloth diapering, babywearing, home cooked food, home schooling, co-sleeping, and breastfeeding are the topics among parents (I was about to type mothers, but lets be fair to fathers too) these days. It appears to be the latest trend in parenting. In case you did not know, natural parenting is the IN thing right now.

Few months ago, I would have easily categorised these aspects as modern parenting, because hey, I am (considerably) young and practicising them, they seem modern to me. But when you dig the roots, these parenting methods indeed originate from older days.

Natural Parenting may mean differnetly for different parents. For me, natural parenting means promoting attachment and interaction between parents and kids while being environmentally aware for the sake of the next generation's future.

I am proud to admit that I have successfully adhered to most of the natural parenting I list, except a couple. Homeschooling is something I am yet to do with my kid once he starts school, of course we read and sing to him once in a while, but that is mostly on entertainment and play sake. Breastfeeding is something that I almost did, but had some hurdles to overcome, and in the end it was not so successful.

Cloth diapering is something that my blog itself boosts about. Co-sleeping is essential if you want to cuddle and snuggle to the little one to sleep, plus it is very helpful when you have a sick, crying or just awake and playing baby that needs attention. We can not live without baby wearing especially when out and about, or running household chores. Last but not least, I am addicted to home cooked baby food, so that works fine for both me and baby, I mean toddler. Sadly, he can take most adult food these days, I will be missing cooking his food more soon.

And speaking of babies, I am already planning for my newborn. Cloth diapering, is a must, this time not just the traditional flats (lampin), but hopefully with fitteds and prefolds as well. I intend to start babywearing earlier, especially if my newborn is gonna be anything like the elder brother, would need a lot of soothing, which I am sure a wrap or ringsling would do well. Co-sleeping is something we need to plan to manage, with a toddler and a newborn, some adjustments needed there! And the most important, I want to fully breastfeed my little girl/boy, I hope my body and baby cooperate with me!

12 Weeks and Counting...

If you are thinking what I think you are thinking, yes, you are right. I am now at 12 weeks and counting down to the 40th week to welcome my second baby. It was on the new year's eve that we received this wonderful news on the new addition to the family. This means Sanju will get a sibling he can play with (and bully), because at the moment he's been hanging out with adults only, and most of the things he does is very much imitating adults rather than kiddy stuff.

It is officially the time for no-guilt-eating, for me as well as hubby. The first trimester has been relatively better than my first pregnancy. Minimal nausea, but I am forever hungry for something spicy or cold. I am feeling and looking fat, and feel sleepy and fatigued beyond imagination, and have got totally no mood or motivation for work at all, wait, is that even a morning sickness? Back pain has started a little too early, I guess I am not 2 years younger as before. But it is also the official time for some nice foot and back massage after a hard day at work.

It feels great to enjoy the perks of being pregnant once again, at the same time, I am not looking forward to the labour and delivery. For now, I am going to be busy planning and preparing for the arrival (read: Shopping, shopping and shopping!). Happy Valentine's day all!

Kiwi Fruit Heated In The Microwave

Q: What happens when you heat up a kiwi fruit in the microwave?
A: It turns sour.

No trap, no joke. Kiwi fruit indeed does turn sour when you heat it up in the microwave. Sounds funny eh, what prompted me to heat up the poor kiwi fruit is another funny story of its own. Well, maybe not so funny for people who believe eating fruits, and on top of that, cold, causes cold, cough, and phlegm. It is no secret that Sanju was suffering from bad cough last month, and certain advocates of good health (read: Dr. MOM) demanded baby is given fruits only if heated up.

The first time I heated up a kiwi, I noticed the sour taste, and I dismissed it as a sour stock from Tesco. The second time round, I ate half the kiwi, noticed the nice (cold and) sweet taste. Had to heat up due to unavoidable circumstances, and the final product, turned pastel green from dark green, and very very sour to the taste!

If this was not a well known trivia, it will be now. And don't let anyone tell you that it is just an urban legend, because I tried and proved it!

While we are at it, if you are looking at creative ways to have your kiwi fruit, or maybe for your little one, you can try making kiwi lassi. It is super-yum to the taste, and super healthy for your system!

Dhobi Ghat Movie Review

Not all films are made for commercial success, and not all the films are made for the masses. Dhobi Ghat is one such example.

As the tagline, DG indeed is the Mumbai Diaries. DG shows the different classes and masses of India, from both extremes. The poor is so down and dirty, and the rich are living luxuriously. It amazed me how different contrast of lifestyle can be put together in just one film, this is not something that you see often in an Indian film.

There are four characters with their lives crossing each other. Shai (Monica Dogra) is a New Yorker on a sabbatical in Mumbai, who meets Arun (Amir Khan) at this art show, and after a one night stand, she gets attracted, and perhaps in love with him. Then enters Munna (Prateik Babbar) who is the dhobi (washerman) for the two. He gets close to Shai, falling in love with her, while showing her around Mumbai and getting her to do his portfolio. Arun, who has just moved in to a new flat, comes across a few video tapes recorded by Yasmin for her brother.

One character is having fascination and feelings for other, and there we see the lengths they go for it.

The pace was slow, and very little of Amir Khan was impressing. Then again, he was playing someone serious, with a sad past. Monica was very pretty and alluring, and did her role well. But the show stealer has got to be Prateik Babbar, as the dhobi-partime-mouse-killer-actor-wannabe. His acting would make you empathize and yet laugh at his antiques.

Just as the trailers show, do not expect anything loud or overly dramatic here, just go for a simple showcase of Mumbai diaries.