Thursday, September 25, 2014

Oats Puliyodharai and "THE OATS : WATER" ratio

Those in my fb friends list, would be aware, that there was a cookery demo i had taken a month back with Oats as the main theme. So, the weeks prior to it were literally trial and error days. Trying a new recipe each evening, taking pictures to prepare the notes, and ofcourse, for positng in here...see if its worth demonstrating....in terms of easness , time taken...


This was one of the trials for the main dish item using OATS. Didnt demonstrate it for the session thou...as i finally decided to stick on to some non-veg item..(beef-oats biriyani, which will follow shortly)

Basically, the recipe is the same...the prOcedure is the same, as with all other regular puliyodharae.
Just need to fix two things in mind.

1. NEVER use quick/instant oats for these type of cooking. They mush up and is one big mess. Always used the Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.
(refer to "this post" for the different types available)
 
2. The "oats-water" ratio. Some recipes for  upma would recommend soaking the oats in water for a few minutes before cooking. I dont follow it, rather prefer to add it as such. But (a big BUT) keep in mind the proportion.
 
1 cup hot water to 1 and 3/4 cup oats. (Less than that would result in mushy oats, higher than that would result in too dry and undercooked oats) - Stick to this !

1(water) : 1 and 3/4 (oats)
 
To the recipe.... you need:
 
Old fashioned rolled oats - 1 and 3/4 cup
Hot water - 1 cup
Gingelly Oil (Nallena) - 3 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 4 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Dried Red chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - few
Powdered jaggery - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing (Perungayam) - a generous pinch
Tamarind - lemon sized ball

Peanuts - about 10
Salt - to taste


To roast and grind :

Oil - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 ½ tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - ½ tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - ½ tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp


Procedure :
 
Heat oil and roast the ingredients  under the "to roast and grind" heading above until golden brown. Allow it to cool and grind it coarsely. Keep aside.
 
Add 1/4 cup water (from the already measured 1 cup) to the tamarind, let it soak for 15mins. To save time, you can just microwave it for a minute and then squeeze out thick tamarind pulp. Keep aside.
 
Heat gingelly oil in a kadai on medium low heat and add the peanuts. Roast until slightly browned.
Splutter the mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Toast until they are browned evenly.


 
Now add the tamarind extract (1/4 cup) followed by remaining water (3/4 cup) and allow it to boil . Check and add salt.


Now add the measured oats, the roasted items, mix gently till well coated.
 
 Close and cook for a few minutes (4 or 5)
 
Mix again, gently..till all the water has been soaked, and oats cooked, yet not soggy. Can add a tsp or two of water, if the oasts seems a bit too dry for your taste..but its optional.
 
 
Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.


Monday, September 22, 2014

SSS - 08 : Instant Wheat Dosa (sweeter version)


School Snack Series - 08
A  quicky preparation for your kids school tiffin, or for evening teatime serving. This is something which i learned from my Mother-in-law, and goes well with our boys. Some mess-free eating, guarenteed.
 
 
 
You need :
 
Whole wheat - 2/3 cups
Jaggery syrup - 1/4 cup (more or less, depending on the sweetness required)
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Grated coconut - a few tbsps
Water
 
 
You can determine if a product is whole grain by looking at the ingredient legend. Look for “whole” or “100% whole” before the name of the grain or flour to determine if the product is whole grain.



Preparation

To prepare the jaggery syrup - Boil the jaggery chunks with some water in a pot till all melted. Strain  (never miss out on that ! ) and store in closed containers for future use.

 
Mix all the ingredients listed above.
Add water just till it reaches the right flowing consistency . Not too thick..not too lose either. 
Heat a non-stick tava, apply some butter and scoop in a laddleful of the batter and swirl round with the bottom of a scoop, just like for a normal dosa.

Wait for a minute or slighlty more and flip over till both sides are well cooked.
Serve hot, as such.
 

In my kitchen, most work would go in pairs. Really helps to save time .

Sugar & Jaggery
Sugar is simplest form of sucrose, hence it is instantly absorbed in the blood and burst of energy is released. Hence, it is not recommended for people with diabetes. Jaggery on the other hand, is made up of longer chains of sucrose, therefore, it is digested slowly and energy release is also slow. Hence, energy is provided for a longer period of time and it not harmful for the body.
 
Since jaggery is made up in iron vessels, it is also rich source of iron. It acts as a cleansing agent and cleans the lungs, stomach, intestines, esophagus and respiratory tracts.

It is better to consume jaggery as compared to sugar for iron contents, minerals and vitamins present in it along with sucrose. However, if you are diabetic, you will have to control your intake of jaggery as well, as it predominantly is made up of sucrose.
 

 
His breakfast, for the day before "off to school"

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Pediasure Popsicles (they'll love it, for SURE !)


 Pediasure, for sure..is considered the No.1  nutritional supplement that provides complete, balanced nutrition for children from age 1 to 10 – those special years of rapid growth and mind development.
 
When consumed in proper amounts, PediaSure is scientifically formulated to provide 100% of the energy, vitamins and minerals, and a balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates that children require for growth and health.
 
 
During schooldays, with them leaving home before 7 am, kids would definitely not be willing to take a proper breakfast. Something quicky, light and it indeed is a challenge for us to keep it whole . With my younger boys, aged 6 and 4.5, a serving of Pediasure is defintiely going to be their breakfast/ part of it. It is filling and sure to keep them full till the break time in school.
 
 
And with the available flavours - vanilla, chocolate and strawberry...the latter is the most prefered . And I am always on the look out for some "sale" or "offer" on the product, to buy quite a few of them to stock, as they definitely are highly priced; almost double the regular ones.
 
 And popsicles are always a delight especially during summer, so for a change, this time..decided to keep it the "healthy" way.

 
 
Assemble all the ingredients...mix..freeze !



Made a portion of Pediasure (as per the instructions on the pack, which is 5 scoops to 190 ml water).... add some condensed milk for the added sweetness...

 
...some Hershey's strawberry syrup to enhanse the added flavour and colour...


and off to set.
 
It would take a couple of hours, in regualr plastic moulds and trust me, the little hands would be ready to snatch it off even before you manage to get a picture of it. Cant blame them..it defintiely is NICE !
 
 
Came across the below recipe image while browsing..so decided to share it in here as well.
 
 
 
 Click on this link "here" for some other nutritious recipes using Pediasure, while my Boy . No 2 takes his share....


 
njoy .... darling !!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Pachoru - a Keralite Christian offering

For Catholic Christians, September 8 marks the Feast of Mother Mary, or Nativity of Mother Mary, believed to be Her birthday. 
 
 
The winegrowers in France called this feast "Our Lady of the Grape Harvest". The best grapes are brought to the local church to be blessed and then some bunches are attached to hands of the statue of Mary. A festive meal which includes the new grapes is part of this day.
 
In Kerala, meanwhile, most churches would give "THIS" as an offering to the devoties , after the Church Service. Traditionally, known as "pachoru" in Malayalam it's raw rice cooked in coconut milk and served with jaggery syrup.
 

 
 
Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 and 1/2 cup

Thick coconut milk - 1/2 - 1 cup

Thin coconut milk - 5 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt as needed

Jaggery as needed
 
Preparation
 
Pressure cook raw rice along with 5 cups of thin coconut milk, salt and cumin seeds till 2 whistles.

When the pressure is released, add thick coconut milk to the cooked rice. Boil it. Switch off the stove.

Grease a plate and pour the cooked
rice to this and flatten it, keep it for sometime, so that you can cut it into the desired shapes.
 
Pachoru is ready to be served with jaggery syrup .
 
How to prepare jaggery syrup

Boil jaggery with some water on low flame till it melts completely to forms the syrup. Cool and strain before using.
 

 
Now, hope over to my Pick Quicks blog if you would  like to have a peep into OUR Parish Church Feast back home in Kerala, The Thykoodam St. Raphael's Churuch, and not to miss, the best of the most " in"music band at the moment..."The Thaikoodam Bridge".
 
 
The link "here"


Recipe source - a dear co-blogger friend Beena . Here blog in the link here


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Avalose - podi - Cookies (instant no-bake treats) with chocolate and pecans


Avalose Podi (fried rice flour with grated coconut and cumin) and Avalose Unda (Balls made of this roasted rice flour) is soo typical to a Keralite household, and believe it is one of the staple items most "non-resident keralites" carry with them back from vacations. I have never had to prepare it myself, coz most of the time, it would be already prepared and ready for us , by the time we reach our paternal homes.

 
Home-made Avalose Podi in its packaging. Usually, it is taken with honey or sugar in its powder form, or mixed with honey/jaggery syrup to form balls aka the Avalose Unda.
 
Read about the making of the Avalose powder and ball versions here.
 
And this pack was there, in my pantry shelf...staying as such and to be honest, i am not than keen a fan of it...be it in any form.  So, on a wild instinct, last weekend...decided to give it a facelist...a makeover kindof.  Unlike the regular honey or jaggery, decided to use condensed milk as the liquid base. A trial...


You need ( i took)
Avalouse poowder - 2 cups
Condensed milk - 1/4 cup or more
Ghee - 1 or 2 tsp
Milk - few tbsps
Vanilla essence (optional)
Cooking chocolate
Chopped pecans

 
Thats 2 cups of Avalose podi . Not being specific on the quantity for the condensed milk. May be 1/4 - 1/2 cup, coz we need it sweet.

 
In a wok, added 1-2 tsp tsp ghee, added the powder and condensed milk mix. Warm on medium flame.
Added some regular milk, a few tablespoons, until we get the right consistency to shape it. It has cumin and grated coconut within, so didnt try with much added flavours.

 
I tried with these cookie cutters, round and star shaped, but finally decided to stick on to handshaped ovals.


Now..for the choco-touch.
 

Take the cooking chocolate in a M/W safe bowl. And mind it..do not leave it by its self..lest these mini hands would snatch it in no time.


Break to roughly small chunks and microwave on high for 1 minute. Sitr and then go less on time. Say 30 secs more.
 
 
This was about 4 cubes from the choco bar at 1 minute and 30 secs in M/W.
 
 
Stir well.
 
 
Line the shaped cookies (alright..from now on..we call them...cookies! ) and drizzle the melted chocolate in lines.

 
 
For a change, dipped one portion of the cookie into the melted chocolate and later into chopped pecans to coat over the chocolate.
 
 
There you go. Instant no-bake- Avalouse Cookies with chocolates and Pecans !!!
 
 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

SSS - 07 : Back to School & Threptin - the meal between meals

School Snack Series - 07

I am sure I am not the only mother who goes through this….
The alarm would ring..you slap it shut. It snoozes again..you slap it off again until some realization walks into your sub-consious mind, kicking you out and off the bed, just to go “ooh Sh*# !!! am  too late”.

Here in our household, come mornings, it’s the Dad’s duty to wake the kids, brush and put on their uniforms. The Mom moves straight to the kitchen…breakfast, tiffins for school, office…

But during summer, the Father would have left for work even before the rest of the world is awake. Being on site, the works would start by 4 am, 5 am depending on the heat. Thankfully, the kids too don’t have school during summer, unlike this year…the schools have started and he still got to leave much earlier. Now that really gets me really really nervous. Each morning is a target by itself. 3 school going kids and 1 office going mommie…and we all need to leave at the same time before 7 am.

The kind of days when you keep repeating to "HIM"
Yaar Lord..slow down the clock naa…give me some more time between 6 and 7 am
and all HE does is look back at you, and show….

...... the tonguey !!! :P :P

But, end of the day..you have learned to survive. And turst me, even minor changes in regualr routines can help a long way in the early morning rush.
 
Sharing here some handy tips to tackel such mornings by doing a couple of the chores, the previous night itself.
 
I always see to it that there IS a portion of fresh veggie/fruit in their tiffins. So, chop it up the previous night, and keep in the refrigerator tightly sealed in a zip-lock, lest they lose their values.
 

 

Seperate the diffrent veggies and here, i put the cut carrots in a sandwich pack and then along with the carrot into the zip-lock. You save on an extra pack. ;)

 
Some chicken nuggets too, for sandwiches  are fried forehand and so, it just needs warming in the M/W the next day.
 
 
Fill the water bottles and into the fridge. The boys prefer the water cold. But mind it, while left out, it definitely develops the precipitation and so do not forget to wipe the surface of the bottle before placing them into their bags.
 
And,  for a tiffin -peap. A typical pack while defintiely in short of time.  
 
 
Milk toast, grapes and Threptin diskettes. Heard of these ? Hold on..will get to it, right after the toast.



Mix milk with some sugar, cardamom powder and vanilla essence. Dip the bread slices in the milk and toast in butter. Sprinkle more sugar on top if kids wants it "sweet"


Do not leave the bread in the milk for long, else it gets too soggy .

 

And these...threptins...not sure if all are familiar. This has been in my household right from our childhood. My mommy always used to give 2 or 3 of these diskettes to us , either to school or as a snack while we were small and it now goes heriditary, to the next generation. I dont see these in the Kuwait market, but defintiely available in India and each time,  returning back after vacation one or two of these tins would too be on board.




Used as a health food supplements to a diet consisting largely of cereals and vegetables. Threptin Diskettes makes up, qualitatively and quantitatively, the protein requirements of both children and adults. For better utilization of protein, it should preferably be taken twice or thrice daily, 3-5 Threptin diskettes at a time. They are easily digested and well tolerated. It also supplies adequate calories for the efficient utilization of protein.
 
Threptin Diskettes are available in Regular, Chocolate, Mango and Pineapple flavours
 
Weight watchers should definitely look out for Threptin Diskettes. These will not only make you feel less hungry, you will give up on your maida and sugary biscuits as well !
 
These are Glutten free, safe for people with glutten intolerance. 
 
More about Threptin biscuts/diskette here .
 
 And by now..I would have overcome my
(a borrowed image..but found it too cute, had to share it )

"this" kinda status to...
(another borrowed image)
 
THIS !


Thursday, September 25, 2014

Oats Puliyodharai and "THE OATS : WATER" ratio

Those in my fb friends list, would be aware, that there was a cookery demo i had taken a month back with Oats as the main theme. So, the weeks prior to it were literally trial and error days. Trying a new recipe each evening, taking pictures to prepare the notes, and ofcourse, for positng in here...see if its worth demonstrating....in terms of easness , time taken...


This was one of the trials for the main dish item using OATS. Didnt demonstrate it for the session thou...as i finally decided to stick on to some non-veg item..(beef-oats biriyani, which will follow shortly)

Basically, the recipe is the same...the prOcedure is the same, as with all other regular puliyodharae.
Just need to fix two things in mind.

1. NEVER use quick/instant oats for these type of cooking. They mush up and is one big mess. Always used the Old Fashioned Rolled Oats.
(refer to "this post" for the different types available)
 
2. The "oats-water" ratio. Some recipes for  upma would recommend soaking the oats in water for a few minutes before cooking. I dont follow it, rather prefer to add it as such. But (a big BUT) keep in mind the proportion.
 
1 cup hot water to 1 and 3/4 cup oats. (Less than that would result in mushy oats, higher than that would result in too dry and undercooked oats) - Stick to this !

1(water) : 1 and 3/4 (oats)
 
To the recipe.... you need:
 
Old fashioned rolled oats - 1 and 3/4 cup
Hot water - 1 cup
Gingelly Oil (Nallena) - 3 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 4 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tbsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Dried Red chillies - 2
Curry Leaves - few
Powdered jaggery - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Hing (Perungayam) - a generous pinch
Tamarind - lemon sized ball

Peanuts - about 10
Salt - to taste


To roast and grind :

Oil - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 ½ tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - ½ tbsp
Fenugreek Seeds - ½ tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp


Procedure :
 
Heat oil and roast the ingredients  under the "to roast and grind" heading above until golden brown. Allow it to cool and grind it coarsely. Keep aside.
 
Add 1/4 cup water (from the already measured 1 cup) to the tamarind, let it soak for 15mins. To save time, you can just microwave it for a minute and then squeeze out thick tamarind pulp. Keep aside.
 
Heat gingelly oil in a kadai on medium low heat and add the peanuts. Roast until slightly browned.
Splutter the mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal, curry leaves, red chillies, turmeric powder and hing. Toast until they are browned evenly.


 
Now add the tamarind extract (1/4 cup) followed by remaining water (3/4 cup) and allow it to boil . Check and add salt.


Now add the measured oats, the roasted items, mix gently till well coated.
 
 Close and cook for a few minutes (4 or 5)
 
Mix again, gently..till all the water has been soaked, and oats cooked, yet not soggy. Can add a tsp or two of water, if the oasts seems a bit too dry for your taste..but its optional.
 
 
Serve hot with any chutney of your choice.


Monday, September 22, 2014

SSS - 08 : Instant Wheat Dosa (sweeter version)


School Snack Series - 08
A  quicky preparation for your kids school tiffin, or for evening teatime serving. This is something which i learned from my Mother-in-law, and goes well with our boys. Some mess-free eating, guarenteed.
 
 
 
You need :
 
Whole wheat - 2/3 cups
Jaggery syrup - 1/4 cup (more or less, depending on the sweetness required)
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Salt - a pinch
Grated coconut - a few tbsps
Water
 
 
You can determine if a product is whole grain by looking at the ingredient legend. Look for “whole” or “100% whole” before the name of the grain or flour to determine if the product is whole grain.



Preparation

To prepare the jaggery syrup - Boil the jaggery chunks with some water in a pot till all melted. Strain  (never miss out on that ! ) and store in closed containers for future use.

 
Mix all the ingredients listed above.
Add water just till it reaches the right flowing consistency . Not too thick..not too lose either. 
Heat a non-stick tava, apply some butter and scoop in a laddleful of the batter and swirl round with the bottom of a scoop, just like for a normal dosa.

Wait for a minute or slighlty more and flip over till both sides are well cooked.
Serve hot, as such.
 

In my kitchen, most work would go in pairs. Really helps to save time .

Sugar & Jaggery
Sugar is simplest form of sucrose, hence it is instantly absorbed in the blood and burst of energy is released. Hence, it is not recommended for people with diabetes. Jaggery on the other hand, is made up of longer chains of sucrose, therefore, it is digested slowly and energy release is also slow. Hence, energy is provided for a longer period of time and it not harmful for the body.
 
Since jaggery is made up in iron vessels, it is also rich source of iron. It acts as a cleansing agent and cleans the lungs, stomach, intestines, esophagus and respiratory tracts.

It is better to consume jaggery as compared to sugar for iron contents, minerals and vitamins present in it along with sucrose. However, if you are diabetic, you will have to control your intake of jaggery as well, as it predominantly is made up of sucrose.
 

 
His breakfast, for the day before "off to school"

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Pediasure Popsicles (they'll love it, for SURE !)


 Pediasure, for sure..is considered the No.1  nutritional supplement that provides complete, balanced nutrition for children from age 1 to 10 – those special years of rapid growth and mind development.
 
When consumed in proper amounts, PediaSure is scientifically formulated to provide 100% of the energy, vitamins and minerals, and a balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates that children require for growth and health.
 
 
During schooldays, with them leaving home before 7 am, kids would definitely not be willing to take a proper breakfast. Something quicky, light and it indeed is a challenge for us to keep it whole . With my younger boys, aged 6 and 4.5, a serving of Pediasure is defintiely going to be their breakfast/ part of it. It is filling and sure to keep them full till the break time in school.
 
 
And with the available flavours - vanilla, chocolate and strawberry...the latter is the most prefered . And I am always on the look out for some "sale" or "offer" on the product, to buy quite a few of them to stock, as they definitely are highly priced; almost double the regular ones.
 
 And popsicles are always a delight especially during summer, so for a change, this time..decided to keep it the "healthy" way.

 
 
Assemble all the ingredients...mix..freeze !



Made a portion of Pediasure (as per the instructions on the pack, which is 5 scoops to 190 ml water).... add some condensed milk for the added sweetness...

 
...some Hershey's strawberry syrup to enhanse the added flavour and colour...


and off to set.
 
It would take a couple of hours, in regualr plastic moulds and trust me, the little hands would be ready to snatch it off even before you manage to get a picture of it. Cant blame them..it defintiely is NICE !
 
 
Came across the below recipe image while browsing..so decided to share it in here as well.
 
 
 
 Click on this link "here" for some other nutritious recipes using Pediasure, while my Boy . No 2 takes his share....


 
njoy .... darling !!

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Pachoru - a Keralite Christian offering

For Catholic Christians, September 8 marks the Feast of Mother Mary, or Nativity of Mother Mary, believed to be Her birthday. 
 
 
The winegrowers in France called this feast "Our Lady of the Grape Harvest". The best grapes are brought to the local church to be blessed and then some bunches are attached to hands of the statue of Mary. A festive meal which includes the new grapes is part of this day.
 
In Kerala, meanwhile, most churches would give "THIS" as an offering to the devoties , after the Church Service. Traditionally, known as "pachoru" in Malayalam it's raw rice cooked in coconut milk and served with jaggery syrup.
 

 
 
Ingredients

Raw rice - 1 and 1/2 cup

Thick coconut milk - 1/2 - 1 cup

Thin coconut milk - 5 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt as needed

Jaggery as needed
 
Preparation
 
Pressure cook raw rice along with 5 cups of thin coconut milk, salt and cumin seeds till 2 whistles.

When the pressure is released, add thick coconut milk to the cooked rice. Boil it. Switch off the stove.

Grease a plate and pour the cooked
rice to this and flatten it, keep it for sometime, so that you can cut it into the desired shapes.
 
Pachoru is ready to be served with jaggery syrup .
 
How to prepare jaggery syrup

Boil jaggery with some water on low flame till it melts completely to forms the syrup. Cool and strain before using.
 

 
Now, hope over to my Pick Quicks blog if you would  like to have a peep into OUR Parish Church Feast back home in Kerala, The Thykoodam St. Raphael's Churuch, and not to miss, the best of the most " in"music band at the moment..."The Thaikoodam Bridge".
 
 
The link "here"


Recipe source - a dear co-blogger friend Beena . Here blog in the link here


Sunday, September 7, 2014

Avalose - podi - Cookies (instant no-bake treats) with chocolate and pecans


Avalose Podi (fried rice flour with grated coconut and cumin) and Avalose Unda (Balls made of this roasted rice flour) is soo typical to a Keralite household, and believe it is one of the staple items most "non-resident keralites" carry with them back from vacations. I have never had to prepare it myself, coz most of the time, it would be already prepared and ready for us , by the time we reach our paternal homes.

 
Home-made Avalose Podi in its packaging. Usually, it is taken with honey or sugar in its powder form, or mixed with honey/jaggery syrup to form balls aka the Avalose Unda.
 
Read about the making of the Avalose powder and ball versions here.
 
And this pack was there, in my pantry shelf...staying as such and to be honest, i am not than keen a fan of it...be it in any form.  So, on a wild instinct, last weekend...decided to give it a facelist...a makeover kindof.  Unlike the regular honey or jaggery, decided to use condensed milk as the liquid base. A trial...


You need ( i took)
Avalouse poowder - 2 cups
Condensed milk - 1/4 cup or more
Ghee - 1 or 2 tsp
Milk - few tbsps
Vanilla essence (optional)
Cooking chocolate
Chopped pecans

 
Thats 2 cups of Avalose podi . Not being specific on the quantity for the condensed milk. May be 1/4 - 1/2 cup, coz we need it sweet.

 
In a wok, added 1-2 tsp tsp ghee, added the powder and condensed milk mix. Warm on medium flame.
Added some regular milk, a few tablespoons, until we get the right consistency to shape it. It has cumin and grated coconut within, so didnt try with much added flavours.

 
I tried with these cookie cutters, round and star shaped, but finally decided to stick on to handshaped ovals.


Now..for the choco-touch.
 

Take the cooking chocolate in a M/W safe bowl. And mind it..do not leave it by its self..lest these mini hands would snatch it in no time.


Break to roughly small chunks and microwave on high for 1 minute. Sitr and then go less on time. Say 30 secs more.
 
 
This was about 4 cubes from the choco bar at 1 minute and 30 secs in M/W.
 
 
Stir well.
 
 
Line the shaped cookies (alright..from now on..we call them...cookies! ) and drizzle the melted chocolate in lines.

 
 
For a change, dipped one portion of the cookie into the melted chocolate and later into chopped pecans to coat over the chocolate.
 
 
There you go. Instant no-bake- Avalouse Cookies with chocolates and Pecans !!!
 
 

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

SSS - 07 : Back to School & Threptin - the meal between meals

School Snack Series - 07

I am sure I am not the only mother who goes through this….
The alarm would ring..you slap it shut. It snoozes again..you slap it off again until some realization walks into your sub-consious mind, kicking you out and off the bed, just to go “ooh Sh*# !!! am  too late”.

Here in our household, come mornings, it’s the Dad’s duty to wake the kids, brush and put on their uniforms. The Mom moves straight to the kitchen…breakfast, tiffins for school, office…

But during summer, the Father would have left for work even before the rest of the world is awake. Being on site, the works would start by 4 am, 5 am depending on the heat. Thankfully, the kids too don’t have school during summer, unlike this year…the schools have started and he still got to leave much earlier. Now that really gets me really really nervous. Each morning is a target by itself. 3 school going kids and 1 office going mommie…and we all need to leave at the same time before 7 am.

The kind of days when you keep repeating to "HIM"
Yaar Lord..slow down the clock naa…give me some more time between 6 and 7 am
and all HE does is look back at you, and show….

...... the tonguey !!! :P :P

But, end of the day..you have learned to survive. And turst me, even minor changes in regualr routines can help a long way in the early morning rush.
 
Sharing here some handy tips to tackel such mornings by doing a couple of the chores, the previous night itself.
 
I always see to it that there IS a portion of fresh veggie/fruit in their tiffins. So, chop it up the previous night, and keep in the refrigerator tightly sealed in a zip-lock, lest they lose their values.
 

 

Seperate the diffrent veggies and here, i put the cut carrots in a sandwich pack and then along with the carrot into the zip-lock. You save on an extra pack. ;)

 
Some chicken nuggets too, for sandwiches  are fried forehand and so, it just needs warming in the M/W the next day.
 
 
Fill the water bottles and into the fridge. The boys prefer the water cold. But mind it, while left out, it definitely develops the precipitation and so do not forget to wipe the surface of the bottle before placing them into their bags.
 
And,  for a tiffin -peap. A typical pack while defintiely in short of time.  
 
 
Milk toast, grapes and Threptin diskettes. Heard of these ? Hold on..will get to it, right after the toast.



Mix milk with some sugar, cardamom powder and vanilla essence. Dip the bread slices in the milk and toast in butter. Sprinkle more sugar on top if kids wants it "sweet"


Do not leave the bread in the milk for long, else it gets too soggy .

 

And these...threptins...not sure if all are familiar. This has been in my household right from our childhood. My mommy always used to give 2 or 3 of these diskettes to us , either to school or as a snack while we were small and it now goes heriditary, to the next generation. I dont see these in the Kuwait market, but defintiely available in India and each time,  returning back after vacation one or two of these tins would too be on board.




Used as a health food supplements to a diet consisting largely of cereals and vegetables. Threptin Diskettes makes up, qualitatively and quantitatively, the protein requirements of both children and adults. For better utilization of protein, it should preferably be taken twice or thrice daily, 3-5 Threptin diskettes at a time. They are easily digested and well tolerated. It also supplies adequate calories for the efficient utilization of protein.
 
Threptin Diskettes are available in Regular, Chocolate, Mango and Pineapple flavours
 
Weight watchers should definitely look out for Threptin Diskettes. These will not only make you feel less hungry, you will give up on your maida and sugary biscuits as well !
 
These are Glutten free, safe for people with glutten intolerance. 
 
More about Threptin biscuts/diskette here .
 
 And by now..I would have overcome my
(a borrowed image..but found it too cute, had to share it )

"this" kinda status to...
(another borrowed image)
 
THIS !