Something To Reflect Upon

This was an email forward that was sent to me.This is a story  of   a father  explaining to his child the challenges that she may have to deal with , passing through life's journey.


Happy Reading!

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

A daughter complained to her father about her life and how things have been so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that just as one problem was solved another arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed the fire on high. Soon the three pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the other he placed eggs, and the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. She had problems, and he was making this strange concoction. In half an hour he walked over to the stove and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in the bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in the bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her he asked. “Darling what do you see?

“Smartly, she replied. “Carrots, eggs, and coffee.

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee.

Humbly, she asked. “What does it mean Father?”

He explained. “Each of them faced the same adversity, 212 degrees of boiling water. However each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going through boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg was fragile. A thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, it’s inside became hardened. The coffee beans are unique however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer.

Which are you, he asked his daughter? When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with the smallest amount of pain, adversity, or heat you wilt and become soft with no strength.

Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart? A fluid spirit. But after a death, a divorce, an accident you became hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but you are so bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart, internally.

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean does not get its peak flavor and robust until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better.

When things are  worst, you get better. When people talk the most, your praises increase. When the hour is the darkest, trials are there greatest, your worship elevates to another level. How do you handle adversity?

Mother's Musings

Cleaning The Clutter In Us

Handling A Vegetarian

When children are  little, it is the duty of us, as  parents (especially the mother) to see that the children  eat appropriate food at appropriate times.As parents, we often  try to get  the best food across to our children.And on a regular basis,cook healthy meals and feed it to our young off springs. If they didn’t eat to full ,we go to the extent of  supplementing  them with extras, in the form of vitamin syrups.

Most children  at this young  age become very fastidious over food and wouldn’t even think of eating anything new that the mother introduces .By the time they reach  the  adolescent years, they will have the independence of following their own eating habits. At this stage they may have preferences between healthy and unhealthy foods.

If your children show an interest in fruits and vegetables.Be sure to make  dishes using their favourite fruits and vegetables.Each day try to make a different dish. Sometimes they wouldn’t like the same taste of food that is being laid on the table.Often children take hold of whatever they see in the refrigerator when they are hungry, so have slices of fruits and a bowl of salad made  with their favourite vegetables.Try keeping the healthiest food easily accessible.

There are times when they crave for  junk food ..And that’s when the war begins  at the table.Don’t prohibit junk food all at once .It’s all right  if they eat it once in a way.You can help your children limit  junk food as much as possible. And as they start growing they will freely have their choice of food too.

I have a daughter who didn’t quite like the taste of fish,chicken or beef  right from  her toddler years.and I used to think that  it was just a passing phase and didn’t try to coerce her into eating meat.But then a few years later,when she  was about  seven  she started to relish my meat dishes.However one day, while we were having cooked beef curry for dinner, she suddenly prompted where meat came from. And when I said from the cow, she hurriedly left the table, her plate untouched, and innocently said, “Eww…gross  ! A cow dish!’.And ever since, she has not eaten anything that has meat in it. 

She’s fourteen  now and a vegetarian, Being a vegetarian necessarily doesn’t mean she' s eating all the vegetables that I make..She is picky too.! She mostly loves to eat an unbalanced vegetarian diet which consists of fried food and  potatoes.She intensely dislikes when the vegetables are cooked  in the usual type, curried vegetables with gravy, which is commonly prepared in a typical Sri Lankan home.Now I have adapted a different mode of cooking  vegetable dishes just for her.After a lot of convincing,she has started to eat the baked variety.I try my best to see that her diet is nutritionally adequate and healthful. I have been  trying to supplement her with all kinds of everything.  So far I have not succeeded in my many attempts to make her change her mind  to eat meat again .But I guess my tactics are not working anymore.

                       My daughter’s favourite-cauliflower,carrots and zucchini

                        The veggies baked with tomato paste and  mild spices

Curried Green Peas In Coconut Cream

Green pea is a vegetable which  has a whole lot  nutrient values  of vitamins and proteins.  I’m glad I introduced it to my food finicky children a couple of years ago. From that time on , I knew  when they   tasted the very first morsel  of my curried pea , that they were going to be hooked  to it forever. Ever since there has been no looking back. Although I cook  green pea as an accompaniment to the main dish, rice, they prefer to eat it  as a meal itself. As a result I cook extra and let them indulge into the peas, peacefully and  very heartily.  Green peas can be eaten boiled or cooked with  a variety of other vegetables .We all love the pea,which is cooked  to  perfection with carrots and cashew nuts. This is a popular side in many of our occasions ,like festivals ,wedding dinners and even family get -togethers. Come please ! Join me if you may,  as I cross over to my ‘cooking session’ for the specialty of the day: Green Peas with Carrots, Cashews and Coconut Cream.

By the way It’s just a coincidence ,I ‘m cooking with a lot of C’s ( carrots, cashews and coconut cream) A colourful curry indeed!

 Ingredients

250 grams green peas (boiled)

250 grams cashew nuts ( par boiled)

2  carrots ( par boiled and diced)

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

1 green chilly chopped ( optional)


3 cloves of garlic chopped


Half a tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp curry powder ( you can adjust accordingly)

One tablespoon of oil

A few curry leaves ( optional)

Salt to taste

1 cup water (250 ml)

3 generous tablespoons of coconut milk powder

Method

 Heat the oil in a pan . put in the mustard seeds .

When  it starts to splutter, turn in the chopped onion and the green chilly. Cook till onions become translucent and then stir in the garlic and the curry leaves . (cook for less than a minute)

Mix in the turmeric and the curry powder. Add the cup of water into the pan and bring it to a boil.

Now add the boiled peas,carrots and the cashew nuts into the pan  and continue cooking for about 5minutes.Mix in the coconut milk powder , give it a quick stir, so that no lumps form.

Lastly add salt to taste .Cover the pan and simmer till the liquid reduces a little .

This could be eaten as an accompaniment  with either

Steamed rice, onion pickle  and a meat dish of your choice.

Or with  biryani rice and other side dishes.  

Bon Apetit!