My Blog Updates

These days I have managed to update my page. It’s not that I blog daily. I simply found an easy way to do that. I have  made up my mind to write  about various topics,(the usual rantings in the household) about six to eight of them and save it on my computer. Each day I take one topic that I have already documented and post it on my blogger page. So that it wouldn't take much of my time and energy. I have also taken a keen interest in taking pictures of my new recipes, with the intention of  blogging  about it. To me, this is uplifting. This perception motivates me to try my hands at different recipes adapted by different cultures and learn to cook even better.

Cooking Tapioca

The tapioca root

Tapioca is a staple food in some countries and is used widely as a thickening agent mainly in foods. This is a good source of food for people who are allergic to gluten.Tapioca is  free from gluten.It is widely known in my native land that tapioca and ginger (both are  kind of roots) are not compatible and could cause catastrophic results when cooked together or eaten on the same day.Whether this is a  fact or not, I still don’t know, but continue to believe this myth  to this day.

Whenever  tapioca is used at home , I make sure that ginger is not added to any other  food for a day or two.The last time I  cooked it,the children didn’t quite like the taste.I had simply boiled  and served it with scrapped coconut and a chilly sambol,something closer to a chutney. I always wondered how tapioca would taste if it was cooked in some different way,other than boiled, which is the usual  and the most common method of cooking tapioca  in my home country. So taking that into consideration, I decided to make something  different and exceptional  this time, when my husband bought some from the grocer.

I remembered ,a few weeks  ago, I had watched the making of kofta on TV, which was telecasted  in the  middle eastern food channel. Kofta is a middle eastern and asian dish . It, is made of ground  meat: most commonly  lamb or beef with a variety of spices added . It is  similar to meatballs. They can be eaten fried, grilled or poached. And that was the recipe I decided to try, ’topiaco kofta-minus the meat . With the vegetarian recipe  in mind,I reached  for the bag of tapioca and headed toward the kitchen.Once done, everyone relished them.

Flattened and shaped into patties

Sizzling in hot oil

All done and set to eat 

For the above savoury dish,I used mashed tapioca,onions,green chillies,red chilly flakes,salt and lime juice.Mix well and form round patties using the fingers.Chill them in the refrigerator for 1/2 hour.The patties must be firm and not soggy.Then dip in beaten  eggs and coat with bread crumbs before frying in hot oil.

Tip: you can even replace tapioca with  good old potatoes.Mash coarsely the boiled tapioca,add butter,pepper and salt.

Our One Day Road Trip

During the holidays in the recent past,we went on a road trip to Bahrain. Long  before the holidays,my husband had promised the kids ,to take them to the  theatre, to watch Toy Story 3 ( there are no movie  theatres in the country we reside).They were all thrilled when the  day arrived.We travelled by vehicle  via the causeway-the bridge that links the country I live and Bahrain. It took us about an hour to reach there.After the movie ,we had lunch at an Indian restaurant.We had to get back to our destination before dusk, so we didn’t have much time to go sight seeing.In the spur of the moment, I remembered the  list of some  books that I badly wanted to read.Those books were beautifully  embedded in the back of my mind.Since we didn’t have any planned agenda, we went to the  bookstore on our way home. And I was  fortunate that the books I  needed were available in the bookstore.

Embarking on our journey

On the causeway-the bridge

Each book  tells a different story

Rainy Day Chronicles

It’s Midnight-And it’s raining outside. The room is in full darkness .I remember switching on the night lamp before going to bed.’Maybe I have got up in the middle of a dream’, rubbing my eyes hard, I convince myself. Pulling my share of the blanket , I try to get back to sleep, when I hear a cry from the children’s room ,that  is right across the hallway. That’s when I realized that this wasn’t a dream.The lights were out due to a power cut.To reassure that everything was allright ,I managed to stagger up to  their room and comfort the frightened kids.I waited in their room till they went back to sleep. Needless to say,  I too drifted back to sleep with them.

This morning -it is still  raining, pouring to be precise.Peeping through the blinds,I could see the roads  filled with water.My husband and I have decided not to send the children to school today. They still don’t know our decision,but once they wake up, they’ll be euphoric.

A moment ago-drinking a hot cup of tea, I  remembered an earlier converstion I had with my son.That particular day ,we had almost finished our shopping, when there was a slight drizzle, we hurried back home.I mentioned to my husband that we needed to buy an umbrella. Upon hearing this, my son prompted ’No..Mom we need to buy two’, ‘One for us and one for God”..Taken aback, I asked him why God needed one.His innocent answer really bowled us over.”Mom you always say that God is everywhere, so when it rains, even God gets wet.’

Now- The power is on and I am recounting the whole episode to you!

A Gift For My Daughter

                               

                                               

Today my second daughter ,turned fourteen.The last two days , I was wondering what I should give her on her great day.Eventually I decided to make her a surprise gift- a hand-made card. Hence before the crack of dawn,I  quietly started working on my tools.I had already downloaded the digital card that I designed and got a print out of it..And the rest of the materials that was used in making the card was recycled stuff. Moreover,this card was better than the earlier cards I had experimented,thus  I managed to  click some photos in the process .After my task was done, I sneaked into her bedroom and placed it on her dresser .She was all smiles when she woke up and saw her surprise gift. 

                                               

And then she had more surprises at school .....

compliments from her friends.....

So sweet....

.

Motivating Children To Read

Enid Blyton

The school where my children attend , organized  their  annual   ‘Reading Book Week’ recently, for the  children in the smaller age group. This was arranged  in a very elaborate way. All the little  children took part with a lot of enthusiasm. I actually like this idea a lot because  the main objective is to encourage and motivate children to read.My kids were asked to bring some of their favourite books,to display in the makeshift class room Library and share and exchange  books with friends.This actually helped my sons to actively participate in the program.

Motivating children at an early age ,encourages them  to enhance their reading habits .This helps them develop their learning  skills  and enable them to reach great heights in learning  in their later years.Reading at an early age instigates a child in many ways.Their listening and writing skills improve to a  vast extent.   In this day and age most children are  fascinated by the television and the computer .They have no time to get involved in extra curriculum or  outdoor activities.So getting teachers and parents organize similar programs would definitely facilitate a lot of children to read a lot and more often.

The other day ,reading an article on Enid Blyton took me back to my childhood. As a little girl I loved reading her books.I would wait impatiently till I got my hands on her latest book.I vividly remember during that time ( in the late 7o’s) .We got the opportunity to borrow books from the mobile bookman, who would bring the latest books of Enid Blyton,stacked in a box on his bicycle.For a few cents, we got to keep the book for a week or so. Now as an adult and a mother to four, I’m still enthralled with her books and enjoy reading her mysteries and adventures to my children. Her books were a part of my childhood and in some way   responsible for my love for reading.

Mama's Macaroni

I love making pasta with an assortment  of different shapes, so as to make it  appetizing for my children . The most relished collection of dried  pasta  at home  is the conventional type :  spaghetti (thin rods) and  Macoroni , (tubes) .  I find it  irresistible to stack countless packets of dried ones in the  cabinet , so  I may try out the  new dish that I  might have seen  on the  previous day on “Fatafeat’ , a popular Middle Eastern Food Channel.

My Children love pasta in general, but get divided when choosing the condiments that go with the pasta. The four have a penchant to eat it according to their respective taste buds, which obviously vary. Eventually they end up settling with the  most  common dish , ‘Mama ‘s Macoroni’ which is  applicable to everyone. ” Mama’s Macaroni” –is   my own specified pasta  dish - the name in particular was familiarized by my children.This particular one   is also a  favorite amongst the family and  I can tag it as the ‘most cooked’ dish during  the holidays and festive season.

 Ever since my younger daughter gave up  eating cheese, an absolute condiment in  pasta,  I had to find an alternative. And  was n’t I lucky enough  to  have found it sooner. I couldn’t have found anything better than coconut cream as the substitute.  It’s absolutely delectable with pasta. Although traditionally pasta  is  cooked to the dent,  my children  prefer it flexible and  very  tender .In view of that I have adapted that method  when  cooking  pasta.The recipe I have posted today is made with macoroni, the tubed shaped pasta . And   for my vegetarian  daughter, I skip the meat and add par boiled carrots and zucchini .

^Enjoy!

^{Mama's Macaroni}

^{( Ingredients)}

A packet of macaroni (500 gm packet)

1 1/2 lbs beef ( you can substitute with chicken)

2 large onions chopped

4-5 green chilies (remove seeds if you prefer less spicy)

A small pod of garlic

1inch ginger (or a little more)

1-2 teaspoons of Cummin seeds

1-2 teaspoons of curry powder

1-2 teaspoons pepper or according to your palate

Salt to taste

2 cubes  beef/ chicken stock 

Ghee/butter

1 cup thick coconut milk  or 3-4 tablespoons of coconut milk powder added to a cup of hot water ( * or you can stir in the milk powder straight into the cooking pasta- if you use this method please add  a cup of water  into the pan when  the  pasta is being cooked with the other ingredients.)

For garnishing; 

(optional)

Cheese

Coriander leaves/ parsley

Directions

Boil the macaroni with a little salt (drain it and set aside). Wash & cut the beef into medium sized pieces. Boil the beef with 2-3 cups of water- with a little pepper & salt. Once done set aside (don’t throw the excess liquid).

Pound the ginger, garlic, green chilies & the Cummin seeds (set aside).

In a large pan, heat 2-3 tablespoon of ghee/butter, stir in the chopped onions and when it begins to get soft & translucent, put in the rest of the pounded ingredients (garlic, ginger, green chilies & Cummin seeds). Keep on stirring it you get that aroma (don’t let it brown).

Put in the curry powder and the pepper and give it a good stir. Add the boiled beef with the excess liquid into this sautéed mixture and cover the pan with a lid & cook for 10 minutes. Next add the boiled macaroni. Mix in the  stock cubes. Cover and cook for further 10-15 minutes. Pour in, the cup of coconut milk or the milk powder( If you intend to use the powder ,follow the instructions given * )

 Remember the meat stock cube is already salty, so add  salt only if it’s necessary.  Let it simmer for a while .Transfer in to dish and garnish with chopped coriander/parsley.

 (Ready to serve  for about 8-10 persons)

Or if you still fancy it with cheese

Transfer this cooked pasta into a baking dish. Grate cheese on top of the pasta and bake in a hot oven until the cheese begins to melt .Remove from oven & garnish with chopped coriander leaves/parsley (optional)

 (P.S. You can adjust the spices according to your taste bud.)