I love my dad! Mixed media canvas made my little one

Hi friends

Sharing with you today a canvas that me and my little one made for her dad on his birthday. Loved the process and the outcome!

My little one does not call her father Dad, its pappa in our house, but the style queen that she is! and with all the accent she is catching from the cartoons, she would sometime call him dad..and we are amused to hear that from the little one :) 

As soon as DH comes home, the little missy wants his phone or tab to play with. He would say no, but she would bring out her hand and say "Promise" (that she will give it back soon)...awww can anyone say no to that!! 

Here are the steps that we too to make this:

1. First we applied masking tape on the canvas. Took three colors, yellow, blue and pink and let my little one have fun! Then after she used up all the color..I showed her the magic by removing the masking tape.

She was excited to see the outcome..but was not happy..she thought mumma we'll have to put more paint..it has so much white space..ok madam! your wish is my command :)

2. After it got completely dry, I put some color directly on the canvas and showed her the amazing texture we can create using our simple hair comb! I had tried tis for the first time and we both loved the texture!

3. I wanted to use my little one's hand print on the canvas to give it a personal touch. We did a hand printing session and little S printed her hand on the canvas in red. But it was not very visible, so I decided we'll use her other hand print which we had done on a plain white paper.. So did a fuzzy cut of the hand print. 

4. Next we applied some modelling paste using the flower stencil..doesnt it look pretty!

5. We stuck the hand cut out and embellished with cute little 3D stickers. 

6. Sprinkeld with white distress stickles and applied mod podge with gloss finish to seal everything well and preserve the beauty of this canvas. 

It is very special to me. Do let me know how you liked it.

Sending this to:
http://mixedmediamc.blogspot.in/2014/08/mixed-media-monthly-challenge-3.html
http://blog.inspirationemporium.com/?p=2487

Linking this to:
http://artsycraftsymom.com/diy-holi-gift-tags/

Chena poda | Indian cheese/paneer cake | kalakand | Healthy Dessert

Hi friends..sharing my firs attempt at chena poda..well loved by the kid and all:)

Recipe source: 

here and here

Ingredients

1 Cup home made cottage cheese (paneer)

3 tablespoons semolina

½ Cup Powdered Sugar 

½ teaspoon baking powder

5-6 cardamoms powdered

2 tablespoons raisins

5-6 cashew nuts chopped

5-6 pistachios sliced

2 tablespoons sugar for making caramel

Method for preparing cottage cheese

Ingredients

3 liters full cream milk

¼ cup lemon juice

Method

Boil the milk. Reduce the heat.

Add lemon juice to the boiled milk. Stir. The milk will curdle. Boil for a minute. Turn off the heat.

Put the curdled milk in a muslin cloth. Drain out the water.

Place the muslin bag with cottage cheese under the running tap.This will remove the sour whey. Squeeze out the water. Hang the muslin cloth for 15 minutes.

Method for preparing Chhena Poda

Transfer the cottage cheese to a plate. Mash well with hands till smooth. Add powdered sugar. Mix well. If the mixture feels too dry, add a teaspoon of milk.

Add semolina. Mix well. Cover and leave for 15 minutes.

In the mean time, take two tablespoons sugar in the baking tin, hold it over the flame. Turn off the heat when the sugar just begins to caramelize. Tilt the pan so that it spreads all over the base and sides evenly. Leave it to cool.

Knead the cottage cheese mixture again. Add powdered cardamom, raisins and cashews. Add baking powder. Mix well.

Put the mixture in the baking pan. Level the top.

Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 55 minutes or till the top turns brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Run a knife through the sides and invert it on the rack immediately. If delayed, the sugar in the base of the pan becomes hard and chhena poda sticks to the bottom.

Refrigerate when cold.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43.

Sending this entry to Valli's Kids Delight" Healthy Desserts" happening at Cooking with Sapna.

Aate ka halwa | Wheat pudding | Healthy desserts

My little one loves this wheat sheera. So what better to share for the healthy desserts for kids theme...happy kid ..happy mummy :)

 Ingredients
1 cup wheat flour (aata)
1 cup sugar (the quantity can vary as per the sweet taste)
1 cup desi ghee (clarified butter)
1 cup water
1 cup of nuts cashews, almonds, golden raisins (optional)

Method
Heat the ghee in a non stick pan & keep the pan on medium flame
Keep all other ingredients handy as they need to be added quickly
Add the entire wheat flour to the heated ghee & stir quickly till the wheat flour turns golden brown (however be careful not to stir the wheat flour for long as it might start burning)
As soon as the flour turns golden, add the water & the sugar together to the flour & simultaneously stir
Once all the ingredients are nicely mixed, add the nuts & keep stirring.
The halwa is now ready to be served. Serve hot.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43.

Sending this entry to Valli's Kids Delight" Healthy Desserts" happening at Cooking with Sapna.

Come, join us for Breakfast hosted by Valli

Eggless Coconut Macaroons

My first attempt at these yummy macaroons. .and they were a big hit! We had a garden potluck with few friends and I just made this in the last minute. .and it sure was the star of the day! .
I prepared a second batch with egg  last week. .it was good but become too soft later. .for the eggless one I am not sure if it becomes soft after some time. .as there was none left from that batch :)
Do try these simple and yummy cookies

Ingredients:
Unsweetened Shredded Coconut - 1.5 cups
Homemade sweetened condensed milk - 1/2 tin
Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp
Pinch of sea salt
Pinch of cinnamon powder (optional)

Method:
Preheat oven to 350F, and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl, and mix until well combined.
Drop the batter by rounded tablespoons onto the lined baking sheet, and tap gently to drop evenly with the help of spoon or your finger. Maintain 1 inch distance apart between macroons.
Bake for 20 minutes at 350F, or until the cookies are lightly golden on top and dark golden at the bottom.
Leave the macaroons in the sheet for 5- 10 minutes, then use a spatula to gently remove the macaroons from the baking sheet, and allow to cool completely on a wire rack .
Once cooled completely it will harden, store it in air-tight container, keeps good for upto a week and enjoy.
To make more crispier or lighter macaroon add more coconut.
Rememeber macaroons may look soft while hot, don't bake again, but once cool it will become harden.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43.

Sending this entry to Valli's Kids Delight" Healthy Desserts" happening at Cooking with Sapna.

Tiny weeny updates

Terrible three? Well sometimes yes..but amusing to the core :). Love every momet with my little chatterbox bunny. Not sure if being born near easter is the reason but she loves bunnys! and carrots! and all things pink :)

Saachi - Pappa I want these coins ($3)
Papa - What will you do with these sweety?
Saachi - Me isle aapko shoes dilaungi..aapke shoes phat gaye na.. (I will buy new shoes for you with these!) Oh thats so sweet of you to think about it love..
Papa - But isme shoes nahi aayenge na
Saachi - (Thinking) Ok me usko hello kitty me daal ke ride karungi :))) (I will ride in the hello kitty car by using these in the coin machine)
What what reasoning and thinking at this age!

me kya kar sakti hu !

Saachi - Mumma you have a black color smiley
Me - Black color smiley?
She means our eyebrows! what a correlation!

Little S loves to sit on top of the sofa, keep some cusions and does lovely tale malish champi of her mom and dad! we love it too..except when it turns into hair pulling..aaouch

i love to be with you, you is happy with me?

Saachi - Pappa mujhe honey bolte...Me papa ki honey hu..
Me - Aur mumma ki?
Saachi - Mumma ki naughty boy :)

me is so happy to see you again !

Me doing little emotional blackmail when saachi not listeing to get my phone.
Me - Saachi please bring my phone na
Saachi - mum my both hands are full..i am cutting paper
Me - this is not fair, mumma does so many things for you and you cant do one small things :(
It worked! Didnt expect little miss will leave her work and get my phone!
Me  - Thank you :)
Saachi -  your welcome! (didnt expect this either)

Saachi returning mumma her earring which she was dangling on her ears.
Aruna aunty - Saachi come here..put on your pants.
Saachi - I was busy no!

Some old notes..

31st Dec 2012 - The little one started saying her Dad's name after listening her grand mom call him to eat fruits. It was so cute how the little one is calling him with his name! We went to see the fireworks at the park, and little S liked them a lot! Watching with full concentration. The other two children with us were a bit frightened, but not lilt S! :)

Her Vocab:
much much - that is for Specs (In hindi we call specs Chashma, she didnt get the entire word, and deviced her own short name as "much")
Office, chudi, phoon, pani, sit down, baby, wah wah wah, book, are some more words which she speaks without being told and appropriately!

Small actions goes to prove a lot:

• I logged into skype after a long time and soon looking at the acreen she started saying Mama! She knows I speak to mama on skype! Are all the 20 month olds are that clever these days???
• Little S wanted to go out for a walk but no one was taking her out, so she said "Me jai" (me going) and went towards the door and hid behind the shoe rack, her grandfather and me had a hearty laugh at her gesture.

Origami decorative rakhi | Origami flower

Sending this to:

http://www.hobbymela.com/contest/ - Rakhi

http://www.artsycraftsymom.com/artsy-craftsy-july-2014-challenge-rakhi-special/

Also check out some of our other handmade rakhis here

Edible tiffin garden | Kids Lunch Box Ideas

 Hi Peeps

Sharing with a very simple garden salad, which your little ones can enjoy by munching on the grass, the tomato, bread and cheese flowers and the boiled carrot stems.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43
Sending this to Srivalli's Kids delight event,hosted by Harini with the theme - Healthy snacks.

Healthy Appe | Paniyaram | Fried Idli | Kids Lunch Box Ideas

Thank you for your amazing response for the kids delight post. Glad you liked the Hawaiian beauty. Presenting another simple and yummy snack loved by children as well as adults. This is the first time I made these appe, learned from a dear friend. They are quiet easy to make, consume less oil as compared to fried stuff but give the same crispy flavor and texture.

For the lunch box, I kept the appe in separate silicon molds (especially pink, coz little S loves everything pink!). Tomato chutney for accompanying the appe with some fresh lettuce, grated carrot , beet and cherry. Do let me know how you liked it ..

Appes/Paniyaram made with rice and a little urad dal with onion tempering giving it an essential boost. Serve rice appe fresh and hot, with tangy tomato chutney.

Ingredients

1 cup raw rice (chawal)

1/4 cup urad dal (split black lentils)

1 tbsp dana methi

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

2 green chillies , chopped

8 to 10 curry leaves (kadi patta)

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

2 tbsp grated carrot

1 tbsp grated beetroot

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

oil for cooking

Method

Wash and soak the rice and urad dal, methi dana in lukewarm water for at least 2 hours or overnight.

Drain and grind to a smooth paste with 1/2 cup of water.

Cover and set aside overnight to ferment.

Next day, heat the oil in a small kadhai, add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, green chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. When the mustard and cumin seeds crackle, add chopped onion and stir for 3 to 5 minutes. Also add the grated carrot. 

Add this to the fermented batter.

Add salt and a little water if required and mix to form a thick batter.

Heat the appe mould on a medium flame and grease it with a little oil.

Pour a spoonful of the batter into each mould. Sprinkle grated beetroot on each appe to get the beautiful color. 

Cook till the outer surface becomes golden brown and then turn each appe upside down using a fork so as to cook the other side. Remove and repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve hot with tomato chutney.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43
Sending this to Srivalli's Kids delight event,hosted by Harini with the theme - Healthy snacks.

Come, join us for Breakfast hosted by Valli

Hawaiian beauty | Green moong sprout chilla | Kids Lunch Box Ideas

Hi Peeps..hope you are having a good weekend. We have  a long weekend here coinciding with hubby's bday..

I am also super excited to be part of the blogging marathon which is such a enthusiastic event in food blogging world! This being my first participation..I am nervous and happy both :)

I chose the easiest category - kids recipes. Though the category is easy but it is no easy task to feed a fussy eater..I am the witness to that..sometimes feel so sad and sometimes at my nerve's end. Sometimes when the little one displays a clean plate..then I feel like I have won an Olympic gold medal! I am sure this would be the case for most mum's out there. 

In one such pursuit of happiness, this is my humble attempt to entice my princess to gobble the beautiful Hawaiian lady! 

I made the face with the green moong sprout batter. The hair using lettuce. It has a big flower bow made of chilla. The eyes using carrot and cherry. Mouth made of carrot. The little one was excited to see what mumma was doing, had a go at the chilla..but there is a long way to go before I sleep! 

Do let me know how you liked it. do share the pics if you try this :) 

Recipe source : Tarla Dalal

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup sprouted moong (whole green gram)

1/2 cup besan (Bengal gram flour)

2 tbsp chopped coriander (dhania)

1 tbsp chopped green chillies

1/2 inch piece of ginger

2-3 cloves garlic

few curry leaves

pinch of turmeric

salt to taste

oil for making chillas

Method 

Grind sprouts, green chilli, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and coriander leaves into smooth paste.

Add besan and mix well.Add salt, turmeric and water to make smooth batter.

Heat nonstick pan and grease with some oil. Take a portion of the batter (abt 1/2 cup).

Put in the pan making a round chilla. Put some oil around the chilla.When one side is almost brown and gets easily removed from the pan, turn over the other side.

Cook for 2 to 3 mins. Turn it back you can put grated cheese on one side. Let the cheese melt for a min and then fold and remove the chilla from pan . (I did not add cheese for this version of mine)

Serve hot with ketchup or green chutney.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#43
Sending this to Srivalli's Kids delight event,hosted by Harini with the theme - Healthy snacks.

Come, join us for Breakfast hosted by Valli