(Vegan) Badam burfi (almond fudge)

 I was looking for vegan sweets to make for Diwali and found this recipe for badam burfi. It looked straight forward to make and also didn't require too many ingredients. Let me tell you - it turned out so delicious! Heavenly! And you wouldn't even know it was vegan! In fact after eating it I was wondering why do even need to make it otherwise??

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/8 cup water
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1.5 tsp vegan butter
• 1.5 cup almond flour

Method

1. In a pan (I used a cast iron dutch oven) sugar, water and cardamom powder on medium heat.
2. Let the sugar dissolve and mixture come to a boil.
3. Add the almond flour and turn the heat to low.
4. Add butter and mix everything with a whisk so that there are no lumps.
5. Keep cooking till the mixture leaves the sides of the pan and you can form a non-sticky ball.
6. If you can't form a non-sticky ball then the burfi will not set.
7. Once done, take it off the heat and put the mixture on a silicone mat (or parchment paper)
8. Knead the dough a little with greased hands. If the mixture is too dry, add a little water (just a little).
9. Put a parchment paper on top and roll the dough flat to 1/8 inch thickness.
10. Then cut into diamonds or squares of your choice.
11. Let it set. Burfi is ready!

(Vegan) Pumkin cupcakes

 We've been trying to switch to being vegan. Baking was one of those things which I thought would be so hard to do as a vegan. But I'm amazed at the weather of vegan recipes be it through blogs or through books. I found the recipe for these cupcakes at Nora Cooks. We've tried a couple of vegan recipes from her blog and they all turned out so delicious!

These cupcakes with maple frosting were so moist, fluffy and just delicious! Even DH who's not so fond of cupcakes, loved them! They were just right - be it texture or taste! We baked them with the kids so all four of us pitched in!

Yields: 12 cupcakes

CUPCAKE

Ingredients

• 7.5 oz pumpkin puree (we used homemade)
• 1/8 cup unsweetened applesauce (homemade as well)
• 1/2 cup oil
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• tiny pinch of cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit and line a cupcake pan with liners.
2. In a large bowl, whisk puree, applesauce, oil and sugar together until well blended.
3. Add rest of the ingredients.
4. Fill the cupcake molds half-full and bake for 18-22 minutes. Do the knife test - insert a knife into one of the cupcakes and it should come out clean.
5. Let them cool on a cooling rack.

FROSTING

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup vegan butter
• 1-2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp maple syrup (this does add a lovely hint so try not to skip it)

Method

1. In a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy.
2. Add sugar gradually (keep beating) till you get the consistency you want.
3. Add the maple syrup and mix it as well.

Once the cupcakes are cooled, frost them and enjoy them!

English muffin toasting bread

 

Just like the name says - it is a perfect bread for toasting and spreading with jam and butter! The coarse texture makes for a crispy toasted bread! So delicious!

Ingredients

• 3 cups (361g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tablespoon (14g) sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon instant yeast
• 1 cup (227g) milk
• 1/4 cup (57g) water
• 2 tablespoons (25g) vegetable oil or olive oil

Method

• Whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and instant yeast in a large mixing bowl.
• Combine the milk, water, and oil in a separate, microwave-safe bowl, and heat. It should be hot, not lukewarm, but not scalding hot either.
• Pour the hot liquid over the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. 
• Using an electric beater, beat at high speed for 1 minute; the dough will be smooth and very soft. If you don't have an electric mixer, beat by hand for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and starting to become elastic.
• Lightly grease an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan.
• Scoop the soft dough into the pan, leveling it in the pan as much as possible.
• Cover the pan, and let the dough rise till it's just barely crowned over the rim of the pan. When you look at the rim of the pan from eye level, you should see the dough, but it shouldn't be more than, say, 1/4" over the rim. This will take about 45 minutes to 1 hour, if you heated the liquid to the correct temperature and your kitchen isn't very cold. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Remove the cover, and bake the bread for 22 to 27 minutes, till it's golden brown.
• Remove the bread from the oven, and after 5 minutes turn it out of the pan onto a rack to cool. Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

Know my name

 Author: Chanel Miller

A memoir by Chanel Miller, earlier known as Emily Doe to the world. She was a victim of sexual assault at Stanford, California. She is neither the first nor the last such victim. However, she is one of the few who opened herself to the world. Many victims don't even report their cases. She reported it and then made her statement public and now has written the full story. 

One must read the book, to see the story from the perspective of the victim. Right from when the attack happened to how her life changes for not just next few months but for years to come; and her struggles in the court. It is not just her but everybody around her as well who is impacted. Slowly and gradually as she reveals what happened to some of her close friends she finds out how many of them have gone through it in the past but never told anybody. What happened to her was a fact and yet she had to fight a battle in the court. How the media talked about what would happen to the sports career of the attacker but nobody talked about how it had ruined the life of the victim. 

In cases of sexual assault while people do always pity the victim, they also almost always find ways to point finger at the victim. Things like she was wearing clothes that expose her body or she was drunk or she was out in the middle of the night. I always thought it was wrong to think like that and when reading Chanel's story I felt even more strongly for it. There is no excuse for such a crime - just like there's no excuse for any other crime.

Yet another (delicious) pizza recipe!

 Pizza is an all-time and everybody favorite in our house! I'm sure that must be true for most houses. DH and I are always looking for new pizza recipes to try. So when I saw this recipe for Crispy Cheese Pan Pizza I knew what we were going to make that weekend! This recipe does require you to plan-ahead; at least 24 hours in advance. The more the merrier!

We made two different pizzas from this recipe. I made 1.5 times the dough per the recipe and then used 1 part to make the pan pizza and the rest to make a regular pizza. While both were delicious, I liked the regular pizza more - look at that crust! Crispy on the outside and light and airy on the inside! The pan pizza was yummy too although I liked it as a bread.

The below recipe (quantity) is for making one pan pizza. Half of that quantity will give you one regular pizza.

Crust 

• 2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast or active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup (170g) lukewarm water
• 1 tablespoon (13g) olive oil + 1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil for the pan

Topping

• 6 ounces (170g) mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/4 cups, loosely packed)*
• 1/3 to 1/2 cup (74g to 113g) tomato sauce or pizza sauce, (we use tomato puree of san Marzano tomatoes and add a little bit of Italian seasoning to it)
• freshly grated hard cheese and fresh herbs for sprinkling on top after baking, optional*

Method

1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess.  
2. Place the flour, salt, yeast, water, and 1 tablespoon (13g) of the olive oil in the bowl of a stand mixer or other medium-large mixing bowl.
   
3. Stir everything together to make a shaggy, sticky mass of dough with no dry patches of flour. This should take 30 to 45 seconds in a mixer using the beater paddle; or about 1 minute by hand, using a spoon or spatula. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to gather the dough into a rough ball; cover the bowl.
   
4. After 5 minutes, uncover the bowl and reach a bowl scraper or your wet hand down between the side of the bowl and the dough, as though you were going to lift the dough out. Instead of lifting, stretch the bottom of the dough up and over its top. Repeat three more times, turning the bowl 90° each time. This process of four stretches, which takes the place of kneading, is called a fold. 
   
5. Re-cover the bowl, and after 5 minutes do another fold. Wait 5 minutes and repeat; then another 5 minutes, and do a fourth and final fold. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest, undisturbed, for 40 minutes. Then refrigerate it for a minimum of 12 hours, or up to 72 hours. It'll rise slowly as it chills, developing flavor; this long rise will also add flexibility to your schedule.
6. About 3 hours before you want to serve your pizza, prepare your pan. 

For Pan Pizza

1. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons (18g) olive oil into a well-seasoned cast iron skillet that’s 10” to 11” diameter across the top, and about 9” across the bottom. Heavy, dark cast iron will give you a superb crust; but if you don’t have it, use another oven-safe heavy-bottomed skillet of similar size, or a 10” round cake pan or 9” square pan. Tilt the pan to spread the oil across the bottom, and use your fingers or a paper towel to spread some oil up the edges, as well.  
2. Transfer the dough to the pan and turn it once to coat both sides with the oil. After coating the dough in oil, press the dough to the edges of the pan, dimpling it using the tips of your fingers in the process. The dough may start to resist and shrink back; that’s OK, just cover it and let it rest for about 15 minutes, then repeat the dimpling/pressing. At this point the dough should reach the edges of the pan; if it doesn’t, give it one more 15-minute rest before dimpling/pressing a third and final time. 
   
3. Cover the crust and let it rise for 2 hours at room temperature. The fully risen dough will look soft and pillowy and will jiggle when you gently shake the pan.
4. About 30 minutes before baking, place one rack at the bottom of the oven and one toward the top (about 4" to 5" from the top heating element). Preheat the oven to 450°F.
5. When you’re ready to bake the pizza, sprinkle about three-quarters of the mozzarella (a scant 1 cup) evenly over the crust. Cover the entire crust, no bare dough showing; this will yield caramelized edges. Dollop small spoonfuls of the sauce over the cheese; laying the cheese down first like this will prevent the sauce from seeping into the crust and making it soggy. Sprinkle on the remaining mozzarella.
   
6. Bake the pizza on the bottom rack of the oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbling and the bottom and edges of the crust are a rich golden brown (use a spatula to check the bottom). If the bottom is brown but the top still seems pale, transfer the pizza to the top rack and bake for 2 to 4 minutes longer. On the other hand, if the top seems fine but the bottom's not browned to your liking, leave the pizza on the bottom rack for another 2 to 4 minutes. Home ovens can vary a lot, so use the visual cues and your own preferences to gauge when you’ve achieved the perfect bake.
7. Remove the pizza from the oven and place the pan on a heatproof surface. Carefully run a table knife or spatula between the edge of the pizza and side of the pan to prevent the cheese from sticking as it cools. Let the pizza cool very briefly; as soon as you feel comfortable doing so, carefully transfer it from the pan to a cooling rack or cutting surface. This will prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
   
8. Serve the pizza anywhere from medium-hot to warm. Kitchen shears or a large pair of household scissors are both good tools for cutting this thick pizza into wedges.  

For Regular pizza

1. Oil a cast iron skillet. Using your hands press the dough to cover the skillet. Cover and let rise for 3 hours.
2. After the rise let's get the pizza ready for baking. For the regular pizza we did the opposite of what is suggested for the pan pizza. We spread the sauce first and then the cheese.
3. We didn't add too many veggies as the original recipe warned against using raw veggies as it might make the pizza soggy.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes.
5. Once done, we did spread it generously with basil. It was just so yummy!

Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine

 Author: Gail Honeyman

Loved reading this book! 

Eleanor will strike most as an odd woman. Everything in her life is calculated, scheduled and organized. She has never taken a day off from her work. She does not talk to anybody unless she needs to - which doesn't happen often. That means after she goes home from work on Fridays she spends close to 72 hours without having spoken to anybody. She has never eaten a pizza except from the supermarket. There is good reason behind all of this.

All that is about to change as she bumps across Raymond, the IT guy at work and at the same time has a crush on a local singer. The latter, while not very productive in itself, motivates her to go out of her comfort zone and also talk to Raymond on things not related to work. As she ventures into areas which she hasn't explored before - like getting a new hairstyle or using a personal shopping assistant to select an outfit that suits her the most - she discovers new things. She finds out that she too can get compliments. That it feels good to get compliments. That she too can be a source of information and people are coming to her to ask where she got her hair done. 

On the other hand without realizing she's fostering a friendship with Raymond. It all starts when they both save Sammy, an elderly gentleman. As their relationship develops, there are so many emotions that she experiences for the first time and it makes her realize what she was missing in her life.

Everything was going well when suddenly her world falls apart. But there is much to learn there as well.

At every step Eleanor's willingness to change and learn is so inspiring! The book is full of good humor. After the first few pages itself, you can figure out that the book is written by a British author. The language is so beautiful and expressive. A good break from the conversational English that abounds in books these days.

Vanilla cake with strawberry frosting

Made this cake for hubby's birthday and it was quite a favorite! It was moist and just rightly sweet. The recipe for the cake is from my trusted source KAF and for the frosting is from here. I felt the frosting could have been a little less sweet - it could be that our strawberries were very sweet. Will try to lower the amount of sugar next time. Even then it tasted awesome!

For the cake

Ingredients

2 cups (241g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour   

1 1/4 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups (397g) granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon (14g) vanilla extract
• 1 cup (227g) milk (used 2%)
• 4 tablespoons (57g) butter, cut into pats
• 1/3 cup (67g) vegetable oil

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. The recipe calls for using round pans. I didn't have two round pans of the same size. I used one 9x13 pan and then divided the cake into two so that I had two layers.
2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla until thickened and light gold in color, about 2 minutes at medium-high speed. The batter should fall in thick ribbons from the beaters, whisk, or paddle.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the mixture in the bowl and mix — by hand or on low speed of a mixer — just enough to combine. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl, then mix again briefly, to fully incorporate any residual flour or sticky bits.
5. In a saucepan set over medium heat or in the microwave, bring the milk just to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and add the butter and oil, stirring by hand until the butter has melted.
6. Slowly mix the hot milk-butter-oil mixture into the batter, stirring on low speed of a mixer until everything is well combined. Scrape the bowl and mix briefly, just until smooth.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-48 minutes.

For the frosting

The frosting was a tad less for this size of the cake but still manageable. Increasing it by 10-20% would probably help.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup chopped fresh strawberries
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp water, if needed
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Puree the strawberries.
2. Add the puree to a small sized saucepan and cook over medium hear. Allow the mixture to boil, stirring consistently to avoid burning. Reduce to almost half the quantity.
3. Cool the mixture.
4. Add butter to a large bowl and beat until smooth.
5. Add about half the sugar and beat till well combined.
6. Add the vanilla extract and the remaining powdered sugar until smooth.
7. Add additional milk, if required, to reach desired consistency.

Hershey's perfectly chocolate cake

For mother's day, kids and I did some baking. Since all three of us like chocolate cake I thought to try out this recipe. It was simple (important when baking with kids) and delicious! We baked it in a loaf pan. It was delicious!

For the cake

Ingredients:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour 
• 3/4 cupHERSHEY'S Cocoa 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda 
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup milk 
• 1/2 cupvegetable oil 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 cup boiling water

Method:

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round baking pans.
2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl.
3. Add eggs, milk, oil and Vanilla.
4. Beat on medium speed of mixer for 2 minutes.
5. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin).
6. Pour batter into prepared pans.
7. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes clean.
8. Cool 10 minutes, remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely and then frost.

For the frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup cocoa powder
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method:

1. Melt butter. Stir in cocoa.
2. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency
3. Add small amount of additional milk if needed.
4. Stir in vanilla

Creamy (vegan) cauliflower soup

I saw this recipe in Vegan For Everybody. It looked pretty good and the ingredients seemed pretty accessible. So I gave it a try. I modified the recipe a little to make it simpler as well as to suit the ingredients I had on hand. The soup was healthy and delicious! A great way for kids to get their share of vegetables!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 head cauliflower, chopped
• 3 tsp oil
• 3/4-1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp kitchen king
• 2 1/2 cups water
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (canned)
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• Salt to taste
• chopped cilantro, for garnishing

Note: The size of the chopped vegetables doesn't really matter because everything will be blended together.

Method:

1. Heat the oil on medium heat in a dutch oven or big pan.
2. Add onion and salt; and sauté till onion is translucent.
3. Add ginger and kitchen king. Sauté for a minute.
4. Add cauliflower and water. Increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer till the cauliflower is cooked.
6. Blend in a blender till smooth.
7. Add the puree back to the pan and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Turn off the heat.
8. Add coconut milk and lime juice. Mix.
9. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Gozleme - a Turkish appetizer

I tried this Turkish recipe. Not sure why it came up in my YouTube feed but looks like it was there for a reason :) We ate it with hot sauce and ketchup - it was very delicious! What I liked about it - didn't take too long to make it and is not deep fried (although it does have cheese).

Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:

For the dough
160g all purpose flour
80ml water
Salt to taste

For the filling
1 bunch Spinach
1/2 cup chopped Onion
1/2-3/4 cup Feta cheese
1-2 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method

1. Mix the flour, salt and water; and knead. After the dough had come together, knead for another 5 minutes. The dough will be smooth and springy.
2. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. Sauté the onion till translucent.
4. Add the spinach and salt; and cook till wilted; and the filling is not too wet.
5. Cool the filling.
6. In the meantime, let's make the outer wrap.
7. Divide the dough into 4. Take each portion and form a ball out of it.
8. Roll it out to around 10" - the wrap will be almost translucent. You will almost be able to see the surface below the wrap.
9. Put some of the prepared filling on the wrap. Add feta cheese. Wrap it up like a parcel.
10. Heat a griddle on medium heat. Cook the wrap on one side. Then flip and cook on the other side.

Of course I haven't tasted the real dish but was very happy how this turned out. The original recipe calls out brushing the wrap with butter after cooking it. We liked it without butter,

How to choose a daycare for your child?

When we were looking for a daycare for our kids I was thinking to myself - why do people sweat so much about which daycare to choose. All little ones need is to eat, sleep and play! Well, turns out that's not so true. Yes they need the three basic things - food, sleep and play - and some more. If I were to choose a daycare again below are the factors I would consider; and this is not to say that everyone should consider these. Each of us are different and every child is different. Your priorities and your child's need would determine what factors you need to look at. As you read through these, you can see if it is something that you would care for.

1. Location: it was important to us that the daycare be close to our home so that either of us could drop/pick the kids from daycare. We are very glad that we did that. Time and again it has proved so beneficial to have it close-by. We don't have to sit in traffic and spend that time with the kids instead.
2. Teacher retention: this is a big problem that plagues daycares - it's very difficult to retain teachers. So why does it matter if there's high attrition? It matters more than you think to your child. It takes time for kids to feel safe and secure with a teacher, once they do they only like to be with that teacher. If they get a new teacher, they have a very hard time. Even if it's for one day.
3. Qualification of the teachers: it is good to have teachers who are qualified for the job. While it seems obvious that for any job you want people who are qualified for it, here's why this is important and not so obvious. Some people might think anybody can take care of kids. Yes and no. Yes they can take care of kids but not every one can make your child learn. Be it learning the alphabets, table manners, discipline, social behavior and so on. You want somebody who, when your child is misbehaving, can do more than just ask them not to do it. Who can help the child understand what they did wrong and what they can do better. Who also tries to understand where the child is coming from - which is the most important factor to help a child discipline. If disciplining your child is not high on your list, then I wouldn't worry about the qualification of the teachers all that much.
4. Quality of food: some daycares have their own kitchen, some don't. Of those that have, some always serve healthy choices and made from scratch food, other don't. Some even ensure most of their food is organic. For us, having healthy food is very important. The daycare we picked does not serve sugary cereals, hardly any processed food and serves whole grain options. That was important for us as not only do kids spend half their day there but they also learn all the habits from there. They like the food that is served there so that food better be healthy.
5. Curriculum: having a pre-defined curriculum helps. I'm always surprised at all the different topics they introduce to the kids every so often. The various activities that they do around each of these topics. Kids learn from their teachers the most. You could be teaching the same values at home but the moment the teachers teach that value - that is all they will be talking about.
6. Talk to the director: you should definitely talk to the director to see if the values that you want for your child jives with vision that the director has for their daycare. It will also give you an insight into how committed/dedicated the director is towards their center. That is one person who can make or break a daycare.
7. Outdoor playing area: again this is personal preference. We wanted our kids to have enough outdoor playing area so they could stretch themselves. Not just the area, but the schedule should also make sure that the kids get enough time to play outside.

You will find lots of articles and books that will talk about this topic. Some of the often mentioned factors listed in those like safety etc have not been listed above. I feel that might be concerns for a home based daycare, but if its a center based daycare with all the certification etc they would be conforming to the security/safety codes. Also, in my personal experience even after touring a few daycares I couldn't say whether one was secure or not. They all looked good enough to me - it could be that they were.

At the end of it, you need to decide what are the things that are most important to you and look for a daycare that satisfies those.

Also, once you do put your child into a daycare and have any concerns always raise them with the teacher/director. If you think your concerns are not being entertained then it is not the right daycare for you.

Cabbage Pakoda

These pakodas came out so delicious! They were crisp on the outside and tender inside. The blend of vegetables provided the right contrast for the taste buds. I've never used peas in any kind of pakodas and was a little hesitant. Never again will I think twice!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup besan (chickpea flower)
• 1/4 cup rice flower
• 1 cup cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, chopped
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 4-5 curry leaves, sliced
• 1 tsp green chillies chopped
• Salt to taste
• Water, quantity will vary
• Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Heat oil at medium heat.
2. Mix besan and rice flour together.
3. Then add all ingredients except water and oil.
4. Add enough water to make a batter that is neither too thick nor too thin. You should be able to easily make lumps from it. It should not be so thick that you can shape it.
5. Oil should be hot enough. If its too hot then the pakodas will cook from the inside and not from inside. If it's not hot enough, it'll take too long to fry and you will not get a crisp exterior.
6. Take a lump of the batter and add it to the oil. Fry 4-5 pakodas at a time. Any more and your oil will cool down.
7. It yielded yummy pakodas that were so crispy on the outside and perfectly tender on the inside!

Thai red curry pineapple rice

We all loved this rice and it is so simple to make! I adapted this recipe from The Chunky Chef.

Ingredients:

• 4 tsp oil
• 1/2 cup onion
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp garlic, chopped
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks
• 1 1/2 cup rice (I used basmati rice), washed
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 cups colored bell peppers, cut in strips
• 1 cup broccoli, chopped 
• 8-10 cashews
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• Salt to taste.

Method:

1. Add the liquid from the pineapple chunks and the coconut milk to a measuring cup. If the total quantity is less than 3 cups, add some water to make it 3 cups.
2. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan on medium heat. Sauté onion for 2-3 minutes. Then add ginger and garlic. Sauté for another minute or two.
3. Add the mix of pineapple juice, coconut milk and water to the pan. Bring to a simmer.
4. Add the Thai red curry paste and mix well. Then add rice and pineapple chunks. Add salt.
5. Cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to medium-low and let it cook for 15 minutes (or till the rice is done).
6. In the meantime, heat the remaining 2 tsp oil in another pan on medium high heat. Sauté the bell peppers and broccoli. After 2-3 minutes add the cashews. Add some salt. Sauté for another minute or so. It is done when the peppers are slightly charred. Vegetables should be tender and crisp.
7. Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and let it sit covered for another 15 minutes. Then add the above mixture as well as cilantro and mix well. Use a light hand so as not to make the rice mushy.

Positive discipline for Preschoolers

Author: Nelsen, Erwin, Roslyn and Duffy

There are multiple version of this book. The original - Positive discipline and then specific ones for different age groups like this for preschoolers.

The book, as the tag line says, focuses on disciplining kids using respectful means. The main premise of the authors is that as parents we must always be respectful to the kids even when we are disciplining them. While it makes a lot of sense, I feel one does tend to forget it. You need to consciously remind yourself of this. While being respectful, to discipline kids you must be kind and firm at the same time. As an example, the author talks about a case where the mother asks her child whether they would like cereal A or B. The child picks one of the choices (giving them age appropriate choices helps make them responsible) but after eating a spoon complains that they don't like it. You then take away the cereal. Later the child says that they are hungry. You respectfully tell them that the lunch (or whatever the next meal is) will be at so and so time and you are sure they can handle themselves till then. You do not say things like "I told you you would be hungry", "You should have eaten your breakfast", etc.

You do not need to yell, shout or scream but you need to be true to your words. If you say that there is a consequence for doing a certain thing you must carry it through. It is important for the child to know that you will do as you say. This is the part about being firm.

Another trait that it focuses on is making kids responsible. As an example, there's a family where the father drops off the child to daycare when the father leaves for office. So the child is given their morning schedule in a visual form and needs to follow through it in order to be ready to leave with the dad. The visual schedule outlines that they need to brush then have bath then make their bed and so on. If the child is not ready by the time the dad is ready to go to work, then the child has to leave in whatever state they are in. If they have not changed their clothes then they go to daycare in their pajamas and with their change of clothes. Again, no taunting here.

Further it talks about what are different reasons why kids could be misbehaving. There are 9 temperaments and each kid falls into one or the other side of the temperament. Which side they fall into could give reasons behind their misbehavior. While this is the nature part of the child, you can try to influence it by giving them an environment (nurture) which encourages the right behavior. Then there is the birth order psychology. Whether you are the eldest, youngest or the middle one could tell some certain things about your personality. The author iterates again and again that none of these should be used to stereotype the child but to understand where they are coming from.

Hope all this has gotten you interested in reading this book! It gave me a sea of information of possible reasons behind misbehavior and how to tackle them. I may not remember all of them. Even if I can remember/implement 1-2 of the things that I learnt that would be great!