Theme for July

Its summer and its hot, fun, and loaded with outdoor stuff. So why not we have July dedicated to Summer. Share a summer story, plenty of summer pics, taken by you or the kid, summer snacks and treats for the kids, a summer vacation story, anything and everything that summer means to you and your kids.

Theme for July -- Summer Fun with Kids
The same rules apply. Every week Thursday to Saturday,feel free to post on the Theme of the Month.Non members can send articles to the e mail provided on the sidebar

Also I have a request for all DMC members. If each of you take up a month, decide on the theme and conduct the theme of the month the way you choose, we will get a more broader spectrum of ideas here. Indosungod already has a Theme for August. So please send me a mail at desimomz.blog@gmail.com to take up a month you prefer.

Also please send your ideas, feedbacks about what you want to have at DMC. Its everyone’s blog and if any of you have the desire, idea for monthly columns or some such thing please come up with it.

Tharini has made a lovely icon for the Club. Please feel free to download and use it. Give her the credits when you use the logo



Icon Credits: Tharini of Winkies Way

The Sneaky Chef - A review

You want your kids to grow healthy. But they aren't eating their daily veggies. They just give a blunt 'No!' or sometimes, 'I don't like it', or sometimes even 'I hate veggies' or just leave it in their plate for you to wonder and wonder 'how on earth am I going to get this inside them' .....

Sometimes they go through phases of eating just peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every meal.. And sometimes this phase goes longer than what a mom can take. So, you swallow your disappointment and try to cook it differently, more interestingly. You put a plate of fancy cut sandwiches and cute looking veggies and dips in front of them - all very colorful and keep your fingers and toes crossed- Does that work? NO! You try to tell them - Veggies are good, darling... If you eat them, you can grow as tall as 'Barney' or 'Diego' or whomever your kid fancies at the time... and then hope and pray that this works... - does it work?

Well, With some kids, some of these ploys work, but with most, it doesn't. So, what does a mom do? Sneak them!!! Yep, Missy Chase Lapine says 'sneak those veggies in the foods kids love'.

Ms.Lapine, the author of the best-seller 'The Sneaky Chef' comes to the rescue. She takes a list of the kid's favorite foods and takes another list of super foods and finds a way to sneak in the stuff from the second list to the first.. How does she sneak it in? She purees the veggies and sneaks them into brownies and pasta sauces and mac and cheese and other stuff...... Well, This idea has been there for a long time. Think of zucchini breads and carrot muffins. But I'd say she takes this approach a step further and have used it in foods that kids usually don't mind eating. She also suggests ways to make ahead a few purees and store them in the freezer for quicker cooking..

Some of her free recipes found in the web and from the Author's website.

• Make-Ahead Recipe: Green Juice
• Make-Ahead Recipe: Purple Puree
• Make-Ahead Recipe: White Puree
• Make-Ahead Recipe - Orange Puree
• Sneaky Chef Brainy Brownies
• Earth Day Milk Shake
• Tomato Sauce
  
• Mac and Cheese
• Power Pizza
• Peanut butter & Jelly muffins

Some may disagree with this approach... This isn't the right way to get the kids to eat their veggies. I beg to differ.. What's stopping us from keep trying to get them eat their veggies in the usual way, while also sneaking it into stuff they like. And when they start eating their veggies, you can always stop your sneaking in.

While I haven't had the chance to try these stuff on my kiddo yet (She's just 9 mo and eating what I stuff in her mouth) but if she grows up into the kind of kid who hates veggies, I wouldn't hesitate to try this approach.

Again, you don't have to use the ideas given in the book only for the recipes mentioned in the book.. Similar approach can be used for Indian cooking too... Making green dosas or colorful idlis or colored rice and parathas or rotis... etc In addition to increasing the nutrition quotient, you can also use veggies into giving color for food stuff without using the harmful chemical food colors. Take this idea and get creative.

A mom's gotta do what a mom's gotta do. ;)

P.s. Not affiliated or associated with 'The Sneaky Chef' or 'Amazon.com' or any other links mentioned above.

Toronto moms, Anybody?

Shweta left a comment on my blog, interested in a meet up... Now, I would love to meet up with another mom. But, I haven't been able to mail her about that.. The reason being - No email id! :(

So, dear Shweta, if you are reading this, do send me a line at (tabtomorrow AT gmail DOT com)

If any other moms (or moms-to-be/I'd-like-to-be-a-mom-someday/No children-don't plan on having them, but I don't hate them) in Toronto or GTA are interested, I'd love to meet you too. Send me a line and we can arrange for a day.

The only 2 criteria to meet

1. you should be a lady
   
2. don't talk about amway/quickstar/any other mlm stuff :) It doesn't matter if you are affiliated with them, but just don't try to get me into it.
   

P.s: Sandeepa, Asha or IGS, If you think posting about a moms- meetup in DMC, is inappropriate, please do let me know - I'll remove this post. Just didn't know how else to locate Shweta.

Tease: Moms of picky eaters and veggie haters, expect a book review in the next few days. :)

From Kodi to his Bapa..

(This post is by Kodi's Mom of Kodimeow Kronicles)

[Kodi pens a few words to his Bapa.]

Dearest Bapa of mine,

I love Fai-lays. I learnt to say Fai-lay (Friday), just so I would know when you were coming home every week. Our time together each weekend is so short that despite my non-stop yapping, I don't get to say it all. Hence this letter.

Amma tells me that you were the first to hold me after I was born. That I was screaming long after I needed to scream and she took me from your arms, and talked in my ear, hoping that would calm me down. That her efforts didn't work at all. That you took me back, held me in your strong hands, and stroked my cheek gently. That, seconds after that, I quieted down and stared back at you. That I had declared my loyalty to you right then.

That, much to Amma's amusement, you were your methodical self even with diaper changing and used gloves each time. That you spent several nights up just checking on me even though I was fast asleep. That, even when I have a simple cold, you call in from your corner of the country, in the middle of your busy day just to make sure I am recovering ok.

That for my first birthday, you directed your first video - Kodicles - the Musical, using only my pictures and some background help from Beethoven.

That you regularly read the Kronicles and even leave comments, much to Amma's delight.

Last Father's Day, I said my first word and that word was Bapa. I hope that is further proof of my parental preferance. But, when Amma asks me to pick between her and you, I have to resort to my diplomatic answer and pick her. I have to live with her during the week, don't I? But don't let that fool you. You are definitely a whole lot cooler ... and saner than Amma.

You are like the train engineer who keeps us chugging along on our right tracks, and in the right direction. Without you, we'd be lost, going around in circles.

For me, Bapa, every day I spend with you is Father's Day.

And I don't have to say it - but for the record, I love you tons and tons!

Your one and only,
Kodimeow.

ps: I know, I know, this letter is a little too mushy for our taste. But not my fault, that Amma of mine made me do it!
- K.

Happy Father's Day, Dear Appa!

Dear Appa,

Every time I sat down to write a post about you during the last 10 days, I seemed to hit a wall - not because of dearth of things to say, but, realizing that nothing I say would seem adequate, would convey the right emotion...

It is Father's Day already and if I don't record a few thoughts now (knowing you would read it), I would have missed a beautiful opportunity. So here goes...

My earliest memories are riding in the front seat on your bicycle. I must've been 4 or so then, and used to love it. When you pedaled a bit before you got on, when the bike reached a dangerous 45° angle and I was sure I'd fall down, you'd swing your leg over and seat yourself and we'd be off... Those days seem idyllic now.

When I was sick, I'd insist you take me to our family doctor; I remember hanging on to your arms and hiding behind you in an attempt to ward off the impending "injection" (shots) that our doctor always gave me...

When I cooked my first few meals and had you sample them, you would praise them to heaven and I'd be all beaming until I tasted them myself and realize I hadn't added any salt. When I call your bluff, you'd insist that less salt is good for health and that I am smart enough to know that already!

When in 5th and 6th grade, I used to love making posters. Some were alright, most were mediocre at best if I look at it objectively now, but, you were so proud of my work that you let me put them up on our living room wall... you encouraged me to hone my artistic skills.

I am not sure if you remember: when I was in 2nd grade, you bought me a cone ice cream for the first time. I had eaten popsicles and ice cream in a cup, but, edible sugar cones filled with ice cream was a novelty. I started at the top and finding the ice cream all over my nose and cheeks, I decided to eat it the smart way - by biting off the bottom! In no time at all, i was a sticky mess. I was quite sure I had done something terrible and that you'd never take me out again and buy me ice cream, but, you just laughed and rode us home on your bike and I got washed up, leaving just an embarrassing story behind for my dear brother to leverage :-)

I was not a pleasant teenager - I was angry about a lot of things and didn't quite know how to deal with your generosity.

While most kids would have the opposite problem, you always asked me for my "Buy List" and I used to be hard-pressed to put anything on the list: You and amma provided me with everything I needed to grow up well-rounded.

When I started experimenting with baking, and failing, you just joked about it, turning it into a ritual: "Sheela's Annual Cake-baking Ceremony", emphasizing on the Annual so I will not experiment so often:-)

Your sense of humor is incredible. You constantly keep up the cheer in the house and sometimes I think you would have been a successful comedian, if you wanted to...

As I grew up, we talked about Vedic philosophy, about God about how to lead a good life. We've argued a lot. You've never used your authority as my Father to shut me up.

Your generosity and blessings are the best gifts I can ask for, and I have never needed to ask for it, you and amma have been freely giving it to me.

This Father's Day, I just want to say Thank You! Thank you for being there and raising us as best as you did.

I wish you were visiting me now so I could say it in person... Happy Father's Day, Appa!

kids craft: Father's Day Art

Toddlers love to finger paint and get messy. Usually, the work is not frame-worthy and gets saved for a while and then tossed out. One way to preserve them for a while is to make a keepsake out of some of the special work they do: like, turn them into a piece of art, or into greeting card...

Ana likes to finger paint and has been finger painting since about one year old. I have saved most her "work" so far and have used them in hand-made greeting cards and such. I like the vivid colors of the tempera paints, and the milder hues of the finger-painting paints.

I was wondering what to do for Father's Day... and Ana gave me the start!

Last weekend, she had finished painting a piece - usually, that's when she asks me to unroll some more paper on her easel so she can paint on blank paper again... While unrolling some more for her, I decided to tear the piece she had just finished and turn it into "art" for Appa. The painting you see is entirely Ana's work.

While there is more of that story in my blog , I just wanted to quickly share one way to make little gifts for close friends and family (who else is going to appreciate this, right??!)

To make her painting into a quick souvenir and gift for her Appa, I simply mounted Ana's art on a mat I had, added a loop to hang it from. And then, gave a few stickers to Ana to paste it on the mat just for added effect :-)

Of course, Ana cannot write yet, so, I added some words and a stamp and...

Voila! Daddy has a nice little Father's Day gift made (mostly) by his baby girl to proudly hang on his office wall!

Cake and Hi :)

Hi to all you lovely folks out there in Desi Momz Club, and thanks to Sandeepa and ISG for inviting me -- long ago, I admit, and I am late in coming -- not for lack of good intentions! :)

I'll just take a min. to introduce myself for those of you who don't know me. I'm Linda, age 42 (it's just a number, really!) -- resident of Massachusetts, lover of Michigan, cats, agates, cooking (particularly Indian cuisine and culture too) and proud and lucky mom to Michael, 18 (almost 19) and Meg (15). I have a food blog at Out Of The Garden.

My kids each have their issues -- Michael has Asperger's (form of autism) and Meg has juvenile (insulin-dependent) diabetes. Rather than go on and on about that, I would rather say they have both found their comfort zone in terms of handling their challenges, and I am extremely proud of them. I think having a disability has made them both better people -- they have more insight into reality than many of the "normal" adults I know ;)

Now having said that, here's a little cross-post about my guilty non-cake years. Lovely to meet you all and thanks for having me!

Linda

~~~~~~~

Following in the footsteps of fabulous cake decorators Shilpa, Archana, Hema and more, I took the plunge into cake-decorating class. Baking was never my strong suit; when my kids were small it made me keenly aware of my Jewish heritage (read: a guilt complex extraordinaire!). Growing up, my little M 'n Ms didn't know the meaning of mik-and-cookies. Cookie was a monster on Sesame Street and milk was a healthy drink that went with breakfast. They suffered through store-bought cookies or cake for class parties, and for birthdays, well -- the few times I tried cakes from mixes, they were a disaster. After a while I did manage to make cupcakes turn out ok (but not like these!) -- those were always panicked affairs iced with store-bought frosting and little finesse. Forget about gooey chocolatey goodness in marshmallow-covered brownies, fancy colored decorations on numberless Christmas cookies, and all that jazz. Yes, my kids were deprived and I feel it to this day. Thank God for their grandparents, or they'd never have had a sweet tooth at all ;) A few weeks ago my colleague decided to join a cake decorating class and asked for my company -- I agreed to go along. I was so thrilled with the outcome of my first project, I thought I'd share it. My daughter nearly fell over when she saw the cake come out of *our* oven. When she learned I was going to a class to decorate it, she asked for her *face* on the cake!!! Well, I am no da Vinci, so instead, she got her name. Not a particularly creative design, but it was conveniently portion-controlled... and I did manage to make a Cookie Monster smile on the sides.

Meg loved this 'cause she's a drama queen -- she loves her name in lights, even on a cake. Wasn't I proud when she wanted to take a piece to school and show it off to her friends -- a kid of her age. That made me smile inside and out -- not at my cake, but at my daughter's great big heart :)

And speaking of great big hearts and names in lights -- don't miss our own dear Trupti's exciting news. Congrats, Trupti! :)