Wait, what: 6. No Way

Yes, Little Lady is now 6.
You need fingers on both hands to count how old she is... wait what, 6 No Way!!!

Little Lady: Who knew this nick name...Little Lady will be so apt. She is the Little Lady of the house or the Little Sassy Lady of the house!!!

A letter for your 6th Birthday for 6 Life's Lessons honey"

1. Be Yourself
I wish I had learnt it way earlier. Be yourself. More than that: Be comfortable with who you are. You will evolve with age, but be comfortable with that.

2. Be Kind
This is you, you are kind, empathetic and you figure out how to make it nicer for someone else. This kindness is what makes you unique and loved and pampered. Your little acts of kindness make me want to do better as well

3. Trust
Trust people and as you get older have the ability to let people trust you. Of course, don't go trusting blindly. Yes, Unicorns are mythical. But have trust in its mythical powers if that's what makes you smile.

4. Enjoy food
As a foodie myself, your relationship with food worries me. You try it, but you are not driven by it. Food brings everyone together, makes travel fun and above all is the easiest thing. You said it this thanksgiving: "We always have food and always have people over" Remember this!

5. Speak Up
And you do, you speak your mind, your heart all the time. As you will get older you may get inclined not to. But remember Lesson 1 "Be yourself" and speak up. It can be contradicting. Always Speak Up.

6. It's okay for pants to be loose!
Now this.... you my little sassy lady: My fashionista! If you had it your way, you would wear dresses and tutu's 100% of the time! And for you, pants always have to be fitting. But remember: "It's okay for pants to be loose" So if its in your closet you wear them, you wear them like the coolest thing on the planet and be your own trendsetter!

My Little Lady, Happy 6th Birthday!

STRESS

Stress is defined as "a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances."

This sums up a lot of our days. Stress creeps in for a multitude of reasons- be it work, personal life, constraints on which we have no control over, over commitment, under utilization of skills and on and on.

Over summer, Sumit and I spend 10 days at a "Nature Cure" place and among other things we learned, the one element that had a lot of emphasis on was "de-stress" After those ten days, i felt calmer, my skin had a glow and i was "happier" aka less stressed.
I learned and got reminded of- One thing that is the key is "Less Stress"

And the first few weeks of being back to normal life were good, really good. I was genuinely less stressed, less running in circles and above all just calmer. And then slowly but surely,it slid downwards. One step at a time in the wrong direction.

And I didn't realize it until earlier this week. Calendar at work and personal life are choc-o-block. We are going through the motions of all festive celebrations, school recitals, work commitments and its all a lot of fun. Don't get me wrong, I would not have it any other way.
But the one element that is missing is "Just Breathe". I am not taking the time to breathe, to read a book, to take a stroll aimlessly. It does not have to be big. Just 5 to 10 minutes to just be.

And in spirit of following the cliche of new years resolution. Here is my revised definition of Stress

S- Simply let it go
T- Try to develop a workaround
R- Relax, breathe and repeat
E- Evolve and then resolve
S- Stay silent, sometimes letting that moment pass helps
S- Stress: Haha! Sometimes we are stressed about being stressed

Its going to be a Long Winter!

When you have snow in early November, when you have had a "white" thanks giving, a blizzard, heaters on 24/7 and above all the winter boots are already wearing out from the season... In November: You are going to have a long winter.

My uber driver recently was super chatty and I was complaining over the stupidity of this weather and he said something that got me at a scarcity of words (!):
He said: There is a point and then there is a counter point. that is Life. 
He said: Your point is- Its going to be a long winter. 
         My counterpoint is - Its going to be early winter and then pleasant in December. 

And hmm. I sat back and thought: Well he is correct, isn't the counterpoint what makes us go forward in life.

Isn't a counterpoint all the cliched yet statements that define me looking at life through rose tinted glasses:
"Look at the silver line";
"Light at the end of the tunnel" or even
"Be positive"

These counterpoints help one overcome the hill so to say.
And your hill may just be "Fitting in your old jeans"
Point: I cannot do it, it's too hard
Counterpoint: Well, lets try, baby steps and 5 pounds at a time

Or your hill may feel like a mountain, a cliff: remind yourself of the counterpoint.
It get's tough, it gets easier and what we need to get better at is reminding ourselves that there is a "counterpoint" in the situation.
Keeping up that courage and patience to see it through is what's hard but remind yourself: You have the strength.

But back to the point.. I am sticking with: "Its going to be a long winter"

What's your counterpoint?

Monday Bites: Quick Food Fix: Paneer Bombay Style Roll

Research proves that having dinner as a family is a big deal.

I wish I had a "magic wand":  Dinner is piping hot and ready by the time we come home, center candle is lit, and we can all sit peacefully, laugh, chuckle and enjoy the dinner while sharing about how our day went.

Snap.
Yes, a dream, a beautiful yet impractical dream.

So we do the next best thing that we can, improvise the implementation. On most days we will eat as a family and have hot piping food, but just "quicker" and "self effort" filled!

This Roll Recipe has been a hit with the kids and adults equal. It fits my "under 25 minute" rule and is rich, delicious and healthy
Here is a variation with potato I had made a while back" Potato Kathi Roll.


Name: Paneer Bombay Style roll/ Kathi Roll

For Filling
Ingredients
1/2 Onion: Chopped in biggish squares
1/2 Bell Pepper: Chopped in biggish squares
1/2 Tomato: Chopped in biggish squares
1/2 cup Paneer: Chopped in biggish squares
1 tsp ginger
Olive Oil
Spices
1 tsp Jeera
2 tsp Shahi Paneer Mix
Salt: per taste
1 tsp Chia Seeds
1/2 tsp Cinamom

For Roll
Frozen Malasian Paratha
Sliced Onion: 1/4 cup
Bhujia: per taste
Yogurt: less than one cup
Spicy chutney

Process:
For filling:
1. Heat the olive oil and add the jeera
2. Once spluttering, add all other filling ingredients
3. Let it simmer and saute till onions are cooked
4. Mix well: Note you can add 1 tsp of yogurt for a creamy texture.

Assembly:
1. Prepare the Malaysian Paratha on pan per instructions
2. With a butter knife, spread yogurt
3. Add the filling (I also added left over rice, but optional!)
4. Add Bhujia, Sliced onion and spicy chutney/ achaar per taste

Roll in Foil and Enjoy!!!

Here is our version of "Bombay Wraps/ Kathi Roll/ Paneer Roll"

A quick dinner served with style!

Kids devoured it and I shot myself in the foot, supportive husband said: Well, now this we can make at home, so no restaurant needed for the "Roll Fix"

Color me Red- Said the Dinner Plate!

Yep, I could not come up with a smart title for a recipe with Beets, so I came up with "Color me Red"

I have been "unsuccessfully" trying to introduce beets in our cooking/ daily food. I don't know what to cook with it- so more often than not, we buy it, towards the end of shelf life, we either throw it, or cut up and just grudgingly eat it. Neither option sounds appetizing or a good choice.

May be a year or so ago at a casual dinner, my friend made this divine beet salad! We gobbled it up. And I asked for the recipe and she said: "it is the simplest thing ever!"

Beet Salad
Ingredients:
1 Onion: Chopped up in larger chunks
1 Beet: Chopped up in larger chunks (you can boil it to make this softer, which I do)
Salt to taste
Squeezed lemon
Spices: Salt, pepper, Chilli, Chaat masala
Optional:
1 Avocado mashed up.

Process:
Mix it all up and tada!

I was like, what else.. she said that's it!

And man, she was right! That's it.

This was a year ago. Recently, hubby reminded me, make that salad: And I obliged!I have been making this Beet Salad 2-3 times a week. And we continue to gobble it. Well, the kids need a lot of coaxing still! They have agreed on one piece of beet. (Insert eye roll)

To add variations: Sometimes I chop up cucumbers to it, sometimes grate ginger and jalapenos, sometimes skip the avocado!

So now our fingers are more "red" and jokes of "aaah, I cut my finger see, I have blood" are more prominent in the house!

Simple salads help!
What else do you cook with beets?
The next one on my list is roasted beets-arugula-goat cheese salad! Will keep you posted!

I CAN go in on my own...

The 7 words of my kindergartner at school drop off: I can go in on my own!

And this is how the journey of growing up, being independent begins... and no breaks in sight. Yep, a good thing I know.
Of course she followed there words by "I really don't need help" with a subtle eye roll and smile.

The school at her age group has a car line. I drop her off, she takes her stuff, goes to the locker, prepares and heads into class. Alone, Well not alone but with all her friends chatting and giggling away. But no parents.

At pick up- she packs her stuff, waves her (long) good byes and then as her name is called, she comes out, buckles up in the car and the school day is done.

The baby of the house still skips, twirls, hops and humms around the house. But now she claims, she can go in to the school on her own.

The logical part of my brain says, they are growing up and its a part and parcel of growing up.
The practical part of the brain says, you have done this before with the older child.
And yet,
The emotional aka the mush part of the brain says... Noooooo They cant grow up yet!

So yes, as much as my 5 and 10 year old claim they can do stuff on their own, I hate to break it to them: I plan to continue to helicopter-mom them!

Potato... or poh-ta-to

Recently, I had an animated conversation with a few friends about my favorite vegetable to cook with and eat as well.... potato.

I have no clue how we landed in that discussion in midst of the cacophony of the kids, but yes the animated conversation of potato continued.

Here is what I realized:

• Amongst my friends, I was the only ONE who shared her love for this amazing and versatile vegetable, potato (I may have to look for new friends)!
• The ones who did like potato choose not to buy it. Health reasons they say (uuuh, I never did think about potato as healthy well unhealthy as they reminded me!)
• A friend jokingly asked me what do I cook with it. And the list of things I make with potato rambled off my mouth, even quicker than when someone asks me, how Old are your kids! (Yup, I also need to re-evaluate my priorities)

Potato.... aaah, the golden bliss vegetable, which makes everything easy, to bind the patty, to cook as a quick fix dinner, to broil for a wonderful impromptu gathering, to fry to crisp seasoned fries and above all my favorite dinner companion!

Mind you, I use a lot of colorful vegetables in my cooking, but the simple Potato is my go to.

So turns out, my friends were right! I could do more without the potato and throw in different concoctions with alternatives. They suggested a few, I mentally noted them down!

Now, in conclusion: Nope I am NOT changing my friends, however taking their recommendations/ gentle nudges forward... and will begin the journey of "No Potato" (GASP!) for 3 months.

Now don't go calling Child Services on me... I will still cook it for the kiddos, but for me, I will attempt to go potato free (for 3 months!)!!

I made the claim above and the friends rambled off food/ potato stuff I will miss out on!!!

SO yes, I MAY have to re-evaluate my friendships after-all!

Jokes apart: You tell me: Potato or Poh-ta-toh... No more, will I survive it?