Spinach Mint rice

 Preparation Time: 5 minutes

 Cook Time: 30 minutes

 Ingredients:

 4 cups of chopped spinach

 1 cup of Chopped Mint

 2 cups of rice (Sona Masoori or Basmati Rice)

 5 green chilies

3 teaspoons of oil

 Tempering: 3 Cardamom pods, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, 3 flower pods, 1 teaspoon of Jeera

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 slice of ginger

3 garlic pods

 salt as needed

 Steps to Prepare:

• In a large pan, put oil and all the tempering ingredients. Add Chopped spinach/mint/Ginger/Garlic pods and fry well.
• Keep the fried ingredients on a side. Let them cool for 2-3 minutes and blend them. Keep the paste aside.
• In the same pan, put oil. Add 1/2 cup of chopped onions.
• Add split green chilies.
• Add Spinach/mint paste. Sauté for 2-3 minutes. As the spinach is already cooked, we would not need more cook time.
• Now, if we would like to prepare this in a pressure cooker, instead of Pan we can directly Saute it in pressure cooker. I generally use instant pot to prepare this, so I either Saute directly in instant pot or transfer the fried spinach/mint paste to instant pot pan.
• Now, in the instant pot pan, for every cup of rice add 2 cups of water. Here I am adding 4 cups of water for 2 cups of rice.
• Allow the water to boil.
• Now, add salt and pressure cook.
• Spinach Mint Rice is ready to serve.
• Serve it with Yogurt Raita and papad.

                         

Chocolate Covered Strawberries

 Preparation Time: 10 mins

 Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

10 Strawberries washed 

1 cup of chocolate chips

1 tablespoon oil

1 cup of pink yogurt melts

Steps to prepare:

• Take a large pan and fill it with sufficient water, allow water to boil.
• In a bowl pour chocolate chip and place the bowl on top of hot water pan. Make sure the bowl we select is sitting sturdy on pan and not dropping into water.
• Gently stir chocolate chips for 2 mins.
• Add a tablespoon of oil and gently stir until we see dipping consistency.
• Now take the bowl out and wait for a minute for chocolate to cool.
• On a plate, put parchment paper
• Hold strawberry with fingers and slowly twist strawberries in chocolate dip. Keep chocolate dipped strawberry on plate arranged with parchment paper.
• Put them in refrigerator and allow it to cool for at least 20 mins. After that, chocolate dipped strawberries are ready to eat.   

                                                        

• Repeat the steps mentioned above, this time instead of chocolate chips put pink yogurt melts.
• Do not put oil this time.
• Hold strawberry with fingers and slowly twist strawberries in pink yogurt melts dip. Keep dipped strawberry on plate arranged with parchment paper.
• Put them in refrigerator and allow it to cool for at least 20 mins. After that, chocolate dipped strawberries are ready to eat. 

Hope you will like this recipe.

22 Self care tips for kids

 Self care for kids is necessary to reduce stress and increase happiness. It is sometimes very tough for parents to handle stressful situations. It is not only for the kids even adults should practice self-care to give themselves a break from hectic lives, refresh, and take care of themselves mentally, emotionally, and physically. While we all know that self-care is important for adults, it is also important for kiddos.

Benefits of self care for Kids

• When kids practice self-care they learn to identify their physical and emotional needs and can begin to take care of those needs.
• Practicing self-care at a young age allows kids to create a foundation that will benefit them as adults.
• Practicing self-care allows your child to develop healthy habits that they can benefit from in the future.
• Your child will be able to become more independent and understand how to take care of themselves.
• They will develop the skills necessary to keep themselves healthy mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Self-care activities for kids

• Go on a bike ride.
• Read a book.
• Bubble Bath
• Listen to relaxing music
• Cook a meal together with kids
• Draw or paint
• Do a Puzzle
• Have a dance party
• Drink a cup of Hot Chocolate
• Make them to play board or card games
• Talk with kids and know about good parts of their day.
• Make them to snuggle with a stuffed animal
• Listen to their favorite music
• Play dates with friends
• Make up their bed with fresh sheets (just a quick dryer will do the trick)
• Mindlessly build with Legos or play-doh.
• Declutter old toys and clothes.
• Visit a playground.
• Give them massage with olive oil.
• Do story telling.
• Talk with friends and family.
• Make fun popsicles with kids.

self-care is a high priority when things are challenging, and they will help you handle what comes next.

Cabbage Carrot fry

Preparation Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

3 cups of sliced cabbage

1/2 cup of grated carrot

2 teaspoons of oil

Tempering: Jeera, mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of chana dal, 1 teaspoon of urad dal, 3-4 curry leaves

3 slit green chilies

1/4 teaspoon of Turmeric

Salt as needed

1/4 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves

Steps to prepare:

• In a pan, heat oil and add all the tempering ingredients.
• Add slit green chilies
• Add Cabbage and fry for 3 minutes
• Add grated carrot and fry for 10 minutes
• Add Turmeric powder.
• Add salt and serve hot with chapati's or hot rice.

                                                         

Bottlegourd Milk Curry

 Preparation Time: 10 mins

 Cook Time: 30 mins

 Ingredients:

2 cups of finely bottle gourd

1 cup of milk

3 green chilies

2 teaspoons of oil

Tempering: Jeera, mustard seeds, curry leaves

1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder

salt as needed

1/4 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves

Steps to prepare:

• In a large pan, add oil and put all the tempering ingredients
• Add green chilies
• put diced bottle gourd and fry for few minutes. Close the lid and allow it to cook for 10 mins
• Now add turmeric powder
• Add milk and allow it to cook for 10 mins, make sure milk is cuddled with bottle gourd
• Now add salt and coriander leaves and mix well.
• serve hot with steamed rice or chapati

                                                                 

Chana Masala (Chickpeas Curry)

 Preparation Time: 30 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

2 cups of dried chickpeas

3 teaspoons of oil

1/2 cup diced onions

1/2 cup diced Tomatoes

2 green chillies

Tempering: Jeera, Cinnamon stick, Elachi (3-4)

Grated ginger and Garlic (1 tablespoon)

1 tablespoon of Amchor powder

1/2 teaspoon of Chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

salt as needed

1/2 cup of finely chopped coriander leaves

Steps to Prepare:

•  Soak chickpeas in 5 cups of water overnight
•  Pressure cook chickpeas in pressure cooker or instant pot. Keep them ready
•  In a large pan, add all the tempering ingrediants and fry.
• Add onions and allow them to fry for 2-3 minutes
• Add ginger garlic paste (Optional)
• Add Tomatoes. Allow them to cook for 5 minutes.
• Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, amchor powder and mix well with onion/tomato paste
• Add boiled chickpeas to the paste and mix well. 
• Add little water and allow the chickpeas to cook for 10 mins
• Add salt.
• Put chopped coriander leaves. 
• Serve hot with either poori/chapati or hot steamed rice.

                                                           

                Variations:

                 

                 we can add 1 cup of diced potato cubes.

                 we can add chaat Masala or store bought chana masala for that extra spicy flavor.                  

Kale Poriyal

Preparation Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients:

3 cups of sliced Kale leaves

1/2 cup of finely diced onions

3 teaspoons of oil

Tempering: 1 teaspoon of Jeera, 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon of chana dal, 1 teaspoon of urad dal, 5 curry leaves

5 slit green chilies

3 teaspoons of shredded coconut

1 teaspoon of sugar

salt as needed

Steps to prepare: 

• In a large pan, add oil and all the ingredients specified under tempering section.
• Add sliced onions and allow it to fry for 2 minutes
• Add green chilies
• Add Kale and close the lid and allow it to cook for 20 minutes. Make sure Kale leaves are softened.
• Add Salt 
• Add shredded coconut and sugar and mix well. Allow the kale to cook with shredded coconut for few minutes.
• Kale Poriyal is ready to be served. Serve with either Chapati or hot steamed rice.