Mama's View | Parenting, Education, Money & Mindful Living

Masala Chai is a blend of tea and spices.This beverage  has become popular in many parts of the world.Spices like cardamom,black pepper and ginger have several health benefits.A cup of warm masala chai can help you relax after a stressful day and can even keep us warm in the cold of winter.You can add sugar-free or even honey as sweetener. Try this spiced tea with some hot crispy pakoras as evening snacks. Ingredients: Tea leaves-2 tablespoons(I prefer Tata Tea Gold) Milk-1cup Water-2 cups Ginger-1 small piece Green cardamoms-2 Bay leaf-1 small Sugar-free powder-1 small teaspoon Black pepper powder -1/4 teaspoon Cloves-1 Method: -Heat 2 cups of water in a pan and let it simmer on slow flame. -Crush the ginger,cloves and cardamoms in a mortar-pastel and make a coarse powder. -Add this powder along with the bay leaf and black pepper powder to the water and let it boil. -Add 2 table spoon of tea leaves and allow it to boil.Stir well. -Now add 1 cup of milk and b...

Indian cooking is usually done with fresh ingredients and it's a common misconception that Indian food takes hours to cook. Today's recipe is a basic Indian gravy that uses some of the common ingredients. Preparing this gravy ahead of time can further cut down on your cooking time.This gravy is cooked using a little more oil and no water is added.Use freezer storage bags to store this gravy and don't forget to label the bags with dates. This gravy can be used to make a recipe using boiled potatoes and blanched vegetables.You can even cook eggs,meat,fish or paneer(Cottage Cheese) and green peas. Ingreadients Onions-1 big,sliced Tomatoes-2 medium,Pureed Ginger-Garlic paste-2 teaspoons Green chilli-1,Finely chopped Cinnamon-1 piece Black pepper-2-3 Bay leaf-1 Green Cardamom-1 Red chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon Coriander powder-1.5 teaspoon Turmeric powder-1/4 teaspoon Salt to taste Oil-5 teaspoons Method -Heat a pan and 5 teaspoons of oil and saute the sliced...

  Stop the kitchen Germs Kitchen is the germiest place in the house.Since mothers are in charge of the food department,it is your responsibility to maintain a clean and germfree kitchen in your house.By following a proper regime you can easily control the kitchen  germs and bacteria. Follow these tips to tackle the nasty germs and keep your kitchen clean.   Kitchen Sponge This is an item that is filled with germs.Soak the sponges in bleach or vinegar solution for 20-30 minutes and rinse it thoroughly with dry hot air. Don't forget to change the sponges every two weeks. Use separate sponges for cleaning dishes and wiping counter tops,sinks and other surfaces. Counters   Remember to wipe the counter top after each food preparation.Use 10% vinegar solution on the counters and keep them for 40 seconds and then wipe. You can also use antibacterial solutions or disinfecting solutions to spray or wipe the counters. Cutting Boards Try and keep separate ...

Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods known for its high nutritional values.Oatmeal has been approved as a heart friendly food as it lowers cholesterol and lowers the risk of heart diseases. Types of Oats and Oatmeal Oatmeal is a whole-grain cereal made from ground oat groats.It has very low fat content and is rich in soluble fibers called Beta-Glucan. Oatmeal comes in several forms: Instant Oatmeal -It is dried and precooked.It often contains sweeteners and other flavours as additive. Rolled Oats -This old fashioned oats is steam processed and rolled into flakes.This helps the oats to stay fresh for a longer time.Rolled oats are used as an ingredient in muesli and granola. Steel-cut Oats/Irish Oatmeal -The oat groats are chopped into small pieces using  large steel blades and are usually roasted. Nutrition Vitamins -Oatmeal is a good source of B-complex vitamin.Vitamin B is water soluble and is important for metabolic functions. Minerals- Oatmeal cereal is a ric...

  Say NO to Child Labour: Childhood is the most special time in one's life.When we look back,we all have happy memories of childhood.Spending time with parents and grandparents and all the love and attention we got. Unfortunately,there are many children who have been deprived of this love.Life for these children is very different.They have to drop out of school to work as labourers at construction sites,as domestic help or in hazardous industries. Supporting their family from an early age is a must for them.Life for these little children is a constant battle with hunger and disease. Child labour is a disgrace for the society.These unfortunate children are neglected by their families and society too.Poverty and unemployment forces the little children to steal and do odd jobs.They are even harassed and exploited by people. This is the plight of millions of poor children in developing countries including India.The government has enforced certain laws to stop child labour but ...

The health authorities recommend everyone to wash their hands frequently and pay more attention to keeping the home clean, especially in bathrooms and kitchens, where dust and dirt can become a source of infection, if they are not properly cleaned.In this post i am going to share some important tips to keep the bathroom clean. BATHROOM GERMS-You can really catch them! It's true that you cannot entirely wipe out the germs but there are simple things that can be done around the house to maintain a germ free house. Without much effort you can keep the germs at bay and keep your family healthy. It's true that when the dirt is visible we quickly wipe it off or wash it,but the fact is that most of the dirt is invisible and odourless. The kitchen and toilet are the heavens for the common household germs. So it's important that you concentrate on these two rooms in the house. According to a survey by Hygiene Council, the bathroom is the room where you can find ...

Helping kids avoid junk food and eat superfoods: Kids love to eat burgers, fries and a whole lot of other junk food.It's not that a trip to KFC or McDonalds is bad but having it once in a while is okay but if your kids want to have it on a  regular basis, then we all know it's definitely not good.old habits are hard to break but it's not impossible.Though my son is not accustomed to eating junk food but he sometimes whines for it and I do take him out for a treat but that is not very often,once in 2 months maybe. I try to make sure that there is no junk food in the house .Developing good eating habits in kids can be tricky but parents should make sure that kids are exposed to different kinds of super foods from an early age. What are Superfoods Well, superfoods are those foods that are packed with vitamins,minerals and antioxidants.In other world superfoods are whole foods.These foods act like a tonic for the body and help you build immunity and live a healthy ...

Today is World Earth Day and this is the best time to teach our children how to protect and preserve what mother earth has given us. Our children are the future of this planet and it's never too late to explain how by our small efforts we can make  the earth a green place to live. Teach then the concept of REDUCE,REUSE and RECYCLE. Reduce-means making less garbage.Take your kids to a nearby park and pick up trash like plastic bottles,cans but be there to supervise so that they don't pick up any dangerous stuff like broken glass pieces.Talk to them how certain waste can pollute the environment and make animals sick.Also talk about the bio degradable and non-degradable stuff.     Reuse-means making use of something more than once.Take a reusable bag and decorate it with ribbons and buttons.Involve kids in this activity.Kids can use this for carrying lunch boxes to school or even to the local grocery store. Recycle-turning something useful into another ...