Coconut Lagan recipe

1. 1/2 cup sojee
2. 1 1/2 coconut
3. 1 tsp baking powder
4. 3 eggs
5. 1/2 cup ghee
6. 1 cup sugar
7. 3 cups milk
8. pinch of elachi
9. 1 small nestle cream

mix together milk coconut sugar n eggs
braise sojee in ghee till light pink
pour in egg mixture n cook till thick
when cool add in nestle cream n baking powder
pour in greased baking pan n decorate with almonds
bake at 200`c for 35 mins

Recipe: SWEET CORN CASSEROLE

Ingredients:
4 potatoes
½ cup grated cheese
2 cups frozen corn or 1 tin corn
1 small cup fresh cream
1 tsp ground green chillies
1 sliced onion
1 tsp cumin (jeeroo)
1 tbsp ghee
salt and pepper to taste

Method:
- Cube and boil potatoes
- Mix potatoes with the rest of the ingredients
- Sauté 1 sliced onion until light brown in 1 tbsp ghee and 1 tsp cumin (jeroo)
- Mix this in the corn mixture.
- Set in a casserole dish. Spread a little grated cheese on top.
- Bake on 180 degrees for 15 – 20 minutes.

Source: SANHA Newsletter

How to make your own playdough

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY

Toddlers love new experiences, and for most, there’s nothing more fun than getting nice and grubby playing with water, mud or anything else they can get their hands into! Make the most of this carefree, inquisitive phase by encouraging messy play that teaches your child about different the different properties, textures and smells of safe, everyday substances. Why not take a few minutes to make your own playdough. Follow this simple recipe, and let your toddler help spooning out the flour and pouring in the water:

• 150g (6oz) plain white flour
• 300ml (12 pint) warm water with a few drops of food dye
• 75g (3oz) salt
• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 tsp cream of tartar

Put all the ingredients into a large saucepan. Place over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and forms a ball of dough. Scrape out the dough, allow it to cool a little, and knead it until all ingredients are evenly distributed and you’re left with a smooth ball of dough. Add some water if the dough is too stiff, or dust with flour if too sticky. When cold, store your playdough in an airtight container or a zip-lock food bag in a cool, dry place.
Remember that at this young age, your toddler may be tempted to put pieces of dough into his mouth. So never leave him alone with playdough. Teach him that it is not for eating, and encourage him to bury his fingers in it, mould, pat, chop up and decorate this fascinating new play thing.

Source: Pampers Newsletter

More playdough recipes:

Rubbery Playdough
2 cups baking soda
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup cornstarch
Mix with a fork until smooth. Boil over medium heat until thick. Spoon onto plate or wax paper.

Nature’s Playdough
1 cup flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons cream of tartar
beet, spinach, and carrot juice
Mix flour, salt and oil, and slowly add the water. Cook over medium heat, stirring until dough becomes stiff. Turn out onto wax paper and let cool. Knead the playdough with your hands until of proper consistency. Use as is, or divide into balls and add a few drops of the vegetable juices to make green, pink, and orange.

Playdough
4 cups flour
1/4 cup powdered tempera
1/4 cup salt
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon oil
Mix together flour, powdered paint and salt. Mix water and oil, and food coloring if desired. Gradually stir the water and oil mix into the flour mix. Knead the playdough as you add the liquid. Add more water if too stiff, more flour if sticky.

Alum Playdough
2 cups flour
1 cup salt
2 tablespoons alum
1 cup water
2 tablespoons oil
liquid food coloring
Pour dry ingredients into large pan. Stir together to mix. Stir oil and food coloring into the water. Pour liquid into the dry ingredients while mixing, squeezing and kneading the playdough. If too sticky, add more flour. Keeps best in the fridge.

Just Like the Real Playdough (so they say)
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon powdered alum
1/2 cup salt
2 tablespoons vanilla
food coloring
Mix all dry ingredients. Add oil and water. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until reaching the consistency of mashed potatoes. Remove from heat and add vanilla and food coloring. Divide into balls and work in color by kneading the playdough.

Oatmeal Playdough
1 cup flour
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup water
Gradually add water to flour and oatmeal in bowl. Knead until mixed (this playdough is sticky, but unique in texture.) Model as with clay.
Tip: Add cornmeal or coffee grounds in small quantity for texture.

Nutty Butter Playdough
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup powdered milk
1 cup honey
1 cup oatmeal
Mix together and play. Make sure this playdough is not used by infants under 12 months of age, who should not consume honey.

Kool-Aid Playdough
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
2 cups boiling water with 1 package Kool-aid (any flavor)
3 tablespoons corn oil
1/2 cup salt
1 tablespoon alum
Mix ingredients and knead with flour (may take up to 1 extra cup). Use more if the dough draws moisture in high humidity. Keeps well, has a nice fragrance and is very colorful and very flexible.

Source: About.com

Jungle Juice for breastfeeding mothers

I don’t know how many Muslim mothers drink Jungle Juice for breastfeeding because many of us come from an Indian background and that means you probably drink ‘Laai’ – a milk mixture with Singhora flour, ghor etc to boost your milk supply and maintain your energy levels. There’s also ‘bor’ capsules to help with backache…

in any case, here is a recipe for a Jungle juice mixture from ‘Cathy’ courtesy of Your Parenting:

50ml Weleda Schlehen Elixir blackthornberry tonic
1lt apple-, berry- or grape juice
2lt water
1 sachet fruit flavoured Rehydrate
1 Cal-C-Vita-tablet and a few drops of Rescue Remedy to help you relax (Optional)

Basically you have to mix the above and drink a recommended 2litres per day…

the tonic can also be taken before birth during pregnancy to maintain energy levels.

Oven-baked sweet potato fries

Makes about 2 servings

1 good-sized Sweet Potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick wedges
2 egg whites
a pinch of salt
a pinch of garlic powder
a pinch of dried thyme
a pinch of dried oregano

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick canola oil spray (use something that’s refined for high heat).

Microwave the sweet potato wedges for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir them, and microwave for another minute. Then let them cool for 5 minutes.

Combine the salt, garlic powder, thyme and oregano, with the egg whites, and whisk until frothy. Dip the sweet pototo wedges into the egg mixture, and lay them on the baking sheet.

Bake for 10 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 5 minutes, or until done.

Adapted from Body + Soul
Source http://tiny-morsels.blogspot.com

Sweet Potatoes are a personal favourite because they are cheap, healthy, taste great and are one of the first foods we give to babies.

The above recipe is taken from a blog by a mother who says she has a challenge feeding her 3-yr-old.

Basically, this is a good meal for children in the toddler stage and even us grown-ups.

Try it out and let us know how it works out…