Winning recipes

Congratulations to Sara Khan for winning this amazing hamper from Astral Foods

Sara submitted the following recipes:

Chicken sosaties

1kg Goldi chicken breasts (cut in big cubes)

MARINATE IN:

1¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon red chillies

3 tablespoon mayonnaise

3 tablespoon Italian salad dressing

1 teaspoon mixed herbs

Other items

1 bottle pickled onions

Pineapple cubes

3 green and red peppers

METHOD:

1. Put the cubes of chicken on skewers with pickled onions, peppers,
pineapple cubes (as desired).

2. Baste with butter and braai

3. Serve on platters with sauce.

SAUCE:

125g melted butter

2 tablespoon tomato sauce

2 tablespoon mayonnaise
lemon juice to taste

Crushed garlic

METHOD:

Boil together and pour over chicken sosaties.

Braai chicken breasts

12 Goldi chicken breasts

2 tablespoon lemon juice

salt to taste (± 2½ teaspoon)

½ cup yogurt

½ cup cream

2 tablespoon garlic paste

1 tablespoon ginger paste

2 teaspoon roasted and ground jeeru

2 teaspoon garam masala

1 teaspoon coarse black pepper

ghee or butter

Make incisions on the chicken breasts and rub in lemon juice, and salt. Refrigerate for a few hours

Mix the rest of the ingredients and marinate drumsticks for two hours

Braai, basting with ghee or butter.

Braai chicken masala

1 Goldi chicken, cut up into pieces for braai

1 teaspoon ginger garlic

1 tablespoon crushed red chillis

1 tablespoon mustard sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoon flour

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoon tomato sauce

Mix all ingredients and marinate chicken. Braai while basting with oil.

Chicken myths busted (and an exclusive competition)

Chicken is certainly one of the world’s favourite and cheapest sources of protein. But more often than not, chicken gets a bad wrap for being filled with hormones, inorganic, mutant and so on. But these are mostly myths that people believe, and ultimately discourages people from eating chicken – the most versatile protein around.
Especially being a mom, we want what is best for our children, we want them to grow up big and strong and healthy without having to worry about the food they eat being unwholesome.
I sometimes overhear moms in coffee shops or at the stores saying to their children, no you can’t eat that it’s not good for you. What’s alarming about that is the fact that sometimes it’s to do with chicken.
I think the problem is that a lot of people are misguided or misinformed about various foods especially chicken. Astral is a leading South African poultry producer with brands like Festive , Goldi and County Fair which are fresh, frozen and crumbed chicken. They have approached me about this very topic and wanted to address some common misconceptions in the hope to help moms to continue to buy nutritious food and make good food choices for their family.
“We hope that by debunking some of the myths around chicken that this will make for a highly informed consumer public who knows what they are buying and what they are consuming. It will also hopefully encourage our public to buy local and support our local industry,” says Chris Schutte, CEO of Astral.
Schutte goes on to set straight the more common poultry fictions around:
1. Do chickens grow so fast because they are injected with growth hormones?
No, definitely not!  No chickens produced by any of Astral’s poultry operations are injected, fed or in any way whatsoever subjected to hormones. In order to obtain the desired growth and weight targets, a perfect combination of superior genetics, scientific nutrition and best farming practices are ethically applied. Be assured, eating our chicken products is perfectly safe for you!
2. Are all chickens injected with water before being sold?
No, not entirely true! Our fresh chicken, never frozen, is 100% natural. In fact, excess moisture is removed from fresh chicken through an air chilling process before being packed. However, we do flavour enhance IQF frozen portions (Individually Quick Frozen) with a water based brine, to improve meat tenderness and succulence by means of a scientifically applied injection method.
3. Are chickens restricted from movement by being kept in small wire cages?
Not true at all! In Astral, our chickens are raised in large poultry sheds designed to keep them as comfortable as possible. The disinfected floors are bedded with wood shavings, sunflower husks or wheat straw which allows them to scratch and move around as they please. Our chickens also have unrestricted access to light, clean water and nutritious feed 24 hours a day.
4. Are chickens reared on a diet of maize only?
No, only approximately half of the ration is maize! Maize, the main energy source in a chicken’s diet, comprises approximately 50% of the feed ration. In addition, specially formulated protein ingredients, together with key vitamins and minerals, are added to create the perfect balanced diet and is fed to our chickens in the form of easily digested crumbles or pellets.
5. Do antibiotics administered to chickens remain in the meat and are they dangerous to our health?
No, not entirely true! Antibiotics are administered to our chickens when necessary through feed intake and under the strict guidance of a registered veterinary practitioner. Any incidental antibiotic residues are well within the legislated maximum residual levels (MRL). It is standard practice to withdraw antibiotics from feed according to the manufacturers’ guidelines. This is done at least five days prior to slaughter to ensure no residues remain in the meat. Astral additionally tests the livers and muscles of slaughtered chickens through an independent laboratory for traces of antibiotic residues.
Astral is also running a fabulous competition for this week only:
• Send in your best chicken recipe for braai day (the recipe involving one of their brands such as Festive, Goldi or County Fair, stands the best chance of winning)
• The best recipe received by 17:00 on Friday 23 September will win a chicken hamper for them and their family courtesy of Astral
About Astral

Recipes can be posted as comments below or emailed to info@muslimmums.co.za

Astral is a leading South African integrated poultry producer. Key activities consist of animal feed pre-mixes, manufacturing of animal feeds, broiler genetics, production and sale of day-old chicks and hatching eggs, integrated breeder and broiler production operations, abattoirs and the sale and distribution of various key poultry brands.

EDITOR’S NOTE: ASTRAL FOOD PRODUCTS IN SOUTH AFRICA ARE CERTIFIED HALAAL BY THE MUSLIM JUDICIAL COUNCIL (MJC)

Homemade beauty treatments

Save money and protect your skin from harsh chemicals by trying these homemade cleansers and facial masks:

Natural Facial Cleansers

Gentle Oatmeal Facial Cleanser

Ingredients

1/2 cup Oatmeal or Cornmeal

2 tbsp of plain Yogurt [Add enough yogurt to form a paste]

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients.

Smooth over entire face avoiding eye area.

Allow to sit for 10 min and rinse.

Coconut Cleanser

Ingredients

3 tsp Coconut Oil

1 tsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Glycerin

2 tsp Water

Instructions

Melt ingredients together in a double boiler.

When melted, remove from heat and beat with a whisk for 5 minutes.

Transfer to jar when cooled.

Apply it on the face and rinse it.

Sweet Oil Scrub

Ingredients

1 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp Dark Brown Sugar

Instructions

Mix ingredients in a bowl.

Apply to skin in a circular motion for a minute or 2.

Rinse with a warm cloth and water.

The cleanser will feel greasy but after you rinse and pat dry, skin with be silky soft!

It is great for removing eye makeup.

Creamy Oatmeal Facial Cleanser

Ingredients

1/2 cup Oatmeal

2 tbsp heavy Cream (or milk)

Instructions

Grind the oatmeal to a finer dust using a blender or coffee grinder.

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Smooth over entire face in a circular motion.

Rinse well.

Olive Oil Cleanser

Ingredients

1 tbsp Castor oil

1 tbsp of Olive oil

Green tea leaf extract.

1 drop of Essential oil.

1 tbsp Jojoba oil

Instructions

Mix up the ingredients.

Apply to skin in a circular motion for 2 minutes.

Using a warm face cloth, rinse and wipe off face.

Your face will feel very oily while you are cleansing. Do not worry. The face cloth will remove the excess oil.

When you dry your face with a towel, it will still feel oily but the results are super soft skin!

Lemon and Yoghurt Facial Cleanser

Ingredients

1 tbsp Lemon Juice

2 tsp plain Yoghurt.

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Apply on face, leave it for 10 minutes, and then rinse with warm water.

Honey Facial Cleanser

Ingredients

1 tsp Honey

2 tsp of Lemon Juice

1 tsp Yellow Sugar

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

Apply with circular motions.

Leave on for 5 minutes.

Rinse with lukewarm water.

Egg Cleanser

Ingredients

1 tsp Lime Juice

1 tsp Honey

Egg White

Instructions

Mix all the ingredients.

Homemade Facial Mask Recipes

Grape Cleanser

The grape cleanser is a naturally refreshing mask and the best part is that it is the easiest mask around and guarantees great results. All you have got to do is peel and split 2-3 grapes and rub the insides of the same onto your face and neck. Wait for a few minutes before washing the mask off with cool water.

Lemon Delight

The ‘lemon delight’ mask may not be as convenient as the ‘grape cleanser’, but the results are only that much better. Beat an egg white and squeeze the juice of half a lime into it, mix well and apply the mixture all over your face. The inconvenience begins when you have to let the mask stay overnight. In the morning, wash your face with warm water. This is when every bit of inconvenience caused will seem worth the while. A glowing face is guaranteed for you.

Dry Skin Destroyer

For this mask, you will have to mix a teaspoon of butter in a teaspoon of water and apply the resultant mixture on your face. Let the mask stay on for 15-20 minutes before washing off with cold water. With the frequent usage of this ‘mask’, you will learn to realize that dry skin is really not too much of a problem.

Oily Skin Annihilator

Opt for this mask if you think your skin is too oily for your liking. Begin by mixing a teaspoon of brewer’s yeast with plain yogurt and applying this mixture on your face. Wait for a good 20 minutes before washing your face with warm water. Follow this up by washing your face with cold water. This helps close the pores on your face.

Honeydew For You

Begin by washing your face with warm water. This helps open up pores. Towel dry you face and apply honey all over the same. Let the honey-mask stay on for around half an hour. Just make sure you’re indoors with the mask on and not anywhere too close to a beehive! Wash away the mask with warm water and then cold water to close the pores.

Almond And Egg Ecstasy

This mask is a mask ‘carved out’ for the purpose of dealing with dry skin. Beat a single egg and add a teaspoon of almond oil to the same and mix thoroughly. Apply the mixture on your face and leave the same on for around 15 minutes. Then rinse off the mask with cold water to reveal a glowing face. This mask is ideal for people with dry skin and is also noted for the instantaneous results it almost always guarantees

Sent in from Sister Fatima KZN

Toddler breakfast recipes

Breakfast is the most important meal – make it tasty and wholesome for your toddler.

Serve your Toddler healthy and nutritious breakfast foods!  You don’t have to rely on cold cereals for a Toddler’s breakfast; try these easy to prepare breakfast foods that toddlers will love!

Most of these breakfast recipes may be made ahead and frozen for later breakfasts!  Feel free to substitute any ingredients you feel may be inappropriate for your Toddler!

Cheesy Scrambled Eggs

3 eggs

1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup milk

dash of pepper and/or garlic powder (optional)

Whisk all ingredients in a bowl until frothy then pour in a warmed frying pan. Stir as the egg mix is cooking. Eggs are done when firm and not runny.

Add veggies or even crumbled turkey sausage to this recipe if desired.

Wrap Those Eggs

1 flour tortilla
shredded cheese

1 egg
chopped cooked veggies (optional)
Warm the tortilla and scramble the egg in a frying pan.

On the tortilla, spread out the scrambled egg and veggies (if using veggies)

then cover with shredded cheese. Wrap or roll up the tortilla and serve when cheese has melted.

You can cut the wrap in "pinwheels" too.

Pancakes & Waffles

Applesauce Pancakes
1 cup flour –
1/4 teaspoon salt –
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon melted butter –
1/2 cup milk –
1 beaten egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla –
1 1/4 cups applesauce

Sift flour, salt and baking powder into a medium mixing bowl. Combine butter, milk and egg. Stir into dry ingredients. Add vanilla and applesauce; beat well. Spoon batter into a hot, well greased griddle, enough batter to applesauce pancakes about 4 inches in diameter.  **Freezes Well**

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 C whole wheat pastry flour – 3/4 C unbleached white flour
1 Tbs baking powder – 1/2 tsp salt (I omitted)
2 tsp cinnamon -1/2 tsp ground ginger -1/4 tsp allspice – 1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 eggs
1 C pureed pumpkin or winter squash
1 tsp vanilla
2 C milk
3 Tbs canola oil

Stir (and sift) together all the dry ingredients in a med. size
bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs with the pumpkin & vanilla.
Beat in the milk & oil until smooth. Add to flour mixture. Cook as usual! These smelled *wonderful* while cooking….like Christmas! SOURCE: "Beyond the
Moon" cookbook by Ginny Callan  **Freezes Well**

Cornmeal Pancakes

1 1/8 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/8 cups low fat buttermilk
shake of cinnamon, nutmeg (optional)

Mix together the cornmeal, flour and baking soda.
Add the egg, buttermilk, vanilla and cinnamon (optional); stir until just mixed.
Pour by 1/4 cup into a hot pan.
Cook the pancakes until bubbles appear, flip.

Extraordinary – Not Ordinary – Breakfast Recipes

Apple Breakfast Bars
1 1/2 cups quick rolled oats
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2/3 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups raw apples, shredded

Combine all ingredients. Let stand 10 minutes. Press mixture into 8" x 8" baking dish.  Bake at 375? until lightly browned, about 25 minutes. Loosen with spatula, and cut into bars while warm. Serve hot for breakfast or snack **Freezes Well**

Breakfast Soup with Toast Fingers
8 oz vanilla yogurt
1 tsp honey**
1/2 Cup cubed banana
1/2 Cup peaches, peeled
1/4 cup wheat germ

Blend together and top with additional wheat germ. Serve with avocado blended with cream cheese on whole grain toast.
Please note that Honey is appropriate only for those who have reached the age of 1 year old and older!

 

 

Source: www.wholesometoddlerfood.com

Quick and easy Ramadan favourites

These recipes courtesy of NIHT have become favourites because they are super quick and easy. PS: There’s also dessert for after Taraweeh:)

MINI PIZZAS

1          cup heaped flour

½         tsp. salt

½         cup milk

2          tbls. butter

2          tsp. baking powder

2          tbls. Oil

Rub butter into dry ingredients and make into soft dough.

Roll out dough, smear a little butter and fold over like flaky pastry.

Repeat once more.

Roll out into small rounds and prick with fork.  Bake at 180 deg for 5 minutes.

SAUCE

1          tin        Tomato & Onion Mix

2          tbls.     Oil

1          tsp.      mixed herbs

1          tsp.      crushed garlic

½         cup      tomato sauce

½         cup      chilli sauce

2          tbls.     Mustard sauce

1          tsp.      red chilli powder

mix altogether in pot and heat thoroughly.

Put little sauce on each round with sliced mushrooms, green peppers, cheese and bake for 10 minutes.

CHICKEN FILLING FOR PIES

1          kg. Chicken fillets (cubed)

1          tbls. green chillies

1          tsp. salt

1          tsp. chicken spice spice

1          curry spoon ghee

1          tsp. whole jeeru

1          tbls. ginger/garlic

½         cup fresh cream

2          potatoes (cut into small cubes)

1          big onion (cubed)

dhania

Method

Mix all ingredients together and cook.  Make sure filling is saucy and not dry.  Once cooked, remove from stove and add onion and dhania.

SPAGHETTI CUTLETS

1          cup spaghetti (boiled)

1          cup mixed vege’s (boiled)

1          cup grated cheese

1          cup mash

1          cup chicken fillet (cooked in green masala)

salt to taste

½         tsp. green chillies

Method
Mix all ingredients together.  Shape into cutlets.

Dip in egg and breadcrumbs and fry.

Serve with chutney.

ROMANY CREAM DESSERT

1          pkt. Romany cream biscuits (crushed)

½         cup melted butter

1          tin caramel treat                                  }          mix

1          tin Nestle cream                                  }          all together &

1          cup whipped fresh cream        }          beat well

1          peppermint crisp chocolate

Crush biscuits and mix with melted butter.    Layer in casserole.  Pour cream mixture over biscuit.

Grate peppermint crisp chocolate over to decorate.

Leave to set.

How do I know if he’s ready for solids?

A SOLID START

Have you noticed your baby reaching out for your food or watching your fork move from plate to mouth? You may start introducing solid food as of six months of age, when your baby is ready to swallow pureed food as well as to suck. Other signs that he may be ready for solids include:He makes mouthing movements when he watches other people eat. He’s still hungry after having a good amount of breast milk or formula. He doesn’t push a spoon back with his tongue when you try to feed him. He moves his jaw when presented with food, rather than attempting to suck. FYI: Several professional organisations now recommend breastfeeding at least throughout your baby’s first year, and even longer if both of you are willing. Use solids to supplement your regular breast milk or formula feedings after your baby is about six months old.

He makes mouthing movements when he watches other people eat. He’s still hungry after having a good amount of breast milk or formula. He doesn’t push a spoon back with his tongue when you try to feed him. He moves his jaw when presented with food, rather than attempting to suck.

FYI:

Several professional organisations now recommend breastfeeding at least throughout your baby’s first year, and even longer if both of you are willing. Use solids to supplement your regular breast milk or formula feedings after your baby is about six months old.

QUICK TIP:

If they haven’t already, your baby’s teeth will soon start to appear – although you should know that dribbling doesn’t necessarily mean that teeth are just around the corner. Because the incoming teeth cause swelling in the gums, it can hurt when your baby sucks. To help him eat, wash your finger and rub the lower front gums gently to ease the swelling so he can suck less painfully. Offering a cold cloth or a frozen banana can also help. Avoid teething rings that have liquids with alcohol in them. Every parent wants their baby to have healthy teeth. Few parents know that caries often gets transmitted from the parent to the baby and blossoms with sweet food. Do not test the bottle teat with your mouth or suck the dummy “to clean” it when fallen down – this is how most babies get caries.

Health

All about infant food allergies

PREVENTING ALLERGIES

What your baby eats can affect his skin and his digestive system. Some foods may cause skin reactions (rashes, itching or redness), while others can cause diarrhoea, which in turn can lead to nappy rash. If you’re breastfeeding, your baby’s stools are less likely to contain the irritating enzymes that can cause nappy rash. But as soon as you begin introducing solids into his diet at around 4 months, you need to start looking out for potential allergic reactions. This is why health professionals suggest weaning very slowly, offering just one new ingredient at a time at first and beginning with bland, easily digested vegetables and fruit. This way, if there is any substance that doesn’t agree with your little one’s tummy, you can easily pin-point it and exclude it from his diet until you’ve discussed the situation with your health visitor. The foods most likely to trigger allergic reactions in some babies include:

Eggs, especially the whites

Wheat

Nuts, including peanut butter

Cow’s milk

Citrus juices may also cause skin irritations even if your baby tolerates fruit well. Besides, juice is not good for his developing teeth.

It is recommended that babies only drink breast or formula milk for the first twelve months. If you suspect that the formula you’re feeding may be causing skin or digestive problems, talk to your GP and health visitor about it. They may suggest you try a different manufacturer or even a Soya formula. But such dietary substitutions should only ever be made based on medical advice.

Planning the best weaning programme

START SIMPLE AND GO SLOW

As adults, we’ve learned to expect and appreciate variety in our diet. But for your baby, who is just starting out on the journey of food discovery, introducing just one new ingredient every few days is the best approach.

Step One: Health professionals advise always starting the weaning process with a little plain baby rice that can be mixed with breastmilk or formula to form an easy-to-digest, runny porridge. Simple cereals like rice or barley are good, healthy sources of iron and B vitamins, and provide useful calories for your growing baby. Three or four baby-spoonfuls is sufficient at first, and choose a time in the day when your little one is alert, calm and happy. Don’t attempt to wean your baby when he is screaming with hunger. Offer the food after he has had some milk but isn’t completely full.

Step Two: Once your baby is happily taking his porridge, you can start thinking about offering bland vegetables. Steam or boil, then puree them, add some of the cooking liquid, and pass through a sieve to achieve a smooth consistency. You can add some breastmilk or formula, or mix in some baby rice to make the food more palatable. Bear in mind that babies are more inclined to acquire a taste for vegetables if you delay introducing sweet foods like tasty fruit. Once your little one is happily eating his greens, you can make things a bit more fun by starting to offer sweeter options!

Step Three: Remember to always give your baby a few days to get accustomed to each new ingredient, in case there is a delayed response. If he refuses certain foods simply because of the taste or consistency, don’t discount them completely, but maybe try again another day, or add them to one of his favourite foods. This is also the perfect opportunity to use fruit and vegetables you don’t usually cook for yourself. As long as you take things slow, you should try to be adventurous and introduce your child to as many different tastes as possible so that, in time, he will be able to have a healthy and varied diet.

STOCK-UP ON BABY RECIPES AND BIBS!

As soon as your baby is ready for solids, start collecting information. Getting lots of different ideas for recipes will make the weaning process more fun for you and more interesting for your baby. Your local baby clinic or GP surgery will have leaflets detailing the order in which foods should best be introduced. Also, look out for books on weaning, or search the internet for fresh ideas. Remember to expect mess too. In fact, many parents end up stripping their babies down to a nappy and a bib for the first few meals. You’ll probably find that more food ends up on your little one’s head, body and all over your clothes, than in his mouth!

Hey Dads, roll up your shirt-sleeves! Now that your baby’s on solids, why not get cooking and take on a bigger role in the feeding business.

The cup challenge

To ease the transition from breast or bottle to cup, Professor Wolke suggests letting your child bite with his gums, suck and otherwise manipulate an empty cup or trainer cup starting at about six months. When your baby becomes accustomed to playing with it, offer him water or diluted juice in a cup at snack time. It should help ease the weaning process for both of you.

Food for fun and learning to be independent

MESS MEANS FUN

The more involved with food your baby gets, the messier the mealtimes. Spillages and mess are an inevitable part of learning about the world of food. And he needs to experiment in order to figure out how he will eventually feed himself. So don’t worry about the mess too much. If it’s a concern, invest in a plastic mat to place under baby’s feeding chair, protect your own clothes with an apron, and stock up on baby bibs. Or choose old clothes that you won’t mind staining. Remember, feeding should be fun and there is no place for fretting about spilt food and messy handprints when you’re weaning a baby. Let your little one enjoy trying to shovel food into his (or even your) mouth, congratulate his attempts at using a spoon, and keep in mind that, for him at least, neatness and table manners are of no concern right now! The more practice your child gets at feeding early on, the sooner he’ll be able to cope with it on his own in the future.

FYI:

A milky dribble stain on the shoulder is the ultimate fashion accessory for any new mother! It’s like a badge of parenthood – and a great way to spot other members of the club.

Top baby food storage tips

Ice-cube trays are great for freezing and storing small portions of home-made baby food, expressed milk, purees and sauces. This allows you to defrost just the amount you need per meal and avoids wastage. You can also combine two or three individual cubes of different ingredients to produce new and interesting recipes for your little one.

Source: Pampers South Africa

Butternut soup

Ingredients

2 medium butternuts
1 apple
2 medium onions
50g butter/margarine (4T)
7 ml medium curry powder (1 ¼ t)
40 g cake flour (4 T)
pinch of ground nutmeg
2 chicken stock cubes
750 ml boiling water (3 c)
500 ml milk (2 c)
7 ml salt (1 ½ t)

---

Method

Peel, seed and dice the butternuts. Peel, core and chop the apple. Peel the onions and chop roughly. In a large saucepan, saute the chopped onions in the butter/margarine. Add the curry powder and fry the mixture lightly. Add the butternut and apple and saute the mixture for a while. Add the flour and nutmeg and stir-fry lightly.

Dissolve the chicken stock cubes in the boiling water. Add the stock, together with the milk, and salt, to the butternut mixture. Boil, with the lid on, over moderate heat until the butternut pieces are soft. Stir the mixture occasionally. Puree or blend until smooth. The colour of the soup should be a deep yellow and the texture creamy. Serve the soup hot.

Each bowl of soup may be garnished with a teaspoon of cream and a little finely chopped parsley. For an interesting variation, replace the nutmeg with a little finely grated orange rind and add a few shreds of orange rind to the garnish.

Makes 2 liters (8 cups) of soup.

Source: Rainbow Nation

An ideal winter warmer! Great starter for a hearty meal. Enjoy:)

Remedies for confining mothers

After posting the Jungle juice recipe, I began searching for more info relating to the ‘Indian’ traditions of huwavar or post-partum confinement. I found an excellent article by Radio Islam which has been ‘tweeked’ slightly. Great recipes included so do share with your mothers-in-law:

THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD

It has become a norm in today’s times that the first time mums-to-be go to their parents home for delivery, and confinement.

Before confinement, foods rich in prophylactic, gestation and foetus maturation values, are prepared and it is strongly believed that the mother’s well being will be inherited by the child.

The making of these foods is a dying art, as the modern trend is to imbibe medicines and vitamins in the form of a sugar coated pill rather than a laboriously processed food.

Some of these formulae are heirlooms of the past and as such have a prized position in the cooking repertoires of the Indian grannies.

Yes after the birth of the new born baby, the new mum’s diet is strictly circumscribed. She is to eat foods that will ward off colds, and prevent backache; she is to avoid foods which will distress the breastfed baby. Her diet must ensure regular bowel movement and certain foods taken by her will aid her baby in burping out wind.

The postpartum period begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the mother’s body has returned close to its pre-pregnant state.

New moms deserve special attention to rebuild their strength after giving birth. Nutrition and plenty of rest are essential to new moms to help their bodies recover.

Traditionally new mums are offered specific foods during confinement.

These foods are believed to speed up recovery and provide vital nutrients to the new mother and her baby. But, there is a flip side as well. Most of these foods are calorie- rich, laden with nuts, ghee and sugar and may make you gain excess weight.

However, grand mothers, mums and in-laws may insist you follow tradition. While some new mums may find it difficult to go against their elders’ wishes – others happily oblige and enjoy the pampering!

Whatever the case, do bear in mind that moderation is the key.

Eating light, easy to digest food is important. Green vegetables, vegetables from the squash family, moong (dal), and whole-wheat bread are all good choices. Avoid cabbage, beans and lentils are considered harder to digest and create gas in the body. Also avoid anything sour, like tomatoes, tamarind, lemon, and oranges.

As a new mum, you may often wonder what you need to eat or drink to increase the production of breast milk. Certain foods (known as galactagogue foods) are known to stimulate the production of breast milk.

While herbs such as fenugreek and fennel have been used for centuries to increase a nursing mother’s milk supply, little is known about how herbs affect a nursing baby. Play it safe and consult with your doctor before taking any herbal remedy. Also increase your intake of water as it is a major constituent of breast milk. It will help maintain your milk production. Ensure that you drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day.

Here are some Traditional confinement foods that consumed by new mum’s.

PHAAKI; A snack that aids digestion and is a remedy for flatulence. Looks similar to suk-muk.

It is made up of ajmo, huwa, methi, jeero, hing, array and dry ginger.

LAAI; milk drink for confining mothers

Made up of singhora powder, ghee, fresh ground almonds and milk.

This milk drink is very nourishing for both mother and baby.

HUWA WATER

Made with water, huwa and methi.

Drink huwa water instead of tap water. Basically boil water, add huwa seeds, fill in jug and drink throughout the day.

And/or

CAROM AND FENNEL SEEDS WATER - (Ajwain aur saunf ka paani).

Carom seeds are believed to help in cleansing the stomach and uterus; fennel helps increasing milk production and prevents colic in your baby.

Ingredients:

1 litre filtered water

1 tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)

3/4th tbsp carom seeds (ajwain)

Method:

In a pan add fennel and carom seeds to one litre of filtered water.

Bring the mixture to boil.

Lower the flame and let the mixture cook for another 10-15 minutes.

Allow it to cool until lukewarm.

Strain and store the water in a thermos, so that the mixture remains warm for several hours.

Sip in this water all through the day.

ALMOND BADAAM MILK;

Ingredients:

5-7 almonds (badaam) soaked overnight and peeled

4 black pepper corn seeds (kali mirch) soaked overnight

A pinch of turmeric (haldi)

1 glass skimmed/double toned milk

½ tsp ghee

½-1 tsp honey/ sugar/jaggery/ghor

Method:

Grind almonds and pepper corns into fine paste.

In a pan, heat ghee and fry the paste till it turns golden brown. Add

turmeric power. Fry for about one minute.

Now add milk to the paste and stir.

Bring mixture to boil.

Add honey/sugar/jaggery/ghor to the milk. Serve hot.

SOME MORE REMEDIES;

• Turmeric helps heal internal wounds – Take a half-teaspoon turmeric powder every day with lukewarm milk or water. Turmeric has many other health effects.

• Fenugreek seeds are great to help prevent and ease back and joint pain. Fenugreek seeds or fresh fenugreek are also taken to help nursing mothers increase their breast milk supply. Fenugreek is also available at many health food stores.

• Ajwain (carom seeds) helps soothe pain due to gas or indigestion.

Every morning boil four glasses of water with two tablespoon of carom seeds (ajwain). Let it cool down to room temperature and drink this water throughout the day. Add ajwain as an ingredient when making roti or cooking vegetables.

• Dry ginger powder also known as sauth; take with food. Ginger offers health benefits, including anti-inflammation effects, and can also be found in health food stores.

• Gaund (or Gond) is an edible gum resin that is extracted from the bark of the tree. Gaund provides heat to our body and is usually eaten in cold winter months. Gaund and whole wheat ka ladoo is normally prepared for the nursing mother to help with lactation and provide nutrients for the baby. The main ingredients are whole-wheat flour, butter, nuts, gaund, poppy seeds, and sugar.

Things to keep in mind…

• Remember moderation is the key.
• Exercise some caution when choosing herbs and spices.
• Try a few different options first and see what works best for you and your baby.
• You may also want to consider switching a certain beverage if you find it does not agree with your system or if your baby gets fussy.

POSTPARTUM HEALING ADVICES

Encourage mothers to do as little as possible until she feels well again. Create a food tree of friends and nearby family who are willing to bring mom yummy and easy to digest foods everyday, and won’t mind doing some laundry or dishes.

Emphasize mainly on the proper diet regime for this time to ensure the health of both baby and mother. Foods need to be fresh, not processed, served warmed, very soupy, and moist in consistency. Dishes should be prepared with digestive spices such as cumin, caraway, ginger, mustard seed, clove, basil, turmeric, fenugreek, cinnamon, and garlic (roasted only).

Avoid eating meat for at least two weeks. Soup stocks are okay.

Avoid caffeine; white sugar; raw vegetables’ dry, light, crunchy foods; too many beans and too many eggs.

Make sure mother and baby are warm, oily, and feeling loved. That means lots of sesame oil rubbed gently on their skin daily. Use lots of sesame oil, olive oil.

Stay warm indoors.

Most importantly, assure mom that it is okay for her to take this time to receive so much love and support, no matter how awkward it may feel for her. Make her feel special, loved and care.

Also, the famous Indian Delights book published by the Women’s Cultural Group has tips for the confinement period.

Homemade Baby Food: A Fresh start to healthy eating

Allah (SWT) commands us to consume not only what is Halaal (lawful) but also what is ‘wholesome’ (Tayyib) [s2:v172].

With this in mind, I have adapted the following article regarding your child’s first solid meals:

Homemade Baby Food: A Fresh start to healthy eating

Introducing solid foods is a very important step in your baby’s development and well-being. In fact, studies show that babies who are fed nutritious, healthy diets grow into stronger kids and better-adjusted eaters than those who are fed poor diets.

Many parents don’t realize that making baby food at home is a simple and economical plan to provide your baby with the best in quality, nutrition and taste. It makes it easy for you to ensure your child gets the best start possible. Making baby food using fresh, all-natural ingredients has many benefits, including:

• Increased nutritional value
• Elimination of additives
• Improved freshness
• Added variety
• Enhanced control
• Lower costs
• Increased nutritional value

Vitamins and other nutrients are critically important to your baby. For the next three years, your baby will experience rapid growth and development. It is essential that he be fed a healthy and nutritious diet to maximize his growth and development process.

Processed baby foods have added water, sugars and starchy fillers. While these products are not nutritionally bad for your baby, their use in baby food dilutes the nutrient content of the actual foods. To make matters worse, processed baby foods are cooked at high temperatures to kill bacteria, so they can be stored in jars at room temperature.

Bacteria are not the only things that are eliminated in this process. Vitamins and nutrients are also destroyed. Many baby food manufacturers compensate for the loss of vitamins by artificially adding some of them back in after the food is processed.

When you make baby food at home, you can cook it quickly. This process not only preserves the wonderful colour and taste of the food, but most importantly it maximizes the foods’ nutrient content for your precious baby.

Elimination of additives

Processed baby foods contain trace amounts of chemicals, including pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. Although food authorities have approved these chemicals, you may choose not to feed your baby products containing them. Buying certified organic produce (fresh or frozen) and preparing food at home eliminates agricultural chemicals from your baby’s diet.

In addition, many varieties of processed baby foods add ingredients that are not essential or beneficial to your baby’s diet. These can include ingredients such sugar, butter and salt. Most healthcare professionals will recommend you avoid the introduction of these foods until your child is much older. Homemade baby food is pure, wholesome food with nothing added that you did not add yourself.

Improved freshness

Have you compared fresh green peas to a jar of pea baby food? Even though they are the same food, they don’t look, smell or taste similar. While your baby does not have the refined palate of an adult, he does respond to taste, colour and smell. With the enormous availability of fresh produce in your grocery store and the simplicity of making baby food, there is really is no reason he needs to be deprived of colourful, tasty, great-smelling baby food. And serving fresh food from the very beginning will help your baby be more open to tasting new flavours and types of food.

Additional variety

Processed baby food is developed for the mass market and, as a result, is limited in variety. Variety is key to a balanced diet and healthy living. Today’s grocery stores offer a tremendous variety of fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables. There is no reason why your baby should be limited by what food manufacturers consider the most popular foods. What’s more, preparing baby food at home enables you to add herbs, combine flavours, and easily introduce new textures, making your baby’s mealtime a pleasurable, gourmet experience.

Enhanced control

As a parent, you want to understand and trust the ingredients in your baby’s diet. Similarly, you want assurance concerning the purity, safety, quality and consistency of such ingredients. Preparing baby food at home provides you with control of your baby’s diet and knowledge of exactly what goes into your baby’s food. The more involvement you have with what you are feeding your baby, the more likely you are to nurture healthy eating habits.

Lower costs

Processed baby foods are expensive. The average baby (in the United States) will consume 600 jars of baby food. Making baby food at home is extremely cost-effective, as foods may be purchased either in season or on sale.

With all these benefits, you may think that it is difficult to make baby food, but it is a lot easier to make than you may imagine. Using fresh produce, a blender and set of ice cube trays, you can make food in quantity and freeze it in single servings. This means you only need to make food once or twice a week. Bottom line, it takes about 30 minutes a week. Here is a simple and easy recipe for a common first food.

Sweet Potato Puree

2-3 medium to large sweet potatoes

Step 1: PREP – Wash, peel and chop sweet potatoes into 3 cm cubes

Step 2: COOK – Place sweet potatoes and 2 Tablespoons (30ml) of water in a microwave-safe dish. Cover. Cook 8-10 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. They are done if the sweet potatoes can be mashed easily with a fork.

Step 3: PUREE – Place sweet potatoes and cooking juices into a blender of food processor. Add ½ cup (60 ml) of water. Puree. Add additional ¼ to ½ cup (60 – 100 ml) of water, as needed, to develop of smooth texture.

Step 4: FREEZE – Spoon into or ice cube trays. Cover. Place in freezer 8-10 hours or overnight. Remove cubes from trays, place in storage container or freezer bag, and return immediately to the freezer.

Makes 24 one-ounce servings. Stays fresh for 2 months in the freezer.

To serve, select frozen sweet potato cubes from the freezer, defrost and warm, check the temperature and feed.

Adapted from pregnancy.org

Recipe: Butternut Squash Risotto

This recipe is free of all the ‘bad stuff’ and is suitable for babies 9 months and older. Thanks to  Jill Japp from the Your Parenting Community.

INGREDIENTS

50g Onion, chopped

25g Butter

100g Basmati Rice

150g Butternut, peeled and grated

450ml Boiling water

3 Ripe tomatoes (225g), skinned, seeded and chopped

50g Cheddar cheese, grated

METHOD

Sauté onion in half the butter.

Stir in the rice

Pour in the water and cook for 8 minutes.

Stir in butternut and reduce heat. Cook for about 12 minutes, or until water is absorbed.

Meanwhile, sauté the tomatoes in the remaining butter for 2 or 3 minutes.

Stir in the cheese until melted.

Stir into rice mixture.

Allow to cool a bit before serving.