Spain

The family and I got back from our holiday in Spain, and if I'm honest it was a mixed bag for me. When one thinks of Spain, images of the sun, sand and sangria come to mind. However, the reality was that my 2 year old got off the plane with a tummy bug and fever and that just equalled disaster from the word go.

My 4 year old on the other hand was fine with her routine being stretched, i.e late bed times, eating at obscure times and not napping was part of the holiday excitement. I can honestly say that it gets easier the older they get. But my son, found his system very affected. He was tired most of the time, even though he would catch up with naps through the day and didn't take to the local food either which made for a very cranky child! He had lost his appetite due to the tummy bug and all he could keep down was milk and strawberry yoghurt. Luckily by the end of the trip his appetite increased but his moodiness didn't.

It made me reassess whether next time we should stick to our usual plan of renting a serviced apartment that way I could cook and the children eat better and at their times. The last time we went to Miami, my son was still nursing and my daughter was over 2, and having a kitchen really helped. Eating restaurant food for a week just didn't work. By the end of the holiday I have to admit we were all craving home cooking. The minute we plonked our suitcases in the living room, I ran to the kitchen and cooked us dinner. My son breathed a sigh of relief as he scoffed down simple yet familiar yellow lentils with rice!

On a positive note, Spain had many wonderful foods on offer and the wedding was truely a gastronomical affair. I was able to capture some beautiful photos below that I'd like to share...

Quail Eggs

Cheese, Cheese and More Cheese...

Fried Egg and Asparagus on a Bed of Crispy Chips

Salami and Olives

'Gula' or Sautéed Eels on Quail Eggs

Food for the Soul

Last week was a culinary adventure for me. I was contacted by Nadine, a Jewish mommy to teach an Indian cooking class for strictly Kosher moms at her home. The aim was to teach some easy recipes and raise awareness and funds for a cause close to her heart - The Duchenne Foundation, also known as muscular dystrophy. This was a an exciting opportunity for me, and for the first time I was teaching and cooking outside my kitchen for 10 ladies and for a charity event and to top it off, in a strictly Kosher home!

Now let me explain what a strictly Kosher home entails. First of all, all food had to be ordered and brought into the home. Though I have cupboards full of spices which I was happy to bring to the class, none of them could be used. All the Indian spices were had to be new and opened in her  home. I couldn't bring any of my spices, not even the dry red Kashmiri chillies which I had to source at the last minute as she couldn't find it in her local grocery store. Naturally all the chicken and lamb were bought from a Kosher butcher adhering to their strict guidelines. Meat and diary are not mixed either, so marinading meat in yoghurt which is typically done or having a cucumber raita on the side was a definite no-no.

After all that was bought, I was introduced to her large kitchen which had two sinks, one for meat and one vegetables. Then the utensils, pots and food were to be kept in another area and not mixed. It was a true education for me! Not to mention slightly stressful!

In the end, I cooked a simple chicken curry, spicy minced lamb with peas, french beans stir fried with mustard seeds, curry leaves and garlic and cumin rice.


The ladies enjoyed themselves and were pleased to learn something different, I hope to run more classes like this in the future!

Then on Friday, I took part in the Kensington Mums motherhood exhibition, where moms met to discuss their views on what motherhood means. 45 moms were involved in this project, and it will be showcased at Beaufort House in Chelsea in June. We had to write on a blackboard a word to complete the sentence ' I am a mother and...' I was torn with what word would encompass exactly how I felt. Motherhood has effected me more profoundly than I ever thought it would. In the end I decided to complete my sentence with 'fulfilled'. We were videod for a minute about this and I really got in touch with how crucial it is to find that balance. Since I was a little girl, I have desired to be a mother. But motherhood isn't just about bringing up children, which I only learnt after having my two. I had this fixed view that you finish university and use your degree to find a job. However, then you have children and this isn't always possible. How do you bring up children and do something productive and find that sense of self again? Is it even possible? It is through my kids that Spices for my Sweets began, it is these little people who have given me that sense of equilibrium and have restored me again and I am grateful for this.

After a wonderful morning with the other moms, I strolled down to Books for Cooks which is a cosy bookshop in Portobello solely selling cookbooks and at the back they have an experimental kitchen. I had the most wonderful lunch by myself and I relished every single minute. On the way back, I went into Jamie Oliver's Recipease which is a kitchen concept where chefs were demonstrating to students. It was a feast for the eyes! I finished the day picking up delicious pastries for my kids
and husband as a big thanks, as really, I owe it to them. I got on the tube back to my children and was looking forward to seeing them again, what a day it had been! My heart was full of joy!

BBQ babies

With the weather being this gorgeous, the kids and I have stopped many of our usual afternoon activities such as soft play, indoor swimming and even doing play dates at friends homes. Whats the point I say? We hardly get the sun in London, so why not go outside and play? And this weekend, we had our first BBQ of the year and it was fantastic. The paddle pool was spent with the children submerged in it all day and taking their breaks of corn on the cob and ice cream while drying off on the grass. For me, it was the perfect day! (of course the tidying up afterwards was a definite downer, but then when is tidying up ever fun?)

Food wise, I came up with some different ideas for the children and this was super fun for them to eat. Now I know with all the fun in the garden, it is hard for any toddler to sit still and eat. So the trick is to make several things for them to munch through the day. We had mini hamburgers with beef, garlic and rosemary, potato salad using full fat greek yoghurt, corn on the cob boiled and then roasted for that charred flavour and fruit kebabs with melon, strawberry and grapes. The grazing went on all afternoon and by dinner time they were famished! 5 hours of the sun and paddle pool really worked up an appetite.

Today the weather has promised us another sun filled day and I will be yet again in the garden with my kids. I wait all year for days like this, and life just couldn't get better! Have a wonderful day!

Eating al fresco

So its finally here?! The sun has finally arrived in London. And believe me this year we have had a cruel winter, its been a long and tiresome 5 months and we are long over due some sunshine! So its 6 am wake up times (since even the black out blinds are really not doing their job properly), wearing a t-shirt (but with a jacket close by in case of cloud cover) and lots of trips to the park. The days are definitely longer but my kids and I couldn't be happier. Its amazing how the weather can make a distinct difference to one's disposition.

Sunshine = play time but it also means eating all those fun things outdoors such as ice cream and fruit lollies. My daughter's purpose, besides the sand and swing in the park, is to have a picnic in the park. It doesn't matter if we are sharing a punnet of strawberries. She just loves to remove her shoes, sit on the picnic blanket and munch in the sunshine. And who doesn't? Often I like to carry small snacks to the park such as vegetable sticks with humous, or small sandwiches, chopped up mango and pineapple and so on.

On a number of occasions I have taken a picnic lunch but my kids are so distracted that they tend to graze rather than eat anything substantial but then i just forget about it and take them home for dinner where I will know they will eat properly after a day out in the park.

So last week, the kids and I made borek, which is a savoury Turkish pastry. We rolled out shortcrust pastry, cut squares and stuffed each one and sealed with egg wash. I popped them in the oven for 10-12 mins and they turned out crispy and flakey. My kitchen was a mess at the end, what with the kids covered in flour, bits of feta cheese and egg, but it was a fun activity to do and the best part was sitting on the table together munching on our boreks! We made two kinds, one  stuffed with spinach and feta and the other with garlic mushroom and cheddar. This is definitely another item to add to the picnic basket! The best part was that it was the perfect snack and my hubby and I had it later on for dinner with a large salad.

Enjoy the sunshine!

Pressure Cooker vs the Slow Cooker?

It seems like everyone is talking about how fantastic slow cookers are.  I kid you not, but every day a mother has told me how it's time saving, all you have to do is to just throw in leftover vegetables and meat and produces the most amazing flavours.

So of course, I have been tempted, what with my cousin all the way in California posting pictures of delicious blackberry porridge that she wakes up to at 630 am all deliciously warm and cooked for her. I decided I just had to look into it! I spent much of yesterday evening researching the pros and cons of a slow cooker.

It seems pretty straight forward to me, do some light frying of onions then transfer into the cooker, bung all the vegetables and meat in there and leave it to slowly cook for 8 hours or less. This seems like the perfect answer to all working parents out there right? Nothing like sticking in all the ingredients at 6 am and then leaving it on low setting and arriving back at home with a hot meal ready. No more chopping at the end of a long day when all you want to do is eat and put your feet up. And this is perhaps a godsend once you have kids? A comfort meal of lamb stew all ready at 6 pm with some crusty bread? Hell, you even have time to open that bottle of wine and enjoy a glass?!

So now I'm working from home and am toying with the idea whether this gadget suits my lifestyle. I am not away for 8-9 hours, would this suit me? We also tend to eat chicken and seafood at home rather than lamb or beef, so again would I use the slow cooker? I do love the idea of the rich flavours that are produced after many hours of slow cooking. I mean for soups or chillis this would be perfect right?

Now I am a die hard pressure cooker fan. I use it for lentils, chicken, meat, soups and even pasta. You cannot beat a pressure cooker when it comes to time efficiency. Chicken curry is made from beginning to end in less than 30 minutes. In fact this morning I made a chicken curry with channa dal (lentils) and butternut squash and want to share the recipe with you. I will be serving it for dinner this evening so the spices will be soaking in the gravy and I really can't wait to try it! Now if any one out there wants to try it in their slow cooker and tell me how the results were then please do share!

So for a family of 4:

8 pieces of chicken leg and thigh ( I find breast too dry)
1 small butternut squash, peeled and diced
1/2 cup channa dal washed and soaked
1 large white onion
1.5 tspn grated ginger

2 garlic pods grated
2 tspn cumin seeds

1 tspn coriander powder
1 tspn garam masala
1 tspn turmeric powder
chopped coriander to garnish
salt and pepper to taste
1-2 green chilli chopped

1. In the pressure cooker, add 3 tblspns of oil and fry the cumin seeds, green chilli, onion, garlic and ginger.
2. Keep stirring till the onions are browned. Now add the chana dal (removing the excess water)
3. Add the chicken, salt and pepper.
4. Add the coriander powder, garam masala and turmeric powder and stir for a few minutes.
5. Now add water till it fills half your pressure cooker.
6. Turn the flame to medium heat and allow 2 whistles, then switch off the heat. Once the air has completely come out, open the cooker and add the chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with steamed rice.

Feeding the Indian Mama

This week has been a roller coaster of highs and lows. It started off fantastic with having an 8 page recipe feature in Mother and Baby India magazine (April 2013). Copies are only available in India and I am getting my hands on a copy asap to share it with all of you! That has kept me on a high!

Followed by a wonderful weaning workshop on Wednesday, Spices for my Sweets. It was a new set of classes where we cooked lentils with steamed courgette and an aromatic beef stew using root vegetables.  It really felt special as there were many new moms, new babies and and lots of cooking!

Sadly it went down hill from there as I picked up a nasty viral flu and the doctor recommended plenty of rest and no anti biotics. Rest? Like other moms I was thinking how on earth would I rest with two toddlers? No chance of that happening right? But luckily, the grandparents had them for two days so I could just rest and catch up on sleep. I have been battling a blocked nose prior to the viral flu for two weeks, and that was part of the problem as to why it was lingering on. I know how important rest is but it's easier said than done. I think making that time for yourself is very hard and I need to learn to put some time aside for myself. Today they children are both by my side and I feel so relaxed, rested and so so happy that they are with me. A few days ago I was left feeling frustrated and physically drained and now I am as good as new.

So its not just about feeding the little ones, but feeding yourself--the carer as you have the most important job in the world. And by feeding I mean, putting good stuff into your body by resting, taking time out and of course eating good wholesome food. Staying positive, fresh and well is a priority so that the kids can benefit from that energy. Have a super weekend!

Choc Chip Cookies with Orange Zest

I hardly do any baking, but once in a while it's a group activity with the kids. The suggestion from my daughter was initially strawberry cookies, but since we didn't have all the ingredients we settled on easy peasy chocolate chip cookies, but with some orange zest (that was mom's contribution!).

It didn't take even 10 mins to prepare and the results were more like madeleines in texture rather than crispy chewy cookies. Not sure if this is a bad or good thing? So this was our baking attempt today. Mixing and sticking in the oven while we ate our lunch. Then cooled down and ready to eat as soon as lunch was over. Was perfect timing!

So for 10 cookies:
75 gms light brown sugar
75 gms soft butter
1 egg
150 gms self raising flour
choc chips
zest of an orange

1. Mix the sugar and butter together
2. Add in beaten egg
3. Now sift in the flour, choc chips and zest.
4. Put the oven on at 180, and grease a baking tray. Drop small spoonfuls on the tray and bake for 10 mins.

Enjoy!