Hola...
Hope everyone is doing well. We are battling another cold, windy and cloudy day. The temperatures have dipped a bit and we cannot complain because it's January. The icy cold winds hit the face whenever we step outside.
The mornings are harder especially for the kids. But i love to see them smiling and jumping at the bus stops. The urge to go to school and be with friends makes them so happy. I so enjoy their smiles and the positive spirit.
Time rushes so fast. There was time when my S used to cry to go school because he would miss his mom but now its role reversal. These days he wants to go to the bus stop all by himself. Even though we accompany him to the stop but he always walks a few steps ahead of us in order to met his friends at the earliest. He wants us to wait till the bus leaves so that we wave him bye but most of the days he is happily busy chatting with his friends. The mommy is happily sad a bit. I always want him to be happy but sometimes selfishness takes some space.
Okay since its a cold day my S wanted something special. He wanted some broccoli rice with some grilled chicken. It was rather easy for me. I had some boneless chicken in my freezer which in the morning i grilled it with salt, a dash of pepper and a drop of lemon juice. His broccoli rice was easiest with some butter. The snack box was apples and chips and yoghurt.
How was your Thursday? I am sure you all are looking forward to Friday. Share your thoughts, ideas or your plans if possible.
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Tiffin Tales 77
Hola...
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019... This is the first post of the year and I certainly want to start on a positive note. I hope you all a have terrific year with love, success and positivity. The last year was bit of a ride for us but glad that we sailed through it. There were quite a few tides but glad those didn't wash us away. We held on to each other and we will continue to do the same.
They say it takes a village to raise a family but i still haven't made it to that village yet but the journey to that village is quite a tumultuous one for sure. The holiday season gave us a nice break in the winters. There was some morning silence compared to the usual meltdown mornings. The kids woke lazily and there breakfasts were simple. The lunch time saw some hustles and of course they took some nice afternoon naps. Evenings were relaxed and there was no bedtime anxieties. There were lots of story times and books which was quite comforting.
This morning the schools re opened and I am sure lot of kids like my S had some tough time to leave the bed early. My S wished if the holidays could on for some more days and secretly I wished the same. The holidays meant lots of cooking and eating at home and of course tons of groceries. In one of my trips I picked a bottle of schezwan sauce and this morning it made its debut for lunch box. I made some schezwan rice with vegetables. I had some patty which i crumbled and added to the rice. The rice had some nice aroma and I hope my S will enjoy his lunch. He is still in holiday mood and this rice is his current favorite. His snack box had some fruits and a small sweet, which again is from the holiday season and a small pack of yoghurt.
It rained hard yesterday but the sun is up today but I guess for a couple of hours. On that positive sunshine lets start this year and my tales too. Hopefully i can stir up some more exciting tiffin and my stories to go along.
Have a blessed day!
HAPPY NEW YEAR 2019... This is the first post of the year and I certainly want to start on a positive note. I hope you all a have terrific year with love, success and positivity. The last year was bit of a ride for us but glad that we sailed through it. There were quite a few tides but glad those didn't wash us away. We held on to each other and we will continue to do the same.
They say it takes a village to raise a family but i still haven't made it to that village yet but the journey to that village is quite a tumultuous one for sure. The holiday season gave us a nice break in the winters. There was some morning silence compared to the usual meltdown mornings. The kids woke lazily and there breakfasts were simple. The lunch time saw some hustles and of course they took some nice afternoon naps. Evenings were relaxed and there was no bedtime anxieties. There were lots of story times and books which was quite comforting.
This morning the schools re opened and I am sure lot of kids like my S had some tough time to leave the bed early. My S wished if the holidays could on for some more days and secretly I wished the same. The holidays meant lots of cooking and eating at home and of course tons of groceries. In one of my trips I picked a bottle of schezwan sauce and this morning it made its debut for lunch box. I made some schezwan rice with vegetables. I had some patty which i crumbled and added to the rice. The rice had some nice aroma and I hope my S will enjoy his lunch. He is still in holiday mood and this rice is his current favorite. His snack box had some fruits and a small sweet, which again is from the holiday season and a small pack of yoghurt.
It rained hard yesterday but the sun is up today but I guess for a couple of hours. On that positive sunshine lets start this year and my tales too. Hopefully i can stir up some more exciting tiffin and my stories to go along.
Have a blessed day!
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Last Post....2018
Hola...
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. The day was filled with lots of love, good food and company. In my last post I discussed about gifts so I hope you all received whatever you secretly wished for.
The holiday season continues and so the euphoria will continue till the New Year. There is some exultation in the air or in our hearts and we all want to enjoy around this time of the year. When we were young our schools used to closed around this time with our annual exams being over. The new academic year would start in mid January and we would love this time. This time was popular for picnic and family functions. The winters in my native is still sweet. There was some joy basking in the winter sun and peeling the oranges and sharing amongst all. As much as we dread winters here, people in my native wait for winters. The soft sun rays is something people wait patiently. The day breaks with fog and the sun slowly shows up. As a kid we used to dread taking bath and our mothers of course never gave up. Sweet memories.
The schools are closed now and hence there isn't any routine that's followed presently. The cupcakes are eaten at breakfast while lunch could be just a spoon of rice with some sautéed vegetables or a slice of chicken. The situation is relatable to many homes I know hence its 'normal'.
I do not think I will be able to jot any more blogs in this year but then I would take the opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New and a prosperous New Year. May the new year bring lots of goodness and happiness in your lives. Stay blessed and stay happy
I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. The day was filled with lots of love, good food and company. In my last post I discussed about gifts so I hope you all received whatever you secretly wished for.
The holiday season continues and so the euphoria will continue till the New Year. There is some exultation in the air or in our hearts and we all want to enjoy around this time of the year. When we were young our schools used to closed around this time with our annual exams being over. The new academic year would start in mid January and we would love this time. This time was popular for picnic and family functions. The winters in my native is still sweet. There was some joy basking in the winter sun and peeling the oranges and sharing amongst all. As much as we dread winters here, people in my native wait for winters. The soft sun rays is something people wait patiently. The day breaks with fog and the sun slowly shows up. As a kid we used to dread taking bath and our mothers of course never gave up. Sweet memories.
The schools are closed now and hence there isn't any routine that's followed presently. The cupcakes are eaten at breakfast while lunch could be just a spoon of rice with some sautéed vegetables or a slice of chicken. The situation is relatable to many homes I know hence its 'normal'.
I do not think I will be able to jot any more blogs in this year but then I would take the opportunity to wish everyone a very Happy New and a prosperous New Year. May the new year bring lots of goodness and happiness in your lives. Stay blessed and stay happy
Thursday, December 20, 2018
Santa is coming
Hola...
How are you all doing? We are just sailing through the tides today. It isn't a pleasant day at our house today. The morning started with dark clouds and rain. The kids slept longer and I had to almost drag my S out of bed. It seemed the holiday season kicked in him earlier than it should.
He did wake and started to cry for some insane things. But the biggest storm was the question 'What is Santa getting me for Christmas?' I calmly tried to explain him that presents can be anything and need not be exactly what we want. But I found it hard to explain that gifts are just and should not be compared to someone else's.
I exactly know how it feels to see kids who are blessed with gifts and presents on their birthdays and other events. Children of low income families realize it pretty early that life isn't fair to them. Some kids get almost half of the toy store if not the entire store whereas the others smile with some coloring books and a candy stick. There have been years after years when we never got any presents but that didn't stop us from loving our friends and neighbors. The concept of sharing was more alleviated i guess. My son constantly says that a child in his class has a nice apple watch and he keeps looking at that, to which my husband says keep looking till you earn it in the next few years. Of course he bursts into tears.
Children these days are quite sensitive and can gauge the emotions very easily. The sense of being less privileged dawns in them very early in life. I knew a kid who used to pester his mom with questions. Does Santa visit only the rich families? Does Santa have any monetary problems? Why isn't he fair to all the children? The questions used to haunt his mom and at times the mom used to burst out failing to answer those.
We as parents know where the nicely wrapped presents come from. We all love our children and want the best for them but in that process lets teach them the quality of compassion and contentment. Contentment is very, very important in life. It teaches us to balance between expectations and desire.
Well, concentrating on Santa, I would like to request Santa to instill the sense of love and sharing amongst the people. Children of low income groups always have to feel the pinch every year while their peers are blessed with a nice ipad or any gadgets that others can just dream of. Parents of that group work tirelessly to set up a decent Christmas meal and bring some joy at their children's face. They struggle all year to pay bills and other necessities but on this day let there be joy and smiles in all the homes. Let the smell of cakes and cookies be stronger and hugs be more tighter.
If you agree with me 'high five'...
How are you all doing? We are just sailing through the tides today. It isn't a pleasant day at our house today. The morning started with dark clouds and rain. The kids slept longer and I had to almost drag my S out of bed. It seemed the holiday season kicked in him earlier than it should.
He did wake and started to cry for some insane things. But the biggest storm was the question 'What is Santa getting me for Christmas?' I calmly tried to explain him that presents can be anything and need not be exactly what we want. But I found it hard to explain that gifts are just and should not be compared to someone else's.
I exactly know how it feels to see kids who are blessed with gifts and presents on their birthdays and other events. Children of low income families realize it pretty early that life isn't fair to them. Some kids get almost half of the toy store if not the entire store whereas the others smile with some coloring books and a candy stick. There have been years after years when we never got any presents but that didn't stop us from loving our friends and neighbors. The concept of sharing was more alleviated i guess. My son constantly says that a child in his class has a nice apple watch and he keeps looking at that, to which my husband says keep looking till you earn it in the next few years. Of course he bursts into tears.
Children these days are quite sensitive and can gauge the emotions very easily. The sense of being less privileged dawns in them very early in life. I knew a kid who used to pester his mom with questions. Does Santa visit only the rich families? Does Santa have any monetary problems? Why isn't he fair to all the children? The questions used to haunt his mom and at times the mom used to burst out failing to answer those.
We as parents know where the nicely wrapped presents come from. We all love our children and want the best for them but in that process lets teach them the quality of compassion and contentment. Contentment is very, very important in life. It teaches us to balance between expectations and desire.
Well, concentrating on Santa, I would like to request Santa to instill the sense of love and sharing amongst the people. Children of low income groups always have to feel the pinch every year while their peers are blessed with a nice ipad or any gadgets that others can just dream of. Parents of that group work tirelessly to set up a decent Christmas meal and bring some joy at their children's face. They struggle all year to pay bills and other necessities but on this day let there be joy and smiles in all the homes. Let the smell of cakes and cookies be stronger and hugs be more tighter.
If you agree with me 'high five'...
Wednesday, December 19, 2018
Tiffin Tales 74
Hola...
Friends this year the winters aren't treating me well. They are pretty unfair to me. Every other day a winter bug visits me making me sick and dull. Hence I am unable to enjoy the season as much I could or should have. Well we have somewhat prolonged winters so I am hopeful that I will get time to enjoy winters and some snow too. But I feel there is some kind of conjuration between winters and Christmas. The alchemy between them makes everything look dazzling even the white snow.
There isn't much to do outdoors in winters. I remember in my childhood the winter special vegetables used to look different. To me they were fresh and so very colorful and we weren't familiar with the word 'organic'. The fruits and vegetables were seasonal and my grandmother used to remind my father not to get anything unseasonal. Now with yearly produce we never seem to miss any fruits and vegetables. But i miss the color of the seasonal produces. Mangoes are best in summers but whenever I see them in winters I feel they look upset too. As a result we keep making the same curry with the same set of vegetables almost all year round. These day I rely on some food groups for creative ideas. I am not very creative but love to explore and in terms of posting pictures of my dishes I am almost in a different planet. On seeing the same set of vegetablesI scratch my head thinking of a new dish every alternate day. Health is also a priority hence I am not very liberal with oil and spices. My thoughts though!
This morning was a rushed one since I woke up late owing to my poor health. I made some 'puri' with some vegetable curry for lunch box. You must be wondering why i indulge in 'puris'. My S likes them and i don't mind him in indulging in his growing up years of his life. Mother's love you see. His snack had a few pieces of apples and some blueberries and yoghurt.
I hope to get better even though i am still not fully recovered. You guys enjoy your day and moments because misfortunes and sickness never inform anyone about their arrival.
Friends this year the winters aren't treating me well. They are pretty unfair to me. Every other day a winter bug visits me making me sick and dull. Hence I am unable to enjoy the season as much I could or should have. Well we have somewhat prolonged winters so I am hopeful that I will get time to enjoy winters and some snow too. But I feel there is some kind of conjuration between winters and Christmas. The alchemy between them makes everything look dazzling even the white snow.
There isn't much to do outdoors in winters. I remember in my childhood the winter special vegetables used to look different. To me they were fresh and so very colorful and we weren't familiar with the word 'organic'. The fruits and vegetables were seasonal and my grandmother used to remind my father not to get anything unseasonal. Now with yearly produce we never seem to miss any fruits and vegetables. But i miss the color of the seasonal produces. Mangoes are best in summers but whenever I see them in winters I feel they look upset too. As a result we keep making the same curry with the same set of vegetables almost all year round. These day I rely on some food groups for creative ideas. I am not very creative but love to explore and in terms of posting pictures of my dishes I am almost in a different planet. On seeing the same set of vegetablesI scratch my head thinking of a new dish every alternate day. Health is also a priority hence I am not very liberal with oil and spices. My thoughts though!
This morning was a rushed one since I woke up late owing to my poor health. I made some 'puri' with some vegetable curry for lunch box. You must be wondering why i indulge in 'puris'. My S likes them and i don't mind him in indulging in his growing up years of his life. Mother's love you see. His snack had a few pieces of apples and some blueberries and yoghurt.
I hope to get better even though i am still not fully recovered. You guys enjoy your day and moments because misfortunes and sickness never inform anyone about their arrival.
Monday, December 17, 2018
Tiffin Tales 73
Hola...
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle all the way...Yes, we are just one week away from Christmas. The air smells cakes and everything around us looks so festive.
This morning my S woke up singing these lines, perhaps Santa visited him in his dreams last night. He smilingly asked me if today was Christmas or not but I lovingly replied that its next week. The schools will remain closed for ten days for the Christmas and New Years and the children get a break to soak in the festive season.
Growing up our way of celebrating Christmas was different from the way my children are celebrating now. We knew Santa but he never brought any gifts to us. Now that I buy small little presents for my children I wish to revisit my childhood, not for any gifts but to experience that level of innocence. There were limited number of bakeries in my place but they used to work over time to meet up with the demands. Now i wish Santa answers my prayers. If i dream through my children's eyes, i wish to get a pair of wings. I want to fly and meet my parents. Days, months and years pass I wait to catch a glimpse of them perhaps a pair of wings will help to cover the distance shorter.
Magical dreams and wishes are a part of this festival. I pray that who ever is reading these lines, all their wishes are fulfilled. Please pray for me too. On this good note today i made sandwiches for his lunch box. I also added some chips too. His snack box had a fruit bar a few crackers and yoghurt.
Enjoy this festive season to the core. I pray may peace reign all over...
Jingle Bell, Jingle Bell, Jingle all the way...Yes, we are just one week away from Christmas. The air smells cakes and everything around us looks so festive.
This morning my S woke up singing these lines, perhaps Santa visited him in his dreams last night. He smilingly asked me if today was Christmas or not but I lovingly replied that its next week. The schools will remain closed for ten days for the Christmas and New Years and the children get a break to soak in the festive season.
Growing up our way of celebrating Christmas was different from the way my children are celebrating now. We knew Santa but he never brought any gifts to us. Now that I buy small little presents for my children I wish to revisit my childhood, not for any gifts but to experience that level of innocence. There were limited number of bakeries in my place but they used to work over time to meet up with the demands. Now i wish Santa answers my prayers. If i dream through my children's eyes, i wish to get a pair of wings. I want to fly and meet my parents. Days, months and years pass I wait to catch a glimpse of them perhaps a pair of wings will help to cover the distance shorter.
Magical dreams and wishes are a part of this festival. I pray that who ever is reading these lines, all their wishes are fulfilled. Please pray for me too. On this good note today i made sandwiches for his lunch box. I also added some chips too. His snack box had a fruit bar a few crackers and yoghurt.
Enjoy this festive season to the core. I pray may peace reign all over...
Friday, December 14, 2018
Tiffin Tales 72
Hola...
We all have managed to come this far of the week. I mean it's Friday and how many of us excited to let our hair down and just relax. I think relaxing is reserved for some affluent section of people and rest of us are or will be trudging along.
I was so excited yesterday about the weather and boy it started to rain after a couple of hours. It somewhat washed my excitement away. The rain poured all night and this morning its dark and cloudy.
Fridays are usually longer for us and we try prepare ourselves for the weekends. The children with their activity classes occupy lions share of our times over the weekends. We try to take turns so that all of us not exhausted together but for that we prepare our weekly plan of Fridays. Now that sounds like some serious plan but trust me a little bit of planning saves quite some time and extra energy. This weekend i have to organize my mad closet which is chock a block with mittens and scarves and socks which is missing its partner. Its one pile of a mayhem that needs my immediate attention and today i have to put in extra effort to keep me stable for the coming week.
This morning I made vegetable fried rice with a small gravy curry for lunch and dinner. My S was good enough to carry in his box. His snack box was different today with a small pack of chips and a small muffin. He was so excited today.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend and have ample time to take rest and energize yourselves. I will bug you all on Monday...Til then enjoy every moment of your lives...
We all have managed to come this far of the week. I mean it's Friday and how many of us excited to let our hair down and just relax. I think relaxing is reserved for some affluent section of people and rest of us are or will be trudging along.
I was so excited yesterday about the weather and boy it started to rain after a couple of hours. It somewhat washed my excitement away. The rain poured all night and this morning its dark and cloudy.
Fridays are usually longer for us and we try prepare ourselves for the weekends. The children with their activity classes occupy lions share of our times over the weekends. We try to take turns so that all of us not exhausted together but for that we prepare our weekly plan of Fridays. Now that sounds like some serious plan but trust me a little bit of planning saves quite some time and extra energy. This weekend i have to organize my mad closet which is chock a block with mittens and scarves and socks which is missing its partner. Its one pile of a mayhem that needs my immediate attention and today i have to put in extra effort to keep me stable for the coming week.
This morning I made vegetable fried rice with a small gravy curry for lunch and dinner. My S was good enough to carry in his box. His snack box was different today with a small pack of chips and a small muffin. He was so excited today.
I hope you all enjoy your weekend and have ample time to take rest and energize yourselves. I will bug you all on Monday...Til then enjoy every moment of your lives...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)