Isabel De Los Rios Talks About Misconceptions With Food

Q: You clearly state that soy is NOT a health food. Does this go for everyone including those people who want to gain muscle?

A: This goes for absolutely everyone, but especially for those who want to build muscle. I would even say the effects of eating soy will contribute to the exact OPPOSITE hormonal changes in your body that you want if building muscle is your goal. This is because most soy products on the market today contain phytoestrogens. These phytoestrogens mimic the effects of estrogen in the body and have been shown to decrease the testosterone levels of rats, monkeys and other animals, including humans. It has been known for quite some time that soy lowers testosterone to the point that there is an old Japanese wives’ tale that says women punish straying husbands by feeding them a lot of tofu. Now what do you think that means?

If building muscle is your goal, definitely stay away from any protein powder or protein bar that contains soy or soy protein isolate. Make sure to read labels carefully as it is in more products than you think.

Q: When choosing a protein powder, should I really be concerned about artificial sweeteners harming my body?

A: Artificial sweeteners have been found to be one of the most toxic substances we can put inside our bodies. Besides the fact that it causes brain and metabolism dysfunction, they clog up your liver to a point where it can not fully function.

Why is your liver so important? Your liver is not only responsible for eliminating toxins from your body but it is also responsible for metabolizing fat. If it is so busy processing through artificial sweeteners (a harmful toxin), it will not spend a sufficient amount of time processing through the unwanted fat you are trying to lose.

Believe it or not, I have had clients give up Diet Coke and lose up to 10 lbs in 2 weeks!

Q: Why are artificial sweeteners so bad if they supposedly have "zero calories"?

A: Zero sugar foods are actually much worse than sugar containing foods. Artificial sweeteners (like aspartame, sucrolose, and saccharin) are poison to our bodies. Whenever the body reads an ingested food as a potential danger, your liver comes to the rescue to help ward off any danger these foreign substances may cause. People who eat and drink “diet” foods and “diet drinks all day, are overwhelming and taxing their livers. Your liver is crucial in the weight loss/fat burning process. So if your liver is taxed and not working at optimum, it becomes near impossible to lose any weight. This is why I give my readers many alternatives to sugar free foods and sugar containing foods. There are natural alternatives that are ideal replacements for any of these diet foods, without the potential harm to the liver.

Q: In your program, you talk about good dairy and bad dairy. Any tip you can provide before I buy any more dairy?

A: Dairy is one of the leading reasons most people can not lose weight or, worse yet, are constantly gaining weight. The shocking truth about dairy is that it is only healthy in its raw form. All of the pasteurized dairy in the supermarkets today are really keeping people fat and making them fatter. Besides the countless amount of research that has been done showing us how healthy raw dairy is, the proof is really in the thousands of people and children that are overweight or obese and drinking several glasses of pasteurized milk each day.

Q: Eating organic food is really expensive. Is it worth the extra cost or completely over rated? Will it really make a difference in building muscle faster and losing fat quicker?

A: The answer to this question takes us back to the function of the liver. The pesticides, antibiotics and hormones that are being added to most foods are clogging up our livers. Again, a clogged up liver can not burn fat. And worse yet, will continue to store fat. Yes, organic food may be a bit more expensive. But most of my clients notice their grocery bill is the same once they eliminate the expensive cereals and “so called” expensive diet foods they were eating before.

Q: Do you think fat burning pills are helpful in the weight loss process?

A: I think people really don’t realize the severe damage they are causing their bodies with fat burning pills. Whenever you attempt to artificially spark your metabolism with harmful pills, you are essentially creating a “lazy” metabolism. When you go off these pills, your metabolism is too lazy to do anything. Almost every person I know who has taken fat burning pills complains of gaining even more weight when they attempt to get off of them. Of course this happens. Their metabolism is now "on vacation" and not sure if it will ever come back as strong as it was before. The best way to spark your metabolism is to eat good amounts of healthy protein, fat and carbohydrates all day long. This is what your metabolism was designed to do: metabolize healthy food into energy and muscle for the body to utilize.

Q: Are there really certain foods that are toxic to our bodies? How do we know which foods to look for?

A: The amount of toxic chemicals that are now added to our foods is actually quite frightening. The same pesticides that are designed to kill bugs are all over conventional produce and these pesticides go into our bloodstream when we eat these sprayed fruits and vegetables. The 2 worst forms of chemicals are hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup. Hydrogenated oil is a toxic change in oil to make it more shelf stable, hence keeping foods like packaged cookies, cakes and most processed foods in the stores longer to make maximum profit by these companies. My program teaches people exactly which chemicals they must stay away from if they want to finally lose their excess weight (and often times, these chemicals are exactly what’s keeping them from achieving their desired goals).

Activities for Kids ~ Doll Dresses!

I remembered my childhood days when I made dresses for my dolls and wanted to make them for my daughter. It was some months ago that I thought that I should do. But Konda's vacation got over and another one has also come. Now I thought I should surely make else the vacations would go waste without me not teaching her anything.

I finally came around making them for her Barbie dolls. Since almost a week she has been asking me. Every evening when I get back home, the first thing she asks me is to make those dresses. And every time I tell her Saturday! So I thought I will be able to make only if I take off a day and when morning came, She was ready with the question.

I finally sat down making these. Gosh I really wondered how I managed to make so many all those years ago!

Konda was patiently sitting with me, watching me cutting and hand stitching these. I even gave her a piece and asked her to complete. I still have some frocks and shirt in mind.

I had another type in mind, but taking a needle after almost many years, I was struggling to get going. This took me some 3 hours of labour! I guess most experts would get this done in 10 minutes time. But well I was happy remembering all those years back when I had made similar dresses and I was happy I could make these again for my daughter.

As I thought about not letting our kids experimenting with scissors, i think if you explain and show them how one should handle, they will do fine. I have overcome the fear that she might hurt herself.

As far as activities for girls, there is nothing more interesting than playing with Dolls. Will have to see what to plan when it comes to my boys!

Infact I showed her how to get the needle going. Anyway long way to go for us to learn each other!

Gooseberry Rice ~ Usirikai Annam!

I have been wanting to post some good recipes that are healthy and recommended for people who suffer from diabetes mellitus, but never seem to come around them. So when we made this rice, I thought yes, this is the chance I was waiting for. I have even roped in my Dad to help me with the project of getting a good exposure and awareness on Diabetics and how one has to handle it. Will be out with the notes soon!

Meanwhile here's the first in the series of dishes that are suitable for people diabetic. This is a simple rice dish made with Gooseberry which is a rich source of vitamin C and mostly recommended to be consumed.

Ingredients needed:

Rice - 100 gms
Gooseberry - 1 big
Garlic - 4 pods
Green Chillies - 4
Turmeric a pinch
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

For Seasoning

Bengal Gram - 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urud Dal - 1/2 tsp
Ground Nuts - Hand full
Cashew Nuts - 5 - 10
Green Chillies - 1 slit
Curry Leaves a few

Method to prepare:

Soak rice for 10 mins and pressure cook it Once its done, transfer to a bowl and let it cool. The grains should be separate.

Meanwhile take Gooseberry, chillies, garlic and run it in a mixie to get coarse paste.

Heat oil, add all seasoning items, fry till they are light brown in colour. Add the gooseberry paste and Turmeric. Add salt and cook till the raw smell goes away.

Finally add the rice to the pan and mix well. Adjust the seasonings according to your taste.

Udhi Bonda ~ Urad Dal Bondas!

It all started when we had gone to Tirumala for Darshan along with both my sils families, for the twins tonsure function. The kids had a great time with so many of them and they even didn't bother much about us being with them. They simply went off with their uncles and aunts. During one such event, Peddu went off happily with his uncle to the shop and ended up eating Bonds. When hubby dear went in search of them, he saw Peddu, happily gobbling away bondas without qualms. Since then whenever he thinks of them, he says Booonda Boonda. Last night, when I was trying to make them sleep, he suddenly remembered those tasty bondas and wanted them right away. I somehow convinced him otherwise. He finally went off to sleep.

He infact kept saying boonda for a while.

This evening when I came home, I saw Athamma being very busy. On asking her, she said Peddu has been after her to make boondas. As she couldn't make anything right away, she had soaked some Urad dal as its very healthy. Finally we made the bondas and much to Peddu's merry, the boys enjoyed the bondas. They came out very tasty and simple to make.

Ingredients Needed:

Urad dal - 1 cup ( small cup)
Ginger garlic - 1/4 tsp
Green Chillies - 2 nos
Thick Curds - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

You can use coriander leaves, curry leaves as per taste. Use your judgment for the chili spice

Method to prepare:

Soak Urad dal for 30 mins, grind along with green chilies to a smooth paste without adding water.

Then mix in the ginger garlic paste, salt, thick curds and set it aside for 5 to 10 mins. You can add coriander leaves, chopped coconut pieces as per taste. But since this is for 2 year old kids, I didn't add anything.

Heat a kadai with oil enough to fit small bondas. Scoop spoonful of batter and gently drop into the hot oil. Cook on both sides and drain to kitchen towels.

Adjust the spice as these are small kids. But the kids simply loved these and they disappeared within minutes of making them!

Creamy 4 Cheese Macaroni

I have been hard pressed to get an American dish ready for the AWED event hosted by Dhivi. Since the time she announced, I have been looking for a suitable one that would fit my schedule. Because of the Recipe Marathon, I found it really tough to fit in another one to experiment. Then I came across this simple recipe from one the of the sites that Dhivi sent across. I really don't remember which one it was. But I noted the recipe down, I had to get most of the things but they were easy to find and some replaced with what I had. Peddu and Chinnu were keenly observing what I was doing. The moment the clicking was done, they came with plates to taste the macroni.

Though Chinnu didn't like it, Peddu liked and went on to complete the plate. Looks like both of them have different tastes. This does get done in minutes if you are doing it in Microwave. Yes I have an entry waiting for my event MEC themed on Cheese and hosted by Pavani this Month.


I am giving both the original recipe and what I have modified for reference.


Ingredients:

Flour - 1/3 cup
Milk - 2 2/3 cup
Low Fat 1%
Fontina cheese - 3/4 cup-
Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup
Cheddar cheese shredded - 1/2 cup
Processed American cheese -- 3 oz
Macaroni -- 6 c
Salt to taste
Melba toast -- onion flvr : crushed - 1/2 c (I used regular one)
Butter - 1 tablespoon

Method to prepare:

Take the Macroni in a bowl of water and micro for 5 mins or till its well cooked.

Place flour in microwave pan, add milk stirring until blended. Cook for 2 mins
Add cheeses, micro for 2 min or until cheese melts. remove from heat.

Stir in macaroni and salt. Spoon mixture into another mw pan and coated. Combine crushed toasts and butter in a small bowl; stir until well blended.

Sprinkle over macaroni bake 3 min. until bubbly.

I didnt' have Melba toaste, used little of the regular one. Velveeta cheese was advised, but I used regular one.

Sending this to Dhivi for her AWED American, not sure how original this recipe is, but my kid sure liked it.

Sending this to Pavani for MEC: Cheese, which is a Microwave Easy Cooking.

Interview with Isabel De Los Rios of The Diet Solution Program

I'm very pleased to talk to Isabel De Los Rios whose recent book, The Diet Solution Program, has not only been getting great reviews but great results for clients as well. A certified nutritionist and exercise specialist, Isabel De Los Rios is also owner of New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey. She not only teaches her clients the principles of natural weight loss with good nutrition and a healthy diet plan but inspires and motivates them to achieve their goals and live a life of health and vitality.

1. Isabel, I just finished your ebook, The Diet Solution Program, and get the sense of an interesting and diverse background. Can you tell a bit about yourself?

The Diet Solution Program is really a culmination of my search for answers to my own weight loss and health problems. I can remember going on my first 'diet' in the 7th grade. You name the diet and I tried it. Not until I found the true answers to weight loss and how to keep it off was I able to finally reach my own ideal weight and level of health that I enjoy today.

It was also my mother's and my grandmother's struggle with obesity and type 2 Diabetes that led me to research how blood sugar affects our ability to lose and gain fat. As I studied Diabetes more and more, I found that the same principles that could be used to control a diabetic's blood sugar were the same principles that all people needed to use to lose fat and keep it off. Once I figured this out, I was almost amazed at how easy the answer was the whole time and couldn't believe all of the past unhealthy plans I had attempted with no success.

2. How did you happen to get into the Nutrition industry? What were the deciding factors?

As I continued to work on my own health and weight struggles, I became fascinated by the human body. I was truly amazed by the discoveries I had made in regards to weight loss and blood sugar control and could not believe that this information wasn't main stream. Even worse, I could not believe that doctors and food companies were actually recommending the exact opposite of the information that I had discovered to be the only way to lose weight. This led me to be as passionate as I am now about communicating this exact information to the world.

3. It looks like the ebook is getting great reviews - what has been the response so far?

The response has been incredibly positive. People have been emailing me and telling me what an eye opening experience it has been for them. They also just couldn't believe how simple weight loss could really be with all the right tools and information on hand. After the first 2 weeks, people tell me they have lost weight that they have been struggling with for years.

4. What was your inspiration for The Diet Solution Program? Did you follow some other diet or fitness guru's before your own ideas developed?

Writing the Diet Solution Program was inspired by seeing hundreds of clients in my private nutrition practice in New Jersey. All of the nutrition principles that I would teach my clients was a combination of several books, classes and seminars that I had read or attended and grabbed the best principles taught in each. I knew there had to be a way to put all of this great information together in an easy to read, easy to follow program. Don't get me wrong. Actually putting the information together and laying it out in a way that would be easy to understand by all people was not an easy chore. But once it was complete, it really was a culmination of 15 years of research and study.

5. Getting into the diet and nutrition industry can have a ton of positive benefits - has there been a downside at all?

No, I wouldn't call it a downside. But I will say that I do encounter a lot of resistance to my not very mainstream ideas. I tell people "If you have been following the same nutrition and diet principles with no results, isn't it time to take a new approach?" When people see the kind of results my clients get, they realize that a new approach may be the only way they will successfully lose weight.

6. After reading The Diet Solution Program I discovered that I am a serious 'Protein Type' - what the main thing I should do to increase my energy?

The main thing is not to be afraid of eating healthy fat and healthy proteins. Everyone thinks chicken breasts and egg whites is the only way to lose weight but, especially for a protein type, that is not the case. Actually a protein type may gain weight by only eating low fat proteins and a low fat meal plan. Someone like you needs whole eggs, dark meat poultry, beef, and healthy fats.

7. What is your advice for someone just starting your Diet Solution? Can anyone do this?

Absolutely anyone can follow and succeed on The Diet Solution Program. My mother started following the program at 63 years old after a kidney transplant. In 6 months, she lost 40 lbs and has never been healthier or felt better in her life. Not only has she lost a significant amount of weight, but she has greatly reduced the number of medications she was previously taking. If she can do it, anyone can do it!

I would start by incorporating one principle at a time. People get very overwhelmed and think they need to completely overhaul their life all at once, but this is not true. My own nutrition changes took almost 3 years. Now you may incorporate these principles sooner than I did, but remember that getting to your health goals at a pace that is do-able for you is much better than not doing anything at all.

8. If there was one Diet Solution secret you could share with everyone what would it be?

Just one? Oh that's tough. I guess it would be to learn your metabolic type and follow an eating plan that is specific to that type. Without this information, you may actually be following a healthy eating plan but one that is not specific to your metabolic needs. If it's not what your body needs, you will not see the results you're after.

9. Any exciting new plans for the future?

Of course. We are now in the process of recording The Diet Solution Program as an audio program so that you can listen to the entire book in the car or on the go.

I am also in the process of putting together The Diet Solution for Children and The Diet Solution for Diabetes. Lots and lots of exciting projects in the works.


Thanks so much, Isabel, for sharing your inspirational success story! You can pick up a copy of Isabel's ebook at: The Diet Solution Program - Start Eating and Start Living

Healthy Sprouted Moong dal Pulao!

The other day I was chatting with my old friend, who now lives in UK. As he is living on his own, I was very interested to know what he eats. I was really impressed when he said he is cooking for himself and not the simple ones, mind you! He said he makes Sambar, Mutton curry, Biryani and lot more. He even sets his own curds for curd rice. He said living in a different country on his own, he finds ample time to spend on cooking, when eating out, everyday is not the good option. I was totally taken in and even invited him to do a guest post for Bachelor's corner, which he said he will.

So when bachelors are able to cook up such elaborate dishes, this simple and healthy sprout moong dal pulao, would be a chore! All you need is to get the moongs sprout and if they are available ready made, you can just include in the rice and get a pulao for yourself. This one pot meal is very simple and gets done fast. I strongly recommend this, when you are in a hurry to fix a quick dinner but still want it to be healthy! Check out How to Sprout, for sprouting process!

Check out How to Sprout, for sprouting process!

Ingredients Needed:

Moong Sprouts - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1 cup
Onions - 1 medium
Green Chilies -3
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Garlic pods - 2 small
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1"
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Lemon juice -1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Wash and soak rice for 10 mins.

Heat a cooker, sauté chopped Garlic, clove, cinnamon, cumin seeds. Fry for a min, then sauté onions till they are brown Then add the ginger garlic paste, green chilies and sauté well.

Wash the sprouts and add to the pan, fry in sim for 2 mins, add the drained rice. Mix.everything well. Add 3 cups of water, salt and cover and cook for 3 whistles.

This takes about 15 - 20 mins to get done. Serve with Buttermilk raitha.

Sending this to Vegan ventures, hosted by Suganya!

Sada Muruku ~ Savory Crunchies for Kids!

Getting the right snack for Konda becomes tough most of the days. What with her specific interest, I am also breaking my head wondering what to send as snacks. Most times, I pack some wrappers, sometimes corn puffs. At times, we get sweets that she likes. But when you buy sweets, you got to ensure you complete them on time. So she will be forced to carry them for two days. By then she gets bored.

Then I make some snacks with bread. Most times I feel I am out of ideas. That's when these home made crunches, save. I made Sev, mostly they get completed the same time. Other options care Salt diamonds, or sugar diamonds as I call. Since I have never actually attempted at making a full fledged murukus, these were done with hope that I will venture into it.

To make these more healthy, we used sajja or pearl millet flour. These came out so delicious and kids simply loved. The bowl that was made was almost completed the same day.

Ingredients Needed:
Sada pindi - 1 cup
Rice pindi - 2 tsp
Jeera seeds
Awain
Salt to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying
Method to prepare:
Take all the ingredients in a wide vessel, using warm water, knead to a stiff dough.

Have the kadai with oil on stove. Divide the dough into big balls. Press the dough into the Muruku press, over the hot oil. Cook on both sides.

Drain on a kitchen towel.

How to cope with Sibling Rivalry!

I always wonder how our parents coped with more than one child! For that matter, the previous generation appeared to have had a cake walk, with many kids at home. Of course, it won't have been so, but that's a feeling I have, that they had an easy way out. Even my amma says we never gave so much trouble as the kids these days do. Like yesterday, my elder twin wanted to play with one ball, same time both my daughter and the younger wanted the same ball. What resulted was, who would win the fight. All of them ended up crying because the other won't give up. Normally when one cries, the other feel bad and come to console and give the plaything. But at times, they simply are adamant and won't share.

What happened to the concept of sharing among the siblings? How is it at your home?

Though we always think we should get the kids share the toys with their siblings, the fight that ensues, when all of them want the same toy, is something you can't really manage. This resulted in us getting one for each of them. Now I know this is not constructive in teaching the kids to learn to share. But most times, I am happy to note, atleast one of the twins, go soft when they see the other one crying. So there is some hope. At times when they are not willing to share, we then have to praise that he is very good boy, only then they mellow down. Only after such cajoling and sweet talking, he is ready to share his toy.

I am happy that we don't find so much of Sibling Rivalry among our kids. Though it does come out at times like this.

Since all of us are busy with our daily work and school, this gets displayed during the hours we spend at home. We try to manage, by spending quality time with each one. With my twins, more than me, they are more eager to spend time with their father. When he gets home, both of them want him to spend time only with individual, so I have to intervene and distract one of them, so that he can spend some time with both separately. Then we try to make them be together. Of course, this takes time.

Do you find this sibling rivalry common among your kids? When there is only one kid, he/she is bound to have Single child behaviors. But I find when there are siblings to company, they are not willing to share. How do we go beyond this? It will be interesting to get your views

Isabel’s Calorie FAQs

Q. Is calorie a bad word?

A. No, it’s not bad—just misunderstood! Most people who use the word calorie simply don’t know what it means. Also, in my experience, most people to go pale at the mere mention of the word. Based on those facts alone, I would eliminate calorie from the English vocabulary if I could.

Q. Why is calorie such a misunderstood word?

A. The American public has been told, time and time again, that people who consume more calories than their bodies burn will gain weight. As I explain in The Diet Solution: Start Eating and Start Living, this statement is only partially true. All calories are not created equal; calories consumed from healthy foods and unhealthy foods are quite different.

Q. What exactly is a calorie, then?

A. According to Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (11th edition), a calorie is “a unit equivalent to the large calorie expressing heat-producing or energy-producing value in food when oxidized in the body.” In plain English, a calorie is a unit of energy released from the food you eat to power the body.

Q. How are calories “burned”?

A. The body needs energy from food—calories—to perform many functions, the most obvious of which are physical activity and exercise. However, the body also requires energy to function at the most basic level: to breathe, digest food, and maintain organs and systems.

Q. How many calories should I eat each day?

A. The short answer is “enough.” The calories you consume must provide enough energy for your body to perform all necessary functions and activities—and bring about optimum health. The long answer is that the number of calories needed varies from person to person and depends on weight, foods consumed, sleep, stress and activity levels, age, and a long list of other factors that affect metabolism. In The Diet Solution: Start Eating and Start Living, I provide a calorie equation to help you estimate, according to these factors, how many calories you should consume to lose weight or maintain weight. It also includes charts to help you choose the right sources of those calories to support your efforts.

Q. Is it possible to eat too few calories?

A. Believe it or not, yes! The most serious problem with low-calorie diets is that although they may bring about weight loss, they also can cause serious health problems. One common side effect of low-calorie diets is muscle breakdown, which can occur when the body doesn’t consume enough calories from protein. Especially vulnerable is the heart, a muscular organ. If a person does not consume an adequate amount of calories each day, the heart muscle begins to break down, possibly leading to serious cardiac conditions (e.g., cardiac atrophy).

Q. What are the consequences of following low-calorie diets off and on over time?

A. Low-calorie diets typically do not supply enough energy to keep organs and systems healthy. In effect, they can lead to malnourishment. For clients who have repeatedly followed such diets, I recommend high-calorie meal plans that will provide their organs with adequate fuel to repair themselves and regain healthy function. Most of my clients are surprised, at first, to see how much food they can consume on a healthy weight-loss diet—not to mention the high level of health that they can achieve.

Q. Hey, wait—didn’t you say that you don’t like the word calorie? Then why does the Diet Solution Program suggest calculating calorie requirements?

A. In the Diet Solution Program, calorie calculation is simply a means to an end. You use the ideal number of calories that results from the equation to determine the correct number of servings of each food type for each meal. That’s it—from that point on, you can forget about counting calories!

Q. If I don’t count calories, then how will I control my eating habits?

A. Use the Allowable Servings Guide in The Diet Solution: Start Eating and Start Living to plan meals. However, over time, you will learn how to meet your body’s nutritional needs without referring to the servings guide. Humans are born with the ability to “know” when the body has received enough nourishment and when it needs more. My professional experience indicates that, unfortunately, most yo-yo dieters and other people who have battled weight problems don’t know how to “listen” to the body’s cues in response to the foods and portions they consume. The good news is that this ability can be (re)learned.

Q. What do you mean by “listen” to my body?

A. The Diet Solution Program is a lifestyle shift that teaches you how to determine the best foods and portions for your metabolic type. Even after just days on the plan, you will learn to pay attention to how you feel after eating. For many people, this experience of “listening” to the body will be new. However, by letting your body be your guide, you will learn how to eat your way to optimum health.

Q. Can I really expect to maintain a healthy weight without counting calories or referring to servings guides or other charts?

A. Yes! It’s how I live my life now, and you, too, can learn to recognize when your body is adequately nourished. After many years of dieting, I reawakened my body’s innate ability to tell me when I’ve had enough food and when I need more by following the same plan I present in the Diet Solution Program. Every day is different; some days I require more food and others less, depending on my levels of exercise, stress, and even hormones. But I don’t need to count calories to know whether I’ve had enough; my body tells me, and I know how to listen. Whatever you do, don’t be lured into the trap of forever counting calories, because that approach is not sustainable—or healthy—in the long term.

Learn “The Top 5 Essential Truths You Must Know Before You Go on Any Diet Ever Again” from Isabel De Los Rios at thedietsolutionprogram.com. Isabel is a nutrition, exercise and lifestyle coach who has helped hundreds of people lose their unwanted weight and take complete control of their health. She is the author of The Diet Solution Program, a complete and comprehensive nutrition program that is helping people all over the world finally reach their ideal weight. For more information on The Diet Solution Program and how it can help to change your life, visit thedietsolutionprogram.com.

Simple Veggie Sandwich!

I am sure there are many takers for Sandwiches. Especially those that take very less time to get fixed. These were in matter of 10 mins, where the major time was spent on sautéing the veggies. This makes it a perfect breakfast, with added advantage of vegetables in it. Of course, I couldn't imagine my daughter would've wanted to eat, so I didn't' make for her. But this was a quick fix for hubby dear, when he was in a hurry to leave. So I thought this makes it a perfect one to made by Bachelors. When I think of sandwiches, I can't but think of the many options, one has to choose.

If you have ever lived in Madras and gone around the city, I am sure you would be familiar with the famous Sandwich shops in Egmore. Those are just road side stalls, where the innovative chef, cooks up hundreds of sandwiches for his ardent customers. Those stalls are famous by its clientèle. If you happen to visit by evening, you will find huge crowd, waiting patiently for their order to be made. I was really surprised by the many varieties they had to offer. The customers, mostly college students, stand in tons, chatting, laughing, and spending hours without a care but venting their hunger with sandwich or two. And how hygiene it is, you can see for yourself, unlike in other places. He does it right in front of you and you can customize your orders too.

So when I was making this, I was only thinking of those yummy sandwiches that get done and devoured in tons!

Ingredients Needed:

Beans and Carrot - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 small
Onion - 1 small
Ginger garlic paste -1 /2 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chili - 1
Salt to taste
Ghee for roasting


Method to prepare:

Par boil the vegetables. Saute the onion till pink along with chillies and ginger garlic paste, then add the tomatoes. Saute till it gets mushy.

Then add the cooked vegetables. Chili powder and salt. This takes about 5 -7 min.

Roast the bread slices over pan, stuff the filling and press firmly.

Serve with ketchup!

This serves as a quick breakfast fix!

Vazhakai Bajji ~ Banana Fritters!

Banana Bajjis are always a hit. These are made in tons in the beach side stalls and invite many customers. When you visit the beach, you can miss the stalls having all the sliced banana, ready to be dipped into the batter and deep fried for the eager customers. You can actually get to quite a few to choose from. The bajji chilis, Onions, Potatoes and of course, the bananas are the different vegetables, all ready to be fried on customer's demand.

Though I have not actually tasted the ones made there, they sure tempt you so much. Amma always used to make these, when she makes the onion bajjis. This is so common in Madras, that I was quite surprised when my Sil said they never made these. So I made these for her, when I visited them. It gets done so fast that it doesn't require much preparation.

Just the dish for Bachelors, who can get this done on their own.

Ingredients Needed:

Plantain / Banana - 1
Gram Flour / Besan - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Ajwain / Carom seeds -1/2 tsp (opt)
Oil for deep frying

Ready made Bajji mix is also available in stores, you can just buy those and get this done in a jiffy!

Method to prepare:

Trim the ends, peel the outer skin. You can either cut these into long strips or circles. Once done, soak them in water, to prevent it from turning black.

Mix the batter in a bowl. Heat a Kadai with Oil, once its hot, take a banana piece, shake well to drain the water, dip in the besan and gently drop into the hot oil.

Cook on both sides and once it turns golden colour, remove to a kitchen towel.

Serve with Coconut Chutney!

Maida Biscuits ~ Deepavali Sweets!

I wish my readers a Very happy Deepavali!

I know Deepavali holds special moments for every kid. And I remember my childhood with vivid clearness. Its almost like just yesterday! And every season, Amma would plan for something new sweet or snacks along with the favorite old ones. These maida biscuits are something she did one season. And then we completely forgot about it. This time round, my Athamma was telling me of this biscuit and I was wondering remembering it from somewhere. This is normally done with eggs but since we make it for pooja, we replace it with ripe banana. And those ripe bananas were just what Athamma wanted to make these for Konda. There were done in jiffy and were a great hit with the kids. All three of them were taken in by the shape and the taste of these.

The heart and the car molds are Konda's playthings, which we thought would serve us better. The kids have a thing about eating snacks presented in lovable forms. Best thing about these biscuits are that they are easy to make and not consume lot of oil. The whole sugar adds a different taste as you get to munch on them.

Ingredients Needed:

Maida / All purpose flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour / Atta - 3 tbsp
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Sesame - 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying

Method to prepare:

Shift the flours in a bowl. Mix in sugar, sesame seeds and grated coconut. Slowly add the water to knead a stiff dough.

The roll it out in 1" thickness as chapati. Press the shape over it, until you complete the dough.


Heat oil for deep frying. Gently drop in to deep fry these. Turn on both sides and cook on sim.

Remove to a kitchen towel. Store in an air tight container.

These snacks are on the way to the following events!

Sunday Snacks: Fry it hosted by SnackoRama.
Yummy Festival Feasts hosted by Pallavi.
Festive Food: Diwali hosted by Priti
and JFI: Festival Treats hosted by myself!

Testimonials for The Diet Solution Program

"I always considered myself to be in decent shape, working out 5 days a week, but still had some weight I wanted to lose. This program really opened my eyes to the mistakes I was making in my eating and the results were amazing! I only really needed to lose 10 lbs but the most amazing part was the 10.5 total inches I lost from my waist, hips and thighs. Even better, I saw quick results and finally 'learned' how to eat. I never felt unsatisfied or hungry on the program. I am so grateful my best friend forwarded me Isabel’s website! Thanks Isabel! I am so happy I decided to do this program." - Ms. Tani Brown

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"Not only did I lose weight on the Diet Solution Program, I gained an incredible amount of energy. I love the changes I see in my body and, of course, love the reactions I get from my friends and family when they see me. No other weight loss plan has given my body more definition and curves, losing weight from all the right places. These meal plans were so realistic for me and easy for me to follow. Thank you Isabel for giving me the tools to feel so great!" - Mrs. Sandra Bunting

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"Isabel's Diet Solution Program is the first nutrition program that I've found that I actually agree with 100%. Most 'diet' authors are misinformed about certain aspects of nutrition, but in my opinion Isabel is one of the most knowledgeable in this field, which is so heavily crowded with conflicting information and gimmicks or fads....If you care about your health (and your loved ones) and about getting a lean fit body for life, this program is an absolute must read. But don't just read it... take action!" - Mike Geary, Author of The Truth About Abs

Isabel De Los Rios' weight loss guide, The Diet Solution Program, is a healthy diet plan for anyone!

Channa 65 ~ Chole 65!

This was such a delicious snack and you know what Konda was insisting she does it. Yeah Athamma and she happened to come across this recipe and ever since then, she has been after Athamma to make these for her. Finally after a long time, they managed to get doing these.

Konda wanted to mix and deep fry these herself. As I have said, I get scared letting her near the stove. But she was asking for it so long, that I thought she will take care of standing at a safe position. When we have the Kadai ready with oil, she stood few yards away and stretched out to drop the channa into the oil. And asked if the distance was fine. Anyway finally everything was fried.

But before that Peddu and Chinnu saw these and they also wanted it. So after an episode of trying to keep them away, these got done.
They make an excellent evening snacks for Kids and since its protein rich, you shouldn't bother about deep frying!

Ingredients Needed

Channa / Chickpea - 1 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 tsp
Garlic pods - 2
Chili powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Maida / All purpose flour - 1 tsp
Besan / Gram Flour - 1 tsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Ajino Motto - a pinch
Oil for frying


Method to prepare:

Pressure cook Channa till its cooked. But ensure its not soggy. Drain and take them in a bowl.

Mix all the other ingredients to the channa. Make sure you loosen the outer skin of garlic, less it might burst when you drop it in hot oil.

Heat a kadai with oil. Once its hot, gently drop the masala channa intot he hot oil and cook in sim, till its done.

Drain them to a kitchen towel.

Makes it an excellent evening snack for Kids.

Sending this to Sra, who is hosting Fourth Helping of Susan's My Legume Love Affair.

Exclusive Interview with Isabel De Los Rios of The Diet Solution Program

I'm very pleased to talk to Isabel De Los Rios whose recent book, The Diet Solution Program, has not only been getting great reviews but great results for clients as well. A certified nutritionist and exercise specialist, Isabel De Los Rios is also owner of New Body – Center for Fitness and Nutrition in New Jersey. She not only teaches her clients the principles of natural weight loss with good nutrition and a healthy diet plan but inspires and motivates them to achieve their goals and live a life of health and vitality.

1. Isabel, I just finished your ebook, The Diet Solution Program, and get the sense of an interesting and diverse background. Can you tell a bit about yourself?

The Diet Solution Program is really a culmination of my search for answers to my own weight loss and health problems. I can remember going on my first 'diet' in the 7th grade. You name the diet and I tried it. Not until I found the true answers to weight loss and how to keep it off was I able to finally reach my own ideal weight and level of health that I enjoy today.

It was also my mother's and my grandmother's struggle with obesity and type 2 Diabetes that led me to research how blood sugar affects our ability to lose and gain fat. As I studied Diabetes more and more, I found that the same principles that could be used to control a diabetic's blood sugar were the same principles that all people needed to use to lose fat and keep it off. Once I figured this out, I was almost amazed at how easy the answer was the whole time and couldn't believe all of the past unhealthy plans I had attempted with no success.

2. How did you happen to get into the Nutrition industry? What were the deciding factors?

As I continued to work on my own health and weight struggles, I became fascinated by the human body. I was truly amazed by the discoveries I had made in regards to weight loss and blood sugar control and could not believe that this information wasn't main stream. Even worse, I could not believe that doctors and food companies were actually recommending the exact opposite of the information that I had discovered to be the only way to lose weight. This led me to be as passionate as I am now about communicating this exact information to the world.

3. It looks like the ebook is getting great reviews - what has been the response so far?

The response has been incredibly positive. People have been emailing me and telling me what an eye opening experience it has been for them. They also just couldn't believe how simple weight loss could really be with all the right tools and information on hand. After the first 2 weeks, people tell me they have lost weight that they have been struggling with for years.

4. What was your inspiration for The Diet Solution Program? Did you follow some other diet or fitness guru's before your own ideas developed?

Writing the Diet Solution Program was inspired by seeing hundreds of clients in my private nutrition practice in New Jersey. All of the nutrition principles that I would teach my clients was a combination of several books, classes and seminars that I had read or attended and grabbed the best principles taught in each. I knew there had to be a way to put all of this great information together in an easy to read, easy to follow program. Don't get me wrong. Actually putting the information together and laying it out in a way that would be easy to understand by all people was not an easy chore. But once it was complete, it really was a culmination of 15 years of research and study.

5. Getting into the diet and nutrition industry can have a ton of positive benefits - has there been a downside at all?

No, I wouldn't call it a downside. But I will say that I do encounter a lot of resistance to my not very mainstream ideas. I tell people "If you have been following the same nutrition and diet principles with no results, isn't it time to take a new approach?" When people see the kind of results my clients get, they realize that a new approach may be the only way they will successfully lose weight.

6. After reading The Diet Solution Program I discovered that I am a serious 'Protein Type' - what the main thing I should do to increase my energy?

The main thing is not to be afraid of eating healthy fat and healthy proteins. Everyone thinks chicken breasts and egg whites is the only way to lose weight but, especially for a protein type, that is not the case. Actually a protein type may gain weight by only eating low fat proteins and a low fat meal plan. Someone like you needs whole eggs, dark meat poultry, beef, and healthy fats.

7. What is your advice for someone just starting your Diet Solution? Can anyone do this?

Absolutely anyone can follow and succeed on The Diet Solution Program. My mother started following the program at 63 years old after a kidney transplant. In 6 months, she lost 40 lbs and has never been healthier or felt better in her life. Not only has she lost a significant amount of weight, but she has greatly reduced the number of medications she was previously taking. If she can do it, anyone can do it!

I would start by incorporating one principle at a time. People get very overwhelmed and think they need to completely overhaul their life all at once, but this is not true. My own nutrition changes took almost 3 years. Now you may incorporate these principles sooner than I did, but remember that getting to your health goals at a pace that is do-able for you is much better than not doing anything at all.

8. If there was one Diet Solution secret you could share with everyone what would it be?

Just one? Oh that's tough. I guess it would be to learn your metabolic type and follow an eating plan that is specific to that type. Without this information, you may actually be following a healthy eating plan but one that is not specific to your metabolic needs. If it's not what your body needs, you will not see the results you're after.

9. Any exciting new plans for the future?

Of course. We are now in the process of recording The Diet Solution Program as an audio program so that you can listen to the entire book in the car or on the go.

I am also in the process of putting together The Diet Solution for Children and The Diet Solution for Diabetes. Lots and lots of exciting projects in the works.


Thanks so much, Isabel, for sharing your inspirational success story! You can pick up a copy of Isabel's ebook at: The Diet Solution - Start Eating and Start Living

Potato Cumin Bread Roll!

The Ninjas decided that they are going to bake something on account of the World Bread day. And this Ninja not being in a position to bake nor do anything else, could only come up with this teenage fantasy, that gets done in a jiffy. This was something I used to make so very often and completely forgot about it, until faced with a challenge!

Its very simple to make and its a kid's delight. Well as I kid I loved it. Beauty of it was, I used to make it myself with sweet and spicy versions. I can still remember the jam that used to go into it most often. I used to roll out and then freeze and then roast! Wow, I was able to bring back those lovely memories by making it again. And I should thank my fellow ninjas for initiating this.


Ingredients Needed

Potatoes - 2 medium
Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili flakes/ Chili powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Bread Slices - 4
Ghee for roasting

Method to prepare:

Boil Potatoes till tender. Peel the skin and allow to cool.

Then add cumin powder and chili flakes/ chili powder, Salt and mix well.

Trim the sides of the bread and roll it out flat using the rolling pin. You will get a thick, thin slice.

Place the potato filling on one side and roll it tightly towards the other side. Apply some water to the fag end that you are going to cover and stick together.

This is ready to be roasted but if you want, you can freeze it for 5 mins or so. I used to freeze the sweeter versions but not the potato filled ones.

These are ready in flat 5 mins. Then heat a pan with ghee and roast this till crisp on both sides.

This is my simplest way of appreciating the goodness of bread to mankind! But this is something that works magic on kids and very simple to be made by Bachelors too.

But be sure to check out the awesome creations that my fellow ninjas are going to dish out!

Lakshmi, Divya Vikram, Anu, Raaga, Dhivi, Siri, Ranji, Bhags and Swati are sure going to charm you with their creations!

Since this will be a great party food, sending this to WYF:PArty Food hosted by EC

Getting Kids interest with attractive Cutleries!

Getting kids to eat is always a challenge. Be it a toddler or a kindergartner, they invariably fuss over eating. Most kids get used to being fed and it becomes a habit that they don't want to overcome. Many times, it so becomes that they don't know how to eat using their hands. Especially when it comes to eating rice, kids don't know how to take even gather the morsel, for a feed. You will find them picking around and tossing the grains here and there.
With the daughter, its been the same. Its important when you introduce them to eating their own food. This should actually start quite early. We saw the vast difference in the eating habits between kids, who are fed and kids who are given their plates to themselves. I was feeding my daughter until she was almost 5 years. Only now she has started eating on her own. Still she eats with disinterest. On the other hand, my SIL started giving the plate to my niece, when she was 11 months old. It used to be either chapati or rice. She used to spill most things down, but you should be ready for it. They will be messy, but if you think you are going to help them, well you are wrong. They only tend to think, that they will get help all the time.

Result, my niece is a better eater now than my daughter. She eats fast, and with more interest. Not that she isn't fed at times, of course, being a kid that want or need to be taken care, will always be with them.
So of the best things that has worked with me, is to get attractive plates and bowls for the kids. Konda for sure gets excited, seeing these new plates and her interest in eating food stays for a while. The point is, you shouldn't use the same plate everyday. Its got to change according to mood and content. Of course, you can't spend too much on these things, as the plates may not be used frequently. And there is always the space constraint.
These attractive plates were what we got for Konda and the twins.

Eat more and Do Less Cardio to Lose that Unwanted Weight - Part 2

Continued from Part 1...

3. Rory ate a lot of food all day long. Rory couldn't believe his meal plan when I laid it out for him. He was going to be eating more than he was currently eating and couldn't believe this was actually going to help him lose weight. The biggest difference would be what foods he would be choosing. Every meal was comprised of a healthy protein, carbohydrate and good fat. Lots of eggs (whole organic eggs, not whites), poultry, meat, fruits, whole grains, vegetables, olive oil, and raw nuts and nut butters. In order for his body to burn fat, it had to believe it wasn't starving and the only way to do that was to feed it well.

So what can you do to achieve the same great results?

Incorporate both a good strength training routine and interval cardio routine to your workout regimen. Don't just do one all the time. Your body needs muscle to keep your metabolism high, and it also needs cardio to keep your heart strong, so find a good balance between the two.
Incorporate a strength training routine that focuses on whole body movements. No sitting on machines, please. Unless you are rehabilitating an injury, you want to keep your body moving the whole time. What do you think burns more calories, a squat with a shoulder press combination or sitting on a leg press? Just try to squat and raise your arms overhead a few times and you'll see how quickly your heart rate goes up. Keep your body moving through the whole workout and you'll be sweating just as much as during your cardio.

Eat consistently throughout the day. We've all heard it before: Eat five meals a day to lose weight. Well, guess what? It works, as long as those meals incorporate healthy food. Eat a protein with each meal. That is the biggest mistake I see. People are not feeding their muscles with enough protein. Remember, you want to keep your metabolism cranking all day and the best way to do that is to feed your body and to keep your muscle mass high.
Hopefully, this will help you to reduce those countless hours on the treadmill and stop starving yourself to lose a few pounds. I don't know about you but if eating all day and doing less cardio is going to keep me at a healthy weight and in shape, I say AMEN to that!

Learn "The Top 5 Essential Truths You Must Know Before You Go on Any Diet Ever Again" from Isabel De Los Rios at The Diet Solution Program. Isabel is a nutrition, exercise and lifestyle coach who has helped hundreds of people lose their unwanted weight and take complete control of their health. She is the author of The Diet Solution Program, a complete and comprehensive nutrition program that is helping people all over the world finally reach their ideal weight. For more information on The Diet Solution Program and how it can help to change your life, visit thedietsolutionprogram.com.

Eat more and Do Less Cardio to Lose that Unwanted Weight - Part 1

Is the above statement too good to be true? That's what Rory DeLuca thought. The 42 year old New Jersey resident, husband and busy father of 3 couldn't believe what I was telling him when he came to see me in January 2006. Like most people, after the holidays, Rory was frustrated with his increased weight and was even more frustrated that his previous "weight loss" efforts were not providing any results. He told me he was trying to eat less and run 4 miles every day, but every time he tried to stick to that routine, his back would hurt because of the running and he would end up starving at the end of the day. You can imagine his surprise when I told him that he would have to eat a lot more and do less cardio to achieve the results he was looking for.

Now, 3 months later, Rory has lost a total of 30 pounds and 9 inches off his body. Hi back no longer hurts and he is not starving. He eats tons of food all day and exercises less than an hour 5 days a week. So what is the secret to his success? Three very important weight loss principles that we can all incorporate.

1. Rory started strength training 3x's a week. The key here is Rory was doing the right kind of strength training for his weight loss goal. He was not going from one machine to the next, doing 3 sets of 10 reps on each one. His strength training routine incorporated exercises that used his whole body so his heart rate was up the whole time. Try doing 3 exercises, back to back, using only free weights, stability balls and your own body weight, and you'll see how quickly your heart rate goes up. No sitting on a bench and chit chatting in this workout. We keep the intensity high the whole time and the workout is complete in 45 minutes.

Incorporating strength training and reducing the amount of aerobic cardiovascular training was integral to his success. The ONLY tissue in the body that burns fat is Muscle. So the more muscle you have in your body, the more fat you're burning at any given time during the day. The amount of muscle you have in your body also greatly affects your metabolism. So someone with more muscle mass will have a higher metabolism (This is why most men can eat a lot more than women). For example, one pound of muscle in your body requires approximately 50 calories per day. So if I had two people, both weighing 150lbs, but one was comprised of 100lbs of muscle while the other was comprised of 120lbs of muscle, the one with the more muscle mass is burning more calories all day long. That means that this person can eat more during the day and still maintain their weight and will also have an easier time losing weight. Aerobic training does burn calories while you're doing it, but it does not do anything to increase the amount of muscle in your body, thus it does not help you to continue to burn calories when you're done

2. Rory only did aerobic cardiovascular exercise using interval training. This concept could encompass a whole article unto itself, but basically, your body becomes accustomed to anything that you expose it to for long periods of time. Aerobic cardiovascular exercise makes your body more efficient at burning fat. But that's exactly what you don't want (If your car was more efficient at burning gas, you'd use less of it). Same with your body. If your body becomes efficient at burning fat, you burn less of it for the same amount of work. So instead of burning 200 calories for your 2 mile run, you may burn 150 calories for the same distance in 2 months. So you'll have to increase the distance and continue to do this, just to burn the same 200 calories. This can eventually turn into running for an hour just to burn the same number of calories! I don't know about you, but this is exactly what I don't want to do.

Interval training refers to a series of intense activity separated with short rest periods. You want to make sure that you are constantly changing the intensity of your cardio workout during the whole workout, alternating from high intensity to low intensity. So a typical workout on an elliptical machine would be 5 min warmup, 1 minute at a high intensity (level 9or 10), then 2 minutes at a lower intensity (level 3 or 4). You would repeat this 3 minute round 3 or 4 times, gradually increasing the intensities once you feel like it's getting easy. Cool down for 5 minutes, and that is a total of 19-22 minutes of cardio, not 1 hour! Keep your body guessing the whole time and it will not become accustomed to the same cardio workout.

Stay tuned for Part 2

Guava – The wonder fruit for Diabetics and Dieting!

Fruits are always great to eat. Especially if they grow right off your garden. Living in a city, having a garden with lots of fruit trees are such luxury! I remember those days, back in those smaller towns having these lovely guava trees, banana and mangoes, including many other delicious fruit bearing trees.

When it comes to fruits, guava undoubtedly tops in taste if you get the right one! It is especially recommended for people who are on diet or for diabetics.

Guava controls diabetes and it is good for constipation. Guavas are high in vitamin A and vitamin C and contain high amounts of dietary fiber. This fruit is a reasonably good source of potassium, which can assist in regulating blood pressure.

Scientists in India have come to the conclusion that guavas consumed with the skin can actually raise blood sugar levels almost immediately. For people suffering from diabetes, it is best to peel off the skin.

Nutritional value:

This is a relatively inexpensive fruit and is a rich source of vitamin C. It has maximum amount of vitamin C compared to other fruit except Indian gooseberry. It contains four to ten times more vitamin C than do some citrus fruits. The vitamin C is an antioxidant helping to neutralise potentially harmful free radicals. 100 gms of country variety of guava provides 212 mg of vitamin C where as hill variety have only 15 mg of vitamin C per 100 gm. The guava contains very little vitamin A or carotene but it is fairly rich in most other mineral elements. Even though country variety have small amount of carotene (pro vitamin A) it is of alpha type (poor variety).

Country and hill varieties of guava give 51 kcal and 38 kcal of energy per 100 gms. The relative less content of calories in guava makes it suitable for diabetes and weight reducing programmes.

Gauva is the only fruit that can be had by Diabetic patient on daily basis.

Source: Nutritional values taken from Internet.

Simple and Quick Potato Sandwiches!

Sunday breakfast was different from the usual this weekend. Every Sunday, its always Poori that adores the table along with different gravies. But since we had an outing planned and hubby dear insisting on not eating pooris, I thought given the time and scope, Sandwiches were the best bet. I was reminded of the many varieties, that I used to make for myself, during my early years of cooking. I have always been very fond of bread and experimented with different varieties. But hubby dear was not so keen bread in the early years, as its tagged as a food to eat during illness. Only the last decade, has seen a great change in approach, to many towards bread.

Now hubby dear prefers bread for most days and on top whole wheat loafs. We discovered a bakery near our house, from which we get our bread fresh from oven. Given my distance with baking these days, getting freshly baked loafs are a boon! So having decided on sandwich, I remembered Mint stuffing that I used to love, then I knew I may not be able to convince Konda to eat this. These days she has been such a darling, eating most things when I tell her that I am saying she eats without fuss in the blog. So resorted to that tagline, she even said she wanted to see where I mention that!

Since there was a time constraint, I pressure cooked potatoes before leaving. We went for a temple visit and we really enjoyed seeing the kids being so religious. Three of them were having their hands folded and ready to prostrate in front of every deity. We planned for a picnic at the temple place for the twins as we thought they will eat fast in a new place. So I was running around them, to feed. Finally after they finished their breakfast, we returned home. As expected the rest of the folks were hungry the moment we reached. So fixing their sandwich was a matter of minutes job.

Konda really enjoyed eating and was trilled at the crispy sandwiches. I made these in sandwich maker, but I normally make it over the pan, which comes out equally crispy.

Preparation time : 15 mins

Ingredients Needed:

Potatoes - 3 medium
Bread Slices - 12
Onions - 2 medium
Green Chillies - 2 long
Mint leaves - 4 -5
Salt to taste
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp (opt)
Oil - 1 tsp
Ghee - for greasing the bread slices.

Method to prepare:

Pressure Cook Potatoes to tender. Cool and peel the skin. If you have potato masher, use it to mash it to a smooth paste. You can use your hands to mash if its well cooked.

Heat a pan with oil. Sauté the onions, finely chopped green chillies. Fry till the onions are pink. Then add the mint leaves and fry for another 2 mins.

Then add the cooked mashed potatoes, salt and garam masala if you are using.

Simmer for 2 mins. Allow it to cool.

Meanwhile, if you don't like the sides of the slices, trim them

Then top a slice with the aloo stuffing, spread well. Then press another slice over it. Grease both sides with ghee and roast either on hot tawa or in a sandwich maker.

Serve with Tomato ketchup.

Note: Remove the chilies from the stuffing for the sandwiches that you are serving your child.

The mint adds a nice zing to the sandwich. Enjoy with choice of your likings.

These are very quick and ingredients needed are not much. So another simple recipe for the Bachelors and a tasty breakfast for kids.

Mixed Vegetable Curry ~ A Bachelor's Guest Post!

When I wanted to start Spice your Life, I only wanted to concentrate on Parenting and Kids. But I was getting so many requests for Bachelor's recipes, I thought I might be able to cover it in this blog. Now what's more interesting and encouraging than getting a post from a bachelor, who is going to showcase the dishes he prepared on his own.

Sanjay Keswani is from UK and is Alka's brother in law. Now what more proof do I need to know, that recipes from Sanjay would be awesome. Alka's blog is a great resource on Sindhi cuisine and her pictures are breathtakingly beautiful. I am not kidding you can check it out yourself. So I jumped the gun when she said her BIL cooks.

Ok I don't want to crowd his post, lets go straight to see what's been simmering in our bachelor's kitchen! I have not modified anything.

Mixed Vegetable Curry - By Sanjay Keswani

Ingredients:

Onions 3
Tomatoes 2
Green chillies 2 or more
2 or more cups of chopped Mixed vegetables like cauliflower,potatoes,sweetcorn,peas,carrots etc)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tspn
Coriander powder 1 1/2 tspn
cumin powder 1/4 tspn
Garam masala powder 1/2 tspn
Kitchen king masala(optional) just a pinch
Oil 1 tbspn(or less if cooking in nonstick pan)
Salt as per taste

Method:

Peel and chop onions finely(A daunting task)
Take 1 tbspn oil in a nonstick pan or handi
Sauté onions in this oil till they turn brownish in colour
Add tomatoes and all dry masalas and fry well
Add small chunks of potato,mix properly and then add water
Add salt ,mix properly and let it cook for sometime till potatoes are half done
Then add all other vegetables(The frozen pack of mix vegetables available in UK is very handy and also get cooked fast,but you can use fresh vegetables cleaned and chopped,and saute them for few seconds before adding them to curry)
Let the vegetables cook,on minimum flame and adjust consistency of curry as per your requirements
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Rotis or Pita bread or even bread.

All bachelors out there, do try this as its sure Sanjay enjoyed his meal.