Celebrating 3 years with Kid's Delight Party Event!

I like to do most things in my best known customary ways. Like doing something always in a similar pattern. Like forgetting to remember that this sweet little blog of mine turned 3 years few weeks back, then celebrating the occasion with the Kid's Delight event.

I still remember the morning when I was checking out my Cooking 4 all Seasons FB page, that also had Chinnu's picture. Peddu climbed up my lap, he was hardly 2 then, and asked where his picture was. I was taken aback realizing I never actually thought about it. That's when the idea to start a new blog came to mind. I expanded with it and wanted to select a blog name that can reflect the many things I want to share in this space. While the other site name and the Chinnu's picture, were accidental, I made sure I clicked a similar one of Peddu and I did. The first time I created and added his picture, his joy was ecstatic.

I celebrated the first anniversary with a new event that celebrated food for Kids. I know it's good and great if your kid can eat the food you make for the rest of the family, but that hardly ever happens right. Even at my home, most times if one kid eats something, the other two say no and the only one dish/ingredient all three say YES is for anything Chocolate! But one can't live on just chocolates right.

Thus came into existence the Kid's Delight, an event featuring all Kid Friendly Recipes. Since its inception, I have been hosting the event in this space, earlier this year I requested my blogger friends to guest host for me and it's been great interacting with them, brainstorming for ideas and thoughts that will make the little ones get happy.

I have been always happy with the way each of the dish that I had made for the kids was received. Even if one of them liked it, it was enough for me. Another twist in this event was the fact that, the entry you send need not just be for your kid, or other little ones in your family, neighborhood etc, it can also be something that you enjoyed as a kid yourself. There, doesn't that make it more exciting?

Coming to the event now, on the occasion of Spice your Life! completing 3 years, I invite you all to join me in celebrating with a Kid's party. When it's a kid's party, it naturally needs to be themed, including the food. I know kids love chats, pizzas, chocolates and ice creams. But a party needs to have other entries too, to make it complete.

So make something that will be fitting a party mood, approved by a kid, who is willing to eat at a party.

Guidelines for the event:

From now until Oct 15th, you are welcome to join me for the celebration with a party for the kids.

The entries have to be Vegetarian. (Eggs are allowed only in baked dishes)

Multiple entries are accepted.

I am not accepting entries from archive as I want us to think new ideas..:) But then if you have something that's very important like a list of items for a party etc, let me know.

Finally link back to the event's Announcement page or this page. If you can use the logo, it will be great.

Send me an email with the post details to spicingyourlife@gmail.com, with following details

Subject: Kid's delight Party

Name

Recipe Name

Post URL

Picture

Remember to send by Oct 15th!

I hope you will join me and make this grand.

I leave you with some ideas for themed dishes:

Chat Recipes 

Chocolate Feast

Crunchy Snacks

Healthy Snacks for Kids 

Paneer Recipes 

Restaurant Recreations 

and for a general idea on what kids like you can check Kid Friendly Recipes 

Appam ~ 101 Dosa Varieties and Announcing Kid's Delight next theme

I love Appams, it was no wonder that I jumped in when Amma said she has another version of doing it. Making Appam has an added advantage as my kids love Appams along with Tomato Kurma. This version of Appam was the breakfast for Sunday and kids jumped with joy!

Coming to the Kid's Delight event, I am happy to announce that Priya Mahadevan is hosting the next edition of Kid's Delight, themed on an a very interesting one named as No Egg/No Butter, Ghee/No Sugar . Do check in her page and send her your creations.

Please check out the Round of Restaurant Recreations hosted by Champa.

Ingredients Needed:

Raw Rice - 2 cups
Coconut Milk - 1 cup
Coconut Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tsp (opt)
Salt to taste
Cooking Soda - a pinch

Method to prepare:

Fermenting the Coconut Water

We normally add sugar to the coconut water for mild sweetness to the appams. You can avoid this if you want. This is done along the same time you soak your rice, about 4 -5 hrs.

Grinding the batter

Soak the rice for 4 -5 hrs and grind to smooth batter in a grinder.
To the batter add fresh Coconut milk to the batter.
Let it ferment overnight.

Just before making the appams, add soda.

Sending this to Priya for Kid's Delight, themed on No Egg/No Butter, Ghee/No Sugar .

Announcing Kid's Delight - Restaurant Recreation to be guest hosted!

Yes you read it right! I was most lucky in finding another blogger who is as interested in trying to find out dishes that our kids would eat without qualms!

Champa, who writes so well on baking basics has graciously accepted to guest host this event on her Blog

When I asked my blogging marathon friends on what they can suggest, Champa came out with this wonderful idea of creating Food that Kids love to eat at the Restaurant. Well it can be anything basically and not just from a restaurant. Like your kid might love a bread from a baker and you can attempt to recreate that at home and your kid didn't even know you made it. I know it's cheating but with picky eaters we got to be innovative.

So here's a chance for you to recreate all those dishes that your kids love eating out. You end up making it all so healthy right, so hurry up!

Event guidelines.

Linking back to my main Kid's Delight Announcement page and Champa's announcement page is mandatory

The entries will have to be Vegetarian, eggs allowed in baking.
But I would love to see some eggless baking as you know.

Please check out the rules if you have any doubt.

Send in your entries to versatilekitchen@gmail.com by 15th March 2011.

Another major attraction would be getting volunteers to try out the entries submitted for the event. We have a group of volunteers who are willing to to try out some of the recipes that come in as an entry to this event. The volunteers can choose their entry and we will also choose something that our kid will want to try. So we are done, we will post the blog with a mention of the source. So, your creation will be appreciated more than once.

So if you like this idea, come join us!

Announcing Kid's Delight - Street Food

After a delicious treat with Chocolates, I thought Kids would love another dose of tempting Street Food, this time all made at home. I know how much my daughter loves Pani Puri or when I got her to make Bhel Puri at home with me.There are so many other Street Food that comes in many forms and varieties.

Of course there are the other Chat dishes that catch the little one's fancy. Imagine their pleasure when we make it at home and give them a treat!

Indian Street Food are anything and everything that get offered right off the streets offered from the portable stalls. For more details on what all fall into this, read about the Indian Street Food.

Please check out the rules and send in your entries either through the entry form or through email to spicingyourlife@gmail.com by 15th February 2011.

I hope you will enjoy taking a walk down the lane with your wonderful dishes!

Looking forward to your entries.

The Chocolate Round up will be up soon. Thank you again for all those yummy entries.

Check out my Blogging Marathon buddies in action! Priya Suresh, Jay, Gayathri, Monika, PJ, Priya Vaasu, Azeema, Reva, Ayeesha, Veena, Usha & Soumya.

Announcing Kid's Delight - Chocolate Feast!

I thought I would just go ahead announce the next theme for the Kid's Delight before I work on the round up. I know we just had the Holiday Special as the theme. But since the holidays just started and it being the the festival seasons, I decided if the theme is based on chocolate it be just too great.  So it is going to be a Chocolate Feast!

To tell you the truth though, since I ended up making some chocolate dishes for the kids, I realized that this theme will be very apt as kids love chocolate in any form.

Please check out the rules and send in your entries either through the entry form or through email to spicingyourlife@gmail.com by 15th January 2011.

So it can be anything in chocolate!

Looking forward to your entries.

Carrot Paratha | Quick Lunch Box for Kids | Announcing Kid's Delight - Holiday Special!

Carrot Paratha was something that Amma had made for Konda during my SFO trip. I had asked Konda to decide on a menu for her lunch during my absence so that lunch packing gets easy and stress free for Athamma or Amma, whoever was planning to make.

When I came back both of them were telling me of this carrot paratha that Amma had made for Konda's lunch. It came during discussion one too many times. Still I never came around making it. Finally today though it was a Saturday they were working because of Children's Day celebration. So I had to plan for both snacks and lunch.

Boys also had their sports day celebrations. Chinnu won first place in running race, while Peddu was part of the Relay team. Apart from these Chinnu was in the Bunny March. We were so upset that we couldn't send Peddu for the March as he is still weak. But we all went  for  the program. Both the boys were given their medals, which they wore through the whole day.

So in all that hurry, I managed to make these Carrot Paratha for Konda's lunch. Amma told me that the grated carrots have to be sauteed before mixing in the flour.

Let's see how these are made!

 Grate the carrots, heat a pan with 1 tsp oil, saute cumin seeds, carrot, coriander leaves

Saute few minutes along with Salt to taste, Chilli powder and garam masala

 Mix the masala to the flour

 Knead into a soft dough using little water as required.

 Dust well and roll out into a big paratha. Cut out using mould you have into small parathas.

Heat a pan, grease with oil. Cook these on both sides.

Cook as many as your kids eats, allow to get cool if the lunch is going to be cold one.

Pack it right away..This stays very good till evening, I haven't tried beyond that. You don't require a side dish along with this if you are serving to kids.

Ingredients Needed:

Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Water for kneading

For Masala

Carrots, grated - 1 long
Coriander leaves handful
Salt to taste
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Method to prepare:

Grate the carrots, chop the coriander leaves.

Heat a pan with 1 tsp oil, add the cumin seeds. Then add the grated carrots, coriander leaves along with chili powder, salt and garam masala.

Saute for few minutes until the carrots are slightly gets cooked.

In a wide bowl, take the flour, add salt and the masala. Mix well.

Slowly add the water to knead into a soft dough.


Dust with flour and roll out into a big paratha. Cut out into small parathas.

Heat a tawa, grease with oil. Cook the parathas on both sides.

Pack the parathas for the kid's lunch.

*******************************************************************
I know the Kid's Delight Finger Food Round up is still pending but somehow things just went on. Will be doing it next week. Meanwhile, please send in this month's theme entries.


Announcing this month's Kid's Delight theme is which Holiday Special

Please check out the rules and send in your entries either through the entry form or through email to spicingyourlife@gmail.com by 15th December 2010.


By Holiday Special it means you can send in any special dish that you may prepare for your children for the Holidays! It is all your innovation in play

Looking forward to your entries.

Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Finger Food

Having done with the round up of the previous edition I was seriously thinking what could be best as the next edition. While discussing it with Priya whose cute daughter comes to mind whenever I remember our meeting few months ago, she suggested I could do Finger Food. Well with toddlers around Finger Food is surely most essential to cover.

Refer Wiki for more ideas on what Finger Food covers

Check out some more ideas 

The above is just a guidance. You can trust your creativity for more ideas I am sure.

So here is what you got to do.

Prepare a dish that will be a finger food.

Post on your blog from now till October 15th, 2010.

Once done, you can fill in your details in the form below for the event (if you face problem please mail me, I will address it) If you really can't send it across, mail it to spicingyourlife@gmail.com

Link back to this announcement and add the logo so that we spread the news on the event.

The dish prepared should have been accepted by your own kid, kid from your family or friends. Or even something that you loved eating as a kid. (Because the idea is to tell my kids that another kid loved this, there by making them eat it, thank you!)

The last date for the entries is 15th October 2010. You can send in as many entries you can. Older entries are welcome too if you link back this event.

Other ideas and suggestions are most welcome. I am hoping you will help me get better ideas!

Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Wholesome Breakfast!

It's been on my mind for a while but I was just procrastinating. It's the same story everyday, last year it was different this year it is a different fancy. I am talking about Konda's fancy to what she wants to eat for her breakfast and lunch. I feel so guilty if I pack the same food for lunch too. But she insists so and I am so short of ideas basically if you ask me.

Last year she was fond of dosas and would only want that for all meals. Even if I refuse to pack that, she would insist she wants only that. That too with ketchup of all dips. This year the fancy has turned to breads. For a while she was fine with jams, then it was the cheese, then it was bread pizza, finally landed on simple ghee toasted slices or with cheese spreads. Whatever might the spread be, it was only bread. She even asked me why I won't send her bread for lunch. I said I consider bread slices to be something of a light filling, two slices of bread would hardly mean wholesome meal for a growing kid. She wants to differ on that.

She even cajoled me to pack her some maggi. Till now I have never budged on that. I don't mind feeding Maggi for breakfast, served hot. But never for a cold meal. Occasionally I pack her those pasta treats, hoping it will be little better. But I know better, it's just that kids love these but we can never agree on. She is fine with eating Idli but it is only with one side dish she likes. Same goes for Dosa, she likes to eat only with Carrot Kurma or few specific Kurmas that I make with Dosas. Now I can't be making only these on every other day right. She dislikes Upma, Ponga or any of those heavy stuffs, so there is no way I can sneak these into her lunch box.

Same goes for their snacks too. The other day I was talking to Kamala, when she expressed how she wishes I come back with another series on the Kids special event. She said she was finding it hard to get ideas for her kids too. Many of you had expressed the same thought. So naturally I decided why not make this a monthly event, were we all can pool in and discuss which worked and which didn't . And of course share the recipe on the blog for all to benefit from it.

Kids I have seen are more receptive to dishes served beautifully and in a different way. It works out even more when they make it themselves. I was shocked and surprised when Konda spread the most perfect paper dosa last night. I was just not ready to accept that she can handle a ladle or a hot pan! I never allow her into the kitchen for this fear. And she always keep complaining that I never allow her to do any cooking. Finally I realized she can make beautiful dosas, it was simply beyond me. She was more receptive when I said she got to eat one of what I make too.

Well I say that right now my most pressing task is to prepare something that my 8 yr old daughter eats. Most of what my daughter eats or what I make for my kids are already posted. I am part of an online group which shares the most interesting and useful information. Some of what I am going to share here are ideas from that group, I have forever wanted to try few of those dishes listed, though most are what I already prepare, at least the Indian varieties.

Below are basically some ideas that came to mind. Indian Dishes are what I would normally prepare.

Indian Dishes
Rice Roti with Veggies
Dosa - Regular, Rava, Adai, Moong dal, Wheat, Ragi, Oats, Cheese
Appam
Parathas with different vegetable stuffing with mild masala
Cracked wheat/Bulgar upma
Idiyappam
Idli - Rava or regular
Poha
Pongal
Poori
Puffed rice upma (uggani)
Puttu
Mini Idly / Mini Dosa with/without Vegetables
Fruits with yogurt


Western Dishes
Bagel and cheese
Bread pizza
Bread with cheese spread
Bread with table butter and cucumber
French Toast with maple syrup
Frozen pancakes/homemade ones
Oats with milk and fruit
Peanut butter jelly sandwich
Egg - Scrambled, Boiled, Omelette
Cheese toast
Macroni, pasta
Mini muffins
Mini Pancakes

The ones in italics refer to what I make. I will be most happy getting tried and tested recipes for the rest.
New ideas other than what is listed here can also be sent for the event. I have listed only what came to my mind!


Coming to the event part, this event aims to be different! How different you ask? Here's how it is.

1. First, you can share something that your kid eats and I will try it out and feature them here.
2. Second you can post something that you know is a kid's favorite and I will do a round up by the last date.

Ok for this month, the theme is going to be Wholesome Breakfast dishes. And you are most welcome to share your ideas.I have already listed the items that I already prepare/know. So I will be looking for ideas from all of you. If you find something missing here you can share the recipe in the comment section. I will prepare those and feed my kids. You can also prepare those and post in your blog for the event.

End of the month, I will feature all the dishes that I prepared and were accepted by kids, plus the entries you send in. Of course these will be again tried by me.

I can see that this may be confusing, if so please ask. I know I can end up being confusing at times!

Guidelines for the event:

Leave in the comment section, new ideas for me to prepare during the month.

Else prepare some dish fitting to the theme and post on your blog from now till the event closing date (15th of every month).

Once done, you can fill in your details in the form below for the event (if you face problem please mail me, I will address it)

Link back to this announcement and add the logo so that we spread the news on the event.

The dish prepared should have been accepted by your own kid, kid from your family or friends. Or even something that you loved eating as a kid. (Because the idea is to tell my kids that another kid loved this, there by making them eat it, thank you!)

The last date for the entries is 15th Feb 2010. You can send in as many entries you can.

Other ideas and suggestions are most welcome. I am hoping you will help me get better ideas!

First Blog Anniversary with Kids Delight!

I really had this wish for a long time. The wish that I forget my own birthday. It hardly ever happened. But how could I forget my blog's birthday? Jeez that's really bad, especially one that I take so much time to create, its almost like I have nourished with so much care. And here I am, completely forgetting that its been a year since I started this space.

Everybody had this doubt on why I wanted to created another space. Why not talk about everything in there, but somehow I can only think about cooking and few related topics in my cooking 4 all seasons blog. I wanted to have a space where I could discuss parenting, about Kids and their activities and lot more. Unlike other time, I seriously thought through for the name and finally decided Spice your life meant everything for me. Be it Parenting, Health, Traditional Indian Cooking, or whatever, they get down to influence your life.

So on occasion of this Blog anniversary, I thought it's only apt that I celebrate this albeit being late, by having an event to run around the theme that's always on top of my mind.

This event is going to celebrate Kids and their likes. Kids run my life, quite literally, they colour our life in different hues. And what's more special than doing something for them, by them and celebrating it.

Photo Credits: MS Clip Art Library

So with that I announce Kids Delight, an event to focus on Kids.

By that I mean:

Dishes that are liked and eaten by Kids. The age limit is no bar, the kids can be yours, your niece/nephew or even neighbor's. It can be any course of meal.

Art work done by Kids/ Done for kids. Like Dolls, paper or otherwise. Meaning practically anything that a kid does and enjoys. I hope you get the draft. This can be online or hand done, everything basically.

Entries can be multiple and should be sent to spicingyourlife@gmail.com. Please note the email and send to this account. Should reach me by 15th Oct 2009.

Please link back to this announcement and send me a mail with the following details

Subject: Kids Delight

Your Name
Link URL
Picture.

And yes you can use the logo created for the event!

Hoping you will all join me in this celebration!