NUTRITION DURING PREGNANCY

One of the most important determinants of the baby's health and development, is the mother's diet. Regulation and attention to the diet should begin before pregnancy. It is essential that you be at an optimal weight - neither under nor over weight - before you become pregnant. You should also have no Vitamin or mineral deficiencies prior to pregnancy.

Once pregnant you need to eat a well balanced diet.

• Have a lot of cereals and legumes
• Nuts, dried fruits
• Spinach and other leafy vegetables
• Milk and dairy products
• fruits and fruit juices.
• Use healthy cooking oils like sunflower oil.
• Ask your doctor about iron, calcium, Vitamin B+D+ Zinc supplements.

1. If you are a vegetarian eat much more of the above. If you are a non-vegetarian include regular sources of egg, chicken or meat in your diet. Stay away from seafood - it could cause botulism.
2. If you are unable to take in milk try having milk in other forms like paneer, curd, custard, shrikhand, fruit yoghurt
3. Try to incorporate Soya into your regular diet. Soya is a rich source of iron and also has a high protein value. Soya is available in a lot of forms - soya milk, nutri-nuggets, tofu, soya rawa, soya flour, etc. These are easily available at health stores. Otherwise the simplest way incorporate soya into your diet is to grind nutri-nuggets into a powder and mix it into the wheat flour so whenever you eat chappatis or paranthas you are automatically taking in soya.
4. Eat sprouted dal raw. On cooking they tend to lose some of their nutritive value. You can have them in salads or can add them to raita (beaten curd).

Spinach with Cottage Cheese - (Serves 4) Cooking time - 11 min

Ingrediants:

1. 150 gm spinach
2. 1 ¾ cups milk
3. 3 tbsp flour (maida)
4. ¾ tsp freshly ground pepper
5. 200 gm paneer (cut into ½" cubes)
6. ¾ -1 tsp salt, or to taste

Method:

1.Wash spinach leaves discarding the stems.
2.Chop and wash again. Drain water.
3.Micro high spinach covered for 5 minutes.
4.In a bowl, mix milk and flour well with a beater, so that there are no lumps.
5.Add to the spinach. Micro high for 3 minutes. Stir once in between.
6.Add paneer, salt and pepper.
7.Micro high covered for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot

Soya - Palak Puri (Serves 4)

Ingerdiants:

1. 1 cup wheat flour
2. ¼ cup soya powder made by grinding nutrinuggets
3. 1 tbsp semolina (suji)
4. 1 cup spinach (chopped)
5. ½ tsp salt

Method:

1.Put the palak leaves with ¼ cup water to boil. Boil for 2 minutes. Cool.
2.Blend in a mixer to a puree.
3.Mix all ingredients with the palak puree and make a dough, without adding water. Keep covered for 10 -15 minutes.
4.Heat oil in a kadhai. Make small puries and fry in oil. Serve with tomato ketchup.

Cooking Tips

Microwave Tips:

Even cooking:

1. For cut vegetables make sure pieces are of equal size for equal cooking.
2. If you are cooking an assortment of vegetables, arrange large or tougher vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, broccoli etc.) toward the outside of the plate and small or tender ones (peas, mushrooms, capsicum etc.) in the center so they finish cooking at the same time.
3. Never pile food one on top of the other. In a microwave food always cooks evenly when spaced apart.
4. Turning is necessary to ensure even distribution of microwaves through the food. Especially food such as meat, large potatoes and cauliflower need to be turned over during cooking.
5. Round dishes give more even cooking results than squares or rectangles.
6. Ring shaped dishes are infact the best for cooking foods which cannot be stirred during microwave cooking. Improvise a ring shaped bowl by placing a small round bowl in the center of a large round dish.
7. An omelet is best cooked at 50% (medium). If cooked at 100% (high) the edges may be done before the center and become leathery by the time the whole omelet is done.

Home Remedies

Stomach troubles:

• Dry roast one teaspoon each of Cummins seeds and caraway seeds (ajwain) in a pan. Add one cup water and boil till it is reduced to half. Strain and add sugar to taste. Drink one teaspoon for relief from acidity and indigestion.
• Curd is an excellent antacid. Few spoons will do the trick.
• Drink cold milk to fight acidity and avoid coffee.
• Mix caraway seeds (ajwain) and salt in equal proportions. Have a little bit of this mixture whenever the acidity pain starts.
• For acidity, after meals, drink a glass of water with a piece of jaggery dissolved in it.
• For relief from stomachache accompanied by diarrhea, swallow ¼ tsp. fenugreek seeds with a glass of warm water three times a day.

• Colic

1. For immediate relief in a spoon cook a little asafoetida (hing) in water till the mixture becomes slightly transparent. When cool apply the hing paste on and around the navel of the baby, gently massaging the area.
2. Heat a little asafoetida (hing) in a spoon till it is warm to the touch. Take off the fire and mix with a little milk. Give this mixture to the baby.
3. A drink of saunf (aniseed) water for the breast-feeding mother helps reduce colic in the baby. Make this drink by mixing 1 ½ tsp aniseed in 1 kg of water. Simmer for 10 minutes. Cool and strain. Drink this instead of water throughout your breastfeeding period

Pencil Pot

This pencil pot would make a wonderful gift for your friend. It is quick and easy enough for Kids to make. Have fun with this easy craft and make everyone notice your pencils by dressing it up.

Materials:

• Empty cardboard tube or any type of plastic container
• Thin Cardboard
• Patterned paper of your choice
• Glue
• 2 or 3 Pencils

Method:

Measure the height and circumference of the pot. Cut out pieces from the pattern paper in the same measurement, the height should be slightly larger. You could use wallpaper, wrapping paper or marbled paper. Roll the paper in the shape of a cylinder with the front side inside. Apply glue on the back side of the pattern cylinder. Carefully slot into the inside of the pot, pressing it around the inside walls of the pot. Cut darts on the excess paper at the top and glue them down to the outside one by one. Take the other piece of pattern paper and stick it to the outside so that the edge is level with the top of the pot. Once again cut the darts into the excess length at the bottom and glue them onto the base.

Now trace the base of the pot on the thin cardboard and cut out a circle slightly smaller. Glue on patterned paper on both sides of this circle and drop it inside the pot as base. Cut out another circle from the pattern paper and glue it on the outside base. Now your pencil pot is ready for use.

To make the matching pencils cut out a strip of the patterned paper. Apply glue on the back side and place the pencil at one edge and roll tightly and carefully. Trim the paper where necessary. Your lovely pencil pot is ready.

Stained Glass

Stained Glass is a pleasurable art and craft. It is a hobby for many, and an art for the few. Stained glass is often used in the making of windows and lampshades, but is also useful for boxes, clocks, cabinet doors, picture frames and other 3-dimensional projects.
Welcome to this new instructional website - it is a work in progress.Enjoy the step by step video and photo instructions.
This site is dedicated to providing abundantly illustrated instructions on a variety of techniques. Illustrations will include both original color photographs and short videoclips that are easily downloaded.

Ants Bees and Centipedes Bites

Apply an ice pack wrapped in a damp cloth to relieve the pain and keep it in place for ten minutes only. Re-apply the compress for ten minutes in every hour or as necessary for pain relief.

• Seek medical advice if the pain is severe or if it continues for more than 12 hours.

Quotes

Quotes

Success is like your own shadow.
If you try to catch it you will never succeed....
Ignore it and walk in your own way!
It will follow you!

Milk Khoya

Ingrediants:
1. Buffalo's milk - 2 litres
2. Sugar - 1/2 cup

Method:
1. Heat milk in a heavy broad kadai. Stir constantly, after it starts boiling. (This prevents cream forming on top of milk)
2. as it is reduced scrape the sides also well with ladle and cook in steady medium flame.
3. Add 1 tsb of fresh white butter, to prevent milk coming on top while boiling.
4. When it is reduced completely and becomes thick, switch off the stove.
5. Add sugar and mix well to dissolve when it is still warm.
6. Keep it in the same vessel for 1/2 an hour, and then transfer it to another vessel.

Decorations:
1. Prepare koa as above. Sprinkle sliced pista nuts and decorate with silver wraq.
2. Divide koa mixture into two parts. Grease the plate with little ghee and pour one part on the plate and pat well on top. To another part add mixture (crushed well and dissolved in milk) and rub well till koa becomes gloden yellow colour. Pat this on the white koa. Decorate with silver warq. Cut into pieces and serve.