News Flash 27.7.13

• Made “ Delicate Korma with Cashews and Apricots”   and “ Black Eye Peas with Coconut from AnjumAnand’s Vegetarian book. The curries turned out excellent and was not that difficult to make. A little bit of planning was required and that’s all
• Aayush and Nishka have been enrolled with Everyone Active Swimming lessons now and go to Tuedays 3:30 and Sundays 1:30 respectively.
• Currently reading “ Dead Simple” by Peter James from the Reading Club at Hornchurch Library. It is more than a year now since I joined and I look forward to those First Tuesdays or Thursdays when we meet. It has been a good experience as I have read quite a good collection and very different from each other. 
•   Have been actively using the Goodreads app on my phone. Kept a list of books which I have read in the past one year. Also love the fact that you can be in touch with your friends that what are they reading and add it to your list.
•  Aayush will be joining Nelmes Primary School in September this year. He has finished his time in Georgie Porgy Preschool and loved it. I am looking forward for Nishka to start her time in school as well.
• We have been to one of the Open Days at Nelmes Primary and bought Aayush’s school uniform. Still have to buy shoes and trousers for his session to start on 23^rd Sep 2013.
• Jayeeta  andSudeep with their daughters came over for lunch. I made Daal Maharani ( recipe taken from Ribbons to Pasta Blog ) , Paneer with Spring Onions ( Nita Mehta Paneer recipes ) , Korma with Cashews and Apricots ( AnjumAnand Vegetarian Book ) , Peas Pulao ( One Hot Stove Food blog) and all this served with Garlic and Coriander Naan and BoondiRaita.
• Aayush had his Graduation Ceremony at Georgie Porgy Preschool on 19^th July 2013. He was a very popular boy in his school and was called a” Superstar”. At first we assumed he has not understood the event but since he is back from the party he keeps looking at his card and the teachers photo printed on it. Surprisingly he knows all the names of the teachers.
•  Weather in London is too good to be true.. We are having a heatwave which last happened in 2006. Windows are open all day at home and have 2 pedestal fans which are on throughout the day. Temperature is touching 30 on most days.
•   Refreshing to eat strawberries / cherries / and drinking “Rasna” in these summer days.
•  Have booked Aayush to Fit For Sport classes for some days. The sessions are from 9:30 to 1:00 in the morning and he has to take packed lunch and some snacks with him. 
•  Nishka is getting naughtier by day. Her vocabulary of words is also multiplying by every passing minute. The words she says most of the time is “ mummy/ mumma , papa, kaka, bye, babu, daddu, dadi.Whenever Nishka says bye she gives flying kiss to the person and says “mum” for water and “dudu” for when she needs milk.
• Both brother and sister just love each other to bits and do all sorts of antics with each other. It is a pleasure to watch them grow almost together. Aayush is a very caring brother and does not like when somebody scolds Nishka. He will be the first person to come and defend Nishka even though the fault was of her.
• It is birthday month in my family. Both my nephew and niece celebrated their 4^th and 10^th birthdays this week. Kids had their parties in respective party places with their friends and adults gorged on home cooked pooris / chole and pulao and pizzas.
• There were some adult birthdays as well which were celebrated in London Darbar. Guests from Canada as well family in London gathered for the celebrations.
• Ashish off to Chennai again and will be back exactly on his birthday. It has been a year since he has been going to India for work. I think the novelty has worn off now.
•   I have enrolled Aayush to Summer Reading Challenge organised in our Library. He has to finish 6 books in total at the end of which he gets a certificate and a medal.
• Also planning to enrol him in Drama Classes locally..taking him to first trial class tomorrow. Let’s see how it goes.
  
  
  

Where and What i have been reading

I came across this post about bloggers sharing their local libraries and also what they are currently reading. I thought this would be interesting as i am also a part of a book club for the past few months and thanks to that     i have been able to read some good literature.The picture below is of my local library " Hornchurch Library". It is a shame that i have not been able to utilise my library as much as i should have.

The books i have read so far :-

• The Help by Kathryn Stockett
• Difficult Daughters by Manju Kapoor
• Home by Manju Kapoor
• Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer.

Hoping to read The To Do List by Mike Gayle,Married Women by Manju Kapoor and A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni.

Things in my Freezer

I came across this post where everybody was sharing what is there in their freezer. I have done a post long time ago about what's in my fridge. And since i have been out of blogging for a very long time,this post is a good starting point.I have 4 drawers in my freezer.I have a very few basic staples in my freezer which are constant and hardly change. In my first drawer i have 3 frozen Margherita Pizzas and 2 Tortilla wraps.We generally buy Margherita pizzas and then customise it by adding toppings of our choice.Second drawer consist of Frozen chips, Petit Peas and Mixed vegetables. Peas is something which we use quite a lot in Indian cooking.Third drawer consist of Haldiram's Cocktail Samosas, Meltz Rasgullas and Seriously Nutty Pistachio and Chocolate Icecream.Fourth drawer contains ice cube trays.

News Bites

• Organised a lavish lunch for our friends from Wolverhampton. Made Daal Makhani,Baked Matar Paneer,Mix Vegetable Bhopali Syle,Moong Daal Pakoris ,Imli Vaale Aloo,Paneer with Spring Onions,Gobhi Masala, Mix veg Rice and Raita.
• Made a trip to Great Yarmouth - the seaside town over the Easter Weekend.Had lunch in " Prezzo" at Beccles.
• Books read - " The Happiness Project " by Gretchen Rubin, " The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society"
• Joined my local gym at the Hornchurch Sports Center.Attended Group exercise classes like Total Toning,Body Jive, Body Balance and Body Step. Also attended the Personal Training Session from a Personal Trainer for 35 mts.
• Aayush starts attending Georgie Porgy Preschool three days a week. He goes Monday afternoons and Thursday and Friday mornings. This alongside going to Creative Kids nursery Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
• Joined a local Reading Group at my Hornchurch Library.Atttended the first session but not the second one due to childcare issues.
• Nishka has completed all three of her Vaccinations and now atleast she is free for the next 8 months. Her next injections are due after her 1st Bday.
• Movies watched - "Life Express ","Dirty Picture ",Guzarish","Perfect Match","Everything Must Go " and "Ek Main Aur Ek Tu".

Birth Notes - second time

My due date was Xmas Day - 25th Dec 2011.From the very beginning of my second pregnancy i was not sure whether i wanted to have a natural birth due to my traumatic first pregnancy.However i knew that having a C-Sec does not mean that things are going to be straightforward as it is a major abdominal surgery and there can be various complications in having get that done. I was assigned a Consultant ( S Chakarvarti) and i saw her after every few weeks. When i met her for the first time she referred me to a Counsellor as she felt that i am carrying a lot of excess baggage from my first experience and i need to get that out from my system.
I saw my Counsellor ( June Mitchell) throughout my pregnancy and that did made things a bit calmer for me. I was getting prepared mentally for a natural birth as my Consultant also believed that having a C-Sec will be more unsafe as i will have high chances of blood loss.

However as time approched i realised that i do want to go for C-sec as i felt that i will be in more control of things as compared to last time.

So on 8th Dec 2011 i met my consultant and requested for a C-sec and she referred me to a Senior Consultant - Dr Richard Howard. I was not sure whether i will be granted one as NHS does not support elective C-sec. But Dr Howard was quite understanding and he mentioned that it is quite natural for me to feel scared because of my last experience and he is happy to perform the surgery himself. So the date was decided and i was told i will have my surgery done on 19th Dec 2011.

On 19th morning i reached the Postnatal ward in the Green Zone of Queens Hospital.I was seen around 8 and was asked to change to Hospital clothes and get ready for surgery at 9 am.But after some time we were told that there are few emergencies and there is no bed left at the Recovery Room therefore either my surgery will be delayed or postponed to another day.

We were sent to a Postnatal room and we stayed there till 12:30 pm.All this time i was quite sure that my surgery will be postponed and we might have to come next day.

Then one of the doctors came at 12:15 pm and told me that they are ready to perform the operation and i should be heading towards the Ops Theatre. My process started at 12:30. There were approximately 10 people in the room and each one of them were doing their assigned jobs. I was given spinal block and also Anti Infection Antibiotic.The atmosphere was quite overwhelming for me in the beginning and within seconds of injecting the spinal block i could not feel any sensation from the waist down below.

After few minutes Ashish was allowed into the theatre and that helped me to calm my nerves but i was feeling very dizzy and disoriented. I mentioned this to the doctor and he did something on the machine and suddenly i was not feeling dizzy anymore. Me and Ashish decided about the name right there on the operating table. At 12:59 pm our daughter was brought into this world. She was handed over to Ashish while my rest of the process was finished. At exactly 1:30 pm i was out of the Ops Theater and shifted to Recovery room.

Introducing Nishka

Two Already!!

Aayush turned two and we can see noticeable changes in his behaviour.He is more responsive and playful but also cranky and sometimes stubborn as well. He loves to play with pots and pans and is extremely passionate about cars and trucks. He loves to sit behind the steering wheel and manouver it.He does say few words and his vocabulary includes"mom";"papa";"cooking";"bus".He can make us understand whatever he wants and can easily explain us with his hand gestures or expressions.He loves to play with small pebbles and collects them and hides them in the storage section of his truck. I wish i could turn back the closck and make him baby again when he could come in my lap and used to feed and sleep again.!!!

Little Things

• Finished reading "My Feudal Lord" by Tehmina Durrani and currently reading " Eat Prey Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert.


• Cooked an elaborate lunch for friends - made Dum Aloo Banarasi , Gobhi Kasoori , Paneer Makhani , Hyderabadi Subz Korma , Oriental Stir Fry and Angoori Raita with Parathas and Naan.


• Aayush started his swimming lessons every Saturday morning at our local leisure center.


• Bought various cookbooks by Tarla Dalal and Nita Mehta on my trip to India.


• Watched " Music & Lyrics " and " Serendipity " on recorded televison. Currently watching "Caroline Quentin - A Passage to India " on ITV.


• Witnessed a historic win for India in the Cricket World Cup.


• Recent meals cooked were "Nawabi Curry" ; Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti ; Rajma, Chocolate Fudge.

Sharm el-Sheikh

To begin with i never even heard that there is a place called Sharm el-Sheikh in this world.We wanted to go to a place for a week and my first choice was "Tenerife" but since we got to know that Tenerife will be much colder as compared to Sharm el-Sheikh we opted for latter.This was a holiday of lots of firsts in our lives... first time to Middle East;first time living in a beach resort;first time as a family with the little one;first time on a holiday with no plans to sight seeing anywhere.Also it was a bonus to go particularly at this time of the year as London was experiencing the worst Winter ever with freezing temperatures almost all of December.

• Aayush was an absolute angel on the flights.He slept most of the time and kept himself busy when he was awake.
• After a very very long time i visited Gym and did running and cycling for a hour everyday.
• We realised very soon that Aayush need a "Push Chair" and so Ashish went to Old Market Town and bought one.
• Again after ages i finished reading a book .."P.S.I love You " by Cecelia Ahern.
• Saw "Fantasia" - a very beautiful place to have dinner and watch belly dancing but of course since being with a kid we just did a quick round and went off.
• Ras Mohamed National Park was amazing.Blue skies and crystal clear water with no soul in sight.Since Snorkeling was banned due to shark attacks there was no one in the waters and that was a bonus.
• Had moreish Mexican Dinner and refreshing mocktail drinks at the hotel Aqua Bar and dinner at Acupulco Joe's.Lunch facing the Red Sea from our Hotel's Restaurant.
• Due to heavy snow in London our flight was cancelled and re-booked next day -Sunday.Apart from few hours delays we reached London Gatwick midnight amidst freezing temperatures of -11c.

Resolutions 2011

• Blog more frequently.
• Do some form of exercise atleast 3 times a week.
• Eat more sensibly.
• Watch good television.
• Be more in touch with friends and family.
• Be more patient.
• Stop buying the same outfit endlessly.
• Practise diarising day to day events.
• Be more groomed.

One Year Already!!!

My Sweetheart turned One this month.. Cant believe it has been a year already!!! Many Many more Happy Birthdays to you my darling.

Back to Work

After almost one year of maternity leave i am officially back to work!!! Its been a week already and it doesn't feel too bad. I do get exhausted by evening but i have quite a support at home at the moment so it is all right to manage.Aayush has taken the change very nicely and enjoys his time with his grandparents. In the meantime these are some of the few things i did before starting my full time job:-

• A Visit to V&A Museum on a rainy Sunday.
• For the first time i had the chance to Vote and i did exactly just that.
• Bollywood Movies seen -"Rajneeti" and "Housefull".
• Attended a "Real Food Festival " at Earls Court and had lunch at "Masala Zone".We bought some very fresh Mozzarella Cheese;Real Mexican Salsa,Shahi Masala Mix and Kadai Masala Mix.
• Aayush had his Mundan Ceremony and also we conducted a Satya Narayan Katha.Food made was Pooris,Chola,Imli Aloo,Shahi Paneer,Aloo Gobhi,Jeera Pulao,Masala Bhindi and Kheer.
• I passed my Driver Licence Exam in the first attempt.... with only 6 minor mistakes.
• Joined two Baby and Toddler Groups in my local area.I think it was a good decision as Aayush loves the place and also this has become a good ground for Nursery as this gives him exposure to different kids.
• Made two friends out of these Baby Groups - Vaijenta and Jyoti.
• Met my colleague for lunch at O2 and Thai Lunch of Vegetable Spring Rolls /Thai Green Curry with Rice.
• Purchased an I-Phone for myself and downloaded apps such as Pedometer/Use your Handwriting.
• Books finished reading - "The Gift " by Cecilia Ahern;"Motherhood" by Judy Reith;"Love Over Coffee" by Amrit N Shetty;"The Vine of Desire" by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.
• Saw "Merchants of Bollywood " at the Peacock Theatre.
• Tried loads of curries from Tarla Dalal "Desi Khana" - Ceylonese Curry;Cauliflower Curry;Mixed Vegetables-Patiala Style;Green Peas and Mushroom Curry;Tava Mushroom;Mughlai Aloo etc
• Also made Pineapple Cake from Manjula's Kitchen Blog;Kutchi Dabeli from Nupur's One Hot Stove;Spicy Chaat from Tarla Dalal's Desi Khana;Mexican Rice Casserole from Nupur's One Hot Stove;Black Eyed Peas Vadas from Mahanadi Blog;Singapore Noodles from Good Food Magazine;Mix Veg Risotto ;Vegetable Pasta Bake etc etc.
• Saw Shrek 3 D in my local Odeon Cinema and hated it.. The movie is too boring and doesn't capture my interest at all.
• Did some clothes shopping for myself --- a motivator before joining work..Bought Skirts/Tops and Formal Trousers from Marks and Spencer and John Lewis.

Hopefully things will be fine for the coming weeks and i will be able to strike a good balance between my work and home...

Mexican Rice Casserole

This recipe is taken from Nupur's One Hot Stove Blog.I have made this recipe now atleast thrice and everytime i make it is loved by everyone.There is no doubt that it takes quite a lot of planning to make this Casserole but it is worth it.
Ingredients:-
Rice-3/4 Cup cooked in Vegetable Stock.
Peppers-I use the Sweet Bite Peppers which are available in my nearby Supermarket.
Black Beans- I used canned beans.
Vegetables-Onions/Carrots/Tomatoes/Squash.
Shredded Cheese
Method:-
I rubbed Peppers in oil and seasoned them with Salt and Pepper and broiled them for atleast 25 mts in oven.Vegetables were chopped coarsely and cooked with spices such as Red Chille Powder/Cumin Powder/Oregano.Sometimes i do buy Spice Blend available in Market for Mexican Cooking. Black Beans were mixed with 3-4 Tbsp of store bought Salsa.Then in a Oven proof Dish i layered Rice/Broiled Peppers/Black Beans/Vegetables and then Shredded Cheese.Baked it for almost half an hour and served with Yogurt mixed with Salsa.

26 Alveston Square

26,Alveston Square has been our home since Jan 2008.Our very first home.. bought in London.It is not a very huge house but a modest 2 Bedroom/Living/Kitchen and a Garage located in a very nice suburb of London.We have witnessed many good things in this home of ours.. our baby was born here.. we had many family members visiting us...Every nook and cranny of this house was thought and then decorated suiting our needs..
Hallway

Living Room

Dining

Master Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Kitchen

Return Home

It has been a month exactly that i came back from India and it feels as if i never went away.Days are filled with eating, going out and finding out ways to keep an 8 month old baby occupied.

• Lunch at Pizza Express with my Sister in Law and Niece.I had Nostrana Salad which had New Potatoes,Avocados,Red Pepper,Green Beans, Mixed Leaves,Parsley and a free range Egg with house dressing.I substituted Chicken with Mushrooms.
• Made a trip to Coram Fields which was on my list ever since i was pregnant and i was waiting for the day when i can take my baby there since the entry to the park is restricted to only people who are accompanied by kids.
• Browsed Bloomsbury area and had coffee and cake in Carluccio's.
• Aayush was due for his second photo session locally and so i took him there. He behaved nicely in the session and some very gorgeous pictures have come out.
• Whenever i see Aayush is getting all cranky being at home i take him out in his buggy and go for long walks in my area.He loves looking out and grasping everything around him and i get some much needed exercise.Sometimes it happens twice a day which really tires me up in the evening.
• I have been doing a lot of cooking in this past month.I made a colourful Mexican Rice Casserole,Cheese and Vegetable Muffins,Semolina and Bottle Gourd Pancakes,Vegetable Fajitas, and Kutchi Dabeli.I also dared to make Strawberries dipped in Chocolate and Fruits with White Chocolate.They didn't turn out the way as i expected them to be.
• I also had our friends Gaurav and Mughda for dinner one Saturday and i made Chana Paalak,Tawa Paneer,Salad,Boondi Raita,Vegetable Pulao and Fruit Cream for dessert.
• Movies watched this past month were :- "Housefull","The Proposal";"35 Shots of Rum" ; "Julie and Julia"and"An Education" from Blockbuster Rental.
• I finished reading Shobha Narayan's "Monsoon Diary"and "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown and "The Immigrant"by Manju Kapoor.
• For the very first time in my life i cast my vote. I never knew that i can vote in UK. I was under the impression that voting is reserved only for citizens but i was wrong.
• On a rainy Sunday we decided to visit V&A Museum.I would like to go there again when the museum will be a bit empty as it was too crowded that day.
• Browsing magazines such as Time Out (London),Prima,Country Walking,Living Etc,BBC Good Food,Good Housekeeping,Cook Vegetarian,Weight Watchers etc.
• On one of the weeknights i went out for Dinner with my Office Colleagues to a French Restaurant "One Lombard Street".We had a 5 Course Dinner Menu of Grilled Marinated Provencal Vegetables Pesto,Tapenade and Saffron Veloute (Starter),Spinach Risotto with Garlic and Nutmeg Nut Brown Butter ( Mains) and Bitter Chocolate Marquise Raspberry Coulis and Creme Chantilly (Dessert).

India Trip

Week 1

• Arrived in New Delhi with a crying 6 month old baby.Had to wait 45 mts just to get hold of my luggage.


• Overwhelmed by the number of people coming to help me right from Security Check at Heathrow to Delhi Airport.Excellent cabin crew of British Airways which i was least expecting them to be.


• Stayed with extended family for 2 days in Delhi.Had excellent Poori-Aloos for breakfast/Kulcha Chola for Lunch and Methi parathas for dinner (1st day).South Indian Lunch the next day followed by Aloo Parathas for dinner.


• Baby was a star on Monday on route to Nagpur. Air Hostess were all going gaga over him and wanted to cuddle him.


• Rested completely for 4 days at a stretch doing nothing except eating/pottering around the house and sleeping and then eating again.


• Baby has never seen and experienced such a crowd in his entire 6 months of life.He got super excited and wants to play all the time even when he is feeling sleepy.


• The only form of exercise i am doing is a 20 minute walk in the evenings.


• Getting myself a body massage every alternate day of the week.

Week 2

• Had the most spicy Vegetable Chowmein at Haldirams.For dessert i had Bengali Sandesh.. Again very yummy and very light.


• Organised family photographs and taking few of my childhood snaps with me to London.


• There are few friends of my mum visiting us to see baby in evenings.


• Eagerly waiting for my sister to come as she will be seeing baby for the first time.


• This week Aayush was introduced to lentils- We made Red Lentil Soup with Onions,Garlic and Carrots,Red Lentil Stew with Potatoes,Carrots and also some Khichdi.Some spices were also added like cumin and coriander powder.


• A very good Chinese Dinner of Vegetable Chow Mein,Fried Rice,Spring Rolls,Gobi and Mix veg Manchurian on a Saturday Night.


• Aayush has been cranky this week due to his teething.But Thankfully he is still sleeping through the night.

Week 3

• Drinking bottles of Neembu Pani.Very refreshing.


• Had Vegetable Cheese Sandwiches along with Sandesh at Haldirams.


• Bought myself four colourful traditional style kurtis from Pantaloons and Westside.


• Reading magazines like Filmfare,Femina,Good Housekeeping and Savvy.


• Dozing off in the hot summer afternoons with air conditioner in full blast.


• Aayush is teething for third tooth of his and therefore being cranky and unsettled.
  

Week 4

• Bought Good Homes and Better Interiors magazines.


• Had a lavish dinner buffet at Hotel Sun and Sand on a Sunday evening.

• Playing mindless game of Farmville with my sister whole day.


• Got myself a haircut in stylish Belezza Parlour.


• Read Chetan Bhagat's Two States in 2 days.


• Bought again some magazines like People,Better Homes and Gardens,Good Housekeeping and a Tarla Dalal Cookery mag.


• Had Chola Bhaturas from Haldiram along with Khandavi,Veg Patties, Pyaz ki Kachoris,Paav Bhaji and Paneer Kathi Roll.

Week 5

• Got myself a relaxing facial.


• Bought again some very nice Anarkali Suits from Westside


• Had dinner at Panchwati Thali with never ending dishes on my plate.

Visited Crossword Bookstore and bought myself "Indian Summer" by Pratima Mitchell,"Dollar Bahu"by Sudha Murty,"Such A Long Journey" by Rohinton Mistry,"P.S I love You" by Cecelia Ahern,"Bye Bye Blackbird" by Anita Desai,"Love Over Coffee" by Amrit Shetty,"Tales from Firozsha Bagh"by Rohinton Mistry.

• Invited over by one of my mom's friend for tea .. had onion pakoras. and chola bhaturas with paneer sabzi followed by Ras Malai.


• Aayush was extremely unsettled during the Indian Airlines flight to Delhi.Cried for half an hour and just made everyone jump from their seats.A gentleman helped me with my hand carry bag as well as waited for my luggage and pulled the trolley as well.Bless him.


• Chinese dinner again ... Tasted Momos,Chow mein and Fried Rice.

• My cousins came over for lunch on my last day in India.We had Chola Bhaturas,Fried Bhindi and Dahi Bharas followed by Vanilla Icecream.


• On the way back home to London Aayush was an angel and enjoyed playing with fellow passengers and air hostess.

Recent Notes

• Reading Biography on AR Rahman by Kamini Mathai.Extremely hard to believe the kind of person Rahman is.I wonder are there any people left in this world with billions in their bank accounts but live with no material desires.Also the kind of environment he works in its hard to imagine that how he survives it.
• Hosted a lavish lunch for our friends Nitin and Manu. I made Baked Matar Paneer/Sabz Paneer/Daal Makhani/Moong Daal Pakoris/Three Bean Salad/Fruit Salad/Mix Veg-Bhopali Style/Fruit Cream.It was a lunch for 6 adults/3 children and 2 babies.
• Visited my office to meet colleagues and to have a informal chat with my manager regarding my return to work and also to get some flexible working arrangement.
• Sorted all documentation and paper work for our residency in UK.It took us the whole of Sunday afternoon sorting bills and bank statements filing them in separate files.
• Made Brocolli and Bottle Gourd parathas for dinner on Friday evenings.
• Had a light hearted evening with Gaurav and Mughda on Valentines Day.Mughda prepared Rajma Curry and Paneer Sabzi along with Cucumber Raita.
• Made Paneer Kathi Roll and Thai Spiced Mushroom Soup inspired by Nupur 's One Hot Stove.
• Attended my first session of Physiotherapy at Holly house Hospital.I have been prescribed some pelvic floor muscles as usual to strengthen my lower stomach muscles which will ease my back pain.The physiotherapist said that my body is too mobile which is how my body is made up of. Due to my traumatic childbirth my pelvic muscles are weak and that needs to be strengthened.
• My subscription to Love Film came to end this week. I watched some very excellent movies which i wanted to watch from a long time.I watched Amelie(French)Maria Full of Grace(Spanish)Tokyo Sonata(Japanese).I also managed to watch Invictus and Its Complicated in cinema leaving baby with Ashish.
• Flipping through Rose Elliot 's cookbooks "Vegetarian Four Seasons" and Vegetarian Fast Food.Already tried Spicy Bean Chilli from the book so far.
• We have finalised for a new house to be completed in July/August this year. It is a 3 bedroom detached house .. all new built.I am not so excited for the house as i love living in my current home and just love this area.But maybe as Aayush is growing up we do need a bigger house than this and then it would all fit in.I am taking my time to warm up to new house so far. I am excited but cautious as this will also slightly longer commute and also now we have to also consider dropping and picking Aayush up before and after work.
• So despite the fact that i am not to keen to move - i am planning the new home already that how it will look and how i will decorate. We will have a modest garden to take care of and so i was thinking of planting some herbs and vegetables and definitely flowers.Off i went to my local library and issued myself some books to get a basic idea of how to start and maintain a garden.I am going through books like "First Time Gardener" By Jonathan Edwards ;"Vegetables for Small Garden" By Lynda Brown;"Harry Dodson's Practical Kitchen Garden"; and the best of all i liked "A Busy Person's Guide to the 20 Minute Garden" by Gill Page.I loved this book as this had step by step pictures on how to grow flowers and vegetables in a container.

5 Months

• Baby A is very much settled into a routine ( Thanks to Gina Ford).He takes his first feed of the day at 7 am.He either plays in his cot or sleeps for an hour before i prepare his bath.He enjoys his massage and bath now and smiles a lot while he is in his bath tub.After he is all dressed up i leave him on his Activity Mat to play.Since i have started Weaning him -he gets to eat Baby Rice/Fruity Porridge or Baby Rusks mashed with milk.Then he is given his second bottle of the day after that which he goes to sleep for an hour or 2 hours.His next feed his due between 2-3pm.The time after that is the most difficult one as he gets restless.Sometimes i take him out for a ride in his pram.His second meal of the day is his dinner which could be anything between Apple/Carrot/Sweet Potato/Pear puree.He takes his last bottle and sleeps at 7 pm.
• He has been gaining weight steadily with just one blip when he lost an ounce of weight.That was because he had a Tummy Bug.He suffered from diarrhoea and his throwing up increased.But thankfully he was fine within 3-4 days.
• The first signs of tooth are all there and i can see two white specks in his lower gum.He wants everything to be chewed on and just loves to chew my finger when he gets his hand on it.He has variety of teethers at his disposal but he loves to chew his spoon/his muslin cloth/his fingers or mine/sometimes mobile as well.
• He giggles hard when i tickle his tummy and can laugh uncontrollably at times.He loves to move his head from side to side observing everything around him.He is an extremely attentive baby and would turn his face quickly as soon he hears any sound or voice coming from any direction in the house.

Things that kept me going....

• I finally finished my pile of newspapers (London Evening Standard,City AM and Metro) which was pending for a very long time.I like to keep myself updated about what's happening in London therefore Ashish brings me these newspapers everyday.
• After almost 3 years i have started visiting my local library and got myself some cookbooks such as "Jamie's Ministry of Food","Rice and Noodles by Emma Lee","50 Great Sandwiches",and Women's Weekly Great Vegetarian Food".
• I make it a point to go out everyday with baby either to shop locally for grocery or library or for long walks.This helps me to get some fresh air and helps me to loose that extra weight.
• Been doing loads of cooking -Idly Sambhar for Sunday afternoon lunch,Vegan Aloo Dum ( Recipe taken from Nupur 's One Hot Stove),Chocolate Cake with Ganache,Pizzas with unusual toppings like Artichokes,Black olives with pesto sauce.
• Subscribed to Love Film and so watching movies almost everyday.. Seen so far "Mamma Mia","There will be Blood","Six Days Seven Nights","Guess Who's coming to Dinner","Miss Pettigrew Lives for a day".

Things done so far

• Life has been busy and not so busy for the past one month.I don't think so i will be able to write down each and every thing which i have done so far but will try..


• Weather has not been very helpful in London this month.. lots of snow with sub-zero temperatures.It was nice to see everything covered in snow for few days but when it stretched to more than a week it was frustrating to be sitting at home all day and night.So it was decided that as Ashish would come back from work i will be going out for a walk to get some fresh air and also to have some much needed me time.However since weather has improved i have started to take Aayush along with me for a walk around noon everyday.That helps me to get out of the house and do some serious walking for an hour.


• Since i was stuck at home for long periods of time i have done some serious cooking - tried recipes which were bookmarked for so long now.Tried Parsnip and Ginger soup for a very wintry evening .. It is the first time i bought Parsnip.. never tried this vegetable before.Ashish didn't like the soup very much but i think it was not too bad.Made use of Delia Smith book " Delia's how to cheat at cooking"by making two recipes from it. The book was bought long time ago ( maybe 2 yrs ago ) but never tried anything from it. I made Cracked potatoes with melting cheese and spring onions and Very garlicky chili pasta.Both the dishes came out fine and i will definitely try them again.


• This Christmas i bought a very simple and complete vegetarian cookbook by Vidhu Mittal " Pure and Simple -Homemade Indian Vegetarian Cuisine"It is exactly the kind of cookbook i was looking for .. all vegetarian and recipes which you can actually try with ingredients available in my kitchen pantry.I made Mushroom Cheese Toast which Ashish loved,Sago Cutlets,Daal Tarka which was a combination of Chana Daal/ Moong Daal and Laal Masoor,Beans with Baby corn,Baby corn and Capsicum,Mixed vegetables with Cottage Cheese...Phew that is lot of cooking.


• Reading has also been on my agenda all this time however i am unable to do any serious reading. Ashish brings me "Metro", "City AM" and "London Evening Standard " which i aim to read almost everyday but i can still see a huge pile in one corner which i have to finish.I am also reading magazines like "Psychologies","Real Simple","Olive" and "Delicious".


• I have started weaning Aayush for which i bought all his Weaning Bowls/spoons/ Bibs and very special Chico High Chair.He has been given Cow and Gate Pure Baby Rice with his 11 am feed.I am following Gina Ford book of Weaning for him and so far it is working out for me.I am going to introduce him to a variety of fruits and vegetables in the coming days like peers,carrots, apples ,sweet potato,courgette and cauliflower.So far his response has been excellent with it and i am noticing that his reflux has improved.


• Television watched - Loads of Food Network/Good Food and Home channels. Catching up on Indian Winter Season with documentary on Mumbai Slum- Dharavi with Kevin Mc Cloud.Also seeing Gordon's Great Escape with some amazing authentic recipes.


• On fitness front i am doing Wii Fit 30 mts a day almost 5 days a week.I am also trying to keep a tab on what i am eating .. I have a bowl of cereal for breakfast, soup for lunch and a proper Dinner of Chapati/Daal and vegetable along with it. I am trying to snack on raw veggies and fruits when i get those hunger pangs.But sometimes i do loose the motivation to do anything and just gorge on biscuits or namkeens.


• Above all i also managed to see 2 hindi movies past month.. Rocket Singh and 3 Idiots along with the baby.I was not prepared to watch movie with a baby but Ashish convinced me into it.. Aayush was angel in both the movies. I actually didn't feel at all that he was with us.I enjoyed both the movies and wish Hindi Cinema could make more of these substantial movies.