Conversations on a Park Bench

The other day we took Boo to a children’s park in South Bangalore. While the husband volunteered (he was left standing with Boo while I disappeared) to take Boo on all the rides, I sat down on one of the many park benches for some much-needed quiet time. It may surprise some of you to know that I don’t particularly like to pick up conversations with perfect strangers. I am more of a people-watcher and it’s my favorite thing to do followed closely by peering into the windows of strangers’ homes! My regular readers would know what my favorite travel past-time is – here’s a hint!

Anyway, as luck would have it, I found myself next to a chatty septuagenarian. Now I chose his bench because he didn’t seem very friendly – in fact he had  a very stern look on his face! And he was busy reading a vernacular newspaper. But I was wrong! It took him 10 minutes and his opening line was “Madam, do you get headaches?” This caught me off-guard. Usually the grandpa types start off with “Which one is yours?” or “You should never leave your child unattended” etc etc I answered in the affirmative and he proceeded to show me a way to cure headaches without pills. It’s some sort of pulsing action on the top part of your thumb for those of you who would like to know. In spite of my monosyllabic answers and my constant digging into my book, my bench companion went steadfastly on and continued talking about ways to beat pain by doing these simple pulsing exercises. He got me a little worried when he started talking about menstrual cramps but he was genuinely keen on helping me find a pain-free and pill-free life. He even pointed at two old grandmothers walking around the park, one of them was limping and he said he knew how he could help them with their knee pains. I let him talk because at the back of my head, a little voice was telling me ” Shame on you for thinking he is a pervert”. This was a sweet old man who wanted some simple conversation and it wasn’t going to hurt me to give him some attention and who knows, all this stuff might actually work! It took 40 minutes and at the end of that time, I learnt that he was a retired bank manager from Erode and was in Bangalore visiting his married daughter. They lived near Electronics City and he was in this part of town visiting friends. He proudly pointed out his 5 grandchildren (he also told me that I should never leave my child unattended) and told me that studying about pain management techniques was a hobby of his. He didn’t ask me too many questions other than whether I was a homemaker or a full-time working mother. When I told him I did both because I worked from home, he said I was lucky to have the best of both!  Eventually I could see the husband getting tired so I said goodbye and left. My last look was when I saw the two old grandmothers take my place. After 5 minutes, he turned to them and I could just about make out the pulsing exercises and the looks of wonder on his listeners’ faces.

In the animal kingdom, animals often reach out to each other for no reason at all other than physical comfort. Human interaction is so much more complex. In this age of digital communication, when one lives very much in the present, it’s easy to forgo the joys of simple conversation just because you don’t know the other person. Why strike up conversations with random strangers when you have Facebook and Twitter?

I hope those old ladies learnt something useful! I know I did.

The  happiest conversation is that of which nothing is distinctly remembered, but a  general effect of pleasing impression – Samuel  Johnson

Ice, Ice and More Ice!

In my last post I extolled the benefits of eating ice-cream in a bid to survive the searing Bangalore summer – the worst one in decades. So in this post I am going to talk about a craft that I did with Boo that had that good old summer pleaser – ice! One of my favourite blogs is Pink and Green Mama - she is a homemaker who used to be an elementary school art teacher and she has 2 beautiful little girls who share her love for all things artsy and crafty! A couple of months ago she came up with this very innovative idea of filling balloons with water and a small animal toy and froze them into ice balloons. This was a post about wintertime crafts so she kept the balloons out on her deck where they froze overnight. I sent her a message saying that I would try the same thing but during summer-time here

These are the results of our efforts. Boo played with them during her bath time and she had great fun discovering the little toy in each of them. She was also amazed by the concept of melting ice and whooped for joy when they turned into nothing her hands.

I always have leftover balloons from previous birthday parties lying around so this was perfect for the craft.

We used her miniature tea set, a little hamster and a tiny dice

We filled the balloons with water and the little toys. We froze them overnight in the freezer.

Voila! Dice in ice!

I hope you have as much fun as Boo and I did with this craft. Drop in a line if you try it out!“Art is as natural as sunshine and as vital as nourishment.” -Mary Ann F. Kohl

Home-made Strawberry Ice cream

Whew, it’s hot! With the temperatures touching the mid-thirties every day, Bangaloreans haven’t had it this bad in years. 8 years in fact, but back in 2005, there were at least double, if not, triple the trees that there are now. I shouldn’t complain too much…our ground floor apartment is surrounded by a much-cursed dilapidated building (‘bhoot bangla’ is the name it goes by) which has a fruit orchard growing wild next to it. It gives us a pleasant respite from the searing heat but that still doesn’t stop one from yearning for cool desserts when it is peak summer.

So after years of dilly-dallying, I finally decided to do it – make ice cream from scratch. No ice cream powder, no gelatin, no artificial flavoring and no ice cream maker. Just the real deal made the old-fashioned way. I had some frozen strawberries so I decided to throw that into the mix as well. The end result was a surprise. I actually thought it would be a mouthful of ice after a day of back-breaking labor. There was a little bit of ice (not having an ice cream maker would lead to that) but it certainly wasn’t difficult to make like I thought it would be. The actual work doesn’t take time but waiting for it to freeze does so plan a day when you will be at home. I did it on the first day of Boo’s school holidays.

This recipe has eggs and let’s face it…ice cream is only as good as its custard base. You have to have eggs in it. Eggless ice creams aren’t the real thing and you are kidding yourself if you think it is.

Strawberry Ice Cream – serves a family of two with hungry appetites and a toddler who is obsessed with ice cream.

1 cup (250 ml) full-fat milk

1 cup (250 ml) cream

I tbsp vanilla essence or 1 vanilla bean split lengthways

6 egg yolks (I kept the egg whites in the fridge and made an egg white omelette for the 3 of us the next morning.)

1/2 cup (125 g) castor sugar

250 gms fresh strawberries or if using frozen strawberries, pls thaw and drain them before use

1. Combine the milk and cream in a pan and add the vanilla essence or bean. Bring to the boil, remove from heat and set aside for 10 mins.

2. Using a wire whisk, beat the yolks and the sugar for 3-4 mins until thick and pale. Gradually add the warm milk mixture and whisk away (pls do this quickly but gradually whisking all the time, otherwise the eggs will scramble in the heat). If using the bean, scrape the seeds from the bean into the mixture and then discard it.

3. Wash the pan in which you boiled the milk and pour the egg-milk mixture into it. Stir continuously over very low heat until thickened. This could take 5-10 minutes. To test, run a finger across the spoon and if it leaves a clear line the custard is ready.

4. Pour the custard into a glass bowl that is sitting in a bigger dish with ice or cold water in it. This will hasten the cooling process. You can stir it frequently to cool it faster.

5. Put the strawberries in a food processor and blend until just smooth. Stir into the custard mixture when it is cool.

6. Pour the mixture into a shallow metal or plastic container that has a lid. Place a sheet of cling film or baking paper over it so that ice doesn’t form. Place the lid and put it in the freezer for 2 hours.

7. After 2 hours, scoop the mixture into a chilled metal bowl and beat with a hand-mixie until smooth and the ice is dissolved. Return the mixture to the container and place in the freezer again. Repeat this step twice more before transferring into a storage container. Cover the surface with cling film or baking paper to stop ice crystals from forming.

8. To serve, transfer the ice cream to the fridge for 30 minutes before eating so that it softens slightly.

Steps 1 through 4 is the recipe for a basic vanilla ice cream. You can add Bailey’s, coffee decoction or other fruit puree for different flavors.

Tips: The temperature of  the freezer should be at least -18*C and it shouldn’t be too full. To ensure that air doesn’t enter the container place a few other items from the freezer over it.

The picture isn’t that great because I had a toddler and a husband who were very impatient for the ice cream so I didn’t have time to make it look pretty. But who cares? It’s the taste that counts.

This recipe is very easy and I think anyone can make it so please do try your hand at making something that everyone says is very tedious but actually isn’t and you will be surprised.

Ah,  summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.- Russell  Baker

Lust and Passion

Photo Courtesy – CORBIS

Yup, today was that kind of day….a chocolate cake kinda day! Even after baking so many different types of cakes and breads over the years, sometimes a simple chocolate cake is all you need to make you feel warm, fuzzy and loved inside I had called a couple of my neighbours over for evening tea – a routine we cannot live without every week – in the morning but by afternoon I could feel the pull of the oven (yes, the same oven that I have placed in the guest room cupboard so that I feel lazy to lug it around). I usually don’t stock butter and castor sugar at home to make it just a tad more difficult for me to give into these crazy urges. But a quick call to the neighbourhood grocer got me the ingredients that I needed just in time. He usually takes 3 hours to deliver and I placed the order at 1.30 pm so I told myself that if he sent the stuff after 2.30 pm I would scrap my plan. But the universe smiled on me and I got everything 10 minutes after my call – no mean feat considering that’s the fastest he has delivered in the last 5 years. And then, as if on cue, the electricity went off at 2 pm. But it looked like I was meant to bake this cake because it came back after a couple of hours. So by 5.30 pm my friends got an unexpected treat with their cuppa!

What is it about chocolate and baking that makes your day just perfect? I am not even a chocolate fiend but even I have to give in to the craving every now and then. I am sure that in the decades to come, great minds will come up with a way to curb our sweet cravings (and this will be done years before a cure for cancer will be found) but until then how do we fight the lust for chocolate? Or sugar? Every year, I attempt to give up sugar for Lent (the 40 day penance fast that Christians keep for Easter) and at the end of it, I feel like I have just completed a full marathon (no offence to marathoners but this is my personal Mt Everest). I break out into sugar sweats, eating bread takes on a whole new meaning and little sugarcraft devils fly over waiters’ heads when I go to a restaurant. It is friggin’ hard.

Sometimes it is just that kind of day…a chocolate cake kinda day.

Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your
bare hands – and then eat just one of the pieces.  ~Judith Viorst

Whipped cream isn’t whipped cream at all unless it’s been whipped with whips.
Just as a poached egg isn’t a poached egg unless it’s been stolen from the woods
in the dead of night!  ~Roald Dahl, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Best Kids’ Books for 3-6 yr olds – Boo’s picks!

I believe that the reading habit is the best gift that you can ever give your child. We started when Boo was 1 year old and it started off as a few stories that were read to her here and then during the day but eventually we got it down to a routine – just after school-before bath and post dinner-bedtime wash-prayer time. We began with 1 or 2 books that suddenly jumped to 8-9 and now we stick to 3-4 books. Teaching them limits is also a good thing otherwise it becomes a good way to avoid sleeping which our Boo is a pro at. Studies show that usually the book-reading responsibility lies with the reader in the family and even though that’s me, I share it with the hubby. I wanted them to have some ‘alone’ time during the day that was only theirs. My sister and I have very fond memories of my father reading to us every night before bed until we were 12. It’s a memory that I cherish deeply and I would like Boo to have the same experience with her father. Recently I received an email from a popular children’s playden in town informing parents that a specialist from the US was here to teach parents how to inculcate the reading habit in their children – the fees for the 2 day seminar was Rs 3000!! All they have to do is read to their children every day, and the earlier they do it the better. Why does one have to pay to get that bit of advice?? No doubt it is an effort especially when it is the end of the day and the child wants the same story to be read over and over again but it has to be done without fail every SINGLE day. A few of us young moms in the neighborhood were dismayed to learn that our local library was closing down due to shortage of members. Apart from explaining to our disappointed children that their beloved little library was shutting down, the sad thing is knowing that fewer and fewer people actually enjoy reading these days.

I have been collecting books for Boo for the last 3 years and now we have a pretty good collection that keeps growing. But the challenge for me was to find sensible books and that too, books that Boo enjoys. Apart from the usual fairy tales and Winnie the pooh/Noddy books that are easily available, I am always on the lookout for new and interesting books. After scouring loads and loads of lists that I found online and books that I discovered in book stores, these are the books that we absolutely love reading with Boo. It was so difficult to find a single list so that’s what got me blogging about this so I hope this list helps some parents out there who are looking for the same things as we are.

1. The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr – This is an absolute classic. It was first published in 1968 so it has charmed generations of toddlers before Boo. It is whimsical and funny at the same time and it is about a tiger who enjoys a nice and filling tea – who doesn’t?

2. We’re going on a Bear Hunt by Michael Rosen and Helen Oxenbury – Now some kids may find this a bit scary so parents, please read it before buying. I have turned this into a musical rhyming story so Boo sings along as well. The book is all about being outdoors in different type of situations – mud/snow/grass etc and it’s fun to read.

3. Monster Munchies by Laura Numeroff – This book was a gift and it’s one of Boo’s favorites. Boo learnt her numbers with this book and this is also another one of our musical creations. All about a bunch of different monsters who have the munchies – don’t we all know that feeling?

4. Mala’s Silver Anklets by Annie Besant – Another gift from a dear aunt and this introduced me to the wonderful world of Indian children’s books. The publishers ‘Tulika Books’ have a whole bunch of such stories but Boo likes this story about a naughty little girl who likes to scare her family and how they tricked her into wearing anklets so that they would know when she was coming. My only problem with this book is that the illustrations are a bit scary but other than that, it is a delightful read.

5. The Wizard of Oz with Ladybird – Boo loves the story and the movie too! She doesn’t really understand why a lion needs courage or a tin man a heart but the Yellow Brick Road and Emerald Palace hold her interest

6. The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffer - My sister-in-law introduced this book to us because it is one of her son’s favorites. Another book that some children may find scary so it should be read before being bought. Boo enjoys this book and all the drama that it entails and she can never decide which body part of the gruffalo she finds the scariest

7. Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Eric Carle - All Eric Carle books are classics and this one is the biggest one of all. Boo learnt her colors with this book The illustrations are abstract enough to be interesting and yet they appeal to little children. My mother doesn’t get this book at all – she couldn’t understand why the cat was purple or the sheep black – but Boo got it and loved it!

8. Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andrede – Another gift from a close friend. All about a giraffe who couldn’t dance and was shunned by his friends because of it. In the end, he finds his own tune and dances to it. I think it is a wonderful message to children. I should make a special mention about the illustrations because they are so colorful and seem to fly off the page.

9. The Lion Who Wanted to Love by Giles Andrede - Andrede’s books always have a nice message and this one is no different. This one is about a lion who doesn’t want to eat other animals but wants to love them instead. The running theme in most of Andrede’s books is that it is okay to be different. I think it’s never too early to start telling our kids that.

10. Up, Down and Around by Katherine Ayres – This book is about planting seeds and growing plants. Boo always finds this book fascinating especially since there are illustrations about veggies that grow underground, something she is yet to understand Last week, she went on a playdate where the host mom got the kids to plant some fenugreek seeds in their terrace garden. The kids had so much fun and when we got home, Boo told me it was the best playdate ever

I haven’t mentioned all the usual fairy tales here – Snow White, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel, Puss-in-Boots etc because I assume that most parents would have bought them for their children already. I like the Ladybird editions because they are easy to read and the pictures are very pleasing to the eye. There are a lot of experts who say that such stories are unfit for children because the concept of what is good and evil has changed today but i think that’s a load of rubbish. We all need fairy tales in our lives – it didn’t harm us in any way when we were growing up. Sometimes Boo is fickle and picks up other books to read but inevitably she ends up with her old friends after a couple of days

Which ones are your favorites?

Photo Courtesy – Corbis

“My  Alma mater was books, a good library… I could spend the rest of my life  reading, just satisfying my curiosity.” – Malcolm X

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn,  the more places you’ll go.” – Dr Seuss