The Balancing Act

Fun Spring Fashion!

2012-02-02T14:52:43Z

In all the greyness, spring fashion is the light at the end of my tunnel. By February, I seriously need a dose of colourful fun in my wardrobe. Pretty dresses in shades of coral, turquoise and creamy white coquettishly tell me not to give up: Soon there will be flowers, sun and green leaves.

I love bright colours, shift dresses and British bohemian aesthetics. Victoria Beckham has brought his all together in her new ready-to-wear collection for Spring 2012. Check it out here!

Farewell to an Old Friend

2012-01-29T00:55:43Z

It's a part of our house. Sitting there, in all it's majesty, holding court in the Room of Babies. Give and take a few months here and there, it has been the night-time home to our babies for almost 9 years.

So many mornings of my life have entailed going into that room and scooping a delicious angelic bundle, swaddled meticulously, into my arms. Then, as they grew older, my days began with an active toddler holding the railing and yelling to get out.

Our nursery was always yellow and white. Sunny, bright and cheerful, I breastfed in that room, sang my babies to sleep, changed diapers, and soothed tears. I was exhausted but Ioved it. I still do. Something about that room gave me peace and took me away from other worries.

But, today, things changed. Our Baby has been sleeping in her older siblings' bunk beds for the past few weeks and only takes the odd nap in her crib. The nursery is largely empty and unused, a vestigial relic in a house with growing kids. Today, we gave away the crib, changing table and rocker to friends who are embarking on a journey that we began years ago.

I vacuumed and cleaned the walls of the strangely vacant room, and at 2pm the delivery truck dropped off the Boy's new bed. A dark wood bed with blue sheets and a soccer pillow now takes the place of our nursery furniture. I walked by the strong, masculine room and wondered, "Where am I?"

Where did that mother of babies go?

In one day, my house is so different. And so am I.

Beads and More Beads

2012-01-27T03:48:43Z

The most irritating thing I heard yesterday was the mantra of "I'm bored" from my 7-year old girl. My TV ban for the day sent Them into a downward spiral of despair that was seriously alarming. I took out some crafty stuff and we got busy. Beads were the weapons of choice against Boredom and they were indeed successful in engaging the Girl. I also ended up with a pretty cool necklace!

Spicy Food to Warm you Up!

2012-01-23T02:51:17Z

January and February really bring me down. Everything is cold and grey and I crave comfort and warmth. Delicious, fragrant, homemade Indian food is a great way to introduce colourful, flavourful nutrition into your homes. If you don't already have these key spice ingredients, I recommend you buy them - they will add so much life to your existing recipes, and allow you to experiment infinitely with countless new ones.

I'd start with these basics - you can get them at any major grocery chain or, for way less money, you can buy them in large quantities at any Indian/Pakistani grocery store or Bulk Barn. I have a spice box exactly like the one in the picture above, and I fill it up every 3-4 weeks:

Coriander Powder

Cumin Powder

Turmeric

Ground Red Chillies

Whole Cumin Seeds

Plus, you need to have these key aromatic ingredients on hand for almost any Indian dish:

Garlic

Ginger

Onions (yellow cooking onion are my choice for these types of recipes)

I made these two dishes today to keep in the fridge and dip into for lunches and side dishes.

Sabut Masoor Daal (curried whole red lentils - they look brown in the bag because they still have their outer layer)

This is an awesome, fast-cooking, hearty winter dish. It's so easy and delicious and fills my house with a nutty, warm aroma that brings everyone happily to the table.

You'll need:

2 cups lentils

6 cups water

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tsp red chilli powder

salt to taste

1 medium - sized onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

1-inch piece of ginger, chopped

splash of olive oil

2 whole green chilies with ends chopped off (optional)

handful of fresh coriander (chopped)

Rinse your lentils a couple of times with hot water to remove extra starch, then add water and boil at medium heat. Add coriander powder, cumin powder, salt, red chilli powder, half of the garlic and half of the ginger. Boil for 30-40 minutes or until lentils are soft and soupy. While the lentils are boiling, prepare the "tarka". In a non-stick frying pan, warm the olive oil and add the onion. Cook until onion is golden brown and then add cumin seed, and remaining garlic and ginger. Saute for about a minute and then add to lentils. Garnish with fresh coriander. Check salt and add to taste. Serve as a soup or with basmati rice (brown or white) and salad.

Spicy Roasted Cauliflower

This is my go-to cheat recipe for company or just us. It's ridiculously easy, yet yields such delicious treat with a hearty serving of cruciferous goodness.

You'll need:

1 large head of cauliflower

1/4 cup of olive oil

2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp cumin seeds

salt to taste

1 tsp of red chilli powder

Did I mention how easy this is? Set your oven to 375 F. Chop and wash cauliflower and place in large mixing bowl. In a small bowl, combine oil and all other ingredients (see photo above). Add to cauliflower and mix till the veggies are evenly covered with the spicy mixture. Bake on a cookie sheet ( I spray it with a little bit of Pam) at 375 for 30 minutes. Turn off the oven and leave them in there for anothe 10 minutes. Voila! Delicious, spicy, slightly caramelized, melt-in-your mouth cauliflower. I sometimes just eat it with my hands right off the cookie sheet or it can be a great side to any meal.

India - Part 2

2012-01-17T03:28:19Z

As I mentioned, we had not one but two family weddings within one week. It was beautiful madness.

My cousin Faheem wed beautiful Moina in an elegant ceremony at home. The ceremony was incredibly moving and intimate. The home was resplendent in fresh flowers, the scent of attar and so much love.

My favourite part of the wedding was a decorative swing that had been set up in the backyard to seat the newlyweds. The decorators drenched it with orchids and jasmine, and it was seriously the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. One thing I can't get over at Indian weddings is the abundance of fresh, gorgeous flowers they have at their disposal. As soon as I walked in, the heady scent of jasmine and roses engulfed me so beautifully.

India - Part I

2012-01-15T18:12:47Z

Happy New Year!

We just got back from a long-ish trip to India and I'm getting re-adapted to life at home. India was amazing; so full of many emotions, family, food, heat and more food.

We went there for two weddings. Two of my first cousins got married in the same week so it was like one long party that lasted for days. My kids got immersed in the festivities and they loved it so much. They were wrapped up in a big, cozy, noisy. loving blanket which is family and they treasured every minute of the love and attention they received there.

Indian weddings are famous for their colour and festive atmosphere. These were no different. The celebrations kicked off with a henna party for all the girls.

The bride even got to have mehndi done on her feet!

The wedding events were explosions of colour and fresh flowers, against the backdrop of silk, brocades and chiffons. The clothes were to die for and I couldn't get enough of people-watching at the functions.

Here's a pic of the first beautiful bride and her dashing groom. Stay tuned for more on the second wedding in my next post.

Super Easy Sugar Cookies for the Non-Baker

2011-12-12T18:39:46Z

I'm not much of a baker, but every holiday season I whip up some simple sugar cookies that can be cut into holiday shapes and decorated with the kids. I've sampled a number of recipes but this one from Canadian Living is by far the best and the easiest, with no weird or hard-to-find ingredients. Best thing about them is that they take 10 minutes in the oven, another 10 minutes to cool and they're all ready to decorate.

3/4 cup (175 mL) butter, softened
1 cup (250 mL) granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking powder
1 pinch salt

Line rimless baking sheets with parchment paper or grease; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter with sugar until fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Stir into butter mixture in 3 additions. Divide in half; flatten into discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Make-ahead: Refrigerate for up to 24 hours.)

On lightly floured surface, roll out each disc to 1/4-inch (5 mm) thickness. Use holiday cookie cutters to make you favourite shapes - ours are big snowflakes and Christmas trees.

Bake 350°F (180°C) oven, until light golden on bottoms and edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to racks; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 1 month).

I make a very simple icing out of icing sugar and water (play with the proportions till you get your desired consistency). Once the cookies are iced with the glaze (which is easy to colour with food colouring if you want), then you've got the perfect surface for sprinkles, candies, nuts or whatever your kids like!

Channelling Martha

2011-11-10T16:32:31Z

My son came home last week with assignment called "Structure". It required him to make something, from scratch, using raw materials. The teacher also wanted to see the design, the plan and the resources. As you can imagine, I was nervous.

I'm not crafty and I'm not very good at building anything. I turned to the web and found all the resources to be overwhelming and too hard - Google is great and all, but sometimes it's all too much.

That is, however, until I came upon the Martha Stewart website. I've used the site in the past for recipes, but had never looked at the crafts section. It was unbelievable. She had a tutorial for exactly what we needed: We chose our raw material to be popsicle sticks and our structure to be a house.

Martha gave us a blow-by-blow pictorial on every step. We followed it meticulously and it worked! Of course, it didn't turn out as perfect as hers (see top picture), but it was pretty close - and we added a rainbow roof!

The best part of the experience was sitting down with my son to do something together. I realised, in the process, that we never do that. I drive him to places, we are in the house simultaneously, but rarely do we engage in an activity together. I do crafts with my girls, and I cook with them too. But with him, it's always me telling him what to do - piano, homework, chores - but nothing collaborative. It was so rewarding - looking at the plans together, laying out the materials, figuring out the slightly scary but oh-so-wonderful glue gun, the joy at seeing the walls come together - and then the shared pride in our creation. So fun. I had to hide my disappointment when the exercise was finished.

This house sits on our mantle now and reminds me of that experience. I'm eager for the next project.

The Unmentionable

2011-10-24T18:43:01Z

I got the call last week.

The call that every parent dreads, yet expects at least once in your kids' school years. I answered the phone and our sweet school administrative officer says, "Hi Amreen. Can you come get the kids? They have lice."

Ick. Gross. Yuck. Yuck. Yuck. Immediately, I start mentally defending my parenting skills:

"My kids are so clean, how could this happen?"

"Our house is clean, the kids bathe regularly, I wash their hair myself!!!"

Outrage, disbelief, and throw in some disgust for good measure.

But, seriously speaking, lice is the second most communicable "illness" in school-age children after the common cold. Go figure. It was our first experience and it was nasty.

Our three kids now all sleep in a double bed together. They each have their own beds, but this is their choice of slumber these days. They sleep better together which is why it has continued. Often, my husband and I end up lying down with them before bed, which is why I immediately became suspicious of the itchiness in my own head (which I had previously ascribed to dry scalp - I wish).

Turns out, not only did my older two have lice, but the baby did, and so did my husband and I. There was a mass lice epidemic at the kids' school, and now it was a Family Situation.

With the magnitude of the task ahead of us, my husband and I decided to call in the professionals. A friend recommended the Lice Squad. Kathy, their employee, was the person who helped us and she was incredibly thorough. She treated us with their non-toxic solution, and then spent copious amounts of time combing out our individual heads. The Girl, the Boy and I have ridiculous amounts of thick, dark hair so it took forever. The Baby and my husband were not so bad. Kathy made a follow up visit 3 days later, and declared us all officially lice free!

I'm definitely way more conscious and caution of lice now, because I don't want to go through that again. I know more about lice and it's life cycle than I ever thought possible. I check my kids' and husband's heads every morning in the early sunlight. Checking myself is harder but I try.

Here are some tips and tricks from my friend, Victor Ness, a homeopathic doctor:

Non-Toxic Lice Treatment:

2 parts olive oil /1 part white vinegar to equal ½ Cup

20 drops tea tree oil

20 drops lavender essential oil

10 drops rosemary essential oil

Mix thoroughly and saturate the hair with solution and cover with bag. Save any left-overs for the next night. Leave it on overnight, washing it out in the morning. Comb with a lice comb to be sure to remove nits that may be attached to the hair shafts.

Around the house and school:

Ø Wash bedding and towels in hot soapy water and borax, dry at least 20 minutes in a clothes dryer

Ø Daily, mop, vacuum and clean rugs or simply quarantine them for 10 - 14 days after vacuuming.

Ø Don't forget to vacuum the car and all (upholstered) furniture.

Ø Try hand or manual removal of nits using removal combs, safety scissors, tweezers, scotch tape and a magnifying glass and a bright light, etc. Then disinfect by soaking these items in boiling water.

Ø Thoroughly check all family.

Ø Each child will be examined before being allowed in the classroom by someone who is experienced in checking hair for lice and eggs. This checking should be done using lice sticks (cheap wooden sticks) a new sticks for every child. Checking each child with your fingers is a grand way to pass along an adult louse from one child to the next.

Ø Children with lice should be sent home to be deloused. Children's clothing (hats, scarves, and coats) should be separately bagged, not hung side-by-side, using plastic bags, until all children are clear for at least two weeks.

Victor Ness HD

victorness@sympatico.ca

Feeling Fall-ish

2011-10-06T16:54:21Z

I love fall. I love the weather, the staggering natural beauty, and the seasonal fruits and vegetables that making fall cooking so much fun.

Last weekend, I took my girls out for a nature walk. We wandered through our neighbourhood, and picked an assortment of brilliantly coloured leaves. The variety of foliage was amazing, and we were very, very pleased with our found treasures.

We pulled out some paper and glue and set our imaginations to work! Here's the fruits of our adventure:

This is Princess Kate wearing a very fance "Leaf Hat."

We topped off our fall crafts with some fall baking. Here's a healthy and delicious recipe for Pumpkin Spice Muffins (courtesy of Courtney's great recipe blog) that were quite a hit in our house.

2 cups whole-wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup canned pumpkin, divided

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature

1 egg

6 tablespoons egg whites

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup reduced-fat sour cream

1 ½ cups sugar, divided

½ teaspoon all spice

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup pecans, chopped

Pre heat oven to 350. Prepare muffin tins with cooking spray or muffin papers and cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine ½ cup sugar, pecans and cinnamon; mix until combined.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, all spice and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl cream ½ cup pumpkin, butter and remaining cup of sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg, egg whites and vanilla and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl with rubber spatula. In alternating thirds, add in remaining pumpkin, flour and sour cream. Basically: add in 1/3 of the flour and beat, then add in 1/3 of the pumpkin and beat, then 1/3 of the sour cream and beat; continue until all has been combined.

At this point you have a few options: make 12 large muffins, make 6 large muffins and 12 small muffins, or make 24 small muffins. Typically I make a few large and a few small, but it is up to you and what resources you have. Whatever size combination you decide on, be sure to fill the tins about 2/3. Top each muffin with a teaspoon of the sugar-pecan mixture.

The large muffins will take about 26 minutes to bake while the smaller take about 18 minutes. For both you should rotate the pans halfway through cooking.

We Day

2011-09-27T17:55:31Z

As we speak, there are 18,000 kids at the Air Canada Center along with such mega musical acts as Nelly Furtado, Classified, Kardinal and Joe Jonas. Is it a multi-artist rock festival? No, it's We Day, a huge event organised to inspire and celebrate the youth movement for global change.

In between grooving to their favourite music, performed live, kids are going to learn about serious social and political issues. UN Human Rights High Commissioner Mary Robinson is one of the speakers and in her presentation, she will challenge today's youth to stand up against global injustice and take action against famine in the Horn of Africa. Al Gore will speak to them about the environment and the former president of Ireland will talk about the importance of political activism.

When I read about this event in today's Globe and Mail, I was immediately riveted. I try to expose my kids to a lot - I feel that's part of my job. We run around playing sports, learning music, learning how to practice our religion. This attempt to produce well-rounded, fulfilled human beings is arduous, complex. Unfortunately, there is no formula for raising happy, independent people.

But, I don't think it's enough to learn to play the piano and how to kick a soccer ball. How do they learn to give back if we don't teach them? We talk to them about charity and volunteerism, but not a lot. We say we show by example, but how?

I tell myself, "They're young. Let them enjoy before it all gets so heavy. They're too little to understand." Right now, shouldn't it all be about princesses, soccer tournaments and movie nights? I think it's time. We Day inspired me to challenge my views on this approach. It's not too early to teach them about their role as a world citizen and what they can do - however small - to encourage and implement change. It's my goal to at least sit down with my older kids and talk about We Day with them and see what ideas they have. First, the conversation and then we'll see what happens. The Dialogue begins today.

Making Lunches: A Primer

2011-09-20T17:41:21Z

It's now my third year of making lunches, and I only now feel like I'm getting the hand of doing it successfully. I've been through the disappointment many times: I spend time and efforts planning and implementing creative and nutritious lunches, only to have them return pristine and untouched.

So, I sat down with the kids last year and asked them to write down their favourite lunches and snacks. The conclusion was that simple food is best. They don't want anything fancy, and they don't want anything that's messy or hard to eat. Go figure.

Here's what they had to share:

1. Turkey and cheddar sandwiches on whole-wheat bread or buns. Mayonnaise and tomatoes are no-nos because they make things soggy. Mustard is okay - just a little. Good veggie fillers for sandwiches are sliced cucumber, sprouts and lettuce.

2. Pasta. With sauce for the Boy and just cheese for the Girl. Whole wheat is great. Fusilli and Penne are better than spaghetti because it can be hard to eat and potentially messy.

3. Smorgasboard lunches are a big hit. Cut-up roast chicken, pieces of cheese, cut up red peppers, carrots and cucumber. A couple wedges of whole-wheat pita and it's good to go.

4. Mini cheese pizzas. Pre-frozen, they take 8 minutes in the oven and they're done. I wrap them in foil so they stay warm.

5. Rice and beans. Boil rice. Boil beans. Mix together. Voila! A dish that my kids adore. This recipe is a gift from our Nicaraguan friend. I use brown basmati rice and alternate between kidney and black beans.

6. California Rolls. Once in a while, I will buy sushi from the grocery store and give it for lunch a special treat with edemame.

7. Crackers and cheese. Any cracker, any cheese. Yum.

8. Chicken noodle soup ( I buy the Healthy Choice brand in bulk from Costco) in a thermos with a buttered bun or saltine crackers on the side.

Snacks

I try to put in 3-4 add-ons in the lunchbox to boost nutrition, add variety, texture and fun. Always a fruit, always a vegetable, and always a "treat". Here's my Kids' scoop on this:

1. Apples are hard to eat and makes their faces and hands "sticky". I personally find this hard to understand because I LOVE apples in my lunchbag, but I've got to work within their parameters. They like fruit that's small or cut into small pieces (without going brown hence no cut-up apples or pears). Blueberries, strawberries, clementines, cut-up melon, and bananas are the faves in my house.

2. For veggies, I try to spice it up but they really only ever eat them if it's the following: cucumber (buy the mini ones and you can put them in whole), carrots, red pepper, cooked green beans and cooked broccoli.

3. Cheese. Babybels and cheese strings are the ones they like.

4. Raisins, dried cranberries, dates.

5. Nut-free cookies, like Bear Paws or anything by Dare. I usually give 2 cookies.

What a Difference a Year Makes

2011-09-08T17:04:44Z

This time, last year, I was a panicky basket case. I had just started my new career in teaching at a local college, teaching courses in law, on a part-time basis, to future paralegals and law clerks.

Everything was so new - the place, the people, the courses, the routine. I hadn't worked outside the home in over 3 years, and I felt rusty and nervous about my abilities to take on this new role with vigor.

This September, it's different. I'm still nervous about meeting my new students and communicating effectively with them. But, a lot of stuff is much easier:

--I have friends here: wonderful colleagues who I'm eager to see and chat with. We have lunch together, laugh together and I am so grateful for their support, which has been huge.

--I know my way around the campus. It's a big place, with many buildings and complex tunnels and pathways. That was a big hurdle last year - I was often late because I was lost or in the wrong place at the wrong time.

--I'm more comfortable leaving my kids. They're older, all in school and seem largely unaware that I'm not around a couple days a week!

--I'm more efficient at working at home. I take a lot of work home - lesson planning and marking. Last year, I attempted to work at night, but soon realised that I was too tired at the end of dinner, bath and bedtime to actually get anything done. Now I get up early and work before the kids get up. I enjoy my morning coffee and the quiet - a good combo that helps me be productive.

--I don't get stressed if I can't answer every student's question. I know when to say "I don't know." and that it's okay to look it up and have the answer for next class.

Not ready

2011-09-06T02:31:38Z

Here I am again. Making lunches, taking out clothes for tomorrow, cleaning backpacks. Summer came and went in flash.

We settled into an easy routine of sleep-ins, late breakfasts, pj's till noon, and lazy afternoons in the yard or park. The last few weeks of August I kept my kids close with no big plans; I wanted to savour their closeness knowing that this time would come.

I love the fall, with its cool breezes and return to routine. But, I'm not ready to part with summer, or with my kids. I feel like they've already grown and changed over these summer months. Their bodies, tanned and longer - bigger, older. Time is passing so quickly and the change in season magnifies this passing.

How do I make it slow down? I try to write things down, take many pictures. The days with them are golden and quick. Like a home movie on fast forward.

Eid Mubarak!

2011-08-31T23:10:14Z

Yesterday marked the end of 30 days of fasting. The month felt long while I was fasting, but now seems like it went by very fast. I definitely feel a cleanse physically and mentally, and my appetite has shrunk (I'm hoping to keep that going as long as I can...). Every year, I promise myself that I will maintain the heightened spirituality in the home that is cultivated during Ramadan. I'm doing the same this year with my fingers crossed.

We marked our celebration yesterday with prayers held at the Metro Toronto Convention Center (see picture above from the event, from yesterdays Globe and Mail). It is powerful to be there with thousands of other Muslims all sharing their experience together. i love the fashion parade from all over the Muslim world - the clothes were amazing!

We finished the day with fabulous late lunch at my brother and sister-in-law's home. Delicious biriyani and bhagara bhaingan hit the spot and we had a quiet family evening, satiated at home, opening presents and drinking tea. My in-laws were in town from Calgary for the holiday, which added to the celebratory feeling.

Here's a pic of our family dressed up for Eid!