Recipe- Baking a simple Bread

It’s the season that babyA loves bread sandwiches and I usually have the urge to bake breads, cakes, cupcakes. I wanted to try bread since long and the way steffi from madras samayal explains the methodology of cooking it looks like a cake walk so followed her recipe and it worked really well. We had a lovely relishable salmon sandwiches for dinner. Since its homebaked I don’t have to worry if it’s expired or not. BabyA also can eat bread which is baked at home. For now we have tried with All purpose flour but have plans to try with whole wheat too.Once I feel comfortable with it il update in my column. So now let’s look at the ingredients needed

Maida/All purpose flour – 4 cups
Yeast – 1 pack
Warm Milk – 3/4 cup
Water – 1/2 cup
Sugar – 3 tbsp
Salt – 1tsp
Butter- 4 tbsp

Method involved

Step1: Activating the yeast
Please do add sugar to the lukewarm milk and then yeast is to be added and allowed for 5 to 10 mins to settle down and the fermentation process takes place in this time. Fermentation process is main step in the dough making for the bread. Once done let’s plan for the making  of the dough

Step2 Dough making
In a mixing bowl, add salt to the all purpose flour And then the fermented yeast with 1/2 cup water and then the butter. Mix all and make it into a soft sticky dough. Once a sticky dough is formed transfer to the workspace and knead the dough for some 20 minutes to form a fluffy soft dough.stretch it in all angles and knead as it softens and it will be perfect.

3. Allowing it to settle down
Once the dough is perfect grease a bowl with cooking spray or oil and place the dough on the greased bowl and wait till it doubles and it will take approximately 2 hours to double the quantity. Place it in a spot where usually the idli batter is kept for fermenting
4. Now after this process take to the workarea and spread it into a sheet and roll them in a rectangular shape in a manner such that it fixes the loaf pan.
5. Grease the pan with oil And place the dough  inside the pan and let it settle down and this process is known as proofing. It will take half an hour to double the quantity. Once it is kept it is requested to close with cling wrap so that you can have a look at it.
6. Once doubled preheat the oven to 350F and then place the pan to bake for around 35 minutes to 40 minutes. Or until it reaches golden brown.
7. Remove it and grease butter over the bread and remove the bread from the pan and place in a plate or cooling rack.
8. Once cooled down you can cut into slices of your choice.

Enjoy your bread!!

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Help- I doubt if my baby is happy with Breastmilk!!

Many ladies assume they do have a low supply and switch to formula or cow’s milk without having an actual proof. When asked they say we don’t know why there is a low supply!

Many have a huge list why do they believe they  have a low supply and now we are going to answer them that their supply isn’t low with few facts

 

1.My baby is always hungry and cries

Babies breastfeed not only to fulfil their tiny stomach but also to get a bond with her/his mom; a sort of relaxation; warmth. Usually elders tend to forget what they did during their new mommy days and say her daughter or daughter-in-law that there is no milk supply and force them to believe their milk supply is less and move towards formula feed.

 

2. I used to leak and now I don’t

A mom who thinks/says like this is a person who doesn’t know about the anatomy and science of breastfeeding. It’s one of the miracles of almighty. It’s everything with the demand and supply. Once the body knows how much the baby needs it will regulate based on the needs of the baby. Being a mommy of 16 month old I haven’t leaked even a single time and it doesn’t mean my baby is underweight. Al hamdulilah and thanks to almighty for a healthy living.

 

3. My baby doesn’t wait till I try to offer

Usually parents associate crying to hunger. It’s not of that sort. There are many cues which babies give for what they are crying. They may cry for many reasons like having gas, being colic, sleepy, tired, there might be a growth spurt and so on!! So please do follow the cues and know the reason why they cry and attend based on that.

Credits: Thanks to

4. My baby stays awake all night

Night waking doesn’t only mean to hunger it might also be due to the growth spurt, teething, fever, rashes, cold or reverse cycling where the babies get confused between day and night and do the process opposite.

 

5. My breasts feel softer than earlier

Once the flow is regulated based on the baby’s need there will be a change in the size of the breast and it doesn’t have any relation to the milk supply.

 

These are few reasons to know that your milk supply isn’t really low. To know if your milk supply is low check for two stuffs which are important

 

1. Baby’s Weight

Only best measure is to check the weight of the baby.

 

2. Diaper output

We can figure out with the output based on how much the input is. A normal baby’s output will be 3 poops approximately and 5 to 6 wet diapers. And if the baby is active apart from the nap hours then your supply is perfect

 

3. Do check if there is a good latch and hear the swallowing/gulp sound.

 

4. Follow your instinct

 

If you really feel your supply is low please do visit the lactation consultant for further help

We happened to visit aquarium twice with babyA and she enjoyed both the trips and I wanted to continue the memory within her in some form. So when I happened to check the list of best toddlers series I happened to check this book. Such a wonderful book to introduce the crab, octopus, shipwreck, dolphins and so on. And as I expected she was able to enjoy the colourful stuffs in the book. This is a must read book now when we are bored as she brings and give it to me.

What I Loved about this book?

• Lovely illustration [Simple words and introduction of characters in a wonderful manner as well as enjoyable way]
• It is a great base for the sea creatures.
• It is helping to create a guessing game with the baby and builds the excitement within them
• It has taught babyA to relate when we take to the store to show the live crab market.
• It also has introduced little other stuff like ball, fishes, a complete coral reef to the toddlers in a wonderful playful way.

We also play hide and seek within the home to explore the home and introduce the concepts within home in a playful manner.

Like the little crab our little BabyA is exploring our home and finds out her mumma and papa in the home. She enjoys playing hide and seek and we are so obsessed with the concept of Sea that we have whales, dolphins inside the home. :p

You can purchase the book here and I do highly recommend the book !!

Baby Led Weaning- Our Tips

When babyA was inside me getting nurtured, I did a complete plan of how I should work on, with the growth of babyA. I was mocked, teased a lot for being called an Internet mom but they all forget that this technique which I am practising was followed centuries back before the finding of the mixer, mashers, diapers, etc. I am happy for being called so as I wanted my baby to be given a space to explore and come up with a solution for this. One such practical plan was to do baby led weaning and I am very happy that I achieved this for sure with the support from my hubby and my parents.
With too much of mocking around I took a privilege of exclusive breastfeeding till 6+ months and then when I felt she was able to sit unassisted planned for solids. Her first baby led weaning meal was long slices of banana. Easy to chew for a toothless baby and full of healthy fats. I didn’t want to give her pureed food at all. And now in the 14 months mark we eat everything and anything the family eats with almighty’s grace. In this blog, I will be answering all the questions based on my findings in shaa Allah!!

What can be given as a first food when we plan for solids??

I chose banana as I felt it’s easy to chew and full of healthy fat. Apples and pears can be given either in a grated form or steamed form. I preferred grated as I felt it’s easy for her as well as me. We also had chicken, fish, scrambled eggs. Strawberries, grapes all to be sliced and given as these all have choking hazards. Raw banana fry, plantains, banana flowers, curd, dosas, idlis, chappathis, pancakes, paniyarams what not but everything cut into small pieces.

When you offer the food the babies won’t accept on day 1. They will play and enjoy with the food. It took 8 good days for alizeh to eat the food on her own, without anyone helping her. I usually give her space and time to explore with the food and once she skips I make sure I breastfeed her. Before you introduce the solid it is suggested to  nurse them 30 minutes to 45 minutes before giving solids as the babies won’t try new food if they are hungry.

We have been cooking special for babies till they are 3! Should we cook special??
       When they see babyA eat the family food which we eat I get judged easily by peer moms. Babies should be given special food till a certain age. And it’s an art to cook special food for the babies. You don’t have patience to up bring your child. You are making the baby starve by not cooking special food.
No I don’t make my baby starve by following the baby led weaning. I don’t stress myself for making her to eat. I have given her the freedom to explore and eat the way she likes. Usually babies know what to eat and how to eat and how much to eat. Till 1 year it’s advisable not to add salt and sugar. I followed the minus sugar concept but didn’t follow the minus salt concept as babyA knew the difference between the salt version and non-salt version of the food and also 40 mg of sodium intake can be given on a whole so made sure we used less salt in our diet. Everything was taken in moderation except the sugar. I didn’t stress myself to give pureed food as there wasn’t necessary in my case. Thanks to almighty.
She knows to chew the food which is main thing and with almighty’s grace we have succeeded the art of eating. Al hamdulilah

Is it messy always??

       The answer is Yes in my case. Baby A in the age of 14 months I can expect only a messy eater. I cannot expect a disciplined one in this 14 months and expecting that is too much as she is a baby still. They are bound to be messy one. Only when we go out I feel embarrassed at times but we enjoy that too! What we do is keep a paper below her chair so it’s easy to clean up the mess. But luckily the hotel management has supported us to clean the mess on own but my hubby helps me in cleaning it up.

How to know if my baby is ready for solids?
      Food before 1 is for Fun. This is the theory which I followed. Whatever she eats I supplement with the breastmilk after her solid intake. Now let us look into the answer for the question

• WAIT till the baby sists unassisted.
• Wait till baby reaches 6 months of age.
• Check if baby has lost the tonge-thrust reflex.
• Baby should have developed the longer grasp.

If the above stuffs have been achieved then your baby is ready for the solid introduction in shaa Allah

How to know if your baby has completed their meal?
     As said earlier babies know how much to eat. Forcing them to complete the meal makes the kid to hate the food and create an aversion towards it. Allow them to eat how much ever they want to eat. Once they complete their meal they will get ready to play with the food. Just make sure a balanced meal is been offered for the baby.

Don’t ever compare your baby with the peer baby which in turn gives you as well as the baby pressure. Give adequate amount of water as per the suggestions from the WHO.

If you have any suggestions or any questions please do leave a comment here or mail us at salma.mehajabeen@gmail.com
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Chocolate chip Cookies

Suddenly a week back I had an insatiable craving for chocolate chip cookies and wanted to taste them all of a sudden. Tried reaching Faru so when he is back from work he can bring home some cookies. Couldn’t reach him as he was busy with his meetings and by the time he called back I made up  my mind to make cookies at home  with the help of babyA. When I asked her if we can bake cookies? Her answer was a big YES with a big smile on her face. While I kept the ingredients on the table she was so excited and wanted to have a look at what am I upto! She wanted to sit in her high chair so she can have a view of the work happening in the worktable. The recipe, courtesy of kawaiisweetworld cookies with a minute tweak was a big hit!! This crispy chewy choco chip cookies is a hit with the glass of milk as said in the recipe too!!

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup butter, melted
1 ½ cup packed sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 whole egg + 1 egg yolk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F and please do line the parchment paper on the tray.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

Stir butter, white sugar until well combined.

Add in egg and egg yolk for richness and vanilla extract to butter and sugar mixture, and stir to combine.

Add in chocolate chips and mix in until evenly distributed.

Place the mixture covered inside the refrigerator for half an hour.

Scoop out 2 T. of dough per cookie, and roll cookie dough into balls and place them in a 3 inch distance apart.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Let it to cool down and store it for after use or you can enjoy the cookies once cooled down.

Recipe Courtesy: Kawaiisweetworld

Do try out and please do let me know how it turned out! I would love to see it.