Thursday, July 19, 2012

Steak with Lemon Sauce


Steak with masked potatoes

My Mother In-Law Taught Me This Delicious and Easy Recipe

Ingredients


2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
600 g beef steaks ( about 5 portions)
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup red wine
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cube beef Maggi
Salt and Black Pepper to taste
1 tbsp corn starch


Directions


  1. In  a preheated grill skillet, sauté the garlic in olive oil.
  2. When golden, add the steaks and flip over until the surface is cooked.
  3. Pour the lemon juice, wine, salt and pepper and simmer for 3 minutes.
  4. Add the boiling water and the Maggi cube, simmer for 15 minutes. 

Secret Trick: For a thicker sauce, mix corn starch with a little of cold water, pour over the mixture and boil for few minutes.

*Serve with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables.

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Monday, July 16, 2012

Tips on Going to the Restaurant with your Baby

crying baby at a restaurant


We all need to go out, change our mood a little especially those of us who are stay at home moms. But finding a baby sitter isn't always easy and we end up stuck at home just to avoid the screaming and fussing scene our baby could perform when he is out of the house.Try following these tips to have a relaxing quiet dinner with your family.

1- Rush Hours aren't a good idea: Avoid going to the restaurant during rush hours - no Sundays, Holidays or prime times- choose  a time when it's not the busiest so if your baby decides to make a scene there won't be that many people around to see it. You'll also be seated sooner and get quicker service by dining earlier in the evening. If you can, call beforehand to find out the best time to make a reservation.

2- Choose a convenient restaurant: Not a children restaurant because it will be too crowded for you and the baby nor a five-star candlelit restaurant that will mind having children around.

3- Feed baby before you leave: Try feeding your baby before you leave the house and if you're lucky he will sleep at the work and all the way throughout the dinner.

4- A well prepared baby-bag: Get his bag ready an hour sooner so you can make sure that you haven;t forgot anything: enough diapers, wipes, a change, sippy cup or bottle anything your child will or might need.

5- Take a corner table. Ask to sit away from any other guests if you can. You won't feel as bad if Baby starts to fuss, and it will give you some privacy if you need to nurse.

6- Bring him plenty of distraction: but avoid toys that makes too much noise.

7- Make it short: a baby doesn't have so much patience to handle long hours of slow dining. As Baby gets older, he might be able to handle longer amounts of time in one place.

8- Relax. If your child does act up in the restaurant, do your best to calm him down, but don't let it ruin the evening. Chances are almost everyone in the place has been in your situation at one time or another. If fussiness does turn into a full-blown meltdown, you or your spouse can take your baby outside or to the car for a break. Sometimes a simple change of scenery does the trick.

Sometimes it sounds so hard to go out when your baby is still too young but you need a change, and you cannot end up locked in that house just because you don't know how to handle your baby at a public place. Let those "How To Be Super Mom"tips be your guide and enjoy that dinner!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Potty Training Step-By-Step Program

cartoons for a potty training child


Potty Training is a very important development in our child's life. It helps him become independent and have stronger self-confidence. Whether you have decided to choose the early training, late training or potty train at 2 years old you will need to follow some steps in order to proceed and progress. I will suggest steps to follow based on my readings and my personal experience as a mother. Noting that potty training Nour lasted 2 months, it was relatively fast, easy and I am so proud of our experience that I would love to share it with you. At 28 months she was clean day and night and since then we never experienced any sudden accidents. So allow me to offer you this small guide maybe it'll help you.

  • Buy a potty or a child's seat. In my case, we bought a beautiful colored child's seat that Nour chose herself. It is red, yellow and navy blue, she decorated it with Winnie the pooh stickers and it had built-in stairs to help her climb.
  • Decide on the terminology you will use to refer to the bladder and bowel function (wee/poo - pipi/caca ) and tell your child what the potty is for. Explain to him how big kids don't do it in their nappies - use yourself and his dad as an example since you are his role models.
  • Suggest that she sits on it to see what it's like, you can do it as a daily routine in the morning and at bedtime too.

You can start with those  first steps few months before starting the real training. Doing this you will be preparing your child to the idea of using the seat and if you do it right he will be so excited to start using the potty and the progress will be fast. Exactly what happened with my daughter. We started these steps when she was 20 months old and by the time she was 24 months old she was so excited to remove those diapers that it took us 2 months only to be completely clean, accidents-free!

  • Try to figure out what time your child usually urinates and catch the motion by putting your child on the pot/seat and if you do catch urine or stool show pleasure and approval but don't go overboard.
  • Depending on the willingness of your child, increase the frequency of pot sessions. Look at books with her while she sits on it, play games, teach her stuff ( we learned "what is this animal favorite food? "while potty training). The point about this increased length of time is that you increase the chances of something ending up in the potty. Never force her to sit on it for longer that she wants!
  • Teach your child to tell you when has passed urine or a bowel motion. Every time you change her diaper tell her: "Is pee pee annoying you honey? Maybe next time you could tell mommy so she will change your diaper fast" Same thing goes for the bowel motion. Little by little your child will learn to pass the message to you and that means she is being aware of having urinated which is more important than the awareness of impending urination or bowel motion.
  • When you feel that you're baby is happy and making some progress you can give a little more to drink before offering her to sit on the potty that way you will be increasing the chance of her urinating while sitting and that will make her so proud. They love to hear the sound of pee in the water cabinet my daughter clapped every time she went and I never forgot to cheer for her and reward her with a sticker. Always leave the big prize till the end or else you will be spending a fortune on potty training.
  • Buy her nice colored under wears, this will encourage her to remove the nappies faster.
  • At some point during the progress of the training, you should consider removing the diapers for at least 5 hours a day to make sure that she will pass urine during that time. It is a bit messy but it's worth it it will push the training forward. I owe this precious advice to a friend, and she is right. With those advance nappies a child is never annoyed from a little urine, he won't be encouraged to pee in the seat unless he feels the water going down his legs and seeing the mess it makes. 
  • When going out while still in training, put nappies on unless you think it's a safe bet she can hand on long enough not to wet herself.
  • Encourage greater independence in using the potty. Make sure the potty or the seat are easy to reach, teach your child how to pull down and up his pants and how to sit securely.
  • Try to stay as calm and happy as you can. I consider potty training to be one of the most difficult stages but hey! It'll pass faster and smoother if you take it easy - don't loose it when your kid makes a mess. Always learn to praise his efforts and never make a big deal of accidents your will discourage your child and pull the training backwards.
I hope that those steps will help you throughout your training. How to Be Super Mom is always around for help leave your comments or visit my page, Like, and leave your question.

Related Posts

Late Potty Training Pros and Cons
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Sweet & Sour Star Sandwiches

Kids Meal Jam Sandwich
A Creative Sweet and Sour Snack

Ingredients

4 slices of bread
Apricot Jam
Strawberry Jam
Cream Cheese of your choice
Labneh
Dried mint
Star cookie cutter
Small circle cookie cutter


Directions
  • Cut 8 stars out of the bread slices.
  • Choose 4 stars and make a hole in the middle of each one
  • Spread apricot jam on one whole star, top it with a holed one and spread the top with cream cheese
  • Spread strawberry jam on the other, top it with a holed star and spread it with cream cheese
  • Spread the 2 remaining stars with Labneh, top it with a holed star, spread a little Labneh as well and sprinkle with dried mint.
Bon Appétit!

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10 Water Games Kids Can Play

Before posting this article I would like to thank Debbie Denard from Nanny.net who recently sent me an email that said :" I spend a lot of time on the Internet browsing blogs, and I must say that yours has caught my attention. Coincidentally, we recently published an article entitled (10 Water Games Kids Can Play) that I believe would draw considerable interest from your readers. If you are interested in sharing with them, then feel free to do so" 
Thank you Nanny.net 

Enjoy the article!


kids water summer games



Whether it comes from a sprinkler, a swimming pool, or the beach, there’s nothing quite like playing in water in the summertime. The mere mention of water is enough to move kids to paroxysms of joy, especially when a trip to the pool is relatively rare. From the sprinkler to the shallow end, here are ten great games that kids love to play on long, hot summer days.
  1. Water Balloon War – Older kids love the competitive nature of a good, old-fashioned water balloon fight. A laundry basket makes a great container for freshly filled balloons; simply line the bottom with a towel to prevent any sharp edges from puncturing the balloons, causing them to detonate early. For a new twist on an old favorite, stage a game of dodge ball, replacing the ball with water balloons.
  2. Water Hose Limbo – Replacing the stick in a traditional round of limbo with the stream from a water hose takes the game to an entirely new level. Limbo is better with several players, so save this one for a day when your brood has their buddies over.
  3. Sponge Relay – A relay race is even more fun when the object is to fill a bucket with the water from a sponge. To play, each team gets two buckets and one sponge; one bucket is filled with water, which kids dunk their sponges into, and the other is left empty. Running to the opposite side of the “track,” each team member wrings the sponge out in the empty bucket and returns to their team. Rather than passing a baton, they pass the sponge. First team to fill their bucket wins.
  4. Marco Polo – Generations of kids have played a rousing round or two of Marco Polo whenever they were poolside; keep the tradition alive by teaching the rules of this classic game to your own youngsters.
  5. Not-Quite Piñata – Everyone loves a piñata; in this twist on the classic party game, water rains down in the place of sugary treats. Fill a ten-gallon garbage bag with water, and suspend it from an overhanging tree branch or other structure. Follow the traditional rules, allowing kids to take turns whacking at the bag with a broomstick. Helpful hint: dress kids in swimsuits, as they’ll get soaked when someone succeeds.
  6. Water Gun Tag – Put those water guns to good use by launching a tag offensive; the person who is “It” gets the water pistol, while all other players attempt to evade her. Because a successful “tag” will leave discernible evidence, there’s no disputing a changing of the guard. Don’t be surprised, however, if the chance to wield a water gun inspires kids to compete for the honor of being named “It!”
  7. Swimming Pool Ring Toss — With nothing more than a handful of ping-pong balls and an inner tube, kids can enjoy hours of entertainment. One child is put in charge of the inner tube, moving it slowly back and forth as another tries to toss the ping-pong balls into the middle. For a low-competition alternative that keeps rivalry at bay, instruct kids to work together to get all of the balls into the middle of the tube, rather than pitting one against the other to prevent it.
  8. Liquid Jump Rope — Substitute the rope for a stream of water from the hose for a great way to keep kids cool while encouraging physically active play during the warm summer months. An older child or adult should control the hose to keep the stream consistent.
  9. Sharks and Minnows – Another classic pool game, Sharks and Minnows is a variation on the traditional game of Tag, modified to suit a swimming pool. At the beginning of the game, the “minnows” line up at the side of the pool while the shark hovers in the middle. At the shark’s count of three, the minnows attempt to swim across without being tagged. When a minnow is tagged, they join forces with the shark and work to capture their former teammates; last minnow swimming is declared the winner.
  10. Swimming Pool Volley Ball – Inexpensive pool volleyball sets can be picked up at your local big-box retailer, and provide hours of summer fun. Because the resistance of the water makes it almost impossible to move quickly, a game of swimming pool volleyball becomes a bit more challenging than its dry-land counterpart. These sets often come with several rackets and a shuttlecock, allowing kids to switch to swimming pool badminton as the mood strikes them.
Though kids absolutely love them, slippery slides with small pools at the end are quite dangerous. Kids should always have strict supervision when using such toys to prevent reckless behavior. Also, pieces of rubber left behind by broken water balloons present a significant choking hazard to small children and can be dangerous to wildlife. Make cleaning up part of the game to ensure that each piece is properly disposed of, and slather on the sunscreen to avoid painful burns.

http://www.nanny.net/blog/10-water-games-kids-can-play/

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Late Potty Training Pros and Cons



Potty training is one of the important milestones in a toddler's life and in ours as well. It takes a fair amount of time for a child to be well trained and requires a lot of patience and creativity from our side to help him be motivated to use the seat and stop wetting himself. The ideal age of starting the training is 2 years old, by then the child's bladder and bowel movement are well developed, his motor skills are improved and his cognitive skills are well established (When are most children potty trained?). But some parents choose to start early training (The early potty training pros and cons) and others decide to go by the late training which is usually discouraged and linked to many health side effects.
In order to give you a reliable article, I went through a number of books, studies, and interviews made with doctors in this field.
All of you must be wondering when is it considered a late potty training?
A late potty training is from 3 years old and up, since most pediatricians and specialists consider that the perfect age is at 2 years old. But as in every subject we find  people that encourage late training and others who assure that it has considerable side effects on a child's mental and physical health.
Dr. Baruch Kushnir, creator of the children DVD "The Magic Bowl: Potty Training Made Easy"  considers that potty training symbolizes progress in the acquisition of independence and control. He warns in an interview on www.sheknows.com that: "When a child is not completely potty trained by the age of four, he becomes an 'exception' and may suffer personal and social embarrassment and disappointments. He may also be exposed to unpleasant reactions from the social environment … and they may damage the child's self-image and self-confidence and interfere with his developing personality.


I- Pros:
  • Fully developed bladder and bowel movement.
  • The child will have achieved his verbal and communication skills.
  • A child after 3 can understand better the concept of rewards.
  • He can master his motor skills - therefor pulling up/down his pants and climbing to the seat sounds very easy to him.
  • He's emotionally ready.

II- Cons:
  • Our child will be ashamed of being one of few untrained kids which will effect his mental health.
  • Physical consequences: When young children become dependent on diapers or pull-ups, they don't learn how to recognize the need to go to the bathroom. Their inability to control their bladder and bowels at an early age can actually affect their bladder and bowel control as they grow older.
  • Late training could lead to bladder control problems and urinary tract infection.
Most of the pediatricians and child care specialists have agreed that the best age to start toilet training is between 1 1/2 and 3. As for the methods to follow, there isn't one golden rule, methods change depending on the child we are dealing with and the degree of development he has reached in all the important skills he will be needing for his training progress.

Reference:

Weltford, Heather. Successful Potty Training
Dr.-Kushnir.com
www.sheknows.com 

Related posts


Early Potty Training Pros and Cons               
Potty Training step by step program















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Sunday, July 08, 2012

Early Potty Training Pros and Cons



Many parent worry that early training could harm the baby emotionally and mentally; this idea has been promoted by pediatricians and child care professionals and it goes back to the bad training methods. Parents in 1920's used harmful and abusive techniques that leaded to emotional side effects upon children.  Pediatricians, like Benjamin Spock and T. Berry Brazelton, argued that pushing children may cause a variety of troubles, including stool withholding, stool toileting refusal, regression, and bed wetting. On the other hand, the few scientific studies on potty training revealed that early training does not cause any problems.
In this article, we will review together the pros and cons of early potty training.

I- Cons:


  1. Children trained earlier tend to take longer to complete training: the youngest the child is the less prepared he is for potty training which will slow the progress.
  2. Infant training steals the child of the sense of pride older children develop when they accomplish the skill on their own, says T. Berry Brazelton, MD, a renowned pediatrician and the author of Toilet Training: The Brazelton Way (Da Capo Press). "When you start that early, you train a reflex, something that isn't conscious in a child," Dr. Brazelton says. "When it works, I'm sure it's rewarding. But when it doesn't, it could increase the parents' tension to the point where they say: 'Oh, my God, I put so much into this, why are they not getting it?' It's a parent-oriented kind of approach, and not a child-oriented approach."
  3. Pushing the child to potty train too early will cause a variety of troubles, including stool withholding, stool toileting refusal, regression, and bed wetting.
  4. Early training is unpractical for parents since they have to analyze their child's every facial expression,it is better to wait until age 2. That's typically when a child expresses interest in potty training and shows signs of readiness ( When are most children potty trained)

II- Pros:


  1. Fewer diaper rashes
  2. Fewer illness: The Rotavirus is less likely to spread among children in daycares if they had fewer diapers to change since this illness is spread by fecal to oral contamination and is extremely contagious. Few studies showed that children wearing diapers and in daycare are at higher risk of getting infectious diarrhea and infectious hepatitis.
  3.  Less risk of bladder problems: Studies showed that late potty training increased risks of bladder control problem and urinary tract infection.
  4. Positive effect on both the environment and economic situation: Early training has financial benefits related to the substantial costs of diapers and environmental benefits when we cut the use of diapers.
  5. Natural bonding experience: Just like breastfeeding, potty training is a natural bonding experience between baby and his mother. Social connections develop as they both communicate, touch and spend quality time together.
In general, it is advised to wait till your child is 24 months, then he will be ready and the process will be easier to both of you. You will still benefit from all the advantages of early training even if trained after 2. My advice to you, is to start preparing your baby to the idea since he is 18 months. Always refer to the fact that you and his dad use the bathroom instead of diapers, take him to choose the potty or baby seat (as I did), let him decorate it with stickers of his choice. Start practicing sitting on potty once a day without expecting any progress since you are just preparing your kid to the process; this way when he is ready the concept of urinating in the seat will be already planted in his mind and this will lead to faster progress in the training.

Related Posts

Late Potty Training Pros and Cons
When Are Most Children Potty Trained


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When Is The Best Time To Start Potty Training?

potty training


Potty training is one of the important milestones in a toddler's life and in ours as well. It takes a fair amount of time for baby to be well trained and requires a lot of patience and creativity from our side to help our child be motivated to use the seat and stop wetting himself. But before starting, we should understand more about the bladder and the bowel movement development.

The bladder

The adult bladder can hold about 280 ml of urine before the urge to urinate is felt. Urine is made in the kidneys. The kidneys work all the time to regulate the water and salt content of the body, and they maintain the right balance in order to prevent illness.
In a small baby, the physiology of urination is similar; though the kidneys are comparatively immature in their functioning, and aren't designed to cope with a high salt intake or to withstand dehydration. Urine is stored in the bladder in much the same way as in the aduly, thoufh the capasicy of the bladder starts off very small, and grows throughout infance and childhood.
In a baby, the emptying of the bladder is a totally involuntary action, and the sphincter opens in response to the fullness of the bladder; though the reflex can be conditioned to respond to other stimulation like the rim of the potty being placed on the baby's bottom. the frequency of peeing seems to decrease as the months go on, and parents will notice that as their baby grows her diaper is less to be wet. At some point, the child becomes aware that he has passed urine. The next phase is when the child he knows he needs to go in the next second or so. Little by little the child will learn to hold for longer by deliberately controlling the sphincter muscle by not releasing it. this ability increases with physical and social maturity, and with the growing capacity of the bladder.

The Bowel

The function of the bowel in human beings is to complete the digestion and absorption of food begun earlier in the digestive tract, and to send waste material to the rectum where it is stored and later excreted as faeces.
the baby's first bowel motion is called meconium, over the next few days, in average 3 days, the stool changes they will be very loose and daffodil-yellow if breastfed or pale brown and firmer if formula fed.
Again on the pattern of bladder control, the knowledge that she's about to pass a motion is the next stage reached by the child and from there she gets to a phase were passing isn't too urgent.

When is the best time to begin potty training? 18 months? 24 months? or even later?
How to be super mom made all the research needed to give you a helpful answer.

Many parent worry that early training could harm the baby emotionally and mentally; this idea has been promoted by pediatricians and child care professionals and it goes back to the bad training methods. Parents in 1920's used harmful and abusive techniques that leaded to emotional side effects upon children.  Pediatricians, like Benjamin Spock and T. Berry Brazelton, argued that pushing children may cause a variety of troubles, including stool withholding, stool toileting refusal, regression, and bed wetting. On the other hand, the few scientific studies on potty training revealed that early training does not cause any problems.


To be ready for potty training a child should develop certain skills.

1- As we have mentioned before the first thing to be achieved is the bladder and bowel development
2- The second sign of readiness is motor skills. On the average, children will walk around the age of 12 months. Once your child has mastered walking and running, then s/he may be interested in acquiring other "grown up" skills and will start developing other gross and fine motor skills required for potty training. The main motor skill is having enough finger & hand coordination skills to dress and undress and more specifically to pull his/her underpants down and up.

3- Cognitive and verbal skills: the potty training process reuqires a complexe combination of verbal and physical actions. A chid should be able to pull down/up his underwear, stay long enough to finish emptying and all this requires certain amount of concentration for him to understand your explanations and responses and to be able to put them together to understand the whole training process.

4- Emotional growth and social awarness: This is probably the hardest readiness to achieve, especially since children go through phases. The components that will help in determining your child's emotional and social readiness are self mastery manifested by "I can do it" or "I am a big boy/girl now", desire for approval, and social awareness.

In average, kids will have achieved those development around 24 months then, I believe is the best time to start taking potty training seriously.
Follow us everyday to find more articles about potty training.


Reference:
D.G. Vulliamy (1982 edition), The New Born Child (Churchill livingstone)
G.H. Lowrey (1973 edition) Growth and Development of Children (Yearbook Medical Publishers)
http://www.pottytrainingconcepts.com

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Early potty Training Pros and Cons
Late Potty Training Pros and Cons
Step by Step Potty Training Program

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Mickey Mouse Memory Game

How can I make my child eat healthy food

How can I get my kid to eat better? How can I make him eat healthy food?
These two questions are asked by almost all parents, we all want what's best for our children. We all wish we could put them on a healthy, well balanced diet. And in order to do so, you should ask these two questions from the day you give birth. We should not wait until after the damage has been done and say: Oups! My kid hates veggies and fruits and healthy food, what can I do? By then, the solution is hard to be applicable. A kid is like a sculpture, once broken fixing it takes a lot of hard work to be repaired and the damage will always be showing.

Start offering healthy food since day one: cut off all junk food, fried food, plain starchy food like plain pancakes, plain pasta, plain bread and plain rice. Don't let these be a choice of a meal. If you want to offer pancake, offer them with some fruits on the side. You can even draw funny faces to make eating more enjoyable.
When you want to offer pasta to your family, cook it with homemade sauce. It could be a plain tomato sauce or one that is full of vegetables, the importance is to let you child get used to different tastes. Therefore your weekly menu must be rich with different ingredients ( for more help you could use our weekly menus).

Teach yourself how to cook healthy and eat healthy:Learn that you are your child's role model and he will follow your steps. When he sees you eating fruits and veggies he will be encourage to do so.
When you cook, make sure to skip using butter and oil to be serving the best ever for your family. Try steaming or grilling instead of frying. And reduce the use of fattening ingredients: like yellow cheese, heavy cream,... etc.

Let meal time be fun time. It is very important to teach our children discipline during meal time but it is no harm  to add a little fun so kids will look forward to it. Let them help set the table. Kids love to do so. Allow them to choose the color of napkins, set the places of each person, you can even help them make colored place cards.
Invite them to join you at the kitchen, for once they will learn how to cook and this will be very useful to them from many different views and they will be more familiar with the ingredients and enjoy eating what they have helped making.

Make adorable plates: You can make faces with pancakes or vegetables. Make a drawing from colored mashed potatoes. Add shapes and colors. Get creative, that is the key.

So from the first day you look at those small adorable loving eyes, start planning how you will get them to eat better. Don't let things go out of hands but in case they do I will help you with more articles and solutions.

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Friday, July 06, 2012

Thyme & Tomato Salad

fresh thyme and tomatoe salad



A Delicious & Refreshing Lebanese Salad!

Ingredients

1 bunch of fresh thyme
2 medium tomatoes, sliced
1 small white onion, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
4 tbsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Wash the fresh thyme well, toss all the ingredients together and Bon Appétit!

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Lebanese Fish & Rice (Syadyeh)

lebanese fish and rice or syadyeh

This is the easiest Syadyeh version created by How To Be Super Mom

Ingredients


*For the fish marinade

1 kg fish fillet
The juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, cut into julienne slices
2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp salt

*For the rice

1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium onion, cut into julienne slices, caramelized
1 tbsp cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 cube Maggi fish broth  
5 cups warm water or 5 cups fish bouillon

*For the "Tajen" or sesame paste sauce

1 1/2 cup Tahini ( sesame paste)
1/8 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water
1 tp salt
1 large onion, cut into julienne slices
1/3 cup roasted pine nuts
*For the display

Pita bread or Lebanese bread sliced and grilled



Directions


Tip: Read the recipe well, and start preparing the rice, fish and tajen in the same time to finish faster.

Fish Directions

  1. Marinate the fish over night in all the mentioned ingredients
  2. In a preheated pan, grill the fish on high heat until golden
  3. Cover, reduce the heat and leave for 6 minutes or until cooked through


Rice Directions

  1. In a large heated pan, place 1 tbsp olive oil and the 2 onions cut into julienne. Keep stirring until the onions are caramel brown and partially roasted.
  2. Remove from heat
  3. In a pot, pour 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 chopped onion, cook until golden
  4. Add the rice, and stir for 1 minute
  5. Add the cumin, cinnamon and salt, stir.
  6. Add half of the caramelized Julienne onions, stir well.
  7. Add the water, cover and bring to the boil
  8. Add the Maggi Fish cube
  9. Reduce heat and simmer until water dries

Tajen Directions

  1. In a large pan, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil, the onions and cook until golden
  2. Meanwhile, in a bowl pour the Tahini
  3. Add the lemon and keep stirring while adding the water little by little. What we want is a diluted cream texture. Stir in the salt.
  4. When the onions are golden, add the Tahini on a high heat, keep stirring to keep it from sticking.
  5. The tahini will have a bubbly appearance when it is done.
  6. Add the pine nuts and serve, aside, in a small bowl 

Syadyeh takes a long time to cook,  and if I was to follow my grandma's recipe I would never dream of finishing on time. That is why I decided to make my own recipe. Do try it and tell me what you think.



Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Egg-less Chocolate Custard Cream

Chocolate pound cake


Super Mom egg-less custard cream is amazing with pound cake!


Ingredients

2 cups milk
3 tbsp flour
1 cup sugar
4 tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp butter
2 tbsp Wiskey
A marble pound cake 


Directions


  • In a sauce pan, pour the milk and add the flour. 
  • Keep whisking and place over high heat.
  • Add the sugar and bring to the boil, then reduce to low heat while stirring constantly.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients and keep stirring until the mixture thickens about 10 minutes.
  • Remove from heat and allow to cool.
  • Cut your pound cake into 3 layers, spread the egg-less custard, put the layers all together and frost the cake with the same custard cream. 
  • Chill for 1 hour before serving. 
  • Serve it cool.
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Pound Cake: Vanilla, Chocolate and Marble

pound cake
Let your children participate in the baking, my 4 year old did most of the job on these cakes!

Ingredients

1 cup smoothed butter or for a lighter version 1 cup of Canola oil
2 cups of white sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract or a pinch of vanilla powder
1 tsp lemon zest
2 tsp orange Grand Marnier or any liquor of your choice
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp Baking Powder
1 cup milk
4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, for the chocolate batter


Directions

Preheat oven to170 degrees C
Prepare 3 rectangle 8*20*8 cm baking tin or one round shaped, 20 cm diameter, baking tin.
Brush butter on all sides, sprinkle with flour and set aside.
Whisk the butter and the sugar until you get a whitish creamy mix.
While the electrical whisk is still on, add the eggs, vanilla, lemon zest and liquor.
Add the milk and keep whisking.
On the side, mix the baking powder and the flour in a bowl, and start adding the mixture little by little to the batter.
When all the ingredients are well combined, pour approximately 1/3 of the cake batter in one rectangular tin, only to 2/3 of it's height. In the second tin, pour a little of the vanilla batter and set aside.
Add the Cocoa powder to the cake batter, mix well and fill one whole tin of chocolate mix As for the tin half full of white batter pour the chocolate over and with a wooden spoon make a wavy move.
If baked in rectangular tins, bake on a 170 degrees C for 25 minutes, then on 130 degrees C for 35 minutes or until baked through. 
If baked in a round cake, 30 minutes in a 170 degrees heat will do it.
Fill it and frost it as wished and you got yourself a delicious, easily made cake for the whole family to enjoy.

P.S: You must know that you should never open your oven until the cake has been baking for at least 25 minutes.

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Friday, June 29, 2012

Thai Chicken Balls

Thai Chicken Balls

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Total cooking time: 40 minutes
Makes about 50 balls

Ingredients

1 kg minced chicken
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
5 spring onions, sliced
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
1 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp lemon juice
oil, for shallow frying

Directions

Preheat the over to 200 degrees C.
Mix the chicken and breadcrumbs together.
Add the spring onion, ground and fresh coriander, chili sauce and lemon juice, and mix.
With wet hands, form into evenly shaped balls.
Heat around 3 cm oil in a deep frying pan until a cube of bread browns in 15 seconds.
Cook the balls few at a time until golden.
Bake on a baking tray until cooked through.

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Free Printable Mickey Mouse Board Game

Start offering your children homemade board games. They are free, easy and you can print a new one every day.

Printable Mickey Mouse Board Game
 
Game Rules: Be the first to get Mickey to the castle.
Star: Pick a card*
Mickey sorcerer: Play twice
Sleeping Baby Mickey: Skip your turn

* Print out those tasks cards
Mickey Mouse Tasks Cards

Tip: make the board game look more pro.

Supplies Needed

Free Printable Board Game
Laminating Film
Construction Paper

Directions

Print out the desired board game, glue it on the construction paper and laminate it and you have a brand new pro. board game. Enjoy!


Learn More About "How To Be Super Mom"

Dear Fans,

Allow me to introduce myself: my name is Maria, I am a mother of 2, Nour and Sophia. I have a master's degree in Social Sciences, and have been writing parenting articles, cooking recipes and knitting patterns for 2 years. A month ago I decided to open my own blog, gather all my info., and share all of my articles with My fans. I started a facebook page as well ( Visit and Like) so I get to know my fans better, start interesting contests, and give you, parents, a chance to share your thoughts with us. You can send me your recipes, or write an article about you or anything you want, send it to me by message and if it's up to standards will be published on my Blog under your name.
The goal for creating my blog was to help all mothers organize their lives and find more time to spend with their children. In order to do so, I posted easy and delicious recipes, easy kids crafts, parenting advice and tips, beauty advice so all our dear mothers will get to keep their beauty cost-free, Homemade baby food recipes, Free printable games for kids, and I will be escorting you on every holiday with plenty of ideas and recipes.
Please enjoy my blog, I will always be waiting for your comments.

Maria-El Aaraj

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Caramelized Sole Fish

fish with caramelized onions

 For a better result chill overnight!

Prepartion time: 30 minutes
Serves 5

Ingredients


1 large onion, cut into julienne slices
9 tbsp olive oil ( reserve 3 for the salad)
250 ml red wine vinegar
50 g raisins
500 g sole fillets, cut crosswise into pieces about 5 cm wide*
1 tbsp plain flour
1/8 cup pine nuts
1 bunch of rocket leaves
1/3 cup orange juice

Directions

  1. In a preheated frying pan, heat 1/3 of the oil. Add the onion slices with a little of salt and pepper. Caramelize the onion slices by cooking them on a very low heat for 20 mns until soft and richly browned.
  2. Add the red wine vinegar and the raisins to the onions. Heat to boiling, and boil for 2 minutes.
  3. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.
  4. Aside, season the flour with salt and black pepper and coat the fish pieces with the flour mixture.
  5. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, and cook the fish over medium heat until browned, 2-3 minutes.
  6. Spread the sole in the baking dish, and cover them with the vinegar mixture
  7. Sprinkle with roasted pine nuts, cover tightly and leave to marinate in the refrigerator from 12 to 24 hours.
  8. Mix the orange juice with 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and black pepper to taste
  9. Pour over rocket leaves
  10. Serve the fish on a bed of rocket leaves salad  
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Vegetable Fish rolls with Tomato Basil Sauce

vegetable fish rolls

 An easy dish for an elegant dinner

 

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

 

Ingredients

  • 1 zucchini
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 stick celery
  • 4 fish fillets
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp canola oil 
 
For the marinade

1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried basil

For the sauce

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp freshly crushed garlic
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 4 large tomatoes(peeled, seeded and chopped)
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • salt and ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Mix the marinade ingredients, pour over the fish fillet, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour minimum.

  1. Preheat a large skillet or grilling pan.
  2. Cut vegetables into 10 cm thin strips
  3. Place fillets and season with black pepper and salt
  4. Divide vegetable strips amongst fillets, and roll up around vegetables.
  5. Secure with toothpicks.
  6. Pour canola oil over moderately heated skillet, cook the fish on high heat for 2 mns, turning them over.
  7. Then reduce the heat and cover, and allow to grill until cooked through for approximately 15 minutes.

To make the sauce:

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add onions and garlic, and cook stirring until the onions are soft.
  2. Add wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, and salt and black pepper to taste.
  3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the sauce slightly thickens. 
  4. Add basil, and stir well.
  5. Spoon sauce over fish rolls 
You can serve it on a bed of steamed, long grain, white rice

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Tandoori Fish

 

tandoori fish

  A quick, delicious and spicy recipe for all fish lover to enjoy!

Ingredients

1/2 cup yogurt
1 tsp mild chili pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp garam masala
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp tomato purée
4 tbsp lime juice
700 g fish fillet, cut into 4 pieces

Directions

Mix together the yogurt, chili powder, paprika, cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam, masala, garlic, tomato purée, and lime jice.
Place the fish in a large, non metallic dish.
Pour over the marinade and turn to cover.
Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
Preheat the grill to high. Place the marinated fish in an oven tray.
Place under the grill and cook for 8 minutes or until the fish is cooked through, turning once.
You can serve the fish with Raita

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Free Summer Memory Game

A Free gift from How To Be Super Mom: a free printable summer memory game

summer memory game


Tip: When you print it out cover it with laminating film this will keep it from water stains and crease

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Free Printable Dora the explorer memory Game


Monday, June 25, 2012

Free Colors & Shapes Exercise (1)

English: Color the squares in blue, rectangles in green, triangles in purple, circles in red, ovals in yellow and triangles in pink.

French: colorie les carrés en bleu, les rectangles en vert, les cercles en rouge, les ovales en jaune et les triangles en rose.

Colors and shapes exercise for children

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English: Follow the code to color the image

French:  Colorie ce dessin en respectant le code.

color the shapes

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 English: Color the small balls in red and the big balls in green

French: Colorie les grands ballons en vert et les petits en rouge

big and small exercise

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Coloring Exercise (1)



English: Follow the code to color the image
French: Colorie le dessin en suivant le code



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English: Color the image following the same order to give Mr. owl 2 identical wings
French: Colorie ce hibou pour qu il ait 2 ailes identiques

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English: Color the rainbow using the following colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple
French: Colorie cet arc-en-ciel en utilisant les couleurs suivantes: rouge, orange, jaune, vert, bleu et mauve.

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Ecrire les lettres minuscules




Ecrire Les Lettres Minuscules(a,b,c)

Free Printable Summer Game: Fruits and Vegetables Cards

Those cards are a free gift from How To Be Super Mom to all of  your mothers. Now your kids can learn the difference between fruits and vegetables and learn to differentiate them. There are many ways to play this game:
1- Ask your child to make one pile of fruits and one pile of vegetables
2- Ask your child to find the convenient plant or tree, and ask him where does this fruit grow on? This way he will learn if they grow on trees, on plants or underground.
3- Ask him what do we use to make a salad, and he will pick the right ingredients. Or "make me a fruit salad"
4- Place a long line of fruits and one veggie and let him find the intruder

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fruits and vegetables


fruits and vegetables

fruits and vegetables