Monthly Archives: March 2016

Sticking to healthy eating

Posted on March 17, 2016 | 3 comments

I just realised that it is harder to stick to a diet once I started working than when I was staying home. When I was working out, I started to eat healthy which meant we didn’t buy any junk food at all. Because sometimes it is so hard to control the cravings so it was best to make no junk food available at home.

On top of that we introduced healthier food into our diet. So along with exercise, it was easier for me to stay in shape.

It has been a month now that I am back at work and it seems like I am eating unhealthy food (cake, chocolates, and chips) more frequently. We have someone’s birth every now and then so the cake is always around. Also with the cake there will be chips and dips and sausage rolls which are hard to resist. I know I need to be in control more but it is so easy to let go when you see everyone else eating.

farewell (2)

It seems rude not to go to morning teas you are invited to as it is a good way to socialise but sometime saying no to cakes makes me stand out from the norm. Last week I went to one morning tea and didn’t eat anything as there was nothing healthy, no fruits at all but I was so happy when I went to one today and saw this healthy platter.

IMG_1589

It had celery, carrot and capsicum with some cheese and biscuits. Perfect for someone who is trying to watch what they eat. I am definitely going to make sure we have this platter along with fruit platters on every morning tea we organise so I can eat without feeling guilty.

How are you eating healthy when there is so much unhealthy food around? So much temptation everywhere you go.

What do you say to decline politely if someone offers you a piece of cake?

Take Care,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

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Posted in Being Mum, Health

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Blessed to be a mum :)

Posted on March 16, 2016 | 3 comments

Every day since Chhori came to this world, I feel so blessed to be a mum. A lot of small and big things have happened in the past year which has made my life so happy. Sometimes I wonder why I waited so long to have a baby but then I know the answer for that too  :).

Chhori (3)

As I mentioned in the previous post, I exercise in the morning a few days a week. Today when I woke up at 6 o’clock to do my exercise before work, Chhori decided to wake up too. I tried unsuccessfully to put her back to sleep and eventually took her out of her cot and to the lounge where I was going to exercise.

Chhori (2)

I let her sit on the sofa while I turned on the TV and put my exercise video on. I am doing HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) exercise 20-30 minutes in the morning. I change the routine everyday so I don’t get bored.

I started my exercise with mountain climbing and squats. She was just sitting quietly and watching what I was going. Then I started jumping jacks. Once I started jumping she started smiling at first and then laughing and clapping. That moment was so cute; I couldn’t help but laugh with her. As I repeated the routine, she kept laughing making my day so much brighter.

Chhori (1)

I also did a few set of burpee and I need to jump for that and she loved it too and she was so happy watching me. I am so happy that she woke up and enjoyed watching me exercise.

After a few other routines, I had to exercise lying on my back. As I started doing crunches, she got down from the sofa and went to touch my tummy and legs. I was feeling ticklish at the time but AS came to my rescue and took her away for a while. I did finish all my routine and I felt so good that Chhori was around all the time.

Chhori (4)

I know she won’t wake up so early every morning but now I know that if she does, I will not try to put her back to sleep but will enjoy the extra time I can spend with her.

Because of the great start of the morning, I am feeling really great today.

I hope everyone out there is having a great day too. Take care.

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

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Getting healthier and fitter after a baby

Posted on March 15, 2016 | 4 comments

Post baby body is a subject talked about a lot. Even before I was pregnant, I used to read about the effect of pregnancy and so forth.

Of course, if you have grown a small human being inside your tummy, your body needs to adjust to that so it is not surprising that the body changes so much. The only thing I wanted while I was pregnant was having a healthy bub and thank God Chhori is perfectly healthy and happy.

Long before I fell pregnant, I told myself, I am going to exercise as normal while pregnant and not make pregnancy an excuse to binge eat.

myoga

I did not do so bad with the pregnancy, as I only ate a few days without thinking and kept exercising unit the day before the birth. I am happy about it but I still managed to put on 18 kilos in total. The recommended average weight gain is 15kg so I was slightly worried that I went above the average even after putting in so much effort but when I looked at Chhori for the first time, it was all worth it.

my pregnancy

When Chhori was 3 months old, I joined a gym and I have shared the ups and downs of it in this blog. After around 6 months, I discovered that my gym did HIIT (high intensity interval training) classes and I joined the session almost every day. Even though I exercised only 30 to 45 minutes a day 4-5 times a week, I saw changes to my body within few weeks. exercising (1)

With exercise and diet, I managed to loose almost all the extra kilos from my body. One of the major changes, I made to my diet was introducing quinoa in place of rice or roti or bread. I know there are people who believe in super foods while others don’t. But for me it worked and I am now in a very healthy weight range again.

Different people have different goals after pregnancy and mine was to be fitter and healthier again and after last week, I have to admit to myself that I have done well. Last weekend I went to a friend’s daughter’s birthday party; it was a fine autumn afternoon in the park and we all had heaps of fun including Chhori who was pushing the walker everywhere.

chhori

Anyway, in that party, I met many people who I hadn’t met for several months and everyone complimented me on how good I looked, how I have lost weight and look as good as before the baby. There are many days when I am not happy with the way I look or my progress but that day I was over the moon, getting all those compliments.

Chhori (3)

I am still eating well and exercising as much as possible. I wake up early a few days and try to do some exercise before going to work. Also during lunch break I either swim, do yoga or run a few times a week. I hope to have leaner muscles and gain more strength. I want to push myself more and keep eating healthy.

Chhori (2)

I want to set an example to Chhori that eating healthy and exercising is really important in life and it is not a choice. If you make excuses there are many you can make but if you want to get what you want, you just need to push yourself harder and result will follow.

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

 

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My mum’s pan fried Rohu fish

Posted on March 14, 2016 | 2 comments

Nothing can beat mum’s home cooked meals. One of the things I have always craved for is my mum’s fried fish. I used to eat them almost every week when I was in Nepal but since I came here, I wasn’t able to make it as tasty as my mom used to make it. So last night I got mom to cook the fish for us so I that I could take notes of the recipe and I am sharing this with all of you too.

Ingredients

  • 1 whole Rohu fish (2kg) cut into pieces about 1 to 1 ½ cm thick
  • 3 teaspoons Coriander powder
  • 3 teaspoons Coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
  • 2 teaspoons Chilli powder
  • 2 teaspoons Garlic mince
  • 2 teaspoons Ginger powder
  • 2 tablespoon Mustard seeds (or powder)
  • Salt to taste (I used 5 teaspoons)
  • 300 ml vegetable oil

Method

  • If you are using mustard seed, use mortar and pestle or grinder to make the powder.

basa fish (1) basa fish (3)

  • In a large bowl, add fish, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, Turmeric powder, Garlic mince, Ginger powder, Mustard powder and salt.

basa fish (2)

  • Mix it well with a help of wooden spoon as it has sharp bones.
  • Leave it in the fridge for 30 minutes or more if possible.

basa fish (4)

  • In a large pan, heat oil.

basa fish (5)

  • Add pieces of fish in a pan making sure they are don’t touching each other.

basa fish (6)

  • Cover the pan and let it cook until brown.
  • Turn the fishes and fry till it is brown on the other side too.

basa fish (7)

  • Have a plate ready with a couple of kitchen paper towels on it.
  • Place the fishes on the plate to soak excess oil out.

basa fish (8)

  • It is best enjoyed hot and be careful of the small bones.

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

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How much screen time is OK for kid(s)?

Posted on March 9, 2016 | 14 comments

I am sure there are so many things that you think you won’t do before you have your own kids and you change your view when you have one. 🙂

One of those topics for us is screen time for Chhori. I am sure everyone with kids or without one has seen that kids these days are hooked on the TV, tables or phones. Everywhere they go, no matter what age they are, they want their own device to watch something or to play something.

With Chhori, initially we didn’t start any TV at all but then we realised that she is missing out on learning Rhymes so we started with limited TV time. It was working great for us as she had only a few hours a day and the day we are out and about, none at all.

Chhori (2)

But it is changing slowly as she stays home with my parents a lot and there are times she refuses to eat so we need to put some Rhymes on for her. Sometimes, she even has the TV going on for hours. The good thing is she doesn’t sit in one place and just watch TV passively; she will be constantly on the move playing with her toys but the TV will be still on in the background.

I have told my parents to cut down on TV time as well but I do understand their problem. It is so hard to look after a very mobile child and if nothing works, TV does. Sometimes AS and I have no choice either but to put some Rhymes on when she refuses to open her mouth for food. We don’t do that for every meal but Chhori knows how to play us already. (God, she is only 1 year old. I can’t imagine our future.)

Chhori dancing to the tunes of her favourite rhyme :)

Chhori dancing to the tunes of her favourite rhyme 🙂

I have to admit, some good things have come from her watching TV, like she has now started to dance or do some actions when her favourite rhymes come on and she has started to hum to a few songs. We are making sure that she only watches Rhymes on the TV, not tablets or phone.

Chhori (3)

Chhori doing action “No more monkey jumping on the bed”

I think she is still a bit small to apply rules to right now but in a few months’ time, we are going to introduce screen time limit so we are sure she doesn’t spend too much time in front of the TV.

Are you concerned about how much time your child spends watching TV or movies, playing on little screens? What do you think is the solution?

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

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Repost : Happy International Woman’s Day

Posted on March 8, 2016 | 2 comments

Today is International Woman’s Day and it is a day to celebrate us, woman, and have respect, appreciation and love towards us. Because everything starts from you and if you don’t respect, appreciate and love yourself, you can’t share that with the world.

There are many reasons why this day is celebrated but I want to celebrate it by listing all the good reasons why I rejoice being a woman.

  • Woman is a daughter, sister, wife, mother and a friend. I can’t imagine this world without them. Yes, that is who we are.
  • Women have so many choices. They can work or stay home. Be a nurse or a soldier.
  • How can I forget to mention the choices women have in fashion. One can choose to wear jeans or skirts or dress or shorts or Kurta or Sari or Omani or Kimono or Shalwar Kameez. Anything your heart desires.
  • Talking about fashion, how about high heels, they are my favourite and give women an instant boost in height and confidence or they can choose to wear a ballet flat or thongs and still look beautiful.
  • Make-up is a part of our daily regime and we can experiment with different, glamorous looks.
  • Doors are held open for us, chairs are pulled out for us.
  • We could dye our hair and get rid of the gray without being ridiculed.
  • We have the gift of female intuition which usually steers us in the right direction.
  • Women are great listeners and don’t always feel they need to fix things.
  • We can wear coloured nail polish to match the season, mood or our clothing.
  • Women can multi-task with ease.
  • Women are intelligent enough to know there is no such thing as a “Happy Period.”
  • Chances are in front of every awesome man is an awesome woman who made him that way

I think the song by Helen Reddy sums of everything I want to express right now. This is for all the ladies out there. Here is the lyrics if you haven’t heard it before.

I am woman, hear me roar

In numbers too big to ignore

And I know too much to go back an’ pretend

’cause I’ve heard it all before

And I’ve been down there on the floor

No one’s ever gonna keep me down again

CHORUS

Oh yes I am wise

But it’s wisdom born of pain

Yes, I’ve paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

You can bend but never break me

’cause it only serves to make me

More determined to achieve my final goal

And I come back even stronger

Not a novice any longer

’cause you’ve deepened the conviction in my soul

CHORUS

I am woman watch me grow

See me standing toe to toe

As I spread my lovin’ arms across the land

But I’m still an embryo

With a long long way to go

Until I make my brother understand

Oh yes I am wise

But it’s wisdom born of pain

Yes, I’ve paid the price

But look how much I gained

If I have to I can face anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

Oh, I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

FADE

I am woman

I am invincible

I am strong

I am woman

Saying this I don’t hate men. I think we complement each other, like wheels of a bike. It is just that I am happy and content to be a woman and I won’t have it any other way.

To the all the ladies out there, Happy International Women’s Day. Enjoy and be proud of being a woman.

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

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Soy Chunks Vegetarian Momo

Posted on March 8, 2016 | 2 comments

Momo is a very popular dish in Nepal and almost all Nepalese love them. I usually make chicken or pork momo but sometimes I have vegetarians in my guest list so I used to make cabbage and onion veggie momo which I have to admit is not very as yummy. Recently one of my cousins made some vegetarian momo which was as yummy was the non-veg ones so I had to try and learn how to make it.

The vegetarian momo was made with Soy chunks and paneer (cottage cheese).

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Soy Chunks (soak in water for an hour)

vegetable momo (2)

  • 1 medium size onion finely chopped
  • 1 cup of finely chopped Cabbage
  • 100 gm Paneer cut into small pieces

vegetable momo (1)

  • 3 table spoons soy sauce
  • 2 table spoons coriander powder
  • 2 table spoons cumin powder
  • 1 table spoon red chili powder
  • 3 table spoons oil
  • 1 cup of fresh coriander finely chopped
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 packet momo wrapper (30 pieces)

Methods

Note: You can make the momo achar beforehand as per linked method and put it in the fridge.

Jhol achar

Tomatoes achar

  • Put the Soy chunks in a blender mince and place in a large bowl.

vegetable momo (3) vegetable momo (4)

  • Add onion, cabbage, soy sauce, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, oil, fresh coriander, cabbage, and salt.
  • Mix well and the filling is ready.

vegetable momo (5)

  • Make momo as shown in the video below.

  • In the meantime, bring water to a boil in a steamer.
  • Once momo is ready, put on the steamer for 10-15 minutes.
  • Enjoy the momo with achar.
  • I promise it tastes just as good as the non-veg momo 🙂

Jhol momo soup (7)

Take care everyone,

M from nepaliaustralian

XOXO

P.S: Do not forget to nominate your favourite blog . NEPALIAUSTRALIAN’s Blog Award 2015

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