Healthy and yet tasty Seekh Kebab

Ingredients:
Lamb mince - 500g
Onions - 2 smaller ones (ground it to a paste, WITHOUT adding water)
Garlic paste - 2 tsp
Chilli/Paprika powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Kebab spice mix (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Mint (can use either fresh or dried ones)
Oil - 2 tspns (just to bind everything together)
Spring onions - As required for garnishing

Preparation Method:
1) On a bigger bowl, thoroughly mix all the ingredients with the lamb mince.
2) This recipe does not require marination.
3) Then divide the mixture and gently form a long sausage shaped kebabs on the skewers. Place the skewers on the grill rack (over the roasting tray). Keep them aside for 5-10 mins.
4) Preheat the oven to 180°C & cook the kebabs for 60 minutes, turning it 3-4 times in the middle.
5) If grilling: 180°C for 40 minutes on the top rack, turning it 3-4 times in the middle.
6) Once the kebab is cooked with the dark brown colour, take them out. All the fat from the meat is collected on the roasting tray, leaving the kebab healthy yet delicious.
7) Serve hot with chopped spring onions or mint or coriander yoghurt.

Other suggestions:
1) Can be generous while adding mint for better flavour.
2) If using wooden skewers, soak them in water overnight or atleast an hour & pat dry just before using it. This holds up the meat while cooking, without dropping them down.
3) Can also freeze the uncooked kebab mixture & cook them when required. While doing this, divide the mixture into meatballs or press them on the skewers and freeze. But, don't refreeze the mince that has already been frozen.

Common Pregnancy Discomforts

Feeling sick
This is a common pregnancy symptom that will probably improve on its own within 16-20 weeks. Even in extreme cases, this will not complicate your pregnancy and may strike at any time of day. It may be mild queasiness for some women, but many feel waves of nausea all the time and cannot even eat. To make things worse, nobody really knows what causes it, but experts believe rise in hormone levels are to blame and the sickness usually disappears once it settles down.
Coping tips:
1. Nibbling a biscuit and drinking ginger tea in bed before wake up feels better.
2. If cooking smell triggers your nausea, try eating salad leaves and fruits.
3. Sipping fluids throughout the day will prevent dehydration.

Feeling tired
Pregnancy is exhausting and if nausea gets worse, you get over-tired. You may feel a fraud when you’ve got nothing to show for it, but your body is putting loads of energy to nourish your growing baby.
Coping tips:
1. Eat regularly to keep up your energy levels.
2. Get plenty of sleep and rest whenever you can.

Tender breasts
Heavy and tender breasts make pregnancy miserable for some women.
Coping tips:
1. Wear a well-supporting maternity bra.
2. Avoid tight clothes.

Feeling faint
You could feel light-headed or actually faint especially when you stand up suddenly. This is due to the direct effect of hormones of pregnancy. Your body is using up extra energy too and this can also cause faintness.
Coping tips:
1. Don’t go too long between meals.
2. Try a cheese sandwich, a piece of fruit, or a glass of milk, but avoid sugary foods which could make the problem worse.
3. Snacking on healthy starchy carbohydrates can top-up your blood sugar level.

Bleeding
Some light bleeding is not unusual in the early weeks of pregnancy, which is caused by the embryo implanting in the uterus. Usually light spotting or dark brown bleeding with mild cramps is not considered as a major problem. Unfortunately bleeding is sometimes a sign of miscarriage, if it is accompanied by clots and severe cramps.
Coping tips:
1. Call your doctor or midwife straight away, even if the bleeding stops.
2. You may need a scan in Early Pregnancy Unit to make sure your baby is ok.

Heartburn
It is an unpleasant burning sensation in your stomach, sometimes rising up into your throat, which has nothing to do with your heart!
Coping tips:
1. Eat little and often can help.
2. Avoid late-evening dinners.
3. Consult your midwife or a chemist for suitable remedies.

The above discussed are the most common early pregnancy symptoms that cause physical and mental stress. The other symptoms include backache, itching, varicose veins, salivation, vaginal discharge, urinary infection and headache.

Note: This article has been pooled from various sources and I don’t own any copyright for the information.

Irresistible Tandoori Chicken recipe

Ingredients:
Chicken drumsticks - 10 nos
Garlic pods - 5 nos
Chilli/Paprika powder - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Royal curry powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Oil - half a cup (sounds too much, but there is no need to add any extra while cooking them)
Spring onions - As required for garnishing

Preparation Method:
1) Grind garlic & keep aside.
2) Remove skin from the fleshy part of the chicken drumsticks, leaving the bone end. This prevents chicken tearing into pieces after cooking. Give a little slit on the fleshy part with a knife.
3) On a separate bowl, thoroughly mix all the ingredients (except chicken & spring onions).
4) Then rub it with the chicken drumsticks one at a time.
5) Let them marinade overnight (atleast 4 hours) in the refrigerator.
6) Place an aluminium foil on the baking tray & arrange the chicken pieces.
7) Preheat the oven to 180°C & cook the chicken for 45 minutes, turning it once.
8) Once the chicken is cooked with the reddish orange colour, take them out leaving the fat. Remove any extra oil by giving a gentle press with a kitchen towel/tissue.
9) Serve hot with chopped spring onions.

Other suggestions for better taste:
1) If grilling: 180°C for 20 minutes on the top rack.
2) Can also serve with chopped mint or coriander.
3) Can use the left-over juice from the tray in stews & casseroles.

Happy Pregnancy!!

No other event causes as much distress as pregnancy. If you trust your instinct, it will give you what you need during this entire roller-coaster ride. Here are a few tips for a healthy & happy pregnancy.

It is wise to take folic acid supplements before trying to get pregnant. The chances of getting pregnant is high during the ovulation period and there are many webpages present to calculate this precisely. Ovulation test kits are also available in pharmacies and supermarkets.

Do a Home pregnancy test, before making an appointment to see your doctor or midwife. You will be amazed to realise what a difference a day makes. Horrible pregnancy symptoms during their first trimester may be disappointing for some women. But remember, "You are not a patient; you are just a normal woman who is pregnant". Well... this is what I was told, when I was carrying my little one. But, trust me - these words do revive you. So, don't spend too much time in worrying about silly things. Enjoy each and every moment... It may be strange, but special.

Stop taking any medicines you might already be taking. Always consult a pharmacist before buying anything.

Register yourself on various pregnancy related websites (usually free) such as pampers, bounty, babycentre, askbaby, babiesonline, ivillage, etc,... and participate on forums. Nothing is left undiscussed and your weekly pregnancy updates falls straight into your inbox... Not to mention the freebies.

Aviod smoking and alcohol: Try non-alcoholic alternatives or avail support from your local helpline (Kindly look at my External links section for helpline webpages).

Anxiety is the permanent companion when it comes to labour. Understanding what is causing would fade away some fear. So, don't fail to view some gentle delivery related documentary and home videos. It is worth watching and you will surely know when to pause.

Finally, don't allow your feelings let you down. Find someone to share and no doubt it would be the wonderful feeling of your life.

Panic relief mantra

Fear is an unpleasant sensation when something alarming happens to us. It surges adrenalin & its related chemicals faster into our bloodstream and alerts us to respond rapidly. It depends on the situation, whether we find this sensation excited or the other way around. For instance, a roller-coaster rides are fun eventhough it stimulates panic attacks. It maynot be so, when the controller fails to operate in the middle. The only thing that we can do is deep/relaxed breathing, which would prevent nasty things happening to our body due to panic attacks than what leads to that.

Is ideal life a question mark?

Things have become so easy these days. Luxury can be crawled on our hands in a jiffy. A normal employed person:
- Can avail Home Loan, own a house and pay his mortgage early
- Can buy a new car, bear the cost of Car Insurance (no matter if it is a Cheap auto Insurance or not)
- Can allocate some money for his family's Health Insurance/Life Insurance/Travel Insurance or whatever
- Can make use of some sophisticated services like Medical Claim, Accident Compensation, Personal Injury & so on
- Can take advantage of Student Loan for daughter's Surgean dream
& the list goes on & on...

But, is this really going to make any connection with our life. By being friendly & smiling, we'll have helped ourself to feel good inside & be in a bright frame of mind. Curiosity crackles when we think whether this would be probable.

Children's Play Group: horror for the parents

Play groups can be an fun for the kids. But horror for the parents & carers. Getting up early (during the winter as well) in the morning, getting the little ones washed, changed, breakfast with a spoon fight, goes on & on & on... Just in time to the play group after all the early morning traffic hurdles, without having their own breakfast... Grab a floral plastic cup for a cold milk in queue with the other parents... The milk is ready, but where is my pound? yeah, I found it... Then, park my pram on an easily accessible corner, hide the belongings with my huge winter jacket. Only then realised the cheeky monkey is half asleep (gentle pram cuddle ofcourse). Hey you.. not now.. get down and play (I paid). When he started exploring, I parked myself on a warm corner seat. By the time I started sipping, they all fight for the same toy...