Pingu

Eco-designs with fabric paint :)

2013-03-11T22:42:00.000-07:00

Little chef apron.. here it is..

2013-02-28T06:36:00.002-08:00

Paper chef hats.. ready they are..

2013-02-27T19:53:00.005-08:00

TOPIC OF THE MONTH - Advantages of Using Accounting Software

2011-07-11T18:41:00.000-07:00

Efficient accounting software can make a huge difference in your business or personal needs. Use of accounting software enables easy access to past information whenever needed. You don’t have to worry about missing details as this software keeps everything updated in the correct order.

Selecting the appropriate software according to the needs and goals of your company is vital, as it hold benefits for businesses at all levels. You don’t have to be a certified accountant to use these kinds of accounting software. There are some easy packages available in the market that anyone with common sense can bring it to play. This user-friendly advanced technology has increased the number of users.

Financial control is the main advantage of accounting software as it prepares overall finance report and forecasts the crisis situation for the next year. An employer can print and reprint accounting history or related information without having to check the employee’s profile.

Use of accounting software enables to process and store accounting transactions instantaneously. It is done with the use of certain elements such as payroll, accounts payables, accounts receivables and trial balance. It gives an outline of all the monetary transactions of your company and enables to correct the errors for the benefit of your firm. The productivity can be increased in a short period of time.

The accounting software follows a systematic way of managing business records, thus reduces complications. The accountants are aware of someone is watching them and they are unable to make the frauds in the accounting system. Besides, it eliminates manual processing errors and automatically generates customer invoices and payroll processing.

Accounting software simplifies the auditing process, by providing up-to-date information requested by the auditor such as charter of accounts, tax statements, previous accounting data and reports.

Personal accounting software enables you to track all your financial information. As a user-friendly portal for all your information, it can figure out your taxes, efficiently plan your budget and track the expenses.

Online accounting software packages have become more popular these days. You can try them before buying the whole package and some software providers has monthly payment options, depending on the usage.

Overall, the automation of the accounting software simplifies the whole process by doing the professional task for us.

Creative corner

2010-08-02T06:52:00.000-07:00

Simple art with a touch of technology... Enjoy!

Needle wonders

2010-08-01T11:40:00.000-07:00

I enjoy trying new things with my new Singer Inspiration sewing machine that my husband bought me for my birthday. Excellent for the beginners like me. Will post the full layout soon...

Kids sports drawstring bag

Messenger bag

Scrumptious Muffins

2010-06-16T03:23:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Plain flour - 2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 3/4 cup
Sunflower or Vegetable oil - 1/2 cup
Egg - 1 no
Lemon juice - 8 tspns
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp

Preparation Method:
Rub all the dry ingredients first and add the others together. Thoroughly mix them with the wooden spoon and don't worry about the lumps. Spoon the mixture in the muffin cases that are lined on the tray and cook them in the preheated oven to 180°C for 30 minutes. Cool them and serve.

Other suggestions:
The basic recipe is the same for all types of muffins. Can add crushed blueberries (250g) while rubbing the dry ingredients for blueberry muffins. Add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder, 1 1/2 cups of plain flour, 1/2 cup of sugar (other ingredient amounts are the same) for chocolate muffins. Can make strawberry, cranberry, orange muffins and so on. Enjoy!!!

Feed your eyes...

2010-05-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

Tomato & Basil Soup with Garlic Baguette

Chana dal vada

Carrot cake

Kids Sweet and Sour Chicken meal

Crispy Salmon Fish Cake

Tomato Basil Pasta

Vegetable Cutlet

Simply funny to count biscuits...

Coconut Burfi

Tomato Dosa with Coriander Chutney

Spicy Masala Puri

Lemon muffins

Blueberry muffins

Urad Dal Vada

Mee Hoon (Rice Vermicelli with prawns and white beech mushrooms)

Coffee cake

Healthy and yet tasty Seekh Kebab

2010-05-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-03-24T07:59:00.000-07:00

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

2010-01-15T13:39:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-12-09T07:54:00.000-08:00

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

2009-12-06T10:22:00.000-08:00

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?

2009-12-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

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

2009-11-27T08:41:00.000-08:00

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...

Chick peas recipe (healthy snack)

2009-10-29T10:59:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Chick peas - 1 1/2 cups
Coconut powder - 1/4 cup
Dried mango powder - 2 tbsp
Roasted gram - 2 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Coriander leaves for garnishing

For seasoning:
Oil
Mustard seeds
Black gram
Cumin seeds
Asafoetida

Preparation Method:
1)Soak the chick peas in water overnight.
2)Boil them with the required amount of salt. Drain the water and keep them aside.
3)Grind the coconut powder, roasted gram, dried mango powder, red chilli powder together with a pinch of salt and some water.
4)Heat small amount of oil in the pan.
5)Splutter the seasoning ingredients.
6)Add the chick peas and stir well.
7)Add the ground paste to it and cook for 5 mins.
8)Garnish with coriander leaves.

Spicy chutney (substitute for pickles, humous...)

2009-10-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Tomato - 2 nos
Garlic pods - 5 nos
Red chillies - 4 nos
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 1/4 cup
Green gram - 1 tbsp
Red lentils - 1 tbsp
Salt - As reqd
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Black gram for seasoning
Oil - As reqd for seasoning

Preparation Method:
1)Saute the red lentils, green gram, coriander seeds, red chillies and cumin seeds.
2)Grind them with the other ingredients.
3)Heat small amount of oil in the pan.
4)Splutter mustard seeds and black gram.
5)Add the ground paste to it and cook for 5 - 10 mins.
Serve with Idli, Dosa, Bread, Tortilla, Chappathi,...

Spicy Vegetable Biryani (Authentic & best ever)

2009-10-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 2 1/2 cups
Onion - 2 nos
Garlic pods - 10 nos
Ginger - 1" piece
Oil - 2 tbsp
Ghee or Butter - A scoop of tbsp
Chopped tomatoes - 1/2 of the tin
Green chillies(small) - 2 nos
Bell peppers - 1 - 2 nos
Mushrooms and Vegetables - As your wish*
Lime or lemon juice - 2 tsp
Yoghurt - 2 tbsp
Spices(Any kind would be nice - Ground or fresh
Cloves
Cinnamon
Cardamom
Garam masala - 1 spoon
Biryani masala - 1 spoon
Royal curry powder or chilly powder - As reqd
Turmeric powder - 1/4 of a small spoon
Salt - As reqd
Coriander leaves

*Can use potatos, green peas, carrots, beans, cauliflower... Mixed vegetables would be great & easy. Otherwise we can also use fresh ones depending on the availability. To be frank, I use to add whatever I catches to my hand when I open the refrigerator. But do not use cabbage or green leaves.

Preparation Method:
1)Grind garlic, ginger, one-fourth of the onion & green chillies together with a little amount of water & keep aside.
2)Wash the rice & soak it in the water & keep aside.
3)Heat oil & ghee/butter in a pan.
4)Add the remaining onion & fry them until it turns to golden brown.
5)Add the spices to them & saute for 2 mins.
6)Add the ground paste & fry for 5 mins.
7)Add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt, garam masala, biriyani masala, royal curry/chilly powder to it & cook for 5 mins on low flame.
8)Add all the vegetables, bell peppers, mushrooms & close the lid & cook for 5 - 10 mins.
9)Drain the water from the rice & add to them & stir for 2 - 3 mins.
10)Add lime juice & yoghurt to it & stir well.
11)Add 5 cups (same 1:2 ratio of rice & water) of water to it & close the lid.
12)Cook until the rice is done in the stove or in the oven.
13)Finally, add the coriander leaves for better flavour.

Suggestions for better taste:
1)Oven cooking tastes better.
2)Serve with mint or onion flavoured yoghurt.
3)It is not necessary to use all the spices & masala powders. We can use what we have. But for perfect Indian taste, the specified things would be better. Garlic-ginger-chillies-onion paste is the magic & we can very well feel that, when we add them.

NO NO's in the kitchen

2009-10-28T12:18:00.000-07:00

Washing pots & pans... NO NO...
Chopping onions... NO NO NO NO...
Refilling sugar... NO NO...

What are all your NO NO's in the kitchen guys???

Do's & don'ts when a guest arrives

2009-10-28T10:27:00.000-07:00

The topic may be silly... But, there are quite a few rules that you should follow to entertain your guest.

A pleasant smell at your house entrance will do all the magic. But, try not to make them faint.
Come out with your own drinks menu rather than asking them what they want.Don't offer them loads to drink, if your toilet is not clean (of course... to avoid embarrassment).
Switch-off the TV, unless you have other chores to be done. In that case, let them own your remote control & feel comfortable.
Two-way communication makes everyone happier.
Nasty or sweet whatever.. do something (food, for example) they can remember for the rest of their life.
Walk them to their car at the end..

do share what you came across like this...