My Mom the super chef!!

This blog is dedicated to my mom, Shaila Karle, who has supported my father, sisters, and me through thick and thin… most of which we would like to be believe has been thin (and fit – my elder, Sang, who turn 40 next year, still looks fabulous)!! ;)

Every day after school till we went off to boarding school, my mom would have baked some amazing snack for us at home. Snickerdoddle cookies, dream bars, brownies, carrot cake, profiteroles, and my favourite – banana bread!

It was this constant snacking (besides the baked goods, my mom would do sandwiches, sabudana khichadi, upma/sanza, and chicken rolls) that got us through the tennis, swimming, dance classes, and long days at school – out the door at 7:45 am and back home by 4:30/5 pm depending on the traffic from Breach Candy to Parle East! Traffic was still not that bad in the 80’s though. J

So today when my young moms come to me for consults and end with questions about their kid’s nutrition, I always look to my mom, now a grandmother of 3, Maya the triathlete (9), Varun the ice hockey player (7), and Ahilya the foodie (2.5), for suggestions. And the best advice my mom gives me is:

1.      1. Keep it simple. A lot of young mothers go back to work after maternity leave. Instant upma is fine – add an extra ½ cup of cooked (steamed) color veggies to pack an extra punch of vitamins and minerals – broccoli, zucchini, red and yellow bell peppers.

2.      2. Make your own restaurant favorites but a little healthier – fish and chips – grill basa fillets (easy to eat fish for kids as it does not have a strong fishy odor) with baked potato wedges. Pressure cook the potatoes till they are half cooked and then bake in pre heated oven on open baking dish. Spray with butter flavored cooking spray and season with salt.

3.      3. Every kid needs a little sweetness in life! Homemade baked goods are the best – preservative free and you can even avoid the butter!

Here is the recipe for my all time favorite snack – BANANA BREAD! Great snack 30 minutes before any practice (football, basketball, swimming, jazz ballet) and it even freezes well so make several loaves and freeze a few for later.

Thanks Mom for everything…I am one lucky kid and I hope that when I grown up, I will be able to do half as much as what you did for Tai, Madh, and me!! xoxo

BANANA BREAD (adapted from www.allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS:

2 eggs, beaten 1/3 cup buttermilk 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup mashed bananas 1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Spray one 9x5 inch loaf pan with non-stick spray coating.
2.	Blend together the eggs, buttermilk, oil and bananas.
3.	Sift together the sugar, flour, baking soda and salt. Add to banana mixture and stir in pecans. Mix well.
4.	Pour into prepared loaf pan and bake 1 hour and 20 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.