LEISURE

Kids are fussy eaters and there’s hardly a parent who isn’t stressed out about what their child ‘will and won’t’ eat. Most of the times the ‘won’t ‘list exceeds the one’s that they do eat. Sometimes these are not of utmost concern for most pediatricians or dietitians, but if key nutrients are getting missed out on a daily basis, then an alternate solution needs to be looked into. Minimise the consumption of junk foods with no mnerals and vitamins among kids. File pic. One of the key nutrients in a child’s diet is calcium. If your child is allergic (lactose…

Kids are fussy eaters and there’s hardly a parent who isn’t stressed out about what their child ‘will and won’t’ eat. Most of the times the ‘won’t ‘list exceeds the one’s that they do eat. Sometimes these are not of utmost concern for most pediatricians or dietitians, but if key nutrients are getting missed out on a daily basis, then an alternate solution needs to be looked into. Minimise the consumption of junk foods with no mnerals and vitamins among kids. File pic. One of the key nutrients in a child’s diet is calcium. If your child is allergic (lactose…

Extracts from an email from Vishnupriya Hathwar, who frequents Puttenahalli Lake   --------- Just wanted to share somethings that many of you may have already observed [ or maybe not].. here goes !!   Due to the wonderful rains, the lake has filled up quite a bit, leaving only smaller islands for the birds. In this, the most common birds- the Common Coots have chicks that are almost grown to adult size [ only the plumage is still lacking]. Spotted a pair of Coucals - appears that they too have a young one!! Spotted a small Coucal with FRESH plumage flying across the lake.I have personally…

Extracts from an email from Vishnupriya Hathwar, who frequents Puttenahalli Lake   --------- Just wanted to share somethings that many of you may have already observed [ or maybe not].. here goes !!   Due to the wonderful rains, the lake has filled up quite a bit, leaving only smaller islands for the birds. In this, the most common birds- the Common Coots have chicks that are almost grown to adult size [ only the plumage is still lacking]. Spotted a pair of Coucals - appears that they too have a young one!! Spotted a small Coucal with FRESH plumage flying across the lake.I have personally…

Last Sunday I took a friend and her nine-year-old daughter to Bull Temple in Bangalore. It’s the place with the country’s largest monolith bull - known to be Nandi, the servant bull of Shiva. The majestic Nandi far surpasses the tiny Shiva (who you almost miss in a small alcove behind the bull) in size, structure and sheer architecture. I promised this little nine-year-old lady who was too sleepy to be excited about a temple, with a true story after she had seen the Nandi in the temple. Once she was slightly woken up (and I was fast realising it was hard to…

Last Sunday I took a friend and her nine-year-old daughter to Bull Temple in Bangalore. It’s the place with the country’s largest monolith bull - known to be Nandi, the servant bull of Shiva. The majestic Nandi far surpasses the tiny Shiva (who you almost miss in a small alcove behind the bull) in size, structure and sheer architecture. I promised this little nine-year-old lady who was too sleepy to be excited about a temple, with a true story after she had seen the Nandi in the temple. Once she was slightly woken up (and I was fast realising it was hard to…

One of my early disappointments with gardening in containers was my first lot of carrots. The leaves looked lush and amazing, but when the time for harvest came the carrots had not grown at all underneath! Unfortunately at the time I didn’t yet know that carrot leaves, like those of other root veggies like beetroot and radish, could also be used for cooking, so it all went into my compost! After a few years of gardening and quite a few such experiences along the way, I have realised the following really important tips for growing root vegetables: Sow directly: Root…

One of my early disappointments with gardening in containers was my first lot of carrots. The leaves looked lush and amazing, but when the time for harvest came the carrots had not grown at all underneath! Unfortunately at the time I didn’t yet know that carrot leaves, like those of other root veggies like beetroot and radish, could also be used for cooking, so it all went into my compost! After a few years of gardening and quite a few such experiences along the way, I have realised the following really important tips for growing root vegetables: Sow directly: Root…

The flavor of last month was “Desi.” This month it will be “Norsk” (Norwegian). I am in Norway for a month, meeting with and learning from a leading expert in all things “dog” – Turid Rugaas. I have been here for more than 10 days now. Each day has been an intense learning experience, with several lessons learned. Some lessons have given me confidence to deal with issues. Some have humbled me by exposing the vast canine world that I still need to understand. Some have reduced me to tears, showing me the sheer arrogance or ignorance with which we…

The flavor of last month was “Desi.” This month it will be “Norsk” (Norwegian). I am in Norway for a month, meeting with and learning from a leading expert in all things “dog” – Turid Rugaas. I have been here for more than 10 days now. Each day has been an intense learning experience, with several lessons learned. Some lessons have given me confidence to deal with issues. Some have humbled me by exposing the vast canine world that I still need to understand. Some have reduced me to tears, showing me the sheer arrogance or ignorance with which we…