These are super easy mini dessert cups filled with melt in mouth whipping cream and covered by delightful toppings. They are so quick and easy to make that they can be safely opted for the last moment dessert option anytime. Plus, they are so presentable that kids will love it and adults will relish it; they can be a clear winner for any party.

These mini tarts are superbly versatile as they can use any filling from cream cheese or custard filling to any mouse or ganache. Also, the topping options are endless; from fresh fruits or dried fruits to cookies or jellies.

For the crust, I have used phyllo pastry cups. These are store bought, pre baked mini crust available at the frozen section of any grocery store. You can also make them at home following the recipe of tart crust (which can be either pie crust or pastry crust).

So let’s get going and treat our family and friends with these super delicious and superbly gorgeous mini tarts.

What you need:

• 1 pack phyllo pastry cups (also called mini phyllo shells)

• 4 tbsp whipping cream 1/4 cup

• 1 tbsp sugar

• Vanilla essence

• Toppings of your choice- Jelly, sprinkles, chocolate shavings, Cookies, pretzels

Instructions:

• Take the frozen phyllo cups out of the packet to defrost a few minutes before you need them (don’t leave them in the packaging as you don’t want them to potentially soak up any ice that may be in there and go soggy) and bake them at 350 F for around 10 to 12 mins.

• Blend together the whipping cream, sugar, vanilla essence until smooth peaks are formed and well combined. Get your toppings ready. You can do all of this ahead of time.

• Fill the baked phyllo cups with the whipped cream – you can spoon or pipe it.

• Top it with the toppings of your choice. Refrigerate until ready to serve, but try not to make them more than 1 – 2 hours ahead as the pastry will soften

Note: Tart cups are best when used on the day of assembling.

She had looked into the mirror and had her meltdowns. She was nowhere close to the notion of perfection– the slender, the curvaceous, the lean or the petite. She had had a huge pile of clothes in her wardrobe that was in the ‘not fitting’ list. The bulges on the body, the chin (the second one) calmly resting on its first counterpart, the numbers on the weighing scale have all given her jitters of life. She had been there all through.

But today she is happy.

She is happy because she has learnt to appreciate. She can pick up a heavy load of laundry, climb the 4th floor using stairs, travel distances, dance in the rain, play laugh and make merry with her little one, sleep and wake up without body aches and pains, cook for the family, eat a wholesome meal and feel hungry the next time. 

She is happy because she has learnt to accept. The fact that she has been blessed with a unique body and it can’t be like someone else’s. The fact that it deserves to be loved, appreciated, encouraged, and invested.

She is happy because she understands her powers within. The blessing of being a woman– to procreate, to love unconditionally, to stay strong and look beyond the wear and tear her body might have gone through.

Of course it didn’t happen overnight. She had her own shares of pursuits and anxieties.

How it began!

There came a time when she was all charged up. She had to lose those extra pounds. How much she hated her bulging belly and those love handles! She had to perfectly fit into that dress. It really looked terrible when she had tried it. She had to get back to size small.

Greasy food, fattening food, aeriated drinks all were chalked off the list.  And she was all salads, veggies, fruits, low fat, and gluten free. The meals were planned she was adhering to (or trying to) all that had been chalked out.

She felt deprived. One day she was convinced of doing a great job and the other day she was over treating herself followed by big lofty promises in her head. Then followed a nagging sense of guilt.

Nothing seemed to be working. Goals were set– for a function in the family, a special date or just random nothings. Goals were abandoned.

Somehow that food part was not just enough. No difference was made. She had to make some more additions.

Yoga! A bit of running! Walk! All of them! 

A new pair of gym shoes, a bag and bottle; everything was all set. Sometimes the preparation of a plan grabs greater excitement than its execution. Working-out tops this list perhaps.

The first two weeks were a killer. The third mediocre.  The fourth a disaster. Work commitments, an early hour conference at the school, an appointment to the doctor, something or the other just popped up. And rested in peace her plans.

After a hell lot of plans and additions and subtraction made to  them, the numbers on the scale didn’t move. Even if they did for a while, soon they went back.; leaving her a little more hopeless. 

Why nothing seemed to be working? What was it that just doesn’t seem to be right? A thousand such thoughts crossed her mind every day. 

She was just not happy. Her girth seemed to be taking away her mirth!

And the realization!

Doing something which is not sustainable

She was pushing her body beyond its happy limits; pushing herself on the treadmill; pushing her taste buds towards the food on the palette. There was something too mechanical rather natural.

In reality, she just could not go eating the carrots and the greens all her life without appreciating it. In reality, she couldn’t push her body to bend, squat or push without connecting to it. So even if she achieved the goals she wanted to, they weren’t sustainable.

Body hate

She scanned her body for all the flaws it has. She disdained for its shape and size– the bulging belly, the hanging arms or the wrinkled neck. She was constantly judging, hating, and poking her body.

The diet culture and the weight loss culture was somewhere so deeply ingrained in her that she started to see the flaws that in reality might not have even existed.  All this kept piling on and on, wiping her off her confidence, self-esteem and hope.

Useless pursuit of a perfect body image

She was struggling for achieving the notion of perfection perfect weight, perfect size or simply somebody she was supposed to look like. She wanted to look the way it was perceived to be beautiful. Like many of us, she had grown up with a notion of body ideal and beauty standards- Flat abdomen, curved waist, leaner thighs!

But in reality, there exists no rule-book to tell what is beautiful and what ain’t. This perception of body image is just an illusion created by the channels, the media and the sellers;  as the saying goes, “Even the girl in the magazine doesn’t look like the girl in the magazine”. This running behind something which is supposedly beautiful lead to her pursuit being even more futile. 

Her body deserved a lot more

She paused, studied and her mind took a leap of faith. She realized that her body is the souvenir of her life and what it has been through. This is the body that has seen the struggles and survived to be healthy. This is the body that that has celebrated the hours of her happiness, bore the pangs of her pains, gave the strength to achieve her goals.  This is the body that has been the witness of her highs and lows. 

Her body was her forever friend. And she gave it a gentler treatment she ever could. She stopped beginning her day with the curses for the number on the scale. She regarded her body as worthy– regardless of the food choices it made or the way it looked. She honored the nourishment and the appetite her body needed. She didn’t hate it for every inch that grew, rolling or shape she was in. 

…and she practiced

Self-love over self-doubt. It takes time, but if we start loving our body the way it is, it will start loving us back too; thus giving more desiring results.

Mindfulness. A healthy body requires a better connection with mind. A more focused mind is better able to understand the cues of our body. What it needs? When it needs? How much is enough?

Ditching the scale. Constantly keeping a watch of the scale is a clear indication of a goal which is external and short term rather than the overall wellness. On the other hand, a broader perspective of health, leads the scales to automatically follow.

Embracing imperfections. There is nothing in the world as perfect. Every body is unique. Trying to be like somebody can only land us to a self-created unhappy world of our own.

Eating not by calories, tags and labels. The food should not be eaten by numbers– the numbers on scale, the count of calories, and the size of the portions. It should be eaten the way it is supposed to– to feed our soul.

Feeling beautiful. How can she look beautiful if she is deprived, anxious and unhappy? She chose to smile, express, be amazed, inspire, appreciate and have a beautiful mind. If one chooses to feel beautiful inside, that will show on the outside.

And finally, getting off the couch to make a difference– to herself and to someone else.

Soon she found her happier version of herself with a mind that was stronger and a body that was connected to its soul. There was no damn body to approve of the way she looked, other than herself. As far as her mind approved of what she was doing was right, she felt happier, stronger and more beautiful than ever before.

 

 

Now that its spring and we are garden ready, this is the best time to add a creative edge to our gardening stuff. I have long been thinking of painting rocks for my garden, so I did a couple of these with my little one. Not only it adds an extra pop to our garden, it was really a fun thing doing.

You can get rocks in the stores (particularly home improvement or landscaping) nearby you or also collect it from areas around. Collecting rocks with kids on your daily walks is an additional fun you can add to the process.

What you’ll need:

Rocks
White charcoal pencil/Regular pencil
Small flat or round brush, liner brush or other detail brush
Patio paint/Acrylic paint
Markers (you can use glass paint markers or sharpie), glitter pens
Hot glue
Acrylic sealant/varnish

Basic steps:

Pick smooth rocks for painting and close to the shape you intend to make. Wash the rocks to clean. Put the base coat and let them dry completely after this and after every coat. While acrylic paints can also be used, patio paints last longer for outdoor weather conditions. For better protection of paints from elements, you can do a final coating of sealant or varnish.

Some ideas

Cacti in a pot– You can have rocks painted as cacti in cute pots. First, apply a base coat of dark green color. Then draw different patterns using a white marker– straight dashed lines, criss cross, and dots. You can also add lines using lighter shades of green to add an interesting twist. Now, fill a pot with decorative sand or pebbles and stick in the rock cactus.

Lady bugs– These are one of the simplest and most popular forms of rock painting. Paint black for their heads and vibrant colours of red, blue and yellow for the body. Then put dots with a black marker and make eyes.

Butterflies– For this one, pick rock of shapes that can be transformed into a butterfly. First, make a sketch. Based on the selection of the rock, you can make it either open winged or closed winged. Erase the unwanted part using the dark shades. Then, do the undercoat of body and wings with white paint, so that the subsequent colors look more vibrant. Then paint the body–the upper wings, the lower wings and the body. Then using a liner brush, make designs; tear shaped, circles, curved lines, outlines, eyes and set of feelers. For some additional pop, make designs using glitter pens.

Kittens– This painting of a sitting kitty was quite an attraction. First, do a black coat as the base coat and then use white paint for body patterns. Painting the face requires a better hold of the detailed brush. It’s easier if you use markers or pens for this. Then, stick the face with the body using glue.

Plant markers– For this, you need to collect rocks of different sizes depending on the size of the word. Paint them with a base coat. Let them dry. Now write the plant names using markers or thin paint brushes. You can decorate them with designs of your choice using colours that will show up over your base coat. Now your plant markers are ready to be placed. Also, they make great gifts for friends and family as an encouragement for their first garden.

Sunflower vase– Select rocks with flat base that can stand on itself. Divide the base and top using green and blue respectively. Add highlights to the vase. Sketch foliage and flowers (some upwards and some bent downwards). Paint foliage using shades of green. Now paint flowers–its centre with brown and leaves with yellow. Define and detail the inner circle and individual petals.

So what are you waiting for! It’s time to get garden ready and add rock painting to the summer bucket list of activities for the kids.

Well, you are a mother now.

And the beans have been spilled!

You have already got the cue that it’s not going to be an easy ride for sure.

You are running hard on time. It’s getting difficult to catch on enough sleep. Your child needs you all through. Your preferences have changed– towards work, family and friends. Everything else has taken a backseat.  In short, your world has turned topsy turvy.

This transition from a wife to a mother is deep rooted and can have great impact on your relationship with your husband too. There are some obvious changes that happen- to a varying degree of course!.

The lone time of you two is now a thing of past.

You hardly find moments to spend time with your partner since you are up and running on schedules. The priority is now your child’s needs, safety and health. And that requires a more than 100 percent of you. You are worried catching up the bed early since you have to wake up sharp at 6. You can’t just miss being late for anything. After all, being on time is not a choice you make. It is the decree by God now (Sigh!). You just can’t afford to have a hungry toddler crying his lungs out or miss your pre-schooler’s bus.

In this commotion, your mind is so exhausted and body so drained that you hardly have time for each other. Spending weekends watching movies together, or talking for hours in the evenings or making impromptu plans is a thing of past. You are physically and mentally occupied with household chores and handling your kid’s issues and to-do’s.

What can I do?

Find moments to bond, listen and show care.  Bonding and connecting doesn’t need those perfect dates and dining. Try to catch moments to snuggle and cuddle. If possible to find an arrangement, find ‘we time’ for short visits outside. Or just do some activity together indoors.

The sweet and understanding girl is taken over by drained and exhausted woman

Your kids just don’t listen. 9 out of your 10 to-do stuffs are still pending. Your boss shouted at you. And this the 19th time you’ve told him the right bag for dirty linens.

Motherhood can most of the times leave you drained, exhausted and exasperated. On top of that, you have your mood swings. In this scenario, it’s quite natural that all this gets passed on to the other person of the house. And there be more than usual rude answers, tiffs and uncalled arguments.

What can I do?

Don’t be a wrathful spouse. Don’t let that distressed state of mind take over your kind you– because that is what you are. In fact, that is what we all are. Try to avoid going on rampage as much as possible. And if in the heat of the moment, you ever do, no realization is too late a realization. And if we don’t realize that what wrong our wrong words and action might do, it keeps on building up. And there is a constant bickering in the household.

Ask for help. Clearly converse and ask for help if you need one. We often tend to not ask for help when we need it the most. Don’t expect that your man will understand without you telling about it. So believe strongly in the idea of co-parenting rather than handling most of the responsibilities single handed. Assign, switch, and divide responsibilities until it works out. It’s always better to peacefully discuss rather than barging into his sleeping senses and stirring a storm in the household.

A switch to mother mode

You are overwhelmingly involved in nurturing your children. While in the morning you are busy planning for the day, at night you might be busy preparing yourself for the next day. In the upheaval of your life, you might just not find enough of time and energy to give your attention or even talk to your partner. This might make you and your partner feel losing the spark in your marriage.

What can I do?

There are plenty of ways to show that you care and adore him. Understand his cues. Listen and empathize with him. May be a hug or a few words of sympathy will suffice. Show that you care by sending a sweet message or doing a gentle massage after a busy day.

Disagreements happen more often

The reason is simple. There is an addition in the family. And this addition is so very important for both of you. A mother thinks that her instinct is the most right one. Be it about packing the perfect set of clothes for a particular season or buying the right size of show, or introducing (or not introducing) a newer food. Even when the kids get older, there can be divisions of opinions. For example, when one of the parents is too liberal, the other one might be too reserved in making allowances for the children. And there tend to be disagreements on minor matters.

What can I do?

Be gentle. Sometimes without even realizing, we get too judgmental about our partners parenting. So it’s important to be mature enough in handling all such situations and maintaining calm and composure on self. Laugh off the mistakes that he makes dressing up or feeding of your child. Don’t be a know-it-all kind of over tutoring spouse. Be more forgiving towards your spouse and a greater person asking for forgiveness for your own mistakes.

Taking for Granted

There is a sense of complacence that takes us over after becoming parents. We no more feel the same thrill and passion in our relationships. It begins naive and natural. We are so overwhelmed with the love of our child that we every day tread those extra miles to give our best shot. As a mother you are compromising on your sleep, your entertainment, and friends and everything else. You might feel lonely in handling the pressures. You feel a lack of understanding on part of the other fellow. You expect him to be more sensitive and appreciative. But all these emotions are deep rooted in your mind. And a huge mound of frustration and distress is formed. Given what is going in our head, you might get less communicative of your emotions, less apologetic to your mistakes and less appreciative to each other’s efforts.

What can I do?

Communicate. It’s important that you draw empathy from your partner by communicating your worries. Sometimes, in reality there is no problem that exists. All what rests is there in our head. And we continue to assume and presume without telling the real reason of persisting tension between the two of us. Communicating rationally is the key for a happier you and a happier home. And that is the biggest gift you can give to your child.

Appreciate. Actually when we are expecting to be appreciated, we often forget to appreciate the other person as well. Appreciate– even if it’s no big deal. Appreciate– even if you think he is supposed to.

Catch moments to express gratitude through your own gestures and words. Buy him an unexpected gift. Or tell him how his cooperation matters to you. (Don’t forget to remind him that how smoking hot he looks in doing the dishes or folding the laundry!!)

…..yet there’s something that is so beautiful!

Then why do we want to have kids so desperately?

Motherhood is any day the biggest joy of life. It can also make your marital journey so exciting and beautiful! You meet the lowest of low and highest of high phases as a team taking your relationship to yet another level.

There’s a beauty in discovering the bond with the man in your life. The bond that brings you closer despite all the arguments you have had. A bond that is stronger than ever before. Living without that person becomes more impossible as he takes a greater share in your life through a new soul.

There’s a beauty in discovering some very unique side of his. The transition from just a husband to a dad who can be so caring and loving. There can be no joy greater than your man holding you child for the first time and forever. The way he plays with or sings lullaby to your child. The way he surrounds his world with you and your child.

There’s a beauty in finding a new friend in the same person. A friend who listens, shares, agrees and above all gives you strength when you need him. A friend whose support let you fight all the challenges that life throws at you.

There’s a beauty in finding love in his actions more than his word and falling in love with him all over again.

……and you discover his love

When he looks after the baby so that you can catch on your nap.

When he lets you connect with the people who help you refresh and rewind.

When he sits and patiently listens to your endless complains about your body aches, gossips about the neighborhood gang, bitching about your grumpy boss or the tactics of your creepy colleague.

When he helps you in your household chores bearing or switching responsibilities.

When he never watches your favorite Netflix show without you since you were busy on schedules.

When he makes friends (or tries to) with all the people who are important to you.

When he tries to make allies with you after that nasty tiff over that diapering issue.

When he watches those boring TV shows with you to just to give you a company.

When he baby sits for your visits to the salon.

….and the list goes on!