Competition Link Up- Coz Everyone Likes to Win

Everyone loves a freebie right?

Our South African bloggers always have some great giveaways on the  go, so I thought it would be great if people could have a reference point to find these all from one place. 

If you are you running a competition on your blog during the month of May, why not post the link to your competition in the comments below. Maybe you will spot some competitions there which you would like to enter (remember, the only way to win is by entering!).

If this thread is popular, I will do a monthly competition thread. 

So go ahead, get posting!!! (P.S. Blog readers... get entering!!!)

(Disclaimer: unless otherwise indicated, The Jozi WAHM's Guide to Everything is not responsible for the running of any of the competitions below and may not be held responsible for the content of any of these competitions or awarding of any competition prizes.)

The Jozi WAHM's Dummy's Guide to Making Samoosas

Ramadaan, the month in which Muslims abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset, is just over a month away. This is a spiritual time of deep reflection, prayer and introspection for Muslims.

Somewhat ironically, many Muslims in South Africa in particular spend the period just before Ramadaan obsessing over the preparation of savoury foods to break their fast with at sunset and stockpile freezer loads of the triangular delicacies (together with a back up warehouse of spring rolls, half moons, pies and other cholesterol rich delights). The theory goes, according to elder housewives, that if most of the food preparation is done in advance, there will be more time for prayer during the auspicious month. I am not sure how relevant this argument is given how laborious samoosa making is and given that the frozen samoosas still has to be fried or baked before being eaten, but nevertheless, it has become tradition (in South Africa and other parts of the world) and Ramadaan just would not be the same without them. 

In honor of this samoosa-filled period, I thought I would share a dummy's guide to making these intricate snacks.

Recipe 1:

Okay, maybe I should not call this a recipe but it works perfectly! The ultimate dummy technique, which I favour, is to find a little old Indian or Cape Malay lady who slaves away every day making samoosas and pay her to do it. 

This site is all about encouraging, celebrating and supporting work from home moms and Johannesburg has hundreds, if not more, of these little old lady WAHM's running little home industries, as do other South African cities. Some will even make the samoosas using your filling if you so wish, and provide you with the frozen goodies, which you will just have to fry.

Given how much time is invested in making samoosas, I would strongly suggest this route if you are short on time.

Recipe 2:

If you really want to make your own samoosas, read on. I am by no means an expert in samoosa making (mine taste decent but I am quite slow at folding them, unlike the more experienced makers who do it at lightning speed).

The instructions here use ready made 'pur' (the samoosa pastry). I made my own once but quite frankly it is not worth the effort. The pur can be bought frozen (it can be found in the frozen food section of most major grocery stores, though nicer homemade ones are available at Indian grocery stores and butcheries).

You will need to defrost your pur for a few hours or overnight. In the meantime, you can prepare your filling of choice and leave it to cool. 

I will share a recipe below which can be used with chicken, steak or mutton mince, but you could also do cheese and corn, spicy potato or virtually any other filling.

The filling:

500 g mince
2 finely chopped onions
Green chillies, finely chopped (to taste, depending how hot you like things)

A squeeze of lemon juice, 

pepper and salt to taste

1 small bunch of chopped coriander (dhania)

1/2 teaspoon of ginger and garlic mix

1/2 teaspoon gharam masala (available from any spice shop)

Method: 

Saute the onions in a bit of oil until golden brown. Braise the mince in the above ingredients until the mince is cooked and dry. Soggy mince is your enemy when folding later on so this is crucial. Season with the chopped coriander. Leave to cool for later use.

While you are filling your samoosas, keep the unused samoosa pur covered with a clean cloth to prevent it from drying out.

The pur will come stacked in a big pile, usually of a hundred sheets. Carefully peel off one layer of pur, being careful not to tear it. (Some people use a double layer of pur for cheese samoosas as they tend to burst while frying). P.S. if you do accidentally tear some of the strips, do not use them for samoosas. Instead you can cut into smaller strips and fry for a snack similar to potato chips. 

Now comes the tricky part. You need to fold the samoosa as shown in the picture below.

The instructions below comes from a 1960's recipe book called the Indian Delights, which remains the authority on South African Indian Cooking (like every Afrikaans household has 'Kook en Geniet', almost every South African Indian household still has a copy of this gem).

Courtesy of Indian Delights by Zuleikha Mayat

 

The next few pictures illustrate the above using paper and tissue "filling". Chinese Origami may seem easier at this point.

 

Top left: First fold | Top right: Second fold | Bottom left: Filling added | Bottom right: Third fold

 

After the first two folds, you would have created a little triangular pocket. You add about a tablespoon of the filling into the pocket you have created. Do not overfill as you will battle to close it. Then you do another fold to close the open flap at the top of your pocket. Well done, you have completed the hard bit! Then you just keep on folding until your strip is used up.

Make sure that your corners are tightly sealed or the oil will seep in while you are frying, leaving you with a greasy samoosa.

Once complete, you seal the samoosa with a dab of paste made out of flour and water (add just enough water to the flour to make a sticky paste).

Samoosas taste best deep-fried until golden brown but if you would like a healthier alternative, you can brush with olive oil and bake, or you could use an airfryer.

Serve with your favourite chutney and slices of lemon and enjoy!

 

It's all about the Money- Or is it? Raising Money Savvy but Kind Children

Noodle (4) has been very interested in the concept of money, buying and selling lately. At the tills at the shops, she insists on paying and then counting the change. She has quirky questions like how one would pay for a bed or a car- she was concerned that the till would break when you place these items on the counter. 

Noodle had an interesting get rich plan yesterday. We would photocopy our money and amass a fortune of wealth, which would then be squandered on a mountain load of toys and sweets.

Picture courtesy of SARB

I thought this current fascination with money would present an interesting opportunity for some lessons:

• In order to explain to Noodle why her photocopy money get-rich plan would not work (other than the obvious sheer criminal element and that there are no instant get rich fixes in real life), we turned to our dear friend Google to learn more about what makes our money unique. Even I learnt a little bit about the special paper used, the hidden watermarks (like the image of Mandela that appears if you hold the note to the light), the metallic line, the words SARB and the Rand amount which appears in this line, the raised print for the visually impaired and other security features of our South African bank notes.
•  We used monopoly money to play 'shop' and she was required to count out the right sum of money to buy her teddy bears from my 'toy store' (we previously played a more simplistic version of this out in the garden, where leaves were used as currency- her idea). She also had to count that she is giving me the right amount of money and check whether she was getting enough change (great early maths lesson as well).
•  We have also been showing Noodle the benefits of saving, eg. she could get a sweet today or keep her money to get an even better toy after a week, or do simple chores to 'earn' money. She knows about bank accounts and that this is where most of her savings go.

These basic lessons in economics are crucial life skills, given that Cambridge studies have shown that childrens' life spending patterns are already set for life by the age of seven.  Being surrounded by people in the debt trap, we have always been careful to teach our children the value of money, the difference between wants and needs, the importance of saving and of not wasting the earth's limited resources. 

However, as important as the above lessons are,  we are always sure to reinforce that while money can buy certain material comforts, the things most important cannot be bought and no price can be placed on these things. 

We want to strike a balance and raise children who are money wise, responsible spenders and we certainly do not want to raise children who are bratty and entitled. We want them to be conscious that there are many less privileged than us and practice sharing, kindness and being charitable. The ultimate goal is of course to raise kind and caring individuals and this is worth more than all the money in the world.

The Booby Trap

They always tell you all the wonderful things about breastfeeding. You hear about how it is the best for your baby, how great it is for your immune system, how it will help you to bond with your baby. You hear how it will help you shed pregnancy weight, leaving you skinny with big boobies. While I have found all those things to be very true and love having had a chance to give my son such a great start in life I just wish someone had warned me that this would be so difficult. 

This article is not intended to discourage any mothers from breastfeeding, but rather just to prepare them for what is in store. Warning, the contents that follow are not for sensitive viewers.

THE PAIN

Oh, the pain. They forget to tell you that this will be an incredibly sore ride. The first few days are sheer agony. Have you ever had a pimple that became so sore that you just want to squeeze it to relieve pressure? Well imagine your boobs as two hard gigantic pimples, screaming to be squeezed. That is what engorged breasts feel like. Your nipples become rough, painful and blistery as baby figures out how to latch. Your poor nipples may even bleed at first, a lot. Then you get told that you need to let baby feed through this sore and scabby mess. Oh and you are prone to mastitis, which makes you sick and fevery on top of the pain (which you can only take Panado for, as baby will absorb and react to anything stronger). All fun and games. 

Fast forward a few months. The initial pain has subsided and your nipples, now coated in an invisible titanium coat of armor are now  tough as nails do not bleed anymore. Your baby will now be discovering the magical world around them and will be eager to explore. The tough part is over now, right? Wrong. For you, this means they will no longer just lie down sucking angelically. They will be twisting and turning every time they see or hear anything new, all with jaws clenched tightly, yanking your poor nipples in every direction. Your nipples will develop balloon-like stretchy abilities from this constant tugging. They will experiment with new positions and nursing while jumping up and down or upside down will become the norm. Once they are crawling and walking, the positions become even more creative. While this may be cute to some, inevitably these gymnastics also mean pain for mommy.

At some point, baby will decide that maybe the milk will come out faster if he squeezes mommies breasts really hard at every feed, or juices them by rolling them with his skull an naturally assumes that mommy will enjoy this show of affection.

Then they start teething and your nipples become a chew toy. Finally, they get sharp new blade-like teeth and every feed will be a game of Russian Roulette. If you scream in agony when bitten, baby will think this is hilarious and do it again and again and you will be right back to the sore, bleeding nipple stage. Apparently it is also fun to use nipples as a chew toy (at present Squish favours the suck-chew position, where he sucks while clenching down the entire time).

THE HUNGER

You have never experienced hunger until you have breastfed. Breastfeeding works up an insatiable appetite in the human female species. Despite being small and petite, I can out-eat my husband anytime these days and waking up for a midnight snack is no longer an extraordinary event. (I guess I should not complain as eating all the chocolate and dessert in sight and not picking up weight is awesome, but I fear that one of these days dear hubby may evict me from our house as a result of enormous grocery bills).

THE EXHAUSTION

Firstly, you have a little creature literally sucking away all your nutrients. If you do not have a perfectly balanced diet (which lets face it, few mothers have time for) you are likely to be tired out by the mere act of breastfeeding around the clock. Add to this chronic sleep deprivation and the fact that exclusively breastfed babies do not sleep through the night and you have a recipe for a tired, cranky, perpetual zombie.

THE ISOLATION

Breastfeeding takes up many, many hours. This may result in you not having time for your other children or husband, let alone your extended circle of family and friends. If you live in a society where nursing in public is still seen as tabboo, when out in public or even when you have guests over, you may find yourself chosing between offending people and  hiding away behind closed doors and missing out on life events. Not all babies take to bottles straight away or feed according to a set schedule. This means that, while your baby is exclusively breastfed, everything you do revolves around breastfeeding- how you dress (most clothing staples are off limits for lack of accessibility to the essential assets), where you go and how long you go for. There is no break ever- since you cannot just detach your breast from your body, you cannot just leave baby with a babysitter for a couple of hours.

THE HUMILIATION

Every breastfeeding mother experiences that awkward moment where she is out somewhere and lands up with a gigantic puddle of milk on her top. It is a rite of passage and it will be on the day she forgets to wear breast pads (which are scratchy, hot and annoying by the way... oh and they cost a small fortune). 

Then, when baby gets older and develops the co-ordination to whip your breast out in public for you or even ask for them by name, the real trouble begins.

IT IS HARD TO LET GO

I only planned to breastfeed for six months, but almost a year later, we are still going strong. I had two failed attempts at weaning, but just felt too sorry for my son, who just loves his boobies so. We tried the gentle methods recommended by La Leche League (do not offer or refuse, distraction, substitutions, shorter feeds) with no success and then even tried putting a series of bitter items on my breasts, all without success. I have read horror stories about sudden weaning so will not go that route but in all honesty, I am ready for this journey to end now and I hope that soon he is too.

Would I do it again? Yes, I probably would. We all know about the health benefits of breastfeeding and they are young for such a short time. The liquid gold is the ultimate mothering tool for comfort, to instantly soothe any cry or to effortlessly caress a baby to sleep. The benefits for baby both physically and emotionally are beyond measure and  there are ways to deal with all of the hurdles that come with breastfeeding and plenty of support out there, from breastfeeding support groups to lactation consultants. I just wish it was not so, so, so tough.

  

DISCLAIMER: IMAGES IN THIS PARTICULAR BLOG POST ARE NOT MY OWN. ALL CREDITS GO TO THE RELEVANT OWNERS OF THESE IMAGES.

 

Psychedelic Hair Mousse Art

I remember previously seeing some interesting uses for shaving foam for art activities on Pinterest. When I spotted a bottle of hair mousse in my drawer which was older than Noodle (I am not sure why I actually own hair mousse since I have no recollection of ever using it), I figured that it should have similar tactile properties and decided to let the kids experiment.Today's quick, messy art activity with my little ones needed just three things: paper, the hair mousse and food colouring.

 

Top left: mousse squirted on paper | Bottom left: Food colouring fizzing on mousse | 

Right: End product

We squirted lots of hair mousse onto a page- both kids had a turn at this and found this bit hilarious. Then we sprinkled a few different colours of food colouring all over the page (today I used powder colour as this made the mousse fizz and make interesting noises, though I am sure other types might create better results aesthetically). We may have used a bit too much purple colour as this seems to have overpowered the other colours a bit.

Then the kids got to squish their fingers into the foamy, fluffy, fizzy mess for a fun, sensory experience. I let Noodle make patterns in the foam using a plastic fork and a toothpick. Then we blotted it a bit with a paper towel and left it to dry. The result was a psychedelic rainbow of colour.

The mousse is quite soapy and washes off hands without problems. Oh and the paper smells pretty afterwards.

Ten Real Jobs You Can do From Home

So the feedback I have been getting from many potential WAHM'ers is that they would love to work from home, but don't have any ideas as to what business they can start. While the possibilities are endless, for those that lack inspiration, we have put together some ideas for businesses that can be run from home.

A word of caution, if you are searching for work from home jobs on the internet, the bulk of what you are likely to find is scams. Be wary of any business that asks you to pay an upfront fee to join etc as any real employer will not require this.

So what can you do then? The possibilities are as wide as your imagination and what people are willing to pay for.

1. Do you have any specific qualifications? You could use these unique skills to start your own specialist business. (I run a consulting business in my field of study from home, albeit in a non-traditional way). For example, an accountant could set up a bookkeeping business or a teacher could give tuition from home (or even online).

2. Do you have any special and unique talents? If you are an amazing artist, an exceptional baker or great at making stuff with your hands, you can use these skills to make and sell something that there is a demand for.

3. Is there something you are incredibly passionate about? Use this passion. If you are great with small children, perhaps you could set up a small daycare facility. If you love ballet or surfing or - whatever it is you like, why not set up an online store relating to your passion? You could also pass your passion on to others and make money at the same time- offer sewing lessons, guitar lessons or baking classes.

4. Is there a clear gap in the market for something and you know that you can fill that gap? Use that as your cue. For example, if you live in a small town with not a single person renting out party supplies, you could fill that gap. If you are surrounded by full time workers with no time to cook, offer a hot home cooked meal or pre-packed lunch service. Private, flexible religious classes for children with busy extra-mural schedules are also in great demand.

5. Writing!  If you have a writing background you could do freelance writing, proof reading or copyrighting. If you are inspired, you could even write a book- this is even easier in this day and age with e-publishing. As an income supplement, you could start a blog and earn income from advertising, affiliate programmes, sponsored posts etc.

6. If you have a flair for sales and a good network of people to sell to, you could become an agent for the products of various companies (the usual make-up, pots, weight loss products etc- find something that nobody in your area of influence is selling already). Even better, be your own boss, source your own products and start your own sales based business (either a physical one or a web-based business).

7. If you have decent computer skills and the right equipment, you could provide typing, transcription or data capturing services, or work as a virtual assistant (i.e. handling administration such as emails or scheduling appointments on behalf of a busy executive). Note: be careful with data capturing, while there are lots of legitimate opportunities, there are also scams out there.

8. If you are able to do web design, you could design or test websites from home.

9. Translator- if you are multi-lingual and have good language skills, you could transcribe documents. Try sites such as Translators Cafe.

10. There are some legitimate oppurtunities online. If you are a good photographer, you could sell stock photographs online to sites such as Dreamstime, Shutterstock etc. Or you could do freelance work through sites such as freelancer.com

How to Change Nappies Like a Super Pro

I was chatting to a new mommy friend who is battling with the in's and outs of nappy changes so I thought I would dedicate a post to the art of nappy changing. Here is everything you need to know about changing nappies with minimal mess and fuss.If you are new to nappy changes, please read the basics below. 

If you have an older baby, you can skip to the advanced section further on (unless you have a boy, in which case you need the advanced section anyway).

BEFORE YOU EVEN BEGIN...

The number 1 rule is to always be prepared!!! Have everything you need for your nappy changes in one place. Change mat, nappies, wipes, bum cream and any other accessories that you use (for example if you use baby powder or a sanitiser spray) should all be stored together for easy access.

Before you remove baby's nappy, be sure to have everything prepped- nappy open, bum cream open, wipes out. That way, you won't be fumbling with an exposed bottom (especially with newborns who tend to let lose with the bodily fluids as soon as their nappies are opened). After all, the most important rule is to get done as quickly as possible, before further damage is done. 

Similarly, when you are away from home, your nappy bag should be organised so that all nappy changing goodies are stored together for easy access (I have seen special organisers for this purpose but I just use a big Ziplock bag). Be sure to keep some hand sanitiser for if you happen to find yourself changing nappies and you are nowhere near a bathroom (trust me, if you ever find yourself on an overseas flight with a baby with diarrhea, as I once did, this will come in handy). Disposable change mats are also handy for shopping centres etc. (P.S. You should always know where the nearest change station is, so be sure to check out The Jozi WAHM's Directory of Mall Baby Rooms).

So now for the actual nappy change!

THE BASICS

Place the clean nappy under the baby before you start so that you can close up quickly after beginning (skip this step if you happen to have an explosive nappy leak on hand or you will dirty the new nappy too). For the actual nappy change, use the front clean part of the nappy to wipe away the bulk of the mess (from front to back of course), then use wet wipes or damp cotton wool to clean the rest. Clean till you think it is clean, getting into all the nooks and crannies and then use one more wet wipe.

Close up the old nappy by first folding in half and then roll up using the the tabs to seal tightly before disposing (you could use a special nappy bin with bag dispensers but I find that a lined pedal bin with nappy bags just for poo nappies works just as well and is more cost effective).

Now the hard part is done (unless you have an active toddler). With the new nappy slide under the baby, put a barrier bum cream of your choice. Place the new nappy on baby, seal the tabs snuggly but so that you can still fit a finger under the tummy. Make sure that the ruffly bits at the legs where the elastic is are facing outwards. If you have a newborn, fold over the top so that the umbilical cord stump is exposed (or buy the special newborn nappies with a cut out for the umbilical cord).

Ideally, you should avoid nappy rashes from developing in the first place but if it does, you need to figure out what kind of rash it is. A nurse once advised me that if the area is just red, the usual shelf remedies should work but if it is pimply or blistery it is likely to be a fungal or yeast infection, in which case you will need something appropriate for that. Ensure that bottoms are air dried and allow some sun exposure if warm enough

ADVANCED NAPPY CHANGES

N.B. There are certain special categories of nappy changes that need some special advisory warnings.

THE SPRINKLER NEWBORN BOY

An extra special word of caution is needed for newborn boy nappies, which can reduce the most composed adult to tears. Always keep the front covered at all times (a separate facecloth works well for this) unless you happen to like you and your entire house being showered in baby wee. Also, make sure that the boy bits are facing downward before closing the nappy or you will have an entire wardrobe change (for you and baby) due in the next half hour.

THE WIGGLY SQUIRMY WORMY

Once they are older and able to squirm away, be sure to have some distraction aid ready, something for them to hold like a toy or even the bum cream. A good trick is to have a change station with a mobile or stickers hanging above (you can make your own mobile out of a clothes hanger and swop the dangly bits from time to time). You could also try shifting your change spot every now and then for variety. 

DORA THE EXPLORER

At some point they are also going to want to explore their body parts (and possibly put their hands right into the soiled areas, or even worse, into their mouths afterwards). Your first line of defence is letting them hold something, as mentioned for the squirmy wormy baby. The next line of defence is to use one hand to hold baby's ankles together so that his or her legs are almost crossed, limiting his or her access to the nether regions. 

THE STREAKER

If you have a streaking toddler who runs away as soon as nappies are off (I am told it is a boy thing) try to create games to play at change time. You can get them to clap hands or make funny faces or point to body parts once old enough.

THE POO-NAMI (I did not coin this term)

Stick baby straight under shower. Please also refer to items 2 and 3 of this previous blog post.

There you have it... clean, happy baby- for the next hour or two anyway.

Noodle Says... Part 3

My four year old Noodle has continued entertaining us with more of her pearls of wisdom (click here for some of her previous wisecracks). Here are some of the highlights:

'What was Captain Hooks name before he lost his arm?'

'Let's Google how Google works.'

'Does Google know when I am being naughty?'

'That's not a hotdog mommy. It is only called a hotdog if the tomato sauce and mustard are in squiggly lines.'

'I have a diagnosis. I have a severe case of sour lemon on finger sickness.'

'Was that a facebook phonecall mommy? (Me, confused- asks her why she says that).
Daddy's face came up on the screen on your phone when it rang.'

'And then the lizard cast a spell and turned him into a giant. He is a saucer-man and can make magic.'

'When I grow up I am going to live in a big house in a snowy country and my baby brother can live with me and we will build snowmen every day. But we will wear gloves so we don't get sick'.

'Lets give all my vegetables to the poor children who have no food'.