Popeye –The marinaio Pasta

Popeye – The sailor Man:)

“I’m Popeye the Sailor(Pasta) Man,
I’m Popeye the Sailor(Pasta) Man.
I’m strong to the finich
Cause I eats me spinach.
I’m Popeye the Sailor Man”.. The Spinach pasta manJ`

Source of Inspiration: My 7 yrs old Niece J

“Her hate for Spinach..

Her love for Baby corns ..

Her hate for nutritious foods..

Her love for cheese ..

Her hate for chapatti & Bottle gourds ..

Her love for Pasta & Broccoli’s ,It says it all” J

So me, being her most lovable maasi & best friend to dear sister ,I had to innovate a perfect recipe that would be happily prepared by my sis & loved by my neice..

I had to brainstorm ,put my busy mind to work ,& yo I came up with a lovely character : Popeye ,The sailor man ,one who loved spinach & grew strong ,his jingles we sang in childhood..Aww..Those were lovely days & when clubbed with Spinach Pasta ,won’t it give a boost to our kids as well as us?

Well ,do try out this tongue twister recipe & I’m sure kids are gonna love this pasta (with spinach) ,as much as my niece relishes ..

Overall Preparation time: 30-40 minutes

Serves : 3-4 people

Utensils Required:

• Sauce Pan’s
  
• Bowls
  
• Spoons
  
• Fork
  
• Chopper
  
• Mixer –Grinder
  

Ingredients:

Veggies :

1. 300 gram – DelMonte Chifferi Rigati Pasta https://www.facebook.com/DelMonteIndia
   
2. 7-8 pcs – Small Baby corn
   
3. 2 bunches broccoli trimmed from the stem
   
4. 15-20 olives  slices
   
5. 400 gram – Spinach
   
6. 2 tomatoes /1 big tomato chopped
   
7. 2-  Onions
   
8. 8-10 garlic cloves
   
9. Olive Oil -2 tea spoon
   

For Flavour:

1. 1/2 tea spoon garam masala
   
2. 1/2 tea spoon red chilli
   
3. 1/4 tea spoon black pepper
   
4. Salt as per the taste
   
5. 1 tea spoon sugar (optional)
   

For White sauce:

1. 200 ml -Toned milk
   
2. 1 1/2 tea spoon butter
   
3. 2 tea spoon Maida
   
4. 1/2 tea spoon White pepper
   
5. Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
   

Cheese :

1/2-3/4 bowl Grated Cheddar cheese

2 cheese slices

Preparation of Gravy/Puree:

1. Spinach Puree –
   
   1. Thoroughly wash spinach under running water twice/thrice
      
   2. Heat in a pan & bring it to boil for next 7-8 minutes
      
   3. Let it cool
      
   4. Wash with cold water ,blanching gives a thick consistency to it
      
   5. Grind it in a mixer & keep it aside
      
2. Tomato Puree –
   
   1. Chop tomatoes & grind it along with sugar (optional) & keep it aside
      
3. Onion –Garlic Puree –
   
   1. Again mix onion & garlic & grind it ,keep it aside
      
4. White Sauce –
   
   1. Bring the milk to boil
      
   2. Add butter & maida in another pan ,stir it till it gets a paste form ,cook for 3-4 minutes
      
   3. Add milk to the cooked maida –butter paste & stir it continuously till it thickens
      
   4. Add white pepper to it & cook for next 5-8 minutes
      
   5. Add Oregano to the final paste
      

Receipe :

•  Boil Broccoli &corn for some 4-5 minutes, add olives to the boiled veggies & keep it aside. 
• Boil Pasta for 10-12 min on medium flame , (add pinch of salt & olive oil to it), drain & wash with cold water & keep it aside
  

Since the basic requirements are done, let’s start with our “Popeye Pasta” –Kid’s yummilicious pastaJ

Step by step Directions :

• Add olive oil to the pan, let oil heat for 2 minutes.
  
• Add Onion garlic mixture to it & sauté it until it turns golden brown (Raw& pureed pic attached)
  

  
  
  

  
  

• To it add tomato gravy & add flavours as Garam masala ,Red chilli ,Black pepper ,salt & let it boil for next 5 minutes (till oil starts leaving pan’s sides)
  

  
  

• Add Spinach gravy & let it boil for next 5-8 minutes
  

  
  
• Once gravy thickens ,add cheese slice & white sauce to it
  

• Once this gravy becomes little thick add the veggies (broccoli ,corn ,olives) kept aside to it & let it simmer for next 5 minutes
  
  
• 
  
  
• To this add boiled DelMonte Rigati pasta & mix thoroughly & keep simmering for next 3-5 minutes.
  
• Add Oregano seasoning & lots of grated cheddar cheese.
  

• Finally top it with nutritious sesame seeds & serve this delicious ,nutritious popeye pasta to kids as well as adults ( Optional Tomato Ketchup as dressing )
  
  Special Instruction:
  This yummilicious healthy pasta is a must try ,if not ,it may corrupt other contestants minds;)

Yes I love Popeye Pasta:)

Massage with -Dabur Baby Massage Oil

The tenderness, love a child brings in one’s life is certainly a bliss in our life .To see them grow & nurture healthily is again a big challenge which takes most of our time & brings out the best from us ,be it from feeding them with best organic foods or giving them a hygienic environment or sharing with them BPA free toys .Amongst all this lies a very important part of a child’s growth ,Massage ,which is a wonderful way to express our love ,care & give our child a healthy life.

Importance of Child Massage:

Since ages, massaging child has taken on its roots in India, with the reasons making it mandatory as:

1. An important gentle & rhythmic stroking which tones up baby’s muscles & makes bones strong
2. It also enhances blood circulation & moisturizes baby’s skin
3. Some people also say that it helps in weight gain due to toning up of body
4. A gentle massage on tummy & chest help in releasing out the gas & improves digestion for the infant as well.
5. It also acts as a big relaxant for kids, as it eases out the muscles & help in a good sleep post facto.
6. It is a great method of bonding between a mother & child, as it is said that during massaging, oxytocin hormones are released which gives a warm feeling to the baby.
7. Further it is also said that massage is a great option for pre-mature kids ,as it stimulates vagus nerve (connecting brain with major body organs) resulting in improved circulation ,digestion ,right bowel movement . Also, it leads to better brain activity for pre-mature infants.

Requirements of Massage:

1. A perfect baby oil
2. Towel
3. Nappy kit

Right strokes with right baby oil matters a lot. Now –a day’s one can get so many baby oils in te market but it plays an important role in identifying the correct oil & apply it. I have been using Dabur Lal tel & Olive oil alternately on my kid from past 9 months ,the reason being Lal tel is a genuine & proven oil ,best for the strong bones & Olive oil has immense goodness of olives which not just moisturizes the skin but also helps in reducing the stress ,stiffness if any ,hydrates the skin ,induces better hair growth ,& also helps in better sleep which is must for infants.

So when I came to knew of Dabur’s new Baby oil having the goodness of Olives & Almonds, I did apply & wanted to test it out on my baby with a strong believe in Dabur products.

1. A sweet interesting packaging which prompted my kid to pounce on it even before I tried to unpack it 😉 SO once he was satisfied & played for next 10-12 minutes, I finally grabbed it from him, to have a look & apply the same on him. So the start seemed to be interesting enough!!
2. Studying on the compositions which clearly define as Almonds & Olives ,helping out in perfect nourishment to the child & making it all the more soft due to presence of Almond oil (which acts as a moisturizer as well)
3. Further, felt pleased to know that the goodness of these oils had been enriched with the absence of any Paraffins & artificial colors, Paraben, unlike many products which up sell with added colors & fragrance. For infants, purity should be the final touch!

Application:

Once satisfied reading & making myself aware of the natural goodness of this oil, I was prompted to apply it on my baby. As such my kid loves getting massaged & I was eager to see him react when this goodness reached him all throughJ

Gently rubbing the oil between my palms, I started massage from the legs, starting slowly to being a little tight on thighs & calves & see here I saw him squeaking & smiling back 🙂

Moving upwards his chest & tummy making “I Love U” signs ,& using fingers to gently stroke in circles ,make him giggle & jump a lot ,but this is the way he enjoys. Similarly moving on hands & back I applied this oil with full faith & my kid loved the massage, which ended with a 2-3 minute session on his scalp which he loves the most.

Post this fabulous massage with perfect textured oil for a tight massage, some exercise made him sleepy & I felt pleased to see him sleep with a smiling face & relaxed body.

Conclusion : I found this oil perfect for people like me who love doing tight massage with not-so-light oils which are sold in the market .Along with this ,the freshness of almonds & Olives could be felt easily which act as “essential oils” for kids (although for us too..So even I applied it on me once ;))

Although this post is being written for Dabur Oil, but the goodness explained & experienced is very true ,as true as my baby & for the well being of all mothers like me. Do try out the product, which is quite reasonable & comes in 100Ml bottle. I’m sure you’ll be contented enough for a good tight massage.

I am writing about Dabur Baby Massage Oil with the goodness of olive and almond for the #FirstLove activity at BlogAdda.’

Happy with my oil:)