Tiffins and Stories Of An Indian in American Schools.

Recently I started paying more attention to my son's lunch box, not entirely out of passion, but out of neccessity. What began as a "OMG,what shall I give him today?" is slowly capturing his and my imagination and becoming simpler and more streamlined.

One of my biggest challenges is a strange one. My little one who eats all my spicy, rustic, traditional and non traditional food at home is shy when he goes to school. I have been gathering all the excuses he gives for bringing back an untouched tiffin. It was gooey, sticky, it didn't taste right, the others made fun of the smell (Indian spices),it was not spicy enough, it was too spicy,I forgot to pack the fork, it was cold (he likes it hot) and so on. My friend said these were similar to the main charater's experiences in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". The kids want to just blend in and not attract any attention. And if the kid is shy, then its peanut butter and jelly sandwich only. Blending in should not mean blanding in.

So now we made a list of possibilities and a list of no-nos. Rice with curry is out , but fried rice or pulav is ok. Sandwiches, two slices of bread with anything squished in between still rules the menu. Now you would think why doesn't he eat from the cafeteria. He doesn't want to and I didn't insist for now as the menu there was nothing great. Maybe later when I get busier, I will change my mind. Maybe as he grows older, he won't like mommy food anymore. So I am enjoying the attention for now.

This is what a typical lunch would look like now. Some store bought stuff, some home made. If I make cakes or snacks, that gets packed instead or else it back to his favourite junk(as he calls it). That’s a cream cheese and strawberry preserves(jam/jelly) untoasted sandwich, a pork free breakfast chicken links cut and spiced with pepper flakes, an orange(peeled), a yogurt box, couple of chocolate chip cookies, and water. Yep, he drinks water, doesn’t like juice and since is anyway loaded with sugar (36 gm-equals 7 tsps), its better. Milk is an ongoing battle which I shall tell you later.

Another popular lunch is Paratha..stuffed flatbread. Good for me as it takes care of veggies and carbs at one go and can be eaten cold. I remember paratha being my favourite lunch item too. This box has Potato-fenugreek leaves (Alu-Methi)paratha, cream cheese for dipping, A twisted cheese snack, chocolate milk, red globe grapes washed and dried and chocolate chip cookies. Believe me, the lunch box comes back clean.
Some essentials I now love:
Tiny ziplock snack bags, tiny containers, a divided lunch box, Foil, and good plastic wrap. All these fit neatly into an insulated lunch bag and prevents leakage.
I love the look of the laptop lunch box, with all its divided containers fitting in so well, but have yet to get one. One of these days.. Thats all for this week. Do leave a comment and let me know your suggestions and experiences.


This Post was written by Shaheen from Malabar Spices.

Salad for tiffin

I have never been a big salad fan. But I must confess, ever since I've started bunching up fresh fruits with the veggies in a salad, I am almost changing my mind about this healthy food option.

There are several advantages of eating raw foods - more nutrients, more fibre content, lesser time spent in kitchen and more filling. Think about this - humans are the only species that cook their food. In the city where I live, its summer most of the year, just that some months are a tad cooler than the rest. Where temperatures are at an average of 30 Celsius, who wants to stand in front of a hot stove or eat hot food? This is how salads invariably come to my rescue.

I like pack a box of salad along with a couple of Phulkas (homemade tortilla kind of Indian bread) and some cooked veggies or lentils in my hubby's lunch box. He quite loves to take a lunch box along as the canteen food is typically Indian as the foreigners recognise it - in the greasy, spicy way.

This is a simple salad that I packed him last week, was made with fresh in-season tomatoes, crisp cucumbers, crunchy green bell peppers & carrots and the surprise element - sweet lime segments. My other favourite tip for most salads is to crush the veggies / fruits with your hands, squeeze them a bit, toss them with your hands to release their natural juices . When this salad is eaten after a couple of hours, the natural juices along with the condiments forms an excellent juicy dressing. Fat free ofcourse.

Salad for tiffin

1 large tomato - halved and sliced

1 capsicum (green bell pepper) - deseeded and cut into thin sticks

1 large carrot - scraped and cut into sticks

1 large cucumber - peeled and cut into sticks

1 sweet lime (Mosumbi) - torn into segements, seeds removed

Fresh coriander leaves

Pinch of paprika or red chilli powder

Juice of half a lime

Salt to taste

Mix all the above in a large bowl, tossing well with your hands, giving the veggies a light squeeze. Pack in a tiffin box. The flavours would have gelled wonderfully by the time the box is opened at lunch time.

You can easily replace the sweet lime by any other citrus fruit like orange or tangerine. Peppers of all colours will blend in beautifully too.

For another veggie and fruit salad - check out this fattoush that I make regularly.

Tip

Salads are a dieter's best friend. Starting your meal with a salad, fills you up well enough so that you don't hog on the bread.

Starting kids on healthy meals such as this, early on in their life, will make sure they develop a taste for raw foods and they will make healthy salads a part of their diet for the rest of their life. In fact, once you ready the ingredients required, they'll have fun assembling it together and get a sense of pride in cooking their own food.

Please note that you must wash and scrub any vegetables that you'd use for a salad to prevent food poisoning and worm infestations. Washing them in a potassium permanganate solution also helps.

This Post was written by Nandita from Saffron Trail.

Vitmain C and A Spice Cake

How did Thanksgiving go?

Hope you got over it with elegance and there were no major glitches - like burning the turkey!! I was pretty close to burning my roast I can tell you - but just close.
We decided to go out and have a game of football, which is a novelty for my German friends, we were so occupied in the game and had all the neighbors cheering for us that I managed to remember the roast in the nick of time.
Phew!

Today I've got some really scrumptious things lined up for you. The weekly Tiffin idea filled with interesting goodies and a divine recipe of a wonderful treat.

Tiffin Idea
Winter is just around the corner, actually in some parts of the world it has already a tight grip on us. So it is very important to make sure you get the right amount of vitamins to keep away all those illnesses. One very important such vitamin, especially for the winter months is Vitmain C.

Today's lunch box contains a great portion of natural Vitamin C found in fruit. That is an important point to remember. Although there are plenty of pills, syrups and prescription drugs supplemented with Vitamin C, the first choice should really be the fresh and natural fruit and vegetables. Nothing like juicy and sweet tangerines and fresh, ripe kiwis for the extra portion of Vitamin C. Vitamin C should be taken in divided doses throughout the day. Researchers found that an average dosage of 200 mg/day was adequate for men and women, but should be raised for growing children, pregnant women and elderly or sick people. This amount of vitamin C can be obtained from a diet containing five daily servings of fresh fruit and vegetables; unfortunately, less than 15 per cent of children and adults in the USA actually consume such a diet

The funny thing is that I remember my mum telling me the same thing day in day out. Guess that really stuck in my head and now I am forwarding the same message to my own child.

5 fruits a day!

The kiwi contains 90 milligrams per 100 grams and the tangerines 30 milligrams per 100 grams. Not a bad start to the day. Furthermore, there is more to offer in that huge slice of Persimmon Spice Cake.

The cake is also packed with lovely walnuts and aromatic spices to make it just perfect for this time of year. Yes! The recipe is below! I used a really lovely cilantro and garlic pita bread for the sandwich and filled it with some herb flavored cream cheese and slices of ripe cherry tomatoes.

Persimmon Spice Cake
Ingredients:

4 - 6 ripe and soft persimmons - peeled and puréed. You can use an electric mixer or blender for this.
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
115 grams butter
200g brown sugar
350g all-purpose flour
1 egg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground clove powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
60g walnuts or pecans - coarsely chopped

---

Method:

Preheat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.

Add the baking soda to the puréed persimmon. You will notice that the persimmon will set and become more solid. No cause for alarm. Although this might look strange it is perfectly normal.

In a mixing bowl whisk the butter and sugar with and electric mixer, until creamy and fluffy. Stir in the persimmon and egg, beating until well combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the dry ingredients to the persimmon mixture. Blend in well and stir in the nuts.

Spoon the batter into a round greased cake pan and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the knife comes out clean.

Take out and allow to cool on a rack. Sprinkle generously with icing sugar. If you would like to freeze this cake then skip this part and freeze in an airtight container.

I have more details, pictures and information to the spice cake here.

Hope you enjoy this!



This Post was written by MEETA from What's For Lunch, Honey?

A Bunch o'Lunches

This is what lunch for three boys -- not all of whom like the same thing -- looks like.

Two of the boys are sandwich eaters. One has roast chicken, crusty bread, a bit of cheddar for his sandwich. The other is trying out tuna for the first time, mixed with a dab of mayonnaise. I had tuna every day of my life as a child, and I came to despise it. For him, it's a novelty. We'll see how that plays. The sandwich eaters both get satsumas, and carrots. Tiniest Tiffin likes his carrots with a little dressing, so that's in one of the containers. And they both like maple yogurt -- Tiffin Twin likes his with blueberries; Tiniest Tiffin is very fond of sprinkles. If the tuna doesn't work out, there's always the sprinkles.

And then, over there in the corner, in the thermos, is the other Tiffin Twin lunch. Homemade chicken soup, something that is very easy to do after you've had a roast chicken. You melt some shallots or onions and some carrots in a little oil. When they're soft, you add about four cups of water and a tablespoon of our favorite broth starter (it's organic and tastes remarkably good), let those boil and then simmer for a while, if you -- like the Tiffin Twin -- enjoy your soup veggies meltingly soft. And then you put in some buckwheat soba noodles that you've cooked separately. Add a little diced chicken from last night and just let it warm up. And that's the perfect lunch for a child who's a hot lunch guy: whole wheat grains in the soba, veggies in the carrots, protein in the chicken. All that's missing is a little bit of calcium, and so for his snack we'll have a big cup of hot chocolate. For lunch, they just have water.

Wishing you a fabulous week of good food and good fun.


This Post was written by BlogLily from the Tiffin Tin.

Happy Thanksgiving

Hello everyone!

We, the team from The Daily Tiffin would like to send you our warmest wishes for this Thanksgiving. Hope you all have a cosy, cuddly and joyous evening with your family and enjoy the next few days with them.

Warm regards,

Lily, Nandita, Shaheen and Meeta

Healing teas

Our 'Tulsi' plant swaying in the rains

Hi Friends!

Winter is just trying to nudge it's way into Bombay but the stubborn sun just wont let it. Result being, we have bouts of cold and bouts of heat which is confusing the hell out of our body's homeostatis. Every second person I know is down with the flu or cough. I was down too, last week. With hubby out on a business trip and me battling the flu by myself, I nursed my illness with some natural remedies. Since most of the world is facing severe winters, these spicy, herbal teas can be enjoyed even if you aren't down with flu.


Holy basil and ginger tea

Holy basil belongs to same species as Basil, is grown in most Hindu homes in India. While my grandmom will give me spiritual reasons, I'd take the logical reason as to why this tradition came into play. Holy basil has innumerable health benefits. Picking a few leaves and chewing them each day would probably keep one fit and healthy, the herbal way. I too grow this plant at home. It feels good to follow traditions that are good for you as well.

To make this tea, take a few handfuls of washed leaves of Holy basil. Take a piece of ginger, about 1 inch. Wash thoroughly to remove any mud and crush it in a mortar-pestle along with the leaves. In a pot, bring 4 cups of water to boil along with the crushed leaves and ginger. Keep the boiling water at a simmer till reduced to 3 cups. Strain and drink warm.

This makes 3 cups. Had first thing in the morning, this herbal tea is an excellent detoxifying agent. Also removes any phlegm / cough that gets accumulated in your lungs / sinuses in damp weather.

Cinnamon quills - Courtesy: Getty Images

Spice tea

Most of the spices that I use for this tea are used whole. They are easily found in Indian stores around the world. Spices like cinnamon and black pepper can be bought in any supermarket too.

Spices for the tea-
1 long stick cinnamon
1/2 tsp black pepper
2-3 cloves
1 star anise
1 green cardamom
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

On a low flame, lightly roast the spices. Crush them and bring them to boil in 3 cups of water, along with some crushed ginger root. Simmer for around 5-7 minutes until the essences of the spices are out in the water. Strain and drink with a tsp of honey.

You could also add some brandy to the spice tea to make a warming nightcap.

Black pepper is one of the best fat and cough burning spices, according to Ayurveda. Cinnamon and cloves are warming spices which are good for a cold or for resistance in cold weather.

This recipe makes 2 cups of tea.


This Post was written by Nandita from Saffron Trail, India.

Persimmon

Isn't this exciting? Yesterday a lunch box from San Francisco and today one coming to you from Germany! We really hope that our new ideas we plan to share with you will interest you and of course inform you.

In our household we've been busy preparing for all the upcoming festivities. In Germany we celebrated St. Martin's Day on November 11. The Feast of Saint Martin in Germany would probably best be described as Halloween and Thanksgiving rolled into one. Both Soeren and I spent a few days making our own lanterns to take to the procession with the KIGA (Kindergarten Group). It was a really great evening as we all met up at the KIGA and then went through the city and park with lanterns and singing songs.
Next up is Thanksgiving. Although it is not a a traditional feast here in Germany, we celebrate it as I grew up with this wonderful tradition of giving thanks. Giving this message to Soeren is very important to me, showing him that there are very many things one should be thankful to. If anyone is looking for decoration ideas for Thursday, I have put up a few ideas here.

The lunchbox idea today is an interesting and a quickie for those days when one has overslept. Since the days are shorter and the sun rises later than usual we've been doing quite a bit of that lately.

Using a quick ready made croissant dough, spread thickly with cream cheese and fresh herbs. Put into the oven for the time stated on the croissant packet. Take out and the aroma will wake even the sleepiest of kids. Perfect for a second breakfast at KIGA. For the afternoon I packed a sugar glazed donut and to balance it off some lovely raisins and fresh chunks of Persimmon.

Persimmon
The Fall brings with it several delicious types of fruit and one of them is the Persimmon. Also known as Kaki or Sharon, they come in two categories - the Hachiya Persimmon, which is large and round. The Fuyu is smaller, flatter and tomato shaped. Both taste very differently from each other. The Hachiya is soft, creamy and tangy sweet, in comparison, the Fuyu remains firm upon ripening and has no tangy aftertaste. They can be used for a variety of things like jellies, cakes, and spreads, but we've been eating these by the carload just the way they are.

Selecting and Storing
While selecting you should go for smooth, brightly colored and plump persimmons. They can be ripened at room temperature and then stored in the refrigerator for several days.

Health Facts
Persimmons contain twice as much fiber as apples and play an important role in keeping a healthy heart. Persimmons also contain antioxidants such as carotenoids and polyphenols which affects fat metabolism. In addition persimmons are good source of sodium, potassium, magnesium, manganese and iron. Therefore, for many reasons, adding this colourful fruit to your diet may be a good idea.

Here are a few great recipes from my blogger buddies:
Persimmon Madeleines.
Persimmon Salsa.
Dried Persimmon.

Next week I'll treat you to my succulent Persimmon Spice Cake.

In future you can expect from me on the Daily Tiffin the health benefits and interesting facts about the fruit and vegetables I pack in Soeren's lunchboxes, a quick recipe or reviews about current themes. Stay tuned!



This Post was written by Meeta from What's For Lunch, Honey?

Watermelon and Plum Cake

This morning was a late-rising Monday -- it was so warm in bed and so foggy and chilly outside. And the heat wasn't on! It took us a while to emerge from our cozy beds.

But when my eleven year old son (one of the Tiffin Twins) opens his lunch today, there will be a little bit of summer inside. Watermelon is still yummy here in California and the cake is made with the last of the fall's good plums. (The sandwich? Whole wheat bread, his favorite salami, and some sharp cheddar cheese.)

It's a happy day here in Berkeley, and one reason for that is my discovery that I'm not the only person in the world who's a little obsessed with packing lunches for herself and her children. On Mondays, as time goes on, I'll also be bringing you a few recipes, a snapshot or two from the hot lunches offered by my youngest son's school, some holiday baking, and the lunches we send with our children so they remember how loved they are even when they're away from home.

Have a wonderful week!





This Post was written by BlogLily from the Tiffin Tin.

The New Daily Tiffin

Just about a week after I announced my new intentions for the Daily Tiffin, I am so proud and very honored to announce the new team and concept for this blog.

About The Daily Tiffin

The Daily Tiffin started off as a daily web log for the lunch boxes packed by Meeta, the creator of the Daily Tiffin, for her 4 year old son, Soeren.

It is evolving into something more now. Concentrating on healthy, active and fun family life, I have decided to bring on a few great people to join the team. The idea behind the new Daily Tiffin is to share ideas, thoughts, articles, reviews and recipes for our family life. So, you'll not only find ideas for lunch boxes for your kids but also creative lunches for adults too. There will be interesting articles on healthy eating and reviews about products, books etc. You'll also find scrumptious recipes here that you can add to your lunches for the kids or for the hubby! The main thing that you will find here is fun.

This is about a balanced life and not about getting every little detail right. It is about discussing the ideas and commenting on the thoughts. There'll be things for mums and dads, but most important you'll find great ideas for the little ones in our lives.

Here are all the wonderful helping hands that have made the Daily Tiffin a great place to be.

About Meeta - Administrator, Organization
I am a working mum and have a 6 year old son, Soeren. When I am not busy with family and making lunches, you'll find me working for the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar in Germany. I am passionate about living a fun and good life, which mainly revolves around my family, work and hobbies. Offering Soeren good values and setting a healthy base in life is very important to me. You might see me jetting off with my camera in my hands and lost in some photo shot - you see I am an amateur photographer and am always looking for the perfect picture.
Read articles by Meeta
Meeta's blog: What's For Lunch, Honey?

About Aparna- Contributor My name is Aparna and I blog at My Diverse Kitchen, which is a vegetarian food blog. I enjoy cooking and baking, especially bread, but that doesn't mean the kitchen is always my favourite place in the house!

I am a stay-at-home-mom to our 13 year old daughter. We are from the south Indian state of Kerala (more famous for its coconut trees, backwaters and ayurveda) and we now live in Goa (known for its beaches, churches and Portuguese influenced cuisine).

My husband, our daughter and I are vegetarian by tradition and by choice, though we do eat eggs occasionally. We enjoy good food and are willing to try anything at least once, so long as it is vegetarian.

In my spare time (when I am not blogging) I enjoy reading, listening to music, watching movies, traveling with my family, gardening, embroidery, painting azulejos and especially enjoy doing creative projects with my daughter.

As you can see, I have too many interests and too little time to spend on all of them! Thanks to blogging, I have a new found passion for photography and am now in the process of trying to make sense of my camera and the mysteries of light!
Read articles by Aparna
Aparna's blog: My Diverse Kitchen

About Bina - Contributor Bina grew up in Mumbai and credits the unforgettable meals in her home and those of her friends for turning her into a complete foodie! Collecting cookbooks and recipes became somewhat of an obsession and just when they threatened to take over the entire house, she (happily!) stumbled upon the world of food blogs. She loves to browse through her favorite blogs hunting down interesting recipes to try out and share with family and friends.

Bina has a Masters degree in Biology and worked as a researcher before turning into a stay-at-home mom when her son was born. She lives in the US with her husband and son and in her spare time, likes to paint in watercolor, sew and cross-stitch.
Read articles by Bina

About Dee - Co-Administrator, Events
Before food blogging turned from a hobby to a full time obsession, I used to work in the areas of Supply chain management and Customer service management. 8 years in these professions left a yearning in me for a break. My Husband's transfer to the US gave me this much wanted break. Initially bogged down by free time, I started Ammalu's kitchen (Ammalu means Little Girl in my mother tongue) to pen down my culinary journey from a novice cooking vegetable stir fries to my present day avatar.

Apart from blogging I love to sleep in the car while my husband is driving, sometimes feigning illness if required to snatch a wink! Time becomes a long warp when I'm reading, be it internet or books. On a more personal level, I'm a proponent of Yoga and ayurveda, and am embraking on a journey to explore these ancient jewels of India.
Read articles by Dee
Dee's blog: Ammalu's kitchen

About Deeba- Contributor
My name is Deeba & I blog @ Passionate About Baking...& beyond. I’m excited to be part of Daily Tiffin & am just over a year old to blogging. I worked for 8 years with British Airways as a Passenger Services Manager, & left when my daughter was born. Am a happy stay-at-home Mom, with 2 lovely kids (12 & 9, who hand me plenty of ups & downs) & an appreciative hub. Baking is my passion, & reading cookbooks, photography, art & craft are in every breath I take. Blogging has become a HUGE part of my life & I’m happy to be part of a wonderfully active & exuberant blogging community. I live in Gurgaon, which lies in the suburbs of New Delhi, the capital of India.
Read articles by Deeba
Deeba's blog: Passionate About Baking...& beyond

About Hilda - Contributor
Hilda was born in Iran but grew up in France and the U.S. and is now married to someone who is equally divided in his origins, none the same as hers, which along with her two step-children (16 & 9) makes for an interesting household. She is not working at the moment, as she has an adorable baby girl keeping her busy, but when she does she is a freelance film editor and post producer, and was a civil & environmental engineer by training. She loves food, photography/film, visual arts and crafts in general, is fascinated by technology, and derives great satisfaction from making things with her hands. She wrote only about food on her blog Saffron & Blueberry until just recently and now incorporates anything that is beautiful and/or of interest to her.
Read articles by Hilda
Hilda’s Blog: Saffron & Blueberry

About Jamie - Contributor
It all started when my husband put two and two together: knock on the head at 9 years old + obsession with food = Gourmand Syndrome. That’s when I decided to create my food blog and devote myself to it full time. I finally accepted the fact that my life revolved around food.

I have been, over the years, an art gallery manager, volunteer English teacher, research assistant on 1 cookbook and 1 art book, culinary guide and interpreter, milliner and now a full-time food blogger. American of Russian Jewish descent and married to a Frenchman, we have a true multi-cultural home; between the two of us, we have worked and lived in 5 countries and we have raised our sons, Clément, 21, and Simon, 19, in 3. And this mix of cultures extends deep into our kitchen. We both love good food and wine and we both love to cook. We also love to travel and discover other cultures and other cuisines. We use our cooking to bring our own cultures into our home, share with others and teach our sons.

Besides cooking, baking, eating and writing, I love to travel, am an avid reader and love watching movies with my family. We take long walks in the country with our Boston Terrier Marty and I get back to Florida as often as possible to visit my family.
Read articles by Jamie
Jamie’s Blog: Life’s a Feast

About Manisha - Co-Administrator, Organization
Manisha is an Internet Strategist who believes in the benefits of slowing down, which is, in essence, anti-thesis to the world of instant gratification that we currently live in. Her food blog, Indian Food Rocks, is about her personal journey through life, spiced by Indian food and anecdotes. Apart from food and being online all the time, her obsessions include gazing at the Rockies, hiking and biking whenever she can, photography, knitting and crocheting, and figuring out the next change she can implement in her life-style to help save the Earth. Manisha is currently grappling with the challenges that go hand in hand with raising a moderately gifted child.
Read articles by Manisha
Manisha's blog: Indian Food Rocks

About Mansi - Co-Administrator, Marketing
I'm a fun-loving, highly-social person who loves to try and conquer challenges in life. Being a Gemini, I have the "twin-tendencies", so one day you may see me writing poetry and trying some art, while another day you may find me doing bungee-jumping or para-gliding! But thanks to a sane husband, my family, friends, and a little bit of common-sense, I have learned to balance my life. I've loved cooking since I was a kid helping my mom in the kitchen, but over time, it has grown into a passion that I nurture and enjoy catering to! I love experimenting with foods and flavors, enjoy entertaining friends, and since past few years, I've also developed a fitness-streak that makes me find ways to make food healthier. You can find my recipes and articles on my blog called Fun and Food. Besides cooking, I also enjoy travelling, adventure sports, reading, writing and singing.
Read articles by Mansi
Mansi's blog: Fun and Food

About Petra - Co-Administrator, Organization
I used to work the IT business, but now I am a freelance writer, cookbook author and novelist, living in Hamburg, Germany. I am a foodie, as reflected in my blog Foodfreak, active in the slowfood movement, and I have a passion for Asian cuisines as well as local ingredients. In 2006 I started packing bento boxes for my husband to provide him with fresh, healthy and nutritious foods, and this has turned into a passion for bentos, too. I learned that bentos are widely unknown in Germany. When I find the time, I love to paint, read books (the higher the pile the better) take photographs or stroll across one of the various markets of my hometown. My latest outdoor addiction is geocaching, which leads me to fascinating placs all over my country.
Read articles by Petra
Petra's blog: Foodfreak

About Suganya - Co-Administrator, Design & Image
I am a fun-loving, affable & broad minded individual of Indian origin, living in the US. I started cooking at a very early age and have a strong affinity for tasty and healthy food. I write a blog called Tasty Palettes, where I express myself through food & flavour that is not limited by cuisine. I believe in leading a healthy lifestyle. Naturally this consciousness extends into my day-to-day activities, food recipes and choice of ingredients as well. I constantly strive to make food healthy, by making sensible choices while cooking or baking. I also try to make healthy food interesting and appealing for everyone, using contemporary presentation / styling techniques and photography.

Being a vegetarian all my life, I often find myself in a position where I need to be very flexible and adaptive. So, one can find me experimenting on proven recipes (Indian or not) with locally available or organic ingredients. I have recently started exploring veganism not only as a means of extending my beliefs in a healthy lifestyle, but also my beliefs as an animal lover and an environmentalist.

My other interests include food styling, travel & photography. I also love to read a lot, watch movies and drink a good cup of coffee.
Read articles by Suganya
Suganya's blog: Tasty Palettes

Guest Writers to The Daily Tiffin:

Pintoo: Articles
Bee: Articles
Stephanie: Articles
Asha: Articles
Anupama: Articles

We are always looking for guest writers and bloggers for The Daily Tiffin. If you would like to be featured as a guest writer on the Daily Tiffin please contact us per email with your ideas. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Email: thedailytiffin[AT]gmail[DOT]com

The Daily Tiffin Alumni:

About Abby - Alumni
I lived in Malawi until I was 14 and grew up eating homemade food made with seasonal ingredients. Moving to the UK and encountering processed food for the first time as a teenager was a real shock. I feel very fortunate to have always eaten homemade food and have the confidence to cook. I am always keen to share how easy it can be to cook and eat healthily. As well as being a keen cook I'm also studying nutritional medicine. I live in London, UK.
Read articles by Abby
Abby's blog: eat the right stuff

About Andrea - Contributor
Andrea is an instructional designer and former teacher, now a work-at-home wife and mom to three boys. In her early adult life, she spent eight years teaching at U.S. schools in Saipan, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia and enjoyed opportunities to travel throughout the world. She fell in love with many dishes in her travels and brings that spirit to her cooking blog Andrea's Recipes, where she writes about her adventures in the kitchen and edible garden and hosts the Grow Your Own blogging event. She also gives her opinion on products for home and garden at her blog Andrea's Reviews and writes for FoodieView.com and DC Metro Moms Blog.
Read articles by Andrea
Andrea's blog: Andrea's Recipes

About Ann - Alumni
Though technically born long enough ago to be counted as part of the Baby Boomer generation I consider myself a First Generation Punk. I have three amazing children, one ex-husband, two cats and a lovely partner named Jack. I live in New York and make my living as a senior software consultant. An ongoing constant interest has been a love of reading and writing, but I think I am happiest when I am working with my hands-- which would explain why I have combined cooking and writing into my blog.
Read articles by Ann
Ann's blog: Redacted Recipes

About Amanda - Alumni
I'm a stay at home mum of two great boys, just setting up a business from home. My working life has been diverse to say the least, and includes time in the travel industry, the landscape gardening industry and before becoming a mum a few years as Training and Development Manager for a Law Firm. I never was one to follow one straight path!! My main passion is food, particularly children eating and learning about good food.
Read articles by Amanda
Amanda's blog: Little Foodies

About Biggie - Alumni
I've been living in San Francisco since 1999 (after living in Japan for nine+ years), my son is two and a half, and I'm now a stay-at-home mom since the arrival of my son (after a career in high-tech PR both in Japan and San Francisco).
Read articles by Biggie
Biggie's blog: Lunch In A Box.

About Dharm - Contributor
I'm from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and a Mechanical Engineer by profession. I've always had a passion for food, both eating and cooking. When I was younger, I used to help my Mom with the the baking while I really only started cooking once I went to University in Australia. I soon found that cooking was a great way to meet women! Now happily married and blessed with two lovely children, my cooking and baking revolves around the family. I have always loved to write and have a great interest in photography as well. So what better way to combine my love of food, writing, photography and cooking for my family than to maintain a blog!
Read articles by Dharm
Dharm's blog: Dad ~ Baker & Chef

About Dhivya - Alumni
I am among those working woman, who consider providing their family with a variety of healthy and delicious meals, as their sole responsibility. I believe in my mom's saying - "It is better to know and not use rather than not knowing at all." That has inculcated the need to learn as much as I can.
Blogging is another channel which helps me to learn more in this gastronomical world with each passing day. The more I blog, the more I learn, more I get exposed to some immensely talented people who simply inspire me to push myself harder.
I find that I have a burning necessity to involve myself in pursuits that are creative and foreign to me at the same time. So a poem then, some art work later and food writing now... the journey continues.
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Dhivya's blog: Chef in You

About Donna - Contributor
I'm an ex-caterer and pastry chef from Vermont that got tired of the rat race and sailed off into the sunset. That's not just a metaphor, I really did! I had my own wholesale bakery and catering business for over 15 years when I got tired and bored and said to my husband, "Let's get in the boat and sail away!" Our 4 adult children and four grandchildren were given 2 years notice that we were running away from home. I gave the inn-keeper 10 months notice to find another chef. They all thought we were nuts and would never follow through. Well, we did, and here I am, 4 years later living, cooking, baking, photographing and blogging about it all on a sailboat in RI. I do this all on a rocking, rolling boat with a 2-3 burner stove and mini oven that I affectionately call my Easy-Bake-Oven! Gone are my 30 quart mixer, 10 burner stove and my organic gardens! My plan was to eventually end up in the Bahamas sipping Pina Coladas with little umbrellas with my toes in the sand. Instead, here we are on the East coast of the USA with ice around our boat every winter. It makes for a great story though, and I wouldn't change it for anything. The location? Yeah, I would definitely go south for the winter! Read about my culinary and sailboat adventures on my blog, Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases. I'm also the Baking & Desserts Feature Writer for Suite101 which keeps me on an even keel and out of trouble!
Read articles by Donna
Donna's blog: Spatulas, Corkscrews & Suitcases

About Gillian - Alumni
I'm a graphics artist/designer with a keen interest in cooking delicious, healthy, balanced meals for both my husband (of a year and a half) and I. My philosophy is that "food is fuel for life" - the more nutritious and wholesome food we prepare, pack, and eat, the more we get out of bodies - whether it's at work, school, home, or play! Of course, that doesn't mean that we don't enjoy a luscious treat now and again - my musings at Humble Pie are evidence of that!
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Gillian's blog: Humble Pie


About Glenna - Alumni
I’m a respiratory therapist by evening, novelist and magazine article writer by day. My love of cooking came from being drafted into the kitchen at an early age by my professional cook mother and grandmother and from a first career as a hotel convention planner along with a second career as a cake decorator/caterer. Now, thankfully, rather than a career, cooking for me is a passion and an escape, that I use to keep the cobwebs cleared out of my head and the smile on my face.
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Glenna's blog: A Fridge Full of Food.


About Helen - Alumni
I was born and raised in France 32 years ago, and moved to the US 10 years to complete a Master's in American History. I met my husband and life changed completely. I have a very strange resume as I am a pastry chef half the week and a certified personal trainer the other half. I befriended the most amazing chef at the French restaurant I was working for and when he retired I quit to follow him. I love fitness and health and got certified in various areas: nutrition, Pilates, Aerobics, ... I think I have found the way to balance the best of both world and I am a happy fish in bright waters!
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Helen's blog: Tartlette

About Joker Girl - Contributor
I'm a 24- year old software engineer from Austria who lives in Sweden and likes to play with her food. International cuisine and photography are probably the most feminine of my hobbies, which combine well in making cute lunchboxes!
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Jokergirl's blog: Bento Lunches

About Kristen - Contributor
Kristen Doyle works from home as a freelance writer and a professional recruiter. The mom of three kids (ages 2, 4 and 6), the wife of a wonderful man who actually cleans up the kitchen after she cooks, and a June Cleaver wanna be, Kristen discovered her fervor for cooking shortly after she began staying home with her children. With a passion for writing, a flare for entertaining, and a crazy busy schedule, Kristen understands the importance of family meal time, but also recognizes the need for meals to be quick, easy and healthy. Kristen shares, "It is my goal to help those people who are too intimidated to start cooking or baking to actually get into the kitchen to take that first step. All it takes is a little bit of encouragement and some practice, and before you know it homemade meals will be a regular thing at your household. Trust me... if I can do it, and I started out thinking Hamburger Helper was considered homemade, you can do it!" Kristen's culinary writing work can be found in various places, but regularly on her blog Dine and Dish, Her Life Magazine, The Well Fed Network, Blogged In and now The Daily Tiffin.
Read articles by Kristen
Kristen's blog: Dine and Dish



About Lydia - Alumni
I write the lively blog The Perfect Pantry and am a professional food writer. I am a contributing editor of Rhode Island Monthly magazine, where I write a monthly column called Local Flavor. Author of one cookbook -- South End Cooks: Recipes from a Boston Neighborhood -- I currently teach cooking classes at Rhode Island School of Design, a world-famous art college in Providence, Rhode Island (because artists make great cooks!), and also teach classes for adults and children in my log house kitchen. A long-time hunger relief activist, I am the founder of Drop In & Decorate Cookies for Donation, and a co-founder of Will Paint For Food, which works to help end hunger through education, outreach and food distribution. Oh -- and I am a grandmother of 4!
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Lydia's blog: The Perfect Pantry

About Mike - Contributor
I am a software engineer, married and living in Florida with two very excitable dogs. Despite my self-proclaimed distaste for writing when I was in school, I now find myself writing as a hobby on a fairly regular basis when chronicling my other newfound hobby (cooking and food photography) over at Mike's Table.
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Mike's blog: Mike's Table


About Nandita - Alumni
I'm a medical doctor but I pursue my passion for writing. I write on health and food for several publications including Men's Health - India and Complete Wellbeing. Life with my husband in Mumbai is fast paced. Striving to maintain a balance between work and pleasure, fast food and healthy home cooked food, heavy metal and the blues, that is I guess is the fun of life.
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Nandita's blog: Saffron Trail.

About Nupur - Alumni
I am an Indian currently living in St. Louis, Missouri, USA with my wonderful spouse and our handsome pooch. I write a regular blog at One Hot Stove, exploring my love for regional Indian cuisine and traveling the world, one recipe at a time. For me, blogging is a wonderful way to connect with people who appreciate good home cooking, and a learning experience on a daily basis.
Read articles by Nupur
Nupur's blog: One Hot Stove

About Peter- Contributor
Greek-Canadian living in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, passionate about Greek and other delicious cuisines. Enjoy travel, the company of friends and family and I hope to travel the world one day and retire by the beach in Greece.
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Peter's blog: Kalofagas

About Sabrina - Alumni
I am the editor at YumSugar.com and enjoy keeping my readers up to date on the latest food trends, news and more. I pride myself on the fact that I has traveled and eaten meals in more than 15 countries. After graduating UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Fine Art/Photography and Computer Science, I began a daily food blog called Pocketpig.com featuring drawings and discussions of every meal I ate. During this time, I lived in Cambridge, England and learned to appreciate the finer points of British cuisine. I also once created a 3ft x 4ft self portrait made entirely out of cake!
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Sabrina's blog: YumSugar.com

About Shaheen - Alumni
I am a part time working and full time mom to a 6 yr old son. He started public school now and packing his lunch is what led me to the Daily Tiffin. I work as an architect in New Jersey, now part time so rest of the time is being devoted to my wonderful family. I love cooking, find it relaxing and creative most of the time. Other interests are mostly books and movies now. .
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Shaheen's blog: Malabar Spices

About Susi - Alumni
I am the editor of the website FitSugar that I write with Denise Stirk and Jenny Sugar. After teaching Pilates in the San Francisco Bay Area for 7 years, I decided it was time to write about fitness and health in hopes of changing the world or at least reaching a broader audience. My two little girls keep me quite active and I love to run (I just started recently and I am hooked), practice yoga, and bake sweet treats. I am more of a baker than a cook.
Read articles by Susi
Susi's blog: FitSugar

Update: The (new) Daily Tiffin

Hi everyone,

It's time for an update for the (new) Daily Tiffin.

After I mentioned in this post that I would be finding it difficult to do daily posts on the Daily Tiffin I had a flood of emails. Including emails from a few that were interested in taking an active part on the Daily Tiffin.

Well, the good news is that the Daily Tiffin has gained a few great team members and we have plenty of new ideas coming up soon. I am just completing the last of the administration work and will be putting up a post about the "new" Daily Tiffin.

The DT team now consists of 2 (soon to be 3) co-administrators and 1 contributor. So, look out for a variety of new and interesting posts coming your way here on the Daily Tiffin. Those wondering - yes we will be having lunchbox ideas too!

Thank you all for being so patient and helpful.

Hugs,
Meeta

A New Look ...

...a new style. I thought I would go for a clean and simple look for my new ideas with The Daily Tiffin.

More to come so stay tune...

The Day After Halloween

I had a bit of trouble with Blogger yesterday and was not able to upload the pics so here is the post!

How was your trick or treating yesterday? Have a great time? Well we had a quite a few witches, ghosts, vampires, mice, fairies and other interesting little creatures ringing our doorbell. Each on was cuter than the other.

Here's a pic of Soeren and two of his friends. They were a group of four, all running around the neighborhood ringing for sweets.

After a long weekend it's back to KIGA and back to lunchboxes. Before I do though. I have a little sad announcement to make. I have been asked to take over another section at my job. This means that I will be meeting new challenges and going for new goals. I am quite excited about this and really look forward to expanding my horizons. But it also means that I will have little time. The time I will have I would like to spend with Soeren, family friends and of course my hobby photography. It was getting a little tedious in the past trying to put everything under one hat. I have decided to continue with WFLH but will probably not be able to post everyday on the Daily Tiffin. Rest assured I will still be making these boxes.

However, I do have an idea for the future of this blog and this is where you come in. I do know that I have a few readers here. My stats reveal plenty LOL! So, I was thinking if there would be any interest in co-administrating The Daily Tiffin with me. I was thinking of getting a few people on board and turning this blog into like a type of forum. Women who are students, wives, mothers, working mums etc. anyone that can share their experience in healthy meals and lifestyle would be welcome to sign up. The foremost focus should be the kids. It does not have to revolve only around food, but I can think of several things - e.g a book recommendation for kids.

The posts then do not have to be daily, but eventually and if the interest is there, I hope to have a few administrators that will make a regular posting possible.

Any interest people? You are welcome to mail me your ideas and thoughts under blogmeeta@gmail.com

Until then I will be posting lunch boxes as regularly as I can.



For today, Soeren has a wiener and a gorgeous light dark bread jam packed with sunflower seeds. I spread this with yoghurt cream cheese. A nice natural yoghurt with cereal squares on the side and a few nougat newtons. For the fruit today we have grapes!

Adult Variation:
Make a sub sandwich. Cut up some baguette and spread this with your fave relish, and bits of sausages, like the wiener above, a few tomatoes, lettuce, and roasted onions. Press together and enjoy. I also love having a nice cheese with my grapes and sometimes in the evening I chop up cheese chunks and make grape and cheese skewers. This would be a great little thing to pick on while sitting in front of the computer.