Wedding Anniversaries: the 8th!

Is the 8th anniversary anything special? No,- the most probable answer is, but if you are one of those stating that the 8th wedding anniversary is not your 5th or 10th anniversaries, you are mistaken. Let us view it in this light...

The number eight is considered particularly auspicious in Chinese culture because it sounds similar to the word for 'prosper' or 'wealth'. It is pronounced like "bah" in Mandarin (pinyin: bā).

I also like the visual aspect of the 8th anniversary because it is similar to the infinity symbol which is a happy thing to associate with the connection you have with your husband or wife.

The traditional materials of the anniversary are those of bronze or pottery.Besides linen and lace are considered to be the modern symbols for the 8th anniversary.

Children: toddlers. Lets play together!

My sweety has been claaping for long by now. Here is a game I call Happy-Clappy)))

Well, clap your toddler`s hands together for her, or let her hold your hands while you pat them together. Sit her facing you on the floor or on your lap, and sing clapping songs like patty-cake.

The Recipe of the Day: the Lentil Soup

Today is Saturday, so as usual I don`t have much spare time, thus cooking today won`t be time-consuming. I`m preparing the lentil soup for dinner. It is well-known that lentil is a great source of amino acid and proteins. These qualities make it very useful and healthy.

So, let us start.

Children: toddlers. Lets play together!

My sweet girl has been trying to walk herself for a month already but that still doesn`t come out very well. I googled for some exercise to encourage her. Here is one of them:

Push me, pull you
If your toddler is pulling herself up and trying to walk, help her practice with a pushing and pulling game. Use a moveable object such as a child-size chair or plastic stacking box filled with soft toys. While she holds the edges for support you can hold the other side and keep it steady. Then slowly pull the box toward you to encourage her to step forward. Soon she'll start to push while you gently pull. This will build her confidence for the day she finally walks on her own.

Stress-free hair dyeing

From the horrible "How did I end up with orange hair!?" to the annoying "Aack! There's permanent dye on my bathroom counter!", there's a lot that can go wrong when you crack open a box of DIY hair color.

Here are several useful tips allowing you to avoid these disappointments.

Children: toddlers. Lets play together!

Being a mom of a toddler I try to find more and more interesting ways to communicate and develop her. My little daughter is really fond of a toy Vinni-the-Puh. The favourites of our children can be of a great help for us. Here is how I use them. I pretend her Vinni is real making him walk, go to bed, or dance across the room. I Include him in everyday activities — sitting him at the table for dinner, for example, and putting a bib on him. As far as I can judge talking about what you're doing does help my toddler with her language skills. Besides, we act out happy and sad times, too, so she can learn about feelings and emotions as she's developing her imagination.

Loosing weight! Diets!

Holidays are coming and every woman dreams to be slim and attractive. To tell you the truth I am not an exception, besides I have got some 10 kilograms to loose((( So, it is necessary to take immediate actions. My favourite diet is the one based on Kefir (something similar to sour milk or yoghurt). It is a 7-day diet. For the first day get a liter of kefir and 3 cooked medium potatoes. Tomorrow is my favourite day since I am going to eat 500 grams of low-fat chicken with the same liter of kefir.  The third day is the fish one. Choose any fish you like but make sure it is low-fat and do not roast it, cook it in water or bake it. Don`t forget about the liter))) The fourth and the fifth days are vegetarian. Choose any fruit and vegetables you prefer except for those with a high glycemic index plus the kefir! The sixth and the seventh days are the most difficult. Frankly speaking they are impossible for me, I have never managed to drink only a liter of kefir the 6^th day and mineral water – the 7^th. But this time I will try!!!

Is there anyone to join me? So, today is the 15^th of December, my weight is 77 kg, looking forward to the results!!! 

The Recipe of the Day

Georgian cuisine is very popular in my family, so today I decided to bake khachapury (Georgian cheese bread), the most favourite dish with my dear daughter and husband. There are different types of it but I decided on Imeretian (Imeruli) khachapuri, which is circular and probably the most common type.

Here is how I make it.
Sprinkle yeast over warm water and stir in 1 tablespoon flour. Let stand until creamy, about 5 minutes. (If yeast does not activate, start over with new yeast.)
Stir together salt and remaining flour in a large bowl, then stir in egg and yeast mixture to form a dough.
Turn out dough onto a well-floured surface and turn to coat with flour, then knead until smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Form into a ball and dust with flour. Let dough rest in a bowl, covered with plastic wrap, punching down with a wet fist every hour, at least 2 hours and up to 3.
Preheat oven to 500°F with rack in middle.
Turn out dough onto floured pizza pan, turning to coat, then flatten with your fingers into a 7-inch disk.
Toss together cheeses and press into a compact 3-inch ball with your hands. Place ball in middle of dough, then gather dough up around ball of cheese, squeezing excess dough into a topknot. Press down on topknot with a damp fist to press cheese out from center. Continue to flatten dough and distribute cheese evenly, pressing outward from center, until dough is an 11-inch disk.
Cut a 6-inch X through top of dough to expose cheese. Bake until pale golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Brush surface of dough with butter and bake until golden and cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes more.
Serve cut into wedges.

So, all in all, you will need:

2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (a 1/4-ounce package)
7 tablespoons warm water (105-115°F)
1 2/3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 pound Havarti cheese, coarsely grated
1/4 pound salted mozzarella, coarsely grated
1 teaspoon unsalted butter, melted
I have also got an easier (much easier recipe), but I`ll share it another day.