Safety Tips for Children in the Kitchen

Most kids enjoy experimenting in the kitchen. It could just be anything right from simple nimbu paani to making an omelette. Be it a girl or boy! cooking can be enjoyed by both of them. Cooking can be really fun in kitchen for our young chefs provided they follow certain rules.

Top Ten Kitchen Safety Rules for Children

1. First most important thing is adult supervision. Never attempt cooking in kitchen without your's parent's presence. Let them handle the chores which can be dangerous such as cutting, chopping, steaming, frying etc...at least until you master them.

2. Second important thing is hygiene. Make sure that before cooking or handling food, you wash your hands very, very clean.

3. While prepping in kitchen it is possible that your hands get dirty or sticky, in such case wash hands again before continuing. Keep a kitchen wipe or cotton napkin handy.

4. Before trying to experiment with your recipe, make sure that the utensils you use are clean as well. We don't want germs in our food, do we?

5. Before you begin your cooking quest, try reading and getting well versed with the recipe you plan to make carefully and repeatedly. Make sure you have all the ingredients and utensils ready and handy.

6. Once you have finished using the ingredients, put them back in place. Your mom should get her kitchen clean and tidy, the way she keeps it!

7. If your recipe involves handling hot dishes, it would be a good idea to let your parents help.

8. Use of ovens and microwaves can cook food easily and deliciously. But if you won't be careful, then there chances of getting scalded. So it's necessary that you ask your parents to guide you.

9. If you are really interested in cooking and experimenting in kitchen, start with easy recipes. Learn from your parents the use of various utensils and gadgets. Learn how to handle them.

10. Before becoming a skilled chef, try and help your mom in prepping. Constant practice makes one perfect. 

The Largest Temple Corridor in India

The corridor of Ramnathswamy Temple located at Rameshwaram, Tamilnadu has the largest temple corridor in India. This shrine is a Shiva Temple which has 1220 meters of huge corridors that houses around 1200 majestic columns made of granite. The Ramnathswamy Temple was built in 17th Century. Located on the Rameshwaram Island, it is a popular pilgrimage.

It is said that Lord Rama had performed rituals here on this island after killing Ravana. One of the twelve Jyotirlingas, Rameshwaram is an important and must visit pilgrimage in India.

Amazing Facts About The Pink Lake (Lake Retba)

Located in the north of Cap Vert Peninsula of Senegal, West Africa, the Pink Lake is one of the popular destinations. The actual name of Pink Lake is Lake Retba. Because of it's pink waters, the lake is called as Pink Lake or Lac Rose by the locals.

The Pink Lake gets its colour because of the presence of the Dunaliella Salina Algae that is slightly red or purple in colour. The red pigment within the algae is produced using sunlight for more energy.

This lake is said to be totally harmless for humans and hence one can swim in the lake. But the presence of high salt content within the lake makes it difficult for living organism to thrive. And hence not many organisms survive in the Pink Lake.

The salt content in the lake is said to be one and half times higher than the Dead Sea. Salt is extracted from the Pink Lake by locals and salt collecting industries. To protect their skin from the huge salinity, the salt workers apply shea butter on their skin for protection.

What is 83-42 Greenland

Sources - Google

Imagine this place which is identified by numbers and no, it's not a pincode! 83-42 Greenland is the northernmost point on Earth. It is a piece of land which was first spotted by Dennis Schmitt in 1998. Thereafter it was named a Schmitt Island. This place is located 432 miles from North Pole and measures about 35m X 15m. 

83-42 Greenland is 4 meters high in Greenland and is made of piles of rocks and mud. Yet this is a permanent piece of land where life in the form of Lichens exist. Lichens are a type of algae that grow on rocks and usually found in various colours. Earlier it was considered that Kaffeklubben Island was the northernmost point on Earth, but now 83-42 Greenland is the world's Northernmost point.

Stok Range

Within the well-known Hemis National Park, around 14 km southwest of Leh Ladakh district; lie the famous Stok Range. It stands at an altitude of 20,182 feet above sea level. It's highest peak Stok Kangri is a effortless and undemanding climb; and hence is most often considered as a beginning expedition for high altitude mountaineering such as Mount Everest.

The interesting feature of Stok Range is the breathtaking and dazzling rocks formed from strongly creased layer of deposits that point skyward in bright colours such as orange, purple and green.

A Fallstreak Hole

Sources: Google

A Fallstreak Hole is a large, oval gap that appears in Cirrocumulous clouds (high altitude clouds) or Altocumulous clouds (low altitude clouds). This hole, also known as Cavum literally appears as a punch hole in clouds. When the temperature of clouds is below freezing point but the water is not frozen due to lack of ice nucleus (Ice nucleus means the particle which plays the role of a nucleus and helps in the formation of ice crystals), such holes or gaps within the clouds form.

So due to the lack of ice nucleus the ice crystals that are formed set off chain reactions which cause the water droplets to evaporate around the crystals, thus leaving a large gap (circular or oval) in the cloud.

Fun Facts about Mushroom for Kids

No doubt, mushroom is becoming one of our favourite foods in the world. Each and every type of edible mushroom available in the market promises flavourful and delicate flavours  which blend well with vegetables, meat and fish. Actually being a fungus, but yet so delicious, don't you think? Dunk it in soup or accompany with a rice, saute it, fry it, stuff it or grill it; yet the most humble mushroom promises to toss delicious flavours. Some fun facts about mushroom are jotted below:

my nephew's artwork

- One tends to think that everything that delights its tongue can actually be bad....but that's simply not true about mushrooms. Mushrooms are actually good for our health as they have high doses of amino acids, higher than one can find in corn, peanuts and soy!

- With good vitamin contents, mushroom can be a good substitute for meat. Good news for vegetarians!

- The word Mycophile is used for people who make it their hobby hunting mushrooms, wild and edible.

- Armillaria Solidipes, also known to us as honey mushrooms is one of the world's largest living organisms which can grow upto 110 ft long. It is estimated to be growing for around 2400 years and thus enlists itself among the world's oldest living organisms.

- There is no chlorophyll present in mushrooms (responsible for green colour in plants) and hence, they do not require sunlight for growth. Mushroom cultivation can thus be carried out in barns, warehouses and other dark places. One of the earliest documented mushroom farm was set up in dark caves of France, during King Louis XIV's reign.

- Mushrooms are known to grow super fast!

- One of edible mushrooms, Portobello mushrooms are rich sources of potassium. It is said that a single portobello mushroom contains high contents of potassium than a banana.

- Cordyceps are known to be one of the oldest mushrooms known to mankind.