Passive smoking and children's health

Passive smoking causes lasting damage to children's arteries, prematurely ageing their blood vessels by more than three years, say researchers.The damage - thickening of blood vessel walls - increases the risk of heart attacks and strokes in later life, they say in the European Heart Journal.

In their study of more than 2,000 children aged three to 18, the harm occurred if both parents smoked.
Experts say there is no "safe" level of exposure to second-hand smoke.This study goes a step further and shows it [passive smoking] can cause potentially irreversible damage to children's arteries increasing their risk of heart problems in later life”Doireann MaddockBritish Heart Foundation

The research, carried out in Finland and Australia, appears to reveal the physical effects of growing up in a smoke-filled home - although it is impossible to rule out other potentially contributory factors entirely.

Hidden damage

Ultrasound scans showed how children whose parents both smoked developed changes in the wall of a main artery that runs up the neck to the head.While the differences in carotid intima-media thickness were modest, they were significant and detectable some 20 years later when children had reached adulthood, say the investigators.

Study author Dr Seana Gall, from the University of Tasmania, said: "Our study shows that exposure to passive smoke in childhood causes a direct and irreversible damage to the structure of the arteries. "Parents, or even those thinking about becoming parents, should quit smoking. This will not only restore their own health but also protect the health of their children into the future."

How to help a child with low self-esteem

When a child has low self-esteem, many parents search endlessly for ways to make them feel better about themselves. They compliment their child for minor accomplishments or lower the standards to make them feel better, and nothing changes. They want to fix the problem now, when in reality, they should be coaching their child on how they can overcome their issues on their own. In Part II of our series on Self-esteem and Kids, James Lehman, MSW explains the three key roles you can play to help your child develop genuine self-esteem.

The Teaching Role

 The Teaching Role is just what it sounds like—you actually teach your child how to solve problems. So when you see that your child isn’t feeling good about himself, one of the things you want to do immediately is help him figure out what’s causing that lack of self-worth.

The Coaching Role

 The second step is to coach your child with the skills they already have, just like the coach of a sport would do. For example, if your child is going through a difficult time or learning a new task that’s proving to be a challenge for them, try coaching them by saying things like, “You’ve solved this kind of problem before. You’ll solve it again.”

The Limit-Setting Role

The limits for your child should be very clear, even when they’re having self-esteem issues. So you can say, “I’m sorry if you’re sad or frustrated, or don’t feel good about yourself right now, but we’re not going to lose sight of the fact that you have to do your homework. That’s your job.” Or, “I’m sorry you’re feeling that way, but you can’t take out your anger and frustration on your sister.” Give your child appropriate consequences, but work with him to learn how to solve the problem that’s blocking him.

Freedom Dolls - Fashion Show

Time to be a tourist - Paula Manoli-Gray

Although it's not January, I have made a new resolution; to start living like a visitor to Larnaca.

As a writer, I am always extolling places to visit and things to do both in our town and across the island, but I have only actually done/seen a fraction of them myself.

On Easter Monday, we went to CyHerbia in Avgorou for an egg hunt then onwards to Agia Napa for lunch and a stroll around the harbour. It was a glorious, sunny day and as we had my mother-in-law visiting from the UK, I felt like I was on holiday, experiencing the day and its sights through her eyes.

When you live somewhere, it's easy to get caught up in the every day routine with its stresses and strains, forgetting to enjoy everything your hometown offers. In our case, we don't always feel like it, but for many, Larnaca truly is paradise. What a shame it is that we do not stop, appreciate and absorb our paradise.

And the crazy thing is, so many of the activities and sights cost peanuts to enjoy; our museums are very cheap, a walk down the salt lake, Kamares or seafront is free, it costs nothing (except petrol) to visit a traditional village, and there are always free events on too – some of them pretty major sporting events. What excuse do we have not to discover or rediscover everything we are trying to promote to visitors to entice them?

Personally, I have never been skiing up the mountains, I have never been on a glass-bottom boat, I have never been to the Pierides museum or planetarium, I have never visited the artisan workshops, I have never explored Cape Greco. And I am ashamed to say that I haven't even visited the Larnaca district villages with the exception of a handful… the list goes on and on.

It's not that I stay at home all the time, cooped up. We do things as a family, we go places, we enjoy life, but for some reason, we seem to avoid tourist activities, just as most residents of wonderful cities around the world do.

When I lived in London, it was the same. But that was mainly because a visit to somewhere like Madame Tussauds is expensive, and with the miserable weather and the daily commute on the stuffy, dirty underground, I didn't really feel in the mood or have the wallet to be able to experience all the rich, historical things that London offers.

From now on, I am going to start looking at the event diary that I write in these pages and picking something new to do each week. I am going to make a list of everything I want to see on the island and work my way through it. I don't have to rush through it, it might take me years, and that's okay, because at the end of the day, everyday life does get in the way… but as long as I remember to stop and smell the roses sometimes, life on the island really can be paradise!

First appeared in The Cyprus Weekly, 26/04/14

First Step

A Free presentation for parents and professionals "First Step Therapy: Enabling Optimal Child Development" on Sunday, 18th of May at 18.00 pm at the Serenity House in Nicosia.
Key speaker: Shai Silberbusch, an expert in child development with over 25 year of experience with diagnosing and treating children. First Step treats children with autism and communication disorders, epilepsy, genetic syndromes, cerebral palsy, motor and sensory disorders, low muscle tone, severe eating disorders, and ADHD. 

The importance of nutrition for children

• Nutrition is very important for everyone, but it is especially important for children because it is directly linked to all aspects of their growth and development; factors which will have direct ties to their level of health as adults. For example, a child with the right balance of omega fatty acids in their daily diet has a much better chance at creating a more solid foundation for their brain activity and capabilities later on.

• You will also help promote a better quality of life if you instill proper nutrition trends in your children. It will allow them to partake in more activities and with greater enjoyment. People with high levels of health also consistently report that they enjoy elevated feelings of wellness and well-being. As part of this, children are also able to fight off colds with improved efficiency with the support of proper nutrition. 

• And this brings up a vital point in communication with your children: You should always be on the lookout for different ways to make solid connections for your children. You can picture it in your mind like a web diagram, connecting major points with a line for your children to better understand issues. If you actually explain to your child that they won’t have to suffer through those nasty colds nearly as much if they maintain healthy diet.

• Another huge reason why nutrition is so important for children is because they simply don’t know enough on their own to naturally choose to eat well. Unfortunately, the foods and snacks that taste the best are usually the worst for our bodies, and a child left to their on whim will almost always choose junk food over fruits and vegetables.

CY Herbia

Come and get lost in the ONLY hedge maze in Cyprus!

Over 600 m of twisting paths in between tall hedges, take you to another dimension, CAN YOU FIND YOUR WAY OUT - 2000 square metres of 'green' fun for all the family.

We all know that herbs are good for you.

We would love to inform you personally about the use of herbs in everyday life, so feel free to ask!

At Cyherbia you can let sight and smell take you into the wonderful world of herbs in their natural environment, enjoy a cup of herbal tea especially brewed for you, custom-made to meet your needs.

We have a selection of pure essential oils of the highest quality, potpourri which will make your house smell just like our garden, and of course dried herbs which can be used as tea and in cooking. As each herb has medicinal properties, you can choose the herbs that suit your individual needs.

Opening Hours

April 1st - October 31st
Wed - Fri 9:00 - 14:00
Sat - Sunday 9:00 - 18:00

November 1st - March 31st
Wed - Fri 10:00 - 14:00
Sat - Sun 10:00 - 16:30

Closed Mon Tue

World of science Archimedes Museum

“ARCHIMEDES” is an educational playground, with games inspired by the inventions of Archimedes and the ancient machines. There are 21 games/machines for children between the ages of 5 and 105 years old. They are based on European standards and were created after years of work and observation of similar establishments.

We aim to entertain, educate, and fuel a passion for science and technology. The visitor will be able to go through a laser maze, get lost in a mirror maze, pull a rope and lift himself up, build a bridge and walk over it, solve the “osteomachion” puzzle, fly a hot air balloon, play with 3D puzzles, and many more
Web: http://www.archimedesmuseum.com/

Inline Skate Clases

http://www.limassolskateschool.com

Inline Skate Classes, Limassol

Private Inline skate lessons for adults (Min age 14) - Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 pm. And 19:30 to 21:30. €45 for 75 minute class. Can be shared by up to three people, so only €15 per person. Additional members to the class €10 each.

Group classes for adults (Min age 14) - €10 per person for Limassol classes, €15 per person for Larnaca classes. Classes are 75 minute.

Childers private classes, 6 to 13 years old - Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 pm. And 19:30 to 21:30. €30 for 40 minute class. Can be shared with up to 2 children, so only €15 per child.

PLEASE ARRIVE 30 MINUTES BEFORE START TIMES. YOU NEED TO ALLOW THIS TIME TO GET YOUR SKATES ON AND SAFETY PADS. FOR SAFETY, WE WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWING LATE COMERS INTO LESSONS THAT HAVE ALREADY STARTED

We are open Mon-Sat, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tel 95508007

Deryneia Strawberry Festival 2014

When: Friday 30th May
Time: 7:30pm
Where: Anagennisi Stadium (on the Deryneia - Sotira road)
FREE Entrance 

The Mayor, the members of the City Council, the organising committee and the strawberry farmers of Deryneia invite you to the 9th Pancyprian Strawberry Festival,

Many activities including

• Free strawberry ice cream for the children
• Demonstrations cultivating strawberries in a greenhouse using hydroponics
• A vast variety of strawberry products and preparations available
• Kiosks selling a variety of strawberry products
• Kiosks manned by the strawberry farmers distributing free strawberries, liqueur and fresh strawberry juice
• Kids corner with face painting, crafts and children's activities
• Stands with a variety of food, drinks and sweets such as hamburgers, kebabs, shetalies, kleftiko, koupes, corn on the cob, pizzas and more!

There will be music, dancing and other performances throughout the evening.

https://www.facebook.com/events/612217712193020/

La Vignarola

Fresh broad beans are in season at the moment, and being one of my favourite vegetables usually just have them boiled and served with lemon juice and olive oil and some fresh bread. Feeling that I needed  to be a little more adventurous I checked to find any interesting recipes and came across this absolutely delicious Roman dish call La Vignarola….not only uses my favourite broad beans but also a few more of my favourites, leeks, spinach and artichokes!! I made this a couple of days ago, served it with some pasta and parmesan and had some left over the next day to enjoy as a main dish with some garlic bread…it truly is a beautiful dish and I found it so easy to make too, it's one of those that I shall be making very often…Enjoy!!

Ingredients

6 artichoke hearts (you can use frozen)

500g fresh broad beans

1 large leek, washed and sliced

1 small bunch spinach, washed and roughly chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

300g peas, fresh or frozen

4 thick slices prosciutto ham

Olive oil

1 small bunch mint, chopped

1 small bunch parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper

300ml chicken stock

Method

Fill a large pot with water, add some salt and bring to the boil. Add broad beans, artichoke hearts and leeks and boil until everything is cooked, add the spinach for a few minutes until just wilted. Drain and set aside.

In a large pan, big enough to hold all the ingredients add a good slash of olive oil and cook the onion very gently until soft. Add the chicken stock and peas and bring to the boil. Now, lay the chopped prosciutto on top of the peas and simmer gently until the peas are cooked.

Add the drained vegetables and bring to simmering point and allow the vegetables to stew together for about 10 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, stir in the chopped herbs and add some more olive oil.

You can toss La Vignarola  in some cooked pasta, topped with thinly sliced parmesan or as a side dish, but is so delicious served in its own too with some garlic bread.

Androulla xx

 

Natural Healing with Miranda Tringis

Where: Body Soul Space (Before Jumbo turn at car showroom /end of road)

When: Wednesday 30th April

Time: 8pm -9.30pm

Tel: 96585496

With more and more people turning to Alternative Healing LPN in conjunction with CyHerbia will be looking at how we Parents can use a more natural way to heal our children & ourselves by using less harmful substances.

Miranda Tringis is resident Herbalist at Cyherbia herb gardens in Avgorou, where she organically cultivates Mediterranean herbs and makes her own herbal products such as teas, extracts, creams, essential oils and salves. Cyherbia is a wonderful place for a day out in nature, where visitors can take a stroll around the 9 theme gardens, test their skills in the Maze and chill out in the Tea Room overlooking the gardens.

This is a Sponsored event brought to you by Larnaca Parents Network and CyHerbia www.cyherbia.com

SEMINAR ABOUT PREGNANCY - BIRTH & BREASTFEEDING

 

Sunday the 11th of May at the Hilton Hotel, 

Event Link here, join for more information:https://www.facebook.com/events/638164979604938/
Aimed to provide pregnant mothers and their partners with an upbeat and wide range of knowledge and choices.

Speakers and subjects:

• Dr Andreas Mavrides - Obstetrician & Gynaecologist - Fertility Specialist Reducing C-section rates in Cyprus – (VBAC) Vaginal birth after Caesarean – Benefits of natural birth – (ECV) Rotating breech babies into head down position for birth 
• Dr Paris Iacovides - Paediatrician - Specialist Paediatric Cardiologist
• Childbirth and how it affects your baby – Paediatric observation and care 
• Dr Christos P. Demetriou, MD FRCA (English version) & Dr GEORGE FOTIOU, MD (Greek version)
• Anaesthesia in pregnancy & childbirth, the anaesthetist's role and the mother's choices. 
• Dr Emily Joseph (English Version) Paediatrician, (IBCLC)
• & Dr Irene Paphiti-Demetriou (IBCLC) - (Greek version) – Moments after birth – Skin to skin & Breastfeeding

Entrance fee is 5 euros per person. This will be donated to the Cyprus Breastfeeding Association (Gift of Life)

BELLY & BABY SHOW : Before and after the talks come have some fun meeting our unique ISIS team, visiting leading baby care companies, testing products, getting goody bags, fun activities and much more.

To RESERVE a place on the day please email your name and number to the following address:
info@isisclinic.com

English Presentation will be held from 9.00am till 12.30pm
Greek Presentation will be held from 2.00pm till 5.30pm

Parents Survival Tips to Exam Stress

1). Remain Calm

Remember it’s not you, it’s them!! It’s perfectly normal for Parents to become anxious and worry for your kids in the lead upto exams - especially if it’s the first time a major exam, such as the Leaving or Junior Cert is ‘in the household’. The best way you can help your child is to remain calm yourself! It’s very important not to transfer any additional anxiety onto your kids. This can happen unintentionally.

2). Get out yourself & relax

Whilst it is important to be supportive and present for your child during this time, experience suggests that some ‘time out’ for parents is as important as it is for students.

3). Try to keep a normal household

 Exams can bring stress that can have a ripple effect on everyone in the house. Being practical - keeping noise and distractions to a minimum during study time is very useful. Keeping regular sleep patterns is essential during this period. If your child is having difficulty getting sleep, try a copy of Exam Buster  as it helps students release physical tension and builds positive self belief and exam strategy.

4). Feed the Mind 

Have plenty of healthy snacks in the fridge – fruit! Make sure everyone in the house starts the day on a good breakfast! Ideally a slow releasing energy cereal eg brown bread with an egg or porridge / muesli. Minimise high sugar snacks (chocolate, fizzy drinks) - have plenty of healthy alternatives. Provide alternatives to caffeine drinks – have decaff alternatives on tap!

The impact of facebook on children's psychology

1). Facebook and other networking sites “are infantilizing the brain into the state of small children who are attracted by buzzing noises and bright lights, who have a short attention span and live for the moment”. There is hardly any concentration skills required in participating in these social networking sites, and these train the brain to have poor attention span.

2). Kids are detracted from learning to communicate in the real world. There are reports from teachers that social networking is affecting kids’ comprehension levels. Also, if kids communicate primarily through the screen they do not learn the subtleties of real life communication - such as body language, tone of voice, and subconsciously sensing the molecules that other people release.

3). Social networking sites make kids more self-centered. Since Facebook and other sites give kids their own page which is about them, it leads some vulnerable kids to think that everything revolves around them, a precursor for emotional problems in their later life. This might also result in inability to empathize.
These sites make kids prone to sensationalism.

4). Pedriatricians observe that some teens suffer from "Facebook depression". After spending a lot of time on Facebook and other popular social networking sites, some teens become anxious and moody. Also, a vulnerable teen may suffer from depression when he reads great things happening to his friends, and his life is not so great in comparison. Teens who experience "Facebook depression" usually have trouble with social interactions in general. 

6 Things to Know About Child Depression

It's more common than you think

Depression isn't normally an illness that we associate with kids, but it should be, says Robert L. Hendren, D.O., past president of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP). The AACAP estimates that as many as one in 20 children and adolescents is depressed. "Another way to think about it is that, on average, at least one child in every classroom will have it," says David Fassler.

Depression can run in the family

Studies show that 25 percent of kids who have a parent who has suffered from clinical depression will experience their own episode, says Dr. Fassler. If both Mom and Dad are depressed, the risk increases to around 75 percent. Scientists aren't exactly sure of the reason for this, but one theory posits that these kids have a genetic vulnerability, which is then exacerbated by a stressful environment.

It's often masked or mimicked by other problems

 "Approximately forty percent of children and adolescents with depression also have an anxiety disorder, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and about one in four has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)," says Dr. Fassler. Learning disorders are also common. Experts don't know quite how these relate to each other, but they do know that when there are coexisting conditions, it can be harder to suss out and treat each one.

Irritability can be a major clue

The biggest difference between symptoms of adults and those of children is that while adults are usually sad and withdrawn, children are easily aggravated and may have irrational outbursts, says Dr. Hendren. "Children might not recognize that they are feeling depressed," he says. "Often, they don't know how to identify this feeling and put it into words."

Kate Coyne*, a mom from South Portland, ME, initially took her daughter, Emma*, then 8, to a psychologist after a teacher said she'd been "uncharacteristically irritable" at school. "I was shocked when the psychologist said she was depressed," says Coyne. "Since Emma wasn't withdrawing or sleeping all the time -- symptoms that might have jumped out at me -- it never entered my head."

The dramas of Easter - Paula Manoli-Gray

Happy Easter – Kalo Pascha to everyone!

I do love Easter, but it does come with its dramas, and I don't mean the agonising temptation of Easter eggs and the guilt that follows!

Let's start with the pipe bombs and fireworks. I know I covered this a few weeks back, but there have been some developments… 

After numerous battles with the neighbourhood kids to stop them setting off fireworks in the park next door to the house, one of the kids told us that a policeman had told him that sparklers and small fireworks are okay to use unsupervised and they are allowed to buy them. We don't know if the policeman happens to be his dad, uncle or his dad's uncle's koumbaro, but we had to bite our tongue after a trip to a new discount superstore in Larnaca. There, we found that fireworks are sold freely. You just have to pick them up from the display at the beginning of the shop, pop them into your trolley, pay for them and then you are free to let them off wherever you desire. They even have suitably ominous names like 'fire bomb'. And then we wonder why children can't see the harm in using these things; after all, you can buy them along with your bananas and milk. I didn't see a warning sign or indication that they wouldn't be sold to anyone underage either. 'Only in Cyprus', as we are used to saying…

What I do like about Easter on the island is that we combine elements of Western Easter with Orthodox Easter.  As my own children are 'half and half' (half Cypriot, half English), they get to enjoy the differences of both their cultures, such as the contrast of dyed red eggs and chocolate eggs, religious traditions like decorating the Holy Sepulchre (epitafio), and fairytale traditions like the Easter bunny and egg hunts. Which leads me on to drama number two.

My kids are still in private nursery so we have yet to experience this first hand, but I have heard numerous horror stories from mums whose kids are in the state system (which my son will start in September). Apparently, state schools – including the pre-school – annually show a film of the crucifixion of Christ, complete with dripping blood from the crown of thorns and graphic images of the nails being driven in. I don't know if this is every school or just the village schools I have heard of, but not surprisingly, it has left children in tears and suffering from nightmares. I have also heard that pre-schoolers are taken to church to drink the blood of Christ (wine) so that they may be cleansed of demons. Yes, they are told that they need to be cleansed of their demons at the age of five.

I don't know how I will react if my son has to partake in any of the above next year, but for now, Easter is still a nice time for him, untarnished as yet.

So, if you celebrate – however you celebrate - may you enjoy this time and all the elements that make it uniquely Cyprus, even if your kids do come back from school drunk!

Easter with the kids

The children's play places, Wow Action Park, Party Place and Fun Factory, will all close only on Easter Sunday and will be open the rest of the week, with differing timetables, so check with the establishment for their particular times. Contact: 7000 0025 (Wow) / 2425 3300 (Party Place) / 7000 4095 (Fun Factory).

Leoni Pitman will be holding Easter craft sessions at her Splash 'O' Colour premises Wednesday, April 23 (10am-5pm), Thursday, April 24 (10am – 5pm), and Friday, April 25 (9am – 5pm). The crafts include Easter lanterns, Easter pottery painting and Easter hanging ornaments, amongst other crafts, and the cost per child is €7.50. Contact: 99095148.

Cyherbia Herb Garden, Maze and Woodland will be holding an Easter Egg Hunt starting on Easter Monday (April 21), until Sunday, April 27, from 10am – 5pm.

Located in the Larnaca district village of Avgorou, the event includes hundreds of Easter eggs hidden in the unique maze – the only one on the island – for children to hunt. There will also be other Easter themed games such as an 'I Spy' game in the Herb Garden with the goal to find and name the hidden bunnies, egg and spoon races, sack races and tug-of-war.

On the Monday and Tuesday, and the last day (Sunday), there will be an Easter bonnet and craft competition where children can create their own bonnets and baskets in the craft-area. The creations will be judged on Sunday, April 27, with one winner per craft. Leoni from Splash 'O' Colour will be running the crafts area.

Entrance is €5 per person, which includes a glass of herbal ice tea for adults and participation in the egg hunt and games for children, with each child receiving a small prize too. There is an extra charitable fee for the crafts of €3.50 with a portion of the proceeds going to the 'Stanna Needs Angels Fund' to assist Stanna Wieclawska pay for an urgently needed spinal operation to avoid paralysis.

Miranda Tringilis – owner of the gardens says: "Easter time is a fantastic opportunity for families to go out in the beautiful natural environment Cyherbia offers; kids can play in the clean air and sunshine and parents can join in or relax in the Tea Room. Cyherbia offers kids new adventures and educational activities on every visit."

For more details, contact: 99915443.

On Wednesday, April 23, Angela Ashby will be holding a Beatrix Potter themed Easter Spring Tea Party event at Faneromeni Park.

The whole event will revolve around author Beatrix Potter's charming characters, including Peter Rabbit, Flopsy, Mopsy and Cottontail.

The line-up of the games includes egg and spoon races, 'eggie' golf, an Easter hunt with a twist, hoppy races and pin-the-tail-on-the-bunny. Other activities will consist of face painting, story time and cut-outs to take funny photos.

At the end of the event, all the children will receive a spring-related surprise gift from Peter Rabbit's garden.

Taking place from 10am – 12pm, the event costs €5 per family, which includes all the games and a tea party with food. Participants are asked to bring a picnic blanket, drinking water… and their camera!

Organiser Angela Ashby says: "Beatrix Potter and her characters embody everything spring is about and this themed event will be fun and entertaining, and will feature children's favourite characters from the books. Faneromeni park provides plenty of shade, and the opportunity for families to stick around after the event and enjoy the park, so it's a complete day out for everyone."

For more details, contact: 97610998.

 

Flaounes

This was posted last year, but since then our members have multiplied and we now also have Famagusta, Paphos, Limassol Nicosia and Cyprus Parents Network, so I thought I'll share this with you all once again…………Flaounes....a little pastry parcel filled with a tasty cheese filling, traditionally made at Easter time in Cyprus. Sometimes food does not always just stimulate our taste buds, sometimes taking a bite might stimulate something deep inside us, a distant memory, a familiar feeling of surroundings lost in the past or fond memories of relatives that have passed away...flaounes always take me to a very special place,one bite takes me back to the happiest time in my childhood..my time in my beautiful little village, spent with my Grandmothers. You can only imagine the freedom felt by my brother and me as children, set free in an orchard,climbing trees,exploring the village and always treated with such fondness from the villagers because we were the grandchildren returned from England. Easter, though, was so special in the village, memories of my Grandmothers busy making koulourakia and of course these tasty flaounes, and going to Church on Saturday evening carrying my candle and a little basket filled with a flaouna and my bright red egg, ready to eat after the priest cried out 'Christos Anesti' at midnight!! I have never felt the same at Easter away from my little village, most of my relatives have visited Leonarisso in the North, always coming back with very sad reports, but I have never been, always feeling something stopping me from going...I feel I just don't want to spoil all those beautiful memories and just keep them special in my heart.... Christos Anesti!!!

For the dough

5 cups self-raising flour

2-3 tablespoons sugar (optional)

1 teaspoon baking powder

6-7 cherry mahaleb grains (available in local supermarkets)

6-7 small mastic grains (available in local supermarkets)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 cup oil

1.5 cup lukewarm milk

For the filling

1 kg flaouna cheese or any other hard cheese

1/2 cup semolina

1 sachet Yeast

6-8 eggs

6-7 small mastic grains

1 teaspoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Fresh mint finely chopped

1 cup sultanas

1 1/2 cup sesame seeds

1 egg for brushing

Method

Grate the cheese one day in advance and place it in the fridge to dry. Stir once or twice.

Whisk the eggs for the filling and combine the cheese with the semolina and yeast.

 Add as many eggs as needed (about six) to make a rather firm mixture.

Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside.

Make the dough by mixing the flour , baking powder, mastic and the cherry mahaleb pounded with 1 teaspoon sugar. Pour in the oil and rub into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Knead with as much milk as needed to make a plyable dough.

Cover with a kitchen towel for half an hour.

Before starting rolling out the dough, finish the filling by adding the mint, baking powder, sultanas cherry mahaleb and the mastic pounded with 1 teaspoon sugar.

Stir well. Rinse the sesame seeds, drain and place on a kitchen towel.

Roll out the dough thinly to give a square shape of medium size.

Place each piece of dough on the sesame seeds and press on the bottom side only.Put some filling in the centre of each piece and fold the four sides to form a square shape, leaving the filling in the centre uncovered.

 Place the flaounes on an ungreased, lightly floured baking tray and brush them with some beaten egg.

Bake for about 40 minutes in a pre-heated, moderately hot oven (160*C) until golden brown.

Androulla xx

4 Secrets to Being A Happy Mother

Set Your Own Standards
Being a mom comes with its fair share of advice, both warranted and otherwise; you’ll no doubt hear the opinions of in-laws, friends, and complete strangers, and they’ll have the latest on just exactly how you’re supposed to raise your kiddo. Add this to the mountains of parenting magazines out there telling you what to do as well, and you can easily become overwhelmed. 

Take a Time-out
When it comes to time-outs, sometimes you need to be the recipient rather than the giver. Everyone needs a break now and then, so don’t feel guilty about sneaking away to take a long, hot bath or to curl up with a good book. When you return to your parental obligations, you’ll be refreshed and ready to tackle finger-painting, refereeing, or whatever else comes your way!

Connect with Other Moms
A little moral support never hurt anyone, and no one can understand what your life is like better than a fellow mom. Just chatting with someone who truly gets it, even if that person is an online friend, can help reduce your stress level and let you know that you’re not alone in the journey.

Prioritize
There are just too many tasks that come with motherhood to get them all done, all the time. That’s why, in order to be a happy mom, you’ve got to start prioritizing. Take a few minutes in the morning to list three to four chores, or errands, that absolutely have to get done. Leave the rest for another day. After all, if you clean and toil 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, you’ll miss the best part of being a mom. 

Hot Cross Buns

This year we have a combined English and Orthodox Easter, so it's going to have to be Flaounes alongside Hot-cross buns, which sounds good to me.....as a Cypriot born and bred in the U.K, I feel privileged to grow up within two cultures, everything is different within you because of this, our humour,our values, some of the choices we make and of course our knowledge of two very different cuisines....Moussaka followed by Apple Tart...Traditional English Roasted Turkey on Christmas Day and Souvla,Pastitsio and Kollokassi on Boxing Day...yes, indeed we are lucky!!! Today, we'll start with those lovely sticky traditional English Easter cakes, Hot Cross Buns and tomorrow it'll be flaounes!! Enjoy!!

Ingredients

For the buns
625 g Flour
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp ground mixed spice
45g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing
85g Sugar
Zest of one Lemon
1 sachet yeast
1 Egg
275ml tepid Milk
125g Mixed Dried Fruit..I prefer to use sultanas
For the topping
2 tblsp plain flour
Vegetable oil for greasing
Honey, gently heated for glazing

Method

For the buns, sieve the flour, salt and ground mixed spice into a bowl, then rub in the butter using your fingertips. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, and then add the sugar and lemon zest and yeast.
Beat the egg and add to the flour with the tepid milk. Mix together to a form a soft, pliable dough.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Add the mixed dried fruit or sultanas into the dough until well combined. Knead lightly for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Grease a large, warm mixing bowl with butter. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the prepared bowl, then cover with a clean tea towel and set aside in a warm place for one hour to prove.
Turn out the proved dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back the dough. Shape it into a ball again and return it to the bowl, then cover again with the tea towel and set aside for a further 30 minutes to rise.
Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then flatten slightly into a bun shape using the palms of your hands. Cover the buns again with the tea towel and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Grease a baking tray with butter and transfer the buns to the tray. Cover with a tea towel and set aside in a warm place for a further 40 minutes to rise.
Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/Gas 8.
Meanwhile, for the topping, mix the plain flour to a smooth paste with 2 tablespoons of cold water.Spoon the flour mixture into a piping bag and pipe a cross on each bun.
Transfer the buns to the oven and bake for 8-12 minutes, or until pale golden-brown. As soon as you remove the buns from the oven, brush them with the hot honey, then set aside to cool on a wire rack.

Androulla

 

The benefits of family holidays

To know each other

Often, the holiday season also brings an awareness of a change in a loved one’s capabilities. Family members may notice tasks that used to bring joy are now overwhelming. Keep in mind that more individuals are reluctant to ask for help. Be proactive and help the seniors in your life take appropriate action. For example, adult children should have the talk.

 Many times seniors struggle with how to tell their children what’s really going on in their lives. Likewise there are many topics that seniors themselves should begin discussing with their children and other loved ones. Many aging issues can be solved by providing a loved one with the support he or she needs.

To help people relaxing

Family holidays are great occasion for each member of the family to get relaxed. Modern family lives are full of tensions and stress. Only a peaceful environment can help them to forget the tensions and rejuvenate the mind and body to lead the life more actively and happily.

For successful family life

Gatherings with your relatives may be more important than you think. Familial encounters not only provide positive experiences, but also can play a large role in successful and happy life. Face-to-face contact provides the contextual part of what it means to be family. People who cultivate extended family relationships are at an advantage emotionally and are often more successful in their personal lives.

4 interesting facts about raising twins

You will likely give birth early
With so many mamas having twins these days, it would seem like a twin pregnancy is no big deal. But carrying two instead of one is a very big deal, indeed. Women expecting twins are at higher risk for preeclampsia,gestational diabetes, andpremature birth. In fact, about 60 percent of twins are born prematurely, according to the March of Dimes, with the average twin pregnancy lasting 35 weeks.

Twin moms are more susceptible to the baby blues
It’s hard to bring one newborn home, let alone two. Juggling the feeding and sleeping demands of a pair can be exhausting, and parents of twins get less sleep than parents of singletons, at least for the first few months until the babies get on a more synchronized schedule. Exhaustion can make everything more challenging. If you’re breastfeeding, you’re likely either nursing or pumping around the clock to keep up with your wee ones’ demands.

But it gets easier later
Now, the good news: Raising twins will not be this difficult forever. With twins, the hard work is front-loaded in the first three years or so. Later on, your same-age siblings will be able to entertain each other. Plus, you can put them in the same schools, camps, and extracurricular activities without having to shuttle between programs suited for different ages. Also, they’ll likely be interested in the same shows and movies, eliminating fights over the remote, and you’ll have one bedtime instead of two.

Your fraternal twins might really be identical
A recent study out of University College London found that 15 percent of parents were mistakenly told that their identical twins were fraternal. Why the confusion? Most identical twins share one amniotic sac and one placenta, but 25 to 30 percent actually have two separate placentas and amniotic sacs. However, not all doctors are aware of that fact: 81 percent of doctors think that twins who don’t share a placenta are fraternal.

Fears for Larnaca’s future - Paula Manoli-Gray

Things are heating up regarding the future of the port and marina. At the time of writing, the government is pushing for a heavy industry port, whilst the Mayor, Municipal Council, Larnaka Tourism Board and the Larnaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry are all vocally objecting. Their vision is of a unified coast from Dhekelia Road all the way to Mckenzie, taking in the port and marina and seafront along the way.

A protest took place on Saturday and statements have been issued, but will the wishes of a town be able to override the wishes of a government who are thinking very differently to those who live in – and love – Larnaca?

Larnaca has always drawn the short straw. Our reputation is that of a peasant town; old fashioned, backwards, un-trendy. I don't know how much this has changed over the years, but growing up, this is the way people in Nicosia and Limassol always viewed us.

In actual fact, Larnaca is the gateway to the rest of the island, thanks to its central position, and is (in the opinion of many), the only coastal town on the island that is not a tourist 'resort'. The experience tourists have here is not a segregated one like in Paphos or the Famagusta resorts where there are clear and obvious tourist restaurants and bars. In Larnaca, tourists and locals alike all go to the same places, and the result is an authentic experience for visitors, and a normal town, unblemished by an 'in-your-face' tourist industry for its residents.

The vision the bodies have is a wonderful one. It seeks the removal of the refinery tanks from Dhekelia Road – something that the town has been demanding for years – and its redevelopment. That prime stretch of coast would then be developed and is the only place where new hotels could be constructed, and boy do we need those. Dhekelia Road has been in decline for so long, this is the much-needed push the area needs to return to its glory days of the nineties.

The port and marina plans are grand and will see an influx of cruise ship passengers. The redevelopment of Piale Pashia and the promenade (which begins later in the year), will result in a coastal town that stands head and shoulders above the rest, and we are lucky that there are people in positions of power and authority in Larnaca that actually care about the town's future.

It would be tragic for the government to block these plans and it's about time the politicians came down to Larnaca for the weekend and saw what we are and what we can become. Let's take them to Piale Pashia for a good quality meze, let's take them for a drink at the town's hotspot of Mckenzie, and let's stroll with them along the Finikoudes. Then we could show them round the fort, and the small artisan workshops, educate them at our museums, show them the natural beauty of the salt lake and the environmental significance of Oroklini Lake.

I defy anyone to spend time in Larnaca and not love it. If those at the seat of government come down and meet us, I have no doubt they will realise the gem we have and will be as keen as we are to allow it to flourish.

First published in The Cyprus Weekly, 12/04/14