Snow Day!

Lots of snow has surrounded our home…and much of Canada and the North-Eastern US states. It looks pretty everywhere we go although we do empathize those who are struggling with wicked weather in their areas. For others in the city, many have declared today a snow day and have taken the day off work. This is conveniently on a Friday before a long weekend, so many people get to enjoy four days off unexpectedly this month.

Luckily, I already had the day off, so I took some time to cook a decent meal and bake something delicious. Yum!

***Banana pistachio cake recipe to be posted tomorrow!***

 

 

Winter in the City

We’ve had a string of snowy days and it’s quite beautiful outside.  I love brisk walks on cold days, especially when the sun is shining. To give you an idea of my neighbourhood, here are a few photos from some of our days out:

 

Simple Chia Desserts

I love chia for so many reasons. They have a high amount of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The whole seeds can easily be broken down and absorbed in the body, unlike other seeds (that you would have to grind up to gain any benefits) and the best part, you can add chia to virtually any dish you like.

The seeds pretty much don’t have much taste, so you can toss them in sandwiches, salads, soups cereals and more. You can add them as dry seeds or you can soak them in water or milk, which will make them look like little balls of jelly.  I soak them in water overnight in a container so they’re ready for breakfast.

The photo above is one of the chia milk desserts that we absolutely love in our home.  If you would like to try it out sometime, here’s the recipe:

Chia Chai Dessert

Ingredients:

1½ -2½ cups milk
½ cup water
1-2 vanilla chai tea bags (depending on how strong you like the flavour)
3-4 tablespoons honey or cane sugar
1 cup chia jelly

Procedure:

1. Soak dry chia seeds in water or milk overnight to create the chia jelly(approximately ½ cup dry chia seeds with 1 cup water/milk equals 1 cup chia jelly.)
2. Over medium heat, bring milk to a boil.
3. Add vanilla chai tea bags and honey/cane sugar then reduce heat to simmer for approximately 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
5. Once cooled, remove tea bags and add chia to milky chai.
6. Spoon into small bowls and enjoy!

If you would like something different for breakfast or a snack, try this one:

Chia Blueberries and Yogurt Dessert

Combine 1 cup fresh blueberries with 4-6 large tablespoons Greek blackberry yogurt and add 3-4 tablespoons chia jelly.  You can also add granola or cereal for a healthy breakfast packed with vitamins and minerals (it will also help keep you full for a longer period of time).

If you haven’t had a chance to try chia, I recommend trying it for at least a short period of time to see if it does make a difference in your diet and lifestyle. You can pretty much find it in any health food store or larger grocery store.

Let me know your findings, I would love to hear what you think of chia!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video Pick – How to Rilakkuma Bento

I was thinking of buying a new bento box for myself the other day but I haven’t found one that I love just yet. I have a few small ones that I like making up every now and then, but mine are usually standard bento filled with regular Japanese food. Today, I came across this great video showing you how to make adorable Rilakkuma for lunch!

Looks easy enough to do. I’ll have to try it out some day!

The Top Ten Holiday Pins on Pinterest

With the advent of Pinterest, a lot of crafters and artists now have a venue to showcase their crafts to other people. It is also a good site to look for holiday craft ideas, be it for gifts, decoration or just to keep the kids busy. The best part of “doing your research” on Pinterest is that most pins have easy to follow instructions, so that even first-timers and beginners can make the crafts. Here are the top ten holiday pins that you’ll surely love.

Reindeer Poop

This may sound gross, but if you’ve heard of “reindeer noses”, then reindeer poop is not that different. It is an easy to make gift perfect for kids and even for the young at heart. Just fill a clear cellophane bag with chocolate malt balls and chocolate covered raisins. You can either print out labels or hand-write them.

Painted Gift Boxes

The best thing about making pretty gift boxes is the fact that you don’t have to wrap them in wrapping paper. This craft is very easy and fun to do. All you need are 3D paint and craft boxes in different colors. You can get these in craft stores. Make sure to use contrasting colors to make your designs stand out. You don’t have to be an artist to make the boxes beautiful. Just scribble and doodle on the boxes and you have pretty boxes for your gifts.

Ribbon and Pearl Tree Ornaments

Make your Christmas tree pretty with these ribbon and pearl ornaments. You just need some wide ribbons, pearls or beads and a needle and some thread. Sew the ribbon and pearls alternately to create a Christmas tree shape. Adjust the ribbon to make the shape more pronounced. Add some string on top and hang them on your tree.

Peppermint Dipped Oreos

Who doesn’t love Oreos? Make your Oreos more lovable by dipping them in melted white chocolate and sprinkling some crushed candy canes. These are also perfect as gifts and giveaways. Just wrap them up in clear plastic bags and tie with a ribbon.

Edible Snow Globes

Snow globes are great Christmas ornaments. Make them better by making them edible. Create your own edible snow globes with chocolate chip cookies, white icing, foil wrapped chocolates, candy sprinkles and clear paper cups. Put some white icing on top of the cookies. You can also make snowflakes out of the icing. Once all the icing is dry, stack the chocolates on the cookie (which also serve as the base of the snow globe). Once you’re done, top it with a clear plastic cup.

DIY Menorah

This DIY project is perfect for those celebrating Hanukkah. Make use of your kids’ old plastic dinosaur toys and transform them into holders for your menorah. You’ll need to put some candle holders (the kind that you use on top of a cake) on top of the dinosaurs’ heads or bodies, so the candles are stable. Once you’ve assembled the candle holder on the dinosaur, bring out the spray paint and coat the dinosaurs thoroughly. You can use either gold or silver to make them look more festive (and formal at the same time). Once they’re dry, you can assemble them on top of a piece of plywood or board (painted with the same color). Put the candles on top of the dinosaurs and you have yourself a menorah.

Felt Pinecone

Decorate your home in cute felt pine cones made out of felt and leftover plastic Easter eggs. Just cut the felt into strips, add some ridges and wrap it around the egg. These are cute and easy to make. Now you can put pinecones anywhere in your house.

Holiday Vases

Vases are staples in almost every house, so why not transform these vases to make your house festive for all seasons? All you need are those long cylindrical vases that can be bought in almost any home decoration store. Fill them with Christmas balls or pine cones or a combination of artificial snow, cones, and balls. You can also change what’s inside the vase depending on the season (like Easter eggs during Easter and monsters on Halloween). They’re easy to make and would surely make your home festive.

Gift Card Snow Globe

Here’s a fun and creative way to give away the gift cards you got your friends and family. All you need are mason jars, some glitters, water, and unbreakable ornaments. If your gift card is made out of paper, you can also wrap it in plastic to make it water-proof. Glue one edge of your card on the lid of the jar, put some water, glitters and ornaments on the jar and you have your very own gift card snow globe.

Washcloth Reindeers

We all take a bath, right? Bath essentials are perfect as holiday gifts. Make your gifts cute and fun by creating washcloth reindeers. All you need is a wash cloth and a bar of soap or small bottles of shower gel and shampoo to put inside the washcloth. First, make a diamond shape from the washcloth. Put the goodies on the middle of the washcloth and fold the upper and lower part of the washcloth toward the middle (to hide what’s inside). Then pull the sides together to create “ears”. Use pipe cleaners as antlers. Put some stickers in front of the washcloth for eyes and nose. Now your gifts are good to go.

These are just some holiday crafts that you can do this Christmas. Most of these crafts can be customized depending on the season. Just use your creativity and have fun making crafts.