Life Lately

Lately... we bought our 21 month old son his very first violin. Crazy? You might think so. His concentration span might not be very long, but his learning capacity is insane (much like any child of that age). He may not yet be able to play, but after a month he can hold the violin and the bow correctly, as well as move the bow across the strings almost in the right spot. All this with only about 10 minutes of practice a week (randomly).

Lately... we visited IKEA to buy a bed side desk for our son. We chose a single, white EXPEDIT shelving unit with a 2-drawer insertion. It's the perfect size. We're trying to do a gradual transition to a twin bed before the new baby comes. So far so good! We just put the twin bed mattress on the floor so he doesn't get hurt if he falls. He just loves it because he can easily climb up or down on his own, and he can do running belly flaps. Lol.

Lately... I've been catching up on projects which have been on standby. Home decorating, recipe trials and lots of snuggle time with my baby.

Lately... I bought some cool paper straws in preparation for our son's second birthday. I want to make it extra special.

Lately... my skin has been clearing up and looking oh-so good. I love what pregnancy hormones do to your body (not counting the first trimester).

Lately... we spent some time in downtown Montreal and ate at Schwartz. It's this tiny little smoked meat restaurant in the heart of the city. It looks like nothing on the outside, and the inside is very plain, but the food... OH-EM-GEE. Seriously, the best smoked meat you have ever had in your life.

Lately... we finally found our fancy dinner set. It took us forever to agree on dishes, yes, dishes. Then one day, out of the blue, my husband spotted these gorgeous mint patterned plates and said: "I like those!" My first thought was; "Really?!?! Oh my goodness, me too!" So we bought the whole set at Home Sense. Such an awesome store for random things.

Lately... I may or may not have eaten all the marshmallows out of a Lucky Charms box.

Lately... I started playing World of Warcraft again; when my little one is sleeping. I don't have a lot of time, but I try to enjoy it as much as I can amidst everything else I want/need to do.

Trying to make recipes from scratch doesn't always turn out the way you'd think. These mini cupcakes look pretty delicious, but they weren't that good. Lol. They were supposed to be coconut/pineapple flavored, but they were dry and tasted bland. Next try maybe. :)

Recent favorites

1. These fox flats from Modcloth.
2. These perfect ringlets hair tutorial by Freckled Fox. So bouncy and cute!
3. The "Spring-Time to Shine" contest by Modcloth. You can win a $50 gift certificate by sharing your Spring Style by 1 p.m. PT on 4/28.

Inspired by

1. This art by Chibird. Seriously the cutest, most inspirational art you'll ever see.
2. This nail art by Pshiiit. Definitely something I want to try.
3. This video. This girl has such an amazing voice.

Random facts about me

1. I love to kiss attack my son. It makes him laugh uncontrollably.
2. I have way too much white hair for my age.
3. I wish I could stop time.

5 Minute Homemade Chocolate Pudding

My son has a severe allergy to eggs, so I've been trying to make as many delicious homemade recipes as possible. It's been quite the adventure, especially with desserts, but I've managed to come up with a few recipes that he can safely eat, like this egg free chocolate pudding.

I've been making this recipe for a while but I usually just kind of randomly put ingredients together. I thought it would be nice to actually figure out the portions I'm using so that others can benefit from this deliciously quick and simple homemade chocolate pudding treat. Quick as in, made and ready in under 5 minutes. 'Cause you know, sometimes you just have to indulge in a quick chocolate fix right now.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING MIX

Prep: about 2 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Cocoa Powder (unsweetened)
1 cup of Corn Starch
1 1/2 cup of Sugar

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

Prep: about 2 minutes
Cook: about 1 minute
Portions: 4

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup of Chocolate Pudding Mix (above)
1 1/2 cup of Milk

OPTIONAL

1/2 tsp of Vanilla essence
1 tbsp of Butter
2 tbsp of Chocolate chips

STEPS

1. Put milk and chocolate pudding mix in saucepan.

2. Heat on medium-high, whisking constantly until it boils and starts to thicken.

3. Remove from heat as soon as it starts to thicken (it will continue thickening as it cools), stir in optional ingredients if you desire.

4. Let cool. (optional)

There shouldn't be any lumps, but just in case, you can pass the pudding through a fine mesh before cooling.

As the pudding cools, a film will form on top. When you're ready to eat it, simply stir it back into the pudding. If you don't want the film to form, put a piece of plastic wrap directly on it's surface (it has to touch the pudding). When you're ready to eat it, simply remove the wrap and serve.

I'm so very satisfied with how quick, easy and delicious this recipe is. Plus... it's egg free. Yay!

If you want to mix it up I suggest trying different types of sugars (brown sugar, white sugar, cane sugar...) and different types of milk too (whole milk, soy milk, almond milk, rice milk)! The possibilities are endless! You could even add spices like cinnamon or nutmeg, or maybe some peppermint... Deeeelicious!

Mango Banana Milkshake

I absolutely love milkshakes. I wouldn't go as far as using them as meal replacements but I will definitely say yes to a nutrient boost. They're great as a refreshment, or as a healthy dessert alternative. I usually just grab whatever juicy fruits are in my fridge and blend them with random kinds of milk. My inspiration for this one was a mix of my craving for summer (oh-summer-how-I-long-for-you), and some of this delicious maple syrup our maple trees have been giving us this season.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of Mango (frozen)
1 Banana
1 cup of Milk (I use soy)

OPTIONAL

1 tbsp of Maple Syrup (or sweetener of choice)

STEPS

Um, just blend everything together and enjoy. It's pretty straight forward.

What kind of drinks do you enjoy?

I'm really excited that spring has finally sprung! Snow is melting, the sun is coming out, and I have a feeling we'll be seeing some pretty new flowers popping out soon. I miss the gorgeous colors of summer; green grass, blue skies, multicolored flowers... I'm ready for you!!!