New Year, New Food - Grain Free Raspberry Chocolate Muffins

As we do when a new year is upon us, I went in search of some healthy recipes to take me through the winter months.  I stumbled upon Detoxinista and have been eating well ever since.  The website is run by a holistic nutritionist and is organized by category.  It's very easy to find yummy, healthy recipes that cater to those of us who have tummy issues, food sensitivities and who also just like to eat quality meals that aren't full of preservatives and all that nasty stuff we should be avoiding as much as possible.  No one with a bad diet was ever accused of being 10 years younger than they actually are.  Isn't that motivation enough?

I have spent countless hours trolling the Detoxinista site and have made a list of all the ones I want to try.  Normally I could live on cheese, vegetables, chocolate and coffee...but with the Danish Exchange Student living with us now, I am forced to actually come up with, and provide proper meals.  Fortunately she likes cooking and is always asking what she can do to help - I might just survive this experience!  We tried the avocado chocolate pudding - it was phenomenal and really tastes like the best chocolate pudding ever.  I don't like avocados but I couldn't even taste them in this.  The site also includes recipes for cauliflower pizza crust, spaghetti squash 'pasta' casserole, and vegan/gluten free mac & cheese.  There is something for everyone, gluten free, celiac, paleo, low carb and how about...simply hungry!

I was looking for something we could make that would be easy for us to take in the morning, rushing for school, starving between meals (I had no idea how much teenagers eat) or when I just can't see myself putting a meal on the table.  I found these yummy looking muffins and decided to give them a try...

Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins (Grain-free)

• 2 cups almond flour (store-bought or homemade)
• 2 whole eggs
• ¼ cup coconut oil, softened (butter works, too)
• ¼ cup honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 cup fresh raspberries (or thawed from frozen)
• ½ cup chocolate chips
• 12 muffin liners

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line a muffin tin with 12 paper liners.
2. Combine all the ingredients– except for the raspberries and chocolate chips– and mix well, until the batter is a uniform consistency.
3. Gently fold in the raspberries and chocolate chips, until they are spread throughout the batter.
4. Using a ¼ cup to measure, drop batter into muffin liners and bake for 15 minutes at 350F, turning the pan halfway through for even baking. The final muffins should be golden brown around the edges and firm in the center.
5. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove to cool completely.

These came together quickly and I had them in the oven in under 5 minutes.  The mixture seemed very thick, much thicker than it looks on the Detoxinista website, but they taste good and held up well.  We will be keeping these in the food rotation with some variations from time to time.  Bananas and peanut butter perhaps?



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Have a fabulous day!

Autumn Errands!

Since it is Thanksgiving this weekend I have been busy running errands, getting groceries, going from store to store and generally going crazy.  It has been all about casual comfy clothes this week - and my favourite pair of shoes!

Have a fabulous day!

A quick and easy snack!

I am all about healthy eating and giving my family quality meals but sometimes there just isn't time to make something fabulous and this is the perfect little snack - it require nothing more than 4 ingredients, 10 minutes to assemble and 15 minutes cooking time.

 

Organic grainy mustard, natural and nitrate free ham, sliced Swiss cheese and crescent dough.

 

 Unroll the dough, squeeze some mustard on it, layer the ham and cheese and roll up.  This isn't rocket science - if you need more instruction that that it might be best if you step out of the kitchen and leave the snacks to someone else.

 

Bake according to the instructions on the dough and keep an eye on them to make sure they get nice and golden brown.  The Suburban Prince ate a few then took the rest in a container to eat in the car.  So...we now know this recipe serves one large, hungry man.

Oh yeah...I made these too...I suggest using the larger size crescents for them!

Have a fabulous day!

An Autumn Explosion!

This weekend I pulled out all of my Autumn bins and dragged them to the living room so I could work on getting ready for Thanksgiving.  It looked like Autumn exploded in my house!

 

Where to begin?!

 

How do I have this much Autumn decor?

 

Pumpkins and orange abound!

Autumn and Thanksgiving cards need to be written and mailed!

Ornaments need to be hung, ribbon needs to be tied!

Table and kitchen linens need to be ironed!

 

Garland needs to be hung....everywhere!

I thought I would get a head start and went to put this year's paper plates in the pie boxes for sending leftovers home...they dont fit.  Le sigh.  Fortunately I had more from last year!

Everything that came out of this box smells amazing!  

Autumn, Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin and of course, Leaves.

Have a fabulous day!

Summer in a glass!

I was reading the May/June issue of Tea Time Magazine and spotted some adorable little desserts in miniature!  My in-laws were coming for a birthday dinner so I needed something special for dessert.

Key lime, Boston cream and strawberry shortcake parfaits!  How cute are they!?  They are all so easy to make and assemble and can easily be prepared with ready made ingredients!

Mine didn't look quite as pretty but then I have a 3 year old boy and any mom of a little boy knows one just gets it in the glass, on the table, in the oven, on the plate or anything else one needs too do with food and then runs off to find out what mischief one's little boy is up to! 

I didn't bother using the recipe...the little boy and everything else I need to manage means a lack of time...so I just used vanilla pudding mix, used lime juice in place of 1/4 of the milk and layered with whipped cream and graham crumbs.

It tastes like a day at the beach!  Just vanilla pudding, milk, lime juice, whipped cream and graham crumbs.  Easy peasy!

For the coffee service I channeled my inner Miss Janice and tied pretty little ribbons to my glass coffee mugs!  Everyone was duly impressed!


Have a fabulous day!

Hoppy Easter!

Hoppy Easter!

Thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes and messages for the Little Prince...I know he will love reading them for years to come!  It means so much to me that so many of you took the time to leave him a birthday comment!

The winner of my Annie's Bunnies giveaway is....High Heeled Life!  Congratulations!  Dont worry about sending me your address...I know where you live!

It has been a crazy whirlwind for the last week or so....

- On Monday I had another run-in with the 'contractor' and the Suburban Prince was ready to fire him but I just want the basement done and over with!  On Tuesday he went down to the 'contractor's' house and tore a strip off him and made sure he understood a few hard truths.  He also told him I was the one who said not to fire him so maybe now he will watch his mouth and not bite the hand that feeds him!

- Since housekeeper decided to take Friday off (ummm how is it *I* didnt get the day off and in fact, my workload tripled?)  I have spent all week doing the housework myself and getting everything ready for our parents coming over today for lunch.  Since I hadnt had the living room cleaned since Christmas because of the renovation, it was a big job!  I had to clean every single surface!  All while wearing a tiara.  Hmpfh.

- On Friday night Hermes Scarf Friend and I went to see Water For Elephants.  I dont normally enjoy seeing movies made from books I love but I was very happy with this one.  The visuals are beautiful and it stayed very close to the book. 

- Yesterday we prepped all the food for today and last night we spent a few hours at the neighbours' house having a drink and nibblies and getting caught up now that they are home from winter in Florida.

This morning I am enjoying the peace and quiet before everyone wakes up and the chaos begins!  I have Billy Joel on my ipod and a fruit smoothie waiting for me.  I see the Easter Bunny has come to visit the Little Prince and I cant wait to see what he thinks!

We are doing the Little Prince's birthday celebrations today with cake and presents.  It's tough with his birthday being on Easter this year...I keep trying to separate the two events as I dont want him thinking he gets Easter eggs for his birthday every year!

I hope the Easter Bunny spoils you!

Have a hoppy day!

Surviving a winter wonderland

Life here in the 'burbs is a bit boring right now.  We have had so much snow in the last two weeks that we sometimes have trouble getting out and about.  The advantage of living at the top of a hill is not worrying about floods...the disadvantage, everything is downhill...down an icy hill...by a river.  The upside is I have been forced to do a little bit of meal planning in case I cant get out easily....I actually planned, shopped for and cooked for three days straight!  That's a bit of a miracle around here as I have often found it too hard to cook with the Little Prince around but he has learned to stay behind the kitchen table when I am opening the oven so now I can actually work in the kitchen without worrying about him.

Because I have been a bit snowed in I havn't been doing very much in the way of fun activities...no lunches, events, snooty pursuits.  My babysitter even had to cancel on me for a couple of months as she has classes on the same night at my Rotary meetings so I have been absent for a little while now. 

There is something to be said for January's cold snowy weather.  There is always so much to be done in the house and the temptation to go out is squashed by -30 degree days.  My closets are organized, the drawers are becoming less and less full.  The laundry is all done and the Christmas decor was packed away weeks ago.  The basement renovation has been coming along nicely as the contractors are happy to be working in a nice heated space rather than outside building house frames.

We have had to dig paths for our little dog to get around the backyard.  I let him out the other day and he vanished in a snow drift.  We have to keep shoes at the back door in case he gets 'stuck' with cold toes and cant make it back to the door.  Yes, all the males in my life are a little tender and fragile.  Scottish women are strong for everyone, keep families together and rescue cold dogs from winter.

I keep thinking I should be creating fun, but to be honest, I just dont want to!  I am enjoying my hibernation and think I will limit my outings to one a week while focusing inward. 

Dont miss my Valentine's Day giveaway!

Have a fabulous day!

This will make being a soccer mom a lot easier!

BOO'd my neighbour across the street. I did not get caught so I considered my mission a success! Every day I have been looking out my front window and she still hasn't put her sign up! Do you have any idea how hard it is to bite my tongue and not ask her why she isn't playing along?! I think I will have the Suburban Prince drop a hint of some sort!

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On Friday I



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On Saturday morning my housekeeper showed up an hour late, and since I assumed she wasn't showing up at all I resigned myself to doing all the cleaning myself. I wouldn't have bothered but I had company coming and little or no patience for this sort of drama. When I stopped screaming after she snuck up on me (Ok to be fair the hoover was running and I didn't hear her coming in so alright, she didn't actually sneak up on me) she told me it isn't working out. Huh? No kidding! The moment I had to start the search for the mop I knew this wasn't going to work out! I just don't understand why she came here an hour late to quit! Nice eh! Fortunately housekeepers are a dime a dozen and I have someone coming tomorrow to meet us and hopefully start this week!
Before you think I am a terrible boss - don't...this didn't work out because I just cant tolerate an employee who lets their personal issues interfere with their job. I am very kind to people who work for me but this isn't the first time she was late or just didn't show up. One time she actually called in because she was too hungover to come to work!


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I have everything ready for this week! The lists are made, most of the groceries have been purchased and I have my schedule laid out. I am ready! I think Halloween is my new favourite holiday - it's kind of like Christmas with the decorations, candy and fun but without all the annoyances like trying to find a gift for my 75 year old mother in law who doesn't want anything! I cant wait to see the Little Prince in his monkey costume!


Have a fabulous day!

I love my LV but my goodness...oh who am I kidding...I know I will see a soccer mom or dad with this bag eventually! With any luck they will only be sold to professional soccer players!