Chocolate Avocado Pudding

If you read my last post, you may have remembered that near the end I said I wanted to make chocolate avocado pudding again.

Well,  I did.

And it was glorious.


The internet is FULL of recipes on how to make this type of pudding, but I thought I'd share how I make it. :)  Because, maybe you are like me and you like anything that is quick and easy, something you can throw together in minutes.

Put three avocados in the blender.  (I think it goes without saying to peel them and take the pit out, right? ;))

Add 1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa.  Cocoa...you make everything taste better.

Add some maple syrup.  I totally didn't measure this.  I'd say I probably added like, 1/4 cup.  I do have a sweet tooth.  You probably want to adjust this to what works for you.

Then I added a little water to the blender and blended away!  I continued to add water bit by bit until it resembled the consistency of pudding. :)

And then, of course, eat.  And share.  Share with your kids.  I know, I know, I didn't want to either, but it just felt like the right thing to do.  ;)

Although this is a quick treat to put together, next time I want to refrigerate it after I make it.  Lukewarm pudding just doesn't taste as good as cold pudding.  Of course, I did make it on a day where it was 32 degrees outside and my avocados were sitting on the counter soaking up that heat.  I shouldn't complain....in a few months my coconut oil will harden from the cold in my pantry.  Yay Canadian winters!



So here is the recipe, condensed:

Chocolate Avocado Pudding
3 Avocados
1/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa
1/4 cup of maple syrup (or to your taste)
Water, enough to make it into a pudding consistency.

Blend it all together.  Refrigerate for cold pudding.  EAT!!!

Go, make yourself some chocolate pudding.

My (unhealthy) Relationship with Food

For as long as I can remember, I've always been passionate about food.  Shortly after my first baby was born, I really started to make changes to try and combat the migraines I had suffered for years because no doctor could find something to even lessen the pain when i would get a migraine attack.  After a couple trips to the hospital, appointments to neurologists, acupuncturists, massage therapists, chiropractors, homeopaths, etc. I knew that if I was ever going to find something to help my migraines, i more than likely needed to figure it out myself.

So started my journey full of green smoothies and juices, raw vegan meals, etc.  Mixed in between I definitely had my poor food choices (or yummy food choices, let's call it what it is..;)) but I was always trying something new.  And it helped.  The less wheat, sugar, and caffeine I ate, the less migraines I had.

A bulk order of health foods I used to order.

Even when my first two babies were born I was often making whole food dishes like avocado chocolate pudding, banana "ice cream", eggplant bacon, kefir, kombucha, etc.

Water kefir I used to make before the fear of drinking too many calories took over.

But then third baby came along.  Along with some very painful trials in my life at the same time.  And all of a sudden, my quest for eating whole foods got left behind.  I was in survival mode for so long.

And then, my relationship with food changed.  With the pressures of life, having a body that has changed after three babies and slowly getting older, all of a sudden "feeling good" wasn't my main goal with what i put in my body anymore.  I had fallen victim to my primary goal to be to lose that baby weight.  To get to that perfect number.

In the past three years I have constantly lost and gained the same ten lbs.  And not by any healthy means.  I gain it by bingeing on tons of bad for me food, and I lose it by not eating enough calories, by skipping meals...by juice fasting - by believing that if I get to that perfect weight then I'll feel good. And I am not against juice fasting, but most days when I do that I don't drink enough juice to fill my body with enough calories.  Not intentionally - I get busy and don't get back to the juicer -but in the end my choice is just to wait until the next day.  Many nights I prepare dinner for my family, and my husband asks me where my dinner is.  In an effort to hide it from my daughter so that she doesn't have self-image issues, i whisper to my husband that I'm fine.  but deep down I know I'm naive if I think that even if my daughter who is 8 doesn't pick up on it now, she will soon.

But you know what?  let's be real here - i actually have never got to that "perfect" number that sits in my head due to my unhealthy relationship with food.  And what's more?  I have not felt good for a very long time, especially this past year.  I have made trips to the doctor with unexplained pain, issues, and fatigue.  I have had tests for all sorts of things, and everything has come up clear.   Yet I know my body isn't happy.  It's mad at me.  It wants REAL food.  Not jumping from two extremes. It wants less wheat and sugar and more nutrients.  It wants FULL meals, and less processed junk.

I don't talk about my issue with my self-image that much because to be honest, as much as I have weight i want to lose I know in reality i don't have that much extra weight on me. I'd be happy o lose 15 lbs, but i know that for others it is a harder struggle and I don't want to complain about something that I probably shouldn't be complaining about.

But the reality is, no matter what you weigh, no matter your age, as women we are bombarded with media images, with what the world tell us we should be, with the pressures we put on ourselves.

So...why this long-winded post about this?  Partly to be real about a subject I don't talk about much. Partly because I believe as a woman especially, I am not alone in this struggle. Partly because I've decided that "NO MORE."  No more extremes.  I want to go back to whole foods in my diet, and I want to forget the number on the scale.  And it isn't going to be easy.  Life is busy and the kids and I are on the go a lot.  But I am not going to put huge expectations on myself.  I am just going to start out small.

And I am not going to be mad at myself for the past 3 years.  I know I was just trying to "get through" some stuff.  I know I had a lot of pressures.  But as my babies get older I have more time to take care of myself.  And I also know they are watching me.  And foodwise, I need to lead a better example.  I know I would be heartbroken if my daughter was as stressed about the number on the scale as I am.  I know I would feel like I failed her if she was like me, feeling the need to step on that scale - EVERY. SINGLE. MORNING.  and I know I would try everything I could to teach her that she didn't need to feel sad every time she saw the number pop up that was too high than she had hoped.

I will continue to fill my body with green smoothies and juices full of nutrients, but along with other foods. I will continue to work to keep consumption of foods that are bad for my body to a minimum.  I will try harder to fill my body with WHOLE foods, and most importantly, ENOUGH whole food calories.  And I want to exercise again.  I want to run again and get my heart pumping!

My one and only 5k.  It's time to work towards it again!

Little changes.  I think I'll start with some avocado chocolate pudding.  I'm pretty sure the kids won't complain! :)  I hope to post my journey here.

Now excuse me while I go make some sweet potatoes and eggs for lunch, with a smoothie on the side. :)

Montreal with Kids

One of the items on my bucket list is to see all the provinces of Canada. Last month we went to Quebec for the first time, ever.  I had heard from others that Montreal was beautiful, especially Old Montreal.  Of course, I had to check this out for myself.

Turns out, when you tell people you are going to Montreal with small kids, they think you are a little crazy.  But I never said we were a normal family, so regardless of people's reactions, we took the kids anyways. ;)

I really didn't feel like it was a big deal, until we did something like taking the kids on the subway, and I couldn't find another kid around.  So yeah, maybe it's not the norm, but our kids will tell you how much fun they had experiencing new things!

Waiting to take their first ever subway ride!

So, here are my tips for going to Montreal with kids.

1.  pack a lot of snacks.  We spent a lot of time walking in Old Montreal.  It is absolutely beautiful there.  The kids thought it was the coolest thing that they could walk down the middle of the road.  But finding kid-friendly food proved to be more difficult.  There were tons of fancy and expensive dining options, but basic kid-friendly fare was hard to come by.  We eventually found a McDonald's, but it took us a lot of time.

2.  Mix up adult activities and kid activities.  Our kids are used to doing things on vacation that are enjoyable for the whole family, so they appreciate things such as beautiful scenery, interesting architecture, or hiking on trails.  But after making them walk for a while, we decided it was time to have an activity geared mainly for kids.  We took them to the science center, which I would have never done if it was just my husband and I, but I knew they were reaching their limit of activities geared more to adults and decided it was time for an activity that would really speak to them.

3.  Don't stress about a schedule.  Don't overbook your vacation.  When it comes to kids, interruptions come up constantly.  A child needs a band aid, someone had a potty accident, their little feet need a break, etc.  If you have high expectations of what you expect from the trip, you may find yourself disappointed and frustrated with your kids.  Leave lots of room for flexibility.

4.  Bring a stroller, even if your kids are a little older.  My youngest is three so naturally we brought a stroller.  But it turned out that my 6 year old ended up with a fever the whole trip and couldn't walk very far.  So, the three year old ended up walking, and the 6 year old ended up in the stroller for most of the trip.  I was very thankful for that stroller.

5.  Be clear with your children on expectations.  I really wanted to take a tour of Notre-Dame Basilica.  Before we went in, I sat down with the kids and explained to them the importance of being quiet in the church, and not running around.  They knew it was expected, and they were very quiet as we admired the architecture of the church.  Near the end they were getting a little antsy, and we took that as our cue to make our way towards the exit, but they lasted more than long enough in the church and were respectful the whole time.

Inside Notre Dame Basilica

6.  Don't push them too late.  Overtired kids means cranky kids.  No vacation is fun when the kids are cranky.  We retired to the hotel shortly after dinner each night, allowing the kids to get a good night's sleep.

Bottom line, taking your kids on vacation can be a lot of fun.  Just don't expect it to be the same as if you went without kids.  Montreal was a blast, but we definitely weren't wining and dining in Old Montreal and enjoying the night scene!  Instead, we have created lasting memories with our children, and hope that they will cherish these trips that we take!

What about you? Do you prefer to vacation with your kids or on your own, or just with your significant other?  Maybe you prefer to go with a group of girlfriends?

Peace & Love! :)

Signs and Shows

Oh man.  Every week I think about all the things I want to blog about, but it is Summer and life is busy.  And as any Canadian knows, you make the most of the long, hot days of Summer because before you know it, we are back to shoveling snow.

Last post I shared about how I make a barnboard sign.  Well, that was my first sign I made and I was hooked.  I started to collect pallets, and all of a sudden, this happened:

And many more signs have been created.  I am just having so much fun doing it.  If you want to learn how to make these, read my tutorial HERE.

I made a welcome sign and couldn't bear to part with it, as it matches my front door perfectly.

Also, add into the mix my other love, tie dye.  This is the time of year for festivals and shows.  I love my little set-up:

The best part of these events are seeing other amazing ideas and creations.  I am absolutely adoring this yarn truck:

I would love to drive my tie dye in a truck like that!

This is just a small snippet of what I've been up to, and I hope to find some time to blog again, as I miss it here!

Peace & Love. ;)

DIY Barnboard Sign

I have been in love with reclaimed barnboard signs ever since they started appearing everywhere.  So I was super excited when my husband brought home some barnboard from work one day.

If bringing me the supplies wasn't enough, he helped me put it together.  We took two of the boards and screwed scrap pieces on the back to hold it together.  We used three pieces because it is a longer sign.  One near the top, one in the middle, and one in the bottom.

Then I started working on my design.  I used graphics from my Silhouette Cameo program.  I was inspired by a t-shirt recently and wanted the same saying on a sign.

After I knew how I wanted it to look, I needed to transfer it.  Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the transfer process so I am hoping I explain it well enough.  

After you print out your design, take a piece of chalk and cover the back of your design with chalk.  I used white, but had to change halfway through because I couldn't see where I had coloured the chalk on the back.  So I switched to green half way through.

Place the paper on the wood.  Take a pen or pencil and trace your design.  This will transfer the chalk onto the board, but only where you trace.  

Okay, so I accidentally started painting the words before I took a picture, but you can see the rest of the image is outlined by chalk.

Grab your paint brushes and start painting it!  I used a paint marker for the "Did Someone Say" just because the detail was a bit more fine, but I think it would have turned out the same if I just used my fine paint brush.  I used acrylic paints for the rest.

As you can see, there is a spot on my board that has some of the wood scraped off.  The best thing about barnboard is that it is okay if it looks rough! :)

Here is the finished product.  It makes me smile. ;)

Peace & Love! :)

DIY Pretty Pastel Rainbow Picnic Table Makeover

Ever since I brought our picnic table home, I've wanted to paint it funky colours.  I searched and searched the internet for the perfect idea.

Then I came across the blog Little Miss Momma.   I was completely inspired by her picnic table, so I did something very similar.  Make sure you head on over to her blog and check out her table!

Here's how I did mine:

I lightly sanded the table with a hand-sander.  Then i started spray painting the benches with some white spray paint I bought.

Which turned out to be a waste of time and money because I ran out of spray paint so I had to go over it with some white acrylic paint.  

I should probably consider painting my deck, but hey, it's not as fun. ;)

That's right, I used acrylic paint.  From the dollar store.  Everything I read online seems to suggest if you use acrylic paint outdoors and then use an outdoor sealer on top of it, it should last.  Ask me in a few years if it's true. ;)

So, I basically just painted each board the colour I wanted, and the bottom white. I was on the third board when it started raining.  While it was sunny out.  You can NEVER trust Canadian weather forecasts. But I don't blame the weather people.  I blame Canada and it's weird, messed up weather.  Only in Canada can you wear shorts one day and winter hats and mittens the next.

Anyways.....

 At first I decided to paint the edges of the boards white:

But then I changed my mind and painted the edges different colours:

I then sprayed two coats of sealer over it.  I still have to touch up some of the white, which I'll probably never get around to, but I am pretty happy with it!  Ashley from Little Miss Momma distressed her table, and I really like the look of it, but I also figured I have three small kids who will distress the table all on their own over time! :)

After it was all said and done I begged my Facebook friends to let me come to their house and pick Lilacs from their trees.  I always get all worried that I'll pick flowers from what I think is public property, only to be chased by an angry homeowner wearing a bathrobe and chasing me with a broom!  Anyways, because I have awesome friends, I got some offers from people to allow me to steal some of their lilacs.

See? Flowers make it so much prettier. ;)  

I'm excited for some projects I have in mind this week, one being a barnboard type sign and the other is painting my front door teal!  So stay tuned for posts about that. :)

Peace & Love. ;)

My Review of Letchworth State Park in New York

When I think of New York, I think of the Statue of Liberty, or the Big Apple, or the movie Home Alone (who can forget the pigeon lady??).  Not that I've ever been to see any of those things personally.
What I don't think about when I think about the state of New York is beautiful and natural surroundings, waterfalls, camping, and the great outdoors.

So you can imagine my surprise when I was looking for a place to camp for the May long weekend and came across Letchworth State Park in Castile, NY.  The pictures online blew me away.  I had to check it out.

Letchworth is known as "The Grand Canyon of the East."  Three major waterfalls flow over the cliffs through the gorge, and some cliffs are as high as 600 feet.  There are 66 miles of hiking trails. Hot air balloon rides are available over the amazing scenery.  (of course, we didn't do that due to cost, and three small children, but maybe one day).

We camped in our tent trailer.  At first when we got there I was a little disappointed at how open our campsite was, with few trees.  This turned out to not be a problem in the end because it was a very quiet weekend there, and there were few sites full near us, especially on Sunday night when most Americans packed up because Monday was not a holiday for them.  The campground had mostly Canadians that night.  Had we camped at our side of the border the campgrounds would have been packed as the May long weekend in Canada is known for camping. So camping across the border on May long weekend turned out to be the best idea ever!

Even though our campsite didn't have a lot of trees, I walked up the road to discover there were many sites that had more trees and privacy, equivalent to the provincial parks in Canada.  so part of it is knowing which campsites to book!

Now, I don't know if it was just luck on our part, or if it is typical of the State parks in the US, but the campground was super quiet during quiet hours (10 p.m. - 7 a.m.).  You could hear people having a good time, but everyone was pretty respectful of those around them. It made for some great sleeps while we were there.

Once we got there we didn't waste any time exploring.  We took the kids on the trails to see the waterfalls.

There were tons of stairs to all these waterfalls.  The kids are used to hiking while we camp so they did great, but be aware that this is NOT stroller friendly, and a serious workout!  Definitely worth it though!

This bridge to the lower falls was one of my favorite spots.  Look how beautiful it is!

We spent a lot of time looking at the gorge as well.

It was breathtaking!  However, with two active boys, holding our hand was a must.  The barriers are not very tall in many areas, and though beautiful, it can be very dangerous.  There HAVE been people who have slipped and fallen into the gorge, and you can imagine most falls end in a fatality.  Just last October a 14 year old boy died here when he slipped.  So if you check out Letchworth, be VERY safe, obey ALL signs, and stay on the trails.  

One of the other things I found very strange, but awesome, was that there were NO mosquitos or black flies!  I don't know if this is common there, or just the time of year, but we didn't use our bug spray once!  

And of course, at the end of our trip I had a new bumper sticker to add to my collection.

Letchworth State Park should be on your bucket list!  You won't regret it.  

Peace & Love! :)