Whipped Coconut Cream {Paleo, Vegan, Low Carb, Sugar Free!}

Coconut Cream has become my current obsession, especially with my growing sensitivity to dairy (no, why????!!!) I plan on figuring out which forms of dairy I can handle (yogurt and butter seem fine), but in the meantime, I'm avoiding most forms of dairy. 

Coconut cream is pure magic. It's heavenly. Coconut cream is the heavy whipping cream of the non-dairy world. It is perfect for stirring into tea and coffee in place of creamer, great in baked goods, adds rich creaminess to smoothies, and is the lactose-intolerant's best friend for replacing whipped cream.

Where the heck do you find coconut cream?! I get mine at Trader Joe's, where this part-time-working mama works (no, they don't pay me for the millions of times I showcase TJs products on my blog, I do it out of convenience as well as heartfelt enjoyment of their products. Now, if they did pay me for all the extra love I send their way in addition to my hourly wages...wouldn't that be a sweet deal?), but you can also find coconut cream at health food stores and even amazon. 

If you absolutely cannot find coconut cream, (or want a pure, organic version; TJs is NOT organic and contains a couple 'fillers') there's help! You can make it from regular old FULL-FAT coconut milk! Simply buy a can or two and store them in the fridge for a day (or more). When ready to use, remove from fridge, and WITHOUT SHAKING/MIXING them, open the cans and scoop out the thick cream that has risen to the top. The watery part of the coconut milk will be at the bottom. Store the cream portion separately, and use to make coconut whipped cream! You can save the water portion for smoothies.

Whipped Coconut Cream

Being a single mama, I like to make things in smaller portions, so I only make my whipped coconut cream about 1 cup at a time. You can double or even triple this recipe for larger supply. Use it to top fresh baked holiday pies! You can also stir it into tea and coffee.

1 Cup chilled Coconut Cream

1/8 tsp Vanilla

2-4 drops stevia (or 1/2 tsp maple syrup, or sweetener of choice)

Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and creamy. You can start using it immediately, but I find that the texture improves if you put it back in the fridge for 20 minutes or more, and then whisk again. You will have thick, whipped coconut cream that totally hold its shape on a slice of pie!

I dare you not to get hooked on this tasty stuff!

DIY Cork Board Makeover {with Scrapbook Paper}

Here is a super simple and fun little project November and I did together (along with another cork board project I'll be posting about soon!)

All you need is an ugly, old cork board (or a new one, like this one, as my previous cork board had been requisitioned for the other above-mentioned project), some scrapbook paper, glue, and whatever you choose to pin to your newly improved board!

I picked out three different patterns of scrapbook paper that I thought looked nice together, arranged them to cover the entire surface of the cork, and glued them to the board. I set out my arrangement first, deciding which papers I wanted in the background, and which one I wanted primarily in the foreground, so I could work from the bottom layer up when gluing, and giving it a nice over-lapping look. When I glued the sheets down, I did so lightly, just lining around the edges. That way, when I want to change the papers and color scheme, I can tear the old ones off with minimal effort and update them anew!

I wanted this cork board to be practical, yet 'neat' so I chose only a few important items to pin. I mainly wanted it as a bright and organized way to display my calendar. I accented this with a few cute little cards (and some important receipts for practicality lol.)

What in your home could use a makeover?

Our first homeschool project...Letter D sugar cookies {with naturally colored icing!}

If you've read my last two posts about starting to do preschool activities at home (read part one, and part two), you know that we are starting small with simple ways to incorporate learning with play.

It was day one of my friend, Robin, and my homeschool preschool experiment with our two daughters. We started off with preschool-age story time at our local library, where the theme was Dragons and Castles and the Letter D. The girls had a great time listening to a couple stories and singing along with the songs. Afterward, we went back to my house and decided to carry on with the Letter D theme and make Letter D and Dinosaur sugar cookies!

I made use of this awesome cookie cutter set, made a simple batch of sugar cookies, and frosted them with naturally colored icing!

Naturally Colored Icing
This is more of an idea than a recipe, since I didn't measure anything (that tends to be my default cooking and baking mode!), but this was so foolproof, and it can be changed to meet your icing needs, whether it be for sugar cookies, cupcakes, or birthday cakes. The best part is, the coloring used is real fruit and I actually flavors the icing! If you want a deep, rich concentration of color, you can use less powdered sugar and more of the fruit powder (or try using only fruit powder to eliminate refined sugar.) If you want a pastel color, only a little fruit powder is needed.

You'll need:
-Heavy Whipping Cream (or Coconut Cream for dairy free)
-Powdered Sugar
-Freeze dried raspberries or strawberries (for red or pink)
-Freeze dried blueberries (for blue or purple)

First, grind about 1/4 cup of each of the freeze dried fruits in a spice or coffee grinder (I used my baby bullet) until it becomes a fine powder. Next combine about 1/4 cup heavy cream with a couple tbsp powdered sugar until it reaches the icing consistency your are looking for. Finally, add some of the freeze dried berry powder, 1/4 tsp at a time, until the frosting reaches the desired color. Repeat for other color. When you're ready to ice your cookies, pour each color of frosting into plastic ziplock bags, make a small snip in the corner, and use them as piping bags!

This icing turned out delicious! Trader Joe's and even Target have many different varieties of freeze dried fruits, so I look forward to trying this again with other fruits and colors.

The girls had a great time frosting their own cookies (we moms helped too, of course), and had even more fun eating them. While we worked on our cookies, we talked about other things that start with Letter D. Mila answered most of the questions, since she's the older of the two girls, but November listened, and remembered some of what she heard. It gave me a glimpse at the benefits of schooling children of multiple age ranges together.

Afterward, we got some energy out at open play at Seattle Gymnastics, and afterward November and I went home for a nice long nap. It sure was a great start to our homeschool experiment! And this simple and tasty project will be so much fun to replicate again in the future and for holidays!

Considering Preschool...Homeschool? {PART TWO}

In my last post, I explained why I'm considering preschool at home. In this post, I'll explain how we are doing just that!

Taking up where we left off...

I knew I wanted to try the whole homeschool idea out. But where to start? I wasn't sure if I really had what it takes to be a homeschooling mom to a preschooler. I know traditional preschool can range anywhere from one day a week to full five-day weeks, but would the days I spend at home outside of work be enough to fulfill her educational needs? I felt like I could use an entire library of resources...

So I started my search online. I looked for blogs, articles, stories, cautionary tales; anything that could get me started in the right direction. I learned that there's a difference between homeschooling and unschooling, but both provide a similar at-home educational nourishment. I learned that some families follow a structured plan while others are more free-flowing. I learned that there are many great free resources for educational packets and printables online. But most importantly, I learned one thing was universal: there is NO one-method-fits-all when it comes to homeschooling your child.

Children learn in many different ways, and some thrive where others do not. Some children learn better with a structured schedule; others need more freedom and less pressure. Many homeschooling mothers cautioned against being too rigid, and just go with the flow when things seem a little chaotic.

The more I read about preschooling at home, the less overwhelmed I became. I realized there were such simple yet fun ways to incorporate learning at home. Many moms suggested to think of preschooling at home more of an all-day learning adventure, turning everyday activities into learning opportunities. This made me feel like my non-work days were ample enough for teaching at home.

It turns out there are so many resources out there! So many helpful tips and cool projects! A simple google search churns out numerous blogs and websites, and Pinterest has awesome links too. I was confident to make a start. But I really didn't want to start alone...

On a whim, I asked my friend Robin if she was sending her 4.5 year old daughter, Mila, to preschool this year. Turns out she wasn't 100% convinced to do so, for her own reasons. I asked if she would be interested in getting our girls together once a week on Thursdays for a home 'preschool' day. She was in!

So far, it's been a lot of fun! We've only been at this about a month, so we don't have a very solid structure (which may be good!). But our main plan is to start with free library story time for the preschool age group, followed by a learning activity and related craft back at one of our houses, and ending with physical activity like open-play at the gymnastics academy. The timeframe is approximately 10:30am-3pm.

Our girls seem to have a lot of fun! When we have the time to follow all of our basic plan, they get a thorough combination of listening, reading, learning, playing, exercise, skill building, and social activity! Whenever we learn something new and November later repeats back to me what she had learned, my confidence grows and grows. I totally can do this!

I still feel like I have a lot more to learn and a lot more research to do over the next few months to decide how to proceed as her learning needs become greater, and how to actively meet those needs, and decide if I want to continue homeschooling into kindergarten and grade school.

I definitely want November to grow into the little person she wants to be, and I want to tailor her education to her personality and needs. I intend to give her the option to go to public school, if and when she personally desires to. And, if the time comes when homeschooling no longer fits in with our life for whatever reason, I want to reserve the right to be free of any shame for changing my mind!

In the meantime, I'm trying to plan ahead for our preschool days and come up with some great activities, I've got a book from the library about unschooling which I'm excited to begin reading, and I've got a list of numerous other books to check out too. I'll keep you updated and look forward to sharing some of our projects!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie {Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}...and starting a low carb lifestyle.

 

I know, I know, the last thing you need is ANOTHER pumpkin recipe...but I disagree! I was craving the traditional flavors of fall pumpkin in the form of a nutritious smoothie. I wanted it to be pumpkin-y, creamy, and healthy enough to eat for lunch with my daughter.

I also wanted it to be paleo, sugar free and dairy free. Ever since my naturopath informed me that my cholesterol is high, I've been much more conscious about what I'm eating. Most people (including myself) considered me a healthy eater, so it was quite the shock to hear about my rise in cholesterol! The traditional remedy that I found was a low fat diet full of diet foods and less red meat. But over the past few years, I feel like this diet has become less and less supported by science as a healthy diet.

I'm much more interested in a diet full of whole, nutritious foods. And, looking at my diet over the past couple years, I don't think red meat is the problem; I don't eat it very often. I feel like sugar, grains and carbs are more of my problem area.

My mom started eating low carb/high fat last year, based on the recommendation from her doctor to lower her cholesterol and risk of diabetes. She was shocked to get such a counterintuitive recommendation from her doctor (eat bacon to lower cholesterol...what?), but she followed his advice and both her and my step dad have had good results.

I've enjoyed eating the food she's made this past year, and the science behind it made sense. I did a little research (there are tons of websites dedicated to low carb/high fat, paleo, and keto diets. My mom recommended this one) and decided to start implementing some conscious changes.

While I'm not getting obsessive over it (especially when I eat out, or want to try a sample of something delicious at work), I'm limiting sugar, grains, and beans. I'm being conscious not to over-do it with sugar-y fruits. I'm eating more veggies in place of carbs. I'm snacking less and eating better desserts, if any.

I'm also picking my battles with dairy; the older I get, the harder some types get for me to digest. I'm tired of being stuck in the bathroom after drinking a latte! Moderate amounts of cheese, butter and yogurt are fine, but when I can, I'm opting for coconut milk and coconut cream in things that work well with them.

So that brings me back to the recipe! The paleo, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free pumpkin smoothie you can drink as a light lunch! Yes, everything is from Trader Joe's; I work there, so pretty much my entire kitchen is a Trader Joe's showroom!

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie {Paleo, Sugar Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free}
I use coconut cream for its rich, creamy texture and healthy fats, as well as non-dairy beverage-style coconut milk in this recipe. I always have both at home because I love creating things with the stand-alone versatile coconut cream, as well as using coconut milk for drinking. But if you don't want or have both, 1 cup of full fat canned coconut milk will work just as well! I also feature chia seeds for some healthy omegas and protein, and a banana for natural sweetness.

Serves two
-1 cup (or 1 can) pumpkin puree
-1/2 cup coconut cream
-1/2 cup coconut or almond milk (or dairy, if you drink it)
-1/2 cup (about 3 large) ice cubes
-1 banana, sliced
-1 tbsp chia seeds (ground chia works best in a smoothie, but whole is fine too)
-1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-6 drops liquid stevia, or your favorite sweetener, to taste (maple syrup tastes great with this!)

Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into cups, and top with chopped pecans!

Do you live a low carb/high fat or paleo lifestyle?

Contemplatng Preschool...Homeschool? Part One

 

The year: 2014
Age: 2.5
Question: Preschool

I had no idea that this would be the big question of the year. When she turned 2, I felt like I still had AGES to figure out preschool. But then the big question started popping up everywhere.

When her dad first asked, I brushed it off, saying we had plenty of time, but that I would spend the year researching. But then others started asking, friends, family, strangers in the checkout line at work. I started looking into the subject and began to realize that preschool age was fast approaching, and for some preschools, the age was NOW!

I quickly became overwhelmed with options: community center preschool, fancy preschool, all the different styles, how many days, price, location. I found a few that I liked with ideals compatible with my own. However, I still just didn't feel convinced.

Pricewise, everything seemed to be in the $300-$350/month range for two days per week, about four hours each day (with higher tuition for more days you choose). Considering I'm on a single mom's, part-time working mom's budget, this is quite an expense, even after splitting costs with her father!

Personality-wise, I felt like we needed more time to get over November's separation anxiety (which improves significantly every day!) and get her better integrated into groups with other kids before just dropping her off at her first day of school. I found a wonderful sounding school called the Community School of West Seattle, that only accepts students ages 3-5 who turn 3 before September (which would give us one more year!) Plus, they offer a weekly class for babies and toddlers called Messy Play where she could start group play at the school this year, and get used to other kids and the facility while I supervise and offer encouragement and comfort. However, this still costs money.

Time-wise, I would need to apply for most of these schools by early next year, if not sooner. Which means I really need to be convinced asap! And when it comes to my personal time, it makes me sad to think of losing even four hours of my time with her each week while she's at preschool. Being a single mom with an active father in her life means that I already spend a couple days a week without her PLUS the four days while I'm at work. I don't need any more breaks from her than I already have!

Controversial-subject-wise, I'm not sure I want to vaccinate any further. I know this is a really personal and touchy subject, and I make no judgments whatsoever on anyone else's decision to do/not do so. November has been on an alternative vaccination schedule that we designed with our naturopathic pediatrician, and is current through age 2. But lately I'm leaning toward discontinuing vaccinations and possibly not vaccinating future children (I won't explain why here, there is plenty of research and opinion all over the web about the subject. It's just my personal conviction at the moment.) Most preschools (and later grade schools) require vaccinations.

Can you see where I'm going with this? One option that eases my anxiety over the four considerations above is...Homeschool.

Homeschooling is another controversial subject that many people feel either very strongly opposed to or supportive of for varying reasons. The majority of people I talk to about the subject give me a look of horror at the very mention of the idea, saying how weird homeschooled kids are. But there are also a great deal of families who do homeschool, and have many good things to say about it.

Needless to say, while the homeschool idea eased my anxiety about a few considerations, it also brought up new anxieties and questions: Am I good enough to homeschool? Smart enough? Do I have what it takes? Will her father support it? Will my friends/family/partner support it? What if my future husband's kid goes to public school and mine is homeschooled, will that be weird? Will people think I'm a bad parent? Will this nourish her? Harm her? Will she love it or hate it? Will I love it or hate it? 

Personally, I have experience as a homeschooled (for a few years total, spread out throughout my educational life) kid that was both good and bad. Can I find a way to take the good without the bad? Can I balance homeschooling with social nourishment?

I'll say right now that I DON'T have all those answers figured out, but the more I thought about it, the more I figured it wouldn't hurt to start small and try it out. We can always change our minds one week, one month, three months, one year, six years, any time from now! So why not?

In part two, I'll explain the simple ways we are starting preschool at home.

Did you have a hard time deciding on preschool?

Getting Creative in Small Spaces

By now, especially after yesterday's post, you should be no stranger to the fact that I live in a tiny apartment. But don't get me wrong; I love it!

If you've followed my journey, you know that once I became a single mom, I moved in with my mom for about nine months. Once I was ready to move out on my own with my daughter, I got my tiny little place; a 550 sq ft one bedroom that is basically a studio with a large, built in closet separating the living area from the bedroom/bathroom.

It's great starter apartment, but I've had to get really creative with our space in order to keep things looking organized. I like to have our spaces divided as neatly as possible, even with everything so close together.

The main part of the house has four different spaces: dining, living, play, and art.

Here's where dining, living and art intersect:

 

 

See my makeshift bookshelf above the built-in closet? Here you can also see that there is no door to the bedroom; I hung a curtain rod and use a light blocking curtain as a door.

 

And here's our art and learning corner:

 

And here is the living area next to the play area. I did my best to break things up by dividing the colors: pink for November's play area; green and blue for the living area across from the couch.

 

And, if you count this windowsill herb garden I made over the summer (how we built the shelf deserves a post all of its own!), we have a fifth area: our indoor mini garden!

 

It may look like a cluster, but it sure feels like home! Of course, I dream of moving on up in the world of living arrangements and someday live in a real house with a yard, multiple rooms to divide the separate spaces, and my very own full size garden. In the meantime, I am so grateful for my little apartment, and love what I've accomplished since I've been here!

Get the "full tour" feel and check out this post to see what our tiny bedroom looks like, and this post to get a quick look into our tiny bathroom.