Cheery House Plants and Chicken Quinoa Soup

The sun, with it's bright light and warmth, seems to have made only a few appearances in the last while.

The days are either grey, bringing with them damp, dreary rains, or they're bitterly cold.

It's this time of year that can seem so long and drawn out. A lot of what makes winter so cozy has passed - the tree all aglow, the holiday festivities, and the pretty white snow... And now we're left with dull days, a yard of muddy old snow, and no sign of relief. 

Unfortunately, there are still enough weeks until any signs of spring begin to pop up outside, so we must do what we can to make the most of these last weeks of winter.

Like this beautiful white Begonia I brought home from the store, we take full advantage of any sunlight we're blessed with. While reading in the pleasant warmth the other day, I couldn't help but notice it's delicate petals were turned completely to the source of the warm light. They were basking in it!

Adding potted plants that remind me of my gardens helps cheer up a home as well, like this Hellebore I found at our grocery store in town.

Hellebores are such brave, spirited flowers in my opinion. Did you know that they can brave the heavy frosts of late winter and early spring, and they aren't bothered by the snow? 

(photo from www.macgardens.org)

How beautiful is this? This particular variety is called Ivory Prince - even it's name is valiant.

Candles and cozy throws also add warmth.

And what brings more warmth than a cup of homemade soup? With everyone fighting colds in our house, a bowl of Chicken Quinoa soup was the perfect remedy. We haven't been eating pasta, and a handful of quinoa was a great substitute.

The boys got to enjoy theirs with ones of Nona's homemade Cheddar and Chive scones.

How are you making the most of these wintry days? 

I've actually been working on the living and dining rooms - rearranging and doing a few projects to keep me busy.

I hope to be able to post more on that soon.

Freshened Up Kitchen Shelves and A Healthy Chocolate Tart

One of the parts of un-decorating for Christmas that I anticipate most is putting back my kitchen shelves. Of course they never go back to the way they were before the red transferware is displayed. Something is always being added or taken away. But that's what makes things interesting in the kitchen.

Recently, I switched out the glass canisters and put back an older nesting set I had stored away. I'm enjoying the but of colour. I also hung this pastoral watercolour painting I had picked up over a year ago. It helped fill out the space.

My little Gold Crest tree fits perfectly in this old urn, and it doesn't feel too much like Christmas.

And since I've been spending a lot more time in the kitchen, I made a dessert to bring on New Year's Day. It seems that with the stroke of midnight, Pinterest has become an endless list of healthy recipes, all to aid in recently made resolutions.

My sister in law and I are trying to be more conscious of what we are eating, and since that meant I shouldn't be indulging in any more deserts, I decided to be proactive and make something healthier to bring. I came across this recipe for what was supposed to be a chocolate cheese cake, and while I can't really get my head around the whole cheesecake aspect, it was a surprisingly yummy chocolate mousse sort of tart.

So what's so healthy about this decadent looking tart, you ask?

It's made from avocados!

The bottom is a mixture of pecans, hazelnuts, raw cacao powder, coconut oil and maple syrup. The filling, a couple of ripe avocados, more raw cacao powder and maple syrup to sweeten it. It's not exactly as the recipe called for, but it's quite close. It turned out well anyway.

If you can get past the thought of avocados, and a definite healthier taste, it's quite good. It's definitely a decent chocolate taste, but refreshing and light, not decadent.

You can find the original recipe here.

Sugar-Free, Grain-Free Banana Muffins

I wanted to share with you a recipe I came across for some healthy, but still yummy muffins. They're sugar-free (except for the handful of dark chocolate chips I added) and grain-free Banana Granola Chocolate Chip Muffins. Working in a bakery, as wonderful as that is, it's not so great for one's waistline. These are nutritious and the whole family enjoyed them.

I came across the recipe here.

I used almond butter for my nut butter, maple syrup as my sweeter, and homemade granola and a few dark chocolate chips as garnish. 

The granola is something I make without a recipe. It's oats, unsweetened coconut, sliced almonds, pecans, walnuts, chia seeds and golden flax seeds all thrown on a sheet pan and toasted for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. While that is toasting, I bring 1/3 cup of maple syrup, a few tablespoons of water, a bit of vanilla and a pinch of cinnamon to boil for a few minutes. Then I pour it over the toasted granola and stir. It goes back in the over for another 10 minutes to crisp up. I let it cool completely before putting it away in my jar. It makes about 6 cups. 

It's easy to switch it up too! In the Fall I add cranberries and pumpkin seeds with Pumpkin Pie Spice to make it more Fall-like.

We prefer to sprinkle it on our Greek yogurt.

Give them a try! They're delicious.