My New Favorite Breakfast

In the past month or so I've been adding more vegan meals to my daily eating habits. I'm not 100% there and I don't plan on going all the way but it feels good to get so many plants into my kitchen! 

My favorite thing to eat these days is a banana and chia seed coconut pudding. I top it with nuts and berries, honey (technically not vegan) and mint. The mint is what makes it feel like a brunch worthy dish. And it's so pretty! 

To make my pudding I use one can of whole day coconut milk, one banana, and about 1/3 cup of chia seeds. Oh! And a dash of cinnamon! I let it sit overnight in the fridge and it makes about three servings. It's a good plant based far source, especially as a nursing mom!

Speaking of nursing, if you have concerns with your milk supply, go easy on (or skip) the mint. Plants in that family are sometimes used for oversupplies or weaning. 

There are so many goodies you can top this off with or add in - I've used leftover quinoa, any fresh or dried fruit and lots of different kinds of nuts!  

Notes from the Field | 001

Greetings from the other side! We've had an admittedly rough start to our year. I fell down the steps on New Years Eve which resulted in an ER visit (not broken, just very sore). Three out of the four of us (myself included) have also come down with another round of colds which make mommin' so damn hard. The commercials make jokes of it, but there are no sick days when you're a parent. I could go on and on (see also: frozen pipes, buckets of water, stained ceilings) but I'll spare you because... 

I actually woke up feeling really good this morning emotionally!! I'm finally getting a fresh start that most people feel on January 1. So what if it's a little late? I still have a stuffed nose but I know I feel better because I really want to clean. (Oddly enough I don't think I ever have the nesting instinct before giving birth to either of my kids - maybe because mama is always feathering her nest!) 

Speaking of nests and feathers, I've been reading up a bunch of chicken keeping. In sum, it almost feels like taking on more children for all of the babying they need. Do any of you guys have backyard chickens? Do you free range? Have predator issues? THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS TO CONSIDER!! The book I just finished and enjoyed is Backyard Chickens, Beyond the Basics by Pam Freeman. I know one book doesn't cover everything so again - suggestions welcome! 

Another random thing on my mind - have you heard of the pegan diet? It's part paleo and part vegan and I know nothing about it aside from what I'm guessing is a grain free vegan menu.  Which seems really hard? I've done both before for extended periods of time. I'm the kind of person that really loves carbs and sugar so a framework to keep me out of the bakery is useful. I also don't like eating tons of meat and the more I think of keeping chickens the less I want to eat them (please no soapboxing on this guys). Anyway, I did get a heavier duty spiralizer for  Christmas and I really love it and the texture of both zucchini and sweet potatoes are such an awesome pasta substitute. The hardest part of either a paleo or vegan menu is eating enough  for me. 

So that's all from me for now! Hope your first week of the year is going better than mine! No pity parties though, I'm feeling a turn around in effect!