Flavor of the Month {Donuts}

I have a terrible sweet tooth & love me a good donut. A freshly made hot cinnamon one is my fav, but I also can’t go past an iced one with sprinkles, cause… SPRINKLES! I’ve never liked jam filled ones though, which is weird because I like donuts & I like jam, just not together… 

However my love of donuts has also spilled over into the decorating, accessorizing world too.So here are just a handful of some of the sweetest ones I’ve come across lately. 

  
1.Donut cushion by Struckla & Peach 

2.Donut bib from Ollie & Coco

3.Donut phone cover case by Zonkt Designs 

4.Donut play set by Little Fox Crochet

5.Donut garland by Little Puddles 

Donut you just love them all! So adorable!

Again this is not a sponsored post, nor are there any affiliate links- just products that have caught my eye or that I’m lusting after.

                             LOZZIE X

What’s your favorite type of donut to eat? Which is your pick from the ones above? Have another donut product I should know about?

Tell me, tell me…. Here, over on Insta or Facebook I’d love to hear from you 

Chia Pudding- 2 Ways

I’ve only just recently jumped on the chia seed bandwagon (yes I’ve been living under a rock!) & I have to say my 1st attempt at making chia pudding was a huge success. It was so quick & easy to prepare, it gave me breakfast for 3 days & even Pumpkin, my little 1 yr old loved it. Peanut, Mr 4 on the other hand needs more convincing, but I think option two might just win him over. 

Almond, Maple & Berry Chia Pudding – serves 4 

 

Ingredients

3 cups Almond milk- sweetened or unsweetened 

1/2 cup chia seeds

Pure maple syrup- to taste (I used 3 decent splashes) 

Frozen berries & coconut to garnish – optional

Method 

Whisk all 3 ingredients together & leave it to sit for 10 mins & then whisk again. 

Cover & refrigerate for at least 4 hrs but overnight is best if you can. 

Give it a good stir before serving into bowls & top with a handful of blueberries & cherries (I used frozen berries, defrosted) & a sprinkle of coconut. Delish!

Cherry Ripe Chia Pudding– serves 4

 

Ingredients

3 cups coconut milk unsweetened

1/4 cup Raw Cacao or cocoa powder works too

1 cup Frozen pitted cherries

1/2 cup chia seeds

Pure maple syrup- sweeten to taste 

Coconut yoghurt, cherries & shredded coconut to serve- optional 

Method 

Blend coconut milk, cherries & cacao or cocoa in a blender until well combined. 

Pour milk mixture into a bowl & add chia seeds. Whisk, adding maple syrup to taste if required.

Leave to sit for about 10 mins & whisk again to help break up any lumps/clumps & refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, but overnight works best. 

Stir well before serving & spoon into bowls. Can eat as is or top with fresh berries, yoghurt & shredded coconut.

These recipes make a yummy, protein packed breakfast or a delicious healthy dessert.

Enjoy.

                     LOZZIE X

What’s your favourite way to eat chia seeds? Do you have a chia pudding flavor combo I should know about? 

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Super Simple Chicken & Sweetcorn Soup

What happened to the warm sunny days of spring? Mother Nature must be taking a nap or washing her hair because these past few days she’s let things slip & it feels like we’ve been taken right back into winter with this cool & rainy weather.

I don’t know about you but I love to eat warm comfort foods in the colder weather & I LOVE soups! There are so many different varieties so it’s hard to get bored & they can be decadent, rich & creamy, chock full of veggies or as light & healthy as you like. So while it’s still cool enough I’m taking advantage & knocking out this quick & delicious soup, because come Summer, I’m all about the salads. 

Hubby’s not a huge fan of soup (give the man meat) & he’ll often ask “so what’s for dinner?” after polishing off a bowl or two, because to him soup is an entree or starter but not a main meal. 

However, I find I can get away with the occasional soup for dinner IF it has some meat in it & IF I serve it with some lovely crusty bread or salad on the side. 

If you’re anything like me, (time poor, not the best cook, hate slaving over a meal & doing lots of dishes) then you’ll love this one pot, super quick and easy chicken & sweet corn soup. It’s really tasty & filling too & you can make it two different ways. 

Now just for the record I feel it’s important to point out here I’m no masterchef (far from it) nor am I a food stylist & I don’t have a big beautiful dream kitchen perfect for photographing (although I do wish) so my cooking/foodie posts may be a bit basic (or “rustic” if you will) and just a little bit “messy”, but they’re real & that’s how I cook. I like quick, easy & tasty meals that require minimum ingredients & processes (with two hungry kids underfoot and the constant cries of “where’s dinner” & “I’m hungry”  every few minutes  they need to be) so my recipe posts & photos that accompany them will reflect that more often than not.  

Chicken & Sweet Corn Soup.   Serves 4. 

Ingredients

1 ltr of chicken stock (salt reduced or even veggie stock is fine)

400-500gms chicken breast or thigh (I use breast meat) 

2 tins Creamed Corn

1/2 bunch of spring onions/shallots 

Optional extras- soy sauce, 1 egg whisked, chilli & coriander 

Method

Wash & slice shallots diagonally using whites & a little bit of the green, keeping a handful of the green to the side for garnish 

Bring the stock, shallots & creamed corn to a boil in a large pot, stirring occasionally 

When boiling, turn down heat a little & add raw chicken thinly sliced or cut into cubes (it will cook in the hot stock) continue to stir frequently & cook until chicken is cooked through (approximately 10mins, depending on size of chunks) you could put in the whole breast or thigh (to poach) remove & shred with a fork once cooked through, this will make it more authentic & like what you’d find down at your local Chinese but it will take longer & I ain’t got time for that. Besides the chunkier pieces make it more “meaty” & it gives hubby something to chew so he’s less likely to complain about “soup.”  

Alternatively you could use BBQ chicken shredded up & thrown in for an even quicker dinner & if you’re a Martha Stewart type you could totally make your own stock from scratch too. 

Season with a little cracked black pepper & serve in bowls with reserved spring onions to garnish on top. I find it especially tasty served with some garlic or herb bread to dip in & soak up the yummy broth. 

That’s how our family has it (due to hubby’s allergies, his low threshold for anything spicy & a dislike of corriander) but if you want to kick it up a notch & make it a bit more gourmet you can follow the steps above & then just add a whisked egg in the final minute of cooking, being sure to stir constantly to avoid it scrambling. You could also add a splash or two of soy sauce & then garnish with some chilli & corriander leaves. Yum!! Enjoy.

 
  
   

Do you have a favorite flavor soup? Do you think soup can be a main meal or is it not filling enough for you?  If you give this recipe a try let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

                             Lozzie x

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