Gifts to Start a Resolution

In addition to the nail polishes I mentioned here, I was recently gifted a few kitchen appliances to help me in my quest to resist the tempting sweets I love in the traditional processed form, or whatever you want to call it. Basically, I need to stop eating or at least limit sugary dairy treats. Chai Lattes and Mint Chocolate Chip Gelato got me through some tough nauseous feeling terrible days, but if I am going to have them even sparingly in the future, I need to find another way to make them and find alternatives to fix my cravings. We also are cooking at home more and more for health, money, and so many other reasons. We are doing so in a way that makes life easier, like having leftovers, so having more storage options was on my list of wishes! And for good measure, a few yoga accessories were on my list, as well. While I hesitate to call these efforts resolutions, instead of permanent ongoing lifestyle changes, well, I kind of like the revolution resolution connection!

The first gift I opened on Christmas morning to help meet these goals was a Pyrex set to add to the small set we already had. Just before we redid our kitchen last year, I started to replace our mish mash of plastic storage containers with glass. Once we actually remodeled and put everything back away, the plastic stuff was recycled. That was great, except we just ran out of a lot of storage options. This larger set expands our storage options and will help with taking things to work for lunch so that we can avoid microwave meals, takeout, and the cafeteria temptations!

I also got the Ninja Kitchen System. We did not have a food processor and the fact that one is included is great for our little bit of counter space! Now we can replace our blender and add a new gadget for the same space our wimpy blender takes up. I say wimpy because apparently this one is 2 horsepower which is kind of ridiculous and I don’t understand the need for it, but I’m all about the counter space conservation and solutions. And I can make smoothies so much easier! The blade goes all the way up so we can use the big container to make a couple servings for That Guy and I, or even That Little Girl since she loves a berry smoothie, or we can just make single servings. According to the box, I can also make cookie dough, but since I’m trying to use this as a health kick starter, maybe not. Looking forward to busting this one out of the box in the New Year! Our blender is a real pain in the neck to get clean and since it is a pain in the neck to keep pushing everything down into the blades when using it, it just is not a tempting thing to go in and just whip up anything using it. So yay for this system making it’s way into our home! Now to find a good variety of banana and dairy free smoothies that are still thick enough! Hoping the ninja keeps them from being so chunky as well! With one smoothie each so far, very impressed. It definitely made everything much smoother. Now to try juicing!

Mint Chocolate Chip frozen treats have gotten me through some nauseous days these last six months, even longer if you count pregnancy! That said, I need to find some ice cream alternatives to the dairy and sugar almost all include. I have not had great success with the soy and coconut alternatives I have tried, so That Guy surprised me with something that was not on my list to help ease my frustration. An ice cream maker! That Little Girl is super excited to get started on this project with me. With an extra freezer bowl, we can make a couple flavors at a time. Now to just find room in our freezer.

One bad habit I stumbled upon years ago was my love of Starbucks Chai Tea Lattes. I had a migraine, had to be somewhere, and That Guy brought me one by accident thinking it was what I had asked for. My migraine was gone. The spice, caffeine, or whatever it was, pure magic. Then it worked like a charm every.single.time. I found it helped with my allergy/sinus headaches just as magically. Then while I was pregnant with That Baby Girl, they became totally unappealing to me. And I should have stopped there. But I didn’t. I recently rediscovered my love and so I tried making them at home with a mix. Just not cutting it. I have found multiple recipes and an organic mix. With all of them, I was heating in a pot on the stove. No matter what I tried to date, it just wasn’t enough. The froth was missing! So I asked for a frother. Then I read some reviews that the almond milk and the handheld gadgets, not the most successful combo. That Guy got us a coffee maker frother combo, but the reviews for getting it clean weren’t so great. Icky sticky in the bottom of the carafe is not good. So I found another option. Our house is divided right now on if this is a good find or not, but we settled on the Breville Milk Cafe. I’ve used it for chai lattes and they have gotten pretty good, but That Guy has not been thrilled with his concoctions. I think we just need to find the right ratios for milk vs. chocolate/mix/coffee. Finding a tried and true chai concentrate recipe is an upcoming project so I can ditch the premade mixes.

As for the yoga requests, the yoga mat I have had for years is bright. Like super bright. And stripey tie-dyed and sort of the opposite of what you might picture being zen. Yay for a solid muted yoga mat. I had asked for something a little more serious and thicker, and also that did not have all the chemicals in it. Mine is so old it was before I knew about those types of things. Thinking about the materials in my mat was not a consideration when I was buying it even if other options were available at the time. Knowing this one is “safe” now will make it easier to lay down and do my gentle practice for sure without any worries. And hopefully I will stop leaving my mat places and remember to take it with me now that I have a carrier bag and don’t have to just carry around my rolled up mat like a yoga hobo.

If you have any recipe recommendations for banana free smoothies, ice cream, or chai, let me know in the comments!