Mango Coconut Chia Pudding

Pudding Ingredients:

1 can Coconut Milk

4 tbsp Chia Seeds

3 tbsp Maple Syrup

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Toppings:

Can be a variation of preferred toppings. My favorites are diced mangoes (I used the can), bananas, berries, and toasted coconuts.

Instructions:

1. Combine all of the pudding ingredients in a mixing bowl.

2. Let it rest for a few minutes to thicken.

3. Stir the mixture once more then pour the pudding in a container and cover with a lid.

4. Chill for a few hours or overnight.

5. Enjoy as a breakfast or snack!

Favorite toys from Amazon

Hi friends! As promised, here's a post on a few of our 4 year old daughter's favorite toys that keep her entertained. Some of them she received from family members for past birthdays and a couple were her 'big sister' gifts from my husband and I when she became a big sister last July. Most of the time, when people come to visit a newborn, they bring gifts just for the baby. My husband and I didn't want her to feel left out. So we got her a few toys to enjoy during the newborn phase when we both were adjusting with the newborn and couldn't give her all of the attention that she was so used to.

Mini Kitchen

Magnetic Tiles

Pretend Makeup Set

Basketball Set

Now both of the children (ages 4 and 1) enjoy these toys as the play along together! Thanks for visiting this blog. It has been MIA for a while. Stay tuned for more posts!

eats & pearls

Postpartum Gift Basket

Hey everyone! It's been a long time since the previous post. We are now in 2018 and the past few months have been crazy busy as we welcomed our baby boy. Our daughter is a great big sister and loves him so very much. This year, we intend to keep this blog alive by posting more and sharing our journey as parents. Most of the time we post on Instagram, but for posts like this and recipes that we try, we'll use this blog.

Today's post is on a gift basket my sister in law and I put together for a relative who just had a baby girl. We wanted to fill it with the basic essentials for a newborn as well as something for the older sibling (boy) so he doesn't feel left out. During my pregnancy I bought a few 'big sister' gifts to give to my daughter before I left for the hospital and when we came home with the baby. It made her feel very special and kept her distracted when the newborn needed attention. I purchased my daughter's gifts from Amazon. If you want to know what kind of toys I got for her, then comment below and I'll share that on a future post.

Here are the 'big brother' gifts we put into the basket:

He loves brushing his teeth so we got him a cute toothbrush and he enjoys eating from apple sauce packets so we also put them in the basket along with a fun and cute little book.

For the Momma: a variety pack of organic teas with local honey and a hand cream from Whole Foods.

For the newborn (girl): a pack of hooded towels, 2-in-1 burp cloth + bib, baby lotion, Aquaphor, car toy + book, a couple outfits, tights, and a pair of shoes

I bought this mug from the dollar store a few months ago, but couldn't decide what to do with it. So, I used my Cricut Explore Air 2 to cut out the words "mommy fuel" on vinyl and stick on the mug.

This was a fun basket to make especially since I recently had a baby so I thought of the essentials that I use on a day to day basis. Most of the things are from Buy Buy Baby and some are from Walmart and Whole Foods. The basket kit which included a basket, cellophane bag and a tag is from World Market. Hope you enjoyed this post and got a few ideas for your next DIY basket ;)

eats & pearls

Review: Green Llama Soaps

Happy Monday! I'm back with another post on a review of a new brand of skin care that I tried this past winter. Winter can be very harsh on the skin especially if you have sensitive skin or eczema. I personally had extremely itchy skin due to dryness and pregnancy. A sweet friend of mine formulated several products specifically for sensitive skin. The best part? Her products are free of harsh chemicals and 100% natural. The main things I look for when buying something for my skin and for my daughter who gets eczema in the winter. 

• In the top left of the picture is a soap bar called "Soothe." This bar is literally the most soothing soap bar I have used. One of the ingredients in it is oatmeal. It is suitable for all skin types and oats remove dead skin cells as well as treat acne and eczema! Also made with my two most favorite oils: olive and coconut. 

• Below the soap bar are the pumpkin soap favors which are perfect for fall themed parties and showers. They had hints of cinnamon and spice scents in them which made them even more refreshing to use in the fall season. I love how the scents and colors are completely natural! You can find a variety of shapes and scents on the website which I will list below!

• The jar on the right side is a whipped body butter called "Frankincense Rescue." It really helped with the dryness on my hands and feet. I loved everything about this body butter except the smell. I was really sensitive to smell around winter time due to first trimester of pregnancy and Frankincense essential oil is typically very strong so I would recommend applying it in the day or before you go out so that the smell doesn't get on your sheets or linger around when you're in bed. Super moisturizing though and perfect for irritated, cracked, or dry skin! 

Not only are these products great for the winter, but they are perfect to use all year long! If you're like me and you prefer to use natural products, then go check out Green Llama Soaps:

Website: http://www.greenllamasoaps.com/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/GreenLlamaSoaps/

Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/greenllamasoaps/?hl=en

DIY Greeting Cards

Hey everyone! It's been a while! Ever since I started an account on Instagram, I haven't been very active with my blog. Find me on Instagram and stay updated through eatsandpearls. << Click the link and don't forget to follow and be a part of our Insta family! eats & pearls started off as a blog and it is branching out to be a part of the bigger social world to spread it's love and share everything we love through these platforms. We love to share our interests with you and really appreciate all of the feedback and positivity from you all! Thank you!

As the holy month of Ramadhan is right around the corner, I decided to do something fun/crafty with my students. Last year I made these greeting cards with a few simple supplies that can be found around your own home! It's so easy and gives the cards a touch of personalization when you make them yourself. Here are the supplies that I used, but if you don't have them, no worries! Be creative and find something that will add a pop to your cards with anything around your home!

Supplies:
Washi tape
VersaMarker
Gold Emboss Powder
Emboss heating tool
Cutouts of flower pictures (I used the Paper Source catalog)

http://www.papersource.com/

his was such a cute little project for my students! Hope you try it out too! :)

eats & pearls

Restaurant review: Famous Hamburger

Sriracha burger with waffle fries

The Juicy Lucy

Oreo Malt Milkshake

Hey everyone! Thanksgiving weekend turned out even better than I expected thanks to an amazing dinner at the best burger joint I've been to so far. If there is anything I would go all the way to Dearborn for again, it's the Juicy Lucy burger. Hands down it was THE best burger I've had in my life. Full of flavor, cheese oozing from the middle of the patty, and SUPER juicy! The Sriracha burger was good, but very dry compared to the Juicy Lucy. And the Oreo milkshake just made the perfect combination to a perfect burger and fries meal. The service was amazing considering we stepped into the restaurant 45 minutes before closing on Thanksgiving Eve. The place was super family friendly and I would definitely recommend checking it out if you're ever in the area. The chain currently has three locations and we went to the West Dearborn location.

For more information, check out their website:

http://www.famoushamburger.com/

Hope you enjoyed this review and stay tuned for more reviews and future blog posts coming very soon!

eats & pearls team

Baked Eggplant

Hey everyone! I tried a healthier version of eggplant parmesan yesterday and it was such a success. Super easy and satisfyingly delicious! Hope you try it out too and let us know what you think.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 large Eggplant, evenly sliced
• (a pinch of) Salt & Pepper
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley, chopped

For the sauce:

• 3 tbsp Olive Oil
• Half of a medium onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, finely minced
• 4 roma tomatoes, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• salt & pepper for taste
• a dash of paprika

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare a baking tray with parchment paper and arrange eggplant slices into the dish.

2. Using a sharp knife, slightly make horizontal and vertical cuts on the eggplant making sure not to cut all the way through. This will help in the cooking process.

3. Coat the top of the eggplant with olive oil using a pastry brush and sprinkle salt and pepper according to your taste preference and bake for about an hour or until the top is slightly brown and take it out halfway to move the slices to prevent them from sticking to the parchment paper then let them bake more.

4. While your eggplant is baking, prepare your sauce by sautéing the onion in olive oil in a saucepan until translucent. Then add garlic and sauté for a couple minutes and add tomatoes and cover the saucepan and cook on medium-low heat for 20 min.

5. Add tomato paste, salt, pepper, and paprika. Let it simmer for 10 minutes then remove from the heat.

6. Once the sauce and eggplant are cooked, layer everything in a loaf pan (I used an 8.5"pan) starting with a couple tablespoons of the sauce, then a slice of eggplant and repeat until all of the slices of eggplant are in the pan. Top off with parmesan cheese and chopped parsley. Cover with an aluminum foil and bake in 350 degrees oven for another 15 minutes.
7. Serve with pasta or bread and enjoy!

eats & pearls