A Wonderful Day and Dairy Free Pudding!

I don’t expect to write every day but today was the best day I have had in long time and I’m feeling super motivated! I want to record it so I can remember this feeling in the future when I might not feel so great. After only three hours of sleep, I woke up to sweet Becca giving me kisses. Luckily, they are magic kisses because suddenly I had energy and decided we should go for a family walk/run. It was day 2 of my Couch to 5K program. I successfully finished, running the whole way with my beloved double BOB stroller AND we ran further and faster than day 1, so hurrah! Progress. I am however, sore, stiff and walking like I’m 20 years older than I actually am. We then spent the afternoon at my parent’s house. They recently moved 8 minutes down the road. Crazy. Yes. Good for me? YES. After three years in Okinawa, it’s been a treat to be able to see my mom as frequently as I have. Watching the girls get to bond with both sets of their grandparents is a blessing; we are only 45 minutes away from the Frickie grandparents! I’m praying the Marine Corps will take this into consideration with our next assignment…TBD soon! Yes, I know the Marine Corps doesn’t care that we love being close to family. A girl can dream right? Anyway…my grandparents, Becca and Diana’s GREAT grandparents Delaney came to town for lunch. Four generations at the table. It was awesome! We looked at old family photos and laughed about stories I had never heard before. Again, what a blessing to have this time after our island isolation!

Diana with Great Grandparents Delaney

My Mr. said adieu to go study and attend an evening class (he sure loves his extracurricular activities!) and the girls I and stayed to visit with my parents for a while longer. Honestly though, I took a nap while my parents played with the girls! HURRAY! As if that wasn’t amazing enough, I went to Wal-Mart BY MYSELF! That was the first time I have been alone in MONTHS. I ooed and awed at the gigantic store, and its colorful wares until my head was spinning. I resisted the temptation to buy EVERYTHING….until I found myself in the gluten free section of the baking isle. Due to Diana’s tummy issues, I am now 100% Soy and Dairy free. I also decided to also go gluten free because I have noticed that I have sensitivity to certain wheat-based products (ie: my knees swell after drinking beer, tummy bloating after eating bread). WELL, I am delighted to share that I found gluten, soy and dairy free strawberry poptarts, chocolate chips, and granola bars! As I type I am slowly munching on a Glutino strawberry poptart, which is surprisingly good. I’ve been experimenting with different flours (I bought two different kinds today!), sweeteners and dairy replacements, but sometimes its nice to just be able to grab a quick snack. Especially because my girls are demanding and time to cook or bake is hard to come by. However, I have found some time experiment, so tonight as I close, I will share my FAVORITE new recipe! Because just thinking about it has me drooling for more:

 Dairy Free Pudding
1 150z Can of Coconut Milk
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract (McCormick’s is gluten free!)
2-4 Tbsp. of Powdered Sugar
2-4 Tbsp. of Coco Powder

Put the can of Coconut Milk in the fridge overnight. I've learned that if you shake the can and you hear water the quality isn't as great. When you’re ready to make the pudding, take it out of the fridge and scrape the hardened cream from the top. Try to avoid the coconut water that will be on the bottom- the more water you have present the more liquid-y the pudding will be. Add the rest of the ingredients, starting with 2 Tbsps. of powdered sugar and 2 Tbsps. coco powder; add more of each until you reach your desired taste. Use a hand mixer to blend. Keep blending until you reach desired fluffiness. Voila! Enjoy and be sure to share, this makes 4 servings in a small custard bowl.