CHEF TO THE STARS - SHARES HER SECRET RECIPES WITH HML !!!

This little hottie firecracker, not just adorable and smart as hell, has got a way in the kitchen that'll knock your socks off!!  Celeb Chef Vikki Krinsky has been cooking for Family Guy mastermind, Seth Macfarlane for a whopping 7 years - and we can see why one of Hollywood's leading men would choose a gal like this as his kitchen co-star.  Here are some of Chef Vikki's home-cooked recipes - mouthwatering sure, healthy - 100%  Get a load of the black-bean brownies mmmm hmmmmm.  And for more...listen in to Haute Mom's Life on Podcast One or on the homepage :)

Chef Krinsky’s Homemade Energy Balls

Ingredients:

1 Cup Unsalted Raw Almonds
1 Cup Unsalted Walnuts
1 Cup Unsalted Raw Cashews
1 Cup Unsalted Raw Pecans
1/2 Cup Flaxseeds
1/2 Cup Chia Seeds
Small Drizzle of Good Quality Vanilla or 1 tsp quality vanilla powder
Pinch of Cinnamon/Nutmeg OR Pumpkin spice
SMALL pinch of salt
1/2 Cup Melted Coconut oil
4 Pitted and Soaked Dates + water

Directions:

Line a baking sheet tin parchment paper and set aside. 

In a large food processor, add all the ingredients expect for the dates + water. Grind for about 30 seconds. Slowly drizzle in the coconut oil and add dates + water until mixture forms into a dough like consistency. You don’t want large chunks, you want a rather soft texture. 
With gloves on, form mixture into bite size balls and place in glass container, separating each layer with parchment paper, or alternatively line a sheet pan, place the balls in rows of 4 and place in the refrigerator for about an hour. (I can keep my in the fridge until ready to eat ). 

A fun added step is to roll a few of the balls into unsweetened cocoa powder and make a healthy “Truffle”. Or even shredded coconut! 

Play with the spices and your favorite different types of nuts!   

 

Recipe by Chef Vikki

Cake OR Brownies! 

With this untraditional version of German Chocolate Cake, you are able to have your cake and eat it too! Without the guilt and sugar crash regular chocolate cake gives you, this extremely high protein and rich in fiber cake will surprise even the pickiest dessert lovers!

Serves 12

Cook Time 45 minutes

Prep Time 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

2 15-ounce cans low sodium black beans
2 large whole eggs

6 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup coconut oil
A few drops of water (as needed to blend)
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda

Olive oil spray

CHOCOLATE ICING:

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup honey

1 cup tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

3 tablespoons non-fat plain Greek yogurt

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

5 tablespoons shredded unsweetened coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line two 9-inch round baking pans with parchment paper, and spray with olive oil spray. Set aside.

In a high-powered blender add the beans, eggs, salt, honey, vanilla, coconut oil and water. In a small bowl whisk the cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda and carefully add to the blender. Mix gently with a spatula before turning the blender back on. Blend until well mixed, about 2 minutes.

Pour the batter into the two baking pans. Tap the pans lightly on the countertop to prevent air bubbles.

Bake for 40-45 minutes until cake tester comes out clean. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in their pans. Carefully flip the cakes out of the their pans, and place on a cooling rack. Cool for another 15 minutes before icing.

While the cakes are baking, prepare the icing. 

Mix the coconut oil and honey in a medium size bowl.

BREASTFEEDING EMOJI! CAN I GET A HELL YEASSSSSSS!!!

This Article Via People.com -- Nursing mothers rejoice – there may soon be a “breastfeeding” emoji.

The addition of a breastfeeding woman emoji was requested by registered nurse Rachel Lee last month in a proposal she submitted to Unicode, the creator of the emoji keyboard.

“I propose adding an emoji for breastfeeding as a complement to the existing baby bottle emoji, and to complete the set of family emojis,” writes Lee. “The lack of a breastfeeding emoji represents a gap in the Unicode Standard given the prevalence of breastfeeding in cultures around the world, and throughout history.”

She has even submitted an idea for the design, which features a woman holding a baby in a “cradle hold” while the baby feeds from an exposed breast.

Lee is confident her emoji suggestion would be a popular one.

“Three million mothers participate in the activity of breastfeeding in the United States at any given time,” she says. “By comparison, activities such as hockey [which has its own emoji] see 67,230 women participating annually in the United States.”

“Breastfeeding occurs at all hours of the the day and night, and text communication is frequently used during these times,” she continues. “This emoji is likely to be used in context for a message such as, ‘Up at 3 a.m. with baby [breastfeeding emoji].'”

Lee also cites an Emojipedia survey that states that “breastfeeding” was one of the top 30 emojis requested in 2016.

VACATION BY NUMBERS

Every couple needs some time off....especially when there are kiddies in the picture.  For us, all it took was one night away a few miles down the road to reconnect and remember, "Oh yea, that's why we fell in love." Our short trip to Pasadena was chalk full of food, fun and eh hem, even some fornication  :)  Hope this inspires you to take a trip of your own, Haute Mommies. We're breaking this one down by the numbers...

30 Minute Drive from the heart of Downtown LA to the historic Langham Hotel in Pasadena www.langhamhotels.com

6 Chocolate Covered Strawberries left for us by the wonderful hotel staff

11 hours under the covers catching up on sleep and... :))

70 of the most mouth-watering options for dim sum on the menu at Lunasia lunasiadimsumhouse.com  Shhhhh...don't tell anyone our little secret - the line's usually out the door.  Reservations are key - unless you're going at an off-hour

2 happy parents, good as new!!

SIMPLIFY WITH INSTATEMP

I'm a mom of a wildly active 2.5 year-old son...and have a little girl on the way...due in a month!  Yep, all super exciting but it also makes time in the day incredibly precious.  As you know, we here at Haute Mom's Life, are all about sharing tips, tricks and trends to simplify and enhance our lives which is why I'm dying to tell you all about one of my best kept secrets...truly one of the hottest/coolest (pun intended) new products on the mommy market: InstaTemp.  It's a non-touch digital thermometer, and something I've come to find as an absolute lifesaver.  

WHY WE LOVE IT:

-POINT, PRESS, PLAY (Read On Display)  It's literally as simple as that.  Just point towards your forehead, press the button on the thermometer and read the temperature.  No questioning, no overthinking.  

-Don't Wake A Sleeping Baby You won't with Instatemp.  They've got a Backlight LCD screen for easy-to-read nighttime temperature, perfect for a baby, infant or child asleep or awake.

-Shop From Your Couch Available at www.Amazon.com you can literally purchase in your pjs.  I mean, how can ya beat it?

-Best Baby Gift Ever Alright we all love a good onesie BUT imagine Instatemp showing up at your doorstep??  Uh, yes please. 

-Size Does Matter I carry around InstaTemp in my purse at all times.  It's half the size of an iPhone - you'll never know it's there AND okay not to lie, I definitely take my temperature like 5 times a day...ya know, for fun and all

Ch Ch Ch Ch Changes: CRIB TO BED

Children and changes are like oil and water, just don't mix.  But with endless transitions taking place in the early years of our kiddies lives, it's our job to keep things moving along smooth  steady.  

The big jump from crib to big boy/girl bed ya'd think would be something every lil one looks forward to, um yea well, think again.  It can be overwhelming, scary and a down right pain in the ass for parents.  To calm the nerves, we've found some incredibly sound advice from babysleepsite.com Check out all the goods here:

When To Transition Your Toddler From Crib to Bed

First, let’s tackle the “when” of making the crib-to-bed transition. There’s no easy answer to this one — ages for making this transition vary from family to family. However, it’s interesting to note that the average age for making the switch from crib to bed is between 3 and 4 years. 

Typically, we here at The Baby Sleep Site® recommend that you don’t rush into making this transition. Why? Because once you remove those crib bars, you remove your little one’s bedtime boundaries. And that can cause problems. Your little one may take advantage of her newfound freedom, and play the “jack-in-the-box” game with you, popping out of bed every time you turn your back. That can be exhausting. 

So don’t rush into making this switch; if your little one is doing fine in her crib, then leave her there. If you can wait to make the transition until your toddler is older than 2, then it’ll probably be easier on everyone. (Emphasis on the probably — we’re not making any promises!) 

However, if the crib just isn’t working anymore, it may be time to make the switch. For instance, if your toddler is routinely climbing out of her crib, and you feel that her monkey-like antics are starting to become dangerous, consider switching her to a big bed (particularly if she’s past 2 years old).

Or maybe your toddler is just plain too big for his crib. If that’s the case, then it may be time to switch to a big kid bed (again, particularly if he’s past 2 years old.) 

Of course, your desire to make the transition may have more to do with you — if you’re expecting a new baby, you may need to transition your toddler out of the crib so that you have it free for the new baby. Again, if your toddler is past 2 years old, then make the switch; if not, then consider getting 2 cribs. We did that in my house for a bit — my oldest son was 19 months old when my second son was born. We used 2 cribs for 6 or 7 months, until my oldest was ready for a bed.

What Kind of Bed Should You Transition Your Toddler To?

If your toddler is small, consider transitioning him to a toddler bed. This is a smaller-sized bed that uses a crib mattress instead of a twin-sized mattress. A toddler can feel cozier in a toddler bed than she would in a twin bed, and that may make the transition easier for some toddlers.

Of course, if your toddler is outgrowing the crib, then switching to a toddler bed won’t work (since it’s essentially the same size as the crib.) In this case, you’ll want to transition your toddler to a twin-sized (or larger) bed. 

How To Transition Your Toddler From Crib to Bed

There’s no script to follow when you’re helping your toddler switch from a crib to a bed. There are, however, some tips to keep in mind: 

• Before you do anything else, safety-proof! Once you remove those crib bars, your toddler is going to have unhindered access to his room. So take some time to carefully toddler-proof that room! If you’re transitioning to a big bed, you’ll also want to invest in some safety bed rails, to prevent any falls.
• Talk to your toddler about the switch ahead of time. Few toddlers will react well to entering their room and suddenly seeing their old bed replaced with a new one. Remember — toddlers like routine and predictability! So let your toddler know what’s coming. Talk about it, and maybe read a book about it (like this one) together.
• Make the big bed welcoming. Pile on your toddler’s favorite toys or stuffed animals. Layer on any favorite blankets or bedding. Consider taking your toddler shopping for new “big kid” sheets, and let her pick them out.
• Consider leaving the crib in the room for a bit. This may or may not work. For some kids, having the crib there proves to be a huge distraction, and only makes the switch harder. For others, though, it makes the switch easier. Toddlers love choices, after all, so if (for a few weeks) you give your toddler the choice to sleep in the crib or the big bed, it can help your toddler feel more in control of the transition.
• Prepare yourself for the “jack-in-the-box.” Your toddler WILL try to get out of his new bed. And that’s understandable — the sudden freedom is bound to go right to his head! So be prepared for it. When your toddler (inevitably) wanders out of bed, quickly put him right back into it. It’s a good idea to make it an emotionless interaction — too much positive or negative reaction on your part will likely serve to make the jack-in-the-box behavior worse. But if your toddler can’t get a rise out of you, he’s likely to quit the behavior faster.
• Don’t expect the transition to happen overnight. It’ll probably be 2-3 weeks before this transition is done, and the new bed feels normal for your toddler. And yes, there will be a handful of rough nights in there. Stick with it, though — be firm, and be consistent. And before you know it, your little one’s new bed will feel just like home.
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