Kitchen Stories: Cherry Almond Oatmeal

I've been trying to get Bianca to eat a proper breakfast at home before she leaves for an almost two hour trip to get to school everyday. But it's always impossible to make her sit down for a meal so early in the morning when she's in between being half asleep and rushing out the door. I've tried serving up her old favorites as well as new ones in the hopes of piquing her fancy but all I get is one bite or maybe two if I'm lucky, and that's it. I've tried sending her with a packed breakfast and lunch but she prefers hot food so it's a choice between the cafeteria or the fast food restaurants just outside her campus. Not really a good idea health and money wise.

I know she's 17 and all grown up now, but the mom in me will always see her as a baby. I always worry that she's not eating well or that she's not getting enough rest, I can almost hear her complaining and protesting as she reads this post. But I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Right, fellow moms?!? Could I have a show of hands, please? Just so I can prove my point. Hahaha.

I made Cherry Almond Oatmeal over the weekend and she liked it enough to ask if she could bring some for breakfast in school. Success! It could have been the cherries, but since it's not exactly the type of fruit you can have every day, we'll experiment with other fruits that are in season and not as costly.

Although this doesn't really count as a recipe since it is pretty basic, I'm sharing the how-to with you just so you can keep this in mind for when you feel like giving your oatmeal some extra lovin'.

Cherry Almond Oatmeal

(makes 1 serving)

1/2 cup old fashioned oats

1 cup almond milk

pinch of salt

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon almond extract

1/3 cup fresh cherries, pitted and quartered

2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Combine oats, almond milk and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then stir in the brown sugar. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes until oats are thick and creamy. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add almond extract and a little splash of almond milk. Mix well.

Pour into a bowl and top with cherries and almonds. You may use as much or as little fruit, nuts and sugar as you like, according to your preference. Enjoy!

Lately

It's been two weeks since school started again! After such a long holiday break, it's been challenging to adjust to homework and readings and long car rides, but I honestly really enjoy the college environment and it's good to be back.

I definitely learned a lot from the first few months I spent in college. Here's a couple things that really stuck with me:

1. There's no harm in trying. Joining organizations and auditioning for music groups and signing up for projects might be daunting tasks, but they're experiences that you shouldn't miss out on just because you're scared. There's always something to be gained from every risk you take!

2. Hang out with people who give you positive vibes. It's essential to spend time with people who inspire and motivate you to be better.

3. That being said, you also have to learn to work alone. Being independent and responsible without anyone telling you to do so is something you must learn how to do.

4. You actually have lots of free time, you're just not using it correctly. Don't procrastinate. Finish your work before your deadlines and don't leave anything to the very last minute.

5. Don't neglect your health and well-being. Eat balanced meals and get enough sleep.

I'm only just getting the hang of this whole college thing. I still have a lot to learn and a lot to improve on. But I know that my second semester will be even better and I'm really looking forward to the rest of it!

Love,  Bianca

Lucky Me

Every new year that comes around, I am reminded of how lucky I am that I get to celebrate the beginning of a new chapter as well as my birth month this January. Like most of you, it's the time that I reflect on the year that was, and the time I set goals of what I'd like to accomplish in the 12 months ahead.

I am very thankful for the past year even with all its challenges and difficulties. I had so many plans for 2015 that I couldn't get off the ground, which made me so frustrated. Despite the best of intentions, nothing seemed to work. Every day, I felt that God was testing me by letting me go through failures and heartaches. I prayed harder and more fervently each day, but I guess God wanted me to take a Master's Degree in Patience and Humility!

Looking back now, I believe that what I wanted to happen didn't happen because I still had lessons to learn and that not my plans but only God's plans will prevail. I am more than lucky because I had family and good friends to see me through it all. Life goes on, and I'm not giving up.

I am ready for a fresh new start this 2016. Every day is a new beginning to live life to the fullest. We all deserve to live a long, happy, healthy and abundant life.  So, let's all smile, laugh out loud, be kind, and have a heart so big that we become unstoppable.

Dear friends, thank you for always indulging me by reading my birthday post every year. And of course, I can't let all of you go without sharing a photo of my infamous jumping shot. I wanted to jump off from a ledge but Bianca wouldn't hear any of it. Oh well, maybe next year I'll use a trampoline ;)

First Monday

Today is the first Monday work day of the year! Although we are technically still on vacation until January 17th, I'd just like to start the year right by putting out one of our work goals for the blog.

As you know, we blogged less in the past year. Life kept us busy and got in the way of blogging, but we tried our best to share snippets of what we've been up to on Instagram and Facebook. We hope you're following us over there!

We are very grateful for brand collaborations that came our way during the last quarter that challenged our skills and creativity. It helped that the brands we worked with were familiar to us and we both worked hard on styling and editing the photos. Although we still have much to learn and there's lots of room for improvement, it is something we truly enjoyed doing as a team. Bianca and I are both thankful for the trust and support extended to us by The Blue Kitchen, Bungalow 300 and Bayo Clothing and look forward to more creative collaborations this 2016.

Happy Monday and Happy New Year!

*Photography by Bianca |  Styling by Cyn

Turning Three

Today, we celebrate our blog's third year! Thank you to you, our dear friends and readers, for continuing to follow us on our journey. We are grateful that although we blogged less this year, you all continued to visit the site  to back read our old posts. 2015 was a challenging year, but we made a conscious effort to dwell not on what we didn't have, but focused instead on our blessings. As we leave all the challenges and difficulties of the past behind, we hope you continue to join us as we look forward to a brighter and abundant new year!

With much love,
Cyn & Bianca