Musings on Momentum

design a life you love

Fresh Year, Fresh Finds

I wasn’t kidding when I said that I wanted to build my life around the gorgeous spaces I shared with you two weeks ago.  In fact those rooms have been on a constant loop in my head, massively influencing my aesthetic for the year.  Case in point is today’s post on exciting new interior finds for 2016.  I found myself making these selections based on what I could envision at home in the picture-perfect kitchen, living space and bathroom that I posted.  This seems to be an effective way for me to shop because I adore each and every one of these picks!

Let’s start in that airy, earthy and inviting living room…

Mirrors

There is no way around it…these gorgeous mirrors are going to have to happen, though I’m thinking maybe more in the form of an upcoming DIY project than an outright purchase.

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Rich and Easy Gluten Free Brownie Cake

As the big 3-0 approached, I found myself craving the taste of the rich chocolate birthday cakes I enjoyed in my youth.  The only problem was that all of the chocolate cake recipes I had in my arsenal contained gluten.  Not one to be deterred by my gluten-free lifestyle, I set out on a quest to find an easy and delicious alternative to the chocolate cake recipes I remember from my childhood.

Brownie Cake Graphic

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DIY Room Spray

It is no secret that I have a soft spot in my heart for anything that makes my home smell good (as demonstrated in my DIY candle making adventure).  As I think anyone who lives with a dog can attest, regardless of how clean you keep your home and your pup, sometimes you just need to freshen the place up.  Store bought fabric and room sprays can smell great but are often times ridden with questionable chemicals that I would prefer not to expose myself, my husband or Lola to.

The older I get the more acutely aware I am of what ingredients are in the products I bring into my home, particularly when it comes to what I clean with.  With a newfound commitment to keeping our lives as chemical free as possible, I embarked on a quest to create a room and fabric spray that is equal parts deliciously scented and safe.  With the combination of just three simple ingredients, I am happy to report that I succeeded!

This three-ingredient chemical-free DIY Room spray is a quick and easy way to keep your home smelling fresh all year long.

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Lactose Free Chicken in Cream Sauce

For each of my childhood birthdays my mom would prepare a special meal and dessert for me; it could be anything I wanted.  Without fail, I would request the same dinner every single year – a super rich chicken in cream sauce recipe.  Having it for my birthday was our family tradition up until I moved to California six years ago.

With a monumental birthday coming up (the big 3-0) I found myself homesick and longing for my mom’s chicken and cream sauce.  I had never previously attempted to make it but figured that I had enough cooking experience under my belt to give it a try.  My mom still had the recipe handy and sent it to me but there was one problem…I have cut lactose and gluten out of my diet and the original recipe was heavy on cream and flour.  Hmm.

Substituting almond flour for regular flour seemed straight forward enough, but what to do about the cream…  Fortunately for me, Google exists and was able to provide a plethora of alternatives.  I threw caution to the wind and went with the most basic option I could find – substituting 2/6 cup of soy milk and 1/6 cup of oil for 1/2 cup of heavy cream.  The consistency seemed okay.  Not perfect, but okay.  And flour behaves like flour so the recipe should work, right?  Wrong.

Now, this was in no way a complete disaster.  It just didn’t taste exactly like my mom’s and that turned me into an emotional mess.  Neither the meal or the pictures came out quite how I wanted them to and I considered not posting this entrée at all.  It was my mom who encouraged me to go ahead with it as planned because it’s a recipe that means a lot to me, it still tasted amazing and, as she pointed out, maybe somebody out there has a suggestion for how to improve it next time.  So without further explanation or ado, I give you…

Lactose free chicken in cream sauce IS possible with just a few simple substitutions!

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