Chia Seed Pudding with Chocolate
Hi, I’m Nathalie, and I have a sweet tooth. I love sugar, donuts, cakes, and most of all, chocolate. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t keep chocolate hidden away in the kitchen, but there are worst vices than sweets, right?
If you follow me on my second Instagram page, @woahliving, you may have noticed that I’ve been posting healthy foods on my Stories almost daily.
Since my sweet tooth is always a thing, I've had to find healthier options to satisfy my sugar craving when it hits.
An easy treat that I've been making for years is Chia Seed Pudding. It's only four ingredients and takes no time at all to put together.
Best of all, there's barely any sugar in it, and in fact, you can probably omit the sugar altogether and simply top your chia seed pudding with fresh fruits.
Below you'll find my recipe for chia seeding pudding with a twist. I topped it with the usual berries but added my favourite Theo Chocolate. I'm obsessed with their Organic Dark Peanut Butter Cups and the 70% Sea Salt Chocolate. For this recipe, I used chunks of the 85% Pure Dark Chocolate bar. I find that one square of the chocolate bar is enough whenever I'm craving sweets, but you can add as much or as little chocolate as you like.
Bon appetite.
RECIPE: Chia Seed Pudding
INGREDIENTS
Makes 1 serving
3/4 Cup Plant-Based Milk
3 Tbsp Chia Seeds
1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
METHOD
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.
Cover and store in the fridge for at least two hours.
Top the oats with your favourite fruits, berries, raw nuts, or chocolate.
Enjoy!
Photographed by Nathalie Martin.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something, I will get a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t impact the price you pay. Affiliate links are just another way to monetize my blog.
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Neutral Home Decor
After spending the last few months decluttering my home, I’ve come to love a neutral colour palette more and more. For one, it can make most spaces appear bigger, and secondly, it’s soothing and creates a stress-free environment.
While I’m still a sucker for bold colour and pattern, working with a mainly neutral space allows for the rest of my home decor accessories to stand out and shine without competing with other elements.
I recently redecorated a nook in my master bedroom that I’m excited to share.
I hope you enjoy the space!
For me, fashion and interior design go hand in hand. I need to surround myself with beautiful things that I love and that continue to inspire my creativity. I love how this super mini green Gucci Marmont bag pops in this space, almost as if it’s a part of the decor.
Anissa Kermiche vase.
Photos by Nathalie Martin.
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Easy Overnight Oats with Goji Berries
During the week I love an easy breakfast that’s both tasty and nourishing. Overnight oats have become a staple in my house and often I’ll batch make enough for 3 days worth of breakfast for both Geoff and me.
I created this recipe after having bought a packet of overnight oats online during the lockdown. The story goes that I paid $7 for some organic, gluten-free bag of oats. I thought it was multiple servings but when my online order arrived, I felt deceived into learning it was a single serving pack. Note to self, don’t shop online late at night for new products before doing some research, and always pay attention to the serving size.
When I looked at the ingredients at the back of the bag I realized that I already had a majority of the stuff on hand. Why I didn’t make my oats from scratch, to begin with, is beyond me. Let's blame lockdown.
On the upside, this experience inspired me to create this easy, fail-proof, overnight oat recipe that I'm sharing with you here.
Aside from the usual oats and plant-based milk, I added dried goji berries to boost the flavour and to add additional nutrients. Goji berries are rich in vitamin A and C, minerals, fiber, protein, iron, and antioxidants.
To thicken the oats, I added ground flaxseeds and chia seeds.
For flavour, I added a blend of cinnamon, a favourite of mine, and half a teaspoon of this delicious Turmeric Sun Mylk Latte from Toronto-based Lake & Oaks Tea Co.
Adding a latte mix to oats might sound weird - but this blend contains organic turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, ashwagandha, maca, nutmeg, and black peppercorn. It's divine served as a drink and it's just as good, if not better when I add a bit to my overnight oats.
If you don't have Turmeric Sun Mylk Latte where you're from, feel free to improvise by adding a bit of turmeric, ginger, nutmeg to your oats for a nice spiced flavour profile.
If turmeric oats don't appeal to you, feel free to leave it out. The most important components of this recipe being oats, ground flaxseed, chia seeds, and milk. You can even leave out the goji berries too if you wish as this recipe is very versatile.
To sweeten the overnight oats, I use either maple syrup or organic coconut sugar for its slight caramel taste. Feel free to use honey or agave if you prefer.
You'll find these oats aren't overly sweet as the intention is to serve them with fresh berries or seasonal fruits.
I also like to serve my oats with raw walnuts, almonds, hemp seeds, even almond butter if I'm feeling extra hungry on any particular morning.
Finally, I find it keeps well in the fridge for about four days, but it never lasts that long in my home.
I hope you'll enjoy making this recipe! Bon appetite and don't forget to tag me on Instagram if you make these overnight oats!
RECIPE: Easy Overnight Oats with Goji Berries
INGREDIENTS
Makes 4 large servings or 6 small servings, depending how how much you like to eat for breakfast.
3 Cups Plant-Based Milk
2 Cups Quick Oats
4 Tbsps Goji Berries
2 Tbsps Ground Flaxseeds
2 Tbsps Chia Seeds (ground or whole will do)
2 Tbsps of Coconut Sugar (maple syrup, agave, or brown sugar will do)
1 Tsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Sun Mylk Latte (optional)
Pinch of Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
METHOD
Make the night before and wake up to an easy, tasty breakfast in the morning.
Combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
Add milk (and liquid sweetener if you had opted for honey, agave, or maple syrup), and mix again.
Cover and store in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, stir the oats before serving. No need to heat up.
Top the oats with your favourite fruits, berries, raw nuts, or almond butter for extra protein.
Enjoy!
Photographed by Nathalie Martin.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something, I will get a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t impact the price you pay. Affiliate links are just another way to monetize my blog.
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H&M Home Just Restocked Some Bestsellers. Here's What To Buy.
H&M Home is the internet’s best-kept secret. From beautiful stoneware dishes to soft linen cushion covers, they’re fully loaded with all of the home decor accessories to make your space come to life.
They often sell out fast but lucky for us, they just restocked some of their bestselling items, including that white stoneware donut vase ($35.99) that’s all over Instagram.
Below are some of my current favourite H&M Home pieces. Happy shopping!
10 Affordable H&M Home Accessories To Buy Now
Small Black Metal Candlestick, H&M Home, $12.99
Tall Metal Candlestick, H&M Home, $17.99
Linen Throw Cushion, H&M Home, $12.99
Wooden Frame, H&M Home, $17.99
Linen Throw, H&M Home, $59.99
Small Jute Basket, H&M Home, $12.99
Shell Shaped Vase, H&M Home, $34.99
Small Cotton Rug, H&M Home, $34.99
Large Ceramic Vase, H&M Home, $34.99
Photo via Pinterest
Photo via Pinterest
Photo via Pinterest
Photo via Pinterest
Photo via H&M Home
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My Scandi-Inspired Dining Room
Small space living comes with its set of challenges and rewards. For one, it doesn’t take nearly as much furniture to fill up our modest 1,500 square foot townhouse. On the other hand, picking the right pieces and having enough room for storage proved to be a challenge while decorating our dining/living room.
I spent countless hours researching Scandinavian design to understand what makes their beautiful spaces so appealing. Aside from being minimal, they know how to mix the old with the new making their approach to interior design relaxed, warm, and inviting.
While Geoff and I have a deep appreciation for mid-century modern furniture I knew we didn’t want to lean into the mid-century aesthetic too much and lose our personality in the process.
We’re very fortunate to have a record player table that once belonged to his grandparents in our home. The touch of vintage contrasts nicely with the geometric legs from the EQ3 dining room table and works well with the Nicaraguan artifacts that I have sprinkled all over the place. (I’m originally from Nicaragua and having objects from my home country is very important to me.)
Since we already had a lot of different wood tones in the dining room I knew I wanted to create balance by introducing more black accents via the table, chairs, and the canvas print, by Swedish graphic designer, Olle Eksell. Black also happens to tie in the accessories displayed on my bookshelf beautifully.
My overall vision was to have a space inspired by the Scandinavian aesthetic while staying true to our personality and style. I didn’t overthink the process and decorated with what I had on hand, only moving furniture around to create the impact that I was after.
10 Principles of Scandinavian Design
Minimal
Opt for Quality
Think Neutral (but have fun with pops of colour)
Bring Nature Inside
Cozy is a Way of Life
Functionality
Clean Lines
Use Contrast
Have fun with Graphic Pattern
Eco-Friendly and Efficiency are Important
DINING ROOM DETAILS
Dining room table, EQ3 (discontinued, similar here)
Canvas Print, Olle Eksell from Photowall Sweden
Chairs, Structube (similar here)
Record player table, vintage
Lamp, Herman Miller (small size)
Rug, Ikea (similar here)
Bookshelf, EQ3 Climb Shelf (similar here)
Porcelain Hand, Jonathan Adler fruit bowl
Photographed by Nathalie Martin.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something, I will get a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t impact the price you pay. Affiliate links are just another way to monetize my blog.
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The Perfect Margarita Recipe for Cinco de Mayo (or whenever really)
As a tequila drinking newbie, I was always under the misconception that margaritas were these sweet slushies drinks that just so happen to contain a splash of alcohol.
Perhaps the memory comes from that one time that my father made cocktails from one of those "just add tequila" frozen drink mixes, but clearly, I wasn't impressed. (Sorry, dad.)
After an evening of food and drink (via Zoom) with Herradura Tequila, I learned more about what makes a quality tequila (hint: look for 100% agave tequila with no additives, fillers, or colouring) and how to make the perfect margarita.
Having made Herradura's Cucumber Mint Margarita a few times now, I'll fully admit to being a tequila convert.
Cheers!
Herradura Silver is an estate-bottled, silver tequila is crafted from 100% agave and aged in white oak casks for 45 days.
Flavour profile: Robust earthy nature. Woody aroma. Complex fruity, agave, black pepper, citrus zest, and vanilla tones.
Savour on its own or as the Cucumber Mint Margarita from Herradura.
THE RECIPE
Herradura Tequila Cucumber Mint Margarita
2oz Herradura Silver Tequila
1oz fresh lime juice
0.5oz agave nectar
2 cucumber slices
4-6 mint leaves
Add mint and cucumber to a cocktail shaker and gently muddle them together.
Add the remaining ingredients along with ice and shake for 15-20 seconds.
Strain into a rocks glass over fresh ice.
Garnish with a cucumber wheel and fresh mint sprig.
Photographed by Nathalie Martin.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something, I will get a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t impact the price you pay. Affiliate links are just another way to monetize my blog.
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HOME EDIT: 11 Super Cool Accessories For Your Home
Image by woahstyle.com
The buyers at SSENSE know what’s up and their selection of home goods is so well curated that I’ll fully admit to stalking their website daily.
Perhaps COVID is partly to blame or the fact I’m just a homebody to begin with, but I’ve spent a good part of last year redecorating almost every room in my house.
With SSENSE currently having 15% off their (use promo code SHOP15 for US and Canadian clients), I'm tempted to add a few more things to my shopping cart.
From Anissa Kermiche's boob and booty vases to Tekla wool blankets, below you'll find my current favourites from ssense.com.
Happy shopping!
11 HOME ACCESSORIES YOU NEED FOR YOUR SPACE
Anissa Kermiche Orange Cermaic Popotin Pot , $100 ssense.com
Sophie Lou Jacobsen Brown Bean Pitcher, $285 ssense.com
Raawii Earthenware Small Vase, $115 ssense.com
Tekla Wool Blanket in Off-White, $270 ssense.com
19-69 Villa Nellcôte Candle, $90 ssense.com
The Elder Statesman Beige Palm Pillow, $1300 ssense.com
Calen Knauf Blue Bead Vase, $300 ssense.com
Anissa Kermiche Jugs Jug, $510 ssense.com
Tina Frey U Shaped Candle Holder, $110 ssense.com
Binu Binu Sandalwood Incense Set, $65 ssense.com
PhoneSoap Device Sanitizer, $110 ssense.com
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you choose to buy something, I will get a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t impact the price you pay. Affiliate links are just another way to monetize my blog.
Photos by Nathalie Martin for woahstyle.com.
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How To Decorate For The Holidays When You DON'T Have a Christmas Tree
This year we decided to forgo the Christmas tree. The decision is based on the simple facts that 1) it's a pain to set up, and 2) our cats love to chew on the branches.
Every year it's a battle to keep Marvin and Theo out of the tree.
Trust me when I say that we've resorted to everything from spraying them with water to wrapping the tree up in a blanket when we're not around to supervise them.
I'm well aware that wrapping a Christmas tree in a blanket is ridiculous and yes, it's a total eye-sore but what else can we do?
Without fail, they always manage their way under the blanket and it's not until we hear little munching sounds that we realize what they're up to.
Between the cat's weird fixation on eating plastic trees and our sheer desire not to want to deal with it, I jumped onto Pinterest in search of alternative Holiday decor inspiration that's minimal and chic.
Sure, it feels a little weird not having a tree this year but the truth is I don't miss it one bit.
TIPS ON DECORATING WITHOUT A CHRISTMAS TREE
Start by gathering inspiration. I love PINTEREST for this.
Find commonalities in the photos you’re drawn to.
Start decorating. Store anything you don’t need to make room for anything holiday-themed.
Keep it simple and minimal. Set up will be easier and so will clean up when the holidays are over.
Have a focal point. Mine is the bookshelf where I put two large paper trees (from INDIGO $28-$33), a couple of cermaic houses (also from INDIGO), some garland, and holiday scented candles.
This leads me to the next tip - incorporating garland, fresh cedar, and spruce branches into your decor will automatically transform your home into the festive spirit. I got mine at my local grocery store for $8/ bundle. Cheap, cheerful, and impactful.
Try incorporating more candles into your decor. My favorites for the holidays are by NEST NEW YORK. They come in amazing scents like HOLIDAY and BIRCHWOOD PINE.
If candles aren’t for your thing but you want to add the scent of the holidays to your home, check out the NEST collaboration with PURA Smart Home Fragrance Diffuser Device ($120 CAD at Sephora). I have one and love being able to control the intensity of the fragrance through my iPhone.
Finally, if room sprays are more your thing, check out 13 DESSERTS from L'OCCITANE ($34 CAD). It's a warm scent with notes of Sweet Orange, Thyme, Cassia, Cinnamon, Patchouli, and Whisky Accord. Very festive and sophisticated.
SUGGESTED READS: 3 HOLIDAY TABLE SETTING IDEAS TO TRY THIS SEASON
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3 Holiday Table Setting Ideas to Try This Season
With the holidays just around the corner, I've been obsessed with the idea of creating fabulous table settings.
From minimal, monochromatic, and Nordic-inspired, to more elegant and chic, I tried three different settings to give you an idea of how to dress up your table for the holidays.
As per usual, I logged onto Pinterest and started pinning inspiration.
This is what I came up with.
Muted Greys & Minimal
This table setting featured a muted color palette of soft greys and beige.
For the centerpiece, I added a table runner from Ikea ($5) and decorated it with cedar and spruce branches to create a garland. Then I added a bowl of golden-colored Rocha Pears in the middle to make the natural elements pop against the muted table linens.
And because candlelit dinners set the ultimate cozy mood, I added a votive candle (from Nest New York) to each seat.
ELEGANT NATURE INSPIRED TABLE SETTING
This table setting is all about subtle elegance. I brought out my wedding china which so happens to have a soft silver trim around the edge. I love how the candlelight bounces off the metallic trim and almost looks sparkly.
I used grey linen napkins as place settings and did without the table cloth. Doing this put the focus on the garland centerpiece and the tall structured candleholders from Parisian designer, Sarah Levoine.
Nestled in the center are juicy red apples and a couple of large pine cones. I would have preferred red berries but apples are all I had on hand.
Finally, on each plate, I added the small votive holiday candles from Nest New York.
Scandinavian Inspired Table Settings
It's all about the black stoneware with this table setting so let that be the focus and kept the rest simple.
I added a beige linen tablecloth from Ikea and ditched the placemats and just simply put the dinner plates over top. I thought it would look a bit weird but I like how it came out! Also, knotting the linen napkins and placing them on top the of plates softens the overall look.
Finally, I kept the centerpiece minimal adding only spruce branches and a couple of candleholders.
This post features affiliate links. If you choose to buy something I will get a small commission from the sale. This doesn’t impact the price you pay. Affiliate links are just another way to monetize my blog.