Dairy Free Halo-Halo

     

"Life is like a Halo-Halo 

Enjoy it before it melts!" - Minda

Halo-Halo is a popular Filipino dessert that is sweet and refreshing. It is typically made with seasonal ingredients along with shaved ice, milk, and other sweet treats. Since the weather is warming up now, tropical fruits are in season and are great for Halo-Halo. The word translates to "mix-mix" in English, which describes how you can mix any ingredients together to create this cold treat. Ingredients include fruits, jams, ice cream, and Halo-Halo mix which can be bought in the store.
For a twist on this classic Filipino dessert, I chose to use dairy-free products since I'm allergic to milk.

Ingredients: 

• Halo-Halo Mix (Monika Brand) 
• 1 medium mango 
• 1 small avocado
• Dairy-free ube jam
• Shaved ice (Use an ice shaver)

     Toppings:

• Dairy-free Coconut ice-cream
• Almond Milk
• Strawberries 
• Banana chips
• Almond milk

Directions: 

1. Start off with putting 2 tablespoons of the mix into the bottom of a tall glass or bowl. 
2. Slice the mango and avocado into cubes and put on top of the mix 
3. Add in any other ingredients such as the ube jam 
4. Using an ice shaver, make shaved ice and put 1-2 cups on top as the next layer 
5. Finally, add in all toppings. As a finishing touch, add in the almond milk and mix all ingredients together. 

Succulents in a Strawberry Pot

On Mother’s Day I made an arrangement out of succulent plants to give as a present. Instead of a traditional bouquet of flowers, this one is an ideal gift because you can grow them and you don’t have to spend a lot of money on these succulents.

A few years ago I bought some strawberry pots, but I wasn’t very successful with growing strawberries. Instead I planted succulents last year and I was surprised that it grew back beautifully in the spring. I mixed different colors, textures, and heights, which contrasted like weeds crawling all over the pot. This is actually a low-maintenance plant, so it’s not very hard to take care of and maintain.

If it grows very big, you can prune it and transfer it to another pot.

This is a very nice present. You can plant it in a differently-shaped pot, mug, old teapot, basket, or anything that you like.

Just make sure that you pick a variety of succulents!