My Favorite 4-year-old

I got to hang out with my baby cousin a couple of weekends ago.

We were at a sushi restaurant with our family during the Mid-Autumn Festival and the little munchkin and I spent the dinner playing, drawing, and acting like 4-year-olds do.

At least I did, anyway.

Self-portrait by the 4-year-old

I may be biased but I think the munchkin has a career in the arts.

Isn't that self-portrait stunning?

I know you can't tell, but trust me when I say, it's a veritable likeness!

But wait, there's more.

Here's a still life masterpiece that she painstakingly drew in 2 minutes:

Is that not the best drawing of a banana you've ever seen?

Does it not invoke in you the passionate urge to experience a banana right now?

That, my friends, is art.

But wait, there's more.

If that still life didn't bestir your little heart, then perhaps abstract pieces are more your thing:

I believe the 4-year-old was going for a Jacksonian feel with the Pollockian finger drips.

Such a talent.

But wait, there's more.

Not only is she artistically-inclined, the 4-year-old is also full of comedic gold.

Some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth makes me howl with laughter.

I'm sure her father would rather I not encourage her with my vocal expressions of having been thunderously entertained, but I can't help it.

Can you?

Aunt Cyndi: Where are your manners?
4-year-old: At home.

I'm sure if I tried that one as a kid, I wouldn't've been able to sit down for a week.

4-year-old: Can you pick me up by my feet?
Me: Why?
4-year-old: I want to see how strong I am.

4-year-old logic is the best!

4-year-old: I win and you win, but I win more.

Everyone's a winner in her world, she's just a little bit more of a winner, that's all.

And that's fine by me.

I think she wins a little more with me than any other 4-year-old too.

She's my favorite.

And, I love her so much!

Quick and Easy Three-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt

I am in love.

Do you see this lusciousness?

I could eat it for days.

And I have.

It's so, SO delicious.

And, EASY.

Only 3 ingredients: frozen fruit, Greek yogurt, and honey.

The creaminess of the Greek yogurt adds a smoothness to the blended fruit; it tastes more decadent than it actually is. If you're looking for a lighter treat than ice cream, this is for you.

Throw your choice of frozen fruit into a food processor. Make sure it's straight from the freezer and not starting to melt.

Add 1 cup of Greek yogurt:

And 1 teaspoon of honey:

Then blend until smooth. Serve immediately.

Your tastebuds will rejoice.

I made this a few weekends ago for my mom. After smacking her lips, my mama said:

"Mmm. Good!"

Best endorsement ever.

Quick and Easy Three-Ingredient Frozen Yogurt
Makes 2 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup Greek yogurt, full fat
• 1 package frozen fruit, about 10 ounces
• 1 teaspoon honey, to taste

Directions

1. Place frozen fruit, yogurt, and honey in a food processor and blend until smooth.
2. Serve immediately.

Notes

• I use plain Fage Total Classic Greek yogurt and raw honey.
• This recipe works with a lot of different kinds of frozen fruit but I wasn't too keen on my experiment with wild blueberries because of the seeds. Strawberries, peaches, or mangoes work really well though.
• This frozen yogurt is meant to be eaten immediately. I wouldn't recommend freezing it because lots of ice crystals will form making for a hard treat. However, if I had an ice cream maker, I would try it.

Happy 中秋節 Zhōngqiū Jié | Mid-Autumn Festival!

It's 中秋節 today and I am attempting to make mooncakes to celebrate.

Red bean paste: Done!

There are many many steps.

I hope I survive.

Have I mentioned I'm lazy?

Mooncake skin: Done! Thank goodness, now I can rest.

At least the recipe I'm using calls for lots of rest in between steps. Those directions might not be visible to you but I swear they're there!

I'm mostly making these mooncakes for my mom. She loves this pastry but I usually find them too sweet and dense for my liking. But, the other day, when I saw a mooncake recipe on Two Red Bowls, I wondered if I'd like them better if I made them myself and cut down on the sugar. The recipe looked easy enough to make so I thought I'd give it a try.

We shall see!

Happy 中秋節, everybody!