Does anyone remember the Chia Pet? I loved the commercial, and I apologize if you now have the chia song from the commercial playing in your head. You can buy the same seeds at the grocery store that are used to grow grass on the Chia Pet. I tried many times to make and like chia pudding, but I never tasted the magic everyone raved about. It was not until I went to a conference at EvolveHer and tried Flora and Fauna‘s chia pudding that I enjoyed chia pudding.

After eating Flora and Fauna’s chia pudding, it finally clicked – my chia pudding was missing a freshness the lemon zest supplied. The zest brightens the pudding. I like chia pudding because it is a burst of sweetness without the heaviness of most desserts.

Chia pudding is versatile and perfect for the quarantine. You need two basic ingredients: chia seeds and liquid. From there the ingredients can ascend to delightful dessert heaven. I usually use a vanilla, fruit, yogurt combination. But you can omit the yogurt to make the recipe vegan. The chia seeds are packed with enough vitamins and nutrients that you can eat this dessert for breakfast.

My basic recipe:

3 tablespoons Chia seeds

1 cup liquid (I usually use 3/4 of a cup of cashew or coconut milk and 1/4 cup of water)

1 tablespoon of hemp seeds

1 tablespoon of ground flax seed

berry of choice

zest from a lemon

a splash of vanilla

spoonfuls of noosa blueberry yogurt

Optional: silvered almonds, walnuts, pecans, goji berries, cinamon, sugar, coconut cream, herbs (mint), chocolate chips, granola.

Directions:

Set out your ingredients and pretend you are on a cooking show.

Pour chia seeds in a bowl. I used Pyrex since I let this set overnight. Pour liquid (I used cashew milk and water)

Add vanilla, zest, and berries. Stir a few times because the seeds usually float to the top of the bowl. I usually let the pudding sit overnight, but you can consume the pudding as soon as it “gels.” The next day, top with hemp seeds, ground flax, berries and yogurt. Enjoy!

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