Lavender & Raspberry Chia Puddings Recipe
Over on Instagram today, I started talking about the amount of junk food I used to eat and that I used to think it was the easy way because let's face it, it's very very accessible.
I've been having conversations with my family and friends lately about this, that we have turned into such an instant gratification and no effort -culture and many of us have stopped appreciating the beauty of simplicity and progress. Or we might appreciate it, but we don't like doing the job ourselves.
Being from Sweden, a land that is known as farmland, and as a land of simplicity and minimalism; I've started to find my way back to my roots again.
I now almost exclusively buy fresh produce and barely anything that comes packaged, and for being someone who hated cooking before, now it's all I do.
And my reason for hating cooking was not for any other reason than the fact that I was lazy/too tired/too busy/it was too messy/too much effort/it doesn't taste good when I do it- excuses I was telling myself.
One thing my mother once told me that is forever ingrained in my mind, was "Just try. Just do the best you can, and if it doesn't work, you'll know till next time." I remember that day vividly, I was trying to make dinner for our family, and I was asking her a million questions if I should add something or not add something; and isn't this exactly how it is with everything in life? We are so careful, afraid of making a mistake that we don't take any risks. We forget that that is how we learn and how we grow.
She didn't just handed me the answers or take over when I was cooking. Or even when I decided to move to Los Angeles alone when I was 19 years old, she just stepped back and let me create and explore. And yes, maybe I would've lived a safe and protected life if I had stayed in Sweden, but it wouldn't have been my life, and I wouldn't have been the woman I am today if it wasn't for her giving me that space to create mistakes.
The beautiful thing about failing is that we learn how to get ourselves back up again and we figure out the way that works for us.
The recipe is for one serving but you could just double or adjust the recipes to make more.
Here's a little note because I want to encourage you and give you space to make it your own; if you prefer honey over maple syrup you can always switch and vice versa, and if you think all coconut milk is too heavy for you, you can do half coconut and half any other non-dairy that you like or have laying around in your fridge.
Having chocolate cravings? Make one with cocoa powder and dark chocolate nibs!
Ingredients
Lavender Vanilla Chia
1/2 can of coconut milk
1 tsp raw honey
1/2 vanilla extract
1 pinch of dried lavender
2 tbsp chia seeds
Raspberry Chia
1/2 can of coconut milk
1 tsp maple syrup
1 cup of fresh raspberries (or frozen if needed)
2 tbsp chia seeds
For the Lavender Vanilla Chia...
Blend together all the ingredients, except the chia seeds. Be careful not to use too much lavender or it might taste soapy. Just add little by little and taste until you think it's enough. If you can't find dried lavender you can try with lavender essential oil but then you would have to be even more careful not to use too much as it's concentrated.
Pour into a glass jar and mix in the chia seeds.
Cover the jar and place in the fridge.
For the Raspberry Chia...
Blend all ingredients, except the chia seeds.
Pour into a glass jar and mix in the chia seeds.
Cover the jar and place in the fridge.
I like keeping them in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.
Let me know if you try them!
Xo,
Mandy
