Will Run For Berry Chia Parfaits

It's been a l-o-n-g week! 

The worst part of my week was getting stranded on the side of the highway and having to walk several kilometres in my gym clothes (and no jacket) after I just finished a run because I don't know how to change a tire (Unfortunately, the problem was MUCH bigger and more expensive than just a flat tire). 

 Who doesn't know how to change a tire?

  It turns out that everything Granny has ever said about having extra clothes in the car and carrying a cellphone is correct.

The week wasn't all bad.  There were visits with Granny, dinner with my dad, making home made healthy lunchables with my students,  some really great runs and of course good food.

Hello, berry chia parfaits!

Berry Chia Parfaits

Mason jars + flax chia vanilla pudding + frozen fruit + granola = a week of parfaits!

Flax Chia Vanilla Pudding

(serves 4-5)

ingredients

2 C soy milk (or milk of your choice)

4 Tbsp chia seeds

2 Tbsp ground flax (measure 2T before grinding)

2 Tbsp vanilla paste

1 tsp cinnamon

4 cups mixed fruit (e.g. strawberries, bananas, mango, pineapple)

1/2 tsp lemon extract (optional)

2 tsp maple syrup (optional)

Warm milk over medium heat milk until hot and steamy. 

 Add chia seeds, ground flax, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Allow to simmer for approximately one minute.  Remove from heat and whisk for several minutes. 

Divide pudding evenly amongst 4-5 mason jars.  Allow to cool until the pudding is no longer steaming.

waiting for the pudding to cool

Top with you favourite frozen (or fresh) fruits (mango, cherries, peaches, blueberries, strawberries, etc.) .  You can add lemon extract to the fruit if you are looking for a little extra zing.

add fruit

  Finish with several heaping tablespoons of your favourite granola.  We love maple granola, turtles granola and punchy granola (think ginger, cranberries, chocolate).

grab & gobble

  

Will Run For Flax Chia Vanilla Pudding

a great excuse to eat maple syrup

Summer vacation is O-V-E-R!  That means no more lemon poppyseed pancakes, waffles, or delicious baked goods for breakfast.  Who has time for that when they're scrambling to lesson plan ( I would never do this.  No.  Not me), walk the dogs, pack a lunch and eat breakfast?  It does mean breakfasts that can be prepared while multi-tasking, travel well and can be eaten well after they have been prepared.

Flax Chia Vanilla Pudding

(serves 2)

ingredients

1 C soy milk (or milk of your choice)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

1 Tbsp ground flax

1 Tbsp vanilla paste

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 cups mixed fruit (e.g. strawberries, bananas, mango, pineapple)

1 tsp maple syrup 

Warm milk over medium heat milk until hot and steamy. 

 Add chia seeds, ground flax, vanilla, and cinnamon.  Allow to simmer for approximately one minute. 

  Poor into a wide shallow bowl.  Allow to cool (at this point I usually put the whole bowl in the freezer because I'm impatient). 

 Once mixture is cool whisk until desired volume is reached.  

whisk mixture

Top with mixed fruit and maple syrup.

breakfast in no time

If all of the above seems like a little much and you remember to plan ahead simply place all of the ingredients in a bowl (with the exception of the fruit and maple syrup) and allow to soak overnight.  Whisk (or not if you don't mind a gelatinous chunk).  Top with fruit and maple syrup.