Healthy Chia Seed Pudding//New Blog Name

Today I'll be sharing a couple of things with you and one of them is a delicious recipe for chia seed pudding! Yes, you heard me right, chia seed!

You are probably thinking this, right?

Isn't this little guy adorable?! Let's eat it!

Yes, the chia pet that we grew up loving is indeed made up of the SAME chia seed that I'll be showing you how to turn into a delicious pudding. Salvia Hispanica is a little gem of a seed from Mexico/Guatemala, and it's a fiber/good fats power house! It's also a really great ingredient to keep around because of it's ability to turn into a gel, which can be substituted for fat in some recipes and can act as a thickener. I'll mix up some chia seeds and water to get the right consistency when I make protein bars and want to skip adding any extra stuff like syrup.

On to the recipe, which I can't take credit for because the amazing Gina @Skinnytaste is where I found it! Find the original recipe, here. I LOVE YOU, GINA!

Ingredients:
1 cup Almond Milk (I used original, but you can use the unsweetened vanilla variety as well.)
2 tbs of Chia Seeds

I'm really on a 2 ingredient kick, aren't I? Ok, so this is what we do!

Ok, so take the milk and chia seeds and mix them together. Make sure that you thoroughly mix them together because if you don't the chia seeds will just clump together at the bottom of the milk and you won't get the pudding consistency that we are looking for. I mixed mine with a spoon, let them sit for a few minutes and then gave them a good few shakes, which is why my container is a hot chia seed mess!

Once you've made sure that your seeds and milk are all shook up stick it in the fridge and let it sit for at least 3-4 hours or better yet, OVERNIGHT! It was so awesome waking up to my chia seed pudding for breakfast. :)

Look at how pretty it turned out?! Doesn't it look great? Don't worry the seeds won't be chewy at all since they sat overnight in your milk. I added a few berries because I want a little somethin' extra...and then I got an idea!

Oh yea! If you want to change it up and get a little more color and flavor out of the chia seed pudding then feel free to add 1/2 cup of berries to the mix and blend for a great pudding/smoothie treat! I went with a blueberry, raspberry, cherry mix and I loved the way it turned out. You can even go crazy and pop this in the freezer for half an hour or so to thicken it up to a more yogurt-like consistency. YUM!

Nutrition:
Fat: 8.78g
Fiber:6.55g+2.68
Carbs:11.58g
Protein: 4.68g+.67
WW points+: 3pts

with berries:
Fat:8.78g
Fiber:9.23g
Carbs:21.58g
Protein:5.35g

WW points+: 4pts

Makes one serving.

If you are thinking, "Wow what a great recipe, but where the heck do I find chia seeds?!" Don't worry! Head down to your nearest health food store or co-op grocery store and you can usually find these little babies, but if you come up with nothing then just head to Amazon.com I had NO LUCK tracking these down in Korea and so I just had them shipped from Amazon for a really affordable price. I got 2 pounds sent to me for a grand total of around 26 bucks and that was WITH shipping. If you are not wanting to take the plunge they also sell them in 1 pound bags for around 13 dollars, find it here. AND Bob's Red Mill even sells chia seeds so I bet you could find these at your local supermarket for an affordable price.

Ok, so not only did I want to share the super yumminess of the chia seed with you, but I also wanted to let you all know that I'll be switching blog names pretty dang soon. I'm really excited to make the switch because this blog hasn't been that focused on the shop in a bit, whoops! >.>  I can't help but feel guilty about not just focusing my blogging efforts on the vintage shop and I can't wait to have a blog purely for posting about things I find interesting or want to share. The next post will be purely focused on vintage shopping, I promise!

So, you may remember me saying that I had been having the worst time coming up with a blog name and thankfully I FINALLY DID IT!! When I make the change I'll be going by TheHappyType.com!

I'm a genius, right? Every time I see the blog address which is just waiting for me I want to do a little dance because the name makes me so glad that it came to me.

 Now that I have a sweet name picked out and I know exactly what type of content I'll post, I just have to decide what kind of blog design I want. I am really excited to try and figure out the look that  I want. I'll be gathering up some inspiration for the next step and I can't wait to see what I'll see around Seoul to get my creative thinking going.

I hope you enjoy the healthy pudding recipe and please share how and what motivates you to be your most creative. I'd love to hear how you got your current blog look and the process that you went through. :) Have a wonderful day!

Healthy Banana Pancakes

Today I wanted to share an amazing recipe that I am in love with! Banana Pancakes, but not just ANY banana pancakes because these particular banana pancakes are made with just two ingredients, and we aren't using a premix!

So get ready and let's make these incredibly healthy and delicious pancakes!

Ingredients:

1 ripe Banana

2 eggs

Peel, chop banana into quarters, and put into mixing bowl. Add eggs to banana and beat until well mixed. I made sure to use my hand blender to make sure that I got it nice and frothy before I added it to my griddle, but you can use a whisk to get the same results. Just make sure that it is blended well and that there aren't too many chunks because you want the bananas to be thoroughly incorporated with the eggs.

Heat your chosen griddle or pan to desired temperature and spray with your favorite cooking spray or use some extra virgin olive oil. I used olive oil and only had to use about a tsp to make sure that my pancakes didn't stick. Cook as you would a normal pancake, but make sure to flip gingerly so you don't break it apart before it's done.

When the pancakes are finished cooking serve and enjoy! I went a step further and added fresh berries and honey for a delicious and filling breakfast! Doesn't this look like a yummy way to start the day?

I can't take credit for this recipe and I found it on one of my all-time favorite fitness blogs, Blogilates. You can find the original recipe post, here, and Cassey even made a great little youtube video to go along with it! Watch her video, here.

Cassey chose to make her pancakes much smaller than mine, but I found that the recipe was able to make 3 normal sized pancakes.

Nutrition:

Fat:10.6

Protein: 13.6

Fiber: 2.8

Carbs:27.7

Weight Watchers points+: 7 pts.

Makes one serving.

ALSO, if you are looking for a great way to get fit and healthy Cassey at Blogilates (pretty much the most amazing fitness blog EVER) is starting off her June on Fire workout today! Cassey produces amazing results, never fails to inspire, and makes working out fun! I always feel like I'm hitting the mat with a best friend when I workout with Cassey using her youtube videos.

Visit Blogilates, here.

Cassey's youtube channel can be found, here.

Let me know how you like the pancakes and if you join up for the June on Fire workout month! I'll be working it out on Blogilates and would love some company!

Kiwi & Aloe Smoothie

Today I am going to share my newest smoothie creation and it's a drink that I feel is absolutely perfect for spring! Before moving to South Korea I knew about aloe juice, but I had never really paid it much attention. What a mistake!!! I LOVE aloe juice and thankfully it's really popular in South Korea and can always be found in any convenience store or sidewalk stand. Upon discovering my love for aloe juice I also rediscovered how much I enjoy kiwis!! While out in the city I got a really great deal on about half a dozen or so ripe kiwis for around 2 bucks yesterday and I instantly knew that I had to figure out how to make a green smoothie in honor of the warming weather.

I really love this smoothie because it isn't too thick and is more of a juice, and it's tartness from the kiwis is so refreshing! If you prefer a thicker smoothie I would try tossing in a frozen banana or maybe yogurt.

The great thing about this smoothie is that is is really light and delicious and so SIMPLE! You only need 3 ingredients and a blender. How great is that?

Ingredients:

1 cup of ice

1 cup of Aloe juice

2 kiwis

1. Peel the kiwis with a paring knife. Make sure to cut the ends off first before attempting to slice off the skin so that you can get a solid base to make skinning the kiwi a breeze.

2. Put ice, kiwis, and aloe juice into blender and make some magic.

3. Pour and enjoy!

Nutrition:

Fat: .67g

Carbohydrates: 45.6g

Fiber: 5.14

Protein: 1.48

WW+ points: 3 pts +

Makes one serving.

I hope you enjoy my creation and let me know what you think! What are some of your favorite smoothie recipes?

Staying warm with Genmaicha!

The weather has been pretty unpredictable in Seoul lately; shifting from rain, sunshine, and even snow in the course of a few hours. To stay warm I have resorted back to an old favorite of mine: Genmaicha, or green tea with roasted brown rice.

I know it may sound a little odd, but this tea is absolutely delicious and it reminds of when I first arrived in South Korea. Rich and I moved to Seoul at the end of January and it was absolutely FREEZING! Genmaicha was actually the very first hot beverage that I had in Korea. I know it has Japanese origins, but nothing says Korea to me like a hot cup of Genmaicha (except for maybe Kimchi). Every time I smell the tea I am instantly transported back to the very first night that Rich and I stumbled into a restaurant jet-lagged, freezing, and starving. We were definitely out of sorts and I remember how we stood in the doorway desperately trying to figure out how to go about getting a table and food.

And then the most darling Adjumma (older Korean woman) came to the rescue, and Korea started to win my heart. She spoke absolutely no English and the best I could manage at the time was a Hello and Thank You, but it was not needed under the motherly attentions of the older woman. The Adjumma whisked us to a table, started fussing over how cold I was, and set a cup of tea in front of me. Instantly the smell of the tea hit me and I remember just cupping my hands over it and breathing deep because I had never smelled anything like it before. I can't really describe the tea's smell, but it has a beautifully savory smell from the brown rice and it is so delicate that you want to keep breathing it in on a cold day. During the colder months Korean restaurants will have big kettles of the tea boiling away on huge burners throughout the restaurant just waiting to warm you up!

Today we experienced snow flurries and I immediately went for my tea kettle with only one tea in mind: Genmaicha!! I hope everyone is having a great day and my day has been brightened a bit more since having a cup of tea (3 cups actually)with such special memories attached to it.

My favorite brand, Yamamotoyama  is really inexpensive and a box of it only costs a couple of dollars if you are wanting to check out a tea that is dear to my heart.

Have a beautiful day! I know that I am on the right track with a cup of Genmaicha in hand!

Orange Banana Smoothie

I will be sharing a smoothie recipe which takes my current fruit obsession to a whole new level! Lately, I have been obsessed with oranges and cannot seem to get enough of the sweet citrus treat, and this morning I was hankering for a new way to enjoy the fruit. I turned to my blender and thought for a few minutes while surveying the contents of my fridge before whipping up this simple, healthy, and yummy smoothie.

What you need:
1/4 cup Milk (I used Lactaid milk because of my lactose intolerance, but real milk would work just as well. Also, if you are lactose intolerant like me, but prefer soy milk I am certain that it would be just as delicious)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 medium orange, peeled and quartered
1 frozen banana (I used a frozen banana because I wanted to add creaminess to the smoothie and wanted to avoid ice to keep the flavor from being watered down)

Directions:

Get your blender handy and get ready to make smoothie magic!

Put all ingredients into blender and blend until smooth.

Pour smoothie and enjoy!

Makes one serving

Nutrition:
Fat: .54g
Carbs: 56.21g
Fiber: 6.18g
Protein: 10.51g

Weight Watchers Points+: 5pts

Have a wonderful day and I hope that y'all enjoy this healthy treat when you want to shake up your morning routine! It tastes almost like an orange creamsicle, which makes this smoothie a winner for welcoming spring.

Breakfast : Asian Pear Honey Oatmeal

I love breakfast. 

Hands down, breakfast is my favorite meal of the day, and I love to keep switching up what I start my day with.  If you haven't had Asian pears, then prepare to have your mind blown! I usually HATE pears....the texture...the taste, bleh. However, when I moved to Seoul, I saw the enormous fruit that is an Asian pear and decided to give it a whirl.....DELICIOUS. I love the crisp, light, clean flavor and the satisfying crunch you get when biting into a piece of that pear.

Here is a favorite way of mine for spicing up oatmeal with Asian pear!

Asian Pear Honey Oatmeal

Ingredients:
 1/2 cup of quick oats
 1 Tbsp Honey
 1/4 cup of Asian Pear

Makes 1 serving

I chop up my Asian pear before I get my oatmeal going because I like to have a delicious piping hot bowl of oatmeal, and I find that sometimes I take too long to cut it and my oatmeal gets gummy. I like to cut the Asian pear in half and then in fourths, from here I slice them into matchsticks.

My husband and I love to make this breakfast when we have a lazy Sunday together; you can see him helping with the slice and dice action.

 Next make your oatmeal as directed from the instructions on the container. I really love using Quaker Oats Quick 1 minute oats, but you can use any quick oats that you prefer.
Serve up the oatmeal, top with pear, and finally drizzle the honey over the top. Stand back, admire your work, and eat up!

I hope you enjoy this healthy and filling breakfast, which will be sure to keep you going until lunchtime!

Nutrition
Fat: 8g
Fiber: 9g
Carbs: 59g
Protein: 4g

  
Weight Watchers points +: 8 for 1 serving

Banana Blast Smoothie

I am a fairly healthy person, and something of a fitness junkie, but I love food. So, when I started being health conscious I refused to sacrifice taste and variety. One of my limitations concerning smoothies and cooking is that I am lactose intolerant and for the most part most of my smoothies consist of a soy milk base. In search of the perfect smoothie, I started playing around with different smoothie combinations and came across a classic and simple recipe for an amazing banana smoothie.

Ingredients

2 frozen bananas (I usually just grab a couple of bananas that are very close to being too mushy and brown, peel, and freeze them)

1 cup of soy milk

1 tbs of honey

This particular smoothie is a snap to make. Simply put bananas, soy milk, and honey in your blender and mix for about a minute on the puree setting. Within 60 seconds you will have an amazing and nutritious breakfast that will keep you going all morning!

Nutrition
Fat: 4g
Fiber: 7g
Carbs:40
Sugar: 23g
Protein: 11g

Weight Watchers points +: 5 pts for 1 serving

Tip: If you find that your bananas are to much for your blender to handle when frozen, just make sure to let the bananas thaw for a few minutes before using them. The more frozen your bananas are the creamier your smoothie will be.