Wow. July is over, and it's felt like one of the longest yet fastest months ever.

As in so much has happened this month. I started co-op at QuickBase on July 5 and I already feel like I'm a part of the company. I'm absolutely in love with the company, my team, and my job. Though sometimes I dream about work and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not...

The hard part was trying to create a schedule (you know me, I'm obsessed with planning) that lets me have my workout routine and also time to get from place to place. Thanks to my handy dandy Passion Planner (obsessed with this) and many hours looking up workout class times, I've created a schedule that works for me.

What I have gotten a lot better about it listening to my body and doing the types of workout it feels like. So while I go boxing almost every morning, I switch it up with weights, running, or personal training (either mitts or weights) once in awhile.

More and more lately, I've been liking weights > cardio AKA really slacking on those long runs. And though that doesn't matter too much now — because of a couple of personal things, I've decided to skip my half in September and focus on the B.A.A half in October instead.

But enough about my exercise schedule. Point is, I go straight to work most days and eat breakfast at my desk, which means I need to pack it the night before (or morning of, if I get up early enough) and bring it with me.

Which leads me to this chia seed pudding.

So even though chia seed pudding is probably the easiest thing ever to make, I've never made it before because I'm too impatient to wait for the chia seeds to soak. But since overnight oats are now a no-go for me (#notpaleo), I wanted something that was easy to prep in a big batch for the week.

Mmake a bunch, portion into cute little mason jars, and enjoy! it can be eaten on its own, but also works wonderfully on top of yogurt. If you're like Amanda from @amandafitlife, make a big bowl of oats and add this on top. And if you're feelin' snazzy, add it on top of ice cream or fro-yo ;)

Easy Matcha Chia Seed Pudding

serves 4 | time: 5 minutes + overnight | paleo, vegan

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk* (I used So Delicious unsweetened vanilla)
• 1/2 cup chia seeds (either black or white is fine, but I used black)
• 1 tbsp honey** (I used Boston Honey Company honey that I found at the Boston Public Market)
• 1 tsp matcha powder (I like MetaMatcha's culinary grade matcha)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• Optional: 4 tbsp protein powder of choice (I used Hemp70 from Manitoba Harvest)
• Topping suggestions: Hemp hearts, nuts / seeds, fruit (fresh or frozen — I've found that frozen mangos + hemp hearts goes wonderfully with the earthiness of the matcha!)
• Chocolate variation: Sub 2 tbsp cacao powder for matcha powder and top with cacao nibs and raspberries!

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients except the chia seeds. Whisk thoroughly to mix.
2. Whisk in chia seeds.
3. Pour into a jar and leave overnight. the longer, the better. I find that sometimes the chia seeds clump up, so make sure to break them up for max absorbency.

Notes:
* you can use any non-dairy (or dairy, if you prefer) milk of choice; coconut goes best with matcha though
** you can omit the sweetener completely (I think if you add fruit it's pretty unnecessary), add more sweetener as desired, or use something other than honey (agave, maple syrup, etc.)

Recipe adapted from Wellness Mama