Chia & Raspberry Breakfast

Chia_berry_porridge

It has become more and more obvious to me that Luise and I have lived these last years inside the eye of a whirlwind. Life seems calm when we sit here in our Stockholm kitchen, but recipes, apps, emails, comments, books, raising a child, freelancing, workshops, photography and social media are spinning around us faster and faster every month. Our old professions and lives have been swept away and new things have come along. It has been unreal, in the best kind of way. All of a sudden we are working with our passion and with each other. We are constantly learning new things and have no idea how the next month will look like. It is everything I dreamed about but never dared to hope for.

But living in a whirlwind also makes me dizzy. This pace. This flow of information. This constantly updating instagram-pinterest-email-life that we are so addicted to. It’s hard to find balance. Luise and I talk too much about food, answer emails too late at night and sometimes forget to just eat dinner because we are so busy discussing or shooting a recipe. I am sure we are not alone in this. The feeling that you want to be more present and not always watch your kids laugh through the lens of an iphone.

The theoretical solution is easy. To work on the day and turn off our phones during evenings and weekends. But it is so hard to change our habits, so we have talked about also taking a physical step outside of the whirlwind for a little while. Our rough plan is to spend two months in Melbourne, Australia, and then drive around New Zealand in a campervan for a month. We plan on being together. Watch Isac grow. Teach Elsa some English. Watch kangaroos. Play and hug a lot. But we will most probably also blog from the road. Perhaps do a food video from a camp kitchen. We might even do some kind of cooking class or food photography workshop somewhere on the way. As long as we are spending more time with each other than with the computer.

We are still not sure what we can afford or where we will end up, but we will probably be traveling from the beginning of December to the end of February. We would love to get some advices from you guys. You think we would like Melbourne more than Sydney? Great food, cafes or restaurants that we shouldn’t miss? Would anyone be interested in attending a workshop, if we arranged one in Sydney/Melbourne or New Zealand? Is the idea of driving around in a campervan with Isac when he is only five months old too crazy? All input is appreciated. Thank you friends!

Chia_berry_porridge_2

This recipe is a variation of a chia pudding with a flavorful raspberry twist. It’s a simple, satisfying and very delicious breakfast or mid-day snack. Or even dessert. You can prepare it a day in advance and keep it in the fridge. If you are not yet familiar with chia seeds, they are filled with protein, omega 3 fatty acid and calcium, have a very mild flavor and are incredible at binding liquids. They are therefore great as egg replacers in baking recipes and in desserts and breakfasts such as this. The only disadvantage is the price. They are rather expensive, but you don’t need so much each time so they last long.

I almost forgot, here is a video from our youtube channel where Luise show how to make this recipe and tell you why she likes it so much.

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Berry & Chia Breakfast
Serves 1

Feel free to play around with this recipe. You could replace the raspberries with other berries or mashed fruit and the milk with freshly squeezed juice. Or you could blend some dates with the milk and serve it as a dessert. Use whatever toppings you prefer. We do recommend including some kind of nut butter, it adds a nice balance to the sweet and tangy fruit flavors.

1 cup / 125 g fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
1 pinch ground vanilla
3 tbsp desiccated coconut, unsweetened
3 tbsp chia seeds
1 cup / 240 ml plant milk (we prefer almond, coconut or oat milk)

Topping
nut butter
hemp seeds
kiwi
fresh mint

Mash the berries in a bowl using a fork. Add vanilla, coconut and chia seeds and combine. Pour over the milk and mix. Set aside to soak for minimum 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Serve in a bowl or jar topped with nut butter, hemp seeds, fruit and mint.

194 Comments

  • Jacinta
    Hi - I live in Melbourne and my sister lives in Coromandel New Zealand. I can recommend both. Sydney is more beautiful than Melbourne and if you are looking for beaches then head there. Melbourne has more good, simple food everywhere you go. You have heaps of good tips for NZ already and I agree with Nelson (great climate and beaches), South Island (Stunning scenery), Coromandel Peninsula (a very gentle place with beautiful rolling hills, beaches and pohutukawa trees hanging over beaches that have gorgeous red flowers over summer). My sister's in-laws love food and they live on 5 acres in a couple of houses with lots of people camping over the summer. If you want to meet some locals let me know.
  • Kaitlin
    I feel compelled to write given I am from Melbourne, I've been living in London but moving back home in December. I would absolutely attend a food workshop/photography course!! We met at your Food and Film night, and I was asking you at dinner about Stockholm, we leave this weekend and are staying in Sodermalm! I absolutely hands down think you would prefer Melbourne. Having lived in both cities, Melbs is much cooler, more foodie, more cultured, more friendly, arty, there are so many beautiful parks, beaches and it's easy to get around. Definitely take little Isac campervaning in NZ! You took Elsa so young, what another amazing experience. You are very welcome to stay in my spare apartment in Richmond, or little house down the beach also. Or if you are going up to Queensland too. I recommend taking a campervan up the eastern coast if that's an option, stopping at all the little beach towns from Melbourne to Cairns. It going to be very warm when you arrive :) also have loads of recommendations for food; a few off the top of my head are: Moroccan Soup Bar (amazing food, my fave veg restaurant, cheap, informal and not just soup) Top paddock (great breaky/lunch) Mamasitas and Fonda (yummy Mexican) Melbourne is known for its incredible coffee, there are countless little coffee shops and brunch is infamous on the weekends, smashed avocado with feta and lemon on multigrain mmm! So many farmers markets also. I'd love to take you around. You will adore Australia. Hope this helps you! Kaitlin x (@happylittlevegie)
  • Helen
    It would be a dream come true for you to do a workshop in New Zealand. DO one in Wellington!!! New Zealand has soooo many beautiful farmers markets where you can find special gourmet produce and regional specialties depending on where you are. I have had many friends come over to NZ and travel with small children and babies in a camper van it is definitely the way to go, that way you can stay out somewhere in the beautiful countryside. You will love it here, its a place that is good for the soul :-)
  • Kelly
    I live in Wellington, New Zealand. I know many people who would LOVE a workshop. Send me an email if you would like help with organising, I know lots of people with the right resources.
  • wow what a beautiful recipe and video! i just love the way you present them! I love the special European touch, so proud of you!! much <3 from Vienna, Austria!
  • Such a beautiful and nutritious breakfast! I find smoothies to be such a brilliant start to the day.
  • Yet another beautiful recipe, guys! I imagine quite a few more breakfasts like this as it begins to move into summer in the Pacific. So pleased and excited for you at the idea of your holiday! Melbourne is BEAUTIFUL (!!) and, being from New Zealand and clearly a touch biased, I think you'll love our country. If you were to hold a workshop in New Zealand I would be there in a heartbeat - without a doubt. Auckland has the larger population, but our Capital, Wellington, has a really active vegetarian/vegan community - not to mention incredible markets and places to eat. If you find yourself in the sunshine in the North of New Zealand, Whangarei (only two and a half hours from Auckland) is a lovely destination with plenty of beaches, not to mention the country's oldest farmers market! Definitely worth a visit to check out some Kiwi produce! Best of luck with your planning! Maybe We'll see you in a few months :)
  • Megan
    You must check out lulastic and the hippyshake - she travelled around europe in a campervan with her small baby and toddler for 3 months and is now living in a yurt in New Zealand!
  • Georgy
    How exciting! And your lucky children, coming for a holiday to our beautiful Australia :) I am from Adelaide, and out of Melb and Sydney I'd definitely prefer Sydney, mostly for the beautiful beaches and because you are near the Blue Mountains (and not so far from the lovely Snowy Mountains!). But if you do get time, I can't recommend Adelaide highly enough. It's smaller and MUCH easier to get around in than Syd/Melb, but we have great food and amazing fresh food markets, lovely beaches with warm water as well as being close to the Yorke Peninsula with some excellent camping (and you could nip down to Kangaroo Island to eat some delicious haloumi/pat some wallabies). p.s.s I am making this chia pudding to take in for brunch and am looking forward to it!
  • Charlotte
    I'm from Canberra but my mum and a lot of my friends live in Melbourne and I spend a lot of time there and would definitely suggest Melbourne over Sydney. It has such a fantastic food culture that I think you guys would love! This is so exciting! There are also some beautiful areas around the Melbourne area as well like the Dandenongs, but in the actual city there are so many amazing vegetarian/vegan places to eat like Veggie Bar and Yong green food in Fitzroy and Lentil as Anything is definitely an experience! I would also be interested in any workshops/talks you guys do and wouldn't mind travelling down for them! Yay! How exciting! Also this recipe looks great! Can't wait to try it! Good luck with everything!
  • I LOVE this idea of travelling!!!!I feel like packing my bags and going somewhere in the world too. I keep my fingers crossed for you guys!And the craziest ideas are always best <3
  • Mette
    What wonderful news that you're coming to Australia! As a Dane living in Melbourne it has been wonderful to be able to follow your blog, and to be able to introduce such acccesible vegetarian recipes into my everyday food routine. Heads up though - never ask Australians to choose between melbourne and Sydney, the rivalry is possibly worse than between Denmark and Sweden :-). As the other comments mention the food and art scene in Melbourne is fantastic, there are new initiatives bubbling up all time here. The food van revolution is exciting (I just saw a raw food van at a market on the weekend with a huge lineup) and there is a real appreciationof the wholefood approach emerging here. NZ Iis great too, buthave you conconsidered Tasmania? Closer to travel to from melbourne andtthefood there is amazing (because of the clean air and water). You'll have no problems filling workshops :-)
  • Hey There, I'm a big fan of your work, as well as a big fan of taking to the road. The opportunity to attend a food photography workshop with you guys would be amazing. I know other people that would also love to come along. Please let me know if you go ahead :)
  • Clare
    I'm from Brisbane and think you would love Melbourne. I spend a couple of months there each year and adore it. The food, the culture, the shopping... There is also a lot to see and do within a short drive from Melbs - the Great Ocean Road, Mornington Peninsula and the Yarra valley (wine, cheese & chocolatiers). Also flights from Melbourne to Sydney are not expensive - so you could do both!
  • madelief
    Great idea to go on a big trip Down Under - you'll definitely be able to recharge! My vote goes to Melbourne too. Sydney has got fantastic sparkle and buzz and I love it, but Melbourne has captured my heart just a tad more - the place has more soul. You'll need more time in NZ... Although it is nowhere near as big as Oz, you'll encounter so many places where you'll want to linger and unwind for 3 or 4 days. My two cents is: plan to drive 4 hours maximum each day, seriously, otherwise at the end of it you'll find you've been on a driving holiday where you would have preferred to soak up the scenery a bit more by being still in one place.
    • Totally agree with this. We've got 17 days in a camper van on the South Island at the moment and we could easily have doubled that time. There is so much to see and you need to to relax too, otherwise you'll be driving most days for most of the day! We loved Banks Peninsula, The Catlins and are really enjoying Wanaka currently.
  • Olivia C.
    I live in Auckland, New Zealand, and I can say that there are lots of people here who would love to have you do a workshop! The eating scene here is just starting to get interesting as well, so there are lots of places for you to visit. Some eateries/other things you should do in Auckland: -Mondays in Kingsland -- they do beautiful wholefoods-focussed meals, it is run by Eleanor of Petite Kitchen -Federal Delicatessen in the CBD -Kokako in Grey Lynn -- delicious vegetarian cafe food -Little Bird Unbakery in Kingsland and Ponsonby - raw food! -One Tree Hill and Cornwall Park -- really beautiful park in Auckland -Karangahape Road in Auckland Central (known as K' Road by the locals) -- lots of great independent stores and cafes -Wynyard Quarter and the Viaduct area -Devonport and Takapuna over on the North Shore -- catch a ferry, it's faster and much nicer -Waiheke Island and Rangitoto Island Tiritiri Matangi -- a nature reserve on an island that is 1 hour away by ferry. It's a great place to see what New Zealand nature is like If you'd like any more ideas about what to do in Auckland, send me an email! Also, as another commenter said, you should really go to the Coromandel Peninsula, there are some lovely beaches there. Another must-see is Raglan, which has great surf and a fantastic town.
    • Georgina
      I am from Wellington, New Zealand but have spent a bit of time in Auckland and agree with these suggestions completely! The lakes and surrounding bush up North are very beautiful as well if you want a change of scene from the sea. The South Island is very different to the North, I would make sure to spend time in both. Queenstown and Wanaka are stunning and there are lots of walks to explore the area. You will probably notice a change in cuisine as well which is always interesting. Also, I agree that New Zealanders would welcome a workshop with open arms! We look forward to having you x
  • birgit
    maybe you can meet jules from stonesoup ;) i think you should try to travel babies need there family around and on the road you are around with your kids and a camper van is really good look at them and their experiences http://wildflowersphotos.com/blog/ your children will have a very special childhood and they will love to tell about later on i love your blog and i hope to read of your traveltime all my best wishes birgit :)))
  • shelley
    I would LOVE IT if you guys did a workshop in New Zealand - especially Auckland :) Australia and New Zealand have some beautiful country to see x
  • Candice
    What a great recipe and what a fantastic idea to do an Aus/NZ trip. I'm sure you would all love it here and can honestly say that if you did a workshop while in NZ it would be a dream come true for me and many others!
  • Carmen
    Hi there, My heart skipped a beat when you mentioned the possibility of coming to New Zealand! You would love it here and I would love to support anything you choose to do in New Zealand regarding workshops, talks etc, and I'm sure many other Kiwis would too! Best regards.
  • I am in love with those colors!! What can be better than to start a day like this?! And the vidoe is as usual good! Have a nice time in your trip)
  • Julia
    what kind of nut butter were you using? - that looks absolutely delicious!
  • Luisa
    Melbourne is a great city for foodies …and they have the best coffee culture on this planet! Enjoy :-)
  • Julia
    I caught this video go up on Youtube last night and after watching it decided not to miss a beat in trying this recipe. I didn't have any fresh raspberries but I had frozen so I let a cup defrost in the refrigerator overnight then made the pudding in the morning topping it with dollops of almond butter, slices of banana and a sprinkle of cinnamon. I brought it in a mason jar to campus for lunch in between my classes and I am in love! The taste is amazing, like I'm eating dessert, and this recipe was so convenient and SO FILLING which is great for my long school days. Thank you, thank you, thank you for posting a new favorite :)
  • EP
    I spent 4 months in Australia and 1 month in New Zealand exactly a year ago, and I honestly think there's no better place for you to spend some family time :) I personally enjoyed the atmosphere in Melbourne much more than in Sydney. Melbourne is also close to South Australia and its beautiful wine areas, Adelaide, Great Ocean Road, Tasmania... Absolutely beautiful and so much to do. Although whatever you decide can't really go wrong, as the whole country has so much offer.
  • Johanna
    As a New Zealander living in Melbourne I would say you are picking the best city and country to visit! Melbourne is a wonderful 'European' city and you will have a ball. You have to 'see' Sydney for the sights but Melbourne is the place to stay! Please have a workshop as that would be brilliant! The South Island of NZ is one of the most spectacular places on earth. Put a little town called Te Anau on your list - the gateway to Fiordlamd and a beautiful spot. Safe travels.
  • Anna
    What a great adventure.Good timing also.. February is the best time to see NZ.I am living in Stockholm but come from Auckland NZ. A campervan is the best way to get around.You will probably be blown away the warmth and generosity of everyone.Not to mention the food!!!! If you need a contact in NZ, I can pass on my brother´s email. We have sent him all your recipes. You will love Kumara( a form of sweet potato) and be excited over the high quality of produce...coconut oils etc.Sure that you will find it hard to leave. All the best.
  • Lea
    Definitely Melbourne... much more of a community feel, more markets, more little independent cafés. Sydney feels more like a big 'business city'. In Melbourne there are so many things going on, so many food projects!
  • This is so, so beautiful, and has my favourite colours :) I am also so envious and inspired by how adventurous you two are as parents. A trip in New Zealand will be magical (I'm just picturing your gorgeous little family in the landscapes of Lord of the Rings), go for it!
  • Beautiful recipe and images. I'm slowly coming round to the idea of chia. I was force fed sago pudding by a mean grandma as a kid and it's left me scarred. I was going to suggest Perth! The West coast is so overlooked and the winery region in the south west of the state is magnificent! Second choice Melbourne!

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