THE SLUG , THE FIG & THE EGG

THE RECIPE: Chia Pudding with Figs, Tahini & Nuts

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

• 3/4 Cup unsweetened nut milk of your choice (I grab my current favorite at Whole Foods or use homemade cashew milk.)
• 3 tablespoons whole chia seeds 
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 fresh figs (Find these at your local farmers market or any grocer that stocks in-season fruits and veggies. These babies are only around briefly in early June and again in late summer/early fall. Get 'em while you can!)  
• 1/2 tablespoon tahini
• 1 tablespoon chopped raw or dry-roasted unsalted nuts. I used raw shelled pistachios and a brazil nut this time. (I shop the bulk bins at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's for most of my nuts.)
• NOTE: Unfamiliar with any of the above ingredients? Check out the Misfit Wellness Superfood Glossary

OPTIONAL ADDS:  

• 1/2 tablespoon mesquite powder for a lightly sweet, malty, low-glycemic sweetener OR 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
• 2 Tablespoons collagen peptides to add a protein kick!

DIRECTIONS:

1. First blend the nut milk, vanilla and any optional adds in your blender until fully combined.
2. Next pour in chia seeds, cover and blend on low for a few minutes until the chia seeds have absorbed much of the liquid.
3. Transfer mixture to a jar or bowl and let sit for about 20 minutes until thick and goopy. You can always make the night before too, I prefer to do so because it makes the morning routine quicker!
4. Wash and slice your figs, chop your nuts and break out that tahini. If you don't have tahini, almond butter is an excellent substitute.
5. Top your chia pudding with your fruit and nuts, and a little drizzle of honey if you want to get crazy (watch out, the combination of tahini and honey is seriously addictive).

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THE BACKSTORY

My love/hate relationship with food began in my native Ireland, where I was often found discovering the world through my sense of taste as early as the age of 2. Among the favorite stories are the time I crept into my grandmothers fridge to steal a raw egg to nosh on, that day I was caught eating a live slug and refused to spit it out, and of course the afternoon I went to war with a basket of figs at my father's fruit and vegetable shop. There's a photo of that one. Despite the sticky fig face mask being evidence to the contrary, naturally I won that battle. Unfortunately it was the last food battle I would win for a long time.  

Somewhere between being weighed in front of my 4th grade class (I weighed more than my teacher by age 10), and getting moo’d at in 5th grade math, I learned to be ashamed of my body AND my love of those warm Otis Spunkmeyer cookies they served in the cafeteria (crack, am I right?!). I was a chubby little girl who had yet to experience all the wonderful things her body could do, save for run up a flight of stairs quickly in an effort to conceal the bag of candy I was bringing to my room to closet eat. I didn't know it could grow strong and stand proud, that it could carry me around the world or make love, but I suddenly believed all that mattered was what it couldn't do: fit into my best friend's cute pink jean skirt or do a jumping jack without wheezing.

5th grade marked a fork in the road for me, no pun intended. I sometimes think about what my life would have been like if I hadn't allowed my body image to be defined for me instead of by me. If I had chosen a path full of self love and acceptance instead of one where I deprived myself of that basic nourishment.

I can't rewrite my own history, but I can help other people create healthier futures for themselves by teaching them to be a little smarter with their forks, their bodies and their hearts than I was with mine. And so, Misfit Wellness is born.