PEACH CHIA SEED PUDDING

Unless you’re living under a rock, you have heard of Chia Seeds by now.

It’s one of my favorite seeds to use for healthy meals. It is so full of nutrients too! Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, grown in Mexico dating back to Mayan and Aztec cultures. “Chia” means strength, and folklore has it that these cultures used the tiny black and white seeds as an energy booster. That makes sense, as chia seeds are a concentrated food containing healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium.

Here is a delicious chia seed pudding recipe that will have you asking for more:

Ingredients

• 2 cups coconut milk or milk of choice
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1 tbsp. maple syrup, honey or sweetener of choice
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 peach

Instructions

1.  In a bowl, add milk, chia seeds, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Whisk together. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
   Divide the chia pudding between four bowls and layer with chopped peaches.
   The chia pudding will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

Calories per 2/3 cups: 143, Fat: 10, Cholesterol: 0, Sodium: 75, Potassium: 10, Carbs: 5, Fiber: 9, Sugar: 3, Protein: 5

Have a happy day!

xo,

Karina

Kafta Recipe

My sister and I got to enjoy so many traditional foods in Brazil while visiting over the Summer! We will be bringing our favorite recipes to this blog each week. Starting today with Kafta!

Kafta is a simple yet delicious traditional barbecue. You can find it at any street corner BBQ cart or restaurant. Our grandma is a great cook and growing up she always made it for us and we LOVED it!

Kafta Portion size: 16 skewers

• 1 pound of ground beef
• 1 pound of ground Italian sausage
• 1/4 of an onion
• 1 tablespoon of garlic
• 1 egg
• 5 tablespoons of flax seeds or bread crumbs
• Cilantro (a handful)
• Oregano, salt, & any other meat seasoning.

Instructions: Chop onions and cilantro (only the leaves, pick them from the stems and throw stems out) and add them to the bowl along with the garlic. Add a pinch of all of the seasonings. Add meats and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well! If should feel sticky! Soak your wood skewers in warm water for 15-30 minutes so they don’t burn on the grill. Shape the meat on to the skewer and put them on the grill until they are browned on both sides.

Enjoy with whatever sides you would like!

Enjoy!

When I first met him...

This short story is taken from my self-published dating book... I've decided to add parts of the book to my blog so that you'll get to enjoy reading all my fun stories!

The story below is how I first met my husband, my soulmate, and my forever...

The gym: My therapy! My happy place! I remember going to the gym 6 days a week. I was committed to being my best self. I didn’t want guys to come after me for my looks, but I did want to feel good on the inside and outside. That’s where I met the love of my life! I remember it was the end of 2014 when I decided to create a fitness Instagram account. I wanted to inspire others! I wanted to show them what I was doing at the gym. I wanted to show them my meals and share inspirational quotes. Meeting a guy at the gym has always felt weird to me, and somehow it happened multiple times during my dating years.

Daniel was different though… I knew I liked him from the moment I laid eyes on him. We followed each other’s Instagram account and would show support by liking and occasionally commenting. We were both dating other people. Daniel was always in the back of my mind. I wasn’t playing hard to get. I think I just wasn’t fully ready to be in a relationship. I could honestly tell that he was relationship material and that scared the shit out of me back then!

We went back and forth for a little while. We would flirt but it would stop there. Finally, he asked me out. I was busy. He tried again. I still feel bad to this day, no I wasn’t playing hard to get. Daniel just fit the stereotypical “gym bro” and I had dated plenty of those guys and quite honestly it was exhausting.

So, you could say that we just continued to support each other in the #fitfam World. Now fast forward to 2016, he texted me. That was a nice little surprise! I had forgotten he had my phone number. I told him I was busy due to the holidays and that we should go out soon. He agreed. We eventually got together. I remember that it was the first or second week of January. It was cold outside, and he wanted me to come over because he was planning on cooking for me.

I show up to his place and I’m lost in his apartment complex. I called him he told me to wait and He would come to find me. It was freezing outside. From the distance, I hear my name being called: Karina! Karina? And I finally see him walking towards me. He is holding a blanket and comes in and gives me the biggest hug. He wraps me around his blanket and I follow him to his place (come to think of, that was our Cat Lyla’s blanket… ha!).

I’m pretty sure there were fireworks going off in my head!  He then shows me what he is making. A delicious salmon with fresh veggies. We stood in his kitchen and talked, laughed, and sang for hours. Talked about Brazil. How we were into the same musicians, and our upbringings. He was respectful, he had all the qualities I was looking for and the best of all: He and I were passionate about the same exact things!

This was a huge plus! I kept thinking to myself: Why did I wait so long for this? Then this little voice in my head would tell me: You weren’t ready!

more on this story soon...

Then she bawled her eyes out... But it was okay!

A few nights ago I found myself laying in my boyfriend's bed bawling my eyes out... Unfortunately, no matter how many times I wiped my tears away, they just kept rolling down my face.  Daniel is such a kind-hearted soul. Instead of asking me to stop crying or what the hell was going on. He just laid there with me. Squeezing me tightly, telling me how beautiful I was, and how much he loves me. He would run his fingers through my hair slowly and look me in the eyes, while I just sat there quietly wiping the tears off my face. It had been a while since I had a good crying session. You see, I'm the type of person that lets all my emotions build up until I can't take it anymore. I know, I know. It's not good for me... Although my transparency on this blog/Instagram is pretty raw-honest-lay it all out on the table; There are parts of my past that I chose not to share. Unfortunately, those parts of my past sometimes are what keeps me from moving forward. Life really is what you make of it. The Universe throws challenges your way; It's how you respond to it, How you choose to move forward that makes you stand out from everyone else. We all have different ways of handling situations and if you think about it, it is just part of being humans. So what if I have been recently cursed with 7 years of bad luck? Job-Cars-Lost Phone-Money... (shouldn't have shattered my mirror) Am I going to sit here and make you all feel bad for me? NOPE! I refuse to wallow in my own self-pity. Instead, I'm making a list of things in life that I do have that bring me joy: I'm healthy. I have a roof under my head. I have the most beautiful and energetic children that keep me on my toes. I have the best family anyone could ask for! My mom/Sister are mt best friends! I have the most loving, thoughtful boyfriend that makes me count my lucky stars daily. I'm almost done with College! I will soon be able to enter my dream Career. On a beautiful Tuesday Daniel and I decided to go on a hike to Bells Canyon. The initial part of the hike was Hell! It was steep, and our heart rate was off the charts. After taking a few breaks I wanted to keep going up. He reassured me that we were so close and that it wouldn't be uphill like the beginning of this hike was. Daniel was my personal tour guide. He could do this hike with his eyes closed. He knew where each hill, flat areas, rocky areas, shaded areas, were. It was a great push and reassurance I needed to make it through this hike. So there I was, admiring the beautiful view... Taking it all in. Listening quietly to nature sounds. This hike was everything I needed after the cry session I had earlier in the week... My soul was shinning again. I was letting everything go. I kept thanking nature along the way for bringing me peace to my soul. As we reached the Waterfall, I took a deep breath and looked at Daniel with a huge smile on my face. Serendipity! Oh! and If you are wondering how I lost my phone. Just close your eyes and picture the following sentence: We both went on this magical adventure up a mountain. Upon reaching our destination (waterfall) my phone sacrificed itself to the Nature Gods. Leaving me phone less for a week.   A FULL WEEK! But guess what? this girl survived. It wasn't the end of the World. I made it work. I wasn't attached to my phone for a week. It was amazing. Unplugging is one of the best advice I can give you. What an adventure you guys! xoxo, One well-rested Nina

"Because of you I didn't give up"

I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me and say: "Because of you I didn't give up" 

I recently changed hair colors. 

If you know me, then you would know that it fits my personality. I was once told that I shouldn't have dance parties at the gym by myself, that I shouldn't be so positive, that shouldn't just wear bright clothes, and finally that I shouldn't change my hair. 

I said to this person: Excuse me? I am ME! 

The crazy, silly, full of fun, and upbeat personality me. 

Don't ever try to change who you are to impress someone. Dream big my friends!