Easiest Kumquat Marmalade and Chia Seed Pudding

Some days you need a sweet and healthy snack. Some days you need a sweet and healthy dessert. And then there are days when you need both. Towards the end of winter I was having a lot of 'both' kind of days. There was some definite 'sun-less sadness' eating 'happy foods' that happened.  Luckily chia pudding fills that need for me: protein packed, omega 3's and omega 6's and even some fiber! All crucial for beauty foods and the distant bikini season. And even better, it finally feels like spring outside. To round out the chia pudding,  I wanted marmalade. Specifically, kumquat marmalade.

So here's the thing with jams, jellies and marmalades: no one wants to fuss with pectin, multiple steps and shenanigans that keep you away from doing whatever productive thing you want to be doing. No one likes to obsessively watch kumquats marmalade themselves (to marmalade...making that a verb). Most of the recipes I came across required additional steps: taking seeds, boiling them, reserving the water (to get the pectin out naturally to thicken) or adding pectin from the store...and let's be real, I didn't want to do the extra step, so I winged it. And it worked. You do not need anything special to make this kumquat marmalade! 

As for the chia pudding? As my sister asked when I produced it for dessert this weekend: "Wait...chia like the stuff you put on a clay elephant for it to grow? As pudding?". Yes. Same chia. Basically thanks to the gelling properties it thickens like a tapioca. And as my Mom pointed out "Oh! Dalmatian pudding!". Yes, it looks like a jar of dessert dalmatian spots. Needless to say, they both ate it. And liked it. So seriously, just try it! I was also plying them with champagne but hey, they tried it!

Kumquat Marmalade

/// Ingredients ///

• 1 1/4 pints kumquats, sliced into rounds, seeds removed 
• 3/4 cup granulated white sugar
• 1 cup water

/// Directions /// Wash kumquats. Slice into rounds and sort through to pick out the seeds. Add to a medium pot on the stove. Add water and sugar. Stir ingredients to combine. Bring to a boil and stir. Reduce heat slightly and cook until kumquat slices are soft and the mixture has thickened. Allow to cool (it will thicken a bit as it cools). Store in a jar or tupperware in the fridge. 

Chia Pudding

/// Ingredients ///

• 1 Cup  Skim Milk
• 1 Cup 0% Greek Yogurt, plain
• 2 T Maple Syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 Cup Chia Seeds

/// Directions /// Whisk milk, yogurt, almond extract and maple syrup together in a bowl. Pour in chia and whisk. Let sit for 30 minutes. Whisk again and place in the fridge overnight...although honestly you can get away with maybe a 4 hour fridge time before eating! Top with marmalade.