A Chiarrific Memorial Day!

Memorial Day is almost here — can you believe it? As the unofficial kick-off of summer, we tend to overindulge on summery classics that aren’t the healthiest for us (hot dogs and ketchup anyone?). We wanted to share some of festive classics with a slightly healthier (and chiarrific!) twist, all while still staying true to the red, white and blue!

Cheesecake Filled Strawberries With Chia

Ingredients:

• 24 large, fresh organic strawberries
• 1 (8oz) package organic cream cheese, room temperature or softened slightly
• ½ cup organic powdered sugar
• 1 tsp organic vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp organic white chia seeds
• ½ cup fresh blueberries

Preparation:

1. Wash your strawberries, then cut the stems from the strawberries, so the strawberries can sit cut-side down.
2. On the opposite side of the strawberrry, cut an”X” from the tip down, being careful not to cut all the way through.
3. Mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and lemon juice in a bowl until soft and fluffy.
4. Gently open up each strawberry and pipe the filling inside using a pastry bag or plastic sandwich bag with a star piping tip.
5. Sprinkle with chia seeds and top with a blueberry. These are best served after the strawberries have been chilled for at least an hour.

Dressed Up Deviled Eggs With Chia

Ingredients:

• 12 organic, cage free eggs
• 1/3 cup organic Greek yogurt
• 1 Tbsp organic mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp organic Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 Tbsp organic black chia seeds
• 2 tsp organic vinegar
• 2 cups boiling water
• 1 tsp natural, plant-based red food coloring of choice
• 1 tsp natural, plant-based blue food coloring of choice

Preparation:

1. Place eggs in a large saucepan. Cover them with cool water by 1 inch. Slowly bring water to a boil over medium heat; when the water has reached a boil, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 12 minutes.
2. Drain eggs and place back in saucepan.  Make an ice bath and let sit for 15 minutes.  This will allow the eggs to easily peel.
3. Peel and cut your hard boiled eggs (make sure they are cooled down), placing yoke in a bowl.
4. For the red dye, combine 1 cup boiling water with 1 tsp. vinegar and 1 tsp. red dye in a medium bowl. For the blue dye, combine 1 cup boiling water with 1 tsp. vinegar and 1 tsp. blue dye in another medium bowl.
5. Place 4 eggs in the red dye bowl, and another 4 eggs in the blue dye bowl. Let sit for 10 minutes, remove and then pat dry. We recommend repeating this step to ensure brightly colored, vibrant eggs.
6. In a separate mixing bowl, mix together egg yolks, Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, and salt. Scoop into eggs, or pipe them using a pastry bag or zip-top bag with a piping tip
7. Sprinkle with chia seeds and paprika (if desired). Enjoy!

Red, White and Blue Sangria With Chia

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup organic turbinado sugar
• 2 cups organic blueberries, divided
• 1 cup loosely cut organic strawberries
• 1 bottle (750 ml) rosé
• 1/2 cup bourbon
• 2 Tbsp. Grand Marnier
• 1/3 cup Blackberry Hibiscus Vitality Beverage
• 3 cups sliced fruit: we used peaches, lemon, and strawberries

Preparation:

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup turbinado sugar with 1/3 cup hot water to create a simple syrup.
2. Pour simple syrup into blender, add 1 cup blueberries and blend until smooth. Pour mixture directly into pitcher (option to strain out solids to extract as much liquid as possible before pouring into pitcher).
3. Pour the remaining blueberries into the pitcher, along with the cut strawberries. Then add the bottle of rosé, bourbon, Grand Marnier, Blackberry Hibiscus and sliced fruit.
4. Stir and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!