This is one of the best breakfasts I’ve made in a while. I say that all the time because I make something that upends the last amazing breakfast that I ate. The struggle, as they say, is real.

Originally this was supposed to be a tapioca pudding jar but I forgot to buy tapioca pearls at the grocery store. So I improvised and made overnight chia pudding. I also made a mango nectarine smoothie in the morning to fill up the rest of the jar. I like the combination of textures. The pudding is thicker and more substantial and the smoothie is light and sweet.

One word to the wise about making chia pudding: Use coconut milk if you can. I usually use almond milk because that’s what I have on hand, but yesterday night I followed a new recipe and used coconut milk and it was SO much better.

When I make overnight chia oats with almond milk, the mixture can be runny in the morning and I need to stir it to distribute the seeds. When I used coconut milk, that didn’t happen. I even used the reduced fat coconut milk and the resulting mixture was still thick and pudding-esque. So yeah. Ditch the almond milk.

I topped the jar with some ginger cashew granola and shredded coconut but feel free to get creative. I think kiwi slices and berries would also work well.

In other news, TLC just dropped another track and I’ve been jamming out to it at my desk. It samples Bobby Hebb’s “Sunny,” and Earth Wind & Fire’s “September,” as an homage to simpler times. It also features uplifting lines such as “don’t be tripping all over your fears/because the good comes out of the bad.” It’s hard for me to believe this in light of Trump signaling the destruction of our planet, but it’s reassuring nonetheless.

Also, I already got mushy about this on Instagram but I’ll share the story here, too. I was running in Forest Park yesterday and I went past a flower that I took a picture of the other day. It was already gone. It made me realize that we should appreciate the things we have while we have them. Just a thought.

Mango Nectarine Smoothie Jar with Chia Pudding (from me, to you)

Ingredients

for the overnight chia pudding:

1 cup reduced fat coconut milk
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 cup maple syrup

for the mango nectarine smoothie:

1/2 cup almond milk
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1/4 cup frozen mango cubes
1 nectarine Siggi’s yogurt
1 banana
granola, fresh mango cubes, and shredded coconut for layering

Directions

Make the chia pudding the night before. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

In the morning, make the smoothie. Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix on high until smooth.

To make the jar, sprinkle some granola at the bottom of a mason jar. Pour in the smoothie until it comes up halfway. Sprinkle in some fresh mango cubes. Spoon the chia pudding on top and then top that with more granola, fresh mango cubes, and shredded coconut. Enjoy!