I don't know about you guys, but this extra-long holiday weekend really wore me out! It took me a little bit longer than usual to get back into the swing of things, but I couldn't resist sharing my friend Kenzie of Cave Girl in the City's newest book with you! Weeknight Cooking for Two is full of delicious, perfectly-portioned meals that come together in 30 minutes or less--perfect for weeknights, especially ones like these right after a holiday.

I can't wait to dig into this chocolate-chia seed pudding (I love that you can make it ahead of time and that it doesn't require any cooking! Win-win.) Check out the recipe below, and make sure to scroll all the way to the bottom of this post for a chance to win your own copy of the book! It's available now for pre-order and releases on July 18th. Congrats, Kenzie!

Chocolate-Chia Seed Pudding from Weeknight Cooking for Two

Ingredients: 

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 cups almond milk
• sea salt
• 1/4 cup blueberries
• Optional: 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the cocoa powder, chia seeds, maple syrup, and almond milk. Add a pinch of sea salt and whisk until well combined and the cocoa powder has dissolved.
2. Divide the pudding into two jars, cover, and place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or until the pudding reaches desired consistency.
3. Top with blueberries and serve.

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Happy Friday! I got such good feedback on last week's stocking stuffer gift guide that I decided to put together another one, this time for the Megan in your life (i.e. homebodies and the hygge obsessed). Everything in this gift guide is soft, relatively neutral in color and style, and perfect for cozying up with a hot beverage to watch Love Actually.

I'm also giving away some Rewined Candles this week--if you haven't heard of Rewined, they are a company that's local to Charleston and they make some of the most incredible candles--I first discovered them this summer when I was walking around the City Market with Rob. They were kind enough to supply us with candles for our La Crema event last month, and now they're offering up a candle to three lucky Freckled Italian readers! (Scroll all the way down to enter.)

But first, the gift guide (you can click the images to go to the product page, but I talk a bit about each one below, as well):

• I love the look of these blankets! We have a big faux fur comforter on our bed and I'm obsessed with it. So is Ender--he goes upstairs every night way before bed time and naps on it by himself. We call it his "alone time."
• I would wear these slippers around the house every single day. 
• How great does this scarf look? I'm a big fan of plaid accessories on an otherwise neutral outfit, and I love a blanket scarf.
• Just some good old-fashioned thick socks. It's a cliché Christmas gift for a reason!
• Really feeling this poncho sweater, and for $40? Not bad at all.
• Okay, I know $100 is a lot for a hat, but look at this one! It's cashmere and I bet it doesn't itch your forehead at all. I wear hats so frequently that I know I'd definitely get my money's worth.

That's all for now! And, as promised, the giveaway--there are quite a few ways to enter, so pick one or go for them all! I'm so excited to send three of you one of my very favorite (cozy!) candles soon. Thank you, Rewined!

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Candle photo credit: Olivia Rae Photography

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Hello and happy Friday from California! I landed in San Francisco last night and Rob and I grabbed some dinner before heading to our hotel and watching some Olympic swimming before bed. Today I'm visiting Rob's office and then we have a bunch of apartments to look at later this afternoon! Our next few days are pretty busy but then we'll have plenty of time to relax and explore and catch up with some of our friends and family out here.

This week is the last round of my cookbook giveaway, so if you haven't entered yet but want to win a signed copy of my book, go for it! It's been so fun showing you little sneak peeks into the book and I'm so excited to be sending four of you signed copies very soon. I can't thank you enough for all your support as I've been promoting the book. Pre-sale ends on August 16 and it'll be in stores! It's just mind blowing and I'm so excited about everything.

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