Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

I know, I know, the photo looks truly revolting but I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't terrible! Chia seeds are the hot trendy food item that so many people are talking about. They're high in fiber and good fats and nutrients... blah, blah. When I saw this Pin I was intrigued.

Here is the original Pin:

Chia Seed Chocolate Pudding

All you do is mix up the chia seeds with some kind of milk (I used vanilla soy), chocolate, vanilla and sweetener (I used agave). Getting it to come together really does take awhile and you do have to let it sit before you eat it so the chia seeds can absorb the liquid. When it was ready, I brought it to my husband and daughter to try. They really liked it. It's certainly no replacement for a Snickers bar but its a nice little chocolate doodad that you don't have to save as a sometimes food.

Unappetizing to say the least

It was very simple to make and the variations are almost limitless.  You could use soy milk like I did or rice, almond, coconut, goat, cow... whatever suits your dietary restrictions, tastebuds and contents of your fridge. Also, any sweetener works, honey, maple syrup, stevia I guess.  I try and stay away from any non-nutritive sweeteners... I don't trust them.

Put it all together and mix, mix, mix... mix, mix some more, mix again... then wait 20 minutes or put it in the fridge over night.

Still looks completely awful

Surprisingly to me, Nugget (my daughter) and even more surprisingly my husband, seemed to like it.  The hubs in particular thought it was pretty novel as well as tasty.

Nugget enjoys her chia seeds.  Who'da thunk?

This recipe was oddly successful; terrible to look at, decently tasty to eat.  That said, the texture is very weird.  When you eat it, it's hard to forget that you're eating seeds.  They sort of pop in your mouth as you chew your "pudding."  Also, it is incredibly not sweet.  You could certainly add more sweetener, but that would sort of defeat the point of it being a healthy recipe.

Cost: Chia seeds aren't cheap.  The bag I got from Whole Foods was $20. Of course at 2 tbsp of seeds per serving, it would last you a long time.

Prep & Execution.  It takes next to no time to make.  Dump ingredients in a bowl and mix.  The time comes in the waiting for it to settle up.

Difficulty: Very easy.

Aesthetic Appeal: Possibly the most disgusting looking thing I've ever consumed.

Life Enhancement: More than you would expect.  It's a sweet(ish) treat (kind of) that is not only not terrible for you, but actually very good for you.  It's also good for those on dairy or gluten free diets or are vegetarian or vegan.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

After several months of using Pinterest, I decided I should try some of the projects I found.  Some turned out well (cauliflower pizza crust, black bean cookies... shockingly) while other didn't work out nearly as well (using paper reinforcement stickers for french manicures).  So, I decided to start a blog all about the many wonderful creations that can be found on Pinterest.  I like to cook and I have a daughter that is just now starting to be the age where we can start to do fun projects. I just think that many of the projects are cumbersome and time intensive without really getting a satisfying product. So with this blog I endeavor to try many things... mostly recipes, kids projects, make-up, home decor to show you... my hopeful and future readers what is worth doing and what's not.  So here goes...

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream

Here is the original link:

http://userealbutter.com/2010/08/12/single-ingredient-ice-cream-recipe/

                                   Here is their picture: lovely and smooth and delicious.

                                Here is my picture, lovely, smooth, delicious and nearly gone.

I followed the recipe to the letter, haha, no I didn't.  I completely eyeballed it.  I love recipes that you can do that with.  I had about a banana and a half in the freezer.  They were whole so I sliced them a bit.  You put them in the food processor, diced 'em up, add a couple spoons of peanut butter then a couple spoons of chocolate.  Mix it up, boom, you're done.  I would imagine adding anything would be pretty easy... other nut butters, other frozen fruit.  I bet berries would be good.

This is my daughter.  For these purposes, I'll just call her Nugget.  She had just woken up from a nap right after I made this.  I guess that could have something to do with a food processor being used on the other side of her wall.  The pictures really do say it all.
1. Yum.
2. Yum!
3. I want more of this.
4. I'm sad it's all gone.

Overall I would give this Pin a very high score.  I've decided that with all of these posts I would try and add some useful information, so here it is:
Cost: Negligible. Most everyone has bananas they don't get to, so chop them up and put them in the freezer.  Peanut Butter... usually around in most homes.  I suppose you might have to buy powdered chocolate.  I bet a pouch of instant hot chocolate would be just as good.
Prep and Execution time: The only prep time you need is the forethought to put bananas in the freezer.
Taste: Pretty good.  It's no Ben and Jerry's but I bet it's a lot better for you.  A somewhat healthier way to get a chocolate and peanut butter fix than Reese's.
Difficulty: Nada.  If you're not afraid of an electricity outlet and pressing a button, you should be fine.
Aesthetic Appeal: It's not much to look at but in a larger batch it certainly wouldn't embarrass you in front of friends.
Life Enhancement: I think it's a neat little recipe to have under your belt.  Quick, no real measuring and great for vegans and many people with allergies... except for peanuts, obviously.
Overall: Easy, tasty, every day food.