yummy chia pudding

It's Monday again, always (for us at least) a day spend getting back to our weekly rhythms and doing chores, which sadly allows no time for blogging. Luckily I already had the pictures ready for this post so I'm squeezing a little bit of computer time while Riggs should be napping (he's playing in his crib, such a lovely trick...not) to type up this post before getting back to work. 

And there's plenty of work, believe me. The coop is done and the girls have been moved into their new home (stayed tuned for a coop post coming soon) which is great, but also means I have lots of cleaning to do in the dog house and run that we had been using as a temporary coop. 

But anyway, back to today's post: pudding! I don't know about you, but I've always loved pudding, especially in fall and winter. There's just something so good about it. Smooth and creamy, or with a little texture (think tapioca) I pretty much love all pudding. Unless it has raisins, that is; no nasty raisins in my bread pudding, please. 

I found this recipe in the January/February 2013 issue of Natural Health Magazine, and finally got around to making it last week. It is soooo good. And it pairs well with just about any type of fruit you have lying around. And toddlers love it, or at least mine does. Such a healthy 'treat' to serve up for the whole family!

Here's the recipe:

Banana Coconut Chia Pudding

2 cups milk (I used whole but the recipe called for skim)

4 TBS whole chia seeds

1 medium banana, mashed

1/2 unsweetened shredded coconut (I'm sure sweetend would work just fine if that's what you have)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 TBS maple syrup (recipe called for agave, but here's why I don't use it. Agave is sweeter than other sugars though, so you might want a little more than 1 TBS if you like things a little sweeter. It was plenty sweet for us with just 1 TBS of maple syrup)

pinch of cinnamon

1. Place milk and chia seeds in a saucepan over medium heat and bring to a low simmer, stirring occasionally with a whisk. This took about 5 minutes for me.

2. In the mean time, mash the banana.

3. When the mixture begins to thicken (took about 2 extra minutes for me), whisk in remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4. Divide mixture into 4 small serving dishes and cool in refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.

5. Garnish with berries and serve. Yum!