"Julify" Me: Aztec Chia Pudding

 So, I have this friend named May Davies who pretty much speaks another language, and it totally cracks me up! (I love ya, May!) I like being with her just to get a good chuckle, which negates the notion that my children have about me not laughing enough (at least not at the things that they find humorous-- you know, bodily function humor is what makes them laugh. And I have been there and done that already. Plus my humor is really dry-- think Dr. Michael Dobbins-- ROFL!-- by the way, one reason that I use ZYTO Biofeedback in my practice is to avoid the bias with muscle testing that Dr. Dobbins talks about in this video!)

So about May… if she really likes something, she says, “I’m all over that like a fever!” And if she agrees with something or is tracking with you, instead of saying “Yeah” or “Uh-huh,” she quips, “Right on!” Well, May is a distributor for doTERRA essential oils, and because Aromatherapy is one of my areas of expertise in working with clients, we communicate back and forth quite a bit, especially on Facebook. One of my favorite things to do on Facebook is to take really yummy-looking yet unhealthy recipes and make them healthy. May affectionately refers to this action as “Julify.”

Another pastime I have is to take a complicated or time-consuming recipe and find a “lazy housewife” method to prepare it.  True to form with what my children call a demented sense of humor, I wrote a whole cookbook called The Lazy Housewife Cookbook for my friend Shanita after our families lived together for six months during 2012. During this time, Shanita and I shared cooking duties, and as we traded recipes, we were always coming up with ways to simplify the healthy, whole foods that we made for the 13 people living in our house (it was a wonderful experience and proof that co-habitation can work out peacefully-- miss you all so much!)  So, the joke between Shanita and I is that simple, time-saving recipes are "lazy"-- in reality, they are just plain ingenious!

It is really quite simple, I think, but when I talk to other people, it’s not so obvious to them, so I think it must be one of my gifts! I frequently share these ideas with my clients, in presentations, and through FREE eResources like my Healthy Alternatives Cookbook.   Whenever I share recipes through my blog or newsletter, the response is tremendous, so my brilliant friend Robin at LCBD suggested that I share these ideas on a more consistent basis (makes sense!!). So here goes:

Chia Pudding

Create a basic chia pudding first:

• 1/3 c. chia seeds
• 1 c. unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk-- I love coconut milk with this-- so rich and creamy!)
• 1 T. glycerin (I “Julified” this by substituting glycerin for maple syrup, which contains 53 g. of carbohydrates, while glycerin is ZERO glycemic!)
• 1 t. vanilla

Blend until smooth in blender for a true pudding, or mix by hand and let thicken for a tapioca-like pudding. YUM!!!

Variations:

• Mint or anise extract (in addition or in lieu of vanilla)
• Essential oils such as lemon, orange, peppermint (use only high quality therapeutic grade oils such as Young Living or doTERRA)
• Lemon or orange zest & a bit of juice to taste
• Chai Chia Pudding:
  • Add a dash of each of the following dry, ground spices to the basic pudding recipe:
    • Chili powder or cayenne
    • Cinnamon
    • Cardamom
    • Ginger
    • Cloves
    • Nutmeg
    • Anise extract
• Aztec Chia Pudding:
  
  • Add to basic pudding recipe:
    • 1-2 tsp. cocoa or carob powder
    • 1 tsp. cinnamon
    • Dash of cayenne

Blend until smooth in blender for a true pudding, or mix by hand and let thicken for a tapioca-like pudding. YUM!!!

Let me know what you think! I would love to get your feedback!

This is my new favorite thing to eat! We even had it for breakfast this morning, and the kids told me they were satisfied until lunchtime! Chia, or "salvia hispanica," is a superfood often referred to as “Aztec Gold” because of its use by Aztec warriors as their main source of fuel for physical strength and endurance during conquest. Cultivated in Mexico since the time of the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt, it is rich in protein and Omega 3 & 6, which are great for immunity, brain and nerve function, skin, hair, and heart-- to name a few.

Also, it is cheap to make at home-- under $2 per serving. Chia Pods at natural grocery stores run about $3.29 apiece for a 6 ounce container.  Available at The Crunchy Grocer in Loveland.

Check out my new Pinterest board for more “Julify Me” recipes!

L'chaim-- To Life!