Some of your comments on yesterday’s post about taking advantage of silence made me laugh out loud.

For one, you guys are actually hilarious. But also, I got the sense that some of you thought I was in.sane. I said that I strangely enjoyed silence in the car while sitting in traffic, but I should have mentioned that I definitely do still listen to the music in the car— for a majority of the time actually. I just try to devote some time to silence.

My attention span is only slightly longer than that of Dug from Up.

[source]

Moving on from that matter…

I am quite surprised with myself, because I’m actually crossing a decent number of items off my summer bucket list! If I can get 50% of it done, I will feel like a champion. If I get 90% done, I will call it a miracle. If I get 100% done, I’m lying.

One of my list items was to make at least two new recipes. I made energy balls last week, and this week I have pudding for YOU. Pudding made out of chia seeds.

Salba Chia was kind enough to send me a bag of their whole chia seeds to try. They call their chia seeds “smarter than your average chia.” I thought a chia was a chia, but apparently not! What makes Salba seeds smarter compared to others?

• higher in omega-3s
• higher in protein
• consistent color that makes recipes more aesthetically appealing
• non-GMO project verified
• standardized and nutritionally consistent

Alas, these chia seeds do not necessarily make you smarter. Nevertheless, they are little  powerhouses!

Y’all might have seen how I love chia seeds in my hot oatmeal, overnight oats, yogurt bowls, and smoothies. But I thought it was time to step out of my box and try chia pudding.

I was very skeptical of chia seed pudding for a long time, because: a) pudding recipes can turn out weird; b) chia seeds are a little creepy if you just look at them; c) will it really taste good?

a) This is easy. I mean, I made it, so you know it’s dummy proof.

b) The neutral color of Salba chia helps a little.

c) It most certainly can taste fabulous! And this one does, if I do say so myself.

You can eat this pudding straight up, in a parfait with some Greek yogurt and granola, on top of ice cream, with more fresh mango and banana, or with a couple peanut butter cookies like I did (as inspired by Kylie’s recipe).

Whichever way you enjoy this, make sure you share it with others and tell them how this luscious pudding required classic French techniques. Then smirk on the inside because it actually took about 10% effort. Then tell them the truth because honesty is the best policy.

Mango Banana Chia Pudding

• 1 cup milk*
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. chia seeds
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• half of a very ripe medium banana, sliced
• half of a ripe medium mango, roughly chopped
• 5 small or 3 large dates, pitted and roughly chopped

* I used 1% milk, but unsweetened nut milk or even light coconut milk would work!

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl.

 

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours (overnight is best!).

After refrigerating, the mixture will be very thick and gelatinous (It passes the upside-down DQ Blizzard test.) Pour mixture into a blender or food processor and blend. You may have to add a splash of milk to get things going.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Feel fancy.

Honesty is the best policy: Salba Chia sent me their seeds to try for free. All content and opinions are all my own.

Wishing you all a kick-butt day!

So tell me:

Have you ever tried chia seed pudding before?

What are your favorite ways to use chia seeds?

What is your favorite easy dessert recipe? Amanda’s banana bread mug cake forever.