Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!

You may have heard of chia seeds--more than likely from those commercials on television in which you can order a terra cotta head of Elvis along with a packet of tiny chia seeds and after planting and watering, voila! Elvis with a hairy head. Fun, right?

Even more fun is eating those little gray/black seeds. According to the always infallible Wikipedia:

Chia seed may be eaten raw as a whole seed and is an excellent source of omega-3 and dietary fiber (both insoluble and soluble).[citation needed] Ground chia seed is sometimes added to pinole, a coarse flour made from toasted maize kernels. Chia seeds placed in water or fruit juice are consumed in Mexico and known as chia fresca. The soaked seeds are gelatinous in texture and are used in gruels, porridges and puddings. Ground chia seed is used in baked goods including breads, cakes and biscuits. Chia sprouts are used in a similar manner as alfalfa sprouts in salads, sandwiches and other dishes. 

And some more info before we get to the fun part: http://www.rawreform.com/content/view/345/127/ This is the Chia Cheat Sheet by Angela Stokes of RawReform. Quite a nifty page.

Now onto the yumminess!

I've been eating a bowl of chia pudding nearly every morning for the last week. I was skeptical at first, but quickly became a fan! Even Dyno  Dad likes it (although he did say 'yuck' when he first saw it in his bowl).

Everything you need to make breakfast!

Almond milk, cinnamon, dates, pecans and chia seeds.

 Breakfast Chia Pudding:

1/3 cup pecans (or any nut) soaked overnight

2-3 pitted Medjool dates, soaked overnight

3/4 cup almond milk (or water)

2 Tbl chia seeds

cinnamon to taste

1. in the morning, pour water off pecans and dates.

2. Blend dates and pecans with almond milk, adding as much cinnamon as you like.

3.Pour over seeds and stir. Wait a few minutes, then stir again.

4. Continue to stir and wait until pudding is as thick as you like it.

5.  Eat!

This pudding is fulling, yet light. It's kind of an odd feeling in your stomach. K eats a spooonfull of chia seeds with a glass of water for a quick breakfast most mornings. As the seeds absorb water 10-12 times their size, it makes for a full tummy.

So, who's going to try chia pudding?  Chia seeds can be found in grocery or health food stores. I used Bob's Red Mill Chia seeds.

I'm a DIY kind of gal

Image by NourishingCook via Flickr

Yup. Been missing in action. Did ya miss me? Didnt think so. It's gotten pretty crazy around here in the kitchen. First off, Dyno Dad scored a promotion--Yay for DD! So we are finally leaving The 'Burg!  I think we all have mixed feelings about that, as the new job is in Chicago. Yep. North to Alaska--ok, not really, but I think it's gonna feel like Alaska this winter.....

I've been having fun in the kitchen with my new cookbook Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, a b-day gift from my big sis.  I've been experiementing with lacto-fermented foods. Most people's experience with fermented food is has been limited to saurkraut.  Therre's a whole world beyond simply saurkraut. Not to mention that thse types of foods are insanely good for your gut.  So I've made Fermented Bean Paste (called Bean Dip for obvious reasons), and after three days on the counter K and I tried it---tasty! Garlicky and made us wish for a bag of tortilla chips. Mmmm.  Due to be transferred tot he top shelf of the fridge are two pints of Garlic Carrots.

I also made cream cheese! I am serious, people. All it took was to drain a carton of plain yogurt in a cloth lined colander until all the whey dripped out.  Ta Da!   Cream cheese identical in taste to the stuff in the box, I kid you not. It's just a little softer than  the commercial stuff. Guess who won't be buying cream cheese in a box any more?

I'm a DIY Girl.

Favorite Breakfast

Once in awhile, not as often as they would like, Mighty Mom makes cinnamon muffins. They usually last about five minutes.

Cinnamon Muffins

1 1/2 cups of flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

1/3 butter or margarine, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup butter, melted

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add milk, egg, and 1/3 cup melted butter. MIx well. Fill greased muffin cups (or line with muffin papers) 2/3 full and bake at 400* for 20 minutes. Remove from tins while still hot. Dip in melted butter, then in mixture of cinnamon and sugar. Makes 12 muffins.

from Not Just Beans by Tawra Jean Kellam

Yum!

Would you care to try one?