< sweet way to wake up >

Happy Valentine's day, friends! I had these grand plans to make a special breakfast full of heart-shaped hand pies and and a creamy, pink smoothie for breakfast today, but our car started having problems and my sweetie had to take it in to the shop early before heading to school, so our morning plans were cut short. So I think the hand pies will have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, we had one of our favorite usual breakfasts: Chia seed pudding. And not just any chia seed pudding, but a creamy coconut pudding.

The texture is more like the coconut milk tapioca "pudding" I grew up eating. Or use less liquid, and it'll be more like American tapioca pudding. Yum, right? Adding coconut has it's health benefits, too. Coconuts are high in fiber, vitamins C, E, and a bunch of the B's, magnesium (which most Americans are deficient in), and phospherus. The coconut milk doesn't have the fiber, so topping it with coconut is not only nice for your palate, the rest of your body will thank you for it, too.

So go ahead and make some coconut chia pudding and eat dessert for breakfast and feel good knowing you're doing some good for your body.

Coconut Chia Seed pudding with fruit
serves 6-8
I know this is a really large portion. We always have a little left over for a snack later in the day. I used to make half of this, and my kids were always asking for more. So if it works better for you, by all means halve this recipe. And use the rest of the coconut milk in curry for dinner, maybe? Or a smoothie! Yum!

1 can coconut milk*
enough almond milk (or other milk you want to use) to make 5 cups of liquid in combination with the coconut milk
2/3 cups chia seeds
raw honey or pure maple syrup to taste
coconut flakes to sprinkle on top (optional)
chopped fruit*

*notes: for the coconut milk, make sure you buy coconut milk, not cream of coconut. And don't go light on this. The fat in coconut milk is mostly lauric acid, which "is converted in the body into a highly beneficial compound called monolaurin, an antiviral and antibacterial that destroys a wide variety of disease causing organisms." So feel good about the fat you're eating. I don't believe in low fat anyway.
And today I served it with strawberries in the shape of hearts, but usually we like to eat it with fresh pineapple or oranges. But really, I think most fruit would be good in this. Ripe peaches in the middle peach season! Can you imagine?

1. In a large container (I use a half-gallon mason jar, but you can easily do 2 quart sized jars), combine the coconut milk, almond milk, chia seeds, and sweetener. If using a jar, put the lid on the shake until well combined. If using a bowl, stir until well combined. For the first 20 minutes, you'll want to give it another shake or stir a few times until it's thickened enough for the seeds to be evenly distributed and suspended in the liquid. Otherwise, you'll have a huge, extra thick clump on the bottom and a thin liquid on top. Once the seeds are suspended, it's ready for the fridge. Stick it in the fridge overnight, or at least 4 hours. Serve with fresh fruit and coconut flakes (and an extra drizzle of honey if you like it extra sweet).