My love affair with Chia Seed Pudding

Vanilla Chia Seed Pudding OMG NOMNOMNOM!

So this was actually my first time consuming chia seeds ever! I ordered a three pound bag from Amazon (I was pretty excited!). I could hardly contain myself as I waited for my package to get delivered. Finally, the chia seeds arrived...I opened up the bag...and...."Ewwwww". They don't smell overly appetizing! I began to feel skeptical as to whether or not chia seeds could become a staple of my diet. Never the less, I carried on and gathered all of my ingredients. 

1. 1 Cup Unsweetened Almond Milk, Vanilla
2. 1 container Plain (I used Vanilla) cultured coconut yogurt
3. 2 tbs maple syrup
4. 1 tsp vanilla
5. 1/8 tsp salt
6. 1/4 chia seeds

I followed the directions and whisked the almond milk and yogurt together, creating a very watery texture. Immediately following I whisked in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt until it was well mixed. Now to add the chia seeds and wait...a whole 30 minutes, and whisk every once in awhile. So while I waited, I did some research on chia seeds. I found that chia seeds are capable of absorbing up to FOUR TIMES their weight in liquid, ultimately forming into a gel-like substance that is supposed to slow down the rate at which your body processes carbohydrates into sugar.

After waiting the 30 minutes, I did one final stir to make sure all the seeds were evenly distributed in the mixture, then poured it into a glass Pyrex container to put in the fridge overnight for the chia seeds to make their final transformation into that gel-like substance.

When I woke up, my husband Jon was in a hurry to get out of the house for his first class of the day, and my son Liam was running around the house saying, "Nommies, Nom Nom Mommy!". I got some banana, strawberry, and blueberries to top the pudding, and served. I looked at the end product and though, "alright, down the hatch"... IT WAS AMAZING! I enjoyed every last bite! I can only describe it as a tapioca-like oatmeal or pudding. The fruit complimented the pudding so well. I think next time I am going to skip the maple syrup to further reduce the sugar in this dish, as we thought it was a tad too sweet for my families needs. But over all, I am absolutely IN LOVE with chia seeds, and cannot wait to try out some new flavored chia seed pudding! I am particularly interested in trying the pumpkin chia seed pudding and the cacao powder chia seed pudding! Yummy! Please, comment on any amazing recipes you have come across, or any questions you have about this chia seed recipe I found courtesy of Pinterest and http://www.simplyhappenstance.com/vanilla-chia-seed-pudding/. That's all from me for now! Happy healthy addictions!