Happy Avocado Month

Healthy Avocados!!

So February is National Avocado Month and since avocados are one of my favorite foods and something I eat almost everyday, I had to get in a post, before the month was over, dedicated purely to this nutritional powerhouse. Everyone knows that avocados are good for you.  There are so many different ways in which to eat them: chopped up on top of a salad, sliced up and on a sandwich or a taco, mashed into guacamole, or just plain (with hot sauce like I prefer)... but my new favorite way to eat avocados is as dessert.  Yes, dessert.  More specifically as a decadent chocolate pudding that tastes better than any other pudding you have ever eaten.  I swear.  This new recipe is basically just a simplified version of my original  raw vegan chocolate pudding, but quicker to mix together and more pure in flavor. Both of my kids love it and my husband who was a bit skeptical of the first attempt, didn't even know at first that this was basically the same thing.  It is that good.  And with only four healthy ingredients, it is a dessert you can eat anytime, all the time. So Happy Avocado Month, for one more day... but please, remember to eat them all year long.  They are one of those fabulous healthy foods that are available all year, not matter where you live or what the temperature is outside.

Peanut Butter Cup Pudding

Peanut Butter Cup Pudding

This recipe is yet another twist on my family's favorite Dark Chocolate Protein Pudding. The inspiration for this version came from a large block of 70% dark chocolate that I received in a gift basket at Christmas.  Normally I would not have any trouble just eating a large amount of chocolate all on it's own, but this block was really big and every time I tried to cut a chunk off, it crumbled into tiny pieces.  I suppose I could have just gnawed on it, but unless the chocolate is in bunny form, I find that method a little gross.  So I figured I would melt it down and use it in a recipe.  And since I had recently bought some silken tofu and some organic coconut milk to try, I thought maybe I would combine the three and see what happened.  The result is a tasty pudding that is a bit smoother than my previous versions.  However, the chocolate flavor was a bit overpowered by the tofu and milk, so I decided to add the almond extract which was definitely an improvement.  I thought it was fine as is, but my chocolate loving daughter wasn't so sure, so I mixed her serving with some peanut butter.  I am so glad I did.  It was amazing. The pudding became rich and decadent, and since all I added was healthy all natural peanut butter, it was still fairly nutritious, and higher in protein and healthy fats.  Because this recipe makes a lot and I am obsessed with not letting things go bad in my fridge, I have been eating it for breakfast the last few mornings and it has been so much fun.  I guess I really do love chocolate more than most!

High Protein Banana Pudding

High Protein Banana Pudding

This is definitely another recipe geared towards my gym friends as it is high in protein and full of all sorts of energy boosting ingredients.  If you think of the type of banana pudding that you make layered with vanilla wafers or would serve at a dinner party, this is not exactly the same.  The consistency is a tiny bit slimy due to the combination of fresh bananas and chia seeds, but the flavor is ridiculously good and very satisfying.  So if you are looking for a healthy dessert, or a sweet protein filled snack before bed, this treat is perfect.  I had some last night about an hour before I fell asleep and I felt great this morning at the gym.  And my son even likes this, so it has to be good!  (And it is vegan!)