Chocolate Pudding - The Wrong Way

Where do I begin? Probably with a little background. I received a Paleo cookbook from my folks for Christmas. No they don't think I'm fat, I asked for one as a gift. I've heard good things about the Paleo way of eating (notice I didn't say diet) and wanted to explore further. I don't call it a "diet" which implies that you're restricting yourself in horrible ways. I may be exaggerating a bit with that statement, but are you every happy when you go on a diet? Do you ever look FORWARD to it? I never have. Where I've found success is changing how I think about food, understanding what food does to/for the body - good and bad - and adjust how I eat accordingly. I know what foods make my body and mind feel good and what food make me miserable. For instance lots of sugar and artificial colors make my face break out. Pretty simple concept once you think about it.

You may be asking, "What does Paleo mean?" or "How do you eat this way?" Simply put, Paleo is eating like our ancestors or eating whole foods, avoiding processed, refined, nutrient-poor, factory made foods. In a bit more detail, it means avoiding grains, most beans, refined sugar (which is in almost everything, you'll be surprised when you read your labels) and pasteurized dairy products. Will it be different at first? Yup. Will you're body crave the processed crap? At first. Will you need to think about what you buy and plan meals? Sure, until you get used to it. Will you feel better, have more energy and get sick less? Heck yeah!

But as the title implies, this is not a lesson on how to eat Paleo, (just wanted to give you a little background on why I even tried this) it's about a not-so-tasty chocolate pudding recipe. I mixed everything up and tasted it, it was NOT good. So I think, I'll let it chill. A couple hours later, gave it another try, still NOT good. Ok, I'll let it chill overnight, maybe the flavors have to mellow and blend together. Next day pulled out the spoons (yes, I had my son try it too) and dug in. My sons eyes grow wide and he starts to gag, runs to the garbage can and spits it out. Admittedly he's a bit of a drama king at times, but then the flavor hits me. I came unbearable close to spitting it out myself. I must have had a weird look on my face because my son bursts out laughing. I just shake my head and empty the remaining batch into the garbage. The one and only good thing about this pudding was the consistency, it was thick and creamy. It looks yummy, but then plays a horrible practical joke on your taste buds.

Here's the recipe if ya'll really wanted to try, but don't say I didn't warn you:

3 large avocados, soft and ripe

1/4 cup cacao powder

3-6 tablespoons coconut, almond or cashew milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey

Combine avocado, cacao powder, coconut milk, vanilla, coconut oil and honey in blender. Blend on high for 1 minute or until smooth. 
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

So you have it, my first recipe review of the year. Share with folks if you've tried this recipe and had success or another similar recipe that you like. Happy, healthy eating in 2016.