Christmas Breakfast- Spiced Chia Seed Pudding with Walnuts

Last Christmas I was visiting my mother in Hawaii. We made this delicious pudding on Christmas Eve so that we could have it for breakfast while we opened our presents. It is easy, delicious and it won’t spoil your appetite for Christmas dinner. Please give it a try. I have been waiting all year to share it.

I have not been posting lately for many reasons. I was overwhelmed with tragedy in August, September and October and when I grieve or become depressed, I lose interest in food. I’ve been totally overworked (thankfully with meaningful projects), and I don’t see my work schedule letting up much until February. My computer died in October and I’m still struggling to recover my photos and the system that I used to organize and edit them. I injured my had and couldn’t chop for most of November. My oven has been inconveniently broken through the entire holiday season. It holds a high temp (450 or so) and a low temp (300), but nothing in between. Making the Thanksgiving turkey was an exercise in constant monitoring of the thermometer and tweaking of the dial. So, sorry for the lack of recipes. Sometimes life conspires against cooking.

Hopeful heart, work, hand, computer and oven will all sort themselves out in 2016. I am so totally done with this year. In the meanwhile, I will start to post some of the recipes that I made but didn’t post last winter (including this pudding).

SPICED CHIA SEED PUDDING WITH WALNUTS

1/2 cup chia seeds
1 can of coconut milk (about 1 and 3/4 cups)
almond milk (about 3/4 cup). You need 2 and 1/2 cups liquid total. You could use dairy or soy milk if you prefer.
maple syrup to taste (I use 1 Tablespoon)
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
the zest of half an orange
a pinch of ground cloves
a good grate of fresh nutmeg
1 whole star anise
1/4 cup crystalized ginger
raw walnuts, chopped, for topping

On Christmas Eve, combine everything except the walnuts in a jar and shake vigorously until it is evenly mixed. Serve in the morning topped with chopped walnuts.

MORE CHIA SEED PUDDING…