Avocado Chocolate Pudding

I love chocolate.  I especially like chocolate pudding.  I could eat it everyday.  I stay away from the little pudding cups because they taste like chemicals, but I like the texture.  They say they are made with milk and are healthy but I can taste some type of preservative in them.  I know how to make pudding from scratch but it requires cooking over the stove which means planning ahead and lots of stirring.  I have been reading many different recipes for making Chocolate Pudding using avocados.  I couldn't imagine it working.  I have had some failures making "healthy" recipes, so I just never tried.  Just before I went on vacation, I had some avocados and bananas to use up.  I tried one of the pudding recipes and it was delicious.  The recipe I used had avocado, banana, cocoa powder, coconut milk and maple syrup.

After being home for a few days, I decided to make another batch.  I couldn't remember the exact recipe.  I looked online and there are hundreds of variations so I decided to wing it.

Chocolate Pudding

2 avocados (cut in half, take the pit out and scoop it out of the shell)
1 ripe banana
1/2 cup cocoa powder (use 1/4 to 1/3 cup if you want it less dark chocolate)
1 cup milk (if you're lactose intolerant, coconut or almond milk will work)
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup chopped dates

I put them all in the blender and blended until smooth.

This is a very forgiving recipe.  Sweeten it with whatever you like...maple syrup, agave syrup, brown or white sugar or honey, banana and dates like I did.  Regular 1% milk worked just as well as the full fat coconut milk.  I imagine almond milk would work too.  If you don't like the taste of banana with chocolate, just use another avocado or leave it out. 

The calories aren't that low, but good fat calories from avocados don't really count.   It is fast to make and delicious. It's especially good with a dollop of whipped cream.  Don't use Cool Whip type whipped toppings.  Of the many ingredients in those toppings, only a couple are safe and one of them is water.  Whipped cream is so easy to make, why take a chance. 

Another Life Lesson

I am usually very careful on the internet, but I was recently duped.  I have been looking for some new blouses.  I can't stand the new fabrics and styles they sell these days.  They may look cute on a sixteen year old, but not on someone my age.  I went so far as to buy a pattern with the intention of sewing my own tops.  Then one day I saw an ad pop up on Facebook.  The clothes looked like something I would be interested in.  I clicked on the link and found a couple I liked.  They were very inexpensive with free shipping.  That should have been my first clue.  I clicked on the link and it said us.shein.com.  I assumed (falsely) that the company was an American company.  The shipping was not only free but the shipping time was very fast and it had a rebate from ebates.com.  I placed an order for one shirt.  Immediately I received a confirmation with an order number and then a shipping email with the website.  I was looking forward to getting the blouse in a few days.  I hadn't received it in 3 or 4 days so I decided to check the status.  Lo and behold the shipping information was from someplace in China.  I couldn't even pronounce the name. 

Then I waited to get the item.  Eleven days later I got an email saying that the item was delayed due to some issues with the shipping company.  I don't know why they sent the email because the blouse  arrived the very same day.  I checked my payment, and it was paid through London.

The blouse itself looks like the photo although it is quite flimsy and see through.  I will wear it because I still like the pattern.  I wet it to see if it would disintegrate, it didn't, but I haven't washed it.  It may be a one hit wonder.

I was pretty angry that they weren't up front about it's origin.  All I could picture was little five year old children sitting in sweat shops making these blouses.  If I choose to order from this type of company, it's my choice but I don't want to be tricked.  The lesson for me is to be more careful and not to take things at face value.