Remember those few months when everything I ate was blended? Hehe – CD still likes to joke about how many times a day I use my Vita-Mix. Yesterday, I cranked that baby up 4 times. I really should start wearing ear plugs.
After soaking some almonds overnight, I made Meghan’s vegan chocolate pudding as I was dying to experiment more with my raw cacao. I halved all the ingredients, but used 1 whole banana and skipped the honey. Honestly, the banana sweetened it enough for me. Meghan, I loved this pudding. It was so creamy and delicious, and I’m still super jealous that you got to visit a cocoa plantation! I dream of joining Meghan on one of her retreats…someday. 
I split my pudding into two servings. For lunch I had a little lot served over a some oat bran. In honor of St. Paddy’s Day, I ate it from a green bowl.
After dinner, I needed a little something more and decided to eat the rest of my pudding. I knew it wouldn’t last long! I had roasted a kabocha squash earlier in the day, and it wasn’t very sweet. Anyone else having trouble finding decent kabocha these days? Anyway, I blended 1/4 of the kabocha with 1 cup unsweetened almond milk and some cinnamon until warm in the Vita, and then topped it with the remainder of the pudding.
I don’t know why all of my photos keep coming out so blurry lately. Probably because I’m in such a hurry to eat! This bowl was so good, and definitely made up for the kabocha tasting like ass. Yesterday was nothing but a day full of warm chocolate comfort, not to mention a day that made me question the purpose of my teeth.
I’ve been walking lately for exercise and not doing much yoga. The yoga mat will always be there, and my body has just been itching to get outside. I’m especially looking forward to some walking today. I heard a rumor that Nashville might actually get some sunshine.
Have a good one!
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That pudding looks so creamy! Yum
That pudding looks absolutely amazing – so creamy and delish. I love walking at this time of year – the first signs of Spring are so uplifting.
Oh I wish I had a vitamix!!
I’m having problem find ripped kabocha lately… it’s sooo frustrating!!
chocolate pudding looks amazing! I’m having a lot tofu based chocolate pudding lately too!
I heard that rumor about sunshine too. Lord, I hope it’s true! I’m in desperate need of sunny vitamin D.
I still haven’t tried the kabocha squash…must do that this weekend. But, the last few acorn squash I’ve eaten have been watery and bland. Sad.
I roast mine and then squish it all up with almond butter, cinnamon, and ground flax seed. Yesterday I added 1/2 tsp. of pure maple syrup, because I was craving that little extra sweetness, the squash was missing. YUM!
I love dark or unsweetened chocolate with bananas! I’m getting hungry…
Do you know that I have NEVER seen a kabocha in my grocery store? It makes me quite sad
Your pudding looks so creamy and delicious! I am on my way over to check out the recipe.
Hope you get some sunshine today!
Maybe I don’t need a Vita mix…can you imagine me lugging that thing to the garage at 9 pm so I don’t wake the girls up making my ice cream? Of course, I could just stop eating after they go to bed. Nah.
I haven’t found a good kabocha since the pocket ones a few weeks ago… scratch that. I haven’t found ANY kabocha since the little ones! Lots of buttercup though, but i think we’re at the point where they’re not in season anymore! LOVe all the blended stuff… I wish i had a more powerful blender. I think it’s on my list after the one I have dies.
eegads you make me need a blender again
I seriously need to get one of the those Vita-mixers!
That’s a good idea: squash in the blender with cinnamon. mmmm.
I don’t have a Vitamix but I’m totally a freak about going deaf. I even stuff my ears when I blow dry my hair.
I <3 walking!
I’m surprised my neighbors haven’t knocked on my door to complain about the noise yet…
Yum! Thanks for sharing.
I have a question- how did you change your exercise philosophy? I’ve been into yoga for about a year (and have enjoyed that “development” to the fullest). I still wish, though, that I could learn that taking a walk outside might not be as intense as some cardio machine, but that it’s still GOOD. I love spin classes for the same reasons I love yoga (focus and endurance), but the hum of machines is getting to me lately. I’m especially concerned because we’re trying to conceive and I’m afraid that intense workouts might negatively affect that.
Sorry for the novel and any advice would be appreciated!
Amy, I still love my yoga, and it tones my body like nothing else. However, Nashville has had such a gloomy winter, and now that’s it’s getting warmer, all I want to do is be outside. I honestly believe that yoga will always be one of my favorite forms of exercise, and I LOVE what it does for arms, but lately, I just want to walk. If you enjoy running or spinning, then I say go for it, but keep in mind, our bodies weren’t made for a lot of intense exercise. Small amounts, yes, but all we really require is movement. A good brisk walk is ENOUGH. I promise.
Chocolate pudding on oatbran…hello, yum! You are such a rule breaker!!! I love it!
I don’t blame you for wanting to get out in the sun! So thankful this awful winter is over.
I actually feel like I’ve been neglecting my vitamix a little. Except I made this awesome nutgurt the other day that sounds like something you’d like
It’s pretty similar to oatgurt except it uses nuts…and I cheated with the fermentation and just threw a probiotic capsule in there
Yum yummy yum! I wanna go to a Cocoa plantation!!!
Love the idea of chocolate and kabocha! We haven’t bought any in a while….
Happy walking!
(I think Averie mentioned a recipe that took 20 mins of Vitamixing – there’s NO WAY I could run it for that long!)
vita mix is where its at!! this looks delicious!!!!
over squash?!! who knew! i’ve been loving butternut squash lately – very sweet – but i keep going back for it…i think your pictures look fabulous! i try to do a very gentle type yoga when/if the time but i don’t know, maybe it’s making me more ‘blah’…hmm..what type do you do by the way?
Eatmovelove, I like all types yoga. I’ve tried everything from Forrest to Bikram, and I’d have to say my favorite is probably just a long slow vinyasa class.
Gah, that chocolate pudding over oats sounds like the best thing ever! Also, I bought my first kabocha yesterday, and thought of you.
I think I’m going to try it out tonight…I hope it’s a good one! If not, I’ll just cover it in chocolate…
So wish I had a vitamix! My blender does a meh job – but sometimes there is absolutely no substitute for a smoothie!
That pudding’s tugging on my sweet tooth! Not sure if the mushrooms and zucchini i’m munching on will over power my pudding want… They’ll sure try!
I pulled a muscle in my back and cannot do anything but walk (just about!) – it’s kind of nice to be forced to slow down and take in the outdoors every now and then, no?
Angharad, Couldn’t agree more. That being said, I hope your back gets better soon. Lots of hot baths with Epsom salt!
I love what you put together for meals. I mix things all the time and although my husband thinks I am strange, it works for me.
That pudding looks like a sucess! I bet it was awsome over oats!
Clay, It was.
I was having a similar problem with my beloved kabochas a little while ago. I think sometimes it’s just a bad batch. However, I’ve found that letting them ripen for longer at least improves this condition. That is because the carbohydrates have more time to break down into sugars. Yumm. Also, I roasted my kacbochas for A LOT longer than advised… Sometimes they get a little dry on the edges, but I have a method to fix that if you’re interested. (Oh, and who doesn’t love kabocha skin chips?! I know I do! Especially with cold almond milk… please excuse me, I just get too excited about my kabochas!)
At any rate, I’m shocked that you were able to eat just one quarter of your kabocha. That’s practically impossible for me. Speaking of that, I made your kabocha pancakes last night as a little snack. I used the vegan version and well they didn’t turn out particularly pancake-like. I didn’t mind, though, since they were insanely DELICIOUS (that’s all that really matters after all)! Do you have any recommendations for what I could try next time if you’ve had this problem with the vegan version? I’ll definitely be making them again soon! Heather, my dear, you are a kabocha genius!
Have a lovely day!
xox
Manidee, I would love to hear your method for kabocha skin chips, and so sorry to hear the vegan version of the kabocha pancakes didn’t quite work.
Did you allow the flax seed to gel before adding to batter? If so, you could always try using Ener-G egg replacer. I’ve never tried it, but I know many vegans are fans.
I read this recently after having troubles finding good kabocha:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabocha
Since I am out of beets, I will be trying the chocolate avocado pudding over kabocha. Chocolate, avo, and kabocha are three things my house is never void of!
Cool – thanks for the link Katie!
hahah i am the same way sometimes when taking photos, i go to blog and they are blurry and i realize that i was just trying to get a quick snapshot but wanted to EAT
Yeppers! The stars are aligned for us today. And keep dreaming of the retreat. Dreams really do come true and soon you and I can be dancing on cocoa beans together!
That pudding looks awesome!
And I totally know what you mean about wanting to be outside. I have been wanting to go for walks all the time! I used to feel guilty for “just walking,” but not anymore. It does so much for my mind and spirit that I don’t really care how many calories it burns:)
Haha, as a smoothie enthusiast myself, I definitely have days when I eat three meals of pureed something or other:)
I’ve been having a really hard time finding good Kabochas too. The last two that I bought seemed almost like they weren’t quite ripe yet. So disappointing!
it’s so important to listen to your body…why wouldn’t you go outside if you want to and the weather’s gorgeous!? i think i need some of that pudding in my tummy…now
That chocolate pudding sounds amazing! I’d be liable to eat it all at once, methinks
Vegan chocolate pudding? Sign me up, por favor!!!
I hear they are over fishing the kabocha these days.
PHotos-sometimes my settings accidentally get changed and I’m trying to take a closeup of a macaroon in night-time far-distance mode :-/ durr.
Glad you saved the bad kabocha.
pudding looks awesome. now i want a vita mix. i’ve just been getting into smoothies again too. i think because i finally found a protein powder that worked keeping me full (from YouBAR). yay! still need to try jay robb though…your man has yet to try and keep me full.
Regular blender people: I’ve found if you soak nuts for 48 hrs, any blender will work! Mine was $45 and it can do most of the vita recipes, it just takes some more effort.
Heather, this looks awesome! I loved Meghan’s video recipe and I can’t wait to read more from her.
How did you get spammed?
Mae, I left a link in your comment field to a P90X review, and Wordpress spammed the comment. Check your spam folder. I’m sure I’m there waiting for your approval.
I make one with avo’s and call it raw vegan choc mousse. You’d like it b/c it’s healthy fats, cocoa powder, vanilla, and agave…which you could reduce by alot.
Blurry pics…I find it’s from rushing. I hate taking my time to take food pics, it seems so counterintuitive of what we do in the name of blogging, but if i take an extra minute or two, I get better results but yours are totally fine
Oh man I wish I had a vita-mix! That squash soup looks so delicious and it seems like it was soo easy to make. Not sure if I’d eat it with chocolate, but your pudding looks amazing too! Nothing like a day filled with chocolate
Holy YUM!
Gotta love chocolate pudding..
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