This weekend was fun, and pretty relaxing too!  We didn’t do all that much on Saturday but it was just nice staying home.  Yesterday we went to see Michael Jackson The Immortal Tour By Cirque Du Soleil with Johns parents.  It was so good!  It was my first time seeing a Cirque Du Soleil Show and I wasn’t disappointed!

There was also an abundance of Jackson 5 songs which I was very excited about!  Although his other songs are great, I will always love Jackson 5 the most.  I worked at the farm stand at an orchard in high school, and when I was the only one working I would tune the radio to a 60′s and 70′s station.  Then I would call in and request Jackson 5 songs, mostly “I’ll Be There”…what a great song!

So now it’s Monday and it’s back to the normal everyday stuff.  It started off really well though!  This morning I went on a brisk 3 mile walk with the baby (not so much a baby anymore) that I watch, and we had a great time!  It was such a nice day and it was so great to be able to go out and enjoy it!

I don’t know about you, but I love snacks and dessert especially mid-afternoon.  Instead of finding and eating whatever I can, I like to have healthy options.  Recently I have been enjoying two delicious, healthy, and guilt free desserts quite a bit as an afternoon pick me up:  A Dark Chocolate Milk Shake and Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding.

Dark Chocolate Milk Shake

1 frozen banana (I keep a stock of these in my freezer as frozen bananas are good for so many things)
1-2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder (depending on how chocolatey you want it to be)
1/4 c milk of your choice (I use unsweetened Almond milk, water works too)

Blend everything together and enjoy!  No sugar needed as the banana provides enough sweetness!  So delicious!

For an extra treat (and more protein), add a tablespoon of peanut butter.

Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
a dash of stevia powder
3-4 tbsp milk of choice (or water)

Mix ingredients together.  Stir.  Keep stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until Chia Seeds “gel” and turn into a pudding consistency.

I actually carry a baggie that has the above dry ingredients already mixed together so I when I want the pudding, I can just scoop up 2 tbsp out of the bag, add water and I’m good to go.

It tastes good plain but it is also really good with fruit added.

I bought Chia seeds a couple months ago because I had been hearing a lot of good things about them.  I thought they would be a good thing to add to my smoothies.  However, that turned out to not work out to well as my smoothie turned into an abundance of super fluff:

It was pretty cool, but I’d rather drink my smoothie and not have to eat it with a spoon.

But Chia seeds are good for so much more, for Chocolate Chia Pudding obviously, but also for adding to baked goods, as an egg substitute, sprinkling on salads, etc.

So those are my two favorite treats at the moment.

What healthy treats do you enjoy in the afternoon?