gf&t1d

This is a super quick, super easy recipe for a nice warm, simple soup.  

Yep. You read the title right, ricotta cheese in a "milkshake".  I got the idea from somewhere that I read you swap out ice cream with sweetened ricotta for a sweet late night treat.  Makes sense to me...I love ricotta!

I haven't played with this recipe much and am currently addicted to it just as it is but I'm sure you could variate quite a bit depending on flavor preferences.  Here is what I currently make, and I apologize for the lack of specifics, I tried to measure things out but it just didn't taste as good as when I wing it.

Ch-ch-ch-chia.

Yep, those funny little things are actually quite tasty.  A few years ago I got into the chia seeds and enjoyed chia frescas and puddings but then my interest seemed to fade.  I’m terrible with remembering favorite recipes because I also tend to just google as I cook.  So when I decided to get back into the chia craze I found this recipe and remembered to bookmark it this time.

Now, I don’t quite follow the recipe to a T and I have basically just used it as a base to play with different flavors and combos.  It makes a pretty big batch so I can easily split this one base into 4 different flavors.  The convenience of mason jars is big for these flavor splits.  I can simply divide the chia seeds among the jars, and either add the flavorings to the jar or have a reserve to use if I’m blending the flavor in the blender.  I will keep the puddings in the fridge and grab during the week or scope out as needed to add to other recipes, such as the dragon fruit/tapioca dessert or the ricotta milkshake.  Easy enough to pack for work and versatile enough to not tire of.

When I was growing up our house could get a bit hectic at times.  Especially during the school year when between the five of us kids we were often attending at least three different schools and all playing and doing various extra curricular activities.  How my parents managed I'll never know but I have so many great memories to cherish from the busyness and chaos that presumed.  

I remember Sunday nights were always our formal family dinner nights, but Thursdays were usually pizza night.  The night we would all gather as a family and eat dinner in front of the tv watching shows like The Cosby Show and A Different World.  It meant eating together but sitting on floors or squeezed in the coach or at the puzzle table.  It may not be a proud memory for my family that I should be admitting to on the internet but it still brought us together.  We'd work on homework, talk during commercials or about the shows, we'd sit on each other if our seats got stolen.  For busy hectic weeks it was a good break to formalities, a chance to relax.  

Pizza, while not quite my favorite food, is a food I could never and will never turn down.  I love pizza.  So going gluten free seemed hard, will I ever find a good gluten free crust? Maybe I haven't tried the best yet but I have managed to find many I could eat every day.  Trying to go vegan I found myself questing if I could like pizza without cheese.  Heck yeah! With veggies piled high on it you don't even think about missing cheese.

So here is a recipe we have found to be a quick dinner fix on a busy night that packs in a solid gluten free meal.