Monday, January 2, 2012

Comfort Food

Happy New Year Friends!!!

Can you believe it’s 2012 already…time goes by so quickly and the older I get the faster it goes.  Does it seem that way to you too?
Will enough about my old age...
We had an awesome Christmas and New Years celebration with friends and family. Both my hubby and I have been under the weather the last few days. I hurt my back taking down the Christmas tree and moving furniture last week. I finely got to the doctor today, he took ex rays and now I have to go back in tomorrow to see what kind of treatment I can get. I think I really missed up this time. My sweet hubby was doing all the cooking and preparing for our New Years Eve get together and drop a large led on his foot and broke two of his toes..... 

This is why we need some comfort food.

I got this recipe off the inter net somewhere but I cannot remember where so sorry there is no link to credit.

Rice Pudding
with Almonds and dried Cranberry's

 
Total Recipe cost: $2.74
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Cost per serving: $0.69
Prep time: 5 min. Cook time: 45 min. Total: 50 min.
INGREDIENTS
COST
1 Tbsp
butter
$0.05
1/4 cup
sliced almonds
$0.16
1/4 cup
raisins
$0.56
1/2 cup
jasmine rice
$0.44
4 cups
milk
$1.30
1/2 tsp
cinnamon
$0.05
1/4 tsp
nutmeg
$0.05
1/4 tsp
vanilla extract
$0.07
1 whole
bay leaf
$0.02
1/4 cup
sugar
$0.04
TOTAL

$2.74

STEP 1: Saute the almonds and raisins in butter over medium heat for one minute. Add the dry rice and saute for 1-2 minutes more or until it looks slightly golden and toasted. Watch the heat carefully, if the butter or sugar from the raisins begins to burn take it off of the heat immediately.

STEP 2: Add the milk, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and bay leaf to the pot. Using a whisk stir it well so there are no clumps. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium/high heat while stirring often with a whisk. As soon as it comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium/low and let it continue to simmer until thickened (30-40 min). Stir often with a whisk to prevent caking and burning on the bottom.

STEP 3: After 30-40 minutes the rice should be soft and the mixture should be thick and creamy. Serve hot or cold.




Heat the butter in a large pot and add the raisins and almonds.

Continually stir the almonds and raisins until they are toasted (1 min). The sugars from the raisins can burn so be careful. Add the raisins later when adding the milk if you're afraid of burning them




Add the rice and stir it for 1-2 minutes more or until it looks slightly toasted and transparent

Add the milk and the sugar and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and bay leaf).
( I used Ahgave instead of suger )


 
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium/high heat. Stir with the whisk often to prevent it from caking and burning on the bottom of the pan.

Once it reaches a boil reduce the heat to medium/low and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes or until thickened. Stir it often during this time.
( I also add and extra cup of milk becasue I like the rice softer )



Then, like magic, it's thick and yummy. It will get even thicker as it cools.

 Its so yummy and just what the doctor ordered




Now if the rice pudding doesn't fix my back then this surely will
A dear friend stoped by today with a homemade Rum Cake
She heard I was down in my back and thought this would help.
Thank You Sue
It is just what I needed

Until next time be safe and happy
Julia






Friday, December 16, 2011

What's for Breakfast?

Good morning Friends. Here is alittle sunshine for you from my kitchen. I picked these beautiful rose's from our garden. I'll make this a short post today. I just wanted to share with you what I'm having for breakfast. Scroll down to check it out.








Yummy fruit salad with alittle something special


Yes thay are the same seeds used in the Chia Pets

They are new must have!
My sweet Aunt Alma tolled me about them and I finely got to Whole Foods to get some for myself



They have every little taste but add a great crunch to what
 ever your eating You really should go check out the web site and see for your self.

Be Blessed
Julia

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Free Stuff

Hello there Friends. I hope you have been doing well? I've been keeping very busy these days with crafting. I'm making most of our Christmas gifts this year and its been alot of fun personalizing all of my loved ones gifts. That's not what I really wanted to tell you about in this blog. I wanted to share with you my deal for the week. I finely cashed in my tickets from my Speedy Stop card. Its a little card you can swipe after each purchase and earn points for free stuff. Here in POC , Speedy Stop is called our Mall, Grocery Store, Pharmacy, Clothing store, Ice house, Beer run, Pizza place, and all around one stop shop. When I say to my husband that I'm going to town , he knows I mean I'm going the Post Office and Speedy Stop. I got 8 bags of nuts, three 1 liter bottles of Ozarka water, one 32 oz fountain drink and $7.00 credit towards gas or food. AWESOME! I know I had to probably spend 7 billion dollars to get this stuff but at least I got something back Right?
Seven dollars is alot of cash ... it can buy one 1/2 gallon of Blue Bell Ice cream at Speedy Stop and you can bet I'm going to swipe my card.






What do you think of my beautiful gift from my sweet friend Kim?
She knows me so well. I love it Kim... Thank you.




These are some of the things I'm working on in the studio




Will that's it for now, I'm off to my crafting.
Julia

Monday, November 28, 2011

Hi Friends

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving
We had a great time with family at my sister Yvette and her husband David's home
Here are a few pictures taken of the activity's


This is our youngist so Calum and his lovely lady Abby


This is our middle son  Aaron and his sweet girlfriend Amanda

 Joshua and Grandma Klesel


This was the "young adults table"


I love getting pictures of people shoving food in thier mouths



 Grandpa Cookie was really upset to get his picture taken because he didn't want to be made to set at the
 "old peoples table"



  Everyone had there camera phones out

It was Calums 20th birthday
Happy Birthday sweet boy

 Aaron & Amanda



MY Boys.....
They cant be good for the camra without giving me
somthing to laugh about




 Calum, Aaron and Joshua
 Joshua and Leigh
 Abby, Leigh and Amanda

 The girls arnt as silly as the boys
 Abby and Calum

  Christopher had a blast in the leafs


 After dinner there where all kinds of great conversations and of cours football


Will that was a good look at what was going on at the Martinez home on Thanksgiving
Be Blessed,
Julia