Rice Pudding (recipe attached--especially for my aunt Julie)

When I first went grocery shopping, I bought staples: brown rice, whole wheat pasta, whole wheat bread, peanut butter, jelly, etc. You know the rest. I bought things that would have a long shelf life and that would make and keep me full. And, thus far, they have.

What I did not factor in the plan was that eventually even the best trooper would tire of the same foods. There are only so many nights one can eat brown rice (1 pot is WAY too much for 1 person) and stewed tomatoes. After a while the repetition gets nauseating.

So today, as I was looking at my nemesis, the pot of cooked brown rice from last week, I decided to conquer it: Rice Pudding.

My family knows that I can remix almost any meal. For the past three years, I have been the post-Thanksgiving goddess. By Sunday, the 12-lb leftover turkey carcass is beginning its transformation into an assortment of different meals: From one carcass I can make turkey ala king, turkey tetrazini, two turkey pies and turkey soup. Nothing goes wasted.

I decided to have that same culinary artistic sprit when conquering the rice. However, a few problems were obvious from jump: I was a soldier with no weapon. Though I had rice, I had no sugar, eggs, cinnamon and the only milk I own is soy milk. Back to SuperWalMart.

Anyway, I made this really really good rice pudding. Feel free to use this recipe. It sounds a little strange, and if the heat is too high the eggs may begin to scramble in the pot, but I have convinced myself that this is actually a healthy dessert.

Ingredients:
All the brown rice you have left over from last week
The last corner of soy milk (ideally 1 cup) in the container
3 eggs
1/4 cup Splenda brown sugar
A dash of vanilla
enough cinnamon that your house smells like you've been baking, but not so much that your pudding looks sick

Directions:

Leave the rice in the same pot it's been in for the past week. This will help seal in the flavor. Add a little bit of water if the rice is dry. Heat at a medium temperature until the rice has reached a temperature that you would actually eat.

In a seperate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Make sure to break up the eggs completely or you may end up with scrambled egg bits in your pudding (not that bad, but kind of unsettling to look at).

Add the egg mixture to the rice pot. SLOWLY heat to a medium boil and stir constantly with a fork or you WILL end up with scrambled egg bits in your pudding. At this point the pudding will be very runny. Continue stirring. Do not stop stirring or you will end up with burned pudding bits at the bottom of your pot. Add in raisins to taste. The puddng will thicken in about 10 minutes, maybe a little longer or less depeding on how hot your stove is.

Stick fork in pot, pull out a taste. Taste. Wince. Remeber that the pudding is hot and that you have to blow before you taste. Blow. Taste again.

Determine if you want it thicker or not. If you're ok with the current consistency, remove from stove. Pick out scrambled egg bits with fork.

Eat.

~You may also use real milk, whole milk, skim milk, sheep milk, goat milk, powdered milk, or rice milk. You may use real sugar, but if you do use 1/2 cup. ~

*M*

It really is good...no, really.