Cranberry Bread

I got up at 7:oo AM today. *gasp* I know, I'm such an early riser. =) That's also the same time that Galdor (who might be called Joseph by the end of the poll on the sidebar) wakes up. Yeah. I wake up at the same time as my two year old brother.

Why did I drag myself out of bed before the crack of dawn? To bake, of course. Cranberry bread. =) For my piano & voice teacher, because I can't stand not giving people Christmas presents.

So, just as I had gotten out the bowls, Galdor comes stumping down the stairs. He sits down and watches me for a while, and then he pulls up a chair to help me.

Yeah, fat lot of help a two year old is in a kitchen! Eh, Galdor?

[he agrees with me]

The eggs went in a bit early, I must say. And he ate a good deal of my cranberries because he thought they were grapes. That kid actually liked them!

After a short spell of being banished for throwing my measuring cups, he came back in time to help me lick the bowls and spatulas clean.

Seems like in this house I get help with everything I do.

Love ya, Galdor!

Recipe: Rice Pudding

I found this recipe online a year or two ago, and although we've only had it twice we love it! It's easy, has simple ingredients, and tastes super good. It's filling, too, which makes it a good breakfast as well as a dessert. Leftovers keep well!

CREAMY RICE PUDDING

ingredients

1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

directions
1. In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil. Add the rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes.
2. In another saucepan, combine the cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg, and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Serve warm and enjoy!

Just a note--3/4 cup rice is more than it sounds! I doubled the recipe yesterday for breakfast and we had a good amount of leftovers (and we're a six person family, with one healthy teen and one healthy tween). Also, this is a really forgiving recipe. When I doubled it, I completely forgot about the butter and I only had one egg (I needed 2 to double, remember). And it turned out great!

What's even funnier is that I usually don't like rice.