You Capture: Winter

I feel like this a lot of winter: stuck inside, wanting to go out, but everything has a bluish tint to it. And it is cold. This is Sylvia, the cat of the family I have been babysitting for.

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Creamy Rice Pudding

The first weekend of 2010, S. and I spent time "Up North" at a ski retreat for the high school team he helps coach. I would like to say that I skied wonderfully well and enjoyed myself thoroughly, however I didn't ski. Not for a lack of preparation, but for a lack of cooperation on the part of the weather. The warmest it was that weekend (without windchill) was a whopping -28 degrees. I refuse to ski in such inhumane conditions. This didn't stop the team, however, and they still needed to be fed. Enter: Operation Feed Ski Team. I assisted my dear MIL and two other mothers of skiers with meal preparation for upwards of forty people. Yes, forty. Having never cooked for a huge crowd, we had some issues with quantity. Enter: three packed-to-the-gills-with-leftover-rice gallon ziploc bags. My MIL was going to throw them away. I thought it was wasteful, so I quickly volunteered to take home the leftovers. The only question once I got them to my house was: What the heck do I do with three gallons of cooked rice? I froze some of it, we have been eating asian and tex-mex, but I decided to venture into the world of rice pudding. Very exotic world out there. It seems the recipes for rice pudding involve nothing more than the daring flavors of plump raisins and vanilla. Mexican vanilla if you are feeling really adventurous. Not wanting to be all "Plane Jane" with my rice pudding, I decided to hop into exotic rice pudding:


Coconut Almond Rice Pudding.
Adapted from here.
Ingredients:

         1 1/2 cups cooked white rice

         4 cups milk

         2/3 cup white sugar

         1/2 teaspoon salt

         2 egg, beaten

         1 1/3 cups coconut flakes

         2 tablespoons butter

         3/4 teaspoon almond extract*

1. In a medium saucepan, combine Rice, 3 c. Milk, sugar and salt. (Note it is only 3 c. not all 4).

2. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching, until thick and creamy, 15-20 minutes. (Easiest way to tell if it is "thick and creamy" is if the rice mixture begins to have little "glurping" bubbles).

3. Stir in remaining 1 c. milk, beat eggs, and coconut flakes. 

4. Cook mixture 2 minutes more, stirring constantly (to prevent the eggs for curdling/cooking like a scrambled egg).

5. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and almond extract.

6. Serve warm topped with shredded coconut. Mmmmmm.


*Make sure to use the almond extract sparingly - my almond extract decided to pour out rapidly, thus ensuring a very almond-y flavor.

 Mom can I have some?

Pictures

Today I babysat for my husband's first cousins once removed. I got some pretty cute pictures of the little girl, L. My favorite from today is:

Tomorrow I will post about the most amazing rice pudding ever. And I don't even like rice pudding. Mmmmmm. Bedtime now.

Water?

So apparently the problem with the Taurus was quite simple. Idiotic but simple. It took our wonderful mechanic two days to figure it out, but by golly he did! Some moron wonderfully skilled person (I won't name company names) who changed my oil about a month ago decided it would be a great idea to fill my car up with water instead of anti-freeze. Let me say that again: Instead of anti-freeze my car was filled with water. Panic of having a totaled car has now passed. Oh, and for those of you complaining/grumbling/cursing the wretchedly cold winters here in this great state... thanks to the sub-zero temperatures my engine didn't explode/burn out/die while I was driving it to the mechanics. Had it been even five degrees warmer, it would have died on me. And then this would be a R.I.P. Taurus post. But it isn't. Instead, it is dedicated to the wonderfully skilled mechanic who realized that an unflavored slushie was making its way through my engine. Thanks, K! You rock.

Jobs and Cats and Cars. Did I mention typhoid? Oh My!

So remember that job I briefly mentioned on here? Yeah, didn't materialize into anything other than the most standardized of all standardizations of form rejection letters. I was apparently the second choice candidate, which I think makes it even worse. What did the guy they hired have over me? Certainly not the 'ins' with the company. My father-in-law is their longest tenured sales rep (and quite successful if I may add). I really wish people could get past the "I-had-an-internship-for-writing-but-really-the-only-thin-my-resume-tells-you-is-that-I-can-raise-children" part of my resume. And I forgot to mention the "I-have-a-stereotypical-liberal-arts-degree-that-taught-me-how-to-think-but-you-can't-get-past-where-it-says-english-writing-major-because-it-doesn't-say-business-despite-the-fact-that-all-the-skills-you-need-for-a-job-you-learn-on-site-so-really-college-degrees-are-meaningless-unless-you-are-in-medicine-and-then-you-learned-it-on-site-during-your-practicum." Not that I'm bitter about being smart and unemployed. So I'm back on the hunt.

Cats are really entertaining little creatures. Since I am at home most of the time (see previous paragraph for explanation of why I now call my job title as "homemaker" on a product warranty card) I have really gotten to know my little kitties better. Dagny is so full of mischief and playful. Always willing to snuggle. Loud purr and cute trill noises after being left by herself. Fjord? Different story there. Affectionate and snuggly(after we were gone this past weekend skiing up north in -30* with the ski team S. coaches). Favorite place is perched in the front window watching the world and snowflakes and cars drift by. Can often be found where he isn't supposed to be (read: counters) licking the pan I haven't gotten around to washing (which was only from lunch, less than an hour ago... I'm not a slob. My house is immaculate because I am a homemaker!... ) He really likes macaroni and cheese. Or ham. Or rice. Or onions (despite toxicity to cats). Or bread. Or ______. He eats anything and everything. Then he gets sick. Not that he would ever have any access to food snivels because my house is immaculate.

So our 2000 Ford Taurus has been acting up for a month or two. It has no heat. Zero. Zilch. Nada. Which makes for some long cold drives. Especially the whole -20* thing. Without windchill. And then you have to scrape ice off of the inside of the windshield. While you are driving. Needless to say, this has made transportation difficult. It got sent to the mechanic yesterday and I am awaiting the "your car will cost five million dollars to repair" phone call. Oh did I mention the part about the engine temperature gauge constantly fluctuating and the permanently residing the the "your engine is dangerously hot" area of the temperature range? Yeah. It tries to tell me that it is really hot. But I know better. And so do my purple/red chapped hands that feel colder than dry ice and Oksana Bauel (Blades of Glory? Eh? Eh?).

We are renting out our basement to one of our friends. J. is going to China in a few weeks and has thus been taking the live typhoid vaccine. He has gotten quite ill with this vaccine, so pray that his body will fight off the infection and he won't be any worse for the wear. He has one more pill left to take (tomorrow night). So here's to hoping that his stomach will stop cramping tremendously.

Cheers!

Updates Galore! (and a chance to win Lightroom or Photoshop!)

1. I went and came back from a week long all-girls vacation in Hawaii (Maui).
2. I have been setting up our house for Christmas, despite having two furry helpers (one of which I found sitting in the Christmas tree.
3. I have my Christmas shopping done!
4. I have had three interviews for a job that I would really really like to get. I find out on monday.
5. I am resolving to write on this more frequently. Whether that be recipes, random thoughts, complaints etc.
6. If you want a chance to win a copy of Lightroom 2 go here.
7. If you want a chance to win a copy of Photoshop Elements go here.

8. Watch for a shortbread post coming soon!!!

You Capture

So I decided to try this whole thing out... I found this initially through my friend/fellow blogger, Allison (if you don't read her, you should. She is hilarious. And has an adorable baby).

So... Here is my first You Capture post brought to you by I Should Be Folding Laundry. (Which, incidentally, I should be doing, but instead I am watching my little nanny boy who has been home sick from daycare this week with the swine flu. Pardon. H1N1.) I figure trying this out when I have a free choice is a nice and easy way to ease into this.

These couple pictures are from a little session that my sister-in-law and I did for a friend of hers.