Chew on This | Cinnamon Rice Pudding

I believe most people, especially kids, belong to one of two categories - shopping lovers or shopping loathers. As a kid, my sister was a shopping lover. You could see the glint in her eye at the prospect of time among the racks. Me? I was a total, complete shopping loather. 

This time of year I think about the Day After Christmas shopping I would have to suffer through. Mimi would bundle us up, pick up my grandma and off we would go. Early. Too early for a non-shopper. Too early for a shopping loather longing to style the hair of her new Barbie Head and poke the holes in the black paper of her Lite Brite.

Standing amongst all of those people and all of that...stuff, sweating in my heavy winter jacket, I whined often. My feet would drag, my shoulders would slump. It was torture. Ugh.

So, you would think that having to take time out of a glorious summer vacation day to go grocery shopping, of all things, would be my breaking point. Sorry, but you would be mistaken. I loved grocery shopping. It was excellent for many reasons, but what made it fabulous was always running into my grandparents there.

The store we frequented most often had a coffee counter in the back next to the bakery. There we would always find my grandma and grandpa sitting on those tall, chrome bar stools enjoying a cup of coffee and a donut. I would climb up between them an order what my grandma was having - a chocolate covered cream stick. Now, you might think that I specifically tolerated grocery shopping for that cream stick alone. Not so. Knowing I'd see my grandparents there each and every time - that was the true reason for my change of attitude in regard to shopping. For real.

Like my grandma, I am totally smitten with all things creamy, brûléed, and pudding-like. This Cinnamon Rice Pudding recipe is soft, creamy and homey. Best enjoyed after a stressful day of shopping. 

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Here's the recipe:

Cinnamon Rice Pudding

(serves many ☺)

2 C cooked rice

1 C milk

1 C evaporated milk

1/4-1/3 C sugar

1/2 t salt

1/2 t nutmeg

1 1/2 t cinnamon

1 beaten egg

1/2 C raisins or dried cranberries

2 T butter

1 t vanilla

In a sauce pan, combine your rice, milk, 1/2 C of your evaporated milk, sugar, nutmeg cinnamon and salt.  Stir over medium heat until thickened.

While rice mixture is thickening, whisk one egg with the remaining evaporated milk.  When rice is thick and creamy, temper the egg mixture with a large spoonful of the rice mixture.  Whisk as you add the hot rice to the egg.  Pour the tempered egg mixture into the sauce pan, also add the raisins, and continue cooking for 2-4 minutes to cook the egg thoroughly.

Take the sauce pan off the heat and add your butter and vanilla.  Stir to incorporate.  

Serve rice pudding warm with an extra dash of cinnamon on top. Comfort.