Back Home!

After an uneventful ride home (i.e. no car breakdowns) I am back home after a wonderful visit to Minnesota.
This is the view I had most of the trip home. Yes, that is the rest of the M&M bag riding in the dash of the car. Desperate times call for desperate measures. When you don't have a microwave handy to melt your M&M's you have to be creative. Sitting in the sun on the dash works slowly but surely. Yum!






I came home to a couple of fun packages in the mail of some of the online retail therapy I've been doing. (You know, to relieve stress!) The first package I opened was these wonderful stitchmarkers that I ordered from Laura on her Etsy shop. Instead of metal rings, they have a stretchy material that glides on your needles. The ABC ones will work well with Cat Bordhi's new sock book that I just got. I can't wait to try them! (Thanks, Michelle, for telling me about these!)



The next package I opened contained my new Knitpick Harmony circular needles that I first learned about on Bonnie's blog. (Blog reading can be very hard on one's budget!!) I LOVE my other Knitpick circular needles but have been concerned they might not be allowed on the plane when we travel to England on Wednesday. These are wood and I think should go through security without a problem. I'm bringing a self-addressed stamped padded envelope tho, just to be sure.

Has anyone flown recently and know what can and can't be taken on the plane?? Inquiring minds want to know!




Sumo was so happy to see me and I was so happy to see him. I had felt bad leaving him for so long but he did just fine with Steve and Ryan. You see him here right after we took a nice long walk. The biggest change I have noticed in him is that he wants to be with us 100% of the time. If I go upstairs, he is there. If I'm cooking, he's by the kitchen. He doesn't want to be alone. Unfortunately, it means that on these beautiful Fall days when he usually LOVES to be outside, he is sitting in the house with me.






Well, lots to do in just a few short days. Here is the Rice Pudding recipe as promised. (Cheryl, I think this is your mom's recipe from our church cookbook from, like, a thousand years ago!!)


OLD FASHIONED RICE PUDDING

1 cup rice
2 cups water
2 cups milk*
6 eggs, well beaten
1 cup sugar
½ cup melted butter
1 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups milk
2 cups milk
ground or stick cinnamon



Cook rice in water in double boiler until water is Absorbed. Then add 2 cups milk to rice in double boiler and cook until almost done. Beat 6 eggs. Add sugar, melted butter, salt, and vanilla, and 2 cups milk. Combine rice and egg mixture in large casserole. Add 2 more c. milk
(6c of milk all together). Bake 325 degrees for 1 hour. (Test to see if pudding is done by cutting a knife through it. Pudding is done when a knife comes out clean) Cinnamon may be added before baking if desired. Raisins or dried cranberries may be added before baking

*2% or whole milk works best. Skim & 1% can get a little runny
**This recipe can easily be cut in half as well!
***Additional Tip: If you like a little more custard, you can bake the pudding in a pan of water. This slows the cooking a bit creating more custard.

Enjoy!!

Until Next Time...