Friday, March 30, 2012

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

Slow Cooker Rice Pudding

4 cups instant rice (not cooked)
2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
1 ( 12 ounce) cans evaporated milk
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon cinnamon

In slow cooker, combine all ingredients.  Add 2 1/2 cups water.


Mix well. 


Cover with a lid. Cook on low 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Have you ever forgotten you loved a food, and were only reminded of it, when you had it again?  Well, that's what happened to me with Rice Pudding.  I went to a meeting and they served rice pudding.  I liked it so much, I had two servings!

This recipe has the same taste as that creamy, cinnamon infused, Rice Pudding, I had at that meeting.  Only with this recipe, you can toss it all together in the slow cooker, and walk away.  It doesn't get easier than that.

Check out my Giveaway
for your chance to win a cookbook from India


Stop back by on Tuesday, 
for my Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.


Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!




Tuesday, March 27, 2012

My Trip to India

 Chennai International Airport

I love to travel!  Whether it is a road trip in a car to the next state, or a long plane ride to another country, it is all an adventure to me.

For my most recent adventure, my husband Stan and I traveled to India.  This was my 10th or 11th trip to India.  We travel there on behalf of Passion Play Ministries International.  India is a developing country, and we have seen a lot of improvements in the last 10 years that we have been traveling there. 

 We were meet at the airport by our friends and a bouquet of roses.

At our hotel, we received the local newspaper called, "The Hindu".  On the front page of one of the papers, they listed some interesting facts.

 
Half of India's homes have cellphones, but not toilets.
Census of 246,692,667 Households

One-room households 37.1%
Tap water from treated source 32%
Electricity 67.2%
Latrine facility in house 46.9%
   of which piped sewer system 11.9%
   of which no drainage 48.9%
Firewood for cooking 49%
LPG/PGN for cooking 28.5%
Availing banking services 58.7%
Television 47.2%
Computer (with Internet) 3.1%
Computer (without Internet) 6.3%
Telephone (Landline or mobile) 63.2%
Telephone (Mobile only) 53.2%
Bicycle 44.8%
Scooter/ Motorcycle/ Moped 21%
Car/ Jeep/ Van 4.7
None of the specified assets 17.8%

When you visit another country, you have to embrace the fact that things are going to be different, and in some cases very different that what you are used to.

At home, I have a new gas range.  In India, the most common way to cook food is by using firewood.  And it is delicious! 



I took a picture of this lady a couple of years ago. See below.
Apparently, business is good! 

Almost all of the dishes I eat while in India are spicy.  When a waiter tells you a dish is not spicy or only a little spicy, he is not lying to you, it's just that he defines hot differently!  

Garlic Chicken, spicy.

Butter Chicken Marsala, spicy.

Chicken 65 (a famous Chicken dish in Chennai)  and Mutton Curry, spicy!

Garlic Naan, not spicy, just yummy!

There were rolling blackouts several times a day.  It didn't matter what city we were in, or what time of day it was.  I am not an electrician, but I think the wiring might be part of the problem. 


What do I like the most about India?  Hands down, it is the wonderful friendly people, that keep us coming back! 

My husband Stan, with Dr. and Mr. Samuel.

Cute monkey!





 

Banana leaves make a great disposable plate.





I love the bananas in India!  They are so sweet and tasty.

Check out my Giveaway
for your chance to win a cookbook from India


On Friday, I will be posting my 
Slow Cooker Rice Pudding.

Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!


Friday, March 23, 2012

Cookbook From India Giveaway!


I love to collect cookbooks from the places that I travel.  While in India, I decided to purchase two cookbooks.  One for my collection, and one to giveaway on my blog.


I was surprised to see so many cookbooks in the small gift shop at the airport in Chennai, India.  As I looked through the haphazardly stacked books, I spotted one titled "Indian Fast Food".  I thought, "Wow, My Kind of Cooking, here in India!".   I was so excited!  This book is full of quick and easy recipes, with most of the recipes having a photo of the finished dish.  It is geared to cooking abroad, so many of the ingredients are easy to find.


Most of the recipes can be prepared in 30 minutes or less.  Recipes can also be easily adapted to your taste, and do not depend on any indispensable, exotic ingredient.


The rules for the Giveaway are super easy.

1. You must follow my blog with Google Friend Connect, Facebook, or by email.

2.  Leave a comment on this post.

Bonus:  If you follow both with Google Friend Connect and with Facebook, mention that in your comment to receive an extra entry in the drawing.  If you don't follow my blog on Google Friend Connect or Facebook, it is not too late to start!

A winner will be drawn on March 30th.  Good Luck!


Stop back by on Tuesday,
 to see pictures from my trip to India. 
Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

India and Malaysia


My husband and I are in India.  We are there on behalf of Passion Play Ministries International.  We will be attending their 10th Anniversary production of the Passion Play.


On Thursday, we travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.    


Follow my trip on Facebook to see all the interesting cuisine we will be eating, all the sights we will be seeing, and the people we will be meeting.


Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!

Friday, March 2, 2012

Baked Pasta

Baked Pasta

1 pound box rigatoni noodles
2 (23.9 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
1 1/2 cups water
15 precooked frozen meatballs, thawed
1 (8 ounce) package shredded mozzarella cheese


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place rigatoni noodles in 13x9 inch baking pan.


Pour both jars of spaghetti sauce over noodles.


Pour 1 1/2 cups water over sauce.


Arrange meatballs on top.


Cover with aluminum foil.  Bake 45 minutes.


Remove foil.  Sprinkle cheese over pasta.


Bake 15 minutes.


I like my pasta saucy, and my noodles to be firm and not over cooked.  With this quick and easy pasta recipe that is just what I get; along with easy clean up.  The whole dish is done in one pan.  It doesn't get easier than that!


My husband and I just returned from San Francisco.  We were there working, so we didn't get to see all that I would have like to have seen.  But I did talk him into turning off the computer, at least long enough for us to take the boat out to Alcatraz.


Alcatraz was incredible!  As part of your ticket, you get to take an audio tour of the jail.  It is narrated by actual former Alcatraz prison guards and former inmates.


An inmate told a funny story about spaghetti.  The first time it was serve at the prison, everyone loved it.  But slowly the quality of the spaghetti went down hill, and the prisoners started to complain.  Finally it came to a point when the inmates agreed, that the next time spaghetti was served they were going to revolt.  And that is how one of the worst riot in the history of Alcatraz was started.


With this no fail recipe, you are guaranteed perfect results every time.  It is sure to keep your inmates in order.


Stop back by on Tuesday, for my
Tuesday's Tips & Tricks post.



Visit my friends blogs!

You will love Bo and his blog,  Bo's Bowl.  Not only does he host great giveaways,  his recipes are incredible!  One visit to his blog and you will see why I faithfully follow it.

Also visit my friend Pam's blog, Pam's Midwest Kitchen Korner,  for more great recipes!  Once you read her blog, she will be your friend too!