Rice Pudding with an Almond Twist

Here is a great little recipe with few ingredients that will let you whip up a dessert in no time!  This makes 3-4 servings, or 2 really big servings as was the case with us haha.

Ingredients:

1 C instant rice (minute rice)

1 1/2 C milk

1/2 C sugar

1/2 t salt

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 C raisins

shot of flavored creamer (~1 T.) amaretto flavor recommended

Method:

In a small to medium sized sauce/boiling pot, mix all of the ingredients together

Bring them to a low boil, stirring for 2 minutes

Reduce heat to medium, cover and let sit for 10 minutes

Stir, serve warm or cold, as is, or with extra milk added-to your liking

Enjoy!

Light as Air Peanut Butter Macaroons

Mmmm. It's heating up down here in Louisiana. And a quick and light dessert is just what I wanted for tonight, so I chose a recipe I found on the Jif Recipes website for Peanut Butter Macaroons:

http://www.jif.com/Recipes/Details.aspx?recipeID=155

These are easy and quick to make with few dishes to do afterwords, and, quite frankly, irresistible. I've eaten at least a half dozen of them since I made them this morning. And no, I don't feel guilty about it. I serve them proudly to my husband because by using only egg whites, they are cholesterol friendly. Peanut butter too, I found, is cholesterol free. That came as a shocker! Well, we try and learn something new every day, right? OK, so, since these were a cinch to whip up, I felt compelled to add my own thing...a dark chocolate drizzle made from melted Polish chocolate that I happened upon in a dollar store (yes, this amazing bar I've been enjoying thus far with red wine was only a dollar) and the label stated that 100% of the proceeds went to helping with literacy. That's all fine and well, a very suitable cause, but how was the chocolate, you ask? It was gooood. I never used to, but now sometimes even crave, dark chocolate. So rich, powerful, and if they want to say good for you, I like that too!

If there are any left...they will be alright for dessert. Tonight the menu consists of simple comfort foods:

A corned beef brisket that has been slow cooking since 7am, instant garlic and Parmesan mashed potatoes, and brussel sprouts. Paired with an embarrassingly cheap, yet peppy and crisp, smooth and satisfying Pinot Grigio by Barefoot. Yes, Barefoot. I absolutely loath their other attempts at conveying different varietals, but this, yes, this they can do. There is a hint of sweetness to it along the way that works just fine for me. It's OK, try it.

Try the macaroons too, you'll like them!

Frozen Coconut Pie-so fast, so easy, so good

One of my summer favorites, when it comes to cool dessert treats, is making frozen coconut pie. And I'm not alone...my friend Alexandru feels the same way. We love this pie! It is perfect for grill outs, to take alone as a social dish, or to compliment a spicy dinner. And this is the purpose of me making one today...for tonight is the great grand prolonged adventure...more on this later, though. I'll just say I'm much more than mildly excited, and leave you hanging with that!

Back to the frozen coconut pie. I myself am a sucker for coconut. And graham cracker crusts. And maraschino cherries. Hmmm. Talk about a good fit, eh?

This recipe literally takes about 10-15 minutes to put together, and then you are done. Done, done. I knew it wasn't one of my own, and it took some looking about to find the source, but a nice little surprise happened when I did: I found a whole slew of other great recipes in a source unknown to me...

http://brands.kraftfoods.com/CoolWhip/main.aspx?s=recipe&m=recipe/knet_recipe_display&Rpage=10&u1=bytype&u2=4*3561535435735814*355*&u3=**185*201&wf=9&recipe_id=51791

Cool Whip! That is the secret ingredient, I suppose, that which binds it all together in a luscious, creamy, coconuty delight for the taste buds.

I'll have to explore this website further some other time, but for now, above is a picture of the frozen coconut pie I made this morning--prior to being given the freezer treatment, of course.

If you enjoy coconut and easy, fast-to-make desserts, try this! I make it exactly as directed, and if there is any filling that won't fit in the crust...well, I take care of that too!