Buttermilk Pudding

This is one of those desserts that's so simple to make you think you're making a box mix! It's my new favorite dessert and I can't get over how easy it is to dress it up with some sliced fruit. The bonus is my husband said he would pay $10 for a little one so maybe I should start drawing up a bill for him at the end of every meal. haha I'm not a buttermilk fan, but the flavor is really light in here, it's a silky dessert that melts in your mouth. Ok I'm gonna stop drooling and share the recipe now!!

Buttermilk Pudding
(Adapted from myrecipes.com)

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1 1/4-ounce envelope unflavored gelatin
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Canola oil for the ramekins

Combine the gelatin with 1/4 cup water in a small bowl or measuring cup and let stand for 3 minutes.

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine 1/2 cup of the cream and the sugar. Cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin.

In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, vanilla, and the remaining cream. Stir in the warm cream mixture.

Lightly oil six 6-ounce ramekins. Divide the mixture evenly among the ramekins. (I used a mix off different containers I had to see what worked best. I liked the look of the dole fruit cups the best.) Refrigerate, covered, 3 hours or overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edge of each ramekin and invert onto plates.

Local Rice Festival Cooking Contest Results

Thank you to everyone for their well wishes for this past weekends local rice cookoff!! It came in handy because I wasn't 100% sure how I would do when I turned in all my dishes. The weather was near 90 degrees and melting my dessert which almost had me in a melt down under the time crunch to get the entry in. The catch with this contest is there's a limit of 2 entries per person and they only award 1 first place per household. Pros and cons on my feelings about that, but I won't get into that.

Soooo, I entered my Parmesan Rice Salad with Rice Caesar Dressing. I added rice and crispy back into the Parmesan crisp ring and then added rice in the dressing. Hubby actually said he didn't know there was rice in there when I first experimented with the dish. It's one of my favorite and most simple creations, I just love it. It landed me 1st place, a ribbon, $75 and a huge basket!!! I was also told this dish had the highest score out of all the dishes entered in the contest. (Insert happy dance!!)

My second entry was Chocolate Coconut Rice Eclairs. I added rice to the eclair dough and made a coconut rice custard filling, then drizzled on some chocolate and toasted coconut on top. I got 2nd place, a ribbon and $50 so no complaining here!

Hubby did a fantastic job too. (He would kill me if I posted his picture so don't tell him!) He made a Spinach Bowl Filled with Flavored Rice Topped with Grilled Shrimp. The flavored rice was cooked in chicken broth and garlic, then had olives and sun dried tomatoes stirred in. He won 2nd place including a ribbon and $50.

My dad was also there. (We are a family of competitive people!) I proud of him because he won 1st place with his main dish. It was really yummy too!!

Here's the room at a local restaurant where the contest was held.

And I know you're dieing to see what's in the big basket!!

Special thank you to all the sponsors and the chamber for hosting the contest!!!

If you haven't already, don't forget about the current giveaway I'm hosting right now. Click HERE for details. Contest ends this week so hurry and get your entry in!!

Avocado Bread

Before you freak out on me and say "Oh my gosh what the heck are you doing?". You have to hear me out. I swear if you make this bread it taste EXACTALLY like banana nut bread! Only difference is it has a light green tint to it. Perfect way to sneak in some more healthy items in the kids food and they will never know the difference. If they are turned off by the color make it around Halloween and it's a spooky treat. I loved playing guess that ingredient with my mom and husband. The bread is really good served warm with a little butter on top! Yummy!! Please do give this one a try even though it may sound a little strange.


Avocado Bread
(Adapted from Judy Gorman's Vegetable Cookbook by Judy Gorman)

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2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg
1/2 cup mashed avocado (1 medium avocado)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Generously grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk to blend thoroughly.

In a separate bowl, beat together the egg and avocado.

Stir in the buttermilk.

Add to the dry ingredients and blend well.

Stir in the pecans.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Yield: 1 loaf

Funnel Cake

The one thing I love about the Fall time is festivals. I'm gearing up for the local rice festival cooking contest this weekend so I'm sorry for my lack of post lately. We love getting a funnel cake at the festivals, but sometimes the price just seems a little much for what you get. I found an easy to make recipe. The only trouble I had is I should have fried it in my cast iron rather then pouring it in my deep fryer which made a huge mess. It might not look as pretty as I would have liked, but it tasted really good.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the cold front makes it down this weekend like the weather man says! Happy first day of Fall tomorrow!

Funnel Cake

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1 1/3 cup flour
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Canola oil for frying

Heat two inches of oil to 375 degrees F. in a large cast iron dutch oven.

Combine all of the batter ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine.You want it to be thin enough to pour in a steady stream, but not too thin, so add more milk as needed.

Put the batter in a pitcher for easier and safer pouring.

When the oil is ready, pour about 1/4 of the batter into the oil in a gentle and steady swirling motion.

Let the cake fry for about a minute, then gently flip it over.

Continue frying until the cake is a nice golden brown.

Remove the cake to a rack in a sheet pan or a paper towel covered plate.

Fry remaining batter in batches. Dust finished cakes with powered sugar or desired topping.