Broccoli Salad

I am so sorry for this horrible picture.

A million versions, one little salad. Here's how I make mine.

I quickly blanch the broccoli florets. You don't have to and I only do it for 30-60 seconds. Not long at all. I still get vibrant, crunchy broccoli. I just prefer it and so does my oldest, if I blanch first.
I love brown sugar and the flavor it gives so I use it. You can use maple syrup too, especially with a maple bacon. For vinegar, I like mild vinegars. I use a coconut vinegar.But use one you like!

 The red onion- I know some recipes call for 1/2 cup or so. I use oh.. a tablespoon. I just don't like raw onion. I also have used shallots.

You should also adjust the ratio of dressing to broccoli to your liking, I don't like a soupy salad, just enough to toss the broccoli in. That's why making sure the broccoli is dry and not water logged after washing or blanching is a must!
Diva has a nut allergy, so the sunflower seeds are awesome for us. She can have slivered almonds also.
You my also notice that I omit raisins. Some of you know why, others should read THIS. Peas, cherry tomatoes, shredded purple cabbage can be added also.

Thunder Cookies- try them, Jesus likes them!

I had been hoping we wouldn't get any thunder storms around here, not because we don't need the rain, because I read the girls a book called "Little Sister, Big Sister" and in the book it talks about thunder storms and it has a recipe for thunder cookies. So of course, we had to make them. And of course they HAD to have raisins in them. UGH, what IS it with raisins? Well I was in luck, not a raisin to be found in the house... what did we use instead? Keep reading. I decided to post pictures with the girls, especially since they were in just about everyone of these anyway.

What are"thunder cookies" you ask? Well the story is about sisters, the youngest is afraid of the thunder storm so the big sister takes her into the kitchen to make these cookies. After they are baked they can't eat the cookies until the little sister signs this little promise that says

"Thunder Cookie Promise- Whenever I am afraid of thunder I promise to remember the first time I made Thunder Cookies and I will try very hard not to be afraid"

I haven't decided what to have Diva sign yet, I might make up a scrapbook/recipe book with a page dedicated to signatures.

When Diva heard thunder while we were making these she said, "Mommy, Jesus must like these cookies, do you hear His tummy?"

Raisin-Free Rich Rice Pudding...

I was craving rice pudding last night but our Internet was down and I had a recipe from a forum I go to that I wanted to use. So I had to look up a recipe in one of our cook books. None of the recipes looked that great, most were for basic rice pudding- milk, sugar, raisins *shudder*, and cinnamon. So I picked the most basic recipe as a guide for liquid to rice ratios and made a delicious RICH rice pudding.




Raisin-Free Rich Rice Pudding

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups of Heavy cream
1 Cup of milk
1 Cinnamon stick
1/3 Cup uncooked rice (I used Jasmine)
1/3 Cup Honey
Fresh grated Nutmeg

In a heavy bottom sauce pan melt the butter.Add milk, cinnamon stick and cream stir and heat over med heat until steaming. Add rice and stir, reduce heat to low, cook on low for 50-60 minutes stirring occasionally. When rice is tender and pudding is thick add honey and nutmeg, stir. Discard cinnamon stick. Serve warm or cold.

Raisins scare me *shudder*

* A little note about raisins… they scare me. I hate them. I will occasionally eat them in a cookie or something but I won’t eat them plain. I make awesome oatmeal raisin cookies but refuse to make them unless DH is home to take them out of the oven. They freak me out the way they pulsate in the oven when the butter re-hydrates them *shudders*, it’s just wrong, just about everything about raisins is wrong. How they are made, what they look like and feel like when they are plumped and re-hydrated… ugh I am going to have some serious nightmares. I don’t mind giving the girls boxes of raisins, I can just give them the boxes and not have to look at them.  YUCK. They're nothing but zombie grapes... just wrong.