Is pumpkin just for the Holidays?

The Story of a Pumpkin Rice Pudding
By Patty Elsberry



I made soft cheese and had about a gallon of whey left over. Not wanting to through away good whey, I decided to make ricotta cheese but I still had about that same gallon of whey left when I finished my second cheese.

I was determined to get the most out of my whey and used about half gallon in corn tortillas. I put my tortillas in a zip lock bag and froze them. They served us well and are long gone by now, but I still had my other half a gallon of whey. I was sure my strawberry plants would have loved it but I wanted to give it a better use.

I read that I could use real whey for soups so I figured I could also cook rice with it so I did. The rice turned out great and my kids enjoyed it with home made chili. However, I still had half of my rice left plus about three cups of whey left.

Suddenly a bright idea came to me…, I CAN MAKE PUMPKIN RICE PUDDING for breakfast!!!! I was excited about the idea and started cooking:

Ingredients

3 cups cooked brown rice
3 cups almond milk (more if needed)
¾ cups Splenda (or sugar)
1 tsp Madagascar vanilla extract (for creaminess)
1 tsp Almond extract (to bring out the almond flavor of the milk)
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
Freeze dried fruit for garnish

Preparation

I scalded the milk and added the rest of the ingredients. Then I stirred for about 15 minutes until it had a thick consistency and removed it from the burner.

Then I served it in a cereal bowl and topped it with the freeze dried fruit.

My kids were so excited to have it for breakfast and imagine my joy to have been able to use my gallon of whey!

I still have the last three cups of whey left but they will soon be gone when I make fresh, home made tortillas in a day or so.

The End.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Watch Patty in her series Vanilla Rocks make another delectable dish. This time she roasts crisp, fresh red bell peppers using a splash of basic vanilla oil to help bring out the wonderful flavor of the bell peppers, then she adds decadent spices and cream, lets it simmer then blends it all together to make a harmonious dish that will make your taste buds shout for more! All you need is a few basic ingredients and with Patty's help you will be able to recreate this savory soup.

Have fun and remember vanilla rocks!

www.arizonavanilla.com

Sensational Salad with All Natural Raspberry Vanilla Dressing!

With summer quickly approaching, and each day warming up more and more a crisp, cool salad sounds better each day! In this video you will learn to make your own Vanilla Raspberry Dressing. It’s great over your favorite lettuce to add a fresh, cool, clean flavor that will make your salad go from good to fabulous! The best type of bean to use in this recipe is the Indian Vanilla Bean.

Q: Why is Indian Vanilla Bean best for this?

A: With its candy sweet flavor and aroma it compliments acidic fruit such as raspberries, because it brings out the sweet flavor of the fruit and help cut the acidity.

Dressing Ingredients:
12 ounces washed raspberries
1 Indian Vanilla Bean
½ cup water
Pinch of salt
tsp Sugar (optional)
Blender

Serving Size: 2 Tbsp

Directions:

Add Raspberries, salt, water, sugar. Blend at medium speed for about a minute, when it’s all blended then use a strainer and strain the sauce into a bowl, leaving the seeds in the strainer. After the sauce has been strained set the bowl aside and take your vanilla bean, split and scrap it add the caviar or the scrapped vanilla to the sauce and mix with a spoon then cover and let it refridgrate for a couple of hours then serve with salad with the serving size of 2 Tbsp. per person. Don’t throw the vanilla pod away! You can put it in your sugar or salt to add a hint of vanilla to them.

Options for salad:
Your favorite lettuce
Romaine
Spring mix
Spinach
Try over raw chopped broccoli, zucchini, or even over fruit.

Ideas for toppings:
Grilled Chicken
Feta Cheese
Walnuts or Almonds
Tomatoes
Chopped broccoli
Cucumber

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