Rice Pudding

Rice pudding... a Superbowl hit?  You bet!   Who would have thought that it would be?  In the land of chicken wings, pizza, garlic dip, nachos and salami--it was the rice pudding that made the  'ooooh'  and  'ah man, this is good'  list.

It was an extra satisfying feeling for me because as I was making the rice pudding, The Handyman said...isn't rice pudding kind of bland and for old people?

I replied NO.  But the truth is,  I didn't really know,  neither of us had ever had rice pudding before.  I'm sure our mothers or grandmothers must have made it, but I don't remember ever eating it.
What I do remember is, after supper, if there was left over rice,  pouring cream and cinnamon and sugar on it.  (like a poor man's rice pudding )  
 I knew I liked that.   Even now, once in while, if we have some rice left over and I feel like something sweet, I'll make it like that, but the Handyman never eats it.

So it was with trepidation that I began the  'not difficult, but kind of time consuming'  journey,  of making rice pudding.    On Superbowl Sunday of all things.
I trust my friend Karen from Karen Cooks,  (I mean, just look at her blog!  Her photos make me want to eat everything she posts.  Just gorgeous)  so her Portuguese Rice Pudding was what I chose to make. 


HOLY COW!  (or insert any expletive you want here)  It was really good.   Really good.   It even won over the Handyman--- but not until the Superbowl party.  Because he wouldn't taste any when I was finished making it---it was for old people.
(I think he thought people without teeth  heh heh)

I took it to the Superbowl party, along with sausages and  hoagie rolls  (my homemade hotdog buns were shaped funny, so we just ate them at home the next day.  They looked like ice-cream cone shaped rolls.  I'll try again tho), and assorted mustards.  I didn't want a whole bowl full of this great rice pudding  left at my house, because I knew I'd eat it ALL, so I figured what the heck, someone might eat it (know if they just tasted it they too, would be rice pudding lovers).

These were the comments I heard:
I LOVE rice pudding!
My mom used to make it for me.
Hey, this is really good--want some?
Sweet Rice!!  Debbie made sweet rice boys, want some?
Man, this is so creamy.
It tastes great.
Mmmmm....it's so creamy.

And you know what?  It was.  It was very creamy, and sweet and cinnamony and YUMMY!!  The Handyman couldn't resist trying some after hearing every exclaim how good it was... and he was hooked.
Please visit Karen's page here to get all  yummy details.  As she said, it was a bit time consuming to make, but not difficult at all and  well worth it.  I will be making this again.  We are rice pudding converts, The Handyman and I.

PORTUGUESE RICE PUDDING

1 cup uncooked rice
1 cup water
5-1/2 cups milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 cup sugar
Cinnamon
Nutmeg


Put rice and water in large saucepan and boil until water is absorbed. Add 2 cups milk and bring to a boil. After mixture comes to a boil, stir constantly to prevent burning until all milk has been absorbed. Add another 2 cups milk and bring to a boil, then stir constantly until all milk has been absorbed. Add 1-1/2 cups milk and bring to a boil, then stir constantly until all milk has been absorbed. Beat egg in a small bowl. Add a few spoonfuls of the hot rice mixture and stir. Add egg to the saucepan and stir until well blended. Add sugar, stir and cook an additional 2 minutes. Pour into individual bowls or into a 1-quart serving bowl; sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg and let cool.