Food Finds and "Fixings"

I pulled out cookbooks the other day to "dream plan" for when the food budget is more luxurious than of late:)

I just grabbed the quickest to reach from my cookbook shelves and ended up flipping through,
Saving Dinner and Crazy for Casseroles. What delicous ideas lined and landed in those books.

Meanwhile, I did another inventory of my pantry shelves, refrigerator and freezer, and kitchen supplies. I will share any creativity I am blessed to receive!

Here are some of the nutrititous basics I will be preparing:

Jars of dried beans {black beans, kidney beans, navy beans, white beans, lima beans and pinto beans}

A jar of potato flakes ... gift for my daughter from her Nana.

• Jar of brown rice
• spiral pasta
• elbow pasta
• angel hair pasta
• frozen strawberries
• frozen brocolli
• cucumbers,
  
• Romaine lettuce
• tomatoes
• bread

I also have some basic baking ingredients so I'm looking forward to seeing what we come up with. I will try to take pictures before it is eaten... not easy to do around this filled with people little house!

Brown Rice Pudding

Today was a baking and making day.

I got two loaves of whole grain bread done and they were my first (or maybe second?) try at soaking the grains first. I'll have to work on this method because mine tasted too much like soured milk!

I soaked my brown basmati rice in some water and buttermik and it turned out as beautifully as any I've ever made. Actually, the directions on the container are more accurate time wise because this particular rice only takes 25 minutes instead of the usual 45.

The rest of my baking/cooking today was:

* Oatmeal soaked from the night before.

* Oven roasted squash and zuchinni baked up in whole grain egg noodles with sharp cheddar cheese.

* Muffins

* Stove top brown rice pudding

All in all, a productive day.

Brown Rice Pudding

1 cup of brown basmati rice (this wasn't NEARLY enough for a thick and creamy pudding so I added two cups)

6 T. brown sugar

6 T. butter

1/2 t. cinnamon (I used a whole teaspoon)

1/2 cup of raisins (I used golden)

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

Heat until hot all the way through and of desired thickness. This was good!