Stove Top Rice Pudding

My oven has been fixed! I told the repair man that he was a hero. My kids jumped for joy and begged for chocolate chip muffins immediately. But, because it was 4pm, I decided that a better option would be to bake biscuits to go along with our dinner. Everyone was satisfied with that. I am breathing a sigh of relief and I am thankful to be back to normal in the kitchen again.

While the oven was broken, I was definitely thinking more creatively about what to cook. In some ways, I found it enjoyable to stretch my mind and we certainly discovered some new favorites. One of the things that I tried for breakfast was Rice Pudding. My favorite recipe requires the oven though, so I altered the recipe a bit to make it on top of the stove. It turned out beautifully. However, my kids would have preferred it without the raisins.

Stove Top Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked brown rice

2 cups whole milk

½ cup sugar (white or raw)

1 ½ tsp. vanilla

¼ tsp. cinnamon

¼ tsp. nutmeg

½ cup raisins (optional)

Measure all ingredients into a sauce pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Serve immediately. Yield: 4 servings.

This post has been linked to Try New Adventures Thursday.

Crumpets

These may look suspiciously like pancakes, but do not be deceived. They are more like English Muffins and are absolutely delightful! We enjoy them hot off the griddle with butter, or split open and toasted with butter and jelly. While my oven has been broken, these have become our “bread.”  My kids have enjoyed taking this in their lunches as sandwiches; and, my oldest has even requested that I make these instead of our regular sandwich bread from now on. These freeze well, so don’t be afraid to make a full sized batch.

Crumpets

2 Tbsp. plus ¾ tsp. yeast
¾ cup warm water (100-110˚)
1 Tbsp. sugar (white or raw)
1 cup warm milk
3 eggs
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 ½ tsp. salt
Butter

Mix the yeast, warm water and sugar in a large bowl.  Let the yeast rest for 10 minutes. Stir in warm milk, flour, eggs and salt until no longer lumpy.  Cover with a towel and let rise for 45 minutes.  Heat a skillet/griddle to medium high heat and butter generously.  Scoop out 3 Tablespoons of batter onto skillet for each crumpet. Cook on one side until they appear mostly dry on top.  Then, flip them and cook for another 2-3 minutes, or until browned. Serve immediately. Yield: 18 Crumpets.

This recipe was adapted from this one found on allrecipes.com

Chocolate Oatmeal

This is a variation of the Overnight Oatmeal that we like. However, I have to say that my kids definitely prefer this one! Since my oven is still broken, we are eating a lot of oatmeal for breakfast. And, this is a nice change from the fruit versions. We like it best served with cream on top. Mmmmm. What could be better than chocolate for breakfast?

Chocolate Oatmeal

2 cups old fashioned oats

3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup sugar (white or raw)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

Stir together all ingredients in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight, if desired. To serve: Remove cover and microwave on high for 4-6 minutes, or until heated through. Yield: 4 servings.

Frugal Tip: This Chocolate Oatmeal is a great alternative to pricy individual oatmeal packets.

This post has been linked to Frugal Tuesday Tip.

Quiche

On Friday, at my Investment Cooking Class, we made Quiche filling to freeze for future use. I love having homemade convenience mixes in my freezer and pantry; and, this one is so simple. The nice thing about Quiche is that it is so versatile. Any combination of cheeses, leftover cooked veggies or meat can be used making this a frugal way to eat up food that might otherwise go to waste. And, you can even bake this without a crust, making this recipe even simpler to make.

  

Quiche

4 eggs

1 ¼ cups of milk

2 cups grated cheese (Swiss, Monterey jack, mozzarella, cheddar, etc. or any combination of these)

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. pepper

½ tsp. nutmeg

1 can (4oz.) diced green chilies

Whisk together all ingredients and pour into a zippy bag. Freeze. Or, pour into a well greased pie pan, non-stick oven proof skillet, or prepared pie crust. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes or until golden and set.

For Frozen Filling: Thaw overnight. Pour into a well greased pie pan, non-stick oven proof skillet, or prepared pie crust. Bake at 350˚ for 35 minutes or until golden and set.

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This post has been linked to Mop It Up Mondays.

Country Kitchens Remembered

It has been such a blessing to listen to my youngest read aloud to me every day after school. She is progressing so quickly and she is very pleased with herself. One night as I was headed to her room to tuck her in, I heard her reading Green Eggs and Ham aloud to herself. She is growing up and I am so proud of her!

This week, the kids and I listened to Surprise Island (The Boxcar Children Mysteries #2) on CD. There is something special about listening to a story together. It sparks a lot of discussion at the dinner table and it helps my kids to settle down after a long day. And, honestly, we all enjoy it.

Country Kitchens Remembered: A Memoir With Favorite Family Recipes written by Marilyn Kluger

This book is part memoir, part cookbook. The author tells about her childhood in rural Indiana during the 1930’s. Although much of the nation was struggling through the Great Depression, Marilyn remembers it as a time of plenty on her family farm. This is due to the fact they her parents and both sets of grandparents were almost completely self sufficient. She reminisces about her mother’s kitchen, and both of her grandmother’s kitchens and how nothing was allowed to go to waste. She follows the seasons remembering the rhythms of the farm with anecdotes and recipes.

I have always enjoyed reading about this time period, and this book was no exception. Each chapter concludes with dozens of old fashioned recipes that still hold appeal today. It reminded me of the books I have read about the Amish culture. If you are interested in self sufficiency, more mindful living, and whole food recipes you would probably enjoy this book.

To learn more about this weekly reading report, click the tab above.

Liebster Blog Award

I am so excited! You Can Make That! has won an award. I love sharing recipes, kitchen tips, and frugal ideas with you and I am glad that fellow bloggers are enjoying it too. Sarah at Nature's Nurture passed this award on to me and I feel so honored.

The Liebster Blog award is given by fellow bloggers and recognizes  blogs that are encouraging, inspiring, and enjoyable to read. The word Liebster is a German word meaning "dearest, beloved, favorite." What a privilege to be included as a favorite!

The rules are simple, and keeps the fun going:

• Thank your Liebster Blog award presenter on your blog and link back to them
• Copy and paste the blog award on your blog
• Present the Liebster Blog award to 3-5 other blogs of 200 followers or fewer that you feel deserve recognition
• Let your selected bloggers know they have been chosen by leaving a comment on their blog

And now, it is my turn to recognize some of my favorite new blogs:

• The Christmas Plan - A blog about the joy of doing more with less
• Five Kids & An Acre - A blog about mentoring others to live mindfully
• Plain Jain - A blog about living simply in order to focus on what really matters

Please be sure to check out these insightful blogs. Chances are, if you enjoy my blog, you will enjoy these too!

Corn Cakes

My oven is still broken. The repairman was here this morning and he said that the “bake element” was out. It will be at least a couple of days before he can get the part, possibly longer.  So, more stove top breakfasts for us. This is a variation on pancakes that we love, love, love. These are just like corn muffins, but in pancake form. They taste good with maple syrup, honey, or peanut butter. And, the dry ingredients can be mixed up the night before if you are not a morning person.

Corn Cakes

¾ cup corn meal

¾ cup white whole wheat flour

2 Tbsp. sugar (raw or white)

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ¼ cups buttermilk

2 eggs

3 Tbsp. melted butter

Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter. Stir just until combined.  Pour batter onto hot buttered griddle and cook until bubbles on top pop (about 3-4 minutes). Flip and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. Serve hot with butter and pure maple syrup or honey. Yield 12 pancakes.

This post has been linked to The Thrifty Home: Penny Pinching Party.