Horchata Rice Pudding

I found this recipe in Veg News magazine and then slightly tweaked it to make it my own. It's great warm or chilled. Promise to share!

serves 6

3 cups rice milk
2 cups coconut milk
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated cardamom
6 tablespoons raisins, toasted unsweetened coconut chips, for garnish (optional)

1. In a large saucepan over high heat, combine rice milk, coconut milk, rice, and syrup, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally for 30 to 40 minutes, or until rice is soft and mixture has a thick, pudding-like consistency.

2. Stir in vanilla, cinnamon, and cardamom. Remove from heat. Serve warm or cold, topped with raisins or coconut chips. (I prefer it without toppings.)

Homemade Italian Seasoning

This blend is some marvelous stuff. We toss it in salsa, stir it into veggies, sprinkle it into pasta salad, and add it to marinara. You're going to love having a stash of this in your cupboard or pantry. It's a great go-to seasoning to replace any prepackaged Italian seasonings that may have unwanted fillers.

1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon onion powder
2 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon basil
1 tablespoon parsley
1/4 teaspoon celery salt
2 tablespoons sea salt

I found I was going through this amount really fast, so I like to double this recipe.