Strawberry Pudding

I was wondering why Jell-O sells vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, banana pudding, lemon, and pistachio but not strawberry pudding? So I decided to try to make it and find out if it's good or not.

It's chilling in my fridge as we speak but I tasted it while it was hot. That's my favorite time to eat homemade pudding, when it's still hot.

It's good. A light hint of strawberry.

Here's what I did:

In a medium saucepan, I combined 3/4 cup sugar, 1/4 t salt and 3 T cornstarch. Then I added 3 cups of non-fat milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until it thickens and you get tiny bubbles on top. Then cook it two more minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Now put 4 egg yolks in a bowl and beat them lightly. Ladle one cup of your hot milk into the egg yolk bowl and stir to combine. Now pour the egg yolk/milk back into the pot. Bring the milk mixture to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat and cook and stir for 2 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in 1 T butter and 1 1/2 t strawberry extract (and a few drops of red food coloring if you want it to look like strawberry pudding). Pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Put it in the fridge. Serve warm or cold (or skip the whole bowl thing and eat it out of the pot).

I'm thinking cherry extract would be tasty too. I'll try it next time I have $7 to blow on a bottle of that stuff.

Oh ya...and it's a "sometimes" food. This serves 4 and weighs in with 7 points per serving. But when you get 10 extra points for nursing, it's a nice way to get in a milk serving. (Don't tell my meeting leader I said that.)

Turkey and Hominy Chili

This is a weight watcher recipe. It serves 4 and has 5 points per serving. It's also a Core food.

2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 minced garlic cloves
1 pound ground turkey
14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
4 oz can chopped Ortega chiles, do not drain
6 oz can tomato paste
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
15 oz can hominy, drained (I use one big 28 oz can...hey we like hominy)

Garnish:
1/2 cup diced red onion
6 radishes, shredded
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup Monterey jack cheese, fat-free, shredded

Preparation:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add turkey and cook until browned.

2. Stir in tomatoes, green chiles, tomato paste, chili powder, oregano and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until thickened slightly. Stir in hominy and cook until heated through.

3. Combine red onion, radishes and cilantro in a small bowl. Divide chili into 4 bowls. Sprinkle each evenly with cheese, then radish mixture.

The results of my personality test...

You Are An ISTJ

The Duty Fulfiller You are responsible, reliable, and hardworking - you get the job done. You prefer productive hobbies, like woodworking or knittings. Quiet and serious, you are well prepared for whatever life hands you. Conservative and down-to-earth, you hardly ever do anything crazy. In love, you are loyal and honest. If you commit yourself to someone, then you're fully committed. For you, love is something that happens naturally. And you don't need romantic gestures to feel loved. At work, you remember details well and are happy to take on any responsibility. You would make a great business executive, accountant, or lawyer. How you see yourself: Decisive, stable, and dependable When other people don't get you, they see you as: Boring, conservative, and egotistical

What's Your Personality Type?

Well, what do ya think?

Don't put God in a box

"Sometimes we limit God. Sometimes we think God must work on our schedules. But God will not be bound by time. God will not be bound by our schedules. God will work when He chooses and with whom He chooses.

Therefore, there will be times when our circumstances don’t make sense. Even then, we need to trust Him."

- Greg Laurie Daily Devotion found at:
http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/harvestdaily/

In need of a little R&R

No, not Rachael Ray...rest and relaxation, aka "me time".

My DH gave me a gift certificate for a mani/pedi so I call the lady to set up my appointment. She wasn't at the shop so the shop gave me her cell phone. So I call her cell to make the appointment. She answers the phone sounding almost drunk. Come to find out she's got a migrane.

2 questions:
Why would anyone answer the phone if they have a migrane???
Do I really want this ding-dong working on my nails???

I told her I'd just call her back a different day.
So there went my me time this week.

But I know I'm in desperate need of a little get away. I'm praying. We'll see what God does. Who knows, He may give me some time away or He may give me the strength to make it through without biting off the heads of my loved ones. I'll let you know.

...to be continued