*sniffle* Rice Pudding to the Rescue! + Chicken Corn Soup, + brandy.....

When I'm sick I want comfort food...LOTS of it! Remember the old ditty about "feeding a cold, starving a fever?" I firmly believe in that! SO I'm doctoring myself with these old family standbys...

CREAMY YUMMY RICE PUDDING

(*ADD dried CRANBERRIES instead of raisins for a delicious holiday touch!*)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked white rice
2 cups milk, divided
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
2/3 cup golden raisins (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
In another saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, 1 1/2 cups milk, sugar and salt. Cook over medium heat until thick and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in remaining 1/2 cup milk, beaten egg and raisins. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. (I like to stir in a pinch of nutmeg, too!) Serve warm.
We serve ours with cinnamon sprinkled on top! Good enough to make a grown man cry - and/or propose! ;)

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PA. DUTCH CHICKEN CORN SOUP

Ingredients:

1 (4 pound) chicken
1 onion, chopped
4 quarts water
1 (10 ounce) package frozen whole kernel corn
1/2 cup chopped celery
salt and pepper to taste

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 pinch salt
1 egg
1/4 cup milk
2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Directions:

In a large stock pot cover chicken and onion with water. Cook slowly until tender, approximately 1 hour. Remove chicken, let cool and remove meat from bones. Cut meat into 1 inch pieces, discard skin and bones (or, feed them to your cats!).
Cut corn from cobs if using fresh corn.
Add corn, cut up chicken, celery to stock pot and season with salt and pepper. Simmer soup for 10 minutes.
In a separate bowl make rivels by mixing together flour, salt, egg, and enough milk to form small crumbs.
Drop rivels into soup and add hard boiled eggs. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve hot.

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1. Per my Grandpa...ADMINISTER brandy just before bedtime...it really works on a cold!!! Our favorites are blackberry + peach.
2. Settle down + snooze away your sickness!

HAVE a wonderful, HEALTHY holiday season!