Egg Nog Bread Pudding

As I get older, I find more and more things remind me of my parents, home, childhood. Egg Nog will always remind me of dad. The process in which he makes it, and drinks it... it is sacred, not to be judged or changed. Some may say it is not surprising I do it the same, as well as the boys. I have been known to look/act a little like my dad... Well the squeals of joy and delight from Easton last week when he saw that they FINALLY after two years, got Silk Nog in at the commissary. I am not a big fan of soy products like this, but it is once a year and I can look past it for the little bit he gets. I am shocked to admit I like it better than the dairy one...
Well, I have not had bread pudding in about 10 years and with all the grey, fog, dampness that is Germany in November, I thought the boys would love it and I could use a pick up. I had every intention on just making plain normal bread pudding but then magic things started happening... magic things that come in the form of bready eggy goodness...

EGG NOG BREAD PUDDING

1 cup Silk Nog
1 cup vanilla vanilla milk or normal
1/3 cup melted butter substitute
3 large eggs ( I use fresh eggs from the chickens in the yard so I used 4 since they are a little more sized challenged.)
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmug, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
3-4 cups chopped GF bread ( I used the Rudi's Cinnamon Raisin)

Preheat oven to 350. In a small saucepan, over medium heat, heat the Nog and milk, along with a dash of nutmeg. Once it gets kind of frothy, add butter and melt, remove from heat and cool until lukewarm. While the milk is heating, in a large bowl add eggs, sugar, cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat well for a few minutes until you get some of the goodness. Cut up the bread and place in a 1 1/2 greased quart casserole, but if you have cast iron, is there really a question as to what to do there... Once the milk/nog mixture is lukewarm, slowly add it to the sugar mixture, stirring the whole time. Once everything is all mixed together, pour over the bread. Bake for 30-45 minutes until set. Serve warm. Now if you are feeling frisky, by all means, take the extra step, and make something sweet to drizzle on top, because drizzle is just winning.

Nutmeg Drizzle

1 cup powdered sugar
1/8 cup vanilla almond milk, warmed ( if you don't have that, add about a teaspoon of vanilla to the normal kind)
1/8 tsp nutmug

Mix all together and pour over pudding right before serving.

Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Rice

I thought this might be good but my goodness. This was one of those I wanted to just roll in. This could be made veggie very easily I think. ( just replace the chicken with good veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, zucchini... just roll treat them the same you would the meat version.) It the original recipe they called for raisins and orzo. Since we can't do orzo, and they don't like raisins in their food I left it out. Also red pepper flakes on here would be delish...

Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Rice

1 cup white rice
1 cup water
1 cup coconut milk

2 tsp paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp tumeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 lb chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
2 tsp oil or butter substitute
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup chicken broth
cilantro

Add rice, water, and coconut milk to saucepan, bring to a low boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook 20 minutes, until done. Last 10 minutes add a handful of cilantro leaves.

While the rice is cooking, pull out a medium sized bowl and heat a skillet on medium high with2 teaspoons oil or butter substitute. In the bowl, add all the spices and garlic, mix well. Cut up the onion, add to pan to wilt, stir every now and then. Cut up chicken into bite sized bites and throw in the bowl with the spices to get all spicy and happy. Once the onions are wilted, throw the bowl of chicken and spices in with the onion. Saute and brown for about five minutes or so. Once browned, add the broth and cook for another five minutes or so. If you want to add raisins, now would be the time for that silliness, that is, if you roll that way. Reduce the heat down to medium.

Remove the cilantro from the rice and serve meat on rice. I won't judge you if you put more cilantro on top. Unless you are Kari, and think it tastes like soap, then my all means, keep it out.