Leftover Magic: Cinnamon Rice

For some reason I haven't been able to come up with a new entry, which just doesn't seem right, considering I just opened up my new blog.

Today I found myself browsing through some blogs, and other sites. I found myself reading, and printing all kinds of yummy looking recipes. Perhaps that is why I have nothing but food and recipe related thoughts running through my brain, so I figured, what the heck, why not post a recipe of my own? I haven't done that in awhile.

Several years ago, when my son was a wide eyed toddler, and the two of us were home alone with no way to make a run to the store, I found myself craving something sweet. There was nothing fitting that description in the house to just grab and nibble, so I began looking through the cupboards, searching for something relatively quick and easy to satisfy my craving. Of course I couldn't treat myself without thinking of my little partner, so that limited my selection a bit. What I ended up creating has since become one of my childrens most requested breakfast treats, and a great way to use leftover rice! My children have dubbed this simple concoction "Cinnamon Rice"

When we have rice for dinner, especially near the weekend, my children get excited, because they know what is to come, if not the next morning, then surely the one after that. Rice for dinner means planned leftovers. If you don't happen to have leftover rice from the night before, you can always just make up a small pot of it, a yield of anywhere from 1/3 to 1/2 cup should be plenty for 2 good size servings, maybe even more!

So, for ingredients, you need:

Leftover cooked rice
Milk
Raisins and/or an apple, peeled and coarsely chopped
Cinnamon and sugar

I take my leftover rice, and combine it in a heavy saucepan with enough milk to generously cover.
I stir it around to break the rice up, and heat to simmer, stirring occasionally. After a bit I notice the rice is becoming more visible, and I stir more often. As it thickens, I usually find it necessary to add more milk, and stir constantly. When it's almost the thickness I desire, I toss in some raisins, or a coarsely chopped, peeled apple, or both! I continue stirring, letting the raisins plump up for a couple minutes, then I add cinnamon and sugar to taste (approximately 1 part cinnamon to 3 parts sugar) I stir that in good, and serve up some heaping helpings to my two eager little helpers. No matter how big the servings, I've yet to see a drop left over!

Let me know if you try it, or if you perform similar magic with your leftovers!