On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me…

A dessert recipe! And boy are you in for a treat!

This recipe was handed down to me by a very sweet Grandma. It’s not one of those ‘quick and easy’ desserts. It’s something that requires time and lots of love, but is well worth the wait!

BAKED RICE PUDDING

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup white rice (regular rice, not minute rice)     1 qt. milk     3/4 Cup sugar     1/4 tsp. salt     2 tblsp. butter or margarine     3 eggs     1/2 cup raisins (optional)     1 tsp. vanilla     1/2 tsp. cinnamon     nutmeg

Place 1/2 cup of rice and 2 cups milk in top of double boiler. Cover. Cook over water until rice is tender. Stir every now and then. Rice will absorb most of the milk. This will take close to one hour. Turn off heat. Add butter and raisins.

Mix sugar, salt, and cinnamon in large bowl. Add beaten eggs, vanilla, and other 2 cups milk. Add raisin/rice mixture. Stir. Pour into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Place casserole dish into a larger baking dish, setting in about 1 inch of water. Bake at 350 degrees until set. This will take about one hour.

As you can see, this dessert will take almost 2 hours from start to finish, but as I said, it’s well worth your time!! Enjoy!

Today I’m happy to welcome Linda O’Connor to my blog!

Perfectly Honest by Linda O’Connor

You never know where your words will take you.

When Mikaela Finn agreed to be Sam’s ‘fiancée’ for a weekend, she probably should have told him that she’s a doctor.

Sam O’Brien, aka ‘Dr. Eye Candy’, is trying to shed his playboy reputation and convince a small town hospital that he’s ready to settle down. But when his ‘fiancée’ helps deliver a baby in the middle of the meet and greet, it’s a bit of a shock. If he’d known the whole truth, he might have done things a little differently because somehow his ‘fiancée’ ends up stealing his job and his heart. Not exactly the change he wanted.

Lies and deceit – it’s a match made in heaven!

Perfectly Honest will be available at Amazon on January 14, 2015.

As part of The 12 Days of Christmas celebration, Linda donated a $5 Amazon card and ebook copy of Perfectly Honest to the prize list. Click HERE for this and many more random drawings. To follow the celebration, find a new recipe, pick up a holiday decorating or shopping tip, click HERE.

About the Author

I’ve been writing for three years, and I’m thrilled that Soul Mate Publishing will be publishing my latest novel, Perfectly Honest.I love reading romantic comedies so naturally that’s what I write. I never aspired to be a writer, but now I’m addicted. I love it. I balance writing with my work as a physician at an Urgent Care Clinic and being a mom to three sons (luckily grown and capable of throwing together a decent meal, in a pinch). Plus I like to keep active and cycle, cross-country ski, skate, walk with my husband, or dance every day.The idea to write came after working with young adults. There were some basics I thought they should know – mental health symptoms, birth control myths, how to take ownership of their health. I thought hey, if David Chilton of The Wealthy Barber fame can dole out financial advice in a barbershop, maybe I could dole out medical advice in a Romance novel. That’s how my first novel, She’s Not a Fan, was born.

For many years, I taught clinical skills to medical students and spent a lot of time writing detailed roles for actor-patients. It was great practice for developing characters in my stories. Joining the Romance Writers of America, taking online workshops, (and reading) all helped improve my writing. Medical school was challenging, but it was nothing compared to figuring out where commas go, POV, or sorting out verb tense (simple past, past perfect, past perfect progressive – did they know there were 25 other letters they could have used to name those things?)

Obviously I’m still learning, but I love the process.

I don’t write about people I know, but I definitely take inspiration from snippets of conversations or from the emotion I feel when I talk to people. My designated writing space is any place with a view of Lake Ontario, preferably outside (for three of the four seasons).

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