Lucky me! Yesterday afternoon my lovely daughter took a break from her grad school studies and joined me for end of Halloween festivities starting with a yummy late lunch, followed by very fun Girl Stuff, like manicures and hot chocolate. 🙂 I was happy I was able to share a couple of the photos I’d taken at the local Biggest Pumpkin Contest, on display at the recent Halloween Festival. We had a good laugh over these!

I can’t even imagine what it takes to dedicate oneself to growing these monster pumpkins, but it must be a very fun adventure!

Shared afternoon activities complete, in the evening I found myself thinking about what I might make that was kind of special for breakfast. Should I dig out the poffertje pan? Strangely, in the middle of the night I awoke and the thought of rice pudding came to mind! So Antonia was greeted early this morning with my unlikely declaration to “make rice pudding for breakfast.”

“Oh, you don’t have to,” she replied. Yes, I do. I want to. And did.

Honestly? You can find this recipe in Joy of Cooking. And if you don’t have Joy of Cooking as a mainstay in your kitchen, I don’t honestly know how you survive in there. I’d be lost, for sure.

So, yep. There it is, on page 1021. Rice Pudding. So no credit whatsoever for this recipe, simply for the good fortune of bringing it to your attention, (and a wee bit of rewriting) because if you are anything like I am it’s been a really really long time since you’ve made rice pudding!

Rice Pudding

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. F.
Butter your custard cups or ramekins.

Whisk together:

2 large eggs [large means large–always use organic in baking!]
1/3 C. sugar
zest of a lemon or orange
1/4 t. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Bring 1 1/2 C. whole milk to the point of simmering. [If you have access to Straus Family Creamery whole milk–highly recommended!]

Very slowly add small portions of the hot milk to the egg mixture.

Then add 1 1/2 C. cooked white rice. I used arborio; more on this in a minute.
1/2 C. dried currants or raisins; I used golden.
1 t. vanilla (Only use the real thing.)

If you use the real thing you will get the real thing. ~Kathryn Hall

Pour mixture into the buttered cups. Bake in a water bath for 45-55 minutes. When a knife comes out clean, you will know it’s done.

Enjoy!!

arborio rice

OK, a word about arborio rice, which is what inspired this concoction to start with. Here’s what wiki says:

Arborio rice is an Italian short-grain rice. It is named after the town of Arborio in the Po Valley, where it is grown. Cooked, the rounded grains are firm, creamy, and chewy, due to the higher starch content of this rice variety, thus they have a starchy taste of their own, yet blend well with other flavors.

Ha! Wiki says it is commonly used as rice pudding. Well, no wonder! I’m thinking because it’s so sticky it would also be good as sushi.

Perhaps you are already well familiar with arborio rice. I was not. And I am in love with it and it is sure to become a new mainstay in my kitchen. I love the chewy delicious texture. And apparently it’s used to make risotto, not in my repertoire. I think I’ll stick with the rice pudding, such a perfect addition at this time of year. Any fans??

Love and kitchen blessings,
Kathryn xoo

Book News: Thanks to all who came to my author event November 6th, at Copperfield’s Books in Healdsburg last Saturday! I loved meeting you!

This month the Asheville Citizen Times book reviewer included Plant Whatever Brings You Joy in his New and Noteworthy section, which was kind. What I discovered that I particularly like is that he has set up a wonderful site for readers in Western North Carolina, that serves as a hub for authors, readers, and booksellers called The Read on WNC. I was able to post a slide show of recent photos, which was so fun and very much appreciated! I’d love to see other communities follow his lead.

Mark your calendars! November 20th I will be signing books at Copperfield’s Books in Calistoga. December 4th I will be at Copperfield’s Books in Napa. And December 12th I will be at Baker Creek Seed Bank in Petaluma! I love the opportunity to meet readers in person. Please come by! Thank you!

Plant Whatever Brings You Joy is now available in 24 stores in eight states around the country! Full list at www.estrellacatarina.com. Or simply order the book from this page! Thank you so much to all of you who have purchased the book and for all the wonderful feedback and kind good wishes. I’m so glad you are loving my book! I am humbled and honored and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. xoxoxo

Posted on November 2nd, 2010 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 6 Comments »

It may be 80 degrees this sunny afternoon but already I am steeping in nostalgia. I am clinging to the last of the roses, saying thank you to each and good bye, allowing the adorable rose hips to finally have their time and way.

I am blowing kisses to the last hollyhock for charming the pants off me all summer, a grin coming to my face imagining the many bumblebee buttocks awash in pollen I witnessed sticking out of their pink centers.

Pining for the nasturtium even as the last of them spill across the sidewalk.

I am taking refuge in the blue borage, knowing it will not abandon me until possibly snowfall.

Taking one last look at the brilliance of the purple morning glories–

now tangled impossibly among my green tomatoes (and wondering if they will ripen).

At this time of year, oh, I take heart in the tiniest flower.

The burgeoning abundance of summer is past and soon, oh so soon, stark branches and the promise of spring will be my companions. For this is the time when our Earth in this hemisphere is settling in for the proverbial wet winter’s nap, when the energies of abundance return deep into her skirts for regeneration and renewal. We all know what this means. For even as the Earth turns cold and wet and uninviting we are naturally drawn to the warmth of our own inner flame, to quiet, to winter’s peace and of the beckoning smile of creativity. Yes. We will turn our attentions now to books, to planning, to pondering our next steps, to reflecting, to cherished memory. Perhaps we will journey out to another clime, not wanting to surrender to the natural order of things. Yet most of us will surrender to the season, embracing the coming holidays with warm ovens, open hearts and good cheer. It’s the turning of the tide. It’s the remembering who we are, a part of the Nature in which we live and create. It’s the shifting of focus that leads to balance, to insight, to learning and sharing and growing and to being alive. In the shortening days of autumn and in the darkness of winter we reflect again on what we have sown and what we will sow again.

Love and autumn blessings!
Kathryn xoxo
Book News: Many many thanks to all who joined me at Readers Books in lovely downtown Sonoma for my second booksigning! It was a joy to meet you and I appreciate your spending your Saturday afternoon learning about Plant Whatever Brings You Joy!

Latest reviews!!:

Please visit Ewa in the Garden for the loveliest of reviews of Plant Whatever Brings You Joy!

Plant Whatever Brings You Joy comes from years of early morning gardening, gathering impressions of what the natural world has to offer and sharing wisdom in a fine survey of lessons learned from gardening. From cleaning up after a storm to resisting the idea of planting more than can be cared for this links gardening to life goals and philosophy and is packed with wonderful insights perfect for gardening and new age libraries alike!”

—California Bookwatch

And here, dear readers, is a short segment taken from an hour long interview I did recently on “The Career Clinic” about my new book. Clickity.

For a complete list of upcoming events please see Events Calendar at www.estrellacatarina.com

xoxo

Posted on October 11th, 2010 by Kathryn
Filed under: People at Life | 14 Comments »