Home is Where the Hearth Is

Festive Rice Pudding By Mary Karam

Ingredients
4 cups of whole milk
3/4 cups uncooked long grain white rice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup sherry
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 to 2 cups heavy cream
1 10oz. package frozen raspberries
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1/2 cup currant jelly

Instructions
In a 2 qt heavy sauce pan combine milk, uncooked rice, and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, cook uncovered 25-30 minutes. Stir in the vanilla, almond extracts, and sherry. Cool to room temperature. Whip cream to soft peaks, fold into rice mixture along with 1 almond. Cover and chill thoroughly. To serve: spoon into dishes and top with raspberry sauce.

Raspberry Sauce
In a saucepan, crush the raspberries. Stir in cornstarch and add jelly. Cook and stir until the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Cool for one minute. Sieve sauce: discard seeds; cover surface with wax paper.

* I have been making this pudding every Christmas Eve for the last 40 plus years. Each year my family asks " are you making the rice pudding mom?"
I don't put the almond in, as some of my family members are allergic to nuts. (The custom is the one who finds the almond has good luck.)

Baked Macaroni and Cheese by Tatyanna DeLoatch

Ingredients:
1 Box of elbow macaroni, about 16 ounces
1 1/2 1b shredded cheese
1 cup of whole milk
1 stick of butter, unsalted and softened
A pinch of salt
Pepper to taste

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Soften butter in microwave. Microwave on low power for about 60 to 90 seconds. You only want to soften the butter, so check every 10 to 15 seconds to ensure it doesn't melt.

Boil elbow macaroni according to package instructions.

Place cooked and drained macaroni in casserole dish. Add softened butter, milk, pinch of salt, pepper to taste, and 1 lb of shredded cheddar cheese. Gently mix to blend ingredients. Layer top of macaroni with remaining cheese; about 1/2 lb.

Bake macaroni and cheese at 350 degrees for about an hour. Top layer will turn golden brown when  macaroni is ready. Do not allow macaroni and cheese to dry out.