I hate it when experiments fail. Even though, by definition, that’s what happens with experiments more often than not.
I’ve made a few batches of No-Bake Cookies this month, and I plan to make some for our Christmas party. I also thought I’d like to try to find some recipes that use rice, since that’s more plentiful and cheaper than wheat flour. Not rice flour, but rice. Cooked rice. Do you see where I’m going?
Cooked rice is a softish grain that still has some tooth to it, like oatmeal. Alas, it doesn’t seem to work as a replacement for oatmeal in No Bakes. I put it 6 cups of cooked rice (twice the amount of oatmeal called for!), and either I really screwed up when I was cooking the chocolate and drastically undercooked it, or there’s some thickening property of oatmeal I hadn’t considered. Considering it now, I guess oatmeal does thicken when cooked like there’s some starch there, unlike rice, which is all distinct little granules, huh? Dur. So, now I’ve got a bunch of chocolate and rice puddles hanging out on parchment paper. Maybe I’ll try scraping it all back together and incorporating something that might help bind it. Like, I dunno, oatmeal. Or maybe I’ll dump in some hot cocoa mix - that might be interesting, right? I mean, as they are now, I’ve pretty much written the cookies off.
Don’t worry though, if you’re planning to come over - I’ve got a new canister of oatmeal, so I can make a standard batch that should be fine. I got a lot of chocolate chips today at Costco, too (seriously, an embarassingly large amount of chocolate chips), so we’ll have all sorts of variations on chocolate chip cookies. I got the goods to make brownies, too, and assorted other spendid sugary, high-fat, yummy treats.
Also? I still have lots of rice to play with. How’s rice pudding sound? Oooh, or maybe I’ll try puffing rice (I’ve read it’s similar to making popcorn) and make some rice krispy treats!
Well, maybe not the last one. Another batch of brownies would probably by a good deal easier and more likely to taste good.
December 25, 2007 at 12:29 pm
Hello there!! I miss you two!!! My father got on your blog for me and I’ve been really enjoying reading it. I’ll have to try your cheese recipe. sounds like you both have to deal with a lot!! And 14 hours I don’t think is normal. Before I had Cortez I did more things at school. I was in charge of an After-School program, taught home-bound students and sometimes had to get groceries for cooking classes. I did 14 hour days sometimes, but only when I had to get groceries. Then add 2 hours of drive time to that. Now that I have Cortez, I don’t teach homebound students or teach summer school and now that I have to pick up Cortez at a certain time, it has forced me to become more organized. Now I get up at 4:30, leave at 5:55, get to school at 7:10, stay until 3:30 or 4:00, pick up Cortez at 5:00 and get home by 5:30. Well, it’s Christmas Eve and I am staying overnight with my parents. Grandma is sick, she is dizzy and nauseous, and can’t keep anything down. I hope she is feeling better tomorrow. Eric stopped by and Grandpa helped him put spark plugs on Shanda’s car. Eric got a new computer programming job in Overland Park, Kansas. I’m sure Nancy/Mom told you that they got married in Las Vegas in November. Shanda seems really nice. Cortez helped me make chocolate chip cookies for Santa. He fell asleep on the sofa, so I need to go down to the basement and get his presents wrapped. There’s still a little bit snow left on the ground, a full moon, and it’s around 32 degrees. Eric and Shanda are coming over for breakfast tomorrow. We’re having biscuits and gravy. Have a very Merry Christmas with your friends and the rest of us in spirit. I love you very much and think of you guys often. I bought a birthday card for Seth, but don’t have your address yet, so also Happy Belated Birthday to Seth!
Lots of love,
Paulette and Cortez
December 25, 2007 at 1:31 pm
Wishing you both a very Merry Christmas! This Christmas will be rather strange for us as we will have not little ones around. Daddy is coming for lunch and then a couple of friends will be here as well. It is just so quite without the babies here! The weather has been warm during the days - not like Topeka! I told your mom that we had a “brown” bank rather than a snow bank - all the leaves seem to pile up in our yard. I haven’t gotten on skype yet - that is the next project - hopefully by next weekend. Well it is WAY past my bedtime and Santa won’t be stopping by here so there is no need for me to still be up! Hope you have/had a wonderful Christmas and enjoyed the company and sharing of love with your “away” families. Talk to you soon. Aunt Laura