Cold tea and cold rice are tolerable; cold looks and cold words aren’t. ~ Japanese Proverb
I like proverbs. I like knowing some people can say so much in so few words. This one recently jumped off a page to prompt memories that make me smile.
First cold tea. In the South, we like our tea not only cold, but iced. I’ve told this story before, but I never pour a glass of sweet iced tea without remembering when First United Methodist’s handbell choir, The Charles Wesley Ringers, traveled to England to represent the United States at the International Year of the Child celebration, Royal Albert Hall in London. The dozen teen musicians stayed in homes arranged by the National Children’s Home of Great Britain. When one host asked her guests what they would like, they responded, “Iced tea.” She immediately made each a cup of hot tea and dropped a single ice cube in each cup.
A couple of summers later, the Children’s Home choir toured the United States. At their stop in Jesup, the organist stayed with us. He didn’t like summer squash, but he fell in love with iced tea. He planned to return home and make a million selling iced tea. I don’t think his countrymen were very recipient to his idea.
I don’t know anyone who opens the refrigerator and grabs a handful of cold rice to snack on. However, I do know that rice pudding can be made with leftover rice.
When I was growing up, my family only ate rice a couple of times a year whenever my grandmother would make a large batch of rice pudding for dessert. Over the years, I’ve tried a variety of recipes but none to my husband's liking. He grew up with rice a regular staple in his home. Recently, I’ve come up with a recipe he likes. The biggest difference is that I substitute dried cranberries for the raisins which he doesn’t like.
Speaking of rice, I’ve also found a new pork chop and rice dish we both like. And so I share these recipes.
However, I cannot leave this proverb without one more look, but not a cold one. We’ve all been the recipients of a cold look or even cold words. Hopefully, none of us have mastered either. Both can be chilling. However as with all unpleasantries we may encounter throughout life, how we respond can ignite or defuse the situation.
Rice Pudding
1-1/2 cups cooked rice
2 cups milk, divided (1-1/2 cup; 1/2 cup)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup fruit (Craisins)
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
1 T butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Combine rice, milk and salt. Cook and stir until thick and creamy (15-20 minutes)
Stir in 1/2 cup milk, fruit, egg, sugar and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Stir in butter and vanilla.
Serve warm.
Pork Chops and Rice (I cut this recipe in half for two of us)
1 (10.5 oz) can condensed cream of mushroom soup, NOT diluted
2 cups beef broth
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried chives
¼ teaspoon onion powder
4 thick cut pork chops (bone-in or boneless)
1 (1 ounce) packet Lipton Onion Soup & Dip Mix
Optional garnish: chopped fresh parsley or basil
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Whisk together the soup, broth, rice, garlic powder, dried chives, and onion powder. Transfer to the prepared dish.
Pat the pork chops dry; place on top of the rice. Sprinkle onion soup mix over the pork chops, to taste. If you don’t like a strong onion flavor or if you don’t want the chops too salty, use just a portion of the seasoning, not the whole packet.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Check the pork chops at this point. If they are done (and have reached an internal temperature of 145°F), remove them, cover with foil, and set aside to rest. Give the rice a stir. The rice will not be tender yet, so cover the dish again and return to the oven for about 25-30 more minutes, or just until rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with the pork chops. Garnish with herbs, if desired. (My chops were thick enough to cook the full hour; I cooked the rice an additional 10 minutes.)
2023
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