~~Ruth did in her post above and now below~~ RE: Can I freeze rice pudding? Posted by: ruth (mcguirer@bcc.orst.edu) on Fri, Jun 29, 01 at 20:09 I love rice pudding too and my picky kids won't touch it!??? So I did try freezing it...once....it was pretty gross....very mushy and the texture was really wierd afterwards...the flavor was the same but it was watery and the rice was grainy and mushy. Maybe freezing it BEFORE it's cooked would work...just have to be sure it gets cold quickly for food safety reasons....and then just defrost overnight in the fridge and cook as usual the next day. Folks, ~~I've decided to freeze the rice plain after cooking in measured portions for the rice pudding and for meals. Now I'll make 2 lg. pots of rice, 1 white, 1 brown at the same time. And freeze when cooled. This has helped me in cutting done the prep time before starting the rice pudding in the crockpot. I sometimes cook the rice pudding on low for 4 to 5 hrs. instead of High.

Thanks for posting this Carol, now I can print out the recipe and get THAT messy instead of my Craig Claiborne cookbook (grin). I used frozen peas and carrots (pre-cut!) or any other veggie I wish as a short cut.

Here's one that I've made and liked. The orange juice adds something to it! Asian Fried Rice (Bonnie Stern) This is best made with day old rice so next time you are cooking rice for dinner - make lots to have lots leftover. Types of rice to use for this are basmati, jasmine or fragrant rice. Makes 4 servings 4 eggs ½ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper 2 Tbsp rice vinegar 2 Tbsp orange juice 2 Tbsp soy sauce 1 tsp Asian sesame oil 1 Tbsp vegetable oil 1 clove garlic, finely chopped 1 small onion 1 Tbsp chopped fresh ginger root 1 sweet red pepper, diced 1 cup frozen peas 6 cups cold cooked rice 3 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander or basil In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper. Reserve. For the sauce, in another bowl or measuring cup combine rice vinegar with orange juice, soy sauce and sesame oil. Reserve. Heat oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet. Add garlic, onions and ginger. Cook, stirring constantly, a minute or two until onion is tender and lightly browned. Add red pepper and cook 2 minutes longer. Add peas and rice, breaking rice up with a wooden spoon. Stir sauce into rice and combine well. Make a hole in the rice in the centre, all the way down to the pan. Add eggs allowing some to set on the bottom so that some of the eggs scramble and some of the eggs coat the rice. Combine everything. Stir in green onions and coriander, and cook a minute longer.

I've been making cauliflower pizza crust. It's a little labor intensive but I make a big batch and freeze the crusts for later use. Works darn good for me and the family tolerates it. LOL Here's the recipe I've been more or less using: Cauliflower Pizza Crust ( Makes one 10-12" crust) 1 small to medium sized head of cauliflower - should yield 2 to 3 cups once processed 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon dried basil 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese 1 egg Place a pizza stone in the oven, or baking sheet if you don't have a pizza stone. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. On a cutting board, place a large piece of parchment paper and spray it with nonstick cooking oil. Wash and throughly dry a small head of cauliflower. Don't get one the size of your head unless you are planning on making 2 pizzas. Cut off the florets, you don't need much stem. Just stick with the florets. Pulse in your food processor for about 30 seconds, until you get powdery snow like cauliflower. You should end up with 2 to 3 cups cauliflower "snow". Place the cauliflower in a microwave safe bowl and cover. Microwave for 4 minutes. Dump cooked cauliflower onto a clean tea towel and allow to cool for a bit before attempting the next step. Once cauliflower is cool enough to handle, wrap it up in the dish towel and wring the heck out of it. You want to squeeze out as much water as possible. This will ensure you get a chewy pizza like crust instead of a crumbly mess. Dump cauliflower into a bowl. Now add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (crush up the leaves even more between your fingers before adding), 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder. Now add your egg and mix away. Hands tend to work best. Once mixed together, use your hands to form the dough into a crust on your oiled parchment paper. Pat it down thoroughly, you want it nice and tightly formed together. Don't make it too thick or thin either. I tend to go on the thin side. Using a cutting board slide the parchment paper onto your hot pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven. Bake for 8 - 11 minutes, until it starts to turn golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool on a rack, wrap and freeze.