Vanilla Pudding

Last month we went to a wedding reception for my sweet friend Beth.  She and I met in Physical Therapy school.  It was so fun to see these girls!  It has been way too long!  We missed you, Ashley Peevy and Lindsey!

Nicole, Lauren, Beth, Me, Ashley, and Blythe

I love vanilla pudding!  It is easy to make and is the perfect little treat after dinner!  I doubled this recipe for our small group and still had left overs.  Hope you enjoy!

Classic Vanilla Pudding with Vanilla Honey Whipped Cream

Source:  Food Everyday Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp. cornstarch
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 large egg yolks
• 2 tbps. unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• Optional:  Vanilla Honey Whipped Cream and fresh fruit (I highly recommend both!)

Directions:

Place a fine-mesh sieve (fine strainer) over a medium heatproof bowl and set aside.  In a medium saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together milk, cream and egg yolks; add to saucepan.

Whisking constantly, cook over medium-high until mixture thickens and is bubbling, 8-12 minutes.  Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, whisking, 1 minute.

Remove pan from heat and pour mixture through sieve into bowl.  Stir in butter and vanilla until combined.

Press plastic wrap directly against surface of pudding to prevent skin from forming and refrigerate 3 hours ( or up to 3 days).  To serve, whisk until smooth and divide among four small bowls.  Top with fresh fruit and whipped cream!

Blood Oranges

I just discovered blood oranges last week while I was shopping at Trader Joe's.  I grabbed a bag so I could take one to work each day for a mid-morning snack.  I was a little nervous when I cut my first one open and saw how they got their name (the insides are indeed the color of blood).

After smelling them (yes, I needed to make sure they weren't too odd) I decided to give it a try.  Delicious!  They were a little tangier than your average sweet orange, but still sweet enough.  It was a nice break from traditional oranges.  These guys are also packed with 110% of your daily vitamin C.  You can't beat that!

The only con to these guys...they are a little bit more messy to eat then a traditional orange because of the color.

Oh, and my picky husband won't touch them because of the color.  One day!

Here is a website if you want even more information.

What is your favorite healthy snack at work?