January Challenge is Wrapping Up; February Challenge is ON!

I extended the January Challenge for a bit to accommodate our late start with the first Fiddlehead Challenge. Entries are coming in now, so make sure you get yours in by Monday, Feb. 22.

For February: What do you do with leftover rice? There are lots of possibilities with this one. Your recipe can be for any kind of rice: brown, white, long grain, short, glutinous (that's the Thai sticky rice).

My favorite thing to do with leftover Thai sticky rice is to make breakfast out of it. Just heat it up with a drop or two of milk or water -- try coconut milk! -- and mix in some fresh strawberries, honey and some shredded coconut. This simple but delicious breakfast will make you order extra rice to take home!

Thanksgiving Breakfast *UPDATED*

I'm going to my sweetheart's house tomorrow, and HE'S doing the cooking; this time, I'm just doing the helping. We'll see how that goes. He's a great cook, but sometimes he gets a little ambitious and plans too many complicated dishes all at once. Well, I do that too, sometimes.

The pecan sticky buns have been rolled, cut, covered and set to rise. Tomorrow morning, I'll get up, pop 'em in the oven at 350 for 25-30, and we'll have a delicious treat to keep us full while we cook. The recipe comes from Christina Pirello, a vegetarian cook who is sometimes featured on PBS. What's great about this recipe is that it's rather wholesome; it uses whole wheat flour and NO WHITE SUGAR. Brown rice syrup instead. I've tried this one several times, and it's always been just as delicious -- even more delicious -- than the "regular" sticky buns. Because of the rice syrup, the buns have a lower glycemic index than many other breakfast treats, and the whole wheat flour is better for you than white flour, too. The only thing I refuse to do is use soy margarine -- quel horreur -- so I use good, old-fashioned butter. This time, I've used Cabot's farmhouse butter, which is a speciality they only sell at their farm and a few other locations.

Well, it's off to bed for me. I'll let you know how the sticky buns turn out and will try to post some highlights from our meal tomorrow. If I don't hear from any you out there before the end of the day, have a great Thanksgiving!