If you have ever been to a smorgasbord you know there is pickled herring, and even sushi has been added to the cold cut array. Swedish Rice Pudding is a true comfort food for our family. This is a dish most everyone can eat, the vegetarians, Ova/Pisceans, and gluten and peanut allergians. I remember going to my paternal grandparents home and having Norwegian rice pudding. The rice was cooked in milk, mixed into whipping cream and topped with strawberry preserves. My mother was Swedish and had her own comforting recipe. My sister and I struggled to get it just right, because the ingredients were not exact. Sometimes it was too watery, or too custardy, or too solid. We never added raisins, but you can. The tradition has to be preserved, and remember, (Swedish) food should always be prepared with butter and love.

If there is any pudding left over, then for breakfast on Christmas morning brown a little butter in a frying pan and fry the pudding just enough to get it hot. Enjoy!

Swedish Rice Pudding

4 eggs, lightly beaten                                 4 cups whole milk
½ teaspoon salt                                          1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract                       2 cups cooked rice (short grain “Sushi” rice)
Cinnamon

In a large bowl add sugar to beaten eggs and beat well. Add all other ingredients except cinnamon. Pour into a generously buttered 13×9 glass baking dish. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of pudding before baking. If you like custard on top of the pudding, bake at 305 degrees for one hour. If you want the custard and rice mixed together, you can stir the pudding half way through the baking time, then sprinkle with cinnamon.

The timing is tricky. Someone needs to hurry home from church to take it out of the oven on Christmas Eve.

~ Jana Easterling

Romans 15:5-6

5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Prayer

O God, we give you thanks for the gifts of perseverance and encouragement when we might easily give up. While a watched pot never boils, keep us waiting and watchful for the signs of Christ’s return. Bless this food to the nourishment of our bodies so we may be strengthend for your service, even as we maintain our Advent vigil, in the name of Christ, who has come and will come again. Amen.