Coconut rice

So let me just say I am obsessed with anything coconut. I just love the taste and smell, not to mention how healthy it is for you. I make sure to always have a jar of organic coconut oil in my pantry, you can use it or so many things from oil pulling, to washing your face with it (it works wonders to get rid of acne) to conditioning hair, to cooking or eating (make sure you aren't contaminating the jar of coconut oil, I put half the jar in a seperate container for cosmetic uses and the other half I leave in the pantry for cooking uses). My absolute favorite thing is to use it while making rice, you get the nice hint of coconut while getting the nutritional benefits. What is also nice is that it is not sweet as my husband first thought it would be. You can serve it with anything and you can also make it with brown rice, just add 1/2 cup more of water to that. It is a super simple and easy recipe, trust me once you make it that will be your go to rice recipe. 

coconut rice

2 tbsp coconut oil

2 cups white rice

2 tsp salt

1 can coconut milk (13.5 fl oz) 

1 cup hot water 

In a medium sized pot add the coconut oil and rice. Cook on medium heat for 4 minutes mixing he rice with the coconut oil. Add in the coconut milk, pour the cup of water into the can of coconut milk to get any extra bits of the coconut cream at the bottom of the can, pour it into the pot and add in the salt. Mix to incorporate and wait till the water starts to boil. Once boiling cover the pot and lower the heat to 2 (that's the notch that is on my stove). Let cook for about 15 minutes or until you can't see anymore water bubbling at the top. There will still be some cream at the top from the coconut milk, use a fork and "fluff" up the rice and allow to cook for another two minutes. Serve while hot. 

Pumpkin French toast with cinnamon cream cheese

With the official start of autumn right around the corner and the air being cold and crisp this morning I decided it was time to pull out some frozen homemade pumpkin purée I made last year. Last week Louis took me to Dairy Queen to get a pumpkin pie blizzard and let me just say it was like heaven in my mouth, if you haven't tried it you need to go out and get one...my mouth is watering just thinking about it! 

1 loaf of French bread sliced

4 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup fresh or canned pumpkin purée

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg 

1/2 tsp ginger

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp brown sugar

Butter for the pan 

In a bowl mix together the spices, vanilla, brown sugar, purée, eggs and milk. 

Heat the pan on medium heat and melt a tablespoon of butter in it. 

Dip both sides of the bread into the mixture I usually count to 10 then flip the bread and let the mix soak into the bread for another 10 second. Place on the pan and let cook for 2 minutes or until browned, flip and cook the other side. 

Cinnamon cream cheese

4 oz cream cheese softened 

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon 

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and top the pumpkin French toast with a tablespoon of the cream cheese mix along with maple syrup. 

Can't you just feel fall in the air? 

Original recipe: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/08/pumpkin-french-toast/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+CookingClassy+(Cooking+Classy)