National Vanilla Pudding Day

Today is National Vanilla Pudding Day! This yummy, creamy pudding existed since the 19th century, and most culinary historians say that the modern recipe we use today evolvolved from custards, which date back to Ancient Rome. The first instant pudding was introduced in the 1950s by Jell-O which was advertised and promoted as a "busy-day dessert." Here is one of the original commercial from the 1950s introducing Jell-O instant pudding. To celebrate National Vanilla Pudding Day, make some delicious homemade vanilla pudding from scratch, or from an instant mix!

Image via Chow

Even though its National VANILLA Pudding Day, we want to share with you guys our favorite pudding and their recipes. These two favorites of each of ours are very similar but we will still show you guys both of them despite that, so HAPPY NATIONAL VANILLA PUDDING DAY & ENJOY :)

Natalie's favorite is a milk pudding called Hitaliye (هيطلية)

Image via Donna Hay

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of milk
• 1 heaped tablespoon of corn starch 
• 1/2 teaspoon ma'ez zahr (orange blossom essence) and/or rosewater
• Sugar (optional)
• Honey/ caramelized sugar

Directions:
- Boil the milk
- Mix cornstarch in a cup with a little bit of milk and you can also add sugar to make it sweet which is optional (add desired amount)
- Add the mixture (cornstarch,milk, and sugar) to the boiling milk.
- Make sure to keep stirring the pudding constantly
- Add the orange blossoms essence/rosewater or you can put a bit of both.
- Keep cooking the pudding under low fire until it gets thick around 15 minutes or until you get the desire consistency
- After pour the mixture in small bowls and place in fridge
- Once they have cooled, which probably will take a few hours, you can add honey/caramelized sugar to top it off.
-ENJOY :)

Amanda's favorite pudding is a rice pudding 

Image via Eat The Right Stuff

 Ingredients:

• 1 qt. milk
• 1/4 cup pounded rice
• 3/4 cup water
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon orange blossom essence
• 1/4 cup chopped blanched almonds and skinned pistachio nuts (optional)

Preparation:

- Mix rice with water and add to milk which has been brought to a boil.
- Stir and cook until thickened and then add sugar.
- Continue cooking and stirring until mixture coats the spoon.
- Add flavorings and boil a few minutes longer.
- Pour into individual serving dishes and decorate with chopped nuts.

HAVE A GREAT VANILLA PUDDING DAY!

Fattoush

Fattoush is derived from the Arabic fatt which mean "crush". When making this salad you toast pita bread then break it up and add to the salad this is one of the main ingredients that makes fattoush different from any other salad. The other main ingredient is the spice sumac

Sumac isn't a herb but a type of berry that is grown on a Mediterranean bush and mostly grown in southern Italy and the Middle East. If you've ever eaten za'atar, you've probably eaten sumac because it is usually one of the ingredients of za'atar.

Sumac was used as a medicine specifically in the medieval times where it treated almost half a dozen illnesses. Research has also found that sumac has anti microbial properties which suggest that sumac might be used to treat and prevent hyperglycemia, diabetes and obesity due to hypoglycemic properties. Recent research also suggests that sumac has antioxidant properties. In one experiment, sumac was added to animal's drinking water and it was found that there was less oxidized DNA bases in their colons, livers, lungs and lymphocytes.

Our homemade fattoush

So now that we know more about fattoush and sumac here is the recipe on fattoush.

•Ingredients:
4 Cucumber
2 Tomato
2 Green pepper
2 Radish
Handful of fresh Mint
Handful of Parsley
1/2 Lemon
1 tablespoon Sumac
Olive oil
2 Pita bread

•Directions
- first toast the pita bread and make sure not to burn it !
- roughly chop the tomatoes, cucumbers, and green peppers.
- thinly slice the radish
- roughly chop mint and parsley
- add sumac
- add lemon and olive oil and if needed salt
- I would suggest to add the bread at the last minute so it won't get soggy or even each person add it into their own plate just incase you don't finish the salad.

And enjoy!!!

Nectarine

Did you know?
• Nectarines take its name from ‘nectar’ - the food of the gods
• Nectarines come from the same family as the rose and are also related to the almond
• Nectarines are a cross between a plum and a peach
• It is not uncommon for a peach or a nectarines to grow on each other’s tree.

Why Nectarines Are Good To Eat?
• Nutritionally nectarines are similar to peaches. Like yellow-fleshed peaches, yellow-fleshed nectarines have more beta carotene.
• Both white and yellow-fleshed varieties are good sources of vitamin C and dietary fibre and have some vitamin E.
• They are good source of potassium, so we help provide balance to the sodium that comes into our diet from salted foods.
• Its sweetness comes from our natural sugar content, mostly sucrose. The body can use this sugar for energy.


Choosing Nectarines:
Select those of us which are fragrant, firm, plump and richly colored with smooth, glossy skin.

Recipe & Image via foodopera

HONEY BAKED NECTARINES WITH VANILLA AND BROWN SUGAR 

You will need

Serves 6
3 Nectarines (ripe and cut in half, one nectarine for two)
sheet of baking paper
3 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence or scrape out a vanilla pod
3 Tbsp honey
6 Tbsp yoghurt (drizzled with honey)

How to make

Set oven temp to 180C. remove stones and place cut nectarines on baking paper in an oven proof dish/ pan facing up. Drizzle honey, vanilla, and sprinkle brown sugar on top. Bake at 180C for 15mins, scoop up the juices and coat nectarines and bake for a further 15mins or until golden and sticky. Serve with yoghurt, drizzled with honey.

Spring Rosemary Lemonade Cocktail

This Rosemary Lemonade Cocktail is a refreshing drink that is ideal for spring and lazy afternoons.
The emphasis of this drink is on organic ingredients. Having a good homemade lemonade which has a balance of sweet and tart is delicious, but adding the rosemary infused ice is what makes this cocktails amazing! The flavor combination of these ingredients are delicious! Here are the directions to how you can create this drink, and you can use the technique in other drinks with other herbs such as mint or even basil.

*Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 oz of Tequila
• 4 oz of lemonade (either homemade or store bought)
• 3 to 4 Organic Rosemary Infused Ice Cubes*
• Rosemary sprig and slice of lemon for garnish
• Honey (optional)

Preparation:

1. Place rosemary ice in tall glass. (You can add on the rim of the cup some salt)
2. Add tequila and top with lemonade. (If you want to add honey still it in another cup with the lemonade & tequila before adding it to the ice)
3. Stir
4. Garnish with rosemary sprig and slice of lemon

*Instruction on how to make Rosemary infused Ice Cubes:

• 3 cups water
• 6 organic rosemary sprigs

1. Pinch 12 to 15 tips from rosemary sprigs. Set aside.
2. Bring water to simmer.
3. Add rosemary sprigs to heated water.
4. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Strain into heatproof container. Allow to cool.
6. After rosemary water has cooled, pour rosemary water into ice tray.
7. Add rosemary tips to individual ice cubicles. Place in freezer.

Avocados !

Avocados are native to Central and South America, where they have been cultivated for over 10,000 years. Another name for the avocado is the "alligator pear," so-called because of its alligator skin texture and pear shape. The Aztec word for avocado was ahuacatl, which means "testicle tree". One tree can produce between 150 and 500 avocados per year.

Avocados will not ripen on the tree. They must be picked from the tree to initiate ripening. The leaves supply a substance that prevents ripening. The best way to store avocados is to leave them on the tree; they will store for 7 months or more when left on a tree!

Avocados are one of only a few fruits which contain beneficial fats. They also have vitamin B,K, and E. Not only that but they also contain more potassium than bananas! Here are even more reason for why you should eat avocados: prevent prostate cancer, oral cancer defense, breast cancer protection, eye health, lower cholesterol, stroke prevention!

There are several ways you can prepare avocados, you can use them in food recipes or even as facemasks.Brazilians add avocados to ice cream and Filipinos puree avocados with sugar and milk for dessert drink. Here is a simple recipe for guacamole and a dish that Amanda's grandpa used to make.

Guacamole via allrecipes

*Guacamole:
- 2 avocados mashed
-1 small onion finely chopped
-1 clove garlic minced
-1 ripe tomato chopped
-1 lime juiced
- salt & pepper to taste

~ mix all ingredients and chill for half an hour for flavors to blend

Image via kinsfarmmarket

*Grandpa's Recipe:
- Half the avocado and remove the pit
- Fill the pit with baby shrimp
- Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar
- and eat!