Unanswered Prayers and the Long Wait for Rice Pudding

Thank goodness for the weekend. It hasn't been a great week for me at all! Frustrating exams, frustrating people, and no small group to brighten up the week. Argh. I can't even think of witty things to say in this blogpost. *sigh*

Epiphany! I need a vacation. NOW. Something to look forward to and get excited about, because school and work is definitely not cutting it right now. My interest level in school and classes is bottoming out. Right now, I just want to go ANYWHERE out of Seattle! (...okay, anywhere except Cleveland). 

One of the frustrating issues I'm dealing with right now is the lack of response I'm getting in my prayer life. I pray, sometimes even get-on-my-knees prayers, and... nada. Nothing happens. Okay, all of my atheist friends probably think this is true for prayer in general. But in my past, I have had real testimonies of God answering my prayers, maybe not all the time in the way I planned, but a response nonetheless. But right now, I am pretty dejected in my prayer life, because the big issues I'm praying for is still there, the major problems still exist, and hope for any change is looking pretty dim. I'm not a patient person, so having to wait and wait and wait (we're talking in terms of months here) is really discouraging.

One bright note in my life is the food. Another new recipe attempted this past week, and another success! I made a huge batch of rice pudding, and ate almost all of it by myself (12 servings worth...)! Basically, I lived off rice pudding while studying for my tests.

I used my slow cooker (the second recipe I've actually used a slow cooker!), and it allowed me to be "hands-free." I didn't have to stand by the stove, checking and stirring the rice pudding every few minutes to prevent the bottom from burning. However, the slow cooker method does take longer- I left the pudding to simmer for 2-3 hours before it was thick enough. If you don't have a slow cooker handy, you can definitely cook the rice pudding over the stove; make sure you keep an eye on your rice pudding and stir every so often!

Rice Pudding
12 servings

1 cup uncooked rice (long-grain preferred, but I used whatever I had, which turned out to be jasmine short-grain rice)
8 cups milk (8 cups = 1/2 gallon)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, combine rice, milk, and sugar. Cover pot loosely and bring mixture to boil, occasionally stirring and scraping bottom of pan to prevent burning. (Watch the pot carefully! If you're not keeping an eye on it, the mixture may boil over, leaving you a sticky mess to clean up.) 
2. After mixture has come to a boil, transfer mixture to slow cooker. Set slow cooker on high setting, and simmer for about 2 hours, or until the mixture is to desired consistency. (Note: This step will determine how thin or thick your rice pudding will be! If you want the pudding to be thicker, leave it in the slow cooker for longer. After this step, the pudding will not become thicker.) 
3. While the rice pudding is in the slow cooker, beat together eggs, 1/4 cup milk, salt, vanilla extract, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Set aside to bring mixture to room temperature. 
4. After the rice pudding is at desired consistency, temper egg mixture by mixing a scoopful of hot rice pudding into egg mixture. Then add the egg mixture into the rice pudding mixture slowly (to prevent curdling of the eggs). Stir the rice pudding, and continue cooking in slow cooker for 3-5 minutes (in order to fully cook the eggs). 
5. Transfer rice pudding into 9x13 inch pan or equivalent, loosely drape plastic wrap over top, and cool to room temperature. Sprinkle cinnamon over pudding. Then, tightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled before serving.