I agree with Missy on the homemade mac and cheese (I've got a recipe for 5 Cheese Mac that's delish...).

I went to a potluck tonight and brought a Triple Mint Chocolate Cream Pie that was amazing and went over well. And the pie is amazingly simple to make.

Tortiila de patatas (or rather tortillas, one is never enough)

Ensaladilla rusa and breadsticks

to disappoint? :D

I'm going to a potluck tonight and bringing bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce. It's easy to make and great served warm or cold.

After volunteering pumpkin bread, I have been assigned a green vegetable. These folk take those basic food groups to heart.

Pumpkin is a vegetable, no? Just use a green one. Or throw some pistachios in it.

If it weren't for the fact that we cant bring anything alcoholic (it's a school) I would so want that Bread pudding with whiskey carmel sauce.

I think I'm going with green beans with shallots and diced tomato. Or, travel related, haricot vert (available at Costco!)

I also think we need that bread pudding recipe, wanderingviolet. Well, at least the sauce recipe.

The bread pudding was a hit as usual :). I mistyped earlier, the sauce is actually a spiced caramel rum sauce but you could use whiskey or a variety of other spirits. The alcohol is really just for flavor, you can easily omit it for a non alcoholic version.

Bread pudding

8 large eggs
5 cups milk
1 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1-pound loaf cinnamon challah or cinnamon-swirl bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 cup golden raisins ( i use dried cranberries because that's what I have on hand)


Butter 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Whisk eggs in large bowl to blend. Add milk, sugar, cream, and vanilla; whisk to blend well. Stir in bread and raisins. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake pudding uncovered until puffed and golden, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Cool slightly (pudding will fall). Serve warm with Caramel Rum Sauce.

Caramel sauce
1 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons spiced rum or dark rum
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Stir brown sugar and butter in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until melted and smooth, about 2 minutes. Add cream, rum, and cinnamon and bring to simmer. Simmer until sauce thickens and is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 5 minutes. Serve warm.