The first few days of my yoga teacher training I struggled to rise at 6.15am. It is two hours before I normally wake up and in addition I had to try and eat something before our two hour long morning yoga session finished around 11 am.

Then one morning I looked at the leftover rice and almond milk in the fridge and got the idea to make the simplest rice pudding possible. I stirred some precooked rice and unsweetened almond milk together in a pan with a bit of cinnamon. It was perfect. Simple to make, easy to digest and a little bit warming. Some of the SF mornings happened to be quite chilly. 

Since we are back in Dublin, I have been making a saffron version with my homemade almond milk. 

It goes something like this

Saffron rice pudding
Serves 1

1/2 cup cooked rice
3/4-1 cup almond milk, unsweetened
5-8 saffron threads
1 tbsp boiling water
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of salt (optional)
raw almonds, chopped

Put your saffron threads in a bowl. Add the hot water and start to crush the saffron with the back of the spoon to release the flavour and the beautiful sunny colour. After one minute, place aside. 

Add the rice and almond milk to the pan. Stir it gently over medium heat until it has a creamy consistency. Add the saffron and cinnamon and mix carefully. Serve in a bowl and decorate with a few chopped almonds. 

Sunshine in a bowl!