Agua de Horchata

     One of my favorite Mexican drinks has always been agua de horchata. I love the taste of cinnamon combined with the hint of vanilla. I love to drink it with a lot of ice and along with a tasty taco. Not many people like this water mainly because it is made of milk and is more of a seasonal drink. It is a perfect Thanksgiving drink. or even a Christmas dinner drink as well. Let's think of it as a Mexican eggnog without the eggs. The things you will need are...

• 1 cup white rice
• 1 stick of cinnamon
• 1 can of evaporated milk
• 1 can of condensed milk
• 1/2-1 tbsp of vanilla extract
• Sugar (optional)
• A strainer
• Ice

1. Pour the rice into a bowl. Add water and a cinnamon stick and let sit for 3 hours or overnight. 

2. Once time is up, pour the bowl into a blender.

3. Blend on high for 5 minutes.

4. When the mixture is ready, pour it through a strainer. If you don't have a strainer with small holes, you can use napkins or a coffee filter. It needs to be strained to catch the small hard pieces of rice. 

5. Pour the jars of evaporated milk and condensed milk. 

6. Add 1/2-1 tbsp of vanilla.

7. Stir. Add sugar to your liking if needed. I didn't add any because I felt it was already sweet.

8. Once stir'd well, let it settle for a couple of hours or over night. Remove anything that has collected at the bottom of the jar and add ice or let chill.

9. Serve yourself a nice glass!

ENJOY!