It is springtime in New York City. It feels great to be outside. These days, instead of running frantically on the treadmill, I run calmly outside. As I run, I take in all the sights of the neighborhood. I turn in different directions, onto different avenues, and different streets of Brooklyn. I love it. I notice every street has it’s own charm, from old ornate buildings with fire escapes, tattered-looking laundromats, and sustainable condos with immense balconies to streets blocked off due to construction. With the abundance of things to be grateful for during this season, one pleasantry that sticks out the most, for me, is dining al fresco. If you can’t find one of the many hundreds of restaurants in Brooklyn that has an outdoor patio, you’ll find hundreds more with a romantic backyard or rustic garden. Ahh, springtime…one of life’s truest pleasures in the city that never sleeps. Which brings to mind another pleasantry: a refreshing dessert.

One of my favorite food-related websites to visit is Gilt Taste. I love seeing what’s new in the food world through this site, and their stories are pretty entertaining, if not educational. I came across a recipe for the most refreshing rice pudding recipe ever. The cardamom and lime zest adds a perfectly refreshing and soothing touch to this rice pudding. Now, I’m very conscientious of the amount of sugar I take in, so this recipe blew me away when I found out it only calls for 2 – 3 tablespoons of sugar. This meant to me that it was a must make. I like my rice pudding less loose than what this recipe calls for so I adjusted the amount of coconut milk measurements required. Please enjoy the photos and if you want the recipe, click here.