Horchata

Had Mexican one night and we had to have some Horchata to wash everything down.  I adapted this reciped from Lola's Horchata recipe (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/lolas-horchata/), but made a few modifications to suit my taste.  The Horchata turned out delicious; not too sweet with the taste of cinnamon.

Ingredients

1 cup uncooked white short grain rice
5 cups water
1/2 cup milk (I used lowfat 1% milk, but your can use whole milk for a richer taste)
1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup white sugar

Directions

• Pour the rice, cinnamon, and water into a blender; blend until the rice breaks up, about 1 minute. Let mixture stand at room temperature for a minimum of 3 hours.  (I left mine at room temperature for 2 hours and then in the refrigerator overnight).
• Strain the rice water into a pitcher and discard the rice. (I strained mine first using a wire strainer to remove the rice, and then again with a cheese clothe in the strainer to remove the remaining sediment)
• Stir the milk, vanilla, and sugar into the rice water until sugar is dissolved.
• Chill and stir before serving over ice.