Once upon a time, there was a very big bunny.  He lived at a little brick grocery store in a magical village named the Bull City.  Everyone in the village knew and loved the very big bunny.

Years later a baby was born in the village.  The Mommy and The Daddy named the baby Boopie.

Around the same time the very big bunny moved to a larger space.  The big bunny liked it very much, because more people came to visit.  He made many new friends.

One day The Mommy took Boopie to the store.  As their shopping cart came around a corner, Boopie and the very big bunny saw each other for the first time.  The child’s eyes got very big and very round, and little hands began clapping for joy.

The very big bunny and the very small child became best friends.

Whenever The Mommy took Boopie to the store, the bunny would be waiting.  The very small child would run and hug the very big friend, and whisper secrets into its very big ears.

Years went by, and the very big bunny and Boopie stayed best friends.  And each visit would find the child, who was no longer so very small, hugging the bunny and sharing secrets.

Then the store moved once again.  Boopie, who was now a big child and The Mommy were excited to visit and explore the very big bunny’s new home.

But the very big bunny, Boopie’s very best friend, was gone.  He was taken to live on a very quiet, very lonely farm.  The big child’s big heart was broken.

As the years went by, Boopie grew up.  The big child graduated from high school, and went away to college in a very cold village, very far away.  But Boopie often thought about that bunny, and wondered about him, and missed him.

Finally Boopie finished school in the frozen village, and moved back to the Bull City.  The young adult had a new home, a new puppy, and a new roommate.

Boopie loved the Bull City very much, and loved to investigate the changes that had taken place while away.

The young adult discovered a bakery with a funny name; Monuts Donuts.  The shop became Boopie’s favorite place for coffee and donuts.

Then Monuts moved to a new space.  It had once been a little brick grocery store.  In fact, it was the very big bunny’s very first home.

One day Boopie visited the new little brick donut store for the very first time.

As the young adult came through the door, Boopie and the very big bunny saw each other for the first time in many years.  The young adult’s eyes got very big and very round, and bigger hands began clapping for joy

And the very big bunny and The very big Kid lived happily ever after.

In honor of the Bunny/Boopie reunion, I have invented a vegetarian dish for them both.

Bunny patch rice

1 pound carrots, peeled and cut into similar sized pieces

Big pinch Chinese 5 spice

1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

Olive oil

3 ½ cups vegetable stock

3 tablespoons butter

2/3 cup broken pecans

1 small yellow onion, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 ½ cups jasmine rice

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.   Sprinkle 5-spice, nutmeg, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil onto carrots.  Toss to coat.

Put on cookie sheet. Roast 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.

Put cooked carrots and ½ cup of the stock into food processor and puree.

In a saucepan on medium, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour in pecans, season, and sauté until browned and fragrant.  Remove from pan, leaving any butter, and set aside.

Place onions into saucepan, season, and cook until water has cooked out, and they’ve begun to brown.  Add rice and final tablespoon of butter.  Gently toss to coat, and let rice cook until translucent.

Add carrot puree and the final 3 cups stock to rice and bring to boil.

Turn to medium-low, cover and cook 20-25 minutes or liquid has absorbed.  Take off heat, leave covered, and let sit 15 minutes.

Fold in pecans and check for seasoning.  Serves 6-8.

Thanks for your time.