rice pudding!

I thought I would attempt to make yogurt in my crock pot this week, but when that never happened (it requires so much watching and tinkering, and still no guarantees) I decided to use the leftover milk for rice pudding.
I used to make rice pudding a lot when I was in college (you know, the very first time) because I had this strange habit of buying milk in gallons rather than other, more manageable quantities for a household of one. Unfortunately, the rice pudding seems to have disappeared along with my more refined grocery shopping skills.
The inspiration for this latest batch comes from the Smitten Kitchen (link in the title), who insists that it's ok to eat it for breakfast OR dessert.

1/2 C arborio rice
4 C milk
1/4 C sugar (although I would use less next time)
2 cinnamon sticks
1 t vanilla extract
some raisins

Combine all of the ingredients except vanilla in a pot. Bring to a boil, then turn it down and let it simmer for a good long time (30-40 min), stirring occasionally. Add the vanilla before you eat it.