this time of the year is so busy and it seems like it is already flying by. I mean really I just started getting used to writing 2010 as a date, now it is almost time to write 2011.
busy working on opening back up Point Blank
busy working on another logo design
busy working on cards and handmade gifts
busy working on wrapping purchased Xmas gifts and last minute travel plans
just busy ..
Last night the youngin helped me make some mac and cheese .. so I had to capture him in the kitchen in action and honey child he was SO proud of himself ..
Homemade Mac & Cheese (8 Servings)
- 5 1/3 C dried elbow macaroni or shells
- 1/3 C all-purpose flour
- 1/3 C or half a stick of butter
- 3 1/3 C of whole milk or 2% is fine
- 2 2/3 TSP dry mustard
- 1 1/3 pound of cheese grated(mix it up sharp, medium, mild, colby)
- 2/3 TSP of salt (you will need more)
- 2/3 TSP of seasoned salt
- 2/3 TSP of black pepper, ground
1. If you are going to use block cheese which in my opinion is a lot cheaper than buying pre-shredded then I would be sure to grab the variety and start shredding that and mix it with your pre-shredded. I like to use a little of both. Especially when doing my macaroni.
2. I do not cook my macaroni el dente because it is just too firm. Yes your noodles are going to cook more when you put it in the oven but I cook it an extra 2 min past the el dente stage. I take it off the eye, drain, add it back into the pot I cooked it in and add extra butter and 2 spoonfuls of sour cream stir and let sit as I work on my cheese sauce.
3. First thing you want to do is add your butter as that is melting you add your flour, ground mustard, salt (more than listed above as needed), pepper, seasoning salt). You will stir that up. YOU CANNOT WALK AWAY this will thicken up pretty fast. Start adding your milk and stirring it it will start to thicken as well. This is the fun cheese adding process. Start adding as much cheese as you want to be honest. All recipes come with "recommendations" only especially when it comes to ingredients like cheese and butter. Maybe that is why my ass is in in get sexy mode at the gym now because of my eating habits.
4. Butter your pans either aluminum or glass all around and on the bottom. Go ahead and pour your cheese mixture over your macaroni and stir. You will notice on mines I added extra milk like a dummy and it looks more runny. Now I could have added more cheese but I did not feel like it.
5. After mixing pour your macaroni into the pan and top with cheese. I used sharp and medium cheese that I manually shredded. On one pan I mixed in the cheese that I topped and on the other pan I cooked it for 10 minutes in the oven and then mixed in the cheese.
6. Once you top your pan with cheese you can add ritz crackers if you wish (chopped of course crumbled pretty good). Place in the oven for 15-30 minutes. Keeping an eye out on it. (the amount of time you keep it in the oven depends on you).
7. Bring that bad boy out the over and try not to burn your tongue off as you taste it.
So go out and make some mac and cheese for dinner, not just for the holidays. My son and I whipped this together in less than 20. Seriously it does not take that long at all. While it is baking in the oven you can be working on your finishing touches of the meal.
In other news I looked like a fool blogging about being able to see Kim, this was before I knew she would not be in London until that afternoon due to a strike and that just did not work for me and my schedule of traveling and having a husband that works nights at a certain time had I know ahead of time I would have never taken leave LOL. So I wasted a day of leave sort of. Oh well I got some laundry done and I stayed in and snuggle in my blanket and watched a few movies. I met a few more girls here from the dirty south and we all went to lunch together they all work in the hospital and are crazy as hell. They have a book club going on here and I am so excited about that because I love to read currently they are on Terry McMillans new book the sequel to Waiting to Exhale .. had to buy the last copy I saw on Mildenhall at the BXtra .. and get to crackin so I can catch up.
Are you in any book clubs?
Enjoy your weekend.
oh before I run. If you think I am a keep it real blogger then yall aint seen nuttin yet .. this is my girl stationed here one of my sisters-in-arms .. and man she cracks my butt up .. check her out http://mommyincombatboots.blogspot.com/
