Macaroni and Cheese

I measured some of the ingredients when I first started making mac n cheese from scratch.  As of today, I no longer measure any of the ingredients.  I'll give you the measurements I used to use though...in case you're not as adventurous as me.

2 1/4 c milk
3 1/2 cups of grated cheese
1/4 c flour
1/2 stick of butter (I don't add butter anymore, but I used to)
c. 1 lb of pasta
dash of salt

I use whatever kind of pasta I happen to have around, bowties, shells, rotini, elbows, pretty much anything works, although it tends to be better with smaller shapes.  For cheese I use a colby/monterey jack blend, and for some reason I always buy a big block of it and grate it by hand.  Someday I may get lazy and use the pre-shredded kind...

Cook the pasta first, grate the cheese (if you're insane like me) while the pasta is cooking.  You are technically supposed to heat the milk and flour in a saucepan, but I've been skipping that step and just trying to leave the milk on the counter long enough that it's not fridge-temperature when I mix it in.  I also like to add some honey mustard to the mix for extra flavor.  Oops...did I just give away my secret ingredient?

Mix everything together in a casserole dish and bake it in the over at 375 for 30+ minutes. 

tonight's mac n cheese...prebake

pasta of the day: rotini

mac n cheese, cabbage/radishes/carrots, kielbasa

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

1 egg
2 tbsp milled flax (super-good for you!  look it up...)
splash of milk or juice (I very rarely buy milk, and never put it in my pancakes.  My favorite thing to use is apple cider.  When cider is not available, I use orange juice)
       small splash for a smaller pancake, bigger splash if you're hungry
enough bisquick to reach desired thickness (I like my pancakes pretty thin, I don't measure, but I probably use about 1/4 to 1/3 cup)
chocolate chips

top with whatever your heart desires.  I use to use boring maple syrup or sometimes crunchy peanut butter, but lately it's been black-raspberry preserves or, my favorite, pumpkin butter!  Fresh strawberries or banana slices on top are also great for both taste and nutritional value.



Apple-Herb Bread

My favorite bread!

1 pkg yeast
1 cup wheat flour
1+ cup of hot water
1+ cup of white flour
herbs/seasoning
1 red delicious apple, chopped*
1-2 tbsp olive oil

you don't have to let the bread rise, but it doesn't hurt to let it rise 20 min in a steamed-up microwave (microwave water for 2 min to make steam) or, if you have lots of time... let the bread rise under a towel for an hour or two

bake for 15-25 min at 425

*it may be helpful to let the apple pieces dry out a bit before putting them in the bread, otherwise the bread doesn't cook very well around them



Sweet Potato Chips

Don't know why I'm starting out with a mess-up...but at least it was close to being delicious...underneath the burned-taste. 

1) I peeled the sweet potato
2) I sliced it super thin (with some kitchen tool...don't ask what it's called...ok, it's like a peeler but its edges are kinda grooved instead of straight like a peeler)
3) I lightly coated the sweet potato strips with olive oil
4) I shook them up in a bag of seasoning (salt, garlic powder, some other stuff...)
5) put them on a baking sheet and threw them in the oven at 450.  I think they baked for somewhere btwn 5 and 10 minutes.  Probably should have baked for 5 or less...they were pretty thin.

Here they are pre-burn

and now...burned and with the rest of my meal

tuna melt (tuna/relish/ranch, provolone, whole wheat), chips, tomato soup