Mac-n-Cheese Showdown!

Last night we made mac-n-cheese in the crock-pot from a recipe given to me by my sister. She had found it in the cookbook, "Fix-it and Forget-it". We love mac-n-cheese in our house, from the little ones to the grown-ups. We do not do much boxed mac-n-cheese, except for Annie's, which is organic and not a scary florescent orange when placed on the plate. My kids have eaten organic mac-n-cheese since they were born so, when in a moment of attempting to be All American, I place the blue box mac-n-cheese on their plates, I get looks of disdain and the majority is left behind. I, on the other hand, enjoy a dish of blue box mac-n-cheese every once in awhile. Takes you back to being a kid, that is for sure.

One of my favorite recipes for this comfort food dish comes from a Fine Cooking magazine from a grocery store checkout aisle. This small magazine filled with recipes makes me laugh every time I pull it off of the shelf because many years ago I told my husband that I did not think we needed to spend money on it and that it was an impulse buy. But now it is well worn, used often, and I am the one who uses it the most. The recipe in the magazine is the one that I use when I want a comfort food dish, need to bring a dinner to someone in need, or want to "woo" someone. It is an impressive mac-n-cheese! Definitely does not belong in a blue box. The only drawback to the recipe is that it takes time. Standing and stirring a pot of whole milk until thick and rich takes a decent chunk of time. Although well worth the effort, of course, I needed another quick recipe for homemade mac-n-cheese that would not get a look of distain from my worse dinner critics, my children. To my rescue comes my sister with a crock-pot recipe.

I was a little skeptical with how it would turn out because, at the time, I was putting all the ingredients together at warp speed (I needed to get out the door for my stress break, my run) and all three of my children seemed to have something to say at the same time at that very moment. Whoa! Brain spin! But when I got home from my run and sat down to dinner, yum! The mac-n-cheese was creamy, rich, and delicious. It had enough depth of flavor that you would have thought it was baked in the oven, not a crock-pot. Plus, even with the elbow macaroni being placed in the crock-pot dry, the noodles were cooked just right.

Now I have two recipes for mac-n-cheese that I can go to. One will be my recipe for when I have a decent amount of time and crave a dish that I can't stop eating. The other will be my recipe for when I have no time and still crave a dish that I can't stop eating. Try them out, see what you think, and have your own Mac-n-cheese Showdown!

Macaroni & Cheese with Buttered Crumb Topping

Salt

1 lb macaroni

12 Tbs. unsalted butter

6 Tbs. flour

1/2 medium onion, sliced thin

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of fresh thyme

4 1/2 cups milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Pinch nutmeg

6 cups (1 lb) finely shredded sharp Cheddar

1 1/2 cups coarse breadcrumbs

2 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted, for the topping

Heat over to 375 degrees and butter a 9x13-baking dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni; cook until just tender following package’s directions and drain well. Melt the butter in a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour, onion, bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns; cook for 2 to 3 minutes (this is called a roux). Slowly whisk the milk into the roux until smooth and blended. Raise the heat to medium high; whisking constantly until the mixture boils. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. Lower the heat and continue simmering for about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.

Strain the sauce into a large bowl, removing the onion, herbs, and peppercorns. Add 2 tsp. salt, pepper, nutmeg, and shredded cheese, stirring until the cheese is melted. Toss the pasta with the cheese sauce and pour mixture into the baking dish. Toss the breadcrumbs with the melted butter and spread them over the casserole. Bake until sizzling and lightly browned, about 40 minutes, less time for individual dishes (cover with foil if the top browns too quickly).

Recipe courtesy of The Best of Fine Cooking Comfort Foods, 2004

Mac-n-Cheese…Fix-it and Forget-it Style!

8 oz dry, macaroni, cooked

2 Tbsp. oil

13 oz. can evaporated milk

1 1/2 cups milk

1 tsp. salt

3 c. shredded cheese: cheddar, American, Velveeta or a combo

2-4 Tbsp. melted butter

2 Tbsp chopped onion

4 hot dogs

1. In slow cooker, toss macaroni in oil. Stir in remaining ingredients, except hot dogs.

2. Cover. Cook on low 2-3 hours. Add hot dogs, if desired, and cook 1 hour longer.

* I did not add the hot dogs and onion*

Crazy Days and Comfort Food

Autumn is my season. It is the season of my first daughter’s birthday. It means pumpkins, leaves, and a garden that finally starts going to sleep for the winter (which I am completely ready for!). It means trips with my family to Hood River to pick apples and pears, which we have done since my oldest was a baby.

Autumn also means a hectic, crazy schedule with the kids and my husband. Being married to a band director means concerts, parades, and football games. It also means a brand-new schedule for everyone when school starts up. When the kids were babies and September rolled around, we just picked up where we left off in June and the days were exactly the same. Now, with three kids in two different schools, it means different schedules every day.

Juggling everything has become an art form in my house. My husband and I juggle everything from long runs (I am training for the Portland Marathon) to a diabetic cat (yes, you read that right, a diabetic cat. Don’t laugh! She has been with us for fourteen years so of course we had to say ‘yes’ to the twice-daily shots!).

So when the juggling act gets crazy, I bake comfort foods. Yesterday I baked five batches of my favorite applesauce to freeze for the winter. I used Ina Garten’s recipe for homemade applesauce. It made my house smell wonderful and brought me great comfort when I sat down to eat it at dinner. Baking this applesauce also brought back good memories of when the kids were babies, the days were long, and I baked a lot. Those days we could choose not to get in the car if we wanted too. These days my car and I are best buds and see a lot of each other on a daily basis. It’s got my back, you know!

So when the days get overwhelming and all those balls you are juggling start knocking you in the head, here is a recipe to fill that desire for comfort food and to bring peace to your day. Enjoy!

Ina Garten's Homemade Applesauce

Ingredients

2 large navel oranges, zested and juiced

1 lemon, zested and juiced

3 pounds Granny Smith apples (about 6 to 8 apples)

3 pounds sweet red apples, such as Macoun, McIntosh, or Winesap (about 6 to 8 apples)

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the zest and juice of the oranges and lemon in a large bowl. Peel, quarter, and core the apples (reserving the peel of 2 of the red apples) and toss them in the juice. Pour the apples, reserved apple peel, and juice into a non-reactive Dutch oven or enameled iron pot. Add the brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and allspice and cover the pot. Bake for 1 and 1/2 hours, or until all the apples are soft. Remove and discard the red apple peel. Mix with a whisk until smooth, and serve warm or at room temperature.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/homemade-applesauce-recipe/index.html

"Honey, I think we need more money..."

That was the comment of the night as we hit the food carts on Hawthorne and 12th before the Joshua Bell concert. We had managed to browse and sample through most of the food carts parked on the corner. Fried catfish po' boy, pulled pork sandwich, heavenly hushpuppies, and...a SWEET Korean taco from Koi Fusion! Woo-hoo! The cash quickly slipped out of our pockets but we didn't mind because this is what we loved to do, food browsing. We are the king and queen of it! Hitting Pike's Place Market in Seattle is one of the best places to go for food browsing. We manage to spend a good portion of a day there walking up and down the market, finding food goodies such a freshly fried donuts and smoky salmon. I do not think our bodies know what full is on food browsing days!

But back to the food cart night...Koi Fusion is what we had been hoping to eat at when we started this food cart adventure. We were incredibly bummed when it wasn't there at the beginning but, oh so happy, when it finally pulled into the parking lot across the way. Of course we were going to sample their food even though we had already eaten a huge amount of food. There is always room for spicy, sweet, funky tacos!

We ended up heading back after the concert to try the french fries from Potato Champion. Those are some serious fries! We did not have them with the gravy and cheese curds, which they are known for, but we had the chipolte dipping sauce that was excellent. French fries that taste like potatoes, served in a paper cone, and eaten under white Christmas lights was a perfect ending to the food cart adventure. Next time, I am hoping to hit the food cart on Mississippi Avenue called the "Sugar Cube". Are you ready for this? They have a cupcake called the Chocolate Caramel Potato Chip Cupcake. A chocolate cupcake with Ruffles potato chips, chocolate frosting, and salted caramel on top. I can see a cupcake creation in my future!

By the way, the pumpkin cupcakes with Chai frosting were delicious and gone in a flash! All that is left is the lone picture at the top of this post! Enjoy!

A Worthy Boycott

I have been boycotting grocery shopping for the month of August. I haven't been since before I went on vacation to Michigan. We have been getting basics such as milk, cereal, and such on an as needed basis. I just haven't had the desire to hit the big stores and spend an hour or two attached to a huge metal cart. I haven't missed the big lights and the craziness!

In an attempt to avoid grocery shopping as much as possible I have been hitting the local fruit stands and farmers markets. Much more enjoyable than the grocery store! Last week we, as a family, headed to a farmers market where we got to enjoy fresh strawberries bought by my oldest with her hard-earned change. The strawberries were so sweet and, maybe because we all so relaxed, extra yummy!

The bonus of the night at the farmers market was the free concert that was happening in the park. A local musician named Andy Harrison was performing acoustically with his guitar. What a great time we had sitting back and listening to him perform. We enjoyed him so much we bought his CD and plan on going to one of his upcoming concerts. The kids busied themselves by doing somersaults in the grass and playing a game of tag in the park. Those are the evenings we treasure as a family. We wouldn't have had an experience like that in the grocery store, that's for sure!

We have also been diving into our garden as much as possible to fill the vegetable bin up. Our edamame are going crazy now and our tomatoes have finally ripened. Every afternoon I head out to the garden and fill my bowl with veggies. It has been so rewarding to eat a dinner that came from our backyard. It is especially rewarding since I know where it came from, my own garden!

But, my boycotting is about to come to an end. We were watching the Food Channel and saw a show on Vietnamese cooking that made both of our mouths water. Plus, my significant other has put in a request for a pumpkin cake with Chai buttercream frosting. How could I resist a request to make a cake? My true passion??? I realized then that it is time to hit the big store and start shopping again. Oh well, my boycott was relaxing while it lasted!

Lobster Butter Love!

I just spent a week in Northern Michigan with my sister and her family. We vacationed near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, which is, by far, one of the more beautiful places in Michigan. Crystal clear Lake Michigan and stunning sunsets were our treats for the week. Well, so was sleeping in since this was my week away from my family!

One of the biggest treats for me that week was to actually finish a hot cup of coffee. This is a rarity in my life! My sister and I sat on the back deck of our vacation home in the full sunshine and watched the steam roll out of our coffee cups. The sweet life for sure! Usually at home, I can tell what kind of morning I have had by how much coffee has disappeared from my cup. Typically, I come home from dropping the kids off at school and there sits my coffee, still full, but cold.

Having the time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee gave me time to think about how coffee has become essential to my day. In the beginning, I did not like the taste of coffee but enjoyed the smell of coffee. Maybe it was the comfort smell of mornings at my house growing up but I definitely was not ready for the taste. Then, I found the beauty of coffee and dessert after a dinner out at a restaurant. I was on to something! Hot coffee and a warm dessert…heaven!

A few years ago, I began drinking decaffeinated coffee in the mornings (what was wrong with me???) and then; of course, I broke into the caffeinated coffee. So good! My body was hooked and so was my mind. A hot cup of coffee brewing in the morning became music to my ears.

Now, I have begun a quest to find delicious, tempting coffee to brew from places other than the big store, Starbucks. While on vacation, my sister and I relished in a coffee from an Ann Arbor store called RoosRoast Free Speech Coffee. The name of our coffee was Lobster Butter Love (hence the name of this post) and it was silky and rich. The best part of this coffee was where it had come from, a store that promoted the small businessman and focused on delivering delicious coffee. True to its word, it was worth getting up in the morning to.

One of my favorite places locally to get a cup of coffee, besides my house, is Di Prima Dolci Italian Bakery on Killingsworth Street in Portland. So worth the drive! That is where I truly fell hard for a cup of coffee. Maybe it was the fact that it was paired with a bag of hot zeppoles (Italian donuts) but their coffee was really a treat, and, honestly, I think of it often!

I do not have any plans in the future for giving up coffee. I have fallen in love with the warmth, the smell, and the feel of the coffee cup in my hands too much to say good-bye to it. For now I will just continue my search for where I can find the perfect cup of coffee, and, maybe some sweets to go with it!