Macaroni and Cheese

Due to a multitude of requests, I’ve decided to post my recipe for Macaroni and Cheese. However, I’ve given it out to so many people who still insist that I make it instead, so I doubt anything will change.

Years ago as I was figuring out various methods of cooking comfort foods, I came across recipes for macaroni and cheese that looked appealing as far as ease was concerned, but not so appetizing as far as taste or budget. I mean, this is macaroni and cheese so it shouldn’t cost an assload of money in various cheeses, nor should it resemble the boxed variety when it’s complete. After a few experimental dinners, this is pretty much the standard recipe I now use, as well as its low-fat cousin on occasion. I usually make this as a side dish, so having the extra fat in it doesn’t bother me so much, especially when serving alongside chicken or pork and veggies. This recipe makes enough for eight to twelve side servings or four to six as a main course, to which I would add a mixed baby green salad with a simple vinaigrette.

Cory’s Macaroni & Cheese

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2½ cups half & half
1 medium onion, diced
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
salt to taste
8 oz penne rigate pasta
1 lb Tillamook Vintage White Cheddar Cheese, shredded
½ cup buttered bread crumbs (or seasoned crouton crumbs)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large stock pot filled halfway with water, cover and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter then incorporate the flour thoroughly and allow to cook for a minute or two. Add the half & half and stir to combine. I used to whisk this part, but found that by simply stirring it and then bringing it to a slow boil accomplishes the same results of no lumpies. If it takes more than a few minutes to boil or you are simply impatient, turn the heat up to medium high until you see the center start to bubble. Stir in the onions, paprika, nutmeg, cayenne, salt and bay leaves and lower the heat to low for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

When the water has come to a boil in the stock pot, salt it liberally, add the pasta and cook to package directions, strain and set aside if the sauce isn’t ready yet. After about 15 minutes, the sauce should have thickened. Remove the bay leaves and set aside (I’m a dork, I’ll tell you why soon) and add about three-quarters of the cheese, slowly stirring in a circle eight motion into the white sauce. Once completely incorporated, taste and adjust seasonings as needed, add the pasta and stir to combine. Yes, this looks like a lot of sauce, but I guarantee it is the right amount. Transfer to a 2 ½ quart baking dish or, if you’re lazy like me and don’t wish to dirty another dish, simply leave it in the pan. Top with remaining cheese, bread crumbs and take the two bay leaves and artfully arrange them on top. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and the bread crumbs have turned a nice golden brown. Allow to rest for five minutes before serving.

Low-fat Version: Replace half & half with skim milk and toss 2 tablespoons cornstarch with the cheese before mixing into the sauce. I don’t know why, but this keeps the cheese from wanting to separate due to the lack of milk-fat in skim milk for the cheese to cling to. Again, an experiment that works. I’m sure you could always stir the cornstarch into the milk too, but I haven’t tried that one yet and now that I’m thinking about it don’t know why I haven’t. Hmmm…

A note on Tillamook Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese Aged Two Years: If you are unable to locate this particularly delicious (and relatively inexpensive cheese for us here in the Northwest as it is a local variety) that is sad and I mourn for your loss. But, any cheddar will work, so long as it is a sharp cheese. Personally I haven’t found a better cheese for this particular dish, even after trying some imports from Ireland, England and Canada. Alas, I do hold Tillamook Cheese in high regard, so my personal opinion may be slightly askew.

Coffee or Potluck

When life makes you choose between necessities and frivolities, sometimes the lines get blurred. Especially when coffee is involved.

While at Costco the other day acquiring supplies for my famous macaroni and cheese, I realized I was also low on coffee. Suddenly the cost dilemma came into play. If I were to buy the coffee, we would severely diminish our food money for the month, but if I didn’t everyone around me would be severely punished. What is one to do? I took the high road and we left without it. My reasoning? I was fairly certain I still had some left that I hadn’t transferred from the bag to the container next to the coffee maker. I was wrong.

In the short term this is a good thing as everyone at the potluck yesterday raved over my macaroni and cheese because it really is that good. Seriously. I mean like, “Damn! Who made that macaroni and cheese? It was the best!” good. I’m not bragging or anything, but I do know how to cook. In the not so long term, however, this could turn disastrous once I run out of the precious elixir of life and have to resort to (GASP!) Folgers at work.

http://modernmalehomemaker.blogspot.com/search?q=macaroni+and+cheese

The Day After

With boxes and ribbons and bows and papers strewn across the living room, it is quite obviously the day after Christmas. Of course, we could’ve cleaned up right after opening, but where’s the fun in that?

After opening our presents and calling the out-of-town family who sent us stuff, we immediately got cleaned up for the day to prepare for Christmas with my partner’s dad, which also doubles as his birthday. My partner packed the traditional Pumpkin Cookies he made for his dad’s birthday, from his dad’s first wife’s recipe, which got passed down to his dad’s mom after they divorced and then my partner took over making them after she passed away. Without a doubt as to what I would be asked to bring for dinner, I started making my famous Macaroni and Cheese. It was delicious as usual, and there were even leftovers to take to my stepbrother’s girlfriend whom the day before we had had a forty-five minute conversation about macaroni and cheese.

But now, as I’m blogging in my new robe my partner’s mom and stepdad got me that is so incredibly comfortable and warm and I swear I’m not writing this for their benefit because they don’t even read this blog, I’m looking over the screen on the laptop at piles of trash that need to be separated and boxes we should start using to pack stuff away for the inevitable move. I guess it’ll have to wait until after church. Good thing garbage day is tomorrow, otherwise we may not be motivated to take it all out of the living room and into the trash can!

Ah, the day after Christmas, when all the festivities have died down and the radio station has switched back to its usual mix of soft rock (right at midnight, no less) and the world gets back to business as usual… except for retail, which today is the biggest returns day of the year. Thank gawd I’m not doing that anymore! Now it’s time to plan New Year’s Eve.

Little Kids and Broccoli

What’s the difference between boogers and broccoli? Little kids won’t eat broccoli! Or will they?

It can be frustrating getting kids to eat fruits and vegetables, especially if they have not been introduced to these foods at an early age. However, some kids, even with well rounded dietary options just will not eat a piece of broccoli or halved cherries. That’s when it is time to get a little creative.

You can take a cue from many of the canned meals available that are geared towards kids and sneak them into their foods unknowingly in the form of puree or simply mix them into foods they already love. What kid doesn’t like macaroni and cheese? Why not put a half pound of cut up broccoli into the pasta water halfway through cooking the noodles? Covered in cheese sauce, most kids won’t even notice, and if you eat it with them and they see you eating the green stuff mixed into the orange stuff without making a fuss about it they will probably think that they’re just green noodles.

In my limited experience kids will probably eat something if they see it in the garden growing or planted it themselves. The past couple days while we were watching our friends’s nephew, Josh, I would take him out to the garden with me to pick out some strawberries for breakfast. Of course it helps that this kid, while he doesn’t eat much, will eat pretty much anything or at the very least try it first. I thought sneaking the broccoli into the macaroni and cheese trick was, well, sneaky, but he ate it without even thinking twice. Then again, I should’ve know better as when we had stir fry with him a couple months ago he not only ate the chicken but the red bell peppers and onions too. Now, if we can only get him to eat cherries. Cherry pie?

Leftovers

Leftovers are great. Assuming you can use them.

It seems that we always have leftovers from dinners or large lunches, but rarely enough for both of us to eat another meal out of them. What I’ve found is that by thinking outside the box, a small amount of leftovers can become a completely different meal by adding a few other ingredients. I’m sure you all have your own tricks to stretching your grocery bill, but here are a few of mine.

Spaghetti is a main staple in our house, not just because it is easy to make but because it is relatively inexpensive. Typically I only use half a box of noodles, which means when two adults eat a meal there is usually enough for a little more than one person to have leftovers. However, add a can of chili, a little sour cream and some shredded cheddar and parmesan cheese, bake until bubbly and you’ve got Chilighetti. It may seem odd to combine those particular flavors together, but the results are delicious.

Fajitas are another main dinner in our household for the same reasons as spaghetti. Now sometimes we are so hungry there aren’t any leftovers, but most of the time there are enough to turn into another meal. Fortunately the ingredients I use, chicken, red bell pepper, onions, garlic and jalapeños, work well in a variety of dishes in the Tex-Mex menu options. For this reason it is easy to work the filling into quesadillas or with the addition of either refried or black beans into a topping for nachos. However, one of my favorite uses is for Black Bean Soup. I cheat and buy a large box of black bean soup and heat it along with the leftover fajitas and a can of black beans for substance. Topped with sour cream and sliced green onions and you’ve got a delicious and filling soup.

Pulled pork is another dish that is relatively easy to make in a crock pot, but can be utilized for a plethora of other dishes. I cook mine for thirty-two hours in a special blend of spices I create and rub the pork with before cooking. But aside from pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw, the meat can be used for enchiladas when combined with black beans and my homemade enchilada sauce, wrapped in tortillas, covered in cheese and baked until bubbly. Other uses are tacos, burritos, pretty much any dish that you’d use shredded beef or chicken you can use pulled pork for. It also works eaten cold in salads.

Of course there are plenty of other ways to make a small main course work again, either by adding an extra vegetable dish or two and some bread. We typically eat a lot of salad with our meals, especially in the summer, but canned or frozen veggies will work in a pinch, and we always have those on hand. We almost always have bread of some sort in the house, but English muffins make great cheesy garlic bread.

Alas, the best way to utilize leftovers in new ways is to plan ahead. I typically plan three meals a week when grocery shopping and use the leftovers for the remaining days. While this doesn’t always work out as planned, I make sure I’ve got substitute meals on hand just in case… like a box of macaroni and cheese with half a pound of chopped broccoli.

Pantry Basics

To be ready for practically any baking or cooking project, there are a few things everyone should have in their cupboard. Because nothing sucks more than realizing you’re out of a key ingredient while making a cake.

We all pretty much know the basics of flour, sugar and salt. These three ingredients alone account for the bulk of baked goods from breads, cakes and cookies. However, where would a cookie or cake be without the assistance of baking soda and/or baking powder? While yes, there are a few exceptions, such as pound cake which uses eggs alone as the leavening (and liquid if you make it traditionally), most cakes and cookies would be flat, tough, and dense. Cream of tartar is also a good one to have on hand. A small container is usually enough to last a year for most people because it is something so rarely used, but a necessary component for making snickerdoodles. Add corn starch to the list too. You’d be surprised just how many recipes call for it when you really start cooking.

What about spices? We all know that spices tend to lose their flavor after about 6 months, but nearly all of them are still quite usable for years, so don’t just throw them away! We’ve all been to an elderly relative’s house and found tins of spices that by any standards would be considered antiques, yet they are still usable, you’d just need a little more to get the same flavor punch. Cinnamon and black pepper are the obvious staples every home should have, but where would a gingerbread be without ginger? What would macaroni and cheese taste like without cayenne and paprika? And how many dishes are enhanced with the addition of onion and garlic powders? The list really could go on and on in the spice category, but to round out the flavors, the herbs thyme, basil, oregano and sage should be added to the list.

Now onto the liquid portion of the pantry. Vanilla extract tops the list as most useful, but isn’t alone in the flavoring category. Keep a small bottle of almond extract as well and you’ll be able to enhance everything from cobblers, cakes and cookies with it. White vinegar has a ton of uses in the kitchen and can be used not only for cooking, but also for sterilizing equipment when making anything gluten-free as the vinegar wipes away any residual gluten which can remain even after a thorough washing. Three other items to consider having on hand are honey, light corn syrup and molasses.

So to recap, here is the list: flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cream of tartar, corn starch, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, cayenne, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, thyme, basil, oregano, sage, vanilla extract, almond extract, white vinegar, honey, light corn syrup and molasses.

Yes, this list is small, but armed with these basics, you can make practically dish or baked good. The four herbs listed… thyme, basil, oregano and sage… offer a wide range of flavor and can easily be substituted for another herb listed in the recipe. With the exception of most basils, these herbs can be harvested year-round from the garden for fresh versions. A couple basils that are perennials are Greek and Cuban, both of which do not flower. However the Greek will need to be treated as a houseplant during the winter so make sure it is potted appropriately so it can be brought indoors when the daytime temperatures drop below sixty degrees. Happy cooking and baking!

Cream of Carrot Soup

Pulling together a meal can sometimes be daunting when you haven’t actually planned anything out. However, having a few tricks up your sleeves can help.

We had planned on having spaghetti for dinner last Sunday when a friend of ours announced she was coming over to go walking and have a Scrabble Death Match. Dinner plans changed immediately as said friend doesn’t eat pasta of any kind except for my macaroni and cheese because, well, the goo to pasta ratio is quite high. I quickly decided on baked chicken thighs, garlic mashed potatoes, freshly picked green beans, and something with carrots. At first I was thinking I’d just roast the carrots alongside the chicken, but then decided I should check on the carrots in the garden boxes in our backyard first. After pulling out one the size of my forearm, I decided roasting may not be the best option here and perhaps I should look into making a soup instead.

As usual, when looking for a recipe, I can’t simply follow it. I have to fiddle. I’m weird like that. So I gathered the ingredients I had and began. Onions, ginger, curry, carrot and broth all mingled away for about twenty minutes until the chopped carrot was tender. The results were amazing and I can’t wait to make this again and again.

Cory’s Cream of Carrot Soup

1 tablespoon butter

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

½ teaspoon curry powder

1 can chicken broth (14 oz)

1 – 1½ pounds of carrots, chopped

1 teaspoon sugar

½ cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot over medium-low heat, melt the butter and add the onions, ginger and curry powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and just begins to brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the carrots, sugar and broth next. For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth or stock instead of chicken. Cook on low, uncovered, for about twenty minutes or until the carrots are fork tender. Using a ladle, place the solids in a food processor and process until smooth. A blender will suffice in place of a food processor. Mix back into liquid and add the heavy cream, salt and pepper. This makes about four cups of a thick soup. For a thinner version, double the broth or use an additional 1½ cups water or white wine when cooking the carrots.

Adventures in Babysitting

The other day I got to watch four-year-old twins. We had an amazing time together.

The twins were a little shy when they first arrived, so I decided to check if Sesame Street was on. It was. This also allowed me to finish up what I was doing on the computer, like checking my email and Facebook and Pinterest; you know, the important stuff. Anyway, it didn’t take long for them to warm up, even though our dog Lucy was constantly in their faces… literally. As soon as the credits started rolling, one of the girls grabbed The Muppets and said they wanted to watch that next. I certainly wasn’t going to argue about that! I love the Muppets! Before the day was over, we’d played Uno, ate macaroni and cheese with broccoli (which they LOVED), colored with both crayons and chalk, read The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales (one of my all time favorite books) and danced to the YouTube video “I’m Elmo and I Know It.” We had so much fun and the day was filled with so much silliness that I can’t wait to do it again.

Old Mac with Spam

Last night we went out with a bunch of people to celebrate our friend Laura’s birthday. While there was a little over an hour wait for the restaurant, the food was totally worth it.

A few days ago our friend Laura was trying to finalize plans for her birthday. She really wanted Montage for dinner then head over to Kennedy School McMenamins for more drinks, so even though we knew the wait for 20 people to get seated in the small dining area of Montage would be a challenge, we were all ready for it… especially since they don’t take reservations. As it turned out, 20 turned into 12, but the wait was still the same, and there was another party of 12 right after us on the list.

While waiting outside in the threat of rain that fortunately never manifested itself, we were talking about the food from those in our group who’d eaten there before. I was pretty sure I was getting macaroni and cheese based off the conversations, but was unsure of which one I’d be selecting. After we were all seated and ordered drinks (I had a Your Not My Real Dad based solely on the name, but must admit the combination of Peach Schnapps and lavender was delicious) I perused the menu in search of something to eat. Of course, me being me, I chose the item I’d planned on before even walking into the restaurant, Old Mac… with Spam. It was delicious.

Once we were all done eating, paid the bill which was an adventure all in itself with a dozen people trying to figure out what they all ordered, my partner and I headed home while the rest of the group went to Kennedy School. Let me tell you, trying to sleep last night with a belly full of mac & cheese was not on my list of good times, but I guarantee we will be going back to Montage again. Something about really good Cajun and southern comfort foods makes me happy and this place did not disappoint. Of course, the extremely attentive (and eclectic) staff made the night fun, but having good company to share a meal with made it great.

Montage is located in Portland, Oregon at 301 SE Morrison St, 97214.
http://www.montageportland.com/

Sick, Sore and Snotty

I’ve got the three ‘S’s of a cold; I’m sick, I’m sore and I’m snotty. Colds are stupid.

My brain isn’t working all that well today, which will definitely make work fun. Yesterday I was having trouble doing minor tasks and speaking half the time. Not good during a ten and a half hour shift. Not good at all. Today is worse. Joy.

Usually when I’m sick I have trouble sleeping but last night I slept really well… until about a quarter to six this morning when my brain decides it wants to wake up even though the alarm clock still has another half hour before it will go off. The last month and a half has been like this. My body doesn’t like Daylight Savings time either. Maybe this sickness is a revolt against it? Or maybe I caught it from one of my coworkers who was sick a couple weeks ago. Oh gawd, I’m getting all random and tangenty again.

STOP THE INSANITY!!!

I wonder if taking a Claritan last night after dinner helped with sleepy time or not? It could have been the delicious sun dried tomato Italian style macaroni and cheese I made for dinner too based off a recipe I found on Pinterest, a website that apparently does have more value than simply pinning pretty pictures! I’ve made two recipes and used at least three different craft and quilt ideas using Pinterest. Of course, I spend most of my time looking at inappropriate humor while on the website.

DAMNIT!!! I WENT ON A TANGENT AGAIN!!!

Being sick is stupid. I hope in the near future we can find a way to deal with this problem instead of spending gobs of money and research on products that mask and prolong the duration of something as common as a cold.

Gross

After work yesterday I picked up the boys and went over to the new house to start patching nail holes and clean out the cabinets. I got as far as the kitchen.

I’m not sure what possesses people to put nail holes in the wall unevenly spaced about every six inches apart on average. It wasn’t all that noticeable until I looked at the walls with all the spackle. Of course, I’m not sure what possesses people to make the paint color and design choices the former tenants did either, but I attribute that to their love of Nascar and all things Dale Earnhardt.

While the walls certainly had their fair share of issues, the insides of the cabinets are white. I’m sorry, but white never looks clean to me. I used up almost half a bottle of Lysol Kitchen Cleaner cleaning and wiping down every square inch of those cabinets. Well, every square inch I could reach as two of the cabinets that should’ve been corner cabinets with corner cabinet doors instead of a large amount of wasted space since even with my long arms I was unable to reach the far end of them. Balls. That, and they had this nasty black film all over. I had to clean every part twice just to get it all. But in the process found the missing cable outlets and smoke detector!

I also found myself wanting to simply live with some of the paint choices simply because the task of all that painting is beginning to feel much more daunting than originally planned. Even the green in the living room is starting to look appealing. Hell, I could probably live with the Kraft Macaroni & Cheese walls that are the kitchen. Of course, while we don’t have to be out of this house for quite some time, we are paying rent at the new house and I’m ready to leave this chapter of our lives behind us.

The boys loved running around the empty house and playing in the backyard which still had the swing-set, for now. It’s just another thing that is up in the air as far as if it’ll stay or not. They also had fun picking up fir cones and putting them in the empty birdbath that may or may not be staying as well. While exploring the backyard with them I was trying to visualize exactly where the chicken coop and garden boxes will go and realized just how disgusting parts of this yard really are. Oh well, at least it’s small.

Then there is the garage, otherwise known as the Cigarette-Smoking-Room. Internet research doesn’t help much in this matter, but I’m going to try a fogger that supposedly will help eliminate the toxins associated with third-hand smoke. My eyes are still itching from just walking in there. Of course, the only product out there that guarantees to eliminate these odors is apparently not sold in stores and mostly to hotels and rental car companies, so we’ll see if the product I can pick up at the local hardware store will work or not.

Alas, so much work, so little time, and hopefully this Thursday we can get the carpet cleaners out to clean the carpets. I’m not expecting any miracles as far as stain removal, but I’m hoping to at least get them clean because they are most definitely the grossest part of the house. But I have to admit that the smell in the garage takes a very close second place.

My Brother K.C.

Have you ever had a brother who was the epitome of sweet and innocence and purity that you wanted to do everything in your power to protect him from the world? No, I’m not talking about myself, but my little brother, K.C.

Today is my little brother K.C.’s birthday, which means this is the last of the sibling posts. To start with, K.C. is his first name, not initials, even though there are periods after each letter. If you want to know the reasoning behind this, you’ll have to ask my mom and stepdad, but as far as anyone is concerned it stands to reason that it is for Kansas City… as in Kansas City Chiefs or Kansas City Royals. Yes, a football and a baseball team. Again, for an explanation you’ll have to ask the parental units. But, in all honesty, the name fits him perfectly.

So K.C. was fairly young when our mother and his father separated, so as any good big brother would do, I did what I could to help get him to baseball practices and games and help him with school work and have a somewhat normal childhood. Unfortunately both my sister Kassidie and I failed to teach him a few fundamentals, like how to cook. I can only blame myself as I taught her but didn’t even think about helping him because she was completely interested in learning while he was more interested in showing me how completely inept I was (am) at video games.

Right before he started high school, my stepdad and him moved to Wenatchee, a five hour drive from here, which meant we didn’t see him very often after that, about once or twice a year. Sadly I wasn’t able to witness my brother become a man, but alas, he seems to have done so fairly well without me. Although, I must admit, I still don’t think he knows how to make a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

Happy birthday K.C.! Have a wonderful day, a wonderful year, and may all your dreams come true! I miss you terribly and can’t wait to see you again this summer.