Too Quickly

The 3rd has come and is nearly gone and I realize that next week I start back to school and my house still hasn't been cleaned and I'm no closer to any of the ideas I've set.  Ok, that may be being a little hard on myself.  It's only been one day since I got started with this, right?

Last night, I had intended to have leftovers for dinner, but calling to me from the cupboard were the elbow noodles I bought and my thought that I might start making us more vegetarian (not completely, just more).  So, I made my favorite Mark Bittman Macaroni and Cheese recipe.  I'm really not sure if I can post it here or not since it's not mine, but I'm going to and if need-be I'll just take it down later.  I'm also writing it how I do it so there's a little variation in both recipe and wording because I'm lazy.  :)


Baked Macaroni and Cheese
2 1/2 cups milk
2 bay leaves
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons flour
2 Cups grated sharp cheddar
1/2 cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
Good sprinkling of bread crumbs (calls for 1/2 cup or more)

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Cook milk with bay leaves over low-medium heat
3. Cook noodles as directed on box with a splash of salt in the water
4. Melt butter in saucepan.  Once melted add flour and whisk until brown and well-mixed on medium heat
5. Remove bay leaves from milk and poor milk into butter-flour concoction
6. Pour cheddar cheese into milk/butter/flour stuff and stir keeping stirring to keep from burning the cheese (can reduce to low heat if noodles aren't nearly done)  Add salt and pepper as needed
7. Grease casserole dish either spray pam or a little butter rubbed around
8. Poor drained noodles into casserole dish
9. Poor cheesy stuff over noodles then toss around until it's all mixed up
10. Generously pour bread crumbs over top and sprinkle with parmesan cheese
11. Bake in oven for 15 minutes or until bread crumbs are brown

Eat plenty and love it.  It's not Kraft Mac-N-Cheese and we love that stuff, but it's so yummy!  Even my 3 year old loves it!  Plus, my 15 year old heats it up for snacks for days since we never eat a whole pan full.

Welcome 2011!

It's a new day, a new dawn, it's a new year!  I'm turning 35 this year.  There have been a lot of years misguided and misdirected.  A lot of years I didn't live up to my potential.  But I'm done with that.  Starting this year I'm going to start trying to be the person I want to be instead of the person I am.

With this in mind... I've made a list of... well, we'll call them "ideas" for the new year.  Resolutions are unrealistic and destined to be broken, so I don't want to label this plan as resolutions and fate them to fail.

The first step in my ideas are to start this blog.  Maybe for a sense of accountability, or maybe just to have it written what I'm thinking and any chance of progress I may make.  I'll have to add things as they come to me, and writing will be sporadic.  I'm going to post favorite recipes, general thoughts and feelings, and anything else that comes to mind.

So, here's the first of my ideas: 

There are a few things I want to learn to do- knitting, crochet, sewing, baking, cooking healthy, and cake decorating.

There are a few things I want to do- travel abroad, get in shape, and do better with money.

Throw in my full course load at NC State and the family obligations.... well, there's going to be a lot to write about, n'est pas?

I hope I get a follower or two to keep me motivated and for those infrequent browsers... :D