a recipe from The Boy- repost

Originally posted at Our Blue Castle way back in '05 (The Boy would have been 7). I've edited and updated a bit.

This is my favourite 'smack' n cheese recipe. Mom can't remember where she found it*, but we all love it a lot. It's my special lunch that I like to ask for.

2 cups of water
1 cup of milk
bit of butter or oil, whichever you like best

Boil these and add 2 cups of whole wheat macaroni. Make sure it's whole wheat, or it won't be as healthy. You have to stir it a lot so that it won't stick. It has to bubble a bit, but not crazy boiling.

While it is cooking, grate 2 cups of cheese. I like the un-coloured old cheddar from the cheese factory near Grandma's. I don't know if you can get there, it's near Perth and the ice cream store.

Then when almost all of the milk and water are gone and the macaroni is soft, put in the cheese and stir it until it's all melted and saucy.

I like to add some parsley and pepper, Gracie puts in a bit of garlic powder and parmesan, and Shmoo always has hers with chives.

However you want to eat it, just eat it! It's great! I even have the recipe memorized so that I can always eat it when I want to.

Oh, and do you want to know why I call it 'smack'aroni and cheese? Because it's so good, you smack your lips!

*Since posting this, I found the original- a piece of plastic that used to be part of a bag of pasta. Not sure what brand, though...

learning and fun this week

Added to our relaxed lessons...

It's time to Journey North! It'll be our first time participating- wish us luck.

Prep week for Olympic school.

Finishing this as background for this- we'll read through the series as a family in the afternoons.

Nature focus- snow and animal tracks.

roasted root veggie soup

Meatless, but 'meaty' (Hubby's description). Easy, delicious, and no broth or stock needed! I promise it will warm you right down to your toes.

Ingredients:

2 lg. yellow onions
1 med. sweet potato
2-3 carrots
2 cloves garlic (optional)
2 bay leaves
1tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp peppercorns (or 1/4 tsp pepper)
10-12 potatoes
olive oil
kosher salt
pepper
milk or rice milk

~ wash onions (don't remove skins!), scrub sw. potato and carrots

~ peel all of the above, putting peelings and onion skins into a large soup pot; set aside veggies

~ add garlic (unpeeled), bay leaves, salt and pepper to pot and pour in enough water to cover by about an inch (6-8 cups); heat to boiling, cover, and reduce to a simmer

~ roughly chop onions, carrots, and sw. potato; peel and chop potatoes

~ put all veggies into a large roasting pan or glass baking dish (my 9x13 is the perfect size), drizzle generously with olive oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper to taste

~ leave peelings simmering while roasting veggies in a 350* oven for 45min to an hour (you want them nicely browned, but not burnt)

~ when veggies are done, strain solids from the lovely vegetable broth, add the roasted veggies to the broth along with enough water to just cover; bring to a boil, then simmer for 20min to a half hour, or until veggies have softened

~ using a stick blender (or transferring in batches to a conventional blender), puree until desired texture is reached

~ soup will be very thick, so after blending add milk (or rice milk) until soup is the consistency you like

~ serve with some homemade bread for the perfect winter supper

I've got my broth simmering and my bread baking for tonight's supper- the whole house smells heavenly!

meal menu- the still trying to clean out the pantry, but we have guests coming so I'll have to buy some groceries edition

Friday (in-laws will be here)- Jamie's pork roast, parmesan risotto*, mixed frozen veggies

Saturday (a day filled with hockey, thus cold arenas- inlaws still here)- roasted root veggie soup and homemade bread

Sunday (inlaws will still be here, and we'll be celebrating Third Christmas)- roast chicken, potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts

Monday- chicken soup, homemade bread

Tuesday- potato bake, all-natural Italian sausage

Wednesday- pot roast, potatoes, carrots, celery

Thursday- 'leftover' soup, homemade bread

*recipe coming

Mamas, don't let your babies grow up playin' hockey.

Don't let 'em play pick-up or smack around pucks.

Make 'em play dollies and be Girl Guides and such.

Mamas don't let your babies grow up playin' hockey.

'Cos you'll never be home* and you'll always be cold.

It's a good thing I love her so much.

::she scores!::

*Just got an email from the head coach. It looks like Shmoo's season will be going into April- league finals in Feb, Provincials after Easter. Rep hockey- the sport that ate my life...

frog for breakfast

I used to do this. And it worked. And then I stopped. I don't know why. But it's time to put frog back on the morning menu.

Thanks, SimpleMom.

tonight

Hubby is watching this (while ironing his work shirts :-), then I'll be watching the second showing of this at 11PM.



My to-do list for this evening:

~ make supper

~ put a bottle of Hubby's wine in fridge to chill

~ after dinner, get Shmoo off to bed

~ dish out some 'man snacks' for Hubby and The Boy (cheese, pepperettes, pickles, shrimp)

~ work away at my Secret Santa knitting project while watching the game

~ tuck The Boy and Hubby into bed, say goodnight to Gracie

~ change into my jammies

~ pour myself a glass of Hubby's most delicious wine

~ curl into the corner of the sofa with my knitting

~ bliss-out for two hours

~ head to bed for a whopping five hours of sleep

Yes, I'll be tired tomorrow- but it'll be so worth it!