Shaila's Mac and Cheese

My friend Shaila made this for our Primary quarterly activity.  Be sure and read her notes that follow the recipe itself.  I've had people begging for it since that activity, so here it is.  I'm making this for dinner tonight!

Mac N Cheese

Servings: 6
Ingedients:

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs (I skipped the eggs)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 (10 3/4 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 2 3/4 hrs

1. Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes. Drain.
2.  In a medium saucepan, melt butter then add cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. In slow cooker, combine cheese mixture and add the eggs (I omitted the eggs), sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper. Add the drained macaroni and stir again.
4.  Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

I added some panko bread crumbs on top and put it in the oven with the lid off for about 30 minutes when is was nearly done- my crockpot has a removable liner.  I also added some smoked paprika, but you could use any spice you like- maybe a tiny dash of cayenne, or some garlic powder would be good.  And undercook the noodles, because they will keep softening once you put them in the crockpot.

Just Feeling Blue

Oh the ups and downs of life.  I woke at 4 this morning and found myself on the couch with my legs curled up--I was half way down the couch; don't know why I didn't scoot up.  I had fallen asleep while I watched a movie with the kids last night.  My body is getting so it shuts down around 9 or 9:30pm.  I can't even force myself to stay up.

Well, at 4, I realized that my contacts had been in my eyes all night and were pretty fried.  I went upstairs and pulled them out, climbed into some jammies and curled up in bed.  Sounds pretty idyllic, huh?  Well, I laid there and continued to lay there until 5:30 with this yucky feeling in my heart.  I couldn't shake it, so I decided ot get up and do something (with a minimum of light).

I folded laundry and put it away.  I straightened things.  I let the dog out and just did a bunch of little things.  Then, T woke up--it was 7am.

I decided that if T was going to climb in my bed, I'd better climb in too to see if I could fake sleep long enough for him to fall back asleep.  I fell quickly off to sleep, and boy did it feel good!  Next thing I  knew, I was awake again.  I'm not sure what woke me, but I was sad to be awake.

It's been a good day--soccer, lunch with the fam, Relief Society broadcast, and watching shows with the kids, but here I am again with my creepy feeling.  I don't want to feel this way. 

Life is changing, and I don't like it!

Ruth Hamm's Corn Chowder

Oh how I LOVE this recipe!  I have the bacon cooking right now, and for some reason, just the smell of it makes me feel like fall has arrived.  Cozy.  I have pandora's Josh Groban channel playing in the background.  Does life get any better than this?  Hope you get a chance to make this and that you LOVE it.  Think of my mom when you do.  If you didn't know her, just think of the most wonderful, soft-spoken, loving person you've ever met and square it.  You might even want to cube it.

5 slices bacon (save drippings)
1 lb. can whole kernel corn
1 med. onion, chopped
1 c. diced raw potatoes
1/2 tsp. salt
1 can cream of celery soup
1 1/2 c. milk

Cook bacon in large saucepan til crisp.  Remove bacon; pour drippings into crockpot.  Pour corn "juice" in with drippings.  Add onion, potatoes, and salt.  Add soup, corn and milk.  Cover and cook on low.  Check the potatoes after a couple hours to see if they're soft.  If not, cover again and check after another hour.  It will really depend on how large you cut the potatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Crumble bacon over when ready to serve.

ENJOY!

What I'm Learning

I was reading Alma chapter 36 today and got stuck on verse 11. Interesting!

Alma the Younger is sharing his story of rebellion. He says that he didn't hear everything that the angel said, but that he caught the words, "...If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself...," and he passed out.

I got to thinking of the significance of those words.

I've also been watching the show, "Hoarders," on Netflix. It's fascinating to me. It's like the ultimate in being overwhelmed. This may sound terrible, but there are two things that show does for me. I take away from it the message that, no, I may be overwhelmed, but I haven't hit rock bottom yet because my house is still fairly orderly and organized, and it makes me want to keep it that way.

I walk away from the show and start cleaning. It gets me motivated.

For Alma, his "house" was in disorder spiritually. The angel came to put him back on the right path and motivate him.

All he had to hear were those words, "If thou wilt be destroyed of thyself." That was all he needed to motivate him.

Isn't it wonderful that God knows us so well as to send us individualized messages?

As I read this verse, I feel strongly that it is of ourselves that we are destroyed. No one else can destroy us because true destruction is destruction of the soul. It's inside us; our true make up. We do it to ourselves.

I'm looking at life a bit differently today. I'm going to start to look at those things that will build my soul because if I am the one to destroy my soul, I am also the one to build it up.

One of the other things I feel when I watch "Hoarders" is that it all starts with one step in the right direction. Unfortunately the people on the show have hit rock bottom, but whether you allow yourself to get to that point, or you're just on your way down, any step in the right direction, no matter how large, is still a step in the right direction. It's never too late.

 

 In my case, yes, my house has me a bit overwhelmed (huge pile of clean laundry to fold in the corner of my bedroom), but I would love to have things so orderly mentally, educationally, financially, spiritually, and physically that the overwhelmed feeling doesn't exist.  I take this feeling as my warning from God that I need to get it together.  So, what will my "steps in the right direction" be?  That is the challenge of the day.  That is every day's challenge.

This is so GREAT!

Sue McGuire's Chinese Chicken Salad

2 Tbsp. oil
1 pkg. ramen noodles
1/2 C. sliced almonds (optional)
2 Tbsp. sesame seeds (optional)
2 C. cooked chicken, cut up
1 qt. finely shredded cabbage
1/2 C. green onion

Heat oil on medium heat.  Crumble uncooked noodles; put in pan with almonds and sesame seeds.  Cook 3-4 minutes til crispy and golden brown.  Put in a large bowl.  Add chicken, cabbage and onion.  Mix in dressing.

Dressing:
1/3 C. salad oil
1/3 C. white vinegar
5 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. pepper


Just a note to Sue's daughters....I believe I wrote this recipe down while Sue and I were on the phone once, so I might not have it exactly as she did it.  If you see any changes that need to be made, please let me know.  She was such an amazing person, and her recipes are the BEST!