Candy Eggs

Happy Easter!

Since Easter is so early this year, I thought it would be great to make a fake egg. I thought it would be a fitting April Fools Joke in connection with Easter. My oldest daughter helped me make the white part of the egg. My younger children saw us making these eggs. After I assembled them, I placed them on the plate. My husband walked in the kitchen and saw them. He didn't realize they were fake. My younger children were fooled too. I made two different "yolks" since I wasn't sure how it would turn out. I think both ways were great. The original recipe calls for lemon curd but I wanted something else. I liked the results. 

Candy Eggs
2 cups of white candy melts
12 yellow gummy bears
12 yellow Starburst candy
4 orange Starburst candy

Directions:

1. Melt the white candy melt in the microwave. Stir often.
2. Pour the melted candy melts into plastic Easter eggs. Be generous.
3. Refrigerate the Easter eggs until the candy melts harden.
4. Carefully, remove the candy melts from the Easter eggs by gently squeezing the sides of the eggs. Some will break but it will just add to the appearance of the eggs.

1. To make the lighter yolk, melt the yellow gummy bears in the microwave for about 10 seconds at a time. (I only used 2 bears at a time.) Once pliable, carefully place the hot bears on top of the candy melts making a ball to look like yolk. Allow to harden.

1. To make the darker yolk, melt 3 yellow Starburst with 1 orange Starburst at a time. 
2. Mix the Starburst together until the colors have been incorporated. 
3. Carefully add the Starburst candy on top of the candy melt forming a ball. 

Serve to unexpecting people.Recipe adapted from What's New Cupcake? by Karen Tack and Alan Richardson. 

One year ago.........................I made Spaghetti and Meatball cupcakes.

Did you already know...........
-Eggs and birds have been around longer than humans.
-In 1400 B.C., records view birds have been domesticated by the Egyptian and Chinese. 
-In 1493, Christopher Columbus brought chickens to America.

I wish you luck tomorrow on spotting hoaxes. Have fun!

Hot Cross Buns

When I told my children I was making hot cross buns, they instantly started singing the song. At a certain point, I caught myself singing the song with them. Well now, they can actually say they had hot cross buns. I really had to adapt this recipe. I know they are suppose to have dried fruit in them. My family just wouldn't have eaten them. When these buns were baking, the kitchen smelled delicious. They taste really good. Surprising, they aren't really sweet. The cinnamon adds a nice touch. These buns were a hit in my house and it wasn't just because of the song. I made them for supper and everyone liked them. I even had one for breakfast toasted and they were good. Any leftovers, I plan on making some french toast or bread pudding. I hope you have a great Friday!

Hot Cross Buns
1 (.25 oz) envelope instant yeast
1 cup water (110 degrees F)
4 cups bread flour
1/3 cup sugar (plus pinch for the yeast)
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 cup milk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 egg, beaten
Topping:
1 egg
1 tsp water
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/4 cup water  
 
Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the water plus a pinch of sugar.
2. Set aside for 5 minutes.
3. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. 
4. Add the yeast water, milk, and butter to the bowl. Mix well.
5. Add the egg and mix well until the dough comes together into a bowl. (If the dough is too sticky add a little more flour. If it is too dry, add a little more milk.)
6. Form a ball and place onto a cleaned table which was lightly dusted with flour.
7. Knead the dough for ten minutes. The dough should be smooth and elastic. (*See hint below.)
8. Place the dough into the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick spray to prevent sticking. Allow to rise for at least 1 hour.
9. After it doubles in size, punch it down. Place the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead for another 5 minutes.
10. Divide the dough into 12 balls. 
11. Place the balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Space about 1 inch apart. 
12. Cover with the sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 30 minutes or almost doubled in size. 
13. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
14. In a small bowl, combine the egg with 1 tsp of water. Brush each bun gently with the egg glaze.
15. In a small bowl, combine the 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1 Tbsp sugar, and the 1/4 cup of water until smooth.
16. Spoon the flour topping into a pastry bag (or sandwich bag with the top sealed).
17. Very gently, slice a cross on the top of each bun with the back of a knife.
18. Pipe the flour topping into the sliced cross on top of each bun.
19. Bake the buns in the oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.           
20. Remove from oven and allow to cool before pulling the bread apart.

Recipe adapted from The Ultimate Bread and Baking Book. 
*Helpful hint: My son helped knead the bread. He also karate chopped it many times after he kneaded it a few times. The karate chop doesn't harm the recipe in any way.* 
 
One year ago.......................I made Peanut Butter Ice Cream.

Did you already know.........
-Hot Cross buns are a popular Easter treat.
-Hot Cross buns are very symbolic of the Christian faith.
-By sharing a hot cross bun will ensure a friendship throughout the year according to English folklore.

Sugar Cookies with Sprinkles

Spring is here! The snow is almost gone. At least, we can see the ground! Maybe the snow would have helped hide all the colorful Easter eggs better. My sister's husband hides the Easter eggs anyways so my sister can participate. She takes her Easter egg hunting seriously. I still think the kids find more than her. It could be that I secretly hand them a couple I find but Shh......don't tell her.

Sugar Saucers with Sprinkles
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sprinkles

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix the butter until fluffy.
2. Add the oil and mix well.
3. Add the sugar and powder sugar. Mix well.
4. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix well.
5. Stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well. 
6. Fold in the sprinkles until incorporated. 
7. Refrigerate the dough for an hour.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
9. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
10. Once the dough has chilled, scoop the dough with a standard size ice cream scoop. Place the cookie dough onto the parchment lined baking sheet. 
11. Space the cookies at least 2 inches apart.
12. Gently,press the dough down until the cookies have flatten to about 1/4 inch thickness.
13. Bake the cookies about 12 minutes or until the edges are golden. 
14. Allow the cookies to cool for at least 10 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a wire rack. 

Recipe adapted from The Pastry Queen Cookbook by Rebecca Rather.
One year ago..................I made Patty Melts.

Did you already know.....
-Easter is observed at different times depending on the religion.
-The Christian Church observes Easter on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox full moon by the Gregorian calendar.
-Easter has no set date but is observed any time between March 22 and April 25. 

Peanut Butter Frosting

Do you like those peanut butter cups that are shaped like Easter eggs? They are so addicting so I have not had one. I can't say the same for my husband. I think sometimes when you avoid something than you want it even more. Yes, I have been baking with a lot of peanut butter but I still haven't had any of those PB eggs. It doesn't help since my family have been requesting more peanut butter recipes lately. My youngest son even requested chocolate cupcakes with peanut butter frosting for his birthday party. My oldest daughter tried to talk him into the cookie dough frosting since it is her favorite but he wanted peanut butter. I decided to make them both happy and adapted the recipe. Oh, it came out really good. Now, if I had only cut up some of those PB eggs for a topping then they would have been decadent.

Peanut Butter Frosting  
16 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened  
1/2 cup brown sugar  
2 1/3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2/3 cup all purpose flour  
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup peanut butter  
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar until fluffy.
2. Slowly add the powdered sugar until smooth.
3. Add the flour and salt. Mix well.
4. Mix in the peanut butter until incorporated. 
5. Add a little milk and vanilla extract until well blended and the desired consistency.   

Recipe adapted from here. 

One year ago..................I made Sloppy Joes. 

Did you already know...
-The first person to patent peanut butter was Marcellus Gilmore Edson from Quebec in 1884.
-In 1904, C.H. Sumner introduced peanut butter to the U.S. in St. Louis.
-In the U.S. Krema is the oldest peanut butter company. 

Peanut Butter Cups Oreo Brownie Cupcakes

My oldest daughter told me that she had been car hunting with her uncle. Laughing, my son asked kidding, "Oh, where did you go into the jungle to find a car? Were you able to catch any?" My daughter said, "No, they were too fast." Well, I'm going to show you a fast recipe. You can always use your favorite brownie recipe in place of a box. I have been encouraging my children to bake more. I think small steps are easier to start learning and then build on what they know.

PB Cups Oreo Brownie Cupcakes
1 (18.3 oz) box of Fudge Brownies
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs 
12 Oreo cookies, crushed
12 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped roughly

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, mix the brownie mix, water, vegetable oil, and the eggs until well incorporated.
4. Fill the cupcake liners half full.
5. Evenly sprinkle the crushed Oreo cookies over the batter.
6. Top the crushed Oreo cookies with some of the chopped peanut butter cups.
7. Cover the peanut butter cups with the remaining batter.
8. Bake the brownie cupcakes for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cupcakes comes out almost clean.

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.

One year ago...............................I made Dark Chocolate Cookies.

I will catch a car eventually.

Did you already know.................
-According to The New York Times, European car sales have dropped this year compared to last year.
-In the U.S., car sales have increased.
-Car sales have also increased in China, Brazil, Russia, and India.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies with PB cups

Sometimes I need a quick recipe for a last minute party, school function, holiday, celebration, or insanity. Only during last minutes desperation, I will make these cookies. Why? Because they are so good. I have several family members that love me when I bring these cookies to a party. Now, you can make your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe for these cookies. I even have several chocolate chip cookie recipes that you can try. I am only showing you the quick way so you can save time. I normally make my desserts by scratch but if I'm going to save time it will be with this dessert.

Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies with PB cups
1 (32 oz.) Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
12 miniature peanut butter cups, chopped roughly
12 oreo cookies (even the colorful stuffing works fine)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
3. In a thick freezer bag, crush the oreo cookies with the filling. 
4. Take about 1 1/2 inch scoop of the cookie dough and flatten.
5. Place in the bag and press the crushed cookie into the dough.
6. Roll the oreo dough into the chopped peanut butter cups.
7. Form the dough into a ball.
8. Roll the dough back into the crushed cookies to coat.
9. Place the dough onto the baking sheet with 2 inches between each cookie dough ball.
10. Bake the cookies for about 10 minutes and set aside.
11. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring to a cooling rack.

Recipe adapted from Picky Palate. 
*Throw out any remaining crushed oreos and PB pieces since they were rolled in raw cookie dough.

One year ago.........................I made Rice Pilaf.

Did you already know...........
-There are 36 Reece's miniature peanut butter cups in a bag.
-A 32 oz. package of toll house cookie dough will make 36 cookies.
-There are 30 oreos in a 18 oz. package of Oreo Cookies.

Creamed Spinach

Did you see any leprechauns today? Any leprechauns making trouble? A friend told me about how a leprechauns painted a dog's tail green. I'm glad nothing like that happened here. My children had plans to build a trap to catch one but forgot. I'm glad since I didn't want any mischief. so we made sure to wear green today except my brave husband. I think he secretly enjoys being pinches since the kids have gotten him several times. He could go change but no. In celebration of St. Patrick's Day, I made bangers and mash with creamed spinach. I love baby spinach. I add it to all the salads I make. Also, I use it in place of lettuce on our sandwiches. The kids eat it and never complain. They really liked this side dish and there were no leftovers.

Creamed Spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter 
1 1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves (I used baby spinach leaves.)
2 clove of garlic, minced
1 shallot, minced
3 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil with the butter. 
2. Add the spinach, garlic, and shallot. 
3. Cook and stir often for about 5 minutes.
4. Add the cream cheese and mix well until the cream cheese has coated the spinach.
5. Stir in the heavy cream and allow the cook for about 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the Parmesan cheese with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve warm.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago.....................I made Brownies.

Did you already know.......
-The color blue was first associated with Saint Patrick.
-The Saint Patrick blue can still be found on ancient Irish flags.
-During 1798 Irish Rebellion, the Irish began to wear green to make a political statement.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Mint Cheesecake Pie

Do you like math or do you shun it? Today is mathematics day at my children's school. Their school asked the kids to wear a shirt with numbers on it. My son had lots of shirts with numbers on it but I could only find a shirt with tiny numbers on it for my younger daughter. I tried talking her into wearing one of her brother's shirt (since he wore her pants) but she wouldn't agree. My oldest daughter said it needs to be pi day and not math day. My oldest daughter said in high school the kids would bring in pies for pi day. My youngest daughter said she would rather have pie than wear one of her brother's shirts. My oldest daughter will be having pie. How about you?

Green for St. Patrick's Day!

Mint Cheesecake Pie
Crust:
1 1/2 cups oreos
6 oz. butter, melted
Filling:
2 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, softened
2/3 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 tsp mint extract
1/4 tsp green food coloring (if desired)
8 Andes mints, chopped roughly
8 oreo cookies, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl, combine the crushed oreos with the melted butter.
3. Press the oreo mixture into the bottom of an 9 inch pie pan.
4. Place the pie plate in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling.
5. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well incorporated.
6. Add the two eggs and mix well.
7. Add the sour cream and combine. Scrap down the sides to make sure the filling is incorporated.
8. Add the mint extract and the green food coloring and mix until the filling is green throughout.
9. Slowly, add the mint chocolates and the crushed oreos to the filling.
10. Pour the filling into the prepared pie pan. Place the pie pan onto an aluminum lined baking sheet just in case it over flows.
11. Bake the pie for 45 minutes or until the filling is almost set in the middle.
12. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving or chill for a couple of hours. 

Recipe adapted from Domino Sugar.

One year ago................................I made Irish Mint Chocolate Ice Cream.

Did you already know..................
-Pi is used to calculate the ratio of a cirle's circumference to its diamater. 
-Pi is the irrational number 3.14159265359.....
-Albert Einstein's birthday is March 14th (pi day 3.14)

Lasagna French Bread Pizza

Alright, I promised you an easy recipe to use up the filling from the lasagna roll ups. I know it seemed like a lot of work for the lasagna rolls ups but this pizza is simple. What wasn't so simple was figuring out if French bread should be capitalized or not. 

Lasagna French Bread Pizza
Lasagna Filling (See Lasagna Roll Ups recipe)
6 slices of mozzarella cheese
A loaf of French bread

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Cut the French bread in half.
3. Scoop out a little of the bread in the center of the French bread to make a well. 
4. Add the lasagna filling in the center of the French bread.
5. Cover the lasagna filling with the slices of mozzarella cheese. 
6. Cook the pizza uncovered for about 20 minutes and the filling has been heated through. 

*To make ahead, cook the pizza for 10 minutes after preparing the lasagna roll ups. Allow to cool and wrap well. Store in the refrigerator the next day or freeze. 
Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago............................I made Bourbon Cookies.

Did you already know...............
-Food names should be capitalized if they are a proper adjective or proper noun unless used with a specific meaning. (Confused yet?)
-From the Merriam Webster dictionary, Capitalize the following: French bread, Swiss cheese, Boston baked beans.
-Lower case examples: brussel sprouts, french fries, graham cracker.
-French fry is not capitalized since it refers to a type of cut and not a location.

Lasagna Roll Ups

I wanted to make lasagna but it takes so long. So, I decided I would make some lasagna roll ups. They should be faster, right? I'm not quite sure if they were any faster but they were just as good. I asked my daughter if she would freeze a couple since they would make a great frozen lunch. She told me that there will be none left. She was going to finish the rest for lunch tomorrow. I also prepared supper at the same time as this meal which I will show you on the next post. I didn't want the leftover filling to be wasted and I needed a quick weekday meal especially after recovering from the lost daylight savings hour. To be able to make two meals from one is the best thing ever.

Lasagna Roll Ups
15 lasagna noodles
1 (15 oz) container of part skim milk ricotta cheese
1 large egg
3 cup mozzarella, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
8 cups of spaghetti sauce
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced 
1 Tbsp olive oil
8 links of sweet Italian sausage
Bechamel Sauce:
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/4 cups milk (I used skim)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Directions:

1. Add the pasta to a large pot of boiling water. Cook until al dente. 
2. Drain the hot water and rinse with cold water. Allow the cooked pasta to sit in cold water until ready to use.
3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, 1 cup of mozzarella cheese, and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese. Set aside.
4. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.
5. Add the Italian sausage with casings to the skillet and brown for about 5 minutes.
6. Add 3 cups of spaghetti sauces to the browned sausage and cook for about 3 minutes. Set aside.
7. To make the bechamel sauce: in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.
8. Add the flour to the melted butter and whisk for 3 minutes.
9. To the flour mixture add the milk and whisk. Simmer the mixture for about 5 minutes until it thickens.
10. Whisk in the salt and pepper to the flour mixture.
11. To assemble: in a clean surface, lay a lasagna noodle flat.
12. On top of the lasagna noodle cover with the ricotta cheese mixture.
13. Top the ricotta cheese mixture with the sausage mixture.
14. Top the sausage mixture with the bechamel sauce. (See above photo.)
15. In a baking dish, add 1 cup of spaghetti sauce.
16. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
17. Starting from one end, roll the lasagna noodle up to the other end. Don't worry if some of the filling falls out since you can just place it on the next noodle. 
18. Add the noodles to the baking dish with the open side facing down and up. ( See above photo.)
19. Add additional filling to the center of the noodle if needed.
20. Continue the noodle assembly until all the noodles are used.
21. Top the noodles with the remaining cheese.
22. Cook uncovered for 30 minutes and the cheese is golden brown. 
23. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.
24. To the remaining Italian sausage spaghetti sauce, combine the remaining spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese filling, and bechamel sauce. Mix well and set aside to assemble Lasagna french bread pizzas.   

Inspired by Giada De Laurentis. 

One year ago.......................I made White Cupcakes.

Did you already know........
-The majority of the U.S and Canada observe daylight savings time.
-Benjamin Franklin is credited for the concept of daylight savings time but Germany was the first to enact it.
-Near the equator, the length of day varies little making daylight savings time unnecessary.

Peanut butter Nutella Oatmeal

I am always surprised with the request my children make. My oldest daughter woke up and wanted oatmeal. Oatmeal? No one ever asks for oatmeal. Waffles, eggs, or pizza are the most popular request. My favorite is cereal. I'm still trying to make it for supper but no takers. Well, my two youngest children said they don't like oatmeal. My oldest likes instant only. I haven't purchased instant for years since no one ate it. I told my oldest that I only had the old fashion kind. She informed me that it was too much work. So, I decided to make her oatmeal. I saw this great recipe but I changed it up since I didn't have a lot of strawberries left. Strawberries somehow disappear in my house. After I made this oatmeal, my two youngest children loved it. My oldest daughter said that she just wanted plain. I can't please everyone but it is nice to know that I can serve oatmeal more often.

Peanut Butter Nutella Oatmeal
3 cups milk (I used skim)
1 cup water
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups old fashion oats
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Directions:
In a medium saucepan, combine the milk and water. Bring to a simmer an then reduce to medium-low. Stir often to make sure the milk doesn't scorch.
In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
Add the oats to the skillet and toast for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the toasted oats into the heated milk. Allow to simmer gently until the mixture is thick. It will take about 20 minutes. 
Stir in the salt and brown sugar. Allow the oatmeal to continue to simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed and the oatmeal is creamy.
Stir in the peanut butter and Nutella.
Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Annie's Eats.

One year ago..............................I made the very cool Agent P sandwich.

Did you already know................
-Quaker Old Fashion Oats are whole oats which have been rolled to flatten them into flakes.
-Quick Quaker Oats are Old Fashion Oats which have been cut into smaller pieces.
-Steel Oats are whole oats which have been cut into thirds.

Chicken Cutlets

During the week, it is so crazy. I try to plan ahead for the week. Some days, I am successful. Sometimes, I try to talk my husband and oldest daughter to cook. Normally, I don't have any takers. I also try to convince the family that cereal makes a great supper but they don't believe me. Don't you think cereal makes a great supper? Well, I will say these chicken cutlets are wonderful. They are quick. They are tender and flavorful. My husband thought they tasted lemony. Oh, these are so good. 

 Chicken Cutlets with Herb Butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
4 chicken breast
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil
1 cup white wine
2 Tbsp butter, cut into pieces
3 Tbsp parsley

Directions:

1. Cut the chicken breast horizontally in half.
2. Pound the chicken to a thin even length.
3. On a plate, add the flour.
4. In a large skillet, heat half the oil over medium high heat. 
5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
6. Dredge the chicken in the flour and shake off the excess flour.
7. Add the chicken carefully to the skillet and brown the chicken for about 3 minutes per a side or until the chicken is cooked through. Add additional oil if needed.
8. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
9. To the skillet, add the wine and whisk.
10. Boil the liquid for about 4 minutes of the liquid has reduced by half.
11. Add the chicken and flip to coat.
12. Remove the skillet from heat and add the butter and parsley. 
13. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Recipe adapted from Everyday Food.

One year ago...........................I made Peanut Butter Cookies.

Did you already know..............
-Pounding the chicken will make it cook evenly.
-Pounding the chicken also tenderizes the chicken.
-Use a can, a bottom of a skillet, or the flat side of a mallet to pound the chicken.

Macaroni and Cheese

To save time and hassle, I pick out my children's clothes for the week. I line them up on top of their dresser. Then they just have to put it on and head to school. My youngest daughter doesn't always like my combination so she will switch it. My son just doesn't think about it. Well, I hadn't realized but I had inadvertently placed his sister's pants in his pile. He wore her pants all day to school. When I arrived home from work, I noticed the hearts on the jean's pocket. So I asked, "Why are you wearing your sisters pants?" He took them off looked at them and put them back on. Then he replied, "Because you gave them to me to wear." True it was my fault. However,  I had to ask him, "After knowing that you are wearing your sister's pants, why are you continuing to wear them?" "Because they look good on me," my son replied. He looked like a male country singer in tight jeans. I will admit that his shirt did cover up the hearts on the pockets. Every since, I have been careful on sorting the kids clothes. 

Macaroni and Cheese
12 oz. package of macaroni noodels
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 cups milk (I used skim.)
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 cups Fontina, grated
1 cup Parmesan, grated
1 cup mozzarella cheese, grated

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Grease a 13x9 glass baking dish with butter. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the Fontina, Parmesan, and mozzarella cheese. Set aside. 
In a large pot, bring salted water to a boil before adding the noodles. Cook the noodles for about 5 minutes so it is still al dente. 
In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream, milk, flour, salt, and pepper.
Stir in half of the cheese mixture to the milk mixture.
Drain the noodles and add the hot noodles to the milk mixture. Toss to coat.
Transfer the noodles to the baking dish. 
Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the noodles.
Bake the macaroni and cheese for about 20 to 25 minutes. The cheese should be melted and browned on top.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe adapted from Giada De Laurentiis.

One year ago........................I made Tiramisu with homemade Ladyfingers.

Did you already know..........
-Giada De Laurentiis was born in Rome, Italy.
-She is the granddaughter of film producer Dino De Laurentiis.
-After receiving her anthropology degree at UCLA, Giada De Laurentiis attended Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.