Macaroni and Cheese

MMMM, what could be better than a big pan of homemade macaroni and cheese?

I love macaroni and cheese.

While you make the sauce, get a big pan of water boiling for the noodles.  I just use regular macaroni noodles.  Cook according to package directions.

Sauce

Ingredients:

2 Tblsp butter

2 heaping spoonfuls of flour

3 cups milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 8oz package of cream cheese

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy sauce pan.  (do not use non-stick)

2. Using a wire whisk, whisk all the flour into the melted butter.

3. Turn the heat down to a medium low.

4. Keep that whisk going!

5. Pour the milk into the butter and flour mixture.

6. Keep the whisk going making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan and keep it from sticking.  Keep it moving until the sauce starts to thicken up.

7. Add in the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and Parmesan cheese.

8. Keep whisking!  Keep the sauce moving while the cheese melts.

9. Pour all that lovely cheesy sauce onto your cooked noodles.

10. Stir and enjoy!

Monkey Bread

This is one of my go to recipes for a sweet treat for my family.  All my little monkeys really love it!  I don't have exact measurements for any of the ingredients.  It is really adaptable to your own family's taste.

Ingredients:
biscuit dough
cinamon
sugar
butter

Preheat oven to 350*

Use your favorite biscuit recipe.  My cream of tartar biscuit recipe would work great, just don't add as much milk.  You need to be able to handle the dough.

Once you have your biscuit dough, divide it into small balls.  About the size of a ping-pong ball.

Melt the butter in a dish.

Mix sugar and cinamon in a different bowl.

Dip each of the dough balls into the butter, then roll in the sugar mixture to coat.  Place the sugar covered dough balls in a baking dish that has been heavily greased with butter.

Bake at 350*F for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  You will have the cinamon/sugar goo on the toothpick, you don't want biscuit dough raw.

Take a knife and run it around the outside of the baking pan.  Turn the whole thing out onto a plate and let cool just a bit.  Serve while still warm.

Such a nice and easy treat!

Fluffy Biscuits

I know, I know.  I said this blog would be all about the old fashioned recipes from lovely old cookbooks or my original recipes.  This is not a recipe from a lovely old cookbook, or one of my original recipes.  It is, however, from a lovely new cookbook that I greatly recommend!
Healthy Choices by Keepers at Home Magazine
This is an entire cookbook of recipes that have no sugar, no white flour, and no artificial anything.  So fantastic!

I borrowed this book from a friend and tonight I made the prettiest biscuits!  They taste as good as they look.  The recipe called for whole wheat flour.  Unfortunately, I happen to be out of it, so I used all purpose.  I know, totally against their whole mission.

I'm in the process of contacting them to see if I may share their recipe here.

I am serving these biscuits with my Perfect Storm Beef Stew.  We will be having Monkey Bread for dessert.  I am so looking forward to this meal!