Sydromes

I recently diagnosed myself with something called onemore-thing syndrome.  You may have onemore-thing syndrome as well.  In fact, if you are female and have children that are shorter than you, there is a big chance that you are also suffering from this syndrome without even knowing it.  


Onemore-thing syndrome is very dangerous because it causes delusional thinking and can flare up at regular intervals throughout your day.  For example, when you have plans to leave the house at 7:30am, and you realize it is 7:29.5 and everyone is ready.  Someone who does not suffer from onemore-thing syndrome would get in the car and leave.  Sufferers like myself become delusional and think, "I've got time to get one more thing done before I leave.  I know!  I'll fold a load of laundry, make a phone call, scrub the toilet, send an email, iron, bake a cake because I've got 30 extra seconds."


The problem with onemore-thing syndrome is that it leads to a much more serious condition called running around like a chicken with its head cut off sydrome (RALCHCO syndrome, for short).  And RALCHCO is serious because it can suck all the enjoyment out of life.


Now, what I can't figure out is why nearly every woman I know suffers from both one-more thing and RALCHCO syndromes.  It doesn't matter if you're a career woman with no minis driving a 2-seater sports car or if you're a stay at home mom homeschooling your 8 minis, pregnant with your 9th, and planning the timing of your 10th.  What are we doing wrong her in America?  Because I am fairly certain that our European sisters are not suffering the way we are.  In fact, I am positive that in the case of, "I have 30 seconds before I have to leave, what else can I get done?" all our European sisters do is finish their glass of wine and check their lipstick.  

So, if you are someone that doesn't suffer from one-more thing and RALCHCO syndromes, contact me!  The rest of us want to know your secret.  


Until then, I will continue posting easy dinner recipes for the rest of us.  Tonight, the McGhees are having mac and cheese with roasted beets and broiled grapefruit.  


Mac and Cheese

• 2 cups Uncooked Macaroni
• 4 tsp Butter
• 2 tspMinced Onions
• 4 tsp Flour
• 1 tsp Salt
• ¾ tsp Dry Mustard
• ¼ tsp Paprika
• 2 cups Milk
• 3 cupsCheddar Cheese, divided
• 2Ripe Tomatoes, blanched, peeled and sliced into ½" thick slices

1.  Preheat oven to 375. 

2.  Lightly grease 13 x 9 inch baking dish. 

3.  Boil 6 cups salted water, add macaroni and cook until al dente. Drain. 

4.  In large pan, melt butter. Add onion and cook, stirring constantly, until tender. 

5.  Add flour, salt, dry mustard, and paprika; mix well. 

6.  Add milk and stir for 5 minutes or until thickened. 

7.  Add 2 cups shredded cheese and stir until melted. 

8.  Stir in macaroni and pour into prepared dish. 

9.  Cover macaroni with tomato slices and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Serves 4 to 6

I haven't decided yet if I will omit the tomatoes.  It depends on how much I want to hear my minis whine and complain at dinnertime.


Roasted Beets

• 6 beets, peeled and cut into eighths
• extra virgin olive oil
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt and pepper
• 1/8 cup orange juice
• 1/8  cup balsamic vinegar

1.  Preheat oven to 400.
2.  Put peeled beets into a dish and drizzle with olive oil.
3.  Add fresh thyme.  If you don't have fresh thyme, use dried.  If you don't have dried thyme, skip this step.
4.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5.  Roast until beets are soft, around an hour 15 minutes.
6.  Mix orange juice with balsamic vinegar and pour over cooked beets.

Broiled Grapefruit

• grapefruit, cut in half
• honey
• plain, greek yogurt
• chopped walnuts
• unsweetened shredded coconut
• cinnamon

1.  Preheat Broiler.
2.  Place grapefruit halves on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with small amount of honey.
3.  Broil 6 minutes until golden.
4.  Top with yogurt, wanuts, coconut, and cinnamon.

Enjoy!


And, for those that have emailed me asking how my sweet Lola girl is doing....here she is.....

I know, I look terrible.  It's this medical condition I suffer from.  A condition this girl will never have....

K-sah-dil-lias and OMG!!!!!BROILED GRAPEFRUIT!!!

I told you that I went to the doctor for a physical the other day.  Now, I know that getting your blood taken and analyzed isn't a competition, but if it were, I am practically an Olympian.  Even Mr. McGhee was postively gushing when he rolled his eyes and mumbled "well, you're doing something right."  So, yeah me! 

Last night's dinner was delish, so I have to share it with you.  I got the recipe from the Pioneer Woman, which is a blog I have followed for years.  The Pioneer Woman always has amazing recipes and photographs, plus she homeschools her minis and lives on a ranch with her husband, who is a cowboy.  Oh yeah, and she is hysterically funny.  In comparison, I ship my minis off to school so I can take crappy pictures of my simple recipes.  I live in a Wisteria Lane-esque subdivision with Mr. McGhee, who is not a cowboy.  Pioneer Woman has a tv show.  I have an audience in my head that I speak to all day.  Now you understand why I follow Pioneer Woman. 

Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilia (I am assuming Pioneer Woman calls these k-sah-dee-yahs.  In the McGhee household, these are k-sah-dil-lias." 

3 Tablespoons Butter

16 ounces, weight White Mushrooms, Sliced

1/3 cup Sherry Or Wine

3 Tablespoons (additional) Sherry Or Wine

Kosher Salt And Pepper To Taste

1 bag Baby Spinach

12 whole Flour Tortillas (Soft Taco Size)

8 ounces, weight Fontina (or Monterey Jack) Cheese, Grated

3 ounces, weight Goat Cheese (chevre)

Extra Butter, For Tortillas

Salsa, For Serving

1.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in large skillet and add sliced mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then saute over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, then pour in sherry. Add salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 6 to 8 minutes, or until all liquid is evaporated. Remove mushrooms from skillet and set aside.

2.  Return skillet to stovetop and reduce heat to medium-low. Melt additional 1 tablespoons of butter and add a couple of tablespooons of sherry. Add spinach to skillet and stir gently as it wilts. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then cook for 2 minutes, max. Remove from skillet.

3.  To assemble the quesadillas, arrange grated Fontina, spinach, and mushrooms on top of one flour tortilla. Dot with goat cheese. Top with a little more Fontina, then top with second tortilla. Smear softened butter lightly on both sides of the quesadilla, then grill until golden brown and until cheese is totally melted. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Slice quesadillas into four wedges and serve immediately.

*sidenote* I did not smear my tortillas with butter.  In fact, I mainly used olive oil in place of butter in the recipe.  Next time, I think I will use butter-flavored grapeseed oil.   

Resist all temptation to eat entire pan of mushrooms.  I will never EVER EVER make sliced mushrooms again for anything without adding sherry.  Oh. My. Delish.

Delish.  And nobody here will judge you if you enjoy your quesadilia with a bottle glass of Malbec. 

Today I got home from spin class (remember, I'm a biker....you know, the hard-core type that rides a stationary bike indoors) and was postively starving.  I remembered a recipe I have been dying to try for broiled grapefruit. 

• grapefruit, cut in half
• honey
• plain, greek yogurt
• chopped walnuts
• unsweetened shredded coconut
• cinnamon

1.  Preheat Broiler.
2.  Place grapefruit halves on foil-lined baking sheet and drizzle with small amount of honey.
3.  Broil 6 minutes until golden.
4.  Top with yogurt, wanuts, coconut, and cinnamon.

Before, drizzled with honey.

After.  Oh. My. Delish.

Um, hello fancy schmancy Heids McGhee?!?!?  I don't know any stuck up rich people, but if I did....I would totally say, "Hey, want to come over for breakfast?  We are having broiled grapefruit."  Until I find some rich stuck up people, I will just share my grapefruit with people I love....I live a blessed life full of those!