Back to School

My minis started school today!  Like most moms, I have mixed emotions about this.  My minis, particularly the boys, were getting bored at home and missing their friends.  And I was starting to feel guilty for not doing one single educational activity all summer.  And my "to do once kids are back in school" list was becoming a book.  With chapters.  And, furthermore, I find, that as a family, we are happiest when we are on a routine that is filled with activities to keep all of us busy.  For those reasons, today is a happy day.  

However, am I the only adult that still feels like the beginning of the year starts on the first day of school, rather than on New Years Day?  Because today I definitely have the feeling of "really?  another year gone by so quickly?"  Everyone says it, but wow....I really can't believe how fast it goes and how grown up my minis are.  And then, as a mom, I can't help but question if I've done enough (or too much) over these past years to prepare my minis for the world out there.  Today, my sweet minis raced off for their classrooms, paused, came racing back to give me a quick squeeze, and then happily took off again.  And my heart was filled with joy, because in that moment I felt like my minis were healthy, confident, and secure kids that were ready to take on the world.  

Let's hope I feel that same way at pick-up this afternoon.

And, let's hope this girl makes it through the long, agonizing days without her playmates.

And let's hope I don't turn me into one of those people that schedules regular play dates for her dog.

Last night's dinner was a new recipe I was hoping to put into our rotation of quick and easy dinners.  Unfortunately, my minis have never been huge fans of mac and cheese, and this recipe didn't really change that.  They ate it, but they were much more interested in the green veggies on their plates, and I had to force coax them into eating the mac and cheese.  But, if you have mac and cheese lovers, I recommend you try it out.

Mac and Cheese

• 2 cups large elbow Macaroni, uncooked (about 1/2 lb)
• 2 cups low fat Milk (about 16 oz) , or more if needed  **if more milk is needed, additional 1/4 cup milk at a time for final cooking. **
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon Mustard powder
• 1 teaspoon Salt, plus additional for final season later
• generous dash of Nutmeg
• 1 cup Grated Cheese
• black pepper to taste (optional)

1. Place raw elbow macaroni in colander and quickly rinse under water. Let drain.

2. In medium sauce pan (about 3.5 qt), add milk, raw elbow macaroni, salt, butter, mustard powder and nutmeg.

3. On medium heat, slowly bring milk/macaroni mixture to a simmer, stirring the macaroni frequently as it comes up to a simmer. This will separate macaroni and keep them from sticking together. DO NOT LEAVE THE STOVE! The milk mixture will come to a boil very quickly and leaving it unattended will leave a big mess on your stove stop.

4. Once mixture comes to a simmer, immediately turn down heat to LOW. Macaroni will slowly cook in the milk. Having your heat too high will evaporate the milk too quickly!

5. Continue to stir the mixture frequently so that macaroni will cook evenly and absorb milk evenly.

6. Cook for about 15-20 minutes or until milk has been fully absorbed.

**If macaroni is not cooked fully, add a little more milk or water  to mixture ( in small amounts) until macaroni is fully cooked. This will take about another 5 minutes.

7. When milk has evaporated, stir in grated cheese of your choice. Stir the  cheese evenly into the macaroni.

8. Turn off heat. Place lid on top of pan and cover for about 5 minutes. This rest period will allow macaroni to plump up and absorb any excess milk.

9. Take a final taste and add additional salt to taste. Before serving, stir one final time to mix everything together.

Serve immediately.

This recipe really got my attention because you cook the pasta in the milk.  

The pasta plumps up nicely in the milk.

Super creamy mac and cheese.

I served my mac and cheese with edamame, steamed broccoli, and a glass of green machine.  Not sure why I included so much green in this dinner.  Perhaps I want to be the mom of the kid that announces to the classroom on the first day of school, "Hey!  Guess what?  I just pooped green!"

And, if you want to look up while cooking your dinner and see this......

I recommend this playlist...Want U Back, She's So Mean, and Losing.

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....