Mac & Cheese Pie

I just wanted to take this moment to share with you a great recipe that I am planning on making sometime this weekend.  I made it last year, and being just one person, I froze individual slices of the pie and I would take it for lunch every day.  It made a very large pie, and this time I plan on dividing it between 2 pie plates.
I will start by saying that I got the idea from an issue of Kraft Food & Family (winter 2007), and made serious modifications to suit my diet and lifestyle.  As you may or may not know, I am on the IC diet, and though my college-student financial status has primary influence on my eating habits, I strive to make my own food when possible and to follow the diet to reduce symptoms.

So, here is the original version published in Food & Family:

1 pkg Kraft Deluxe Macaroni & Cheese Dinner
2 cups small broccoli florets
4 eggs
1 pkg Oscar Mayer Smoked Ham or Honey Ham, chopped
1/2 cup Kraft Shredded Cheddar & Monterey Jack Cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray.  Cook pasta in boiling water until tender, adding broccoli during the last 2 min. of cooking time; drain.
Meanwhile, beat eggs in bowl.  Stir in cheese sauce and ham until well blended.  Pour egg mixture over pasta, stir to combine.
Spoon into prepared pie plate.  Sprinkle with cheese.   Bake 30 min. or until set and golden brown.
Makes 6 servings.

Now, here is MY (better) version:

1 box whole-wheat elbow macaroni (usually about 13 oz)
2 cups broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)
4 eggs
4-6 oz of whatever meat you prefer or have on hand (a good way to incorporate leftovers.  I sliced up some sausage last time, this time I plan on using ground beef)
about 6 oz of cheese.  (I buy the 16 oz blocks of cheese because it is more cost-effective, and I shred it myself.  So, for this I just cut off a hunk a little less than 2/3 of the block.  You can use cheddar, colby jack, monterey jack, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your pie pan (I used a large pie pan and it was piled twice as high as the pan.  It can very easily be put into 2 pans).  Boil the pasta until tender, and add the broccoli for the last 2 minutes of boiling.  Drain.
While pasta is cooking, shred the cheese.  Beat the eggs.  Add the meat and about 2/3 of the shredded cheese to the eggs and stir together.  Add the egg mixture to the pasta mixture and stir.  Spoon the mixture into the pie pan(s) and sprinkle with the remaining cheese (you may want to use extra cheese if using 2 pie pans), and bake for 30 minutes.

Let me know how yours turns out :-).

Summer!

I just finished my 4th semester of nursing school and I get the summer off before my final semester in the Fall.  It has been so long since I have had a summer that I scarcely know what to do with myself.  Well, it will be filled with sewing, quilting, crocheting, cooking, and reading.  Yes, reading.  On Monday, I took my last 2 finals, and when I was getting ready for bed that night, I realized that it is summer and I can read again.  See, I had started getting into reading again, but I wouldn't let myself start another book so close to finals.  So now I can read, and the great dilemma is WHAT to read.

Newly acquired books that I am eager to read.  I have read Redeeming Love once before, but it was several years ago.

My mom gave me the Anne of Green Gables boxed set several years ago but I have never gotten around to reading them.

I did get halfway through LOTR one time.  It took me a year.  But I was very out-of-practice in reading.  You know what they say, "use it or lose it!"  So, I have ambitions to read The Hobbit and LOTR.

Another set my mom gave me hoping I would read them.  She read a couple of these books to us when we were growing up.  I will read them, eventually.  Really, though, pioneer days are like a magic world to me, so these will definitely get read!

 I ended up choosing Multiple Bles8ings by the Gosselins.  I have been wanting to read it for quite some time now, and I actually got a copy at Dollar Tree.  I guess it was no longer a best seller after the divorce.  It makes me so sad.  But I am watching the show right now, and I just started the book, and I am going to let myself pretend that they still are happy and in love, even though we all know different.

Mary Jane baby booties

I finished these last night.  I got the pattern here.  Hers look prettier than mine, of course.  They are done in size 10 crochet cotton.  I love the way a project done in size 10 cotton feels, but it is not my favorite to work with because it is so tiny.  I usually use sport weight or worsted weight and sometimes heavier yarns, and it is a lot easier for me to control my stitches with these yarns.  In size 10, I never can seem to get uniform stitches.  But, although one booty is bigger than the other, these came out really cute!

Mousse-Pudding

So, my friend Leslie told me about a dessert she makes.  What I love about this recipe is that it is very versatile.  She makes a carb-free, low-calorie version but I made an IC-safe version.  And it is oh so delicious!

Ingredients:
1 box instant pudding mix
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk (or water, or half-and-half, etc.)
4 oz cream cheese, softened (or mascarpone or neufchatel)

Mix it all together using a hand mixer or whisk, and enjoy!

I made mine with regular vanilla pudding mix, milk and regular cream cheese.  Leslie makes hers with water and mascarpone cheese, and sugar-free lemon pudding mix.  Depending on what diet you are on and how many calories you want it to have, you can adjust it accordingly.  And it is just as delectable as she claims!