Favorite Recipes

My friends have been asking for my Baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe for ages.  I made it for book club last fall, then again for a dinner for all my other friends this spring.  I never have many leftovers from this one
Baked Macaroni & Cheese
serves 6 / prep. time 30 minutes / bake time: 45 minutes

• 5 c. dry macaroni
• 6 T. butter
• 16 oz. American (Velveeta) cheese
• 24 oz. cheddar cheese
• 2 c. milk
• salt and pepper to taste

Topping:

• stale bread crumbs
• 6 T. additional butter

Cook the macaroni according to the package directions - leave it slightly undone (al dente). Next melt the Velveeta and butter in the milk, either on the stove or in a glass bowl in the microwave. Heat your oven to 350. Grease a large casserole or 9 x 13 pan. Toss the cheese sauce with the macaroni and spread it in the pan. Now for the cheddar - if it’s shredded, sprinkle on top of the macaroni and stir it up a bit. If it’s not shredded, cut into chunks and do the same. Sprinkle salt and pepper over all.
For the topping, combine the bread crumbs with the melted butter and sprinkle on top of your casserole. Good alternatives are crushed cheese crackers (cheezits or goldfish) or wheat germ.
Bake for 45 minutes.
Yes, it contains Velveeta, which some people say leave a plastic taste in your mouth.  I think there’s so much “real” cheese in there that the Velveeta just adds a creamy-ness.
The second recipe is newer.  I just made it a few weeks ago for everyone, but it turned out fantastic.  I’ve always loved Chicken and Dumplings soup, so when I found a recipe for  Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings on Pinterest, I knew I had to make it. 

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used 3 very large ones)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 onion diced
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley

That’s the basic recipe.  I also added:

• 6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots (still frozen)

You throw all this in the crockpot, put the lid on, and turn it on high for 4-6 hours.  Then you break up the, now cooked, chicken.  Then you take:

• 4 grands flaky refrigerator biscuits (I used a generic brand)

Cut the biscuits into 9 pieces each and throw on top of the hot soup.  That cooks for another 30 minutes, and then serve and enjoy!  If it’s too thick you can always add more chicken broth, but I found mine was perfect.  So excited to make it again this weekend for book club.

365 Pictures: Day 9

Well, took a little hiatus there, but we’ll see if I can get back into it this week.

 

I couldn’t decide between these two.  Both were taken just second apart.  The first is my friends, who raced up the hill, and I had taken a few previously of them racing ahead then celebrating reaching the top of the hill.  So I swung right and caught the sunset too.  Then another friend came up on my right so I swung around and just happened to catch that shot of him.  It turned out awesome considering it was a total accident.

Rainy Days

I love rainy days.  They make me want to curl up on the couch in my pjs, with a cup of hot chocolate, Scout in my lap, watching the rain drip off the roof and make the woods beautiful and wet…oh wait, that’s only possible at my parent’s house.  Instead I’m at work, wrapped in the sweater I keep under my desk, not working.  I should’ve made hot chocolate this morning, that would’ve made things better.  Except I’m on a “no drinks but water” kick right now, so that’s not possible. 

Anywho, I love the rain.  Of course I’d love it more if I didn’t have to drive on the freeway in it.

Sour Cream Chicken

For the last two nights I’ve been hooked on this recipe I found (thank you pinterest!).  The best part is it can be made for one, two, or a dozen.  The process goes like this:

Chicken is placed on cookie sheet and seasoned with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.  I slice my chicken beforehand so it cooks faster.

Slather it with sour cream.

Sprinkle liberally with seasoned breadcrumbs and bake at 375 for 30-60 minutes (depending on size of chicken).

Yum.  Can you tell presentation is not my thing when I’m just cooking for me?

The potatoes are these:

Yeesh I love these things.  Single-serving instant potatoes that I can make in the microwave.  Love it!  Anything to get away from leftovers.  Speaking of leftover, I make twice the amount of chicken I’m going to eat and package up the rest to go to work with me.  It reheats exceptionally well.

Mindy Kaling

I freaking love this woman.  Not only does she play one of the quirkiest characters on TV, but she writes too!  And she’s a funny writer!  This article in the New Yorker just makes me want to read her book even more.  My favorite quote is:

“The hundred-per-cent-perfect-looking female is perfect in every way except that she constantly bonks her head on things. She trips and falls and spills soup on her affable date (Josh Lucas. Is that his name? I know it’s two first names. Josh George? Brad Mike? Fred Tom? Yes, it’s Fred Tom). The Klutz clangs into stop signs while riding her bike and knocks over giant displays of fine china in department stores. Despite being five feet nine and weighing a hundred and ten pounds, she is basically like a drunk buffalo who has never been a part of human society. But Fred Tom loves her anyway.”

A drunk buffalo, how do you not love that imagery?

The movies I cannot stop watching

So, no picture today, but movies instead!  I was thinking today about all the movies that I watch over and over again.  There’s about a million of them, as is evidenced by my rather extensive dvd collection.  But I do have a few that I just keep watching.  I was going to put them in an order of favorites, but really it’s just whatever I thought of first.
1. The Lakehouse
I love everything about this movie.  The plot, the music, the architecture, the cinematography.  I love them “fighting” in the park, and them trying to understand what is happening.  When he goes to her apartment, which isn’t built yet and his brother pushes the “buzzer” bzzt, bzzt.  I love it every time.  “You’re going to think I’m crazy.”
2. Practical Magic
All too often I watch The Lakehouse, and then the next day I end up watching Practical Magic.  I love the crazy aunts, the girls doing magic when they’re little, when Sally ends up yelling at Angelove in the car, the fact that Sally “doesn’t do magic” but she still stirs her coffee magically, that Hallet is so drawn to Sally and doesn’t know why.  It’s tragic, heart-wrenching, hilarious, and adorable.
3. You’ve Got Mail
I think this might have been the first movie I ever REALLY fell in love with.  It’s so funny when they’re “at war” and heart-breakingly adorable when he goes to try and “be her friend.” I could go through every line that I love in that movie but that would take a few days, so I won’t.
4. Desk Set
This was the first Tracy-Hepburn I ever watched.  Watching it you can tell just how much they love each other from the first moment they see each other.  I love that her name is Bunny, I love the classic rom-com misunderstanding that fuels the plot, and I LOVE the entire scene in the apartment.  And the drunk Christmas party.  And the giant plant.  I could keep going.
5. Elizabethtown
Many people hate this movie, I on the other hand…I don’t know, I suppose I relate to it well.  Drew is charming and sweet and a touch awkward.  One of my dreams is to take a road trip  across the US and this movie added a few more stops.
6. French Kiss
Meg Ryan’s character is her usual quirky self, but Kevin Kline is phenomenal! I love that scene on the train car when she kisses him in her sleep, and he realizes he has feelings for her. Once again, I could go through all the scenes I love but this thing would be ten times longer than it already is.

7. Pride and Prejudice
I am not a big fan of Keira Knightley.  But I think she played Elizabeth well.  I love the music, the cinematography, the acting, the part when Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth meet in the pavilion…sigh.  Or when he helps her into the carriage and then they focus on his hand flexing.  I have a major crush on Matthew Macfadyen.  I actually ended up watching the British show “MI-5” just to get to see more of him.
8. While You Were Sleeping
I just realized this is the third Sandra Bullock film in my list.  I think Lucy and Jack are one of my favorite couples.  Ever.  If anything you have to watch the dinner scene, with the two simultaneous conversations “These mashed potatoes are so creamy.” “Ricky Ricardo was Cuban.”  The rom-com misunderstandings, the horrible 90’s clothes…Bill Pullman, it’s all wonderful.
9. Stardust
Tristan and Yvaine.  I love watching their relationship go from enemies, to allies, to friends, to lovers.  Her speech about love and life is so insightful, and him growing up and becoming a man is fantastic.  “But you wanted cheese!”  hehe
10. Tangled
I watched this movie and went home quoting it.  It’s cute, it’s funny, it’s beautifully animated (drawn?), and it will make you want to light floating lanterns (which I’ve now done).  The songs remind me of the classic Disney movies.  And the lantern scene makes my heart race every time.
Honorable Mentions:
Pat & Mike- I love how much fun Hepburn seems to have playing all the sports in this movie and how Tracy seems to enjoy watching her have fun.
Without Love- I would own this movie except it’s nearly impossible to find.  I need to watch it a few more times before I declare it one of my all-time favorites but it’s close.  If you watch it, watch for Lucille Ball’s role as the friend.  It’s amazingly subdued.
Little Women- I used to camp out in my sister’s room with her tv and watch her copy of this movie over and over.  It’s one of my favorite books and I always feel this movie is one of the best adaptations ever.  It’s funny and sweet, and everybody plays their roll so well.  And Christian Bale as Laurie?  Love it!
Sabrina- Two words: Harrison Ford.  I love him playing Linus, and his assistant?  Hilarious.  And his mother.  And Greg Kinnear.  I love everything about this movie.  “It was like touching the Shroud of Tourin.” (Did I spell that right?)
Beauty and the Beast- This was my favorite movie as a kid.  I watched it as often as I could.  I love the music and I love watching that growing relationship.  I could watch “Something There” again and again.
That Thing You Do- Did you know this movie was written and directed by Tom Hanks?  That makes me love it more.  I love that the bass player doesn’t have a name, and I love Guy.  Oh do I love Guy.  “I…am…Spartacus.”
Someone Like You- I can’t decide if I like the book (Animal Husbandry) or the movie more.  They’re both funny, sweet, and relatable.  You completely understand her obsession.  And I love Hugh Jackman.  The midnight-snack in their underwear scene is pretty hilarious. 
Tin Man- This was the movie when I fell in love with Zooey Deschanel.  Technically it’s  a mini-series, but all in all it’s only a few hours.  I can’t even explain why I like it, just watch it.
Smokey and the Bandit- A young Burt Reynolds and Sally Fields.  Car chases, ridiculousness, a fat dog, a stupid sheriff, and some great one-liners.
Okay, I’ll stop now.  Someday soon I’ll do an entire post about tv shows. There are a lot of them.  That one’s going to be long too.

365 Pictures: Day 8

This dizzying, and ever so slightly out of focus pic was taken in the stairwell of my apartment building.  I hauled my behind down the stairs and out the front door to take a picture of the sunset and then found that my camera didn’t have a card in it.  So back up I went, and you all get this.  Zumba kicked my butt tonight.