Updates and Such

Today is the first day of the ice fishermen's arrival. We watched them test the ice and then settle in for serious fishing. 

The icicle that had previously started to develop simply melted away during a warm spell and has started to form again. 

The Mister said he thought he would die before I made his favorite dish again. Well I was ambitious this morning. Surprise! And...we both got into it at lunch! Now what shall we have for supper?

Guess who took the larger section. (We both like the corners!) Recipe below. I don't make a sauce. I create it the way my mother did. We like it best this way.

The gift that a dear friend who lives in Hawaii sent, has been put to another use. The wicker basket with the bright red Merry Christmas satin ribbon was once filled with samples of scrumptious cookies, but alas! They have disappeared!

And another was sent from within my state, and arrived securely packed and wrapped with tape so well I wondered why. Upon its opening, I knew why. A lovely porcelain ball was enclosed, with a special Irish greeting. How wonderful!

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Old Fashioned Baked Macaroni & Cheese

You Will Need:

9 inch X 13 inch Pan

Heavy Duty Foil

Pam No-Stick Cooking Spray

1 - 10 oz. block EXTRA Sharp Yellow Cheddar Cheese 

1 - 10 oz. block EXTRA Sharp White Cheddar Cheese

(Preferably Helluva Good Cheese Brand or Cracker Barrel or Cooper)

1 - Box (16 oz.) Elbow Macaroni (Preferably Mueller’s Brand)

1/2 Stick BUTTER (Preferably Keller’s Brand)

1 Cup Italian Style Bread Crumbs (Preferably Progresso Brand)

Parmesan & Romano 100% Grated Cheese (Preferably Kraft Brand)

Black Pepper (Preferably McCormick Brand)

5 Cups WHOLE Milk

Line pan with foil and spray with Pam. “Release” brand foil may be used instead of Pam (double lined pan).

Hand grate yellow cheese into bowl and put in freezer until ready to use.

Hand grate white cheese into another bowl and put in freezer too.

(Put a dash of corn oil in the water before cooking)

Cook macaroni at full rolling boil for 11 minutes. Do not salt. Drain.

Dump 1/2 of the macaroni into pan and spread around evenly.

With hand, sprinkle yellow cheese over macaroni.

Dump remainder of the macaroni evenly over the yellow cheese.

With hand, sprinkle white cheese over macaroni.

Generously sprinkle black pepper over all.

Evenly cover all with bread crumbs.

Generously sprinkle Parmesan & Romano cheese over all.

Cut butter into pats and place pats in two rows over top of all.

VERY GENTLY - pour 4 cups of milk along sides of pan.

Tilt pan forward and backward and left to right to make milk flow inside macaroni

Preheat oven to 350º

Bake one hour at 350º. After 1/2 hour do the “tilt” procedure again.

If dry, pour one cup milk over all.

It is done (approximately another 1/2 hour) when no milk can be seen as liquid.

Cool about 10 minutes before serving. Leftovers may be frozen.