Mac and Balls

Kaley: "Mom, can we go out to eat for lunch today?"

Me: "Where would you like to go?"

Kaley: "The buffet"

Me: "Daddy doesn't like the buffet"

Kaley: "Why not? They have cookies AND candy!"

David: "Because the quality of food there is.......junk" (Good save.)



I had to think fast, so I offered an old favorite, mommy's "famous" mac-n-cheese. Famous? Well, at least to my family. And, it's not made from a boxed mix of orange powder, laced with fake food ingredients.


"Yeah!" (Yells from the backseat.)

"Can we have a dessert too?"

"Sure, why not"




Mommy's "Famous" super simple, but wholesome Mac-n-cheese:

• Elbow macaroni pasta of your choice (prepared according to box instructions)

• Two tablespoons of Earth Balance Vegan Margarine or Smart Balance Buttery spread

(both are made with much healthier plant oils instead of butter, but taste buttery.)

• A few tablespoons flour (you'll have to eyeball this)

• Milk (added to desired thickness)

• 8 oz. pkg of shredded cheddar cheese (I've used sharp cheddar and regular)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Prepare pasta according to package instructions. For cheese sauce, melt the butter over medium heat in a sauce pan. When completely melted, add a few tablespoons of flour and stir, stir, stir. It will be lumpy, but that's ok. Add milk. I usually start with about a cup and this is when you'll really need to keep stirring, or it will burn on the bottom. (I use a stainless steel saucepan, so that I can use a metal whip.) Keep stirring until the mixture starts to thicken. Add milk to give you the desired amount of sauce, and take it off the heat as soon as the sauce begins to thicken. Add desired amount of cheese (I usually use almost the entire package), and salt and pepper to taste (It will need to be a bit salitier than you like because the pasta will even out the salty flavor). The cheese will melt into the sauce and the whole mixture will get creamy. Pour the sauce over cooked and drained pasta and stir. And, that's it!




>

The whole process takes maybe 15 minutes. Super simple, but super yummy! I chop uncooked broccoli and carrots and add it to mine, in order to mix in some fiber and vitamins. I keep the chopped veggies on the side for the kids, since they don't like the crunchy texture in their pasta. Big Daddy would prefer a side of bacon, but he gets veggies or a salad anyway. Then, we enjoy.


Our lunches are always peppered with questions and comments like, "Do I look like a ballerina in this swimsuit?", and "Our dogs poop A LOT", and " Can we live in Hawaii someday? PLEASE?", and "I have a toot. Never mind, I don't anymore." I wish it could stay this way forever. Food, family, flatulence.


Well, I could totally live without that last part. But, the rest is priceless! And so are my balls. Cookie dough balls, people. Geeeeez!






You can find this recipe for these PB Chocolate chip cookie dough balls on www.Peasandthankyou.com, filed under the "recipeas" tab. Then, you too can have wonderful balls. ;)