It's Sunday afternoon. Don is napping/watching football. Elli is doing projects. I'm doing a little cleaning, straightening, web surfing, reading, etc. When I decide it's time for lunch. So I go in the kitchen to see what we have. Nuthin. hmmm. We have hot dogs in the freezer. Guess we're having dogs for lunch.
"Elli do you want a hot dog for lunch? I ask.
"No thanks. May I have mac and cheese, please?" she replies, in an ever so cheerful voice.
"Uh. No. We don't have any mac and cheese." I answer.
And then she gives me this really, really sad look with those BIG BROWN EYES. And I'm toast.
"Can you make some?" she says.
"No. We don't have any.................WAIT. I can make homemade mac and cheese. I'll use my mom's cheese sauce recipe and pour it over pasta. Hold on." I answer smiling. I didn't even try to push the hot dog some more. what a sucker!!!!!!!
Instead, I jump into supermom mode and whip out my moms cheese sauce recipe. Get some water boiling and bam. We're on our way to having mac and cheese.
Is this normal behavior? Do other mom's do this? Am I a complete freak of nature? I'm pretty sure my sister would not do this. But her kids only like Kraft Mac and Cheese. So she doesn't count.
Why do I feel this constant need to please everyone?
What would you have done? Would you have stuck to the original plan and made the hot dog or would you have made the mac and cheese? Or worse. Would you have gone to the store?
I dunno. It doesn't really matter. I just had a little out of body experience in the kitchen and my lazy self was watching super freak. And she was laughing. That's all.
So in the time it takes to make the pasta (~10 minutes) you can make the sauce. Voila! Creamy goodness for everyone to enjoy.
QUICK Homemade Mac and Cheese
serves 4 as a side dish
Mimi's Cheese Sauce (adapted from Betty Crocker)
2 T butter
2 T flour
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
1 cup milk
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 cups dry Macaroni or Shell Pasta (prepare according to pkg.)
1. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat.
2. Blend in flour, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, stirring until mixture is smooth and bubbly.
3. Remove from heat. Stir in milk.
4. Heat to boiling. Stirring constantly for about one minute until it starts to get thick.
5. Add cheese. Stir until melted.
6. Pour over hot pasta (that has been drained and returned to pan.).
7. Serve immediately.
This sauce also tastes AWESOME on vegetables - like broccoli. It was a staple in our house growing up. I can barely remember eating broccoli without this yummy cheese sauce.
Now I know you know how do to everything here. So just humor me and scroll quickly down, down, down.....
"Mom.......your mac and cheese is THE BEST! Thank you, mommy." she says very sweetly, and then adds, "I get the red plate! It has more."
You're right about me - I would NEVER have done this. I would have pushed the hot dogs and said "Take it or leave it". You're way nicer than me. Buuuuuuuuuuuuuut, I think I'll have to try this recipe now because it looks sooooooooo easy!!!! LOVE IT! Of course only Maya and Mike would eat it because Ben doesn't like melted cheese......"WTH?!" you say? Except of course on Pizza. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteMust be a first born thing! I'm team mom for wrestling, football, soccer, basketball,and baseball. I will bring the cupcakes, pick-up everyone for the game, create a newsletter, organize banquets, make grilled cheese at 11:00 pm, host sleepovers with no notice, etc.
ReplyDeleteThey are only kid's once! (I have 5 more years!)
Oh my gosh Kris.........You gave the secret sauce recipe to EVERYONE! That is how I got you 4 kids to eat your vegetables...Now everyone knows.............By the way, it worked for my Mom too!
ReplyDeleteMimi