Best Ever Mac & Cheese

This is the adult version of my childhood favorite! I got this from a friend when I was living in Reno. It is great comfort food for cold Alaskan nights!

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp butter
• 6 tbsp flour
• ½ tsp Cayenne Pepper
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3-3/4 cups hot milk
• 4 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1lb macaroni noodles cooked
• ½ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt 6 tbsp of butter in medium sauce pan over low heat.
3. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes. You may have to turn up the heat. The flour mixture must foam as it cooks or the sauce will have a raw flour taste.
4. Stir in cayenne and season to taste with salt & pepper.
5. Whisk in hot milk, ½ cup at a time and cook, stirring until sauce thickens.
6. Reduce heat to low and stir in 2 cups of cheese, stirring constantly until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.
7. Combine cooked pasta and sauce in large bowl.
8. Sprinkle ½ cup of cheese over the bottom of a buttered 8x11 baking dish. Place a third of the pasta in the dish and top with ½ cup of cheese. Then repeat, layering pasta & cheese and ending with cheese. You should get about 3 layers.
9. Pour cream over assembled mac & cheese.
10. Melt remaining butter (2tbsp) in skillet, add bread crumbs. Stirring to coat.
11. Sprinkle bread crumbs over mac & cheese.
12. Bake until crust is golden, about 30 minutes. Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
13. Enjoy!

Sweat & Sour Meatballs

This recipe is from a lady at church. I made it the other night with ground venison and it was delicious!

It is a pretty easy recipe but there are 3 major steps.

1. First make the meatballs.
2. Make the sauce.
3. Combine both and cook together!

Meatballs

Ingredients:

• 13 oz can evaporated milk
• 2 cups quick oatmeal
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 3lbs ground meat (I always use venison)
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsps salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix everything together in a large bowl.
3. Shape into balls and place on a foil lined cookie sheet
4. Bake 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

These meatballs can be used in spaghetti or whatever kind of sauce you like. This time I made sweet & sour sauce!

Sweet & Sour Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 and 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 2 cups water
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 tbls water mixed with 3 tbls corn starch

Directions:

1. In a medium pot dissolve sugar and water over medium heat.
2. Add ketchup and vinegar and bring to a boil for about 5 minutes.
3. Turn to medium low heat and stir in corn starch water mixture to thicken your sauce. Simmer for 2 minutes.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

1. After sauce and meatballs are made, put meatballs in a casserole dish, add in whatever veggies you like. I added chopped carrots, purple onion, green onion and pineapple.
2. Pour sauce over them and bake for 25 minutes.
3. Enjoy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is a super yummy but very easy soup to make.

Those pieces of tortilla chips at the bottom of the bag work great for this recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, chopped
• 3+ cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried cumin
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans condensed chicken broth
• 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked
• 1 cup white hominy (optional)
• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers
• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or basically any kind of cooked beans. I use kidney beans because my husband detests black beans.)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces or shredded
• crushed tortilla chips
• sliced avocado
• sour cream
• shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• chopped green onions

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute chicken in oil for 10 minutes or until no longer pink. Take chicken out and shred or chop it.
2. Saute onion and garlic until soft.
3. Stir in chili powder, cumin, tomatoes, and broth. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. (I like to simmer it for 45 minutes to an hour if I have time. It really brings out the flavors.)
4. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, and cilantro. Simmer for 10 minutes.
5. Ladle soup into individual bowls and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, sour cream and chopped green onion.
6. Enjoy!

Orange Julius

For some reason today I was craving an orange julius. Maybe it was because the sun was shining, we are fighting colds and I was thirsty!

So I made myself one. It reminded me of how my mom made these when I was young.

Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. can frozen concentrated orange juice
• 1 cup milk - any type - it also works well with soy milk
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 8 ice cubes

Directions:

1. Pour all ingredients, except ice cubes, in a blender.
2. Blend, adding ice cubes one at a time, until smooth.
3. Sit back and enjoy!

Fish Fingers

This is a great recipe for kids and adults alike. Plus it is quick and easy!

I usually use halibut or Ling Cod. I haven't tried salmon yet but I bet it would work. My friend's 1 1/2 year old LOVED these. She kept saying, "More pish please."



Ingredients:

• Fish - cut into strips - about 2x2x2

• Garlic - crushed
• Olive oil
• Bread Crumbs
• Parmesan cheese
• Paprika (we use Hungarian paprika - my husband is part Hungarian and swears it is the best)

Directions:

1. Mix olive oil & garlic together on a plate or shallow dish.
2. Pour bread crumbs onto plate & mix in parmesan and paprika (for color & flavor).

3. Dip the fish in the garlic infused olive oil.
4. Roll fish in bread crumb mixture.
5. Place on foil lined cookie sheet. (I just use my silpat instead of wasting foil.)

6. Bake 10 mins at 450 degrees.
7. Enjoy!

I usually serve this with tartar sauce or ketchup if kids are present. They love dipping their food.