Gluten free mac & cheese

Found a new, easy recipe for macaroni and cheese.  I love mac & cheese - all versions - as long as they are gluten free.  Unfortunately the boxed versions that are GF are kind of runny and don't taste all that good.  This recipe I stole from Pinterest and changed to accommodate my Celiac disease.

Start with your crock pot.  Always use a crock pot liner.  It makes clean up so much easier.  Spray the liner - it sounds crazy, but it makes a difference.

Whisk two cups of milk, one 12 oz can of evaporated milk and an egg.  Add a tsp of salt and 1/4 tsp of pepper.  I didn't measure either - I just added some.  Pour into the crock pot.  Add a 16 oz (standard size) package of GF pasta.  I used corn pasta that had a substantial shape, not tiny little shells.  Add 12 oz of shredded cheese.  The original recipe called for a specific kind of cheese, but I used whatever I had in the frig - I think it was Kraft Mexican blend and some about-to-get-tossed shredded white something.  :)

I would say make sure the pasta is covered by either the milk mixture or cheese so it gets cooked completely.  Cook on low for 3-1/2 to 4 hours.  Don't cook longer than that.  If your crock pot cooks "hot" then cook on low for 3 hours, then on warm for another hour. 

This makes custard-like baked macaroni and cheese - not the runny, soupy kind from a box (although I enjoy that soupy kind).  Next time I make this I'm adding a can of tuna.  It was delicious.  No photo of the finished product - I was in too much of a hurry to eat.

Waves

Usually I'm making waves somewhere.  Today I was painting them.

Helped my friend Keith set up the classrooms at church for Godly Play training next week.  This is an "S" disguised as a wave.  Jonah's boat will be placed on the blue felt sea, and these waves will tip him into the drink for the whale's dinner.  I tried the trick of using a push pin on the back of the "S" so the painted piece wouldn't stick to the plastic/newspaper.  It's harder than you would think - to get a push pin into balsa wood!  Wearing my Smurf gloves, but the paint will eventually come off.

The Godly Play program is really interesting.  Teaching little kids (under kindergarten age) about Bible stories using a moveable sand box, three dimensional figures and small props.  The training books are really strict!  A parable or story lesson must be stored in a certain type of box, marked with a specific color dot, on the exact shelf in the designated corner of the classroom.... Seriously people.  If we can find all the pieces and get all the kids to sit down I think we're doing pretty good!

Stocked up on 50% off thread at JoAnn's this afternoon.  Love half price thread! 

My New Year's Resolution for 2012 was to use up most of the fabric I already own.  The only allowable fabric purchases were for white/off-white for backgrounds.  Picked up some creamy stars to use with military fabric, white holly branches for Christmas and some tan print on tan from the clearance rack.  Used my 50% off coupon on interfacing for t-shirt quilts.  I'm ready to sew!

Irish Proverb

Stole this from Pinterest.  I like the photo and the proverb.  Spent a day in Dublin on a trans-Atlantic cruise stop last April and thought the city was wonderful. Loved all the bridges across the River Liffey (I think that's how its spelled).  Enjoyed the Book of Kells display at Trinity College and was happy to leave a few Irish Euro at the book store.  Unfortunately (or maybe it was a good thing) the book store at the museum was packed with teenagers while I was trying to shop.  I couldn't see all the things on the shelves!

Some day I will return to Ireland for a longer visit.  There are shirt tail relatives still living there so it might be interesting to look up a few - see if they look like any of us.

Spent the day cutting out quilt block parts.  I'm trying to use up fabric I already own.  So far I have blocks assembled for a couple quilts; taking the finished blocks to Quilt Group tomorrow for help in placement.  I have two other quilts cut out waiting for in-town quilt retreat next week, and two quilts cut out ready to assemble the blocks when I get home tomorrow.  I'm a lean, mean quilting machine these days.  Actually I'm not all that lean, I try not to be mean, and mostly I'm just trying to keep from worrying about not having a job!

Lunch and Luck

I'm currently not employed.  Rather than bemoan the fact that I'm broke, I've decided to embrace my free time.  How lucky am I that I had ice cream for dessert after lunch today?  Hmmm.  Is lunch an authorized dessert meal, or does dessert only apply to dinner?  Is breakfast authorized to support dessert?  I won't think about it too hard and just revel in the fact that I ate ice cream in the middle of the day while reading a new book.  Can't do that strapped to a desk!

Welcome

Assuming my laptop and I come to a better understanding of who is in charge, I'll try to post regularly about the projects on which I'm currently working, adventures I have in mind, and the incredibly smart, adorable dog that owns me.