Gratitude 70

Today ended up being a really nice day.  It had to potential to be pretty awful, actually, as dh and Pk were getting their H1N1 shots today.  After all the media reports of 6 hour lines and chaos, we were expecting things to be awful.  My doctor was pretty emphatic last week that Pk and Dh needed to be done a.s.a.p. to protect me, since she doesn't want me to get my shot until at least 12 weeks and until the non-adjuvented vaccine is readily available for pregnant women.

My doctor's practice is 45 minutes drive from here and we decided that we would go there to get done since other places, dh might not be considered high risk.  My doc is in a very large clinic with a walk-in clinic and that is where we got the shots done.  It was amazing, we were in and out in less than 10 minutes and Pk barely cried.  We had chocolate ready to go (it works almost every time) but as she got her shot, she was whining for one of the suckers they had in a bowl.  That took away any upset about the shot almost immediately.  We decided to treat her to a lunch at McDonald's (yes, I know, me the healthy-eating nazi) and it was fun.  We rarely eat in a restaurant with Pk and she had so much fun.  

My mother is here with us for the next few days, since she is babysitting for us tomorrow during the day (we are going to a parenting event at a local church).  My mom just found out that she is pre-diabetic and really has to watch her sugar so she is feeling pretty restricted in her diet.  I wanted to treat her to say thank you for being there for us.  I asked what her favourite meal was and she immediately replied, "Mac and cheese!".  My father and brother are lactose intolerant so pasta in any kind of cheese sauce is NOT ever on the menu there.  It gave me a good challenge.

Here's my recipe. I took a few and put them together and this was the result and it was delicious.

Macaroni and Cheese

2 c whole wheat macaroni

3Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

2 c milk

2 c shredded cheddar cheese + extra for sprinkling

2 tsp dijon mustard

topping:

crushed whole wheat crackers

butter (1 or 2 Tbsp), melted

small amount of grated parmesan cheese

Cook the macaroni according to package directions.  In the meantime, melt the butter in a saucepan.  When it is melted but not yet brown, add the flour and stir to make a paste.  Gradually add the milk, whisking as you add and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until simmering and slightly thickened.  Add 2 c of cheddar and the dijon mustard.  Add the drained macaroni to the sauce and stir.  Pour half the macaroni and sauce into a greased caserole dish, sprinkle with cheese and repeat.  

In a bowl, combine the melted cheese, the crushed crackers and the parmesan.  Sprinkle over the macaroni.  

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes, covered.  Uncover and bake another 15 minutes.  I served it with steamed cauliflower with browned butter.  It wasn't exactly a low-fat meal but it was definite yummy.

I have a total weakness for sweets.  I need a little something at the end of the day and since mom needs to watch her sweets (as should I!), I was looking for just a little something.  I found this recipe on Attic24 (the blog I mentioned the other day) for "Fruity Oat Squares".  These are yummy and incredibly easy to make!  I just used sultanas - I can't wait to try this recipe again with some apricots.

I love days like this, spent with family and doing little things that make home more comfortable for all of us.