The Long Awaited Mac and Cheese

Remember like two weeks ago when I told you I had made the best mac and cheese and then rudely didn't give you the recipe? Yeah, I figured you did. Sorry about that. I wasn't trying to be mean, I swear. Things got away from me and we had just a couple giveaways, but now - it's back. This is the mac and cheese that I am now in love with.

A while back I had stumbled on this recipe for Springs Shells and Cheese on The Bitten Word, who I think grabbed it from Food Network (yeah, follow that train) and decided it was something I wanted to try because, well, look at it.

The night I decided to give it a try I realized that this recipe had more steps than I wanted and I wanted more veggies so I made a couple adjustments. Those adjustments led to more adjustments which led to pretty much a different recipe entirely. I can tell you are shocked that I screwed around with a recipe. To me, the beauty of this is that it can be changed and adjusted and messed with. You can add whatever veggies you want into it and I think it will work. 

I feel like I need to give you a disclaimer on this one before I dish out the recipe. Allen is a mac and cheese purist. He loves mac and cheese and loves my traditional mac and cheese. He's a southern man and mac and cheese in the south is NOT made with vegetables. I made the small mistake of telling him I was making mac and cheese for dinner and then presenting something with spinach in it. He was confused. He was kind. He was adamant that it was NOT mac and cheese. I believe his exact words were "this is really good, but it's more of a  (pause pause pause) casserole?" Keeping that in mind, he did have two helpings and asked if there was enough for him to take to work for lunch. I guess he liked the "casserole." I'm going to stick with calling it mac and cheese. Ha.

You need to make this, it's gooey, yummy, perfect for a hearty meal and yet has the vegetables to give some extra flavor and yummy goodness. It doesn't hurt that I cooked it in a cast iron skillet so it has a homey feel as it comes out of the oven. Holy yum. I'm going to make it again soon and add some mushrooms - what would you add?

Veggie Mac and Cheese
printable version

1 shallot, minced
1 zucchini, chopped
1 1/2 C fresh baby spinach (roughly chopped)
1/4 C corn
1 C shredded mozzarella
1 C shredded gruyere
1 1/2 C milk
2 1/2 tbsp butter
1/4 C flour
8 oz (1/2 box) whole wheat shell pasta
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat over to 350. Boil water and cook pasta as to directions on the box. While the pasta is cooking, saute shallots and zucchini in a medium pan (Feel free to add any veggies you want). Add corn to the pan to heat through and add spinach to wilt, salt and pepper to taste. Once the spinach has wilted, take the veggies out of pan and set aside.  Drain pasta and set aside. Add butter to the medium pan, once melted add the flour to the pan, stirring to make a roux. Cook for 30 seconds and then slowly add milk while whisking at low heat to create a white sauce. As the sauce begins to thicken, add half of each cheese and the veggies into the sauce. Stir together and then combine the sauce mixture with the drained pasta. Add the mac and cheese to a baking dish or cast iron skillet. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 25 minutes or until bubbly and brown. EAT!!

I would suggest you make this, eat it and then let me know what veggies you decided to add. Just my two cents though.

Making the most of a rainy day...

So I'm in my second trimester, FINALLY - but I'm still rocking some serious exhaustion and having a hard time getting motivated to get up and move.  I don't know why it is, but during pregnancy I generally become a hermit.  I feel tired and nauseous and ugly and fat - and while I KNOW it's this amazing, miraculous thing - I just want to curl up in my jammies at home and read blogs and drink tea while my children tear the house down around me.

But today I made myself get out of the house a few times starting with a fun little play date at the mall (5 minutes from my house!)

See?  Dressed - 14 weeks and 3 days prego.  Complete with weird chipmunk type expression...(yes, I stand on the garden tub to get a good, full length look at myself in the mirror.  SO WHAT)

I met my friend Teresa and her little guy Jack and we hit up Stride Rite to get Beckett fitted for some good quality shoes.  It was so adorable to see him wearing these big boy shoes and running around the store - I tried to snap a few pictures, but dude is QUICK, kids were crying all over the place and I was breaking a sweat trying to keep him from tearing every shoe off the display.

We also introduced Becks to his very first Dunkin Donuts munchkin -

He was not a fan.  I'm ok with that.

It was rainy and gross most of the day so it was the perfect day to introduce the new "toy" - a baby wipes dispenser turned fabric scraps dispenser.

First things first - has this ever happened to you?

Oh, hello stupid expensive Seventh Generation wipes that are now all over my floor.  Seriously, I tell myself every time that I will do better at remembering to put them up high but somehow he always seems to find the dang wipes container and empty it before I can blink.  

So when I saw this great idea from Hands On: As We Grow, I knew it was meant to be.

Source

I got to work - this is an easy, quick project (unless you try to get fancy like I did...) but let me warn you...it was IMPOSSIBLE to get Beckett to sit still so I could take a picture of this amazing toy doing its job.  He wanted my camera.  He wanted it bad.

Anyway -

Grab an empty wipes container.  Huggies makes the best kind because the little teeth in the opening are made of a soft rubber and don't scrape and scratch when you put your hand inside.

Grab some old fabric scraps.  Put them in the container.  I thought I would save myself the trouble of cleaning up tons of old scraps all over my house by tying them together so the fabric would come out as one big long piece.  But the knots got stuck and Beckett got frustrated, so I unknotted them all and just put them in the box separately.

And that's really all there is to it - I promise he loved it.  He just loved my camera more.

This was such a quick easy project, and I am hoping that it will keep him entertained when I'm not around trying to snap pictures...

Instant Hair Clips

Friends I have sad news, the sewing machine is in the shop. I had some really cute little sewing projects planned but the machine has thwarted me! I had the fabric cut, everything ready and laid out - I was feeling particularly organized (a rare thing in my life) and then it happened. The fabric wouldn't feed through and then the thread got all balled up and I wanted to yell. Not being one to just give up, I tried it again ... and again and then I did yell. Turns out that about a year ago when there was that random earthquake on the east coast and one of my vases fell off a shelf and hit the sewing machine - it messed some things up. The man at the sew and vac thought I was crazy when I said I'd been using it for about a year. He said (I quote) "This shouldn't be working at all, the tension is all .... messed up." Never fear though, he says he can fix it, so right now it's in the sewing machine hospital having minor surgery. Hopefully next week, it'll be back and better than ever! Fingers crossed.

Since all my plans of sewing got booted out the window and the sew and vac place happens to be next to the Michael's - Macie and I went for a little trip. We were about to leave when I stumbled onto a new fun thing that had potential written all over it.

This may be the world's easiest project. I found these flower embellishments on sale at Michael's and then some metal hair clips on clearance and decided to put them together. The flower embellishments are actually stickers so they have a piece of foam on the back and a trash tie thingy (technical term) that is threaded through the back of the flower. I pulled the foam sticker off the back and then removed the trash tie, leaving the holes that the trash tie was threaded through open.

The holes were the perfect size to thread the straight hair clip though.... so I did. That's it. In about three minutes I had made two flowered hair clips for Macie.

I had also bought some alligator clips for the larger flowers. Since the alligator clips don't fit through the holes in the back of the flower, I just hot glued the alligator clip to the flower. Again, world's fastest project.

You could easily do this with flowers that you've made or with some other little embellishments, they are ALL over Pinterest. I would give you some examples but my Pinterest is acting up and won't load right (I may or may not be having some withdraw issues).

 I may try some more and make some fabric flowers like I did with Macie's headbands, but honestly, I love these floppy flowers and the quickness of the project. Instant hair clips, gotta love it. Macie seems to like them and of course, I had to take a picture of her for you. 

Yeah, we love her.

Homemade Pizza Rolls

My kids LOVE pizza.  Yes, I realize most of you could probably make the same statement about your own kids - or even yourself.  Even the toddler loves it.  He'll scarf down more slices than I can - it's like somehow his little brain knows this is a special treat and he better just enjoy it.

The other day my husband and I were watching tv and a commercial for Totino's pizza rolls came on.  He made the comment that he'd never had a Totino's pizza roll, and I think my jaw hit the floor.

I need the cone of safety here, because I'm going to make a confession.

I. Love. Totino's.

*hangs head in shame*  Honestly, I do.  I haven't eaten them in years - seriously, years...but there was a time that I am not proud of where I lived off their reduced fat pepperoni rolls, tricking myself into thinking I was doing something HEALTHY.  Bahahaha.  Oh, naivety...

But really, they are freaky good.  Addictively (is that a word?) good.  Oh so bad for you good.  Full of everything that's wrong with American food...right?

Still though - how does a grown man make it through life without ever popping one of these pepperoni morsels of goodness in his mouth?  Since I'm not willing to go out and bring them into the home, I decided I would find a make at home version so he could at least get a little idea - a glimpse - of what he'd been missing all these years.

Enter Dashing Dish and her awesome recipe.  The only thing I did differently was to omit the sweetener - I just didn't think it would be necessary.

Source

This recipe is easy - you can tweak it a hundred different ways, use a hundred different fillings, and control exactly what you put into it.  My kids loved these.  My husband loved them.  They are yummy little snacks, and would make a great appetizer.  Throw some at your kiddos for lunch with some veggies on the side and they'll think you are awesome.

See?

Are you convinced yet?  Good...you'll be glad you made these, and your family will love you!

"Skinny" Pizza Rolls 

(Honestly, I'm not sure how skinny they are - the orig recipe says each pizza roll is worth 1 {WW} pt which sounds great until you realize if you eat them for lunch you'll probably end up eating the same amount of points as a slice of real pizza, but to each their own...)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 c. pizza sauce

24 wonton wrappers

package of mini turkey pepperoni

basil, oregano to taste or 1 tsp italian seasonings

pinch of black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 c. parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix sauce, mozzarella cheese, spices and pepperoni in a bowl.  Spoon a small scoop into the center of each wonton wrapper.  To seal the wrapper, dip your finger in a small dish of water, and run it along the 2 edges of the wrapper.  Fold into a triangle and seal.  The water acts sort of like a glue to make the wonton wrapper stay closed.

Then, you can brush with olive oil and sprinkle with parmesan cheese, or let it be.  Bake for 10 minutes or until tops are golden brown.

YUM.

The wonton wrapper gives it a nice, crispy crust similar to the store bought version - and I am imagining all kinds of grown up toppings inside - feta cheese and spinach?  Tomato and basil?  Mmmm...these were a definite winner for our family.  I doubled the recipe and kept them in the fridge for snacking and lunches for a few days.

Hit or Miss Monday

We are back to regularly scheduled programming around here - but what a fun week it was last week.  Another big thank you to all of our fans and readers who have made the last year possible - we have had such a blast with this blog and can't believe we are now officially ONE.

And if you haven't done it yet - the giveaways are still running.  Make sure to check out:

Free medium ad space over at By the Porchlight
Daisy Lane Designs clutch
$50 gift card to Shabby Apple
$50 gift card to Anthropologie

I'm already excited to see who wins what!

And now, on to Hit or Miss...

Jamie's Hit:

It could be lack of sleep this past week or some late night pinning, I'm not sure, but I saw this and busted out laughing. I never would have thought about it, but then I see it and it's perfect. Ha.

And her Miss:

If you carry your phone and/or money in your bra then I apologize but seriously??? I took Macie to the mall on Saturday and there was a woman that came into a children's clothing store with her phone on the left and her wallet on the right and her dress was falling down from the weight - is a purse THAT hard to carry?? And does this even look comfortable? It may be me, but I don't think carrying my cash and loose change in my bra seems cozy...and like I need something else to help gravity. no thanks. 

And my Hit:

I have to admit I have done this on more than one occasion.  Especially when you've just cleaned everything up and finally get to sit down for a minute and realize the toddler is in the corner and has somehow discovered a box of Kleenex and is pulling each tissue out one at a time...and you think to yourself...hey, if it keeps him still and quiet I'm going to turn a blind eye for the moment...

My miss:

I know I'm not the world's biggest Halloween fan.  I kind of hate the holiday and I don't really know why - I have since I was a kid.  I never liked dressing up or trick or treating - I guess I am just a weirdo.  But even with all that Halloween negativity in my background, I can't be the only one who is totally skeeved out by this?  I know Halloween is supposed to be skeevy and scary but seriously...ew.  Just ew.  Also, how many of my Misses have been Halloween related??  Hahaha.  I told you I don't like the holiday!

What did you see this week on Pinterest that made your hit or miss list?

A Little Anthropologie for You ....

Happy Friday friends!! I don't know how your week has been, but since my week included a stomach bug - I'm glad this week is coming to an end. Since I'm positive that is about all you want to hear about my week, let me tell you what we have for you today!

Miranda and I may or may not have a small obsession with Anthropologie. The saturday before Father's Day Miranda and I had a bit of shopping to do and since it was soon to be Father's Day, both husbands readily agreed to take the kids so we could run errands. Of course, after getting to the mall we ended up at Anthropologie (don't you buy all your husband's gifts there??) and may have seemed a bit crazy. We pounced on so many things so fast, I think we made the sale person spin. What was our most frenzied purchase you ask??

Mugs. We each were dying for one of the Initial mugs and went flying to the shelves to pick one up. Of course, there are about a million things in Anthropologie that I would buy. What you ask? Let me show you.

Some cute kitchen items - don't you love them??

Let's not even talk about these boots... I swoon at their sight. With fall coming, hats are calling my name and this one is so cute.

I could go on and on. There's a white comforter that has been calling Miranda's name - she longs for it!

Why am I telling you all of this?? Because today is your lucky day - today we are giving away a $50 gift card to Anthropologie to one of our lovely readers. Yup, a big fat gift card just for you. Miranda and I discussed if we could make up fake names and enter ourselves, but since we love you - we won't.

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Don't forget to enter all the other giveaways from this week - there are some good ones!!

Shabby Apple Giveaway!!

Y'ALL.

A few weeks ago, Shabby Apple contacted us to see if we'd be interested in doing a giveaway for our readers.  Jamie and I thought about it for 2.2 seconds and said YES.  Of course we would!  If you're not familiar with Shabby Apple, allow me to introduce you to a few of their adorable items:

Oh, hello perfect maxi dress for summer.  I think I will just lounge by the pool while wearing you, and sipping delicious iced beverages...

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Bright mustard yellow?  I. die.  I have an obsession with mustard yellow and this is perfect for fall!

via

What's better than a nautical flouncy skirt?  This is feminine, flirty and fun!  I love the button detail down the front.

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Don't they have just the cutest stuff?  Not only do they have cute stuff, they have practical stuff too...

This morning I rolled out of bed and had breakfast with the littlest, and then plopped him in the stroller for our morning walk.  The temperature was a breezy 70 degrees and it was perfect.  We were walking through the neighborhood enjoying the cooler temps and for some reason today was the day that EVERYONE stopped to talk to us.  Might I remind you that we basically had just rolled out of bed?  I was rocking some bedhead and {decaf} coffee breath and I'm pretty sure Beckett had banana in his hair from breakfast.  I might have even been wearing pj pants.  I don't know.  What I DO know though, is that I would have felt much more confident rocking some stylish Shabby Apple work out gear...

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They have everything you could possibly want - swimsuits, work out gear, maternity clothes, cocktail dresses, APRONS.  What what?  Amazing, right?

Ok, enough babbling...Shabby Apple wants to give one of our lucky readers a $50 gift card!  I'm kind of jealous of you guys - and as if that weren't enough, they're also offering a 10% discount to anyone who shops their for the next 30 days, using the code pinterestproject10off 

All you need to do to enter the giveaway is the following:

• "Like" the Shabby Apple site on Facebook 
• Visit the Shabby Apple site
• Comment on the THIS post telling Shabby Apple what your favorite product is, or what you would buy with the giftcard.
• For a bonus entry, follow The Pinterest Project by GFC or on Facebook and leave a comment saying how you are following.  
• Contestants must have a US shipping address to participate. 
• Giveaway ends at midnight on Wednesday, August 29th.

Simple enough, right?  You can visit the Shabby Apple Facebook page here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shabby-Apple/56291792791

Now go - browse, drool, shop.  And enter to win!  (Tell your friends about it too!)

Daisy Lane Design and a GIVEAWAY!

We are so excited to "re-introduce" you to our friend Allison today. She owns the Etsy shop Daisy Lane Design and she was one of our very first giveaways! We may also be a tad obsessed with her handy work as well. I'm pretty sure between the two of us, we have ordered five or six different designs from Allison. We love her stuff and we would love for you to get to know her a little bit too!!

Tell us a little about yourself!

I am a transplanted Jersey Girl, living on the Western Slope of Colorado, with my husband, two kids, and our hound dog. I'm a teacher by trade, although I stopped working outside of the home when our daughter was born. I'm a crafter by obsession, because I can't sit still and I am terrible at relaxing; I always have to have a project going. I don't do much without first drinking a cup of coffee in the morning, I am a rabid NY Giants fan, and I have an uncommon weakness for jelly donuts.

How did you start sewing?

I started sewing in college. I went to Walmart and bought a $99 Brother, and proceeded to make a lot of mistakes. I used to measure and cut fabric with a rular, pencil and some scissors! Imagine my delight when I realized there were whole companies dedicated to making that task so simple! People often tell me that they wished they knew how to sew. I think you have to be willing to mess up and be ok with that in order to learn something new. My first bags are laughable to me now. But they are how I have learned. The minute you do something wrong, you realize what it is, and you know to make adjustments the next time. My seam ripper is still my best friend in my workroom.

What's the background behind the name Daisy Lane Design? 

Daisy Lane Design. The name of my company is a bit funny to me now. I mean, I love it, but why it's named that has nothing to do with what I do now. I have always loved daisies. They have always been my favorite flower, and have been a part of all the important milestones in my life. When I first started selling things, I made fabric seasonal signs that were shaped like street signs, long and skinny, hence the "Lane". And I make all my own original designs and patterns, so I wanted that in there too. On my first business cards, design was printed Design, to emphasize the signs I made. Kind of a play on words. I never imagined doing more than that. And now I don't even make those signs much anymore. A friend recently found a Daisy Lane in our town. I went out and photographed it and use it as my business Facebook page profile picture.

What's one thing that you would love people to know about you?

If people could only know one thing about me, I would love for them to know I'm a Jesus girl. All the other stuff, truly, is secondary. He casts a light on everything I do, and all the roles I play as a person. I hope that comes across in my business, in my friendships and most of all to my family, especially my kids. They are still pretty young, 7 and 5, and spend more time with me than anyone else. Which means they get the best, and the worst of me. As a mom, I thank God often that I have Him to walk this journey with!

What's your favorite thing to wear? 

My favorite thing to wear is flipflops. Must be that growing up at the shore thing.

How do you spend your free time? 

Free time is a rarity at my house! But when I have time to myself in my regular everyday, I like to read. It helps me switch my brain off at night. We live in Colorado, though, so I would be crazy if I also didn't like outdoor activities! I really like hiking with my kids, and of course, every summer, going to the beach.

What's your favorite thing that you've made? 

I think my most favorite thing that I have made is something I am just finishing up: my kids' backpacks for this school year. My daughter's is pieced together from old pairs of their jeans, and my son's has pieces of my husband's old military uniforms. I love that they will take a piece of me with them every single day while they're at school. And they really like them too, which makes me feel good.

Allison sent us a cute picture of the backpacks she just finished. I love that her kids asked her to make them backpacks - it's like the ultimate compliment for a mom. 

Guess what?? Allison is offering one of her adorable clutches to one lucky reader! This may be my favorite design of hers so far. I love it. 

Isn't it so cute??? Don't you love it?? Don't you want it?? Okay good, then scroll down and enter! 

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And don't forget to head over and enter for a chance to win free ad space with the cute Lesley from By the Porchlight!

Meet Lesley with By The Porchlight & GIVEAWAY!

Hi TPP readers!  We are so excited to introduce you to one of our awesome sponsors, Lesley who blogs over at By The Porchlight.

We asked Lesley a few questions so we - and you - could get to know her a little better.  

Tell us a little about yourself!

Well, where to start? I'm 27, living in St John's, Newfoundland with my wonderful partner, Steve, and our three kitties. I wish I could tell you what I "do" but it's been kind of a mystery lately. I'm technically trained as a high school teacher but that "career" didn't last very long. I didn't like substitute teaching and, frankly, that's all there is for teachers around here. Unfortunately, there's no demand. Right now, I'm working as a supervisor at a local swanky catering company. I really like it and plan to stay at it a while. Who knows where it might take me. Ask me again in a year and I might be doing something completely different. 

How did you get started writing By the Porchlight and what's the background on the name? 

You know those nice summer evenings when the air is a bit cool and you can hear the crickets chirping and the trees rustling? That's my idea of heaven. When I think of those nights I picture sitting in a comfy chair out on a deck, or rather a porch, reading a book. This is basically the inspiration for the name of my blog; I just like the way it "feels".

I got started blogging because I admired so many other peoples' blogs. I've always been into DIY and craft projects and loved finding new ones through Pinterest. Eventually, I put my jealousy of everyone's blogs to work. I thought it would give me a nice project to work on continually. I love projects haha.

What's one thing that you want everyone to know about you? 

I'm hosting a giveaway in September!!! It'll be my first one and I've got some fantastic Etsy shops lined up as sponsors! Like, really really cool stuff! Seriously. You'll love it. 

What's your favorite ice cream? 

Mmm... I LOVE ice cream. Especially ice cream with brownie bits and fudge all swirled through it. I think that flavour is called "Brownies and Fudge"..... 

What's your favorite thing to wear? 

I wish I could say something like my designer jeans, and this super hot cool shirt, and all these cool accessories, and super hot pumps...but I cannot tell a lie. I am definitely not the most fashionable person. My idea of a great outfit is a comfy, baggy hoodie and some worn-in jeans. I wish I could get away with wearing that everywhere I go.

How do you spend your free time? 

I'm pretty much a home-body. I don't go out and party much at all. I prefer spending quiet time at home reading, surfing the internet, blogging, taking naps... I'm a sucker for a good book and a good nap! 

What's your all-time favorite post? 

I think this one -http://byporchlight.blogspot.ca/2012/03/tutorial-calendar-journal.html - about how to make a calendar journal is my favourite. There's nothing particularly awesome about the way the post was designed or anything but I really like the craft and hope you guys do, too! It makes a great gift.

What's the craziest thing you've ever done? 

Umm... bought a house with someone I'd only been with for 6 months? I obviously live on the wild side.  

Speaking of living on the wild side...Lesley sent us this picture from a trip to Thailand!  How cool is she??

Lesley is also offering up 2 medium ad spots on her blog!  That's a 250x100 ad for 2 of our readers - if you have a blog or shop you want to promote then sign up!

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