Homemade Mac & Cheese

I'm not a fan of macaroni and cheese. I could never eat it out of the box, just the thought of it turns me off. I'm officially a blue-box hater. Then, my mom made this recipe for baked mac and cheese, and I couldn't get enough. I'm in love.

I'd thought I'd share it with ya'll, so you can enjoy just as much as I do.

Ingredients:
1 box of elbow macaroni
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
5 cups milk

4 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. Cook pasta according to box, drain, and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Melt butter in large pot over medium heat.
4. Stir in flour. Slowly pour in milk, add salt and pepper, if desired.
5. Stir continuously until sauce begins to thicken. Bring sauce just to the point of boiling, but don't allow to fully boil.
6. Slowly add cheese to sauce, stir until all is blended.
7. Combine sauce with pasta in large baking ban. Bake for 30 minutes.

Monday's Amusing Moment: Maniac

We're getting out of the car at Wendy's (somehow all amusing stories seem to revolve around that place), and I have the Gibbon by the hand. We could hear a car rounding the building, so we were patiently waiting for it to pass.

As it did, the little teeny bopper in his lifted truck felt the need to rev his engine. So in response, my sweet little 4-year-old throws his hands on his hips and screams "MANIAC!" at the top of his little lungs.

Now this wouldn't have been too bad, had the parking lot not been filled with lots of other people who stopped what they were doing to stare, some to smile in understanding. At first, I was a little embarrassed, but then the giggles took over instead.

Where did he learn it? I have no idea, he explained, "Brainiac, maniac, they sound the same."

Time to Play: Fossils

The Gibbon loves to make "creature creations." Honestly, I know he got the term from a PBS show, but I can't figure out which one for the life of me. To him, creature creation are anything animal related made with playdough.

So, when I introduced the idea of making fossils, he was more than excited.

Materials needed:
1 cup of used coffee grounds
1/2 cup cold coffee
1/2 cup salt
1 cup flour

Wax paper
Plastic animals, sticks, leaves, flowers, etc to make impressions

Directions:
Stir together grounds, cold coffee, flour, and salt. Knead dough for about a minute, than flatten on wax paper. Use a butter knife to cut out desired shapes, then press in objects to make impressions. Allow to dry for several days.