Mother's Day in pictures:
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| *technically this was the day before MD, but Mastermind was on a day-long beer tour so the kids and I went to Paint You Plate Ox painting a chicken (of course) Little Frog getting an awesome family portrait. I can't wait until we get to pick these plates up! |
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| Ox brought home an awesome card he made at school, and a little clay pot. Treasures. |
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| Cauliflower. 6 heads of it I chopped on Mother's Day, for Baked Veggie Mac and Cheese (x6) for meal swap. My arms were tired after all the chopping and grating (cheese, carrots) No other pictures I took looked good, since all the ingredients are pale. |
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| Our household ban on TV has resulted in our backyard being taken over by an obstacle course. |
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| socks I knitted for my mom. this yarn was gorgeous and soft clearly I need a camera for next Mother's Day. |
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| The honest reality of Mother's Day Happy Day for kids, Mama ends up looking like a train wreck by the end of the day (that perma smile was starting to fade) |
Baked Veggie Mac and Cheese - great for freezing, total kid favorite (and mama favorite). Don't skimp on the cauliflower, when it's mixed in with the cheesy noodles most kids won't even notice it. I baked half of my batch on Mother's Day and tucked it into the kids' thermoses for lunch the next day. I've also made a huge double-batch of this for kids' birthday parties. Yum!
1 lb elbow macaroni
1 head cauliflower, broken into florets (the smaller the florets if you're really trying to hide it)
1 lg carrot, grated
4 Tbsp butter
1/4 C flour
1 tsp dry mustard
2 C milk
1 lb sharp cheddar (I used about 3 cups of cheese, closer to 3/4 lb altogether)
salt & pepper
healthy dash of nutmeg (optional - but amazing. Will make the mac & cheese more fondue flavored)
1) heat oven to 350, butter large casserole dish
2) Cook macaroni according to package directions for Al Dente. 3 minutes before pkg says done, add the cauliflower to the water. 1 minute before, add the grated carrot. finish boiling and drain. Add to casserole dish.
3) Make sauce: melt butter over med. heat in a saucepan. Whisk in flour and spices to form a paste. Add milk & bring to a boil, whisking to prevent lumps. As sauce thickens, stir in cheese until melted.
4) Stir sauce into macaroni & veggies.
5) Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly & brown.
