First, I promised you Easter Lily pictures, so here they are, but just a few! I'm hoping that my mama got a some good ones as well. If so, I'll share :-)
Her Daddy chose her dress, and she was so ridiculously cute in it!
Second, here is what I accomplished today:
Pulled the remaining weeds in the front yard
Scrubbed the sides of the pool (not while in it)
Rearranged the living room furniture
Took down the winter curtain panels in the bedroom and put up the summer sheers
- may I mention that I did all of that after 4 p.m. while tending to my daughter - can a sister get a medal up in here?
Third, I had a very odd encounter at Starbucks today. I am used to strangers stopping to talk to and/or about Lily Ruth, but this was a bit different. A strange looking gentleman wearing a 'members only' jacket and a bluetooth earpiece stopped us as we approached the condiment bar. He was holding his coffee and a full size piece of paper. It was covered front and back with handwriting. He mentioned Lily's blue blue eyes and alert demeanor. Then he waved the paper and said that he had just this very day started his dream of many years and had begun writing his book. He rushed along explaining that he's using children as his model because they live fully in today. I tried to give him a reply that was encouraging, but not too engaging, as I was in a hurry. He was not to be dissuaded, and stood right in our way waving his paper and declaiming about kids and their innocent wonder. He was so earnest that I thought he was going to cry, but that might have just been the stars in his eyes. I quickly ran out of non-rude things to say, and he wound down soon after. I awkwardly finished stirring stuff into my coffee, and bolted for the door. As I left I thought about his passion, and I wished that I had taken another moment out of my day for someone who was feeling something so strongly. On the other hand, he might be a true loony, and if I had said one more thing, I could have gotten stuck forever. That is a lesson that I have learned the hard way: Niceness to crazies usually means you end up either late or in possession of information that you really didn't want. Of course, you almost never know who's crazy until it's tooooooo late.
Fourth, I adore macaroni and cheese. Seriously. I even love Kraft blue box (original only - no wackiness) and velveeta shells and cheese. But most of all, I love homemade mac'n'cheese. Luckily for me, Lily Ruth feels the same way. If you want to share in my obsession, come over and I'll make some for you OR, you can follow the recipe below, and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home:
1/2 stick butter (4 Tbsp)
1/4 c flour
2 c hot milk (I use the tea kettle to heat it)
1 c shredded cheese (I usually use sharp cheddar, but use your favorite)
garlic powder
salt
red pepper flakes
melt the butter over low heat. slowly add the flour while stirring. cook until 'creamy' in texture and bubbling - do not brown as you would for a roux, but cook just slightly to get rid of the flour taste. turn the heat up slightly, and slowly stir in the milk (I whisk). add in the cheese & season to taste. serve immediately over pasta or veggies
notes: I always double this,use a whole block of cheese instead of measuring, add a bag of fresh spinach and a pound of turkey sausage and pour it over a (cooked) full bag of pasta so that there are plenty of leftovers. I usually go for sharp cheddar so that there will be more flavor - colby leaves it tasting like a white sauce. As Lily Ruth grows, I plan to get crazier with my cheese choices (real smoked gouda, anyone?)
I accidentally used 1 c flour last time I made it instead of 1/2 c, and I was out of butter, so I couldn't start over. I ended up adding an additional cup (or so) of milk and a ton of extra cheese. It is good, but I have 2 extra containers of sauce in the fridge... not sure they'll freeze well :-/
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