Homemade Macaroni and Cheese for a Crowd

My kids and grandson are coming over tomorrow to have lunch, hot tub and SKYPE with Josh and Jess in Germany.  I wanted to make something for lunch that could be put in the crock pot on low while we were at church and would be ready for us when we got home.  I also had an abundance of spaghetti noodles, cheese and milk so I decided to make a family favorite...homemade mac and cheese. :)

 

In a large stockpot boil a 2 pound package of spaghetti noodles until fully cooked and then drain them. In the same pot (because I am lazy and I am going to need to blend the sauce and noodles together before putting them in the crock pot) melt a stick of butter and add 1 cup of all purpose flour to it to make a roux.  Cook that off for several minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste and then whisk in 4 cups of chicken broth, a little at a time.  You should have a fairly thick sauce at this point.  Add enough milk to make a nice medium but not pasty sauce (you are making a medium white sauce at this point) and then add about 6 shakes of hot sauce to it.  From there stir in 1 pound of cheddar cheese, cut up in cubes to help it melt faster and more evenly.  Cook for a few minutes and then take off the heat and add your drained noodles to it.  Stir it all together.  If it seems to thick you can add a bit more milk to the mixture and stir it in well so it is creamy and not "gummy".  Coat your crock pot with non stick cooking spray and then put your mac and cheese in the crock pot.  You can either cook it right now in the crock pot on low for about an hour and add some shredded cheese on top or you can do like I am and let it cool then put in in the fridge and pull it out the next day.  I'll put it in the crock pot on low before we head to church in the morning.  We will be gone about 2 1/2  hours with travel time and service time so it should be hot when we get home.  I'll just add some shredded cheddar on top and let it melt.  You could also just bake this off in the oven at 375F for about an hour (covered with foil) and add your shredded cheese for the last 10 minutes of so (uncovered).  Easy and oh so good!

Our Sweet Surprise

I heard a knock on my door this morning and was given a gift by our sweet "Grandma Eva".  Grandma Eva is am amazing lady whom we have had the honor to know for almost 20 years now.  She has a beautiful garden and loves her flowers and has shared many gardening tips with us over the years.   Today she brought over this beautiful miniature rose bush as a "Thank You" gift for my husband and I.  What a blessing she is to us and to everyone else in this community.  We love you Grandma Eva and thank you for all the love and encouragement you have shown us over these many years.

A Letter to my Sons...

 Dear Boys,
    I hope you know how much Dad and I love all of you.  We are so proud of the men you have become!  You are each so different in so many ways and yet you are the same in the ways that matter most.
   All three of you have a servant's heart.  You all have been raised to show love, volunteer and give back to those around you and it does our hearts good to see you continue to do this as adults. 
  You all have a heart for God and you know where your source of strength comes from.  Never ever forget that.
   Children love you!  Children have an uncanny way of knowing who "good people" are and they are drawn to them.  I have always enjoyed watching you interact with kids and having fun with them.  Now that one of you is an awesome daddy, and all three of you are fantastic uncles, I can see it all the more!
   Two of you are now married and are very caring and loving husbands to your wives.  I know that when God brings the right one for you my oldest son, that you too will be a wonderful husband to your wife. We absolutely love our daughters-in- law/love and they have truly become our daughters.  You chose well!  We also love and adore our first grandson that we have been blessed with and are looking forward to welcoming many more grandchildren in the future.  This being a grandparent thing is awesome! :)  No pressure boys...and yes, I mean that! ;)
   You all know right from wrong and stand up for what is right and good...even when it is difficult or uncomfortable to do so.     
   You share a deep bond, respect and love for one another.  I know that you will always be there for each other through thick and thin.  That brings great comfort to Dad and I.
   Each of you is following the path in your life that you are drawn to and working hard at it.  That does our heart good as parents knowing that you can all accomplish anything you put your minds to.
   You are the most amazing sons any parent could ever be blessed with.  Dad and I feel so fortunate that even as you have become adults, that we all have remained very close.  When Dad and I first met we talked about the kind of family that we both wanted and I have to say, the reality of what we have with you boys far exceeded our hopes and dreams (and believe me, we had big hopes and dreams).  Thank you for being the wonderful, caring and loving sons that you are and for the joy that you have all brought to Dad and I!  No parents could ever be prouder or love their sons more than we do.


Much love,
Mom

  
   
  


 

A Warm Spring Day in Pictures

Jeff pruning the apple tree.

Laundry drying on the laundry line in from of the cherry tree that is just starting to bloom.

Raspberry canes leafing out with the promise of an abundant harvest.

Bright and happy flowers blooming in the front flower bed.

Rhubarb pushing up through the soil after a long winter nap.

A peek over the fence.

Bleeding Heart flowers getting ready to open up and put on a glorious show.



You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.  Enjoy! :)

Yard Sale Scores April 21, 2012

I love yard sale season...there are just so many treasures out there just waiting to be found!  Today I hit the jackpot!  I spent $24 and retail this would have cost $582.03,  a savings of  $558.03 !

Rock Your Body DVD by Jamie King $1  retail $12.14
http://www.amazon.com/Jamie-King-Rock-Your-Body/dp/B000MGBLGE


All Dogs go to Heaven DVD .50  retail $6.49
http://www.amazon.com/All-Dogs-Heaven-Dom-DeLuise/dp/B000056H26/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1335047881&sr=1-1

Blue’s Big Musical Movie  DVD .50  retail $7.49
http://www.amazon.com/Blues-Clues-Big-Musical-Movie/dp/B00004WI5C/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1335048027&sr=1-1

Veggie Tales Lyle the Kindly Viking VHS .50 retail $ 5.65
http://www.amazon.com/VeggieTales-Lyle-Kindly-Viking-VHS/dp/B000056WS2/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1335048124&sr=1-1

Books:
Pig’s Eggs .25  retail $8.83
http://www.amazon.com/Pigs-Family-Storytime-Elizabeth-Partridge/dp/0307102327/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335048292&sr=1-1

Beatrice’s Goat .25 retail $16.81
http://www.amazon.com/Beatrices-Goat-BEATRICES-GOAT-Hardcover/dp/B002VK3EAK/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1335048374&sr=1-6

Cackle Goes A-Courting .25 retail $8.85

Guess How Much I Love You .50 retail $6.99

First Farm Rhymes .50 retail $1.00

The Runaway Bunny .50 retail $8.99
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=sr_nr_p_n_feature_browse-b_mrr_1?rh=n%3A283155%2Ck%3Athe+runaway+bunny+board+book%2Cp_n_feature_browse-bin%3A2656019011&bbn=283155&keywords=the+runaway+bunny+board+book&ie=UTF8&qid=1335048684&rnid=618072011

The Saggy Baggy Elephant’s Great Big Counting Book .50 retail $12.00 used on amazon.com

Mr. Cat-and-a-Half .25 retail:$12.95

Bag of hand loomed beaded jewelry $2.00 retail about $50 at craft fair prices

Bracelet .50 retail $2

Little Tykes Discover Sounds Sports Center $3 retail $29.99
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-Discover-Sounds-Sports/dp/B0055B7YBW/ref=sr_1_2?s=toys-and-games&ie=UTF8&qid=1335049222&sr=1-2

Ikea Kid’s Pounding Bench .50 retail $7  ?

Big plastic tote full of magnetic letters $1 retail $ 10

Big plastic tote full of foam animals, letters and puzzles $1 retail $15

Big Ziplock Bag full of plastic animals $3 retail $20

LLBean Pin Tucked Pullover Shirt .50  retail $39.95

2 Christopher and Banks cotton ¾ length sleeves shirts .50 each retail $20 each

Style and Co Magenta Ruffled Blouse .50 retail $42 at Macy’s

Men’s NorthCrest Brown Sweater (looks brand new) .50 retail $20

Vintage Designer Originals black Sweater .50 retail $40

Coldwater Creek Plum 70% silk 30% cotton Sweater .50 retail $69.95

Coldwater Creek Purple Sweater .50 retail $69.95

Cheetah printed narrow scarf .50 retail $5

Pink 100% silk scarf $2 retail $20

Pink print Pashmina scarf .50 retail $20

10 items of kids clothing for Bradley $2  retail $70


I think I did pretty well today!

Life is Like an Old Crazy Quilt

Today I got out an old crazy quilt that I bought at an antique auction years ago.  I wanted to put it on the bed in the front guest bedroom but had to hand wash it in the bathtub first and then put it out on the line to dry.  I would never put this beautiful old quilt through the washer or dryer where it would be harshly twisted and beaten...I'm afraid it would fall apart.  It needs to be handled gently and with care.  As I was taking the quilt down off the line and checking to make sure there was no damage to it that needed mending, it got me to thinking how life is like an old crazy quilt.  

In the days that this quilt was made, they did not run out and buy new fabric just to cut it up and make a quilt.  Quilts were made with fabric taken from worn out, outgrown or ripped pieces of clothing, tablecloths, curtains and even flour bags.
Nothing was wasted.  Each piece of fabric represents something, someone or some event in that family's life.
Each piece of fabric, no matter how small, it important to this quilt.  It would not be "whole" without it.  

Our lives are like that...each event, not matter how small, it important.  It helps mold us into the person we are.  Our relationships with others, our education, a scene that caught our eye and that we tried to recreate later, the way the rain makes you feel on a hot day, the aroma of freshly baked cookies that instantly transports you back in time to your mother's kitchen, a special book given to you by your beloved grandmother, family heirlooms, a found letter from a cherished friend, a kind and encouraging word...all of these things, on their own, may not mean much, but pieced together over time form the "crazy quilt" that is your life.  I must admit, the "crazy" part fits well doesn't it?  After all, who has a completely calm life without any craziness in it? ;)  Maybe that is why I love these old crazy quilts so much...they represent me! :D

Sometimes it's Best to Keep Quiet and Focus on the Good

I have long debated about writing this post but feel it is time.  Some of my close friends and family know what I have been through but others do not.  Some of them have urged me to be bold and share with everyone what has happened and how I have overcome it.  I do share my story with certain people IF I feel it can help them also but I am cautious about who I share with because of the ramifications to others.


There are a few questions that I had to ask myself:


1. Would it help me to just put it all out there?


2.  Would it help others?


3.  Would it hurt others?


1.  Yes, it has helped me to share the pain of what I have gone through and how I dealt with it and overcame it.  I am not a victim anymore but am victorious!


2.  Yes again, if I see someone who is going through what I went through, I will approach them to share that there is hope and forgiveness is the key along with setting healthy boundaries.


3.  Again yes, it would hurt certain people in my life if they knew the truth.  It could also cause major conflict and damage to these people and to their relationships with certain other parties.  Because I love these people so much, I want to protect them.  I do not want them to go through the pain and also guilt of knowing what happened.  I do not want to see their relationships possibly destroyed.  There is nothing they can do to change what has happened so why cause them that pain?  It is not their fault that bad things happen, they are not responsible for it.  Thus the keeping quiet about it to them.


Here are a few things that I have found helpful in dealing with pain in my life:
~Find someone you can trust to be there for you and who loves you unconditionally (for me it is my husband).
~If the pain is too much to bear, do get some professional help.
~Share your story with those you can trust, it will help lessen the pain over time.
~If and when you feel ready and have overcome it, then reach out to others who are going through something similar and help them through it also so they know they are not alone.
~Set healthy boundaries...this is so important...do not allow the people who hurt you to do it again.  If they are in your life on a regular basis, try to limit contact with them.  You do not need to put up with their abusive and hurtful behavior.  
~If you have children, remember they are watching you and depending on you to protect them also.
*If the person is doing something illegal that is also putting others at risk of being hurt, then you do need to report it to the authorities.

I am a much stronger person for all that I have gone through.  It has also made me more compassionate towards other who have or are going through something similar.  It has made me a better parent because I have learned that I need to give my children the skills needed to protect themselves and help them learn to set healthy physical  and emotional boundaries as well.  I have learned to NEVER hold something against anyone else who is related or close to the person who has hurt me.  Everyone makes their own choices, good or bad, in life and they alone need to be held accountable.  You also cannot change someone.  Some people truly do love to hurt and manipulate others...they are sick.  You have the choice to put up with it or not.  I choose to walk away and not put up with it.  Life is too short to have to deal with badly behaving people who cause you stress.  I choose to focus on what is good and healthy and to spend time with people who are kind hearted, loving and fun.  I have so much that is good in my life and brings me great joy!  I have a wonderful husband who is there for me at all times, 5 great kids (my sons and their wives), an adorable and sweet grandson, my hanai kids, great friends and lots of other positives in my life.  That is my focus!