POPEYE the sailor man...

"Does spinach weally make you stwong like Popeye, Mommy?"

Well, yes. Yes it does. Spinach is a superfood!! We eat spinach almost every day in the form of a Green Monster. Read all about those here. But for lunch today, I decided to try the Spinach and Garlic Chips that PW posted about a few days ago.

Got to admit, spinach is not really that appetizing when all shriveled up. But the flavor of the olive oil soaked garlic chips and spinach over noodles was very good. And the critics, with the exception of one, liked it too! Amazing.

I've got a feeling that the Green Monsters will be more of a staple around here than this spinach dish, but it was a nice change of pace for a summer lunch.

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Have you ever tried out asparagus on your kiddos? I realize my kids are different, and love things some kids may not. But I think Oven Roasted Asparagus is worth a try!

We have always eaten asparagus prepared this way, so it is not new to our family. It really is a great way to get your kids to eat some very healthy veggies. Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper give it a flavor that is just better than regular salt and pepper. You have to try it to believe it.

While we are on the subject of asparagus, I just have to go here. The distinct smell of skunk. Need I say more? If you don't know what I am talking about, it is just an added bonus of eating asparagus. HA!!! We have done research on this because it was so, um, disturbing to me and found that it is a gene/trait that not everyone carries. Meaning, some people can smell it and some people can not.

So gather yourself up some asparagus and see if you can smell it or not. And if you don't have any idea what I am talking about, just start asking people who eat asparagus and see what they say. But this is supposed to be a clean, wholesome food blog and I don't want to ruin my reputation by talking about urine of all things.

By request...Grandma's Mac and Cheese

A sweet request from a friend prompted this post of Grandma's Mac and Cheese recipe.

Warning: This recipe is so fattening, I am gaining weight while sitting here thinking about it.

Also, there is no real recipe for her macaroni and cheese. Likewise with many of her other recipes. Which can be really annoying to those of us who want explicit directions and pay attention to every detail. I will do my best to tell you how to make the 'roni's that are out of this world, ok?

*Boil your macaroni---about 4 cups or so. Give or take. Adjust other ingredients to match macaroni amount. Boil al dente--not quite done. How's that for a PW term?

*Next drain your macaroni and put back in your pot and cover with half and half and a stick of butter, salt, and pepper. You should have enough half and half that it covers the macaroni but does not drown them, if that makes sense. You do not want them to be too dry, but neither do you want them to be too juicy. It is VERY important to get enough salt in there. You want the mixture to taste salty when you try it. Believe me, this is the key to making this dish good. It has to have adequate enough salt before it is baked.

*Next, to that same pot, add about a 1/2 of a large rectangle of velveeta cheese. (I know, these directions are ridiculous, but you'll love the end result--hang with me here!)

*Keep that cooking on the stove until most of it is melted. Once melted, pour into a buttered 9x13 baking dish.

*Bake at 350 degrees for a good 45 minutes. You want your macaroni to be brown and crusty on the top, but creamy and gooey on the inside.

This macaroni and cheese is delicious! But then again, it's what we're used to and have grown up with for the last 3o years or so...

Thanks Mom for the yummy, tried and true recipe!!

Mac and Cheese

Remember I talked about making sides to go along with the not so highly revered sloppy joes? It came to an amazing surprise that the critics loved the sloppy joes, but questioned the new Macaroni and Cheese recipe that I made last night. Mac and cheese is always a hit at our house. Always a hit when I make my good old stand-by recipe, that is...

I think the reason they did not appreciate this recipe as much is because they have grown up since they were itty bitty with Grandma's mac and cheese which is now my mac and cheese. And let's face it folks...it is definitely hard to beat creamy velveeta, butter, and half and half. If that tells you anything.

This recipe uses real ingredients, however. I have always questioned how real velveeta cheese could actually be. In PW's recipe, you can use whatever cheese you would like---which could definitely change the way it tastes. It's a baked macaroni and uses a tempered egg. I've never done that before in mac and cheese of all things. All in all, the recipe is fine--a bit grainy.

And maybe that is why we want to keep our good old stand-by of velveeta filled loveliness...

Where's the Beef???

Maybe a vegetarian meal two nights in a row was not such a good idea...

Yes, I could have made some type of meat to go along with the Sundried Tomato Risotto , but I decided to give it a try with a nice side of green beans and fruit. Well, let me tell you the conversation I overheard that my youngest two were having prior to going to the basketball game tonight:

Kourtney: "Landon, if you get a dollar and I get a dollar we can share some nachos"

Landon: "Ok, that is going to be my supper 'cause I don't like this stuff"

Me: "But it tastes just like the cheesy rice that you two love, doesn't it?"

Kourtney and Landon: "NO!"

The rest of the critics loved Sundried Tomato Risotto. If you like risotto, I believe you will love this dish. I couldn't believe how creamy it was--and filling. My goodness, as I was making it I kept tasting it to see if it was getting done. By the time it actually was done and I added the parmesan, cream, and fresh basil (when it was REALLY good), I was so full I could not eat any more. THAT was discouraging, because Sundried Tomato Risotto is yummy!

Even with two of the critics getting their dinner fill on green beans and fruit, there was still only one serving of Sundried Tomato Risotto left. Next time, I will make this with a nice green salad. I think that would be even better than the green beans.

And perhaps I will add some type of meat...