Cheesy Dijon Macaroni

Cheese.

If the battle told of in the classic tale of Helen of Troy was not fought for a beautiful woman, it might have been fought for cheese. Just saying. In addition to cheese tasting amazing, it is full of essential calcium and great proteins, giving us just another reason to include this staple in our daily diet - with moderation of course!

I happen to be moving into a apartment across town, and I've been looking for ways to clear out all of the food I have sitting in my fridge. As I let my creative culinary juices flow the first thing I could think to do was to infuse some macaroni with the copious amounts of cheese I happen to have lying around. This is not your auntie's potluck mac-and-cheese, my friends. It's a flavor-packed rendition of the original and a fusion of more than a couple recipes and commenter  suggestions. But really, its the comforting macaroni and cheese we all love to eat in all of its gooey, cheesy glory. Read on for something kind of like a recipe.

Southern Living claims you can whip up a stellar mac and cheese in "three easy steps."I did use a variation of these steps, but don't call constantly whisking butter, flour, then milk, then spices, then cheese in a large skillet over a preheating oven "easy!" I don't mean to scare you off, the results are well worth it! But be prepared to sweat a little. Go ahead and click on that link for a easy cheesy mac prep guide. Note that you will need to cook and drain noodles according to instructions prior to dumping them in the cheese mixture and getting it happy in the oven. Also, the spices listed include salt, pepper, and optional red pepper. I added a little salt, pepper, cajun pepper, 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard, and 1/2 teaspoon thyme. I also poured in whatever cheese I had on hand which was sharp cheddar, a shaved parmesan mix, the parmesan u shake out of a can, and a little Colby & Monterey jack mix.

And there you have it: my fancy-sounding Cheesy Dijon Macaroni! Onwards, friends, and create awesome cheesy creations of your own!

With Cheesy Love,

Ki

Spread a Little Love! Treats for Every Valentine of Your List

Happy February lovely people! If you're like me, you probably love February for its sun flurries, the promise of Spring on its way, and public displays of affection towards friends, loved ones and strangers [And Happy Black History Month!!]. If not, you're probably just glad its the shortest month so it can be done and over with ASAP! Either way, I think its important for even the biggest love humbug and hopeless romantic to remember that Valentine's Day is not just for couples. It can be a day to celebrate the love between family and friends, pets and pet owners, and lovebirds alike!

Me and my good friend from Brillant & Wild (she's a beautiful photographer - check out the link!) had a little soiree and prepared some of the most easily adorable V-Day themed treats I ever saw! Pink white chocolate - covered pretzels, marshmallows, and strawberries, because you can't go wrong with anything covered in chocolate and sprinkles, duh. We also had a fancy cheese plate, spicy buffalo chicken dip with chips, brownies and a pink sangria!

Unexpectedly, my favorite part of these delectable treats was not eating them up and developing cavities, it was sharing them with the friends who stopped by! We even sent some with a friend to her sister who was getting discharged from the hospital, and I'm posting some of the pretzel rods to a friend who is about to have a baby any day now (I hope they dont break too much in the mail-- I'll use a lot of bubble wrap)!! I want to send these cute pink treats to everyone I know, near and far, like a Valentine's Day cheer vigilante!! 

And last but definitely not least, who's to say you can't be your own Valentine? Treat yourself to some things you like - a nice bubble bath and a glass of bubbly, a sappy (or scary - whatever) movie, some yummy treats of your own, or a fun night out with the friends you love. Most of all I think if you try, not just on Valentine's Day but any day, to share a smile or spread a little love as you go about your day, you might finally get what all the hubbub about love is about! It cant be measured in chocolate or diamonds, its a feeling inside that makes your heart smile :)

Happy Valentine's Day Friends!!