Creamy Tasty Macaroni and Cheese (no boil)

This truly was a fabulous recipe! And it didn't require any pre-cooking! Yeah!

Macaroni and Cheese
(6-8 servings)

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup cottage cheese (not low fat)
2 cups milk (not skim)
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Pinch cayenne and ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound sharp or extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound elbow pasta, uncooked

1. Heat oven to 375°F and position an oven rack in upper third of oven. Use one tablespoon butter to grease a 9-inch round or square baking pan. (I used Pam spray and coated the bottom with breadcrumbs.)

2. In a blender, purée cottage cheese, milk, mustard, cayenne, nutmeg and salt and pepper together.* Reserve 1/4 cup grated cheese for topping. In a large bowl, combine remaining grated cheese, milk mixture and uncooked pasta. Pour into prepared pan, cover tightly with foil and bake 20 minutes.

3. Uncover pan, stir gently, sprinkle with reserved cheese and dot with remaining tablespoon butter (I also added bacon to the top). Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes more, until browned. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

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A House with Roots

Recently, I put down new roots. Not with a house but with a terrarium. It was easily made with potting soil, grass seed, and water.

I added rocks to a large glass vase, piled on some soil and grass seed and voila.







Halfway through this week, it was beautifully sprouting.















Today, I woke up to beautiful green. The glass was a pretty background to see the roots taking shape.

It's always nice to have roots. *smile*

Enjoy :)

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Bed Bummer

This is the bed that Ashley bought.

This is the refinished bed that Ashley bought.

This is the refinished bed that Ashley bought for very few dollars.

This is the twin black refinished bed that Ashley bought for very few dollars that isn't a twin bed.

This is the twin black refinished bed that Ashley bought for very few dollars that isn't a twin.

This is the twin black refinished bed that Ashley bought for very few dollars that isn't a twin but is a 3/4.

This is the twin black refinished bed that Ashley bought for very few dollars that isn't a twin but is a 3/4 that will need a custom mattress.

This is a bummer.

Unfortunately the custom mattress will cost about $500. Of course, I found this out when my mattress rails were made.

So, on to plan B.

I found a nice bed on Craigslist. What are your thoughts? Although it could use a new coat of paint, it is wood and I like the spindles.













Enjoy? :)

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Weekend Review

This weekend I helped prepare some beans for canning. Luckily, my grandparents have a wonderful garden, which we are able to benefit from long after summer is gone.
















I also brought some of these home. Some will be sliced and some will be fried. Yummy!



















Enjoy. :)

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Sunday Quote

"Be pretty if you can, be witty if you must, but be gracious if it kills you."
(attributed to Elsie de Wolfe)

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It's in the mail

I was so excited to get this baby today! Yep, it's the 2005 issue. So, guess what you'll probably be reading about on this blog tomorrow!



















I keep all of my Ikea catalogs, because I love their mix of form, fashion, and function! Especially their catalog which showed pictures of decorating an uber small apartment, but hanging things (chairs, etc) on the wall. Ingenious!

Also, I received a Budget Travel magazine for Europe. When do we leave!!

:) Enjoy!

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What in the cat hair?

Tuesday, I started on my August goals, and finished steam cleaning the living room carpet. It was so clean and fresh and pretty-















Then I see this-















I guess it was bound to happen. She likes things clean too.

Anyway....

Yesterday, I decided to get crafty with some soil, grass seeds, and a large glass vase. The large glass vase isn't your typical vase, but instead, it looks like an over sized brandy snifter. Although it was a gag gift from a Christmas party, I was really excited to get it! It really hasn't been put to good use yet, so I figured a good re-purposing was needed.

So, I took these-














And created this terrarium (of sorts)-














Hopefully it will grow green with grass and I can use it as a great, inexpensive, center piece.

Have you ever done something like this? How did it turn out?

:) Enjoy!

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Old Navy Deal on Saturday!

Old Navy is having the $2 perfect tank sale for womens once again. The sale is one day only this Saturday August 15th. All perfect tanks solid and printed for just $2. So get there early! The limit is 5.

:) Enjoy!

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Goals- How did I do?

So, how did I do for July?

1. Complete at least one weekly meal plan.- I actually completed one and it was nice to have a meal pre-planned.

2. Paint the twin bed for guest room.- This was completed in early August instead of July. Before I put the bed in its new home (my guest room) I need to paint.

3. Walk at least 3 days per week.- I started out strong, but then fell off the wagon.

4. Eat at least 1 serving of vegetables per day.- This was not as hard as I had anticipated.

Overall Grade: B-



August Goals:

1. Paint. Paint. Paint.- First the trim, then the walls. I would post a pic, but I'm afraid you'd run screaming. With a black cat in the house, it's tough to keep them clean. But this time, I'll paint the trim a glossy white which should be easier to clean than flat white.

2. Replace the light fixture in the laundry room.- Unfortunately someone put a higher wattage bulb in the light and now it will not work properly. Wonder who did that. ;)

3. Make a new recipe and share it.

4. Steam clean the carpets.- Tis time.

5. Finish cleaning out the garage.- I want people to slow down because they like my garage, instead of pointing and laughing.

6. Re-arrange furniture in tv room.

How did you do on your goals?

:) Enjoy!

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B-I-G Update

Just a warning, this might be a lonnng one.

First: The Flood and the Aftermath.
As you know, parts of Kentucky received a record amount of water in a short period. Unfortunately, the city was crazy! I was stuck at work (they wouldn't release us), with no power, and my car in a flooded parking lot. Drama, drama, drama. Anyway, after 3 hours, I finally made it home. Yes, I took a little tour of the city, but I was so relieved to be home that the 3 hours didn't matter. Much.


This is the buliding where I work. There was 4-5 feet of water, which they could not get rid of for days because we had no power. We've been relocated to another floor, but are mostly working from home.







And here's the kicker, stronger storms are on the way. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks.

Second: The 127 Yard Sale.
Mom, Annie (the sweet little fur ball), and I hopped into an ancient V8 truck and set out on Wednesday. We went North to Ohio, spent the night at home on Wednesday night, then headed South on Thursday. We found most of our goodies in Kentucky.












We went North to Ohio, spent the night at home on Wednesday night, then headed South on Thursday. We found most of our goodies in Kentucky.

The yard sale had all kinds of interesting things, including a boat (see below), a car (see below), and various glassware items and clothing.


This guy was made of glass and very unique.















If you needed a bed, this was the place to be. Almost everywhere we stopped had a great assortment of beds, big, small, wood and iron.

















Baskets were everywhere! I really liked the large ones, but didn't end up buying one.















I drooled over this riddling rack, but he was asking too much for it. Isn't it fab!















Want to see more?




























































































































So, what did WE buy? Well..


Mom bought this magazine/book stand. It was originally used to display wallpaper and folds up nicely. She got it for a steal!















I bought these 8 napkins for $3!! She wanted $4, and I was going to think about them, but then she took off $1. They are gorgeous and will be easy to clean! :)











I bought this as a gift for a friend. He has a new apartment and wanted some help with his bar area. I only bought one of the three that the vendor had, but should have bought the other one too. Oh well.










Enjoy! :)

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Good News and Bad News

Sorry I've been AWOL. Tuesday was a crazy day in the city due to the rain and flooding! It took me 3 hours to get home.

Talk about drama!

Now our offices are closed due to flooding. They said we had about 4 feet of water.

At one time I was stuck at the office, which had no power, while my car was in a flooded parking lot.

It really wasn't the best situation I've ever been in.

BUT, the good news is that I'm currently on the 127 Yard Sale! Happy Dance!

It's been a super trip so far. I've seen all kinds of things that I had to force myself not to buy. ;)

I'll post more updates when I return! Enjoy!

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Productive Weekend

This weekend, I worked on my file cabinet (before). After 2 coats of paint and some gloss, it looks fabulous! Yeah!

Also, I was able to work on my laundry room. It looks so much better! I might even be able to leave the door open when people come over. I'll show it tomorrow, as it needs one last tweak.

:) Enjoy!

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Cabinet with a Somethin'

Today, I'm working on this baby. It's getting paint (of course) and a little somethin' extra. *wink*

See you next week!

Enjoy! :)

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