Easy Macaroni and Cheese

I am a big fan of avoiding processed food, so KD does not make it into our home very often.  This recipe takes a little more effort than KD, but is way more delicious.

Easy Mac and Cheese

Ingredients:

2 C uncooked macaroni (whole wheat)...this is 1 regular sized package

1 tbsp butter

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp mustard

1 C milk

3 C shredded cheese (whatever flavour you like!  I often do 1/2 Cheddar and 1/2 Monterrey Jack) (this is approximately 1 500g block of cheese)

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 baking dish or a casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray.

2) Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the macaroni and cook for about 8 minutes, it should still be a little bit firm. Remove from the heat, drain and return to the pan; stir in the butter, egg and mustard until pasta is evenly coated. Reserve 1/2 cup of cheese and stir the remaining cheese and milk into the pasta. Spoon into the prepared dish. Sprinkle the reserved cheese and the over the top.

3) Bake for 30-35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the topping is nicely browned.  Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with steamed vegetables or a delicious fresh salad!

Tomato Barley Soup

I just made this delicious soup in my crock-pot.  Matt liked it so much that he didn't even add hot sauce to it, and he adds hot sauce to EVERYTHING.  Peanut loved it too!  I just blended it up and gave it to her for lunch today, and it was a big hit.

Tomato Barley Soup

When I make soup, I almost never use a recipe - I just throw in whatever ingredients I have in my house, or happened to be a good price in the grocery store.  So, I didn't use a recipe for this either, but I'm really happy with how it turned out, so I'm going to kind of make it up right now.

Tomato Barley Soup (or Stew)

Ingredients:

1 can of no salt added crushed tomatoes

6 or 7 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (I use epicure)

2 or 3 carrots, peeled and chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup pot barley (or pearl barley, but pot barley is less refined)

salt and spices to taste (I used a few tbsp of Epicure Herb and Garlic Dip Mix)

(other suggestions - add some red lentils, sweet potato, or pasta [at the end] to change it up a bit)

Directions:

Put everything into a crockpot.  Cook on low for 8 hours (or overnight), or on high for 4 or 5 hours.

EASY!