My children say that this is better than the stuff that comes in the blue box. I think tears welled up in my eyes and my hand involuntarily clutched my chest when they said this. It is such a compliment coming from those who think the most tasty foods are ones that come in colors not naturally occurring in nature.

For this recipe you will need:

1 box elbow macaroni
6T unsalted butter
6T flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cream
(I used 3 cups of half-n-half, which I think is the same thing.)
3/4 tsp salt
ground pepper
3 cups shredded cheddar
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
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I think I hear an echo in here.

Tap, tap, tap… this thing still on?

So, Chris, what have you been up to? Eating bon-bons while reclining on a tropical getaway?

I wish I could say that was what I have been up to, even though I know it would make all of you hate me just a little bit. The truth of the matter is that I have moved again. I have been sick twice or is it three times now– it is all just blending together. I transitioned my children to public school and have four kids playing on four different sports teams.

The organization of my household has all but disappeared. And cooking? Forget about it. I had been making quick things, the old stand-bys, and take out. How could I write about cooking quick nutritious meals when even I was failing to do it.

At the end of last week, I think I finally turned the corner on being sick, knocking furiously on wood here. And so begins the catch up, the delegating, and the letting go of perfectionism. Because at this point things don’t need to be perfect, they just need to be done. My clothes need to be hanging in the closet. I can color coordinate it all again LATER.

And so it is the same with writing back here. I have a great recipe I want to share for macaroni and cheese. It is so good that my children said it is BETTER than the stuff out of the blue box. I know! That is a compliment of the highest order.

Do you know what has been holding me back from sharing it the past couple weeks? I don’t have any photos of it. I kept telling myself that I would make it again and photograph it… but that never happened. (See above for mention of foods we have been eating lately)

Today I was cleaning up my house and unpacking some boxes when I thought, does it really matter if there are no photos. No, it probably only matters to me.

And so look for the baked Macaroni and Cheese recipe later today. And bring your imagination for visualizing photos of me cooking, stirring, and mixing. Why yes, I have lost weight and my hair is perfectly colored and styled. Thank you for noticing, um in your imagination. Sometimes it really is better than the real thing. And might I say, you look fabulous too.