Homage to Betty

My son hopped in the car his last day of school, and I asked him what he wanted to do now that school was out for the summer.  He said that he wanted to go to Grandma's house.  My heart was so filled with happiness that of all the things to do and want, he wanted to go visit his Grandma.  Since I could not make the trip to PA, I decided to share my love through food and make him a classic meal that my Grammie made all of her grandkids and that I have wonderful memories of helping her cook.  She always made stovetop macaroni and cheese, and I always remember it being the creamiest, cheesest thing that I ever put in my mouth. 

Oh my gosh was it good?! Simple; but to a kid just the best.  The wonderful thing about my Grammie was that she never got stressed or short with us and always let us help.  I think this is so important.  I am such a control freak about some things, but I love cooking with my kids and letting them screw up and add their own flair to things and using it all as a teaching experience of ingredients, measurement and following direction. 

This stovetop recipe is so easy and basic, but I learned so much from watching my Grammie.  I learned to add the cheese off the heat and have the temperature on low so that the cheese didn't get stringy or ball up.  I learned to make sure you cook the flour taste out of the roux and cook the noodles to al dente. (see recipe below)

French Breakfast Puffs and my Grammie's Sifter

I fell in love with cooking as a young girl in that beautiful kitchen on Pilgrim Drive. My Grammie had another recipe that she made all the time and that all of her daughters, grandkids and their friends often remember; French Breakfast Puffs. They are a simple delicious breakfast or brunch item.
I serve them often because you always have these ingredients on hand.  What could be bad about a muffin dipped in butter and rolled in cinnamon and sugar. Serve these with coffee or tea and you will get rave reviews.

Macaroni and Cheese 

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

2 Tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup of whole milk

1 tsp of salt

1/2 tsp of fresh ground pepper

1 tsp of ground mustard

2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 lb of dry pasta of choice

In one pot, boil heavily salted water for the pasta (should taste like sea water).  Follow package instructions for al dente pasta. 

In a second pot, melt butter and whisk in flour.  Whisk until you have cooked flour out about 1 to 2 minutes.  Add milk slowly while whisking and whisk over medium low heat until thick.  Add salt, pepper, and mustard.  Next, add cheese off the heat and turn heat down to low and whisk until smooth.  Add pasta to the cheese sauce and serve.  I like to add a few chopped chives on top for color and flavor.