Grandma Ann's Mac & Cheese

The biggest vacations we ever took when I was growing up were up to Glasgow, MT. About as far north as you can get in Montana, and almost as far west as you can go (full of beautiful... beautiful... er... uh... plains), was my Grandma Ann's house, the house my mother grew up in. We used to go for Thanksgiving/Hunting Season every year, and the occassional Christmas, Easter, and summer trip.

When I think of my Grandma Ann's house, I think of her stemless glasses, stealing gingerales out of the fridge, rolling down the hill in her backyard, playing G.I Joes, getting squirted by my first grapefruit, the collection of books I learned to read with, her old red car sitting in the driveway, how scary the downstairs storage room was, and playing restaurant downstairs. Yes, the cooker in me came out in the presence of both grandmothers, and we always played restaurant: complete with play-dishes and homemade play-doh. The play-doh was made by my Grandma Ann herself. It was the best. The second she was done making it we would rush to play with the warm, squishy, salty (yes I tried to eat it a few times) mounds of colored goo. It was my number 1 favorite thing that ever came out of her kitchen.

This was my second favorite thing

All Grandmas are known for their cooking. My Grandma made this dish everytime we came to visit. It is my all-time favorite comfort food, and I remember it was such a heavenly experience everytime I ate it. I wish I could say I had a knack for making it, but alas, my first time will live in infamy, as I forgot to boil the noodles first, and I doubt I will ever live it down. So, it turns out I'm giving you more than an amazing recipe for mac & cheese today, I'm handing out life lesson: always, always, always... boil your noodles.

Ingredients:

* 16 oz macaroni noodles (about 2/3 of a box) (cooked, a'hem)
* 16 oz of Kraft Deluxe American Cheese (now, it HAS to be THIS cheese. Walmart no longer sells it. You will find it at any other grocery story, sitting right next to the Velveeta- but do NOT use Velveeta- I swear its just not the same- at all. Find the blue box of Kraft, worship the blue box of Kraft, settle for nothing less than the blue box of Kraft! )
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk (more may be needed, keep the jug out)

To Do:

* Boil Noodles. Duh. Drain noodles. Do not used uncooked noodles. Don't be a moron like myself.
* Cube cheese into medium sized chunks
* Mix 2 eggs with 1 cup milk in bowl.
* In casserole dish, combine COOKED noodles, cheese cubes, and the egg/milk mixture. Stir together.
* Top off the casserole with milk until almost to the top of the dish - this will help make it extra creamy
* Bake covered for 35 minutes at 375F
* Take top off, stir, and bake for 10 more minutes

Delicious as a side dish or just sit down with the entire casserole dish and a fork. I'm not even a little ashamed to say I've done it before. Not even a little.

Mama Sue's Lasagna

Chris and I consider ourselves 'meat and potato' folks. There isn't a lot of exotic cooking in our household. This partially comes from our lack of exposure to these fancier foods, and the fact that Chris is quite particular in what he eats. Chris is not big on ricotta cheese and spinach in his lasagna, which is why I cannot express my love enough for my mother's recipe. Kristin Lynn will agree- it doesn't get much better than this. Its simple, easy, and will fill up even a finicky eater like my hubs! I always serve it with a fresh green salad and some garlic cheese bread hot out of the oven!

Thank you, Mama Sue!

Ingredients:

* 1 lb hamburger
* 3 cans diced italian tomatoes
* 1 small can tomato paste
* Italian seasoning
* 3 tablespoons brown sugar
* 1 lasagna noodles, cooked
* Shredded mozzerella
* Shredded monterey jack
* Grated parmesan

To Do:

* Brown hamburger in skillet on stovetop. Drain excess juices.
* Combine diced tomatoes (including liquid), tomato paste, hamburger, italian seasoning (to taste- but don't be afraid to add a lot of spice!) and brown sugar in pot on stove for one hour. This sauce is supposed to be slightly sweet, so make sure you have a good balance between the spices and the sugars.
* Cook lasagna noodles as directed on package. Drain water. Set aside
* In sprayed casserole dish layer lasagna:
             * Noodles
             * Sauce
             * Shredded cheese (mozz and mont.jack)
             * Noodles
             * Sauce
             * Shredded cheese (mozz, mont.jack, parm)
* Bake in the oven at 350F for 45 minutes or until cheese is nice and bubbly

Sticky Buns

Some people say their childhood memories are triggered by familiar scents. Some say its their grandmothers chocolate chip cookies, their dads cologne, the smell of the flowers outside their home. The intoxicating aroma I associate with my childhood came on special occassions, or lazy Saturdays. Mine is the smell of sticky buns! I never understood why we never had this tasty breakfast treat more often, until I had a family of my own to make them for. Its not that they are hard to make, it is just that I'm an impatient person and I hate waiting for dough to raise! The outcome is worth the waiting though!

Commence drooling in 5...4...3...2...1...

Ingredients:

* 2 packages vanilla pudding (cook and serve type)
* 1/2 cup butter, melted
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 package Rhodes rolls

To Do:

* Mix pudding, butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and milk together to form thick caramel sauce.
* Spray 9x13in pan with Pam cooking spray
* Rub rolls in caramel mixture, and place into pan
* Pour extra mixture inbetween rolls in pan
* Let dough raise in fridge 2.5 hours
* Bake rolls in oven at 370F for 30 minutes
* Let rolls cool after baking slightly, then flip them over onto foil so caramel side faces upwards
* Enjoy the mess !