Tasty Tomato Mac & Cheese - Maximum Taste, Minimum effort

You know when you get home from Sunday meeting and you have no idea what you're going to have because you haven't taken any meat out and you don't feel like making pancakes? As a matter of fact, you just don't feel like making a meal. Period! But alas, there will be no going out to eat because that costs money...

Well, I found this recipe in the "All you need is cheese" magazine that comes once in awhile. I like the homemade stuff but oftentimes it takes a little while to make. And time is of the essence. There are naps to be had before gospel meeting you know.

I recommend it for a quick meal. It is Hanna approved. Shawn gave her a portion and then he had to give her some more off his plate because she wanted more.

Servings 4-6         Preparation time: 10-15 minutes       Cooking: 15-20 minutes
1 lb (450 g) macaroni or other short pasta
1 Tbsp butter
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups of milk
2 Tbsp flour
1/4 tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 Tbsp fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups of cheddar cheese (I like old for more flavour), grated
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1) In a large quantity of salted boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions but cook for 1 minute less. Drain in a colander.
2) In the saucepan used to cook the pasta, melt butter and brown garlic and onion for 2 minutes.
3) Mix milk and flour and pour into saucepan. Stir using a whisk and let simmer until mixture thickens.
4) Add tomato paste, oregano and parsley.
5) Gradually incorporate grated Cheddar and season.
6) Add pasta, stir with a large spoon, reheat, and serve it at once.

Hanna walks - Attempt #2

Does this work family? Some of you couldn't view the last one.

Walking

Hanna is on the move!

You HAVE to try this easy recipe

I had a "wow" moment today.

I found (on pinterest) a recipe for banana "ice cream". Except all the "ice cream" is, is frozen bananas blended to a pulp.

So cut up and freeze in discs 4 bananas. Then use a powerful blender (because it will test the motor) and blend it to a pulp. It will start to get creamy. Once its all creamy, add 2 Tbsp peanut butter and 2 tsp cocoa and blend. And that's it. Healthy ice cream.

I just had to share. Hanna loved it!
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
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Thanksgiving Dinner at Mom and Dad's

We were so privileged to have 3 turkeys this year.

Was great to be with these folks at Mom and Dad's.
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.

Hanna's growth and development - Oct 21, 2012

Hanna talks on the phone. She LOVES the phone. I might be a bad parent but I let her do it too.

She just started doing this today. Slowly but surely...We aren't rushing her. She is doing pretty good navigating stairs. One day...

Videos of our big girl these days - Various dates

Thanksgiving weekend proved to be a LOT of driving. Thank goodness for Uncle Graham who kept Hanna entertained. We are home bound until December after all that driving.

I know it's been forever since I've blogged. I like discovering other people's blogs for ideas on new recipes, organization and cleaning tips, parenting advice etc. but I have not updated you on the happenings in the Radom house.

Our sister workers just left. We had amazing days with them and are sad to see them go.
We also had a BIG dump of snow...pictures to follow so not much has been happening as far as outdoor activities for us. So here are some pictures to entertain you.

Snow that arrived on our door step Oct 21

 Nice view hey? So glad that the temple tours are done so we get our quiet street back.

Hanna brushes her teeth one morning. She loves to copy us.

 Where I place Hanna after her breakfast so that I can eat mine. She quite enjoys her books and toys.

I thought this would get a laugh. We didn't have any paper towel so my genius husband that it made sense to hang the bacon and let it drip down. That's definitely not what my mind would have come up with.

 Keaston Kneesch's bday party - September 15th. Hanna with her little friend Bella.

 The big 2 yr old bday boy. He impresses me with what he knows, says and can do every time I see him.

 Annette's creation for Keaston's birthday.

 Keaston's smile these days. What a card!

 We tried to get the kids together on the couch for a picture...always an adventure.

 Going for a walk in the beautiful Fall weather (past tense).

 Hanna and Keaston hanging out in his circus tent toy.

 Hanna hamming it up when she sees a camera.

 Her interesting sleeping positions.

 My friend Rebecca and I go for a hike in the park near our house. Beautiful valley trails with mountain views.

 Hanna being a card while getting into the laundry...this is what our days consist of.

Fun with food.

 Road trip to SK for Thanksgiving.

 Fun with Bryden Howden. She LOVED him.

 Like I said...she loved him.

Hanna loves the piano. Some parents don't let their kids touch the piano. I say go for it...however our piano has a setting called "Concert Magic" where any key a kid (or adult) plays, it turns into a song. I hope someday she loves playing as much as I do.

 A classic picture. I'm sure we have photos like this when we were young playing "pass the toothpick".

 After coming home from SK and bringing home lots of garden produce (spaghetti squash from Jan Cobb, I just HAD to attempt her stuff spaghetti squash. Hamburger, rice and whatever else I could add to the meat mixture stuffed and baked in a spaghetti squash topped with cheese. It went over well.

 Hanna testing her new garb from her Great Aunty and Uncle who have a place down in Texas. Thanks for the cowboy boots and cute diaper shirts.

 We had a wonderful wknd after the Thanksgiving wknd hanging out with Thomas (3rd cousin) and seeing Shannon, Paula, Dana, Tilynn, Tyan and Coreen Bailey and Gpa Radom. Good to see everyone. Also happened to be Shawn's bday wknd.

 Our sister worker Linda lived with Shannon so she snuck off and spent the night with us Friday night. Here she is Saturday morning entertaining Hanna.

Sunday night we had a few for supper to celebrate the big 33 for Shawn. What a happy guy surrounded by his friends and family with ice cream cake for dessert. His favourite.

I'll post a couple more videos in separate posts.