ianuk

Having a holiday in the middle of the week just makes things weird. Seriously, weird.

I kept thinking monday thoughts this AM like 1) Make sure Ben has his water shoes for splash day, 2) grab gym bag, 3)clean up house for scribble and well, its Thursday. Go figure.

Since Monday I've been spinning and working on getting my studio back in shape but I've also been doing some experiments with cooking.

On Tuesday night, even though I got home with Benton late, I made Healthy Chicken Nuggets*. Which turned out awesome. Benton and Mel loved them. Next time I will make up way more breading but all in all a good meal. We had edamame with it.

I managed to stay up late and finish up spinning the polwarth I had been working on and it spun up nicely. Here is all of it in its prettiness.... I think I will call it strawberry shortcake.

On Wednesday morning I started in on some Falkland wool and it was spinning up thinner than the polwarth which was a change. The polwarth was a lot "stickier" than the falkland and it got more sticky the more humid it got in the house. Interesting but true.

On Wednesday I again cooked something new. I made the goal for the year to learn to make from scratch mac n' cheese. I had found a recipe for Revolutionary Mac n Cheese which I wanted to try. The concept of cooking was interesting to me and I had to try it.
It was AWESOME!!! OMG SO RICH! Now I used whole milk cause that is what we have in house and I used tillamook sharp cheddar which is also uber rich. My next try at it will use a bit more milk to make it creamier and also a blend of cheeses to cut down on the richness a bit. I will also be adding fresh cracked pepper and probably garlic and paprika to the spice mix.

Also during the day I managed to get my studio to almost useable condition. I need to wipe down my table and set up my sewing machines before I start in the "repair/minor things to finish" pile of clothing before I start my made sewing for Pennsic/Middle East Feast.

After dinner and benton's bath which he desperately needed after mel let him plain on the carport in the rain a bit mel and I sat down for some quiet time. I knit and he played Tomb Raider. We got up and went on the roof and watched the DM fireworks show.

public_shaylan and team did a nice job on it this year like they do every year.

I got to bed way too late since I decided that I needed to paint my toes and get to a specific line in my knitting instructions and reading a good book....yeah I can't go to bed on time. Oh, well.

I've got lots to do for work today and people are just being weird...not bad weird but the holiday is making us all off...having a second monday in the week is trying at the best of times but this just feels weird. Oh, well.

Homemade Chicken Nuggets (naturally gluten-free!)

Ingredients (Serves 6, freezes beautifully):
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 1½ to 2 pounds, cut into 1 - 2 inch bites
Farm fresh eggs, 2
For the breading:
Brown rice crispy cereal, 2 cups, such as Arrowroot or Erewhon
Parmigiano-reggiano, ⅔ cup
Salt-free Italian seasoning, 1 tsp
Sea salt, 1 tsp
Ground black pepper, 1 tsp
Garlic powder, ½ tsp
Ground mustard, ½ tsp
Instructions (30 minutes, 10 minutes active):
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Using a mini food processor or blender, coarsely combine all ingredients listed under “for the breading”. Transfer to a suitable sized bowl.
In a cereal size bowl, lightly scramble two eggs.
If necessary, cut chicken into 1 ½ to 2 inch strips. I ask my butcher to do this for me.
Set up an assembly line. To prevent your breading from getting super sticky and eggy, try to use one hand to dip the chicken in the egg and then drop it into your breading. Use your clean hand to toss chicken in breading. Place on a Silpat or parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers 165 degrees. These are so small they will not continue to cook much.
Serve immediately with your favorite dipping sauce, slice over salads, or freeze in a labeled and dated freezer bag for up to three months.
To cook from frozen, change nothing. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes. Because they are fully cooked, the 165 degree mark is not crucial. You just want them hot enough to enjoy!
Notes: These are naturally gluten-free and nut-free. Brown rice crispy cereal is available in the health and/or gluten-free section of most supermarkets. Those sensitive to dairy can use unsweetened coconut in place of the parm-reg. Vegetarians can use organic tofu strips in place of the chicken. Do I need to mention that kids LOVE these?!?

Revolutionary Mac & Cheese
Source: Cate’s World Kitchen adapted from White on Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups dried pasta
2 1/2 cups skim milk**
1 cup loosely packed cheddar cheese, shredded by hand
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp dijon mustard, can omit and substitute nutmeg instead (for either, start with a little and add more to taste)
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions:

In a small saucepan, add pasta and milk. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to low and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until pasta is soft, stirring frequently and ensuring milk does not boil.

Turn heat off, add cheese & salt & and stir to combine. Stir in the mustard or nutmeg & cayenne a little at a time, to taste. Cover and let stand for a couple of minutes, then stir again and serve. If not creamy enough, add milk a little at a time, and gently stir.

If you would like to bake it at this point, place in a baking dish and top with a generous sprinkling of cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 10 minutes until cheese has melted.

As a side dish this makes enough for 4 people with no leftovers (can easily be doubled).

Notes:
*This recipe is a bit tricky and depends greatly on the kind of cheese and noodles you use. I have found that the shells work better than the elbow macaroni as they don’t absorb as much of the milk. It also depends greatly on the heat of your stove.

*Hand shredding the cheese instead of using pre-shredded bagged cheese works better in this recipe as it melts easier and helps some with the graininess. Also, this recipe is best eaten right away and not as good when reheated.

*Also, I’ve found that mac & cheese can depend greatly on your personal preference. Some like creamy, some like baked, others like cheesy. I love thinner, cheesier mac & cheese that is more like the blue box. For that reason, this recipe is my new favorite and go-to mac & cheese recipe. For those that love a thicker, heartier mac & cheese, then this one is the one for you.

*Several commenters below have loved adding broccoli, diced tomatoes or jalapeno to give the mac & cheese a little more zing and amped up flavor. Also to help with the creaminess several have added in a bit of cream cheese or yogurt.

**Edited 6.13.12: I remade this recipe and found that by starting with 2 1/2 cups milk, the mac & cheese was a better consistency and didn’t get so thick.