bake yourself happy

Friends, times are hard. Promising signs abound, and I'm so very hopeful, but for now there seems to be an awful lot of sh*tty to contend with. So I'm going to make a suggestion: cheese and macaroni.

When I was young, one of my favorite foods was my mema's cheese and macaroni - cheddar, elbow macaroni, and saltines, all saturated with milk and egg and baked until bubbling. Her cheese to noodle ratio is audacious, and, if you know me, that probably explains a lot. I still love hers, but it loses something when I make it myself, so I make my own flossy version.

Now what I'm about to share is practically a four-pound strata of holy f*ck, so watch yourself. It's also one of the most comforting foods I can imagine, so this goes out to all of you whose mellow has been harshed. If you can handle this much cheese, the only thing you have to fear is high cholesterol and a bigger waistline.

I'm more of an eyeball-it-and-do-what-feels-right sort of cook, so nothing is too specific.

Ingredients - Buy the good stuff. Organic and local when possible.
Big bag wide egg noodles
1 lb Gruyere, grated
1/2 lb Fontina, grated
1 quart half and half
Butter
Flour
Salt and Pepper
Nutmeg
Breadcrumbs
Butter

Boil noodles until almost done. Rinse in cold water, drain, and spread into an unbuttered casserole dish. In a sauce pan, melt, say, half a stick of butter over medium-high heat. When it's good and melty, add a few tablespoons of flour. Cook for a bit, stirring constantly, until it smells toasty. Whisk in half and half. All of it. Add a few grates of fresh nutmeg. Reduce heat to medium and heat until hot, but do not boil. Add cheese. All of it. Stir constantly until melted. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour cheese sauce over noodles until they're comfortable but not overwhelmed. Sprinkle breadcrumbs or panko over the top. Dot with butter. Cook at 375 until bubbling and browned. Eat. Feel better.

Fabulous for taking to barbeques, ailing friends, thin enemies, etc. The cheese sauce will also keep for a few days in the fridge and is fabulous on broccoli. Trust me.

Conditions Improve

So, I've been a turd for several days now, and I'd actually started to revel a bit in my funkatude. But, now, sweet readers, I'll have you know that I'm a changed woman - at least for the rest of the afternoon.

I first saw this link on What Possessed Me. I passed it by, since I am generally opposed to all things moving and/or cheesy. Then Megan posted it on her fabulous blog - just for me! So then I had to watch it. You may think less of me from here on out, but I shit you not, I had tears dripping off my very stubborn chin. My shirt is wet from crying. You must watch it immediately. And why stop there? Go ahead and give this or this a gander. Come on, have a good cry. You know you want to. You might not want to do it at the office, though. There's no racy content, but if these clips can have me weeping, then you may want to use caution.