Blessed

i know i'm a day late, but yesterday was a whirlwind of activities. my alarm went off at 4:15 am so that i could be up and to work by 5:45 am. i know most people would complain about working on a holiday, but i truly enjoy it. first of all, it's slow and i don't have any meetings, which means i can get tons of work done. i also get the chance to just spend time with my team, goof off a little, and get to know them better. this is something that i as manager, hardly get a chance to do

so back to thanksgiving. here's my list of thankfuls:

• my Savior, my God, my faith - i cannot even put into words how thankful i am for all the He has done for me
• my family for their continual support (including delaying eating so i could work)
• my friends - far & near: we don't see each other often, but i treasure every moment that we get a chance to talk, see each other, or even facebook chat
• my job & co-workers: for the 1st time in my life, i have a job that i love. it just seems to fit. the best part is the amazing group of people i work with
• my car - it's been 6 1/2 years Ruby, and i can't believe you're still running. please don't be offended if i replace you next year. i will always love you. you're my first car
• being able to escape into a different life, time, person, story...being able to read

hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! i'd love to hear what you are thankful for.

Thinking Outside the Box...

my sis and i have always been a fan of mac-&-cheese. seriously, you should see us at old country buffet when the mac-&-cheese is out. that may be all that hits our plates!

but when it comes to making it, i've only made the boxed variety. don't get me wrong, it's delicious, but it pales in comparison to the creamy, delicious goodness that i know mac-&-cheese can be.

since my sis was coming over for dinner, i thought i'd attempt the homemade version of our favorite. i even shredded the cheese myself. i do have to say, it was quite tasty.

i found a recipe on bettycrocker.com, and modified it a little to give it some kick!

3 cups uncooked rotini noodles

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups milk

2 1/2 teaspoons dried minced onion

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/2 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (like the pizza topping!)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs (if you don't have any, take the heel from a loaf of bread, crumble it up and spread it on a pan...bake for about 3-5 min at 285 degrees)

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese (grated or powder)

2 teaspoons olive oil

1) preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease an 11x7 pan.

2) prepare noodles according to directions (boil & drain). once drained, return to pot, stir-in sour cream, and cover to keep in heat.

3) in a 2-quart sauce pan, whisk together milk, flour, mustard, onion, seasoning salt, and red & black pepper. while stirring constantly, bring mixture to a boil and allow to thicken. once boiling remove from heat and stir in shredded cheese until cheese is melted. add cheese sauce to the noodles and stir. pour noodles and sauce into the pan.

4) in a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, parmesan, & oil. sprinkle over the top of the mac-&-cheese. slide it into the center rack of your oven.

5) set timer for 20 min. sneak into the living room, grab your favorite book, and relax until the buzzer!