Off-to-Camp Mac n Cheese

Bug repellent, bungee cords, sleeping bags, plastic ground sheets, sunblock... just some of the items we were scavenging for over the weekend in preparation for Maddie's week at overnight camp. It's her first time away and the excitement is high in anticipation of all the outdoor fun with her friends from school. We're hoping for great weather and for the reality to live up to the fun expectations. She's an independent little thing, although definitely a city girl at heart, so we'll see how country life suits her over the next seven days. What I'll miss most is waking her up in the mornings... her warm little body stretched across the bed with one of her dozens of stuffed toys tightly tucked into her folded elbow. Like all my kids, sleeping is when she still looks her youngest and brings back memories of babyhood.

Maddie had already informed me of her hopes for a welcome-home meal next Saturday (always the planner) but when I asked her what she wanted as her "last supper" before the big adventure, I already knew what her answer would be: mac and cheese. I didn't want to make this meal too much of a culinary twist since it was really all about comfort and familiarity, so I chose Giada's version, which used flat egg noodles and fontina cheese, just a tad different from the norm for us. My only memories of eating those egg noodles while growing up were beneath a goulash, sprinkled with poppy seeds, that my mom made every once in a while. Q remembered them from the tuna casseroles of the 1970s but I can safely say I never ate any of those (taste is personal but to me they're a definite yuck). Anyway, the main point is that Maddie went back for seconds and said it was excellent so she's all set for the week--even if it means surviving on s'mores from here on in.

Macaroni and cheese

adapted from Giada de Laurentiis

serves 6

12 oz wide egg noodles

3 cups whole milk

1/2 cup half and half cream

2 tsp all purpose flour

2 cups grated Fontina

3/4 cup finely grated Pareman

1/2 cup grated mozzarella

1/2 cup grated cheddar

Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish and set aside. Cook the noodles in a pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm, about 5 minutes. Drain well but do not rinse.

Whisk the milk, cream, flour, salt and pepper in a large bowl to blend. Stir in 1 cup of the Fontina, 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/2 cup mozzarella. Add the noodles and toss to coat. Transfer the noodle mixture to the baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheeses on top. Bake until the sauce bubbles and the cheese melts and begins to brown on top, about 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 mins before serving.

Rest of the week

Aug 19 Dinner at golf course

Aug 20 Mac and cheese